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The construction of a new eight storey mixed use Pyrmont development, comprising a residential flat building and ground floor commercial premises has been proposed by property developer Denis O'Neil.
The cost of works were calculated in accordance at $7,260,000.00 including GST. The proposed development will provide 13 residential apartments if accepted by Sydney City Council.
The site is located at <a href="http://addenbrooke.com.au/collections/67-69-murray-street-pyrmont/" target="_blank">67-69 Murray Street</a>, on the corner of Bunn Street and Murray Street.
The site is rectangular, with an area of 291 sqm. The site, which holds a convenience story, last traded at $3.4 million in 2002. There is no paperwork showing  any recent transfer to Addenbrooke. 
Surrounding land uses are a combination of residential and commercial, including multistorey residential development, and significant tourist accommodation.
The site is separate to, but contiguous, with a group of warehouse buildings, with the two buildings furthest to the north being heritage listed (47-49 and 51-53 Murray Street).
SJB Architects say their proposal responds "sympathetically to the surrounding urban grain and form."
The developer's website says “Murray Street” is a super high end boutique development of only 13 apartments set in the heart of Pyrmont. The building is set on a corner boasting 270 degree views with a glass façade wrapping the building. Construction is set to take place in November 2018."
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Addenbrooke, which has become an O'Neil family business, previously developed apartments at <a href="http://addenbrooke.com.au/collections/goldsbrough-copy-3-copy-copy/" target="_blank">the Goldsbrough Mort woolstore at Pyrmont</a> in the late 1990s.
Addenbrooke has developed some of Sydney’s most prestigious properties spanning over 3,500 apartments, retail precincts and commercial buildings..
The O'Neil family know Pyrmont well since founding nearby Hymix Concrete, the largest private quarrying, transport and concrete business in Australia in 1956 which was sold to Pioneer, now Hanson. in 1998.
Following of Hymix Concrete, Denis focused his attention on property development, establishing Addenbrooke Pty Ltd.
Addenbrooke’s baton has been taken up by Denis’s three son’s Ned, Jake and Toby.
 
 
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Denis O'Neil's Addenbrooke is back with a Pyrmont residential project

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Last financial year NSW property buyers paid $9.8 billion in stamp duty after a record 228,000 sales. Close to $3 billion has been paid by buyers since July.
This stamp duty is paid by the already stretched Sydney property buyer to the NSW state government based on the price of their land and the building acquisition.
The tax has been stuck at current 4.5% level since the 1986 Unsworth government, a time when the median stamp duty paid was $1500.
Given the rise in the median Sydney property price over the 31 years, the typical buyer now pays $36,000 duty for a $905,000 median dwelling price acquisition.
Stamp duty affects affordability by making buying a home dearer, especially for first home buyers.
It has emerged over recent times that stamp duty also leads to the inefficient use of housing by constraining the capacity of many to move towards downsizing into a more appropriately sized home or for workers to take advantage of new employment opportunities elsewhere.
Many tax reviews, including the Productivity Commission’s recently completed five year productivity review, have proposed that the one-off stamp duty be removed and replaced by a universal land tax paid annually on all properties. At the moment only some investor pay land tax.
This universal land tax differs from the current situation in that it would apply to all properties, residential and commercial, whether they are owned as an investment or by an owner-occupier.
The Henry Tax Review in 2010 proposed such a land tax.
More recent AHURI research modelling of a universally applied land tax forecast 46% of the land tax revenue would be raised from land plots within 10 kilometres of CBDs where land is most expensive, while only 4% of land tax revenue would come from the urban fringe 30 to 50 kilometres out.
AHURI went further suggesting as a consequence of introducing the tax, overall land values would decline leading to more affordable housing. 
Political reality dictates that changes to stamp duty and land tax would be implemented over a long timeframe. This is happening in the ACT where stamp duty is being abolished progressively over 20 years having started from 2012.
Any move in NSW from stamp duty to land tax would involve transitional arrangements so that landowners would only begin paying land tax if they have not already had to pay stamp duty, i.e. as each property is sold it would move onto the new land tax arrangements.
It has been concluded that during this transitional phase the revenue shortfall experienced by state and territory governments would require bridging finance from the Commonwealth Government, although this revenue shortfall will quickly recede as more and more owner-occupied housing joins the universal land tax base.
Our politicians have yet to bite the bullet, and perhaps never will.
This article first appeared in The Daily Telegraph.
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Move from stamp duty to land tax not without challenges

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The cooling in the Sydney property market reflected a combination of factors, including increased supply of new dwellings, some tightening of credit conditions, higher interest rates on loans to investors and some reduction in offshore demand.
That's the conclusion of the RBA governor Philip Lowe, speaking at the annual dinner of the Australian Business Economists in Sydney on Tuesday.
"The increasing unaffordability of prices for many people has also probably played a role," he added in a speech tonight to economists.
In Melbourne, where the population is growing very strongly, Lowe suggested housing prices are still increasing faster than incomes, although the rate of increase has slowed.
"Elsewhere, housing prices have been little changed over recent months.
"Conditions are subdued in Brisbane, where the supply of apartments has increased significantly, and remain weak in Perth, owing to slowing population growth following the unwinding of the mining investment boom."
After noting the state of price growth in the capitals Lowe advised it was "important to be clear that the RBA does not have a target for housing prices."
But he added that "a return to more sustainable growth in housing prices does reduce the medium-term risks.
"These risks have not gone away, but the fact that they are not building at the rate they have been is a positive development."
While suggesting the central bank's next move in official interest rates is more likely up than down, Dr Lowe said there were still too many people out of work and inflation was set to remain below the 2-3 per cent target through to 2019.
"There is not a case for a near-term adjustment in monetary policy," he said.
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Melbourne housing prices still increasing faster than income growth: RBA

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Sunland Group’s new residential tower in Brisbane’s CBD has seen a $3.9 million resale.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-qld-brisbane+city-126365802" target="_blank">The half-floor 36th level sub-penthous</a>e in the 24-hour concierge block, Abian fetched $240,000 more than paid for it two years ago off the plan.
Settlements were in August on the $3.66 million sale, with its offered for resale in early September.
The apartment at 3601/140 Alice Street comes with four bedrooms and three bathrooms covering 322 sqm.
There are three car parks.
It offers 270 degree views of the Brisbane River, Kangaroo Point and South Brisbane.
<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/2017/11/20/Nov20Trophy2.jpg" alt="">
The apartment also includes a separate media room, full sized laundry and a guest powder room.
The Abian tower, overlooking Brisbane’s Botanic Gardens, attracted buyers including celebrity chef Matt Moran.
Simon Caulfield and James McKinlay of Place Kangaroo Point secured the sale to a local family downsizing from a riverfront home at Yeronga.
The building's 40-level features a resort-style pool and spa, plunge pool, sauna, Hammam thermal stone room and steam room.
Other early insoles have been showing above trend price growth.
A three bedder sold off the plan on the 16th floor at $2.09 million in 2014 has been onsold for $2,635,000.
A two bedder on the 12th floor has been onsold at $1,135,000. It was bought off the plan in 2014 at $968,000.
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Abian, Brisbane secures bullish $3.9 million resale

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A local developer has paid a reported $32 million for the Everton, Pymble residential development site after a development syndicate of Chinese buyers failed to settle.
The development syndicate blamed capital transfer constraints in China, according to Fairfax Media.
NSW Land &amp; Environment Court approval was secured in July 2016 by BFD Pymble's solicitors, Lin Tang &amp; Co Lawyers for the project.
The site at <a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-land+development-nsw-pymble-502567694" target="_blank">2-8 Pymble Avenue and 2-4 Everton Street</a> had most of its construction certificate works completed.
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It has been approved for 98 apartments over three buildings with 156 basement parking spaces.
The design was done by the architects, <a href="http://www.become.com.au/projects/everton-pymble/" target="_blank">Become</a>.
Savills' Neil Cooke marketed the site with colleagues Stuart Cox and Johnathon Broome which attracted interest from around 20 developers.
The property is zoned R4 High Density Residential under the Ku-Ring-Gai LEP 2012 with a height limit ranging between 11.5 and 17.5 metres and a blended FSR of 1:1.
The apartments are expected to come to market early 2018.
 
 
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Chinese residential developer defaults on Everton, Pymble project

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Just one month ago, the investment bank Credit Suisse, advised the Sydney housing market looked set to be stronger for longer, as Chinese buyer demand defied a clampdown on capital outflows.
“There is little evidence that new capital controls by the Chinese authorities, announced in December 2016, have slowed demand for Aussie housing,” its analysts wrote.
“We think the tailwind of Chinese wealth creation will mean more, not less, foreign buying of Aussie housing.”
Now the investment bank advises they have detected a sudden withdrawal of Chinese investors from the Australian property market.
They forecast Sydney price growth to stall given Chinese buyers appear to have gone cold. 
I guess we are all intriguingly learning how the Chinese phenomenon plays out - not just the analysts contradicting each other from the same investment bank.
The latest research by Credit Suisse's economics and equity teams spotted a tight correlation between Chinese capital flows and Sydney housing prices.
Movements typically impacted on local property demand around 12 months on from events occurring in China.
Credit Suisse advised over the past year, Chinese capital flows have fallen considerably, in part reflecting the impact of stricter capital controls in China.
"This fall foreshadows weakness in NSW housing demand in the year ahead," they suggested adding the Sydney housing market had already cooled over the past few months.
It noted revised auction clearance rates — accounting for the many late reported results — had now dipped below 60 per cent in Sydney.
"This is a significant development because recent RBA analysis suggests that a 60 per cent clearance rate is typically the break-even point for house price inflation," Credit Suisse noted.
"House prices tend to fall when the clearance rate is below 60 per cent."
Credit Suisse suggested Chinese buyers have previously driven up valuations in expensive Sydney suburbs and apartment blocks with this then having a spill-over effect for higher pricing in other suburbs and segments of the market.
"We believe that Chinese buyers spark the cycle, while local investors chase the momentum," Credit Suisse said.
Credit Suisse even suggested the Reserve Bank of Australia might be forced to cut rates again, as without a healthy housing market, our economy has few other growth drivers to rely on.
It acknowledged the central bank was in a difficult position because of lack of timely, accurate data about Chinese capital flows and their impact.
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But recent data on the Brisbane apartment market suggest it is facing an emerging challenge with one in five foreign buyers failing to settle on their off the plan purchases.
According to rival investment bank UBS, unlike Brisbane, Sydney's strong residential price growth over the past two to three years ago is ensuring a strong incentive for the foreign buyer to settle.
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UBS say they will be watching to understand how foreign buyers react in Sydney over the months ahead.
It advised Brisbane resale prices are 10 per cent or more below purchase price and bank valuations are frequently below the off the plan purchase price especially on poor quality projects.
Sydney is not immune from poor quality projects or softening prices. 
This story first appeared in the Daily Telegraph.
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Credit Suisse casts doubt on continued Chinese property buying in Australia

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A McGrath spokesperson has dismissed a newspaper report that McGrath could soon be back in private hands.
The Australian Financial Review reported founder John McGrath and former Sydney franchise boss Shane Smollen were "understood to be working on a deal to take back control of the listed real estate flop."
The article quoted one source, identified only as "a senior industry source."
They had reportedly told The Australian Financial Review there was a "lot of movement" going on behind the scenes at McGrath.
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"Private equity is sniffing around and the shareholders, including John McGrath and Shane Smollen are trying to do something," the source said adding an announcement could come before the company's annual meeting, due to be held November 22.
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<div class="cq-article-content-media section">"We have absolutely no knowledge of these plans," a spokeswoman for McGrath told the newspaper.</div>
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<div class="cq-article-content-media section">John McGrath, who stepped down as CEO last year, remains the company's biggest shareholder with his 25.9 per cent stake.</div>
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Smollen has an 8.9 per cent share.
The share price - after McGrath's latest profit warning - ended Friday at 52 cents, down from its IPO value of $2.10.
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McGrath dismisses AFR report on estate agency company returning to private hands

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The Brisbane property market chugs along, largely under the radar in the national headlines, although NSW purchasers are increasingly attracted by its cheaper prices.
CoreLogic has taken a look at the relationship between housing market growth in the two cities to determine whether the emerging slowdown in Sydney could translate into an acceleration in home buying in Brisbane.
The gap between median home values sits at a price differential of 85% - Sydney's $909,000 median versus $490,000.
The three decade average premium of Sydney dwellings over Brisbane prices has been 55% indicating that the current gap remains attractively above the long-term average.
Over the past 20 years the average gap has been 56% and at 41% during the past decade.
Such a price gap has made Queensland a popular migration destination for people choosing to leave New South Wales.
This has been the case especially following past Sydney surges.
The average quarterly number of persons migrating from New South Wales to Queensland sits at around 12,000 persons per quarter.  
The peak migration to Queensland at around 18,000 per quarter took place in 1989, and again 2002.
The wide gap in the cost of housing between the two cities was evident in both 1989 and 2002, CoreLogic researcher Cameron Kusher noted.
At its 1988 peak, Sydney dwelling values were 104% higher than Brisbane and in 2001, 107% higher than Brisbane.
Kusher concluded the past trends suggest that Brisbane could be well positioned for a pick-up in value growth as the Sydney housing market slows from its current peak.  
But he says there have been instances where value gap surge hasn’t been followed by a price surge in Brisbane.
So a lift in Brisbane activity and prices is no certainty, Kusher concluded, adding that although interstate migration out of NSW is increasing, it is yet to hit anything close to those two previous highs.
He also noted that people leaving NSW for Queensland won't necessarily settle for Brisbane as much as they have in the past.
Both the Gold and Sunshine Coasts are much bigger cities in their own right than they were in 1989 and 2002.
Ignoring the troubled Brisbane apartment market, Hotspotting website founder Terry Ryder recently advised the Brisbane house market was generally buoyant with some suburban precincts even recording double-digit annual growth for which Sydney has been renown for in recent years.
Ryder nominated the leading precinct as the Moreton Bay Region in Brisbane’s far north, where affordability, infrastructure and proximity to jobs nodes are key factors.
The Redcliffe Peninsula, which is part of the Moreton Bay Region LGA, had received particular impetus from the completion of the Moreton Bay Rail Link, a long-awaited piece of transport infrastructure.
Logan City, the mirror image of Moreton Bay in the south of the Greater Brisbane Area, had been a market leader in the past two years, though had perhaps faded a little of late.
Ipswich City, the south-western precinct with similar qualities to Logan City, had many suburbs now delivering good price growth.
This article first appeared in the Daily Telegraph.
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Brisbane housing market chugging along

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Delayed demolition works in the Melbourne CBD after an objection by the owner, have triggered the sales of 556 off the plan apartment buyers being cancelled by its Singapore-based developer.
Developer Chip Eng Seng bought a commercial tower at 150 Queen Street in 2011 with plans for a 71 storey project, known as Tower Melbourne.
It has become one of the first cancelled buildings in Melbourne, with the group now considering its options for the thwarted site.
The decision, announced to the stock exchange in Singapore, comes amid the broader local concerns about the mooted outlook for apartment market oversupply.
Demolition works on the original building have stalled since 2013 after an objection by the owner of an adjoining property at 140 Queen Street worried the demolition might damage its property.
Chip Eng Seng said the legal cases “may still take a considerable period of time” and it was “not possible for the company to ascertain when they can be resolved” nor when demolition could restart.
The group could not meet its deadline to register the plan of subdivision due to the delay, so advised the appropriate course was to terminate all sales contracts.
Some 579 units had been sold, but some buyers had already cancelled their contracts due to the delay.
Some 556 contracts remained with full buyers’ deposits set to be repaid in full with any interest accrued.
Construction of Melbourne’s envisaged highest residential tower was due to start in 2013 with an expected completion date of late 2016.
The CEL development was to come with a 25-metre pool, spa, sauna, steam room and a gym.
One-bedroom apartments in Tower Melbourne had a starting price of $381,000.
Two-bedroom apartments start from $492,000 and three-bedroom apartments start from $763,000.
The skyscraper had been designed by local architects Elenberg Fraser.
“Tower Melbourne is a city defining project,” says Callum Fraser, principal of Elenberg Fraser said at the time of its launch.
“If you take a high-rise tower and add a twist, we have a continuously evolving form and the result is a luxurious living sculpture,” he said.
Property Observer first <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/developments/singapore-developer-cheeky-for-selling-unapproved-melbourne-cbd-high-rise-project-off-the-plan-lord-mayor/2012101657194">reported on the problematic development in October </a>2012 when the Singapore developer was selling apartments, despite not yet receiving planning approval from then Victoria Planning Minister Matthew Guy.
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Tower Melbourne stuck in demolition dispute, so 556 off the plan contracts cancelled

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A leading Melbourne buyers' agent, Mal James, has demanded Consumer Affairs Victoria provide a report on the conduct of The Block Elsternwick auctions.
His concerns revolve around the pass-in of Ronnie and Georgia’s offering:
<ul>
<li>in law</li>
<li>in fairness</li>
<li>in Frank Valentic’s dudded buyer</li>
<li>in the the message it sends about what’s ok at Victorian auctions going forward.</li>
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James said he thought the auction did not follow Victorian legislation where the passed-into highest bidder has met the reserve in first-up negotiations.
The house passed in on a $2.6 million bid, $20,000 shy of the reserve. The buyers' agent Frank Valentic made two offers higher than the reserve, but his bids were not accepted.
He or she, by law, buys the property when you meet the reserve, James maintained, noting it did not happen.
James cited the CAV and the government website, adding that the CAV had got caught up in 'the Hollywood' of the televised show.
A Consumer Affairs Victoria inspector monitored the auction.
<a href="https://marketnews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Laws21.jpg"><img src="https://marketnews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Laws21-540x448.jpg" alt="Laws2" width="540" height="448"></a>
<a href="https://marketnews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Laws2.jpg"><img src="https://marketnews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Laws2-597x441.jpg" alt="Laws2" width="597" height="441"></a>
"I am not talking about a minor technical breach here," James said.
"If CAV says this is ok, what sort of chance of fair play does any buyer have at any auction?
"Does nobody care about the buyer of was dudded?"
Television viewers saw Ronnie and Georgia’s home passed into Frank Valentic’s buyer as the highest bidder.
His client’s quick post-auction offer met the reserve.
"So why did he not buy it then and there – why did further negotiations continue?" James asked.
"In fact why did Frank’s buyer not buy it at $2,620,000 – the reserve?
"Why would anyone bid at auction under what we saw on The Block – what protections do we as buyers really have?"
Another buyer, represented by Nicole Jacobs, who it wasn’t passed into, who James suggested didn’t even bid during the auction, bought it.
"Why do we have auction laws and rules? Why are Frank or Nicole not speaking out about this – the rightful buyer (Valentic’s) appears to have been completely dudded and by their silence, they as licensed representatives of buyers, seem to imply this sort of auction behaviour is OK," James claimed.
"Fairness was trampled on, the rightful owner tossed aside, the professional selling agent ignored, the spirit and the laws of Victorian auctions sidelined – I suppose that makes it OK."
Valentic told Fairfax Media that he made two offers — $2,675,000 and $2,725,000 — but both were rejected after the auction. 
The house sold for $2,781,000.
A Consumer Affairs Victoria spokeswoman said the auction process was legally compliant.
"Frank Valentic’s first offer of $2,675,000 technically should have bought the property – yet he didn’t buy it," James noted.
Valentic was resigned to having been outdone by Jacobs.
“We had the money to buy that, we offered more than the reserve price," Valentic told the Herald Sun.
“But that’s The Block auctions. It’s a rollercoaster,” the veteran Block bidder said.
He had been bidding for a young upsizing family with two young children from Malvern East.
White it was "a very disappointing result for our clients" he managed to secure Hannah and Clint’s beautiful house for them for what he believed was the bargain of the auction finale at $2,615,000.
After the auction, Jacobs claimed due process was followed.
“Not unlike most auctions on the street where they pass in, there was a bit of confusion,” she said.
“Clearly I probably should have started bidding a little earlier but I was really waiting, because the other auctions had all stalled, for it to start again.”
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Consumer Affairs Victoria - and buyers' agents - let down bidders in The Block Elsternwick auction outcome

One of North Sydney's best-known commercial buildings could become hundreds of new homes, with insurance giant Zurich Australia lodging a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) to transform 5 Blue Street into a mixed-use residential development above North Sydney Station.

Rather than demolishing the existing building and starting again, Zurich is proposing an adaptive reuse project that would convert the landmark office building into a 15-level residential development delivering 62 apartments, 86 affordable co-living dwellings, activated retail and significant upgrades to the Blue Street Plaza.

The proposal reflects a growing trend of commercial property owners repositioning ageing office assets into residential housing as Sydney grapples with housing supply shortages and changing workplace demand.

<img alt="Zurich" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0bba7d12-06dc-4375-aad7-238c94b21ac5" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%2010.42.05%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=NJl5oLAEBDGuPmY3RnyliKODjMc8lvRh" />

Located directly above North Sydney Metro and train station, the 3,051 sqm site occupies one of the most strategically positioned parcels of land on Sydney's Lower North Shore.

Designed by fjcstudio, the proposal seeks to retain and adapt much of the existing structure while creating a contemporary residential address that better connects with the public domain surrounding North Sydney Station.

The application proposes two basement levels, ground floor retail, affordable co-living accommodation across the podium levels, and apartments above, while preserving and enhancing the publicly accessible Blue Street Plaza.

Rather than pursuing maximum apartment numbers, Zurich has opted for a housing mix heavily weighted towards larger owner-occupier residences.

The proposal includes 62 build-to-sell apartments comprising 12 one-bedroom, 19 two-bedroom, 29 three-bedroom apartments and two premium penthouses. It also incorporates 86 affordable co-living dwellings, which would be managed in perpetuity by a Community Housing Provider.

That balance between traditional apartments and affordable housing reflects the NSW Government's push to increase housing diversity around major transport infrastructure.

The proposal has been lodged concurrently with a rezoning application, with Zurich arguing the site is ideally positioned to support additional housing given its immediate proximity to public transport, employment and services.

"The proposal aims to respond to the housing challenges facing Sydney through the delivery of diverse housing types in a highly accessible location," the design report by fjcstudio states. It also seeks to improve pedestrian amenity through upgrades to Blue Street Plaza while creating a high-performing residential building that responds to the surrounding context.

<img alt="Zurich" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="36082e15-c636-4481-bb68-5a5f6443fe39" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%2010.41.36%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=5P6VD.fvmqjQfIG3TWWMRXxQWiQBjeFB" />

Rather than replacing the commercial building, fjcstudio has developed a design that works with the existing structural framework above the rail corridor, an approach that significantly reduces demolition while allowing the site to be repositioned as a mixed-use residential precinct.

The existing structural constraints have informed much of the building's design, including its relationship with Blue Street and surrounding public spaces.

The building has been designed as a slender tower rising above a clearly defined podium, with vertically expressed façades intended to reduce the perceived bulk while reinforcing North Sydney's emerging skyline.

According to fjcstudio, the architectural language responds directly to the surrounding commercial towers while maintaining a finer grain expression more closely aligned with the neighbouring Lavender Bay streetscape.

The tower incorporates articulated façade elements, landscaped podium edges and recessed upper levels to soften its appearance and improve pedestrian amenity below.

A significant component of the proposal is the revitalisation of Blue Street Plaza.

The existing public space has long served as one of the primary pedestrian connections between North Sydney Station, Greenwood Plaza and Blue Street, yet its role is expected to become even more important following the opening of Sydney Metro.

Zurich's proposal seeks to strengthen that role by improving landscaping, introducing new retail frontages, enhancing pedestrian permeability and creating more active edges throughout the day and evening.

Ground floor retail would wrap the plaza, while separate residential and co-living entries have been designed to improve wayfinding without reducing street activation.

Landscape design has been integrated throughout the podium and public realm, softening what is currently one of the most heavily urbanised parts of North Sydney.

&nbsp;

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fjcstudio has carefully oriented apartments towards Sydney Harbour and the CBD while using privacy blades and articulated façades to minimise overlooking between neighbouring buildings.

Large framed openings along the western elevation maximise harbour outlooks, while the eastern apartments have been angled towards the south-east to improve privacy from neighbouring development.

The project forms part of the continuing transformation of North Sydney from a predominantly commercial CBD into a genuine mixed-use city centre.

Since the completion of Victoria Cross Metro Station, developers have increasingly shifted their attention towards residential projects capable of leveraging the area's unparalleled transport connectivity.

&nbsp;

FiveX recently lodged plans for a 61-storey, 490-apartment tower that would become one of the tallest residential buildings in North Sydney if approved.

Aqualand continues to expand its Lower North Shore presence following the completion of AURA on Walker Street and its recent St Leonards and Roseville proposals.

Developers are also progressing projects throughout Walker Street, Miller Street and the Victoria Cross precinct as demand for well-located owner-occupier apartments continues to strengthen.

Joel Robinson

First look: Zurich targets North Sydney office conversion with 148-unit proposal above Metro station

Busy developer Aqualand Prestige has formally taken the next step in its expansion across Sydney's Lower North Shore, lodging a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for its long-held Archer Street site in Chatswood.

The application covers <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/51-55-archer-street-chatswood-nsw-2067">51-55 Archer Street</a>, a 1,767 sqm amalgamated site on the eastern edge of the Chatswood CBD, where the developer is seeking approval for a 45-level mixed-use tower delivering 114 apartments, including a significant affordable housing component, alongside retail, commercial space and six basement levels of parking.

The SSDA marks the latest milestone for a project Aqualand has been quietly progressing over the past two years. The developer first secured the site for its Aqualand Prestige platform before undertaking an alternative design excellence process with PTW Architects, ultimately avoiding a formal design competition through the Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

The proposal has evolved considerably from Aqualand's original concept. The revised scheme has been designed around larger owner-occupier product, with an unusually high proportion of three and four-bedroom apartments, targeting the more affluent buyer profile, and downsizer, emerging across the North Shore.

<img alt="Archer St" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0171204c-5811-41b5-9b09-2335d1b7c3d0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%208.52.48%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=6YTuxfq.puZo7k2wbfgemcO5K3QfXYGQ" />

The 114-apartment mix comprises six studios, 27 one-bedroom apartments, 18 two-bedroom apartments, 50 three-bedroom residences and 13 four-bedroom homes. A quarter of the building will be dedicated to affordable housing, well above the mandated 15 per cent&nbsp;

PTW has structured the building vertically, with affordable housing across levels one to six, premium apartments through levels seven to 31, duplex skyhomes on klevels 32 to 43, a penthouse on level 44, and a rooftop plant level above. Six basement levels will provide resident parking and servicing.

The tower is proposed to reach approximately 154 metres, placing it among a growing collection of residential high-rises transforming Chatswood's skyline.

Rather than competing purely on height, PTW says the design has been driven by creating a slimmer tower capable of delivering significantly larger apartments.

"The primary objective of this project was to create a distinctive building that stands out from the recently approved or built structures in the Chatswood area," the design report states, noting the structural efficiency allows greater investment into apartment quality and resident amenity.

Residents would have access to more than 450 sqm of communal open space including landscaped gardens, swimming pool, rooftop entertaining areas, fitness spaces, community gardens, children's play areas and barbecue facilities.

A major focus of the design has been the public domain.

The ground plane has been opened up through landscaped terraces inspired by Willoughby's sandstone ridges, with native planting, public seating, artwork, retail activation and a series of gathering spaces intended to soften what has traditionally been a hard commercial streetscape.

The landscape strategy references Blue Gum forests once common throughout the area, while incorporating Indigenous storytelling, public art and lighting installations to strengthen the connection to Country.

Chatswood has been one of Sydney's busiest apartment markets over the past 12 months, with a steady pipeline of both new project launches and fresh development applications.

Hyecorp recently launched Celine, a 122-apartment development just along Archer Street, while Changfa and Huirong Group are progressing The Anderson, an 84-apartment project on Anderson Street.

Develotek recently secured approval for a 101-apartment tower on Pacific Highway, while Tian An LFD received the green light for Hammond Greens, its apartment development on the edge of the Chatswood Bowling Club.

Commercial property developer FiveX is also making its move into the residential market. Last month it lodged plans for a 61-storey tower with 490 apartments, which, if approved, would become one of the tallest residential buildings in Chatswood.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-fivex-targets-chatswood-skyline-with-61-storey-tower-after-north-sydney-plans">First look: FiveX targets Chatswood skyline with 61-storey tower after North Sydney plans</a>

Aqualand is also expanding its development pipeline following the launch of its luxury residential brand, Aqualand Prestige. The developer has delivered a string of high-end apartment projects across Sydney's affluent suburbs over the past decade, most recently AURA by Aqualand on Walker Street in North Sydney.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=30959 project_image_fid=292863]

It has since quietly assembled its next wave of projects.

Earlier this year Aqualand launched Boronia in Roseville, a boutique 111-apartment development on Larkin Street. The project is one of the first significant apartment developments to launch in the suburb ahead of what is expected to become one of Sydney's most active new housing precincts under the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing reforms, which allow greater density around train stations.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152095 project_image_fid=373685]

The developer has also lodged plans for a two-tower, 413-apartment development on Herbert Street in nearby St Leonards, further strengthening its presence across the Lower North Shore.

Beyond that, Aqualand remains behind the final stage of Barangaroo, where plans will deliver a five-hectare mixed-use precinct comprising new homes, retail, hospitality and community facilities, alongside a new Metro entrance and more than two hectares of public open space, completing the Barangaroo precinct.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/central-barangaroo-development-takes-big-step-with-concept-proposal-approval">Central Barangaroo development takes big step with concept proposal approval</a>

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-aqualand-joins-st-leonards-apartment-party">First look: Aqualand joins St Leonards apartment party</a> 
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First look: Aqualand pushes ahead with Chatswood apartment tower as SSDA lodged for Archer Street

Mass timber is becoming an increasingly popular construction material in apartment developments, but Adelaide developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/otello">Otello</a> is taking the approach a step further.

At its new <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/flowe-bowden-18-gibson-street-bowden-sa-5007">Flowe Bowden</a> development, the exposed cross-laminated timber (CLT) structure isn't just about reducing the building's environmental footprint. It also forms the foundation of a broader wellness strategy, influencing everything from indoor air quality and natural materials to the way residents move through and experience the building.

The 115-apartment mixed-use development, designed by Melbourne-based architecture practice Fieldwork, will occupy a prominent island site opposite Bowden Village Reserve, combining one, two and three-bedroom apartments with retail and a dedicated wellness destination.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375528]

Wellness isn't confined to a gym or shared resident facility at Flowe. Instead, Fieldwork embedded the concept into the building itself.

The development has been split into two residential wings connected by a naturally ventilated central breezeway, replacing traditional enclosed corridors with open-air walkways that improve natural light, encourage cross ventilation and create more opportunities for neighbourly interaction.

"Rather than treating wellness as something that only happens on the ground floor, our response integrates it throughout the building, which led us to ask what it really means to design a healthy building," Fieldwork Director Quino Holland said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375531]

The building's architecture also reflects Bowden's industrial heritage. The lower podium references the area's historic brick and sandstone buildings, while the upper levels transition to exposed CLT, allowing the timber structure to become a defining feature throughout the apartments and shared spaces.

The use of mass timber sits alongside a range of sustainability initiatives, including a fully electric, gas-free design, rooftop solar and a targeted 5 Star Green Star rating.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375524]

Inside the residences, the focus remains on natural, durable materials. Blackbutt engineered timber flooring, exposed CLT ceilings, porcelain surfaces and warm timber joinery create a calming interior palette, while low-VOC finishes and responsibly sourced materials have been selected to improve indoor air quality.

Kitchens have been designed as the centrepiece of each apartment, featuring porcelain island benchtops, timber-look cabinetry and brushed steel tapware, with layouts that maximise natural light and ventilation.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375530]

The more traditional interpretation of wellness comes in the form of Level Eleven, a two-storey wellness club spanning the ground floor, mezzanine and first floor.

The facility will include a gym, yoga and reformer Pilates studios, Finnish and infrared saunas, magnesium hot and cold plunge pools, and dedicated recovery spaces. Unlike many residential wellness facilities, Level Eleven will also operate commercially, allowing the broader Bowden community to access the venue while giving residents exclusive membership benefits.

The ground floor has also been designed around everyday living. A café overlooking Bowden Village Reserve will activate the street frontage, while a bike workshop with tool storage, co-working space and dog wash has been incorporated to support daily routines and encourage interaction between residents.

"Flowe brings together my two biggest passions, creating places and creating healthier lives," Otello founder Daniel Harris said.

"We wanted to create something Adelaide hasn't seen before, a genuinely healthy building, where the way you live is lifted without even trying."

Flowe is positioned directly opposite Bowden Village Reserve and within walking distance of Bowden Railway Station and the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, placing future residents just minutes from the Adelaide CBD while remaining connected to one of the city's most established urban renewal precincts.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152022]

Otello launches wellness-focused Flowe Bowden with Adelaide-first mass timber apartment design

Not all apartment amenities are immediately visible.

Swimming pools, gyms, rooftop terraces and residents' lounges have long featured on buyers' wishlists, but as the way Australians live has changed, so too have the features that make apartment living more convenient.

Increasingly, buyers are placing value on the practical aspects of day-to-day life. Fast internet, EV charging, secure bike storage, flexible workspaces and parcel management are becoming just as relevant as lifestyle amenities, reflecting changing habits and expectations.

Online shopping has been one of the biggest drivers of that shift.

Australians spent a record $82.6 billion shopping online in 2025, with almost one in every four retail dollars now spent digitally, making parcel deliveries a routine part of everyday life rather than an occasional convenience.

For apartment residents, however, receiving those deliveries isn't always straightforward.

Without someone home to accept a parcel, deliveries can be redirected to a nearby Post Office, left in building foyers or common areas, or require building management to temporarily store packages. As apartment living continues to grow across Australia's cities, parcel management has become an increasingly important consideration for both residents and developers.

Australia Post's Parcel Locker network is one response to that shift.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KPZ9j5FRdsQ?si=Qztc1dNP3ZvEIUhb" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

Rather than relying on home delivery, eligible parcels can be directed to a nominated Parcel Locker, where they're securely stored until collected. Once a parcel arrives, residents receive a notification through the AusPost app or SMS and can retrieve it using a one-time code or QR code at a time that suits them.

The network has expanded to more than 1,500 locations nationwide, with Parcel Lockers positioned at Post Offices, shopping centres, supermarkets, transport hubs and, increasingly, within or alongside residential developments.

That growing presence reflects a broader change in how apartment buildings are being planned.

Developers are increasingly considering the operational side of apartment living alongside traditional lifestyle amenities. Just as secure mailrooms, bicycle storage and EV charging have become more common inclusions, parcel management is emerging as another feature that supports everyday convenience.

It also helps preserve the arrival experience within a building. Carefully designed lobbies and communal spaces can quickly become cluttered when deliveries accumulate, while secure parcel solutions reduce the likelihood of missed deliveries or parcels being left unattended.

For buyers comparing apartments, these everyday details are becoming part of the decision-making process.

Location, floorplans and finishes remain fundamental, but the features that simplify daily life are carrying greater weight than they once did. As online shopping continues to shape consumer behaviour, secure parcel delivery is increasingly becoming another amenity worth looking for.

Parcel delivery is joining the apartment amenity checklist

Inca Property Group has lodged a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for Dawn, a 53-apartment oceanfront development overlooking Mona Vale Beach.

The proposal, at 35-39 Darley Street East, would replace an existing 18-apartment strata building with a new owner-occupier-focused development comprising 53 two and three-bedroom apartments, including nine affordable built-to-rent residences delivered under the State's infill affordable housing scheme.

Positioned on a 2,679 sqm elevated site around 280 metres from Mona Vale Beach, the development has been designed to maximise panoramic ocean views while responding to the site's sloping topography.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/inca-property-group">Inca Property Group</a> Managing Director Josh Thompson said the State Significant pathway provided greater certainty for projects of this scale.

"This State Significant pathway gives the team real certainty to progress <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/dawn-35-39-darley-street-east-mona-vale-nsw-2103">Dawn</a> through to completion," Thompson said.

"It allows us to acquire a one-off site, design it carefully and deliver the right offering for the suburb, assessed by the NSW Government's planning department."

The project is one of the first developments in the area to be assessed under the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy, with the site sitting on the edge of the policy's designated inner area.

The proposal includes three basement levels providing 124 car spaces, alongside a range of resident amenities including a swimming pool, gym, sauna, wellness facilities and private plunge pools for selected ground-floor and penthouse apartments.

<img alt="Dawn" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fc1a1daf-0ce4-4f12-9076-b1fa553c7a91" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-21%20at%208.42.11%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=4GZ9h.gpNkTljbxyAET8Jfhv51XUamDm" />

Thompson said Dawn had been designed specifically for owner-occupiers and downsizers, a buyer profile that has driven demand across Inca's recent Upper North Shore developments.

"The majority of buyers in our recent North Shore projects have been downsizers, and we are learning exactly what this market is looking for. Beyond the location itself, we have included resort-style amenities to deliver a genuine lifestyle offering," Thompson said.

Located within walking distance of Mona Vale Beach, the town centre, Mona Vale Golf Club and the Royal Motor Yacht Club, Dawn represents Inca's first Northern Beaches project following the sell-out of Tara on Park in Waitara and Ellis Residences, currently under construction in St Ives.

Construction will be undertaken by Inca's in-house construction arm, GOP Constructions.

Dawn is the latest major apartment proposal for Mona Vale, with the suburb emerging as one of the key beneficiaries of the NSW Government's new Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy.

New developer One Living, led by industry veteran Joseph Scuderi, recently secured a site on Mona Vale Road, on the border of Mona Vale and Pymble, where it is planning around 140 apartments.

IPM is also planning its third project in Mona Vale, significantly increasing the scale of its previous developments with an 82-apartment proposal at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/159-167-darley-street-west-mona-vale-nsw-2103">159-167 Darley Street West</a>, opposite Bayview Golf Course and less than 800 metres from Mona Vale town centre.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/one-living-enters-sydneys-new-apartment-market-with-northern-beaches-site-acquisition">One Living enters Sydney's new apartment market with Northern Beaches site acquisition</a>

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-ipm-plans-third-mona-vale-project">First look: IPM plans third Mona Vale project</a>

Jonathan Chancellor

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