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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

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

Joel Robinson

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bottega House secures landmark riverfront site in St Lucia 

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

Jessie Richardson

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