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Just over a third of Australian property companies enforced pay freezes in 2012, while 6% cut remuneration rates in 2012, according to the Avdiev Property Industry Remuneration Report.
The report found 60% of property companies increased remuneration levels but at a median rate of 3% - above a 2.2% CPI rise but below the 3.5% figure for the general workforce found by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and below the median figure of 4% for the industry in 2011.
The report found staff retention through remuneration is a major concern for the property industry.
After four years of austerity in the property industry employers are looking for ways of retaining staff, says Rita Avdiev, managing director of the Avdiev Group.
“They have to balance this with managing business costs – how to determine the right remuneration increases while keeping salary expenditure under control,” she says.
The report found business conditions have remained on a plateau since 2011, with companies worried about tight margins, fierce competition to win projects, ongoing company bankruptcies and uncertainty about near term business conditions.
“However there is growing unrest among loyal employees whose pay has been left on hold for some time,” Avdiev says.
“They have been very patient for a long time, but their patience is running out. Clients who are commissioning in-depth reviews for key staff express concern about the team’s willingness to stay loyal without a serious uplift in salaries and incentives”.
And the report found women’s participation in industry dropped in 2012, down from 42% to 40%.
“The general sentiment in the industry is slowly lifting, but companies are determined to wait and see what happens next,” Avdiev says.
“The upcoming election is weighing heavily on any decisions that could be made in more certain times. Everyone is waiting for someone else to make the first move, but no one is taking that crucial first step.”
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.avdiev.com.au/consulting.htm#remreport">The Avdiev Report is for sale</a> containing results from 120 companies who have contributed salary data for their 17,500 employees in 280 positions across NSW, Victoria and Queensland.
Photo by Paul Dunleavy, courtesy of Flickr.
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awalsh-7Ub9EypybQ

Property companies froze salary increases in 2012

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Lend Lease’s wooden residential tower construction Forté has sold half of its 23 apartments with another few deals in the pipeline.
Two owner-occupiers have settled and moved into the groundbreaking tower, situated in Melbourne's <a href="/news">Docklands</a>, while a mix of investors and owner-occupiers are in the process of settling.
<img alt="fortemarch18one" height="350" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/03/fortemarch18one.jpg">
The marketing campaign for the building began on February 22, well after the building’s completion in December 2012.
Most of the 10-storey construction is made from cross-laminate timber – a material billed as very quick to work with and environmentally friendly.
According to Lend Lease, by using wood, Forté reduced carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by more than 1,600 tonnes when compared to concrete and steel – the equivalent of removing 400 cars from the roads.
<img alt="fortemarch18two" height="313" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/03/fortemarch18two.jpg">
Lend Lease’s Daryl Patterson says the technology allows for a more efficient and environmentally-friendly construction process.
“Designed and produced in a factory environment, Forté was 30% faster to build, safer and with higher precision than traditional construction materials. It also resulted in reduced construction traffic to and from site, caused less disruption to the community and produced less waste,” Patterson says.
“Unlike Europe where the revolutionary material has been used for more than a decade, Australia is only at the beginning of its CLT journey and still has a way to go to recognise the enormous potential in our market.
<img alt="fortemarch18three" height="313" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/03/fortemarch18three.jpg">
“While we are in the early stages of developing environmentally-friendly apartment buildings, we are noticing a changing perception among consumers towards the long-term value that sustainable housing offers.”
He says cross-laminate timber offers better thermal performance and requires less energy to heat and cool, reducing energy and water costs with average savings of $300 per year or up to 25% less than a typical code-compliant apartment.
<img alt="fortemarch18four" height="311" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/03/fortemarch18four.jpg">
Forte is the tallest timber building in the world, claiming the title from the eight-storey apartment block Stadthaus, Murray Grove, in London.
The $11 million timber tower comprises approximately 760 panels, measuring up to 16.5 metres by three metres, shipped from Austria.
Mr Patterson says the quick construction of the tower is mainly due to its similarities to that of an Ikea flat-pack.
Prices in the tower start at $424,000 for one-bedroom apartments and $579,000 for two-bedroom apartments.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/developments/forte-scaffolding-comes-down-unwrapping-the-world-s-tallest-timber-building/2012121958596" target="_blank">Property Observer followed the constuction through a series of photos</a>.
Meanwhile, Lend Lease has just started work on a new Docklands library and community centre, using cross-laminate timber and reclaimed hardwood.
<img alt="fortemarch18five" height="311" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/03/fortemarch18five.jpg">
Lend Lease, along with Places Victoria and the City of Melbourne, hope the project will be Australia’s most modern library.
Designed by Clare Design and Hayball, the $13 million project is due to be finished in late 2013.
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Lend Lease's wooden Forté in Melbourne Docklands reaches halfway sales point

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Brisbane is on track for a property market recovery in 2013 driven by strong employment and population growth coupled with a supply shortage and rising rents, according to John McGrath’s autumn property report.
A noticeable increase in buyer enquiries in the last quarter of 2012 bodes well for 2013, which McGrath says will act as a springboard for 2014 and 2015.
As first-home buyers have dropped off, investors from Sydney, Melbourne and locally are filling some of the void.
Buyers are particularly drawn to sub-$500,000 apartments and townhouses in <a target="_blank" href="/news">Toowong</a>, <a target="_blank" href="/news">St Lucia</a> and <a target="_blank" href="/news">Paddington</a>, with strong yields and low vacancy rates.
“The typical local upgrader is swapping a two bedroom workers’ cottage worth $600,000-$800,000 for a $1M-plus Queenslander. There’s not a lot of cross-town moving, as low interest rates and good value prices are enabling people to buy a larger home in inner city areas where they already live,” McGrath writes.
McGrath says downsizers remain active with many selling $1 million-plus family homes and buying a smaller $700,000 property and then reinvesting the remaining cash.
McGrath tips <a target="_blank" href="/news">Hawthorne</a>, Toowong and <a target="_blank" href="/news">West End</a> as top picks for investors in Brisbane.
“Hawthorne has undergone a huge transformation with the emergence of lifestyle amenities, food markets and café culture that’s attractive to families and young professionals. Watch this space as home renovators move in,” McGrath writes.
“Toowong, just 4km from CBD and less than five minutes to the St. Lucia campus, it’s attracting an investor market who want to capitalise on the demand from young professionals and students.
“West End is an urbane suburb with great café culture, it has that real inner-city feel. Close proximity to Southbank, there is a surge of development attracting both investors and owner-occupiers.”
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Brisbane residential market tipped for recovery: John McGrath

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Thornbury has the highest auction clearance rate of all Melbourne suburbs so far this year, at 96.4%, according to the Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV).
Of the 28 auctions held in the suburb this year, 27 have sold.
There are 13 properties up for auction this weekend, according to <a href="https://realestate.com.au" target="_blank">realestate.com.au</a>.
A three-bedroom house on 443 hectares at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-thornbury-113141219" target="_blank">135 Clarendon Street</a> (pictured below) is being auctioned with a price guide of $700,000 to $750,000 by Jellis Craig agent Anthony Lapadula.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/03/thornburymarch19one.jpg" width="470" height="350" alt="thornburymarch19one">
According to RP Data the property had been listed for $680,000 to $730,000 before being revised up.
A three-bedroom house on 494 hectares at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-thornbury-113100463" target="_blank">89 Leinster Grove</a> (pictured below) has been listed for $730,000 to $780,000 by Hocking Stuart Northcote agent Sam Rigopoulos.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/03/thornburymarch19two.jpg" width="470" height="355" alt="thornburymarch19two">
The last sale price recorded by RP Data was the three-bedroom <a href="https://www.domain.com.au/Property/For-Sale/House/VIC/Thornbury/?adid=2010274123" target="_blank">8 Keon Street</a> (pictured below) on 367 square metres, which sold at auction for $711,000 on March 9 through Harcourts Northcote agent John Bisignano.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/03/thornburymarch19three.jpg" width="470" height="288" alt="thornburymarch19three">
<a href="/news">Thornbury</a>, 7 kilometres northeast of Melbourne, is sandwiched between Northcote and Preston.
The suburb's median house price, currently $690,000, has fallen by 3.2% in the last year. The median asking rent for houses is $470 per week.
The median unit price is $379,000, down 0.4% over the last year. The median asking rent for units is $300 per week.
It has a population of 17,434, according to the 2011 census. The suburb has one train station, is connected to two tram lines and is serviced by two popular bike trails.
There are a number of bars and pubs along High Street, as well as restaurants and shops.
<a href="/news">Mill Park</a>, an outer Northern suburb, came in second with a clearance rate of 92%. So far in 2013, 25 auctions have taken place with 23 selling.
<a href="/news">Camberwell</a> came in third with a clearance rate of 90.7%, as 39 of the 43 auctions this year sold.
<table style="width: 470px;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<colgroup>
<col width="133">
<col width="90">
<col width="103">
<col width="101">
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr height="17">
<td height="17" width="133">Suburb</td>
<td width="90">Total Auction</td>
<td width="103">Sold at auction</td>
<td width="101">Clearance rate</td>
</tr>
<tr height="17">
<td height="17"><a target="_blank" href="/news">THORNBURY</a></td>
<td align="right">28</td>
<td align="right">27</td>
<td align="right">96.40%</td>
</tr>
<tr height="17">
<td height="17"><a target="_blank" href="/news">MILL PARK</a></td>
<td align="right">25</td>
<td align="right">23</td>
<td align="right">92.00%</td>
</tr>
<tr height="17">
<td height="17"><a target="_blank" href="/news">CAMBERWELL</a></td>
<td align="right">43</td>
<td align="right">39</td>
<td align="right">90.70%</td>
</tr>
<tr height="17">
<td height="17"><a target="_blank" href="/news">SURREY HILLS</a></td>
<td align="right">20</td>
<td align="right">18</td>
<td align="right">90.00%</td>
</tr>
<tr height="17">
<td height="17"><a target="_blank" href="/news">RICHMOND</a></td>
<td align="right">69</td>
<td align="right">60</td>
<td align="right">87.00%</td>
</tr>
<tr height="17">
<td height="17"><a target="_blank" href="/news">HAWTHORN EAST</a></td>
<td align="right">36</td>
<td align="right">31</td>
<td align="right">86.10%</td>
</tr>
<tr height="17">
<td height="17"><a target="_blank" href="/news">ALBERT PARK</a></td>
<td align="right">20</td>
<td align="right">17</td>
<td align="right">85.00%</td>
</tr>
<tr height="17">
<td height="17"><a target="_blank" href="/news">GLEN WAVERLEY</a></td>
<td align="right">38</td>
<td align="right">32</td>
<td align="right">84.20%</td>
</tr>
<tr height="17">
<td height="17"><a target="_blank" href="/news">ST KILDA EAST</a></td>
<td align="right">25</td>
<td align="right">21</td>
<td align="right">84.00%</td>
</tr>
<tr height="17">
<td height="17"><a target="_blank" href="/news">BRUNSWICK</a></td>
<td align="right">31</td>
<td align="right">26</td>
<td align="right">83.90%</td>
</tr>
<tr height="17">
<td height="17"><a target="_blank" href="/news">ELSTERNWICK</a></td>
<td align="right">23</td>
<td align="right">19</td>
<td align="right">82.60%</td>
</tr>
<tr height="17">
<td height="17"><a target="_blank" href="/news">COBURG</a></td>
<td align="right">40</td>
<td align="right">33</td>
<td align="right">82.50%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Source: REIV
Note: this table covers suburbs which had 20 or more auctions between 01/01/13 and 16/03/13.
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Thornbury tops list of Melbourne suburbs with highest clearance rates

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Victorian planning minister Matthew Guy has approved plans to build the tallest highrise in the southern hemisphere, despite concerns it will cast a shadow over the Shrine of Remembrance.
Australia 108, a proposed 108-storey apartment and hotel tower, came under fire from Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle who said it could overshadow the Shrine of Remembrance and that at 388 metres it exceeded the city council's height limits.
The tower will be 91 metres higher that the Eureka tower.
Guy announced on Twitter this morning that he had approved the $600 million development saying he had no objection from the Shrine trustees and that it would provide hundreds of jobs while taking pressure off existing suburbs.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/03/guymarch18one1.jpg" width="470" height="260" alt="guymarch18one1">
Architects Fender Katsalidis, who designed the nearby Eureka Tower, are behind the Australia 108 project, which would be the world's 18th tallest building at 70 Southbank Boulevard.
According to The Age, the project is backed by private investors Nonda Katsalidis, Benni Aroni, Adrian Valmorbida, Ian Fayman, Gary Caulfield and Mark Hopkinson.
Apartments in the building start at $425,00 for a 1 bedroom unit, $575,00 for a two bedroom and $775,00 for a three bedroom. There will be 664 apartments.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/03/guymarch18two.jpg" width="400" height="831" alt="guymarch18two">
The building will feature a six star hotel with 288 rooms from levels 83 to 101 with two restaurants and two bars which will feature glass floors looking straight down to the ground.
The building will include landscaped terraces above the carpark, a pool and gym, a theatre seating up to 40 people, a function room, a library, a business centre and a fresh food market and a café.
Work on the project is due to start later this year.
In a press release issued later, Guy said the building will be an outstanding addition to the Melbourne skyline.
"I am proud to approve a tower that will define our city for many years to come and which I am sure will become as iconic a Melbourne landmark as Flinders Street Station or Federation Square," Guy writes. "The Australia 108 mixed-use tower will be an icon both visually and for those who will live in it, stay at its hotel, dine at the level 84 Sky Lounge or visit the level 108 Star Bar.
"Towers such as Australia 108 are consistent with the Coalition Government's drive to concentrate high-density development in defined areas and out of existing, quiet neighbourhoods. "Every apartment in this tower is one less apartment in an existing quiet neighbourhood."
Q1, in the Gold Coast is the current tallest building in the southern hemisphere at 323 metres, followed by the Eureka Tower in Melbourne at 265 metres, 120 Collins Street in Melbourne at 265 metres, 101 Collins Street in Melbourne at 260 metres and the Rialto Towers in Melbourne at 251 metres.
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Tallest building in southern hemisphere approved for Melbourne

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Sydney is leading a national property market recovery which will stimulate surrounding areas, according to John McGrath in his Autumn market report.
McGrath says the primary trends Sydney has seen over the past few months have been an increase in investors, particularly self-managed super funds, fewer first home buyers and the slow return of downsizers and retirees.
McGrath is predicting strong competition in the mid-high range market this year, compared to last year when there was more activity in the sub-$1 million market. Clearance rates are up and more people are attending auctions suggesting they just want to “get on with it”.
A retreat of first-home buyers is giving investors more room in the lower end of the market while the upper end of the market is being driven by downsizers and “the Chinese aristocracy”.
He says as share prices rise so too will personal wealth, meaning many downsizers who put off moving post-GFC may now but up.
Offshore buyers are tipped to increase with the introduction of the ‘significant investor visa’, which enables fast-tracked residency for those who invest more than $5M in business, government bonds or managed funds, “will no doubt have a flow-on effect to harbourside/beachside property and new apartments”.
He says new capital spending will be another boost for the broader Sydney market, with projects such as the Inner West Light Rail extension and the North West Rail Link likely to stimulate price growth and yields.
His top tips for Sydney include <a href="/news">Erskineville</a> and surrounds, <a href="/news">St Ives</a> and <a href="/news">Forestville</a>.
He says Erskineville is “where all the smart money that can no longer afford Surry Hills is going”. The university and the hospital drive strong rental demand in the area.
He recommends St Ives for purchasing a family home with $1 million netting buyers what they could normally only buy for $1.6 million in trendier suburbs.
“Believe me when I say that it’s hard to go past this area for great family living with its own village,” McGrath writes.
In St Ives, <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-st+ives-112958859" target="_blank">a four-bedroom house</a> (pictured below) on 1,144 square metres has been listed for sale at more than $900,000. The single-storey home last traded for $867,000 in 2009.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/03/stivesmarch15one.jpg" width="470" height="351" alt="stivesmarch15one">
And a <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-st+ives-112910447" target="_blank">four-bedroom single storey house</a> (pictured below) on 923 square metres which last traded $630,000 in 2006 has been listed for more than $900,000.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/03/stivesmarch15two.jpg" width="470" height="352" alt="stivesmarch15two">
He says although Forestville is a forgotten suburb it ticks all the boxes for great lifestyle and capital growth.
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St Ives the family-friendly $1 million Sydney residential prospect: John McGrath

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A 1914-built Gothic Revival Church in Dunkeld, 250 kilometres west of Melbourne, has been listed for auction by the Uniting Church.
The Church is selling <a href="https://www.domain.com.au/Property/For-Sale/Rural/VIC/Dunkeld/?adid=2010325412" target="_blank">the property</a> following moves to consolidate all church congregations in the town into a single premises.
<img alt="dunkeldmarch15one" height="348" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/03/dunkeldmarch15one.jpg">
The vendors are expecting about $125,000 for the property, consisting of two buildings, the church and a church hall, on two separate titles over 4,000 square metres.
The church is constructed from locally made bricks on a freestone base from Mount Abrupt in an early English Gothic revival style, according to heritage documents. It was designed by architects Clegg, Miller and Cain and built by E. H Patterson of Hamilton.
<img alt="dunkeldmarch15four" height="314" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/03/dunkeldmarch15four.jpg">
“The church has a rectangular plan of four bays divided by buttresses, no porch and no chancel or vestry,” heritage documents say.
“The gabled roof is pitched at 60 degrees and is clad with corrugated iron. Architectural details are elaborated in cement render, now painted white. The facade is symmetrical about the front door which is timber and double leaved. Above the door there is a large tripartite window under a simple hood mould. The side windows are treated as single lancets.”
The cypresses in front of the church date back to its construction.
The church replaced an earlier timber church on the property which was built in 1867.
<img alt="dunkeldmarch15three" height="314" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/03/dunkeldmarch15three.jpg">
It started life as a Wesleyan Church under the Hamilton circuit, later coming under the Penshurst Circuit and finally as the church increased in popularity it become the centre of the Dunkeld Circuit, according to heritage documents.
In 1902 it became a Methodist church and only became a Uniting Church in the late 1970s.
In 2002 a heritage survey found the church was in excellent condition and retained a high degree of integrity.
<img alt="dunkeldmarch15two" height="314" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/03/dunkeldmarch15two.jpg">
“Several additions and changes have been made to the interior of the church since its construction in 1914. These include the erection of an honour roll above the pulpit in 1919, which records the names of those who served and fell in World War One; changes to the lighting system from petrol lamps to electricity in 1939; carpeting the isles and the sanctuary; a communion table and the erection of a Latin Cross in 1959 above the pulpit, relocating the honour roll to the west wall,” heritage documents say.
It will be sold with all its internal architecture such as the pine lined flooring, timber lined ceilings and a series of historic leadlight windows but excluding its pews which the vendors will attempt to return to the families of the original donors.
The church hall, built at a later period, is currently used a Sunday school.
The buildings are connected to power, water and sewerage.
The <a target="_blank" href="/news">Dunkeld</a> church goes to auction on April 13 through agent Bart O’Sullivan.
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Dunkeld Uniting Church for auction with $125,000 hopes

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The unemployment rate was unchanged at 5.4% in February according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
This a better-than-expected result, with 25 economists polled by Bloomberg this week forecasting the unemployment rate to rise to 5.5%.
The number of people employed increased by 71,500 to 11,628,300, primarily due to an increase in male part-time employment and female full-time and part-time employment.
The number of people unemployed increased by just 400 people to 660,000.
There was an increase in the seasonally adjusted aggregate hours worked, up 11.3 million hours to 1,632.8 million hours.
The seasonally adjusted labour force participation rate increased by 0.3 percentage points to 65.3%.
The underemployment rate was 7.1% in February which, combined with the unemployment rate, gives a labour force underutilisation of 12.5% in February.
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Unemployment stays steady through February at 5.4%

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Shopping centres are reportedly coming under increasing pressure from department store giants Myer and David Jones to renegotiate new lease arrangements in light of falling sales in bricks-and-mortar stores.
But the executive director of the Shopping Centre Council of Australia, Milton Cockburn, has hit back, saying department stores aren’t holding up their end of the bargain as anchor tenants.
Myer and David Jones are reassessing their position in some marginal markets with both looking at closing some stores or renegotiating new leases, according to analyst comments published in The Australian Financial Review.
Myer has closed three stores in the past year, while David Jones has closed three stores in the past five years.
In its half-year results released today, Myer confirmed it has successfully renegotiated a number of leases.
“Our focus is on maximising returns per square metre by improving productivity through enhanced store layouts, new stores, improved efficiency of floor space through refurbishments and the closure of a handful of stores. In this context, we continue to review the merits of all existing and planned stores in our portfolio, including proactive lease negotiations yielding results,” its report said.
David Jones also has several stores in its portfolio with leases due to expire soon and will be looking at doing the same.
The company has also installed foot traffic counters in a number of stores which will reportedly be used to help argue the case for rent reductions on new leases.
But there is increasing dissatisfaction among shopping centre operators as anchor tenants fail to attract the customer numbers that they should, according to Mr Cockburn.
"The limited number of department store chains in Australia gives them significant clout in lease negotiations and renegotiations," Mr Cockburn told Property Observer.
"It’s fair to say that over the last few years the department stores haven’t been pulling their weight in attracting foot traffic to shopping centres in the way anchor tenants are supposed to do.
"I guess in any such negotiations, centre owners will be asking the department stores for details of the steps they are taking in again making themselves more attractive to customers."
And it seems things might not be as bad for department stores as they claim.
The latest Jones Lang LaSalle shopping centre manager survey carried out in February found that department stores were among those categories now starting to record consistently positive growth, compared with the declines evident through 2010 and 2011.
Consumer sentiment rose again in March according to a Westpac survey, it’s now at its highest level since December 2010.
Meanwhile, Myer posted a better-than-expected profit of $88 million in for the first half of the financial year while analysts had been expecting about $85 million.
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Department stores need to pull their weight: Shopping Centre Council of Australia

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Property development group Little Projects has sold all 388 apartments in its ILK South Yarra development just as the building topped out at 24 storeys.
To celebrate the company ran a topping out ceremony where a crane hoisted an olive tree on top of the concrete structure while managing director Michael Fox posed for a photo (below).
<img alt="ilkmarch13three" height="313" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/03/ilkmarch13three.jpg">
The tradition is a somewhat common practise in the construction industry with many skyscrapers and bridges being topped off with an evergreen tree, supposedly for good luck. The tradition is an ancient Scandinavian practise that has been carried on through the ages and popularised by immigrant ironworkers in America.
In this case the ceremony did highlight the wide panorama residents at the top end of the tower would have from their apartments.
According to Little Projects, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ilksouthyarra.com.au/index">the building</a> is just months of being completed with settlements planned for late July 2013.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/03/ilkmarch13one.jpg" width="470" height="300" alt="ilkmarch13one">
The project will include a landscaped roof garden with barbecues and dining area, a large indoor/outdoor cinema and a swimming pool with a sauna and a gym.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/03/ilkmarch13two.jpg" width="470" height="295" alt="ilkmarch13two">
Fox says the sales of the building outperformed other projects in the area.
“ILK sold out quickly, ahead of other competition in the area. We attribute this to its enviable South Yarra location, iconic building design, outstanding residents’ amenity and the high quality fit out of each of the apartments. We have dedicated some of the best views and spaces in the building to amenity which allows for more of the residents to enjoy,” Fox says.
The company has just launched Central South Yarra, a new project in the Forrest Hill Precinct of <a href="/news">South Yarra</a>.
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Little Projects celebrates sale of all units at South Yarra's ILK development

<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;

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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Alistair Walsh

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