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The purchasers of Cubbie Station have spent $20 million on a cotton ginnery in South Queensland.
The Chinese and Japanese group bought the Dirranbandi ginnery from Singaporean group Olam International, according to The Australian Financial Review.
CS Agriculture are backed by Shandong Ruyi and Australian wool trader Lempriere Group.
CS Agriculture say they do not plan to cut out local producers from sharing the ginnery’s capacity.
Olam obtained the ginnery as part of its 2007 purchase of the Queensland Cotton business for $166 million.
The CS Agriculture deal comes after discussions of a joint-venture between Olam and CS Agriculture stalled earlier this year. CS Agriculture obtained development approval to build its own ginnery at Cubbie Station before returning to negotiations.
Cotton gins separate cotton fibres from their seeds.
The purchase is part of the station’s vertical integrations strategy.
Cubbie station is Australia’s largest cotton farm which <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/rural/cubbie-station-officially-sold/2012101257136" target="_blank">sold in October last year.</a>
In April Qiu Yafu, who headed the Cubbie Station cotton acquisition, bought the Sydney waterfront property known as the <a href="/news">Bang &amp; Olufsen house for around $34 million.</a>
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Cubbie Station owners buy another Queensland cotton plant

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Westpac chief Bill Evans anticipates a continuing stop-start recovery for the housing market.
He says house prices have only just returned their 2010 peaks as income levels increased 10% and says further recovery will be uneven.
"We expect Australia's housing recovery to continue to be a 'stop-start' and uneven one," Evans says in a weekly update.
“There are headwinds that are yet to fully impact with some markets facing increases in new dwelling supply (VIC, WA) and the mining downturn to play through fully to housing (WA, QLD).” 
He says the housing market has experienced a diverse performance best illustrated by changes in six month annualised price increases compared to three months ago - Sydney prices are up by 14.7% compared to 8.2% in July, Melbourne is up 4.5% v 5.1% in July; Perth is up 6.8% v 10.5%; Brisbane is up 1.7% v 1.2%; and Adelaide is up 0.2% v 2.4%.
Westpac expects households will be more restrained with their balance sheets with a reluctance to increase debt.
And they will be more cautious about job security which would impact first home buyers and upgraders.
On Friday the RBA will release its monetary statement policy which will give an indication of its economic forecast.
Evans says if the RBA maintains its forecast of 2.5% GDP growth for the year to June 2014 it will effectively be confirming it expects growth in the first half of 2014 to be stuck at a below trend annual pace of 2.5%.
And if the RBA maintains its expectations of 2.5% to 3.5% growth for the year to December 2014 it will effectively be forecasting a lift in growth pace in the second half of 2014 to a 3.6% annualised pace.
“That is a big call – the growth pace lifting from a 2.5% annualised pace in the first half of 2014 to a 3.6% annualised pace in the second half,” Evans says.
“Our forecast is for a more reasonable 3% annualised pace in the second half of next year. Nevertheless we expect the Bank will maintain a somewhat upbeat outlook.”
Westpac expects the RBA to maintain its view that the economy is growing at sub-trend pace and will continue to do so to mid-2014.
“We expect that over the course of the next few months it will have to temper that bullish view on the second half of 2014 and see the need for more policy support to arrest the current sub trend growth momentum,” Evans says.
Westpac is more than confident the RBA will keep rates unchanged.
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Westpac's Bill Evans predicts stop-start housing recovery

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Buying in regional areas can allow investors with a lower budget to start building a property portfolio, according to Buyers agent Cate Bakos from Empower Wealth.
Bakos spoke to Property Observer as part of the How the Experts Buy series.
{qtube vid:=8nk6V7bXj_w&amp;feature=youtu.be}
Bakos says buying in the right areas of Ballarat can give buyers capital growth of 6% to 7%.
The key is understanding what the residents of regional towns are really after.
Whereas buyers in cities might look towards easy access to public transport as a prime indicator of value, those in regional areas put less of an emphasis on this.
Bakos tells buyers to look for established houses in the inner suburbs of Ballarat which are well insulated and on larger plots of land close to major employers.
Areas like Mount Clear and Mount Helen are close to the University of Ballarat, IBM, and goverment services like the Australian Tax Office and the emergency services.
Depending on the property some investors would do well to gear their property towards sharehouses for contractors.
She says many residents of Ballarat actually commute to Melbourne and are looking for larger more luxurious properties than they can afford in Melbourne.
She says yields in Ballarat are around 5.5% to 6.5%. Properties between $200,000 to $240,000 can have rental yields above 6% and properties between $240,000 to $280,000 yield around 5.8%.
Cate was recently awarded the Buyers Agent of the Year award by Your Property Investment magazine.
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Cate Bakos on investing in Ballarat and regional areas: How the experts buy 

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Locksmithing is an art shrouded in secrecy for many investors. We spoke to Justin Fankhauser from TopLock to try and unlock the secrets of home security.
Property Observer is starting a weekly Day in the Life series to have a closer look at some of the people who deal with real estate every day and see what lessons there are for property investors.
{qtube vid:=1f3CHUJANaE&amp;feature=youtu.be} 
Most of his jobs are taken up by rekeying jobs – people want to change the key to the property but don’t want to switch the full locks out.
He says this is especially important when moving into a new property, you never know who else might have keys. It’s a quick job but it gives tenants and owners a sense of security.
Justin says a lot of private landlords don’t realise they should be doing this and most of those jobs come from professional property managers.
Even off-the-plan properties should be rekeyed before anyone moves in. In big apartment developments master keys are given to all contractors while they work on the building. That means when you move in any number of people could have a master key to your property so it’s important to rekey.
A lot of renovators are putting internal locks on bedroom and bathroom doors to give their tenants more privacy. It’s a simple thing that tenants really appreciate.
Insurance premiums go down when there are deadlocks installed on all external doors and window locks on all the windows.
They also go down further when alarm systems or camera systems are installed.
 
This is the day (and the night) in the life of a locksmith.
8am: Justin arrives at the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.toplock.net.au/">Toplock </a>factory in Northcote to start the day. He's on night shift as well today so he'll be working through the night. His dispatcher is already at work and has a full list of jobs ready for him and the growing team of locksmiths.
8.10am: Justin leaves for his first job. It’s a house in Coburg. It’s not too far and Justin makes good time.
8.40am: Justin arrives at the house and talks to the owner. The owner’s husband lost his wallet with a spare key hidden inside last week. His address was written on his drivers license and the owner thought she heard someone trying to open the back door last night. It’s a simple rekeying job.
9:00am: Rekeying is a quick job so he’s done in 20 minutes. He invoices the owner and heads back to the car to get his next job. It’s an industrial office out in Keilor East.
9:30am: Justin arrives at the office. He has a quick chat and gets started. The new tenants want to put locks on the three internal office doors. He switches out the old knobs with new keyed knobs. He boxes up the old ones so they can be reused if need be. Some of the doors weren’t quite latching properly but a quick bit of chisel work clears it up.
10:00am: He invoices the client and heads back to his office.
10:30am: Justin has a lot of administration to do. With the recent expansion of his business he spends more and more time running the administrative side of the business while his team of locksmiths run all around Melbourne.
2.30pm: He’s finished his administrative work and it’s time to hit the road again. He has a call out to a renovator in Brunswick who needs some work done.
2.45pm: It’s an old terrace being refurbished and the owners want internal locks put on all the bedroom and bathrooms. Tenants like it especially if they’re sharing a house. It gives them some extra privacy.
4.00pm: The whole house now has locks. It took a while to resit some of the doors and get them latching properly. He heads back to his car to get his next job. A nearby real estate agent wants the locks rekeyed for a new tenant.
4.20pm: He arrives at the Carlton house to rekey the front and back door. It’s a quick job for Justin.
4.40pm: He gives the new keys over to the agent and heads back to the office to prepare for the night shift.
7:00pm: Justin’s rested and eaten and ready to start the night shift. Once a week someone has to take the night shift and be prepared for all sorts of jobs.
9:00pm: The first night job comes early. It’s a call from Richmond where someone has locked themselves out. He heads over to let the tenants back in on a rainy night.
9.20pm: The traffic isn’t so bad at this time of night so Justin gets there quickly. He lets the tenant back in using a pick gun and heads back to the office.
11:00pm: Another call from someone locked out in Collingwood.
11:15pm: They’re drunk but nice. He lets them in with the pick gun again. All documentation is completed and ID is sighted to make sure it’s the right person.
2:00am: No one calls until 2am. He wakes up to take the call. Someone gets a quote, decides they don’t want the job and don’t take the job.
3:00am: He gets another call. The person is calling from a public phone box and needs to be let back in. They have bars on their windows so they couldn’t smash it.
3:00am: He lets them back in with the pick gun again and heads off.
7:30am: The night shift ends with no other call outs and Justin is free to go home and sleep.
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A day in the life of a locksmith - unlocking security secrets

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The Victorian Supreme Court has jailed a lawyer for five years for selling a home that wasn’t his to fictitious identities to repeatedly claim the first home owners grant.
Anthony Robert Coleman, 47, pleaded guilty to theft, having a deficiency in a trust account and 12 charges of obtaining financial advantage by deception, Ninemsn reports.
When his client Eric Smith died in 2002 he pocketed $32,000 from the estate intended for charity and then sold Smith’s Brunswick West unit to the non-existent Pat Bateman, the name of the protagonist in American Psycho, played by Christian Bale in the 2000 film adaptation.
Coleman claimed the first home owners grant for Bateman. He then transferred the unit to a real client, Kaylene Nugent, without her knowledge.
He then transferred the unit to the fictitious Craig Young and then Max Power, a name used by Homer Simpson in in episode ‘Homer to the Max’.
In that episode, a television show called Police Cops also has a hero named Homer Simpson. Initially Homer is happy with coincidence until the character is changed from a hero to a bumbling idiot. After suffering taunts he changes his name to “Max Power”, gaining new friends.
Coleman finally sold the property to a genuine buyer for $214,000. He kept the money.
Coleman also avoided paying stamp duty on a Point Cook property after selling it to false identity Kylie Ann Moore.
A psychological report found Coleman admired some of his criminal clients for their lavish lifestyles and the attention they received from women, Ninemsn reports.
In total he earned $327,000 for his deceptions and was ordered to pay $309,000 in compensation to Smith’s estate.
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Homer Simpson lawyer jailed for five years for first home owners rort

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A Sydney dance teacher awaiting trial on 63 sex abuse charges is suing the landlord of his former dance school premises for the cost of the bond and legal fees.
Grant Davies, who is on remand on charges from 10 former students, is seeking $21,000 from Sasona Pty Ltd, which owned the Chiswick studio where he and his sister Rebecca Davies operated the school, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.
Davies says the landlord changed the locks and refused to return the rental bond after the siblings closed the school in the weeks following Davies’ May arrest.
But the landlord is reportedly countersuing for more than $50,000, saying they need $25,000 remove alterations made without permission and $30,000 in other costs.
The case goes to court next month. Davies will also be back in court to face allegations of a decade of abuse.
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Alleged sex abuser sues former landlord for bond

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Perth’s Fremantle Council has shortlisted three architects to design a $45 million development that forms part of its $220 million Kings Square Project.
The shortlisted architects are Fremantle based firms CODA and Kerry Hill Architects and Melbourne-based McBridge Charles Ryan.
The final winner will be announced in mid December.
“Quality sustainable development is what Fremantle needs and this competition, judged by an independent expert panel, will go a long way to ensuring the development we build today becomes the heritage that future generations can be extremely proud of,” Mayor Brad Pettitt says.
The three were picked from an initial list of 53 and will be given a $20,000 honorarium.
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Fremantle council shortlists three architects for $45m development

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Mackay investors may start a class action law suit against the council for levying higher rates against property investors.
A protest group headed by investors Ayril Paton and Peter Crossan have petitioned against the council’s move to increase rates by $200 to $500 a year for investor properties.
There is reportedly more than $20,000 in a trust fund ready to bankroll a possible law suit.
“We're waiting to try and raise enough funds before we take the (Mackay) council on,” Crossan told the Central Telegraph.
“We delivered about 1200 objections to the council about a month ago and they said they couldn't change the budget for this year and it was a fair chance they wouldn't change it for the next year.
“If we're successful I'm sure it will flow onto other councils. By doing this it will probably set a precedent.”
It reports 12 councils have adopted the new rates policy, including the Central Highlands council which raised $1.2 million from the levy in one year.
Crossan says any legal challenge would be based on Xstrata's win against the former Bowen council, in which a judge ruled the miner had been rated as a multi-billion dollar entity and not on its true land value.
Mackay council have imposed the new rates system on about 10,000 properties.
Harcourts principal and property owner Mandy Hall previously told the paper it would deter people from investing in the region.
“We should be trying to encourage people to buy in our region, not discourage them," she said. "Their timing is poor, with the market the way it is at the moment and landlords are achieving less rent than they have achieved in years.”
 
Rents in <a href="/news">Mackay</a> have reportedly dropped between $50 and $100 over the past six months.
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Mackay investors gear up for council rates legal challenge

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There is not enough stock coming to market in Sydney and Melbourne, pushing prices up into what some are calling a possible bubble, according to Charles Tarbey, the chairman of Century 21 Australia and New Zealand.
Prices are being pushed up by low interest rates, higher buyer interest and strong foreign investment but there is 17% less stock on market than last year, Tarbey says.
“We’re not getting the amount of stock that we need to meet the demand which is pushing prices up in certain areas and some might say to a bubble status and there are areas where are people paying probably a little bit more than they should,” Tarbey told Property Observer.
“But if the market keeps riding along then they’re going to be covered.”
He says part of the reason stock is so low is because owner occupiers are hesitant to buy something to replace their sold property, given the lack of choice.
He says some people are paying well over the odds but that they’re not too worried about it.
“The word bubble has been used so many times over the last few years. There have been plenty of people screaming out about it. People are probably trying to sell books on the back of it.” Tarbey says.
“The reality is if you’re going to have some competition, and you are getting that in selected suburbs where there is the absolute minimum of stock for sale, you will get people bidding more.
“You will see people paying $100,000, $200,000 over the reserve price and it doesn’t seem to bother people too much.”
The high prices are pushing some buyers into regional areas, but Tarbey advises investors to try and buy something in metropolitan regions.
“The biggest mistake most people make is in their first investment is they look for something they like, rather than something they can afford.
“It’s not bad to go out into the suburbs, into some of the areas you think are not so great.
“There’s suburbs which you might not have even thought of investing in which have now become very strong owner occupier areas and people are modernising their homes. And those areas will increase in price.”    
Transcript  
We’ve been tracking the market place since January last year on four key areas – auctions stats, listing numbers coming into the market place, property in terms of the rental increases and movement and vacancy rates.
Both Sydney and Melbourne have been the star performers, more so Sydney. It’s had a high clearance rate for a number of weeks now, in the 70s and touching into the 80s. And the same with Melbourne. Melbourne hit 74% last week and Sydney hit 79.1%. The clearance rates are pretty strong when you look at them market and that happened before spring started.
There’s no definition in terms of what the market’s like in whether its spring or winter it’s whatever you can get on the market for sale now. If it’s good there are buyers there for it and that’ the real key issue. It’s the shortage of property for sale.
The number that we have on properties coming in. We’ve only had three weeks in a row now with increases going back. Three weeks ago it was plus 0.96% over the week before and the week after that was 2.15% and last week was only a mild increase of 0.48%. So we’re not getting the amount of stock that we need to meet the demand which is pushing prices up in certain areas and some might say to a bubble status and there are areas where are people paying probably a little bit more than they should. But if the market keeps riding along then they’re going to be covered.
Why aren’t more properties coming to market if it’s doing so well?
A lot of sellers have the same issue, when they sell they have to buy. And if there’s nothing on the market for you to buy you’re not going to list your property for sale. Over this time last year we’re now down something like 17% plus on the amount of stock on market from this time last year. So it’s even worse: you have lower interest rates, a higher buyer interest in the market, Chinese investment being very strong but we have 17% less stock.
The word bubble has been used so many times over the last few years. There have been plenty of people screaming out about it. People are probably trying to sell books on the back of it if you look at the conversation that is being had.
The reality is if you’re going to have some competition and you are getting that in selected suburbs where there is the absolute minimum of stock for sale you will get people bidding more. You will see people paying $100,000, $200,000 over the reserve price. And it doesn’t seem to bother people too much.
Mostly when you look at the market place out there now and particular in those selected suburbs of Sydney and Melbourne, many of the first home buyers which we would traditionally be sending out into the suburbs to buy their first home are $1.5 million on their first home. Because a lot of the younger couples are taking longer before they get married. They’re well established in their careers. They’re professional people, probably two incomes, so they’re able to buy their first home at probably a significantly higher price than what we I might have been buying a home for or the first home buyers of my generation would have been.
So you’ve seen first home buyers closer to the city?
Well they’d like to, but the struggle is they’re just competing. If you go to the auction arena now there are a lot of people out there. And you’re going to have to spend money to get into at least the ring to bid and a lot of people may not be able to afford to spend that money just to turn up on the day.
Some people don’t have a choice and often they’ll move out into regional areas and country towns because it’s cheaper and the rental returns are higher but they’ll sit there a much much longer period of time because the capital growth is so much longer.
A lot of people look to rental return but it’s not about that it’s about capital growth as well as rental return. The biggest mistake most people make is in their first investment is they look for something they like, rather than something they can afford. It’s not bad to go out into the suburbs, into some of the areas you think are not so great because the gentrification process that’s going in many of the suburbs across Melbourne and Sydney is quite interesting. There’s suburbs which you might not have even through of investing in which have now become very strong owner occupied areas and people are modernising their homes. And those areas will increase in price.
People talk about hot areas and that’s the worst place to buy because everyone else is already there. You have to look for the suburbs in between the hot suburbs and we could name a dozen of them without offending someone but the reality is there are good suburbs which you don’t hear about which have good services and they’re the ones you want to go in and look where it’s not hot where there aren’t people busting to get in and buy something. There is opportunity but you’ve got to be prepared to buy something that you may not want to live in.
Anything they are talking about you’ll probably find around it are good locations with good services that might not look active at first – they’re the ones to go to. At the end of the day what you can buy is what you can afford to purchase. And if that’s what it is then that’s what it is. But just keep in mind it’s important to look for capital growth.
Capital growth comes stronger in capital cities than in regional areas. There are some regional areas where of course that in past times suffered very strongly and there are coastal areas, discretional spending areas, that really suffered, 50% price drops. So there are some opportunities there but you are taking a bit of a risk. It’s not until the equity market starts flowing that the money really gets solid that people start buying holiday homes again that you’re going to get that capital growth.  
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Lack of stock behind price rises: Exclusive interview with Charles Tarbey

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Residential development sites in south east Queensland are being snapped up, according to Ray White Special Projects.
It reports there is a shortage of good quality residential sites  given strong demand.
“Sites attracting the most interest include in-fill sites, particularly those with development approvals in place, and sites which can demonstrate demand for the completed product and generate a reasonable rate of sale,” Ray White’s Mark Creevey says.
He says high profile developers including public companies as well as interstate and overseas developers are becoming more aggressive.
“Since the middle of the year we have seen more confidence in the market as a result of lower interest rates, more favourable lending conditions, improved take up of completed residential stock and the end of political uncertainty,” Creevey says.
"There is now a shortage of good quality residential development sites in SEQ due to the depth of demand for the product.”
But development sites with uncertain development approval futures or delivery timelines are still struggling to attract interest.
"There are still challenges in securing funding to purchase properties without approvals in place but banks do have a growing appetite to lend for qualified sites," Ray White’s Tony Williams says.
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South east Queensland development sites being snapped up

<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.

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[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.

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[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.

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[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.

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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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