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SPONSORED POST
As a professional writer, Bianca is no stranger to the occasional plot change.
With a long history in the performing arts; from dancing at the Atlanta Olympic Games Closing Ceremony with the Bangarra Dance Company (at just thirteen years of age); studying at one of Australia’s most prestigious acting schools, The Actors Centre Australia; to penning and producing her own comedic television pilot, Coulda Gone Pro – she didn’t exactly have property investing at the forefront of her mind.
However, after extensive travels pursuing her creative ventures that saw her setting up shop in Dublin, LA and London, Bianca felt it was time to settle down.
Now back in Sydney working as a Senior Copywriter for an international beauty company, while freelancing for Fairfax Media as a health and wellness writer, Bianca contemplated options to set herself up for the future. She was always aware of the traditional ideal of ‘security’: buying a home to live in. However, with a creative spirit and a love of travel, this didn’t seem like the right option. In addition, once Bianca crunched the numbers, they spoke for themselves. 
The dream of owning your own home used to mean living in it too. Not for Bianca, she is one of a new breed of investor, the 'rentvestor'. She has the freedom to live where she likes while her property investment pays a weekly income and continues to appreciate.
Bianca shares, “I didn’t want to commit to paying off a mortgage that left me with no money to enjoy life, when I could rent a great apartment within my budget, and still have my finances working for me. 
I was aware of property investing, and had been contemplating my options for some time. Although I had seen friends and family invest, and was now in a financial position to do so myself, I was still apprehensive. 
Being a first-time investor, there was a fear of the unknown because it was all new to me, so I kept putting it off as I didn’t want to lose all my money.” 
As the plot of Bianca’s story progressed, she took the plunge and consulted with DPN’s David Khalil. “David did the initial consultation. He was extremely thorough and tremendously patient, taking the time to clarify every detail and answer a myriad of questions.
“Ultimately, what spurred me on was that property investment could help me reach financial freedom.”
What finally encouraged Bianca to go ahead and invest, was that she saw David Khalil using the strategy personally – to great financial reward. Bianca points out: “The proof is in the pudding. The fact that Dave actually follows the strategies himself, gave me a lot of confidence. He wasn’t just telling me what to do; he had invested his own money, and followed the exact same strategies with impressive success.” 
Ultimately, what spurred her on was how she could see that property investment could one day help her reach financial freedom.  
DPN presented Bianca with a property investment solution 
David alerted Bianca to a house and land package in Currans Hill South-Western Sydney, a suburb of Manooka Valley, which had just become available. It is an area that DPN had identified as having excellent capital growth. In addition, the home was the DPN Casa Second Dual Income – two houses on the same block. The property not only boasts a family-friendly four-bedroom home, but also a chic two-bedroom house. Bianca says she “jumped on it right away” when it was presented to her. DPN assisted in getting a mortgage and recommended property managers.
A Dual Income property that pays two rents
The dual income property allows Bianca to enjoy the passive income from the second home, as well as the remarkable capital growth. The purchase price was $659,961 in Sept 2014, and is now valued at $840,000 in June 2017. That’s a sizeable increase of $180,039 in three years. On top of that, Bianca receives $890 per week in rental income. That works out at a 7 percent rental yield, significantly higher than the average for the suburb. 
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/06/28/Screen%20Shot%202017-06-28%20at%2012.07.40%20PM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/06/28/Screen%20Shot%202017-06-28%20at%2012.07.40%20PM.png" alt="">
"That's a 7 percent rental yield, significantly higher than the average for the suburb." 
So, she is enjoying a positive rental yield with the extra bite of the cherry in strong capital growth. “I’m very happy with my investment. I purchased before the area skyrocketed, and got a lot of bang for my buck.” 
Both Bianca’s brother and sister have also invested with DPN; with her brother so inspired by her success, that he invested in a Brisbane property.
Today, Bianca is a Senior Creative for a leading advertising agency, while occasionally getting back to her performance roots with presenting appearances on Seven’s ‘The Morning Show’, and Nine’s ‘Today’. Renting by the beach, Bianca enjoys seaside life while watching her investments grow.
You can read the original article <a href="https://www.dpn.com.au/learn/market-updates/writing-her-own-story" target="_blank">here</a>. 
For more information from <a href="https://www.dpn.com.au" target="_blank">DPN</a>.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

CASE STUDY: How to invest in property while renting

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/80740/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
Rather than being an unsettling force, international migrants are helping to provide stability to the regional Australian communities they settle in.
A considerable number of new arrivals are also younger and have the potential to build families and work in these communities.
Research with the Regional Australia Institute, examining the latest 2016 Census data, found 151 regional local government areas were helping to offset declining population in regional areas by attracting international migrants.
We can see that, for many small towns, the overseas-born are the only source of population growth. A majority of these places rely on primary industry for economic viability. Although predominantly rural, these places are not in the most remote parts of Australia. 
Growth of Australian-born and overseas-born population, 2011-16
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/07/11/file-20170710-26364-nlgmez.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<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/2017/07/11/file-20170710-26364-nlgmez.jpg" alt="">
<div class="enlarge_hint"> </div>
Regional Australia Institute, Author provided
Of the 550 local government areas we reviewed, 175 regional areas increased their population, while 246 did not; 151 increased their overseas-born and decreased their Australian-born population. Only 20 areas increased in Australian-born population and decreased in overseas-born population.
We also found that 128 regional areas increased both Australian-born and overseas-born population. Another 116 regional areas decreased in both Australian-born and overseas-born population.
Population change between 2011-16 by count of local government area
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/07/11/file-20170710-29734-st64so.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/07/11/file-20170710-29734-st64so.png" alt="">
ABS, Author provided
Darwin is one example of where international migration has helped counter population decline. At the 2011 Census, Darwin had 45,442 people recorded as born in Australia and 19,455 born elsewhere. By 2016, the number of Australian-born locals had reduced to 44,953 and the number of overseas-born had increased to 24,961. 
Without this increase in overseas-born residents, the Darwin population would have decreased. The local economy would likely have suffered as a result.
<h2>The problem of shrinking regional towns</h2>
Ever since the influx of immigrants following the second world war, the settlement of international migrants has been overwhelmingly focused on large metropolitan centres. This has been especially evident for recently arrived immigrants and those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. 
Migrants perceive metropolitan areas as presenting a higher likelihood of finding compatriots and better access to employment, as well as education and health services. Large cities have therefore been considered the most appealing settlement locations, with Sydney and Melbourne the most popular.
If settlement of international migrants had been proportional to the overall population distribution in Australia, an additional 125,000 migrants would have settled in regional Australia between 2006 and 2011.
In a concerted effort to promote the social and economic viability of regional communities, in 2004 the federal government started a campaign to increase migrant settlement throughout different areas of the country. 
Regional settlement of migrants has since been encouraged across levels of government as a “win-win scenario” for new arrivals and host communities alike.
<h2>What international migrants bring</h2>
In the past decade, there has been a particular focus on secondary migration to regional areas. That is, relocating international arrivals from metropolitan areas to regional ones. 
Proactive community-business partnerships and local government initiatives have propelled this process. For example, in the Victorian town of Nhill, the local arm of the poultry production company Luv-a-Duck worked with settlement service provider AMES Australia to help more than 160 Karen refugees find work in the area between 2010 and 2015. 
In another town, Dalwallinu in Western Australia, the population was in decline and local infrastructure was deemed underused. In response, the local council has worked closely with residents since 2010 to attract skilled migrants.
Notwithstanding the challenges involved in attraction and retention, international migrants remain a vital asset for building regional economies and communities. They help stem skilled labour shortages in these areas – for example, by filling much-needed doctor and nursing positions.
International migrants are also key contributors to the unskilled workforce, often filling positions that domestic workers are unwilling to take on. For example, abattoirs and poultry plants are important businesses in regional Australia. Many would be unable to operate without international migrants, as many local residents do not consider this kind of work “acceptable employment”.
As a consequence of the various efforts to spread the settlement of overseas arrivals, the number of international migrants living and working in non-metropolitan Australia has increased. Between 2006 and 2011, 187,000 international migrants settled outside the major capital cities.
Still, regional areas have remained underrepresented as a settlement location. Despite regional Australia being home to about one-third of the population, less than one-fifth of all new arrivals between 2006 and 2011 settled in a regional area. 
For regional areas to make the most of the many advantages migrants have to offer, there needs to be more focused policy that encourages and assists regional settlement across the country.
This policy needs to be informed by the work in a growing number of regional communities (like Nhill and Dalwallinu) that already draw on international migration to combat population loss and persistent labour shortages. By encouraging more international migrants to call regional Australia “home”, we can start focusing on ensuring regional prosperity for the long term.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/emily-longstaff-98193" target="_blank">Emily Longstaff</a> is PhD Candidate (Sociology), Australian National University and author for <a href="https://theconversation.com/au" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.
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Migrants are stopping regional areas from shrinking

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It's a new twist on the saying charity begins at home since increasingly the first home buyer auctions I attend on any given Saturday see young buyers there with the folks.
As their children endeavour to step onto the Sydney property ladder, the parents aren't turning up to just provide emotional support at these entry level auctions.
More often than not they have come along with the deposit cheque.
The bank of mum and dad is growing in importance - and will continue to do so.
For most recipients it will rank as their biggest financial windfall in life, that is aside from an inheritance many decades down the track. 
Australian data on the emergence is lacking, but there's some interesting data from the UK where a Legal &amp; General report suggested parents are predicted to lend more than £6.5bn this year to help their children get on the property ladder.
Millennials are the biggest recipients, with around 80 percent of the £30,000 typical handout going to people under 30 in what they calculated amounted to around 25% of UK property transactions.
There's also data suggesting almost a third of second steppers rely on financial help from family to move up the property ladder, according to Lloyds Bank research.
“The intergenerational inequality that creates the demand for parental funding continues to widen – younger people today don’t have the same opportunities that the baby boomers," according to the report by Legal &amp; General.
Intergenerational inequality is overreach, but Generation Y have been accruing more debt at an earlier age than any of their predecessors.
With 40% of 18- to 35-year-olds having a study-related HECS debt, this generation are already on the back foot before they begin their careers.
And the casualisation of our increasingly fleeting workplaces means younger people are mostly on smaller or less permanent incomes too.
Finding real banks to borrow from is accordingly harder, hence the role of soft target parents parents from middle-class and wealthy families or the grandparents. 
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In most UK cases the funds are given as a gift (56%) or as an interest free loan (21%).  
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It is arguably better the funds come from families rather than government, and this largess overtime is going to come a bigger part of the solution to the problems of Sydney housing affordability. 
It is already as researchers from RMIT and Curtin University for the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) found that 25 to 45-year-olds who received a cash gift from baby boomer parents had home ownership rates 15 percentage points higher than their peers.
But I worry the generosity puts the parents at risk in their old age.
They might be giving away their chance of a stress free retirement.
Treasury secretary John Fraser noted last year the bank of mum of dad was "becoming more and more prevalent." 
"It has impacts on superannuation," Mr Fraser warned.
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Bank of mum and dad is growing in importance

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Tasmania, which garnered international attention last week when Hobart appeared on the latest Knight Frank global list of the top 50 cities with strongest price growth, secured the nation's cheapest weekend auction result.
It was when $140,000 was paid for a three bedroom weatherboard home at Montello, the <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-tas-montello-125668178" target="_blank">north coast Burnie suburb</a> (below).
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/07/10/Screen%20Shot%202017-07-10%20at%2011.27.15%20AM.png" alt="">
It was snapped up pre-auction, one of the state's 10 weekend auction listings.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/07/10/Screen%20Shot%202017-07-10%20at%2011.28.23%20AM.png" alt="">
"There was the ability to glimpse Bass Strait from the front rooms of this wonderful property," the Harcourts marketing of 25 Morse Street advised.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/07/10/Screen%20Shot%202017-07-10%20at%2011.25.54%20AM.png" alt="">
Five of the eight known Tasmanian results found buyers, topped by <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-tas-howrah-125703610" target="_blank">a $500,000 sale at Howrah</a> in Hobart (below).
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/07/10/Screen%20Shot%202017-07-10%20at%2011.31.37%20AM.png" alt="">
It was marketed as a "weathered, but charming three bedroom home that captures picturesque views of the River Derwent and Mount Wellington."
Hobart was the newcomer on the Knight Frank list of the top 50 cities whose property prices have risen the most in the world, leaping to 34th spot, only 11 places behind Sydney and 10 behind Melbourne, after its annual price growth of 11.3 per cent. 
On the mainland, after more than 100 groups through, the former AFL ruckman Angus Graham scored a $202,000 over reserve result when his Yarraville townhouse sold at weekend auction.
The three-bedroom timber<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-townhouse-vic-yarraville-125674450" target="_blank"> inner west of Melbourne property</a> (below) was sold for $1.152 million to a local family by the former Richmond and Adelaide player.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/07/10/Screen%20Shot%202017-07-10%20at%2011.32.35%20AM.png" alt="">
The final two of the four bidders went toe-to-toe from $1 million, the Herald Sun reported.
The HockingStuart agency had been quoting $900,000 to $950,000. The strata townhouse last sold for $663,000 seven years ago to the carpenter.
Across Melbourne, there was a 73.9 per cent success rate of the 716 reported auctions. It was the nation's highest capital city clearance rate with one in six sold before the scheduled auction.
There were 812 properties taken to auction across Melbourne, down from 874 last week when the final clearance rate was recorded at 70.8 per cent.
Over the same week last year, 619 auctions were held and a clearance rate of 71.8 per cent was recorded.
The nation's top sale was in Sydney when a three bedroom McMahons Point terrace that sold for $4.05 million through through Stone agents Annika Bongiorno and Aaron Bongiorno.
Located at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-nsw-mcmahons+point-125673478" target="_blank">2/12 Commodore Street</a>, (below) the lower North Shore offering had views of Sydney Harbour.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/07/10/Screen%20Shot%202017-07-10%20at%2011.33.39%20AM.png" alt="">
Built in 2005, it was last sold in 2011 for $1.648 million. The lower north reported the highest clearance rate at the weekend, with a booming 81.3 per cent result, Domain noted.
Domain figures showed an overall Sydney clearance rate of 71.5 per cent on Saturday, up from 69.7 percent the week before.
The bounceback in clearance rates was also apparent in CoreLogic data that noted Sydney was host to 650 auctions this week with a 72.5 per cent success rate, rising from 68 per cent last week across 840 auctions.
The national auction clearance rate sat at 70.7 percent, up from 67.3 per cent last week, while winter bauction volumes fell week-on-week.
There were 1,751 properties taken to auction this week, down from 2,001 last week, although higher than this time last year, when 1,399 auctions were held and a clearance rate of 70.6 per cent was recorded.
Almost all the capital cities saw the clearance rate increase week-on-week, CoreLogic auction analyst Kevin Brogan noted.
Adelaide however saw a decline to a 56.1 per cent preliminary result across 61 auctions, down on the prior weekend's 80 auctions which returned a clearance rate of 60.6 per cent.
The top sale in Adelaide was a four bedroom Linden Park house that sold for $1.12 million.
Located at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-sa-linden+park-125704398" target="_blank">26 Sturdee Street</a>, the 841 sqm corner four bedroom property has been marketed as a rare investment opportunity.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/07/10/Screen%20Shot%202017-07-10%20at%2011.34.41%20AM.png" alt="">
The 1954 property, last sold in 2009 for $655,000, is leased to tenants until January 2018.
The nation's cheapest mainland auction result was outside of Brisbane where a four bedroom Beaudesert house was sold for $275,000.
Located at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-qld-beaudesert-124619862" target="_blank">52 Meridian Way</a>, (below) the property sold at under the median price of a house in Beaudesert which is $320,000.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/07/10/Screen%20Shot%202017-07-10%20at%2011.37.34%20AM.png" alt="">
The preliminary clearance rate in Brisbane on the weekend rose to 57.7 per cent, up from 51.6 per cent.
Brisbane auction volumes were only slightly lower with 112 auctions held, down from 118 last week.
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The Domain chief economist Andrew Wilson suggested the extra strength in the national auction market was probably the result of first home buyer activity after the introduction of greater grants and concessions.
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<div class="cq-article-content-paras section">
"It is going to take a few weeks to know but I think the first home buyer activity is making a difference. There is definitely a bounce back," Mr Wilson told Domain.
"We probably would have expected the clearance rate to fall otherwise."
But Sydney's cheapest sale was to an investor through Laing+Simmons agency that secured a $410,000 sale of a 1970s unit at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-unit-nsw-bankstown-125708838" target="_blank">45/127 Chapel Road, Bankstown</a> (below).
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/07/10/Screen%20Shot%202017-07-10%20at%2011.38.32%20AM.png" alt="">
The marketing offered a $390,000 price guidance for the two bedder that last sold at $27,500 in 1978.
Melbourne's cheapest result was when a two bedroom house at Melton South fetched $280,500.
Located at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-melton+south-125669682" target="_blank">1/33 Staughton Street</a>, (below) the 1990s property was last sold in 2001 for $85,000.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/07/10/Screen%20Shot%202017-07-10%20at%2011.39.49%20AM.png" alt="">
Melbourne's dearest result was in Albert Park, where eight bidders vied for a large unrenovated Victorian home.
Last sold seven decades ago ago, the 320 sqm holding at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-vic-albert+park-125702086" target="_blank">16 Greig Street</a> (below) sold to a local family for $3,560,000 through Greg Hocking Real Estate, well above its $3 million reserve.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/07/10/Screen%20Shot%202017-07-10%20at%2011.40.45%20AM.png" alt="">
Across Canberra, 65 homes were taken to weekend auction with the preliminary results showing a clearance rate of 63 per cent, down from 71.4 per cent the previous week.
A four bedroom Hughes, ACT house sold for $1.701 million making it Canberra’s most expensive weekend auction sale.
Located at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-act-hughes-125722674" target="_blank">38 Lynch Street</a>, (below) it had last sold in 2012 for $1.38 million. 
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/07/10/Screen%20Shot%202017-07-10%20at%2011.41.44%20AM.png" alt=""> 
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Tasmania secures cheapest weekend auction result

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/80200/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
Government strategies to manage population ageing largely assume that older Australians are home owners.
There is often an implied association between home ownership and ageing well: that is, older Australians who own homes are seen as having made the right choices and as being less of a budget burden. 
The problem with this approach is that not everyone is or can be a home owner. A great many households are, for many reasons, locked out of home ownership.
My analysis of 20 years of federal government ageing strategies and age-focused analyses of the housing system shows that Australian governments of all persuasions have shared three common beliefs about the economic value of home ownership in later life. They have promoted home ownership as:
<ul>
<li>
somewhere to live;
</li>
<li>
an asset to rent or sell; and
</li>
<li>
a way to access and spend equity.
</li>
</ul>
<h2>Somewhere to live</h2>
Australian governments have valued and promoted home ownership because it provides somewhere to live in later life, with no regular ongoing costs such as rent.
As a 2015 Productivity Commission report argued:
"Because the majority of older Australian households own their homes outright, their housing costs are typically very low, yet they enjoy the benefits from continuing to live in their homes. […] This source of value (relative to overall household expenditure) becomes markedly more important with increasing age."
Owning a home is seen as largely cost-neutral, though the costs of maintaining housing are recognised in some documents. In contrast, the privately rented home is discussed as an ongoing financial burden. 
Home ownership is seen to provide economic security by freeing up income, so that people have greater disposable income for discretionary lifestyle spending in later life.
In other words, owning a home enables home owners to be consumers. While this can be seen as ensuring quality of life in older age, it also connects strongly with a broader government goal of growth in consumer spending.
<h2>An asset to rent or sell</h2>
Governments have also valued home ownership as an asset that people can rent out or sell so they can pay for costs associated with moving to “age-appropriate” housing. This includes paying bonds for retirement villages or nursing homes.
It has been suggested that older home owners are better equipped than, say, renters with the financial resources to make “appropriate” choices for housing and care in later life. 
For example, they might be able to afford to buy housing within an “active lifestyle community”. And any leftover funds can fund higher levels of consumption in retirement.
So, home ownership has been understood as an individualised way of managing the risks of ageing.
People who own higher-value housing are better off in this scenario, as they will reap greater profits if they sell their home, or secure a higher income if they rent it out. 
However, these benefits can be difficult to access. This is due to the very high costs of housing in some cities, and the risks associated with some retirement housing.
<h2>Accessing (and spending) housing equity</h2>
The third way governments have seen value in home ownership is through new financial products that enable home owners to access – and spend – home equity.
Emphasis is usually placed on the capacity to make a proportion of the home “liquid” while retaining overall ownership and the ongoing right to live in the house. For governments, this has two benefits:
<ul>
<li>
It enables older people to pay for more of the costs of older age, including for aged care. This is a way of shifting these costs away from the government in situations where people are seen as having the capacity to co-contribute.
</li>
<li>
It enables home owners “to pay for additional services over and above the approved care”, according to the Productivity Commission. This supports government goals for economic growth by expanding the aged care market.
</li>
</ul>
Funds released in this way enable lifestyle “choice” and better care in older age.
<h2>Home owners are winners</h2>
These three benefits suggest a system in which home owners are equipped with greater spending power – and hence choice – in older age. They are likely to have access to higher levels of care, and to be more able to make choices that enable them to age “well”.
Quite curiously, in some documents baby boomers are distinguished as desiring higher-quality services in later life. The capacity to access and spend home equity is seen as enabling this possibility.
The promotion of home ownership as a way of funding care in later life is part of a broader policy trend toward making people personally responsible for the opportunities they have in life. While this may make intuitive sense, it is unjust because it ignores factors that shape income and investment opportunities, including home ownership, over the life course.
Data from the 2016 Census show that households living on the median single-person income could not afford the median rent in Australia, and that home ownership is increasingly out of reach. 
Single older women are among the fastest-growing group of homeless people in Australia. And, for non-home owners, poverty in later life is on the rise.
Australia needs ageing strategies that do more than assume everyone is a home owner – or that home ownership is a simple choice.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/emma-power-250930" target="_blank">Emma Power</a> is Senior Research Fellow, Geography and Urban Studies, Western Sydney University and author for <a href="https://theconversation.com/au" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.
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Three reasons the government promotes home ownership for older Australians

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GUEST OBSERVER
Commercial short-stay companies like Airbnb will this year deprive the Victorian Government of more than $14 million in uncollected GST.
Airbnb, and similar operators, only collect GST on the 5 percent to 15 percent ‘service fee’, rather than the entire booking cost. This means the state misses out on up to 95 percent of the GST applicable under current legislation. But conversely – or perversely –, this year hosts will pick up an extra bill, with the Australian Tax Office signalling a tax crackdown on users of the app.
It’s hardly fair that Airbnb gets out of paying millions in GST, while mum and dad hosts who simply rent a room, are not only subject to income tax, but are actually being targeted by the tax office.
How on Earth can a person renting out a room in their house be considered to be running an income–producing business, while on the other hand the multinational rental company doesn’t have to pay its fair share?
Victorians are missing out on millions of dollars every year, while Airbnb’s profits continue to grow, and that’s where the focus should be.
Airbnb alone had 651,000 guests last year and grew at a rate of 116%. It’s only fair that legislation is updated to recognise the rise of this unregulated industry, so Airbnb pays its share, along with other overseas companies.
Airbnb admits other countries require the company to collect GST on the entire booking cost, so why isn’t it happening here?
The Federal Government should learn from those other countries and also require Airbnb to collect and pay its proper, fair share of GST in Australia, based on the booking fee, not just the service fee.
The industry also avoids commercial rates from being imposed by local Councils, by relying on their land use activity being classified as a residential activity.
Come on – Airbnb is not a residential activity, it’s a business activity, and a loud, disruptive, unregulated and unfair one at that.
A Parliamentary Committee examining the commercial short-stay industry has heard a range of submissions, calling for Airbnb, and similar overseas companies, to pay GST and other taxes.
The Committee has also made a series of recommendations to the Victorian Government, including that it:
• Considers that the current proposed legislation is unfair to residents and should be reworked. • Works with Victoria Police to examine safety issues in residential complexes with short-stay activity. • Works with Victoria Police to consider establishing protocols to manage violent and disruptive incidents. • Reviews the regulatory imbalance between the short-stay and traditional accommodation sectors. • Investigates costs and benefits of introducing a registration and compliance framework for commercialresidential short-stay accommodation (where properties are listed as short-stays for more than 90 days).
We Live Here is a growing movement of residents from across Victoria, dealing with significant detrimental impacts due to the rapid, unregulated rise of the commercial short stay industry.
The concerns relate to safety and security, higher maintenance costs due to increased wear and tear, and disruption through ‘party houses’.
We have been encouraged by the level of support we are receiving across the state, from people who share our concerns
Residents from more than 200 buildings have joined We Live Here, along with locals from suburbs, and towns, across the state.
Clearly, the government needs to act on these concerns and bring legislation into line for this massive industry. We need a solution which puts residents, businesses and the tourism industry on a level playing field.
Ensuring these giant overseas companies pay their fair share of tax on the millions they make in Victoria, is just one of many issues that require urgent attention, when it comes to the commercial short-stay industry.
Marshall Delves is from <a href="https://www.welivehere.net" target="_blank">We Live Here</a>.
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Airbnb escapes tax time crackdown, but mum & dad hosts left with a bill: Marshall Delves

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GUEST OBSERVER
Over 10,000 cyclists commute into Melbourne’s inner city every morning.
Many popular routes are located along residential streets. Secret Agent wanted to find out if the presence of a bicycle lane had any impact on house sale prices within a suburb. 
Our sample consisted of 103 period house sales in Carlton North, 83 houses in Clifton Hill and 121 houses in Fitzroy North from 25 May 2015 to 8 June 2017. At least a third of the sample from each suburb consisted of houses facing bike paths.
A bicycle lane was defined as a pathway for cyclists clearly distinguished on both sides (left and right) from street parking and the main motorist thoroughfare. Lanes with a bicycle symbol on the road, but without clear delineation on either side, were excluded. 
A hedonic linear regression model was used to study the effect of having a bicycle lane on the sale price of the property in each suburb. Other factors taken into account included the sale date, land area, number of bedrooms, bathrooms and car spaces.
We found that the presence of a bicycle lane had a strong positive effect on the sale price of a house in Carlton North, adding up to $250,000 in value. With
a median sale price of $1,371,000, this implies a premium of nearly 20%.
However, it had little to no effect on houses in Clifton Hill and Fitzroy North.
This result isn’t to be read merely on face value. The price premium in Carlton North could very well be a result of many positive characteristics combined - one of which is a bicycle lane. A street with a bike path in this suburb tends to have wider roads, more vegetation and even a median strip. These greener, wider streets boost social appeal and safety, adding up to a rather attractive streetscape for prospective buyers, as evident by the prominence of Drummond, Rathdowne and Canning streets. 
A three bedroom house on 288 Richardson Street, Carlton North, recently sold for $1,550,000.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/07/07/Screen%20Shot%202017-07-07%20at%209.51.47%20AM.png" alt="">
A two bedroom house with two bathrooms, <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-carlton+north-125856038" target="_blank">384 Canning Street </a>Carlton North, is up for auction with expectations between $1.5 and $1.6 million.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/07/07/Screen%20Shot%202017-07-07%20at%209.59.24%20AM.png" alt="">
 
For more information, <a href="https://secretagent.com.au/">click here</a>.
 
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Carlton North homes benefit from bicycle lanes: Secret Agent

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/79997/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
The Victorian government’s recently released housing strategy allows for the transfer of the state’s public housing stock to the community housing sector.
In a recent Conversation article, Kate Shaw raises an important question – “Why should the state wriggle out of public housing?” – and condemns the transfer of public housing to private developers for redevelopment.
However, if one is really interested in providing more housing for people on low to moderate incomes, the community sector is the way to go – not public housing.
Criticism of community housing provision – in part because of its role in the UK’s liberal market reforms to public housing – neglects the reality. Community housing has underpinned the growth and viability of what many would see as some of the fairest and best-performing social housing systems in the world — those of Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands.
Management and/or ownership of land (including state land) by not-for-profit community groups ensures affordability in perpetuity. It is not lost to the private sector. And it can provide the same security as public housing, but with more innovative management practices, such as co-operatives and housing trusts.
Not-for-profits serve a range of needs
Importantly, in the Australian context, the not-for-profit sector offers a range of housing options pitched at different household needs. These include rental housing for households on low and moderate incomes and affordable home ownership.
One reason for this flexibility is that, unlike government instrumentalities, Australian community sector providers can borrow against their assets. In the appropriate financial environment (as exists in the aforementioned social democratic countries), they can then grow their asset base to meet a broad range of housing needs.
And it does appear we are slowly moving toward such a financial environment. In its budget in May, the federal government announced the creation of a National Housing and Finance Corporation (NHFC) to offer community housing agencies access to lower-cost loans. While cheaper loans are not the full financial answer (there is still a substantial yield gap between rents and loan costs), the government has established an expert panel to look at this and report back later this year.
On top of these developments, the recent Productivity Commission draft report on human services, including social housing, recommends growth of the sector including an increase in Commonwealth rent assistance. This is vital for community housing viability.
International trends aligned with the direction of policy reform in Australia suggest the not-for-profit community sector is the future for social housing growth. And this could be done in a way that addresses Shaw’s other concern — the privatisation of public land.
On this, I agree with her. Losing valuable, well-located land to the private sector creates an enormous opportunity cost; once sold it will never be available for future use.
And all we might get out of it is a 10% increase (a few thousand units) in social housing stock. But merely to keep social housing stock at the current 3.5% of all housing (the lowest in Australia) we need at least an additional 31,000 in Victoria by 2031.
Making up for decades of neglect
We do have to acknowledge that decades of underinvestment in Victoria’s public housing has left a legacy of housing estates that have gone well beyond repair and maintenance. And, given their low density, these estates are not achieving their potential in terms of either number or quality of dwellings.
In this context, the fact that the state government has set aside $185 million for its Public Housing Renewal Program is to be welcomed.
Some argue that the less-than-ideal result of a public-private partnership renewal of the old Carlton estate demonstrates that mixing public and private housing is problematic.
But what if it was a mix of public and community-managed rental and ownership housing instead?
The community sector can act in the same role as a private developer (with the state not expecting as big a financial reward), renewing the site with a mix of affordable properties for sale.
Unlike conventional private ownership, these would be covenant-protected to ensure, as with equivalent models in the US, that home ownership remains affordable. While privately owned, the properties remain within the affordable housing stock. A community housing association manages their sale and resale.
Also, the rental housing could be a mix of public and community housing. The focus would be on both high-need deep-subsidy households and moderate-income low-subsidy households. Such transformed estates would be genuinely integrated mixed communities, rather than an uneasy balance of high-need public housing at one end and high-end private housing at the other.
Across Australia, many community housing organisations have demonstrated their ability to deliver successful public housing renewal projects with a mix of households and tenure types. They have done so in an integrated and cohesive way, with privately owned units underpinning the financial viability of the projects.
Transfer of stock to the community sector is an important and valuable process of substantial community benefit, both in its own right and as part of a considered process of estate renewal.
Shaw is right. We need much more social housing, and relying on the private sector to drive the process will have an enormous opportunity cost. This will very likely constrain the capacity for future growth and affordability.
But the leaves in the tea cup suggest that the bulk of future growth should be in the not-for-profit sector. The sector can grasp the opportunities offered by policy reform in a way the public sector cannot, and provide sustained affordability and security.
 
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/terry-burke-1268" target="_blank">Terry Burke</a> is Professor of Housing Studies, Centre for Urban Transitions, Swinburne University of Technology and author for The Conversation.
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Community sector offers a solid platform for fair social housing

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GUEST OBSERVER
The latest CoreLogic data shows the home value index increasing by 2.21 per cent in Sydney for the month of June, while auction clearance rates have consistently sat under 70 per cent.
Matt Lahood explains the latest market conditions, looks at the first home buyer concessions and talks important taxation changes.
The market to date
While some conditions have remained unchanged from last month, like reduced bidding heat at auction, the numbers through our open homes are strong and the value of homes in Sydney has increased by 2.21 per cent, according to the latest CoreLogic figures for the month of June.
I see two levers being pulled in the marketplace at the moment. There’s more stock coming on for sale in certain Sydney areas, which leads to greater buyer choice and the normal seasonal lull that settles in during winter.
There has been a significant jump in appraisal demand, which assumes people are gearing up for spring. An important factor to consider is that the Sydney market will slow for a few weeks given school holidays. Homeowners are naturally hesitant to open up their home when children are off from school or may take an annual vacation.
Don’t forget, the new ATO taxation rules on sales above $750,000 requiring a clearance certificate kick in this Saturday July 1st. This is part of the capital gains withholding changes affecting foreign ownership in Australia, the clearance certificate confirms you are an Australian resident. The clearance certificate must be obtained prior to settlement to prevent the 10% non-final withholding.
<h2>First home buyer concessions</h2>
The first home buyer stamp duty concessions also take effect this Saturday July 1st. First home buyers will be stamp duty exempt for purchases on new and existing builds up to the sale of $650,000 and be given stamp duty relief for purchases up to $800,000.
There has been speculation that the slight market dip could have been impacted by the July stamp duty concession release date and that post July 1st things will kick off again. In my view, we will not see any kind of major price shift due to the stamp duty concession, first home buyers just don’t have the market depth, or bargaining bandwidth. What the stamp duty concession will do is get them back into the market if they were going out of it and give them the confidence to stay in the market.
Investors and first home buyers will always be competing within these housing price brackets and investors have not gone out of the market. In fact, the main trend I have seen is people putting their superannuation into property. I believe the upward pressure on property pricing has come from property investors and this has been more evident since super was released for property purchases. Investing in property is seen as a more secure and lucrative investment than shares.
<h2>Census statistics say it all</h2>
Australian homeownership rates are close to a 70-year low and in 2016 sat at 65.5 per cent, this included those who owned or were buying the home they are in. Rental rates sat at 30.9 per cent across Australia in 2016, but this was even higher in Sydney at 34 per cent.
Considering these stark results, it is not surprising we are seeing large numbers through our rental open homes and the team is working hard to help tenants find what they need.
“We are working very closely with prospective tenants to ensure we find and place them into their new home before the available properties hit the market,” National Director of Property Management, Maria Carlino, says.
With Sydney rental vacancy rates sitting under 2 per cent demand is strong, especially in the executive market.
“The high-end properties are still very much in demand. Our latest executive property in Northbridgeleased after its first open home with an increased offer from $2,200 up to $2,300,” explains National Director of Property Management, Maria Carlino. “Both the owner and the new tenants were delighted as it is a special home.”
<h2>Revealing market results</h2>
Vendors are benefitting by hitting the market now because they are going straight back into the same market. If you take a 2.0 or 3.0 per cent adjustment on the intense bidding from a couple of months’ ago, the vendor then picks this 2.0 or 3.0 per cent up when they purchase in the same market.
The recent 2.21 per cent increase in Sydney home value for the month of June, despite less competition at auction, is consistent with the buyer activity we are seeing. An example was the sale of 1 Monmouth Street in Randwick. Though bidding was slow, agent Ben Collier and auctioneer Thomas McGlynn achieved a new street record at $3.54 million.
In certain blue-chip suburbs, properties are selling prior to auction and above the asking price ­­– this is on both sides of the bridge. On market for just seven days, Michael Rava sold a two-bedroom unit in Gerard Street Cremorne to an investor, the ‘upsizing’ homeowner received $100,000 above their asking price. In Waratah Street Rushcutters Bay, James Ledgerwood sold a two-bedroom unit after just 14 days on market to first home buyers, the vendor also obtained a $100,000 above asking price.
Another interesting sale was Avoca Street Randwick. Janet Morrison sold this property 18 months ago for $770,000 and after a renovation, Janet re-sold the property for $950,000 in mid-June this last month.
One Sydney area that constantly bucks the property market trends is the Inner West. A long-term performer, the Inner West has maintained much higher clearance rates than the Sydney average. For example, in May, Inner West clearance rates sat at 89 per cent and The Agency’s Inner West office has achieved clearance rates of 100 per cent and gross sales of in excess of $40 million since February 01.
<h2>The Agency service expansion</h2>
In major news for our NSW’s operation, The Agency has joined forces with leading Lower North Shore group Province Agents. This will propel our service offering across Sydney, connecting the ‘best of the best’ in real estate from the east and west, to the Lower North Shore. Most importantly, this merger will strategically connect buyers, sellers and property management across these three blue-chip markets.
Another significant announcement from Steven Chen, director of The Agency Projects, is the sale and marketing of the luxury, 88-level development ‘Spirit’ on the Gold Coast beachfront. Worth $1.3 billion, these stunning residential properties will feature uninterrupted views and access to world-class amenities. The Forise Holdings ‘Spirit’ development will create thousands of jobs and inject millions into the local community, according to Forise representative and Hickey Management chair Tony Hickey.
 
Matt Lahood is the CEO at The Agency - Sydney. He can be contacted <a href="https://theagency.com.au/team/matt-lahood" target="_blank">here.</a>
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Significant jump in appraisal demand in Sydney: Matt Lahood 

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/80457/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
The Reserve Bank of Australia once again left official interest rates on hold this week - leaving the cash rate at an historically low 1.5%.
That certainly wasn’t a surprise, but the language used in governor Philip Lowe’s official statement on the decision was definitely interesting.
Gone were the predictions of 3% plus GDP growth, with the statement striking a much more cautionary note. Lowe noted slower growth in the March quarter, lower levels of mining investment but improved business conditions and investment when not related to mining. He said:
"At the same time, consumption growth remains subdued, reflecting slow growth in real wages and high levels of household debt."
Former RBA board member, John Edwards, made a splash by suggesting that there would be eight interest rate increases, in fairly short order, because the cash rate was “way below where it will need to be in years to come”.
I don’t know if Dr Edwards was just setting his hair on fire to get an audience (if so, well played), but let’s assume he was being serious when he said:
"If inflation does indeed return to 2.5%, as the bank now expects, if growth does indeed return to 3% ‘within a few years’, as the minutes of the June board meeting predict, if the world economy is indeed picking up, then a policy rate of 1.5% is too low."
That’s a lot of “ifs”, and it’s fair to say that the June RBA board minutes suggesting 3% growth were rather surprising. Even if that were to be the growth rate, population growth in Australia is quite high by medium-term (and also international advanced economy) standards, as the following chart shows.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/07/06/Screen%20Shot%202017-07-07%20at%208.56.44%20AM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/07/06/Screen%20Shot%202017-07-07%20at%208.56.44%20AM.png" alt="">
source: <a href="https://tradingeconomics.com/australia/population-growth-annual-percent-wb-data" target="_blank" style="font-size: 12.16px;">tradingeconomics.com</a>
Surely it’s real GDP per capita that we should care about instead.
In any case, it seems that Dr Edwards is reflecting back on the macroeconomic recoveries of the past. Perhaps he’s right, but I don’t think so.
It’s quite likely that Australia, like other advanced economies, is suffering from “secular stagnation”. This view, most recently argued by former US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, holds that the speed limit of advanced economies has been permanently lowered because of a fire hose of global savings chasing too few productive investment opportunities.
In a world where a laptop and a good idea can create a company more valuable than Australia’s Big Four banks combined (Facebook), people just don’t need the same volume of investment capital as in past eras. This drives down what economists call the “equilibrium real interest rate” - and ultimately limits potential GDP growth.
This has probably been the case for many years, but was masked in the US by a massive real estate bubble which burst a decade ago, and in Australia by the commodities boom.
So Dr Edwards prediction of a return to old normal in terms of growth, and hence interest rates, seems more aspirational than likely to me.
Importantly, the RBA statement also pointed again to the financial stability risks in the Australian housing market, saying:
"Growth in housing debt has outpaced the slow growth in household incomes. The recent supervisory measures should help address the risks associated with high and rising levels of household indebtedness. Lenders have also announced increases in mortgage rates for investor and interest-only loans."
Let’s hope that those supervisory measures, which have provided some of the impetus for banks raising rates on interest-only loans, do the trick.
Yet as the RBA itself has pointed out, one-third of Australian mortgage holders do not have a month’s buffer. Stopping questionable new borrowing is one thing, but with slow wages growth it is hard for household to “delever” themselves.
And it’s for that reason that wages growth and the labour market are such a central part of the problem - and a big reason for the RBA not to raise rates any time soon.
Perhaps that also explains the unusual remarks governor Lowe made at the ANU recently, where he basically wished for higher wages growth.
In any case, I wouldn’t bet on eight rapid-fire rate hikes any time soon.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/richard-holden-118107" target="_blank">Richard Holden</a> is Professor of Economics and PLuS Alliance Fellow, UNSW and author for <a href="https://theconversation.com/au" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.
 
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 The RBA was right to keep rates on hold

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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