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To authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8462.2010.00608.x Byline: Ben McNair ([dagger]), Peter Abelson ([double dagger]) Abstract: Abstract Underground low-voltage electricity and telecommunications networks have a number of advantages over overhead networks, including reliability of supply, safety and improved visual amenity. This article investigates the value of these benefits to households by estimating the relationship between house prices and type of network service in three suburbs in Canberra, Australia. Holding other house and neighbourhood characteristics constant, we find that underground networks increase house prices by 2.9 per cent. Although the electricity network in Canberra has some unusual features, this approach can provide valuable information to policy-makers considering undergrounding programs in residential areas. Author Affiliation: ([dagger])Crawford School of Economics and Government, The Australian National University ([double dagger])Faculty of Economics and Business, The University of Sydney Article History: First version received February 2010;final version accepted May 2010 (Eds).

Despite the popular and public policy interest in housing prices, there have been few reliable published data for housing prices in Australia. In this article we aim to provide an authoritative account of prices for houses and apartments (units) in Australia from 1970 to 2003. Where possible we draw on data from land title offices or on studies that draw on these data, but we also draw on supplementary data in some cases. The first part of the article describes the major data sources of Australian house prices. The main body of the article provides our best estimates of median house and unit prices and real price indices in the capital cities and in the rest of Australia along with explanations for their derivations. We also estimate how improvements in housing quality have influenced real house prices.