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The small Victorian town of St Andrews, 36 kilometres north-east of Melbourne, has been identified as the second richest postcode in Australia.
According to figures released by the Australian Tax Office (ATO), residents in postcode 3761 earned more than those in all other postcodes but one, Sydney's 2027. The Sydney suburbs housing Australia's top earners – Darling Point, Edgecliff, Point Piper and HMAS Rushcutters – are no surprise. The area is home to some of Australia's richest individuals, and most expensive properties.
But after a 300% increase in earnings in the last year, St Andrews has joined the ranks of Australia's richest, with an average annual taxable income of $148,967. The top Sydney postcode of 2027 has an average annual income of $177,514. The result makes St Andrews the suburb with the highest average earnings of anywhere in Victoria, over Toorak and Hawksburn ($142,000), and Portsea ($138,800).
It is unclear what is responsible for St Andrews' recent income boost, but with just 655 residents (compared to 5,980 in postcode 2027 or 6,945 in Bellevue Hill), a big increase in a single family or individual's income over the year could have distorted the average figure.
Certainly, the St Andrews' properties currently on offer aren't approaching prices as high as those in Sydney's Bellevue Hill, Victoria's Toorak or Western Australia's Cottesloe, which all had lower average annual earnings.
One of the most expensive homes currently on offer in St Andrews is at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-st+andrews-118105735" target="_blank">40 Charlber Lane</a> (pictured above), listed with a price guide of $1.95 million to $2.2 million.
The 20 acre property has a four bedroom house with travertine marble floors, under-floor hydronic heating, and a kitchen and dining area with 4.5 metre ceilings. Too few properties sold in recent months to calculate an accurate median price for the area.
Real estate agent Ian McDougall of Mason White McDougall Hurstbridge <a href="https://www.3aw.com.au/news/st-andrews-tops-the-list-as-victorias-wealthiest-suburb-20150428-1mvmhf" target="_blank">told 3AW this morning</a> that most homes in the area sell for between $500,000 and $1.2 million. He said the most expensive house he's sold in the area was for $2.5 million.
The top 10 highest earners list:
<img src="/images/2015/04/29/Picture%2064.png" alt="">
Source: ATO
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St Andrews surprises as second on ATO's country's highest earners list

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Despite plentiful evidence about the positive impacts of good building design, developers and the public are not getting the picture, a group of building industry experts has concluded.
Partners of the CRC for Low Carbon Living's <a href="https://www.lowcarbonlivingcrc.com.au/research/program-1-integrated-building-systems/rp1009-closing-loop-evidence-based-low-carbon-design" target="_blank">Closing the Loop Project</a> spoke about the knowledge gap at workshops held in conjunction with this year's Green Cities conference.
Head of knowledge and sustainability at HASSELL Brett Pollard said people aren't taking advantage of the benefits of good design, despite the evidence and research available.
"Ultimately if you construct a building that does not take advantage of the evidence, organisations and businesses are missing out on the opportunity to create workplaces that are healthier and more effective," he said.
Design can impact financial, environmental and human factors in a business, according to research by Professor Vivian Loftness of Carnegie Mellon University, who spoke at the conference. According to Lauren Haas, Australasia Sustainability Manager for Brookfield Multiplex, poor design can also have a negative impact.
"For business, a low performance building can mean disengaged employees with low performance, higher levels of absenteeism and many thousands of dollars wasted per year in lost productivity," she says.
"If office workers, students or patients in hospitals are more informed about what can be achieved through high performance buildings they can help drive demand for these buildings."
Industry Director of Building Engineering at AECOM Lester Partridge cited Loftness' presentation at the conference.
"Vivian Loftness showed us a very powerful example in the workshop by comparing the decision making processes for a car, laptop and a building. People know more about the features of a car which may only be owned for 3-5 years or a laptop which might last two or three years than they do about the features of a building that will last in excess of 30 years.
"The conversation about high performance buildings needs to change and people need to be more aware of the true cost of buildings."
The Closing the Loop project intends to create an evidence base for the benefits of sustainable design, with an assessment and analysis system which helps decision making around commercial and public buildings.
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Benefits of good design not given enough attention: Closing the Loop

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While vacancy rates across Queensland are declining, Townsville's rental market has worsened since the start of the year, according to the Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ).
Townsville's vacancy rate now sits at 5.9%, with the REIQ attributing the uptick to the city's unemployment issues.
Last month, <a href="/news/qld/high-unemployment-remains-a-restraint-for-townsville-market-herron-todd-white">Herron Todd White's Month in Review report</a> said Townsville's unemployment rate "remains a restraint" for the Townsville market.
Some mining regions showed slight improvements, with Gladstone's vacancy rate sitting at 3.8% after peaking at 7.7% at the end of 2013.
REIQ chief executive Antonia Mercorella said:
"Looking at the figures for Mackay, Rockhampton and Gladstone it is too soon to call this anything other than what it is – a glimmer of hope that a turnaround is imminent.
"We know that in Mackay the local government is focusing on diversifying its key industries and employment prospects are looking up."
However, not all mining towns are strengthening. The oversupply of rental properties in Bowen and Moranbah are contributing to the high vacancy rates in Isaac and Whitsundays respectively. Isaac's vacancy rate is 17.4%, while Whitsundays recorded a 13.5% vacancy rate at the end of March.
The Gold Coast, Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast are all classified as "tight" markets, with the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast recording the lowest vacancy rates in the state.
"The Gold Coast has recorded its lowest vacancy rate in seven years, with just 1.3% of the market's rental properties vacant," said Mercorella.
"This is a strong indicator that other sectors of the economy may be rebounding and we are buoyed by this news."
<img src="/images/2015/04/29/reiq-april-29-bre.jpg" alt="">
 
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Queensland rental markets improving, but Townsville worsens: REIQ

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Darwin houses have the highest median time on market of those in any capital city, according to CoreLogic RP Data.
Houses in the Northern Territory capital were on the market for a median of 94 days, with an average vendor discount of 6.6%.
By contrast, Sydney houses had a median time on market of 26 days, with an average vendor discount of 4.5%.
Click charts to open in new window:
<a href="/images/2015/04/27/Picture%2053.png" target="_blank"><img src="/images/2015/04/27/Picture%2053.png" alt=""></a>
Source: CoreLogic RP Data
For houses, Hobart had the highest average vendor discount, at 7.4%.
<a href="/images/2015/04/27/Picture%2054.png" target="_blank"><img src="/images/2015/04/27/Picture%2054.png" alt=""></a>  
Source: CoreLogic RP Data
In the unit market, the Tasmanian capital highest average vendor discount, at 6.7%, and the highest median time on market, at 97 days.
<a href="/images/2015/04/27/Picture%2051.png" target="_blank"><img src="/images/2015/04/27/Picture%2051.png" alt=""></a>
Source: CoreLogic RP Data
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Hobart and Darwin topping vender discounting and time on market: CoreLogic RP Data

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The new season of Channel 7's reality renovation program, House Rules, returns to our screens next month. And host Johanna Griggs tells Property Observer that the contestants might have it harder this time than they ever have before.
The show, like some of the other competitive reality television programs currently on television, has tended to stack the competing teams with plenty of renovation professionals, whether plumbers, carpenters or cabinet-makers. But in the upcoming season, Griggs says, there is only one tradie among the competitors.
"They're absolute novices," she says. "They're the least experienced renovators that we ever had."
The results of the casting move, Griggs says, weren't always pretty.
"The first reveal, I said, 'oh dear'. The finishes weren't up to standard, and I was a little worried."
As in previous seasons, the contestants hail from all over Australia. House Rules sees the teams renovate each other's homes according to a set of "house rules", with the winning team having their mortgage paid off.
Among the novice competitors are father and daughter duo Steve and Tiana, from Western Sydney. The other teams will be renovating Steve's current house, which Tiana was raised in. Steve, the oldest competitor in this series, raised Tiana in the three bedroom 1960s brick.
The only team with professional trades skills are Bronik and Corinne, from Victoria. Bronik, a carpenter, lives with his girlfriend, Corinne, in the living room of the 1960s weatherboard.  The couple can't afford to renovate the home, which has only one habitable room.
There are no "baddies" among the contestants this season, according to Griggs.
"They're so lovely," she says.
"It's so hard getting the six homes done, and the six gardens, so there's no luxury of casting anyone who's nasty."
Last season, Tasmanian couple Brook and Grant were largely portrayed as villains. This season, the Tasmanian representatives are Cassie and Matt. Cassie says "the pressure is on" after Tasmanian couples were the first to be eliminated in previous seasons.
They live in a 1960s brick home in Hobart. Cassie works as a pharmacist while Matt is a swimming instructor training to be a P.E. teacher.
Ryan, of Adelaide, lives with his girlfriend and teammate Marlee. He purchased the house four years ago alone, and works two jobs to pay for what the couple calls "the ugliest house in Australia". Marlee works as a travel agent, and sees the competition as way to relieve Ryan's workload.
From Western Australia are married couple Karina and Brian, who have three children. Their house in Geraldton, north of Perth, sits on five acres, with ocean and mountain views. Although they bought it with the intention to renovate, they can't afford to make changes to the 1970s Spanish-style villa. At 42 and 44, they are the oldest team in the season.
While Brian does have some professional trades experience as a qualified timber framer, not all the contestants have an easy time at the beginning of the season, with Griggs saying some don't realise to do things like account for flooring when taking measurements for a room.
"With the first reveal, I was quite in shock at the standard, and maybe that's heartening," she said.
But the teams "improve dramatically"over the course of the season, she says. One of the hardest homes this season, she tells Property Observer, is in the first week, with contestants competing with mould and only one livable room. But Griggs says the house, presumably Corinne and Bronik's, has more than just shock value.
"You've got to remember that the man who owns it is the first man in his family who's ever owned his own home. So he's the most proud human being to own that place, and that's what makes it special."
Another house, she says, is obviously the product of an owner-builder "who just decided to rewrite the laws of building". With structural problems, Griggs calls the house "a basket case from start to finish".
While other renovation shows pitch themselves to a luxury market, Griggs says House Rules is more emotional, and relatable.
"The biggest point of difference is that its their own home," says Griggs.
"They're going to have to live in it."
The season premiere of the new season of House Rules airs on Channel 7 on Tuesday, 5 May.
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House Rules promises the toughest season yet

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Climbing home prices in Melbourne and Sydney have resulted in declines in Moody's home affordability measure despite low interest rates. Moody's also noted Melbourne and Sydney's "problematic" large loan sizes.
Households across Australia needed to use 27% of their income, on average, to make home mortgage repayments. The same ratio was recorded in March last year.
Click charts to open in new window:
<a href="/images/2015/04/27/moodys-april-27-one.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="/images/2015/04/27/moodys-april-27-one.jpg" alt=""></a>
In Sydney, however, households are using 35.1% of their income to make their mortgage repayments. In March 2014, Sydney households were putting 32.8% of their income towards their mortgage. March 2015's result is also higher than the city's 10 year average of 33.6%.
<a href="/images/2015/04/27/moodys-april-27-two.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="/images/2015/04/27/moodys-april-27-two.jpg" alt=""></a>
In Melbourne, mortgage affordability has also declined, with the share of income needed to make mortgage repayments increasing to 28.2% in March this year from 27.5% at the same time last year.
The Moody's Australian Housing Affordability Measure has remained constant on a national level, in part due to low interest rates. In Perth, affordability measures improved, due to declining home price, with the measure decreasing from 24.6% to 21.9%. Moody's noted Perth's exposure to falling commodity prices in its report.
The report called the affordability deterioration in Melbourne and Sydney "credit negative for new mortgage loans from these cities".
"The larger loan sizes and repayment obligations of new mortgages in Sydney and Melbourne are especially problematic since these mortgages are being underwritten at historically low interest rate," the report reads, noting an average Australian standard variable mortgage rate of 5.65%, while the 10-year average is 7.18%.
"Our forecast is for the RBA to cut the official cash rate - a key determinant of mortgage interest rates - by a further 25 basis points to 2% in 2015.
"However, borrowers who took out loans at historically low interest rates are at a greater risk of not being able to afford repayments when interest rates eventually rise.
"By contrast, mortgages underwritten at higher interest rates pose lower risk when interest rates rise, because borrowers' ability to service these loans has been assessed at higher interest rates."
Although there has been pronounced price increases in Melbourne and Sydney over the past two years, income growth has remained "modest", writes Moody's.
<a href="/images/2015/04/27/moodys-april-27-three.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="/images/2015/04/27/moodys-april-27-three.jpg" alt=""></a>
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Affordability "deteriorating" in Melbourne and Sydney: Moody's

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Vendors shied away from auctions this weekend out of respect for Anzac day commemorations.
According to CoreLogic RP Data, there were 550 auctions across Australian capital cities in the week to April 26. Last week, there were 2,603 capital city auctions.
There were around 150 auctions actually scheduled across Australia on Anzac Day, with many sold before auction.
<img src="/images/2015/04/27/core-april-27-one.jpg" alt="">
This week's auctions saw a capital city clearance rate of 84.3%, up from last week's 78.9% clearance rate.
Sydney recorded an a particularly high clearance rate of 91.1% over the week. There were 249 auctions there in total, with RP Data collecting results for 192 of those auctions. The clearance rate, likely bolstered by the low number of auctions on the weekend, comes after a record breaking 87% clearance rate in Sydney last week, when 988 auctions took place.
On week last year, which did not have Anzac Day fall on a Saturday, Sydney recorded a 71.3% clearance rate.
There were 169 auctions in Melbourne this week, with a clearance rate of 87.4%. Last week, 1,266 auctions occurred across Melbourne, with a 79.5% clearance rate. Melbourne's inner city and the inner south region were particularly busy this week, despite the Anzac day commemorations, with around 26 auctions occurring in each area.
<img src="/images/2015/04/27/core-april-27-two.jpg" alt="">
Last week, Victorian premier Dan Andrews called conducting auctions on Anzac Day "<a href="/news/reiq-says-agents-ought-not-trade-on-anzac-day-while-victoria-likely-to-introduce-ban">pretty ordinary</a>", while the Real Estate Institute of Victoria discouraged agents from auctioning properties on the day.
In Brisbane, there were 39 auctions. Of the 11 results reported so far to CoreLogic RP Data, 10 were sales. The previous week, there were 140 auctions held across the city, with a 46.4% clearance rate. The Gold Coast recorded 32 properties up for sale, with sales comprising around half of the reported results.
The Real Estate Institute of Queensland also instructed members to avoid auctioning homes on Anzac Day.
Adelaide had 59 auctions scheduled for this week. So far, 20 results have been reported to CoreLogic RP Data, with a 55.0% success rate. Last week, there was a 69.7% clearance rate across the city's 97 auctions.
Just 10 auctions took place in Perth this week, with just two results reported. In Canberra, there were 23 auctions, with 11 of the 14 reported auctions resulting in success.
Just one Tasmanian property was auctioned this weekend, resulting in a sale.
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Buyers keen to bid on 550 capital city Anzac week auctions: CoreLogic RP Data

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There were 9,362 private treaty house sales and 4,973 private treaty unit sales across the capital cities in the past four weeks, according to CoreLogic RP Data.
<img src="/images/2015/04/27/Picture%2061.png" alt="">
Source: CoreLogic RP Data
Private treaty sales generally represent around 85% of all dwelling sales across the country. However, in the most recent period they may have made up a greater proportion sales, given that most avoided auctioning their homes on Anzac day. There were around 150 auctions actually scheduled across Australia on Anzac Day, with many sold before auction.
<img src="/images/2015/04/27/Picture%2062.png" alt="">
Source: CoreLogic RP Data
Only 550 auctions occurred this week, according to CoreLogic RP Data's preliminary figures.
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14,335 capital city private treaty sales in past four weeks: CoreLogic RP Data

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The northern suburbs region of Playford recorded the highest proportion of loss making resales of any Adelaide local government area in the December quarter, according to CoreLogic RP Data.
In the December quarter, 23.6% of all Playford home resales resulted in a loss. The northern suburb region, which includes Elizabeth, Smithfield, Munno Para, Angle Vale and Yattalunga, had a median loss of $14,000.
While it recorded the highest share of loss-making resales, Playford's median loss was more modest than many other Adelaide regions. In Unley, for example, where only 1.3% of December quarter sales resulted in a net loss, the median loss was far more severe, at $104,750.
In total, $1.3 million was lost by Playford vendors in the final quarter of 2014.
<img src="/images/2015/04/24/smithfield-april-24-one.jpg" alt="">
Vendors paid $213,000 for <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/40-charta-circuit-smithfield/Property-Details-buy-residential-8206940" target="_blank">40 Charta Circuit</a> in Smithfield (pictured above) in 2007. The three bedroom house sold earlier this month for $205,000.
Across Adelaide, losses were trending downwards. In the December quarter, 8.9% of all Adelaide resales occurred at a loss, which CoreLogic's Pain and Gain report noted was the lowest loss rate recorded in Adelaide since the year to November 2011.
Mallala was the only Adelaide region to record no losses in the December 2014 quarter, although many would regard it a separate town. The region, north of Adelaide, had an 100% success rate, with a median profit of $95,000.
 
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Playford region records Adelaide's highest proportion of loss making resales: CoreLogic RP Data

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It was a 50/50 split in Perth's affluent Peppermint Grove in the December quarter, according to the latest CoreLogic RP Data Pain and Gain report.
The research firm only recorded two home sales in the local government region in the final quarter, with one loss and one profit-making sale.
The vendors of <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-wa-peppermint+grove-117769579" target="_blank">5/22 Stirling Street</a> (pictured below) in Peppermint Grove lost out on their November sale. The unit sold for $380,000, $15,000 less than their December 2011 purchase price of $395,000.
<img src="/images/2015/04/24/peppermint%20grove%20april%2024%20one.jpg" alt="">
The property's price reached its peak in 2009, when it traded for $415,000. Since 2007, the unit has been used as a rental property. In September 2007, it was advertised to rent at $320 per week, but in late 2008 its advertised rental rate descended to $300 per week. It's now rented out for $380 per week, with it selling in November at a 5.2% yield.
While CoreLogic RP Data only recorded two sales  in Peppermint Grove for the December quarter, a search through listings reveals more, including the sale of <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-peppermint+grove-117961647" target="_blank">46R Irvine Street</a> (pictured below), which sold in November. The home sold for $2.5 million, with the vendors paying $1.68 million in 2005.
<img src="/images/2015/04/24/peppermint%20grove%20april%2024%20two.jpg" alt="">
While Peppermint Grove's low sales volumes gave it the highest proportion of loss-making sales for the quarter, as recorded by CoreLogic, other regions had many more happy vendors. In the south-eastern region of Canning, which includes Cannington, Parkwood, Queens Park, Shelley and Wilson, only 1.4% of home resales made a loss.
Those that did make a loss had an average hold period of 1.9 years, with a median loss of $14,000. For profit-making sales, the average hold period was 9.5 years, with a median profit of $298,000. In total, Canning vendors made $87.4 million in the December quarter.
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Mixed result in Perth's Peppermint Grove: CoreLogic RP Data

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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