<html><body>
Regional areas have outperformed capital cities in the year to March, according to ANZ.
"Despite being lower in annual growth terms, regional house prices have been more stable than capital city house prices, which have seen larger price falls across all major states and territories," notes the Australian Housing Chartbook.
The bank expects the ACT market to remain soft in the year ahead.
"While we continue to expect continued divergence within South Australia and ACT regional housingmarkets, a broadly soft economic outlook for the South Australia and ACT economies combined withrelatively balanced housing markets should contain house price growth in the coming year across most regions."
Click to enlarge
<a title="Click to enlarge" rel="shadowbox" href="/images/stories/2012/07/anzjuly103.gif"><img src="/images/stories/2012/07/anzjuly103thumb.gif"></a>
Source RP Data, Rismark, ANZ
 
</body></html>

cknowlton-QnEa6ntUYP

North-south divide in Canberra as South Canberra records negative house price growth in year to March: ANZ

<html><body>
In the Northern Territory, only the region of Barkly had positive house price growth in the year to March, according to ANZ in its Australian Housing Chartbook.
However, the bank is optimistic about NT regional areas in the year ahead, forecasting resources projects to have a flow-through effect on housing prices in the territory. 
"The outlook for house price growth across the Northern Territory regions is buoyant, with significant mining and energy investment (i.e., Icthys gas project) expected to drive solid state economic growth and broad regional houseprice increases through the second half of 2012 and through 2013," says the Australian Housing Chartbook.
Click to enlarge
<a href="/images/stories/2012/07/anzjuly102.gif" rel="shadowbox" title="Click to enlarge"><img src="/images/stories/2012/07/anzjuly102thumb.gif"></a>
Source RP Data, Rismark, ANZ
 
</body></html>

Barkly the only NT region to record house price growth in the year to March: ANZ

<html><body>
In 1999, when the Australian pay-TV industry was less than four years old, Foxtel CEO Tom Mockridge made a prediction: a big, bold and?—?as it turned out?—?wildly incorrect prediction. Within 10 years, he said, pay-TV would be installed in three-quarters of Australian homes.
Yet by 2009 only 29% of Australian homes had pay-TV.
Today, according to stockbroking firm CCZ Statton Equities, it’s currently at 28%?—?one of the lowest rates in the developed world.
Mockbridge’s over-optimism hasn’t stopped Richard Freudenstein, who replaced Kim Williams as CEO last year, from publicising his own lofty goals for the industry. In March, he announced an ambition to lift the take-up of pay-TV to 50% (though he didn’t apply a deadline to the target).
None of the media analysts contacted by Crikey for this story believe this will happen?—?ever. They say despite News Limited’s bid to lift its stake in Foxtel from 25 to 50%, the take-up of traditional pay-TV has already peaked?—?and will soon start to decline.
“There is no indication whatsoever that pay-TV in its current form will grow to 50%,” said veteran telecommunications consultant Paul Budde. “No way.”
Even securing AFL broadcasting rights last year, at a cost of $530 million, hasn’t boosted customer numbers significantly, Foxtel sources told The Australian Financial Review last month. There’s also no sign the Olympics?—?to air on Foxtel over eight channels later this month?—?has led to a spike either.
“They want to paint a picture of a beautiful blue sky: we’re thundering along, people are joining us, we’re growing,” said media analyst Steve Allen. “But that’s marketing and spin. At the pricing model they have now they’re not likely to get much growth.”
Cost, Allen says, is the major reason why the Australian pay-TV penetration rate dwindles behind the US (90%) or UK (60%). Signing up to pay-TV here costs far more than the US or most of Europe.
Other factors have applied a handbrake on growth, according to Citi analyst Justin Diddams. Pay-TV, he says, has had the best take-up in countries where providers bundle it together with other telephony services such as broadband or mobile phone deals. In the UK, for example, BSkyB has given away free broadband to lift subscriber numbers. In Australia this hasn’t been possible because Telstra?—?which owns 50% of Foxtel?—?won’t allow the pay-TV provider to sell broadband connections.
Our tough anti-siphoning laws also haven’t helped either. Nor has the arrival of Freeview, which allows people to watch for free the type of content they used to have to pay for.
None of this bad news, it’s important to point out, has stopped Foxtel from making serious dough. Although relatively few Aussies are prepared to fork out for pay-TV, those who do are willing to pay a lot. Last year, the company increased full-year earnings by 15.5%, despite subscriber numbers only rising by around 18,000.
This business model, however, is on its last legs thanks to the arrival of Internet Protocol Television (IPTV)?—?a technology that streams TV and video services via the internet direct to computer, television set or game console. The industry is still in a nascent stage, but is expected to grow rapidly in the next decade with the proliferation of high-speed broadband.
“The traditional model of pay-TV is on the way out,” said Paul Budde. “People will always be interested in good content?—?movies and sport?—?but the format in which it’s currently delivered is a dying concept.”
Roger Colman, head of media at CCZ Statton Equities, agrees. According to his firm’s projections, next year will be the last year of subscriber growth for traditional subscription television. By 2017, he expects around a fifth of households to have satellite or cable pay-TV while IPTV will be approaching 50% penetration.
Chris Coughlan, research director at technology analyst firm Telsyte, says the growth of IPTV represents both an ”opportunity and a threat” for Foxtel.
The opportunity: many more customers. The threat: many more competitors?—?including Fetch TV, Apple TV, Netflix and, ironically, Telstra, which is taking on Foxtel with T-Box, which offers movies on demand and live sport.
“It’ll be a fine balancing act to package up the IPTV channels so they don’t cannibalise the existing plantium users?—?those who get all the services, not just bits and pieces,” said Coughlan. “They’ll have to be very clever.”
Steve Allen reckons Foxtel will have much lower profit margins in five years time. It will also have to spend big on original programming to maintain viewers (an outcome that would be a boon for the Australian entertainment industry).
Roger Colman is far more optimistic than his counterparts. Foxtel, he asserts confidently, will make more money in the IPTV era than it does now. ”It’s a simple equation,” he said. “There are no real competitors of any import.”
Foxtel, Colman says, is expanding into IPTV far more aggressively than it’s making out and is already stiching up deals with major Hollywood studios for Australian IPTV rights.
Despite the widespread assumption that the internet leads to fragmentation, Colman says real-world experience shows that it also leads to monopolies. In the US, Amazon has around 80% of the online book market, Netflix owns 90% of the online DVD market, while iTunes has around 90% of digital music sales.
He expects Foxtel will achieve the same market dominance in Australia for IPTV and is telling his clients to bank on it.
Crikey approached Foxtel CEO Richard Freudenstein for comment but he was unavailable.
This article originally appeared on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.crikey.com.au/">Crikey</a>.
</body></html>

Why less than a third of Australians have pay-TV in their homes

<html><body>
Regional areas have outperformed capital cities in the year to March, according to ANZ, but not a single region in Tasmania recorded positive house price growth for the year to March.
"Despite being lower in annual growth terms, regional house prices have been more stable than capital city house prices, which have seen larger price falls across all major states and territories," notes the Australian Housing Chartbook.
"While regional house price growth in most states have been dispersed between increasesand decreases, Tasmania’s regional house prices were all lower in the year to March 2012, reflecting the relativelysoft economy and weak labour market conditions."
Click to enlarge
<a rel="shadowbox" href="/images/stories/2012/07/anzjuly101.gif" title="Click to enlarge"><img src="/images/stories/2012/07/anzjuly101thumb.gif"></a>
 
Source RP Data, Rismark, ANZ
 
</body></html>

All Tasmanian regions recorded negative house price growth for the year: ANZ 

<html><body>
Regional areas have outperformed capital cities in the year to March, according to ANZ.
"Despite being lower in annual growth terms, regional house prices have been more stable than capital city house prices, which have seen larger price falls across all major states and territories," notes the Australian Housing Chartbook.
"Across states/territories and regions, house price growth has continued to differ, reflecting varying economic performance across Australian industries."
"House price growth in WA regional centres has counter-intuitively been the weakest, with house prices in many centres lower in the year to March," says the report.
"While we continue to expect continued divergence within South Australia and ACT regional housingmarkets, a broadly soft economic outlook for the South Australia and ACT economies combined withrelatively balanced housing markets should contain house price growth in the coming year across most regions."
Click to enlarge
<a rel="shadowbox" href="/images/stories/2012/07/anzjuly10.gif" title="Click to enlarge"><img src="/images/stories/2012/07/anzjuly10thumb.gif"></a>
 
Source RP Data, Rismark, ANZ
 
</body></html>

West Coast and Barossa Valley lead SA house price growth, with sour grapes for McLaren Vale owners: ANZ 

<html><body>
The new financial year brings with it plenty of opportunities for Australian entrepreneurs, along with severe challenges for certain sectors.
So which industry will fly and which will fall in 2012-13?
Business information research firm IBISWorld has compiled a list of those set for growth and those set for hard times in the coming 12 months:
<table style="width: 470px;" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr>
<td width="290">
Industries to fly
</td>
<td valign="top" width="138">
Growth 2012-13
(%)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="142">
Revenue 2012-13
($million)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="290">
Diamond and Gemstone Mining
</td>
<td width="138">
35.6
</td>
<td width="142">
509.3
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="290">
Electricity Generation
</td>
<td width="138">
28.7
</td>
<td width="142">
19,100.0
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="290">
Preschool Education
</td>
<td width="138">
26.0
</td>
<td width="142">
1,100.0
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="290">
Superannuation Funds
</td>
<td width="138">
21.2
</td>
<td width="142">
232,800.0
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="290">
Organic Farming
</td>
<td width="138">
14.9
</td>
<td width="142">
578.9
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
 
<table style="width: 470px;" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr>
<td width="292">
Industries to fall
</td>
<td width="135">
Change 2012-13
(%)
</td>
<td width="141">
Revenue 2012-13
($million)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="292">
Iron and Steel Manufacturing
</td>
<td width="135">
-15.6
</td>
<td width="141">
8,300.0
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="292">
Cotton Growing
</td>
<td width="135">
-8.3
</td>
<td width="141">
2,500.0
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="292">
Recorded Media Manufacturing and Publishing
</td>
<td width="135">
-6.1
</td>
<td width="141">
861.1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="292">
Pulp, Paper and Paperboard Manufacturing
</td>
<td width="135">
-5.2
</td>
<td width="141">
3,200.0
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="292">
Gaming and Vending Machine Manufacturing
</td>
<td width="135">
-5.0
</td>
<td width="141">
417.0
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
 Industries expected to fly:
1. Diamond and gemstone mining
The global financial crisis resulted in far lower demand for resources – including diamonds and gemstones.
Demand has started to recover globally and the rebound will be driven by higher production levels (up 39.5%), while prices are also expected to stabilise in 2012.
Significantly, 93% of Australian production is exported, and IBISWorld expects this to continue in the face of a very strong Australian dollar – resulting in forecast revenue growth of 35.6% over 2012-13 to reach $509.3 million.
IBISWorld identifies India as the key export market for Australia’s diamonds and gemstones. India uses the diamonds for industrial tools and jewellery.
2. Electricity generation
The electricity generation industry is forecast to grow strongly over the coming year, largely driven by the flow-on effects of the carbon tax – as the industry is the largest contributor of carbon dioxide in Australia at 32% of total emissions.
Victorian electricity generators that burn brown coal will be hardest hit by carbon pricing, followed by generators that burn black coal (mainly in New South Wales and Queensland).
Trends in electricity demand, production and prices are expected to be broadly reflected in industry performance. Low-cost producers will be able to take advantage of short-term increases in demand and are anticipated to perform well in the coming year.
Overall, IBISWorld expects industry profitability will be compressed by the introduction of carbon pricing, meaning profit will rise, but at a much slower rate than revenue. Electricity generation industry revenue is forecast to increase 28.7% over the coming year to reach $19.1 billion.
3. Preschool education
Over the coming financial year, IBISWorld expects the preschool education industry to grow by 26% and to be worth $1.1 billion.
Growth is expected to be driven primarily by additional funding, equating to $297 million over 2012-13, from the Australian Government to support reforms aimed at standardising preschool education.
The Australian government’s universal access policy is expected to increase demand for preschool services and increase total childcare hours.
All state governments have agreed that by the end of 2013, all four-year-old children will have access to 15 hours of preschool per week, 40 weeks of the year. These services are to be delivered by an early childhood teacher with four years of university training.
4. Superannuation funds
After four consecutive poor years, IBISWorld expects a return in confidence and favourable investment conditions in 2012-13. This is expected to result in growth of 21.2% for the superannuation funds industry to reach $232.8 billion.
This growth will be off a low base, following the revenue decimation experienced during the global financial crisis.
5. Organic farming
Over the past five years, Australia’s organic farming industry has grown at a robust pace of 11.6% per annum, and IBISWorld expects the industry will continue to soar, increasing its revenue by 14.9% over 2012-13 to be worth $578.9 million.
Demand for organic produce has been mainly driven by growing consumer interest in sustainable food production and rising disposable incomes.
Supermarkets have responded quickly to increasing demand for organic products by increasing organic product ranges to improve accessibility. This has resulted in supermarkets accounting for around 60% of all organic sales.
However, IBISWorld expects supply constraints – particularly in the meat segment due to the lack of an organised supply chain in regards to organic feed, abattoirs and processors – will continue to limit industry growth.
 
<hr class="system-pagebreak">
 
Industries expected to fall:
1. Iron and steel manufacturing
Australia’s iron and steel manufacturing industry has been in long-term decline due to a reduced global demand for Australia’s high priced manufactured steel.
Australia’s steel market has been further disadvantaged globally due to the high Australian dollar, which is expected to remain high, resulting in a forecast export decline of about 45% over the coming year.
BlueScope’s decision to exit the export market and reduce production capacity is indicative of this decline.
IBISWorld forecasts Australia’s iron and steel manufacturing industry will decline by 15.6% in 2012-13 to be worth $8.3 billion.
2. Cotton growing
Globally, cotton supply is expected to continue to exceed demand over the coming year, resulting in a fall in global cotton prices. IBISWorld forecasts that decreased demand for cotton from China, coupled with steady, healthy cotton production levels, will result in a fall of 8.3% in industry revenue over the coming year to reach $2.5 billion.
3. Recorded media manufacturing and publishing
Physical media manufacturing is inextricably tied to retail sales. Over the five years to 2012-13, the amount of CDs sold will drop by an estimated 11% annually to about 30 million – as consumers opt to digitally download everything from music, to movies and video games.
To combat this, the industry is looking to reinvent itself by developing music and video players that play digital media files. However, online file downloading and sharing still poses a huge threat for the industry.
In 2012-13, IBISWorld forecasts revenue for Australia’s recorded media manufacturing and publishing industry will decline 6.1% to be worth $861.1 million.
4. Pulp, paper and paperboard manufacturing
The increasing digitisation of media has had an adverse affect on a number of downstream industries, including Australia’s pulp, paper and paperboard manufacturing industry.
The increasing digitisation of media lowers the need for paper printing and publishing.
Confounding this is the continuing high price of woodchips, which further encourages the trend away from paper products.
Delays in the development of several key production sites – due to uncertain economic times and strong lobbying efforts by protest groups – has further affected industry productivity and profitability. In the coming year, industry revenue is forecast to decline by 5.2% to reach $3.2 billion.
5. Gaming and vending machines manufacturing
Over the past five years, the number of poker machines in Australia has contracted as state government caps have come into play – limiting the potential purchases of gaming machines.
Like many of Australia’s manufacturing industries, production activity has gradually relocated from Australia to countries with lower production costs.
This trend is increasing import competition, which is supported by the strong Australian dollar, making imported goods less expensive for local buyers.
This trend is expected to continue over 2012-13, contributing to a forecast industry revenue decline of 5% to reach $417 million.
Karen Dobie is the general manager of IBISWorld Australia. For more information on these, or any of Australia’s 500 industries, <a href="https://www.ibisworld.com.au/" rel="nofollow">click here</a>. This article first appeared on <a href="https://www.startupsmart.com.au/" rel="nofollow">StartupSmart</a>.
</body></html>

Organic farming set to fly in 2012-13 as manufacturing set to flounder: IBISWorld

<html><body>
<img src="/images/stories/2012/07/6point1percent.gif">
The median rental yield for Darwin units in June, according to RP Data.
<hr>
<img src="/images/stories/2012/07/5point8percent.gif">
The median rental yield for Canberra units in June, according to RP Data.
<hr>
<img src="/images/stories/2012/07/5point5percent.gif">
The median rental yield for Brisbane units in June, according to RP Data.
 
<hr>
<img src="/images/stories/2012/07/5point4percent.gif">
The median rental yield for Hobart units in June, according to RP Data.
 
<hr>
 
<img src="/images/stories/2012/07/4point9percent.gif">
The median rental yield for Perth units in June, according to RP Data.
 
<hr>
 
<img src="/images/stories/2012/07/4point9percent.gif">
The median rental yield for Sydney units in June, according to RP Data.
 
<hr>
<img src="/images/stories/2012/07/4point8percent.gif">
The median rental yield for Adelaide units in June, according to RP Data.
 
<hr>
<img src="/images/stories/2012/07/4point5percent.gif">
The median rental yield for Melbourne units in June, according to RP Data.
</body></html>

Capital city unit rental yields by the numbers, with Darwin providing the highest returns for property investors: RP Data

<html><body>
Regional areas have outperformed capital cities in the year to March, according to ANZ.
"Despite being lower in annual growth terms, regional house prices have been more stable than capital city house prices, which have seen larger price falls across all major states and territories," notes the Australian Housing Chartbook.
"Across states/territories and regions, house price growth has continued to differ, reflecting varying economic performance across Australian industries."
"House price growth in WA regional centres has counter-intuitively been the weakest, with house prices in many centres lower in the year to March," says the report.
"Of note, house price growth in the Greenough River and Moore regions weremuch weaker in March 2012 (-6.5% and -4.7% respectively) compared to September 2011 (+1.3% and +0.6%respectively). Nonetheless, the economic benefits from major mining and energy projects in WA should boost house prices in many WA major regional centres over the next 12-18 months."
Click to enlarge
<a rel="shadowbox" href="/images/stories/2012/07/anzjuly94.jpg" title="Click to enlarge"><img src="/images/stories/2012/07/anzjuly94thum.jpg"></a>
 
Source RP Data, Rismark, ANZ
 
</body></html>

Johnston and Kalgoorlie strongest regional WA housing markets, with Hotham prices languishing: ANZ

<html><body>
Regional areas have outperformed capital cities in the year to March, according to ANZ, with Gladstone leading the way in Queensland. 
"Despite being lower in annual growth terms, regional house prices have been more stable than capital city house prices, which have seen larger price falls across all major states and territories," notes the Australian Housing Chartbook.
"Across states/territories and regions, house price growth has continued to differ, reflecting varying economic performance across Australian industries."
"Queensland has shown the greatest intra-state variation in regional house prices, reflecting the divergenteconomic performance of regions exposed to the tourism sector (i.e. Cairns, Gold Coast) and mining-relatedservices (Gladstone, Mount Isa)," the report says.
Click to enlarge
<a title="Click to enlarge" href="/images/stories/2012/07/anzjuly93.jpg" rel="shadowbox"><img src="/images/stories/2012/07/anzjuly93thumb.jpg"></a>
 
Source RP Data, Rismark, ANZ
For information on investing in property in Queensland mining hotspots, read our free eBook <a href="http://propertyobserver.com.au/ebooks/free-ebook-property-investing-in-queenslands-resources-boom">Property investing in Queensland’s resources boom</a> 
</body></html>

Investor darling mining town Gladstone strongest Queensland regional housing market, while Bundaberg struggles like the Gold Coast

<html><body>
Regional areas have outperformed capital cities in the year to March, according to ANZ.
"Despite being lower in annual growth terms, regional house prices have been more stable than capital city house prices, which have seen larger price falls across all major states and territories," notes the Australian Housing Chartbook.
"Across states/territories and regions, house price growth has continued to differ, reflecting varying economic performance across Australian industries."
Click to enlarge
<a title="Click to enlarge" href="/images/stories/2012/07/anzjuly92.jpg" rel="shadowbox"><img src="/images/stories/2012/07/anzjuly92thumb.jpg"></a>
 
Source RP Data, Rismark, ANZ
</body></html>

Bendigo strongest Victorian regional housing market, far outperforming Shepparton: ANZ

<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.

&nbsp;

[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

<main data-perf-region="main">
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.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152737]

<h3 data-end="3697" data-section-id="q3n5ak" data-start="3672">&nbsp;</h3>
</main>

Cassidy Knowlton

Editor's Picks

Have something to contribute?

Developments

New apartments

New townhouses

News