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There were 660 sales in Perth this week, according to the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia. This is down from 715 sales during the same week last year.
The most actively traded suburb was <a href="/news">Rockingham</a>, south of the river, which has a median house price of $375,000 and a median unit price of $289,000, according to RP Data.
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Perth sales down 8% on same week last year: REIWA

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The amount by which the median weekly asking rent for units rose in Perth in the past year, according to Residex. The median unit asking rent is $470 per week.
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The amount by which the median weekly asking rent for units  rose in regional Queensland in the past year, according to Residex. The median unit asking rent is $390 per week.
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The amount by which the median weekly asking rent for units rose in regional NSW in the past year, according to Residex. The median unit asking rent is $345 per week.
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The amount by which the median weekly asking rent for units rose in regional WA in the past year, according to Residex. The median unit asking rent is $375 per week.
 
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The amount by which the median weekly asking rent for units rose in regional South Australia in the past year, according to Residex. The median unit asking rent is $225 per week.
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The amount by which the median weekly asking rent for units rose in Sydney in the past year, according to Residex. The median unit asking rent is $520 per week.
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The amount by which the median weekly asking rent for units rose in Brisbane in the past year, according to Residex. The median unit asking rent is $400 per week.
 
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The amount by which the median weekly asking rent for units rose in Melbourne in the past year, according to Residex. The median unit asking rent is $410 per week.
 
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<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/13point79percent.gif">
The amount by which the median weekly asking rent for units rose in the Northern Territory in the past year, according to Residex. The median unit asking rent is $495 per week.
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The amount by which the median weekly asking rent for units rose in Darwin in the past year, according to Residex. The median unit asking rent is $505 per week.
 
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The amount by which the median weekly asking rent for units rose in regional Tasmania in the past year, according to Residex. The median unit asking rent is $245 per week.
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<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/10point23percent.gif">
The amount by which the median weekly asking rent for units rose in ACT in the past year, according to Residex. The median unit asking rent is $485 per week.
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<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/9point26percent.gif">
The amount by which the median weekly asking rent for units rose in Hobart in the past year, according to Residex. The median unit asking rent is $295 per week.
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The amount by which the median weekly asking rent for units rose in regional Victoria in the past year, according to Residex. The median unit asking rent is $275 per week.
 
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The amount by which the median weekly asking rent for units rose in Adelaide in the past year, according to Residex. The median unit asking rent is $295 per week.
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Perth unit rents up 31% in past year, but Adelaide landlords secure just 5% rise: Residex state-by-state analysis

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A two-bedroom beachfront home in Forresters Beach, NSW, has sold for $1.2 million, or $800,000 less than its original asking price, after spending 720 days on the market, according to SQM Research.
The property at 6 South Scenic Road (pictured) was first on SQM's list of the 10 most discounted homes in Australia for a number of months, having had its asking price reduced from $2 million to $1.1 million plus.  McGrath agents Steve Dudley and Jennifer DeLuca secured a bit more than the lower estimate.
"This has left room for another central coast property to take its place as number one – with 451 Old Pacific Highway, Mooney Mooney Creek, 2083, being bumped up to the top position after only debuting on our list last week," says SQM Research director Louis Christopher.
The central coast of NSW continues to dominate the list, with no properties from NT, SA or Victoria discounted enough to make the list. 
"Number three on the list – 38 Iluka Road, Palm Beach – was originally advertised as going to auction with offers of over $4.75 million," Christopher notes.
"It appears that perhaps the vendors did not receive a high enough offer as the house has now been advertised as 'for sale' with 'offers over $5 million'. This asking price is still a massive $3 million less than the original asking price, so it will be interesting to see if it attracts any serious buyer interest."
1 <a href="https://www.domain.com.au/Property/For-Sale/Rural/NSW/Mooney-Mooney-Creek/?adid=2008808903" target="_blank">451 Old Pacific Highway, Mooney Mooney Creek, NSW, 2083</a>
<a href="https://www.domain.com.au/Property/For-Sale/House/NSW/Forresters-Beach/?adid=2008587390" target="_blank"></a>Days on the market: 588 Initial asking price: $1.55 million Current asking price: $895,000 Reduction: 42%
2
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.domain.com.au/Property/For-Sale/House/NSW/Palm-Beach/?adid=2008878601">38 Iluka Road, Palm Beach, NSW, 2108</a>
Days on the market: 553 Initial asking price: $8 million Current asking price $5 million Reduction: 38%
3
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-other-tas-taranna-106879142">5756 Arthur Highway, Taranna, Tasmania, 7180</a>
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-livestock-qld-caboolture-7262420"></a>Days on the market: 713 Initial asking price: $499000 Current asking price: $299,000 Reduction: 40%
4
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-livestock-qld-caboolture-7262420" target="_blank">19 Lychee Drive, Caboolture, Queensland, 4510</a>
Days on the market: 853 Initial asking price: $949,000 Current asking price: $586,000 Reduction: 38%
5
<a href="https://www.domain.com.au/Property/For-Sale/House/NSW/Greendale/?adid=2008766488" target="_parent">202 Wolstenholme Avenue, Greendale, NSW, 2745</a>
Days on the market: 615 Initial asking price: $2.95 million Current asking price: $1.85 million Reduction: 37%
6
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-two+rocks-106211228" target="_blank">15 Gretel Two Rocks 6037</a>
Days on the market: 1,001 Initial asking price: $1.1 million Current asking price: $690,000 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: 853 Initial asking price: $780,000 Current asking price: $499,000 Reduction: 36%
8
<a href="https://www.domain.com.au/Property/For-Sale/Townhouse/NSW/Magenta/?adid=2007217761" target="_blank">1302 Birkdale Place, Magenta, NSW, 2261</a>
Days on the market: 1,558 Initial asking price: $700,000 Current asking price: $450,000 Reduction: 36%
9
<a href="https://www.domain.com.au/Property/For-Sale/House/NSW/Gorokan/?adid=2008670949" target="_blank">323 The Corso, Gorokan, NSW, 2263 </a>
Days on the market: 679 Initial asking price: $680,000 Current asking price: $440,000 Reduction: 35%
10
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-armadale-105464925" target="_blank">99 Lowanna Way, Armadale, WA, 6112</a>
Days on market: 1,270 Initial asking price: $1.85 million Current asking price: $1.2 million Reduction: 35%
 
SQM Research also offers a list of the <a title="SQM Research" href="https://www.sqmresearch.com.au/top100bargains.php" target="_blank">Top 100 Biggest Bargains in Australia </a>for sale.
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Forresters Beach property sells for $800,000 less than original asking price after two years on the market: SQM

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Americans Jonathan and Beth Hankins found what they thought to be a bargain foreclosed in the US state of Oregon for $36,000. 
Soon after, their two-year-old son developed health ailments, and the couple discovered they had unknowingly purchased a drug lab and the house was contaminated by methamphetamine, as the Huffington Post noted.
<a href="https://twitter.com/HuffingtonPost" target="_blank"><img src="/images/stories/2012/09/huffpotweet.jpg"></a>
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What happens with a home buyer unknowingly buys a former meth lab: Tweet of the day

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"A good job, like where you get like heaps of money. I’d be like a decent mum, like a husband with no violence and everything, so it could be a happy family, you know, but like that would never happen…"
Jessica, a 12-year-old from Claymore in Sydney’s south west, is not optimistic about her future. Monday’s Four Corners documentary <a target="_blank" href="https://www.abc.net.au/4corners/stories/2012/09/20/3594298.htm">Growing Up Poor in Modern Australia</a> asked why more wasn’t being done to break the cycle of disadvantage for the children of Australia’s most disadvantaged suburbs. The report focused on five families from Claymore, in south-west Sydney.
A suburb of 3,300 residents, Claymore was built as a public housing estate by Housing NSW in the 1970s. By 2011, it was <a href="https://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2011/quickstat/SSC10536?opendocument&amp;navpos=220">one of Australia’s poorest suburbs</a>, with a median household income of $588 per week, around half the national average. It was also one of the youngest, with 40% of residents aged under 15, compared to 19% for Australia. But Claymore is not unique. <a href="https://www.sprc.unsw.edu.au/media/File/Report12_07_Deprivation_and_exclusion_in_Australia.pdf">Concentrations of inter-generational disadvantage</a> have developed in public housing estates in all of Australia’s capital cities.
<h2>Where does disadvantage come from?</h2>
Australia’s public housing has not always been associated with disadvantage.
The Commonwealth established a Housing Commission in 1943, recommending a national target of 80,000 publicly built dwellings per year. The aspiration was to provide workers’ housing to support Australia’s industrial development.
Most of this housing was initially built in large estates on the edge of our cities. In NSW, large estates were built in the 1960s, such as Mount Druitt, with 32,000 people in 8,000 properties. This golden era of mass public housing had come to an end when Claymore was completed in the 1970s.
By 1978, the Commonwealth had greatly reduced the amount of funding for building and maintaining public housing. The result of dwindling funds was a shift in the role of public housing, from a mainstream option to marginal sector with a highly disadvantaged tenant base. By 2006, around 90% of tenants were either on welfare benefits or experiencing some other form of social deprivation.
<h2>A market solution?</h2>
Faced with ageing housing stock, disadvantaged tenants, and growing waiting lists, Australia’s government housing agencies have turned to the private market.
By offering housing vouchers in the form of Commonwealth rent assistance, they have looked to private landlords to house many of Australia’s poorest people. And they have looked to private property developers to fund the renewal of their housing estates through policies branded as “social mix”.
Social mix solutions have been pursued since the 1980s in Australia. They can be achieved by selling public housing dwellings to tenants or on the private market, or by building new privately-owned dwellings in the neighbourhood in partnership with a property developer.
The latter strategy has been the most popular. As the Four Corners documentary showed, such a project was underway in Claymore, with almost all of the existing public dwellings earmarked for demolition. These would be replaced with 1,300 new dwellings. About 70% of them would be sold to private buyers with the remainder returned to public housing tenants.
 
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<h2>Who benefits, at whose cost?</h2>
The <a href="https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/37384/">benefits of these social mix policies</a> – by reducing concentrations of public housing – are said to be wide ranging, delivering improvements in the economy, social welfare and health. These include a more vibrant local economy, reduced anti-social behaviour and less stigma. However, the evidence for these claimed benefits is less than convincing.
The economic benefits for government receive less attention, but are arguably much more significant. By getting private property developers to partially fund the redevelopment of their decaying housing stock, housing agencies can get a return on their only real asset – land – and address an overwhelming maintenance backlog.
At Bonnyrigg in Sydney for example, the $733 million redevelopment of the public housing estate by Becton (a private developer) and Housing NSW has replaced 833 public housing dwellings with 2,330 new dwellings. Only 699 of the new dwellings have been retained as public housing. The development has been rebranded as “<a target="_blank" href="https://newleafbonnyrigg.com.au/">Newleaf</a>”.
Social mix solutions, while attractive to government, impose costs on the tenants of public housing. In Claymore, only 99 houses have been demolished to date and the project is has now stalled after a change of state government. As reported on Four Corners, “residents now say maintenance on their homes has almost ceased and there are houses all over the suburb boarded up and empty”.
Research has also pointed to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0811114022000005898">unintended negative consequences</a> of social mix policy. Moving residents temporarily or permanently out of their neighbourhood during redevelopment can be disruptive to social networks and children’s schooling. Reducing public housing supply at a time where public housing waiting lists are at record levels (56,000 in NSW and 37,000 in VIC) also comes at a large social cost, with high-needs households pushed into the under-regulated private rental market.
<h2>A non-market solution</h2>
The stagnation of public housing funding has led to concentrations of some of our most vulnerable people in Australia’s outer-suburbs, as illustrated by the children of Claymore. Social mix policies that break up these concentrations of housing may only relocate this disadvantage, rather than address it.
A non-market alternative is to inject funds into the ailing public housing sector. If public housing numbers were increased through significant investment, the selection criteria could be broadened to allow a much wider base of tenants. This would start to “normalise” public housing, returning it to its original intent as a mainstream affordable option for Australians.
For governments struggling to just maintain existing levels of public housing stock however, harvesting land value by allowing private market development of their assets seems to be the only solution – whatever the cost.
Lucy Groenhart is a research fellow in urban policy at <a href="https://www.rmit.edu.au/" target="_blank">RMIT</a>.
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How public housing became associated with social disadvantage

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6/383 Maroubra Road, Maroubra, NSW 2035
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Currently tenanted at $500 a week to a tenant on an expired lease, this Maroubra unit was set for auction this weekend but sold on Thursday for $500,000 to an owner-occupier. The two-bedroom unit in the Aurora building is within easy walking distance of Maroubra Beach and has expansive water views.
Richardson &amp; Wrench selling agent Lloyd Allen gave pre-sale price hopes of $450,000 plus. If the buyer decides to rent it out, at its current rent it would secure a gross rental yield of 5.2%, above the indicative gross rental yield for Maroubra units, 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 $4,000 and over five years to be $9,000.
The median house price in Maroubra rose 1.4% in the past year and 27.8% in the past five years, according to RP Data.
For more information about prices and yields in <a href="/news">Maroubra, see the RP Data suburb page.</a>
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Friday form guide: No investment yields, as Maroubra property sells to owner-occupier

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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/industry-news/social-media-not-for-all-as-agents-abandon-twitter/2012092356725"><img src="/images/stories/2012/09/1percentto3percent.gif"></a>
The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/industry-news/social-media-not-for-all-as-agents-abandon-twitter/2012092356725">percentage of Real Estate Institute of Victoria members who endorse Twitter</a> as a way to connect with potential vendors and buyers. “Online is … clearly having an impact, but that does not extend to social media,” says REIV chief Enzo Raimondo.
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/house-prices-to-surge-15-by-late-2013-as-rates-fall-100-basis-points-australian-financial-reviews-david-bassanese/2012092456754"><img src="/images/stories/2012/09/15percent.gif"></a>
The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/house-prices-to-surge-15-by-late-2013-as-rates-fall-100-basis-points-australian-financial-reviews-david-bassanese/2012092456754">increase in Australian house prices by late 2013</a> predicted by Australian Financial Revieweconomic writer David Bassanese. Bassanese, a 20-year economics veteran, also expects interest rates to fall by 100 basis points over the next 12 months – taking the cash rate to 2.5%.
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/rural/lexington-tom-wills-childhood-home-ground-at-moyston-for-sale/2012092456753"><img src="/images/stories/2012/09/5mplus.gif"></a>
The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/rural/lexington-tom-wills-childhood-home-ground-at-moyston-for-sale/2012092456753">price hopes for Lexington, at Moyston near Ararat</a>, the childhood home of Tom Wills, the inventor of the Australian rules game. The property was established in 1840 by Horatio Wills, whose son, Tom, inspired by a game he played with the local indigenous children, is credited as inventing the country's most popular sporting competition.
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<a target="_blank" href="/news"><img src="/images/stories/2012/09/20m.gif"></a>
The <a target="_blank" href="/news">price hopes businessman Simon Tripp has for Jabulisa</a>, his impressive 6.9-hectare Sydney northern beaches acreage. The Tripps have reportedly spent millions of dollars developing Jabulisa, described as the "ultimate family resort".
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<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/7point44percent.gif">
The increase in house prices in the central western NSW town of Mudgee, a hotspot for mining, agriculture and tourism, in the past year, according to Residex. Mudgee was the best-performing house market of NSW for the year. 
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<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/970k.gif">
 Brownlow medalist Jobe Watson's vendor bid for his three-bedroom Albert Park investment cottage, which lingers unsold on the market after its September 1 auction.
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/australian-house-prices-could-rise-7-in-2013-if-eurozone-holds-together-sqm-research/2012092556806"><img src="/images/stories/2012/09/7percent.gif"></a>
The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/australian-house-prices-could-rise-7-in-2013-if-eurozone-holds-together-sqm-research/2012092556806">amount by which Australian house prices could rise in 2013</a>, according to SQM Research, provided that the eurozone holds together and the RBA does not make dramatic interest rate cuts.
 
 
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The 7 must-know numbers of the week, starting with the few agents who value Twitter

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There were 802 residential property sales in Perth for the week ending September 26, up 23% on the same week last year, according to the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia. The most actively traded suburb was Subiaco, with 18 sales.
REIWA says the number of listings, 10,048, is the lowest since 2010.
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Perth residential property listings at two-year low: REIWA

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High land prices have all but killed the Australian housing industry.
Lower housing starts has led to lower GST revenues (house construction attracts full GST), and lower stamp duty receipts are crippling state budgets and cruelling the chances of low and middle income earners to get a start in the housing market.
What has caused this slump in housing starts? Land prices.
Raw land for new housing developments should be close to its agricultural value – in other words, around $10,000 per hectare. But land released for residential development fetches up to $1 million per hectare – 100 times the agricultural price.
Government land management agencies and private land developers may well argue a lot of land has been released for residential development, but clearly it is not enough.
Only when urban growth boundaries are removed will we know a piece of land’s true value. It will then be a trade-off between price and distance. People may be prepared to travel another 10 or 15 minutes by car (10 to 20 kilometres) to get a cheaper block.
To highlight the “‘X’ years supply of land available” argument, I heard a state bureaucrat say recently that the government had released enough land for 15 years’ supply. I raised my hand and asked “15 years’ supply – at what price?” He didn’t know what I meant. I said “at $200,000 a block it may well take 15 years to sell. So why don’t you double the price and then you’ll have 30 years’ supply?”
These points highlight the fact that, as with most central planning, housing planning is based on a fundamental flaw – that price does not matter. But as we know, price does matter. Imagine the demand for housing if land was $100,000 per block cheaper. Think LCD, LED and plasma TVs over the past five years.
Australia does not have, and never has had, a housing affordability problem, it has a land affordability problem. The cost of building a new house has hardly moved in 20 years. Land prices however have skyrocketed. By restricting the amount of land available on the urban fringes of our cities, state governments have sent the price of entry-level housing through the roof.
The reasons state governments give for these restrictions all centre on urban planning. They have persisted with their policies of urban densification (squeezing more and more people into existing suburbs), an idea that has failed all over the world.
 
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Whether it’s traffic congestion, air pollution, the destruction of bio-diversity or the unsustainable pressure on electricity, water, sewage or stormwater infrastructure, urban densification has been a disaster. The evidence is overwhelming; urban densification is not good for the environment, it does not save water, it does not lead to a reduction in motor vehicle use, it does not result in nicer neighbourhoods, it does not stem the loss of agricultural land, it does not save on infrastructure costs for government and, worst of all, it puts home ownership out of the reach of those on low and middle incomes.
State governments use urban planning laws to restrict the amount of fringe land available and then drip feed it through their land management agencies to a land- starved housing industry at inflated prices. Hmmm. After a change of state government a few years ago, a former cabinet minister was asked why her government didn’t release more land to kick-start the housing industry. She replied: “We needed the money.” So much for urban planning.
And of course land developers with massive land banks on their books urge state governments to maintain the scarcity to maintain the ‘value’ of the developers’ inventory. Developers would be better off if they supported the removal of urban growth boundaries and allowed more broadacre land to come onto the market, which they could buy at greatly reduced prices. With land prices significantly lower than they are today it wouldn’t take long for the industry to recover. Until land prices fall, there will be no recovery.
The Australian housing industry is building 40,000 fewer homes a year than it should be. That’s more than $10 billion worth of work a year the industry is missing out on. That’s a lot of bricks, concrete, timber, tiles, steel and, of course, labour.
Governments and industry associations have known for years this was coming but just played footsies with each other – read US economist George Stigler’s book Regulatory Capture to understand how and why this happens.
Australia’s economy has been seriously distorted due to a massive over-investment in household debt. We have a housing industry on its knees. Getting all this back into alignment with reality will take time, but it is a realignment that is necessary.
We cannot continue to deny the next generation a home of their own merely to satisfy the indulgences of urban planners and state government treasury officials.
Bob Day AO is managing director of national home builder <a href="https://www.homeaustralia.com.au/" target="_blank">Home Australia</a>
This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.businessspectator.com.au/" target="_blank">Business Spectator.</a>
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High land prices are killing the housing construction industry: Bob Day

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The median unit price in regional Tasmania in August, according to Residex. This is down 0.41% from last month.
 
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<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/226500.gif">
The median unit price in regional South Australia in August, according to Residex. This is down 3.02% from last month.
 
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<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/255000.gif">
The median unit price in Hobart in August, according to Residex. This is down 2.2% from last month.
 
<hr>
 
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/258000.gif">
The median unit price in regional Victoria in August, according to Residex. This is up 0.01% from last month.
 
<hr>
 
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/299000.gif">
The median unit price in regional NSW in August, according to Residex. This is down 0.14% from last month.
 
<hr>
 
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/301500.gif">
The median unit price in Adelaide in August, according to Residex. This is up 0.13% from last month.
 
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<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/306000.gif">
The median unit price in regional Western Australia in August, according to Residex. This is down 0.78% from last month.
 
<hr>
 
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/311000.gif">
The median unit price in regional Queensland in August, according to Residex. This is down 0.17% from last month.
 
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<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/350500.gif">
The median unit price in Brisbane in August, according to Residex. This is down 0.49% from last month.
 
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<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/393500.gif">
The median unit price in regional Northern Territory in August, according to Residex. This is up 1.74% from last month.
 
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<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/411500.gif">
The median unit price in Darwin in August, according to Residex. This is up 0.93% from last month.
 
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<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/414000.gif">
The median unit price in ACT in August, according to Residex. This is down 2.66% from last month.
 
<hr>
 
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/421500.gif">
The median unit price in Perth in August, according to Residex. This is down 2.16% from last month.
 
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<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/496000.gif">
The median unit price in Sydney in August, according to Residex. This is up 1.69% from last month.
 
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<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/401500.gif">
The median unit price Australia-wide in August, according to Residex. This is down 0.06% from last month.
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Australian unit prices flat in August: Residex state-by-state analysis

Camberwell Junction has long been the epicentre of amenity in Melbourne’s Boroondara region.

For nearly a century, it has drawn both locals and visitors, anchored by the Camberwell Sunday Market, which first operated in 1929 and quickly became a fixture of the suburb’s identity. Over time, the Junction evolved into one of Melbourne’s most established retail and lifestyle precincts, now comprising more than 400 stores and over 300 commercial businesses.

Despite that depth of amenity, one thing has remained notably limited: the supply of new apartments.

In a suburb defined by its heritage streetscapes and tightly held residential stock, new development opportunities have been scarce, particularly within the core of the Junction itself. That lack of supply has left a gap in the market for larger, design-led apartments suited to downsizers and owner-occupiers wanting to remain in the area.

Boutique developer Above Zero identified that gap when it secured a prime site on Burke Road, in the heart of Camberwell Junction.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=4896 project_image_fid=368543]

The site has a long planning history. Various proposals have been put forward over more than a decade, many of which were knocked back by the City of Boroondara, with initial applications dating back to 2015. Above Zero acquired the site in 2022 and returned with a revised scheme, refining both the building’s height and its ground-level interface to better align with Council expectations.

That process has culminated in approval for Camberwell House.

The Cera Stribley-designed development will deliver 57 residences on a 1,950 sqm site within the Camberwell Activity Centre, placing it directly within one of Melbourne’s most established retail and transport hubs.

It is expected to be one of the only new apartment developments to launch in the Junction in recent years, reinforcing the rarity of new supply in the precinct. Currently, there are just a handful of projects on the market in Camberwell, underscoring the significance of a development of this scale and positioning.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=4896 project_image_fid=368544]

Camberwell House has been conceived with a clear focus on larger-format apartments. The project will offer a mix of two-, three- and four-bedroom residences, alongside a limited number of penthouses, targeting owner-occupiers seeking scale rather than volume-driven product.

The building’s vertical presence will also set it apart.

Positioned on Burke Road, the development is set to become one of the taller buildings in its immediate context, allowing for elevated outlooks across Melbourne’s CBD skyline and toward the Dandenong Ranges. In a precinct characterised by lower-scale built form, that height provides a point of differentiation, particularly for buyers seeking outlook and natural light.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=4896 project_image_fid=368568]

Architecture has been led by Cera Stribley, with interiors by GOLDEN and landscape design by Florian Wild. The design approach centres on material consistency and restraint, with residences oriented to maximise light, ventilation and connection to outdoor spaces.

Full-height glazing and generous terraces form a key part of that strategy, allowing apartments to extend beyond their internal footprint and engage with the surrounding environment.

Beyond the private residences, a significant component of the project is its amenity offering.

Above Zero has positioned Camberwell House as a “complete living environment”, incorporating a full floor dedicated to resident facilities. At the centre of that is a wellness zone, including a 12.5-metre lap pool, spa, sauna and treatment spaces, alongside a gym and recovery-focused amenities.

This level of amenity is more commonly associated with inner-city developments, rather than established middle-ring suburbs like Camberwell.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=4896 project_image_fid=368588]

Additional shared spaces include a private library lounge, dining and entertaining areas, and an indoor golf simulator. A self-contained guest suite has also been incorporated, allowing residents to accommodate visiting family or friends without impacting their primary living space.

The inclusion of these facilities reflects a broader shift in buyer expectations.

As more downsizers look to transition from larger family homes into apartments, there is increasing demand for developments that offer not just a residence, but a lifestyle. That includes access to wellness, social and entertaining spaces within the building itself, reducing the reliance on external amenity while still maintaining proximity to established precincts.

Camberwell House is positioned to benefit from both.

Its location places it within immediate walking distance of Camberwell Junction’s retail and dining offering, as well as public transport connections, including tram and train services. That combination of internal amenity and external convenience is central to its appeal.

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Jellis Craig Projects Director Stephen Bowtell is handling sales for the project and says Camberwell House offers a rare entry point into one of Melbourne’s most tightly held markets.

“Buyers are recognising that Camberwell House offers something they simply haven’t seen before in Boroondara,”&nbsp;Bowtell&nbsp;says.

“It combines a level of resident amenity and service typically associated with Melbourne’s premium inner-city developments, while being positioned right in the heart of Camberwell Junction.

“The response to the concierge offering has been particularly strong. Buyers appreciate not only the convenience, but also the sense of security and peace of mind that comes from having a dedicated presence in the building every day.

“When you combine that with the wellness facilities, the exceptional arrival experience, and panoramic views across both the CBD skyline and the Dandenong Ranges, it creates a lifestyle proposition that is genuinely unique within the local market.”
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[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=4896]

Joel Robinson

Above Zero launches Camberwell House in undersupplied Camberwell Junction precinct

<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]

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.

Cassidy Knowlton

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