Australian Opportunities Abound for International Investors

BRISBANE, Australia, Dec. 16, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

According to the Financial Times company, fDi Intelligence's report, five of the top ten regional winners were awarded to Australia, with Brisbane beating Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Auckland for the top spot.

"This ranking reinforces Brisbane's attractiveness to companies as an investment destination and strengthens Brisbane's influence as a serious player in the Asia Pacific region. As Australia's new world city, Brisbane is an emerging economic powerhouse and a gateway to the Asia-Pacific," Brisbane Lord Mayor, Graham Quirk said.

Judges from fDi Intelligence agreed that at the heart of the win was the 'Brisbane 2022 New World City Action Plan', credited as the catalyst behind Brisbane's recent, sky-rocketing appeal with offshore investors.

Devised by Brisbane Marketing, and developed by the Lord Mayor's Economic Development Steering Committee, the Brisbane 2022 plan is working to guide Brisbane city towards a significant, upward trend in urban and economic growth.

Steering Committee Member and Managing Director of Place Design Group, Shaun Munday believes that timing for foreign investors has never been better.

"Now is the time for foreign investors to look abroad and capitalise on the growth that is occurring in Brisbane, and even Australia at large right now. We are seeing many of our client's projects selling quicker than average off the plan. '1 Cordelia Street' in South Brisbane by R&F Properties; and 'Icon' at Milton by Golden Horse have also generated strong interest very early on and we are excited to see how our clients' developments unfold," Shaun said.

According to a joint survey by the World Bank and International Finance Corporation, Australia is considered one of the easiest places in the world to do business, another great sign for investors, and fifth when compared with economies with a large population.*

"The Australian government and industry policies and application processes are consistent and transparent, reducing the chance of unexpected risks and ensuring a more controlled development process."

"We choose to work alongside other industry experts such as Australian based law firm HWL Ebsworth; financial advisors BDO; and property experts such as Jones Lang LaSalle, to help investors make even better, well-rounded decisions. These will ensure greater commercial outcomes, which are possible in the current Australian economic climate -- it's a very exciting time," Shaun said.

Background Information

Place Design Group is a leader in planning and design with a reputation for fresh and innovative solutions. Australian owned and managed, with offices throughout Australia and Asia, the group are dedicated to improving the quality of both our living and built environments to create real cities and spaces for people.

fDi Intelligence's top 15 for the 2015-16 Asia-Pacific Cities of the Future FDI strategy are:

1. Brisbane (Australia)
2. Hong Kong (Hong Kong)
3. Tokyo (Japan)
4. Foshan (mainland China)
5. Auckland (New Zealand)
6. Sydney (Australia)
7. Canberra (Australia)
8. Macau (Macau)
9. Perth (Australia)
10. Melbourne (Australia)
11. Dhaka (Bangladesh)
12. Gwangju (South Korea)
13. Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)
14. Karachi (Pakistan)
15. Wuxi (mainland China)

Fast Facts:

• Australia is one of the easiest places in the world to do business, according to a joint survey by the World Bank and International Finance Corporation. Overall, Australia is ranked 11th in the world for its ease of doing business and fifth when compared with economies with a large population.*
• The ChAFTA will promote further Chinese investment specifically within Australia by raising the Foreign Investment.
• Review Board (FIRB) screening threshold for private companies from China in nonsensitive areas from $248 million to $1,078 million.
• The Australian property market has shown steady growth over the last decade with the Australian Bureau of Statistics recently confirming preliminary estimates of the Residential Property Price Index (RPPI) for the weighted average of eight capital cities, as rising 9.3% over 2013.
• The average price of Australia's 9.3 million residential properties is now $546,500 (2014 figure - up from $496,800 in 2012).
• Capital city markets in Australia recently saw 82% property clearance, the highest combined rate ever recorded. This was up from 63.5% in the corresponding weekend in 2013 (RP Data)