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<a target="_blank" href="/news">Charleville</a>, <a target="_blank" href="/news">Rockhampton</a>, <a target="_blank" href="/news">Mackay </a>and Mount Isa were the only regional areas in Queensland where median house prices rose over the year ending March 2012, according to Residex data.
Mackay has consistently been the best-performing area in Queensland, with 4.96% growth in the last quarter to $408,500, 5.45% growth in the year to March 2012, and an average yearly growth rate of 12.39% over the past decade.
Median house prices dropped in the seven other regional areas surveyed, with Noosa and Cairns recording the biggest decreases of 8.08% to $416,000 and 5.65% to $314,000 respectively.
Noosa has had the lowest average yearly growth over the past 10 years at 6.84%, closely followed by Cairns at 6.9%.
In the recent past Mackay has been performing the strongest with median prices up 3.82% in the last month and 4.96% in the last quarter.
<a target="_blank" href="/news">Cairns</a> has recorded the biggest decreases over the last month, dropping 2.43% to $314,000.
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Charleville, Rockhampton, Mackay and Mount Isa only Queensland regional areas with rising house prices over past year: Residex

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Boy band and teenage heartthrobs One Direction have taken Chapel Street by storm with their 1D pop-up shop as part of an increasing trend in Melbourne’s retail sector.
The band’s merchandise store was at 576 Chapel Street nearly four weeks since extending its lease by another week. It was due to close on Sunday.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/06/onedirection.jpg">
The shop was swarmed by a legion of teenage girls when it opened in a made-for-media event. Fans emptied the shelves of stock, which was then replenished. The shop was rarely empty, with teenagers congregating at the site to discuss the band.
Pop-up shops have come into increasing prominence recently as they pick up slack in a market hit by high vacancy rates.
Adrian Boutsakis, the Teska Carson agent who leased the property, says pop-up shops can be risky for owners but they do offer a way to fill gaps between long-term tenants.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/06/onedirection2.jpg">
“Some people try to lease pop-up shops for four to five days. For an owner it’s often not worth the risk for the money. If someone’s offering you $1,500 to $5,000 for a few days and they damage your property the cost will be $5,000 to $10,000”.
One Direction paid about $15,000 to $20,000 for the property, which Boutsakis is currently marketing at $330,000 a year.
Boutsakis is in the process of leasing the shop on a long-term basis.
“The tenants needed to push out the date to design the fit-out, etc. Normally in that time the owner would look at that as dead time which he factors into his costings. A short-term tenants alleviates that issue.”
In March CBRE released data showing pop-up shops had plugged rental gaps in Melbourne, which achieved historically low retail vacancy rates in 2011.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/06/onedirection3.jpg">
Four out of the 10 shop leased on Bridge Road, Richmond, in the second half of 2011 were taken up by pop-up shops, and Chapel Street was identified as a pop-up shop hotspot.
Boutsakis says the size of the One Direction shop makes it an oddity.
“Most pop-up shops don’t want 200-odd square metres. Generally pop-up shops want to pay about $1,500 a week for smaller shops.”
Boutsakis says short-term leases may not earn the agent fees and are sometimes done as a gesture of goodwill to the owner.
“One of the reasons we do short-term leasings is to keep clients happy. If it sits there vacant for a while owners can sometimes lose faith in their agent. Obviously we don’t want to lose clients to other agents.
“Often fees don’t play a part and it’s just to keep the owners happy. We leave it up to them, we don’t push them to do it.”
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One Direction had that one thing with Chapel Street pop-up shop

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The average gross rental yield for houses across Australia was 4.3% for a median price of $470,000, according to RP Data-Rismark Daily home value index. Brisbane, Canberra, Darwin and Hobart were all above the national average. In April, the gross rental yield for houses was 4.2%. 
<img src="/images/stories/2012/06/3point7percent.gif">
The gross rental yield for houses in Melbourne, which has a median house value of $534,450, according to RP Data-Rismark.
 
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<img src="/images/stories/2012/06/4point3percent.gif">
The gross rental yield for houses in Adelaide, which has a median house value of $385,000, according to RP Data-Rismark.
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<img src="/images/stories/2012/06/4point4percent.gif">
The gross rental yield for houses in Sydney, with a median house value of $628,450, according to RP Data-Rismark.
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<img src="/images/stories/2012/06/4point4percent.gif">
The gross rental yield for houses in Perth, which has a median house value of $470,000, according to RP Data-Rismark.
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<img src="/images/stories/2012/06/4point7percent.gif">
The gross rental yield for houses in Brisbane, which has a median house value of $434,050, according to RP Data-Rismark.
 
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<img src="/images/stories/2012/06/4point8percent.gif">
The gross rental yield for houses in Canberra, which has a median house value of $519,000, according to RP Data-Rismark.
 
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<img src="/images/stories/2012/06/5point3percent.gif">
The rental yield for houses in Hobart, which has a median house value of $360,000, according to RP Data-Rismark.
 
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<img src="/images/stories/2012/06/6percent.gif">
The rental yield for houses in Darwin, which has a median house value of $510,000, according to RP Data-Rismark.
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Capital city house yields by the numbers: A state-by-state analysis: RP Data-Rismark

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Does the disappearance of one timber building make a sound if people aren't around to hear it?
No one will ever know because all cameras were pointed towards the recent launch of Lend Lease's new Forté development as Grocon's Delta plans were quietly put on hold.
Lend Lease have started construction on the world's tallest timber residential building in Docklands.
Grocon had announced plans in March last year to build the world's tallest timber residential building on the former Carlton United Brewery site in Melbourne.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/05/delta3.jpg">
The 10-storey Delta was due to take the title from London's nine-storey Stadthaus, but Lend Lease will now beat Grocon to it.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/developments/lend-leases-docklands-project-forte-will-be-worlds-tallest-residential-timber-building/2012052554840/Page-2">Lend Lease's Forté will rise 32 metres from the ground to be the world's tallest</a>, and Melbourne's first timber residential tower.
Construction is due to be finished in October.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/05/delta2.jpg"> After Grocon's March announcement not much more was heard.
In September last year, Grocon's national design manager and general manager of the CUB site, David Waldren, gave a talk at the Building Australia's Future conference suggesting plans were going ahead.
But Property Observer spoke to Grocon spokesperson Jane Wilson, who confirmed industry whispers that the plans for the building were on hold.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/05/delta4.jpg"> 
"The situation with Delta is pretty much that it's on hold at the moment," Wilson says.
"It's still a concept at the moment, but we do hope to build it next year.
"We certainly do want a timber residential building, and we hope it will go ahead.
"Lend Lease is obviously going to be ahead of us."
<img src="/images/stories/delta.jpg">
Grocon will for now focus on the Swanston Square development on the same site.
"We have been selling apartments in Swanston Square development, which is part of the CUB site.
"We're due to start construction there soon," Wilson says.
Grocon need not worry too much as if any of three mooted plans around the world go to plan, Lend Lease will have the title taken away from them soon enough.
{module Would you buy an apartment in a timber building?}
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Timber! Grocon’s wooden Melbourne building Delta on hold as Lend Lease’s Forté to grow quickly

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Australia’s biggest pastoralist, Australian Agriculture Co, will spend $13,275,000 on the 600-hectare holding, Livingstone Farm, in the Livingstone Valley 50 km south of Darwin.
The acquisition is part of an $83 million plan to build an abattoir able to process about 225,000 head of cattle each year.
The Northern Territory government approved the construction earlier this month. The abattoir is expected to occupy 14 hectares of the site, with the balance acting as a buffer zone, with irrigation zones, natural wetlands and ponds.
The plan won’t stop the controversial live-trade issue, but the company plans to halve the number of cattle trucked to Queensland or southern abattoirs.
Referring to animals unsuitable for live-export to Indonesia, AACo chief David Farley estimates it currently costs $220 t $320 per animal to transport them in Australia – more than value of each cow.
"The project fundamentals around a processing plant in the Northern Territory are compelling and will secure the long-term future of Australia's northern pastoral industry," Farley said in a statement on Wednesday.
"The economic benefits extend well beyond northern Australia, and we believe will also have substantial positive flow-on effects for our northern neighbours."
The proposed abattoir will comply to halal standards, which involved a rigorous set of procedures for stunning and bleeding the animals.
Although the company has the resources to run the program alone, it is considering a joint-venture with a pastoralist or customer.
AACo expects total cattle sales of 244,000 this year, including 92,000 live-export, up from 239,771 last year.
Farley told the ABC that the company still needs to negotiate vital water and power and convince the NT government into funding infrastructure upgrades.
"We're within weeks really, it's just a matter of issues around the port and issues around some of the service supplies.
"If we get a break through with those, we'll be more than comfortable to progress with the tendering of the plant and then ultimately construction."
The company’s ASX statement advocates the proximity to growing Asian markets.
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Australian Agricultural Co buys NT Livingstone Farm with plans to build abattoir

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Melbourne architect Shelley Penn has been elected the 73rd president of the Australian Institute of Architects.
She comes to the job having previously expressed a firm view on the differences between Sydney and Melbourne architectural clients.
"Melbourne clients with small budgets and nothing more than a kitchen extension would still want to do something very good and would interview five or six architects for the project ... In Sydney, architects I know have been contacted by people with $500,000 to spend who simply got their name from the phone book,” she said in 2002.
Work on a Richmond warehouse conversion in 2000 earned Penn a commendation in AIA architectural awards. The turn-of-the-century former vinegar factory retained its 1970s graffiti including a bold “shame Fraser again”.
<img style="float: left; margin: 5px;" width="300" src="/images/stories/2012/05/shellypenn.jpg">
She was the protégé of Melbourne architect Kai Chen for several years before traveling to Europe and Asia in the early 1990s.
Penn has lectured at the University of Melbourne, where she is particularly concerned with the poetic capacity of architecture to enrich the human condition.
She has worked as an adviser to government and private organisations on design matters, including a position as urban design consultant for Melbourne's EastLink project.
In 2000 to 2001 Penn worked as a design director in the office of the NSW Government Architect.
Penn is best more recently known for her review of the controversial Barangaroo development for the incoming O'Farrell government in NSW in 2011.
She is a sole-practising architect, a deputy chair of the Heritage Council of Victoria, acting chair of the National Capital Authority, the government planning organisation for Canberra, and a former associate Victorian government architect.
Penn is a mother of two and her partner, Mark Edgoose, is a silversmith and senior lecturer. She moved from Leichhardt in Sydney to South Williamstown six years ago, drawn by the open spaces and generous blocks close to the beach still only 20 minutes from the city.
"We love the west – the working-class guts of it, the industry that remains, the maritime influence and history of the port here," she told The Age in November 2011.
"Swings hang from trees in front gardens, people sit on their verandas and say 'G'day' as you walk past."
While she loves the area, she says Melbourne’s roads are not coping with the growth in West.
Penn rates her top five Melbourne suburbs as Burnley, Clifton Hill, St Kilda, Williamstown and Windsor.
She says the flat topographical landscape of Melbourne has led to the development of its cultural capital, much like Berlin.
"The flat topography, the network of transport and road access, relative affordability to get to and be 'among' culture, be it arts events, food culture, sport, and interesting, innovative and provocative architecture, that's all part of a city's cultural richness.”
Melbourne’s Etihad Stadium has been the subject of some criticism by Penn.
"The function is fine, but it is in the wrong spot. It blocks the city from Docklands. It's been one of the problems in the development of Docklands in terms of its use by people and its relationship to the CBD. I think Etihad is a bit of a barrier, literally,” she told The Sunday Age.
She says Monaco House is one her favourite Melbourne buildings, a consummate example of how architecture responds to the existing urban landscape. Other Melbourne landmarks she is fond of are Heide II, The National Gallery, Bolte Bridge, St Patrick's Cathedral and ACCA.
AIA chief executive David Parken welcomed Penn to the position at the annual general meeting yesterday.
"We are excited to have Shelley as the next advocate for not only the institute but our members and the broader architectural community."
The 72nd president was Brian Zulaikha, a founding partner of Tonkin Zulaikha Greer.
 
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Melbourne architect Shelley Penn named 73rd president of Australian Institute of Architects

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Victoria narrowly pipped Tasmania and South Australia with the biggest percentage increase in properties newly listed for rent, according to RP Data. Victoria also has the highest number of listings of any state, with its 27,193 total listings some 8% higher than in May last year. Some 60% of Victoria's current rental listings are newly advertised. The 14, 553 fresh listings are well up on the same month last year, when there were 10,199 fresh listing.
For increases in new rental listings,Victoria was closely followed by Tasmania and South Australia, up 40% from 773 to 1,081 and 39% from 2,585 to 3,597 respectively.
Across Australia new rental listings for the month ending May 20 have increased 26% from 38,910 last year to 49,020.
Total listings Australia-wide were down 10% from 93,499 in May last year to 83,942 this May. New listings represent 58% of total listings in Australia.
Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania were the only states where total rental listings increased over the year.
For total listings the Northern Territory has experienced the biggest decline over the year. Total rental listings in the territory dropped 33% from 1,139 last year to 765 for the month ending May 20.
Total listings in WA decreased 21% over the year but new listings now represent 66% of total advertised properties.
"Total rental listings are now at their highest level in eight weeks," the report says.
"Although rental listings have risen, they are currently 10.2% lower than at the same time last year nationally and 6.2% lower across the combined capital cities.
"Across individual capital cities, rental listings are lower than at the same time last year in: Sydney (-8.5%), Brisbane(-23.3%), Perth (-22.7%), Darwin (-40.4%) and Canberra (-5.8%). On the other hand, rental listings are higher than a year ago in: Melbourne (7.7%), Adelaide (9.4%) and Hobart (19.2%)"
 
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Victorian rental listings increased 43% in past year, with Tasmania a close second: RP Data

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Despite his distaste of barmaids "hired for their physical attributes rather than their prowess in drawing ale," and his teetotalling ways, early Labor politician King O'Malley often delivered his famous Federation-era speeches from the balcony of Queenstown’s Hunters Hotel – a hotel that is now up for sale.
O’Malley frequently campaigned for workers’ rights from the 1898-built hotel as Tasmanians gathered in the street below.
The hotel has two shop fronts, each leased to long term-tenants. The building has 20 hotel rooms and a bottle shop at the rear.
Classified as a building of national historic significance, the hotel sits on a 1,012-square-metre block of land. The historical façade of the building is heritage listed.
<img src="/images/stories/huntershotel1.jpg">
Agent Bradlee Martin from Roberts Licenced Properties Hobart is looking for between $170,000 and $200,000 for the property.
O’Malley was a pioneer of Labor tradition and had a strong relationship with the miners of Queenstown.
He moved to Tasmania in 1900.
His parliamentary career had a major impact on property being behind the push that explains the ACT leasehold situation.
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Tasmanian Queenstown’s Hunters Hotel – site of King O’Malley’s campaigning speeches – on the market

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Fitzroy’s music venue The Night Cat will live on after selling for $4.63 million at auction yesterday.
The venue was saved from being turned into a Reese Plumbing shop after neighbouring property owner Andrew Demetriou outbid developers for the site.<img src="/images/stories/nightcat1.jpg">
Reese’s Plumbing was reportedly hoping to set up an owner-occupier shop in the premises, but Demetriou (not the AFL boss) outbid the company.
“It was the most vicious battle I’ve ever seen at an auction,” says Night Cat operator Max Bella.
“It was the most stressful thing. Thank God Andrew had balls of steel.”
Bella says he will be signing a new lease with Demetriou soon.
<img src="/images/stories/nightcat2.jpg">
“He wants to keep The Night Cat as The Night Cat. Isn’t that a beautiful thing? Culture remains in Fitzroy.”
“It’s the best news for live music in Fitzroy for a long time. We haven’t stopped partying,” Bella says.
“Who could ever want to put a plumbing display shop there, oh God.”
Colliers agent Jeremy Gruzewski says both he and Bella were happy with the auction result.
“It was a strong auction. It was bought by a neighbouring property owner. He’s increasing his portfolio in Fitzroy.”
“Max was yelling and cheering, popping the Moet champagne. He was very thrilled.
“The Night Cat lives on.”
<img src="/images/stories/nightcat3.jpg">
Agents had been expecting $3.2 million plus for the property.
The Night Cat currently pays annual rent of $195,000, with a fixed 4% increase due February 2013 taking the passing rental to $202,772.48 per year net.
The current lease expires on January 2014.
 
 
 
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Fitzroy's Night Cat lands on its feet and sells to neighbour at auction

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Until <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/developments/lend-leases-docklands-project-forte-will-be-worlds-tallest-residential-timber-building/2012052554840">Lend Lease's Docklands project Forté is completed, </a>London currently holds the record for the world’s tallest timber residential building with Waugh Thistleton's nine-storey Stadthaus (pictured below).
The building took just 49 weeks to complete, with the basic structure taking just nine weeks.
Some 265 trees were used in its construction. It houses 29 apartments and a ground-floor office.
<img src="/images/stories/stadhaus.jpg">
Photo courtesy of Waugh Thistleton
One building perhaps not counted among official records was Russian gangster Nikolai Sutyagin's DIY creation (pictured below). He cobbled together 13 storeys to build a reported 43-metre ramshackle house in Arkhangelsk. Unfortunately it was partially torn down in 2009 and the remaining structure burnt down earlier this month.
<img src="/images/stories/russian.jpg">
Arkhangelsk wooden mansion. Photo courtesy of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.flickr.com/">Flickr</a>
And it seems Melbourne isn’t the only city to reach for the canopy.
Vancouver has mooted plans for a 30-storey wooden tower aptly titled Tall Wood Tower. Michael Green Architecture designed the tower.
<img src="/images/stories/tallwood.jpg">
Tall Wood Tower. Photo courtesy of Michael Green Architecture
Dornbirn in Austria may soon be home to a 20-30 storey mixed used wooden tower called the LifeCycle Tower, designed by Creative Renewable Energy and Efficiency.
<img src="/images/stories/lifecycle.jpg" width="470">
LifeCycle Tower. Photo courtesy of CREE
And Kirkenes in Norway will join the game too, with plans approved to build the 20-storey Barentshouse Kirkenes.
<img src="/images/stories/barents.jpg" width="470">
Barentshouse Kirkenes. Photo courtesy of Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter
Building things entirely out of wood isn’t a new concept, either. Considered the tallest wooden structure in Europe, Northern Transylvania’s 56-metre Barsana Monastery was built in 1720.
<img src="/images/stories/monastery.jpg">
 
Barsana Monastery. Photo by Brandon Atkinson, courtesy of <a href="https://www.flickr.com/" target="_blank">Flickr</a>
The tallest wooden structure still standing is a radio tower in Gliwice Poland built in 1935. It stands at 118 metres. It’s still not as tall as the tallest wooden tower ever built though. The 1933-built Mühlacker Transmission Tower in Germany once stood at 190 metre before it was destroyed in 1945.
<img src="/images/stories/radiotower.jpg">
Gliwice tower. Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland
 
 
{module Would you buy an apartment in a timber building?} 
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Seeing the wood for the buildings: Telling tall timber tales around the world

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/consolidated-properties">Consolidated Properties Group</a> (CPG) is approaching the launch of its latest Brisbane riverfront development, Castile, on the dress circle Skyring Terrace in Newstead.

VIP buyers are now being engaged, with a full public sales launch coming later this year.

Positioned as the final opportunity to secure a new absolute riverfront residence on the East bank of Newstead, Teneriffe or New Farm, Castile at 47 Skyring Terrace has been designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/woods-bagot">Woods Bagot</a> as a timeless addition to the Brisbane skyline.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150489 project_image_fid=371113]

The name Castile draws on themes of permanence, sophistication and legacy, reflecting a broader vision centred on enduring architecture and timelessness in the rarest of riverfront positions.&nbsp;

CPG Chairman and CEO Don O’Rorke said the project had been envisioned as a future Brisbane icon.&nbsp;

“With 47 metres of direct river frontage and never to be built out views, 47 Skyring Terrace is the definitive address on the Brisbane River,” O’Rorke said.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150489 project_image_fid=371114]

“Rather than following trend-based apartment design, Castile draws inspiration from Brisbane’s great heritage buildings, reinterpreting classical architecture into a contemporary riverfront landmark designed to stand proudly for the next 100 years,” he said.&nbsp;

The approved development will comprise 227 apartments across a 25-storey tower alongside a boutique six-storey riverfront building of just 12 residences.&nbsp;

Construction is scheduled to commence in September 2026.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150489]

Joel Robinson

CPG unveils Castile Newstead ahead of upcoming sales launch

Australia’s online shopping habits have shifted dramatically over the last decade. As eCommerce volumes surged, so too did the frustrations that came with traditional parcel delivery: missed deliveries, long Post Office queues, parcel theft and the challenge of being home during business hours.

Australia Post’s Parcel Lockers emerged as one of the more practical responses to that changing consumer behaviour.

What started as a relatively niche delivery option has evolved into a nationwide network of more than 1,400 self-service Parcel Lockers positioned at train stations, shopping centres, supermarkets and Post Offices across the country. The system allows Australians to send, collect and return parcels 24 hours a day, fundamentally changing how many people interact with deliveries.

The appeal is relatively straightforward: flexibility.

Instead of waiting at home for a delivery driver or rushing to a Post Office before closing time, users can direct eligible parcels to a Parcel Locker location of their choice. Once the parcel arrives, Australia Post sends a notification with a collection code or QR access through the AusPost app, allowing customers to retrieve their package at any time within the collection window.

For apartment residents in particular, the system has become increasingly valuable.

Higher-density living has created logistical challenges around deliveries, especially in buildings without concierge services or secure parcel rooms. Missed deliveries are common, while parcel theft has become an increasing concern as online shopping volumes continue to rise.

Australia Post itself has repeatedly highlighted the growing issue of “porch pirates” during peak shopping periods, encouraging customers to use Parcel Lockers as a safer alternative to unattended home deliveries.

That security aspect is one of the key reasons the Australia Post Parcel Locker network has grown so rapidly.

Parcel Lockers are positioned as secure, monitored collection points that reduce the risk of theft while also improving delivery efficiency for Australia Post. Instead of multiple redelivery attempts, parcels can be consolidated into a single secure destination.

The Parcel Lockers themselves are free to use through a MyPost account and support a range of parcel sizes up to 16 kilograms and dimensions of approximately 35 x 44 x 61 centimetres.

Beyond receiving parcels, the system has increasingly become integrated into the broader eCommerce ecosystem.

Customers can now use Parcel Lockers to return online purchases, while retailers have embraced the model as a way to improve delivery success rates and reduce friction in the shopping process. Australia Post has actively expanded partnerships with major retailers and promoted Parcel Lockers as part of a broader out-of-home strategy.

The timing of that expansion aligns with broader changes in Australian shopping behaviour.

The acceleration of online retail during and after the pandemic placed enormous pressure on delivery infrastructure. Parcel volumes reached record highs, particularly during Black Friday and Christmas periods, with Australia Post delivering more than 100 million parcels during peak festive seasons.

That growth forced logistics providers to rethink the “last mile” of delivery, widely regarded as the most expensive and operationally difficult stage of the process.

Parcel Locker systems have increasingly been viewed as part of the long-term solution.

The concept itself is not unique to Australia. Parcel Locker networks have become common globally, particularly across Europe and Asia, where dense urban environments and apartment living create similar logistical challenges. But Australia’s geography and suburban sprawl made adoption slower initially.

Now, however, the convenience factor is driving mainstream usage.

For commuters, Parcel Lockers near train stations allow parcels to be collected on the way home from work. For apartment dwellers, they remove the uncertainty around access and missed deliveries.

The rise of the AusPost app has also streamlined the experience, centralising notifications, tracking and Parcel Locker access into a single platform. Australia Post has increasingly pushed customers toward app-based delivery management, partly as a way to combat phishing scams and fake delivery notifications, which have become more sophisticated in recent years.

The Parcel Locker model is also beginning to influence property development itself.

Parcel management has become a growing consideration in apartment building design, particularly as online shopping becomes embedded in everyday life. Many new residential developments are now incorporating dedicated parcel rooms or Parcel Locker systems into foyers and communal spaces.

For developers, parcel management is increasingly viewed as part of the broader resident amenity offering, alongside gyms, wellness spaces and communal work areas.

That reflects a wider evolution in how residential buildings are designed.

Apartment buyers are placing greater emphasis on convenience, security and operational functionality, particularly in higher-density urban environments. Parcel delivery, once considered a minor operational detail, has become an increasingly important part of that equation.

Australia Post’s Parcel Locker network sits at the centre of that behavioural shift.

What began as a simple alternative delivery option has evolved into a key piece of infrastructure supporting Australia’s growing eCommerce economy and changing urban lifestyles.

And as online shopping continues to expand, the role of Parcel Lockers is likely to become even more embedded in how Australians live, shop and receive goods.

How Australia Post Parcel Lockers changed parcel delivery convenience in Australia

Perth’s new apartment market recorded its strongest quarter of sales since Q4 2021, with 412 apartments sold in Q1 2026 and a record quarterly sold value of $537 million, according to Urbis’ latest Apartment Essentials results.

Urbis said the March quarter result reflects strong, highly product‑specific demand across both ends of the market, from more attainable projects delivering at scale, through to premium stock being absorbed by equity‑rich downsizers.&nbsp;

David Cresp, Partner at Urbis, said the key story in Perth is not demand, it is the market’s ability to convert demand into delivered housing.&nbsp;

“This is the strongest sales quarter since Q4 2021, and it reinforces that demand in Perth is real and it’s local,” David Cresp said. “But the task now is delivery, turning that demand into projects that can actually be built and completed.”&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=110291 project_image_fid=302785]

<h2>Affordable product leads, premium demand remains resilient</h2>

Sales in Q1 were led by more affordable projects, with The Boulevard (SKS Group) recording 115 sales in the quarter, the presentation noting this is only the second time a single project has surpassed 100 quarterly sales. The project was able to offer more affordable housing product right next to a train station.&nbsp;

Palmyra West (Finbar) also delivered strong results with 28 sales in Q1, following 84 sales in Q4, with an average price of under $800,000, underscoring depth of demand for well‑located, attainable new stock.&nbsp;

At the premium end, Urbis said downsizer demand is continuing, with the results highlighting Romeo (Applecross, Finbar) recording 75 sales and reaching almost 50% sold in one quarter.

Jual (Shenton Park, Celsius Property) also posted a strong quarter with 28 sales, reaching 39% sold in one quarter.

Urbis noted that Perth apartment demand is not speculative, not investor‑led, and not uniform, describing it as localised, often equity‑driven and highly product‑specific, a pattern reflected in the polarisation between strong “attainable” performers and premium downsizer product.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=148957 project_image_fid=364102]

<h2>Prices underpinned by costs, and the delivery risk is growing</h2>

Urbis said pricing pressure is cost not demand‑driven: construction costs and delivery risk are now a central constraint, with the results noting build costs remain elevated and volatile, and that energy, fuel and labour uncertainty weigh on feasibility.

David Cresp said a growing challenge for private Build‑to‑Sell developers is simply securing a builder in the current environment.

“Developers are really feeling the pressure from a building market that was operating at capacity and securing a builder is challenging,” David Cresp said, adding that even where a builder can be secured, “trying to get to the price that makes the development financially viable is incredibly challenging in the current market.”&nbsp;

Urbis’ broader WA commentary also notes that industry remains at or above capacity with lot and housing creation, and that many builders are limiting new sales to manage stretched workforces and fixed‑price contract pressures, conditions that flow directly into apartment feasibility and delivery timing.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108869 project_image_fid=317905]

<h2>Supply: improving later, but still constrained, and Perth lags eastern benchmarks</h2>

While near‑term supply remains constrained, Urbis’ forecast shows completions lifting “Supply is forecast to be back above 1,500 apartments per annum for the first time since 2019”, with 1,775 completions forecast for 2026, and volumes remaining above that level over the following years.&nbsp;

Looking further ahead, completions are forecast to reach 2,500 in 2028, with the report noting 32% of that total is social/affordable, reflecting the role of government‑supported delivery in rebuilding the pipeline.&nbsp;

However, Urbis said Perth remains behind comparable markets on pipeline scale. In a national comparison of projects under construction, the report shows under construction Perth Build‑to‑Sell (BTS) at 3,446 apartments versus the Gold Coast at 7,922. Mr Cresp said “The challenge for Perth is how to we grow the delivery pipeline”.

Urbis’ conclusion is that Perth’s market is increasingly defined by product discipline and delivery certainty, with the research identifying “delivery certainty is key” and calling out builder risk and procurement models as core success factors, alongside “timing and staging”.&nbsp;

Perth apartment sales hit strongest pace since late 2021 as builder capacity tightens

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sammut-developments">Sammut Group</a> has secured development approval for its latest Brisbane apartment project, marking the Sydney developer’s next step in expanding its Queensland pipeline following the success of its debut Gold Coast development, Coast.

The approved project at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/44-glen-road-toowong-qld-4066">44 Glen Road, </a><a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/toowong-qld-4066">Toowong</a> will deliver a 15-storey riverfront apartment building with 42 residences, significantly increasing the scale of the site’s previous approval for a smaller luxury scheme. Designed by Bureau^proberts, the development will comprise a mix of predominantly four-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments positioned to maximise Brisbane River and city views.

Sammut Director Julian Sammut said the group had been actively searching Brisbane for several years before identifying Toowong as the right fit.

“Brisbane was the right step for Sammut,” Sammut said.

“With the success of Coast we thought we should definitely look to do more in Queensland alone. We then pushed up to look at Brisbane. We've been looking for I'd say two to three years actually and it was hard to find the right location.”

<img alt="Sammut makes Brisbane apartment play" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/f_auto,c_limit,w_1440,q_75/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/field/image/Screenshot%202025-12-23%20at%203.27.14%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=dYAVIL7qdcGA8ojvkslSrLjczXFejSSx" />

Sammut said suburbs including New Farm and Teneriffe were considered before the group ultimately focused on Toowong due to its strong downsizer demographic and limited supply of developable riverfront land.

The site was acquired off-market after what Sammut described as a lengthy negotiation and planning process, with the developer pursuing an uplift to the original approval.

“We are DA approved now which is very exciting,” Sammut said.

“We've had our change approval come through and we've obviously doubled the height, 15 storeys plus rooftop. We've got 42 amazing apartments that are going to be coming to market soon.”

<img alt="Sammut makes Brisbane apartment play" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,dpr_2.0,q_auto:good/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-12-23%20at%203.27.26%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=ohkRkY0dIZlqdfME2EZePsCQavRiBadE" />

Bureau^proberts said the design responds to Toowong’s evolving urban character, balancing contemporary apartment living with the area’s established residential identity.

“A place where traditional Queensland living has taken place for centuries; Toowong is seeing a shift of contemporary influence, commercial and retail hubs mixed with well-considered residential offerings – all the while maintaining its character and charm,” the architect noted in planning documents submitted to Brisbane City Council.

The architecture practice said the project’s form was shaped by its riverfront setting, flood considerations, neighbouring building scales, and view corridors.

“They said the mix of four and two-bedroom apartments capture the ‘fundamental qualities of Queenslander living,’ translated into the context of a contemporary subtropical building.”

The development sits just off Coronation Drive within walking distance of Toowong’s retail precinct and the upgraded Regatta ferry terminal, while also benefiting from proximity to the incoming green bridge connection to West End. Sammut said the accessibility and amenity offering were central to the site’s appeal.

The approval adds to growing residential activity along the Toowong riverfront, joining nearby projects including Consolidated Properties’ Monarch Residences and Spyre Group’s ARC Residences.

Sammut secures approval for debut Brisbane apartment development in Toowong

Developer Lanevick is heading back into Sydney’s apartment market after focusing more heavily on the luxury townhouse and terrace sector in recent years.

Lanevick, founded and directed by Steve Maroun, is expecting to receive approval in the coming months for a new apartment development in Gladesville, with the aim to launch it to the market later this year.

The 51-apartment project, designed by Studio Johnston, will comprise a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments positioned toward the Hunters Hill downsizer market.

“Traditionally it’s been difficult for people in that market to downsize because there just hasn’t been the right product available,” Maroun said.

“We’re targeting buyers who might have 30 to 40 per cent of their house value sitting in the bank after downsizing.

“They still want good spacious entertaining areas, they still want quality design, but they also want flexibility and the ability to enjoy life a bit more after working hard for a long time.”

The project sits near Boronia Park and within close proximity to the Parramatta River foreshore, an area Maroun says offers more of a Hunters Hill lifestyle than a traditional apartment precinct.

“From a lifestyle perspective, it’s really more Hunters Hill than Gladesville,” Maroun said. “You’re close to the foreshore, close to parklands, and still connected back into the village precinct.”

From level four and above, apartments will capture water views&nbsp;toward Sydney Harbour. Communal amenity will include rooftop entertaining areas, wellness spaces, and a gym tailored toward owner-occupier buyers.

“We’ve really designed these apartments around that buyer coming from the Hunters Hill LGA and what they’re actually looking for in their next chapter.”

The proposed development has also been designed to respond to the changing character of the broader Gladesville town centre, where a growing number of mixed-use and residential proposals are expected to emerge over the coming years.

“Gladesville presented a rare opportunity to deliver a genuinely design-led residential project within an evolving lifestyle precinct, just moments from the growing Gladesville town centre, and we’ve approached the project with a strong focus on architecture, liveability and long-term community value,” Maroun said.

Maroun said Lanevick saw a first-mover advantage within the precinct as planning controls continue to evolve to accommodate greater housing density.

“We think there’s a real opportunity there that hasn’t really been serviced properly yet,” he said.

“There’s going to be a broader evolution of the whole Gladesville village precinct over time, particularly with more activation and mixed-use outcomes.”

The Venus Street proposal will include a commercial and retail component at ground level designed to contribute to that evolving streetscape activation.

“A big part of the thinking was how do you activate that area properly and create more vibrancy and amenity, which is what Hunters Hill has been looking for,” Maroun said.

Lanevick’s focus since 2020 has largely been on smaller-scale luxury townhouse and terrace developments. The developer recently completed Royale Randwick, also designed by Studio Johnston, where prices reached $3.65 million. The project was featured in the UDIA NSW 2026 Professional Development Prospectus and was also named a finalist for Development of the Year.

&nbsp;

Alistair Walsh

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