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A 78 year old Western Australian investor with a rental property in Carlisle contacted Michael David Wells, St James, after he had advertised his home repair services on noticeboards in Carlise and Brentwood.
In March 2013, she was given a quote of $1,200 to repair the roof and gate at her rental property, through her son who contacted Wells, and paid a $500 deposit.
The work was never carried out.
Another property owner from Brentwood contacted Wells in January this year for a ceiling repair at the home she owned with her partner. He quoted them at $1,300, and the woman paid a $600 deposit.
Wells again failed to do the works.
He has now been fined a total of $4,000 by Perth Magistrates Court, and ordered to pay $1,100 in compensation to the customers.
The total included two $2,000 fines on two charges of accepting payment without providing goods or services, which breaches Australian Consumer Law. This fine was given to Wells on 10 October. He has to compensate the consumers for their deposits and pay costs of $754.
Consumer Protection acting commissioner David Hillyard said that large deposits always carry a risk. However, this doesn’t excuse the actions of those who fail to carry out the job after taking the funds.
“Your rights under the Australian Consumer Law mean that work must be carried out within a reasonable amount of time, or finished by the completion date stated in the contract,” Hillyard said.
“As a general rule, big deposits are a bad idea. If a deposit is necessary to secure a sale, we recommend only paying 10 per cent, maybe more if the goods you are purchasing are being custom-made or the services require expensive materials to be purchased specifically for your job,” he said.
He suggests that consumers consider using a credit card, as if something goes wrong there may be the option of a chargeback from the credit car provider. This is not an option when paying by cash or direct bank transfer.
“Paying the full amount up-front is an absolute no-no. It means you lose bargaining power in terms of getting what you paid for within an agreed time-frame. You should only pay the balance on delivery of goods or completion of work,” he said.
Here are six tips to protect yourself:
<ol>
<li>Never pay the full amount up front for goods or services yet to be supplied. 
</li>
<li>Do not to pay more than 10% deposit (building contracts for amounts over $7500 are covered by the Home Building Contracts Act and deposits must never exceed 6.5% of the contract price). 
</li>
<li>Explore the option of progress payments e.g. when materials have been supplied or partial work is done. 
</li>
<li>Only pay the balance upon delivery of goods or completion of work. 
</li>
<li>Consider the benefits of using a credit card to pay a deposit, as you may be able to seek a charge reversal if there is non-supply or if the business goes under. 
</li>
<li>Don’t be pressured into paying a high deposit and if you feel uncomfortable about a deposit request, talk to Consumer Protection.</li>
</ol>
Source: Consumer Protection
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jduke-EHk3XBmHkn

Landlords, be wary of giving handymen big deposits: Consumer Protection

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There are five apartment markets across Queensland that recorded strong median price gains over the past 12 months and recording a strong number of sales (over 200) as per RP Data's latest available information.
These two figures together suggests the price growth may be the result of new, more expensive, stock is being purchased, rather than accelerating values for established properties.
Property Observer looked to see whether there were any major residential apartment developments in these areas over the past 12 to 18 months.
<a href="/news">Biggera Waters </a>recorded a 14% median price jump with 312 sales recorded.
The Harbour Quays development, which includes a number of apartment developments including Sirocco, Levanto, Zephyr, Aquilo, Etesian and a number of others, clearly is <a href="/news/qld/gold-coast-new-apartment-sales-rise-14-in-december-quarter-as-project-numbers-decline">behind some of the strong numbers being seen in the latest statistics</a>. The new Harbour Quays from Emandar Group is still classified as Biggera Waters, and Zephy at Harbour Quays was finished in 2014, bringing 75 apartments to market, as was Aquilo, which brought another 55 apartments.
The 2013 completions of Etesian and Sirocco saw another 61 and 60 apartments created.
<a href="/news">Brisbane City</a> recorded a 12.2% median price jump with 667 sales recorded.
In February, the<a href="/news/qld/brisbane-apartment-market-on-the-rise-colliers"> interest in Brisbane apartments was being widely discussed</a>. However, there have been some significant recent developments that could be contributing to this strong figure.
Prestige Abian Botanic Gardens, from Sunland Group, which launched 147 “luxury residences of extraordinary calibre”, including penthouses, sold 108 residences in the first quarter of 2014 to a value of $144 million, and two sky homes priced up to $5 million. The <a href="/news/qld/brisbane-apartment-market-to-boom-in-second-half-of-2014-urbis">trend towards luxury offerings in the inner city apartment market was recently noted by Urbis</a>.
<a href="/news">Labrador</a> recorded a 12.6% median price jump with 426 sales recorded.
In January, <a href="/news/qld/coast-broadwater-100-million-residential-highrise-hits-the-market">Coast Broadwater</a>, a $100 million highrise, hit the market. Stage one of the multi-tower development included 124 apartments for sale, located on Labrador’s Marine Parade. It is being developed by Queensland’s Heran Building Group.
<a href="/news">New Farm</a> recorded a 12.8% median price jump with 245 sales recorded.
Sydney on Sydney, at 166 Sydney Street, New Farm, is a sold out development with 57 apartments offered. A number of similar small boutique developments have also been launched and sold. 170 Bowen Terrace features 12 new luxury apartments with significantly high prices and construction due mid-2014.
Silverstone Developments has also been active in the New Farm market, purchasing two sites on Brunswick Street with plans to build mixed use apartment buildings, and having completed two previously.
<a href="/news">Palm Beach</a> recorded a 10.9% median price jump with 243 sales recorded.
Pavilions Palm Beach, a project from Australian Property Growth Fund, saw 104 apartments sell in stage one in 2011/2012, and launched a final stage of 98 apartments in late-2013, early-2014.
Palm Beach’s apartment building growth is expected to continue with <a href="/news/qld/palm-beach-gold-coast-mobile-home-site-sells-to-rejuvenated-sunland">the recent purchase of a 4.7 hectare urban renewal site by Sunland Group</a>. They’re planning to create 162 luxury apartments and 86 town homes.
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Five strong Queensland markets and the developments driving them

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Canberra currently has 20 suburbs where the median apartment price is recorded at under $400,000, according to RP Data.
A further 21 have median prices in the $400,000 to $500,000 bracket. The most expensive suburb in terms of apartment median prices was <a href="/news">Yarralumla</a>, with an $808,000 price tag.
Gross rental yields for apartments sit firmly in the 4% to 6%, with no notable exceptions.
<a href="/news">Macquarie</a>, which made the list below, recorded the highest rental yield, at 5.8%, with the lowest recorded rental yield being <a href="/news">Deakin</a>'s 4.6%.
<a href="/news">Curtin</a>
Median price: $280,000
<a href="/news">Franklin</a>
Median price: $290,000
<a href="/news">Hawker</a>
Median price: $310,000
<a href="/news">Holt</a>
Median price: $325,000
<a href="/news">Scullin</a>
Median price: $339,000
<a href="/news">Ngunnawal</a>
Median price: $350,000
<a href="/news">Theodore</a>
Median price: $356,000
<a href="/news">Macquarie</a>
Median price: $358,000
<a href="/news">Watson</a>
Median price: $358,000
<a href="/news">Macgregor</a>
Median price: $362,000
Narrowly missing the top 10 list included <a href="/news">Gordon</a>, with a $365,000 median price, <a href="/news">Gungahlin</a> and Isabella Plains, both with <a href="/news">$370,000</a> median unit prices.
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The 10 cheapest unit suburbs in ACT

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Consumer Affairs’ uniformed officers were on site at The Block Glasshouse auctions on Saturday, and it isn’t the first time they’ve been visible at the sale of the reality TV show’s finale.
Earlier this year, on The Block Fans v Faves, Consumer Affairs were also present – finding no wrong doing.
For The Block Glasshouse, the producers worked closely with Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV), according to director of CAV Claire Noone.
"Consumer Affairs Victoria has worked with The Block production team throughout the series, reviewing documentation in preparation for the auctions including new amendments to the Sale of Land Act which came into effect on 1 October, and our uniformed inspectors will be present to monitor the conduct of the auctions," Noone said.
"Consumer Affairs Victoria works closely with the Victorian real estate industry throughout the year to ensure a fair market for buyers and sellers across the state."
This year, there were four specific things on their radar:
<ul>
<li>Whether auction rules are displayed 
</li>
<li>Whether appropriate rules are followed 
</li>
<li>Whether pre-auction disclosures are made, in particular announcements about vendor bids and late bids 
</li>
<li>Recording the sell price and recording the on-market-price, for later comparison with estimated selling prices, where advertised</li>
</ul>
Main picture: A Consumer Affairs Victoria officer at a Block Glasshouse auction.
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Why Consumer Affairs were present at The Block Glasshouse auctions

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A new development in New Zealand’s Queenstown is being marketed as an “Overseas Investment Exception”, allowing Australian investors to skip the usual lengthy approval process through the New Zealand Government’s Overseas Investment Office.
The <a href="https://www.wyunapreserve.com/" target="_blank">Wyuna Preserve development</a>, on 160 hectares, features 34 building sites ranging in price from NZ$1 million to NZ$2.95 million.
Ray White Queenstown’s Bas Smith, who is marketing the project, said that so far 100% of the buyers have been offshore-based who value privacy.
Developer Tom Tusher bought previously purchased nearby land where he built Blanket Bay Luxury Lodge.
"Wyuna Preserve appeals to travellers of the world who recognise quality, value their privacy but also have a sense of community,” said Tusher.
“Wyuna offers a combination of qualities found nowhere else in the world and with Australia being so close we expect to see a lot more interest from that market," he said.
There are 21 blocks for sale, with six already built and three more under planning.
“The last two owners to build have been Australian and this is the obvious market for the remaining sites,” said Smith.
{mijopolls 53}   
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Should Aussie investors consider New Zealand? Poll of the day

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Master Builders Australia are predicting that the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (ABS) release on Wednesday for building activity data show a strong result.
In fact, they expect near record dwelling starts were recorded for the June quarter, says Master Builders chief economist Peter Jones.
“In line with our industry forecasts, Master Builders expects building commencements will approach 50,000 for the June quarter,” Jones says.
“We predict that, in line with Master Builders’ forecasts, the June quarter result will take the annual level of building starts to around 183,000 for financial 2013-14,” he says.
They are also expecting that the record for annual building starts – a title taken in 1994 with 187,000 recorded – will be broken next year.
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Near record dwelling starts tipped for Wednesday ABS results

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The Australian property market goes through cycles, much like any other investment. Studious investors look to get in at the trough, or the bottom of the market, and exit out when the market is at its peak.
You may have also heard this being referred to as the “property clock”. Recently, the <a href="/expert-insights/investing/sydney-melbourne-and-brisbane-where-they-are-on-the-property-clock">Australian Property Institute plotted Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane onto the clock</a> and predicted their movements around the cycle for the next three years.
But how does one attempt to determine these market movements on their own?
Picking the exact top of the market is a much easier exercise in hindsight. However, there are some indicators that can assist you to determine when a peak is coming or when, perhaps, an upswing is likely to occur. This can be done for smaller markets where possible as well.
Interestingly, while these guidelines often hold true, it’s worth remembering that not every factor has to be in concert with the other to mark a downswing or a peak. For instance, interest rates, at present, may be out of sync with what is usually expected of the market.
The majority of the factors below can be easily determined by anyone keen to know about the property market – either through the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ housing finance figures and dwelling approvals, the Reserve Bank’s (RBA) interest rate announcements, stock on market figures through SQM Research or through RP Data’s median house prices and rental statistics. Sentiment surveys and affordability indexes will also be useful.
Here are the characterising factors of each part of the cycle:
DOWNSWING
<ol>
<li>Falling demand 
</li>
<li>Rising vacancies 
</li>
<li>Falling building approvals 
</li>
<li>Increasing supply and declining loan approvals 
</li>
<li>Declining rental rates and property prices as demand soaks up excess supply</li>
</ol>
BOTTOM/MARKET TROUGH
<ol>
<li>Negative market sentiment 
</li>
<li>Over anxious sellers 
</li>
<li>Falling prices 
</li>
<li>Falling interest rates 
</li>
<li>Stagnant building activity 
</li>
<li>Yield-seeking investors emerge 
</li>
<li>Fundamentals begin looking attractive</li>
</ol>
UPSWING
<ol>
<li>Increasing numbers of mortgages 
</li>
<li>Reasonable affordability rates 
</li>
<li>Increasing demand as excess supply is absorbed 
</li>
<li>Rising building approvals</li>
</ol>
PEAK
<ol>
<li>High investor activity 
</li>
<li>Rising interest rates 
</li>
<li>Rising loan and building approvals 
</li>
<li>High demand but limited supply of properties 
</li>
<li>Decreasing affordability</li>
</ol>
Source: Ron Bennetts and Gavin Hegney, The Australian Residential Property Market
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How to identify a property market peak

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The August Housing Finance Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics has found that first home buyers are consistent, but remain at low levels with a new record low of 11.8%.
Finder.com.au delved into the statistics to bring us these five points about what first home buyers are facing in the current market and how they are acting as a response.
<ol>
<li>There was a 10% drop in the number of first home buyer home loans financed in August, from 6,718 in July to 6,055. 
</li>
<li>First home buyer numbers are at almost the same level as a decade ago, despite some capital cities experiencing more than double growth in median house prices and fewer incentives. The actual number of first home buyer home loans is close to the same level as a decade ago. For the 12 months to August 2014, there were 77,881 first home buyer loans financed, compared to 87,577 for the same period 10 years ago, for the year to August 2004. 
</li>
<li>In 2004, the First Home Owner Grant was uncapped so all Australian first home buyers were eligible for the $7000. Compared to today, the government has tightened its incentives, with limitations to new homes and caps, which vary across each state. 
</li>
<li>Interest rates are tipped to rise next year, which could change the equation again. The <a href="https://mail.privatemedia.com.au/owa/redir.aspx?C=lpwVvawQQUacLRFzrVpf2skg7BH4udEIOYknQKfzrbe9EsPmb7W7wmiK7V8m5lGD9-ub2RTtFUQ.&amp;URL=http%3a%2f%2ffinder.com.au">finder.com.au</a> Reserve Bank Survey, which is now the biggest in Australia, found all 28 leading experts and economists are forecasting the cash rate to start rising next year, with an expected gradual rise to 4 percent over the next two-three years. That means home loan repayments for a $300,000 home loan is likely to increase by $300 per month. 
</li>
<li>The national median house value has risen by 72% in the past decade, from $325,000 in 2004 to $559,376 in 2014. The biggest jump was Darwin, with 170% increase over the past decade Median house prices across capital cities
</li>
</ol>
<table style="width: 345px; height: 162px;" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="bottom"> </td>
<td align="center" valign="middle">
2014
</td>
<td align="center" valign="middle">
2004
</td>
<td align="center" valign="middle">
% Difference
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="bottom" nowrap>
Sydney
</td>
<td valign="bottom">
$782,973
</td>
<td valign="bottom" nowrap>
$560,000
</td>
<td valign="bottom">
40%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="bottom" nowrap>
Melbourne
</td>
<td valign="bottom">
$604,110
</td>
<td valign="bottom" nowrap>
$375,000
</td>
<td valign="bottom">
61%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="bottom" nowrap>
Canberra
</td>
<td valign="bottom">
$557,871
</td>
<td valign="bottom" nowrap>
$375,000
</td>
<td valign="bottom">
49%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="bottom" nowrap>
Brisbane
</td>
<td valign="bottom">
$466,980
</td>
<td valign="bottom" nowrap>
$300,000
</td>
<td valign="bottom">
56%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="bottom" nowrap>
Darwin
</td>
<td valign="bottom">
$675,478
</td>
<td valign="bottom" nowrap>
$250,000
</td>
<td valign="bottom">
170%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="bottom" nowrap>
Perth
</td>
<td valign="bottom">
$611,410
</td>
<td valign="bottom" nowrap>
$250,000
</td>
<td valign="bottom">
145%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="bottom" nowrap>
Adelaide
</td>
<td valign="bottom">
$450,444
</td>
<td valign="bottom" nowrap>
$250,000
</td>
<td valign="bottom">
80%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="bottom" nowrap>
Hobart
</td>
<td valign="bottom">
$325,741
</td>
<td valign="bottom" nowrap>
$240,000
</td>
<td valign="bottom">
36%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="bottom">
National average
</td>
<td valign="bottom">
$559,376
</td>
<td valign="bottom">
$325,000
</td>
<td valign="bottom">
72%
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
Source: <a href="https://mail.privatemedia.com.au/owa/redir.aspx?C=lpwVvawQQUacLRFzrVpf2skg7BH4udEIOYknQKfzrbe9EsPmb7W7wmiK7V8m5lGD9-ub2RTtFUQ.&amp;URL=http%3a%2f%2ffinder.com.au">finder.com.au</a> analysis of Australian Property Monitors, Real Estate Institute of Australia
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First timers doing it tough: Finder’s top five insights into the current market

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At a recent investment seminar Investment One explained that prices in all the capital cities are now above their previous troughs.
Sydney, in fact, is up 23.1% since its trough according to RP Data statistics.
Yields remain high in Darwin, but have been starting to dip for units in recent months, while of all the capitals Brisbane offers the best yields.
They noted that each city has significantly different growth drivers that affect their cycles:
Sydney: Financial and business services
Melbourne: Goods and services production
Brisbane: Infrastructure and tourism
Adelaide: Manufacturing
Perth: Mining
Hobart: Primary production and ore processing
Regional areas: Agriculture and mining
Chinese investors are expected to keep demand for new apartments in inner city locations strong, and provided sentiment is sustained and rates remain low the market will hold up.
However, despite strong growth and fundamentals in Sydney and Melbourne, Investment One suggested that a glut of apartments may be on the way and growth will not be above trend.
“Within two years, there could be a glut of second hand apartments for rent and also for sale  in Sydney and Melbourne,” Investment One's Omar Moujalli said in his presentation.
“If population growth slows in Brisbane like it did during the  GFC, then the Brisbane market could suffer some over supply in 2018," said Moujalli.
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Is there a glut of apartments coming for Melbourne and Sydney?

<html><body>
Not unlike Kyle and Jackie O to court controversy, they tweeted out about The Block auctions claiming that without the Asian buyers, the contestants would be "screwed".
<img src="/images/2014/10/13/Picture%2038.png" alt="">
After a <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://twitter.com/kyleandjackieo/status/521226318659080192" target="_blank">number of retweets </a>and a wave of responses, some calling it a "conspiracy", a response from @hashhag noted "Asian bidders are the backbone of our auction market. Without them we could all still afford to live in Sydney."
Another, @playwithdom, suggested their funds come from rich parents in China, querying how anyone at 20 could afford the apartments.
The couple have been identified by Fairfax as 20 year old engineering student Shiji Ma and Yue Pan, who reportedly purchased the apartment for her parents.
</body></html>

Tweet of the day: Without the Asian couple bidding, Block contestants "screwed" say Kyle and Jackie O

Property developer One Living, backed by former Macquarie banker turned investment manager Chris Green’s investment firm, has unveiled plans to bring more institutional capital into housing to help address the national supply crisis.

The New York-based investor has focused his firm, GreenPoint Partners, on addressing the supply shortage hitting middle market housing in Australia.

It is backing the new One Living business to develop more than 1000 units along the eastern seaboard. The new firm is starting with a development on Mona Vale Road, on the border of Mona Vale and Pymble, in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, with around 140 apartments planned. They are eyeing off more sites across the city.

With cost pressures rising in the industry, One Living’s model is to be a vertically integrated developer-builder, so it can respond directly to the housing gap by removing the cost inefficiencies embedded in traditional residential delivery.

“We are building a platform designed to operate at scale and starting in a market where there’s a clear need for quality, attainable housing,” One Living joint managing director Joseph Scuderi said.

“It’s that missing middle – it’s that attainable end of housing… that’s what most Australians invest into and what Australians can actually afford.”

<img alt="Mona Vale" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="798dfa93-4941-4db6-a696-31e9dc18e81c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%202.31.50%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=mKBqi5C_DmeiXS.AtJkcR8LQIxqCqmFi" />

GreenPoint Partners brings years of experience assembling and scaling real estate operating businesses across major markets. And Green sees a big opportunity in Australia.

“For its size, sophistication and importance to the community, Australia’s living sector has remained largely under-institutionalised, which represents significant opportunity,” Green said. “GreenPoint identified that gap, assembled the right team, and is backing One Living to build a platform that is aligned to market needs.”

Green said being a builder-developer would give the company the capacity and flexibility it required to deliver reasonably-priced homes.

“We want it to be at that attainable level; not super high end luxury but at that attainable level,” he said.

<img alt="Mona Vale" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="74a5344a-4b26-4d4a-ada3-056b1220be77" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%202.32.15%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=vY8hXHO4reBMdO8ZXMWCNtGZJofUPQ3j" />

&nbsp;

One Living will undertake a component of affordable housing in its schemes, which it will own and operate, and it could also run build-to-rent on some sites.

Green praised local policy settings.

“The NSW government is being very supportive, strategic and pragmatic in terms of how do we generate more supply of housing,” he said. “We think it’s actually positive for development and the bit that’s been lacking at that attainable level is that it’s lots of relatively small private developers, whereas we want to create an institutional platform.”

One Living is also&nbsp;looking at high-density projects and could take on more institutional funding in the future.

“The way we will be able to achieve economies of scale is through size,” Green added.

Joel Robinson

One Living enters Sydney's new apartment market with Northern Beaches site acquisition

It's been several years since there's been an opportunity to buy a brand new townhome in Melbourne's coastal suburb of Mordialloc. Even apartment developments in recent times have been few and far between in the area.

Local developer LDS Property identified the gap in new housing, securing a site on White Street, directly opposite&nbsp;Woodlands Golf Club Mordialloc. They've recently launched&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-townhouses/wm-residences-mordialloc-102-white-street-mordialloc-vic-3195">WM Residences</a>, just 13 townhouses which they have already started building.

Projects by Buxton Director Heath Thompson, who is selling WM Residences, says the townhouses x that perfect middle ground be

"Mordialloc residents have had limited options to downsize within the suburb, often forcing them to look elsewhere despite long-standing ties to the area," Thompson says.

"With very little comparable new supply coming to market, projects like WM Residences are well placed, particularly as buyers look to capitalise on current conditions amid constrained supply."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6109]

The development, designed by regarded architecture firm&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/ewert-leaf">Ewert Leaf</a>,&nbsp;adopts a deliberately restrained architectural approach, focusing on simplicity, durability and liveability rather than overt design gestures.

The boutique scale is central to the offering. With only 13 three-bedroom residences, each home is configured to prioritise functional layouts and everyday use, supported by private terraces and secure two-car garages.

Ewert Leaf’s design response leans into a calm, neutral material palette. Interiors are defined by oak flooring, white walls and soft finishes, creating a consistent and understated backdrop. The approach avoids trend-driven detailing in favour of longevity, with an emphasis on natural light and spatial clarity.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6110]

Beyond aesthetics, the homes are designed to meet contemporary performance expectations. Each residence targets a minimum 6-star energy rating, incorporating double glazing, comprehensive insulation and all-electric Bosch appliances.

The project’s location supports a walkable coastal lifestyle, sitting within close proximity to Mordialloc’s foreshore, Main Street retail strip and the train station. Local cafés and dining venues, including Suburbia Deli and Hendriks Café, are within a short walk, reinforcing the area’s established neighbourhood character.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6116]

While <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/mordialloc-vic-3195">Mordialloc</a> is often defined by its beach and pier, the project taps into other areas of day to day living, offering easy access to local food, casual dining and transport, rather than positioning itself purely as a lifestyle retreat.

WM Residences reflects a continued trend across Melbourne’s coastal suburbs towards smaller-scale, design-led townhouse developments, particularly on infill sites where proximity to amenity is already established.

With construction commenced prior to its market entry, the project aligns with a growing preference among buyers for developments with visible progress and defined delivery timeframes.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=134646]

WM Residences fills gap in Mordialloc townhouse market

&nbsp;

Developer GURNER™ Group has revealed $1.65 billion in residential sales nationally across the 12 months to December 2025, driven largely by the continued momentum of its Docklands wellness-focused precinct, Elysium Fields.

The sales result was generated across seven projects in Victoria and New South Wales, headlined by Elysium Fields, GURNER™’s $2.75 billion mixed-use precinct planned for Harbour Esplanade in Docklands.

The project has recorded more than $500 million in sales across the first three towers, equating to around 580 apartments sold.

The first tower, Helios, has now sold out of its 240 private residences, with GURNER™ preparing to release a premium penthouse collection comprising 15 three-bedroom penthouses in coming weeks.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370975]

Elysium Fields is being developed on the long-held 20,000 sqm Docklands site at 208-226 Harbour Esplanade, which had remained undeveloped for more than two decades prior to GURNER™ taking over the project around four years ago.

Construction has now commenced across four towers ranging between 18 and 30 storeys, with Hamilton Marino and Maxcon appointed as builders.

Once complete, the precinct is expected to comprise around 1,100 residences, alongside retail, hospitality and public realm uses integrated throughout the site.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370981]

Designed by Fraser &amp; Partners in collaboration with GURNER™ Design House, the project has been positioned around the developer’s broader focus on wellness-led residential living.

“We don’t sell apartments. We create a true luxury lifestyle that simply doesn’t exist elsewhere in the market today,” Founder and Executive Chairman Tim Gurner said.

“To deliver that requires an extraordinary level of detail, coordination and discipline across multiple verticals, from design and hospitality through to wellness and service.”

“We’ve always believed that living extends far beyond the physical residence. It’s about how you feel the moment you arrive, how you live day-to-day, and the ecosystem that supports that.” 
[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370977]

The project’s design places a heavy focus on landscaping, wellness amenities and biophilic design principles.

Plans include around 3,700 sqm of landscaped gardens and open space throughout the precinct, alongside a retail and dining offering spanning approximately 5,000 sqm.

The broader public realm strategy centres around what GURNER™ describes as the “Path of Life”, an urban forest and landscaped pedestrian environment intended to connect the various buildings and wellness spaces across the precinct.

The apartments themselves will incorporate a range of wellness-focused inclusions, including purified air and water systems, circadian lighting, antimicrobial surfaces, and optional in-home wellness upgrades.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370980]

Gurner said the company’s experience through its Saint Haven wellness clubs had directly informed the residential offering now being incorporated into Elysium Fields.

“We’re seeing a clear global shift toward longevity, performance and proactive health,” Gurner said.

“Our role is to deliver that in a way that feels seamless, highly private and beautifully resolved within the environments we create.”

A large component of the wellness offering is planned through the resident amenity and health facilities proposed within the precinct.

That includes plans for bathing and recovery facilities spread throughout the towers, incorporating mineral pools, saunas, steam rooms, flotation therapy, red light therapy and wellness lounges.

The developer is also seeking approvals for what it describes as a “reverse ageing medical clinic” within the precinct.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370978]

According to project information released by the group, the proposed facility would include cryotherapy, IV infusion therapy, infrared and dry saunas, PEMF beds, MRIs, DEXA scans, brain scans and blood analysis services.

Within the first tower, Helios, residents will also have access to a dedicated amenity offering known as the Sky Private Club.

The upper 15 levels of the building will include private lounges, dining spaces, rooftop amenities and optional private wellness studios integrated within residences.

The Helios tower itself comprises 260 apartments ranging between 60 sqm and 300 sqm, including a collection of penthouses.

That includes a planned two-storey penthouse spanning around 600 sqm with uninterrupted bay views.

The Elysium Fields precinct is being delivered in partnership with Digital Harbour Holdings, a consortium that includes the Liberman family, which controls the development rights across the Docklands site.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370979]

The sales result comes as GURNER™ continues expanding its national development pipeline beyond Victoria.

“We have a strong pipeline across Australia and are now focused on scaling into key markets including New South Wales and Queensland, while continuing to build on our Melbourne base,” Gurner said.

“We currently have more than $3 billion in the market, growing to over $5 billion by October, and expect to materially outperform last year in the 2026 calendar year.”

The result also reflects the continued strength of the upper-end apartment market in Melbourne, particularly for owner-occupier-focused product with large-scale amenity and lifestyle offerings.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=144441]

Record result anchored by the Group’s “utopian” Elysium Fields precinct – defying market headwinds in Docklands.

Elysium Fields drive Gurner to $1.65 billion in apartment sales over 2025

National Australia Bank (NAB) will fund <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/palmera-residences-gold-coast-18-garfield-terrace-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">Palmera</a>, a $1 billion, 52-level luxury residential tower being developed by Central Equity in one of the Gold Coast’s most tightly held coastal locations at Northcliffe.

The project, launched recently by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/central-equity">Central Equity</a>, one of Victoria’s largest private residential developers, comes at a time when construction funding for large residential developments has become increasingly competitive as lenders tighten exposure to the sector.

Multiplex has been appointed the builder, and construction is now underway.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365784]

Since its first project, Central Equity has delivered more than 85 residential developments with a combined end value exceeding $8 billion.

Palmera reflects Central Equity’s growing focus on the Gold Coast luxury apartment market and continues a relationship between Central Equity and NAB that dates back to the late 1980s, when the bank funded one of Melbourne’s earliest inner-city residential towers at a time when high-rise apartment living in the CBD was largely unproven.

“NAB’s funding of Central Equity’s $36 million CBD development in the late 1980’s to the financing of the billion-dollar tower today highlights the long-term relationship between the two organisations in delivering major residential projects” said Central Equity Founder and Chairman Eddie Kutner.

He said NAB’s early support was instrumental in helping establish the company’s development model.

“When we commenced our first residential tower in the late 1980s the concept of funding off-the-plan apartments was still largely untested in Australia,” Kutner said.

“NAB recognised the opportunity early and supported the project when others were uncertain. That relationship has now continued for more than 37 years across many developments.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365771]

Central Equity was established in 1987 when Melbourne’s CBD and Southbank precinct were still dominated by warehouses and commercial buildings. Fewer than 100 residents lived in Southbank at the time, and large-scale residential development in the inner city was not widely considered.

Recognising changing demographics and lifestyle preferences, the company began developing high-rise residential projects designed to bring permanent residents into the city centre.

Central Equity has provided accommodation for approximately 40,000 residents across Melbourne’s CBD and Southbank, while also incorporating supporting infrastructure including essential lifestyle facilities like retail spaces, childcare facilities and neighbourhood activity centres.

Central Equity has spent many years assembling the Palmera development site on the corner of Garfield Terrace and Frederick Street in Northcliffe, creating a supersite of around 3,300 sqm.

The developer said the Palmera apartment tower reflects its long-term view of the Gold Coast as a growing and increasingly diversified economy.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365768]

Supported by infrastructure including the light rail network, major road upgrades expanded education, hospital and medical facilities and continued expansion at the Gold Coast Airport with more international and domestic flights.

Positioned in the tightly held Northcliffe precinct, the 52-level tower will deliver 347 apartments, targeting buyers seeking a high-end coastal lifestyle, from downsizers to interstate investors.

Designed by Marchese Partners with interiors by DBI, Palmera has been conceived as a next-generation residential offering, featuring a collection of oversized apartments, with premium three-bedroom residences offering sweeping northern views stretching from Surfers Paradise through to Burleigh Heads.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=108274]

NAB funds $1 billion Surfers Paradise apartment development, Palmera

Two years after completing one of the newest developments in North Sydney, developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/aqualand-australia">Aqualand</a> is turning its attention to the rapidly evolving St Leonards apartment market.

The developer, which completed AURA by Aqualand on North Sydney's Walker Street, has lodged plans for a 5,918 sqm site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/33-37-herbert-street-st-leonards-nsw-2065">33-37 Herbert Street, St Leonards,</a> seeking approval for a pair of residential towers rising above a shared podium opposite Royal North Shore Hospital.

The proposal forms part of the broader transformation underway across the St Leonards-Crows Nest precinct, where former industrial and commercial sites are increasingly being redeveloped into high-density mixed-use projects tied to major transport infrastructure.

<img alt="Aqualand" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2cc428cf-fe70-4cac-9cd5-264ad53af62c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.51.56%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=otKSnHtbjAvAddOnovyXQMgcAwE6DMe1" />

According to the planning documents, the site sits “within the St Leonards–Crows Nest Strategic Centre, identified by the NSW Government as a key area for accommodating future jobs and housing across Sydney.”

The proposal has been designed by fjcstudio, formerly FJMT Studio, and is being progressed through the State Significant Development pathway due to its scale and affordable housing provision.

The scheme would comprise 413 apartments, including 46 affordable housing units, alongside retail and commercial uses fronting Herbert Street. The project would also include communal open space, landscaping, a swimming pool, gymnasium, children’s play areas and podium-level resident amenities.

Planning documents show the development would consist of a part-13, part-39 storey tower form positioned above a four-storey podium.

“The development comprises a unified podium that activates the street interface, and two setback towers to accommodate new housing supply while maintaining an appropriate human scale at ground level,” fjcstudio noted in its Design Report.

The northern and southern towers have been shaped to respond to the surrounding skyline while also limiting overshadowing impacts to nearby public open space, particularly Talus Reserve.

The design report said the differing tower heights were intended to “contribute to a varied skyline while responding to the surrounding built form context and solar access considerations.”

<img alt="Aqualand" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="36da62dc-ff9e-41f2-a7e3-7be38373751c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.51.45%E2%80%AFAM_0.png?VersionId=Mo6Rp2r.XRLTzIfg_PEEpw8NepDH8UBs" />

The site sits directly opposite Royal North Shore Hospital and within walking distance of both St Leonards Station and the new Crows Nest Metro station.

While the site itself sits just outside the formal Crows Nest Transport Oriented Development boundary, the planning documents repeatedly reference its alignment with the broader TOD objectives reshaping the Lower North Shore.

“The site is located adjacent to St Leonards Station and in close proximity to Crows Nest Metro which is within the Crows Nest Transit Orientated Development Accelerated Precinct which has been identified by the NSW Government to support housing delivery,” the Design Verification Statement noted.

According to fjcstudio, the project has been designed to respond to the broader transition occurring across St Leonards, where increasing residential density is being concentrated around transport infrastructure and employment hubs.

“The broader precinct is undergoing significant change, with a mix of existing mid-rise buildings and newer high-density developments,” the report stated.

“Recent and approved projects indicate a consistent shift toward taller built form, typically organised as tower-and-podium typologies with more active ground levels.”

The proposal includes close to 6,000 sqm of retail and commercial space across the ground floor and podium levels, designed to create a more activated street edge along Herbert Street.

Aqualand’s plans would also introduce a landscaped podium shared between the two towers, with communal open space in the form of a podium rooftop designed to support resident interaction and improve urban greening outcomes. The scheme would also introduce pocket parks at the northern and southern ends of the site, including a landscaped area at the corner of Herbert and Ella streets designed to improve pedestrian amenity and soften the streetscape.

&nbsp;

The proposal is being progressed through the NSW Government’s Housing Delivery Authority pathway, which was introduced to accelerate housing supply across the state. The application was declared State Significant Development in April 2025 following an expression of interest process.

<img alt="Aqualand" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="faf6d97d-2671-454f-b85a-fe1c6a7be608" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.51.49%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=diVd28OBVr5.YV.7prrOz.uAanwwwm7a" />

St Leonards has been particularly active with new developments in recent weeks. Developer SP Setia’s <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-sp-setia-targets-st-leonards-skyline-with-40-storey-tod-tower">plans for a new 42-storey tower</a> recently went on exhibition through the same pathway, while <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-stockland-plans-52-storey-538-apartment-st-leonards-tower">Stockland’s 52-storey tower proposal</a> was also recently unveiled.

Aside from the St Leonards project, which is expected to take around nine months to move through the approvals process ahead of a potential 2027 launch, Aqualand is also preparing to launch Boronia, a new apartment project in Roseville comprising around 111 apartments on Larkin Street.

The developer also has approvals in place for the next stage of the Barangaroo precinct, which will feature new residential, retail, hospitality and community uses, alongside a new metro entry across the five-hectare site.

More than 50 new retail destinations are planned for Central Barangaroo, alongside a 270-metre-long boulevard connecting Hickson Park to Nawi Cove. Together with Harbour Park, more than 50 per cent of the precinct will comprise public open space and parkland.

Jennifer Duke

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