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Property developer Pacific Investments has created shock and excitement with his ramped-up rethink of the ‘Rozelle Village’ proposal for the Balmain Leagues club site in Rozelle.
The revised proposal, which is double the size of the original plan that was rejected in 2010 because it was considered too big, has prompted outrage from local activists. The Leichhardt mayor Rochelle Porteous labelled it as offensive to the local community.
The redesign, which is on public display for 59 days, is a $300 million project with two residential towers of 25 levels and 32 levels, plus a six-floor commercial hub. The plan for Victoria Road will have more than 300 apartments across 30,000 square metres, retail space on 20,000 square metres plus 7,500 square metres of commercial space. Balmain Leagues Club will be on 3,500 square metres, and parking for 800 cars is included.
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The original plan for a 17-level residential and commercial building was rejected in 2010 by the Joint Regional Planning Panel due to traffic congestion, its size and the effects it would have on local businesses. The Labor state government back then took control of the site, claiming that it was “significant” to the state. Now the NSW Department of Infrastructure and Planning’s Assessment Commission will decide the future of the site after the public display.
Rozelle Village managing director Ian Wright says the redesign was led by community consultation.
“For the nearly two years we had information sessions with interest groups and precinct meetings and found out that people want childcare, a building with green credentials and a supermarket, which we have included. They also wanted us to get rid of the bulky design, so we created a taller more slender design,” Wright says.
There will be public space with laneways for walkers, cyclists and pram pushing as well as an integrated public transport area.
“When the dust settles, I think people will really like it,” Wright says.
 
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Balmain Leagues club site could become megasized Rozelle Village under Pacific Investments plan

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At a time when growth in the residential housing sector is mired by tough lending practices and few affordable housing options, Australand Property Group is flourishing by feeding this hungry market.
“We see our ability to create and deliver new product, at or below the median price point in each of our markets, as a key competitive advantage. Particularly as home buyers are confronted with tighter lending criteria and a lack of new, affordable housing,” managing director Robert Johnston told the company’s AGM.
The group has $8.1 billion worth of residential property under development or management, and it focuses on the important housing markets of Sydney and Melbourne.
“During the year, we acquired two new sites in Sydney. The Clemton Park project in Sydney's inner west was acquired with our partner, LaSalle Investment Management. The first stage of the project sold out following its release in August last year, and we are now pre-selling the second stage. When complete the project will yield over 750 homes,” he says.
Australand is currently rezoning the Ashlar golf course in Sydney’s Blacktown, where it plans to develop 750 homes with prices ranging from $350,000 to $500,000 while in the southern suburbs it launched the Greenhills Beach project last August. It has pre-sold 80 lots for an average price of a tad over $800,000.
In Melbourne, the Burwood project has secured more than 100 sales in 2011. By completion in 2013 it will have 235 dwellings across many price points.
“While market conditions are currently challenging in the residential sector, we believe that our strategic positioning will deliver improved and more consistent returns over the next few years,” Robertson said.
 
 
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Australand buoyed by Melbourne and Sydney affordable residential sales successes 

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Generation Y are savvy and sceptical and make up nearly half of the nation’s first-home buyers, according to QBE Insurance’s mortgage report.
The LMI Barometer found that 45% of the first-home buyers it surveyed are under 30 years old, and many borrow money family to help them onto the property ladder. In fact, 20% of this group lives at home while saving, which is up from 18% last year.
While dedicated saving is how 91% of first-time buyers gather their deposits, one in 10 confess to raising money through loans from parents. Indeed, 20% of this group has a guarantor for their loan – usually their parents.
The LMI Barometer found that 41% of first-home buyers have a household income of between $100,000 and $200,000. As a sector, they are also motivated to lenders with low deposit requirements.
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“The average deposit for first home buyer respondents is $60,821, which takes 4.7 years to save and is well below the overall average deposit of $101,767,” the study found.
They are also more pessimistic than other groups, and 83% consider property to be overvalued, which includes 50% who think prices are ‘significantly overvalued’.
But the cynicism does not dampen enthusiasm to spend, with 44% of this group aiming to have bought a property in 12 months. On average Gen Y first-home buyers will borrow $372,259. On their way to that purchase, they do better research and rely on external advice more than other market segments surveyed.
More than half of the first-time buyers’ respondents believe that property prices will be stable or higher in 2012, which is down from the 73% who believed the same in 2011.
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“First-home buyers have a fairly bullish outlook on property over the medium term, with 52% agreeing property prices will increase strongly over the next three years. This is ahead of the national average of 42%,” the report says.
Possibly due to fears about rising property prices, 39% of this group thinks it is more important to enter the market now rather than save for a bigger deposit.
 
 
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Gen Y first-home buyers pessimistic about house prices but eager to get into the market: QBE LMI survey

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The introduction of Sunday trading in Western Australia was one of the prompts that triggered Charter Hall's purchase of the Wanneroo Central shopping centre.
The Charter Hall Retail Partnership has announced it has executed a contract to buy the shopping centre which will have an initial 8% yield.
Acting Charter Hall chief executive Scott Dundas saysthere were several reasons for the purchase.

“With a robust forecast population growth of 4.7% in its main trade area, dominant supermarket anchor tenants and the introduction of Sunday trading across Western Australia, Wanneroo Central is expected to contribute stable long term returns and will be a high quality addition to the REIT’s non-discretionary portfolio of shopping centres,” he told the local press.

Sunday retailing is set to start in Western Australia, with the roll-out in metropolitan areas beginning in August. The major supermarkets and department stores such as David Jones, Target, Harvey Norman, IKEA , Coles and Woolworths will be allowed to trade between 11am and 5pm. Smaller operators are free to open 24/7.
The industry appears split about the impact on landlords and tenants.
CBRE senior director of retail Helen Lassam believes deregulation is a win-win for property owners and their tenants.
“Landlords and retailers will immediately benefit from deregulation. More hours gives the public more choice, and I believe it will improve turnover across the board, just as it did in the eastern states. This will immediately flow into higher rents,” says Lassam.
In Western Australia, anchor tenants and increasingly speciality shops pay a small base rent plus a percentage of turnover.
Lassam says deregulation will create a better market to attract large eastern states-based high street operators that have previously been cautious about entering the Perth market.
“Improved turnover and stronger rents makes an attractive a market for investors too,” Lassam says.
However, Perth-based valuer Matt Garmony is not convinced and says that rents may, in fact, come down. In recent years many retail investors that have been exposed to high vacancy rates and financially troubled tenants.
“Sunday trading really does increase the cost of running a business, so I think it’s likely to not be very profitable. Many shops will not bother to open. Currently the IGA supermarkets that trade on Sunday make most of their money on that day. With this deregulation they will have to compete with Coles and Woolworths, which will affect their viability and subsequently bring rents down,” he says.
The deregulation has also put an end to the exclusive Sunday trading hours in the tourist centres of Perth’s CBD, Fremantle, Midland, Armadale and Joondalup at the expense of suburban and regional retails.
CBRE Perth managing director Peter Agostino says that shoppers flock to the Perth CBD every Sunday because there are few other places to go.
“Trade in the Perth CBD will suffer because for more than a dozen years it has thrived on the benefits of seven-day trading. I expect fewer people will go into the city to spend, resulting in falling turnover and less rent,” he warns.
However, the rapidly burgeoning residential community living and being developed in the CBD is expected to eventually prop up the retail sector there.
According to the most recent Savills research, in the Hay Street Mall in the Perth CBD, net rents range from $2,200 to $4,900 per square metre with yields between 7.25% and 8.5%.
In other CBD locations rents range between $650 and $2,500 with yields between 7.5% and 9%.
Major stores in Perth neighbourhood shopping centres pay net rents of between $135 and $155 per square metre while speciality tenants pay rents of between $400 and $750 per square metre. Yield range between 8.25% and 9%.
A research report compiled by CBRE for the fourth quarter of 2011 described the planned move to allow Sunday trading in some Perth suburbs as one of the “obstacles” facing the retail market.
The CBRE report says the market was subdued in 2011 but the outlook is optimistic as economic forecasts and growth prospects remain bright.
However it notes that retail is one of the sectors that has not felt the benefits of the investment spending in the resources industry to the same extent as other property sectors because demand is driven by the domestic side of the economy and dependent on consumer confidence.
 
 
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Investors scour WA retail as extended trading hours looms, but some retailers don’t like Sundays

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Peppers Guest House – the Hunter Valley retreat – has been listed for sale.
Set on 16 hectares of landscaped grounds in Pokolbin, the retreat has 47 guest rooms with a nightly rate of $350 and a four-bedroom homestead, which has a rack rate of $1,400 a night.
All of the luxuries associated with the five-star operation are on-site, including the Endota day spa and the Sanctuary Restaurant.
Sydney-based investors Matt Williams and Paul O’Rourke, through holding company Mattrow Pty Ltd, bought the property in 2007, which was part of a package that included the nearby Peppers Convent.
The partnership, which also holds the lease over Pokolbin’s Mercure resort on Broke Road, sold the Convent to Ken Cowley in 2010. However, it is understood the investors will retain the Mercure lease.
Peppers Guest House was a created in 1984 by power couple Mike and Suzi O’Connor, who set out to establish a venue dedicated to fine food and wine at a time when sophisticated weekend breaks were a new concept. The venture was to become the first property in the Peppers Group, which now has 28 upscale resorts throughout Australia and New Zealand. The brand is now part of the Surfers Paradise-based Mantra Group, which takes a strong management role in its more recently acquired properties. Millionaires Mike and Suzi O’Connor are no longer involved in the business.
CBRE Hotel selling agent Rob Cross says the demand for mid-range investment property is healthy in the Hunter Valley.
“Investments priced between $5 and $20 million attract high-net-worth locals in The Hunter as well as a few emotional buyers,” he says.
Expressions of interest for the property, which is being offered with Peppers management in place, close on May 31.
 
 
 
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Peppers Guest House Hunter Valley at Pokolbin listed for sale

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Marsala House, the fabulous Brutalist Iwan Iwanov-designed Perth house that is the youngest property to be enshrined on the Western Australian heritage list, has been listed for sale.
Owners Mark Etherton and Christopher Beer bought the then deteriorating house in 2005 for $725,000 and embarked on a massive restoration project. The result quickly re-established Marsala House as one of Iwanov’s most idiosyncratic explorations of Australia’s late 20th-century Brutalist style, a movement that includes iconic Canberra buildings including the High Court of Australia and the Australian National Gallery.
Known locally in Dianella as the Disco House, its won a WA Heritage Award for outstanding conservation of a residential building.
“There is a richness to the brutalist style,” says Etherton. “The way the light plays on it and the texture that is revealed in the harsh Australian sun that makes this house so special to live in.”
Built in 1976 for the Marsala family, the project pushed the boundaries of concrete block contemporary design while the inside was heavily influenced by Las Vegas overstatement.
Now the interior is a wonderful tribute to groovy 1970s style.
The three bathrooms are tiled with Bisassa mosaics while the formal dining room has a full bar with backlighting in the cabinets, and the “disco” room remains a bizarre but chic nod to its era. A kidney-shaped pool graces the back garden.
It is expected that house will sell through listing agent Paul Tonich of Altitude Real Estate for about $2 million.
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Perth’s Iwan Iwanov-designed Brutalist Marsala House listed for sale

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Releasing crown land for residential development and fast tracking housing projects are two priorities should Labor win the WA state election next year.

Opposition leader Mark McGowan told an Urban Design Institute of Australia conference that housing must meet the demands of mining.
"It has been a tough couple of years for residential development with the prices of building blocks falling throughout Western Australia," he said.
"The market indicators suggest that it should not be like this but picture is pretty bleak."
McGowan a Labor government would conduct a major audit of crown land, with plans to quickly release it for housing.
He said he would reform local government to enable an easier building application process as well as fast tracking residential development in high demand areas, with high-density residential also on the agenda.
"Our average income in WA is $1530 a week, which is significantly above the national average, so the market should not be this way," he said.
"Housing must keep up with the demands of the resources industry."
He said he expects land prices to double in the next 10 years because of the cost of sand for land infill and Perth's restrictive water table.
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WA Government should release crown land for residential development: Opposition

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Midland Brick heiress Marilyn New has secured a $90 million buyer for The Esplanade Hotel in Fremantle, Western Australia.
The 4.5-star hotel, which has 300-rooms, was bought by Ascendas – the Singaporean property fund that last year paid $327 million for Mirvac’s hotel portfolio, operated by French management group Accor.
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New bought The Esplanade Hotel in Fremantle for $12.27 million in 1991, and she extensively refurbished it, doubled the number of rooms to 300 and created Perth’s third largest conference centre.
The Perth hotel accommodation sector has been the subject of renewed interest given its high occupancy of a steady 90% on weeknights and its ability to charge huge amounts for a room.
Despite this interest, New’s Esplanade River Suites in the Perth suburb of Como remains unsold.  It was listed with the landmark Fremantle hotel through estate agency Jones Lang LaSalle in for a combined $120 million.
New also owns the dilapidated but heritage-listed Woolstores building by Fremantle’s Victoria Quay, where there is talk that it could be renovated into a funky boutique hotel despite the previous push to raze the historic structure.
 
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Marilyn New sells Fremantle’s Esplanade Hotel for $90 million

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Missoni Home is set to create an iconic Manila residential tower.
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The 52-level Acqua Livingstone tower will be the fourth building in Century Properties’ US$316 million (A$302 million) six-tower Aqua Private Residences project in the Philippine capital.
“Bold colours and energetic forms in the lobbies, hallways and elevators will be accentuated by equally arresting furniture,” says Century managing director Marco Antonio.
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The multi-level amenity area called The Canopy is on the sky deck.
The Canopy’s lower level will have function rooms, a business centre, an indoor and outdoor gym, spa, a library and salon.
The upper level is social space with an amphitheatre, lounge, DJ booth and dance floor and pool bar.
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An organic wire-mesh tree will climb into a mezzanine dining area, and floating lights, patterned surfaces and Missoni shapes, will decorate the landscape.
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The tower will have 645 apartments ranging in size from 27 square metres to 140 square metres with price tags between US$82,000 and US$613,000 and penthouses for more than US$1million.
“Our brand is an experience of happiness, excitement, beauty, creativity, style and elegance. We are inspired by the seasons of nature and we play with colour because life is more beautiful with colour,” says Missoni’s Vittorio Missoni.
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Missoni to build 52-storey Manila tower with bold colours and shapes

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Melbourne’s chic inner-city residential project The Garden House has collected the prestigious President’s Award at the Urban Development Institute of Australia’s National Awards in Perth.
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The collaboration between Piccolo Developments, architect Woods Bagot and interior designer Hecker Guthrie produced a $50 million, 49-residence project that sold out within two weeks of its launch late last year for between $500,000 and $5 million per unit. Since then one apartment has been listed for resale for $975,000 but it was withdrawn. The same unit was relisted this month for $900,000 and remains available.
It is the second major award for the project, which recently won the Victorian chapter of the UDIA’s Medium-Density Development Award. The building was completed late last year.
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On the corner of Queensberry and Rathdowne streets, Carlton, the building has a mix of townhouses and apartments across five levels – including three terraces with private courtyard – overlooking Carlton Gardens and the World Heritage-listed Exhibition Building.
According to Woods Bagot design director Nik Karalis, the aim was to create a property influenced by Renaissance palazzos and make great use of the character of Carlton and its tall trees.
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The Garden House’s top floors are finished in zinc reflecting European attic architecture.
“The Royal Exhibition Building and adjoining Carlton Gardens set a beautiful 19th-century European backdrop for the project, which demanded attention to detail. Our approach to the design was to capture a slice of tree canopy into each apartment. The inspiration for the final form of the building was to preserve the important vistas,” Karalis says.
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The Garden House is the flagship project for the Piccolo family, which is a mother-and-son team led by Mima Piccolo.
Michael Piccolo says that Carlton is an area rich in historical significance and deserves great Australian design talent.
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“Our vision for The Garden House was to exceed our customers’ expectations and deliver a superior lifestyle experience,” says Michael.
The interiors produced by Hecker Guthrie have bespoke fixtures and curved walls, with no two residences the same.
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Melbourne’s chic The Garden House takes out UDIA President’s Award 

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;

Joel Robinson

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.”

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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.”

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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;

Lanevick to cater for Hunters Hill downsizers with new Gladesville apartment development

Property developer One Living, backed by former Macquarie banker turned investment manager Chris Green’s investment firm, has unveiled plans to bring more institutional capital into housing to help address the national supply crisis.

The New York-based investor has focused his firm, GreenPoint Partners, on addressing the supply shortage hitting middle market housing in Australia.

It is backing the new One Living business to develop more than 1000 units along the eastern seaboard. The new firm is starting with a development on Mona Vale Road, on the border of Mona Vale and Pymble, in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, with around 140 apartments planned. They are eyeing off more sites across the city.

With cost pressures rising in the industry, One Living’s model is to be a vertically integrated developer-builder, so it can respond directly to the housing gap by removing the cost inefficiencies embedded in traditional residential delivery.

“We are building a platform designed to operate at scale and starting in a market where there’s a clear need for quality, attainable housing,” One Living joint managing director Joseph Scuderi said.

“It’s that missing middle – it’s that attainable end of housing… that’s what most Australians invest into and what Australians can actually afford.”

<img alt="Mona Vale" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="798dfa93-4941-4db6-a696-31e9dc18e81c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%202.31.50%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=mKBqi5C_DmeiXS.AtJkcR8LQIxqCqmFi" />

GreenPoint Partners brings years of experience assembling and scaling real estate operating businesses across major markets. And Green sees a big opportunity in Australia.

“For its size, sophistication and importance to the community, Australia’s living sector has remained largely under-institutionalised, which represents significant opportunity,” Green said. “GreenPoint identified that gap, assembled the right team, and is backing One Living to build a platform that is aligned to market needs.”

Green said being a builder-developer would give the company the capacity and flexibility it required to deliver reasonably-priced homes.

“We want it to be at that attainable level; not super high end luxury but at that attainable level,” he said.

<img alt="Mona Vale" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="74a5344a-4b26-4d4a-ada3-056b1220be77" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%202.32.15%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=vY8hXHO4reBMdO8ZXMWCNtGZJofUPQ3j" />

&nbsp;

One Living will undertake a component of affordable housing in its schemes, which it will own and operate, and it could also run build-to-rent on some sites.

Green praised local policy settings.

“The NSW government is being very supportive, strategic and pragmatic in terms of how do we generate more supply of housing,” he said. “We think it’s actually positive for development and the bit that’s been lacking at that attainable level is that it’s lots of relatively small private developers, whereas we want to create an institutional platform.”

One Living is also&nbsp;looking at high-density projects and could take on more institutional funding in the future.

“The way we will be able to achieve economies of scale is through size,” Green added.

One Living enters Sydney's new apartment market with Northern Beaches site acquisition

It's been several years since there's been an opportunity to buy a brand new townhome in Melbourne's coastal suburb of Mordialloc. Even apartment developments in recent times have been few and far between in the area.

Local developer LDS Property identified the gap in new housing, securing a site on White Street, directly opposite&nbsp;Woodlands Golf Club Mordialloc. They've recently launched&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-townhouses/wm-residences-mordialloc-102-white-street-mordialloc-vic-3195">WM Residences</a>, just 13 townhouses which they have already started building.

Projects by Buxton Director Heath Thompson, who is selling WM Residences, says the townhouses x that perfect middle ground be

"Mordialloc residents have had limited options to downsize within the suburb, often forcing them to look elsewhere despite long-standing ties to the area," Thompson says.

"With very little comparable new supply coming to market, projects like WM Residences are well placed, particularly as buyers look to capitalise on current conditions amid constrained supply."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6109]

The development, designed by regarded architecture firm&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/ewert-leaf">Ewert Leaf</a>,&nbsp;adopts a deliberately restrained architectural approach, focusing on simplicity, durability and liveability rather than overt design gestures.

The boutique scale is central to the offering. With only 13 three-bedroom residences, each home is configured to prioritise functional layouts and everyday use, supported by private terraces and secure two-car garages.

Ewert Leaf’s design response leans into a calm, neutral material palette. Interiors are defined by oak flooring, white walls and soft finishes, creating a consistent and understated backdrop. The approach avoids trend-driven detailing in favour of longevity, with an emphasis on natural light and spatial clarity.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6110]

Beyond aesthetics, the homes are designed to meet contemporary performance expectations. Each residence targets a minimum 6-star energy rating, incorporating double glazing, comprehensive insulation and all-electric Bosch appliances.

The project’s location supports a walkable coastal lifestyle, sitting within close proximity to Mordialloc’s foreshore, Main Street retail strip and the train station. Local cafés and dining venues, including Suburbia Deli and Hendriks Café, are within a short walk, reinforcing the area’s established neighbourhood character.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6116]

While <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/mordialloc-vic-3195">Mordialloc</a> is often defined by its beach and pier, the project taps into other areas of day to day living, offering easy access to local food, casual dining and transport, rather than positioning itself purely as a lifestyle retreat.

WM Residences reflects a continued trend across Melbourne’s coastal suburbs towards smaller-scale, design-led townhouse developments, particularly on infill sites where proximity to amenity is already established.

With construction commenced prior to its market entry, the project aligns with a growing preference among buyers for developments with visible progress and defined delivery timeframes.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=134646]

Andrea Dixon

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