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Actor Ada Nicodemou and her brother Costa have sold their Potts Point retail investment.
It was sold at $1.3 million by the the Home and Away actor and her sibling.
They have owned the 54-square-metre property since 2001 when they purchased it for $600,000 on Macleay Street.
It is leased by Toni&amp;Guy Hairdressing.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Potts Point retail space sold by Ada Nicodemou

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The deal to build Sydney's tallest residential tower has fallen over after its Chinese developer Greenland and the construction giant Brookfield Multiplex severed its contractual agreement due to commercial differences.
It is understood the construction costs would have made it hard for the project to be profitable for the Chinese developer which has accrued a chequered record in Australia in its brief time in the country. Or as the Australian Financial Review suggested Brookfield Multiplex thought Greenland had been difficult to deal with and there had already been significant delays in what was already an extremely tight program. 
The arrival of the Chinese-based Greenland to Australian shores was heralded by Property Observer an auspicious occasion with their 2013 plans for building Sydney's tallest residential highrise on the former Water Board site in the CBD, but little has gone right for the group ever since.
The overly ambitious Chinese developer were lured to overpay for the CBD site, after abandoning, at the eleventh hour, well advanced plans for a suburban project that would have not given them their desired world beating, global expansion status. Its acquired site was described in 2014 by JBA town planner Clare Swan as a "prominent CBD site that had been left in the ‘too hard’ basket for years." Greenland paid $113 million for the site from Multiplex which was never known having trophy development sites.
Swan noted with a heritage-listed building and an existing 1960s tower on the site, that previous owners couldn’t make a new development stack up, so it remained "stubbornly undeveloped" for nearly a decade.
In a statement the Chinese developer said yesterday it was still committed to the ugly duckling, intent on building <a href="https://www.greenlandaustralia.com.au/en/greenland-centre/" target="_blank">the $700 million, 235 metre tower tower</a>, which has seen almost all its apartments sold off the plan through CBRE Residential.
"Brookfield Multiplex and Greenland have had different views on commercial terms in respect to the construction of the Greenland Centre Sydney."
"Despite attempts by both Greenland and Brookfield Multiplex to find an acceptable resolution to those issues we have not been able to make an agreement to solve the contract."
However off the plan buyers dread the looming off the plan sunset settlement clause issues that may arise as the construction of the tower had been indicated by the selling agents to come with a completion date at the end of 2017.
“We will figure out what to do in the coming weeks,” was the best the Greenland spokesperson could advise The Australian.
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<div class="cq-article-content-media section"><img class="lazy620x0" src="https://www.afr.com/content/dam/images/g/h/c/b/z/e/image.imgtype.afrArticleInline.620x0.png/1432863576024.jpg" alt="The proposed Greenland Centre in Sydney is virtually sold out before construction has started." width="620" data-src="/content/dam/images/g/h/c/b/z/e/image.imgtype.afrArticleInline.620x0.png/1432863576024.jpg"></div>
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"Greenland Australia remains committed to delivering the project with early demolition work starting in May."
The tower, at the former Water Board site at 115 Bathurst Street, was Greenland's first project in Australia. 
There are 470 apartments in the tower for which only a lucky eight reportedly remain unsold. 
It was promoted boastfully as Sydney's highest residential block. 
<img src="/images/stories/2013/10/24/sydney-oct-23-one.jpg" alt="sydney-oct-23-one" width="470" height="569">
Marketed as 'Like a diamond in the sky' - Sydney's tallest residential tower had prices starting at $528,000.
Set on the former Water Board site, the 115 Bathurst Street and 339 Pitt Street site had stage-one development approval in its purchase for up to 70 levels reaching 235 metres high. 
Beating off Harry Triguboff Meriton's 230-metre tall World Tower, which dates back to 2004, the new tower will, if built, appear considerably taller as it is located further up a ridge than World Tower.
Greenland's project was marketed as having a level 82, but plans actually revealed there were really only ever to be 66 floors.
The developer of Greenland Centre, China’s state-owned Greenland Group, removed all floor references to the number four, because “four” and “death” have a similar look and pronounciation in Mandarin Chinese.
So there’s no level four, 14,  24 or 34. An entire 10 floors between level 39 and 50 don’t exist. And of course no level 54, 64 or 74.
There was also no rooftop garden because they could represent a green hat. “Wearing a green hat” is a term that Chinese use when a woman cheats on her husband.
Greenland Australia's haphazard development path continued recently when it ditched plans this year to build 1500 apartments adjacent to Melbourne’s Flemington Racecourse after terminating a $45 million contract with Victoria Racing Club for the site.
Its Leichhardt Green project had to be re-marketed as it was initially sold off the plan without then securing the necessary matching planning approvals.
"Never satisfied, to be stronger; never stopping to be number 1, we always believe that any enterprise that dares to dream and has the ability to realise dreams will undoubtedly create even larger miracles" Yuliang Zhang, chairman and president of Greenland Group maintains.
Mr Zhang even told the Australian media he saw “no ceiling” for the value of its total investment in the domestic market.
But its most humiliating moment came when marketing their Lucent, North Sydney project which saw the group embarrassed with advertisements that suggested they were yet to know Sydney like the back of their hand.
<a href="https://lucentnorthsydney.com.au/Location/" target="_blank">The quickly corrected map selling the location of their Lucent, North Sydney projec</a>t was embarassingly skewiff.
<a href="/images/2016/05/23/map-aug-28-one.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2016/05/23/map-aug-28-one.jpg" alt="">
It was noted for instance:
<ul>
<li>The North Sydney swimming pool (6) is on the wrong side of the harbour on Pitt Street.</li>
<li>Martin Place (22) is at what we know as the Opera House.</li>
<li>Getting a drink at the Opera Bar (18) is over on the lower north shore.</li>
<li>Luna Park (4) isn't on the harbour anymore, but the MCA (23) is, though across the bridge not far from the relocated The Rocks (20) and Pitt Street Mall (19).</li>
<li>Mirvac/Eureka's Greenwood Plaza (11) is on Circular Quay, and no-one ever worked out what 24 onwards were meant to be.</li>
</ul>
The sales spiel suggested Lucent was perfectly placed to make the most of Sydney's world-famous lifestyle!
Tell us what you know: news@propertyobserver.com.au
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Greenland's awful Australian run escalates amid sunset clause fears for Sydney's tallest tower apartment buyers

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Westpac, the country's biggest lender to landlords, is lowering the size of the deposits it will require from property investors.
The decision partially reverses last year's crackdown.
Westpac and St George has told mortgage brokers the maximum loan-to-valuation ratio (LVR) for new mortgages for property investors would rise to 90 percent, up from 80 percent.
The change means property investors need a deposit of 10 percent of a property's value, compared with 20 percent previously.
Fairfax Media reported Westpac's lending to investors grew only 7.2 percent in the year to March, down from growth of more than 11 percent in the first half of 2015.
The LVR changes bring Westpac into line with rivals. 
Aside from Westpac's move on LVRs, banks are offering more competitive interest rates to property investors, with St George on Monday offering cut-price variable home loan rates of 4.24 percent for investors.
Westpac's move marks a partial reversal from the industry-wide clampdown on investor lending last year, triggered by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority which was seeking to limit growth in lending to investors to 10 per cent a year to cool the heated property market in Sydney and Melbourne.
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Westpac happy to again take 10 percent deposits for investor loans

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Investor Anthony Crichton-Brown has expanded his Western Riverina landholdings with the purchase of Natue Station at Booligal from its longtime owners, the Robinson family. 
The 16,000 hectares was settled in the 1880s by Henry Wilton Robinson, managed principally as a Merino sheep enterprise. 
The property was put to the market by Sam Triggs at Inglis Rural Property.
Crichton-Brown, a former chairman of Lumley Insurance in London who divides his time now between Australia and the UK, is already a substantial landholder in the Hay district.
Natue Station has 13km of double frontage to Merrimajeel Creek, extensive water systems, well-maintained improvements and a five-bedroom homestead built in the 1980s.
No price has been disclosed for the sale of Natue Station, but Sam Triggs told The Land that grazing land in the Booligal region was typically selling between $250-$375/ha ($100-$150/ac) depending on the standard of improvements. 
It represents a portfolio of three pastoral stations which have been held by a single family for over 130 years. 
Natue Station, the headquarters of the aggregation, accompanied by Box Creek Station and Fairleigh Station form to provide critical mass and economies of scale with close to 60,000 acres of renowned Riverina grazing country.  
The Natue Station aggregation is offered 'As-A-Whole' and in three parcels, including:
- Natue Station: 9,685.6 ha (23,933.11 ac)*
- Box Creek Station: 9,150 ha (22,609.65 ac)*
- Fairleigh: 5,142 ha (12,705.882 ac)*
- Total area: 23,977 ha (59,248.64 ac)*
The grazing land, with Lachlan River and Merrijameel Creek frontages, was suitable for sheep and cattle with scope for irrigation development.
"Seldom does the opportunity to secure a large scale, fertile and long held Riverina pastoral holding," said Sam Triggs at Inglis.
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Natue Station sold to Anthony Crichton-Brown

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GUEST OBSERVER
Proposals by the NSW government to make it harder for foreign investors to buy housing will only slow down housing supply. 
The proposals by NSW Treasury to impose a 1.5 percent surcharge on land tax on foreign investors in housing will be a disincentive to invest in NSW.
It seems that the aim is to match the surcharge in Victoria which will remove the point of difference that NSW has.
The Sydney region needs 33,200 new homes a year according to the Department of Planning but last financial year only 27,348 were built leaving a shortfall of nearly 6,000 homes. We must do all we can to boost housing supply and foreign investors have been contributing to this particularly through new apartments. To send a message that these investments are not wanted in NSW can only reduce the flow of capital into new housing.
Foreign investors often help make development projects become feasible by underpinning the pre sales with up to 15% of purchases and this helps local purchasers buy into a viable project.
The argument for the surcharge seems to be to free up more housing for first home buyers by reducing the number of purchasers but this can only lead to less new homes being built. With an undersupply already pushing prices up a further reduction in supply is likely to only increase home prices.
There has been a slow-down in housing approvals in NSW over the last 6 to 8 months and an additional tax on foreign investment in housing will only lead to a further slow-down. Already Sydney has the council amalgamations causing some concerns over planning and discussion about adding value capture levies to new development beginning to affect confidence in the market so the possible extra levy on foreign investment will further erode industry confidence.
Chris Johnson is chief executive officer of property development industry group Urban Taskforce and can be contacted <a href="https://www.urbantaskforce.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=article&amp;id=97&amp;Itemid=126#.Vdaart55dFI" target="_blank">here</a>.
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Foreign investment in housing helps with much needed supply: Urban Taskforce

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A church conversion trophy home near Daylesford, Victoria is under offer.
Built in 1884 by Giacomo Sartori, it comes with a striking adjoining building next to the conversion.
The <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-daylesford-122570214" target="_blank">2 Righetti Lane </a>property is a former Catholic church that closed in 1993, then fell in to disrepair at Yandoit.
A local builder purchased and restored the property to its original grandeur, and added a two storey wing.
He retained the original features including gothic windows and high-beam ceilings.
The extension has three bedrooms and a handcrafted floating timber and steel staircase.
A large deck looks over the 2000 sqm land parcel.
The property is under offer through hockingstuart agents Mark Smith and Mark Timmins.
It was advertised with around $980,000 price expectations.
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Trophy church offering at Daylesford under offer

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A beach shack in Surfers Paradise was passed in at $800,000 at recent auction.
The estate on 405 sqm is 150 metres to the beach. 
It was advertised as a development opportunity.
The <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-surfers+paradise-122422534" target="_blank">204 Surfers Parade</a> has two bedrooms and one bathroom.
The property hasn't been traded in over 30 years, when the current owners paid $40,000 in 1984.
McGrath Broadbeach agents Greg Washington and Elizabeth Taylor.
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Surfers Paradise beach shack yet to sell

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/57114/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
The suburbs were the urban living format that defined Australian cities in the 20th century. Inevitably they’ve had their champions and detractors. Suburbia now has a new format in the medium-to-high-density residential spaces that are being rapidly built in previously industrialised areas.
This new urban ecology will bring with it new rhetorical possibilities for reverence, disgust, indifference and interest. The Green Square urban renewal area, which encompasses Zetland and Waterloo along with parts of Alexandria and Rosebery, is a paradigm in this sense. It is tipped to become the most densely populated area in Sydney by 2030.
The once-dominant industrial infrastructure of Green Square now has a less odorous, brighter and more glossy feel, which caters to a new demographic. The cultural history typical of the dominant mix of Anglo and European migrants in the Sydney suburbs of the 20th century is no longer the norm.
While English is still the most common language spoken at home, 45.7 percent of residents in Green Square and City South Village speak a language other than English at home. Chinese and “other Asian” languages make up 25.9 percent of this 45.7 percent.
The Federation cottage and its human equivalents are more likely to appear exotic in these contexts than the generically flashy apartment blocks with their red-brick simulacrum, coloured feature walls and laser-cut cladding.
Residents are unlikely to have a long history in the area. As a result, they lack the nearby family and neighbourly connections to care for children and animals.
This in part explains the pet barns and soon-to-be-opened daycare centres that are standard in the area. Rather than getting maintenance kicks by attacking the lawn with a mower, the area’s inhabitants are more likely to be found going to work on their physique in one of the many late-night gyms.
<h2>Subtle variations relieve the sameness</h2>
Although Green Square might seem homogeneous from the window of a passing car, repeated walks through the area allow key differences to emerge from the background of sameness.
The area surrounding Alexandria Park, north of McEvoy Street and west of Wyndham Street, is thoughtfully scaled and features the natural amenity of a long-established park with its large fig trees and exemplary combination of formal and informal recreational spaces.
The area to the east, approaching South Dowling Street in Zetland, Waterloo and North Rosebery, is a different story. Zoning restrictions on building height creep up from 12 metres to 18 metres. Some sections bordering South Dowling are zoned at 24 metres. It’s a subtle but significant shift. The taller buildings lack a sympathy of measure with the trees and open space set aside for public usage.
Despite the difference in vertical profile, some of the garden city principles central to the development of 20th-century suburbia are preserved in these new developments. The City of Sydney ought to be commended on setting aside areas such as Tote Park, Mary O'Brien Reserve and Joynton Park. These feature a variety of public amenity and sensitively landscaped gardens with native plantings.
Considering the fragile balance between large buildings and open space, it’s imperative that any design decisions about the future of these parks are made with the residents' interests in mind. Likewise, the avenues of mature lemon-scented gums along Wolseley and Morris Groves have a positive impact on the visual amenity of the area that, in such a context, is disproportionate to their physical size.
<h2>In with the new, so what becomes of the old?</h2>
The rapid increase in new housing has made heritage a matter of concern for the City of Sydney. It has released a comprehensive study of the area’s industrial heritage and proposed 62 new listings. The listings will have a lasting consequence not only for the history of the area but for its character as it continues to develop.
The majority are buildings that date back prior to 1970, with Harry Seidler’s Q Store on Bourke Road the most recent. Red brick buildings in Art Deco and Functionalist styles fare particularly well. These will now, in all likelihood, outlast many of the post-1970s warehouses and showrooms currently in use.
Perversely enough, ruins can be among the most resilient types of architecture. In the future, this unusual combination of older red brick facades with the new residential developments emerging from their shells might be subject to yet another set of heritage orders to ensure their postmodern aesthetic contradictions are maintained for future generations.
While at first glance it might look like the ideal city, on closer inspection the Green Square urban renewal area reveals many different shades. Its legacy awaits the telling of a multitude of stories.
Tom Lee is lecturer, Faculty of Design and Architecture Building, University of Technology Sydney and author for The Conversation. He can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tom-lee-7002" target="_blank">here</a>.
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Move over suburbia, Green Square offers new norm for urban living

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The risk of a recession - or even depression - has been raised as a potential outcome by opponents of Labor's negative gearing property policy.
It is a pity the policy is just 94 words. It is a pity the worthy debate sits within the election campaign.
But these forecasts have come from property veterans who've seen the residential markets through its many cycles over decades. They know all too well the herd mentality into and out of property.
It was industry leader, Mark Steinert, the Stockland boss, who first expressed his fear of recession earlier this month. 
Mark Steinert, chief executive of Australia's largest residential property developer, Stockland, believes Labor's housing policy has the potential to destabilise the entire economy – to the extent of risking a recession.
He suggested governments cannot deal with the affordability issue by de-stabilising the largest asset in the country.
These fears were echoed by veteran mortgage broker, Aussie John Symond who has long been concerned about any tinkering with the preferred investment vehicle of mum and dad investors.
Symond has warned of a potential recession if Labor's plan to limit negative gearing to newly constructed dwellings goes ahead after July 2017 should Labor win government at the July 2 election.
The founder of Aussie Home Loans predicted a slide in the value of all home prices under Labor.
"It is frightening and it will frighten others . . . and it creates this stampede."
His concern is that there could be a glut of properties come on the market, force the prices down, and then "all of a sudden it could be Armageddon with the housing industry that's propped up the Australian economy the last four years."
Mark Steinert actually went further than suggesting a recession. "It will be a depression," noting that property is such a major force driving Australian growth, that even a small change in sentiment flows through the entire economy. 
"It becomes the new dinner party conversation.... people feel poorer. 
"They buy less in the shops and people employ less ....that is how markets work."
Australia has avoided for recession for so long now many press commentators have no context for considering what happens to property markets in a recession.
Glenn Stevens, the outgoing RBA governor, recently noted shocks are inevitable.
"One way or another the human condition is characterised by things happening that were not well predicted and for which we are sometimes less prepared than we might, in hindsight, have wished to be."
I am old enough to remember the last few recessions, with property crash, but recent generations of buyers aren't. 
While it was not a recession there are still plenty of buyers who got caught out in the last big 2003/2004 apartment property boom bust - and some of these buyers are still underwater.
Since then there have been a rollercoaster series of dips, the biggest after the global financial crisis which triggered extraordinary government incentives to boost the property and related industries.
More recently we have had the backdrop where Chinese buying of apartments has enabled Australia avoid going into recession following the dramatic decline in Australia's mining investment industry.
Though some buyers have in recent times been struggling to get their money back after paying crazy prices, but any recession will see much wider suffering for even the more considered acquisitions.
Thankfully first home buyers haven't been big participants in the recent market, rather mature SMSF property investors and family home upgraders with record low mortgage funding.
Hopefully their circumstance might be better able to weather any downturn.
This article was first published in the Saturday Daily Telegraph.
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Risk of recession raised as potential Labor policy outcome

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The value of every Australian home is at risk if Labor wins the Federal Election, given their negative gearing policy, according to John McGrath.
He warned it would affect every single person who owned or rented a home, not just investors.
Property values would drop and rents would go up, he said.
Mr McGrath, on the Gold Coast for his 19th Australasian Real Estate Conference, warned of the “clear danger of curbing negative gearing and the capital gains tax buffer”.
“It will affect every single Australian who owns a home, their biggest asset is at risk.
"People are saying numbers like 20-30 percent falls in value.
"I don’t know what number is right but there will be a material drop in value to the downside by 5-10-15-20 percent, of that I am sure,” Mr McGrath told News Corp papers.
“This is a not a political statement.
"But Australia will go to bed one night and wake up on July 3, and someone’s property will have gone from being worth $600,000 to $540,000 in value and that’s a horrible thing.
“The other 30 percent of people (who are not owners or paying off a home) are tenants will be in trouble too.
"If they think the current supply is short it is going to get worse and landlords are going to be focused on getting better returns as the CGT will be of less benefit so negative gearing will no longer be a deduction so rents will rise.
“Property prices will drop materially and rents will skyrocket materially, and whether or not that’s 10 to 30 percent, only time will tell.”
Under Labor, negative gearing will be restricted to “newly constructed homes”, and capital gains tax discount reduced from 50 percent to 25 percent.
Both measures would come into force from July 2017.
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Labor election win puts Aussie home values at risk: John McGrath

The Victorian Government has secured the passage of the Building Legislation and Treasury Legislation (Tax Relief) Amendment Bill 2026, introducing a suite of reforms aimed at improving consumer protection and confidence in the apartment market.

Resilience Insurance, Australia’s leading Latent Defects Insurance (LDI) provider, has welcomed the move.

The LDI elements of the Bill passed with bipartisan support and now moves to the Legislative Council where debate and passage are expected later this month. It represents a significant milestone in the national shift toward stronger, longer-term protection for apartment buyers.&nbsp;

The reform would deliver practical benefits across the housing system. Apartment owners will have stronger protection if major defects emerge, developers and builders will have a clearer quality framework to work within, and the State will reduce the risk of serious building failures becoming a long-term financial and social burden for households, communities and government.&nbsp;

LDI helps support apartment delivery while providing stronger protection for buyers and encouraging better construction outcomes.&nbsp;

Resilience LDI provides apartment owners with 10 years of insurance-backed cover for major structural defects from completion, with direct claim access to the insurer. This means owners are not required to first pursue developers or builders through costly legal action before accessing protection.&nbsp;

Resilience Insurance has been operating in Australia since 2022 and has already insured hundreds of development projects covering many thousands of apartments across Australia.&nbsp;

At approximately 1.8 per cent of build cost, it is a cost-competitive alternative to the traditional two per cent Strata Bond, bond while delivering significantly broader and longer protection.&nbsp;

“The Victorian Lower House vote shows that reforms like this succeed when they are practical, evidence-based and supported by industry," says Corey Nugent, CEO of Resilience Insurance.

"Victoria is moving quickly on a reform that will make a real difference for apartment buyers, while supporting better building outcomes and greater confidence in apartment delivery.

“This is step one. We look forward to the Bill completing its passage through the Legislative Council and to working with government and industry to implement the framework effectively.”&nbsp;

Fast Facts: What is Resilience LDI?&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Resilience Latent Defects Insurance (LDI): Covers major structural defects for 10 years from completion.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Consumer-first: Direct claim access, no need for lengthy legal action.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Cost advantage: At approximately 1.8% of build cost, LDI is typically priced below the traditional 2% Strata Bond while offering broader protection.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Market leader: Resilience Insurance is the first approved LDI provider in NSW.</li>
</ul>

The Building Legislation and Treasury Legislation (Tax Relief) Amendment Bill 2026 has passed the Victorian Lower House, putting Victoria on track to become the first state to legislate an industry workable LDI framework as a formal alternative to the Strata Building bond. 

Joel Robinson

10-year Latent Defects Insurance for new apartment buyers set to land in Victoria

Just a few months after acquiring a prime Broadbeach site on the corner of First Avenue and Surf Parade, family-run developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/raptis">Raptis</a> has filed fresh plans for a new apartment development.

Raptis is seeking to deliver a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/17-19-first-avenue-broadbeach-qld-4217">29-storey tower with 73 apartments</a> on the 818 sqm site. It will be the developer's seventh project in the suburb, as they are approaching completion of The Sterling on George Avenue.

There will be a pool, barbecue and outdoor dining area, residents lounge and dining, sauna and steam room, gym, and a Yoga and Pilates studio.

<img alt="Raptis" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b554da3f-7344-49aa-b1c9-44cf459af0d7" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-06-05%20at%2010.41.45%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=zzjWu1iO1wnuYv4EV4fyOyf5nSXjGYut" />

Raptis Joint Managing Director, Evan Raptis, says they remain&nbsp;committed to developing quality infill sites across the Gold Coast in the lead-up to the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.

"This project continues our long track record of delivery in Broadbeach, and we look forward to bringing another premium development to this thriving precinct."

The announcement follows strong delivery momentum for Raptis, with The Sterling Broadbeach nearing completion and construction well underway on the final stage of the Waterpoint community adjacent to Harbour Town. The developer's continued investment in the Gold Coast reflects confidence in the region's apartment market fundamentals, underpinned by sustained Southeast Queensland population growth.&nbsp;

The outlook for the region is further bolstered by infrastructure investment tied to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games, which is expected to drive continued economic and population growth across the SEQ corridor.&nbsp;

Subject to a favourable response from Gold Coast City Council, construction on the new First Avenue tower is targeted to commence before the end of 2026.&nbsp;

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/it-s-all-in-the-family-four-decades-later-raptis-continues-to-shape-the-gold-coast-skyline">It’s all in the family: Four decades later, Raptis continues to shape the Gold Coast skyline</a>

Read more: <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/raptis-secures-prime-surf-parade-site-for-next-broadbeach-apartment-development">Raptis secures prime Surf Parade site for next Broadbeach apartment development</a> 
&nbsp;

Gold Coast developer brings seventh Broadbeach project to market, targeting construction commencement before year end

First look: Raptis lodges plans for new 29-storey Broadbeach tower 

Brisbane development veteran Kevin Seymour's Seymour Group is set to deepen its presence on one of Brisbane's most tightly held riverfront addresses, lodging revised plans for a luxury apartment development on Oxlade, just a few doors down from The Oxlade, which it completed in 2024.

The <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/70-72-oxlade-drive-new-farm-qld-4005">new project at 70-72 Oxlade Drive</a>, directly north of The Oxlade, will have 27 apartments across a seven-storey building&nbsp;overlooking the Brisbane River and Merthyr Park. It's a revision from a 2021-approved design.

Designed by bureau^proberts, the project has evolved from the previously approved 26-apartment scheme, introducing an additional penthouse level while maintaining a low-density, boutique character. The development will comprise 26 three-bedroom apartments and a single four-bedroom penthouse, supported by two basement levels with 86 car spaces and 34 bicycle spaces.

The architectural response is centred around two distinct building forms separated by a landscaped open-air atrium.&nbsp;"This dual composition captures and embraces Brisbane’s subtropical environment whilst breaking down built form and scale," the submission to the Brisbane City Council noted.

<img alt="First look: Seymour Group returns to Oxlade Drive with revised riverfront apartment plans in New Farm" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c12d84d0-bc11-4067-b46f-5bd2d786a34d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/new%20farm%20landscape.png?VersionId=YEPc2k5CAdh6aAPlu4uVpgZadh4MEfRd" />

A defining feature of the design is a deep landscaped void running through the centre of the building, creating what bureau^proberts describes as a "natural ravine" that enhances airflow, daylight penetration and resident amenity. The design report notes that the separation of the two building volumes is intended to maximise natural light, cross-ventilation and outlook while strengthening connections to the surrounding riverfront setting.

Curved balcony edges, integrated planting and extensive landscaping throughout the façade reinforce the subtropical design approach. The building's façade is softened by elevated gardens and planter beds, creating a green edge that complements the established landscape character of Oxlade Drive and neighbouring Merthyr Park.

New Farm has become one of Brisbane's most sought-after suburbs for developers delivering premium downsizer-focused apartments.

GRAYA has been particularly active in the precinct, completing both Chalk and York in recent years, while construction of Moray House, being delivered for Spyre, is now nearing completion. Architect-turned-developer Joe Adsett recently launched <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/arcilla-new-farm-by-joe-adsett-28-maxwell-street-new-farm-qld-4005">Arcilla on Maxwell Street</a>, an exclusive collection of just nine apartments.

First look: Seymour Group returns to New Farm's Oxlade Drive with riverfront apartment plans

A new residential tower will be the first piece of a broader mixed-use precinct set to reshape a prominent Newcastle West site, with local developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/gwh">GWH</a> bringing its <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/cambridge-quarter-newcastle-west-12-denison-street-newcastle-west-nsw-2302">Cambridge Quarter</a> vision to market.

The first release, Tempo, will introduce 87 apartments across a 24-storey tower, marking Stage 1 of the residential component of a larger urban regeneration project planned for the western end of Newcastle's city centre, encompassing the former Cambridge Hotel site.

Positioned on Denison Street, Tempo has been designed as the inaugural building within Cambridge Quarter, a precinct that will ultimately combine apartments, retail activation and revitalised public spaces including the revamping of the Cambridge Hotel.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135876 project_image_fid=368853]

The tower will comprise a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments, including layouts with multipurpose rooms, catering to a broad cross-section of owner-occupiers. Apartment sizes range from around 60 sqm to 192 sqm, with a number of residences oriented to capture views across Newcastle Harbour, the city skyline and coastline.

GWH has emphasised liveability in the design, with open-plan layouts extending to generous balconies and terraces. Residents will have a choice of two interior palettes, while specifications include engineered stone benchtops, SMEG appliances, full-height bathroom tiling and secure building access. Premium upgrade packages will also be available.

Multiple rooftop resident retreats will provide communal outdoor space overlooking the harbour and city, offering an elevated amenity layer above the activity of the precinct below.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135876 project_image_fid=368851]

The broader Cambridge Quarter vision extends beyond the residential tower itself. Ground-level retail activation and landscaped public areas are planned throughout the precinct, creating a walkable neighbourhood environment connected to the surrounding renewal of Newcastle West. The Cambridge Hotel is also earmarked for future redevelopment into a family-friendly hospitality venue integrated with the new precinct.

The project is strategically positioned within walking distance of Newcastle Interchange, providing access to light rail, regional rail services and direct connections to Sydney. Residents will also be close to Honeysuckle, Newcastle Harbour and the city's beaches and coastal walkways.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135876 project_image_fid=368852]

For GWH, Cambridge Quarter represents one of its most significant Newcastle developments to date. The locally based developer, which has operated in the Hunter region since 1995, describes the project as a new chapter in the ongoing transformation of Newcastle West.

GWH Executive Director Jonathan Craig said the project had been shaped by a focus on creating lasting community connections.

"We take pride in creating places that last. Spaces where people feel connected, comfortable and a genuine sense of belonging," Craig said.

"Cambridge Quarter is something we are truly proud of, a place shaped by local knowledge, built with care and designed to be part of Newcastle's next chapter."

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=135876]

GWH unveils first release at landmark Cambridge Quarter precinct in Newcastle West

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/ss-projects">S&amp;S Projects</a>,&nbsp;Rainbow Bay's busiest developer,&nbsp;has officially lodged plans for the largest development in its booming local portfolio, seeking approval for a further 88 apartments on Boundary Street.

The proposal&nbsp;at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/209-213-boundary-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">209–213 Boundary Street, Coolangatta</a>,&nbsp;marks the next chapter in the developer's transformation of the southern Gold Coast beachside precinct. It will be its fifth in the area, having already delivered Flow, Awaken and Esprit, while construction continues on the 38-apartment Radia. The new project would rise 57 metres above a consolidated 1,518 sqm site, on the same street as Radia and Esprit.

&nbsp;

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cottee-parker-architects">Cottee Parker</a>, the proposed development comprises 88 two and three-bedroom apartments across a contemporary podium-and-tower form that integrates extensive landscaping from street level through to the rooftop.

The tower would be delivered above a basement and multi-level podium accommodating resident and visitor parking, with the residential component commencing from level three. The design incorporates cascading planting throughout the façade, landscaped podium edges, and deep planting zones along the Boundary Street frontage.

<img alt="First look: S&amp;S Projects lodges plans for 88-apartment wellness tower at Coolangatta's Boundary Street" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="677e6615-b5c0-4b6c-b4f9-efb14fcde1a6" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/ss%20da%20pers.png?VersionId=YOnPKQm7IFXv0M5H326djEpxk80500Hi" />

A key feature of the development is its expansive rooftop wellness and recreation precinct. Plans reveal a resort-style pool deck, gymnasium, sauna, steam room, hot and cold plunge pools, rooftop terraces, barbecue areas and landscaped relaxation spaces positioned to capture views across the southern Gold Coast coastline.

The rooftop wellness focus builds on the vision S&amp;S Projects first outlined when it acquired the site for $20.25 million last year.

"We are taking every advantage to create a truly unique rooftop wellness experience with a natural feel for residents, offering stone features throughout and an underlying theme that emulates a botanical garden," S&amp;S Projects founder and director Paul Gedoun said at the time.

The proposal seeks a 57-metre building height, representing a 50 per cent uplift on the site's mapped 38-metre height limit. Planning documents argue the additional height is consistent with recently approved and emerging towers in the immediate Boundary Street and Rainbow Bay precinct.

Urbis, acting as planning consultant, said the development would provide "88 dwellings, comprising a mix of two and three-bedroom apartments, contributing to housing choice and supply within an established medium to high-rise coastal urban neighbourhood."

The scheme has undergone extensive pre-lodgement consultation with the City of Gold Coast, with the design refined following feedback relating to architectural expression, landscaping, traffic access and podium treatment.

<img alt="S&amp;S" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0a2d70fd-62ac-4b83-97c6-b798fc1243dd" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-06-05%20at%209.16.31%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=yHmghUwKM3IVGpBktQU1mE.0Lpf3WimG" />

The architectural team is led by Brisbane-based Cottee Parker, one of Australia's most active residential design studios, with landscape architecture by Dunn + Moran. The consultant team also includes ADG Engineers, Windtech and Acoustic Works.

S&amp;S Projects has become one of the most influential private developers operating on the southern Gold Coast. Since entering Rainbow Bay in 2022, the company has assembled a portfolio exceeding $1 billion in end value, establishing itself as a key player in the area's evolution into a premium apartment destination. Pezet Matheson will again handle the sales for S&amp;S.

Coolangatta is entering another wave of apartment development, following the delivery of several prominent residential projects in recent years.

John Kearney's Immerse Projects will launch&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kaiya-kirra-beach-5-haig-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Kaiya on Haig Street</a>&nbsp;soon, meanwhile, Palm Beach-based Sherpa Property Group is preparing to bring its debut Coolangatta development, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/flourish-viver-87-griffith-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Flourish Viveré</a>, to market later this year, subject to approvals.

Jonathan Chancellor

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