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GUEST OBSERVER
In the middle of the night, while most residents were sleeping, a devastating fire started at Grenfell Tower in London.
The emergency response was rapid and robust: more than 200 firefighters attended the scene, with assistance arriving just six minutes after the first calls were made. Emergency services have confirmed that 12 people are dead. More remain missing and dozens are injured. Already, people are asking how the fire spread so rapidly and why it was so difficult for residents to escape. 
Doubtless, in time, a thorough investigation will reveal the full details of what caused the disaster. But from an engineering perspective, there are a number of factors in the design of the 24-storey tower block that may have contributed to the speed and scale of the blaze.
Most of the current guidelines across the world contain detailed design requirements for fire safety such as evacuation routes, compartmentation and structural fire design. But Grenfell Tower was built in 1974. At that time, the rules and regulations were not as clear and well-developed as they are now. 
Evacuation and compartmentation
The evacuation route is one of the most important design elements when it comes to fire safety. The route should allow occupants to escape the building as quickly as possible, while sheltering them from smoke and flames. Some tall buildings have staircases installed on the outside to prevent people from getting stuck in the corridors and provide access to fresh air while they escape. Other options include installing high-power fans inside buildings, to clear the evacuation route of smoke in the event of a fire. This feature is included in the design of Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. 
It’s clear that residents were not happy with the fire safety of the escape route from a blog posted in November 2016 and the design below would suggest there was only one set of stairs for evacuation. Investigators will need to determine what evacuation routes were available.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/06/14/Screen%20Shot%202017-06-15%20at%209.07.32%20AM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/06/14/Screen%20Shot%202017-06-15%20at%209.07.32%20AM.png" alt="">
Another key strategy is to correctly design fire compartments to keep the fire from spreading quickly. This entails placing barriers in the building – such as fire-resistant doors and walls – to confine the fire to a local area, or at least slow the speed at which it can spread. These compartments are designed based on the function of the buildings by architects, so residential and commercial buildings will have different compartment design strategies. 
In current design practice, some buildings even include special design measures for fires, such as refuge rooms for occupants in the higher storeys, who could have trouble escaping down stairs. There are also active fire protection methods such as using sprinklers. Though a parliamentary report following the 2009 Lakanal House fire in Camberwell, London, in which six people died, recommended that sprinkler systems be installed in tower blocks across the UK, it’s not clear that these measured were implemented in Grenfell Tower. A local residents action group also claimed that their warnings about a lack of fire safety measures “fell on deaf ears”.
Materials matter
The fire risk level of any building also depends on its structural design – that is, the capacity of its materials to resist fire. Different materials receive different fire ratings in each design. For example, steel buildings are normally required to have structural elements such as beams or columns that can stand for one to two hours with the help of fire protection material such intumescent paint, which swells up when heated to protect the material beneath. 
According to reports, the key structural components of Grenfell Tower are mostly made of concrete – a material which rates highly in terms of fire resistance. While other materials can buckle in high temperatures, concrete structures can help to prevent the collapse of a building in case of fire, as well as making it safer to use helicopters – which can dump up to 9,842 litres of water at a time – to extinguish the blaze. 
There were also reports relating to cladding added as part of an £8.7m refurbishment in 2016. The material used for the cladding was primarily aluminium, which is not fire resistant. What’s more, aluminium has high conductivity – so the cladding itself could have heated up very quickly, failing to prevent the fire from travelling through the windows and up the exterior of the block from one storey to another.
In truth, most old buildings do not conform to the latest guidelines for fire safety design, so it is imperative to update them by installing sprinklers, fire alarms and extra fire evacuation staircases. While those affected may have to wait for some time before the causes of the fire become clear and responsibility is taken, landlords and local councils can act now to help prevent another disaster of this scale from happening again.
Feng Fu is lecturer in Structural Engineering, City, University of London and author for The Conversation. He can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/feng-fu-384030" target="_blank">here</a>.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

London's Grenfell Tower disaster: how did the fire spread so quickly?

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GUEST OBSERVER
PIA supports the thrust of the proposed reforms to the NSW planning system to improve the impact of strategic planning, strengthen community engagement and build community trust.
The NSW Government today foreshadowed a different direction to the exhibited reforms by seeking to mandate independent planning panels of experts to determine high value development applications in every council.
The previously exhibited reforms included a power for the Minister of Planning to order the establishment of a panel for a particular council – rather than a general requirement for every council.
PIA continues to support the selective introduction of Local Planning Panels with determinative authority especially in urban areas with a high development assessment volume and in circumstances where there is no delegation of assessment or determination to appropriate council officers.
This is consistent with our submission to the reforms. However, they should not be mandated in circumstances where there is an effective and harmonious alternative delegation system in operation.
PIA continues to support a streamlined and effective process of decision making for planning applications. If there are councils where there are resources, and there is an effective and harmonious alternative delegation system in operation, PIA NSW believes that Planning Panels should not be mandated.
PIA continues to support an effective role for elected councillors, particularly in making strategic planning policy for the LGA to achieve outcomes for communities and places.
The administration function relating to approvals/refusals should be managed either by delegation to staff, or in the case of more substantial matters by a panel who are equipped to take on technically complex assessments.
Panels are good for their detailed expertise, complex development assessment, and independent assessment and they do reinforce the fact that good governance is needed in the development application process.
Jenny Rudolph is president, PIA NSW, and can be contacted <a href="https://www.planning.org.au/nsw" target="_blank">here</a>.
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The role of planning panels in NSW: Jenny Rudolph

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/78593/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
Self-checkouts aren’t necessarily faster than other checkouts, don’t result in lower staff numbers, and there are indirect costs such as theft, reduced customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Worldwide, self-checkout terminals are projected to rise from 191,000 in 2013 to 325,000 by 2019. A survey of multiple countries found 90% of respondents had used self-checkouts, with Australia and Italy leading the way.
Employment in the Australian supermarket and grocery industry went down for the first time in 2015-16 and is projected to remain flat for a few years. But staff numbers are projected to rebound again, in part due to the need to curtail growing theft in self-checkouts.
Social trends pushing self-checkout
There are a couple of intertwining trends that explain the rise of self checkouts.
We now visit our supermarkets more frequently than ever before, two to three times per week in fact. This means our basket contains fewer items and being able to wander up to a self-checkout, with little to no wait time, has been an expedient way to shop. Most shoppers consider self-checkouts both fast and easy to use. Although this varies with age - 90% of shoppers aged 18-39 found self-service checkouts easy to use, only 50% of those over 60 years said the same.
Shoppers also gain value from taking control of the transaction – being able to ring up their own goods and pack them the way they want. This is because a sense of control over their own shopping can lead to greater customer satisfaction and intent to use and reuse self-serve technology.
The numbers behind self-checkouts
Wages represent around 9.5% of supermarket revenue in Australia, and reducing wages is one of the reasons proposed for the uptake of self-checkout.
But from a business perspective, moving from “staffed” checkouts to self-serve machines isn’t cheap. A typical setup costs around US$125,000. On top of that there are the costs of integrating the machines into the technology already in place - the software and other systems used to track inventory and sales, and the ongoing costs - to cover breakdowns and maintenance.
But the biggest direct cost to retailers of adopting self-service checkouts is theft. Retail crime in Australia costs the industry over A$4.5 billion each year.
There is reason to believe that rates of theft are higher on self-service machines than regular checkouts. A study of 1 million transactions in the United Kingdom found losses incurred through self-service technology payment systems totalled 3.97% of stock, compared to just 1.47% otherwise. Research shows that one of the drivers of this discrepancy is that everyday customers - those who would not normally steal by any other means - disproportionately steal at self checkouts.
Studies also show that having a human presence around - in this case employees in the self-checkout area, increases the perceived risk of being caught, which reduces “consumer deviance”. This is why retailers have been adding staff to monitor customers, absorbing the additional losses, or passing them on to customers in an “honesty tax”.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/06/14/Screen%20Shot%202017-06-14%20at%2010.15.06%20AM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/06/14/Screen%20Shot%202017-06-14%20at%2010.15.06%20AM.png" alt=""> 
As you can see in this graph, preliminary work by researchers Kate Letheren and Paula Dootson suggests people are less likely to steal from a human employee than an inanimate object. Not only because they will get caught, but because they feel bad about it.
On the other hand, consumers have plenty of justifications to excuse self-checkout theft, which is leading to its normalisation.
To combat this, researcher Paula Dootson is trying to use design to combat deviance. One of the ways is through extreme-personalisation of service to reduce customer anonymity. Anonymity is an undesirable outcome of removing employees and replacing them with technology.
Other ideas are to include moral reminders prior to the opportunity to lie or steal (such as simply reminding people to be honest), and to humanise the machines by encoding human characteristics to trigger empathy.
While self-service technologies will continue to be adopted by businesses broadly, and particularly within the retail sector, it will be important for retailers to take a holistic approach to implementation and loss prevention.
Self-service technology reduces front line staffing costs and increases efficiency by re-distributing displaced staff into other service dominant areas of the business, but it creates unintended costs. These business costs can be direct, in the form of theft, but also indirect costs, like reduce customer satisfaction and loyalty. Something that some supermarkets are focusing on today.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gary-mortimer-1322" target="_blank"></a>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gary-mortimer-1322" target="_blank">Gary Mortimer</a> is associate professor, Queensland University of Technology 
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gary-mortimer-1322" target="_blank"></a>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/paula-dootson-129022" target="_blank">Paula Dootson </a>is research Fellow; PwC Chair in Digital Economy, Queensland University of Technology.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gary-mortimer-1322" target="_blank"></a>
Both are authors for The Conversation.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gary-mortimer-1322" target="_blank"> </a>
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The economics of self-service checkouts

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GUEST OBSERVER
The REIQ welcomes the State Government’s extension of the First Home Buyer Grant boost until December 2017, however is disappointed that the Government has refused to broaden the grant to include established homes in regional Queensland.
Regional Queensland property markets continued to struggle, with the housing oversupply one of the region’s biggest problems.
We welcome the goal behind the First Home Buyer Grant, which is to stimulate jobs and this measure has been successful in the southeast corner, with the added benefit of additional supply moderating price growth where demand is strong.
However, additional supply in regional Queensland is going to further slow these markets and make any price recovery much longer to come into effect.
The REIQ also welcomes those measures designed to stimulate jobs in regional Queensland, where climbing unemployment is impacting on the community in devastating ways. 
Unemployment destabilises housing tenure and this uncertainty is damaging to the fabric of the community.
The government’s $200 million jobs program, Works for Queensland, delivered over the next two years into regional Queensland, will tackle the need for infrastructure in regional communities and also the unemployment issue head on and we applaud these efforts.
The REIQ was disappointed this government has chosen to ignore advice from a range of experts on abolishing stamp duty.
Stamp duty is an onerous fiscal burden that stifles housing mobility and many experts are in agreement, including the Henry Tax Review, that stamp duty should be replaced.
When the cost of selling your house comes with an additional price tag of tens of thousands of dollars it gives many people pause.
Empty nesters wait longer to downsize and young families wait longer to upsize and this creates inefficiencies in the housing market that are undesirable.
The real estate sector provided a significant revenue stream for the government and employed around 50,000 Queenslanders.
The government should heed the advice of the experts when it comes to the health and well-being of this vital sector in the Queensland economy.
The key pillars that underpin the real estate profession are fragile – jobs figures are soft, wages growth is flat and investors are facing tightened lending criteria.
Real estate is facing considerable head winds and the Government needs to acknowledge these challenges and devise appropriate policy responses to ensure its continued growth,” she said. 
Antonia Mercorella is chief executive officer, REIQ, and can be contacted <a href="https://www.reiq.com/" target="_blank">here</a>.
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Key pillars underpinning real estate profession are fragile: Antonia Mercorella 

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GUEST OBSERVER
Whilst looking at job ads on Seek recently, I noticed one of my industry peers running a job ad for a “Tier 1 developer.” It got me thinking; what does that actually mean?
Having worked in recruitment for the development industry for 2 years and talking with a range of industry contacts, categorizing developers is not that easy. Building and construction is simpler, with the idea of Tiers relating fundamentally to turnover and the job size the business can handle. In loose terms, builders can be classified as:
• Tier 1: $1B plus turnover, jobs $250m+ • Tier 2: $200m turnover, jobs $50m+ • Tier 3: $50m turnover, jobs $10m+
So what are the rules for classifying developers, and do they exist? Can you classify them by the revenue they generate, value of acquisitions, or the related construction costs? Maybe total debt and how well the banks know them? Most people have the perception that the large corporate companies (Mirvac, Frasers, Stockland and Lend Lease) would be classified as Tier 1 developers simply due to the size of the company, but this does not consider project sizes or values, and how successful their projects are.
Looking at Victoria’s residential market (the market I cover), if the turnover or revenue of projects is how Tier 1 developers are classified, then companies like Yarra Park City/OSK Property (Melbourne Square - ~$2.8Bil) and Glenvill (Yarra Bend - ~$1.2Bil) would clearly be up there. But these companies are not that large in terms of their team sizes, and don’t necessarily have a high annual turnover, thus may not fit the typical Tier 1 description.
Tier 1 contractors are geared to only take on projects above a certain constructing cost. Why? Because their overheads need big jobs to support their machines. Developers on the other hand, are not governed by project size, but by the equity they have, the funding they can obtain and, the return hurdles they need to achieve.
Taking all this into account, anyone who tells you that a developer is a ‘Tier 1’ may be using a catchy phrase without having thought about what this means.
My final suggestion on Tiers is as follows:
• Tier 1: Owner or CEO has appeared in the Fin Review looking pensive and strategic, most likely owns a supercar or yacht. Knows the Planning Minister on a first name basis. • Tier 2: No longer has to work but trying to be bigger/better/shinier than the people they went to private school with. • Tier 3: Currently “consulting” whilst raising equity/begging to get the first acquisition away. No fingernails left in case they have to tell the wife they may need to sell the house.
What do you think?
Jordan Ralph is a recruitment consultant for the Kingfisher Recruitment and can be contacted <a href="https://www.kingfisherrecruitment.com.au" target="_blank">here</a>.
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Do Tier 1 developers even exist? Jordan Ralph

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/78404/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
Since Australia stopped incinerating rubbish in the middle of the 20th century, most of our solid waste has ended up in landfill.
Some 20 million tonnes of garbage each year makes its way to hundreds of landfill sites, mostly clustered around our capital cities. This represents about 40 percent of total waste generation in Australia.
Surprisingly, we don’t know exactly how many landfills exist, where they all are, or how large they are. However, government data suggest that there are around 600 officially registered sites, and perhaps as many as 2,000 unregulated ones, most of them small.
Since the 1990s, the number of landfills in Australia has fallen but the average size has grown. These large sites are increasingly sophisticated and generally run by large private companies. Around 75% of landfilled waste in Australia goes to 38 sites. 
<h2>What’s in landfill?</h2>
Waste in landfills falls into three major categories: household rubbish, commercial and industrial waste, and construction and demolition waste.
The average domestic bin contains 60% organic material, with the bulk coming from food (40%) and garden waste (20%). This is a primary source of landfill gas, mainly methane, which is produced when organic waste decomposes. The methane is collected and combusted using a flare or an electricity generation system. Flaring of landfill gas converts the methane to carbon dioxide, which has a significantly lower global warming potential than methane.
Of course, it’s better to reduce landfill gas in the first place. New technologies in composting and anaerobic digestion can help divert organics from landfill.
In 2013-14, the commercial sector generated 17 million tonnes of waste, representing just under a third of all waste in Australia. Around 7 million tonnes ended up in landfill. The major trends in commercial waste treatment include sourcing separated food and organics collection, and alternative waste treatment as levies and grants increase.
When water passes through toxic or hazardous waste it picks up contaminants and becomes leachate, which can contaminate the surrounding land and water.
Around 40% of Australia’s waste, or some 19 million tonnes a year, comes from construction and demolition. This typically includes timber, concrete, plastics, wood, metals, cardboard, asphalt and mixed site debris such as soil and rocks. However, only 8.5 million tonnes ended up in landfill, as levies in most states make it cheaper to recycle this material.
About 10.5 million tonnes, or 55%, was recovered and recycled in 2008-09 with recovery rates of greater than 75% being achieved by best performing jurisdictions. 
<h2>How many landfills are in Australia, and where?</h2>
We calculate the number of landfills in Australia by looking at national databases like the National Pollution Inventory or the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Scheme. However, while all operating landfills are licensed by their local councils, many regional sites fall below the size threshold where they’re required to report to these programs, or apply for environmental licenses. Therefore, we can’t say exactly how many landfills are in Australia – although someone could find out by calling every local council in the country.
The map below, from the National Waste Management Facilities Database, shows all known waste management, recycling and reprocessing facilities in Australia. 
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/06/07/file-20170530-16290-10gkvwh.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/2017/06/07/file-20170530-16290-10gkvwh.jpg" alt="">
<div class="enlarge_hint">The National Waste Management Database.</div>
Queensland reports the most sites, followed by New South Wales and Western Australia. Since lifting dumping levies, media reports estimate that 10% of Queensland’s landfill comes from interstate.
Victoria and Tasmania have a high proportion of large-to-medium sites, while NSW has the most large sites, matching its relatively large population. Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia have relatively high numbers of small sites, reflecting their highly dispersed populations. 
The Northern Territory, the only other jurisdiction to not have a landfill levy, generates just 1% of Australia’s waste. 
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/06/07/file-20170528-6396-qdc0st.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/2017/06/07/file-20170528-6396-qdc0st.jpg" alt="">
Reported numbers of Australian landfills by jurisdiction. Analysis of landfill survey data 2013 © WMAA and Blue Environment
Most of Australia’s waste goes to a small number of large sites. However, the majority of Australia’s landfills are small, receiving less than 20,000 tonnes of waste per year. The lack of precise national data on these sites is a real problem, as small, unlined landfills can still have major localised impact. 
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/06/07/file-20170528-6380-ajiq2.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/2017/06/07/file-20170528-6380-ajiq2.jpg" alt="">
Reported tonnes of waste deposited by landfill size class and jurisdiction. Analysis of landfill survey data 2013 © WMAA and Blue Environment
<h2>Who’s in charge?</h2>
Local councils are responsible for landfills in their areas, but the largest sites in Australia are run by private companies. In jurisdictions with small populations, like Tasmania and the Northern Territory, no private companies operate.
The Woodlawn landfill, 240km southwest of Sydney, gets more waste than any other landfill in Australia.
The Rochedale landfill, 18km south east of Brisbane, was in the countryside when established in the early 1990s. Now surrounded by suburban houses, it highlights the importance of appropriate planning and management of these sites. This is why Adelaide’s largest landfill is located 90km north of the city. 
The variety of jurisdictions and operators involved, and their different sizes, suggests that landfills are not consistently managed. 
The National Resource Recovery targets encourage private operators to reclaim and divert some of the waste going to landfill. The diversion targets vary from state to state. South Australia and the ACT have the most ambitious targets and are most advanced in meeting them. Queensland, on the other hand, is the furthest from their targets – this is likely to be a consequence of not having a landfill levy. 
 <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/06/07/file-20170529-25219-1or07ht.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/06/07/file-20170529-25219-1or07ht.png" alt="">
National Resource Recovery Targets. MSW represents household waste, C&amp;I represents commercial waste and C&amp;D represents construction and demolition waste. Since 2014, Victoria has aimed to maximise diversion without a headline target. MRA Consulting Group, October 2015
Landfills, however, can offer an average 50 percent methane gas capture during its life. The solid waste in landfills can also be an energy resource in its own right, though this has largely been untapped. 
<h2>The future of landfills and resource recovery</h2>
So what lies ahead? Landfills will remain an integral part of the Australian waste cycle into the foreseeable future. Well managed, best practice landfills provide safe disposal of residual waste and the potential for resource recovery.
We have observed an increase in investment in resource recovery infrastructure, which is possibly driven by rises in landfill levies. But more is needed: the 2016 Infrastructure Australia report did not mention waste or recycling.
In order to provide key integrated infrastructure, governments need to recognise that waste (and its proper management) delivers essential services like electricity or water.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/bernadette-mccabe-147872" target="_blank">Bernadette McCabe</a> is associate professor and Principal Scientist, University of Southern Queensland.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/william-clarke-380521" target="_blank">William Clarke</a> is professor of waste management, The University of Queensland.
Both are authors for The Conversation.
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How much landfill does Australia have?

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/77590/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
Legislation designed to protect wildlife is being rolled back or ignored in all sorts of ways in all sorts of places, according to a new global database of attacks on green tape.
When President Donald Trump was mulling over whether to pull out of the Paris climate agreement, it is hard to imagine that he was listening to the experts. US climate researchers are being so stifled, ignored or blackballed that France has now offered sanctuary to these misunderstood souls.
One might prefer to think of Trump as an outlier in an otherwise environmentally sane world. But alarmingly, there’s just too much evidence to the contrary.
A recent analysis, led by Guillaume Chapron of Sweden’s Agricultural University, reveals a rising tide of assaults on environmental safeguards worldwide. If nothing else, it illustrates the sheer range and creativity of tactics used by those who seek to profit at the expense of nature.
The assaults on environmental protections are so diverse that Chapron and his colleagues had to devise a new “taxonomy” to categorise them all. They have even set up a public database to track these efforts, giving us a laundry list of environmental rollbacks from around the world.
One might perhaps hope that species staring extinction in the face would be afforded special protection. Not in the western US states of Idaho and Montana, where endangered gray wolves have been taken off the endangered species list, meaning they can be shot if they stray outside designated wilderness or management areas.
In Western Australia, an endangered species can be legally driven to extinction if the state’s environment minister orders it and parliament approves.
Think diverse ecosystems are important? In Canada, not so much. There, native fish species with no economic, recreational or indigenous value don’t get any legal protection from harm.
And in France – a crucial flyway for Eurasian and African birds – killing migratory birds is technically illegal. But migrating birds could be shot out of the sky anyway because the environment minister ordered a delay in the law’s enforcement.
In South Africa, the environment minister formerly had authority to limit environmental damage and oversee ecological restoration at the nation’s many mining sites. But that power has now been handed over to the mining minister, raising fears of conflict between industry and environmental interests.
In Brazil, the famous Forest Code that has helped to reduce deforestation rates in the Amazon has been seriously watered down. Safeguards for forests along waterways and on hillsides have been weakened, and landowners who illegally fell forests no longer need to replant them.
In the Indian Ocean island nation of Mauritius, endangered species are protected by law, unless it is deemed to be in the “national interest” not to do so. Although an endangered species, the endemic Mauritius flying fox was annoying commercial fruit farmers, so the government has allowed more than 40,000 flying foxes to be culled.
And in Indonesia, it’s illegal to carry out destructive open-pit mining in protected forest areas. But aggressive mining firms are forcing the government to let them break the law anyway, or else face spending public money on legal battles.
<h2>Shoot the messengers</h2>
Campaigners should also beware. Under new legislation proposed in the UK, conservation groups that lose lawsuits will be hit with heavy financial penalties.
In many parts of the world, those who criticise environmentally destructive corporations are getting hit with so-called “strategic lawsuits against public participation”, or SLAPP suits.
In Peru, for instance, a corporation that was mowing down native rainforest to grow “sustainable” cacao for chocolate routinely used lawsuits and legal threats to intimidate critics.
That’s before we’ve even discussed climate change, which you might not be allowed to do in the US anyway. Proposed legislation would prohibit the government from considering climate change as a threat to any species. No wonder researchers want to move overseas.
As the above examples show, essential environmental safeguards are being conveniently downsized, diminished, ignored or swept under the carpet all over the world.
Viewed in isolation, each of these actions might be rationalised or defended – a small compromise made in the name of progress, jobs or the economy. But in a natural world threatened with “death by a thousand cuts”, no single wound can be judged in isolation.
Without our hard-won environmental protections, we would all already be breathing polluted air, drinking befouled water, and living in a world with much less wildlife.
 
Bill Laurance is a Distinguished Research Professor and Australian Laureate at James Cook University and author for The Conversation. He can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/bill-laurance-4358" target="_blank">here</a>.
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Around the world, environmental laws are under attack in all sorts of way: Bill Laurance

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SPONSORED POST
The first residents of Campbell 5 have officially moved into their new homes this week in the $600 million mixed-use precinct in Canberra’s inner-north.
The Parisian-themed Saint-Germain residential apartment building is the first stage of development to be completed in the five stage project. 
Campbell 5 is Canberra’s first globally inspired, master planned community with each stage of development drawing inspiration from a different global city or precinct that is internationally renowned for its architecture, design and liveability.  
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/06/08/Screen%20Shot%202017-06-08%20at%2010.34.34%20AM.png" alt="">
As an all-encompassing destination village and park side living quarter, Campbell 5 is proving to be a popular choice for both owner occupiers and investors alike with strong sales results in the first three stages of release. 
Boasting the same luxury inclusions and smart technology you would expect to see in big city apartment developments, including a BMW electric share car, rooftop beer gardens with water views and high-tech home automation systems, Campbell 5 is changing the face of apartment living in Canberra. 
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/06/08/Screen%20Shot%202017-06-08%20at%2010.34.25%20AM.png" alt="">
JWLand’s Head of Development in the ACT, Michael Prendergast, attributes the popularity of the precinct to the quality of design.  
“We’ve taken inspiration from the most liveable cities in the world to deliver a higher standard of apartment living in Canberra. 
The home automation technology and communal spaces offered in Campbell 5 have resonated particularly well with buyers.  
We’ve incorporated smart technology such as a C5 precinct app and KNX home automation systems to allow residents to control lighting, heating and household appliances from their tablets or smartphones.”  
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/06/08/Screen%20Shot%202017-06-08%20at%2010.34.19%20AM.png" alt="">
Saint-Germain buyers Pam and Paul say their decision to relocate to an apartment in Campbell 5 was primarily motivated by a desire for “a more flexible lifestyle”. The location and design are what sold them on Saint-Germain. Of their new three bedroom luxury apartment, the couple says “ the position, style and overall design and finish” are what caught their eye - “ it is ideal for us”.
Construction on Stage 2, inspired by New York’s Greenwich Village, is expected to be completed in August 2017. Click <a href="https://www.campbell5.com.au/greenwichgrand/" target="_blank">here</a> to find out more.
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Globally inspired precinct setting new standard for apartment living in Canberra’s inner-north 

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GUEST OBSERVER
Tourists are drawn to cities by a myriad of attractions and activities.
Some cities are blessed with iconic attractions that are on every visitor’s “must see” list – the Opera House and Harbour Bridge in Sydney, for example. 
Other cities rely on a more eclectic mix of “sights and sounds” to lure increasingly well-informed and diverse visitors. For instance, Australia’s second-largest city, Melbourne, has at various times promoted itself as the nation’s “sports and events capital”, the “arts and culture capital” and, more recently, as the “street art capital”. 
Street art, also known as graffiti, has not always had strong community support. The proliferation of the “art form” has many strident critics. For example, Graffiti Hurts spokesman Scott Hilditch complained that funding a mobile phone app to guide users around Melbourne street art sites would glorify graffiti vandalism. 
Yet there is no denying the growth of street art and the popularity of sites around inner-city Melbourne. On a sunny afternoon in the city’s laneways, you are likely to see a range of local and international visitors, some posing for photos in front of freshly painted walls, others passing by on their way to a nearby cafe for a flat white. 
You may see see local “artists” guiding groups on street art tours. You may even see newlyweds looking for that quintessentially Melbourne photo for their wedding album. 
 
Despite questions about the legality, and perhaps morality, of street art, its popularity is undeniable. Melbourne’s laneways and their street art have become a major drawcard. In a 2008 Lonely Planet poll, Melbourne’s laneway street art was voted Australia’s top “cultural attraction”. 
If social media counts (which it most certainly does), Hosier Lane, the epicentre of Melbourne street art, has arguably become the city’s premier tourist destination. It attracts significantly more Instagram hashtags than traditional destinations like Melbourne Zoo or Federation Square. 
Regardless of social and political disapproval, the proliferation of Melbourne’s street art does provide a point of distinction in an era of growing competition between cities.
City destinations are having to find new and creative ways to distinguish themselves from the rest. Numerous local and international websites, blogs and books have recognised Melbourne as Australia’s “street art capital” over the past decade. 
In turn, street art images have been selectively packaged and promotedto boost the city’s “creative” and “vibrant” image. The Melbourne City Council website recognises “the importance of street art in contributing to a vibrant urban culture”, and acknowledges:
Melbourne’s street art has become internationally renowned and has become an attraction for local and overseas visitors experiencing Melbourne’s creative ambience.
Despite this, the council seems at pains to differentiate between “graffiti” and “street art”. Melbourne City has a web page explaining to both artists and property owners the legalities of street art. 
The council refers to research and community consultations as the basis for its Graffiti Management Plan. According to its “Street Art” webpage, these revealed that:
… most people do not like graffiti ‘tagging’ … However, many people appreciate ‘street art’ such as larger, more artistic pieces, or murals placed in appropriate locations with the required permission.
However, trying to separate the two is problematic. Many street artists engage in both forms of “writing” – the term street artists use to describe their production of graffiti or street art. 
Although it’s broadly recognised by the City of Melbourne as adding to the city’s cultural aesthetic, relatively little is understood about the economic value of street art. Measuring its economic value to the city is challenging. But creative tourism forms such as this clearly have their merits as tourists increasingly seek out “alternative public spaces” in search of creative landscapes and authentic experiences. 
Thus, it’s possible that creative tourism is more valuable than conventional tourism. 
Certainly, Melbourne is increasingly well known for its “laneway galleries”, however challenging the management of this ephemeral attraction might be for governments.
Ryan Jopp is lecturer in Tourism and Management, Academic Director (Education Quality and Assurance), Swinburne University of Technology and author for The Conversation. He can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ryan-jopp-379405" target="_blank">here</a>.
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Melbourne’s love-hate relationship with being Australia’s ‘street art capital’

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GUEST OBSERVER
Today’s headline print for Q1 was weak, with real GDP growth of 0.3% q-o-q and 1.7% y-o-y (market had 1.6%). 
But most of the weakness is weather-related and therefore temporary. Cyclone Debbie and wet weather on the East coast weighed on housing construction and exports. 
Timely indicators already suggest a bounce back. 
A clearer read of underlying conditions may be gleaned from surveyed business conditions, which are around decade-highs. And why shouldn’t they be? Corporate profits are up 30% y-o-y and nominal GDP rose by 7.7% y-o-y, its fastest pace in over five years.
 Add to this, Australia just set a new record for developed world growth, with a 26 year boom! If yesterday’s RBA announcement is any guide, the central bank is largely ignoring the volatile, weather-effected GDP numbers and looking at the business and labour market surveys, which still show trend improvement. We see the RBA on hold this year and a hike in early 2018.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/06/08/Screen%20Shot%202017-06-08%20at%207.57.24%20AM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/06/08/Screen%20Shot%202017-06-08%20at%207.57.24%20AM.png" alt="">
Facts 
Real GDP rose by 0.3% q-o-q in Q1, to be 1.7% higher y-o-y. 
Household consumption rose 0.5% q-o-q to be 2.3% higher y-o-y. Dwelling investment fell by -4.4% q-o-q and -2.5% y-o-y. Business investment rose 0.7% q-o-q but was down -2.8% y-o-y. Public demand lifted by 0.2% q-o-q and 5.3% y-o-y. Overall, domestic demand (GNE) rose 0.8% q-o-q and 2.4% y-o-y. This was the strongest annual rate of growth in GNE since Q4 2012. 
Net exports were a significant drag on growth in the quarter, with export volumes falling 1.6% q- o-q and imports lifting by 1.6%. Net exports subtracted -0.7ppts from the quarterly growth rate and 0.4ppts from year-ended growth. 
Real gross domestic income rose by 1.7% q-o-q to be 6.5% higher y-o-y. Real net national disposable income per capita rose by 0.8% q-o-q and 4.0% y-o-y. 
Nominal GDP rose by 2.3% q-o-q and 7.7% y-o-y, boosted by a 6.6% q-o-q and 24.8% y-o-y lift in the terms of trade. 
The household saving ratio fell from 5.1% to 4.7%. 
Implications 
Australia’s sets 26-year growth record! That could have been the headline for this piece. Having just clicked past 103 quarters of continuous GDP growth without a technical recession, Australia has just overtaken the Netherlands to have the longest boom of any developed economy. For those interested, the Dutch economy had 102 quarters of continuous expansion between 1982 and the 2008 Global Financial Crisis (although there is some debate about whether the Dutch had a technical recession in 2003). Whatever the technicalities, the bottom line is that Australia has now had the longest boom (Chart 1). 
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Instead, the market is focused on the weak quarterly print, which has been largely driven by the weather! Hence our title. 
Today’s numbers showed that real GDP growth slowed to 0.3% in Q1, from 1.1% in Q4 2016. Of course, the 1.1% was a bit overstated, as it was a bounce back from the surprising -0.4% fall in Q3 2016. As the RBA stated yesterday, the slowdown in GDP growth partly reflects the ‘quarter-to-quarter variation in the growth figures’. 
This is true, but unusual weather also played a role. Cyclone Debbie and very wet weather on the east coast appear to have weighed on housing construction, which fell by -4.4% q-o-q, and on exports, which were down -1.6% q-o-q (Chart 2 and 3). Retail spending fell sharply in Queensland in March. Part of this is likely to continue into Q2, as coal exports fell in April, although there are already signs of a bounce back in retail sales in April and coal exports in May. 
The underlying trends for real GDP are more positive. After a number of years of mining investment weighing on overall investment, the business investment numbers are now starting to rise. The decline in mining investment is almost done and non-mining business investment is showing a modest lift in momentum. For more on our views on this see: 'Downunder Digest: Australia's next investment upswing', 21 March 2017.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/06/08/Screen%20Shot%202017-06-08%20at%207.59.59%20AM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
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Although the volume numbers have been volatile and knocked around by the weather the income numbers in the GDP figures were unquestionably strong. Corporate profits rose by a very strong 30% y-o- y, supported by the rise in commodity prices over the previous year. This has lifted nominal GDP to its fastest rate of growth in over five years at 7.7% y-o-y (Chart 4). The lift in corporate profits helps to explain why business investment is starting to pick up. The rise in profits is also extending a bit beyond the mining industry, with profits in the finance and insurance and professional services industries also lifting. 
The rise in corporate profits helps to explain why surveyed business conditions have continued to improve and most of the labour market measures are trending higher. The collection of Australian Industry Group surveys, which are now published for May, suggest business conditions were still at around decade-high levels in May (Chart 5). 
The key challenge remains that, although corporate profits and nominal GDP have picked up, largely driven by the rise in commodity prices, this has yet to show up in wages growth. Compensation of employees rose in Q1, following a fall in Q4 2016, but is still running at a weak 1.5% y-o-y. At this stage there is little evidence of the boost to national incomes is flowing through to households (Chart 6).
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/06/08/Screen%20Shot%202017-06-08%20at%208.00.50%20AM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/06/08/Screen%20Shot%202017-06-08%20at%208.00.50%20AM.png" alt="">
 
However, as the chart shows, history suggests that it will. Yesterday’s decision to lift the minimum wage by more than in previous rounds may very well be the first sign of this starting to happen. For more the wages outlook see: 'Downunder Digest: Show me the money', 20 April 2017. 
We expect growth to pick up in the second half, following the weather-effected weakness in the first half. We expect this to push the unemployment rate lower and to drive a modest rise in wages growth in the second half. We expect the RBA to be on hold this year and to lift its cash rate in early 2018. 
<a href="https://www.about.hsbc.com.au/hsbc-in-australia/management-team" target="_blank">PAUL BLOXHAM</a> IS CHIEF ECONOMIST (AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND) FOR HSBC. 
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Blame the weather and then ignore it: HSBC's Paul Bloxham on the GDP

South East Queensland’s apartment market is entering a new phase defined by rising prices, constrained affordability, and mounting pressure on the construction pipeline, according to RPM Group’s latest SEQ Apartments &amp; Townhomes Market Report.

The May 2026 report highlights a widening divide between what buyers can afford and what developers can viably deliver, with detached house prices continuing to push more buyers toward apartments across Brisbane, the Gold Coast, and the Sunshine Coast.

RPM says Brisbane’s median house price has reached around $1.5 million, accelerating the shift toward higher-density housing as buyers are increasingly priced out of the detached market.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135094 project_image_fid=356540]

Median unit prices rose across all three major SEQ markets in the March quarter. Brisbane City recorded the strongest annual growth, with median unit prices climbing 21 per cent to $862,000, while the Gold Coast reached the highest overall median at $950,000, up 17 per cent year-on-year. The Sunshine Coast followed at $870,000, representing annual growth of nine per cent.

RPM noted the affordability gap between houses and units remains significant, with detached homes commanding premiums of 67 per cent in Brisbane and 68 per cent on the Gold Coast relative to apartments.

The report suggests this price disparity is increasingly consolidating buyer demand within the apartment market, particularly among downsizers and owner-occupiers.

“Demand is real. Supply is moving. But they’re operating on different timelines and the gap between what’s being built and what buyers can afford is the defining tension in this market right now,” RPM Queensland and NSW Managing Directors Peter Neale and Clinton Trezise said in the report.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150787 project_image_fid=366230]

While approvals and commencements are strengthening, RPM argues the delivery pipeline remains constrained by construction costs, labour shortages, and extended build timelines.

Apartment approvals across Queensland increased 86 per cent over the year to February 2026, reaching 12,682 approvals, the highest level recorded since 2016. Brisbane overtook the Gold Coast as the state’s most active apartment approval market, with nearly 5,000 apartments approved over the past 12 months.

Unit commencements also strengthened considerably, rising 48 per cent year-on-year to 5,453 commencements in the December 2025 quarter, the highest level since 2018.

However, RPM’s research found apartment delivery timeframes have expanded sharply compared to the previous cycle. Projects are now averaging around 30 months from approval to completion, compared to roughly 20 months a decade ago.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=143932 project_image_fid=367515]

The number of units under construction has climbed to approximately 31,530 dwellings, nearing the previous 2016 peak, though projects are remaining in the pipeline for considerably longer.

Construction costs continue to weigh heavily on feasibility. RPM found the average apartment construction cost in Greater Brisbane reached $630,000 per dwelling in 2025, exceeding both Sydney and Melbourne. Coastal Queensland markets, including the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, were even higher at an average of $817,418 per apartment due to the prevalence of larger premium product.

The report also points to increasing pressure from Olympic-related infrastructure spending ahead of Brisbane 2032, with labour competition expected to intensify over the next several years.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=370960]

ANZ Associate Director of Property Daniel Gradwell said the underlying demand drivers across South East Queensland remain strong, supported by interstate migration, downsizers, and population growth.

“The challenge is bringing enough supply to market to meet that demand, and nothing on the horizon makes that straightforward,” Gradwell said.

RPM’s analysis found the affordability challenge is becoming more pronounced in the new apartment market itself, with only three per cent of surveyed new apartments priced below $1 million.

Instead, the market is increasingly concentrated in higher price brackets, with the most common new apartment price band across SEQ sitting between $1.5 million and $1.75 million. Around half of all new apartment stock surveyed is priced below $2 million.

The report suggests developers are not necessarily avoiding lower price points by choice, but because current construction economics make delivering affordable apartments increasingly difficult at scale.

Rental conditions also remain tight across the region. Median rents for one-bedroom apartments rose 12 per cent in Brisbane over the past year to $580 per week, while Gold Coast one-bedroom rents increased nine per cent to $630.

Despite rising rents, RPM noted bond lodgements have generally trended downward over the past five years, indicating more apartments are being absorbed by owner-occupiers rather than retained as investor-held rental stock.

Looking ahead, RPM expects projects targeting the mid-market owner-occupier segment between $1.25 million and $2 million to remain the most viable part of the market, while premium projects in highly constrained coastal or riverfront locations continue to attract demand.

“Construction costs are rewriting the feasibility rulebook across Greater Brisbane, and with little relief in sight, only projects in the right price band, right location, and with presales secured early will make it through,” the report concludes.

Joel Robinson

SEQ apartment demand outpacing affordable supply as construction timelines stretch: RPM

Camberwell Junction has long been the epicentre of amenity in Melbourne’s Boroondara region.

For nearly a century, it has drawn both locals and visitors, anchored by the Camberwell Sunday Market, which first operated in 1929 and quickly became a fixture of the suburb’s identity. Over time, the Junction evolved into one of Melbourne’s most established retail and lifestyle precincts, now comprising more than 400 stores and over 300 commercial businesses.

Despite that depth of amenity, one thing has remained notably limited: the supply of new apartments.

In a suburb defined by its heritage streetscapes and tightly held residential stock, new development opportunities have been scarce, particularly within the core of the Junction itself. That lack of supply has left a gap in the market for larger, design-led apartments suited to downsizers and owner-occupiers wanting to remain in the area.

Boutique developer Above Zero identified that gap when it secured a prime site on Burke Road, in the heart of Camberwell Junction.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=4896 project_image_fid=368543]

The site has a long planning history. Various proposals have been put forward over more than a decade, many of which were knocked back by the City of Boroondara, with initial applications dating back to 2015. Above Zero acquired the site in 2022 and returned with a revised scheme, refining both the building’s height and its ground-level interface to better align with Council expectations.

That process has culminated in approval for Camberwell House.

The Cera Stribley-designed development will deliver 57 residences on a 1,950 sqm site within the Camberwell Activity Centre, placing it directly within one of Melbourne’s most established retail and transport hubs.

It is expected to be one of the only new apartment developments to launch in the Junction in recent years, reinforcing the rarity of new supply in the precinct. Currently, there are just a handful of projects on the market in Camberwell, underscoring the significance of a development of this scale and positioning.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=4896 project_image_fid=368544]

Camberwell House has been conceived with a clear focus on larger-format apartments. The project will offer a mix of two-, three- and four-bedroom residences, alongside a limited number of penthouses, targeting owner-occupiers seeking scale rather than volume-driven product.

The building’s vertical presence will also set it apart.

Positioned on Burke Road, the development is set to become one of the taller buildings in its immediate context, allowing for elevated outlooks across Melbourne’s CBD skyline and toward the Dandenong Ranges. In a precinct characterised by lower-scale built form, that height provides a point of differentiation, particularly for buyers seeking outlook and natural light.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=4896 project_image_fid=368568]

Architecture has been led by Cera Stribley, with interiors by GOLDEN and landscape design by Florian Wild. The design approach centres on material consistency and restraint, with residences oriented to maximise light, ventilation and connection to outdoor spaces.

Full-height glazing and generous terraces form a key part of that strategy, allowing apartments to extend beyond their internal footprint and engage with the surrounding environment.

Beyond the private residences, a significant component of the project is its amenity offering.

Above Zero has positioned Camberwell House as a “complete living environment”, incorporating a full floor dedicated to resident facilities. At the centre of that is a wellness zone, including a 12.5-metre lap pool, spa, sauna and treatment spaces, alongside a gym and recovery-focused amenities.

This level of amenity is more commonly associated with inner-city developments, rather than established middle-ring suburbs like Camberwell.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=4896 project_image_fid=368588]

Additional shared spaces include a private library lounge, dining and entertaining areas, and an indoor golf simulator. A self-contained guest suite has also been incorporated, allowing residents to accommodate visiting family or friends without impacting their primary living space.

The inclusion of these facilities reflects a broader shift in buyer expectations.

As more downsizers look to transition from larger family homes into apartments, there is increasing demand for developments that offer not just a residence, but a lifestyle. That includes access to wellness, social and entertaining spaces within the building itself, reducing the reliance on external amenity while still maintaining proximity to established precincts.

Camberwell House is positioned to benefit from both.

Its location places it within immediate walking distance of Camberwell Junction’s retail and dining offering, as well as public transport connections, including tram and train services. That combination of internal amenity and external convenience is central to its appeal.

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Jellis Craig Projects Director Stephen Bowtell is handling sales for the project and says Camberwell House offers a rare entry point into one of Melbourne’s most tightly held markets.

“Buyers are recognising that Camberwell House offers something they simply haven’t seen before in Boroondara,”&nbsp;Bowtell&nbsp;says.

“It combines a level of resident amenity and service typically associated with Melbourne’s premium inner-city developments, while being positioned right in the heart of Camberwell Junction.

“The response to the concierge offering has been particularly strong. Buyers appreciate not only the convenience, but also the sense of security and peace of mind that comes from having a dedicated presence in the building every day.

“When you combine that with the wellness facilities, the exceptional arrival experience, and panoramic views across both the CBD skyline and the Dandenong Ranges, it creates a lifestyle proposition that is genuinely unique within the local market.”
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[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=4896]

Above Zero launches Camberwell House in undersupplied Camberwell Junction precinct

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/consolidated-properties">Consolidated Properties Group</a> (CPG) is approaching the launch of its latest Brisbane riverfront development, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/castile-47-skyring-terrace-newstead-qld-4006">Castile</a>, on the dress circle Skyring Terrace in Newstead.

VIP buyers are now being engaged, with a full public sales launch coming later this year.

Positioned as the final opportunity to secure a new absolute riverfront residence on the East bank of Newstead, Teneriffe or New Farm, Castile at 47 Skyring Terrace has been designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/woods-bagot">Woods Bagot</a> as a timeless addition to the Brisbane skyline.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150489 project_image_fid=371113]

The name Castile draws on themes of permanence, sophistication and legacy, reflecting a broader vision centred on enduring architecture and timelessness in the rarest of riverfront positions.&nbsp;

CPG Chairman and CEO Don O’Rorke said the project had been envisioned as a future Brisbane icon.&nbsp;

“With 47 metres of direct river frontage and never to be built out views, 47 Skyring Terrace is the definitive address on the Brisbane River,” O’Rorke said.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150489 project_image_fid=371114]

“Rather than following trend-based apartment design, Castile draws inspiration from Brisbane’s great heritage buildings, reinterpreting classical architecture into a contemporary riverfront landmark designed to stand proudly for the next 100 years,” he said.&nbsp;

The approved development will comprise 227 apartments across a 25-storey tower alongside a boutique six-storey riverfront building of just 12 residences.&nbsp;

Construction is scheduled to commence in September 2026.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150489]

CPG unveils Castile Newstead ahead of upcoming sales launch

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

How Australia Post Parcel Lockers changed parcel delivery convenience in Australia

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

Jonathan Chancellor

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