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"Bank accounts are frozen and there are no funds," was the blunt message to staff at a leading Australian estate agency today.
McGrath Nicol has been appointed joint managers by the NSW Department of Fair Trading over the national boutique estate agency, Unique Estates. 
Staff got an email from its founder informing them of the agency collapse.
"It is with great sadness that I inform you that Unique Estates is going into liquidation today and you are to stop work straight away," founder, Nicolette van Wijngaarden emailed staff.
"Wages can not be paid tomorrow," she told the staff, telling them to contact McGrath Nicol senior accountant Jordan Trovato, who has yet to confirm the official status of the estate agency.
"I am very sorry it has come to this," she wrote.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2018/2/15/nic_new.jpg" alt="">
The website ceased operating today, with listings from Hamilton Island to Cressy in Tasmania disappearing.
Staff, its 32 vendors, recent sellers and their solicitors were dismayed at the move, although had fears of its deteriorating situation for some time. The agency was showing signs of eratic decision making along with heightened staff departures.
The estate agency was founded in Byron Bay. Unique Estates operated seven offices including Albert Park, Double Bay, the Gold Coast, Melbourne and Hong Kong.
Unique Estates was founded in 2009 as a specialized company for dealing with VIP clients and luxury properties.
Van Wijngaarden also ran rentals ranging a night to $NZ20,000 a night for one property in New Zealand’s Queenstown.
She recently launched a yacht and jet charter division.
The agency published the glossy Unique Luxury Magazine, <a href="https://issuu.com/nickyvw/docs/ul17_-_issuu_final" target="_blank">a quarterly property and lifestyle publication</a> distributed to Qantas Airways Chairman's, First Class &amp; Business Class Lounges both nationally and internationally. Ads cost $4500 per page.
Its previously indefatigable founder Nicolette van Wijngaarden only entered the real estate game to help her partner, who had spent some frustrating time with established estate agents trying to sell his own Byron Bay hinterland property.
"Thankyou all so much for your tireless efforts to build our brand," she told the team of up to 42 staff today.
"Please know that I did everything I could to prevent it," she concluded her email.
<div>The agency won a string of awards over the years including the Best Real Estate Agency Website for Asia Pacific 2017-2018 at the International Property Awards Grand Final Ceremony held in London recently. It had previously won awards in the categories of Best Real Estate Agency Website, Best Real Estate Agency Marketing and Real Estate Agency in the International Property Awards.</div>
No reason was given for the collapse, but the sale of trophy home properties have slowed to a crawl across Australia, amid low vendor listings.
The Domain website indicated the team at Unique Estates had sold 19 properties in the last 12 months, with an average sale price of $2.6 million. 
The team sold 17 houses and 2 blocks of land and rural properties by private treaty.
These properties were on the market for an average of 341 days.
Last September van Wijngaarden noted the biggest challenge facing her market was government restrictions on foreign buyers.
The highest recorded sale price was $4.3 million for 12 Brownell Drive, Byron Bay, a 2-bedroom house which sold by private treaty on last November having been on the market for 230 days.
Their longest and dearest offering was the <a href="https://uniqueestates.com.au/listings/residential_sale-276324-nanarup/" target="_blank">south WA coast property</a>, Maitraya set on the picturesque coastline of Nanarup, near Albany.
It is on 263 hectares fronting three ocean beaches.
The farmland property comfortably sleeps 30 people across an eight-bedroom sandstone manor, five-bedroom fisherman’s lodge and two-bedroom pilot cottage.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2018/1/8/nand2.jpg" alt="">
Rick Fenny, the Perth businessman, had been seeking to sell his holiday retreat for $25 million. It had been listed since May 2015 with agent Nicolette van Wijngaarden, from Unique Estates.
Van Wijngaarden splits her time between a home in Sydney’s eastern suburbs near the harbour, a city apartment on the Yarra River in Melbourne and an apartment on the Gold Coast beach.
 
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Nicolette van Wijngaarden "very sorry" Unique Estates placed into liquidation

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Sascha Griffin, the entrepreneur who made her name as the Pinklily shoebox queen, and her husband Scott Feneck are selling their trophy home.
They are spending more time at Summerland Point on Lake Macquarie. 
It is a six bedroom, eight bathroom home, once known as Petersham Fire Station. 
Their <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-petersham-127348322" target="_blank">Stanmore Road offering</a> comes with approval for a 13 room boutique hotel but the strongest buyer interest has come from big families.
That’s no surprise, as one of the biggest trends in real estate is properties aimed at multi-generational families.
Living together makes it easier to care for young grandchildren and elderly parents.
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The approval comes with a third level that would allow further views of the city.
Set behind a heritage-listed facade, the 1880s building was one of the oldest continually ­operated fire stations in NSW before it closed in 1991.
The original fire engine dock now garages up to six cars.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2018/2/20/image4.jpg" alt="">
Griffin designed each of the rooms, including a commercial-grade kitchen that features a wet-bar servery.
David Giezekamp and Antonio DeBerardinis at Callagher Estate Agents in Annandale have the listing.
Griffin founded Pinklily in 2005 after noticing a gap in the market for clear plastic shoeboxes. She then expanded the range to include other storage solutions and has since sold the company.
This article first appeared in The Sunday Telegraph. 
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That's not a box! Entrepreneur Sascha Griffin selling converted fire station trophy home

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Every time there is a sharemarket rout, the property market gathers momentum as nervous investors seek alternate investments.
So the wobbly Sydney property market might benefit from share investors who don't like the dynamic downturn emerging on local share markets coming out of the United States.
Our shares went down around 3 percent in day last week. It has taken about eight months for Sydney prices to do that, according to CoreLogic, with the median Sydney dwelling down around 3 percent to $884,000.
Last July marked the fifth anniversary of the housing market growth phase, which yes has petered out, but is still up slightly on the latest February annualised data.
At the end of the day property investors still have their bricks and mortar to drive past and admire. 
The Reserve Bank of Australia held rates again at its meeting last week, though lenders continue to make their own moves, both up and down.
The central bank's last move saw it go to 1.5 percent at the August 2016 meeting, so rates have been held steady over three years and for 17 meetings.
It is the longest run of steady rates ever. There were 16 meetings (inclusive) between their August 2013 meeting and December 2014 where they held at 2.5 percent. There was another run of 16 meetings between July 2002 and October 2003 where rates were held at 4.75 percent.
Almost all economists predicted a hold at the first meeting of the year and most don't foresee any change throughout much of 2018.
 
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Sharemarket turmoil will send investors to property

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The Reserve Bank Board does not see a strong case for a near-term adjustment in monetary policy, the Reserve Bank of Australia governor Philip Lowe says.
After noting this week's global financial market turmoil hadn't shaken his optimism that Australia's economy will rebound this year, Dr Lowe said the next move in official Australian interest rates "will be up, not down."
But Dr Lowe indicated that the Reserve Bank was unlikely to follow in lock-step with international moves to tighten monetary policy across global central banks.
<div class="cq-article-content-paras section">
"Just as we did not move in lock-step on the way down, we don't need to do so in the other direction," he told the A50 Australian Economic Forum gathering of global investors hosted by Citigroup in Sydney last night.
<div>
Dr Lowe said he expects there to be "only gradual" progress in reducing the jobless rate and having inflation return to the mid-point of his 2-3 per cent target range.
"If we do make that progress, at some point it will be appropriate for interest rates in Australia to also start moving up.
"If this is how things play out, the likely timing will depend upon the extent and pace of the progress that we make.
</div>
<div>"While we do expect steady progress, that progress is likely to be only gradual.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>"Given this, the Reserve Bank board does not see a strong case for a near-term adjustment in monetary policy."</div>
<div class="cq-article-content-paras section">
The speech included a suggestion that wages growth would eventually pick-up.
"Stronger growth in real wages would also boost household incomes and create a stronger sense of shared prosperity."
On the housing market, he said that prices are up by only around 3 per cent over the past year, with investors reducing borrowing in interest-only loans. <cite> </cite>
"A while back we had become quite concerned about some of the trends in household borrowing, including very fast growth in lending to investors and the high share of loans being made that did not require regular repayment of principal.
"Our concern was not that developments in household balance sheets posed a risk to the stability of the banking system.
"Rather, it was more that they posed a broader macro stability risk – that is, the day might come, when faced with bad economic news, households feel they have borrowed too much and respond by cutting their spending sharply, damaging the overall economy.
"We have worked closely with APRA, including through the Council of Financial Regulators, to address these issues.
"This work, together with other steps taken by APRA, has helped improve the quality of lending in Australia."
In the housing market, dr Lowe said there has also been a change.
"National measures of housing prices are up by only around 3% over the past year, a marked change from the situation a couple of years ago.
"This change is most pronounced in Sydney, where prices are no longer rising and conditions have also cooled in Melbourne.
"These changes in the housing market have reduced the incentive to borrow at low interest rates to invest in an asset whose price is increasing quickly.'
</div>
</div>
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No near-term rate hike foreseen by RBA governor Phillip Lowe

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The Fairfax-backed Domain Group has told staff it was undertaking a HR review of its workplace culture.
It coincides with a series of three articles this week by The Australian Financial Review with allegations of a "Wolf of Wall Street atmosphere" where its former chief executive Antony Catalano allegedly led a “high octane, blokey, boys' club.” 
Catalano was unavailable for comment to Fairfax Media reporters this week, but The Australian reported he had engaged defamation lawyer Mark O'Brien.
An email was sent to Domain employees on Wednesday by the acting executive chairman Nick Falloon who pledged to undertake a review of its working environment.
Falloon’s email to all Domain staff said they “would have seen the AFR report this morning regarding Domain”. There have been two further articles as Fairfax Media ratcheted up the pursuit of their former executive.
The latest article is today headlined, "Antony Catalano: The fall of a party boy."
The Aaron Patrick piece write-off alleged "the Domain CEO represents the first Australian corporate casualty of the worldwide movement against inappropriate workplace behaviour triggered by Harvey Weinstein."
<p data-reactid="416" data-gtm-vis-recent-on-screen-6236702_632="203531" data-gtm-vis-first-on-screen-6236702_632="203531" data-gtm-vis-total-visible-time-6236702_632="100" data-gtm-vis-has-fired-6236702_632="1">Fairfax holds a 60 per cent stake in Domain. The Catalano-led division, mostly Melbourne-based, previously reported directly to the Sydney-based Fairfax chief executive Greg Hywood.
“Be assured that the board and management are committed to ensuring that Domain is an employer of choice. Our future prosperity is based on the quality of our people and creating a positive, safe and welcoming workplace,” Falloon told Domain staff.
“We believe Domain has done well in this regard. But we can always do better.
“Accordingly, we have recently commissioned a review of our working environment. We ask that you all participate in this review so we can further improve our workplaces for the future.”
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Fairfax turns on Catalano as Domain chairman seeks HR workplace environment review 

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<div>
The federal government has imposed tighter foreign investment restrictions on the off-market sale of agricultural land worth $15 million or more.
Treasurer Scott Morrison announced any rural vendor wishing to sell to a foreign investor will need to publicly market the offering to locals for 30 days.
It was designed to stop land being put up for foreign sale without Australians knowing about it.
The responsibility will be on the applicant to demonstrate how they became aware that the property was advertised for sale and whether the acquisition was subject to an open and transparent sale process.
<a href="https://twitter.com/ScottMorrisonMP?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" target="_blank">Scott Morrison issued a tweet</a> saying it was about 'putting Australians first."
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2018/2/5/morrison.jpg" alt="">
Foreign buyers will need to demonstrate that land "has been part of a public sales process and marketed widely to potential Australian bidders for a minimum of 30 days, and Australian bidders have had an opportunity to participate in the sale process".
</div>
<div>"All acquisitions of agricultural land by foreign investors for residential development will also be subject to standard development conditions requiring development to commence within a five year period to prevent land banking. This condition already applies to acquisitions of vacant land," Mr Morrison said.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>He said the new restrictions on agricultural land were motivated by the national interest.</div>
<div class="cq-article-content-paras section">
Previously, the Coalition government has reduced from $252 million to $15 million the threshold at which the Foreign Investment Review Board becomes involved in purchasing land. Similarly, it has lowered the scrutiny thresholds for agribusiness.
"Concerns around the ability of Australians to participate in the sale process of agricultural land acquisitions have been a factor in my previous foreign investment decisions, including approval of the sale of S. Kidman &amp; Co Limited," Scott Morrison advised.
The FIRB gave three examples:
<div>
Example 1
Michele is a foreign person and wishes to acquire Joe’s farm. She first saw Joe’s farm advertised in a local newspaper and spoke to the realtor who has had the property listed for the last two months.
Michele confirms with the realtor that the property has been advertised through multiple channels for a period of at least 30 days, including online, through rural real estate brokers, and via advertisements in local and national media. If Michele applies to the Foreign Investment Review Board to acquire Joe’s farm, the sale process is unlikely to raise national interest issues.
</div>
<div>
Example 2
Susan has been directly approached by a foreign investor seeking to buy her farm. Susan’s farm is not on the market for sale, however, it was advertised for sale five months ago but was taken off the market as it was not sold (either no offers were received or the offers received were not accepted).
The foreign investor, Green Forestry Co, approached Susan because they have significant holdings of land near Susan’s farm for their forestry business and now have the capital available to expand their business.
Green Forestry Co applies to the Foreign Investment Review Board to acquire the property. This acquisition would satisfy the requirement for an open sale process as the property was advertised in the last 6 months.
</div>
<div>
Example 3
Therese wishes to buy a large parcel of agricultural land that is currently used for crop farming and includes an incidental established residential dwelling.
Therese saw the property advertised in an Australian national newspaper and viewed further information about the property on a real estate agent’s website.
Numerous parties, both foreign and Australian, were given the opportunity to bid or make offers for the property.
If Therese lodges a Foreign Investment Review Board application for the acquisition, it is unlikely that national interest issues will be raised regarding the opportunity for Australians to purchase the land.
</div>
 
</div>
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Offmarket rural FIRB sales banned by Treasurer Scott Morrison

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The besieged real estate boss John McGrath has described reports of a $16.2 million gambling debt as "ridiculous."
His response came in a 5.55am Saturday morning email to staff.
"This rubbish will not distract me and should not distract us," he suggested.
"Having just enjoyed a productive week, I was hoping perhaps I might get some respite from the barrage of negative media, only to find yet another article clearly designed to damage me.
"The information in the article is ridiculous but as Mark Twain once said “A lie can travel halfway around the world before the truth has got its boots on."
"I will deal with it and its authors," he told his staff who awoke to read a Fairfax Media article alleging his gambling debt to the Tom Waterhouse-run betting company William Hill was the biggest personal debt in Australian gambling history.
McGrath, who founded the estate agency in the late 1980s, resumed control last month after the current board decided to depart amid gloomy trading figures.
The share price hit a new intraday low of 43 cents, down three cents, in Monday morning trade on the ASX, better than the overall market decline.
A McGrath spokeswoman said John McGrath was not available for comment as he worked to execute his 2018 growth plans.
His agency sold 16 of 26 auction offerings at auction yesterday with prices between $430,000 for a two bedroom East Ballina villa to a four bedroom $1.7 million Merewether house.
His email noted the past few weeks had been among "the most challenging ever in my life.
"I’m sorry that I have been targeted – but I am more concerned about you guys than about me." 
McGrath has previously denied having any gambling debts. 
"I can assure you that I am neither a large punter...nor do I owe any funds to anyone," he said in a text message to Fairfax Media when they sought insights in 2017.
McGrath did not reply to written questions put to him on Friday by Fairfax Media.
This article was first published in the Sunday Telegraph.
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John McGrath says claims of $16.2 million gambling debt is "rubbish" that will not distract him

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The Sunshine Coast home of the tennis legend Pat Rafter and wife Lara has gone under contract.
Their John Burgess-designed seven bedroom home finally attracted renewed buying attention in the wake of two $10 million sales.
The retired tennis champion Pat Rafter and his wife Lara had listed their dress circle Sunshine Beach home in August 2016 ahead of plans to settle at their 28 hectare Byron Bay retreat.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-sunshine+beach-123425942" target="_blank">They always wanted $18 million plus</a> for the seven bedroom, five bathroom beachfront home which was built in 2010.
Rafter recently suggested it was what it had cost.
They paid $9.5 million in 2006 for the building block with rival tennis star Thomas Muster missing out of the 1286 sqm double block holding.
The minimalist luxury U-shaped home has a central pool with two glass-fronted wings pushing out towards the ocean over a steep banksia and pandanus-covered dune that drops down to the beach.
There's a path to the sand and the surf, some 136 kms north of Brisbane.
Tom Offermann and Eric Seetoo at Tom Offermann Real Estate Noosa Heads had the listing which went under offer late last week.
Its ambitious asking price would almost double the previous Sunshine Coast record which stands at around $10.3 million. 
It would also rank among the all-time top half dozen Queensland residential sales.
They've built a barn style home on the Byron Bay outskirts among huge fig trees.
Having previously resided on Balmoral Slopes overlooking Sydney Heads, the sportsman's purchase marked a return to NSW property.
The father of two says there's "something to do every day" at the Byron property.
Since retiring, Rafter went on to become an underwear model for Bonds, a brand ambassador for the Mantra Group of hotels and a successful businessman.
In 2010 he was announced as Australia's Davis Cup captain and held the post until stepping down last year.
His greatest accomplishments came at the US Open, where he won back to back titles in 1997 and 1998, propelling him to world no.1 status in 1999.
This article was first published in the Sunday Telegraph.
 
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Strong offer for Pat Rafter's Sunshine Beach home

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The popular comedian Dave Hughes has revealed his home loan bankers had valued his five-bedroom home on The Block Elsternwick at “much less” than his purchase price.
<div>
“I went to get a bank loan the other day and they haven’t valued it the same as I paid for it, which is fine, but annoying because there were five bidders,” he told Stellar magazine in the Sunday News Ltd weekend papers.
He said it was “enough less that it made me annoyed”.
“For f*ck’s sake ... I just think it’s good value and in a few years’ time people are going to be going, ‘Well, f*ck, didn’t he do well with it!’ I am playing the long game, all right? That is what I say to my wife, anyway.”
<div>
‘It’s a bargain!’ ... Hughesy suggested after he bought the renovation that had been undertaken by Josh and Elyse.
</div>
The final price for the property at 46A Regent Street was $3.067 million.
Property Observer gathers his bank was the NAB.
When Hughes told his wife Holly that he wanted to buy the Regent Street house, she had one rule: keep it private.
She advised in the article that she wasn’t impressed when she saw her husband on the TV screen during the show’s Sunday night finale when the show’s host Scott Cam announced the popular comedian was the proud buyer.
Last week Hughes advised it hadn't been easy to rent.
</div>
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NAB valued Dave Hughes Elsternwick Block purchase at less than $3.067 million sale price

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The comedian Dave Hughes has secured a tenant for his The Block, Elsternwick investment property.
But he said it was harder than he thought it would be following its October purchase at auction.
"The Block house has been rented. We found someone to move in," he told the MMM Hot Breakfast this morning, saying he was keen to get the month's rental.
"I emailed my real estate agent about 11pm last night saying when's this month's rent coming into my bank.
"I had trouble renting it ...it took a while," he acknowledged.
"At one point the real estate agent rang me and said someone wants to move in but they have a dog.
 "I felt like saying I don't care if they have a meth lab," he jested under questioning from <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://player.triplem.com.au/melbourne/#/shows/The%20Hot%20Breakfast/20224" target="_blank">MMM property enthusiast Luke Darcy (at 40.35 mins)</a> while plugging his new Channel 10 show, Hughesy We Have a Problem.
He advised those prospective tenants had since put in a doggie door for their little dog.
The October 2017 finale of The Block Elsternwick saw the comedian buy the renovated home of celebrity couple and winners on the night, model Elyse Knowles and her boyfriend Josh Barker.
He paid $3.07 million for the best home on offer which was marketed as Regent House.
Hughes could stand to claim a maximum of nearly $2.4 million in depreciation deductions (below) as a property investor in his tax returns over the next decade or so.
Property Observer noted pre-auction that the forecast rentals were $2000 plus a week. Hughes gave no indication to the MMM team what rental price was secured.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2017/10/30/Hughesmaximum.jpg" alt="">
The minimum estimation of available depreciation by BMT suggest he will be able to claim around $1.95 million over the property's timeline.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2017/10/30/HughesMinimum.jpg" alt="">
Win a free depreciation report by <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WZBR2KW" target="_blank">signing up to Property Observer</a>. 
Download a free e-book on the relocating of entire homes.
 
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Comedian Dave Hughes secures tenant for his The Block, Elsternwick investment property 

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/consolidated-properties">Consolidated Properties Group</a> (CPG) is approaching the launch of its latest Brisbane riverfront development, Castile, on the dress circle Skyring Terrace in Newstead.

VIP buyers are now being engaged, with a full public sales launch coming later this year.

Positioned as the final opportunity to secure a new absolute riverfront residence on the East bank of Newstead, Teneriffe or New Farm, Castile at 47 Skyring Terrace has been designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/woods-bagot">Woods Bagot</a> as a timeless addition to the Brisbane skyline.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150489 project_image_fid=371113]

The name Castile draws on themes of permanence, sophistication and legacy, reflecting a broader vision centred on enduring architecture and timelessness in the rarest of riverfront positions.&nbsp;

CPG Chairman and CEO Don O’Rorke said the project had been envisioned as a future Brisbane icon.&nbsp;

“With 47 metres of direct river frontage and never to be built out views, 47 Skyring Terrace is the definitive address on the Brisbane River,” O’Rorke said.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150489 project_image_fid=371114]

“Rather than following trend-based apartment design, Castile draws inspiration from Brisbane’s great heritage buildings, reinterpreting classical architecture into a contemporary riverfront landmark designed to stand proudly for the next 100 years,” he said.&nbsp;

The approved development will comprise 227 apartments across a 25-storey tower alongside a boutique six-storey riverfront building of just 12 residences.&nbsp;

Construction is scheduled to commence in September 2026.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150489]

Joel Robinson

CPG unveils Castile Newstead ahead of upcoming sales launch

Australia’s online shopping habits have shifted dramatically over the last decade. As eCommerce volumes surged, so too did the frustrations that came with traditional parcel delivery: missed deliveries, long Post Office queues, parcel theft and the challenge of being home during business hours.

Australia Post’s Parcel Lockers emerged as one of the more practical responses to that changing consumer behaviour.

What started as a relatively niche delivery option has evolved into a nationwide network of more than 1,400 self-service Parcel Lockers positioned at train stations, shopping centres, supermarkets and Post Offices across the country. The system allows Australians to send, collect and return parcels 24 hours a day, fundamentally changing how many people interact with deliveries.

The appeal is relatively straightforward: flexibility.

Instead of waiting at home for a delivery driver or rushing to a Post Office before closing time, users can direct eligible parcels to a Parcel Locker location of their choice. Once the parcel arrives, Australia Post sends a notification with a collection code or QR access through the AusPost app, allowing customers to retrieve their package at any time within the collection window.

For apartment residents in particular, the system has become increasingly valuable.

Higher-density living has created logistical challenges around deliveries, especially in buildings without concierge services or secure parcel rooms. Missed deliveries are common, while parcel theft has become an increasing concern as online shopping volumes continue to rise.

Australia Post itself has repeatedly highlighted the growing issue of “porch pirates” during peak shopping periods, encouraging customers to use Parcel Lockers as a safer alternative to unattended home deliveries.

That security aspect is one of the key reasons the Australia Post Parcel Locker network has grown so rapidly.

Parcel Lockers are positioned as secure, monitored collection points that reduce the risk of theft while also improving delivery efficiency for Australia Post. Instead of multiple redelivery attempts, parcels can be consolidated into a single secure destination.

The Parcel Lockers themselves are free to use through a MyPost account and support a range of parcel sizes up to 16 kilograms and dimensions of approximately 35 x 44 x 61 centimetres.

Beyond receiving parcels, the system has increasingly become integrated into the broader eCommerce ecosystem.

Customers can now use Parcel Lockers to return online purchases, while retailers have embraced the model as a way to improve delivery success rates and reduce friction in the shopping process. Australia Post has actively expanded partnerships with major retailers and promoted Parcel Lockers as part of a broader out-of-home strategy.

The timing of that expansion aligns with broader changes in Australian shopping behaviour.

The acceleration of online retail during and after the pandemic placed enormous pressure on delivery infrastructure. Parcel volumes reached record highs, particularly during Black Friday and Christmas periods, with Australia Post delivering more than 100 million parcels during peak festive seasons.

That growth forced logistics providers to rethink the “last mile” of delivery, widely regarded as the most expensive and operationally difficult stage of the process.

Parcel Locker systems have increasingly been viewed as part of the long-term solution.

The concept itself is not unique to Australia. Parcel Locker networks have become common globally, particularly across Europe and Asia, where dense urban environments and apartment living create similar logistical challenges. But Australia’s geography and suburban sprawl made adoption slower initially.

Now, however, the convenience factor is driving mainstream usage.

For commuters, Parcel Lockers near train stations allow parcels to be collected on the way home from work. For apartment dwellers, they remove the uncertainty around access and missed deliveries.

The rise of the AusPost app has also streamlined the experience, centralising notifications, tracking and Parcel Locker access into a single platform. Australia Post has increasingly pushed customers toward app-based delivery management, partly as a way to combat phishing scams and fake delivery notifications, which have become more sophisticated in recent years.

The Parcel Locker model is also beginning to influence property development itself.

Parcel management has become a growing consideration in apartment building design, particularly as online shopping becomes embedded in everyday life. Many new residential developments are now incorporating dedicated parcel rooms or Parcel Locker systems into foyers and communal spaces.

For developers, parcel management is increasingly viewed as part of the broader resident amenity offering, alongside gyms, wellness spaces and communal work areas.

That reflects a wider evolution in how residential buildings are designed.

Apartment buyers are placing greater emphasis on convenience, security and operational functionality, particularly in higher-density urban environments. Parcel delivery, once considered a minor operational detail, has become an increasingly important part of that equation.

Australia Post’s Parcel Locker network sits at the centre of that behavioural shift.

What began as a simple alternative delivery option has evolved into a key piece of infrastructure supporting Australia’s growing eCommerce economy and changing urban lifestyles.

And as online shopping continues to expand, the role of Parcel Lockers is likely to become even more embedded in how Australians live, shop and receive goods.

How Australia Post Parcel Lockers changed parcel delivery convenience in Australia

Perth’s new apartment market recorded its strongest quarter of sales since Q4 2021, with 412 apartments sold in Q1 2026 and a record quarterly sold value of $537 million, according to Urbis’ latest Apartment Essentials results.

Urbis said the March quarter result reflects strong, highly product‑specific demand across both ends of the market, from more attainable projects delivering at scale, through to premium stock being absorbed by equity‑rich downsizers.&nbsp;

David Cresp, Partner at Urbis, said the key story in Perth is not demand, it is the market’s ability to convert demand into delivered housing.&nbsp;

“This is the strongest sales quarter since Q4 2021, and it reinforces that demand in Perth is real and it’s local,” David Cresp said. “But the task now is delivery, turning that demand into projects that can actually be built and completed.”&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=110291 project_image_fid=302785]

<h2>Affordable product leads, premium demand remains resilient</h2>

Sales in Q1 were led by more affordable projects, with The Boulevard (SKS Group) recording 115 sales in the quarter, the presentation noting this is only the second time a single project has surpassed 100 quarterly sales. The project was able to offer more affordable housing product right next to a train station.&nbsp;

Palmyra West (Finbar) also delivered strong results with 28 sales in Q1, following 84 sales in Q4, with an average price of under $800,000, underscoring depth of demand for well‑located, attainable new stock.&nbsp;

At the premium end, Urbis said downsizer demand is continuing, with the results highlighting Romeo (Applecross, Finbar) recording 75 sales and reaching almost 50% sold in one quarter.

Jual (Shenton Park, Celsius Property) also posted a strong quarter with 28 sales, reaching 39% sold in one quarter.

Urbis noted that Perth apartment demand is not speculative, not investor‑led, and not uniform, describing it as localised, often equity‑driven and highly product‑specific, a pattern reflected in the polarisation between strong “attainable” performers and premium downsizer product.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=148957 project_image_fid=364102]

<h2>Prices underpinned by costs, and the delivery risk is growing</h2>

Urbis said pricing pressure is cost not demand‑driven: construction costs and delivery risk are now a central constraint, with the results noting build costs remain elevated and volatile, and that energy, fuel and labour uncertainty weigh on feasibility.

David Cresp said a growing challenge for private Build‑to‑Sell developers is simply securing a builder in the current environment.

“Developers are really feeling the pressure from a building market that was operating at capacity and securing a builder is challenging,” David Cresp said, adding that even where a builder can be secured, “trying to get to the price that makes the development financially viable is incredibly challenging in the current market.”&nbsp;

Urbis’ broader WA commentary also notes that industry remains at or above capacity with lot and housing creation, and that many builders are limiting new sales to manage stretched workforces and fixed‑price contract pressures, conditions that flow directly into apartment feasibility and delivery timing.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108869 project_image_fid=317905]

<h2>Supply: improving later, but still constrained, and Perth lags eastern benchmarks</h2>

While near‑term supply remains constrained, Urbis’ forecast shows completions lifting “Supply is forecast to be back above 1,500 apartments per annum for the first time since 2019”, with 1,775 completions forecast for 2026, and volumes remaining above that level over the following years.&nbsp;

Looking further ahead, completions are forecast to reach 2,500 in 2028, with the report noting 32% of that total is social/affordable, reflecting the role of government‑supported delivery in rebuilding the pipeline.&nbsp;

However, Urbis said Perth remains behind comparable markets on pipeline scale. In a national comparison of projects under construction, the report shows under construction Perth Build‑to‑Sell (BTS) at 3,446 apartments versus the Gold Coast at 7,922. Mr Cresp said “The challenge for Perth is how to we grow the delivery pipeline”.

Urbis’ conclusion is that Perth’s market is increasingly defined by product discipline and delivery certainty, with the research identifying “delivery certainty is key” and calling out builder risk and procurement models as core success factors, alongside “timing and staging”.&nbsp;

Perth apartment sales hit strongest pace since late 2021 as builder capacity tightens

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sammut-developments">Sammut Group</a> has secured development approval for its latest Brisbane apartment project, marking the Sydney developer’s next step in expanding its Queensland pipeline following the success of its debut Gold Coast development, Coast.

The approved project at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/44-glen-road-toowong-qld-4066">44 Glen Road, </a><a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/toowong-qld-4066">Toowong</a> will deliver a 15-storey riverfront apartment building with 42 residences, significantly increasing the scale of the site’s previous approval for a smaller luxury scheme. Designed by Bureau^proberts, the development will comprise a mix of predominantly four-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments positioned to maximise Brisbane River and city views.

Sammut Director Julian Sammut said the group had been actively searching Brisbane for several years before identifying Toowong as the right fit.

“Brisbane was the right step for Sammut,” Sammut said.

“With the success of Coast we thought we should definitely look to do more in Queensland alone. We then pushed up to look at Brisbane. We've been looking for I'd say two to three years actually and it was hard to find the right location.”

<img alt="Sammut makes Brisbane apartment play" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/f_auto,c_limit,w_1440,q_75/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/field/image/Screenshot%202025-12-23%20at%203.27.14%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=dYAVIL7qdcGA8ojvkslSrLjczXFejSSx" />

Sammut said suburbs including New Farm and Teneriffe were considered before the group ultimately focused on Toowong due to its strong downsizer demographic and limited supply of developable riverfront land.

The site was acquired off-market after what Sammut described as a lengthy negotiation and planning process, with the developer pursuing an uplift to the original approval.

“We are DA approved now which is very exciting,” Sammut said.

“We've had our change approval come through and we've obviously doubled the height, 15 storeys plus rooftop. We've got 42 amazing apartments that are going to be coming to market soon.”

<img alt="Sammut makes Brisbane apartment play" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,dpr_2.0,q_auto:good/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-12-23%20at%203.27.26%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=ohkRkY0dIZlqdfME2EZePsCQavRiBadE" />

Bureau^proberts said the design responds to Toowong’s evolving urban character, balancing contemporary apartment living with the area’s established residential identity.

“A place where traditional Queensland living has taken place for centuries; Toowong is seeing a shift of contemporary influence, commercial and retail hubs mixed with well-considered residential offerings – all the while maintaining its character and charm,” the architect noted in planning documents submitted to Brisbane City Council.

The architecture practice said the project’s form was shaped by its riverfront setting, flood considerations, neighbouring building scales, and view corridors.

“They said the mix of four and two-bedroom apartments capture the ‘fundamental qualities of Queenslander living,’ translated into the context of a contemporary subtropical building.”

The development sits just off Coronation Drive within walking distance of Toowong’s retail precinct and the upgraded Regatta ferry terminal, while also benefiting from proximity to the incoming green bridge connection to West End. Sammut said the accessibility and amenity offering were central to the site’s appeal.

The approval adds to growing residential activity along the Toowong riverfront, joining nearby projects including Consolidated Properties’ Monarch Residences and Spyre Group’s ARC Residences.

Sammut secures approval for debut Brisbane apartment development in Toowong

Developer Lanevick is heading back into Sydney’s apartment market after focusing more heavily on the luxury townhouse and terrace sector in recent years.

Lanevick, founded and directed by Steve Maroun, is expecting to receive approval in the coming months for a new apartment development in Gladesville, with the aim to launch it to the market later this year.

The 51-apartment project, designed by Studio Johnston, will comprise a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments positioned toward the Hunters Hill downsizer market.

“Traditionally it’s been difficult for people in that market to downsize because there just hasn’t been the right product available,” Maroun said.

“We’re targeting buyers who might have 30 to 40 per cent of their house value sitting in the bank after downsizing.

“They still want good spacious entertaining areas, they still want quality design, but they also want flexibility and the ability to enjoy life a bit more after working hard for a long time.”

The project sits near Boronia Park and within close proximity to the Parramatta River foreshore, an area Maroun says offers more of a Hunters Hill lifestyle than a traditional apartment precinct.

“From a lifestyle perspective, it’s really more Hunters Hill than Gladesville,” Maroun said. “You’re close to the foreshore, close to parklands, and still connected back into the village precinct.”

From level four and above, apartments will capture water views&nbsp;toward Sydney Harbour. Communal amenity will include rooftop entertaining areas, wellness spaces, and a gym tailored toward owner-occupier buyers.

“We’ve really designed these apartments around that buyer coming from the Hunters Hill LGA and what they’re actually looking for in their next chapter.”

The proposed development has also been designed to respond to the changing character of the broader Gladesville town centre, where a growing number of mixed-use and residential proposals are expected to emerge over the coming years.

“Gladesville presented a rare opportunity to deliver a genuinely design-led residential project within an evolving lifestyle precinct, just moments from the growing Gladesville town centre, and we’ve approached the project with a strong focus on architecture, liveability and long-term community value,” Maroun said.

Maroun said Lanevick saw a first-mover advantage within the precinct as planning controls continue to evolve to accommodate greater housing density.

“We think there’s a real opportunity there that hasn’t really been serviced properly yet,” he said.

“There’s going to be a broader evolution of the whole Gladesville village precinct over time, particularly with more activation and mixed-use outcomes.”

The Venus Street proposal will include a commercial and retail component at ground level designed to contribute to that evolving streetscape activation.

“A big part of the thinking was how do you activate that area properly and create more vibrancy and amenity, which is what Hunters Hill has been looking for,” Maroun said.

Lanevick’s focus since 2020 has largely been on smaller-scale luxury townhouse and terrace developments. The developer recently completed Royale Randwick, also designed by Studio Johnston, where prices reached $3.65 million. The project was featured in the UDIA NSW 2026 Professional Development Prospectus and was also named a finalist for Development of the Year.

&nbsp;

Jonathan Chancellor

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