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By the end of this year, the Housing Institute of Australia (HIA) expects construction will have commenced on 188,000 new homes – the highest level of housing starts since 1994.
20 years ago, housing construction hit its previous peak at 187,000 starts.
According to HIA's National Outlook for Spring 2014, housing starts are likely to decline in next few years after this year's peak. Next year is predicted to see 183,900 starts, with 177,300 for 2016, though these figures are still described as "elevated by historical standards".
<img src="/images/2014/11/25/hia-nov-25-one.jpg" alt="">
Source: HIA
According to HIA chief economist Harley Dale, growth in housing construction has been slower than previous cycles to gain momentum.
"The momentum culminating in this milestone has provided a substantial boost to Australia's economy at a crucial juncture in the cycle. Below trend economic growth and weak labour market outcomes would be considerably worse without the reach a new home building recovery is exerting into the broader economy," said Dale. He noted housing demand has been boosted by a number of factors.
"Record low borrowing costs have combined with other factors such as high net overseas migration to unleash substantial pent-up demand for new housing. These factors will keep the level of new homes commenced at historically elevated levels. However, what the economy needs is further growth in new home building over the next couple of years, but that will only occur as a consequence of taxation and regulatory reform," Dale said.
While construction on new dwellings has reached a historic high, renovations activity increased just 0.3% in 2013-14 from a 10 year low, according to HIA.
<img src="/images/2014/11/25/hia-nov-25-two.jpg" alt="">
Source: HIA
"Unemployment concerns, a lack of available credit, and an elevated household savings rate are but three elements in the current environment which mean there has not been room for a renovations recovery alongside new home building activity and existing property price growth," said Dale.
However, HIA does predict renovations growth will increase to more than 2% in the next three financial years.
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jrichardson-uRX5hFdKfN

Home building to hit 20 year record in 2014: HIA

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Former TZ Limited executive Andrew Sigalla was yesterday ordered to stand trial over allegations he used money from company accounts to pay off his gambling debts to bookie Tom Waterhouse.
The Australian Security and Investments Commission (ASIC) alleges Sigalla, used the majority of a total $8,719,318 to pay gambling debts. The rest allegedly went towards mortgage payments.
The 24 payments from TZ Limited were allegedly made between late 2006 and March 2009, with ASIC alleging Sigalla failed to ensure the payments were properly recorded and failed to obtain shareholder approval.
In 2010, Sigalla was made bankrupt, owing Waterhouse $2.6 million. In 2012, he was ordered to complete 120 hours of community service, after he was convicted of contempt of court by the NSW Supreme Court for failure to disclose almost $30,000 in payments to escort agencies.
Sigalla was arrested at the Intercontinental Hotel in May 2013.
Mark Bouris took over from Sigalla at TZ Limited. The technology company later launched a $7.5 million claim against Sigalla, that was settled for an undisclosed sum.
By mid December, it will be known whether Sigalla will face the District Court or the Supreme Court.
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Sydney businessman to stand trial over alleged breach of duty

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Brisbane's median unit price for the October quarter was $380,000, according to CoreLogic RP Data.
Earlier this year, some predicted the apartment market would display <a href="/news/qld/brisbane-apartment-market-on-the-rise-colliers">strong growth for 2014</a>. In the year to October, CoreLogic RP Data recorded 2.6% growth in Brisbane apartment values, placing it behind Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Hobart's unit markets.
Brisbane's $380,000 median unit price is 1.2% down from the prior month's result, and 1.0% up for the quarter. Some, including observer Terry Ryder, argue the market <a href="/expert-insights/buying/brisbane-on-the-slippery-slope-to-oversupply">may soon be oversupplied</a>, leading to an excess of stock and depressing values.
Property Observer looks at recent sales to see just what $380,000 will buy you in Brisbane.
<ol>
<li>
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-unit-qld-moorooka-117330255" target="_blank">4/116 Chaucer Street, Moorooka</a> 
 <img src="/images/2014/11/25/1.jpg" alt="">
This Moorooka apartment sold for $372,000 late last month. The two bedroom, two bathroom unit is part of a six unit complex. There is an air-conditioned lounge, which opens to an undercover balcony. Both bedrooms include mirrored built in robes. The apartment comes with a single secure car space.
Price: $372,000
Bedrooms: Two
Drive to CBD: 14 minutes
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-qld-yeerongpilly-118043447" target="_blank">7/16 Wilkie St Yeerongpilly, Qld</a> <img src="/images/2014/11/25/2.jpg" alt=""> Buyers paid $376,000 for this two bedroom unit. Located in a seven-apartment complex built in 1994, the apartment occupies the entire top level. Both bedrooms include built in robes, there is an air conditioning unit in the living room and another in the main bedroom, and two secure undercover car spaces.
Price: $376,000
Bedrooms: Two
Drive to CBD: 11 minutes
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-unit-qld-woolloongabba-117595907" target="_blank">30/81 Annerley Road, Woolloongabba</a>
 <img src="/images/2014/11/25/3.jpg" alt="">
This dual level apartment, with 80 square metres of floor space, sold for $379,000. It has two bedrooms with built in robes, with the main bedroom including balcony access and an en suite. The carpet is newly laid and the apartment is freshly painted. Residents have access to the complex's swimming pool and gym. The apartment includes a lockup garage.
Price: $379,000
Bedrooms: Two
Drive to CBD: 5 minutes
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-unit-qld-taringa-117844987" target="_blank">3/38 Waverley Road, Taringa</a>
 <img src="/images/2014/11/25/4.jpg" alt="">
A two bedroom apartment in a complex of eight sold for $371,500 last week. It has built in robes in both bedrooms, one bathroom, an open plan living and dining area, and a balcony. The apartment comes with a lock up garage.
Price: $371,500
Bedrooms: Two
Drive to CBD: 10 minutes
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-unit-qld-taringa-117831363" target="_blank">67/35 Morrow Street, Taringa</a>
 <img src="/images/2014/11/25/5.jpg" alt="">
Vendors secured $383,000 for this two bedroom, two bathroom apartment earlier this month. The fully furnished apartment has new carpet, and both bedrooms include built in robes. The apartment, which has a secure car space, currently returns $496 per week in rent, representing a 6.7% rental yield.
Price: $383,000
Bedrooms: Two
Drive to CBD: 15 minutes
</li>
</ol>
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What does a median-priced Brisbane apartment look like?

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Home owners won't lose protections and rights when new home building reforms come in, NSW Fair Trading Minister Matthew Mason-Cox has claimed.
His reassurance comes after a recent court decision in favour of Brookfield Multiplex in a case regarding commercial property. The High Court's ruled that Brookfield Mutliplex was not liable for alleged building defects in a commercial development was a complex and technical decision,
According to Mason-Cox, the owners corporation deemed not vulnerable in legal terms, with no duty of care from Brookfield Multiplex to a commercial property owners corporation.
"I have obtained legal advice from the Crown Solicitor's Office that confirms the decision does not affect the consumer protections offered by the state's home building legislation,'' Mason-Cox said.
"This case refers to the law of negligence and involved a commercial development.
"The case does not affect the separate NSW statutory scheme of a residential development.
"Consumers continue to enjoy all the protections afforded to them by home building laws, including the statutory warranty scheme. Any suggestions to the contrary are simply false.''
A number of reforms relating to home owner rights have been passed in the Home Building Amendment Act 2014.
Some claim the reforms will <a href="/expert-insights/investing/nsw-home-owners-dodgy-construction-claims-curbed-by-government">degrade consumers' rights</a> when their building is found to be defective, with a government-granted six-year warranty for "structural defects" now applicable only for "major defects".
However, Mason-Cox says the amendments "provide significant protection for consumers and offer clarity about rights and responsibilities of builder's liabilities, particularly in relation to defects".
"The Home Building Amendment Act 2014 was passed by Parliament in May and is expected to start in mid-January," said Mason-Cox.
"Under the new Act, if a strata scheme discovers a major defect up to six years after the building has been built, then they can pursue their builder under the statutory warranties in the Act to rectify that defect.
"In particular, our reforms ensure that all home owners continue to have the benefit of a six year warranty for major defects and two years for minor defects."
Fire safety and waterproofing will be considered "major elements" of a building under the changes.
"By clarifying the nature of major defects, this key reform will save owners, and owners corporations, tens of thousands of dollars in legal costs incurred in protracted litigation," claimed Mason-Cox.
"We are also introducing changes to the licensing system, making it harder for unscrupulous builders to illegally 'phoenix', which is where a failed company starts up under a new or similar name to avoid scrutiny by consumers or NSW Fair Trading."
Individuals who were once involved in companies closed by their directors to avoid their obligations will now risk having their licence applications denied or their licenses revoked.
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Home owner rights still strong, despite building reforms: NSW Fair Trading

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Past contestants Deanne and Darren Jolly, Matt Di Costa and Kim Owen and Bec and George Douros will compete for a place in The Block's upcoming South Yarra season.
It has been long rumoured that Deanne and Darren, pictured below, were participating in the show in 2015, after winning just $10,000 for their efforts on The Block Glasshouse. The three bedroom apartment they renovated this year sold for $1.38 million, with a reserve of $1.37 million.
<img src="/images/2014/11/24/darren%20and%20dee.jpeg" alt="">
<a href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/melbourne-diy-favourites-deanne-and-darren-jolly-will-be-back-on-the-block/story-e6frfmq9-1227131758851" target="_blank" style="line-height: 1.3em;">News Corp</a> reports the couple, along with Perth's Matt and Kim and Melbourne's Bec and George will be participating in an elimination round to decide which returning Blockheads will compete against new contestants.
There will be four teams in total, each renovating a three storey apartment in Darling Street, South Yarra (pictured below).
<img src="/images/2014/10/24/block%20octagonal%20oct%2024%20five.jpg">
The season, titled The Block Triple Threat, will air in early 2015, with Channel 9 beginning their marketing campaign on television and social media last night, releasing promotional materials featuring the returning contestants and a 10 second television spot.
<img src="/images/2014/11/11/mattkim.jpg" alt="">
Matt and Kim received a $250,000 profit when they renovated a whole level South Melbourne apartment in The Block Sky High, which they sold for $1,205,000. The couple, pictured above, have since gone on to appear in their own renovation show, Matt and Kim to the Rescue.
<img src="/images/2014/11/11/becgeorge.jpg" alt=""> Bec and George, pictured above, also renovated a full level apartment on the Sky High series, coming third behind Matt and Kim's second place effort, with a $242,000 profit. Their third storey apartment sold for $1.455 million. It appears the buyers of the apartments renovated by both Sky High alumni were both investors, with both apartments <a href="/expert-insights/investing/three-of-the-six-block-sky-high-south-melbourne-apartments-for-rental">listed for rent </a>earlier this year.
Since last appearing on The Block, Bec has created a design blog, Bec Marks the Spot, which reports George has been developing property.
Meanwhile, it appears even more former Blockheads will be coming out of the woodwork, with a new show titled <a href="/expert-insights/building/renovation-rumble-showdown-with-the-block-contestants-v-house-rules-contestants">Renovation Rumble</a> in the works. The show, said to be produced by The Block's Watercress Productions and confirmed by Channel 7, will pit former Block contestants against former House Rules contestants. It has a probable 2015 air date.
Pictures courtesy Channel 9.
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Former Block contestants return for The Block Triple Threat

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Real estate agency Barry Plant presented an $115,000 cheque to the Make-A-Wish Foundation in Australia at its inaugural 'I wish to be' gala.
An additional $27,000 was raised on the night, to go towards fulfilling wishes from children with life-threatening medical conditions.
All 80 Barry Plant offices donated a portion of their commissions from properties sold in October, as part of Barry Plant's 'Wishtober' initiative.
Barry Plant chief executive Mike McCarthy said the company considered how it could contribute to the community at a corporate level, forming the Barry Plant charity fund.
"When we explored ideas around how we could support Make-A-Wish, we developed the idea of Wishtober," said McCarthy.
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Barry Plant donates to Make-A-Wish Foundation

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A Grocon subsidiary has been fined $250,000 safety failures relating to the collapse of a brick wall in March 2013 which killed Alexander and Bridget Jones and Marie-Faith Woo.
The CFMEU is none too impressed by the fine, nor a tweet from Kat Grollo, wife of Grocon chief executive Daniel Grollo.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://twitter.com/CFMEU_CG/status/536635099039551488" target="_blank"><img src="/images/2014/11/24/tweet-nov-24-one.jpg" alt=""></a>
The CFMEU suggest Kat Grollo's tweet, posted the morning after Grocon pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to ensure a safe workplace, is in relation to the wall collapse.
In a statement on Friday, CFMEU Secretary John Setka said: "Grocon's guilty plea would bring more comfort to the families of the deceased if it wasn't cheapened by comments made by Mr Grollo's wife, who suggested this week the wall collapse was due to sabotage."
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Tweet of the day: CFMEU on Grocon's wall collapse fine

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The median price of a house sold in the October quarter was $615,000, according to CoreLogic RP Data. But what will that price actually buy?
The data house recorded a 1.8% increase in Melbourne house values over the quarter, with 9.2% growth over the past year. For October, Melbourne's median house price was $177,000 lower than Sydney's.
Property Observer looks to recent Melbourne sales to see just how far $615,000 will go in the city's housing market.
<ol>
<li>
<a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/28-kenneth-street-preston/Property-Details-buy-residential-7806302" target="_blank">28 Kenneth Street, Preston, Vic</a>  <img src="/images/2014/11/24/1.jpg" alt="">
This three bedroom <a href="/news">Preston </a>house sold for $616,000 last week. Located 9 kilometres north of the Melbourne CBD, the home is within walking distance of Northland Shopping Centre and an eight minute drive to La Trobe University.
The house, situated on a 482 square metre plot, features leadlight windows, a brick open fireplace and a decked outdoor entertaining area.
Price: $616,000
Bedrooms: Three
Drive to CBD: 20 minutes
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-aspendale-117919899" target="_blank">44 Kubis Avenue, Aspendale, Vic</a>
 <img src="/images/2014/11/24/2.jpg" alt="">
Located in the bayside suburb of <a href="/news">Aspendale</a>, this three bedroom house sold for $620,000 last month. The home has two living areas, built in robes in all the bedrooms and two bathrooms. The house is situated in the centre of its 531 square metre plot, with a front and rear garden.
Price: $620,000
Bedrooms: Three
Drive to CBD: 40 minutes
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/3-karina-court-keilor/Property-Details-buy-residential-7856868" target="_blank">3 Karina Court, Keilor, Vic</a>
<img src="/images/2014/11/24/3.jpg" alt=""> 
Selling for $615,000, this bedroom house is located in <a href="/news">Keilor</a>, 20 kilometres north-west of Melbourne's CBD.
The house, situated on a cul-de-sac, the house has three bedrooms, including a master with walk in robes and en suite. There is a formal lounge, formal dining room and informal dining area next to the kitchen.
Price: $615,000
Bedrooms: Three
Drive to CBD: 25 minutes
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/mayfield-grove-altona-meadows/Property-Details-sold-residential-7646847" target="_blank">19 Mayfield Grove, Altona Meadows, Vic</a>
 <img src="/images/2014/11/24/4.jpg" alt="">
Currently a three bedroom brick house, this property with a town planning permit for four double storey townhouses sold for $616,500 earlier this month.
The house is advertised to rent at $400 per week, representing a rental yield of 3.4%. <a href="/news">Altona Meadows</a> is located 17 kilometres south east of the Melbourne CBD.
Price: $616,500
Bedrooms: Three
Drive to CBD: 23 minutes
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-taylors+hill-117402263" target="_blank">7 Elm Tree Close, Taylors Hill, Vic</a>
 <img src="/images/2014/11/24/5.jpg" alt="">
This four bedroom house sold for $605,000 last month. It has a formal lounge with cathedral ceilings, a study, open plan living and dining area, a butler's pantry off the kitchen, and a cinema room. The house sits on a 749 square metre allotment.
Price: $605,000
Bedrooms: Four
Drive to CBD: 28 minutes
</li>
</ol>
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What can you buy for Melbourne's median house price?

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In the aftermath of the Block Glasshouse auctions, theories about why some contestants made as little as $10,000 profit were abundant.
Just one season before, in <a href="/news">Albert Park's</a> Fans v Faves, all four teams received profits in excess of $500,000.
Most pointed to a particularly shallow buyer pool, thanks to what Property Observer called a <a href="/expert-insights/buying/not-enough-bidding-baby-boomer-buyers-to-boost-b-grade-location-in-the-block-glasshouse-2014-auction-results">"B-grade" location</a>, with little appeal to the cashed-up boomers that usually buy Block properties.
"For Sydneysiders it would be like flogging prestige apartments on Parramatta Road, Annandale, which has very nice houses away from its busy thoroughfare, though without the trams," wrote editor at large Jonathan Chancellor.
According to Michael Townsend, director of Hodges Real Estate St Kilda, an apartment's location on a main road may rule out certain buyers.
"I suppose when we look at apartments, there is definitely certain concessions placed on main road property locations," said Townsend.
"Definitely those on major thoroughfares, with noise and pollution."
<a href="/news">Prahran</a>'s High Street, where The Block Glasshouse apartments are located, has four lanes of traffic, with trams. Down the street is a hybrid car wash-burger diner; across the roads sits a Swinburne University campus.
While a main road location doesn't necessarily cut out buyers, Townsend explained, it will appeal to certain markets more than others.
"When we look at the apartment market as a whole, there are obviously price points and sub price points within that market place," said Townsend.
"There are buyers who definitely graduate towards main hubs and busy areas with cafe cultures and bars and restaurant areas," he said, with younger buyers and investors perhaps more interested in living among Prahran's busier strips.
But for buyers who are willing to spend the prices seen on Fans v Faves (as much as $2.47 million), a main street might not cut it.
"If someone's spending within $2 million on an apartment, they usually have very strict criteria," said Townsend.
"Avoid main roads if you can, avoid busy streets, avoid places with no outdoor space."
Upgraders with $2 million to spend are likely to have lived in areas with considerable room and amenity, Townsend said.
"Premium buyers – owner occupiers – are often coming out of a substantial home on a leafy backstreet," he explained.
"The might ask: 'Why would I sell out of leafy Hawthorn or Brighton or St kilda property? Why would i want to move out to a busy thoroughfare?'"
Those buyers, Townsend said, are more likely to move to a character home in suburbs like Albert Park, rather than an apartment complex in Prahran.
It seems there are certainly those who would pay to live amid the noise and activity of a main road – just not quite enough to make up for the money and time poured into The Block Glasshouse's renovated apartments.
You might also want to read:
<a href="/expert-insights/building/renovation-rumble-showdown-with-the-block-contestants-v-house-rules-contestants">Renovation rumble showdown with The Block contestants v House Rules contestants?</a>
<a href="/expert-insights/building/former-block-contestants-craft-new-careers-in-renovation">Former Block contestants craft new careers in renovation</a>
 
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Do apartments on main roads sell? Lessons from The Block

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BCS Strata Management has been named the owner corporation manager for the six Prahran apartments best known as The Block Glasshouse.
The Block's production team also appointed BSC Strata Management to manage its previous two ventures, South Melbourne's the Block Sky High building and Albert Park's the Block Fans v Faves development in the former Dux theatre.
General Manager of Business Development John Georgas said: "For the past 40 years we've enhanced community living. We can't wait to work with the new owners of one of Melbourne's most-watched and talked about properties.
The apartment block has a total of 3,500 square metres of floor space, with a carpark, lock-up storage and indoor common entrance area and lift access.
The Albert Park Block development had a substantial common area, with an indoor pool, lounge with televisions and lifts.
"We're looking forward to providing our services to a building which is sure to go down in history as a Melbourne icon," said Georgas.
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BCS to manage The Block Glasshouse

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>

Joel Robinson

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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SIERA kicks off construction at Northcliffe tower Exhale

Local Little Bay residents, along with buyers from premium postcodes across Sydney’s affluent Eastern Suburbs, have dominated purchases in developer-builder Urban Property Group’s first Eastern Suburbs apartment development, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/este-little-bay-jennifer-street-little-bay-nsw-2036">ESTE Little Bay</a>.

The $250 million coastal project, one of the first new developments in the area in several years, has proven particularly popular with downsizers, especially those from Coogee and Bondi. One Double Bay downsizer paid $4.7 million for a four-bedroom penthouse, setting a new local apartment price record in the process.

Buyers have been attracted to the combination of coastal tranquillity, premium design and amenity-rich neighbourhood living. The walkable village setting, along with proximity to three of Sydney’s leading golf courses, New South Wales Golf Club, St Michael’s Golf Club and The Coast Golf Club, has also been a key drawcard.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112343 project_image_fid=352689]

Built across two low-rise buildings designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/hill-thalis-architecture-urban-projects-pty-ltd">Hill Thalis</a> and set along a lush, landscaped green spine, designed by leading landscape architect <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/landscape-architect/arcadia-landscape-architecture">Arcadia</a>, ESTE Little Bay offers a collection of one, two, three and four-bedroom residences with interiors by Richards Stanisich.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/urban-property-group">Urban Property Group</a> Sales Director, Tom McIvor said the response to ESTE has been "nothing short of extraordinary."

“Buyers have been quick to recognise ESTE as a rare opportunity to invest in a coastal sanctuary that offers both seclusion and connectivity to the heart of Sydney,” McIvor said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112343 project_image_fid=352687]

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/srm-residential">SRM Residential</a> Senior Director, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/srm-residential">Clayton Ross</a> said the local market has responded incredibly well, driven by ESTE’s exceptional location and the rarity it offers.

“We’ve seen strong interest from a variety of buyer groups, all of whom are drawn to the exclusivity and quality of the build and construction by the 4.5-star iCIRT-rated builder / developer, Urban Property Group. There’s truly nothing else like it along Sydney’s coastline.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112343 project_image_fid=352690]

The project also includes robust buyer protections, including Resilience Insurance’s Latent Defects Insurance, providing 10 years of structural cover, and an independent iCIRT-rating of the developer.

“The iCIRT-rating adds another layer of confidence,” Ross added. “Buyers see it as a safeguard for their investment and their lifestyle.” A highlight of ESTE’s offering is its exclusive wellness amenities, including a heated rooftop infinity pool and outdoor heated spa, a state-of-the-art Technogym fitness centre, and a sauna.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/este-little-bay-jennifer-street-little-bay-nsw-2036">ESTE Little Bay</a> is topped out and is on track to complete towards the end of 2026, with residents moving in before Christmas.

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Jessie Richardson

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