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The Legislative Assembly yesterday agreed to the amendments proposed by the Legislative Council after the third reading of the <a href="http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/LDMS/PubPDocs.nsf/ee665e366dcb6cb0ca256da400837f6b/bd7ef38ce1a4b425ca257e6d00170ff2!OpenDocument">Infrastructure Victoria Bill 2015</a>. Once the Governor has lent her signature to the bill, the way will be paved for the creation of Infrastructure Victoria.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">
The Parliament passed 5 bills today <a href="http://t.co/V75wHdEdsq">http://t.co/V75wHdEdsq</a> Next they go to the Governor for royal assent <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/springst?src=hash">#springst</a>
— Victorian Parliament (@VicParliament) <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://twitter.com/VicParliament/status/639371853727862784">September 3, 2015</a>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>Much of the rhetoric to date has centred around Infrastructure Victoria needing to be independent of Government and while the legislation sets out the boundaries of its independence, the seven member board will have a minority of three Department heads as ex officio directors and a majority of four independent directors. The <a href="http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/LDMS/PubPDocs.nsf/ee665e366dcb6cb0ca256da400837f6b/BD7EF38CE1A4B425CA257E6D00170FF2/%24FILE/581105exi1.pdf">explanatory memorandum</a> for the bill explains this as follows:

<blockquote>
The inclusion of Department Heads on the board ensures Infrastructure Victoria is able to receive input from the public sector. However, the composition of the board safeguards Infrastructure Victoria's independence by ensuring these Department Heads are a minority of board members
</blockquote>

Infrastructure Victoria will be required to create a 30-year infrastructure strategy which assesses the current state of infrastructure in the state and identifies Victoria's infrastructure needs and priorities over the 30 year period. Furthermore the legislation requires the Government to provide a formal response to the 30-year strategy by creating and then publishing a five-year infrastructure plan within 12 months of Infrastructure Victoria releasing its 30-year strategy.

The Government's response and five-year plan must also identify the priority projects "including an explanation of how the priority projects will achieve the social, economic and environmental objectives stated in the 30-year infrastructure strategy".

Public consultation on the 30-year strategy is enshrined in law requiring Infrastructure Victoria to run a public consultation process when the initial 30-year strategy is drafted and if Infrastructure Victoria subsequently updates the plan in future. Infrastructure Victoria will furthermore be keeping tabs on the Government as the body will be required to publish a report measuring progress against the Government's five-year infrastructure plan in its Annual Report.

In commentary in the Assembly on Thursday, the Minister for Public Transport, Jacinta Allan, gave a run down on the amendments the Government was agreeing to.

First amongst the amendments, according to the Minister, was to include clarifying statements in the legislation relation to Infrastructure Victoria needing to research the benefits and costs of infrastructure, not just the benefits.

Secondly the Minister said an amendment moved by the Greens that "requires Infrastructure Victoria to research the impact of climate change on infrastructure, including the measurement of greenhouse gas emissions" had been agreed to. The Minister furthermore said "this research area is indicative rather than prescriptive but it obviously includes the addition of the opportunity to look at the impact of climate change on infrastructure that is being considered".

Other amendments mentioned by the Minister in <a href="http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/stories/daily-hansard/Assembly_2015/Assembly_Aug-Dec_2015_Daily_3_September_2015.pdf">hansard</a> relate to the requirement that directors sitting on Infrastructure Victoria's board have private sector experience and that Infrastructure Victoria's first 30-year infrastructure must be released by the 31st of December 2016.

<figure><a 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/ivbroc2.jpg" title="A comparison of similar bodies from the Victorian Government's Infrastructure Victoria brochure" class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" rel="gallery-all"><img src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/ivbroc2.jpg?itok=BWAlltAB" width="580" height="547" alt="" title="A comparison of similar bodies from the Victorian Government's Infrastructure Victoria brochure" class="image-article-full-width-580px"></a>
<figcaption>A comparison of similar bodies from the <a href="http://www.dpc.vic.gov.au/images/documents/Infrastructure_Victoria/Infrastructure_Victoria_brochure_June_2015.pdf">Victorian Government's Infrastructure Victoria brochure</a></figcaption></figure>
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Alastair Taylor

And on the third day... Infrastructure Victoria was born

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Feedback submissions on Spring Street's Victoria's Future Industries: Construction Technologies discussion paper are closing on the 21st of September.

The <a href="http://yoursay.business.vic.gov.au/futureindustries/application/files/4214/4064/6886/9212_DEDJTR_VFI_Construction_Tech_Paper_WEB2.pdf">paper</a> and the subsequent feedback the State Government is inviting will aid in the development of a Victorian construction industry technologies strategy.

According to the discussion paper, the construction sector in Victoria employs almost 240,000 people and contributes 6.7% or $21.6 billion to the States Gross State Product and this includes residential and non-residential construction activity.

<blockquote>
The Victorian Government has identified the construction materials and technologies industries as one of a number of sectors strategically important for the State. Firms in these industries provide inputs into the construction sector, which is both an important enabler in the Victorian economy and a significant sector in its own right.

This paper outlines how the performance of the construction technologies sector might be improved and identifies a number of areas for stakeholders to further consider:

<ul>
<li>Capitalising on Melbourne’s status as the world’s most liveable city.</li>
	<li>Capturing the demonstration benefit from green, smart projects.</li>
	<li>Accelerating the uptake of new materials and technologies.</li>
	<li>The role of government in the take up of Building Information Modelling.</li>
	<li>Establishing Victoria as Australia’s centre of excellence for off-site construction technologies and businesses.</li>
	<li>Utilising the strength of Victoria’s research base for the benefit of the building materials and building technology industries.</li>
	<li>Getting better at exporting and managing the import challenge</li>
</ul>
<cite>Construction Technologies discussion paper - Executive Summary</cite>
</blockquote>

You could be forgiven for having difficulty trying to wrap your head around what a status bestowed on Melbourne by a foriegn economics magazine has to do with improved construction technologies; nevertheless, the other points listed above are bound to invite robust discussion.

To lodge feedback, see the details on <a href="http://yoursay.business.vic.gov.au/futureindustries/construction-technologies">the Business Victoria website</a>.
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Feedback submissions on Construction Technologies discussion paper closing September 21st

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Melbourne's tram network is the largest in the world measured by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tram#Largest_tram_systems">track length</a>.

<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width:100%;">
<thead><tr>
<th scope="col">City</th>
			<th scope="col">Network Size (track length)</th>
		</tr></thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trams_in_Melbourne">Melbourne</a></td>
			<td>250km</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kharkiv_tram">Kharkiv</a></td>
			<td>232km</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trams_in_Saint_Petersburg">St. Petersburg</a></td>
			<td>220km</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trams_in_Berlin">Berlin</a></td>
			<td>190km</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trams_in_Moscow">Moscow</a></td>
			<td>181km</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trams_in_Vienna">Vienna</a></td>
			<td>172km</td>
		</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Despite Melbourne's tram network being larger, Berlin's Straßenbahn network had roughly the same amount of passengers trips as Melbourne and Vienna's network was well ahead of both Melbourne &amp; Berlin in the 2013-2014 period.

<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width:100%;">
<thead><tr>
<th scope="col">Melbourne</th>
			<th scope="col">Berlin</th>
			<th scope="col">Vienna</th>
		</tr></thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>173,400,000 passenger trips</td>
			<td>174,700,000 passenger trips</td>
			<td>293,600,000 passenger trips</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trams_in_Melbourne">Source</a></td>
			<td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trams_in_Berlin#cite_note-ZP2014-5">Source</a></td>
			<td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trams_in_Vienna">Source</a></td>
		</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Six of Melbourne's 23 routes have more than 10,000,000 passenger trips per annum:

<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width:100%;">
<thead><tr>
<th scope="col">Route</th>
			<th scope="col">Annual Passenger Trips</th>
		</tr></thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>#109 - Box Hill to Port Melbourne</td>
			<td>15,600,000</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>#86 - Bundoora RMIT to Waterfront City Docklands</td>
			<td>15,500,000</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>#96 - St Kilda Beach to East Brunswick</td>
			<td>15,400,000</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>#112 - West Preston to St Kilda*</td>
			<td>12,300,000</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>#19 - North Coburg to City</td>
			<td>11,400,000</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>#59 - Airport West to City</td>
			<td>10,200,000</td>
		</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
* I assume the data available on Yarra Tram's <a href="http://www.yarratrams.com.au/about-us/who-we-are/facts-figures/">website</a> reflects statistics before the recent route split.

<h2>Did you also know…</h2>

…finding passenger trip statistics for an 'average weekday' on trams, trains and buses in Melbourne is a convoluted and inaccurate process?

Today's strike has taken place during the middle of the day, between the peaks and it is therefore safe to say that we have avoided a proper #trampocalypse - as many on social media are calling and hashtagging it.

However, without access to readily available data on daily passenger trips on trams for more accurate predictions to be made about the effect the strike has had, reports will be vague on the subject.

Prime example: Yarra Tram's paints woefully inadequate picture of patronage numbers on its <a href="http://www.yarratrams.com.au/about-us/who-we-are/facts-figures/">website</a>. "There are approximately 3.5 million passenger trips taken on the Yarra Trams network every week - including more than 500,000 on weekends".

And even then things don't add up.

If we manually total the numbers in the per-route breakdown (the top six are in the table above) we're left with 179,000,000 passenger trips. And yet their statement, located just above the per-route breakdown, on "3.5 million passenger trips per week" would total 182,000,000 if we attempted to arrive at an annual figure (multiply 3.5 million by 52).

PTV's annual report from 2013-2014 states there were 176.9 million passenger trips taken on trams - there's quite a variety of numbers floating about, but no central "single source of truth" that is regularly updated to get a better picture on the state of patronage.

<h2>Editor's pick of today's social media posts</h2>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">
Looking north and south from Fed Square <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tramstrike?src=hash">#Tramstrike</a> (ping <a href="https://twitter.com/774melbourne">@774melbourne</a>) <a href="http://t.co/mhLibTtMJW">pic.twitter.com/mhLibTtMJW</a>
— Courtney Carthy (@ccarthy) <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://twitter.com/ccarthy/status/636716463475154945">August 27, 2015</a>
</blockquote>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">
What's wrong with this picture? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/tramstrike?src=hash">#tramstrike</a> <a href="http://t.co/zMyjNImvwY">http://t.co/zMyjNImvwY</a> <a href="http://t.co/1s7GAFK5Wo">pic.twitter.com/1s7GAFK5Wo</a>
— The Age (@theage) <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://twitter.com/theage/status/636693598520524803">August 27, 2015</a>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/top10?src=hash">#top10</a> ways to get to work during <a href="https://twitter.com/fakeyarratrams">@fakeyarratrams</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TramStrike?src=hash">#TramStrike</a> no 1. Horse and Cart <a href="http://t.co/qTepFZDFzg">pic.twitter.com/qTepFZDFzg</a>
— Hipstergeddon (@hipstergeddon) <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://twitter.com/hipstergeddon/status/636658396465205248">August 26, 2015</a>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hipstergeddon">@hipstergeddon</a> No.4. Street Slide. <a href="http://t.co/EJhWnz2vUu">pic.twitter.com/EJhWnz2vUu</a>
— Fake Yarra Trams (@fakeyarratrams) <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://twitter.com/fakeyarratrams/status/636663506025099266">August 26, 2015</a>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>Lead image credit: Wikipedia.
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Melbourne's tram network: did you know?

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Spring Street via VicRoads on Monday 24th August, invited the community to provide feedback on the future of the <a href="https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/planning-and-projects/melbourne-road-projects/punt-road-hoddle-street">Hoddle Street-Punt Road corridor</a>.

The State Government media release states:

<blockquote>
The Labor Government wants to hear from motorists, cyclists and public transport users who use the corridor as well as local residents and business owners.

The local communities’ views and the thousands of people who use the corridor every day as a bypass, a distributer and a crossing point, as well as residents and business owners in the area, are a vital part of investigations into traffic management improvements which will be made over the next two to four years.

The community can use an online mapping tool on the VicRoads website to provide feedback on their experiences along particular parts of the corridor.
<cite>Media Release from Minister for Roads, Luke Donnellan</cite>
</blockquote>

VicRoads profiles two individual projects which are investigating options for improvements in both the <a href="https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/planning-and-projects/melbourne-road-projects/punt-road-hoddle-street/hoddle-street--streamlining-initiative">Hoddle Street</a> and <a href="https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/planning-and-projects/melbourne-road-projects/punt-road-hoddle-street/punt-road-investigations">Punt Road</a> sections.

The increasingly ubiquitous map open for the community to add their commentary already has a large number of submissions with a mix of sustainable transport versus private vehicle commentary.

<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/vic_roads_comm_consult_map.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Screenshot of VicRoads' community consultation map"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="362" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/vic_roads_comm_consult_map.png?itok=Ir9dsnb6" title="Screenshot of VicRoads' community consultation map" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Screenshot of VicRoads' community consultation <a href="http://consult.vicroads.vic.gov.au/hoddle-street-punt-road-consultation/maps/hoddle-punt-corridor-map">map</a></figcaption></figure>To participate and provide your own feedback on the Hoddle Street-Punt Road corridor investigations, see <a href="http://consult.vicroads.vic.gov.au/hoddle-street-punt-road-consultation">VicRoad's website</a>.

Lead image credit: UM user MelbourneGuy.
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Have your say: Hoddle Street-Punt Road corridor

<html><body>
Here's a round-up of construction highlights posted on the Apartments.com.au forum this month. As always, click the images for a larger version.

UM user MelbourneGuy posted this image in the <a href="/news">St Kilda/Port Melbourne forum thread</a> recently showing the near-complete Icon by Pace Development with Caydon's Pace Development's Icon S.T.K. apartments looming in the background.

<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/melb_guy_icon_caydon.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Looking south from the corner of Toorak and Punt Roads, by UM user MelbourneGuy"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/melb_guy_icon_caydon.jpg?itok=ZFSckgR6" title="Looking south from the corner of Toorak and Punt Roads, by UM user MelbourneGuy" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Looking south from the corner of Toorak and Punt Roads, by UM user MelbourneGuy</figcaption></figure>The Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre feels like it was designed to delight construction watchers like us - VCCC is a big favourite for UM forum users with images frequently posted in the <a href="/news">Carlton &amp; Parkville forum thread</a>.  The image below is from earlier on in August and by editor Mark Baljak.

<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/img_5281.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The VCCC from Flemington Road - image by editor Mark Baljak"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/img_5281.jpg?itok=BZrMk2P0" title="The VCCC from Flemington Road - image by editor Mark Baljak" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The VCCC from Flemington Road - image by editor Mark Baljak</figcaption></figure>United Asia Group's North at 19-33 Flemington Road which has seen over 3000 hits on our Project Database page is powering along on Flemington Road opposite the VCCC. Image by editor Mark Baljak.  Also worthy of note is the video created for marketing the project, check it out on <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://player.vimeo.com/video/79928699">vimeo</a>.

<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/img_5778.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="North at 33 Flemington Road - image by editor Mark Baljak"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/img_5778.jpg?itok=zX6svLZ3" title="North at 33 Flemington Road - image by editor Mark Baljak" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>North at 33 Flemington Road - image by editor Mark Baljak</figcaption></figure>Ryan Seychell, who also runs the <a href="https://instagram.com/urbanmelbourneau/">Urban.com.au Instagram account</a>, took a smattering of photos of the newly opened The Grid @ 567 Collins street last week - check out all the images in <a href="/news">567 Collins Street's dedicated forum thread</a>.  

<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/77c4bea98d5372fc91394df21b0b54d1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The Grid at 567 Collins Street - image by Ryan Seychell"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/77c4bea98d5372fc91394df21b0b54d1.jpg?itok=P-KOpF-v" title="The Grid at 567 Collins Street - image by Ryan Seychell" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The Grid at 567 Collins Street - image by Ryan Seychell</figcaption></figure>Ryan also took these recent images of 888 Collins Street in Docklands - on the corner of Collins &amp; Bourke Street - see the full set in the dedicated <a href="/news">888 Collins Street forum thread</a>.

<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/ca5ed5e38e3624845e6c544511e1f66c.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="888 Collins Street - image by Ryan Seychell"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="870" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/ca5ed5e38e3624845e6c544511e1f66c.jpg?itok=MwzhYlGy" title="888 Collins Street - image by Ryan Seychell" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>888 Collins Street - image by Ryan Seychell</figcaption></figure><a href="/news">The Australia 108 forum thread</a> is likely to be referenced a lot over the coming years - primarily because it's dedicated to an enormous project.  Ryan took this image of the site on the 13th of August.

<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/bd483d3677a881df57e4cd1c7605588d.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="How skyscrapers begin their lives - Australia 108 site - image by Ryan Seychell"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/bd483d3677a881df57e4cd1c7605588d.jpg?itok=KkrUcDLL" title="How skyscrapers begin their lives - Australia 108 site - image by Ryan Seychell" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>How skyscrapers begin their lives - Australia 108 site - image by Ryan Seychell</figcaption></figure>West Side Place now has a tall display suite - image by UM user Adrian back on the 8th of August.

<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/54bdb791b1d276f92fc54486c7e9aa00.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Westside Place's display suite - image by UM user Adrian"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="435" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/54bdb791b1d276f92fc54486c7e9aa00.jpg?itok=brYUgUi6" title="West Side Place's display suite - image by UM user Adrian" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>West Side Place's display suite - image by UM user Adrian</figcaption></figure>Lead image is 131 Russel Street by Ryan Seychell - see the full set in the <a href="/news">131 Russel Street forum thread</a>.
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Melbourne construction highlights - August

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One of the major changes to planning during the term of the last Victorian Government was the implementation of <a href="/news/planning-minister-approves-new-residential-zones-in-39-victorian-lgas">new residential and commercial zones</a> right throughout <a href="/news/planning-minister-approves-new-residential-zones-in-39-victorian-lgas">metropolitan and regional areas</a>.

The new planning zones were designed to provide clarity to the community and also to developers in order for them to make investment decisions with a clear understanding of what can be built on the sites they purchase.

One developer which is working away in the General Residential and Residential Growth Zones is <a href="http://www.samuel.com.au/">Samuel Property</a>.

To date Samuel Property have begun development of two projects: Vela in Blackburn and Lennox Glen Iris. Apartments.com.au recently chatted with Illan Samuel who is head of the company and some interesting planning anecdotes came out of the conversation.

<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/lennox.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Lennox Glen Iris. © Samuel Property"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="337" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/lennox.jpg?itok=XRuU3Ah1" title="Lennox Glen Iris. © Samuel Property" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Lennox Glen Iris. © Samuel Property</figcaption></figure>Lennox, located at 25 Belmont Avenue North in Glen Iris, was initially targeted at the downsizer market and four weeks out from kicking off the marketing campaign for the project, a decision was made to switch direction and target young professionals.

All 20 apartments were sold in 4-5 weeks and it attracted “very much a hyper-local buyer pool - young people who were either renting or originally grew up in the area - and no offshore buyers” according to Samuel.

Illan Samuel told Apartments.com.au that development sites in side streets right near main strips are preferred; buyers like being close to the action but not directly on the main drag as it were. Lennox in Glen Iris and Vela in Blackburn fit this bill.

Take this <a href="http://planningschemes.dpcd.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/194614/whitehorse02zn.pdf">map of zones</a> for the Blackburn area in Whitehorse, Vela Blackburn as seen in the render below is located at 4 Station Street, just off Whitehorse Road and right inside the <a href="http://planningschemes.dpcd.vic.gov.au/schemes/whitehorse/ordinance/32_07s03_whse.pdf">RGZ3</a> zone. Lennox in Glen Iris located at 25 Belmont Avenue North comes under <a href="http://planningschemes.dpcd.vic.gov.au/schemes/stonnington/ordinance/32_08s10_ston.pdf">GRZ10</a> according to <a href="http://planningschemes.dpcd.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/191743/stonnington06zn.pdf">Stonnington zone maps</a> for Glen Iris.

<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/apartments4.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Vela Blackburn. © Samuel Property"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="330" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/apartments4.jpg?itok=7vqlzmIm" title="Vela Blackburn. © Samuel Property" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Vela Blackburn. © Samuel Property</figcaption></figure>Vela in Blackburn, like Lennox in Glen Iris, has sold out of its 24 apartments and Illan told Apartments.com.au the sales campaign drew in a lot of local buyers.

As is the custom when Apartments.com.au asks developers about future plans, there was a lot of coyness, but Illan did tell us that a similar profile development - side street just off a main strip in RGZ or GRZ - is currently at planning in Glen Eira.

Vela in Blackburn is already under construction and Lennox Glen Iris is set to commence construction in October.

<h2>Comment</h2>

There is still, no doubt, scope to improve the planning zones further. For instance, encouraging (forcing?) councils to apply them to more areas in their LGA and experimenting with other "carrot or the stick" tools like density bonuses which might allow developers to build an extra level in exchange for affordable or social housing components in developments located in any General Residential or Residential Growth Zone.

Regardless, it is encouraging to see capital seek out these development opportunities and from early-adopter and entrepreneurial developers as well; as it is the little things, built in high volume, that are going to count over the long run if Melbourne is to reach the goal of diversifying its residential stock as we grow over the coming decades.

Lead image credit: Lennox Glen Iris location, <a href="http://www.lennoxgleniris.com.au/video">Samuel Property</a>.
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Samuel Property and the new residential zones

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<blockquote>
Cities are the foundation on which modern society comes together to share, develop and exploit ideas for the betterment of everyone. Humans and the built environment are in a never ending symbiotic relationship with each other in the great cities of the world and Apartments.com.au seeks to create a content rich meeting place for the wider Melbourne community and urban development industry stakeholders – developers, architects, urban planners, sales agents – to come together and discuss, critique, admire and ultimately project an image of how they wish to see their city grow in the future.

Our city's motto - Vires acquirit eundo - specifically states we gather strength as we go, and to go, or more contextually relevant grow, we must do so sensibly and sustainably around a framework of core urban, rather than suburban, principles that drive growth into areas which maximise the usage of existing land based in suitable urban corridors.
<a href="/about#manifesto"><cite>Urban.com.au manifesto</cite></a>
</blockquote>

I would normally say any time is as good a time as any to debate the future direction of our city but days such as this are a good time to reflect on the past and recommit to stated - written or oral - goals.

To a grander, sustainable, tolerant, entrepreneurial and most definitely more urban Melbourne!

http://melbourneday.com.au/

Lead image credit: <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://www.panoramio.com/photo/4728150">Panoramio</a>.
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Vires Acquirit Eundo: Melbourne 180

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This morning marks a new beginning for Tullamarine with the phased opening of the new Terminal 4 starting today.

According to a <a href="http://www.t4you.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/FINAL-Mel-Air-Fact-Sh-T4-low-res.pdf">fact sheet</a> posted on T4's dedicated website - www.t4you.com.au - the terminal is "the first terminal in the Asia Pacific region to open as a complete self-service operation", referring to the self-service check-in kiosks and automated bag-drop facilities.

There has also been a departure from the norm in terms of accessing the terminals as well: check-in / bag-drop and arrivals baggage claim are all on the ground floor rather than being split between ground and upper floors as is common in the three other terminals at Tullamarine and other airports around Australia. As shown in the video below, after check-in passengers are required to head to the upper floor for the security check and departure lounges.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ubM-uU44lhc" width="100%"></iframe>

According to a Melbourne Airport spokesperson, the existing Tiger terminal check in and baggage claim (the infamous tin shed) areas are now being refurbished and Tiger Airways will be moved back into its original home after the refurbishment has been completed. This new work on the existing Tiger terminals will see the original facilities seamlessly connected to the new T4 building.

Jetstar and Rex will be operating from T4 in the "coming months" according to the fact sheet.

The terminal has a capacity for 10,000,000 passengers per year (or roughly one third of the passengers that currently fly in and out of Tullamarine annually at present) and over 30 retail and dining outlets will be located in the terminal when it's fully occupied. The new car parking facility that was under construction at the same time as T4 will open in coming months 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/150817-terminal-4_mprebeg_low-res_10-1500x1000.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The check-in area of T4, image from www.t4you.com.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/150817-terminal-4_mprebeg_low-res_10-1500x1000.jpg?itok=IAVhpqfW" title="The check-in area of T4, image from www.t4you.com.au" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The check-in area of T4, image from www.t4you.com.au</figcaption></figure>It's not hard to see why Tullamarine Airport has felt like a perpetual construction site for the past decade - with T2 (International) expansion and now the brand new T4 low-cost terminal - one need only look at the data available for passengers movements at the airport.

<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/mel_air_1985_2014.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport passenger movements 1985-2014"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="299" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/mel_air_1985_2014.jpg?itok=tWD1AhDe" title="Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport passenger movements 1985-2014" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport passenger movements 1985-2014</figcaption></figure>In 1985 when the data series available on <a href="https://bitre.gov.au/publications/ongoing/airport_traffic_data.aspx">BITRE's website</a> begins, there were 5.1 million domestic passengers, 1.2 million international passengers rounding up to a total of 6.3 million passengers. Interestingly international passengers at Tullamarine in 1985 represented 23% of all passengers passing through the airport.

Fast forward to 2014 and there were 23.3 million domestic passengers and 8 million international passengers totalling 31.4 million. In 2014 international passengers represented 34% of all passengers flying in and out of Tullamarine.

It took Tullamarine 12 years to move from 10 million passengers to the 20 million mark and it took nine years for Tullamarine to go from 20 million passengers to 30 million.
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The new T4 at Tullamarine opens

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The following is an abstract from the "<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://apo.org.au/node/55361">Making Apartments Affordable - moving from speculative to deliberative development</a>" paper published by Swinburne University in late June. Apartments.com.au will let the paper do the talking and we likewise recommend all development industry participants from the CEO level to the analyst level download the paper from <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://apo.org.au/node/55361">Australian Policy Online</a>.

The paper's authors are <a href="http://www.swinburne.edu.au/health-arts-design/staff-profiles/view.php?who=asharam">Dr Andrew Sharam</a> - Research Fellow at Swinburne Institute for Social Research; <a href="http://staff.qut.edu.au/staff/bryantl2/">Dr Lyndall Bryant</a> - Property Economics lecturer at Queensland University of Technology; and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tom-alves-178987">Dr Tom Alves</a> - adjunct Research Fellow at Swinburne Institute for Social Research and Senior Adviser at <a href="http://www.ovga.vic.gov.au/">OVGA</a>.

<h2>Abstract</h2>

Urban planning policies in Australia presuppose apartments as the new dominant housing type, but much of what the market has delivered is criticised as over-development, and as being generic, poorly-designed, environmentally unsustainable and unaffordable. Policy responses to this problem typically focus on planning regulation and construction costs as the primary issues needing to be addressed in order to increase the supply of quality, affordable apartment housing.

In contrast, this paper uses Ball’s (1983) ‘structures of provision’ approach to outline the key processes informing apartment development and identifies a substantial gap in critical understanding of how apartments are developed in Australia. This reveals economic problems not typically considered by policymakers.

Using mainstream economic analysis to review the market itself, we find high search costs, demand risk, problems with exchange, and lack of competition present key barriers to achieving greater affordability of apartments and limit the extent to which ‘speculative’ developers can respond to the preferences of would-be owner-occupiers. The existing development model, which is reliant on capturing uplift in site value, suits investors seeking rental yields in the first instance, and subsequently capital gains, and actively encourages housing price inflation. This is exacerbated by lack of density restrictions, such as has been the case in inner Melbourne for many years, which permits greater yields on redevelopment sites.

The price of land in the vicinity of such redevelopment sites is pushed up as landholders' expectation of future yield is raised. All too frequently, existing redevelopment sites go back onto the market as vendors seek to capture the uplift in site value and exit the project in a risk-free manner.

This paper proposes three major reforms, which together would enable development of better, more affordable apartments for housing consumers:

<ul>
<li>Firstly, that the market for apartment development be re-designed, following insights from the economic field of ‘Market Design’ (a branch of Game Theory). A two-sided matching market for new apartments is proposed, where demand-side risks can be mitigated via consumer aggregation.</li>
	<li>Secondly, consumers should be empowered through support for ‘deliberative’ and ‘do-it-yourself’ (DIY) development models, in order to increase competition, expand access, and promote responsiveness to consumer needs and preferences. A ‘Smart Housing Market’ is proposed to broker the necessary connections and simplify the process.</li>
	<li>Finally, planning schemes need to impose density restrictions (in the form of height limits, floor space ratios or bedroom quotas, for example) in localities where housing demand is high, in order to dampen speculation and de-risk development by creating certainty. Restrictions on over-development on larger infill sites can be offset by permitting intensification of ‘greyfield’ suburbs. Aggregating existing housing lots to enable precinct regeneration with moderate height and density increases would permit better use of airspace thus allowing design outcomes that can optimise land use while retaining neighbourhood amenity.</li>
</ul>
To download the full paper, visit <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://apo.org.au/node/55361">Australian Policy Online</a>.
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Making apartments affordable: moving from speculative to deliberative development

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The State's primary population projection report was released last Friday and key amongst the more noteworthy numbers is Victoria's projected population, which is expected to hit 10 million people by 2051.

The Victoria in Future (VIF) 2015 report is the official State government projection of population and households with "Projections used by decision markets across government and in other areas" according to the <a href="http://www.delwp.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/308511/Victoria-in-Future-2015-WEB.pdf">opening pages of the report</a>.

One of the key differences between the Victoria in Future report projections and official <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/3222.0">ABS Estimated Resident Projections</a> is that the VIF report is more detailed geographically than the ABS equivalent. "The smallest areas in the ABS projections are the Capital City and Rest of State statistical areas. VIF 2015 provides projections of population and households for Victoria, Greater Melbourne, the eight SA4s in Victoria's Regions and the 79 Local Government Areas in Victoria".

In the year since the release of the prior Victoria in Future report, the underlying total population projection for the state in 2051 has changed only slightly: 10.008 million (2015 projection) versus 10.011 million (2014 projection).

For the Greater Melbourne Capital City Area - a.k.a. the metropolitan area - the latest VIF report projects the population will be:

<ul>
<li>in 2021: 5,078,400</li>
	<li>in 2031: 5,982,800</li>
	<li>in 2041: 6,893,900</li>
	<li>in 2051: 7,849,400</li>
</ul>
The annual population change for Melbourne expressed as a percentage is projected to slowly decline over the coming decades:

<ul>
<li>2011-2021: 2% change per annum</li>
	<li>2021-2031: 1.7% change per annum</li>
	<li>2031-2041: 1.4% change per annum</li>
	<li>2041-2501: 1.3% change per annum</li>
</ul>
In terms of breaking down the various Local Government Areas (LGA's) and looking at the population projections in greater detail, the VIF report only includes projections out to 2031. "Inner Melbourne" consists of the Cities of Melbourne, Port Phillip, Yarra, Stonnington and Maribyrnong. These chosen LGA's in 2011 had a combined population of 450,500. In 2021 they're projected to have a combined population of 611,300 and in 2031 the population is projected to be 734,300.

The projections for City of Port Phillip look set to change over time given that this LGA will be bearing the brunt of the population growth from Fishermans Bend. The VIF report has Port Phillip in 2011 with a population of 75,200 and projects the population in 2021 will be 117,700 and in 2031, 140,500; a little on the conservative side I would think.

There's a lot of lag when it comes to these projections but I'm willing to bet that future reports will probably increase the Port Phillip numbers markedly as the first projects in Fishermans Bend begin seeing residents move in.

You can view the report, FAQs and glossary on <a href="http://www.delwp.vic.gov.au/planning/forward-policy-and-research/victoria-in-future-population-and-household-projections?remap=delwp.vic.gov.au/victoria-in-future">DELWP's website</a>.
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Victoria in Future 2015 report released

<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.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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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