Full List: South Australian politicians’ property wealth revealed

Australia’s federal pollies own more than 500 properties worth hundreds of millions of dollars. So which SA members top the list of real estate holdings? Find out here.

Australia’s federal politicians own over 520 properties worth hundreds of millions of dollars, with many putting their $200k-plus salaries and super to work in real estate across state borders.

According to APH Declarations, which reveals Australian federal politicians’ property interests, Labor member for Makin Tony Zappia holds the largest property portfolio of any South Australian federal member.

Mr Zappia owns six properties – two in Pooraka, and others in Clare, Ingle Farm, Moana and St Kilda.

The Liberal members for Barker and Grey, Tony Pasin and Rowan Ramsey respectively, had the second-largest property portfolios with four homes each.

The member for Makin, Tony Zappia, is SA’s most prolific property investor. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Morgan Sette

Mr Pasin owns properties in Adelaide, Mount Gambier, OB Flat and Largs Bay, while Mr Ramsey holds investments in Kimba, Port Neil, Maylands and Jamestown.

Labor members Marielle Smith, Penny Wong, Steve Georganas and Amanda Rishworth all own three properties, as do independent Senator Rex Patrick and Liberal Senator David Fawcett.

Naturally, a number of these members own properties in our nation’s capital, including Senator Fawcett in Civic, Senator Smith in Kingston, Senator Wong in Turner, and Ms Rishworth in Griffith.

Mr Georganas is the only South Australian federal member to own a property overseas, with a property in Greece listed among his declarations.

Real Estate Institute of South Australia chief executive officer Barry Money said it should not be a surprise so many politicians chose to invest in bricks and mortar.

“In Australia we hold our wealth in property assets, and property assets often complement superannuation and retirement funds, so a politician using property as an asset to bolster their own wealth – that’s what we do in Australia,” he said

“I think a politician has to draw a line between their own personal investments and the decisions they are making for the greater good of society and the community as a whole.

“Those who are charged with the responsibility of evaluating information and making decisions on behalf of their constituents should be held to an extremely high ethical standard, and they should be applying those standards to the decisions they make for those who are perhaps less fortunate than them.”

Tony Pasin, the Liberal member for Barker, shares the title of SA’s second most prolific property investor with Rowan Ramsey.

With the federal election just months away, analysis of each MP’s declarations to parliament showed 95 per cent of those making national policies impacting housing were existing homeowners and investors.

Of over 220 senators and members who shared their real estate holdings, only 11 don’t currently have any houses, units or commercial properties.

Federal parliament’s most prolific property investor is Northern Territory Country Liberal Senator Sam McMahon, who owns 10 homes.

Northern Territory Senator Sam McMahon owns the most properties of any federal MP in Australia. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gary Ramage

Australian Labor Party members had the most properties of the individual parties (213).

However, the Liberal-National Coalition – made up of Liberal Party of Australia (155), Liberal National Party of Queensland (72), The Nationals (41) and Country Liberal Party (10) – collectively surged past that with 278.

Only one political grouping, the Katter Party, had no declared real estate holdings, while the Greens had 15.