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Following on from <a href="/news/werribee">Friday's overview</a> of the public transport projects on the horizon in Melbourne's west, today we take a look at the broad growth patronage growth drivers in Melbourne's west.

Greenfields development is the catch-all term used to describe, broadly speaking, low-density suburban development and for the most part, the planning for these precincts are governed by precinct structure plans.

Within each precinct structure plan, developers in the past have focused on detached housing, generally auto-dependent coupled with retail and community (schools etc) precincts.

In the past few years however, precinct structure plans have improved - in the sense that many now include a diverse amount of dwelling types that may get developed as new suburbs do.

It's quite common to see zones that will support apartment buildings - sometimes landmark building - as well as higher-density commercial buildings appear on precinct structure plan maps.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/vpa_werribee_melton_psp_map1.png" rel="gallery-all" title="There are numerous approved Precinct Structure Plans in Melbourne's west. Image: vpa.vic.gov.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="419" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/vpa_werribee_melton_psp_map1.png?itok=qincubAj" title="There are numerous approved Precinct Structure Plans in Melbourne's west. Image: vpa.vic.gov.au" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>There are numerous approved Precinct Structure Plans in Melbourne's west. Image: <a href="https://vpa.vic.gov.au/greenfield/interactive-status-map/">vpa.vic.gov.au</a></figcaption></figure>A good example of how greenfields developments have started diversifying dwelling types is Caroline Springs.  Originally marketed by Delfin from 1999, the development has seen a handful of apartment buildings spring up over the past decade.

Maps contained within the <a href="https://vpa-web.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/WyndhamC170Incor-BlackForestRoadNorthPrecinctStructurePlanDecember2015ApprovalGazetted.pdf">Black Forest Road North precinct structure plan</a> - better known as Mamnbourin, which covers land directly west of a future station on the Regional Rail Link (and Western Rail Plan) alignment, show a concentration of higher-density commercial/employment uses to be built opposite a future railway station in the area.

The <a href="https://vpa-web.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Toolern-Part-A.pdf">Toolern precinct structure plan</a>, which governs land either side of the Cobblebank railway station which is nearing the end of its construction cycle, shows a major activity centre to be build either side of the new station and employment land will be zoned between the railway line and Western Freeway.

Two stations up the line toward the city, Stockland's <a href="https://vpa-web.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/MeltonC162IncorpDoc-MtAtkinsonTarneitPlainsPrecinctStructurePlanJune2017ApprovalGazetted.pdf">Mt Atkinson precinct structure plan</a> has provisions for another major town centre located on either side of a future railway station that includes commercial/employment zones with higher-density residential components located above.

The new start-up A-League club, Western United FC, has plans to build its own 15,000 seat stadium in Tarneit, adjacent to the Regional Rail Link corridor.  The <a href="https://vpa.vic.gov.au/wp-content/Assets/Files/Riverdale%20PSP.pdf">Riverdale precinct structure plan</a> was gazetted over this slice of land and it too makes reference to a future station located next to a new town centre.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/wydnham_stadium.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Render of proposed Wyndham Stadium. Image: Grand Central Tarneit"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="327" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/wydnham_stadium.jpg?itok=ihRGWzWy" title="Render of proposed Wyndham Stadium. Image: Grand Central Tarneit" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Render of proposed Wyndham Stadium. Image: Grand Central Tarneit</figcaption></figure>There are many precincts to be developed within the urban growth boundary in Melbourne's west, however it's not all going to be low-density residential development.

Diverse town centres and a large proportion of land set aside for employment uses highlights the transport planning context of the Western Rail Plan - many hundreds of thousands of people moving into the area over the next few decades will need to be transported on metropolitan, not regional rail services.

And we shouldn't discount existing suburban centres in the west either - Werribee is one that already has a smattering of higher-density projects that will ensure dwelling types diversify in the region too.

<iframe frameborder="0" height="500" scrolling="no" src="https://www.urban.com.au/developments/werribee-vic?embeddable=list-map" width="100%"></iframe>

Lead image credit: <a href="https://levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/media/news/works-on-track-for-train-storage-in-wyndham-vale">levelcrossings.vic.gov.au</a>
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Alastair Taylor

Precincts and developments that will drive public transport patronage growth in Melbourne's West

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<h2>Comment</h2>

In 2015, the first new railway line to be built in Melbourne in many decades opened to passengers. Known as the Regional Rail Link, the project sought to begin separating metropolitan and regional services, giving trains to Victoria's regional cities their own set of tracks all the way into Southern Cross station.

A new track pair was built between Southern Cross and Sunshine station which included a new bridge over the Maribyrnong River, a flyover to separate regional and Werribee/Williamstown line metropolitan services and Footscray and Sunshine stations saw major works with the addition of two new platforms.  

The new track railway corridor from Deer Park to West Werribee was built through rural properties and, at the time, fledging development occurring around Tarneit, Truganina and Wyndham Vale.

Fast forward to today and patronage has boomed on the Geelong line, mostly due to the stations built on the new railway corridor that attract passengers from the newly built suburbs.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/geelong_line_patronage_boom1.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Geelong Line patronage has boomed thanks to suburban passengers at Tarneit and Wyndham Vale. Image: bigbuild.vic.gov.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="459" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/geelong_line_patronage_boom1.png?itok=t853WqKV" title="Geelong Line patronage has boomed thanks to suburban passengers at Tarneit and Wyndham Vale. Image: bigbuild.vic.gov.au" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Geelong Line patronage has boomed thanks to suburban passengers at Tarneit and Wyndham Vale. Image: bigbuild.vic.gov.au</figcaption></figure>Last year's state election saw the ALP release a policy - the Western Rail Plan - one month out from the election to invest even more money into more heavy rail public transport services for the west that would achieve two goals: separating regional and metropolitan services further through the growth areas and speeding up services to Geelong and Ballarat.

In 2019's state budget, $100 million was set aside for the business case/reference design.  This work is underway in parallel with the business case for the Melbourne Airport Rail Link which will be released in 2020.

Published documents on the Victorian Government's Big Build <a href="https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/333705/Western-Rail-Plan.pdf">website</a> highlight the complex inter-relations with the Melbourne Airport Rail Link, Suburban Rail Loop and Western Rail Plan and recent reporting elsewhere indicates stakeholders are debating whether to build an enabling component for the wholesale upgrade of railways in Western Melbourne.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/western-rail-plan_pdf.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Heavy rail public transport projects in Melbourne. Image: bigbuild.vic.gov.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="356" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/western-rail-plan_pdf.png?itok=u_UcMIIH" title="Heavy rail public transport projects in Melbourne. Image: bigbuild.vic.gov.au" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Heavy rail public transport projects in Melbourne. Image: bigbuild.vic.gov.au</figcaption></figure>The bone of contention - or more to the point: the one certain stakeholders want to debate through mainstream media - is the extra track pair labeled "New Sunshine to CBD access" in the map above.

Melbourne Airport Rail Link and faster trains to Geelong and Ballarat have an emphasis on speed, making journeys as quick as possible.  The Western Rail Plan has an emphasis on new, targetted services that will, like the Airport Link and less so the faster regional services, require more track to access the city.

The Geelong line's patronage figures since the opening of the Regional Rail Link have been boosted, fundamentally, by Melbourne Metropolitan commuters in outer Western Melbourne.  The Western Rail Plan seeks to shift those outer suburban passengers on to train services that are more appropriate: metropolitan services.

With those broad parameters in mind, it's been speculated that a tunnel from Sunshine to the city is the best solution to enable fast journeys to the regions and the airport while existing track - the regional rail track pair and the existing Sunbury line - then have room for expansion. For instance, the new Melton and Wyndham Vale services could possibly share the existing regional rail track pair with Bendigo V/Line services while Geelong, Ballarat and airport services use the new tunnel.

One can understand the desire to explore other options - like not building a tunnel and running more services on the existing track pairs - however we need only look to the Regional Rail Link and how it struggles to deal with outer suburban patronage growth.  Cool heads need to think clearly the long-term and what impact not building a tunnel will do to a metropolitan area whose centre of population is moving westward.

<a href="/news/an-overview-of-western-melbourne-precinct-structure-plans">On Monday we look</a> at the greenfields areas in Western Melbourne that will drive patronage growth.
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Western Melbourne's complex rail plan needs to be done right

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The Victorian State Government has awarded the contract, valued at $542.4 million, to an alliance of John Holland Group, Kellogg Brown &amp; Root and Metro Trains Melbourne to remove four level crossings and rebuild two stations on the Upfield railway line in Melbourne's north.

Renders and the overall design for the upgrade to the railway corridor were released in August and both stations to be rebuilt will be elevated above the current rail grade.  Similar to the Caulfield-Dandenong corridor, with the elevate of the railway lines, community spaces will be provided underneath the tracks.

Bell Street, Munro Street, Reynard Street and Moreland Road are the four level crossings that will be removed.

Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Jacinta Allan, is reported to have said to the Herald Sun the corridor is one of the narrowest in Melbourne and will require an extended occupation period.

Further investigative works and service relocations are scheduled to ramp up in the short term with major works beginning next year that will include a construction blitz that will shut down the rail corridor for three months.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7BEDJbszWvo" width="100%"></iframe>

As part of the community space improvements, the congested Upfield bike path will see an upgrade as well as a new pedestrian path added underneath the railway line.

The alliance that has been awarded the contract is also removing the High Street level crossing in Reservoir.  Like the soon-to-be-rebuilt Moreland and Coburg stations, Reservoir station will be elevated above the existing road level.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/east-end-entry.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The new Reservoir station currently under construction. Image: Level Crossing Removal Authority"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="365" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/east-end-entry.jpg?itok=nzT5pSB6" title="The new Reservoir station currently under construction. Image: Level Crossing Removal Authority" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The new Reservoir station currently under construction. Image: Level Crossing Removal Authority</figcaption></figure>The inner-north region of Melbourne, predominantly centred on the City of Moreland is also home to the highest number of bicycle commuters thanks to the extensive off-road and on-road bike lanes leading to the adjacent City of Melbourne.

Coburg and Brunswick are two of Melbourne's redevelopment hotspots with both suburbs registering over 100 apartment and townhouse projects in the pipeline. <a href="/developments/coburg-vic-3058">Coburg is registering 38</a> new projects on Apartments.com.au's database, <a href="/developments/brunswick-vic-3056">Brunswick has 76</a>.  

If you expand the search parameters to include to both <a href="/developments/brunswick-east-vic-3057">Brunswick East</a> and <a href="/developments/brunswick-west-vic-3055">Brunswick West</a>, the total number for all three 'Brunswicks' expands to 143 apartment and townhouse projects in the pipeline.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/519-537-sydney-road-coburg-cbc83648268f96d2d96be4ee646d9065.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="519-537 Sydney Road, Coburg."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="354" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/519-537-sydney-road-coburg-cbc83648268f96d2d96be4ee646d9065.jpg?itok=4aWGfcrG" title="519-537 Sydney Road, Coburg." width="580"></a>

<figcaption><a href="/new-apartments/519-537-sydney-road-coburg">519-537 Sydney Road, Coburg</a>.</figcaption></figure>In the long run, the Upfield corridor is likely to see other infrastructure changes that are linked to future railway projects in the area.

Namely, the Suburban Rail Loop's second phase will see a station interface with the Upfield line to the north of Coburg and also plans leaked to the media prior to the November 2018 state election show the Upfield line extending to Wallan via Roxburgh Park.

Bell Street, Munro Street, Reynard Street and Moreland Road level crossings are all set to be removed by late 2020 and the new open space will be ready in 2021.
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$542.4 million contract signed for level crossing removals in Melbourne's north

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<h2>Comment</h2>

The Victorian Government, freshly re-elected a year ago for another term, has a very large program of public transport projects that will impact on various suburban centres over the next few decades. 

Arden, Sunshine and Box Hill are three suburbs developers, property buyers and renters should keep an eye on.

The redevelopment of Arden will centre around a public transport project already under construction (Melbourne Metro) and Sunshine and Box Hill, based on publicly available information, will attract intense focus from projects that have their respective business cases underway (Melbourne Airport Rail Link and the Suburban Rail Loop).

The Melbourne Metro project that was initiated during the first term has recently entered the primary tunneling phase with two of four tunnel boring machines now working their way westward under the city.  The launching pad for the first two TBMs is located at the site of the future North Melbourne (née Arden) station, an area where the state government is a major landholder and one the state government has expressed an interest in 'doing things differently'.

In 2018 the Victorian Planning Authority released the <a href="https://vpa.vic.gov.au/project/arden/">Arden Vision</a> which outlines how the "Victorian Government and the city of Melbourne are committed to preparing in partnership land use and transport planning frameworks to coordinate and guide planning to 2050".

According to the vision document, North Melbourne station will open in 2025 and major development of the land surrounding the new station will begin shortly thereafter.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/arden_vision_2018.png" rel="gallery-all" title="The Arden Vision. Image Vic.gov.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="409" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/arden_vision_2018.png?itok=kC-25X3b" title="The Arden Vision. Image Vic.gov.au" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The Arden Vision. Image Vic.gov.au</figcaption></figure>Apart from the ongoing level crossing removal program, all other major public transport projects that are likely to leave an impact on land surrounding new stations are in various stages of planning and design.

Extending the Frankston railway line to Baxter has a business case under development expected to be completed by 2019.  Construction to duplicate the Cranbourne line will begin in 2021 with completion scheduled for 2023; the state government has also said this project is required before work can get underway to extend the Cranbourne line to Clyde.

The Melbourne Airport Rail Link, the Suburban Rail Loop, the Western Rail Plan and initiatives to speed up trains to Geelong and Ballarat are four inter-related projects that have all been appropriated funds from the state budget that will see reference designs and business cases completed over the next 12-18 months.

<h2>All railways lead to Sunshine</h2>

We've said it before, and we're saying it again - cast your gaze westward to Sunshine.  Excluding central Melbourne, no other suburb in metropolitan Melbourne will see as much intensive new rail infrastructure and services in the foreseeable future.

The Regional Rail Link project from a decade ago routed connections to Victoria's second, third and fourth-largest cities through Sunshine and the Western Rail Plan looks set to expand on regional and metropolitan rail separation possibly through the quadruplication and (partial) electrification of railways between Sunshine and Deer Park, Deer Park to Wyndham Vale and Deer Park to Melton.

The Melbourne Airport Rail Link had its route confirmed via Sunshine and what's known as the 'Albion corridor' (the stretch of railway used primarily for freight between Albion station and Broadmeadows station) and Sunshine likewise appears on maps for the Suburban Rail Loop.

<iframe frameborder="0" height="500" scrolling="no" src="https://www.urban.com.au/developments/sunshine-vic?embeddable=list-map" width="100%"></iframe>

If the Melbourne Airport Rail Link, Suburban Rail Loop, Western Rail Plan and higher-speed trains to Geelong and Ballarat proceed - whether all at the same time or in a sequential fashion - Sunshine will have the best suburban connectivity to other parts of the metropolitan area and regional Victoria.

<h2>Box Hill is already flying high</h2>

Box Hill has always garnered our interest.  The railway lines that run through Box Hill on their way to the city are unlike other major corridors like Dandenong and Sunshine because there will be minimal greenfields development within the Lilydale and Belgrave branch catchments.

In short, the only population growth throughout the whole eastern corridor can only be catered for through higher-density development.  And the numbers speak for themselves.

Box Hill has at least 35 projects contained within a 1 square kilometre grid centred around the Box Hill station and Box Hill Central shopping centre.  Further up the line at Ringwood, where both Lilydale and Belgrave lines converge to provide a very high frequency of service all the way through the inner and middle rings of eastern Melbourne, has at least <a href="/developments/ringwood-vic-3134">19 high-density projects</a> in the pipeline.

<iframe frameborder="0" height="500" scrolling="no" src="https://www.urban.com.au/developments/box-hill-vic?embeddable=list-map" width="100%"></iframe>

The Victorian Premier has already publicly announced the Suburban Rail Loop, despite its business case and reference design currently underway, will be split in two phases through the east and north of the metropolitan area.  The first phase will run from Cheltenham on the Frankston line to Box Hill, servicing Clayton, Monash University and employment precinct, Glen Waverley and Deakin University located just south of Box Hill.

The second phase of the Suburban Rail Loop extending from Box Hill to Tullamarine Airport would then create a major node, accessible to and from the north, south, east and west via heavy rail, in an area that already has a large concentration of jobs and retail activity and an area that already supports major increases in residential density.

We'll be watching the release of each public transport business case with great interest.

Lead image credit: metrotunnel.vic.gov.au
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Arden, Sunshine and Box Hill: three Melbourne suburbs to watch 

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The New South Wales Government has confirmed the location of 7 stations for the upcoming Sydney Metro West that will run between Sydney's CBD and Westmead, adding significant capacity to the rail network between Sydney and Parramatta.

The 7 confirmed station locations include Westmead, Parramatta, Sydney Olympic Park, North Strathfield, Burwood North, Five Dock, and The Bays Precinct.

Investigations are still ongoing for the Sydney CBD station and possibly adding two more stations - one in Rydalmere and the other in Pyrmont.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="500" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/do_N9uHFzJI" width="100%"></iframe>

The station location confirmation announcement follows Transport for NSW representatives having begun door knocking on residents door's notifying them the state government intends to acquire their property to make way for components of the project.

Construction is set to begin in 2020 and according to the project's overview, will then be followed by the Sydney Metro Greater West (formerly known as the North-South Link) outer western metro line linking St. Mary's and the new Western Sydney Airport.

The 'aerotropolis' located south of the new Nancy-Bird Walton Airport will also be connected with the St. Mary's link and the Sydney Metro West line may at some stage run all the way out to the airport as well.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/1uf2199.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Confirmed and potential station locations for Sydney Metro West"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="320" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/1uf2199.jpg?itok=DJqvsBUZ" title="Confirmed and potential station locations for Sydney Metro West" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Confirmed and potential station locations for Sydney Metro West</figcaption></figure>The focus on speed rather than more stations on Sydney Metro West becomes more obvious when viewed in context of plans for the Sydney basin over the next few decades.

Preliminary costs reported in other media have put the price tag for the Sydney CBD to Westmead Sydney Metro West at $10billion and some reports have suggested the price could be as high as $20 billion.

The business case for the project has not been released at this stage and will eventually go a long way to informing the public of the project's cost.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/sydney_metro_west_context1.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Wider context of the new metro line. Sydney Metro West Project Overview, page 4"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="345" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/sydney_metro_west_context1.png?itok=wYWD2hbR" title="Wider context of the new metro line. Sydney Metro West Project Overview, page 4" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Wider context of the new metro line. <a href="https://www.sydneymetro.info/sites/default/files/document-library/Sydney_Metro_West_Project_Overview_Booklet_October_2019.pdf">Sydney Metro West Project Overview, page 4</a></figcaption></figure>Boom times for Australian railway building.
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NSW Government confirms Sydney Metro West's station locations

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It’s that time again. Congestion charging discussion is back in the public realm and this time the experts have nominated a price and a - pardon the pun - road map to overhauling the road pricing regime in Australian cities.

The first phase, according to the Grattan Institute, should be introduced within 5 years and would introduce a cordon charge around CBDs.  This would operate similarly to how the London and Singapore congestion charges were introduced.

The report's authors have nominated $5 as the one-way charge for private vehicles entering the cordon.  For those that drive to the city, park, go to work and then drive home this, naturally, would represent a $10 return trip charge.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/grattan_melb_cordon.png" rel="gallery-all" title="From the Grattan Institute's report titled &quot;Right time, right place, right price&quot;. Page 12"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="403" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/grattan_melb_cordon.png?itok=ATBTjR-l" title="From the Grattan Institute's report titled &quot;Right time, right place, right price&quot;. Page 12" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>From the Grattan Institute's report titled "Right time, right place, right price". <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/924-Right-time-right-place-right-price-high-res.pdf">Page 12</a></figcaption></figure>Furthermore, the Grattan Institute says the cordon charge of $5 should only apply from 8 am to 9:30 am and between 4 pm and 6 pm in the afternoon peak with lower charges at either side of the peak periods.

Beyond the initial CBD cordon charging regime, the Grattan Institute recommends applying charges to key arterial routes. 

The arterial charges would apply on a per-kilometre basis on weekday mornings and afternoon peak periods, apply only in the peak direction, use enhance number plate recognition technology and include a fairness test and package to ensure vulnerable people are not disadvantaged.

Arterial charges would be introduced within 5 years of a successful CBD cordon charging regime.

Finally, the Grattan Institue recommends state governments should investigate costs and benefits of whole-of-network-based distance-based charging, presumably to replace the existing registration regime.

<h2>COMMENT</h2>

Calls for 'congestion charging' or 'road-pricing regime change' are not new. State Governments tend to dismiss those calls, just like they have with the latest release of research from the Grattan Institute.

Perhaps governments know that public transport networks couldn't cope with extra passengers if it was introduced in the very short-term, perhaps it's purely about the politics of change.

Regardless, this time around, the Grattan Institute has sought to address some of the often-used concerns - especially around the equity argument.

The institute’s research suggests of the 61,000 people who drive to work in Melbourne’s CBD, the majority of people have a weekly income of $1500 or more and are driving from the inner and middle rings of Melbourne’s suburbs.

The Grattan Institute says 45% of workers driving to the city have an annual income of $104,000 or more. In Sydney, that rises to 57%.

Notwithstanding tram capacity improvement projects, the biggest public transport capacity-increasing projects on the horizon in Melbourne is the Melbourne Metro project which will take three lines out of the city loop creating capacity for 3 other lines to increase services. 

We know the Melbourne Metro project will be delivered by 2025 and in Sydney a similar major capacity increase for its CBD is underway with the Sydney Metro City &amp; Southwest set to begin operations in 2024.

Notice those timeframes fit somewhat neatly with Grattan's call for the introduction of cordon charge within 5 years. 

Fast forward to 2024/2025, the Victorian Government in power at that time will look a bit silly if it rolls out the "the best way to ease congestion is to build a public transport network system which can deliver more trains, more often – and we’re getting it done" if the calls for congestion charging are still being made.
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The Grattan Institute nominates congestion charging rates for Melbourne

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Regardless of who wins the upcoming New South Wales state election on March 23rd, the proposal for Sydney Metro West looks set to be fast-tracked with the NSW Liberals and Premier Gladys Berejiklian committing to get construction underway by 2020.

This follows an earlier commitment - announced in February - from NSW Labor to fast-track the construction of the second metro line as well as spend $8 billion on the project.

The New South Wales Liberal Party announced over the weekend that Sydney Metro West proposal will kick off construction in 2020 should the coalition win this month's state election on the 23rd of March.

The caretaker and election-period announcement also included the NSW Liberal party promising to bring the public funding up to $6.4 billion.

The first phase of the Sydney Metro is set to open this year running from Tallawong/Rouse Hill in the out northwest to Chatswood.  The second phase, which is well underway, will run from Chatswood under the harbour and through the CBD to Sydenham where the existing inner-west line will be converted to handle metro services to Blacktown.

NSW Labor has vowed to halt the conversion of the inner-west line between Sydenham and Blacktown.

Sydney Metro West is the second line of a new, separate rail network proposed for the Sydney region that will initially connect Sydney's CBD with Westmead, adding more rail capacity between Sydney and Parramatta.

One of the key benefits to be spruiked by the NSW Government is that journey times between Parramatta and central Sydney will reduce to 20 minutes.  Likewise, key locations between the two endpoints will also see new stations including at Sydney Olympic Park, Five Dock and The Bays Precinct.

A connection to the T1 line will be made at Strathfield North and a potential station may be built in Pyrmont.

The NSW state election is to be held on Saturday, March 23rd. 
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NSW Liberal party commits to kicking off construction in 2020 on Sydney Metro West

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Train services which operate along railway lines in Melbourne's south-east will be shut down for three weeks over the Easter school holiday period to allow for major works to be carried out on the eastern portal for the Melbourne Metro Tunnel.

With one Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) already landed and another shortly to arrive, two more TBMs will also be arriving in Melbourne, launching from the Anzac Station site, located just behind the Shrine of Remembrance.

The two remaining TBMs that are yet to appear on the project's <a href="https://metrotunnel.vic.gov.au/construction/building-the-tunnels-and-stations/tunnel-boring-machines/tbm-tracker">website</a>, according to publicly available information, first head toward the eastern portal at South Yarra once they are launched.

The Easter school holiday shutdown will mark the commencement of major works - the breaking ground of the tunnel portal - in South Yarra and will also be the site where the final two TBMs will be extracted once they've completed their run from Anzac Station.

Pakenham, Cranbourne, Frankston and Sandringham lines will all have trains replaced with buses - from the city to each of the respective termini - over a 3 week period from the 1st of April to the 23rd of April. The first week of the shutdown will occur in the final week of Term 1 at Victorian schools.

Gippsland VLine services, which share track with the Pakenham line, will also have a total 'bustitution' and the Premier announced that Glen Waverley, Mernda and Geelong/Warrnambool lines will also be closed during this period for other level crossings and ongoing upgrade works.

The Mernda line shutdown will allow major level crossings removal works to kick off at Reservoir Station and similarly on the Frankston line, major works will proceed at the site of the Carrum level crossing removal.

The various shut downs and bustitutions that will befall the Eastern school holiday period are estimated to add 60 minutes onto most journeys throughout the metropolitan and regional networks.

Lead image credit: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/metrotunnel/photos/pcb.2332368913652035/2332368620318731/?type=3&amp;theater">Metro Tunnel on facebook</a>.
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Widespread shut down for Melbourne's metro and regional railway lines over Easter holidays

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The Level Crossing on Toorak Road on the Glen Waverley line, adjacent to the Monash Freeway interchange, will be removed by construction a 550m long rail bridge in the existing rail corridor.

The Premier and Minister for Transport Infrastructure were on site this morning to announce major works will commence on the new structure this year with completion expected by 2021.

160,000 passengers use the Glen Waverley railway line per week as well as 37,000 vehicles per day using Toorak Road. The new rail bridge will be located 9m above the existing road level.

Only two level crossings on the Glen Waverley railway line were earmarked for removal with Gardiner Station which included a tram+train crossing having been removed during the first term of the Andrews Government.

Toorak Road is the second and final on the list of 75 level crossings.  Glenferrie Road at Kooyong Station also includes a tram+train crossing and there are two more level crossings not included in the list, Tooronga Road at Tooronga Station and High Street at Glen Iris station.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/carrum1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Aerial render of the new elevated rail structure at new station at Carrum. Image: LXRA"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="363" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/carrum1.jpg?itok=iA6DDzpK" title="Aerial render of the new elevated rail structure at new station at Carrum. Image: LXRA" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Aerial render of the new elevated rail structure at new station at Carrum. Image: LXRA</figcaption></figure>Meanwhile, major works have kicked off at Carrum station where three level crossings will be removed by elevating railway track through the area while also providing a new Carrum station.

Early works, including moving electrical and water services as well as new signalling on the Frankston line, have been underway for some time and closure of existing car parks at Carrum station will start in March and last for the length of the construction period.

Temporary rail track will be built between the Patterson River and Eel Race Road so trains can continue running through the area while the permanent elevated rail structure and station is under construction.

During this time, Carrum station will be closed and buses will shuttle passenger either northwards to Bonbeach or southwards to Seaford.  

The new elevated rail structure and station is expected to be open in 2020 and a government media release states that 1.2 hectares worth of new community space is included in the Carrum project.
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Toorak Road level crossing on the Glen Waverley line to be removed

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The first of Melbourne Metro's TBMs has completed its sea voyage from China and arrived at the North Melbourne (née Arden) launch site where it will begin its journey underground shortly.

Tunnel Boring Machines around the world are given female names and the first TBM for Melbourne Metro will be named for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Kirner">Joan Kirner</a>, after Victoria's first female premier.

Joan Kirner served as the ALP member for Williamstown and was elected leader of the parliamentary Labor party in 1990 and served as premier until October 1992.

The second TBM will be named for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meg_Lanning">Meg Lanning</a> who captains the Australian women's national cricket team.  The third TBM will be named for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Ross-King">Alice Appleford</a>, a civilian and military nurse during both world wars.

The fourth and final TBM to be launched for the Melbourne Metro project will be named for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millie_Peacock">Millie Peacock</a>, Victoria's first female MP.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/tbm_mm.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Sequencing of the various stages for tunnelling on the Melbourne Metro project. Image: Melbourne Metro"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="347" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/tbm_mm.png?itok=WQzHiTGT" title="Sequencing of the various stages for tunnelling on the Melbourne Metro project. Image: Melbourne Metro" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Sequencing of the various stages for tunneling on the Melbourne Metro project. Image: Melbourne Metro</figcaption></figure>As each TBM arrives at their respective launch site, they will begin their tunneling journeys by heading towards the eastern or western portals in South Yarra or Kensington respectively.

Once that let of the journey is complete, the TBMs will be disassembled and trucked back to the launch site where they will then be reassembled and set on their way toward the CBD stations at State Library or Town Hall.

State Library and Town Hall stations, as well as the tunnel between the two, will be constructed using road headers, which crushed their first rock under Swanston street in late <a href="/news/cbd-metro-tunnel-station-construction-begins">November 2018</a>.

According to the updated TBM tracker on the Metro Tunnel website, the second TBM - Meg, is well on its way from China and at the time of posting is on a ship sailing down the east coast of Australia.

The Melbourne Metro project is scheduled to be complete with train services operational by 2025.
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Melbourne Metro's first TBM arrives, named after Victoria's first female premier

Lewis Land's latest apartment release within its <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/harbour-shores-biggera-waters-564-oxley-drive-biggera-waters-qld-4216">Harbour Shores</a> masterplan is targeting one of the Gold Coast's fastest-growing buyer groups, with almost a third of apartments at Solis priced below $1 million.

The seven-storey building at Biggera Waters will comprise 91 apartments, including 24 one-bedroom residences starting from $778,000, a price point Lewis Land says is aimed squarely at first home buyers struggling to enter the Gold Coast market.

<img alt="Harbour Shires" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e7486e37-22f6-4c92-b212-9b0622070b8f" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-08%20at%209.09.34%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=W8MJwJUCf6HkIyl_EVSksnd.QI6MZryY" />

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/lewis-land-group">Lewis Land</a> Head of Development Michael Long said the developer deliberately allocated a significant proportion of the project to more affordable apartment types.

"First home buyers have been priced out of many parts of the Gold Coast, and we saw a clear opportunity to address this and play our part in a longer-term housing solution," Long said.

"That's why 24 of the 91 apartments being delivered at Solis have been designed and priced for the city's next generation of homeowners, quality one-bedroom apartments, half of which include an additional multipurpose room to maximise space and flexibility.

"This approach places 30 per cent of apartments in Solis under $1 million, and with close proximity to Harbour Town's future light rail extension connecting residents to the city's major employment and knowledge hubs, it's a win for buyers looking to secure their first property."

<img alt="Sores" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="550526d3-73ba-4710-9739-c5f4294a30ef" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-08%20at%209.09.29%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=cQQdXHt9wS0UXwZEm5Py5bH_3kAmzyhu" />

Designed by BDA Architecture, Solis will deliver a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments, with residences ranging up to 232 sqm. Apartments feature generous balconies and contemporary finishes, while residents will have access to Harbour Shores' lagoon pool, clubhouse, tennis court, gym, yoga studio and sauna.

The focus on first home buyers resonated with purchaser Holly Humphreys, who said she and her boyfriend spent more than a year searching for their first property before shifting their attention from houses to apartments.

"We fell in love with the first house we bid on and got our hopes up, but after repeated knockbacks we learned not to get too attached," Humphreys said.

"We offered at the high end of price guides, but sales kept going even higher. That's where we really struggled and we needed to re-evaluate our budget and our expectations. Standalone houses were off the table, and we pivoted to apartments and townhouses."

Humphreys said it was encouraging to see developers recognising the growing demand from first home buyers.

"There's a growing number of young buyers looking to enter the market earlier because they understand that getting in now can make a real difference as prices continue to rise," she said.

"It's fantastic to see a developer recognise this and then actively take measures to deliver an apartment with us in mind."

Solis is the first development planned within the second stage of the Harbour Shores masterplan, with early works expected to commence in September 2026.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=113271]

Joel Robinson

Lewis Land targets first home buyers at latest Harbour Shores release, Solis

Luxury apartment developer Abadeen has recorded $19.25 million in apartment sales across two of its Lower North Shore developments in the lead-up to the end of the financial year, headlined by the sale of a $6.75 million penthouse at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/koyo-crows-nest-5-rodborough-avenue-crows-nest-nsw-2065">KOYO in Crows Nest.</a>

The transactions also included the sale of a newly completed three-bedroom apartment at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/park-residences-cremorne-2-sutherland-street-cremorne-nsw-2090">Park Residences in Cremorne</a> for $6.35 million, with the residence selling shortly after the project's first public inspections following completion.

The sales come as completed, owner-occupier-focused apartments continue to attract strong demand across Sydney's Lower North Shore, particularly from buyers looking for certainty and immediate occupancy.

The penthouse at KOYO spans 491 sqm across a single level and was designed by architect Koichi Takada. The development is one of Abadeen's flagship boutique projects in Crows Nest.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108800 project_image_fid=370093]

Abadeen Executive Chairman and Founder Justin Brown said buyer activity lifted noticeably in the lead-up to the end of the financial year.

"We saw a clear increase in enquiry levels, inspection numbers and buyer engagement across our completed projects leading into the end of the financial year," Brown said.

"Buyers have become far more decisive over the past six months. The combination of improving confidence, limited supply and the ability to physically inspect completed residences is creating strong competition for premium apartments in the best locations."

Brown says the&nbsp;response to Park Residences following completion has been particularly strong.

"Buyers want certainty and are responding positively to the opportunity to walk through a finished product, inspect the quality firsthand and move in immediately," Brown suggested.

"Projects such as Park Residences and KOYO demonstrate that when the product is exceptional and the location is irreplaceable, buyers are prepared to act quickly."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=114246 project_image_fid=370116]

Abadeen CEO Joe Tack said quality continued to differentiate projects in the current market.

"Today's buyers are incredibly discerning," Tack said.

"They are seeking larger floorplans, premium finishes, walkability, lifestyle amenity and confidence in the developer delivering the project. Well-designed boutique developments continue to outperform because they offer something genuinely difficult to replace.

"The enquiry we are seeing across our completed and recently completed Lower North Shore portfolio is very encouraging, and we expect this momentum to continue into spring."

The sales follow increased enquiry across Abadeen's Lower North Shore portfolio which also includes <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/northcote-collective-naremburn-2-northcote-street-naremburn-nsw-2065">Northcote Collective in Naremburn</a> which also completed recently.

KOYO penthouse headlines Abadeen's $19.25 million EOFY sales flurry

The City of Sydney has approved plans for <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/billbergia">Billbergia Group</a> and Metrics Credit Partners’ $3.5 billion Castlereagh Place project in the heart of the Sydney CBD

The towers will be among the tallest in <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/sydney-nsw-2000">Sydney</a>'s CBD, with more floors than any other residential tower in the city.&nbsp;

The 6,000 sqm site was acquired by the joint venture partners in 2024. It is the largest amalgamated land parcel in the Sydney CBD and comprises eight individual sites fronting Castlereagh, Pitt and Liverpool Streets.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/castlereagh-place-sydney-324-348-pitt-street-sydney-nsw-2000">Castlereagh Place</a> will transform an underutilised city block into a landmark mixed-use destination, anchored by two 82-storey towers comprising 607 luxury residences above an 8-level podium housing a 209-room luxury hotel. A 1,000 square metre civic park on ground level features a curated mix of food, beverage and retail.

The plans have been refined over the past year to rebalance the residential and hotel offering, and reconfigure the retail footprint to create a stronger, more dynamic dining experience.

A three-level flagship building on the prominent corner of Pitt and Liverpool Streets will be the gateway to the Castlereagh Place lifestyle precinct. Set to become a Sydney icon, the building is capable of housing multiple hospitality venues.

“Castlereagh Place is designed to be the City's next great urban oasis - an energetic mixed-use precinct that pulses with life, day and night,"&nbsp;said Joseph Kinsella, Group Director of Billbergia.

"It will bring the vibrancy of places like Barangaroo and Darling Quarter into a more accessible, central destination at the very heart of Sydney."

Kinsella said the project will build on&nbsp;Sydney’s growing laneway culture with the City’s largest network of new activated lanes - an expanded, next-generation take on precincts like Angel Place, Palings Lane and Ash Street in Wynyard.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134477 project_image_fid=374401]

Castlereagh Place has been designed by architects <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/fjc-studio">fjcstudio</a> in collaboration with Trias Studio, Aileen Sage and Polly Harbison Design, joint winners of an international design competition in 2018.&nbsp;

Signature design elements from the original scheme remain unchanged, while the public domain has been significantly enhanced, delivering 60 per cent more open-to-sky space.

Pedestrian access will also be enhanced through new laneways linking Pitt, Liverpool and Castlereagh Streets, drawing people into a new civic park with outdoor seating, landscaping and integrated public art.

With activated laneways supported by strong hospitality offerings, Castlereagh Place is tipped to become a vibrant new dining destination in the heart of Sydney’s CBD.

It marks the largest undertaking to date for the Billbergia and Metrics Credit Partners partnership. Together they are developing other underutilised Sydney sites into mixed-use precincts, including the $2.2 billion Concord Central and the $1.3 billion Chatswood Grand Residences.

Metrics Managing Partner and Group CEO Andrew Lockhart said Castlereagh Place is a landmark project that will redefine Sydney’s skyline.

"As the tallest residential high-rise development, the revitalised site will offer panoramic views across the CBD and surrounds. We are excited to partner with Billbergia to reinvigorate an underutilised site and create a sophisticated and contemporary mixed-use offering situated in the heart of Sydney.”

Total apartments within the towers have increased to 607 dwellings, with a focus on larger floorplans. Aligned to growing market demand, Castlereagh Place now comprises 299 three-plus-bedroom apartments, 198 two-bedroom units and 110 one-bedroom configurations.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134477 project_image_fid=374402]

Resident amenities will include an exclusive residents club containing a gym, rooftop pool, dining rooms, co-working spaces, library, golf simulator, games room, cinema room, and access to an exclusive concierge service. There will be around 500 basement car spaces below the towers.

The development will also include a state-of-the-art wellness centre, set to feature a bathhouse with magnesium pools, hot/cold plunge pools and premium amenities.

&nbsp;

According to fjcstudio, the towers will feature distinctive yet elegant architectural design reflecting Sydney’s geometry and urban character, with a network of through-site links and intimate public spaces activating the streetscape.

"Castlereagh Place is a city-making project of significant scale and ambition," said Richard Francis-Jones, Design Director at fjcstudio.

"It will create a rich urban complex of public open spaces, landscaped gardens, and vibrant laneways. Defining these new public spaces and the important streetscape of Castlereagh Street is a sequence of fine-grained, diverse retail and hotel architecture designed in collaboration with Aileen Sage, Polly Harbison Design and Trias.

“Rising above the tree-lined, human-scale streetscape are two slender residential towers that will transform the city skyline and look towards the Harbour, Hyde Park, and the Royal Botanic Garden.”

Demolition and early construction works have commenced onsite at Castlereagh Place.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=134477]

Billbergia, Metrics, approved for $3.5 billion Sydney skyscrapers

International developer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/spg-land">SPG Land</a> is preparing to re-launch its long-awaited $1.5 billion <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/paradiso-place-surfers-paradise-103-ferny-avenue-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">Paradiso Place</a> development at Budds Beach, bringing a new price point to the Surfers Paradise apartment market.

The developer will release one-bedroom apartments from $825,000 and two-bedroom apartments from $1.24 million in the three-tower development.

According to Urbis, the starting price for the two-bedroom apartments is more than $400,000 below the weighted average sale price for comparable two-bedroom apartments in Surfers Paradise during 2025, which was pinned at $1.7 million.

&nbsp;

Urbis reported quarterly average sale prices for new two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartments ranged from around $1.2 million to $1.7 million throughout 2025, peaking in the December quarter.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=106566 project_image_fid=185853]

Paradiso Place is now moving into its formal sales campaign, with a limited early-release opportunity available ahead of the public launch.

The development will comprise 845 apartments across three towers rising 40, 41 and 44 storeys from a 1.15-hectare site spanning an entire city block. The towers will sit above a new retail precinct.

"Paradiso Place represents a rare opportunity in today's market, offering premium apartments at a price point that is significantly more competitive than anything else currently available," SPG Land Sales Director Brad McMahon said.

"When you look at comparable new developments across Surfers Paradise, Main Beach and the Southern Beaches precinct, buyers are typically paying hundreds of thousands more for a similar product.

"The scale of this project and the developer-builder construction model allows us to unlock efficiencies that smaller developments simply cannot achieve. We are passing those benefits directly to buyers, while still delivering a five-star residential experience with an unmatched lifestyle."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=106566 project_image_fid=374280]

Each of the three towers designed by Rothelowman will have its own podium, connected by an elevated skybridge network to create a beachside village for residents. The resident amenity has been designed to rival a five-star hotel, with private dining rooms, resident lounges and entertainment spaces.

McMahon said the pricing strategy was a deliberate response to the current market.

"What Paradiso Place offers is a unique balance, genuine value within a premium market. Buyers are not compromising on quality, design or amenity, they are gaining access to it at a more competitive price point at a time when prices across the Gold Coast continue to reach new highs."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=106566 project_image_fid=362498]

Located around 100 metres from the beach and within walking distance of the Surfers Paradise North light rail station, Paradiso Place occupies one of the Gold Coast's most tightly held beachfront precincts.

Construction is continuing to progress, with eight of the project's 112 foundation piles now complete. Excavation has also commenced on the first diaphragm wall panel, with the first concrete poured on 15 June, marking a key milestone in the project's early works program.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=106566]

SPG Land launches $1.5 billion Paradiso Place at attractive price point

Luxury developer-builder <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/lowe-living">Lowe Living</a> has achieved a new Victorian benchmark for an off-the-plan apartment, with the sale of two penthouses at its ultra-exclusive Maison Savoy development in Brighton.

The two penthouses achieved a combined sale rate of $49,926 per sqm. Both transactions eclipsed the previous identified Victorian off-the-plan price-per-square-metre benchmark, set by the 449 sqm apartment at Como Toorak, which sold at $46,659 per sqm.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=140818 project_image_fid=366473]

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/maison-savoy-brighton-150-esplanade-brighton-vic-3186">Maison Savoy</a>, Lowe Living's redevelopment of the former Brighton Savoy Hotel on absolute beachfront land at 150 The Esplanade, Brighton, has gained significant momentum since launching just eight weeks ago. Around 30 per cent of the project's 19 residences have already been secured, generating approximately $45 million in sales.

"Securing two of the three penthouse sales at this stage, within eight weeks of launching to market speaks to the confidence our clients place in Lowe Living," Lowe Living co-founder Emma Lowe said.

"They know we'll be with them through every stage of the journey, and that assurance is something we've worked hard to earn and never take for granted."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=140818 project_image_fid=366474]

Lowe said Maison Savoy was conceived as a genuine alternative to a prestige Brighton home, combining house-scale proportions with the convenience, security and lock-up-and-leave appeal of apartment living.

Lowe Living co-founder Tim Lowe said the early sales success demonstrated the resilience of Melbourne's prestige market and highlighted the growing demand for house-sized apartments among ultra-high-net-worth buyers.

"The Melbourne market has definitely been tested in recent years, with interest rates and global economic factors all creating a period of uncertainty across the real estate sector. The sales success at Maison Savoy however demonstrates that confidence remains exceptionally strong at the top end of the market.

"The prestige market is being driven by long-term lifestyle decisions rather than short-term market sentiment, which continues to create a level of certainty that befits an absolute beachfront property in a blue-chip location like Brighton.

"Brighton's fundamentals remain among the strongest in Melbourne, with limited new supply, enduring demand from an overwhelmingly local owner-occupier market, and a rare combination of beachfront amenity and proximity to the CBD."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=140818 project_image_fid=374378]

According to Cotality, Brighton remains one of Melbourne's most tightly held prestige suburbs, with an average ownership tenure of 15.3 years for houses and 12.3 years for units, while more than 73 per cent of homes are owner-occupied.

Tim Lowe said selling two of the project's three penthouses so early in the campaign was an uncommon result.

"This sales result is a reflection of quality and understanding the local market. It's incredibly rare to transact the penthouses so early in a sales campaign in any project so to have sold two of the three penthouses at Maison Savoy so soon after launch, all in-house without any external sales agency appointed, is reflective of our careful consideration of our buyers' needs and lifestyle.

"This is knowledge that is accumulated not just from data and demographic analysis, but via a deeply embedded understanding of how this type of buyer wants to live and feel in their home. We pride ourselves on getting to know our clients personally, and over the last 10 years we have been able to refine our product offering by talking one-on-one with our clients about their design and floorplan preferences.

"Being a fully integrated developer-builder with an in-house design and sales team allows us to lead every part of the process and ensure the highest quality of product and service at every touchpoint. It's a really important part of our DNA and the recent sales success at Maison Savoy indicates that our clients and purchasers are resonating with this point of difference.

"It reinforces that demand remains strong for thoughtfully designed residences that offer rarity, lifestyle and long-term value in tightly held locations, which ultimately validates Maison Savoy's positioning as creating a new benchmark for house-scale, wellness-led apartment living on Brighton's beachfront."

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=140818 project_image_fid=366480]

The residences at Maison Savoy start from 295 sqm, with most enjoying uninterrupted views across Port Phillip Bay. The project sits moments from the Brighton Bathing Boxes, Royal Brighton Yacht Club, Middle Brighton Baths and Church Street's retail and dining precinct.

A key feature of the development is its private residents-only bathhouse, curated by the founder of Aurora Spa &amp; Bathhouse and modelled on traditional European bathing rituals and the award-winning Sorrento bathhouse.

The wellness offering includes a hydrotherapy pool, salt room, sauna, steam room, cold plunge pool, foot activation zone and a Vichy rainfall bed, one of only a handful in Australia. Residents will also have access to a Technogym studio, lounge spaces and a dedicated concierge service offering everything from morning coffee delivery and restaurant bookings to dry cleaning and home coordination.

"Wellness-led design has become a defining factor for luxury buyers," Emma Lowe said.

"Purchasers increasingly value homes that enhance wellbeing through thoughtful design, private amenity, privacy and liveability."

The penthouse purchasers are now undertaking a bespoke customisation process curated personally by architect Pete Kennon and the Lowe Living team, one of the developer's signature service offerings.

Construction on the $160 million transformation of the former Brighton Savoy Hotel site commenced last month, with completion expected in early 2028. The project has secured funding from NAB alongside development partner Monark.

Just one penthouse remains available, along with a limited number of two and three-bedroom residences starting from $3.75 million.

Lowe Living currently has eight projects on the market across Melbourne and recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, having grown a $1 billion development pipeline alongside a $350 million construction pipeline.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=140818]

Alastair Taylor

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