bundle your properties within small groups – there may be a discount for having several properties with one agent.

Find out from the town planner working for council what the issue is – there is no point speculating and wasting energy. If it is indeed stormwater find out what your options are. Yes you may  be able to build a herringbone drain/absorbtion pit but in Mt Druitt with the clay soils you will need a lot of space for them to work effectively in such poor soil. Alternatively you may  have to go for an engineered solution ie a retention pit with a pump out system or get creative and harvest all of the stormwater in an above ground tank (use it for all toilet flushing, external hose cocks and whatever else you can think of).

You will probably not be able to drain directly onto the adjoining parkland.

Why should banks move at the same time, direction and magnitude as the Reserve Bank? State Govts borrow from the RB not the commercial banks, they have to pay for their funds (from shares, deposits and borrrowings).

My heart bleeds for the banks who are always under the hammer (just waiting for my ANZ share to level out a bit).

You can always look at the myschools website. It may give you some idea as to how the school performs on various levels. As Catalyst said, you need to make sure your kids will be a good match for the school as well. Alternatively, you can check the school's website or contact the enrollment officer at the school.

Schools such as Cheltenham Girls are not selective but have a very good reputation. You need to carefully select where you purchase to get into this school as it is not obvious where the boundaries lie.

Provided of course that you don’t have another place you are calling your ppor.

You have got to remember that the US is the country that brought us CMBS (and the GFC) ie create a debt product backed by really dodgy loans call it an engineered financial product and sell it overseas to super funds and councils seeking higher rates of returns without explaining the risk behind the product – that is why our banking system didn't need a major bail out (and they call us backwards). Oz has probably one of the most robust banking systems in the world, we are amongst the fastest adopters of new technology etc and have cutting edge laws (even though we may think they are archaic).

Basic presumption: have you been served a notice by the BCC that they are seeking to compulsorily acquire your property? – if not, you can sell which ever way you like to whoever (ie auction as above). Running off to media outlets will make you out to look like a real dropkick. Use your consultant valuer to determine the value of the property. Analyse the development potential of your block as a stand alone site.

Very few compensation cases will go to court (esp when there is little at stake) they will often go to a mediator or determination.

What is your basis for objecting to the resumption? ("Oooooh – I found this site first!" does not stack up in an acquisition case) you do get compensation, it happens every day. A site that I manage was recently resumed for a rail line, do I get compensated for a lost management? I think not.

Remember, you too have bought in a depressed market and the process of compulsory acquisition provides certain grounds for compensation.

Look at it this way: as a holiday letting how many weeks are you going to get at $600 per week? What are your costs ie management will be much higher, advertising, cleaning etc will also eat into your returns – how does that compare to a normal lease?

I have previously used Scott Hogan in Sydney. They use sonar to find leaks. I had a fair idea of the location of the pipes but they were able to find the leak through a 150 mm slab. There should be no excuse for not finding the leak if it is audible to the sonar operator (these guys are usually plumbers operating the equipment).

In a nutshell: Holding Redlich – State Powers

Other solicitors with specialisation in this field: GOVERNMENT COMPULSORY ACQUISITION OF LAND

Sorry to give you a bum steer but the Acqusition of Lands Act (Qld) DOES confer rights upon councils to acquire land (not necessarily the case in other states as Sydney/Melb etc have many LGAs not just one covering the whole of Sydney or Melbourne metro areas).

The Act does nominate the purposes which council can acquire land : Schedule – not sure what an MP3 zoning allows other than playing of music through headphones. If it isn't is the schedule then it may be more difficult to compulsorily acquire the land.