Australia’s ghost towns hiding in plain sight
Research from Ray White finds 136,278 Australian homes are inactive, meaning unoccupied for five years. The figure makes up 1.3 per cent of the nation's dwellings. Sydney and Melbourne have the most inactive homes, while regional Northern Territory has the highest proportion. Esperance Surrounds in Western Australia recorded the highest inactive rate among areas with at least 1,000 dwellings. Ray White's economist says the empty homes are found in holiday areas, student markets and dense unit markets, not only in outback ghost towns.