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<img src="/images/stories/2013/01/minus4point4percent.gif">
 
The capital growth for Darwin houses in December, according to RP Data. House prices are up 7.6% for the year to a median price of $550,000. The median house yield is 6.1%.
 
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The capital growth for Sydney houses in December, according to RP Data. House prices are up 1.3% for the year to a median price of $665,000. The median house yield is 4.3%.
 
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The capital growth for Brisbane houses in December, according to RP Data. House prices are down 0.5% for the year to a median price of $440,000. The median house yield is 4.7%.
 
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The capital growth for Adelaide houses in December, according to RP Data. House prices are down 0.8% for the year to a median price of $395,000. The median house yield is 4.3%.
 
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The capital growth for Perth houses in December, according to RP Data. House prices are up 0.6% for the year to a median price of $493,000. The median house yield is 4.5%.
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The capital growth for Melbourne houses in December, according to RP Data. House prices are down 2.9% for the year to a median price of $550000. The median house yield is 3.6%.
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The capital growth for Hobart houses in December, according to RP Data. House prices are down 0.5% for the year to a median price of $325,000. The median house yield is 5.4%.
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Darwin house prices up 7.6% in 2012: An RP Data state-by-state analysis

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8/127-129 Polding Street, Fairfield Heights, NSW, 2165 <img alt="polding" height="353" width="470" src="/images/stories/2012/12/polding.jpg">
There is no pre-Christmas slowdown in the market in Fairfield Heights, according to Ray White agent Graham Ball, who is marketing this three-bedroom house. 
"We're going to be busy right up until Christmas Eve," says Ball.
"The market is buzzing along in our area."
The townhouse is within easy walking distance of Fairfield Heights Shopping Centre and has a bus stop out the front. It is currently leased until April for $460 per week, which Ball says is a great return for the property. He says the tenants are keen to stay on longer if possible. 
Ball <a href="https://www.raywhite.com/nsw/fairfield-heights/889178/" target="_blank">is marketing the property</a> with price hopes of around $350,000, and if it sells for that price, that would secure an investor a gross rental yield of 6.8% at its current rent, well above the gross rental yield for Fairfield Heights houses of 5.1%, according to RP Data. The gross rental yield does not consider the costs of maintaining the property, including council rates and other fees such as water bills and managing agent fees.
<a href="https://calc.washingtonbrown.com.au/wbdcalculator/calculator.aspx?RID=HPCAZOPTTT" target="_blank">Washington Brown</a> estimates the first-year tax depreciation deduction to be $8,000 and over five years to be $28,000.
The median house price in Fairfield Heights rose 0.6% in the past year and rose 30.3% in the past five years, according to RP Data.
For more information about prices and yields in <a target="_blank" href="/news">Fairfield Heights, see the RP Data suburb page.</a>
The property will go to auction on December 22 at noon.
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Friday form guide: Yields of up to 6.8% in the last pre-Christmas auction weekend

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Developer Hamton is adding luxury riverfront homes to the mix of housing currently in the works or built in the inner-Melbourne suburb of Abbotsford, which is becoming something of a development hotspot. 
<img src="/images/stories/2012/12/riverhaven.jpg">
Hamton's Riverfront Terrace Homes at Haven will comprise 15 two-level residences, with nine already sold since the July launch. Two-bedroom homes will start from $820,000, the three-bedroom terraces start from $930,000, and the four-bedroom models start from $1.91 million.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/12/riverhaven2.jpg">
The Hamton project is one of several that were approved before the Victorian government instituted a nine-storey height limit on all new development abutting the Yarra River. 
Hamton joint managing director Paul Hameister says the homes, about five kilometres from the CBD, are affordably priced.
“We wanted to design a series of high-end homes where the natural surrounds were the hero, creating an urban yet quintessentially Australian lifestyle in the heart of Melbourne. Riverfront homes in this location sell for well in excess of $6 million, meaning our low-maintenance homes represent outstanding value,” says Hameister.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/12/havenriver.jpg">
Many of the homes include a private walkway to the rivefront Yarra Trail.
The Riverfront Terrace Homes at Haven part of stage two of Hamton's three-part Abbotsford development. The first stage was the 201-unit Eden, with all units sold out. The second stage is Haven, with 75% of its 148 units sold since its launch just over a year ago. The three together are set to have 560 apartments. 
“With Eden, we were overwhelmed with demand from owner-occupiers currently living in the affluent suburbs across the river from our site," says Hameister.
“They were looking for larger luxury apartments with high-end finishes, allowing them to downsize to a low maintenance lock-up-and-leave lifestyle in essentially the same location as their current home. We have sought to address this demand with Haven.”
<img src="/images/stories/haven3.jpg">
Haven's apartment component will include a mix of one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom units. One-bedroom units will range in size from 41 square metres to 72 square metres internally and are priced between $365,000 and $581,000. Two-bedroom units will be between 66 square metres and 134 square metres internally and range in price from between $680,000 and $1.3 million. Three- and four-bedroom units will be between 124 square metres and 235 square metres internally and are priced between $1.38 million and  $3.9 million.
Between Haven and Eden will be Acacia Place, a series of landscaped spaces and a public walkway connecting the Yarra to Victoria Street.
“One of the key elements of our master plan for the site is Acacia Place, which allows the public to share this unique piece of river bend and bring activity and vibrancy to the precinct,” Hameister says.
 
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<a target="_blank" href="/news">Abbotsford </a>is shedding its industrial past and buyers look for inner-city living on the Yarra River.
Some developers are revamping the existing factory and warehouse buildings to create contemporary designs with a nod to the past, while others are going the more modern route.
<img src="/images/stories/trenerry-river.jpg">
One example of the former is the Trenerry project (pictured above and below), a 109-unit development in a heritage industrial building. All 109 have been released to the market, with the final release of 33 launching in July. Some 87 units have sold, including more than a third of the final release.
“It also features a chimney stack, giving Trenerry a look and feel that is unmistakably Abbotsford,” says Rob DiCintio, director of Trenerry Property Group.
<img src="/images/stories/trenerrycar.jpg">
Builder Hamilton Marino has begun construction on the development, which is due for completion in mid-2013.
The apartments went on sale in October last year.
Its one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartments are priced from $465,000, with the two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartments from $530,000. Both configurations come with one car park. Some 92 of the two-bedroom apartments will have two-bathrooms, along with all the three-bedroom apartments.
The average apartment size will be 75 square metres internally, plus all apartments come with balconies, offering riverfront, CBD or Studley Park views. The development comes with easy access to the Capital City Trail.
It has been designed by Carabott Holt Architects.
 
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<img src="/images/stories/greensquare2.jpg">
A developer taking the opposite approach in Abbotsford is Salta, whose Green Square development (pictured above and below) is ultra-contemporary with an emphasis on sustainability.
Far from an industrial focus, the appropriately named Green Square aims to embrace the natural environment, with numerous open spaces for residents.
<img src="/images/stories/greensquare1.jpg">
“The architectural vision for Green Square is to bring together the energy of contemporary urban living with the calm and gentle amenity of the adjoining Yarra River that will imbue the green open spaces permeating the project,” says Charles Justin of SJB Architects, which is designing the project.
The development will feature 467 one- and two-bedroom apartments across four buildings, 210 one-bedroom units and 257 units with two bedrooms. Just over 300 apartments have sold so far. Of the two-bedders, 222 will include two bathrooms.
One-bedroom apartments will range in size from 47 square metres to 57 square metres and start from $369,000.
<img src="/images/stories/greensquare5.jpg">
Two-bedroom apartments, which start from $525,000, range in size from 63 square metres to 92 square metres. All of the units come with outdoor areas.
<img src="/images/stories/greensquare6.jpg">
The development launched in February 2011. Construction has started and is due to finish in May 2014.
So far, two-thirds of buyers who have been owner-occupiers.
Jack Merlo of Jack Merlo Design says buyers are drawn to a sense of community fostered by the project.
<img src="/images/stories/greensquare7.jpg">
“The importance of recreational space is often overlooked when designing residential apartments – we have been fortunate to set a new precedent with Green Square. The combination of semi-secluded and open spaces encourages people to indulge in private and public amenities including an edge pool, barbecue areas, day beds and shaded spaces,” Merlo says.
And other developers agree.
“The desire for waterfront living in city-fringe areas is an evolving trend in the Melbourne market,” says Rob DiCintio, director of Trenerry Property Group.
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Hamton's riverfront homes the latest in Abbotsford living as Melbourne suburb sheds industrial past

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After a long period of falling dwelling values, Brisbane's property market is showing signs of a turnaround, according to Australian Property Monitors.
"Brisbane has at last give positive indications of turning the corner from what has been a prolonged period of falling house prices," says APM.
"This is despite an underperforming local economy with unemployment rates persistently above 6% due in large part to state government job cuts."
APM predicts that investors will return to Brisbane in 2013 and forecasts house prices in Brisbane to rise from 3% to 5% in the new year. 
"Established inner and middle-suburban housing markets will continue to attract value buyers. High listings in the outer suburbs, particularly to the north, will however continue to place a lid on prices growth in those regions.
"The inner-city apartment market looks particularly promising with Hamilton and New Farm set to continue their renewal and expansion."
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<img src="/images/stories/2012/12/apmdec182.gif">
Source: APM
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Brisbane property market turning the corner: APM

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Melbourne's median house price increased by a "relatively subdued" 0.5% for the first 10 months of 2012, according to Australian Property Monitors. 
"Melbourne’s housing market saw increased activity from first-home buyers and a lift in buyer activity in the prestige market," says APM. 
"Investors and first home buyer are set to remain relatively inactive as a consequence of Australia’s least competitive capital city rental market."
APM notes a "looming oversupply" of apartment stock coming on line and as a consequence forecasts high vacancy rates, stagnant rental growth and falling unit prices in the Victorian capital. 
 
"Melbourne house prices should increase by up to 3% in 2013."
This is below expectations for many other capital cities.
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Melbourne house prices in 2013 - zero to 3% forecast range: APM

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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/new-south-wales/chateau-le-marais-the-fink-family-s-wallis-island-%2420-million-mansion-listing/2012120958356"><img src="/images/stories/2012/12/20m1.gif"></a>
The price hopes the Fink family have for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/new-south-wales/chateau-le-marais-the-fink-family-s-wallis-island-%2420-million-mansion-listing/2012120958356">Chateau Le Marais, </a>an imposing neo-classical five-bedroom residence built of stone masonry on its 105-hectare estate on Wallis Island. 
 
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<a target="_blank" href="/news"><img src="/images/stories/2012/12/68percent.gif"></a>
The percentage of mortgage holders surveyed by Nielsen who said their<a target="_blank" href="/news"> number one financial goal </a>was to pay off their home loans, confirming the view that Australians regard owning their home outright as key for their financial future.
 
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/john-so-snaps-up-west-melbourne-mixed-use-terrace-offering/2012120958361"><img src="/images/stories/2012/12/2point28m.gif"></a>
The price former <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/john-so-snaps-up-west-melbourne-mixed-use-terrace-offering/2012120958361">Melbourne lord mayor John So paid for two double-storey Victorian terrace houses</a> combined into a single property on William Street in West Melbourne. The combined seven-bedroom ornate Victorian terrace came with mixed-use zoning.
 
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<a target="_blank" href="/news"><img src="/images/stories/2012/12/0point1percent.gif"></a>
The amount by which <a target="_blank" href="/news">owner-occupied housing finance commitments rose in October,</a> according to the ABS. This was well below market expectations of 3%, with Westpac forecasting the number of loans to owner-occupiers to rise by 3.4% in the month.
 
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/landlords/perth-and-darwin-register-double-digit-annual-rental-growth-defying-flat-market-reia/2012121158424"><img src="/images/stories/2012/12/15point4percent1.gif"></a>
The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/landlords/perth-and-darwin-register-double-digit-annual-rental-growth-defying-flat-market-reia/2012121158424">annual rent increase for three-bedroom houses in Perth</a>, which was the best-performing rental market in the 12 months to September, according to the Real Estate Institute of Australia. 
 
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/queensland/thursday-flicker-4-cooktown-queensland-s-slowest-suburb-top-10/2012121258431"><img src="/images/stories/2012/12/258.gif"></a>
The average number of days it takes to sell a property in Cooktown,<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/queensland/thursday-flicker-4-cooktown-queensland-s-slowest-suburb-top-10/2012121258431"> Queensland's slowest-selling suburb</a>. 
 
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/thursday-flicker-2-residential-property-prices-to-rise-6-in-2012-shane-oliver/2012121258437"><img src="/images/stories/2012/12/5percent1.gif"></a>
The amount by which <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/thursday-flicker-2-residential-property-prices-to-rise-6-in-2012-shane-oliver/2012121258437">AMP Capital chief economist Shane Oliver</a> predicts property prices will rise in 2013. Oliver expects only modest returns for property investors compared with other asset classes.
 
 
 
 
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The 7 must-know numbers of the week, starting with the price hopes for Chateau Le Marais

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3A Bamfield Street, Yagoona, NSW 2199 <img width="470" src="/images/stories/2012/12/bamfield.jpg">
This one-year-old, four-bedroom duplex is currently tenanted at $600 a week to tenants on an expired lease who are keen to stay on. It includes a single lock-up garage and two bathrooms. 
Raine &amp; Horne listing agent Charlie Wakim <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.raineandhorne.com.au/properties/253909" target="_blank">is marketing the property</a> with price hopes of $500,000 plus, and if it sells for that price, that would secure an investor a gross rental yield of 6.2% at its current rent, well above the gross rental yield for Yagoona houses of 4.8%, according to RP Data. The gross rental yield does not consider the costs of maintaining the property, including council rates and other fees such as water bills and managing agent fees.
<a target="_blank" href="https://calc.washingtonbrown.com.au/wbdcalculator/calculator.aspx?RID=HPCAZOPTTT">Washington Brown</a> estimates the first-year tax depreciation deduction to be $13,000 and over five years to be $45,000.
The median house price in Yagoona fell 2% in the past year but rose 27.2% in the past five years, according to RP Data.
For more information about prices and yields in <a target="_blank" href="/news">Yagoona, see the RP Data suburb page.</a>
The property will be open for inspection Saturday, December 15 at 3pm and will go to auction on December 22. 
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Friday form guide: Yields of up to 6.2% in Yagoona

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Sydney's median house price grew 1.5% in the 10 months to October, according to Australian Property Monitors.
"Sydney’s low and mid-price range housing markets will continue to attract solid buyer activity through 2013, particularly in the inner west, Canterbury-Bankstown and Hills suburban areas," says APM. 
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<img src="/images/stories/2012/12/apmdec141.gif">
Source: APM
 
 
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'Reasonable momentum' for Sydney's housing market in 2012: APM

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Melbourne had the highest gross value of unit sales in 2012, according to RP Data.
The mining boom town of South Hedland showed the highest increase in median unit values in the past five year. 
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Source: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.myrp.com.au/">RP Data</a>
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The Rocks and Carlton feature on RP Data's top 10 best-performing unit locations of 2012

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The RBA has released the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/confs/2012/conf-vol-2012.pdf">proceedings of a conference</a> held in August on Australia's property markets. It includes discussion papers on land and housing price measurement in China, housing finance, when a housing market is overheated enough to threaten stability, and the commercial property cycle. 
In one discussion paper, <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/economy/lower-interest-rates-following-bust-can-have-toxic-consequences-glenn-stevens/2012121158408?utm_source=po&amp;utm_medium=aida&amp;utm_campaign=news" target="_blank">RBA governor Glenn Stevens warns </a>that lowering interest rates following an “asset price bust” to stimulate lending can have "toxic consequences".
 
<a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/CCASHMORE_BUYER"><img src="/images/stories/2012/12/cashmoretweet2.jpg"></a>
Oxford University macroeconomist <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/economy/profitable-banks-and-cautious-lending-practices-protecting-australia-against-boom-bust-housing-cycles-oxford-university-economist/2012121158407?utm_source=po&amp;utm_medium=aida&amp;utm_campaign=news" target="_blank">John Muellbauer also looked at the risks posed to financial stability from "boom-bust" housing cycles</a>. Muellbauer provided an overall positive assessment of Australia’s prudential and regulatory oversight.
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RBA releases conference papers on Australia's property markets: Tweet of the day

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/broadbeach-qld-4218">Broadbeach</a> offers plenty of reasons to live vertically, but moving from a substantial family home into an apartment can expose the compromises of high-density living. Privacy, room for guests and usable living space tend to matter more when an apartment is intended as a permanent home rather than an occasional coastal base.

A typical residential floor at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-eveleigh-broadbeach-7-9-surf-parade-broadbeach-qld-4218">The Eveleigh</a>, on Surf Parade,&nbsp;contains just four apartments. The 94-residence development by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/hirsch-faigen">Hirsch &amp; Faigen</a> is predominantly made up of expansive three-bedroom homes, with a limited collection of half-floor penthouses above.

Across the apartment floors, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a> has used the relatively limited number of residences to give each home greater access to natural light and outlook. Living spaces extend towards full-height glazing, while a series of bay windows frame selected views across the Pacific Ocean, city and hinterland rather than treating the building edge as a continuous wall of glass.

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[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360965]

“The apartment floors deliver a collection of homes that embrace controlled outlook via a series of bay windows deliberately framing moments of view,” Rothelowman Director Kim Lowman said.

From outside, those projecting forms contribute to the tower’s faceted profile. Strong horizontal and vertical elements establish its proportions, while the changing position of the sun alters the light, shadow and reflection across the façade throughout the day.

The same attention moves inside the apartments, where the material palette combines warm timber, natural stone, metallic detailing and softer curved forms. Kitchens sit within the main living zone, with stone island benches, integrated joinery and European appliances, before the living areas extend towards the glazing and the outlook.

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[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360981]

Three genuine bedrooms provide room to accommodate family and guests, while two secure car spaces and storage address some of the practical considerations that can become more noticeable when moving from a larger home. Feedback from the display suite has centred on the warmth and restraint of the interiors, with buyers commenting that the residences feel like homes rather than conventional coastal apartments.

A limited collection of half-floor penthouses occupies the upper levels, increasing the scale of the living spaces and adding private balconies and elevated finishes. From this position, the outlook extends between the ocean and hinterland.

Outside the private residences, The Eveleigh separates its shared spaces between the podium and rooftop. The podium is centred on wellness, with subtropical landscaping surrounding a swimming pool and pool terrace, yoga garden, private gymnasium, sauna and hot and cold plunge facilities. Landscaped retreats and pavilions provide additional places to sit away from the main recreation areas.

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[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360966]

Higher in the building, a rooftop pavilion and private dining suite sit alongside resident lounge, barbecue and outdoor dining areas, opening towards panoramic views across the ocean, city and hinterland.

“Buyers are no longer just looking for an apartment, but a lifestyle where they can relax, reset, and enjoy a balanced way of living,” Hirsch &amp; Faigen Director of Sales Matt George said.

Interest to date has come from established owner-occupiers and interstate lifestyle purchasers, including buyers planning a future move to the Gold Coast. Many are coming from larger homes and want to reduce ongoing maintenance without giving up space for family and guests, privacy, two car spaces or the ability to entertain at home.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360969]

Much of that daily life can also take place beyond the building without requiring a drive. Kurrawa Beach and Pratten Park are an easy walk from Surf Parade, while Pacific Fair, Oracle Boulevard, The Oasis, restaurants, cafés, entertainment and public transport are also within walking distance.

The Eveleigh is Hirsch &amp; Faigen's fourth Gold Coast development since entering the market in 2021, following The Hemingway at Palm Beach, The Emerson at Kirra and Yves at Mermaid Beach. Each of the preceding projects sold out before completion.

“Broadbeach had been on our radar throughout our time operating on the Gold Coast,” the developer said. “Following our projects in Palm Beach, Kirra and Mermaid Beach, Broadbeach represented the natural next step for the business.”

The Surf Parade site brought together proximity to the beach, protected coastal outlooks and walkability to dining, shopping and recreation. Hirsch &amp; Faigen also identified the street as an emerging premium residential address, with enough separation from Broadbeach's busier destinations to retain a quieter environment at home.

The Eveleigh is now under construction by Maxcon, with completion forecast for mid-2028. Three-bedroom residences are currently available from $2.87 million.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=149670]

Joel Robinson

The Eveleigh brings house-like apartments to Broadbeach

A long-stalled Campbelltown development site is back in play, with new plans for 139 apartments set to supersede a mixed-use scheme approved almost a decade ago but never built.

The new proposal for 28 Cordeaux Street would deliver 116 market and 23 affordable apartments in a part 14-storey building, bringing a substantial new project into a Campbelltown market where new apartment supply remains limited.

Plans have been filed over the 3,092 sqm corner site at Moore-Oxley Street, around 600 metres from Campbelltown Railway Station and the city-centre retail core.

The site already carries a mixed-use residential approval dating to 2016. Doroch Architects has now been engaged on a larger replacement scheme, which is progressing as a State Significant Development Application following a Housing Delivery Authority determination in August 2025.

The apartment mix comprises 39 one-bedroom, 72 two-bedroom and 28 three-bedroom residences. Two-bedroom apartments make up just over half of the project, while three-bedroom homes account for 20 per cent.

<img alt="First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="136dd5b9-3791-4da6-9e31-76f533f5b4de" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Campbelltown%20da2.png?VersionId=LgOSy9nwf5u.MGswBBwaGGxuX8QpHSl_" />

Of the 139 apartments, 23 will be delivered as affordable housing under the in-fill affordable housing provisions of the Housing SEPP. The affordable component represents 15 per cent of the residential gross floor area and will be managed by a registered Community Housing Provider.

Doroch has sought to break the scale of the building into two distinct elements, with a masonry podium of around four storeys establishing the street edge before the residential tower steps back above.

The corner position has shaped that approach. Cordeaux Street faces toward the commercial and civic centre, while Moore-Oxley Street leads into the lower-scale residential neighbourhood to the south, and the design verification report describes the site as "bridging the commercial core to the north and established residential areas to the south."

The podium will be expressed predominantly in face brick, while the upper levels shift to brushed and grooved concrete cladding with darker metal detailing. Recessed sections, deep balcony edges and landscaping break down the upper form, with an approximately 11.8-metre setback to the northern boundary addressing the adjoining St Peters Anglican School.

<img alt="First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c8b3d2d3-c561-4bfc-a5d9-a68c0c10dac1" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Campbelltown%20da1.png?VersionId=AeAEyJU02Gk2k5noUj2StziCvdQ7fW4B" />

Campbelltown has been starved of new residential developments in the last decade.

The only other notable development set to come to market this year is ALAND's Queen Square, a mixed-use precinct on over two hectares that will comprise apartments above a vibrant ground-level retail and hospitality dining precinct.

First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site

First Look: Sherlock Construction pitches apartments for low-rise Deception Bay

Queensland builder-developer MAYD has revealed the first look at its major North Kirra beachfront development, lodging amended plans that reduce the number of apartments and increase the proportion of larger residences.

The project is planned across a substantial 4,742 sqm amalgamated site spanning seven lots at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/2-6-pacific-parade-bilinga-qld-4225">2-6 Pacific Parade</a> and 27-33 Golden Four Drive in Bilin​ga, directly opposite Nor​th Kirra Beach.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/mayd-group">MAYD</a> secured the site for $32.5 million in 2025, in what was one of the Gold Coast's largest property transactions of the year.

The development will be delivered across two stages, with the first stage carrying an estimated gross realisation value of around $360 million.

The latest amendments seek to reduce the overall apartment count and shift the project further toward the owner-occupier market, with larger residences designed for buyers wanting considerably more space than traditionally offered in a beachfront apartment.

The residential mix will include townhomes, oversized two-bedroom apartments, substantial three-bedroom residences and four-bedroom homes.

MAYD has appointed Cera Stribley to lead the architecture and interiors, with the Melbourne-based design practice drawing on the beachfront setting through a series of ocean-facing terraces and heavily landscaped balconies.

Strong horizontal forms and curved balconies will define the exterior, with subtropical landscaping integrated throughout the building to soften the built form and increase the connection between the residences and the beachfront.

The project will also include an extensive collection of resident wellness and lifestyle facilities, continuing the broader shift across the Gold Coast's luxury apartment market toward larger homes supported by resort-style amenity.

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MAYD Founder Todd Mould said North Kirra was increasingly appealing to buyers attracted to the more established, lower-density character of the southern Gold Coast.

"North Kirra presents one of the most compelling luxury residential opportunities currently emerging in Australia, combining absolute beachfront with the character and authenticity that buyers are increasingly seeking, and the same sense of tight-knit community that defined Burleigh and Currumbin perhaps 10 or 15 years ago," Mould said.

"With Gold Coast Airport on its doorstep, it also offers a level of accessibility that broadens its appeal across almost every market demographic."

The project comes as the southern Gold Coast continues to attract an increasing share of high-end apartment development and buyer activity.

Kirra in particular has emerged as one of the region's more tightly held beachfront markets, with its relatively low-density character, established surf and hospitality scene and proximity to Gold Coast Airport differentiating it from the higher-density markets further north.

Mould said those characteristics had informed the approach MAYD and Cera Stribley had taken to the project.

"We've worked closely with Cera Stribley to create a vision that is deeply connected to its surroundings," he said.

"Inspired by the coastline itself, the architecture has been shaped around space, privacy and resort-style living, creating a collection of homes that reflects the next generation of luxury on the southern Gold Coast."

MOTIV Managing Director Carly Cottam, who has been appointed to market the project, said buyer attention had continued to move south along the Gold Coast.

"Purchasers who may once have defaulted to Broadbeach, Main Beach or Surfers Paradise are increasingly recognising the value of a genuine beachfront location that offers lower density, strong amenity and a more established sense of community," Cottam said.

"Kirra has a powerful combination of growing demand and genuine scarcity. Beachfront supply is inherently constrained, the area remains relatively low density, and buyers are increasingly placing a premium on locations that feel established, uncrowded and authentic rather than heavily developed."

Cottam said the proximity to Gold Coast Airport was also proving increasingly important for interstate and second-home buyers.

"Being minutes from Gold Coast Airport makes it particularly compelling for interstate buyers, frequent travellers and second-home purchasers who can access an authentic coastal lifestyle almost immediately after stepping off a flight."

The acquisition takes MAYD's active development portfolio to more than $500 million, with the North Kirra project representing one of its largest undertakings to date.

MAYD is targeting an early 2027 launch.

First look at MAYD's North Kirra mixed-use precinct

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Castle Hill, the longtime hub of the Hills District, has been one of the major beneficiaries of Sydney's Metro expansion, with improved connectivity helping drive continued population growth, development and buyer demand across the Hills District.

But despite that growth, the suburb has seen relatively few major new apartment projects brought to market over the past 18 months.

Hills District developer Reve Group is looking to fill that gap with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/nova-r-ve-castle-hill-2-garthowen-crescent-castle-hill-nsw-2154">Nova Rêve</a>, a major new mixed-use precinct on the corner of Garthowen Crescent and Old Castle Hill Road, a short walk from Castle Hill Metro Station and Castle Towers.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377679]

The project will comprise three residential towers alongside a hotel, restaurants, cafes and a skybar, more than 1,600 sqm of ground-floor retail and almost an acre of landscaped gardens.

It represents the largest project undertaken by Reve Group, the development arm of the Kassis family, which has been building across the Hills District for more than 30 years through Kassis Homes.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377675]

Nova Rêve also represents a significant step up from the family's first apartment development, Grand Rêve, which was delivered nearby on Garthowen Crescent.

Grand Rêve introduced larger, house-like apartment layouts and premium inclusions including Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances to the Castle Hill market.

Nova Rêve takes that approach to a precinct scale, combining the residential component with hospitality, retail and substantial public and resident landscaping.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377685]

Reve Group Managing Director Sam Kassis said the project reflected the family's three decades of building in the Hills, which has evolved from trophy homes on quarter-acre blocks to larger-scale apartment development.

"Grand Rêve was our first apartment project here and it showed us what this pocket of Castle Hill could be. Nova Rêve is the refinement of that idea: not just apartments, but a place the whole suburb can use," Kassis said.

A key part of that approach is the hotel, which has been designed to operate as an amenity for the wider Castle Hill community rather than solely hotel guests.

It will include restaurants, cafes, skybars and all-day dining, alongside conference and event facilities catering to business functions, community groups and private events.

At ground level, more than 1,600 sqm of shops and cafes will open onto the surrounding streets and landscaped areas.

Almost an acre of gardens designed by Land and Form Studios will run through the precinct, incorporating pathways, seating, barbecue areas and children's play spaces.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377680]

Reve Group's Romio Georges said creating an active ground plane had been central to the planning of Nova Rêve.

"There are gardens with pathways, barbecues, seating and play areas, shops and cafes opening onto the street, and a hotel with restaurants and a skybar that anyone in Castle Hill can walk into," Georges said.

The project's elevated position on one of Sydney's highest ridgelines will also provide apartments with outlooks toward the Sydney skyline, surrounding parkland and the Blue Mountains.

More than 80 per cent of the apartments will occupy corner positions, with Turner responsible for both the architecture and interiors.

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[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152737]

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Cassidy Knowlton

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