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The latest release of residential land in the Heartlands development in Tarneit has been fast tracked by developers Asset1.
Stage 10 of Heartlands has been released early in an attempt to meet high demand for land in the Melbourne’s western rural-urban fringe, according to the developers.
Asset1 has also recently launched the estate’s ‘Club Heartlands’ recreation centre, which includes a gym, pool and tennis court. Stage 10 is located adjacent to the new facility, within walking distance of a seven hectare parkland precinct. New residents will be situated close to Tarneit Road, Werribee Plaza, and, eventually, the upcoming Tarneit Railway Station, which will be serviced by a train running between Melbourne and Geelong once the Regional Rail Link is completed.
 <img src="/images/stories/2014/03/14/heartlands-march-14-one.jpg" alt="">
According to Asset1 sales director Mark Adams, buyers were seeking competitive prices and a convenient location.
“Buyers want to purchase in a location that not only suits them now, but will suit them in the future when their family expands and matures,” said Adams.
 <img src="/images/stories/2014/03/14/heartlands-march-14-two.jpg" alt="">
“Stage 10 purchasers will be within metres of the recently opened Club Heartlands recreation facility and seven hectare parkland that’s scheduled for completion later this year.
“Offering blocks of up to 555 square metres, Stage 10 purchasers have the luxury of choosing a home that better suits their needs: a home with a spacious garden or entertainer’s alfresco area, or alternatively a larger home for a growing family.”
The Stage 10 release will offer 32 lots between 320 square metres and 555 square metres, with prices beginning at $161,000.
<img src="/images/stories/2014/03/14/heartlands-march-14-three.jpg" alt=""> 
Photos are artistic impressions.
For the latest development listings, brought to you by Property Observer and partners, see our <a href="https://showcase.propertyobserver.com.au/" rel="nofollow">INVESTOR SHOWCASE</a>.
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Newest stage released ahead of schedule at Heartlands

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The innovative design of Sydney’s blue chip Eliza development has the town talking.
Eliza is situated on Elizabeth Street in Sydney’s CBD, overlooking Hyde Park. According to the building’s architect, Tony Owens, the development’s location was the major influence on its design, from its curvaceous façade to its materials.
<img src="/images/Eliza%202.jpg" width="460" height="307">
“It all starts with the site,” said Owen. “It’s surrounded by some of Sydney’s most important buildings. We always do a contemporary design, but we wanted to do a design with those buildings as well. So we used traditional materials like sandstone and steel, but we did it in a contemporary way.”
Each of Eliza’s 17 floors is different from the last, a practice Owen says was previously unheard of.
<img src="/images/Eliza%2011.jpg" width="460" height="690">
“Each level has a different floor plan, because each level has different views and different amounts of sunlight. And we found that as you went up the building, the situation changed.
“In the past, you wouldn’t conceive of having a different structure on each level.”
But thanks to the advent of new technology, Tony Owen Partners has been able to create a building that would have been unfeasible three years ago. Owens’s own home attracted attention last year when Moebius House [pictured below], which he designed using early versions of similar technology, <a href="/expert-insights/building/tony-owens-moebius-house-dover-heights-listed-for-sale">hit the market</a>.
 <img src="/images/moebius-house-tony-owens-4.jpg" width="460" height="316">
“Every project we do represents a jump in technology,” Owen said.
“We started with some more basic things like the Harley Davidson headquarters [pictured below], and then with each project it became more complicated and exciting.”
<img src="/images/harley.PNG" width="460" height="325">
Both the Eliza’s design and its fabrication were made possible by recent technological advancements, says Owen.
“The building’s materials were actually fabricated by robots. The robots would take a block of stone, and would cut shapes exactly to our computer’s specifications,” he said. “We used digital technology to not only design the façade but also break it down into parts, so that we could easily manufacture it.
“We had to consider: if you have a wiggly line, how do you break it down into pieces that are sensible and practical to build? This technology didn’t exist three years ago, but it exists now. And it means a very complicated design can be brought down to a very inexpensive standard.”
Eliza, developed by Ceerose, has 19 half and full floor apartments spread over its 17 levels. The building’s three level penthouse, which will be marketed once construction is completed, includes a rooftop infinity pool, limestone paving and outdoor kitchen and is expected to fetch $15 million.
The majority of the apartments’ buyers are owner-occupiers, and with its prestige location and costly amenities (including marble laundry benches), there’s no doubt that Ceerose are pitching Eliza at the city’s luxury market.
<img src="/images/Eliza%20bathroom.jpg" width="460" height="307">
Of the possibility that Eliza’s undulating design may alienate some buyers, Owen says that Sydneysiders are ready for risk taking architecture.
“I was in Melbourne on the weekend, and every project there is as exciting as Eliza,” said Owen.
“Buyers always choose good over ordinary. In Sydney, they’ve always been offered a boring box. But now we’re seeing that once they get offered the choice, they choose the more exciting designs.”
Owen says that demand for contemporary design is growing across the city.
“Now all the real estate agents are going to architects and saying, ‘Can you design something like Tony?’ because that’s what the buyers want. And we’re very excited about that, because it raises awareness about terrific design.”
Currently only two apartments in Eliza remain unsold. The full floor offerings are being marketed by Nigel Napoli and Irene Lau of Savills, with Richard Shalhoub and Hamish Robertson of McGrath.
As for the future, Owen says his practice has plenty on its plate, with residential, commercial and public projects underway.
 
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Tony Owen designed Eliza development at the forefront of contemporary architecture

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With The Block: Fans v Faves heating up, it seems that renovation fever is sweeping the country. Last Sunday, the teams revealed their newly renovated kitchens – a room which many believe will make or break a renovation.
The winning team, twins Alisa and Lysandra, were praised by the show’s judges for their spacious kitchen (pictured below) that made use of the apartment’s open plan layout. According to the judges, their offering was contemporary but not trendy, and would have timeless appeal.
<img src="/images/lah3r5kitchen13.jpg" width="460" height="259">
Image courtesy of Channel 9
Meanwhile, Brad and Dale got the roughest treatment, with the judges deeming their kitchen “cold and dated”. It seemed they won no hearts among the judges with their curved bench, seen below, though the boys thought the bench would be a selling point come auction day.
<img src="/images/bdh4r5kitchen03.jpg" width="460" height="259">
Image courtesy of Channel 9
And while renovating one’s home can be a rewarding adventure, with <a href="/expert-insights/building/pleasure-not-profit-the-reason-for-most-home-renovations-mortgage-choice-survey">most homeowners renovating for pleasure</a>, not profit, plenty of investors know that renovations, when done right,<a href="/expert-insights/building/pleasure-not-profit-the-reason-for-most-home-renovations-mortgage-choice-survey"> can make a tidy sum</a> when it comes time to sell the property.
Though many homeowners dream of reinvigorating their living areas or expanding their master bedroom, as host Scott Cam noted on Sunday’s episode: “Kitchens sell houses.”
Andrew Winter of Selling Houses Australia <a href="/expert-insights/building/the-10-best-diy-renovation-tips-from-the-experts">says that</a> “quality bathrooms and kitchens will always add value to your home”, while stylist and author Amanda Talbot thinks that 5% of the value of your house should be in your kitchen.
Similarly, Cherie Barber of Renovating for Profit says that renovators should aim to spend between 1% to 1.5% their home’s value on the bathroom, which is “the second most important room in your house, besides your kitchen.”
Which room of the house do you think is the best to renovate to add value to a family home?
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Kitchens the key to adding value for teams on The Block

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Musician Pharrell Williams is hoping to finally get lucky with the sale of his <a href="https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/2127-Brickell-Ave-Apt-4000_Miami_FL_33129_M65865-42388" target="_blank">Miami penthouse</a>, which has undergone multiple price adjustments since it was first put on the market in 2010.
After purchasing the three level penthouse in 2007, Pharrell attempted to drop it like it was hot at US$16.8 million (A$18.7 million). But the move did not prove to be a money maker for the Grammy award winning artist, who lowered his asking price to US$10.9 million (A$12.13 million) when he relisted the property in 2013. The Nellyville producer then took the Bristol Tower penthouse off the market for three months. Now, Pharrell has decided once again that he wants to move, asking this time for an additional US$99,000 (A$110,170).
<img src="/images/stories/2014/03/13/16.jpg" alt="">
The expansive 40th floor penthouse features a pool and several outdoor terraces substituting for a yard come milkshake season.
 <img src="/images/stories/2014/03/13/8.jpg" alt="">
With 844 square metres of floor space, Pharrell’s residence blurs the lines between indoor and outdoor spaces, with floor to ceiling windows, a translucent dome ceiling and a wraparound balcony.
 <img src="/images/stories/2014/03/13/26.jpg" alt="">
The property’s six bedrooms and six bathrooms will be sure to provide any buyer plenty of space to change clothes, while the library and home theatre space no doubt allowed the Oscar nominee to indulge his inner nerd.
<img src="/images/stories/2014/03/13/22.jpg" alt=""> 
The listing photos also show two large artworks featuring characters from Family Guy.
<img src="/images/stories/2014/03/13/34.jpg" alt="">
The producer and performer is best known for his three recent number one songs, including the Oscar nominated 'Happy', which is enjoying its ninth consecutive week at the top of Australia's singles chart, and collaborations with Daft Punk on 'Get Lucky' and 'Blurred Lines' with Robin Thicke and T.I. His career began as a young rapper when at 19 he wrote a verse for Teddy Riley on Wreckx-n-Effect’s 1992 classic 'Rump Shaker'. 
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Pharrell not happy with $12 million as he bumps up listing price on Miami penthouse

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A South Australian organisation called the Scrap the Tax Coalition will today present a petition calling on the state government to abandon a proposed levy on parking in the Adelaide CBD.
The Weatherill Labor government has proposed a $750 per spot transport development levy, to be imposed from this year or next. According to the state government, the levy is expected to raise $30 million in its first year, with funds going towards improved transport services.
Premier Jay Weatherill last year said the tax will provide an incentive for Adelaide residents to use public transport. The Liberal party has promised to abolish the parking tax should it come into power after the March 15 state election.
The Scrap the Tax Coalition, supported by the Property Council of Australia, has <a href="https://www.change.org/en-AU/petitions/south-australian-government-stop-the-introduction-of-the-adelaide-car-parking-tax" target="_blank">launched a petition</a> entreating South Australians to stand against the tax. The petition reads:
To:  South Australian Government 
The proposed Transport Development Levy will be another disincentive to South Australians living, working, shopping and finding entertainment in Adelaide's CBD, with no guarantee of tangible benefits to public transport users or any material impact on CBD congestion.  In the interests of a vibrant CBD I urge you to immediately discontinue efforts to implement the tax. 
Sincerely,  [Your name]
 The petition had attracted a total of 9,264 votes (5,459 online and 3,796 physical votes) at the time of writing. The Property Council of Australia has <a href="/news/sa/property-council-pushes-agenda-ahead-of-south-australian-election">also registered its interests</a> ahead of the election in a website, <a href="https://www.sadecides2014.com.au/" target="_blank">sadecides2014.com.au</a>.
Last year, Weatherill rejected claims made in a study by the Property Council of Australia that the tax would deter people from the city.
"It's a self-serving study, it's been put together by the big end of town and really it's just about them avoiding any contribution to building new public transport infrastructure," he told the ABC in October.
"What the study completely ignores is all of the investments we've made in public transport."
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Proposed parking tax proves contentious ahead of SA elections

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A former property manager has been fined $10,000 by the Perth Magistrates Court for deceiving tenants into paying excess rent, while the landlords were kept in the dark.
Josephine Wei-Wei Liau pleaded guilty on March 7 to 16 charges made over two years. 
One Mount Pleasant tenant was paying $950 a week, but the owners believed the tenant was only paying $800. Although the WA Residential Tenancy Act only allows two weeks of rent to be charged in advance, she demanded that the tenant pay more than six months’ rent, totaling over $30,000.
Another tenant in Yangebup paid $380 a week while the owner understood their rental rate to be $350 and the owner was not told when the rent was increased to $400 per week.
She retained the excess payments in both cases, only returning the rental income owed to the owners when confronted. She made further misrepresentations regarding a water bill for a Willetton property, an offence under Australian Consumer Law.
Liau, who was a property manager at a Perth real estate agency, made misrepresentations both as an employee and after her January 2011 departure. She advised landlords that she was acting as part of the agency, going as far as to use the agency's logo on documents, when the agency had no record of the properties being under their management. Under Australian Consumer Law it is an offence to make a false or misleading representation regarding affiliation.
She also advised clients that she held a real estate license, despite only holding a certificate in property management. This action was in breach of the Real Estate and Business Agents Act.
An application for a spent conviction, where a person may not have to acknowledge that they have been charged with an offence, was refused by Magistrate Felicity Zempilas. According to Zempilas, Liau's offences were serious and owners had the right to feel protected in relation to their property, and bonds are required to be held in a safe place.
Anne Driscoll, the commissioner for Consumer Protection, says such serious deception is unacceptable.
“Property managers have a trusted position as the liaison point between a property owner and tenant, so they must display the highest standards of honesty and integrity as required by law,” said Driscoll.
“Those who choose to profit from misleading and deceptive conduct in the real estate industry will face prosecution and suffer financial penalties as well as serious damage to their reputation.”
Liau has been ordered to pay an additional $2,220 in costs.
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Perth property manager ordered to pay over $12,000 after deceptive conduct

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The <a href="https://www.tenants.org.au/" target="_blank">Tenants Union of NSW </a>(TUNSW) has warned Australians against forgetting the benefits of the National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS) following a News Limited article claiming the scheme is being “abused” by developers.
The Australian yesterday published an article claiming that the Central Park development in Sydney is being targeted towards international students, with the article asserting that the phrase “international student” or “international students” was used almost 50 times. According to the article, the 34 page brochure issued by developers Frasers Property Australia and builders Sekisui House Australia in October 2012 also repeatedly describes the development’s main building as “NRAS advantaged.”
National Shelter executive officer Adrian Pisarki, one of the members of the Affordable Housing Summit Group that helped draft the NRAS is quoted in the article saying that although there is evidence that some international students faced affordability pressures, they were not the intended recipients of the NRAS. The scheme, launched by the previous Labor government in 2008, “seeks to address the shortage of affordable rental housing by offering financial incentives to persons or entities such as the business sector and community organisations to build and rent dwellings to low and moderate income households at a rate that is at least 20 per cent below the market value rent,” according to the Department of Social Services.
Responses to the NRAS is has been <a href="/expert-insights/investing/readers-respond-in-defence-of-nras">mixed throughout the property industry</a>.
But in a <a href="https://tunswblog.blogspot.com.au/2014/03/nras-baby-in-bathwater" target="_blank">blog post yesterday</a>, the TUNSW drew readers’ attention to the scheme’s benefits, writing that although The Australian  has reported that 4,000 units constructed under the scheme are being let to university students, the NRAS has subsidised the construction of 14,500 dwellings. According to the TUNSW, there are another 24,000 dwellings in progress. Although the post acknowledges that the income thresholds required to qualify to let a NRAS subsidised property are higher than those for social housing, the TUNSW claims to know of one community housing provider “who reports that 15% of its NRAS tenants had previously been homeless.”
“There's actually an affordable housing baby in the NRAS bathwater!” writes the TUNSW.
“Would the government throw it out, while its other tax settings do nothing but encourage speculation and make housing unaffordable?”
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NRAS: Don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater, says TUNSW

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Fair Work Ombudsman Natalie James has singled out Queensland’s real estate industry in a bid to improve compliance with workplace laws. After the operators of a Queensland real estate agency were fined for underpaying employees, the Ombudsman’s office has called upon large real estate brands and employer organisations to help drive behavioural change in the state’s industry.
In a 2011 audit of 156 Queensland real estate employers, the Fair Work Ombudsman found that less than half were lodging staff pay agreements. After a follow up campaign the next year, the office audited 279 employers, of which 82% complied with the requirement to lodge agreements with the Property Industry Registry.
Though James is encouraged by the improvement, she says that Fair Work inspectors have made some “disturbing findings”, including instances of employers failing to meet minimum payment entitlements for commission-based staff.
Earlier this week, the former operators of a Gold Coast real estate company were fined $56,000 for underpaying three salespeople. Following legal action by the Fair Work Ombudsman, husband and wife Adrian and Nicole Parsons of Total Project Marketing were fined $28,000 for underpaying three employees by a total of $41,472 between October 2009 and February 2011.
According to the ombudsman’s office, the staff members received pay below their minimum weekly wage entitlements and were underpaid for sales commissions. The employees were underpaid amounts of $32,951, $4,800 and $3,720.
In the court proceedings, Judge Michael Jarrett found that the Parsons intending to increase their company’s profits “at the expense of its employees”.
He also said there was “an apparent need for the general deterrence of the common disregard of industrial instruments in the real estate industry”. 
James has noted that the majority of Queensland real estate companies would wish to see their competitors’ poor practices exposed and remedied, an attitude that needs to be harnessed to “bring about improvement and a level playing field for all”.
As a regulator, James said that her agency must strike a balance between education and compliance.
 “We have been meeting regularly with representatives of real estate employer groups to discuss award compliance issues, as we want to ensure that small business people have every opportunity to meet their workplace obligations and have access to reliable, credible resources,” said James.
The Fair Work Ombudsman has recently established a dedicated Small Business Strategy Team and also works in partnership with franchisors, including real estate agencies, through its National Franchise Program.
 
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Queensland couple fined $56,000 for underpaying real estate staff

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From today, lenders will have expanded access to information regarding your credit history. Under <a href="/expert-insights/a-new-credit-scoring-system-how-it-will-affect-you">new privacy regulations</a>, a comprehensive credit report will now include borrowers’ information such as when a credit account was opened and closed, account credit limits and repayment histories. Repayment history information will also include when a bill was due and the date it was paid. Currently, credit reports that are provided to lenders to assess whether a prospective borrower should receive a loan only includes 'negative' information, such as default events. Changes have also been made to the amount of time certain pieces of information may be retained by credit reporting agencies.
The more detailed new reporting system allows lenders to access ‘positive’ credit behaviour. According to some, the reforms will improve transparency, and may aid ‘good’ prospective borrowers who are seeking a loan. However, those with poor repayment histories may be hindered by the new system, and face more difficulties in attaining loans.
Smartline Personal Mortgage Advisers have compiled the following list of what can be covered in the new comprehensive credit report:
<ul>
<li>Information about your monthly repayment conduct (i.e. whether or not you have paid on time) over the past two years can now be reported.</li>
<li>If you apply for credit, the decision (declined or approved) by the credit provider can now be reported.</li>
<li>The current limit on all of your credit cards (and other credit facilities) can now be reported. This also means that if you get a limit increase, this can now be reported on your credit record.</li>
<li>The repayment term and repayment type on all of your credit facilities can now be reported.</li>
<li>A credit provider can now also provide an opinion that you have fraudulently attempted to get credit or fraudulently evaded your obligations to repay credit, or that you do not intend to comply with your repayment obligations.</li>
<li>Credit defaults can be lodged on any outstanding amounts over $150 if you are more than 60 days behind on your repayments.</li>
</ul>
Source: Smartline
According to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, the more comprehensive repayment history information will “only relate to payments you have made or missed from December 2012. Then from March 2014, licensed credit providers can pass your repayment history information on to credit reporting bodies.” Information on repayments cannot be held for more than two years after the payment's due date.
Credit providers have begun updating their terms and conditions to reflect changes to the Privacy Act, with the Commonwealth Bank notifying customers today that its property policy has been adjusted to reflect how the bank will now collect and exchange customers' information.
 
 
<hr class="system-pagebreak">
 
According to Michelle Hutchison of comparison website <a href="https://www.finder.com.au/">finder.com.au</a>, the new reform is a move towards "risk adjusted lending."
"Currently, interest rates are generally based on single pricing (particularly home loans), which averages an interest rate based on the lender's experience with good and bad borrowers. With access to more information about borrowers, lenders can use a risk adjusted model to base interest rates on more of an individual basis," said Hutchison.
She warns that borrowers should prepare themselves for the impact of the new credit history system, listing the following possible impacts:
<ul>
<li>[A] risk adjusted model could mean people will receive higher interest rates than the former model if they are deemed to have bad credit. For instance, borrowers will be exposed to higher rates being offered if they have high credit limits which they don't use or can't afford in the eyes of the lender.</li>
<li>With a risk adjusted model, it could lead to potentially more predatory lending, which lower income borrowers with poor credit files are most at risk</li>
<li>In the US, banks advertise rates based on 'excellent credit' which is something Australian lenders could adopt. This could make interest rates even less transparent for borrowers who don't know their credit file status</li>
<li>Interest rates available could widen: currently variable interest rates start from 4.49% by <a href="https://loans.com.au/" target="_blank">Loans.com.au</a> and range up to almost 9 percent. We could see this range widen if lenders label borrowers as higher risk</li>
<li>More aggressive marketing: lenders will capture more data about customers and can use this to market their products. They will be able to see what products applicants applied for in the past, amount of credit they applied for, credit limits, date account were opened</li>
<li>Reselling information: in the US, it's reported that major credit reporting agencies report detailed information about individuals' credit accounts</li>
<li>Less privacy: with more data being captured, there's more risk of security breaches and accuracy</li>
</ul>
As the new reforms are introduced Financial Counselling Australia is urging individuals to seek out their credit report. While credit reports can be accessed for free under the new scheme, but the organisation claims that major reporting agencies are obscuring borrowers' option to access free reports. 
Financial Counselling Australia says that although the new code requires credit reporting agencies to make the free report option as available and easy to access as the fee based service, Australia's two largest credit reporting agencies, Veda and Dun &amp; Bradstreet prominently promote their fee based reports on their websites, but finding information regarding the free option is more difficult. 
For more information on the new comprehensive credit reporting system, see the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner's <a href="https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-resources/privacy-fact-sheets/credit-and-finance/privacy-fact-sheet-16-credit-reporting-repayment-history-information" target="_blank">website.</a>
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Lenders will have more information about your credit history from now on

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16 Degraves Street is going up for auction, in the the first offering on Melbourne’s iconic CBD laneway since 2011.
One of Melbourne’s busiest laneways, Degraves Street is a major tourist attraction and currently has zero vacancies. 16 Degraves Street is currently leased to Italian restaurant Il Tempo, with a new five year term with three further five year options. Il Tempo brings in $155,000 per annum plus GST to shop’s owners, with fixed annual increases of 4%.
The licensed café and bar is being marketed by Stuart Taylor and Mathew George of JLL, who are auctioning the property on Thursday April 3 on behalf of insolvency firm Ferrier Hodgson, who have been appointed agents for the mortgagee.
According to George, the agents are expecting a highly competitive sale.
“Given this is the first on-market investment opportunity since 2011 in such a rare and iconic location, we have every confidence that 16 Degraves Street will be well received by the investor market, and generate very strong competition at auction.”
<a href="mailto:news@propertyobserver.com.au" target="_blank">news@propertyobserver.com.au</a>
                     
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Degraves Street: piece of Melbourne laneway icon on the market in mortgagee sale

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/broadbeach-qld-4218">Broadbeach</a> offers plenty of reasons to live vertically, but moving from a substantial family home into an apartment can expose the compromises of high-density living. Privacy, room for guests and usable living space tend to matter more when an apartment is intended as a permanent home rather than an occasional coastal base.

A typical residential floor at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-eveleigh-broadbeach-7-9-surf-parade-broadbeach-qld-4218">The Eveleigh</a>, on Surf Parade,&nbsp;contains just four apartments. The 94-residence development by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/hirsch-faigen">Hirsch &amp; Faigen</a> is predominantly made up of expansive three-bedroom homes, with a limited collection of half-floor penthouses above.

Across the apartment floors, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a> has used the relatively limited number of residences to give each home greater access to natural light and outlook. Living spaces extend towards full-height glazing, while a series of bay windows frame selected views across the Pacific Ocean, city and hinterland rather than treating the building edge as a continuous wall of glass.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360965]

“The apartment floors deliver a collection of homes that embrace controlled outlook via a series of bay windows deliberately framing moments of view,” Rothelowman Director Kim Lowman said.

From outside, those projecting forms contribute to the tower’s faceted profile. Strong horizontal and vertical elements establish its proportions, while the changing position of the sun alters the light, shadow and reflection across the façade throughout the day.

The same attention moves inside the apartments, where the material palette combines warm timber, natural stone, metallic detailing and softer curved forms. Kitchens sit within the main living zone, with stone island benches, integrated joinery and European appliances, before the living areas extend towards the glazing and the outlook.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360981]

Three genuine bedrooms provide room to accommodate family and guests, while two secure car spaces and storage address some of the practical considerations that can become more noticeable when moving from a larger home. Feedback from the display suite has centred on the warmth and restraint of the interiors, with buyers commenting that the residences feel like homes rather than conventional coastal apartments.

A limited collection of half-floor penthouses occupies the upper levels, increasing the scale of the living spaces and adding private balconies and elevated finishes. From this position, the outlook extends between the ocean and hinterland.

Outside the private residences, The Eveleigh separates its shared spaces between the podium and rooftop. The podium is centred on wellness, with subtropical landscaping surrounding a swimming pool and pool terrace, yoga garden, private gymnasium, sauna and hot and cold plunge facilities. Landscaped retreats and pavilions provide additional places to sit away from the main recreation areas.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360966]

Higher in the building, a rooftop pavilion and private dining suite sit alongside resident lounge, barbecue and outdoor dining areas, opening towards panoramic views across the ocean, city and hinterland.

“Buyers are no longer just looking for an apartment, but a lifestyle where they can relax, reset, and enjoy a balanced way of living,” Hirsch &amp; Faigen Director of Sales Matt George said.

Interest to date has come from established owner-occupiers and interstate lifestyle purchasers, including buyers planning a future move to the Gold Coast. Many are coming from larger homes and want to reduce ongoing maintenance without giving up space for family and guests, privacy, two car spaces or the ability to entertain at home.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360969]

Much of that daily life can also take place beyond the building without requiring a drive. Kurrawa Beach and Pratten Park are an easy walk from Surf Parade, while Pacific Fair, Oracle Boulevard, The Oasis, restaurants, cafés, entertainment and public transport are also within walking distance.

The Eveleigh is Hirsch &amp; Faigen's fourth Gold Coast development since entering the market in 2021, following The Hemingway at Palm Beach, The Emerson at Kirra and Yves at Mermaid Beach. Each of the preceding projects sold out before completion.

“Broadbeach had been on our radar throughout our time operating on the Gold Coast,” the developer said. “Following our projects in Palm Beach, Kirra and Mermaid Beach, Broadbeach represented the natural next step for the business.”

The Surf Parade site brought together proximity to the beach, protected coastal outlooks and walkability to dining, shopping and recreation. Hirsch &amp; Faigen also identified the street as an emerging premium residential address, with enough separation from Broadbeach's busier destinations to retain a quieter environment at home.

The Eveleigh is now under construction by Maxcon, with completion forecast for mid-2028. Three-bedroom residences are currently available from $2.87 million.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=149670]

Joel Robinson

The Eveleigh brings house-like apartments to Broadbeach

A long-stalled Campbelltown development site is back in play, with new plans for 139 apartments set to supersede a mixed-use scheme approved almost a decade ago but never built.

The new proposal for 28 Cordeaux Street would deliver 116 market and 23 affordable apartments in a part 14-storey building, bringing a substantial new project into a Campbelltown market where new apartment supply remains limited.

Plans have been filed over the 3,092 sqm corner site at Moore-Oxley Street, around 600 metres from Campbelltown Railway Station and the city-centre retail core.

The site already carries a mixed-use residential approval dating to 2016. Doroch Architects has now been engaged on a larger replacement scheme, which is progressing as a State Significant Development Application following a Housing Delivery Authority determination in August 2025.

The apartment mix comprises 39 one-bedroom, 72 two-bedroom and 28 three-bedroom residences. Two-bedroom apartments make up just over half of the project, while three-bedroom homes account for 20 per cent.

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Of the 139 apartments, 23 will be delivered as affordable housing under the in-fill affordable housing provisions of the Housing SEPP. The affordable component represents 15 per cent of the residential gross floor area and will be managed by a registered Community Housing Provider.

Doroch has sought to break the scale of the building into two distinct elements, with a masonry podium of around four storeys establishing the street edge before the residential tower steps back above.

The corner position has shaped that approach. Cordeaux Street faces toward the commercial and civic centre, while Moore-Oxley Street leads into the lower-scale residential neighbourhood to the south, and the design verification report describes the site as "bridging the commercial core to the north and established residential areas to the south."

The podium will be expressed predominantly in face brick, while the upper levels shift to brushed and grooved concrete cladding with darker metal detailing. Recessed sections, deep balcony edges and landscaping break down the upper form, with an approximately 11.8-metre setback to the northern boundary addressing the adjoining St Peters Anglican School.

<img alt="First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c8b3d2d3-c561-4bfc-a5d9-a68c0c10dac1" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Campbelltown%20da1.png?VersionId=AeAEyJU02Gk2k5noUj2StziCvdQ7fW4B" />

Campbelltown has been starved of new residential developments in the last decade.

The only other notable development set to come to market this year is ALAND's Queen Square, a mixed-use precinct on over two hectares that will comprise apartments above a vibrant ground-level retail and hospitality dining precinct.

First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site

First Look: Sherlock Construction pitches apartments for low-rise Deception Bay

Queensland builder-developer MAYD has revealed the first look at its major North Kirra beachfront development, lodging amended plans that reduce the number of apartments and increase the proportion of larger residences.

The project is planned across a substantial 4,742 sqm amalgamated site spanning seven lots at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/2-6-pacific-parade-bilinga-qld-4225">2-6 Pacific Parade</a> and 27-33 Golden Four Drive in Bilin​ga, directly opposite Nor​th Kirra Beach.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/mayd-group">MAYD</a> secured the site for $32.5 million in 2025, in what was one of the Gold Coast's largest property transactions of the year.

The development will be delivered across two stages, with the first stage carrying an estimated gross realisation value of around $360 million.

The latest amendments seek to reduce the overall apartment count and shift the project further toward the owner-occupier market, with larger residences designed for buyers wanting considerably more space than traditionally offered in a beachfront apartment.

The residential mix will include townhomes, oversized two-bedroom apartments, substantial three-bedroom residences and four-bedroom homes.

MAYD has appointed Cera Stribley to lead the architecture and interiors, with the Melbourne-based design practice drawing on the beachfront setting through a series of ocean-facing terraces and heavily landscaped balconies.

Strong horizontal forms and curved balconies will define the exterior, with subtropical landscaping integrated throughout the building to soften the built form and increase the connection between the residences and the beachfront.

The project will also include an extensive collection of resident wellness and lifestyle facilities, continuing the broader shift across the Gold Coast's luxury apartment market toward larger homes supported by resort-style amenity.

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MAYD Founder Todd Mould said North Kirra was increasingly appealing to buyers attracted to the more established, lower-density character of the southern Gold Coast.

"North Kirra presents one of the most compelling luxury residential opportunities currently emerging in Australia, combining absolute beachfront with the character and authenticity that buyers are increasingly seeking, and the same sense of tight-knit community that defined Burleigh and Currumbin perhaps 10 or 15 years ago," Mould said.

"With Gold Coast Airport on its doorstep, it also offers a level of accessibility that broadens its appeal across almost every market demographic."

The project comes as the southern Gold Coast continues to attract an increasing share of high-end apartment development and buyer activity.

Kirra in particular has emerged as one of the region's more tightly held beachfront markets, with its relatively low-density character, established surf and hospitality scene and proximity to Gold Coast Airport differentiating it from the higher-density markets further north.

Mould said those characteristics had informed the approach MAYD and Cera Stribley had taken to the project.

"We've worked closely with Cera Stribley to create a vision that is deeply connected to its surroundings," he said.

"Inspired by the coastline itself, the architecture has been shaped around space, privacy and resort-style living, creating a collection of homes that reflects the next generation of luxury on the southern Gold Coast."

MOTIV Managing Director Carly Cottam, who has been appointed to market the project, said buyer attention had continued to move south along the Gold Coast.

"Purchasers who may once have defaulted to Broadbeach, Main Beach or Surfers Paradise are increasingly recognising the value of a genuine beachfront location that offers lower density, strong amenity and a more established sense of community," Cottam said.

"Kirra has a powerful combination of growing demand and genuine scarcity. Beachfront supply is inherently constrained, the area remains relatively low density, and buyers are increasingly placing a premium on locations that feel established, uncrowded and authentic rather than heavily developed."

Cottam said the proximity to Gold Coast Airport was also proving increasingly important for interstate and second-home buyers.

"Being minutes from Gold Coast Airport makes it particularly compelling for interstate buyers, frequent travellers and second-home purchasers who can access an authentic coastal lifestyle almost immediately after stepping off a flight."

The acquisition takes MAYD's active development portfolio to more than $500 million, with the North Kirra project representing one of its largest undertakings to date.

MAYD is targeting an early 2027 launch.

First look at MAYD's North Kirra mixed-use precinct

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Castle Hill, the longtime hub of the Hills District, has been one of the major beneficiaries of Sydney's Metro expansion, with improved connectivity helping drive continued population growth, development and buyer demand across the Hills District.

But despite that growth, the suburb has seen relatively few major new apartment projects brought to market over the past 18 months.

Hills District developer Reve Group is looking to fill that gap with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/nova-r-ve-castle-hill-2-garthowen-crescent-castle-hill-nsw-2154">Nova Rêve</a>, a major new mixed-use precinct on the corner of Garthowen Crescent and Old Castle Hill Road, a short walk from Castle Hill Metro Station and Castle Towers.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377679]

The project will comprise three residential towers alongside a hotel, restaurants, cafes and a skybar, more than 1,600 sqm of ground-floor retail and almost an acre of landscaped gardens.

It represents the largest project undertaken by Reve Group, the development arm of the Kassis family, which has been building across the Hills District for more than 30 years through Kassis Homes.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377675]

Nova Rêve also represents a significant step up from the family's first apartment development, Grand Rêve, which was delivered nearby on Garthowen Crescent.

Grand Rêve introduced larger, house-like apartment layouts and premium inclusions including Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances to the Castle Hill market.

Nova Rêve takes that approach to a precinct scale, combining the residential component with hospitality, retail and substantial public and resident landscaping.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377685]

Reve Group Managing Director Sam Kassis said the project reflected the family's three decades of building in the Hills, which has evolved from trophy homes on quarter-acre blocks to larger-scale apartment development.

"Grand Rêve was our first apartment project here and it showed us what this pocket of Castle Hill could be. Nova Rêve is the refinement of that idea: not just apartments, but a place the whole suburb can use," Kassis said.

A key part of that approach is the hotel, which has been designed to operate as an amenity for the wider Castle Hill community rather than solely hotel guests.

It will include restaurants, cafes, skybars and all-day dining, alongside conference and event facilities catering to business functions, community groups and private events.

At ground level, more than 1,600 sqm of shops and cafes will open onto the surrounding streets and landscaped areas.

Almost an acre of gardens designed by Land and Form Studios will run through the precinct, incorporating pathways, seating, barbecue areas and children's play spaces.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377680]

Reve Group's Romio Georges said creating an active ground plane had been central to the planning of Nova Rêve.

"There are gardens with pathways, barbecues, seating and play areas, shops and cafes opening onto the street, and a hotel with restaurants and a skybar that anyone in Castle Hill can walk into," Georges said.

The project's elevated position on one of Sydney's highest ridgelines will also provide apartments with outlooks toward the Sydney skyline, surrounding parkland and the Blue Mountains.

More than 80 per cent of the apartments will occupy corner positions, with Turner responsible for both the architecture and interiors.

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[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152737]

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Jessie Richardson

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