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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/65146/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
A Victorian Supreme Court decision has held that landlords should ensure that residential premises are maintained in good repair, even if the property is dilapidated when the tenant goes into occupation. That this is being hailed as a “landmark” decision underscores the sometimes Dickensian approaches that still influence tenancy law.
With two states, New South Wales and Victoria, reviewing tenancy legislation, the decision is a persuasive case study on the desirability of imposing minimum standards on the condition of rental premises. There is, however, a sting in the tail, with the judge acknowledging that the conclusion could reduce the supply of very low-cost residential housing.
"… there is no law against letting a tumble-down house. – Robbins v. Jones(1863) 15 CB (NS) 221, 240"
What did the court decide?
In the Victorian case, Ms Shields, a disability pensioner, rented a house from Mr Deliopoulos for over five years. She was unable to afford any other property. The premises were in poor condition at the start of the tenancy and deteriorated further over time.
The catalogue of “repair issues” included holes in the floor, walls and ceilings; dampness and resultant rot; and rat infestation. The property was sinking in one corner. The condition of the property was described as “filthy” and “unusable".
Ms Shields sought compensation for a breach of the landlord’s obligation to “ensure that the rented premises are maintained in good repair”.
"… having regard to the age, character and locality of the house, would make it reasonably fit for the occupation of a reasonably minded tenant of the class who would be likely to take it. – Proudfoot v. Hart (1890) 25 QBD 42,55"
Under the common law, the obligation to repair leased premises fell on the tenant rather than the landlord. The tenant had to keep the premises in good repair (defined above). To comply with this obligation, a tenant could be required to repair premises that were dilapidated at the start of the lease.
The 1975 Poverty in Australia inquiry highlighted the inadequacy of the common law rules to modern tenancy arrangements. This led to the introduction of residential tenancy legislation throughout Australia.
"A landlord must ensure that the rented premises are maintained in good repair. – Section 68, Victorian Residential Tenancies Act 1997"
The initial decision in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) confined the scope of the landlord’s duty to the condition at the start of the tenancy, irrespective of the state of repair. The VCAT decision referenced factors such as the rent payable and the tenant’s decision to stay in the property for five years (despite the fact she could not afford anything else).
On appeal to the Victorian Supreme Court, Justice Day noted that proper construction of section 68 was a matter of some public importance because Ms Shield’s matter was the latest of several cases where landlords’ repair obligations were interpreted narrowly. Holding that the obligation was “strict and absolute”, the court concluded that landlords were required to identify and rectify any defects of which they were aware or ought to have been aware.
The court also held that relating the obligations of landlords to maintain premises in good repair to the level of rent payable was inconsistent with the consumer protection focus of the legislation and with equivalent legislation in other Australian jurisdictions.
What are the implications of this decision?
While few would argue with the outcome, the decision does raise some points to ponder.
1. What measures can be taken to ensure rental properties meet an appropriate standard of repair?
All tenants should expect premises conform to minimum community standards for health, safety and energy efficiency. Yet only Tasmania and South Australia have introduced legislation that provides for minimum standards and that certain amenities – which most people take for granted, such as cooking areas, a bathroom and hot and cold water – are provided in rental properties.
In South Australia, if a tenant believes a property has serious structural damage, he or she can seek an inspection by the Housing Improvement Branch and have the property declared substandard. It is suggested such provisions should be adopted in all states and territories. The reviews of residential tenancy laws in Victoria and NSW provide an opportunity to incorporate minimum standards.
2. Will the decision, or the imposition of minimum standards, reduce supply of low-cost rental housing?
Justice Day recognised the decision could prevent owners of properties in poor repair from renting out their properties at low rent, thus further decreasing stock availability. Although a few landlords may decide to do so, in most cases the landlords' financial realities will prevail and properties will be brought into repair.
The introduction of minimum standards in Tasmania and South Australia has been phased in to give landlords time to budget and improve properties.
3. How can we be sure that tenants receive appropriate legal advice and representation?
Could Ms Shields have succeeded in navigating VCAT, and the Supreme Court, without the assistance of Legal Aid Victoria? A self-represented tenant with few housing options, limited funds and no familiarity with the legal system would find it an onerous task to proceed against a landlord.
Less formal, low-cost processes should be examined. These should include a Housing Ombudsman, as recently suggested by the Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS).
Ms Shield’s experience is a timely reminder that the law , in form and in application, must ensure all tenants are provided with the basic necessities in rental properties. And, when landlords do not comply, there needs to be adequate access to justice.
Eileen Webb is associate professor, Curtin Law School, Curtin University and author for The Conversation. She can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/eileen-webb-95332" target="_blank">here</a>.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Dickensian approach to residential tenants lingers in Australian law

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SPONSORED POST
Commercial property can be a great investment, especially for investors who are seeking cash flow.
An investor who owns residential property would consider themselves lucky if they could get a rental return of 4 percent pa on a house and 5 percent pa on a unit/flat/townhouse. However, commercial property can provide for much higher rental returns.
It’s not uncommon for retail property to earn 7 percent pa, office property 8 percent pa and in some cases, industrial property can provide the investor with a rental return of over 10 percent pa.
The example below illustrates the difference in annual rental return over five different types of property. Let’s assume that the purchase price in each case is $500,000. 
Purchase Price – $500,000
House – Rent = $20,000 (4 percent)
Unit – Rent = $25,000 (5 percent)
Retail – Rent = $35,000 (7 percent)
Office – Rent = $40,000 (8 percent)
Industrial – Rent = $50,000 (10 percent)
The rental return can vary depending on a number of factors, such as location and quality of the building.
A higher percentage rental return is only one of the advantages so far as rent is concerned.
A residential investor has many expenses. They need to pay for council rates, water rates, repairs, maintenance, insurance, property management fees and the list goes on. This means that a significant proportion of the rent (up to 30 percent) that the residential investor receives is spent on expenses.
However, the situation for commercial property investors is very different. It is the tenant that pays for the vast majority of expenses including council rates, insurance, property management fees, etc. As a result, the commercial property investor may only need to pay out 5% of the rent received in expenses.
The example below illustrates the differences between gross and net rent. Gross rent is the rental amount that the tenant pays the landlord and the net rent is the amount of rent the landlord is left with after paying all the property expenses. Let’s assume again that each property was purchased for $500,000. 
Residential Property (rental return – 5 percent pa)
Gross Rent – $25,000
Net Rent – $18,000
 
Commercial Property (rental return – 8 percent)
Gross rent – $40,000
Net rent – $38,000 
If you study the example above, you might be asking yourself why anyone would spend $500,000 on a residential property to end up with $18,000 in rent when they could buy a commercial property and finish up with more than twice the rent! There are two main reasons for this. 
Firstly is the risk. So far as investment is concerned, a greater return is associated with a greater risk. The main risk with commercial property is vacancy. If you lose a tenant from your unit or house, it will probably take about one week to find a new tenant. However, if you lose a tenant from your industrial property, it may take months or more than a year to find a tenant.
Secondly, residential property is bought mainly for its capital growth, not rental return.
So, if it is capital growth you’re seeking, residential property is often the best asset. If it is cash-flow you want, look for commercial property.
Where to start I hear you ask? 
Your first step is to log onto realcommercial.com.au so as to have a look at the types of properties available. Secondly, speak to your accountant/financial planner/qualified property investment advisor about owning a commercial property as part of your investment portfolio.
Finally and most importantly, seek legal advice from a property lawyer. The leases of commercial property are very different to those of residential property and will probably require a legal expert to read it and explain some of the essential terms and conditions.
For more information, <a href="https://bs.serving-sys.com/BurstingPipe/adServer.bs?cn=tf&amp;c=20&amp;mc=click&amp;pli=18755997&amp;PluID=0&amp;ord=%5Btimestamp%5D" target="_blank">click here</a>.
About realcommercial.com.au: realcommercial.com.au is the leading website in Australia for commercial property, attracting an average of 1.7 million visitors a month (Source: Nielsen Online Market Intelligence, Total Traffic, average calculation May-July 2015, includes app traffic from Omniture Site Catalyst as Nielsen doesn’t report on app). It is owned and operated by realestate.com.au Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of ASX-listed REA Group Limited ACN 068 349 066 (ASX:REA).
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Why you should consider investing in commercial property: Realcommercial.com.au 

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Westpac Banking Corp has invested $16.5 million in the fintech firm uno, which allows mortgage customers to broker their own home loan.
Around 400 mortgage products are offered through uno. 
uno will compete against two ASX-listed companies, AFG and Mortgage Choice, and Aussie Home Loans and also compete against the banks. 
In the three months since the startup launch, uno has attracted more than a thousand active users and the dollar value of mortgages sold through the platform is more than $400 million.
It allows users to see and compare all of the information about a loan that a traditional broker would access.
The founder Vincent Turner told the Australian Financial Review the company was founded after he spent the past five years in Silicon Valley
The commission paid by banks using uno is roughly equivalent to what is paid to traditional mortgage brokers.
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Startup uno secures $400 million in mortgage deals in first three months

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The James, New York based, investment banking family have secured $18 million for their Rose Bay Avenue, Bellevue Hill, home which was listed last year through Alison Coopes.
The marketing described the home as a thoroughbred.
Alan James, the New York based, Macquarie investment banker sold his Rose Bay Avenue home to another Macquarie banker Sebastian Barrack.
The property was architect Professor Leslie Wilkinson's first residential commission in 1923.
The seven bedroom, five bathroom house comes with heated pool, pool house and floodlit lawn tennis court on 2,415 square metre.
Sebastian Barrack has headed the agricultural commodities division at Macquarie Bank which he joined in 1999 via Macquarie's acquisition of his division at Bankers Trust Australia.
It last sold in 2002 when the Dawson Damer family secured $9.03 million, swapping its for another Wilkinson-designed house, Greenway in Vaucluse.
Sydney University's founding dean of architecture, Professor Leslie Wilkinson, designed the grand heritage-listed Georgian-style home for the Laidley-Dowling family, in collaboration with architect, John D Moore.
The Dawson-Damers bought for $6.15 million in 1991 from the Perth-based John Bond who'd paid $675,000 in 1979. The then Perth-based, Bond Corporation executive had extensively upgraded the seven bedroom home through Andre Porebski, and also Garth Barnett during the Bond decade. 
Wilkinson undertook just 40 house designs, finishing in 1968 with Anthony Coote's $80,000 Vaucluse waterfront, once briefly owned by Paul Hogan, who sold it for $11 million in 2004 to Precision Group's Shaun Bonett, the young property tycoon from Adelaide.
In 2013 Karl Lagerfeld sold his Gramercy Park, New York pied-à-terre to the Macquarie banker Sebastian Barrack for US$4.5 million.
Lagerfeld had purchased the stark white, three-bedroom apartment in 2006 for $6.575 million.
 
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$18 million paid for Professor Wilkinson-designed Bellevue Hill home

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/64794/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
There is much debate about which groups of people have played the greatest role in creating the increasingly unaffordable housing markets in Australian cities. Baby boomers and foreign investors are two popular targets.
But in my new book, The Geopolitics of Real Estate, I show it is a mistake to blame particular domestic or foreign investor groups for affordability problems over a short timeline.
One way to think about housing affordability is to reverse-engineer the problem back to the birth of Australia’s property-owning democracy. History shows the problem was created in five key steps.
Step 1: Aboriginal peoples were dispossessed of their land
When you open up the timeline for an analysis of housing affordability, the question quickly becomes: whose land are domestic and foreign real estate investors trading?
Go back a couple of centuries and you arrive at what RMIT academic Libby Porter calls the original dispossession: the point when the land was stolen from Aboriginal peoples.
But Aboriginal land dispossession is not only a series of historical events that occurred in the past. Such acts established the social and legal conditions that allow land and real estate to be traded today.
This throws statements by domestic real estate investors about invading foreigners into sharp relief.
Step 2: foreigners and capital were moved onto the land
The early British colonial settlements set trade and migration as their objectives.
In the early 19th century, Edward Wakefield, a leading force in South Australia’s colonisation, argued land should be sold rather than given away. This would incentivise the new landowners to pay the emigration costs associated with transporting immigrants to supply labour for the colony.
Wakefield argued the immigrants would sell their labour and, with their incomes, would buy land. He called this systematic colonisation, and later championed these ideas in New Zealand and Canada.
These ideas about globalising the scale at which foreigners could be moved through local colonial land opened up new ways of thinking about the global market for land and sources of labour.
Contemporary governments continue to use the movement of people and capital through their land and real estate markets to underwrite their economies and labour markets.
Step 3: a property-owning democracy was built
A property-owning democracy is a society in which between 65% and 85% of households own or are purchasing the home they live in.
After the second world war the Australian government set about building a property-owning democracy. To build it required two interrelated tasks.
<ul>
<li>The first involved claiming, measuring, quantifying and distributing the land ready for the sale of real estate.</li>
<li>The second involved creating a way of thinking about real estate that would function within the property-owning democracy.</li>
</ul>
After the war the government increasingly regulated the movement of people and their money across Australian borders. It introduced a raft of economic and social policies that were firmly aimed at shaping how Australians thought about real estate – the Great Australian Dream.
Post-war housing and economic policies, ideas about nationhood and citizenship, and the responsibility to be a suburban consumer of a home and household goods were worked deeply into the minds of baby boomers.
Step 4: land and real estate was constituted as private property
What emerged in the second half of the 20th century was a suite of crises in land and real estate.
Aboriginal land rights rose to the surface as the settler politics of claiming and defending the land and real estate was called into question.
As the populations grew and the effects of the property-owning democracy took hold in major Australian cities, a crisis in housing affordability emerged.
When compared with the experience of their parents, by the early 21st century it was harder for the children of the baby boomers to buy into urban real estate markets. As the baby boomers were busy buying real estate in the second half of the 20th century, a land revolution was under way in China.
The collectivisation of land had effectively removed the land from the private property market in China in the mid-20th century. It was radically reinserted a few decades later.
The geopolitical rise of China at the end of the 20th century changed the way people and money circulated around the world.
Step 5: global movements of people and capital followed the geopolitics
Strong private property land and real estate ideals emerged from the other side of the Cultural Revolution. The commodification of land and real estate became a key tactic for building wealth in China.
The surplus Chinese capital broke free of the national border by the end of the century. The newly enfranchised middle class and super-rich Chinese were looking for foreign real estate opportunities.
At the turn of the century, the baby boomer real estate dream was becoming harder to realise for their children. But the Chinese local and foreign real estate dreams were still in their infancy.
The history of foreign investment in land and real estate shows the global movement of people and capital is closely linked to the prevailing geopolitics.
Dallas Rogers is lecturer in Urban Studies, Western Sydney University and author for The Conversation. He can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dallas-rogers-5269" target="_blank">here</a>.
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Property 101: Australia’s housing affordability problem explained in five historical steps

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The Alexandria-apartment bound Neale Whitaker, a judge on Channel 9’s The Block, has listed his Surry Hills terrace.
He and partner David Novak-Piper have the Riley Street terrace listed with a price guide of $1.575 million.
Neale Whitaker and Partner David Novak-Pipe renovated the terrace that spans three levels.
There's an open-plan kitchen and lounge room that flows out to a rear courtyard with a deck. There is also a separate dining and living room and a central sunroom that opens on to an atrium.
There are original fireplaces throughout the home including in the main bedroom.
It is listed for October 8 auction.
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The Block's Neale Whitaker lists in Surry Hills

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St Bees Island, located 37km offshore to the northeast of Mackay, has been listed by LJ Hooker Commercial Brisbane agent Keir Kreis.
It has 4.2ha of sandy beaches and lush rainforest.
The leasehold property has a 25-year lease expiring 2034.
It has been used by a Gold Coast family as their private home over the past two years.
The rental under the terms of the lease is $5,500 per annum.
The leasehold property at Island Road, St Bees Island is situated to the east of Keswick Island within the Cumberland Islands Group. Surrounded by beautiful fringing reefs alive with marine life, St Bees Island consists of sandy beaches lapping with crystal clear water, rainforests, eucalypt woodlands, dense grasslands and eleven hundred hectares of untouched national park with wild fauna and flora and a diverse wild life. The property access to the island is via sea transfer from Mackay.
Private planes can land at nearby Keswick Island or alternatively the property can be accessed directly by helicopter from Mackay. 
Reliable mobile phone and internet coverage are available on the island.
The vendors are also prepared to include a barge and pleasure craft in the sale of the property, subject to negotiation.
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St Bees Island for sale

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/65248/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
What is the one thing that makes young people everywhere the most anxious? According to the Global Youth Wellbeing Index, it’s a lack of future economic opportunities.
Data from both the OECD and the Youth Wellbeing Index show Australian youth have had it better than just about any other country’s young workforce, but their prospects are also not so rosy.
It’s clear that the millennial cohort has drawn a short straw compared to earlier generations. A large majority (85 percent) of the world’s youth are experiencing low levels of wellbeing, the index notes.
But they aren’t getting much sympathy: a virulent anti-millennial sentiment has led to their derision as “generation jobless”.
It’s also worth considering how the youth of Australia have fared and expect to fare – because while the verdict has historically been excellent, there are disparities masked by the glossy big picture.
What about Australian young people?
As ample survey data now shows, Australian youth are fretting about their prospects, with lower income growth, overqualification, employment instability and crowding out from many key domains such as housing; all these factors together portend a more stressed generation.
Perhaps no statistic captures this better than the fact that one-quarter of young Australians say they are unhappy with their lives.
Since the global financial crisis of 2008, the number of youth that are “neither in employment, education or training” (often called “NEET”) has actually risen by 1.4 percent to 11.8 percent. This equates to 580,000 young people.
Inequality in education tends to be a driver of inequality in employment. Young Australians who have only a Year 10 Certificate are more than three times as likely to be unemployed as those with tertiary education.
There is also a clear disparity by gender. Young women are 50 percent more likely to be stuck in a NEET situation than men. This is well above the OECD average of 36 percent for gender disparity.
The problem is particularly prevalent among young Australian women caring for infants. This is why a lack of access to affordable child care and flexible working arrangements are two significant barriers that must be addressed.
There is also a racial aspect to youth employment. Indigenous youth NEET rates are more than three times higher than those of non-indigenous Australians. Part of the challenge in this regard stems from the weak labour markets in remote and very remote regions.
These disparities are often masked when Australia’s impressive overall record is compared with other countries. However, as the Parliamentary Budget Office of Canada has calculated, the economic situation for youth can worsen dramatically in a short time. It did for Canada’s proportion of underemployed youth, which swelled from 35 percent to 40 percent in less than five years. So the overall record for Australia could change soon too.
Sadly, in terms of the fear of a bleak economic future, young Australians are not that different from their peers abroad.
A universal fear
Around the world, nearly half the youth are unemployed or underemployed, while more than 120 million youth are still illiterate. So it is difficult to overstate the universality of this problem.
Is this because youth employment has received the least focus? Unemployment has historically taken a back seat to other core priorities towards the young.
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), for example, include the eradication of hunger, child mortality, illiteracy and disease – but there is no goal for unemployment or underemployment. It may be time to add another notch to these priorities, with a focus on developing strategies for engaging and employing youth.
The benefits if we achieved this goal are far from superficial. It is well documented that when youth are gainfully employed they are less likely to rely on social programs, less inclined to criminality, better engaged in civic life and better poised in their sense of personal wellbeing.
Usman W. Chohan is doctoral candidate, Policy Reform and Economics, UNSW Australia and author for The Conversation. He can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/usman-w-chohan-182272" target="_blank">here</a>.
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Young people worldwide fear a lack of economic opportunities – it’s easy to see why

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Aussie John Symond is listing his Point Piper trophy home - and reckons he might well find his buyer in China for Sydney's most monolithic home offering.
With unconfirmed $100 million plus expectations, it would easily exceed the Sydney residential record held by tycoon James Packer.
The harbourfront home set on 2685 sqm has piqued the interest of Sydneysiders ever since its first development application lodgement in 2000.
Some seven years later the Aussie Home Loans founder moved into the completed copper-capped roofed and sandstone skirted home.
So vast, and then without vegetation, at one point it was nicknamed Aussie Stadium.
With a floor space of 2200 sqm over four levels, the six bedroom home, all with ensuites, features two swimming pools, one on the top floor.
It has 75 metres of absolute waterfrontage.
Speculation has been rife since May when a spokesman said no decision had been made about Mr ­Symond’s future living or work arrangements. 
But Mr Symond’s spokesman confirmed the 69 year old entrepreneur was “exploring options in regard to his life after Aussie Home Loans when his contract expires in 18 months”.
“One of those options from 2018 involves living part of the year overseas and enjoying time on his boat, which is one of his passions,” he said.
There was a “strong possibility” Mr Symond may retain a role with Aussie, the spokesman said, which may mean Mr Symond could move from being executive chairman to a less hands-on role as chairman.
Estate agents have been advised to prepare the marketing for a roadshow to China
Symond previously lived in a Walsh Bay penthouse which sold for a record $16 million in 2006.
He paid $10,893,398 for the Wingandal Place property in 1999. He married Amber McDonald at the home in February.
It seems once he turns 70 next August he wants to spend a bit more time in Europe where he has a luxury 73 metre yacht being built.
The boat will act primarily as a charter vessel in the Mediterranean. The Dutch shipbuilder Feadship is set to complete the boat early next year. 
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Aussie John Symond listing Point Piper harbourfront

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Retired AFL footballer Darren Jolly and his designer wife, Dea, now professional renovators, have listed in Kew East with an October 8 scheduled auction.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-kew+east-123577366" target="_blank">It is the home</a> they rebuilt after demolishing their heritage-protected house without permission.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-kew+east-119169183" target="_blank">It was bought for $1,395,000</a> in June last year and they want $2.6 million. 
Dea Jolly, now a Fairfax Media columnist, once confessed she had an addiction to renovating.
The house comes with underfloor heating in the bathrooms, 100 percent wool carpets and 100 percent linen curtains, engineered European Oak flooring, bespoke made handles, plantation shutters on the windows, Velux solar-powered and rain sensing opening skylights plus landscaped gardens with irrigation and lighting. 
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The Block's Darren and Dea Jolly list Kew East cottage

A landmark former orphanage site in Surrey Hills could be transformed into a new residential community under plans lodged by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/antipodean-land-developments">Antipodean Land Developments</a> that would deliver 76 apartments and townhouses while restoring some of the suburb's most significant heritage buildings.

The burgeoninng Melbourne-based developer has submitted plans for the 9,158 sqm site at 1 Kent Road and 24 Durham Road, home to the former St Joseph's Home for Destitute Children, a historic institutional complex dating back to the late 19th century. The proposal seeks to adaptively reuse several heritage buildings while introducing two new four-storey residential buildings set within extensive landscaped grounds.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/woods-bagot">Woods Bagot</a> and Kerstin Thompson Architects, the project has been conceived as a contemporary residential village embedded within a restored heritage precinct. The development team describes the design approach as "The Village in the Garden," with new buildings positioned among mature landscaping by OCULUS and significant heritage structures.

<img alt="First look: Antipodean Land Developments plans heritage-led apartment community in Surrey Hills" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="44ec8c1b-c0b6-44ae-859e-5811b3e6a023" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%281%29.png?VersionId=p.p1_KFh4iQoV4nisdnPfQBAsWNi7m79" />

The proposal would deliver 76 dwellings comprising a mix of apartments and duplex-style residences, significantly increasing housing supply on one of the largest privately held residential landholdings in Surrey Hills. The development includes 127 car spaces, 24 bicycle spaces and more than 1,000 sqm of communal amenity, with the existing chapel building earmarked for conversion into resident facilities.

According to the planning submission, the project centres on the restoration and adaptive reuse of the site's most significant heritage assets, including the original c.1889 St Joseph's building, the chapel designed by architect Augustus Andrew Fritsch, and the historic brick perimeter walls and entry gates. The proposal also incorporates the retention of other contributory buildings including the former infirmary and school building.

Tract Consultants, in the planning report accompanying the application, said the scheme had been shaped through extensive heritage analysis and design development.

"The shared vision for the Site by the project team has culminated in a scheme which successfully breathes life back into a historic site while delivering upon the objectives of Victoria's Housing Statement in a carefully curated and contextually responsive manner."

<img alt="First look: Antipodean Land Developments plans heritage-led apartment community in Surrey Hills" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7263b7d8-95ea-400f-9531-6ca7d22c3c33" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%282%29.png?VersionId=4cR1tiWOsDpgxEOwZi5vVFcyvvOsYkIE" />

The proposal is being assessed under Victoria's Significant Residential Development with Affordable Housing pathway. As part of the application, three per cent of the project's residential development cost would be contributed to the Social Housing Growth Fund. The development would also provide a diverse mix of one, two and three-bedroom residences targeting a broader range of buyers than typically found in Surrey Hills' detached housing market.

Sustainability initiatives include an anticipated 66 per cent BESS score, natural cross-ventilation to 80 per cent of apartments, 28 per cent deep soil landscaping and a canopy cover outcome exceeding local planning requirements. The proposal also sets aside more than 1,083 sqm for communal indoor and outdoor resident amenity spaces.

<img alt="First look: Antipodean Land Developments plans heritage-led apartment community in Surrey Hills" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="33fad46f-fe26-4d0a-acfd-6b776e1c6a3d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Untitled%20design.png?VersionId=D9F6WVSyYCtGvSUmith35LRp6R7PQkw_" />

Planning documents describe the property as one of the largest underutilised residential sites in Surrey Hills, arguing it presents a rare opportunity to introduce "missing middle" housing in an established inner-eastern suburb while preserving and revitalising a significant heritage precinct.

Antipodean Land Developments has built a reputation for design-focused residential projects across Melbourne, particularly in the medium-density sector. Previous developments include Neighbourhood in Brunswick East, delivered with Breathe Architecture, and Balfe Park Lane, designed by Kerstin Thompson Architects.

They've been very active in site acquisition as they build out their future development pipeline. They recently launched Thornubury House, 45 apartments above a mix of commercial, retail, and food and beverage tenancies, and have plans for a boutique project in Fitzroy and another <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/vic/antipodean-plan-apartments-for-deepdenes-missing-middle-on-whitehorse-road">"missing middle" project</a> on Deepdene's Whitehorse Road.

Joel Robinson

First look: Antipodean Land Developments plans heritage-led apartment community in Surrey Hills

Developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/auyin-property-development">Auyin</a> is the latest to turn to the Victorian Government's Development Facilitation Program in an effort to secure approval for its long-planned, mixed-use project in Elsternwick.

In 2018, Auyin lodged plans with Glen Eira City Council for a 14-storey building, however Council approved a reduced eight-storey scheme. A subsequent VCAT appeal in 2019 upheld the eight-storey height limit.

The project was later amended to nine storeys, but Auyin is now seeking to revive something closer to its original vision. The developer argues that the planning context has evolved significantly over the past decade, particularly within the Elsternwick Activity Centre, where higher-density development has increasingly been encouraged along Glen Huntly Road.

The proposal would transform the 1,239 sqm site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/7-12-horne-street-elsternwick-vic-3185">7-15 Horne Street</a>, opposite Elsternwick Railway Station, into a 13-storey residential and retail development designed by CBG Architects, with 40 apartments

The site currently comprises three commercial properties.

<img alt="First look: 13-storey mixed-use tower planned for Elsternwick activity centre" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5f465dd4-509b-4082-a669-0253b313914b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/elsternwick%20podium.png?VersionId=72frWi0SmQ5AVJ3ARRhX5ILUYObhTm7x" />

The proposed apartment mix comprises 25 two-bedroom and 15 three-bedroom residences above 200 sqm of retail space at ground level. Residents would have access to a 90 sqm wellness facility, a 351 sqm communal indoor and outdoor terrace on the third level, and extensive landscaped areas throughout the development. A publicly accessible 135 sqm plaza would be created on the north-east corner of the site, providing seating, landscaping, and a new gathering space adjoining Horne Street.

The design adopts a four-storey podium that references the finer-grain character of the surrounding streetscape, with the upper tower recessed behind generous setbacks on all boundaries.

<img alt="First look: 13-storey mixed-use tower planned for Elsternwick activity centre" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e637e763-2abc-4c34-a0aa-5c7ad36fae18" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/elsternwick%20open.png?VersionId=J1AoOpZgTyaF.KeeFSX6lMjEScX8KKRi" />

A key element of the proposal is the reconfiguration and widening of the surrounding laneways. Vehicle access would be retained from Lois Lane, with upgraded pedestrian connections linking Ross Street and Horne Street. The development would provide 58 residential car spaces, two retail car spaces, and 52 bicycle spaces across two basement levels and ground-floor facilities.

Architecturally, the building draws inspiration from the established character of Elsternwick Village. The façade combines dark charcoal brickwork, textured concrete, bronze-toned metal detailing, and extensive planting integrated into podium and tower levels. The design also incorporates a chamfered corner treatment and publicly accessible plaza intended to strengthen pedestrian activity around the station precinct.

Elsternwick's last new development completion was&nbsp;EVA Elsternwick by Pitard late last year. <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/milieu-property">Milieu</a> is working away on its nature-led neighbourhood, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/elsternwick-gardens-by-milieu-8-gordon-street-elsternwick-vic-3185">Elsternwick Gardens</a>, on Gordon Street, with its first stage expected to complete next year.

First look: Auyin seeks mixed-use apartment project in growing Elsternwick Activity Centre

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/otium-parkdale-123-125-como-parade-east-parkdale-vic-3195">Otium Parkdale</a>, the 13-residence boutique development by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/huxtable-property">Huxtable Property</a>, has entered its final stages of delivery, with completion expected within the coming month and more than half of the residences sold.

The Como Parade East project is nearing the finish line at a time when opportunities to purchase new apartments in <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/parkdale-vic-3195">Parkdale</a> remain exceptionally limited. Fewer than 10 per cent of dwellings in the bayside suburb are apartments, making developments like Otium a relatively rare addition to a market traditionally dominated by detached housing.

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The three-level development comprises 13 residences, including ten two-bedroom apartments and three larger three-bedroom homes, all positioned above a secure basement car park.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/almeida-architects">Almeida Architects</a> with a strong connection to its coastal surroundings, Otium combines red brick, exposed concrete and dark metal detailing with integrated landscaping and greenery. Expansive glazing, generous balconies and terraces have been incorporated throughout the design to maximise natural light and reinforce indoor-outdoor living.

Inside, the residences feature engineered European oak flooring, natural and reconstituted stone benchtops, Bosch kitchen appliances, ducted heating and cooling, lift access and secure entry systems. The larger three-bedroom residences on the upper level have been designed with house-like proportions, while the two-bedroom apartments prioritise functionality, flexibility and low-maintenance living.

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The project is now in its final stages, with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/builders/labco">Labco</a> completing the remaining landscaping and external finishing works following the completion of the residences' interiors.

Otium's location within the heart of Parkdale continues to underpin its appeal. Residents will be just steps from local cafés, restaurants, shops and the newly elevated Parkdale Station, while the beach is less than a kilometre away.

With the project tracking ahead of schedule, buyers can currently secure a residence with a five per cent deposit and benefit from settlement terms of up to eight months. The advanced stage of construction also provides buyers with the opportunity to walk through the near-complete residences and experience the quality and finishes firsthand ahead of completion.

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Otium Parkdale enters final month before completion as rare apartment opportunity nears sellout

A new boutique apartment development is entering the market in <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/chermside-qld-4032">Chermside</a>, with Brisbane-based developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/ausdev">Ausdev</a> bringing 33 residences to a well-connected pocket of Brisbane's north.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/parkdrive-apartments-chermside-25-sammells-drive-chermside-qld-4032">Parkdrive Apartments</a>, at 25 Sammells Drive, will comprise a mix of one- and two-bedroom residences positioned within walking distance of Westfield Chermside, The Prince Charles Hospital, and Bradbury Park.

Established in 1989, Ausdev has a long-standing presence across both development and construction, with Parkdrive Apartments representing its latest residential project in Brisbane's northern suburbs.

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The development has been designed around open-plan living and natural light, with residences featuring stone benchtops, timber cabinetry, BOSCH appliances, and private balconies that extend the living areas outdoors.

Kitchens are positioned as the centrepiece of the homes, incorporating natural material palettes and integrated appliances, while bathrooms have been designed with a focus on functionality and understated finishes.

Residents will have access to a communal barbecue and entertaining area on Level 3, providing shared outdoor space within the development. Secure parking and lift access are also incorporated into the building.

The project will deliver a limited collection of 33 apartments, with one-bedroom residences priced from $749,000.

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Beyond the building itself, the location places residents within easy reach of several of Chermside's key amenities. Bradbury Park is around 350 metres away, while Westfield Chermside is approximately 1.3 kilometres from the site. The Prince Charles Hospital is located within 750 metres, and the Chermside Bus Interchange is around 1.5 kilometres away, providing connections across Brisbane.

Parkdrive Apartments adds to the growing residential pipeline in Chermside, a suburb that continues to evolve as a major retail, healthcare, and transport hub for Brisbane's north.

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Ausdev introduces boutique Parkdrive Apartments to Chermside's growing centre

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/skymark-group">Skymark</a>'s boutique Cronulla development Solis has secured a 10-year Latent Defects Insurance policy through Resilience Insurance, providing buyers of the 16-residence building on Ewos Parade with structural and waterproofing protection that extends a decade beyond the building's completion.

Currently under construction and due for completion in late 2027, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/solis-cronulla-8-ewos-parade-cronulla-nsw-2230">Solis</a> is one of a small number of new developments in the Sutherland Shire to carry Resilience LDI coverage, a distinction that carries increasing weight as buyer confidence in the off-the-plan sector continues to be shaped by how developers stand behind their product.

Latent Defects Insurance, which entered the Australian market in 2022 when Resilience Insurance was approved to offer the cover, protects buyers against major structural or waterproofing defects for ten years post-completion. Unlike traditional statutory warranties, it operates as a first-resort policy, if a covered defect arises, the insurer responds directly, without the buyer needing to pursue the builder or developer through a lengthy claims process.

Resilience Insurance CEO Corey Nugent has noted that the product addresses something fundamental to the new apartment market.

"The overarching feedback from prospective buyers in the new development space is that they want more confidence and assurances around the quality of the build," Nugent says.

"Resilience Insurance Latent Defects Insurance not only gives them complete peace of mind for 10 years, but it shows the developer they are buying from is standing by their product."

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For Solis, the Resilience LDI policy adds a meaningful layer of accountability to an already considered project. The development comprises nine two-bedroom and seven three-bedroom residences, including one dual-level three-bedroom apartment, across a five-storey building on Ewos Parade, positioned between Shelly Beach and South Cronulla.

Garden apartments connect directly to private landscaped courtyards, while upper-level homes capture beach views to the east from level four and above.&nbsp;

All 16 residences include at least one balcony or courtyard, and select apartments on the upper floors feature bar areas and secondary flexible living spaces.

Hiba Sander, Managing Director of Skymark, says Solis offers a rare balance, nestled between the quiet beauty of secluded beaches and the lively charm of South Cronulla's esplanade.

"It's a place to choose your pace and live gracefully, seaside'," Sander says.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150499 project_image_fid=370900]

The architecture, designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/ida-design-group">IDA Design Group</a>'s Michael Trinh, draws from the natural erosion patterns of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/cronulla-nsw-2230">Cronulla</a>'s sandstone headlands, translating the organic forms of the coastline into soft curves, pavilion-style massing, and a material palette chosen for longevity in a salt-tinged environment.&nbsp;

Textured natural stone, soft renders, and timber-look battens reference the tones of the surrounding cliffs, while the building has been oriented to maximise natural light and passive ventilation, with primary living spaces facing north and east to capture morning sun and sea breezes.

"At Solis, our aim was to create architecture that feels quietly confident, grounded in natural materials like stone and timber, and elevated by light and landscape," Trinh says.&nbsp;

"The buildings are designed to sit gently within their coastal surrounds, with expansive glazing and abundant greenery creating a seamless dialogue between inside and out."

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Interiors by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/hot-black">Hot Black</a> carry the same material language through to every room. Kitchens feature integrated Gaggenau appliances, sculpted stone benchtops, and Lo &amp; Co joinery, while bathrooms feature natural stone, timber, and brushed metal finishes.&nbsp;

Hot Black Founder and Design Director Sophie Safrin describes the intent as one of considered restraint: "At Solis, every detail has been thoughtfully considered to create a timeless coastal retreat, calm, refined, and effortlessly liveable. From natural finishes to seamless indoor-outdoor flow, Solis offers a quiet elegance that's deeply connected to its surroundings.

The landscape, designed by Julian Brady of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/landscape-architect/sitedesignstudios">Site Design Studios</a>, treats green space as an integral part of the resident experience rather than an afterthought.&nbsp;

"Gentle curves and layered native plantings mirror the ebb and flow of the ocean," Julian Brady says, "creating a serene connection between architecture and place."&nbsp;

Coco Republic has provided bespoke furniture packages tailored to the project's coastal palette.

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Skymark has an established track record in the Sutherland Shire, with a portfolio spanning Cronulla, Woolooware and Burraneer that includes Isla, Sylva, Bask, Shells, Sula and Mist. Securing LDI on Solis reflects a broader shift in how the developer is positioning its buildings to buyers, at a time when Resilience Insurance expects the policy to become mandatory in New South Wales by 2028.

Sales at Solis are launching soon through Ray White Projects, with an official event scheduled for 11 June. Enquire for more information.

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Jonathan Chancellor

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