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Having fun yet? Saturday's federal election has delivered a result that loosely tracks what all the polling was saying right up until July 2nd and now the waiting game - similar to the election back in 2010 - begins.

The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) put out a media release on Sunday stating that counting will continue once postal and absentee votes are returned to the respective electorates. This is likely to occur on Tuesday (July 5).

On the face of it, if you only pay attention to the mainstream media TV news, the changing seats in Melbourne are either due to retiring members (Chisholm) or the state-focused issue of the Country Fire Authority (CFA) has allowed the Liberals to hold on to various outer suburban seats (La Trobe, Dunkley).

In seeking to provide decisive commentary in the vacuum of uncertainty, in my view, the CFA "reason" for the Australian Labor Party (ALP) not picking more seats up in Victoria seems to be at most overblown or at least not giving the much talked about Mediscare campaign proper credit.

Another perfectly good "reason" for the ALP swing not being at the same level as the national swing could quite possibly be the commentariat glossing over the swing from the ALP and the Liberal party to the Greens in inner Melbourne.

<h2>Is enough attention being paid to inner Melbourne?</h2>

The headlines and comment have thus far broadly focused on Labor versus Liberal contests underway on the fringes of the city; not much attention has been given to the Greens and how they're extracting more and more votes after having created the beachhead at the 2010 election.

Adam Bandt solidified his position as the member for Melbourne, obtaining an increase of 1% on the preliminary two-candidate preferred results on <a href="http://vtr.aec.gov.au/HouseDivisionPage-20499-228.htm">AEC's website</a>.

As I <a href="/expert-insights/buying/federal-election-aftermath-the-changing-face-of-melbournes-federal-electoral-map">wrote in the week before the election</a>, Wills, Batman and Higgins are seeing large amounts of development - and therefore population growth - and the new population moving into these areas is seeing more and more Greens voters.

The two seats north of Melbourne - Wills and Batman - have in both cases seen the primary votes for the Greens increase.

Wills 2013 result: ALP 40,931, Liberal 20,710, Greens 20,157. Wills 2016 results (at time of writing 70% of the vote was counted): ALP 28,346, Greens: 22,373, Liberal 16,015.

Batman 2013 result: ALP 36,798, Greens 23,522, Liberal 20,017. Batman 2016 results (at time of writing, 70.5% of the vote was counted): Greens 26,377, ALP 25,794, Liberal 13,593.

In 2013, Wills had 105,498 electors and three years later there were 113,856 on the electoral roll. Likewise in Batman in 2013 there were 103,246 on the electoral roll and at the election on Saturday, 108,942 people were registered to vote.

Assuming the next parliament runs for three years and similar population growth continues - which I believe is a highly likely case based on the development pipeline numbers - the election in these seats next time around are likely to be even closer and it's even more probable that at least one of those two seats goes Green (if one doesn't fall to them at this election).

<h2>Progressive state, increasingly a three party city</h2>

Much has been made of Victora's de facto progressive capital status among the regions of Australia. We have a Premier who actively trumpets his own and the state's progressive credentials, heavily through social media which is broadly backed up in the state government's legislative agenda.

At the state level, the Greens established beachheads on both sides of the river - in the seats of Melbourne and Prahran - in the most recent election and in the state seat of Brunswick, the Greens achieved the highest amount of first preference votes yet it was only Liberal Party preferences which got the ALP candidate - Jane Garret - over the line.

This crossover from state to federal electorates points to a very real shift underway.

This shift from the two big parties to the Greens in inner Melbourne gets a little bit of airtime every now and then however from this point on, it's my view that this state-specific competition like the marginals in Western Sydney and fickle flip-flopping Queenslanders, is and will be for the foreseeable future now Victoria's federal electoral topic du jour.

The development activity translating to population growth in the seven seats that share a boundary with the seat of Melbourne at the federal level would theoretically all be in play from this point on. Clearly, the Greens are focusing on only a handful of those seven seats at a time, but it's now having a measurable impact when you look at the knife-edge that Batman is sitting on.

Urban.com.au doesn't endorse political parties because all three parties that are competitive in Melbourne have something to bring to the greater urban agenda. Yet we hope the increased three-way competition in Melbourne will have a positive impact on urban policies and one area that requires work from all three political parties at the federal level is housing.
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Alastair Taylor

Federal election aftermath: the changing face of Melbourne's (federal) electoral map

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<h2>Comment</h2>

The pig is on the spit, slowly turning, basted at regular intervals. The customary apple in the pig's mouth is looking shiny and the minions, staring at the rotating chunk of pork, are salivating. All of a sudden, due to the lack of foresight and failure to maintain the equipment, the spike falls out of the rotisserie and the pig falls on the coals.

That's how I look at the story of the cynical vote buy in Batman and the in-trouble ALP candidate's breathless <a href="http://davidfeeney.com.au/labor-to-extend-no-11-tram-route/">media release</a> stating that an ALP government would extend the route 11 tram.

The proposal would see $22 million spent on a 1-1.2km tram route extension from the current terminus at Regent Street to 'the end of Gilbert Road'. According to the media release, it is the first stage in the eventual extension to Reservoir station.

'The end of Gilbert Road' would see a tram route, which, at present, terminates at a strip shopping centre, extended to another relatively useless terminus location.

<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/darebin_how_to_pork_barrel.png" rel="gallery-all" title="'The end of Gilbert Road' would miss out on servicing RGZ in Reservoir. www.planningschemes.dpcd.vic.gov.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="348" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/darebin_how_to_pork_barrel.png?itok=Hf0vFVWS" title="'The end of Gilbert Road' would miss out on servicing RGZ in Reservoir. www.planningschemes.dpcd.vic.gov.au" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>'The end of Gilbert Road' would miss out on servicing RGZ in Reservoir. <a href="http://planningschemes.dpcd.vic.gov.au/schemes/darebin/maps#pso-planningSchemeMaps-grid06">www.planningschemes.dpcd.vic.gov.au</a></figcaption></figure>As seen on the map above, the end of Gilbert Road (left of map) misses out on two things: servicing the Residential Growth Zones and connecting with the station at Reservoir. The wider economic benefits of this tram extension would only be higher if the entire route to Reservoir station were built in one go, therefore incentivising the redevelopment of properties on Edwardes Street.

And yes, the Reservoir station area is one of the state government's 50 level crossings that is scheduled to be removed - and that will in all likelihood incentivise new development in the zones shown on the map - but if a political party wanted to wave the cash infront of the electorate, can we at least do the job properly, in one go?

The ALP's figure of $22 million looks set to "buy" 1-1.2km of new track, and it looks as if it would be the same distance again to run the tracks right into Reservoir (down Edwardes Street) to a tram/train interchange, and doubling their own figures to $45-50 million could possibly pass the pub test.

Yet the return on that investment - we're still in pub test mode - would be greater if the line serviced areas which will allow change in land-use and also synchronised with the level crossing removal.

This election-focused policy announcement is a micro case study which has scarce detail, a demonstrated lack of integration with local planning issues/needs and no complimentary affordable housing policy; and furthermore it paints a picture of how far off the mark the Federal Government in Canberra will be if it decides to infringe further on traditional state issue areas.

Here's hoping that by the time of the next federal election, all political parties in Victoria will have a rich transport infrastructure plan - the one Infrastructure Victoria is devising - to cherry-pick for projects for their respective platforms. At least then, the electoral pork-barrelling won't be in danger of being underdone, or burnt to a crisp.

Lead image credit: <a href="https://goo.gl/maps/Kzi4UVrst8s">Google Street View</a>
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Route 11 tram extension: pork-barrelling, underdone

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The last time the Australian Electoral Commission redistributed the electorate boundaries in Victoria was 2010. Given that the next parliament is likely to last until 2019 and inner Melbourne has had - and will continue to have - extremely strong population growth, the electoral contests that we're heading about in local and national media are likely to continue for the foreseeable future.

There are many factors which influence people's votes, including electorate-specific such as an incumbent retiring, socio-economic factors and the like; but one factor not readily discussed is the change over time in the population make-up of an electorate.

I'd argue that the increased population growth, which can be predicted through current development numbers, is not necessarily the single biggest factor in changing electoral dynamics, but one of many which has heightened the electoral contests in inner Melbourne.

With the exception of Melbourne Ports, there's been a Red versus Blue line following the course of the Yarra River at both a federal and state level: The ALP's seats were to the north and the Liberal party's seats were to the south.

The electorate of Higgins covers South Yarra, Prahran and Windsor in the west of the seat which are seeing high rates of new development (and therefore the capacity to sustain high population growth) and over time, the main opposing candidate has shifted from the ALP to what the local media are now reporting a contest between the Liberal party and the Greens.

Similarly in the north, the seats of Wills and Batman are both seeing very high rates of development and local media have widely reported that both seats are ALP versus Greens contests.

The federal electorates of Wills, Batman and Higgins are getting the most media coverage in inner Melbourne thanks to the Greens battling it out between the two major parties and they also happen to have, between them, 275 projects on the Apartments.com.au project database, representing 23% of all the projects (1200).

The following is a look at the aforementioned electorates in more detail.

<h2>Wills</h2>

Wills is a Prime-Ministerial electorate - with Bob Hawke once holding the seat - and includes suburbs such as the three Brunswicks in the south of the electorate, Coburg, Pascoe Vale and Glenroy/Fawkner. New development and population growth is heavily concentrated in the south in the Brunswicks and Coburg, closest to the central employment area.

We believe Wills - Brunswick and Coburg in general - will continue to see strong growth over the next decade. The Melbourne Metro Project, although located to the south in the electorate of Melbourne, will enhance Brunswick's appeal thanks to the tight integration of two of Brunswick's tram lines with Parkville station.

Wills is likely to remain in the "not that safe anymore" column.

<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width:100%;">
<thead><tr>
<th scope="col">Aspect</th>
			<th scope="col">Total</th>
			<th scope="col">Under Construction</th>
			<th scope="col">At sales</th>
			<th scope="col">In the pipeline</th>
		</tr></thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Number of projects</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">76</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">18</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">18</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">40</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Number of dwellings</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">6,284</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">1,752</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">1,585</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">2,947</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Potential new electors</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">9,426</td>
			<td class="rtecenter"> </td>
			<td class="rtecenter"> </td>
			<td class="rtecenter"> </td>
		</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
* "In the pipeline" = projects either at council or approved.

** "The Brunswicks" - Brunswick West, Brunswick and Brunswick East (postcodes 3055, 3056 and 3057).

*** Potential new electors is based on an apartment having an average of 1.5 occupants living in it.

<h2>Batman</h2>

Batman sits to the east of Wills and includes suburbs such as Clifton Hill, Northcote, Thornbury, Preston, Fairfield and Reservoir. In contrast to Wills, development is not as concentrated in one section of the electorate; although, there is a definitive bias to the southern and middle sections of the electorate.

<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width:100%;">
<thead><tr>
<th scope="col">Aspect</th>
			<th scope="col">Total</th>
			<th scope="col">Under Construction</th>
			<th scope="col">At Sales</th>
			<th scope="col">In the pipeline</th>
		</tr></thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Number of projects</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">57</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">20</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">10</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">27</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Number of dwellings</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">4,533</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">1,166</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">611</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">2,756</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Potential new electors</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">6,800</td>
			<td class="rtecenter"> </td>
			<td class="rtecenter"> </td>
			<td class="rtecenter"> </td>
		</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
* "In the pipeline" = projects either at council or approved.

** Potential new electors is based on an apartment having an average of 1.5 occupants living in it.

<h2>Higgins</h2>

Another Prime-Ministerial electorate - Harold Holt and John Gorton both held the seat during their premierships - and is viewed traditionally as a blue ribbon Liberal seat. Higgins includes suburbs like South Yarra, Toorak, Malvern, Carnegie, half of Murrumbeena (north of the Pakenham/Cranbourne rail line), Glen Iris and Ashburton.

It's an interesting seat from a development perspective: the Chapel Street spine through South Yarra, Prahran and Windsor is seeing a very high level of new development and increasingly the suburbs to the east of Chapel street are seeing the typical residential growth zone development of up to 4 levels dispersed through suburbs like Carnegie, Glen Iris and Hughesdale/Murrumbeena.

Higgins is doubly interesting because based on the following numbers, there's going to be a lot of new residents, more than likely concentrated on the Chapel Street corridor, that will ensure that Higgins will not remain as a safe Liberal seat.

<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width:100%;">
<thead><tr>
<th scope="col">Aspect</th>
			<th scope="col">Total</th>
			<th scope="col">Under Construction</th>
			<th scope="col">At Sales</th>
			<th scope="col">In the pipeline</th>
		</tr></thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Number of projects</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">142</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">33</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">34</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">75</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Number of dwellings</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">8,212</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">2,595</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">1,634</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">3,983</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Potential new electors</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">12,318</td>
			<td> </td>
			<td> </td>
			<td> </td>
		</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
* "In the pipeline" = projects either at council or approved.

** Potential new electors is based on an apartment having an average of 1.5 occupants living in it.

*** A [very] small part of South Yarra and half of Murrumbeena's development, included in the numbers above, are located in the electorates of Melbourne and Hotham respectively.
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Inner Melbourne's federal electorates: development + population growth = contests aplenty

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John Holland has secured a $324 million contract to undertake the early works package on the <a href="http://melbournemetro.vic.gov.au/about-the-project/news/major-work-to-begin-next-year">Melbourne Metro project</a>. In a media release distributed this morning, the Premier said "Next year, the face of our City will change as we dig 11 storeys below the CBD, and pave the way for Melbourne's new Metro Tunnel and five new underground stations."

The early works contract will involve the relocation and protection of up to 100 utilities, including gas, power and telecommunications services, and the 120 year old brick main sewer line under the Domain interchange.

Moreover, the contract will also include the excavation of three shafts in the CBD: two located in the north of the city on Franklin and A'Beckett Streets and one at City Square. The shafts are required for access to allow the excavation of the station pits which will be located under Swanston Street between La Trobe and Franklin in the north and between Flinders and Collins in the south.

The shafts will be up to 35 metres in depth and involve the excavation of 34 Olympic-sized swimming pools worth of soil and rock from beneath the heart of the city.

Early works construction will kick off next year.

<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/mm-20160622-scope-of-early-works.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Overview of early works package components: www.melbournemetro.vic.gov.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="327" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/mm-20160622-scope-of-early-works.jpg?itok=nv6h1o4U" title="Overview of early works package components: www.melbournemetro.vic.gov.au" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Overview of early works package components: <a href="http://melbournemetro.vic.gov.au/about-the-project/news/major-work-to-begin-next-year">www.melbournemetro.vic.gov.au</a></figcaption></figure><h2>In case you missed it</h2>

New South Wales treasurer Gladys Berejiklian <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-06-21/nsw-treasurer-gladys-berejiklian-hands-down-2016-state-budget/7528542">delivered the state's budget yesterday</a> with very similar themes to the Victorian budget released in April: solid surplus thanks to strong property markets in both capitals and enormous rail investments.

One of the key infrastructure messages Berejiklian delivered was that the <a href="http://nwrail.transport.nsw.gov.au/">Sydney Metro North West</a> and <a href="http://sydneymetro.info/home">City and South West</a> are now fully funded through the forward estimates, just like how Tim Pallas announced that Melbourne Metro was now fully funded.

<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/sm_0040_whole_alignment_no_liverpool-01.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Overview of both major components of the new Sydney Metro: www.sydneymetro.info"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="413" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/sm_0040_whole_alignment_no_liverpool-01.jpg?itok=SXOO6M5L" title="Overview of both major components of the new Sydney Metro: www.sydneymetro.info" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Overview of both major components of the new Sydney Metro: <a href="http://sydneymetro.info/">www.sydneymetro.info</a></figcaption></figure>Regardless of who has the largest public transport project in the country, one thing is for sure: there's an extraordinarily large amount of dollars being funneled into rail projects around the country, perhaps at levels not seen in a century.

The following is a non-exhaustive list of rail projects this author could think of with the associated committed funds value (or estimated costs, where applicable).

In Victoria: the ongoing level crossing removals ($5-6 billion, mostly committed), Mernda rail extension ($600 million, funded in budget), Hurstbridge line capacity expansion ($140 million, funded in budget), Ballarat line capacity expansion works ($500 million, funded in budget), Melbourne Metro ($11 billion, funded in budget), HMCT &amp; new stabling/maintenance yards in Pakenham East ($1.3 billion, out to tender).

In New South Wales: Sydney Metro North West ($8.3 billion, funded in budget), Sydney Metro City &amp; South West ($10-11 billion estimated), Sydney Trains new rolling stock ($1 billion, funded in budget) and three new light rail lines.

In South Australia: Ongoing Adelaide rail network electrification (cost varies)

In Western Australia: Forrestfield-Airport Rail Link ($2 billion, funded).

In Queensland: Cross-river rail ($5.4 billion, business case just released), Moreton Bay Rail Link ($1.15 billion).

Have we missed anything? Let us know in the comments section.
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Early works package contract signed for Melbourne Metro and other national rail news

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<h2>Comment</h2>

One of the first orders of business for the Victorian Government, after having announced the Net Zero by 2050 pledge yesterday, is to get cracking on the eventual switch of power that supplies both the train and tram networks to renewable sources.

The Victorian Government announced it will enshrine a reduction target in legislation and further announced a series of five year interim targets with the ultimate goal of achieving the overall target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Using public transport might empower people and lead them to think they're being 'greener' than driving a car to work, to the shops or on some other trip; however the green tinge fades to brown when using a mode of public transport in Victoria that involves electric traction thanks to the majority of the electricity we consume originating from brown coal.

It's the perfect opportunity for the government to lean on public transport agencies and the two private rail network operators to match action with words. This opportunity could kick off by dangling two large-scale power purchasing agreements to the best tenderer who comes up with a solution to provide dispatchable, renewable energy to both the tram and rail networks in Melbourne.

<h3>Consider this</h3>

Last month, the powers that be in Santiago <a href="http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/details/beitrag/100-mw-ac-solar-project-to-power-the-santiago-metro_100024714/#axzz4B5HXg6J2">signed a deal with the US-domiciled, French parent company owned SunPower</a> to supply up to 100MW or 42% of the Chilean capital metro's power needs through the use of solar energy sources. A separate wind farm will provide a further 18% of the Santiago metro's energy needs.

Spain and <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-34883224">Morocco</a> are rapidly implementing solar-thermal power plants which are able to capture energy - in the form of heat - during the day, store it and then dispatch it through a heat exchanger which in turns spins a turbine and discharges electricity through the respective national grids at night. This in effect provides 24/7 renewable energy from the sun.

This is not the first time there have been calls to switch Melbourne's public transport network over to renewable sources through the use of utilising long-term power purchase agreements to stimulate private investment in renewable energy power plants.

The Australian Solar Group <a href="http://reneweconomy.com.au/2015/solar-power-proposal-for-melbourne-trams-challenges-coal-generators-42035">were in the news last year</a> stating they could build two solar farms in the sunnier corners of Victoria around Swan Hill and Mildura that would generate around 80 gigawatt hours of electricity a year, or enough to supply the tram network.

Discovering just how much power the rail networks in Melbourne consume can be a tricky ordeal with scant detail, however at the end of <a href="http://www.esv.vic.gov.au/Portals/0/legislation%20and%20regulations/Metro%20Trains%20Melbourne.pdf">this document</a> dated from 2015, Metro Melbourne state that "the Melbourne Railway System is a major customer of Electricity Distribution Businesses in Victoria. It consumes 377 MWh per annum and has a coincident maximum demand of approximately 100MW".

I suspect a typo was made with '377-megawatt hours (MWh) per annum' given the tram network reportedly consumes 80-gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity per annum, however it's the last part that is of particular interest; the heavy rail network has an approximate maximum demand of 100MW.

Presumably, the maximum demand occurs during the morning and afternoon peaks and storage would be critical if the switch to renewable were to occur, especially during the shorter-day, winter months. Regardless, should this Metro electricity consumption figure be correct, it neatly aligns with the capacity numbers of the Santiago project.

It's not pie-in-the-sky stuff anymore; purpose-built renewable power stations are being built for public transport networks.

Thankfully the Premier didn't do a Rudd and make a "greatest moral challenge of our time" speech, and while I appreciate I haven't even begun to scratch the surface of the complexity involved with making this kind of switch, in order to match actions with words, it's time to take a razor gang to town on Victoria's transport emissions, and public transport should lead the way.
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Getting started with Spring Street's Net Zero by 2050 pledge: public transport

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If you’d like to know more, get in touch today for a turn-key <a href="https://www.energyaustralia.com.au/embedded-networks">embedded network</a> energy solution by calling 1300 345 863.
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EnergyAustralia enters embedded network market

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The Victorian Government has released a new <a href="http://economicdevelopment.vic.gov.au/transport/rail-and-roads/public-transport/regional-network-development-plan">regional public transport network development plan</a> and key amongst its aims is to eventually have V/Line services on the Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat, Seymour and Traralgon lines run at 20 minute peak and 40 off-peak frequencies.

On top of the commuter-focused service increases over the plans various timeframes (short-term: within 5 years, medium-term: 5-10 years and long-term: 10+ years), many of towns and cities beyond the major regional hubs are likely to see service increases as well.

These extra regional services beyond the major regional hubs include running five services, five days a week to Warrnambool, Bairnsdale, Albury-Wodonga, Echuca, Swan Hill and Shepparton.

The plan lists strategic network wide priorities like upgrading station facilities, balancing passenger and freight needs on the rail network, better (real-time) passenger information, accessibility improvements, putting the passenger first, encouraging active transport in the regions and supporting tourism.

This year's state budget included a half billion dollar investment in the Ballarat line which at the fundamental level will include track duplication to Melton and include more passing loops on the single track sections between Melton and Ballarat in order for more punctual services to run. And according to the plan we're likely to see more of it.

<h2>Comment</h2>

<h3>On rail infrastructure</h3>

This year's budget sees the Ballarat line receive a capacity upgrade - more two-track sections to run more reliable and punctual services - however one of the legacies of the Regional Fast Rail project on the Bendigo line doesn't to be getting a look in at this point.

In short, the Bendigo line when it was "upgraded" had its original two tracks reduced to a single in sections between Kyneton and Bendigo and only one of the two tracks between Sunbury and Kyneton was upgraded to enable trains to run at 160kph in both directions.

The result is an inconsistent level of service - depending on the time of travel, some trains run faster on the "fast" track, others run slower - and as the network development plan aims to increase Bendigo line services, the risk of further performance degradation will increase.

The same occurred on the La Trobe Valley line. In some sections where there is two tracks, only one was upgraded to allow for the higher speeds.

The medium to long term plan should place an emphasis on ensuring that the four trunk routes that were upgraded last decade become fully-fledged two track <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higher-speed_rail">"higher-speed railways"</a>.

<h3>On tourism and services</h3>

No-one doubts V/Line's primary mission of providing public transport to regional Victoria, however from an instra-state tourism perspective, is the rail operator doing enough?

Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong all have walkable, robust city centres with infrastructure in place to support increased numbers of city-break weekend trips; and each has their own tourism drawcards.

V/Line should be supporting increased regional city tourism by introducing Friday night and weekend flagship express services which reduce the time it takes to get to and from all three cities.

These long trains which express from Southern Cross to Ballarat, Geelong and Bendigo (with a stop in Castlemaine) can then be split in two with services then heading out to Ararat and Maryborough from Ballarat, Echuca and Swan Hill from Bendigo and to Warrnambool from Geelong.

The existing Bendigo line timetable serves as an example of how unfriendly the flagship express services are to both commuters and tourists: it departs Southern Cross at 4:58pm. That train is the fastest journey to Bendigo from Melbourne taking 92 minutes (even when the original promise of the Regional Fast Rail project was 80 minutes).

As new trains come online, and track infrastructure is expanded, there should be more express services during the week, but most importantly on the weekends with departures from Southern Cross around 6pm on Friday nights, 9am and 3pm on Saturdays and Sundays with return journeys departing 11am and 4pm on both days of the weekend from each of the three cities as well.

<h3>On the next generation of trains: is it time to tilt?</h3>

Tilting-technology allows trains to travel curves at higher speeds and despite the efforts of the Regional Fast Rail project upgrades, there are still many curves in regional Victoria which require trains to slow down.

If the next generation regional trains are built with tilting technology this will enable the existing lines to have more speed squeezed out of them: decreasing journey times and increasing capacity.

A process to identify sections of upgraded track which can support higher than 160kph speeds should also be undertaken in order to ascertain if the next generation trains should be built to cater for higher in-service speeds, especially if the trains also implement tilting technology.

<h3>What about new higher-speed track sections?</h3>

The regional network development plan makes three mentions of new upgraded 160kph track sections: to Seymour, on the Gippsland line and the Bendigo line. But should that be all?

Echuca, Swan Hill, Maryborough, Ararat, Warrnambool and Shepparton beyond Seymour all have varying levels of achievable speed. Should these lines not be on a long-term list of upgrades?

Seymour (and potentially Shepparton) is a logical first priority given it is the only regional line leading to Melbourne without upgraded track and services.

Lead image credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/normanbear/2954191554/in/photostream/">Flickr</a>
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Regional Network Development Plan: analysis & comment

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The vision for Australia's largest urban renewal project, Fishermans Bend, is one step closer to being formalised with the release of a paper to be used for community consultation.

In the latest public release of information on the project which is likely to be under construction all the way through to the mid-point of this century, the vision for the individual neighbourhood precincts is clearer.

Overall, the headline figures are roughly the same: the residential population of 80,000 by 2050 remains intact however the number of jobs projected to be in the precinct has been bumped up to 60,000.

In a sign of the times, Fishermans Bend now has its own (soon-to-be-official, no doubt) Twitter account run by government communications representatives: <a href="https://twitter.com/fishermans_bend">@Fishermans_Bend</a>

All the familiar names are still there: Montague, Sandridge, Lorimer, Wirraway and thanks to the enlargement of the entire urban renewal area not long after the Andrews Government came to power, the 'new employment precinct'.

Quoting from a media release distributed on Friday afternoon, the employment precinct - depicted in the lead image - "will be designed to attract international investment and will become a destination for emerging technologies, specialised labs and education spaces".

Montague will have "taller buildings, taking advantage of transport links, with laneways and renovated older buildings. Buckhurst street will be tree-lined and will become a retail and dining destination"

<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/fbt_-_vision_-_montague_-_colour_drawing.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Sketch of Montague. Image © DELWP"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="410" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/fbt_-_vision_-_montague_-_colour_drawing.jpg?itok=rjYeeCwa" title="Sketch of Montague. Image © DELWP" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Sketch of Montague. Image © DELWP</figcaption></figure>Lorimer precinct "will have lower-scale development and be home to small businesses, with social infrastructure such as childcare centres and libraries, and will connect Fishermans Bend to the city with walking and cycling trails and public transport".

<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/fbt_-_vision_-_lorimer-_colour_drawing.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Sketch of Lorimer. Image © DELWP"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="410" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/fbt_-_vision_-_lorimer-_colour_drawing.jpg?itok=vVBSHsN0" title="Sketch of Lorimer. Image © DELWP" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Sketch of Lorimer. Image © DELWP</figcaption></figure>Sandridge "will have lots of open space and a mix of residential development, office space and commercial uses"

<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/fbt_-_vision_-_sandridge_-_colour_drawing_-_processed.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Sketch of Sandridge. Image © DELWP"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="410" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/fbt_-_vision_-_sandridge_-_colour_drawing_-_processed.jpg?itok=PZwlgnmo" title="Sketch of Sandridge. Image © DELWP" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Sketch of Sandridge. Image © DELWP</figcaption></figure>Wirraway "will be designed for families, with leafy streets and a range of housing types, with good access to the bay and Westgate park".

<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/fbt_-_vision_-_wirraway_-_colour_drawing.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Sketch of Wirraway. Image © DELWP"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="410" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/fbt_-_vision_-_wirraway_-_colour_drawing.jpg?itok=0vfJCXvz" title="Sketch of Wirraway. Image © DELWP" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Sketch of Wirraway. Image © DELWP</figcaption></figure>A more detailed vision for each neighbourhood precinct is contained within the "vision recast" document on the <a href="http://fishermansbend.vic.gov.au">fishermansbend.vic.gov.au</a> website. Feedback submissions close on the 1st of July.
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Fishermans Bend vision becoming clearer: consultation now open

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When K2LD Architects were commissioned to design a new school in Bendigo they turned to the students for inspiration.  Armed with crayons, it wasn't long before the limitations of architecture and design were being tested with notions of space ships, floating desks and lickable wallpaper.

After a great deal of sketching, the children collectively decided that it was only fitting their new school, which is located on Maple Street in the Bendigo suburb of Golden Square, took inspiration from a tree house.

Golden Square Primary Principal Barry Goode says that "children are particularly sensitive to change, so we felt involving them in the process from the beginning would ease the transition and foster a sense of ownership over their new school". The new Golden Square Primary School is the result of merging to campuses on to a single site.

<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/golden_square_primary_094.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Golden Square Primary School in Bendigo - image supplied"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/golden_square_primary_094.jpg?itok=ZMJ_uORu" title="Golden Square Primary School in Bendigo - image supplied" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Golden Square Primary School in Bendigo - image supplied</figcaption></figure>The school consists of a central administration and specialist building which houses reception, office, art, library and staff facilities and is flanked by two double storey buildings in which a total of four classroom precincts are contained.  

The four classroom precincts are arranged around a central collaborative space with further staff resource and meeting rooms in each.

Owing to the size of the site, in order to merge the two campuses, a second storey had to be added to create more capacity.

K2LD Principal Tisha Lee said "the added height feeds into our tree house concept, allowing us to get creative with 'trunk' and 'canopy' inspired levels, whilst the withdrawal spaces offered an opportunity to create play 'cubby' spaces".

<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/golden_square_primary_061.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Golden Square Primary School in Bendigo - image supplied"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/golden_square_primary_061.jpg?itok=JMDoVMR7" title="Golden Square Primary School in Bendigo - image supplied" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Golden Square Primary School in Bendigo - image supplied</figcaption></figure>K2LD is gaining a greater presence on the Apartments.com.au Project Database yet in an interview with Apartments.com.au, Tisha Lee said that around 40% of K2LD's portfolio is made up of public school projects and that K2LD doesn't lock its staff into any type of project - they're exposed to all facets of work the firm takes on.

"It helps us feel real and allows us to engage with the community on a more personal level, the public sector work allows the staff to transpose aspects of the community into the private sector work" says Lee.

K2LD currently have <a href="/architects/k2ld-architects">four projects</a> on the Apartments.com.au database, one of which - 399 Little Lonsdale Street -  will be a hotel with Accor Group brands operating in the property, with onsite demolition for the tower recently completed.

<h2>Where is design headed for public schools?</h2>

No-one would argue that a school's primary purpose is to educate children, however Tisha Lee expects that in the many new schools that are to be built, as foreshadowed in the recent state budget, we will see increasingly diverse spaces added to them to cater for greater community needs, both inside and outside of normal school hours.

Outside of school hours, the new schools that are built may be used for adult education and learning, the performing arts, language education and perhaps even religious uses.

During the day, new schools may include spaces for stay-at-home parents who are looking to network with others; in a sense the design of new schools may witness a greater merging of the humble public school and community centres that are traditionally separate in middle suburbia.

This trend makes sense for new schools which have been mooted for medium and high-density areas of the city given that land is scarce and more expensive - Fishermans Bend, Arden-Macaulay and E-Gate would benefit from this school and greater community facility treatment.
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Children at the heart of the school design process

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This morning the Victorian Government released the environmental effects statement (EES) for the Melbourne Metro Rail project and the release of the document suite now provides a clearer picture on how we'll all access the stations once the project is complete.

The full <a href="http://melbournemetro.vic.gov.au/ees/documents">document suite</a> has a map book which provides the most relevant information on station entrances yet. And it makes for interesting reading (or should that be viewing?).

The map book details expected areas that will be excavated; outlines station footprints as well as depicting the location of proposed surface buildings such as ventilation infrastructure and station entrances.

Here's a summary from west to east along the path of the Melbourne Metro Rail tunnel; green depicts ventilation infrastructure, red outlines the station footprint and blue patches delineate station entrance buildings.

<a href="http://melbournemetro.vic.gov.au/locations/arden">Arden Station</a> is proposed to have a single station entry at the station's western end fronting Laurens Street with provisions made for two future station entries to the north and south.

<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_0.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Arden Station. Image from Melbourne Metro EES Map Book"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="384" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/arden_0.png?itok=9NnA98Tn" title="Arden Station. Image from Melbourne Metro EES Map Book" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Arden Station. Image from Melbourne Metro EES Map Book</figcaption></figure><a href="http://melbournemetro.vic.gov.au/locations/parkville">Parkville Station</a> is proposed to have multiple station entrances from the outset: opposite Barry Street on Grattan Street and on the north-eastern and south-western corners of the Royal Parade and Grattan Street intersection.

<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/parkville_0.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Parkville Station. Image from Melbourne Metro EES Map Book"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="335" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/parkville_0.png?itok=KG2ThyTj" title="Parkville Station. Image from Melbourne Metro EES Map Book" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Parkville Station. Image from Melbourne Metro EES Map Book</figcaption></figure><a href="http://melbournemetro.vic.gov.au/locations/cbd-north">CBD North</a> or better known as Melbourne Central Station is proposed to have two surface level buildings as station entrances: one in Franklin Street and one on the corner of La Trobe and Swanston Street.

<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/mc.png" rel="gallery-all" title="CBD North (Melbourne Central) Station. Image from Melbourne Metro EES Map Book"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="327" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/mc.png?itok=y496yo00" title="CBD North (Melbourne Central) Station. Image from Melbourne Metro EES Map Book" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>CBD North (Melbourne Central) Station. Image from Melbourne Metro EES Map Book</figcaption></figure><a href="http://melbournemetro.vic.gov.au/locations/cbd-south">CBD South</a> (Flinders Street) looks set to have the most surface buildings acting as station entrances across the project - Federation Square, Collins Street, Flinders Lane and a very large entrance building between Young &amp; Jackson and the Nicholas Building on Swanston Street.

<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/flinders.png" rel="gallery-all" title="CBD South (Flinders Street) Station. Image from Melbourne Metro EES Map Book"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="356" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/flinders.png?itok=fLDX8BqS" title="CBD South (Flinders Street) Station. Image from Melbourne Metro EES Map Book" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>CBD South (Flinders Street) Station. Image from Melbourne Metro EES Map Book</figcaption></figure><a href="http://melbournemetro.vic.gov.au/locations/domain">​Domain Station</a> is proposed to have three station entrances: one each on the eastern and western sides of St Kilda Road and one for a new, rebuilt domain tram stop, which itself is proposed to move south of where it currently lies.

<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/domain_0.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Domain Station. Image from Melbourne Metro EES Map Book"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="413" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/domain_0.png?itok=HMw3CdAo" title="Domain Station. Image from Melbourne Metro EES Map Book" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Domain Station. Image from Melbourne Metro EES Map Book</figcaption></figure>The environmental effects statement (EES) is on public display until the 6th of July and submissions can be made through the <a href="http://www.dtpli.vic.gov.au/planning/panels-and-committees/current-panels-and-committees/melbourne-metropolitan-rail-inquiry">DELWP website</a>.

At time of publishing, the only other renders of the stations available are contained within a video the Premier sent through his facebook and twitter feeds, see below.

<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="444" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FDanielAndrewsMP%2Fvideos%2F1084932754904593%2F&amp;show_text=1&amp;width=560" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" width="100%"></iframe>
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Melbourne Metro EES released; more information on station proposals

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sunland-group">Sunland Group</a> has officially lodged plans for its first Gold Coast apartment project since the departure of the Abedian family from the company three years ago, unveiling a new high-rise proposal for a prominent Broadbeach corner site on Old Burleigh Road.

The application was submitted by an entity directed by Tom Jamieson, stepson of longtime Sunland leader Soheil Abedian, and Riaz Rezvanipour, brother-in-law of Sahba Abedian, Soheil’s son.

Sunland acquired the 1,283 sqm site on the corner of Old Burleigh Road and Armrick Avenue for $9.5 million late last year and is now seeking approval for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/99-101-old-burleigh-road-broadbeach-qld-4218">42-storey tower with 81 apartments</a>.

<img alt="First look: Sunland Group returns to Broadbeach with new Old Burleigh Road tower plans" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fea2946d-90ee-4cfc-babe-2a8ad5db2cb6" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/pers.png?VersionId=BV0fihJw31nDIQ8ozY_h3GbS8mxDyhnm" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/contreras-earl-architecture">Contreras Earl Architecture</a>, the proposed tower at 99-101 Old Burleigh Road would deliver a predominantly larger-format apartment mix aimed at the owner-occupier market. Plans include 17 two-bedroom apartments, 55 three-bedroom apartments, and nine four-bedroom residences across 35 residential levels.

The development also incorporates three basement levels, four podium parking levels, two levels of communal recreation facilities, and rooftop plant and equipment. A total of 189 car spaces are proposed, significantly exceeding the 90 spaces required under the planning scheme.

The architecture adopts a sculpted, curvilinear form, with deep wraparound balconies and integrated landscaping intended to soften the tower’s vertical expression. The planning report states the building’s “slender footprint/form provides a complimentary yet varied built form within the local streetscape” and contributes to “a varied, yet ordered skyline.”

Contreras Earl noted in its Architectural Statement that from the early stages, the project addressed a fundamental challenge: how to accommodate the required residential yield while avoiding the conventional model of a tower sitting on a rigid, fully resolved parking podium.

“The most direct response would have been to consolidate parking into a singular, flat podium and extrude a repetitive tower above,” the statement said. “While efficient, this approach would result in a consolidated built form with limited engagement with the surrounding landscape and public realm.”

Instead, the conventional podium model was “deliberately rejected”. The architects described the base of the building as “a landscaped architectural condition where structure, planting and circulation are integrated”.

“Rather than presenting a continuous built mass, the base of the building is articulated through a series of concrete planter elements that organise the podium into a fragmented system,” the statement said. “This approach reduces the perceived bulk of the lower levels while establishing a more permeable interface with the streetscape and adjacent open space.”

<img alt="Sunland" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="923fad8d-c960-4527-8fbe-975cf1ddf88d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-25%20at%2010.32.03%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=pngwb0hYOIUpq9vDw6F2EsOiVuHF3DiX" />

&nbsp;

The site sits within the High Density Residential Zone and inside the City of Gold Coast’s unrestricted “HX” building height area, where the planning framework anticipates intensified residential development tied to the expanding light rail corridor. The planning report notes the area is undergoing “transition toward more intense development forms” given its proximity to Broadbeach, Surfers Paradise, and high-frequency public transport infrastructure.

Positioned directly opposite Broadbeach Park and within walking distance of Florida Gardens light rail station, the development would sit among a rapidly evolving stretch of Old Burleigh Road that has become one of the Gold Coast’s most active apartment development corridors.

The application joins a growing pipeline of luxury residential projects reshaping Broadbeach, including nearby developments by 5Point Projects, Polycell, and Graya.

The planning report argues the project contributes toward the Gold Coast’s long-term housing targets under the South East Queensland Regional Plan, which forecasts the need for more than 100,000 additional high-rise dwellings across the city by 2046.

<section data-scroll-anchor="false" data-testid="conversation-turn-4" data-turn="assistant" data-turn-id="request-WEB:84a2af5e-d7cf-4ddf-922a-f4d44d6c6caa-1" data-turn-id-container="request-WEB:84a2af5e-d7cf-4ddf-922a-f4d44d6c6caa-1" dir="auto">
The Abedian family departed Sunland Group in late 2023, ending a four-decade association with the company, and subsequently established the private development firm Abedian &amp; Co. The group is currently delivering <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/greenmount-residences-cnr-hill-street-and-marine-parade-coolangatta-qld-4225">Greenmount Residences</a> at Rainbow Bay and recently launched <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/18-mary-avenue-14-18-mary-avenue-broadbeach-qld-4218">18 Mary Avenue</a> in Broadbeach.
</section>

Joel Robinson

First look: Sunland Group returns to Broadbeach new apartment market with new Old Burleigh Road tower plans

The Minns Labor Government has established the new Bays West Delivery Authority to lead the development&nbsp;of the Bays West Precinct and Blackwattle Bay Precinct.&nbsp;

The Authority is charged with creating Sydney’s newest precinct, a thriving, connected, sustainable hub with White Bay Power Station as its cultural heart. Its vision is to build on the area’s natural, cultural and industrial history to shape a vibrant new neighbourhood.

The precinct will deliver up to 8,500 well-located homes, including a minimum of 10 per cent affordable and essential worker homes. Combine new housing with public open space, opening public access to the waterfront for the first time in more than 100 years, while retaining important deep-water facilities to support Sydney’s working harbour.

Located just minutes from the Sydney CBD and connected to a world-class metro, ferry, walking and cycling links, the Bays West precinct will rebalance housing growth towards well-serviced inner-city locations and help tackle the state’s housing crisis.

The Bays West Delivery Authority,&nbsp;an agency of the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, will report to the NSW Minister for Lands and Property who already has oversight of major precinct renewal projects including at Blackwattle Bay and Barangaroo.

As part of the broader Bays West transformation, the Minns Government recently announced that a proposal from Lendlease to redevelop part of the Bays West Precinct has progressed to Stage 2 of the NSW Government’s unsolicited proposals process.

<img alt="Sydney" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2ed71eb9-d8e8-4fa7-b9d1-de4531dcf2f3" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-25%20at%209.42.31%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=IDryFIbped9SNDg72LEN_EecvhUsOPvp" />

The Minns Labor Government has also confirmed the Bays West precinct will have a new suburb name. This will be the first major suburb built in close proximity to Sydney’s CBD in decades and will encompass the area currently being referred to as Bays West, including Glebe Island and the White Bay Power Station. Served by a new Metro station just five minutes from the CBD, it will become one of the most populous suburbs in the Inner West and one of Sydney’s premier cultural destinations.

An early works program is taking shape, which&nbsp;includes the first stages of an international design competition.&nbsp;

The aim of the Bays West&nbsp;International&nbsp;Design Competition is to&nbsp;ensure design excellence is embedded in the project from the start. The competition will deliver an&nbsp;urban framework that defines the character, ambition and long-term identity of&nbsp;this&nbsp;former industrial precinct as it transitions to a vibrant, inclusive and sustainable residential&nbsp;neighbourhood.

The competition will be led by the Bays West Delivery Authority in partnership with Government Architect NSW.&nbsp;

It will launch with an invitation for a global Expressions of Interest, before moving to an invitation-only stage that will be assessed by a panel that&nbsp;will provide advice to Cabinet who will select a winner.

Premier of NSW, Chris Minns said the establishment of the new Authority is the first step in transforming the Bays West precinct into a vibrant, livable suburb minutes from the Sydney CBD and two stops from Hunter St Station on the Metro West line.

“The Authority will deliver well-located homes close to the heart of the city and integrate the new precinct with Blackwattle Bay and the new Sydney Fish Market.

“This is a generational opportunity to build a new suburb on the city’s edge and open the harbour foreshore to the public for the first time in a century.”&nbsp;

Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper said the new Bays West Delivery Authority established by the Minns Government will turbocharge the development of Sydney’s newest suburb.

“The Authority is working at a record pace to deliver an international design competition, planning pathways and a financial model so that this development benefits Sydney with well-designed homes in a central location, close to public transport, jobs, entertainment and essential services.

“If we want Sydney to stay liveable and affordable, we need to be bold about using underutilised government-owned land to deliver homes for the future while making sure essential working harbour functions can be accommodated.”

Bays West Delivery Authority established to "turbocharge" Sydney’s newest suburb

Around 400 additional homes could be built at Southwark Grounds on Port Road, lifting total site capacity from 1300 to around 1700 dwellings.

A recently approved code amendment would allow apartment towers of up to 14 storeys in some areas of Renewal SA’s redevelopment of the former West End Brewery.

Renewal SA Acting Chief Executive Shane Wingard said he welcomed the code amendment, with the increase in heights and homes making a positive impact on the supply of high-quality, well-connected housing close to the city.

“By going higher across some parts of Southwark Grounds, we are adding a substantial number of very well-located homes with little impact on project delivery time or planned open space,” Mr Wingard said.

Since the project officially launched in 2025, Mr Wingard said more than 12,000 enquiries had been received about living at Southwark Grounds.

“The very strong early interest we’ve seen since homes were first released in the precinct reinforces our plans to create more housing opportunities,” he said.

The Southwark Grounds code amendment was launched in December last year, with community engagement undertaken over five weeks from January.

It proposed increasing maximum building heights from eight to 14 storeys on the eastern section of Southwark Grounds, and to 12 storeys across the remainder of the site, with minimum building heights ranging from two to four storeys.

The code amendment was implemented through an Early Commencement policy in late January, allowing developers to quickly explore the viability of increased height and housing yield while other planning processes continue.

One of the first developers delivering apartment sites have already finalised redesigns to increase the number of apartments following the code amendment.

Samaras’ development adjacent to the future Colonel Light Park is now planning to deliver 125 apartments across 11 storeys, significantly greater than original plans of around 50 apartments across four storeys.

The developer is also exploring the potential for additional affordable housing outcomes.

Most of the apartments at Southwark Grounds will be delivered within a master-planned precinct on a large parcel of land on the eastern portion of the site, covering around two-thirds of its 8.4 hectares.

Wingard said detailed precinct planning over the coming months may identify further opportunities to increase yield further that could see total apartment numbers at Southwark Grounds, exceed this number.

Affordable homes at Southwark Grounds will also see a net increase, with Renewal SA maintaining its commitment to a minimum of 20 per cent affordable housing across the development.

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Civil works have begun across the site, with construction under way on the first new roads surrounding a townhouse precinct in the south‑west corner of Southwark Grounds. This includes Renewal SA’s 17 Founder’s Row homes, which are on track for completion by Christmas.

“We expect to have people living at Southwark Grounds by the end of the year, so delivering roads and public spaces for those residents is among our highest priorities.”

Construction of 40 townhouses off Anderson Street, known as West Village and being delivered by Contour, is forecast to begin in mid‑2026. Kolabb’s Anderson Lane development will follow shortly after, delivering a further 26 townhouses.

Southwark Grounds is a state government‑led urban renewal project now set to deliver around 1,700 homes over the next decade.

Homes will be supported by a supermarket, a range of retail and hospitality offerings anchored by a revitalised Walkerville Brew Tower, a childcare centre, car parking and well‑connected public spaces.

400 new homes planned for Adelaide's former West End Brewery site

Brisbane developer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/cavcorp">Cavcorp</a> has lodged plans for a new mixed-use residential development at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/55-wyandra-street-teneriffe-qld-4005">55 Wyandra Street</a>, Teneriffe, anchored by an 85-metre public laneway designed to reconnect the suburb’s riverfront with the Gasworks precinct.

The buildings, known as Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane, would replace the existing Queensland Cotton head office site with a 15-storey residential tower transitioning to eight storeys toward Helen Street. The project has been designed by Plazibat Architects and lodged as a code assessable development application for 93 apartments across a 3,401 sqm mixed-use site within the Newstead and Teneriffe Waterfront neighbourhood plan.

Central to the scheme is the transformation of an existing service easement into a publicly accessible cross-block connection linking Wyandra and Helen Streets. Cavcorp says the new laneway will act as both a pedestrian shortcut and a landscaped civic space between the Teneriffe Riverwalk, ferry terminal, and Gasworks precinct.

<img alt="First Look: Cavcorp unveils Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane plans for landmark wellness tower in Teneriffe" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="26e7f058-b065-4de8-b13d-a2b8cb64dfcc" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/bldg.png?VersionId=sELS0ZKYi361oYipUa1BIKfe_.DLZoFV" />

“The revised proposal delivers a legacy public-realm cross-block link, permanently secured for community use, transforming an existing private easement into a safe, high-quality pedestrian connection between the Teneriffe heritage riverwalk and the Gasworks–Long Island precinct,” the planning report states.

The laneway will sit beneath a large subtropical loggia integrated into the podium levels of the development. The design incorporates deep landscaping, water gardens, lobby spaces, business lounges, and ground-floor apartments to create what Cavcorp describes as a climate-responsive “urban verandah.”

The tower itself has been designed as a slender form with recessed floorplates and curved translucent corners inspired by contemporary Japanese architecture. The building height aligns with the Commercial Road precinct controls, which permit towers up to 15 storeys within proximity to Longland Street.

<img alt="First Look: Cavcorp unveils Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane plans for landmark wellness tower in Teneriffe" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a8a17d40-43b6-4718-b3fd-67676fcbb485" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/pers%202_1.png?VersionId=i3VwDtp5AmL_8InW7w4qRbDFEpb744Jt" />

The project will comprise a mix of larger-format apartments aimed at owner-occupiers, downsizers, and families. The proposed apartment mix includes 11 loggia apartments across the lower levels, 50 four-bedroom Sky-Terrace apartments from levels three to seven, and 32 Sky-Pool Homes occupying the upper tower levels. The Sky-Pool Homes will feature private thermal plunge pools integrated into oversized balconies.

According to the application, the apartments are intended to reinterpret the scale and character of Teneriffe’s woolstore conversions and Queensland homes within a vertical residential format.

“The sky-pool homes build on Cavcorp’s previous projects and introduce a distinct apartment typology to Teneriffe, informed by both local and international precedent and responding to an identified market demand for enhanced safety, space and amenity,” the planning submission notes.

A major focus of the proposal is its five-level wellness and lifestyle offering, extending from the basement through to the rooftop.

Amenities proposed include a rooftop Swim &amp; Racquet Club with a 25-metre Olympic lap pool and tennis court, coworking spaces and libraries, golf simulators, wine storage, concierge facilities, business lounges, pet wash areas, and rooftop longevity-focused wellness spaces with spas, outdoor fitness zones, and landscaped terraces.

<img alt="First Look: Cavcorp unveils Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane plans for landmark wellness tower in Teneriffe" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="944b352c-49b9-4247-a4c6-5967b4b69fda" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/amenity.png?VersionId=Ed_qKjAtMwFT.5gfl3jiA9QwdWxSMsaX" />

All parking will be concealed within basement levels accessed from Wyandra and Helen Streets. Cavcorp says the deep-basement engineering approach allows the entire ground plane to prioritise landscaping, pedestrian movement, and active frontage rather than vehicle infrastructure.

The development continues Cavcorp’s concentration in Newstead and Teneriffe, where the Brisbane developer has delivered a number of apartment projects including Lucent, Le Bain, and Luminare, as well as the Long Island Wellness Precinct nearby. Several of those projects have received national design and architecture awards, including recognition under Brisbane’s “Buildings that Breathe” program.

Cavcorp unveils wellness-focused Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane apartment buildings

Focus Group Investments has lodged plans for a new apartment development at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/64-70-hanover-street-fitzroy-vic-3065">64–70 Hanover Street</a> in Fitzroy, seeking to utilise the Victorian Government’s recently introduced Great Design Fast Track pathway to accelerate approvals for the project.

The proposal is among the latest developments to emerge through the state-led initiative, which was established to fast-track well-designed residential projects in activity centres and transport-connected inner-city locations. The pathway allows qualifying developments that meet elevated design and housing benchmarks to bypass traditional council planning timeframes and instead be assessed directly by the Department of Transport and Planning.

Designed by SJB, the development will comprise a mix of apartments above activated lower levels, with a strong focus on architectural articulation, landscaping, and communal amenity. The design response seeks to balance the industrial character of Richmond’s former warehouse precincts with a more contemporary residential form.

<img alt="First look: Focus Group Investments taps Victoria’s Great Design Fast Track for Richmond apartments" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="abea51cc-d85b-479e-9aef-a589f3b37ca7" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/ground.png?VersionId=e1Kf8EyPWwyiVumtqQ4rM5S4GpOR3CCz" />

Proposed are 63 new dwellings, a wide ranging mix of studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, and townhouses and duplexes. They will be spread across a part-three, part-eight storey building.

The Planning and Urban Context Report by Tract says the development is of an "exemplary architectural standard" and has been carefully crafted by SJB Architects.

"Dwellings&nbsp;will benefit from excellent access to natural light, cross-ventilation opportunities and extensive communal space," the report noted.

The architectural material highlights the project’s integration of landscaped elements and communal spaces throughout the building. The proposal also incorporates sustainability initiatives aligned with the Victorian Government’s push for higher-performing apartment developments under the fast-track program.

The Great Design Fast Track was unveiled by the Victorian Government in 2024 as part of a broader housing supply strategy aimed at accelerating the delivery of new homes. Projects assessed through the pathway must demonstrate high-quality architecture, sustainability outcomes, and housing diversity while being located close to public transport and existing infrastructure.

<img alt="First look: Focus Group Investments taps Victoria’s Great Design Fast Track for Richmond apartments" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="afdbe834-8dc4-4a77-a943-ba07bc927348" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/site_11.png?VersionId=0J657j.TaChAZfp93wqJYBTqSsnREJx2" />

Focus Group, founder and led by Paul De Lutiis, is increasingly active across Melbourne’s inner suburbs, targeting well-connected urban renewal locations suited to medium and higher-density residential development. The Fitzroy proposal continues that strategy, leveraging the area’s strong transport links, established retail amenity, and proximity to the CBD.

Fitzroy has been one of the most popular spots for developers and buyers in recent years. The likes of PACE Development Group, SMA Projects, Crema Group and Chapter Group, currently selling projects in the suburb.

Alastair Taylor

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