University of Western Australia, Curtin University in QS World University Rankings; How much do you need to earn to afford a mortgage in Perth?; Bunbury physiotherapist suspended

Good morning readers, and welcome to our live news blog for Thursday, June 18.

Making headlines today is new data from Cotality that reveals just how much (more) WA home buyers need to earn to afford a typical mortgage in Perth.

Tuesday’s rate pause may have come as a relief to many, but those looking to buy a home still need to earn $16,500 more than they did in January, when the minimum household income needed was $107,329.

The research also reveals the gap between the pace of WA’s house price growth and that in the eastern states has widened to a chasm, with Perth values rising to 25.8 per cent over the past year compared to Melbourne’s 0.5 per cent.