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Sydney and Perth home values have performed the best over the year, according to RP Data's new weekly index. Sydney and Perth home prices are up 3% compared with this time last year, but Melbourne and Adelaide values have both fallen 1.3%.
In addition to its long-running <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/rp-data-rismark-march-1-daily-index/2012030153640?utm_source=po&amp;utm_medium=aida&amp;utm_campaign=rpdata-rismarkdailyindex" target="_blank">daily home value index</a>, RP Data is now measuring the performance of homes in capital cities each week. Like the daily index, the weekly index is hedonic and is calculated across properties that have been advertised for sale over the past 28 days.
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Over the week, Melbourne was the best-performing capital, with home values up 0.5%, according to RP Data. The worst-performing capital was Perth, with a fall of 0.7% in home values.
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Sydney and Perth best-performing major capitals for the year: RP Data weekly index

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Australian property vendors have been raising their asking prices for the first two months of the year, a sure sign that property prices are also set to rise, according to SQM Research.
In announcing its new Weekly Vendor Sentiment Index, SQM Research notes that asking prices have risen an average of 0.4% for units and 1.5% for houses since the beginning of January.
“A rise in asking prices suggests home sellers are becoming more confident of market conditions and that buyers are bidding more aggressively for real estate that is been offered at fair market value,” says SQM director Louis Christopher.
SQM’s new vendor sentiment index points out that a rise in vendor price expectations correlates with a corresponding rise in property prices.
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SQM notes that thus far there has been a been 0.97% correlation between the vendor sentiment index and ABS property prices.
The sentiment index guages the sentiments of vendors of all houses, three-bedroom houses, all units and two-bedroom units. SQM plans to break down the data on a national, capital city, regional and postcode basis.
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Vendor sentiment index rising: SQM Research

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Hobart vendors are forced to offer the deepest discounts in order to secure sales, according to RP Data. Hobart houses are selling for an average of 11.9% less than the vendor's original price hopes, and units are selling for an average of 9.9% less.
These are significantly deeper discounts than the next most discounted capital, Brisbane, where house vendors offered discounts of 7.9% and unit vendors sold at 6% less than their original price hopes for the week ending February 24.
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The rate of vendor discounting is the average percentage difference between the original listing price and the final selling price.
The statistics are calculated across results received by RP Data over the past week and include properties transacted over the past four weeks.
The data is based on private treaty sales only and records without a valid sale price have been excluded from the vendor discount analysis. The analysis also excludes results where there are less than 10 observations.
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Hobart vendors discounting the most to secure sales: RP Data

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There were 1,076 sales in Perth this week, up 64% from 656 the same week last year, according to the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia. 
The most actively traded suburb was Perth CBD, with 26 sales.
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Perth sales up 64% on same week last year: REIWA

It seems Andrew Winter and his team may have done too thorough a renovation in Wollongong, as the owners decided just before auction to withdraw the property from sale and move back in.

<img alt="newdapto" height="353" src="/images/stories/2013/02/newdapto.jpg" width="470" />

&quot;They did too good a job,&quot; says listing agent Michele Lay of Ray White of the Selling Houses Australia team. &quot;If you see it on Selling Houses Australia you&#39;ll see how beautifully it came up.&quot;

The episode featuring the Wollongong house aired on Wednesday, and the auction was supposed to take place in September last year. The house was on the market for some months last year, says Lay.&nbsp;

The marketing had said &quot;With a realistic vendor and all the hard work done for you; this house MUST BE SOLD&quot;.

A short walk to the Wollongong CBD, the three-bedroom cottage last sold for $185,000 in 1999 and was on the market briefly in 2006, according to RP Data. The Selling Houses Australia team added new&nbsp;paint throughout, new blinds, new doors, new light fittings, new taps and a revamped kitchen and outdoor entertainment area. Lay says it could have attracted a rental of up to $460 per week. In 2009 it was listed for rent for $400 per week.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=31751 project_image_fid=160996]

Lay&nbsp;was marketing the property with price hopes of $399,000 plus.

The median house price in Wollongong fell 9.9% in&nbsp;the past year but rose 10.5% in the past five years, according to RP Data.

For more about prices and yields in&nbsp;<a href="/news">Wollongong, see the&nbsp;RP Data suburb page.</a>

For real-life property lessons from reality TV shows, download our free eBook&nbsp;<a href="http://propertyobserver.com.au/ebooks/free-ebook-lessons-from-the-block-and-other-property-reality-television-shows" target="_blank">Lights, Camera, Auction!</a>

Wollongong vendor decides to move back in after Andrew Winter's work is done

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There is a notable lack of Sydney properties in this week's SQM list of the most discounted properties in Australia.
Sydney may have escaped the recent downturn in the property market and is still showing strong demand, according to SQM director Louis Christopher. 
"If there are certain areas of Australia that never or rarely make it to our most discounted property list, there has obviously got to be a little more than pure luck of the draw when it comes to these things," says Christoper. 
"Yes, we note that of late there has been absolutely no properties from Sydney feature on the list. Beside this possibly being a no-brainer in some respects, as the demand in Sydney often assures that the majority of homes do not need to be discounted by massive amounts to make a sale (excluding the luxury end of the market), this potentially shows that the downturn in Sydney was not as severe or as pronounced in comparison to other Australian localities (once again excluding the luxury end of the market)," he says.
Sydney stock is also being absorbed faster than stock in other areas, according to Christopher, with the number of properties on the market falling 13.1% year-on-year.
There are three Queensland properties on the most discounted list, with the plurality (four) in Tasmania.
 
1
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-tangalooma-104624146">7 Cassidae Crescent, Tangalooma, Queensland, 4025</a> (pictured)
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-livestock-qld-caboolture-7262420"></a>Days on the market: 1,399 Initial asking price: $1,495,000 Current asking price: $875,000 Reduction: 41%
 
2
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-other-tas-taranna-106879142">5756 Arthur Highway, Taranna, Tasmania, 7180</a>
Days on the market: 838 Initial asking price: $499,000 Current asking price: $299,000 Reduction: 40%
 
3
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-livestock-qld-caboolture-7262420">19 Lychee Drive, Caboolture, Queensland, 4510</a>
Days on the market: 979 Initial asking price: $949,000 Current asking price: $586,000 Reduction: 38%
 
4
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-wa-south+perth-110012197" target="_blank">6/152 Mill Point Road, South Perth, WA, 6151</a>
Days on the market: 308 Initial asking price: $2.5 million Current asking price: $1.55 million Reduction: 38%
 
5
<a href="https://www.domain.com.au/Property/For-Sale/Rural/QLD/Morayfield/?adid=2009282451" target="_blank">276 Forest Hills Drive, Morayfield, Queensland, 4506</a>
Days on market: 475 Initial asking price: $790,000 Current asking price: $499,000 Reduction: 37%
 
6
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-two+rocks-106211228">15 Gretel, Two Rocks, WA, 6037</a>
Days on the market: 1,127 Initial asking price: $1.1 million Current asking price: $699,000 Reduction: 36%
 
7
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-tas-white+beach-106479093" target="_blank">588 White Beach Road, White Beach, Tasmania, 7184</a>
Days on the market: 979 Initial asking price: $780,000 Current asking price: $499,000 Reduction: 36%
 
8
<a href="https://www.domain.com.au/Property/For-Sale/House/TAS/Spring-Beach/?adid=2008672031" target="_blank">368 Rheban Road, Spring Beach, Tasmania, 7190</a>
Days on the market: 812 Initial asking price: $760,000 Current asking price: $500,000 Reduction: 34%
 
9
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-vic-docklands-109665546" target="_blank">1601/8 Marmion Place, Docklands, VIC, 3008</a>
Days on the market: 336 Initial asking price: $830,000 Current asking price: $550,000 Reduction: 34%
 
10
<a href="https://www.domain.com.au/Property/For-Sale/House/TAS/Dunalley/?adid=2008215774" target="_blank">87 Arthur Highway, Dunalley, Tasmania, 7177</a>
Days on market: 1,078 Initial asking price: $285,000 Current asking price: $190,000 Reduction: 33%
 
SQM Research also offers a list of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.sqmresearch.com.au/top100bargains.php" title="SQM Research">Top 100 Biggest Bargains in Australia </a>for sale.
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No NSW listings on most discounted list as Queensland home takes top spot: SQM Research

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More than half the property auctions scheduled for this week are in Queensland, with the vast majority to be held outside of Brisbane, especially on the Gold Coast.
Several Gold Coast estate agencies will hold mega auctions this week, with multiple properties going to auction in a single day. The trend began with Ray White and has expanded to other agencies. 
Ray White Surfers Paradise is preparing for its 20th annual summer auction, dubbed The Event – which is now spread over three days, January 27, 30 and 31.
As one of Australia’s largest auctions, The Event will bring more than 100 residential, prestige, industrial and commercial properties as well as land sites and even boats go to auction.
Professionals Broadbeach, Ray White Broadbeach and Professionals Paradise Point <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/queensland/gold-coast-auctions-seek-to-climb-out-of-its-five-year-chasm/2013011758834">all have auctions on January 24</a>, which would explain Queensland's mid-week auction boom. 
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Gold Coast has lion's share of auctions this week as Ray White and others hold mega auction

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Perth sales got off to a faster start in January 2013 than January 2012.
There were 848 residential property sales in Perth the week ending January 16, according to the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia.
This is 43% more than the same week last year, which recorded 592 sales.
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Perth sales activity up 43% on the same week last year: REIWA

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There was a marked decrease in the amount of time it took to sell property in Perth in December 2012 compared with December 2011, according to Australian Property Monitors.
Perth property took an average of 125 days to sell in December 2011, but in December 2012 that number had dropped to 104 days.
The APM report on the number of days on market indicator recorded an increase across 2012 in all other capitals except Canberra, where it remained steady at 78 days.
The biggest increase was in Brisbane, where the number of days on market increased 14%, from 120 days in December 2011 to 137 days in December 2012. 
In the December 2012 month Hobart's rate of sale quickened, but Brisbane fell back noticeably. In December 2012 Sydney's days on market stayed about the same, while in Melbourne it took an average of five days more to sell than in November 2012. 
The latest Darwin December 2012 figure dropped in an unusual way, suggesting it might not yet be considered a permanent realignment. 
 
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Property selling faster in Perth in December 2012 than December 2011

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The number of properties available for sale decreased in every capital city between December 2011 and December 2012, according to SQM Research.
"If this trend continues, it could be possible that the level of unsold homes around the country has reached its peak and may now begin to decline," says SQM Research director Louis Christopher. 
 
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The number of properties on the market in Adelaide in December 2012, according to SQM Research. This is down from 17,286 in December 2011, a decrease of 4.6%.
 
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The number of properties on the market in Brisbane in December 2012, according to SQM Research. This is down from 27,104 in December 2011, a decrease of 6%.
 
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The number of properties on the market in Canberra in December 2012, according to SQM Research. This is down from 3,568 in December 2011, a decrease of 2.4%.
 
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The number of properties on the market in Darwin in December 2012, according to SQM Research. This is down from 1,486 in December 2011, a decrease of 26.9%.
 
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The number of properties on the market in Hobart in December 2012, according to SQM Research. This is down from 4,599 in December 2011, a decrease of 2.1%.
 
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The number of properties on the market in Melbourne in December 2012, according to SQM Research. This is down from 43,682 in December 2011, a decrease of 4.2%.
 
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The number of properties on the market in Perth in December 2012, according to SQM Research. This is down from 19,011 in December 2011, a decrease of 5.8%.
 
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The number of properties on the market in Sydney in December 2012, according to SQM Research. This is down from 32,376 in December 2011, a decrease of 22.9%.
 
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<img src="/images/stories/2013/01/341784.gif">
The number of properties on the market Australia-wide in December 2012, according to SQM Research. This is down from 360,101 in December 2011, a decrease of 5.1%.
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Still 341,784 would-be sellers, but has your capital city shed its property oversupply? A state-by-state SQM analysis

<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.

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Cassidy Knowlton

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