It is hard to imagine a time requiring more stamina and courage than what we have been experiencing in the past 6 months. This pandemic has touched all of us and for some, caused extreme personal and financial hardship.
From an economic standpoint, it has caused unprecedented business and market shock and forced governments to rush a mix of economic stimulus policies that have combined in causing dramatic swings in market behaviour, where leading indices have posted the worst and best quarters in 20 years.
Property in WA has suffered falling house price and commercial rental income. However, government action has seen land sales surging, with the latest data from UDIAWA recording the most land sales during the June quarter – something that had never happened. Strange times indeed!
On the education front, I want to commend our tertiary education institutions for their commitment to ensure that any disruption to students is minimised. Universities in WA are still operating and whilst access restrictions and some building closures are in place, lectures and most tutorials have been moved on-line.
Through all of this, the Property Education Foundation has followed the official Australian and West Australian government advice so we can prioritise the safety, health and welfare of our volunteers, partners and students. This has resulted in very limited student-industry interaction, cancellation of all our events, internships and participation in school career events.
However, we have used this period to upgrade our digital platforms including our website and social media platforms. This will enable us to better stay in touch with education institutions and students.
I look forward to the resumption of all our activities soon, in the meantime do check out all our latest information on our website, and most importantly, stay positive and safe.
Joe Lenzo
Chair