Deliberate dereliction

Imagine my surprise when I opened yesterday's Sydney Morning Herald and saw the photo on the front page of the magazine section (see extra). It's of two houses not 10 minutes walk from my home, on the suburb's main drag. The accompanying article is on the themes of people buying up properties, heritage or not, leaving them empty for years and therefore subject to decay, or burning them down, with the idea of making a case to councils for redevelopment. The house in my photo has been crumbling over a couple of decades, uninhabited, bought for little money and now with a high land value. There are many houses in Sydney and Melbourne in such a state. The article also makes the obvious link with housing shortage and resultant lack of affordability, and governments' failure to address the issue.

So off I toddled to take my own photo, one of several similar long-term derelict empty houses in local streets. They are not the only reason for the housing crisis but they contribute to it.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend. We are prepping for a barbecue with the little family.