Hi Christine,

I bought a property in Dysart CQ back in 2002 & have experienced outstanding capital growth. Rents were around $160.00 per/wk for a 4 bedroom home. Rents rose steadily & than sharply up to $1200.00per/wk as demand rose with the Lake Vermont Mine contruction. Once Thiess build their camp & the mine contruction was complete some rentals dropped back to $550.00 per/wk, but only a few were available & within a very short time around 3 mths they were back up to $900.00+ soaring up to the current average of $1400.00 Per/wk for a small 3 br, $1800.00 -4br & $2500.00+ for 5br. My property was just rent appraised at $2400.00-$3000.00 per/wk as it is a 5br, 2bthr home.
 
At present in Dysart there are quite a few homes for sale & available for rent with people due to retire from the mines & deciding to top up their retirement by selling & moving back to the coast while the house prices are high. The rent will fall back a little at the moment with the 18 mths of strike action taking it's toll on the community, however this is normal & has happened before, but once the BMA"s EBA is settled things will fire up again with the Lake Vermont extention & Saraji"s new mine being constructed will bring a load of new people to Dysart needing accommodation. I believe Norwich Park Mine will do what it did last time & we will see a weeding out of the workers they no longer wish to retain & they will re-open with some retained & some new workers. 300 of the current workers are being moved to Saraji & Peakdowns with contractors going to Blackwater or offered redundency packages. So I do not believe the media hype of doom & gloom. But still there will be a cause & effect with lenders pulling back their willingness to lend in these high risk area's. Rents may settle back to a realalistic level also if mining companies withdraw their subsidies.
 
Anyone cashed up to buy, would do well to buy properties that already have a good long lease in place at these high levels to ride out the current events. The days of high rental yelds we have seen may or may not return. So do your research & figures well. I agree there are added costs for maintenance, but once you ask aorund there is always someone looking to do extra on their days off usally a lot cheaper than a tradie from the coast. Face Book is a good place to ask.