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The Government will move quickly to re-establish the Australian Building and Construction Commission, scrapped by the Gillard government in July 2012.
A spokesperson for employment minister Eric Abetz told The Australian Financial Review it would introduce legislation to try and restore the ABCC within 100 days.
Facing opposition from Greens and Labor senators it is considering other options to stifle the power of unions.
The paper reports it is considering replacing the inspectorate chief executive of Fair Work Building and Construction Inspectorate, Val Gostencnik, and ordering the agency to take a more aggressive approach to union militancy with an interim investigative taskforce.
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awalsh-7Ub9EypybQ

Coalition to attempt ABCC revival 

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A previously derelict 14-bedroom mansion in Melbourne's Armadale has been listed for sale with reported price hopes of $10 million plus.
Redcourt was left to the elements from 1996 until 2009 when Melbourne investor Adam Garrisson bought and started renovating the property. The photos of the property above are from prior to the building's renovation.
The Queen Anne-style mansion at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-armadale-105339513?tm=1227060916&amp;c=2001104" target="_blank">506 Orrong Road </a> was originally built in 1888 by glass and timber merchant Edward Yencken. It was designed by architect Joseph Reed, also responsible for State Library of Victoria and the Royal Exhibition Building.
It was then bought and sold by a series of pastoralists, politicians and mining entrepreneurs, Vogue Living reports.
The Ministry of Education bought the heritage listed 3497 square metre property as a residency of music students, but reportedly abandoned the property in 1996. It then listed the property for $8 million but sold to Garrisson for reportedly less than half that.
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/2013/09/24/arm]}
The property in it's pre-renovation state
Garrisson, who makes a business out of restoring old buildings acquired the site in 2009. Previously he was responsible for the redevelopment of Melbourne's GPO building, he co-founded the restaurant Fifteen Jamie Oliver, and is currently working with Vue de Monde’s Shannon Bennett to create an eco-resort at the 1930s Art Moderne mansion of Burnham Beeches near Sherbrooke Forest.
For this project he appointed John Warwicker of London art and design collective Tomato as creative director, Vogue Living reports.
Each room had a different creative professional working on it. Fashion designer Akira Isogawa worked on the music room, artist David Bromley worked on the children’s room, Warwicker worked on the Great Hall, artist Naomi Troski worked on a bedroom White Room, and Shannon Bennett worked on the kitchen.
It has a tennis court, servants' quarters, a coach house and a pavilion.
"I wanted to create an environment that fostered a cultural and artistic exchange," Garrisson told Vogue Living.
"Some people don't care about old buildings, but they are defining, contextualising and encase the character of a civilisation."
It is being sold by agent Ross Savas from Kay &amp; Burton.
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Formerly derelict Melbourne mansion listed with $10 million plus hopes

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A 19-room Toorak mansion formerly owned by entertainer Steve Vizard is listed for sale with reported price hopes of $14 million.
Steve Vizard bought <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-toorak-114871075" target="_blank">17 Chastleton Avenue</a> in 1998 for $1.8million from 78-year widow, Maria Stone, who ran it as a boarding house until Stonnington Council intervened.
Stone had bought the 1727 square metre property titled Chastleton  in 1964.
Despite plans to renovate Vizard sold it after just five months for $1.616 million to lawyer Justin Shmith and his wife Sandra.
It was built in 1908 and modified again 1930. The castle-like residence has panoramic views of Melbourne's skyline.
In 1935 it became a guesthouse with about five flats, according to a history of the area by Sally Wilde. The whole of upstairs and the tower rented for just £1 per week.
Other previous owners include W. Barrett, EA Mackay, and Mrs Davey-Milne.
It was described by former tenant, Mrs Parker, as “a lovely old home for the gentry (with a) beautiful entry (and with) marble floors”.
In 2011 15 Chastleton Avenue sold for $4.135 million by RT Edgar.
The property is being sold by Michael Gibson from Kay &amp; Burton.
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Former Steve Vizard Toorak mansion listed for $14 million

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Residents of the 332-unit Parque development in Melbourne will have access to a large communal entertainers kitchen designed by Shannon Bennett of Vue De Monde fame.
They will be able to cook in the kitchen (pictured below), eat around 12-person banquet table, barbeque on the deck and read in the library.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/09/23/vue-de-monde-sept-23-one.jpg" width="470" height="248" alt="vue-de-monde-sept-23-one">
Residents at 555 St Kilda Road will have access to an online booking system for the space which also includes a temperature controlled wine cellar.
SP Setia, the Malaysian developer of Parque, have seen the concept work well in Singapore and Malaysia and have implemented it in their Fulton Lane development.
“We’ve seen this concept work extremely well in Asia in recent years and believe this is the way forward for apartment living here in Australia,” Bennett (pictured below) says.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/09/23/shannon-bennet-sept-23-one.jpg" width="470" height="307" alt="shannon-bennet-sept-23-one">
“Space is becoming more limited but the expectation for high end luxury and amenity is greater than ever.  We’ve created the Parque shared kitchen and entertaining space with this in mind”.
Construction of the building is due to start in early 2014 and finish in 2016. Around 90% of the one, two and three bedroom apartments in the building have sold.
“Gone are the days of people living in the inner city being at a social disadvantage.  Parque’s club level means residents can still have a home they’re proud of and the lifestyle they desire without their house being big,” principal architect Karl Fender from Fender Katsalidis Architects explained.
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/chef-shannon-bennett-spends-%242-million-buying-on-belongil-beach/2013091964857">Bennet recently spent $2 million on some prime Byron Bay beachfront residential land.</a>
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Vue De Monde communal kitchen for Melbourne development

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Investors have been rushing to the Pilbara town of Onslow where house prices have jumped 212% over the last four years, according to the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia.
House prices increased from $301,000 in 2009 to $940,000 this year. They increased 30.8% in the past year and 4.4% in the past quarter.
The Australian Financial Review reports most of that growth came from Chevron’s $29 billion Wheatstone gas project which currently in early construction phase and has 2000 workers on site.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/09/23/onslow.jpg" width="470" height="256" alt="onslow">
Source: REIWA
It was also helped along by the nearby BHP Billiton’s $1.5 billion Macedon Gas plant which opened on Friday.
Aubin Ray from HPG Realty says people are shifting there following falling rents in towns further north from project delays and cancellations.
“Absolutely, they’re coming from Gladstone and Karratha,” he told The Australian Financial Review.
“They’ve had good returns but now yields are declining. They’re looking at Onslow as the next one.
He is selling one and two bedroom units in the town for between $685,000 and $850,000.
Rents have sky-rocketed as well. Older two-bedroom homes rent for $1600 a week and four bedroom homes rent for more than $2500, according to Ray White’s Tim Grose.
The WA government is building a 220 lot residential estate in the town to mitigate housing shortages.
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Investors rush to Pilbara mining hotspot

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Victoria’s second oldest golf course will reopen as a 320-home residential community adjoining a scaled down nine-hole course.
Developers Links Living issued title deeds to 200 people who bought into the Geelong Golf Course project which has been closed for the past 10 years.
Transforming the course into a part residential development is an alternative to struggling courses selling their land and being forced into mergers, managing director Stephen Head told The Australian Financial Review.
“This provides an opportunity to create a business model and structure with a new income stream where residents contribute to the cost of maintaining the golf course and become part of the club either playing golf or socialising at club facilities,” he said.
Blocks in the development are price from $200,000 to $400,000 and have annual body corporate fees of $1000.
Links Living have done similar transformations of the Sanctuary Lakes and Sandhurst Club courses in Melbourne.
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Struggling Geelong golf course to reopen as residential development

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The New South Wales Government is trying to sell two neighbouring iconic sandstone Sydney buildings to foreign investors for use as hotels or apartments.
In October it will list the Department of Lands building bounded by Bridge Street, Bent Street, Loftus Street and Gresham Street; and Department of Education building bounded by Bridge Street, Loftus Street, Farrer Place and Young Street, the Australian Financial Review reports.
It will reportedly market the properties to more than 100 local and offshore investors at a tourism event tonight.
The Lands building could sell more up to $80 million.
They are being offered for sale separately but marketing for the project suggests it could be developed into one precinct.
Barry O’Farrell said he sees tourism as one of the main kick-starters of the state’s economy.
“If we want to maintain and grow our market share, we need to ensure NSW has the tourism infrastructure in place including that Sydney is home to some of the best hotels in the world,” he told The Australian Financial Review.
The Lands Department building was built in the late 19th century and home to bureaucrats. It may be leased back to the government for a year.
The Education building was built between 1912 and 1930 and may be leased back to the government until June 2016 with a possible two year extension.
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NSW government to sell iconic heritage Sydney buildings to foreign investors

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There are 25,000 apartments across 130 projects to be completed in the next five in Sydney, according to a report consultancy firm Deep End Services.
The CBD will be home to 4,000 of those apartments, the greatest of all 36 suburbs covered by the report.
<img alt="Capture1" height="332" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/09/19/Capture1.jpg">
About 40% of those apartments are currently being built. Nearly 3000 will be completed this year and 6000 will be finished next year.
The 2014 peak comes with the completion of stages in some of the bigger projects presently underway in Inner Sydney, such as Central Park  in Chippendale, Harold Park in Forest Lodge, Divercity in Waterloo, VSQ, Emerald Park, Eon, EastVillage and Platinum all in Zetland and The Quay Haymarket.
The 25,000 apartments identified would reportedly house 44,000 additional people – about in line with population forecasts by NSW Government.
<img alt="capture2" height="295" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/09/19/capture2.jpg">
The inner city suburbs are garnering the most building approvals for units.
“Although pockets of apartment development are also emerging in the middle-ring suburbs of Macquarie Park, Parramatta and Olympic Park, demand is greatest in the Inner Sydney Region, close to the largest concentration of jobs, public transport, universities, retail and entertainment,” the report says.
<img alt="capture3" height="443" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/09/19/capture3.jpg">
“Strategic planning policies for metropolitan Sydney call for significant population growth to be accommodated within the existing urban area.
“The present apartment cycle means both market preference and planning strategies are aligned and this appears to be giving rare speed and volume to the process and number of approvals and development.”
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Inner Sydney apartment construction rush over next five years

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Building firm Creation Homes Victoria will complete 50 unfinished homes left by collapsed group Australian Residential Builder.
The firm will complete the homes by Christmas, the Australian Financial Review reports.
ARB was put into administration with insolvency firm Hamilton Murphy in August, owning creditors $8 million.
 
 
<hr>
Correction notice: this article has been amended since initial publication.

The original article wrongly identified owners of Creation Homes Victoria as owners of ARB.

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Victorian home builder takes over 50 home sites

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The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority says imposing lending restrictions on banks is not high on its agenda although it remains an option.
Chairman of APRA John Laker said the authority would engage directly with banks ahead of institute New Zealand style macro-prudential controls.
“We have the same tools in our armoury as other supervisors have used,” Laker told the Financial Services Institute of Australasia conference, attended by The Australian Financial Review.
“We’ve used those tools in the past and would be willing to use them, but there are a range of other actions prudential regulators can take before being forced to take macro-prudential [measures] and those tools are engaging across the table.”
His comments come after a plea from the Reserve Bank of Australia for banks to maintain lending standards and calls by the International Monetary Fund to use macro-prudential policies to restrict risky bank lending.
New Zealand recently implemented policies to ensure just 10% of total mortgages are worth 80% or more of the value of a residential property.
 
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APRA shies away from lending restrictions but still an option

Developers and apartment buyers have a narrowing window of opportunity before Brisbane's Olympic infrastructure pipeline begins competing directly with residential construction, pushing up costs, tightening labour supply and making new projects increasingly difficult to deliver.

While Brisbane's apartment market continues to benefit from strong population growth and limited housing supply, industry research suggests the years leading up to 2027 could prove to be the most important period for developers looking to secure builders and buyers hoping to purchase before the next wave of price increases.

A new Colliers report, Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games: Creating Solutions, highlights the scale of the challenge. While thousands of new homes are planned across South East Queensland, the Brisbane Olympic Athletes Village alone will deliver more than 10,500 beds during the Games before being converted into around 1,750 to 2,000 apartments. Equivalent to almost two years of typical inner-city apartment supply, the project will also absorb a significant share of the construction workforce and building materials.

The broader construction pipeline paints an even clearer picture.

Construction Skills Queensland's Horizon 2032 report forecasts Queensland's annual construction pipeline will average $69 billion over the coming years before peaking at $75 billion in 2027-28. Demand for construction workers is expected to increase by 17 per cent to almost 150,000 people, with the industry facing an annual shortfall of around 19,000 workers that could blow out to as many as 35,000 during the peak construction period.

The Olympic venues, athletes village and supporting infrastructure will account for billions of dollars worth of work across South East Queensland through to 2032, creating intense competition for labour at a time when Australia's residential construction sector is already under pressure.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150489 project_image_fid=373834]

Colliers Queensland Residential Director Andrew Scriven said the convergence of these projects is creating a clear window of opportunity for both developers and buyers.

"From 2027 onwards, the market will shift dramatically," Scriven said.

"Labour will increasingly be locked into government-led infrastructure and Olympic projects, which means private residential developments will face higher costs and tighter margins. The developers who move now are the ones most likely to get projects off the ground."

Scriven said the same dynamic would also affect buyers, with fewer apartment projects expected to launch once construction capacity tightens.

"If you're looking to change your lifestyle over the next five years, now is your window of opportunity to buy."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150713 project_image_fid=373827]

Developers are already positioning themselves ahead of that window.

Following the success of Monarch at Toowong, Consolidated Properties is preparing to launch two new Brisbane apartment projects in the second half of 2026. They include <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/gloriette-30-bedivere-street-yeerongpilly-qld-4105">Gloriette</a> at Yeerongpilly Green, a 25-storey tower within one of Brisbane's key Olympic precincts, and <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/castile-47-skyring-terrace-newstead-qld-4006">Castile</a>, a recently approved 25-storey riverfront development at 47 Skyring Terrace in Newstead.

Hutchinson Builders will deliver both projects, with early works already underway at Yeerongpilly and Newstead expected to commence later this year.

The timing comes as Brisbane's fundamentals continue to strengthen, with strong interstate migration, population growth and vacancy rates remaining below 1.5 per cent.

Colliers Queensland researcher Pragya Sharma said Greater Brisbane is forecast to require around 40,000 new apartments between 2021 and 2031.

"There's a real mismatch emerging between when housing is needed and when it will be feasible to build," Sharma said.

"As a result, the period leading up to 2027 presents a key window of opportunity for developers to secure approvals, funding and construction capacity, while buyers will have greater choice before supply constraints intensify."

Colliers research outlines a critical pre-2027 window to start residential projects before labour squeeze: now is the time to buy

Joel Robinson

Developers, buyers on watch in South East Queensland ahead of construction crunch: Colliers

It's taken less than nine months for developer Sherpa Property Group to sell out all 51 apartments in its <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/flourish-oasis-palm-beach-7-9-sixth-avenue-palm-beach-qld-4221">Flourish Oasis</a> development in <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/palm-beach-qld-4221">Palm Beach</a>, over a year before its anticipated completion.

&nbsp;

Located at 7-9 Sixth Avenue, the $67 million development has resonated strongly with both local owner-occupiers and downsizers seeking high-quality apartments within walking distance of the beach, dining precincts and everyday amenities.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=151449 project_image_fid=357458]

Christie Leet, Founder of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sherpa-property-group">Sherpa Group</a>, said the sell-out reflected both the strength of the Palm Beach market and the success of Sherpa's community-first approach to development.

"The sell-out of Oasis is a fantastic outcome and reinforces the strong demand we're seeing for thoughtfully designed apartments in lifestyle locations," Leet said.

"From the outset, our vision was to create a development that genuinely enhanced the Palm Beach community while providing residents with exceptional homes and wellness-focused amenities.

"We've been incredibly encouraged by the level of local support throughout the campaign, 72.5 per cent of buyers are locals, with a significant proportion of purchasers choosing Oasis as their future home rather than an investment."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=151449 project_image_fid=357463]

Construction is now progressing following development approval, with trusted builder LPS Group delivering the project and completion anticipated in Q3 2027.

Oasis forms part of Sherpa Group's successful Flourish collection, which has become recognised for its focus on wellness, community and elevated coastal living.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=151449 project_image_fid=357469]

Residents will have private access to a rooftop amenity space featuring a pool, gym, sauna, steam room, hot and cold plunge pools, spa and barbecue facilities.

"The success of Oasis demonstrates that buyers continue to prioritise quality, location and lifestyle," Leet said.

"We are proud to have delivered a project that has resonated so strongly with the market and look forward to bringing Oasis to life for our future residents."

Sherpa recently launched <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/flourish-soleira-palm-beach-1150-1160-gold-coast-highway-palm-beach-qld-4221">Flourish Soleira</a>, its third instalment of the Flourish brand in Palm Beach following Flourish Oasis and <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/amargo-6-12-sixth-avenue-palm-beach-qld-4221">Flourish Amargo</a>.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=151449]

Sherpa sells out Flourish Oasis in booming Palm Beach

Urban Property Group's <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/la-vera-macquarie-park-94-talavera-road-macquarie-park-nsw-2113">La Vera</a> is leading the next phase of Macquarie Park's residential evolution, with the new apartment development set to become the first of several new apartment projects in the precinct to complete.

The 169-apartment building has now topped out ahead of its scheduled completion in the third quarter of 2026, as new residential investment continues to reshape one of Sydney's largest employment hubs into a true mixed-use precinct.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134951 project_image_fid=368645]

Cox Architecture has designed La Vera to capture the best of its unique positioning on Talavera Road, orienting the building towards Lane Cove National Park.&nbsp;The building features a sculpted northern façade with flowing curves inspired by the surrounding landscape, while its city-facing elevation adopts a more structured architectural expression to maximise skyline views.

"The vision for the project was to conceive a building that adopted an organic and curvilinear form to the northern portion that faces the Lane Cove National Park," <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cox-architecture">Cox Architecture</a> Director Felipe Miranda said.

"The residents that reside in the northern portion of the building benefit by having beautifully crafted curved balconies that speak to the natural context and heighten the relationship of their internal living spaces to the external balconies."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134951 project_image_fid=358802]

La Vera offers a diverse mix of one, two, three, and four-bedroom configurations, with prices currently starting from $740,000. Buyers so far have been a mix of Sydney-based investors,&nbsp;metro commuters, owner-occupiers and downsizers from surrounding North Shore suburbs.

Both investors and owner-occupiers have been drawn to La Vera's proximity to Macquarie University, Macquarie University Hospital, Macquarie Centre and the Sydney Metro, infrastructure that supports both strong rental demand and a convenient lifestyle for residents.

The apartments feature full-height glazing, timber flooring throughout living areas, stone kitchen benchtops, SMEG appliances, floor-to-ceiling bathroom tiling and ducted air conditioning.

Residents will have access to a rooftop recreation level featuring a swimming pool, sauna, barbecue facilities and landscaped relaxation areas, complemented by additional communal space at ground level. Many apartments enjoy uninterrupted views across Lane Cove National Park, reinforcing the project's connection to its natural setting.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134951 project_image_fid=364551]

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/urban-property-group">Urban Property Group</a>, a family-owned developer and builder with nearly four decades of experience, holds a 4.5-star iCIRT rating and was Australia's first developer to introduce 10-Year Latent Defects Insurance (LDI). La Vera is the first apartment development in <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/macquarie-park-nsw-2113">Macquarie Park</a> approved to offer the additional insurance protection, alongside a five-year warranty on SMEG appliances.

Urban Property Group CEO Patrick Elias said the additional protection reflects changing buyer expectations in the off the plan market.

"Consumers are a lot more weary and a lot more concerned in buying off the plan than they ever have been. Having LDI is a tool to portray the confidence that we have in our product, and a confidence we want buyers to share," Elias said.

Following completion of the building later this year, buyers will move into their apartments well before Christmas.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=134951]

La Vera closes in on completion as Macquarie Park continues residential transformation

Brisbane developer Red &amp; Co's decision to include dual key apartments in its debut Gold Coast apartment development, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/como-varsity-lakes-22-lake-street-varsity-lakes-qld-4227">COMO Varsity Lakes</a>, is proving to be one of the project's biggest drawcards, with buyers quickly snapping up the flexible residences.

More than half of the project's 36 dual key apartments have already sold, helping drive COMO beyond the 50 per cent sold mark within the first month of launch.

The strong response highlights growing demand for apartment designs that can adapt to changing lifestyles, with buyers increasingly looking for homes that accommodate multi-generational living, provide rental income opportunities or simply offer greater flexibility over time.

Located on the shores of Lake Orr, COMO will deliver 156 apartments across 16 levels, with the dual-key residences forming a limited release within the broader development.

Each combines a primary two-bedroom apartment with a fully self-contained studio on a single title, connected by a shared foyer and lockable internal door. The design allows owners to house ageing parents, adult children or guests while maintaining privacy, or lease the secondary residence to generate additional income.

Just 17 of the original 36 dual key apartments remain available.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135546 project_image_fid=367096]

The innovative configuration combines two fully self-contained residences on a single title, typically comprising a primary two-bedroom apartment alongside a separate studio residence, connected via a shared foyer and lockable internal door.&nbsp;

The model is proving particularly attractive to owner occupiers navigating changing family dynamics and the realities of the current housing crisis.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135546 project_image_fid=363511]

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/npa">NPA</a>&nbsp;CEO Andrew Erwin said dual key living was resonating strongly with modern buyers because it delivered both financial flexibility and practical lifestyle benefits.&nbsp;

“The housing crisis and rising cost of living are fundamentally changing how Australians think about home ownership,” Erwin said.&nbsp;

“Dual key apartments provide a genuine solution for families who want to stay connected while maintaining independence. Parents can help adult children save for a future home, ageing parents can remain nearby without moving into aged care, and owners still retain privacy and flexibility.

“Importantly, buyers are also recognising the financial advantages. It creates the opportunity to generate additional income from part of the home without the holding costs associated with owning a separate investment property.”&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135546 project_image_fid=363509]

Unlike traditional dual occupancy arrangements, the residences operate under a single title, meaning owners only incur one set of body corporate fees, council rates and holding costs.&nbsp;

The secondary residence can also evolve over time - functioning as guest accommodation, a home office, creative studio or private retreat before later becoming an income-producing asset.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/red-co">Red &amp; Co</a>&nbsp;Director and Co-Founder David Laverty said the strong early sales reflected growing buyer urgency and changing priorities within the market.&nbsp;

“Securing more than half of COMO’s residences within such a short timeframe is an outstanding result and a clear endorsement of both the design and location,” Laverty said.&nbsp;

“Buyers are responding to the combination of location, connectivity and amenity, but ultimately it’s value relative to other East Coast markets that is driving enquiry.”&nbsp;

“We’re also seeing strong interest from owner occupiers looking for homes that can adapt with them over time. Flexibility has become one of the most important considerations for buyers in today’s market.”&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135546 project_image_fid=363515]

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/bda-architecture">BDA Architecture</a>, COMO features a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom residences with 2.7-metre ceilings and larger-format floorplans aimed at owner occupiers, downsizers and lifestyle-focused buyers.&nbsp;

The development will feature an extensive rooftop recreation and wellness offering including a 25-metre lap pool, sundeck, barbecue and dining areas, gym, sauna, plunge baths, landscaped gardens, wellness spaces and rooftop pickleball and paddleball courts.

The remaining dual key apartments range from 137 sqm to 167 sqm and include generous three-bedroom layouts with separate self-contained studio accommodation and dual parking.&nbsp;

Erwin said the dual key concept represented a broader shift in how Australians would live in the future.

“People want homes that can evolve with their lives,” he said.&nbsp;

“A dual key apartment can suit a family today, support an ageing parent tomorrow, and potentially generate income later on. That adaptability is becoming incredibly valuable in the current environment.”

Prices currently range from $2,115,750 to $2,583,000.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=135546]

Inter-generational living drives demand for COMO’s dual key apartments as housing pressures reshape buyer priorities 

Builder-developer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/ceerose">Ceerose</a> has doubled down on its Leichhardt ambitions, lodging its second State Significant Development Application (SSDA) in the suburb in the last six months.

Their newest proposal seeks to transform a former industrial precinct into a new residential community centred around the adaptive reuse of one of the site's heritage warehouse buildings.

The new project, on a 6,930 sqm block at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/40-76-william-street-leichhardt-nsw-2040">40–76 William Street</a>, will bring more than 200 apartments to a suburb that has seen little to no new supply in recent years. It follows Ceerose's late 2025 SSDA for a mixed-use apartment project on nearby Parramatta Road, signalling the developer's growing investment in Sydney's Inner West.

Ceerose Founder Edward Doueihi told Apartments.com.au the developer’s long-standing presence in Leichhardt and the Inner West had given it a strong understanding of how the area has evolved and where its future opportunities lie.

“Ceerose has had a long-standing presence in Leichhardt and the Inner West, giving us a unique understanding of the area’s evolution and future potential,” Doueihi said.

“Having delivered projects throughout the region, we have witnessed the suburb’s transformation first-hand and understand the opportunities for its continued growth.”

Doueihi said that understanding also informed the planning process, with a comprehensive Stakeholder Engagement Outcomes Report prepared before the application was lodged.

The report identified the key issues and concerns raised by neighbouring residents and other stakeholders, allowing those matters to be considered and incorporated into the design where appropriate.

He said the delivery of additional housing would also play an important role in supporting the revitalisation of Norton Street and the Italian Forum.

“By increasing the local residential population, the development is expected to strengthen demand for local businesses, encourage further investment, and help restore the vibrancy that made the precinct a thriving destination in the early 2000s.”

<img alt="First look: Ceerose returns to Leichhardt with 203-apartment adaptive reuse proposal at former warehouse site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7258c54c-8167-479e-8361-2d5fca9915b4" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Appendix%2010B%20-%20CGI%20-%20View%202.jpg?VersionId=S9DQfxu_jpcB5LrAEYFUbyMzg5odW6i5" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/woods-bagot">Woods Bagot</a>, the redevelopment would involve the demolition of four existing industrial buildings while retaining and adaptively reusing the site's most significant warehouse. The retained structure would anchor a new residential precinct comprising five interconnected buildings arranged around a large central landscaped courtyard, with heights stepping from five storeys along the surrounding residential streets to 11 storeys at the William Street corner.

According to the Architecture Design Report by Woods Bagot, the proposal "seeks to create a residential village centred around a generous green heart while celebrating the site's industrial heritage through the adaptive reuse of the existing warehouse building."

The development would comprise 203 apartments, with 188 proposed as build-to-sell residences, alongside 15 affordable housing apartments.

Rather than treating the retained warehouse as a standalone heritage object, Woods Bagot has sought to weave the site's industrial history throughout the masterplan. The proposal retains the north and west facades of the landmark corner warehouse, while new buildings reinterpret the site's brick-and-steel industrial language through their material palette and architectural expression.

<img alt="First look: Ceerose returns to Leichhardt with 203-apartment adaptive reuse proposal at former warehouse site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9e8c64c2-881b-49e1-8c90-6b6acaaa45b6" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Appendix%2010C%20-%20CGI%20-%20View%203.jpg?VersionId=Qm8_8H_Xrg_sc4Mdjc59vlAcKF_5wRTb" />

The design is organised around what Woods Bagot describes as a "green heart", a landscaped communal open space that reinstates the leafy character removed when the site became an industrial storage facility. A new pedestrian laneway running through the site would improve permeability between William, North and Francis streets, linking residents through landscaped public spaces while activating the ground plane.

Residents would have access to communal gardens and shared recreation areas distributed throughout the development. Sustainability has also been prioritised, with the project targeting an average 7.9-star NatHERS rating. Proposed initiatives include rooftop solar generation, rainwater harvesting, passive solar design, naturally ventilated lobbies, extensive cross-ventilation and the reuse of existing building fabric to reduce embodied carbon.

The adaptive reuse strategy became a defining feature of the application after heritage investigations found only one of the site's industrial buildings could feasibly be retained. The Heritage Impact Statement concludes that preserving the key warehouse façades while referencing the site's industrial character throughout the new development provides an appropriate balance between renewal and conservation.

<img alt="First look: Ceerose returns to Leichhardt with 203-apartment adaptive reuse proposal at former warehouse site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="efffafdb-594f-4e2b-a067-921fd51c05e1" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Appendix%2010D%20-%20CGI%20-%20View%204.jpg?VersionId=DPmE4.k16YRt0i27hEZVtJAffarpvUfx" />

"Retention and adaptation of the site buildings has been explored but found not to be feasible except for the tallest building, whose street facades will be retained," the heritage report states.

"The proposed building will interpret the brick and steel character of the subject site, including reuse of some components and construction of a large 'sawtooth' structure in the proposed open space."

<img alt="First look: Ceerose returns to Leichhardt with 203-apartment adaptive reuse proposal at former warehouse site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3bfef2b5-83f5-40cd-9cab-767092f34266" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Appendix%2010E%20-%20CGI%20-%20View%205.jpg?VersionId=7asb3i_ql4ybbuJOUb5UHBEIy0Q9t.DF" />

The William Street site is located around 300 metres from Leichhardt North Light Rail station and a short walk to Norton Street's retail, dining and hospitality precinct. The surrounding area has increasingly become a focus for urban renewal given its proximity to public transport and the Parramatta Road corridor.

Doueihi founded Ceerose in 1998 and has grown the business to become one of Sydney's more active apartment developers in recent years, with completed projects including The Alex Collective in Alexandria, Abbie's Lane in Annandale, and the award-winning Munro House in Elizabeth Bay. They are currently delivering Belgravia, 17 luxury apartments in Potts Point.

Alistair Walsh

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