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The most actively traded suburb in the Gladstone region of Queensland is <a target="_blank" href="/news">Clinton</a>, with 64 house sales in the six months to March, according to a PRDnationwide report on the region.
However, this is a 33% drop in the number of house sales in the suburb from the six months to March 2011.
<a target="_blank" href="/news">Gladstone City </a>is the most actively traded unit market in the area, with 29 sales. This is also down significantly (-45%) from the six months to March 2011.
The only suburb in the top five most actively traded for house or unit sales that improved significantly over last year was <a target="_blank" href="/news">South Gladstone</a>, which is the strongest-performing suburb in the city, according to RP Data. The unit median price went up 19.2% over the last year while the house median went up 23.9%.
An alumina plant was built in the area in 1996,<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/queensland/gladstone-s-mining-is-booming-but-property-market-far-from-unified-in-queensland-hotspot/2012080755742/Page-2"> and the impact is still seen in South Gladstone.</a>
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cknowlton-QnEa6ntUYP

Clinton most active house market in Gladstone region, but sales volumes down 33% in a year: PRDnationwide

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<div id="profile_stats" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12px;">
CEO, Merivale
Born in: Sydney
Friends: <a href="https://www.thepowerindex.com.au/megaphones/alan-jones" style="text-decoration: none; color: #000000;">Alan Jones</a>
Home Town: Sydney
</div>
Every time multimillionaire bar owner and restaurateur Justin Hemmes pops up in the media, labels like "playboy", "bar tsar", "nightclub tycoon", or (our personal favourite) "mega-bucks bar magnate" often appear before his name.
"I'm getting too old to be a playboy," Hemmes tells The Power Index during our hour-long interview in his plush office overlooking the Ivy precinct on Sydney's George Street. Next to his conference table sits a flamboyant silver crown given to him by his singer pal Jay Kay after it appeared on the front of a Jamiroquai album.
"I think they are just tags that don't go away. I need to come up with something new." Hemmes pauses to think for a second. "Master magician?" he whispers manically.
Not exactly how you’d expect the head of a $500 million food and drink empire to respond. But Hemmes is a master at waving his expensive wand and conjuring up adult Disneylands for Sydneysiders to play in.
Justin’s parents, John and Merivale Hemmes, started Merivale as a fashion house before moving in to property. Under Justin’s leadership it’s morphed into a property and hospitality powerhouse, with over 30 bars, pubs and restaurants that dominate the social pages of Sin City.
"I don’t think there is anybody else in Australia who controls so many restaurants, and so many restaurants at such a high standard," says The Australian’s restaurant reviewer John Lethlean. "If you accept the premise that restaurant control is a level of power, he has a lot of power."
Hemmes argues that it’s the customers who hold the power: "The hospitality industry is a service industry and we try and serve people what they want," he says. "I don't think you can be powerful if you're a servant, it's a contradiction of terms."
If weight equalled influence, Hemmes would be in trouble. He looks on the younger side of his 40 years thanks to his height and skinny frame. All golden skin, styled hair and expensive smile, he’s the living embodiment of Sydney.
And perhaps Hemmes’ greatest power lies in knowing exactly what Sydney wants. "It's not just food," says Hemmes. "It's the environment where you're eating, it's the style of food, how you're eating, also beverages, music, ambiance, design."
All of his venues subscribe to this vision. There’s Ivy, the Palm Springs-inspired play house where the beautiful people come to be fabulous. There’s est., the three-hatted restaurant that serves up modern Australian food in a contemporary setting. There’s Felix, the classic French bistro with a wall of European wines. The list goes on and on.
"The influence of the Merivale group on Sydney's dining and drinking scene is massive, no doubt about that. They've got the golden touch," says wine writer Max Allen.
But even a Midas touch can bring with it a dark underbelly. In 2009 a female customer alleged that she was raped in the bathroom at the Ivy Pool Club (the accused was acquitted after a trial in March this year). Last year a driver employed by Merivale was caught by police with a bag of cocaine in the company’s Rolls Royce Phantom.
Merivale’s private security company Our Security has been embroiled in several scandals, including an incident last year where a 19-year-old patron was restrained face down on the ground and beaten in the street, before bouncers shoved a security vest into his mouth and took him into the Ivy basement and beat him further. The attack resulted in Hemmes backing a NSW government plan for police to monitor nightclub guards.
With publicity often spelling trouble for Hemmes, perhaps it’s no surprise he is reluctant to give interviews. He clearly squirms when asked about anything vaguely personal or controversial (The Power Index: "How do you regard the way the media reports on you and your business?" Hemmes: "does it matter?"). He later adds: "I'm not one to talk about myself, that's why this is unusual".
All of this may seem odd for a man who has made a motza teaching Sydney to party. And yet as soon as the recorder is switched off and the notepad banished to a bag, Hemmes morphs into the consummate host.
As he tours The Power Index around the Ivy and Establishment complexes, female staffers beam at him and male workers desperately seek to shake his hand. An Irish fan stops us to ask for a photo. Hemmes happily obliges. Sydney's cool set may roll their eyes at Merivale opening a new venue every five minutes, but what other bar owner gets this celebrity treatment?
It’s a slick operation. Merivale has in-house workmen who work 24/7, and Hemmes says his favourite part of his work is brainstorming ideas and executing them. That passion becomes obvious when he bounces around the construction site of new dining addition Mr Wong, which when we visit is frantically being finished so it can open in 10 days.
Hemmes names his least favourite part of his work as dealing with his obsessive-compulsive nature and staff who don’t share his perfectionism. Within a minute of walking into his prohibition era style bar Palmer &amp; Co -- he also claims he hates "themed bars" but this sepia-toned speak easy seems pretty damn kitcsh, right down to the staff in flapper outfits and the live jazz singer -- Hemmes is noting problems.
The biggest: a spotlight at the Charcuterie bar isn’t shining on the merchandise correctly. Hemmes whispers into a manager’s ear and staff move frantically.
Once Hemmes has a margarita in hand, his manner softens. He’ s quick to whip out his iPhone to show The Power Index videos of his dog and photos of his silkie chickens (two of whom are named White Russian and Black Russian, of course) that live in his tennis court turned chicken coop.
He goes on to talk about swimming with whales outside his beach house and the time he went diving with great white sharks. He also speaks fondly of his parents and shares his hopes to home school his hypothetical future children. He names Alan Jones as a close mentor, branding the broadcasting trailblazer "the most incredible man I know".
Two hours, three margaritas, one corned beef sandwich and a trip to the airport care of Hemmes' personal driver later (no bags of cocaine spotted), it was official: The Power Index had been Hemmes-ed.
 
This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.thepowerindex.com.au/" target="_blank">The Power Index.</a>
 
For more on Sydney's present and future, download our free eBook <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/ebooks/free-ebook-sydney-embracing-the-world-of-tomorrow" target="_blank">Sydney: Embracing the World of Tomorrow</a>
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Bar tsar Justin Hemmes dreaming up Sydney's sexiest food and drink spots

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Just the six reported property sales at more than $2 million this week, according to RP Data, with <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/new-south-wales/paddington-bears-the-mantle-of-sydney-s-weekend-top-auction-seller/2012080555868">a four-bedroom $3.25 million Paddington property taking the top spot</a>.
Second place was claimed by a Hawthorn house, Warwoona, set on the top of Scotch Hill with 1,133-square-metre gardens. The house's provenance includes both 1890s and 1920s origins.
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/2012/08/aug8edward]}
In third place was a two-bedroom house in the Melbourne suburb of Kew (pictured above). The Edward Street house was the single-level house designed in the 1960s for Nobel Prize-winning virologist Sir Macfarlane "Mac" Burnet.
It was described by Jellis Craig selling agent Chloe Quinn as "beautifully modernised," but it is likely to be demolished.
Jellis Craig director Alastair Craig says the property was bought for its land, attracting keen offers from three bidders.
The 600-square-metre holding within the Sackville estate set a land value record when last sold 14 years ago. Property Observer understands it last sold in 1998 for $560,000.
The weekend price represented about $3,666 a square metre, which Craig speculates could be a new record.
Burnet was awarded the Nobel Prize for medicine in 1960 for his work concering immune response. He was a founding member of the Australian Academy of Science and was its president from 1965 to 1969.  
Three of the top 10 sales this week were in New South Wales, with Victoria accounting for four and one each in the ACT, Northern Territory and South Australia.
1. <a href="https://www.myrp.com.au/n/52-gordon-street-paddington-nsw-2021/myrp-490?propertyId=5267229">52 Gordon Street, Paddington, NSW, 2021</a>, four-bedroom house, sold at auction on August 4 by McGrath Estate Agents for $3.25 million
2. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.myrp.com.au/n/9-wellesley-road-hawthorn-vic-3122/myrp-490?propertyId=11196387">9 Wellesley Road, Hawthorn, VIC, 3122 </a>four-bedroom house sold at auction on August 4 by Marshall White for $2.51 million
3. <a href="https://www.myrp.com.au/n/13-edward-street-kew-vic-3101/myrp-490?propertyId=11351411">13 Edward Street, Kew, VIC, 3101</a>, two-bedroom house, sold at auction on August 4 by Jellis Craig for $2.2 million
4. 187 O'Sullivan Road, Bellevue Hill, NSW, 2023, four-bedroom house, sold at auction on July 31 by Di Jones Real Estate for $2.2 million
5. <a href="https://www.myrp.com.au/n/2-nicholson-street-hawthorn-east-vic-3123/myrp-490?propertyId=11200840">2 Nicholson Street, Hawthorn East, VIC, 3123</a>, three-bedroom house, sold at auction on August 4 by Kay &amp; Burton Hawthorn for $2.125 million
6. <a href="https://www.myrp.com.au/n/18-clive-road-hawthorn-east-vic-3123/myrp-490?propertyId=11198808">18 Clive Road, Hawthorn East, VIC, 3123</a>, three-bedroom house, sold at auction on August 4 by Kay &amp; Burton Hawthorn for $2.005 million
7. <a href="https://www.myrp.com.au/n/13-scarborough-street-red-hill-act-2603/myrp-490?propertyId=1136695">13 Scarborough Street, Red Hill, ACT, 2603</a>, six-bedroom house, sold at auction on August 4 by McGrath Estate Agents for $1.88 million
8. <a href="https://www.myrp.com.au/n/5-cooper-street-double-bay-nsw-2028/myrp-490?propertyId=2116903">5 Cooper Street, Double Bay, NSW, 2028</a>, three-bedroom house, sold at auction on July 31 by Bradfield Cleary Real Estate for $1.82 million
9. <a href="https://www.myrp.com.au/n/13-conigrave-street-fannie-bay-nt-0820/myrp-490?propertyId=1198802">13 Conigrave Street, Fannie Bay, NT, 820</a>, four-bedroom house, sold prior to auction on August 4 by Colliers International Darwin for $1.82 million
10. <a href="https://www.myrp.com.au/n/47-third-avenue-saint-peters-sa-5069/myrp-490?propertyId=10444537">47 Third Avenue, St Peters, SA, 5069</a>, four-bedroom house, sold at auction on August 4 by Toop &amp; Toop Norwood for $1.765 million
 
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Kew 1960s Macfarlane Burnet home set for demolition after $2.2 million weekend auction

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House and land prices in the Queensland mining town of Gladstone have risen steadily in the past decade, according to a report by PRDnationwide.
However, the volume of sales in the oft-touted investment hotspot fell significantly between March 2007 and March 2008 and have yet to return to their pre-GFC peak. These trends were apparent in both the region and city of Gladstone. 
“The lack of affordable house and land is driving sales volumes back down, exacerbated by unprecedented rental growth which continues to inflate values accordingly,” says PRDnationwide Queensland analyst Robert Matta.
Click to enlarge
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The previous chart refers to the entire Gladstone area, whereas the following chart relates Gladstone City specifically.
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Gladstone house and land prices rising, but sales volumes below pre-GFC peak: PRDnationwide

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Median rents in the Queensland mining town of Gladstone have increased an average of 62% in the past two years, according to PRDnationwide.
The greatest rental increase was for four-bedroom houses, where the median rent rose 86% from $350 to $650. The smallest increase was 42% for three-bedroom houses, where the median rent rose from $285 to $490. 
<img src="/images/stories/2012/08/prdaug74.gif">
For more, download our free eBook <a href="http://propertyobserver.com.au/ebooks/free-ebook-property-investing-in-queenslands-resources-boom" target="_blank">Residential Property Investment Amid Queensland's Resources Boom.</a>
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Median Gladstone rents increased an average of 62% in past two years: PRDnationwide

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The Darwin suburb of Nightcliff is the most crowded in the Northern Territory, according to RP Data. It has a population of 3,655 in an area the size of 1.45 square kilometres for a density of 2,519 people per square kilometre.
However, this is positively empty when compared with the 20,165 people per square kilometre in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/demographics/sydney-dominates-top-20-most-crowded-suburb-list-with-elizabeth-bay-first-and-southbank-the-only-melbourne-entry-tim-lawless/2012070255369">Australia's most crowded suburb, Sydney's Elizabeth Bay. </a>
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Nightcliff Darwin's most crowded suburb: RP Data

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Vendors on the Gold Coast are forced to offer average discounts of 10.9% off their original price hopes to secure sales, according to APM's latest "chill chart".
This is down from a peak average discount of 14.5% in August 2011 but considerable above the recent low or 6.9% in April 2010, according to Australian Property Monitors analyst Clinton McNabb. 
<img src="/images/stories/2012/07/apmjuly62.jpg">
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Gold Coast residential property discounting now at 10.9%, a 16-month low: APM 'chill chart'

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Buyers are most keen on low-rise development close to capital city CBDs, according to the June NAB Residential Property Survey.
This was the only sector of the property market where demand was "good" (as opposed to "fair") in June.
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Buyer demand strongest for low-rise inner-city apartments: NAB Residential Property Survey

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The strongest capital growth prospects for the next 12 months are for houses under $250,000, according to the latest NAB Residential Property Survey.
Capital growth is expected to be "good" for property under $500,000 and under $250,000, according to the survey of 300 property market participants. The higher the property price, the lower the expected capital growth, according to those who participated in the survey.
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Best capital growth prospects expected for houses under $250,000: NAB Residential Property Survey

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10/4 Loftus Street, Ashfield, NSW 2131
<img src="/images/stories/2012/07/loftus.jpg">
The tenants of this two-bedroom unit are paying $405 per week and are on a lease until December this year. The property includes a lock-up garage and an internal laundry and is within walking distance of Ashfield shops, transport and parklands. 
LJ Hooker agent Michael Garcia<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ljhooker.com.au/JN5F8B"> is marketing the property</a> with price hopes of $430,000 plus, and if it sells for that price that would secure an investor a gross rental yield of 4.9% at its current rent, just above the gross rental yield for Ashfield units of 4.5%, 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. Strata fees are about $661 per quarter, council rates about $227 per quarter and water is about $157 per quarter.
The median unit price in Ashfield rose 3.7% in the past year and 41.7% in the past five years, according to RP Data.
<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 $3,000 and over five years to be $7,000.
The property will be open for inspection Saturday, July 21 at 11am and will go to auction Saturday, August 11 at 11.15am.
For more information about prices and yields in Ashfield, see the RP Data suburb page.
For another investment prospect open for inspection this weekend, see page 2.
<hr>
27 Collett Street, Kensington, VIC, 3031 
<img src="/images/stories/2012/07/collett.jpg" width="470">
This two-bedroom Victorian cottage is currently tenanted at $400 per week until September, and Barry Plant listing agent Eugene Louey says comparable properties in the area rent for $450 per week. The property has high ceilings, open fireplaces and a rear courtyard or car park with right-of-way access. It is within walking distance of Racecourse Road, shops and cafes.
Louey<a href="https://www.barryplant.com.au/property.cfm?propertyID=2086437&amp;realestate=27_Collett_Street_KENSINGTON_VIC_3031&amp;menuItemID=41762" target="_blank"> is marketing the property</a> with price hopes of $540,000 plus, and if it sells for $540,000 that would secure an investor a gross rental yield of 3.8% at its current rent. If it were rented for $450 a week, that would mean a yield of 4.3%, above the indicative gross rental yield of 3.62% for Kensington houses, 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.
The median house price in Kensington fell 2% in the past year but rose 49% in the past five years, according to RP Data.
<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 $7,000 and over five years to be $25,000.
The property will go to auction Saturday, July 21 at 11.30am.
For more about prices and yields in Kensington, see the RP Data suburb page.
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Friday form guide: Yields of up to 4.9% in Ashfield

<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.

&nbsp;

[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.

&nbsp;

[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.

<img alt="MAYD" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d1bcbb05-e659-4b47-8bd4-1e595315e2ad" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-27%20at%202.05.03%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=jj0XEud1X1DuLt7_KyElhjMdZGOXmLHP" />

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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