Overview
Property economics is fundamentally concerned with the economic management of property rights. In this unit you will examine the general principles of property, property rights and real property law with a focus on Queensland and applications in other states as required. You will examine topics including: the nature of real and personal property; customary property rights; the bundle of rights approach to ownership; lesser bundles of rights such as leaseholds, easements, covenants, and mortgages; property rights registration systems; legal principles and practices related to the administration of property rights.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Prerequisite: LAWS11030 or (LAWS11057 and LAWS11059)
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2026
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from lecturer reflection
Introduction of more social and fundamental topics was effective in broadening the scope fo the unit
Continue to balance theory and practice across workshops and lectures.
- Explain the nature and type of various proprietary rights in land
- Examine the creation of various proprietary interests in land and analyse their relative enforceability at law and in equity
- Formulate an informed decision by applying the relevant property rights principles and law arising out of an encountered fact situation
- Apply appropriate style and terminology to communicate effectively in the discipline.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 50% | ||||
| 2 - Take Home Exam - 50% | ||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Communication | ||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | ||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | ||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | ||||
| 5 - Team Work | ||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | ||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | ||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | ||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | ||||
| 10 - First Nations Knowledges | ||||
| 11 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing styles below:
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
k.richardson@cqu.edu.au
Week 1
Begin Date: 09 Mar 2026Module/Topic
Concepts of Property
Chapter
As noted in the Study Guide
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 2
Begin Date: 16 Mar 2026Module/Topic
Possession and Title and the Doctrine of Estates
Chapter
As noted in the Study Guide
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 3
Begin Date: 23 Mar 2026Module/Topic
The Doctrine of Tenure and Native Title
Chapter
As noted in the Study Guide
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 4
Begin Date: 30 Mar 2026Module/Topic
Adverse Possession and Fixtures
Chapter
As noted in the Study Guide
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 5
Begin Date: 06 Apr 2026Module/Topic
The Torrens System
Chapter
As noted in the Study Guide
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 6
Begin Date: 13 Apr 2026Module/Topic
Equitable and Unregistered Interests
Chapter
As noted in the Study Guide
Events and Submissions/Topic
Vacation Week
Begin Date: 20 Apr 2026Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 7
Begin Date: 27 Apr 2026Module/Topic
The Priority Rules and Alienation
Chapter
As noted in the Study Guide
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 8
Begin Date: 04 May 2026Module/Topic
Co-Ownership
Chapter
As noted in the Study Guide
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 9
Begin Date: 11 May 2026Module/Topic
Leases
Chapter
As noted in the Study Guide
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 10
Begin Date: 18 May 2026Module/Topic
Mortgages
Chapter
As noted in the Study Guide
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 11
Begin Date: 25 May 2026Module/Topic
Easements
Chapter
As noted in the Study Guide
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 12
Begin Date: 01 Jun 2026Module/Topic
Restrictive Covenants
Chapter
As noted in the Study Guide
Events and Submissions/Topic
Exam Week
Begin Date: 08 Jun 2026Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Vacation/Exam Week
Begin Date: 15 Jun 2026Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Written Assessment
Part A - (25 marks)
This task consists of an essay of no more than 2,000 words using standard citation style addressing a topic that will be published on the unit Moodle site. The task gives students the opportunity to demonstrate critical thinking and understanding applied to an issue related to property law and then communicate that view through the academic mechanism of an essay.
Your essay should:
- Adopt a position agreeing or disagreeing with this statement.
- Identify, present, discuss and analyse notions of private property, ownership and possession.
- Identify, present, discuss and analyse appropriate legal materials to support your argument.
- Use the conventions of essay style (e.g. structure, referencing).
Part B - (20 Marks)
This task will focus on an analysis of a case involving property law. The task gives students the opportunity to demonstrate critical thinking and understanding applied to a practical issue in property law. It consists of reading a case that will be set in the Moodle site and answering a set of questions requiring short answers.
Part C - (5 marks)
This task asks you to reflect upon this unit and your personal experience of it. This is not a unit evaluation question but one that asks you to consider your approach to the unit and your learning. The details of the questions for reflection will be set out in the Moodle site for the unit.
Week 5 Friday (10 Apr 2026) 12:00 am AEST
To be submitted via Moodle
Week 8 Monday (4 May 2026)
To be returned via Moodle
The assessment criteria for Part A includes knowledge, analysis & argument, writing style, presentation and referencing.
The assessment criteria for Part B is short answer response.
The assessment criteria for Part C is show answer response.
Full details of how these graded will found on the Moodle site.
- Explain the nature and type of various proprietary rights in land
- Examine the creation of various proprietary interests in land and analyse their relative enforceability at law and in equity
- Formulate an informed decision by applying the relevant property rights principles and law arising out of an encountered fact situation
- Apply appropriate style and terminology to communicate effectively in the discipline.
2 Take Home Exam
The exam will be released approximately three hours before submission. It will include current case studies and may require the gathering information, searching cases and legislation.
Further details to be found on the Moodle site with an more explicit exam brief provided around week 10.
Turnitin enabled Moodle assessment
Released at Certification of Grades
This assessment is aligned to the learning outcomes:
Explain the nature and type of various proprietary rights in land
Examine the creation of various proprietary interests in land and analyse their relative enforceability at law and in equity
Formulate an informed decision by applying the relevant property rights principles and law arising out of an encountered fact situation
Apply appropriate style and terminology to communicate effectively in the discipline.
- Explain the nature and type of various proprietary rights in land
- Examine the creation of various proprietary interests in land and analyse their relative enforceability at law and in equity
- Formulate an informed decision by applying the relevant property rights principles and law arising out of an encountered fact situation
- Apply appropriate style and terminology to communicate effectively in the discipline.
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
