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The Blackstone Group is reportedly moving to publicly list its Hilton Worldwide hotel chain.
Hilton has hired four banks — Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley to underwrite the anticipated initial public offering and help refinance around US$13 billion in debt.
Chris Snow, an analyst at CreditSights Inc., told the Wall Street Journal that an IPO could be a "multibillion-dollar" transaction.
It reports the IPO could happen in the early months of next year.
Founded in 1919, Hilton has recovered after a difficult financial crisis for commercial property.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Blackstone once had an on-paper loss of two-thirds of its US$6 billion investment in Hilton.
But its forecast earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation for 2013 are reportedly 58% higher than in 2009.
Blackstone bought Hilton six years ago for US$26.7 billion - one of the largest leveraged buyouts preceding the 2008 global financial crisis, according to Reuters.
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Hilton Worldwide moves to welcome guests via IPO

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The biochemist Shane Charter, embroiled in the Essendon Football Club imbroglio, has revised his house listing.
He had been looking to sell his stronghold home in Sunbury for $3.5 million but has knocked the price down to $2.7 million after receiving an offer to purchase five acres of the block separately.
He and estate agent Christian Lonzi are now selling the house on just 10 acres.
The five-bedroom house at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-acreage+semi+rural-vic-sunbury-113604239">150a Vineyard Road</a> is a heavily fortified den that has reinforced concrete walls, steel bars on the windows and a sophisticated security system.
It comes with a private gym, a swimming pool, a tennis court and a home theatre room.
He is reportedly selling the house to raise money for legal matters.
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Shane Charter revises Sunbury house listing

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Land tax in Western Australia will increase 12.5% as the Barnett government delivers a budget that attempts to reign in debt.
Treasurer Troy Buswell said most home owners’ land tax bill would not increase by more than $70, due to a forecasted decrease in property value growth, but the increase has been attacked by the peak real estate body in WA.
“The majority of taxpayers will only experience a modest increase in their land tax bill. Around 80% of taxpayers are estimated to have an increase of $70 or less (excluding the impact of any land valuation changes),” budget documents say.
“Even after this increase, Western Australia’s land tax rates will remain significantly below those of other jurisdictions.”
The tax increase is set to raise an additional $338 million over the next four financial years.
<img alt="landtax-aug-9" height="274" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/08/landtax-aug-9.gif">
Real Estate Institute of WA president David Airey said the tax increase was unwelcome news for property investors.
“This is a kick in the shins for property investors who supply two thirds of rental stock in WA. It will suck an extra $73 million out of their pockets as a punishment for being an investor,” he said.
“These owners already pay rates to local government for the provision of services yet get nothing from the state directly and subsidise government services which benefit the entire community.
“It's a great concern that the government remains so dependent on property taxes to run the state despite the enormous revenue earnings from resources.”
The tax is paid by 112,000 WA business and investment property owners.
A property in Cottesloe worth $500,000 would currently pay $180 per year in land tax plus a metropolitan region improvement tax of $280. Under the new conditions, the owner would pay $200 a year in land tax and the same amount of metropolitan region improvement tax.
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WA homeowners hit with land tax increase

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A five bedroom house in Doncaster East sold at auction last weekend for almost 40% more than the published price guide leading into the auction.
After being advertised at $800,000 to $880,000, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-doncaster+east-114256359">45 Beverley Street</a> (pictured below) sold for $1.22 million – a price improvement of 39.5%.
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/2013/08/aug9donc]}
Ray White agent George Papadopoulos told Property Observer he didn’t know what the comparable sales in the area were, saying “I don’t care”.
He says there were eight bidders at the auction which pushed the price far beyond its reserve of $900,000.
Despite the enormous price discrepancy between the price guide and the actual sale price he insisted there were no angry bidders at the auction.
“I’m not a mind reader. You’re asking stupid questions,” Papadopoulos said.
“I wouldn’t be angry [if I was bidding at an auction which sold for 40% above the price guide].”
The two storey house comes on 722 square metres. It has three bathrooms, a two-car garage and open space for more cars, multiple living spaces, a large kitchen with a walk-in pantry and, walk-in robes in all bedrooms and a backyard shed.
Papadopoulos told Property Observer that the owners wanted $900,000 so he set the price guide accordingly.
On the morning of the August 3 auction he said there was interest in the property at $1.1 million.
Bidding came from local families and overseas buyers.
“I’m still on cloud 9,” he told Property Observer.
But he’s not alone on cloud nine in Doncaster East.
A nearby three bedroom house at <a href="https://fletchers.net.au/3766915/44-Landscape-Drive-Doncaster-East" target="_blank">44 Landscape Drive</a> (pictured below) sold the same day for $820,000 – 24% above the price guide of $600,000 to $660,000 leading into the auction.
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/2013/08/aug9donc2]}
The single level home on 644 square metres was sold by Fletchers agents Jason Salan and Ebony Driscoll.  It comes with a study, a double garage and two bathrooms.
A Property Observer survey found <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/victoria/melbourne-auction-homes-selling-10-over-advertised-price/2013080863977" target="_blank">Melbourne auction properties sell for 11% above their price guide</a>.
A search by Property Observer returned 31 recent house sales in Doncaster East between $800,000 and $1.2 million so far this year, which most estate agents would suggest offer comparables sales advice, even taking into account out--of0line sales.
The recent sales in Doncaster East were.
34 Abelia Street, $900,000
24 Ascot Street, $840,000
32 Baratta Street, $800,000
17 Beresford Close, $1,135,000
3 Camira Close, $830,000
35 Churchill Street, $900,000
2 Correa Court, $920,000
6 Cosmos Court, $900,000
7 Diamond Court, $800,000
2A Franklin Road, $935,000
40 Gaudion Road, $950,000
38 Ireland Avenue, $835,000
4 Kris Court, $840,000
14 Larnoo Drive, $994,000
1 Leroy Place, $802,000
19 Monomeath Close, $1,068,000
3 Mont Close, $850,000
3 Murphy Road, $830,000
18A Norman Street, $968,500
8 Pine Way, $880,000
1 Regency Place, $950,000
3 Regency Place, $950,000
16 Rosamond Crescent, $1,050,000
68 Saxonwood Drive, $920,000
41 Schafter Drive, $800,000
5 Teringa Court, $805,000
14 Thorncombe Walk, $852,000
5 Treevalley Drive, $1,152,000
10 Viewmont Court, $800,000
4 Yates Wynd, $930,000
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Doncaster East house sells for 40% above price guide

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Melbourne auction properties are selling for well above their advertised price estimates in the lead-up to the spring auction season.
A Property Observer analysis of 68 auction sales since the end of the July school holidays found more than 90% have sold for above the advertised price guidance bracket.
Those 62 auctions sold, on average, for 11% above the published upper price guidance leading into the auction.
This figure is higher than previous analyses by Property Observer. <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/victoria/melbourne-autumn-residential-auction-prices-fetching-well-above-price-guides/2013041160327/Page-1" target="_blank">In April this year</a>, Property Observer noted homes were selling at 9.55% above the upper advertised price bracket.
In <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/sale-prices-edge-87-above-estimates-of-melbourne-agents-underquoting-at-october-auctions/2012102957500/Page-1" target="_blank">October last year</a> it was 8.7%. <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/underquoting-still-rife-in-melbourne/2012100456988" target="_blank">In September</a> it was 6.5% and <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/auctions/melbourne-auction-listings-typically-selling-at-5-above-upper-end-estimate/2012090956435" target="_blank">in July</a> it was 5%.
Of the recent 68 auctions researched between July 20 to August 3, 25 sold for more than 10% over the upper bracket of the advertised price range leaving many intending buyers with futile costly time, money and emotional commitments in their wake.
The most extreme example was a five bedroom house in Doncaster East at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-doncaster+east-114256359" target="_blank">45 Beverley Street</a> (pictured below) which sold for $1.22 million after being advertised at $800,000 to $880,000 – a discrepancy of almost 40%.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/08/doncaster-east-aug-9-onw.jpg" width="470" height="307" alt="doncaster-east-aug-9-onw">
A three bedroom house in Glen Iris at <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/51-maitland-street-glen-iris/Property-Details-sold-residential-5755815" target="_blank">51 Maitland Street</a> (pictured below) sold for $1.55 million after being advertised for sale at $1.05 and $1.15 million – 35% above the upper bracket.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/08/glen-iris-aug-9.jpg" width="470" height="274" alt="glen-iris-aug-9">
The next biggest divergence was a two bedroom unit in Surrey Hills at <a href="https://fletchers.net.au/3761630/2-16-Kent-Road-Surrey-Hills" target="_blank">2/16 Kent Road</a> which sold for $692,000 after being advertised at $500,000 to $550,000 – a 26% discrepancy.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/08/surrey-hills-aug-9.jpg" width="470" height="275" alt="surrey-hills-aug-9">
Homes selling for more than $1 million were the most likely to sell above the advertised price range – of the 13 auction sales analysed none fell between the advertised range.
On average, homes in that price bracket went for 13% over.
For the 30 properties under $600,000, 26 sold above the advertised price bracket, selling for an average of 10% over the upper price bracket.
For the 25 properties in the $600,000 to $1 million price bracket, 23 sold above the advertised price range – going for an average of 10.5% above the advertised price.
Of the 68 auction results analysed, none sold for beneath the advertised price bracket.
The properties analysed come from auctions attended and reported on by the Melbourne buyers advocacy group <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nationalpropertybuyers.com.au/">National Property Buyers</a>. They represent properties identified as sound investments or cream of the crop properties.
The price quotes are received as close as possible to the auction date to avoid step quoting practices, the buyers agency notes.
Meanwhile a survey <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/new-south-wales/sydney-auctions-selling-well-above-price-guides/2013081964121">in Sydney found 12% of auctions there are selling above price guides.</a>
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Melbourne auction homes selling 11% over advertised price

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A shopping centre in Sandstone Point, 45 kilometres north of Brisbane, has sold for $8 million to a private investment syndicate.
The Village Shopping Centre, at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-retail-qld-sandstone+point-500614383">204-208 Bestmann Road</a>, was sold by vendors POD Developments Pty Ltd.
Jones Lang LaSalle agent Sam Hatcher said the listing attracted strong interest.
“We received excellent interest from local and interstate investors and syndicators, attracted to the security of income, given 80% of the income for the centre is generated by three large and secure tenants,” Hatcher says.
“At the close of the expressions of interest campaign we had five strong offers and promptly agreed terms.”
<a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-retail-qld-sandstone+point-500614383">The centre</a> has an IGA supermarket and seven retail tenancies with a gross lettable area of 2,287 square metres.
There are 158 car-parks a medical centre, a newsagency and a hair salon.
“A strong attraction to the offering was the secure lease covenants with a mix of national and local retailers,” Hatcher says.
The centre is located between the Pebble Beach recreation reserve and the Pebble Beach retirement community village.
The centre has a weighted average lease expiry of more than of nine years.
The deal was negotiated by Sam Hatcher and Jacob Swan.
Hatcher says the side has a future expansion potential of 500 square metres of net lettable area.
The property earns $753,465 per year when fully leased.
The vendor bought the site in 2005 for $1.1 million and then built the centre in 2006.
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Caboolture shopping centre sells for $8 million

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The Indaily independent news group and the Adelaide Advertiser today speculated that ousted prime minister Julia Gillard has dropped $1.8 million on a home in the Brighton beachside suburb of her native Adelaide. 
It comes with four bedrooms and a 12-person spa.
Local estate agent Phil Harris was coy on whether he sold the house to Gillard, telling the Advertiser he was unable to speak.
The Indaily contacted Gillard's office yesterday but they declined to comment.
The Advertiser have tweeted their intriguing conversation with Harris.
"I've heard rumours but I can't talk about it," he told the Adelaide Advertiser's property editor Tom Bowden.
"I know she's looking around at some properties down there, absolutely.
"I do know she's seriously looking along the coastline, but specifically that property I can't say.
"Has she approached us? I won't make a comment on that."
The paper was told by the home's agent that a contract had been signed on the property but Gillard's name doesn't appear.
"I don't know where that information has come from but it's definitely not Julia Gillard who has purchased the property."
Maybe it's in her mum's name, they speculate.
Last month <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/julia-gillard-set-to-move-back-to-adelaide-but-not-leave-altona-imminently/2013071763394">Property Observer </a>noted the rumours that the former PM was heading back to Adelaide from her Melbourne base of Altona.
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Local papers tweet that Julia Gillard spends $1.8 million in hometown Adelaide

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Renowned vineyard South Burloo, home of the Trickey family’s Warrumbungle Wines, has been listed for sale.
Established in 1998 the organic 10 hectare vineyard, on a 200 hectare freehold in Coonabarabran NSW, is being auctioned by Ray White agent Chris Korff.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-viticulture-nsw-coonabarabran-7568051" target="_blank">The lifestyle property</a>, which looks over the Warrumbungle mountain rage, grows chambourcin, merlot, petit verdot and shiraz varieties.
It comes with a brick homestead, a swimming pool, a courtyard gazebo and a tennis court.
There is a bore, a large dam and large tank water storage. Other improvements include a cottage, a two level barn, a vehicle storage shed and cattle yards.
The vineyard is at an altitude of 600 metres, ensuring cold conditions for the grapes which are reportedly hand-picked at night.
The vineyard is managed by Gareth Trickey, a former real estate investor in Hong Kong, and his brother Cameron.
Korff says the property has had interest from Sydney and Melbourne buyers as well inquiry from neighbours. 
The property is being marketed as having potential as a bed and breakfast  as well as a function venue.  
Korff says prices are quite hard to gauge on properties like and have a large amount of price variation this but he expects it to sell for more than $500,000. 
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The 1998 Warrumbungle winery listed for sale

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La Belle and Welltree stations in the Northern Territory have been listed for sale after owner RM Williams Agricultural Holdings was placed into receivership in late July.
The stations, near Litchfield National Park, are being sold by receivers PPB Advisory through real estate agency Colliers.
PPB Advisory spokesman Greg Quinn said the company paid the price for diversifying its business too quickly.
"It's expanded too quickly and lost its way," he told ABC News in July.
"When you do that, trying to maintain that functionality and priorities of where your investors want to go becomes extremely difficult.
"This puts a spotlight on corporate agribusiness, how that might work in the future.
“In contrast, it also highlights how well the family-run business model is working: family farmers who are very passionate about what they do, know the business and have the skin in the game.”
The hasty listing is being sold through an expressions of interest campaign ending August 23.
The stations total 92,500 hectares and have a carrying capacity of 20,000 to 25,000 cattle.
They are 180 kilometres south south west of Darwin and 82 kilometres east of Batchelor.
The floodplain properties come with two sets of covered steel cattle yards, a homestead, an airstrip and a hangar.
The properties were bought in 2009 for a reported $72 million from controversial cattleman Peter Camm.
The Northern Territory News reported at the time the two stations were being bought to be used as carbon emission trade-offs for industrial projects.
Camm bought the properties in 2005 for a reported $13.5 million.
They have been used as a cattle agistment centre with previous cattle holdings being sold off some time ago.
According to PPB Advisory the stations are in good condition having being understocked for some time.
Its Queensland station Mirage Plains was also placed into receivership and was being marketed by Landmark Harcourts Sydney.
Its Inglewood Farms organic chicken business was also placed into receivership in early July.
 
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La Belle and Welltree Stations listed after receivership

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Rural real estate firm Landmark Harcourts will be embarking on a 10 day tour of mainland China and Hong Kong to encourage Chinese investors to buy rural Australian property.
The September tour will take chief executive Darren Cole and colleagues to Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong to showcase a selection of around 40 properties in the Landmark Harcourts network.
Cole says the tour will let the firm market rural properties directly to Chinese buyers as they build in-roads into the Chinese market.
"We're really testing the market. If we had massive expectations of coming back and having all of the properties sold that would be completely unrealistic. We’re looking at trying to build relationships for the long term," Cole says.
“This is our chance to market the benefits of owning property in Australia by speaking and marketing directly to the prospective customer."
The list of properties is a wide selection of regional sites that Cole hopes will give an indication of where the interest lies for Chinese buyers.
The diverse list includes a cane farm, a lobster farm in South Australia, a gypsum mine in Central Northern Queensland and a motel from Echuca as well as a number of wineries.
There a number of properties over the $5 million mark which Cole will use to explore of the option of significant investor visa buyers.
"A broad cross section is what we’re trying to select and then we'll narrow down which are the most appropriate. We might get there and find there’s a more of  an apptiete for four bedroom double lockups in Wangaratta but that’s why we have the cross section," Cole says.
The group will hold information sessions supported by one-0n-one meetings with interested buyers, accompanied by translators.
They will attend meetings with bankers, corporate buyers, and goernment delegates and will also attend the Beijing Overseas Property and Investment Expo, expected to attract up to 40,000 visitors and possibly a property expo in Shanghai. 
The firm has had their e-magazine including property listings translated in Manadarin and distributed to one million suscribers across China.
Cole says China is an important emerging market in the rural property industry, one that he's keen to be involved in.
"We’ve transacted with many different internationals, including the Chinese. I’d hate to sway the perception that that’s our main international buyer. We have importantant American, English and Middle East buyers."
"So I’d hate to sway the market’s thinking that it’s all about China but it’s certainly an emerging economy. The middle class has an emerging need from an investment perspective. And a faster growing high net worth part of the market."
Cole says all the properties are available to Australian buyers and they are not exclusively marketing them to Chinese buyers.
 
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Landmark Harcourt rural to market properties direct to Chinese

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/broadbeach-qld-4218">Broadbeach</a> offers plenty of reasons to live vertically, but moving from a substantial family home into an apartment can expose the compromises of high-density living. Privacy, room for guests and usable living space tend to matter more when an apartment is intended as a permanent home rather than an occasional coastal base.

A typical residential floor at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-eveleigh-broadbeach-7-9-surf-parade-broadbeach-qld-4218">The Eveleigh</a>, on Surf Parade,&nbsp;contains just four apartments. The 94-residence development by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/hirsch-faigen">Hirsch &amp; Faigen</a> is predominantly made up of expansive three-bedroom homes, with a limited collection of half-floor penthouses above.

Across the apartment floors, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a> has used the relatively limited number of residences to give each home greater access to natural light and outlook. Living spaces extend towards full-height glazing, while a series of bay windows frame selected views across the Pacific Ocean, city and hinterland rather than treating the building edge as a continuous wall of glass.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360965]

“The apartment floors deliver a collection of homes that embrace controlled outlook via a series of bay windows deliberately framing moments of view,” Rothelowman Director Kim Lowman said.

From outside, those projecting forms contribute to the tower’s faceted profile. Strong horizontal and vertical elements establish its proportions, while the changing position of the sun alters the light, shadow and reflection across the façade throughout the day.

The same attention moves inside the apartments, where the material palette combines warm timber, natural stone, metallic detailing and softer curved forms. Kitchens sit within the main living zone, with stone island benches, integrated joinery and European appliances, before the living areas extend towards the glazing and the outlook.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360981]

Three genuine bedrooms provide room to accommodate family and guests, while two secure car spaces and storage address some of the practical considerations that can become more noticeable when moving from a larger home. Feedback from the display suite has centred on the warmth and restraint of the interiors, with buyers commenting that the residences feel like homes rather than conventional coastal apartments.

A limited collection of half-floor penthouses occupies the upper levels, increasing the scale of the living spaces and adding private balconies and elevated finishes. From this position, the outlook extends between the ocean and hinterland.

Outside the private residences, The Eveleigh separates its shared spaces between the podium and rooftop. The podium is centred on wellness, with subtropical landscaping surrounding a swimming pool and pool terrace, yoga garden, private gymnasium, sauna and hot and cold plunge facilities. Landscaped retreats and pavilions provide additional places to sit away from the main recreation areas.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360966]

Higher in the building, a rooftop pavilion and private dining suite sit alongside resident lounge, barbecue and outdoor dining areas, opening towards panoramic views across the ocean, city and hinterland.

“Buyers are no longer just looking for an apartment, but a lifestyle where they can relax, reset, and enjoy a balanced way of living,” Hirsch &amp; Faigen Director of Sales Matt George said.

Interest to date has come from established owner-occupiers and interstate lifestyle purchasers, including buyers planning a future move to the Gold Coast. Many are coming from larger homes and want to reduce ongoing maintenance without giving up space for family and guests, privacy, two car spaces or the ability to entertain at home.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360969]

Much of that daily life can also take place beyond the building without requiring a drive. Kurrawa Beach and Pratten Park are an easy walk from Surf Parade, while Pacific Fair, Oracle Boulevard, The Oasis, restaurants, cafés, entertainment and public transport are also within walking distance.

The Eveleigh is Hirsch &amp; Faigen's fourth Gold Coast development since entering the market in 2021, following The Hemingway at Palm Beach, The Emerson at Kirra and Yves at Mermaid Beach. Each of the preceding projects sold out before completion.

“Broadbeach had been on our radar throughout our time operating on the Gold Coast,” the developer said. “Following our projects in Palm Beach, Kirra and Mermaid Beach, Broadbeach represented the natural next step for the business.”

The Surf Parade site brought together proximity to the beach, protected coastal outlooks and walkability to dining, shopping and recreation. Hirsch &amp; Faigen also identified the street as an emerging premium residential address, with enough separation from Broadbeach's busier destinations to retain a quieter environment at home.

The Eveleigh is now under construction by Maxcon, with completion forecast for mid-2028. Three-bedroom residences are currently available from $2.87 million.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=149670]

Joel Robinson

The Eveleigh brings house-like apartments to Broadbeach

A long-stalled Campbelltown development site is back in play, with new plans for 139 apartments set to supersede a mixed-use scheme approved almost a decade ago but never built.

The new proposal for 28 Cordeaux Street would deliver 116 market and 23 affordable apartments in a part 14-storey building, bringing a substantial new project into a Campbelltown market where new apartment supply remains limited.

Plans have been filed over the 3,092 sqm corner site at Moore-Oxley Street, around 600 metres from Campbelltown Railway Station and the city-centre retail core.

The site already carries a mixed-use residential approval dating to 2016. Doroch Architects has now been engaged on a larger replacement scheme, which is progressing as a State Significant Development Application following a Housing Delivery Authority determination in August 2025.

The apartment mix comprises 39 one-bedroom, 72 two-bedroom and 28 three-bedroom residences. Two-bedroom apartments make up just over half of the project, while three-bedroom homes account for 20 per cent.

<img alt="First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="136dd5b9-3791-4da6-9e31-76f533f5b4de" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Campbelltown%20da2.png?VersionId=LgOSy9nwf5u.MGswBBwaGGxuX8QpHSl_" />

Of the 139 apartments, 23 will be delivered as affordable housing under the in-fill affordable housing provisions of the Housing SEPP. The affordable component represents 15 per cent of the residential gross floor area and will be managed by a registered Community Housing Provider.

Doroch has sought to break the scale of the building into two distinct elements, with a masonry podium of around four storeys establishing the street edge before the residential tower steps back above.

The corner position has shaped that approach. Cordeaux Street faces toward the commercial and civic centre, while Moore-Oxley Street leads into the lower-scale residential neighbourhood to the south, and the design verification report describes the site as "bridging the commercial core to the north and established residential areas to the south."

The podium will be expressed predominantly in face brick, while the upper levels shift to brushed and grooved concrete cladding with darker metal detailing. Recessed sections, deep balcony edges and landscaping break down the upper form, with an approximately 11.8-metre setback to the northern boundary addressing the adjoining St Peters Anglican School.

<img alt="First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c8b3d2d3-c561-4bfc-a5d9-a68c0c10dac1" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Campbelltown%20da1.png?VersionId=AeAEyJU02Gk2k5noUj2StziCvdQ7fW4B" />

Campbelltown has been starved of new residential developments in the last decade.

The only other notable development set to come to market this year is ALAND's Queen Square, a mixed-use precinct on over two hectares that will comprise apartments above a vibrant ground-level retail and hospitality dining precinct.

First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site

First Look: Sherlock Construction pitches apartments for low-rise Deception Bay

Queensland builder-developer MAYD has revealed the first look at its major North Kirra beachfront development, lodging amended plans that reduce the number of apartments and increase the proportion of larger residences.

The project is planned across a substantial 4,742 sqm amalgamated site spanning seven lots at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/2-6-pacific-parade-bilinga-qld-4225">2-6 Pacific Parade</a> and 27-33 Golden Four Drive in Bilin​ga, directly opposite Nor​th Kirra Beach.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/mayd-group">MAYD</a> secured the site for $32.5 million in 2025, in what was one of the Gold Coast's largest property transactions of the year.

The development will be delivered across two stages, with the first stage carrying an estimated gross realisation value of around $360 million.

The latest amendments seek to reduce the overall apartment count and shift the project further toward the owner-occupier market, with larger residences designed for buyers wanting considerably more space than traditionally offered in a beachfront apartment.

The residential mix will include townhomes, oversized two-bedroom apartments, substantial three-bedroom residences and four-bedroom homes.

MAYD has appointed Cera Stribley to lead the architecture and interiors, with the Melbourne-based design practice drawing on the beachfront setting through a series of ocean-facing terraces and heavily landscaped balconies.

Strong horizontal forms and curved balconies will define the exterior, with subtropical landscaping integrated throughout the building to soften the built form and increase the connection between the residences and the beachfront.

The project will also include an extensive collection of resident wellness and lifestyle facilities, continuing the broader shift across the Gold Coast's luxury apartment market toward larger homes supported by resort-style amenity.

<img alt="MAYD" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d1bcbb05-e659-4b47-8bd4-1e595315e2ad" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-27%20at%202.05.03%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=jj0XEud1X1DuLt7_KyElhjMdZGOXmLHP" />

MAYD Founder Todd Mould said North Kirra was increasingly appealing to buyers attracted to the more established, lower-density character of the southern Gold Coast.

"North Kirra presents one of the most compelling luxury residential opportunities currently emerging in Australia, combining absolute beachfront with the character and authenticity that buyers are increasingly seeking, and the same sense of tight-knit community that defined Burleigh and Currumbin perhaps 10 or 15 years ago," Mould said.

"With Gold Coast Airport on its doorstep, it also offers a level of accessibility that broadens its appeal across almost every market demographic."

The project comes as the southern Gold Coast continues to attract an increasing share of high-end apartment development and buyer activity.

Kirra in particular has emerged as one of the region's more tightly held beachfront markets, with its relatively low-density character, established surf and hospitality scene and proximity to Gold Coast Airport differentiating it from the higher-density markets further north.

Mould said those characteristics had informed the approach MAYD and Cera Stribley had taken to the project.

"We've worked closely with Cera Stribley to create a vision that is deeply connected to its surroundings," he said.

"Inspired by the coastline itself, the architecture has been shaped around space, privacy and resort-style living, creating a collection of homes that reflects the next generation of luxury on the southern Gold Coast."

MOTIV Managing Director Carly Cottam, who has been appointed to market the project, said buyer attention had continued to move south along the Gold Coast.

"Purchasers who may once have defaulted to Broadbeach, Main Beach or Surfers Paradise are increasingly recognising the value of a genuine beachfront location that offers lower density, strong amenity and a more established sense of community," Cottam said.

"Kirra has a powerful combination of growing demand and genuine scarcity. Beachfront supply is inherently constrained, the area remains relatively low density, and buyers are increasingly placing a premium on locations that feel established, uncrowded and authentic rather than heavily developed."

Cottam said the proximity to Gold Coast Airport was also proving increasingly important for interstate and second-home buyers.

"Being minutes from Gold Coast Airport makes it particularly compelling for interstate buyers, frequent travellers and second-home purchasers who can access an authentic coastal lifestyle almost immediately after stepping off a flight."

The acquisition takes MAYD's active development portfolio to more than $500 million, with the North Kirra project representing one of its largest undertakings to date.

MAYD is targeting an early 2027 launch.

First look at MAYD's North Kirra mixed-use precinct

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Castle Hill, the longtime hub of the Hills District, has been one of the major beneficiaries of Sydney's Metro expansion, with improved connectivity helping drive continued population growth, development and buyer demand across the Hills District.

But despite that growth, the suburb has seen relatively few major new apartment projects brought to market over the past 18 months.

Hills District developer Reve Group is looking to fill that gap with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/nova-r-ve-castle-hill-2-garthowen-crescent-castle-hill-nsw-2154">Nova Rêve</a>, a major new mixed-use precinct on the corner of Garthowen Crescent and Old Castle Hill Road, a short walk from Castle Hill Metro Station and Castle Towers.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377679]

The project will comprise three residential towers alongside a hotel, restaurants, cafes and a skybar, more than 1,600 sqm of ground-floor retail and almost an acre of landscaped gardens.

It represents the largest project undertaken by Reve Group, the development arm of the Kassis family, which has been building across the Hills District for more than 30 years through Kassis Homes.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377675]

Nova Rêve also represents a significant step up from the family's first apartment development, Grand Rêve, which was delivered nearby on Garthowen Crescent.

Grand Rêve introduced larger, house-like apartment layouts and premium inclusions including Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances to the Castle Hill market.

Nova Rêve takes that approach to a precinct scale, combining the residential component with hospitality, retail and substantial public and resident landscaping.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377685]

Reve Group Managing Director Sam Kassis said the project reflected the family's three decades of building in the Hills, which has evolved from trophy homes on quarter-acre blocks to larger-scale apartment development.

"Grand Rêve was our first apartment project here and it showed us what this pocket of Castle Hill could be. Nova Rêve is the refinement of that idea: not just apartments, but a place the whole suburb can use," Kassis said.

A key part of that approach is the hotel, which has been designed to operate as an amenity for the wider Castle Hill community rather than solely hotel guests.

It will include restaurants, cafes, skybars and all-day dining, alongside conference and event facilities catering to business functions, community groups and private events.

At ground level, more than 1,600 sqm of shops and cafes will open onto the surrounding streets and landscaped areas.

Almost an acre of gardens designed by Land and Form Studios will run through the precinct, incorporating pathways, seating, barbecue areas and children's play spaces.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377680]

Reve Group's Romio Georges said creating an active ground plane had been central to the planning of Nova Rêve.

"There are gardens with pathways, barbecues, seating and play areas, shops and cafes opening onto the street, and a hotel with restaurants and a skybar that anyone in Castle Hill can walk into," Georges said.

The project's elevated position on one of Sydney's highest ridgelines will also provide apartments with outlooks toward the Sydney skyline, surrounding parkland and the Blue Mountains.

More than 80 per cent of the apartments will occupy corner positions, with Turner responsible for both the architecture and interiors.

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[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152737]

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Alistair Walsh

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