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EXPERT OBSERVER
Sydney Lord Mayor, Clover Moore (pictured), will hold a community meeting on March 6 to scaremonger residents of Waterloo by claiming over development by the NSW Government.
The Lord Mayor’s doom and gloom statements about over development of the social housing precinct in Waterloo reflect a growing anti -development rhetoric by politicians in the build up to the NSW Election on 23 March.
In previous community meetings Clover Moore has shown images of wall to wall high rise towers in Hong Kong as being typical of what will happen at Waterloo. But the truth is very different.
The Lord Mayor claims that the density of the proposed 6,800 apartments at Waterloo will be excessive yet it will by 25 percent less dense that the award winning Central Park development on Broadway.
The density of the preferred option for Waterloo will be 730 people per hectare compared to the 1,000 people per hectare at Central Park yet few people would claim that Central Park is over developed.
The City of Sydney has used dwellings per hectare density figures but social housing units in inner Sydney have only 1.3 people per dwelling as tenants are mainly single people.
To compare these smaller dwellings to large homes in other parts of Sydney is incorrect and giving a false measure of density.
The NSW Government deserves credit for its proposal to revitalise the ageing social housing precinct at Waterloo.
For decades governments and councils have called for the renewal of the precinct with a focus on mixing market based housing with social and affordable housing but until now none have found an economically viable solution. It is easy to criticise the current proposal if you don’t have to fund the project which will cost billions of dollars.
The City of Sydney has slashed into the government’s funding model by reducing the income earning market apartments by a massive 1,500 dwellings, eliminating the taller buildings that generate much of the income then saying that new funds should come from the government and that any renovations should be funded by someone else.
The approach for the Waterloo revitalisation by the NSW Government is similar to world best practice. In Canada the Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) called for bids from the private sector to revitalise the Regent Park social housing estate a few kilometres from the centre of town in the mid 2000’s.
The project replaces 2,083 degraded social housing units and adds 448 affordable housing rental units along with 5,400 new market condominium units. So around 70 percent of the final homes will be market homes and they will subsidise the 30 percent that are social or affordable homes.
The Waterloo market housing proportion is only 65 per cent with 35 percent being social or affordable housing. Both projects are Page 2 of 3 carefully spread over 20 year timeframes so that change is carefully managed for existing residents and the project can respond to conditions in the market place.”
The City of Sydney scheme is presented in their report as being light and filled with greenery while the state government’s scheme has been presented as ominous black towers.
This continues the Lord Mayor’s rhetoric that Waterloo would become a ‘ghetto’ with ‘Hong Kong density.’
What is needed by the City of Sydney Council is positive comments about how to improve the public domain and social outcomes of the masterplan rather than the current approach to totally undermine the proposal. The end result of the Lord Mayor’s attack could be to stop the project and put it on hold for a few more decades.
We are on the edge of making the revitalisation of Waterloo a reality after years of detailed work with the community. To sabotage all this work now would be a very destructive act by the City of Sydney Council.
CHRIS JOHNSON is the Urban Taskforce CEO
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Clover Moore is scaremongering Waterloo residents: Chris Johnson

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EXPERT OBSERVATION
The release of the stage 1 Assurance Review of Planning in Ryde LGA demonstrates fundamental problems with the Sydney planning system.
The Greater Sydney Commission Assurance Review of planning in Ryde says the level of growth across the LGA was unanticipated but it is right on the GSC’s own targets.
The GSC state that over 3 years 4,500 dwellings have been completed which averages 1,500 a year. Over a 5 year period this growth would amount to 7,500 dwellings which is below the GSC’s 5 year target of 7,600. It seems amazing that the GSC says they did not anticipate growth to match their own target.
The GSC Report also states that the Department of Planning and Environment’s supply forecasts estimated that 9,500 dwellings would be built up to 2021/22 yet apartment dwelling approvals in NSW have collapsed by 40 per cent in the last year. The Planning Department must be more up to date with the state of the new housing industry.
The Assurance Review also states that there is a disconnect between planning and infrastructure delivery in Ryde but this must surely be a key responsibility of the GSC and of the NSW Government.
The assurance Review outlines a number of actions ‘to restore community confidence in local planning’ in Ryde but the report ignores the need for the development and investment industry to have confidence in the planning process.
The development industry, who have only followed the GSC and council plans, are the big losers with the suspension of all new planning proposals in Ryde as well as all existing planning proposals (announced for the first time) be put on hold for a 12-month period. Clearly there is NO assurance about planning in Ryde for the businesses that spend millions of dollars in proposals that follow the GSC’s rules.
The greatest admission of failure by the Greater Sydney Commission is their statement that their ‘observations’ and ‘recommendations’ in Ryde ‘will have application across Greater Sydney’.
So this questions all of the dwelling targets and the roll out of infrastructure across the whole metropolitan area of Sydney. And this is 12 months after, with great fanfare, the GSC’s Greater Sydney Region Plan was released in March 2018.
With dwelling approvals collapsing in Sydney and many approved projects being put on hold the last thing we need is to delay all planning for two years while new Master Plans are produced.
The Urban Taskforce believes whoever forms government on 23 March must look to stimulate the housing industry rather than put planning on hold.
CHRIS JOHNSON is the Urban Taskforce CEO 
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Ryde Assurance Review shows planning is a mess: Chris Johnson

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The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) housing approval numbers for January 2019 show a collapse in apartment approvals in Victoria and NSW.
The ABS January 2019 housing data indicates a fall in apartment approvals in Victoria of 55 per cent and in NSW of 41 percent over the last year.
Detached home approvals have remained steady but apartment approvals have dropped dramatically across Australia but particularly in NSW and Victoria.
In January 2018 Victoria had 3362 apartment approvals but this has dropped to only 1,500 in January 2019.
NSW had 3,359 approvals in January 2018 and this has dropped to 1,987 a year later in January 2019.
The drop in apartment approvals in NSW is even more dramatic when measured against the high point of 3,814 approvals in September 2017.
This is a drop of 1,827 from the peak which is a 48 per cent drop.
Drops in the order of 50 percent over a year are highly unusual and it does not look as though the drop is slowing.
Over the last year house approvals dropped from 2,556 in January 2018 to 2,425 in January 2019 which is only a 5 per cent drop.
Clearly the investor market is on hold in the major cities as housing prices fall and this impacts on apartment sales.
The message from the development industry is that pre commitment sales have tapered off dramatically in Sydney so even those apartments that have been approved may not proceed.
The supply chain of new apartments is looking to be very low in the years ahead.
The collapse in approvals for new apartments has been fuelled by negative attitudes about apartment development from politicians and media in the build up to the NSW election on 23 March, the slow -down in funds from China, the falling dwelling prices in the market and a general lack of confidence by investors, owner occupiers and the development industry in new residential property.
Which ever party wins the NSW election will need to address the confidence issue quickly as there are around 300,000 direct jobs in residential development and if half the number of apartments will be built in coming years then half the number of jobs will be needed.
The Urban Taskforce is developing a series of actions that the next NSW government can take to minimise unemployment in the industry.
CHRIS JOHNSON is the Urban Taskforce CEO 
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Apartment approvals collapsing in Victoria and New South Wales: Chris Johnson

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EXPERT OBSERVATION
The NSW Labor Party announcement that they will eliminate spot rezoning if elected in March is a misunderstanding of the planning system.
Spot rezoning was introduced because many councils were very slow to update their Local Environmental Plans yet population growth had increased or new infrastructure like metro rail was being built.
Many councils were against new child care centres that competed against their own centres or did not support affordable housing in their area. In these circumstances where councils were stopping social responsible development or where their planning documents were out of date it is necessary to have a review system that has independent assessment.
The Plan for Sydney, A Metropolis of Three Cities, by the Greater Sydney Commission is only a year old and it sets the big picture agenda for where growth should occur. Unfortunately most councils have LEPs that are sometimes decades old. It is essential that planning responds to today’s needs not the past.
Giving councils too much power in the rezoning process creates an environment conducive to corruption. The current District Planning Panels are independent and were set up to keep potentially corrupt councilors out of the process.
Former Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, Glenn Stevens, in a report to the NSW Government raised concern that the planning system was too slow and out of date with current economic circumstances.
The spot rezoning approach allows independent assessment of planning proposals that fit the Greater Sydney Commissions most recent plans but don’t conform to out of date council plans.
As Glenn Stevens highlighted to wait for 5 years for the council plans to catch up is a very inefficient way to keep the economy of housing supply being relevant.
The Labor statement that spot rezoning is about developer deals is totally wrong. It is about being current with planning rather than being out of date. It is also about ensuring that anti -development councils cannot undermine the metropolitan wide approach taken by the Greater Sydney Commission.
Importantly Pre-Gateway reviews of Planning Proposals are undertaken by appointed experts on District Planning Panels that include a local council representative. The checks and balances are there to ensure probity and independent decision making.
It is of concern that the Labor Party is attacking developers for trying to follow the independent GSC plans when local councils are out of date with their own plans.
CHRIS JOHNSON is the Urban Taskforce CEO 
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Spot rezoning need to be independently assessed: Chris Johnson

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The announcement by the NSW Government that they will register building practitioners will lift confidence in the building industry.
Most builders, developers and design consultants involved in high rise buildings in New South Wales perform at a high professional level.
But a few recent examples have shaken the communities confidence in the industry and the proposals by the NSW Government to reinforce the whole supply chain of practitioners through registration will help restore confidence.
The NSW Government has stated that it will support the majority of recommendations of the 2018 Shergold Weir Report prepared for the national Building Minister’s Forum.
The recommendations include that building practitioners be registered including builders, project managers, building surveyors (including certifiers), architects, engineers, designers, plumbers and fire safety practitioners. It is clear that the whole supply chain of those involved in building need to be of the highest skill level and undergo Continuing Professional Development.
The NSW Government also proposes appointing a Building Commissioner who will presumably require support staff.
It does seem strange that it took recent failures in high rise buildings to get the NSW Government to support these changes as the 2015 Lambert Report commissioned by the NSW Government proposed wider accreditation but the government at that time did not support this.
The Shergold Weir Report points out that the number of high rise residential buildings is growing quickly in Australia with 30,000 apartments in high rise buildings in 2007 rising to 90,000 in 2015.
It is clear that high rise living has been strongly supported by the market and by home owners and renters as part of a swing to living closer to work and to amenities.
The Urban Taskforce is keen to work with the NSW Government on how the proposed changes are implemented in a manner that lifts performance without undue increase in the cost of new homes.
CHRIS JOHNSON is the Urban Taskforce CEO 
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Registration of all building practitioners required in NSW to lift confidence: Chris Johnson

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New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows NSW apartment approvals fall by 33% over the last year, says the Urban Taskforce.
The apartment market in NSW is slowing rapidly, according to the latest data, says UrbanTaskforce CEO Chris Johnson. ‘A year ago apartment approvals were 3,021 for December 2017, but the December 2018 figures indicate a drop of 994 to a total of 2027 apartments. This is a fall of 33 percent in a year, and it is likely that the fall in approvals wil lcontinue.’
Victoria is ahead of NSW in apartment approvals over the last quarter, with 15,472 approvals compared to NSW’s 14185 approvals. Victoria’s population is 20% smaller than NSW so approvals would generally be 20 percent lower, however they are ahead by 9 percent.
The decline in apartment approvals in NSW is influenced by many factors, including the Royal Banking Commission, tighter lending restrictions, uncertainty around housing policy due to the upcoming state and federal elections, declining house prices and anti- development rhetoric driven by campaigning politicians.
These factors undermine confidence in new housing construction. Whoever wins the state government election in March should look to implement new housing policies to encourage the supply of homes and ensure that jobs and investment in the property sector is maintained.
The Urban Taskforce is keen to work with all political parties to develop policies that can deliver sufficient housing supply to accommodate Sydney’s growth in the coming years.
The graph below are based on the Australian Bureau of Statistics data.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2019/2/5/housing%20approvals.jpg" target="_blank">Click here</a> to enlarge:
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/2/5/housing%20approvals.jpg" alt="">
 
Source: Urban Taskforce
CHRIS JOHNSON is the Urban Taskforce CEO.
 
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Alarming decline in housing approvals no longer can be ignored: Chris Johnson

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EXPERT OBSERVER
The preferred masterplan for the revitalisation of Waterloo has the right ingredients to create a modern mixed use community.
The preferred masterplan for the revitalisation of Waterloo by the NSW Government has responded to community input by reducing dwelling numbers down to 6,800 and by providing 60 percent of dwellings in buildings 7 storeys or lower.
The 18 hectare site will have 3 hectares of open space with two large parks and a tree lined pedestrian boulevard.
The preferred masterplan has all the ingredients to create a dynamic community that mixes affordable housing, social housing and market housing.
The Urban Taskforce supports the government’s approach of increasing densities so that the market housing helps fund the social and affordable housing.This approach can only work on a large site like this.
Some commentators have criticised the density but Waterloo will have 28 percent less density that the award winning Central Park project.
Central Park has 2,214 apartments averaging 2.2 people per apartment giving 4,870 people plus 1,040 student beds giving a total of 5,910 people across the 5.8 hectare site. This equates to 1,018 people per hectare.
Waterloo will have 4,760 market and affordable apartments at 2.2 people per apartment giving 10,472 people and 2,040 social housing dwellings averaging 1.3 people per dwelling giving 2,652 people giving a total of 13,124 people across the 18 hectare site. This equates to 729 people per hectare which is well below the Central Park density.”
Clearly a large site so close to the Sydney CBD with a new metro station next door and with more parkland adjacent to the site must not be under developed.
The size of the site means the taller towers that only use 6 percent of the site can be carefully located to not be intrusive to open space.
The Urban Taskforce supports the general approach to the preferred masterplan that will be rolled out over 15 to 20 years.
It will be important to ensure the realities of the market place are carefully managed to make sure that the economic viability of the overall development relates to external market forces.
This may require some flexibility with when particular building types go to the market.”
CHRIS JOHNSON is the Urban Taskforce CEO 
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Waterloo revitalisation plans will create a modern urban community: Chris Johnson

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EXPERT OBSERVER
The announcement by the NSW Government that they will hold an international design competition for the relocation of the Powerhouse Museum to Parramatta needs to be matched by the opposition for their proposed cultural centre.
Clearly a new cultural building in Parramatta needs to be a world class design and the NSW Government’s approach to hold an international competition should guarantee a quality result.
The NSW Opposition has proposed a different type of cultural facility and it also needs to be a world class design.
The government has announced some members of a jury but not including the NSW Government Architect. The famous Sydney Opera House international design competition did include the NSW Government Architect.
The NSW Government’s approach and the Opposition’s approach for a signature building in Parramatta must include the Government Architect on the competition jury.
The previous NSW Government Architect, Peter Poulet, resigned in October last year but a new Government Architect has not been announced despite interviews being held.
With the government about to be constrained on new appointments due to the March election we believe this important position needs to be filled as soon as possible.
The Urban Taskforce believes that both the Opposition’s proposal and the Government’s proposal for Parramatta can give Western Sydney an iconic cultural building that anchors the river city as one of Sydney’s three cities.
As Sydney becomes more urban and more dense as the city moves from 5 million people to 8 million people, as outlined by the Greater Sydney Commission plans, design quality will be an essential part of how the growth is built.
The role of the NSW Government Architect is essential in helping steer the future built form of Sydney.
CHRIS JOHNSON is the Urban Taskforce CEO
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Design competition for Parramatta cultural centre needs cross party support: Chris Johnson

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EXPERT OBSERVER
The recent release of median housing sale prices across Australia by the Domain Group demonstrates different results for Eastern seaboard cities compared to the west and for apartments compared to houses.
The Domain data over the last year shows a collapse in Sydney house median prices of 9.9 percent compared to a median apartment reduction of 5.8 percent.
Apartments are now $350,000 cheaper than the median house and this is making apartments more affordable and therefore more attractive to more people in the market.
The interesting result from the Domain data is that Australia has two quite different profiles. The eastern seaboard cities are clearly having major drops in both housing and apartment median prices but Adelaide is amazingly seeing median house and apartment prices going up not down.
The big message for Sydney from the Domain data is that apartments have lost value at half the rate of houses. This seems to be driven by the fact that apartments are generally around $350,000 cheaper on average than a house. Clearly many Sydney families and couples are still looking to buy an apartment rather than a house due to its affordability.
Even during a time of major contraction in the housing markets the swing to apartment living is tracking well.
The Urban Taskforce is concerned that the large drop in the value of houses and apartments has been partly driven by the pre-election negative attitude to so called over development by politicians harnessing votes by championing a stop to growth.
Sydney is still growing and the housing industry needs a steady supply process to maintain jobs rather than a major drop partly driven by scaremongering at election time.
CHRIS JOHNSON is the Urban Taskforce CEO
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Domain housing sales collapse applies more to houses than apartments: Chris Johnson

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EXPERT OBSERVER
Recent proposed changes to Boarding House legislation in NSW is pandering to elitists.
The NSW Department of Planning has issued a draft proposal to change the Affordable Rental Housing State Environmental Planning Policy 2009 in relation to the number of rooms permitted in boarding houses in R2 zones.
Boarding houses are an important source of affordable rental accommodation but it seems some communities would prefer them to be Not In My Backyard (NIMBY) and have put pressure on the government to minimise their impact.
The result is a draft proposal to limit the size of a new Boarding House to only 12 rooms in R2 areas.
If these changes are implemented they will make boarding houses unfeasible in many areas of Sydney where more affordable housing is desperately needed.
This proposal follows changes introduced in June 2018 to require 0.5 car spaces per room up from 0.2 spaces.
These additional onerous requirements greatly affect the feasibility of boarding house development resulting in a diminished supply of this type of affordable accommodation.
There is a clear shift in Sydney to rental housing as opposed to home ownership and this means governments must support Build to Rent models for long term rental accommodation as well as the more affordable new generation boarding houses.
The Urban Taskforce is concerned that the erosion of support for boarding houses that the current NSW Government is driving is making the feasibility of delivering this important contribution to housing affordability unsustainable.
The concerns of communities about this housing type can be handled through quality design so that boarding houses compliment the local character of an area.
We suspect however that the community concerns are more about objecting to the people who live in affordable rental housing than concerns about the buildings.
CHRIS JOHNSON is the Urban Taskforce CEO
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Boarding house changes are pandering to elitists: Chris Johnson

The residential transformation of St Kilda Road is set to continue into with more new apartment plans for the sought-after boulevard.

Wing Tai Asia has lodged plans for a major residential tower at 464-466 St Kilda Road, replacing the former VACC House with an 18-storey mixed-use development designed around a retained heritage podium and a sculpted contemporary tower.

The proposal, prepared under Victoria’s Significant Residential Development with Affordable Housing pathway, would deliver 325 apartments and ground-floor retail across the prominent 4,653 sqm boulevard site in Melbourne’s St Kilda Road North Precinct.

The project centres on the adaptive reuse of the site’s heritage-listed VACC Building, an eight-storey office designed by Bernard Evans that has occupied the address for decades. Planning documents state the development would involve “carefully dismantling and conserving off-site the original metal fabric of the podium visible from St Kilda Road,” before reinstating it as the defining frontage of the new scheme.

Above the restored podium, Wing Tai is proposing a curvilinear residential tower. The scheme includes 172 one-bedroom apartments, 63 two-bedroom apartments, 66 three-bedroom apartments, and 24 four-bedroom apartments, alongside two ground-floor food and beverage tenancies fronting St Kilda Road.

The tower has been designed with substantial articulation and variable setbacks to minimise perceived bulk and maintain view corridors along the boulevard. Urbis, which prepared the planning report, said the design “has been significantly articulated through a curvilinear design” with “an interplay with materials, façade expression and depth” to create visual separation and visual interest.

The proposal also includes 254 basement car spaces, landscaped pedestrian links connecting St Kilda Road and Queens Lane, and a biophilic landscape strategy featuring canopy trees, raised planters, cascading greenery and a glass oculus pool overlooking the eastern frontage.

Planning documents confirm the $270.1 million development will contribute 3 per cent of project costs to the Social Housing Growth Fund as part of the application process.

Wing Tai acquired the St Kilda Road property in 2018 alongside Abacus Property Group for $95.38 million, before later consolidating ownership of the site. The property previously served as the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce headquarters for around 60 years.

The transformation of the St Kilda Rd boulevard is already beginning to materialise, with a number of high-profile projects recently completed, launched, or approaching launch as developers continue to back the long-term appeal of the precinct.

Among the most notable recent completions is Louise by Samuel Property Group, just off the strip on Queens Lane, the same pocket Hirsch &amp; Faigen recently launched The Queensbury. Mirvac is too on the same street with The Albertine, which is approaching completion.

Dexus recently secured approval for its slice of St Kilda Road, while Gurner also has approved plans for the precinct.

Joel Robinson

Wing Tai unveils 325-apartment St Kilda Road tower on former VACC House site

Malaysian developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/s-p-setia">SP Setia</a> is the latest to jump into St Leonards booming Transport Oriented Development precinct.

The developer, which has previously delivered Sapphire by the Gardens apartment development in Melbourne, identified the Atchison Street site in 2023. It filed a Scoping Report around 12 months ago, and now has revealed the designs for the new&nbsp;40-storey mixed-use tower.

The State Significant Development Application covers <a href="https://next-portal.urban.com.au/projects/14650/summary">20-22 Atchison Street</a>, a 1,374 sqm site positioned between St Leonards Station and the new Crows Nest Metro station.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cox-architecture">COX Architecture</a>, the project would deliver 181 apartments, above a four-storey commercial podium, five basement levels, and new public domain works along Mitchell Street. The apartment mix comprises 35 one-bedroom apartments, 39 one-bedroom-plus-study apartments, 85 two-bedroom apartments, and 22 three-bedroom residences.

The proposal has been lodged as a shop-top housing development under the NSW Government’s TOD planning pathway, which allows increased density around key transport infrastructure. The site sits within the recently rezoned Crows Nest Accelerated TOD Precinct.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b799673d-48e2-46b0-801a-0e33a9330100" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/atchinson%20site.png?VersionId=dPh0UfwfaHpbFL1R7H1cbZNbIW0CHbCC" />

SP Setia acquired the Atchison Street site as part of its continued expansion into the Australian apartment market. In comments made to City &amp; Country (The Edge Malaysia) in 2023, SP Setia President and CEO Datuk Choong Kai Wai described the acquisition as “a strategic move” aligned with the group’s post-pandemic market recovery strategy.

“Our target for this exceptional development is local and overseas buyers, including first-home buyers, downsizers and investors,” Choong said.

The tower has been designed as a slender vertical form rising from a mixed-use podium, with COX Architecture positioning the development as a response to the evolving St Leonards and Crows Nest skyline.

“The purpose of the project is to facilitate the delivery of high-quality housing at a strategically located site and deliver a built tower outcome that is consistent with the desired future character of St Leonards and aligns with the TOD controls,” the design report stated.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b1a85eee-76f7-436c-a6da-73ba827b9b13" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/atchinson%20entry.png?VersionId=dA9jHGPMcm.dDbwk4QfxqWiY5bfh3UVt" />

The podium would incorporate retail uses fronting Atchison Street, commercial tenancies, landscaped communal areas, and pedestrian improvements along Mitchell Street. Vehicle access and loading would be consolidated via Atchison Lane.

Residents would have access to more than 665 sqm of communal indoor and outdoor spaces, while the development proposes 96 parking spaces across five basement levels.

The proposal also includes a commitment for 10 per cent of residential floor space to be allocated toward affordable housing through a monetary contribution.

COX said the tower form responds directly to the emerging high-density character of the precinct while seeking to maximise solar access, cross ventilation, and outlook from apartments.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2163f85c-f63b-4be3-aafa-f8763976cec5" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Article%20Feature%20Image%20%28Grid%29_5.png?VersionId=WiAmtIKJ6.ZQ41EtYEQ1fol7AeorKBlL" />

“The building is orientated towards north,” the Apartment Design Guide compliance report noted, adding that the tower’s slim form was driven by the constrained inner-urban site dimensions.

The design also incorporates landscaped setbacks and communal open space at podium level, intended to soften the interface with surrounding streets and improve pedestrian amenity.

The project adds to a growing wave of redevelopment proposals reshaping St Leonards and Crows Nest following the opening of the Sydney Metro City line and the NSW Government’s push for higher-density housing around major transport nodes.

Last week Stockland filed plans just down the road. They want to build a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/601-pacific-highway-st-leonards-nsw-2065">52-storey tower on Pacific Highway</a>.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-stockland-plans-52-storey-538-apartment-st-leonards-tower">First look: Stockland plans 52-storey, 538-apartment St Leonards tower&nbsp;</a>

First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/urban-property-group">Urban Property Group</a> has revealed plans for a new mixed-use tower at 10 Dangar Street, Wickham, advancing a proposal that would reshape the southern gateway to Newcastle’s city centre with one of the city’s tallest residential buildings.

The State Significant Development proposal, now on exhibition, seeks approval for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/bowline-10-dangar-street-wickham-nsw-2293">43-storey tower</a> immediately adjacent to the Newcastle Interchange. The project would deliver around 200 apartments, including 42 affordable housing dwellings, alongside 99 co-living units, a 171-room hotel, retail space, and new public domain integrated through the site.

The scheme marks a significant escalation of plans previously approved for the site. Urban Property Group took over the prominent 2,904 sqm parcel, where excavation and demolition had already commenced under an earlier consent for a 14-storey mixed-use development.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="58a96dd9-407f-4d20-86b4-94e4bfeef74b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20podium.png?VersionId=LGlf08pdFGAZDzvx_CXC4XakHNZRuEE0" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/sjb-architects">SJB</a>, the tower has been conceived as a landmark transit-oriented development anchored to the Newcastle Interchange precinct. The proposal includes 245 build-to-sell apartments across a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom residences, as well as two penthouses. Fifteen apartments and one operational unit are earmarked for NDIS housing. The co-living component would add a further 99 units, while the podium would accommodate retail uses and hotel facilities.

SJB said the site presents “a valuable opportunity to anchor the precinct by setting the standard for design, active ground planes and character at the key southern gateway.”

The architecture responds directly to the site’s position beside major transport infrastructure and within one of Newcastle’s fastest-evolving urban renewal precincts. The tower form sits above a sculpted podium designed to frame new public spaces, including a through-site pedestrian link connecting Station Street to Hannell Street, landscaped plazas, and activated retail edges.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a7bd6ff0-f7db-4ce8-a6dc-ea56e72c6149" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20lanne.png?VersionId=xzf39VADyhj7zBQY2I9fx9vI62u2tuSb" />

The design report describes the project as part of the broader transition of Wickham into “a vibrant, high-quality mixed-use urban precinct” that leverages proximity to the station, open space, and regional connectivity.

A detailed public art strategy has also been prepared for the development. The strategy positions the project as “a transit-oriented development of state significance at the gateway to Newcastle’s city centre” and outlines a series of integrated artworks responding to Newcastle’s industrial and transport heritage.

Creative Road’s curatorial framework for the project, titled Unveil, draws on “stratified surfaces, carved volumes, and light-filled apertures” while referencing Newcastle’s transformation from an industrial city into a contemporary education and technology hub.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="77a882bb-14b1-4d28-99ff-9438e39508c0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20site.png?VersionId=cevgo_vN0eKPK78P8YcEu3mKPLkpFqE7" />

The proposal is being advanced through the NSW Housing Delivery Authority pathway after being declared State Significant Development in June 2025. The accompanying scoping report states the development aims to “maximise the site’s proximity to the Newcastle Interchange by delivering transit-oriented development” while increasing housing supply and affordable housing provision within the Newcastle LGA.

Urban Property Group’s plans align with the long-term strategic vision established under the Wickham Master Plan, which identified the interchange precinct as suitable for substantial uplift in height and density. The current proposal would significantly intensify that vision, positioning the tower among the tallest developments proposed for Newcastle.

The site sits immediately north of the Newcastle Interchange, bounded by Dangar Street, Hannell Street, and Charles Street. It is surrounded by a rapidly growing cluster of residential towers and mixed-use projects that have emerged following the completion of the light rail and transport interchange.

First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s latest tower at Wickham interchange

Bottega House has completed settlement of a landmark riverfront site in Macquarie Street, St Lucia, representing its first major Brisbane development.&nbsp;

Positioned on the banks of the Brisbane River, the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/180-macquarie-street-st-lucia-qld-4067">premium site at 180 Macquarie Street</a> features uninterrupted river frontage in one of Brisbane’s most tightly held residential precincts.&nbsp;

The proposed development, currently under assessment with Brisbane City Council, has been designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/plus-studio">Plus Studio</a> with interiors by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/mim-design">Mim Design</a> and will deliver a boutique collection of premium residences positioned specifically for owner occupiers and downsizers.&nbsp;

The residences are set to redefine luxury apartment living in the area, with a focus on architectural quality, refined finishes, landscape integration and elevated amenities including curated wellness facilities, resort-style pools and recreation spaces rarely seen in the local market.&nbsp;

Exclusive sales for the project will be led by Keenan &amp; Byrne, ahead of an anticipated launch later this year.&nbsp;

Bottega House Managing Director Nick Malloch said the project reflects the group’s ambition to deliver a highly curated residential offering within one of Brisbane’s most tightly held precincts.&nbsp;

“This is an incredibly rare riverfront opportunity and one we have approached with a long-term perspective,” Malloch said.&nbsp;

“Our vision from the outset was to create a boutique collection of residences that feel more like private homes than traditional apartments, with generous proportions, refined finishes and exceptional amenity throughout."

Malloch says there is a&nbsp;lack of premium owner-occupier stock of this quality in the market, particularly for downsizers wanting space, privacy and a true lifestyle offering without compromise.&nbsp;

"Demand is expected to be strong given the scarcity of premium riverfront opportunities of this nature within Brisbane’s inner-west."&nbsp;

Bottega House secures landmark riverfront site in St Lucia 

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The arrival of the first piling rig officially marks the commencement of construction at SIERA’s new beachside apartment development, Exhale, in Northcliffe.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/exhale-surfers-paradise-8-enderley-avenue-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">Exhale</a>, a glass-encased tower featuring 54 large-scale apartments at 8 Enderley Avenue, is SIERA’s third Gold Coast development. It follows the recently completed PIPIS Bilinga beachfront project, which achieved suburb-record prices, and the soon-to-be-completed Chevron Island development, Tapestry.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=359603]

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/siera">SIERA</a> Founder and Managing Director Brent Thompson said the arrival of the piling rig represented a significant milestone for the development, which is scheduled for completion in late 2028.

Over the next month, around 260 piles are expected to be installed as work progresses on the basement structure. The building is anticipated to rise above ground level early next year, before unveiling its sculptural glass curtain wall, developed in collaboration with specialist façade engineers.

“The façade was designed to maximise panoramic coastal views while creating a distinctive architectural identity,” Thompson said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=355935]

Designed by BDA Architecture, Exhale will comprise just 54 two- and three-bedroom residences across 26 levels, a level of low-density living rarely delivered in this beachside pocket between Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach.

The project has been conceived as a resident-only building, with no short-stay accommodation permitted. SIERA says the model is intended to appeal to long-term owner-occupiers rather than transient holiday demand.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=361052]

Residences have been designed with large-format layouts and expansive glazing, with most apartments featuring more than 30 metres of glass frontage to maximise natural light and ocean views.

The amenity offering spans two levels and centres on wellness and lifestyle, including a heated magnesium pool, sauna, yoga and Pilates studio, gymnasium, private dining facilities, cinema lounge, and dedicated surfcraft storage.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=359607]

More than half of the apartments have already sold. SIERA has also opened a sales gallery for Exhale at its Chevron Island commercial premises, near its Tapestry tower and the site of its second Chevron Island apartment development, which is slated to launch in early 2027.
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Chris Johnson

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