澳大利亚政府将强迫更多的外国人卖掉他们的房子

Australia Orders More Foreign Homeowners to Sell

Treasurer Joe Hockey vows to boost penalties as investigators probe 462 possible breaches by foreign home buyers

 

by Rebecca Thurlow

Aug. 8, 2015 5:03 a.m. ET

 

SYDNEY—Several foreign owners of residential property across Australia have been ordered to sell as the government intensifies its crackdown on the abuse of homeownership laws by buyers from China and elsewhere.

Treasurer Joe Hockey said foreign investors have been ordered to sell six properties in the cities of Sydney, Brisbane and Perth. The homes are valued between 152,000 and 1.86 million Australian dollars (US$112,768 and US$1.38 million).

The orders could be the tip of the iceberg, with Mr. Hockey revealing probes have unearthed 462 possible breaches of foreign homeownership rules after the government ramped up its spending on enforcement in its May budget. The number of cases being investigated has more than doubled since the last estimate was given in June.

The treasurer said he expects more divestment orders will be announced soon, and promised to increase penalties for those who break the rules.

With skyrocketing house prices putting homeownership out of reach of many Australian citizens, the conservative government is under pressure to make housing more affordable, and rein in surging investor buying that some fear may push the market to unsustainable levels, causing a crash as the economy slows at the end of a long mining boom.