<html><body><div class="page" title="Page 1">
<div class="section">
<div class="layoutArea">
It is tempting to think that life becomes idealic once you've made the sea or tree change, but the reality is often far from that.
And possibly a decision you and the family will regret.
It was recently suggested the once popular sea and tree change relocation phenomenon - which was lead by retirees over a decade ago - is showing signs of a return.
The sea and tree change represents a major life change which has often been based on a long held dream about retirement.
But the data suggests it is now being led by young families rather than retirees.
The population data shows that the shift is being fuelled by those aged 0-14 years and those between 25 and 64 years.
"This would seemingly indicate that migration within these coastal and lifestyle markets is being driven by young families," Cameron Kusher said.
For these young families it could be seeking life out of the fast lane or maybe tired of all the time spent in the traffic. 
“Sea and tree change have been the long forgotten buzzwords for the migration of people to coastal and lifestyle markets," CoreLogic RP Data analyst Cameron Kusher recently said.
"This trend was particularly strong before the financial crisis hit in 2008," he said, noting many lifestyle markets had since underperformed when compared to the capital cities.
The regions now attracting migration attention in New South Wales included the Shoalhaven, the mid North Cost, Central Coast, the Southern Highlands, Shoalhaven, the Blue Mountains and Illawarra.
"Recently we’ve started to see values rise in many of these regions.
"This supports the increased demand for housing (with migration as a source) which in turn, often leads to increases in home values.
“Another factor contributing to this migration is likely to be the recent home values increases in capital cities which has resulted in a deterioration of affordability and forced many younger families to look for alternatives to living in the capital cities," he said.
The need for employment is the key aspect to consider as even affordable housing needs income to pay off the mortgage.
According to the ABS, the rate of unemployment in most regional and coastal locations is significantly higher than in Sydney. It is crucial to put together a financial plan, remembering that wages may be lower and some costs will be higher.
The need for proximity to educational facilities is crucial too, from kindergarten to university.
For retirees access to health care is crucial, along with the issue of finding new friends and keeping intouch with old friends and the family.
Kusher analysed the top 25 national statistical area regions for internal migration over the 2008-09 and the 2014-15 financial years from the latest ABS Migration Statistics.
Outside of NSW, the busy lifestyle regions included the Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Geelong, Mornington Peninsula, Bunbury and Mandurah.
Don’t think it silly to rent and try before you buy, suggests buyers agent Veronica Morgan from the television series Relocation Relocation.
"It seems like a massive upheaval to do this but it’s nothing compared to the stress associated with having to sell a short time after buying if it doesn’t work out.
"No amount of research and planning will prepare you better than actually living the dream," she suggests.
Morgan also warns not to overpay through having a city mentality.
The good news for potential changers is growth in city house prices has significantly outperformed regional prices, so there will be a tidy kitty.
But be warned buying back in Sydney might be an issue once you've departed the big smoke for a few years.
This article was first published in the Saturday Daily Telegraph. 
</div>
</div>
</div></body></html>

jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Sea change tide coming back in after GFC wipeout

<html><body>
The decision by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to pull the trigger on a rare July Federal Election will provide the Australian property market with a significant shot in the arm.
Australians were generally wary of buying or selling a residential property during the lead-up to a federal election.
Generally, whether we’re buying or selling, we tend to wait until the election is decided just in case there are any unforeseen surprises.
Now that the election has been called for July 2, this represents the perfect timing from our point of view, as winter is typically a quieter time for property sales.
A July poll will enable vendors to list their properties in July and August, and it won’t affect their buying plans through the traditional spring selling season.
This decision, while it mightn’t help real estate activity during the two month election campaign, it will put vendors in an excellent position to meet their property goals by the time the traditional selling season begins in early September. 
Changes to negative gearing or the capital gains tax discount could potentially fall under the label of ‘unforeseen changes’. 
Real estate investment is a favoured asset class by millions of Australian voters because it is deemed safer than shares and easier to understand than bonds.
Making changes to negative gearing or capital gains would be a brave decision, especially as Australians don’t have a particularly strong record when it comes to savings and investing.
Therefore removing a strategy that is encouraging investment seems ill-conceived to me.
Governments would be better off considering ways to encourage more owner-occupiers to buy into new properties than attempting to stymie the investor market.
With some checks and balances, providing some limited stamp duty tax breaks, for example, for those upgraders buying into new properties, might be worth considering.
Good government is about creating some new policy ideas rather than just raking over old coals.
<div>
Angus Raine is executive chairman, <a href="https://www.raineandhorne.com.au/" target="_blank">Raine &amp; Horne</a>.
</div>
</body></html>

July Federal Election could create 'spring boom' for property market: Angus Raine

<html><body>
 
Ratecity.com.au has provided five of the lowest advertised ongoing variable rates as at May 9.
<a href="/images/2016/05/10/Screen%20Shot%202016-05-10%20at%209.13.30%20AM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2016/05/10/Screen%20Shot%202016-05-10%20at%209.13.30%20AM.png" alt="">
</body></html>

The five lowest variable home loans: Ratecity.com.au 

<html><body>
Over a third of all lenders have now confirmed they will be cutting their variable rates for Australian home owners, with some of the smaller lenders offering up never before seen rates as low as 3.61 percent, according to ratecity.com.au.
Homestar Finance has reduced its lowest variable rate to just 3.61 percent (comparison rate of 3.65 percent) while Reduce Home Loans’ lowest offering is now 3.65 per cent (comparison rate of 3.66 percent).
Sally Tindall, money editor at RateCity.com.au, says that rates under 4 percent would become increasingly more common.
“Right now there are around 20 lenders offering rates for owner-occupiers under 4 percent, with some reducing their lowest variables to never seen before lows,” she said.
“Any owner-occupier paying over the 4.5 percent mark would have to seriously question the product they are on.”
While a number of lenders were making history with their record-busting rates, there are almost 70 lenders yet to declare their hand.
“Some lenders are still being extremely tight-lipped about whether or not they’ll pass on this cut,” she said.
<a href="/images/2016/05/10/Screen%20Shot%202016-05-10%20at%209.10.58%20AM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2016/05/10/Screen%20Shot%202016-05-10%20at%209.10.58%20AM.png" alt="">
Source Ratecity.com.au 
</body></html>

Which home lenders have cut since the May RBA decision?

<html><body>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/57114/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
Queensland’s land clearing has yet again become a national issue. After laws were relaxed under the then Liberal-National state government in 2013, land-clearing rates tripled, undermining efforts to conserve wildlife and reduce carbon emissions.
Now the Labor state government wants to re-tighten the laws. The revised legislation is expected to be debated after June 30.
Land clearing is a highly contentious and polarising issue in Queensland. Scientists and environmental groups have voiced concerns about the dramatic increase in land clearing. But some rural landholders are reportedly worried about the prospect of re-tightened regulations and their possible impact on property values and business certainty.
So, what does the big picture suggest?
<h2>Then and now</h2>
Since the 1980s, all Australian states and territories have introduced laws to protect native vegetation, in response to rising public concern about land degradation, salinity, biodiversity loss and greenhouse gas emissions.
The most significant policy reforms have been in Queensland – where the vast majority of land clearing in Australia has occurred over the past four decades – as I show in a new paper published in Pacific Conservation Biology.
<a href="/images/2016/05/10/image-20160502-2371-sram16.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2016/05/10/image-20160502-2371-sram16.png" alt="">
<h4>Total forest loss due to human activity from 1972 – 2014. Data is sourced from the National Carbon Accounting System (NCAS), Australian Department of the Environment (2015). Image: Evans (2016) https://dx.doi.org/10.1071/PC15052</h4>
Changes to land-clearing laws in 2007 were heralded as the end of broad-scale clearing in Queensland. Clearing of remnant (old-growth) forest was restricted on freehold land, all remaining clearing permits (issued under a ballot) expired and A$150 million of compensation was provided to landholders. Further amendments in 2009 placed protections on “high value” (more than 20 years old) regrowth forest.
Fast forward to 2012, and Premier Campbell Newman was elected on a promise to “take an axe to tree-clearing laws”.
The 2013 amendments:
<ul>
<li>
removed protections on “high value” regrowth forest
</li>
<li>
allowed landholders to self-assess clearing for activities such as fodder harvesting and vegetation thinning
</li>
<li>
allowed clearing of remnant forest for “high-value agriculture”
</li>
<li>
changed the onus of proof so that the Queensland government had to prove that land-clearing laws had been violated.
</li>
</ul>
Queensland’s current Labor government intends to reverse most of the 2013 amendments to vegetation-clearing laws, as well as extending protections on regrowth forest to three additional catchments, to reduce runoff onto the Great Barrier Reef.
The laws will also be retrospective, in an effort to prevent panic clearing before the changes come in.
<h2>How does Queensland compare?</h2>
Queensland is not alone in its recent changes to vegetation protection laws.
New South Wales introduced self-assessment for “low risk” clearing in 2013. It also promised to repeal the Native Vegetation Act and replace it with a new Biodiversity Conservation Act. An independent review recommended that these changes occur, but environmental groups remain opposed.
Victoria’s vegetation laws were also changed in 2013. The then Coalition government’s changes included the removal of the “net gain” target in vegetation extent and quality that had been in place since 2003. The Victorian Labor government is now undertaking another review of the state’s regulations.
Laws have also been relaxed in Western Australia, where landholders may now clear up to 5 hectares per year on individual properties without a permit (an increase from 1 ha per year).
<h2>From state to self-regulation</h2>
Within ten years of what looked like the end of broad-scale land clearing in Australia, most state vegetation laws across the country have been relaxed.
Government regulation of native vegetation is generally unpopular with landholders and so maintaining these policies has proven to be politically unpalatable. At this stage, only Queensland is looking to re-strengthen land-clearing laws – and, even so, self-assessment for some clearing activities will remain.
What does this all mean for native vegetation in Australia? This is actually a difficult question to answer.
Many factors influence land clearing: rainfall, the price of key agricultural commodities and the amount of land available to clear. This complexity means it’s difficult to know what impact (if any) changes in policy have on the rate of land clearing.
<a href="/images/2016/05/10/image-20160502-31682-1ypn90s.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2016/05/10/image-20160502-31682-1ypn90s.png" alt="">
<h4>Trends in national-scale deforestation and key macroeconomic variables. Plots are total deforestation versus: a) Year, b) Extent of primary forest remaining, c) Log-transformed total rainfall, d) Gross domestic product per capita (current USD) , e) Agriculture, value added (% total GDP) f) Farmer’s terms of trade. Image: Evans (2016) https://dx.doi.org/10.1071/PC15052</h4>
It’s quite clear that the relaxation of Queensland’s clearing laws was followed by a sharp increase in vegetation clearing, but it’s not yet apparent whether this has happened in other states.
A big issue is a lack of reliable data. There’s no consistent reporting of vegetation clearing across Australia. Some states, such as New South Wales, only publish information on the amount of clearing permitted by regulation.
As reported last week, total vegetation clearing in New South Wale is much higher than official data shows as most clearing is exempt from regulation, or illegal.
<h2>Better policy needed</h2>
If we’re serious about protecting Australia’s native vegetation for the sake of soil health, biodiversity and the climate, we need to use all the tools we have available to achieve this goal.
Using a mixture of government regulation, self-regulation and genuine economic incentives, such as carbon farming, is the best approach.
But no matter which policies we use, they all need to be monitored and evaluated to be effective. Otherwise, we have no idea whether all the time and money devoted to designing and implementing new policies has been worthwhile.
The inconsistency between the federal government’s Direct Action policy and the relaxation of state restrictions on vegetation clearing is a big problem. Landholders need a clear and consistent message from all levels of government if they are to adapt and make long-term business decisions.
Interestingly, around 75 percent of the recent clearing in Queensland has occurred in the Brigalow Belt and Mulga – areas where we’ve found that carbon farming could be more profitable than cattle grazing.
If only the price, and the policies, were right.
Megan C Evans is PhD Candidate in Environmental Policy, Australian National University and author for The Conversation. She can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/megan-c-evans-4271" target="_blank">here</a>.
</body></html>

Queensland moves to control land clearing: other states need to follow

<html><body>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/57114/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
For committed urbanists, any sign of serious urban policy action by the federal government is welcome. Early announcements by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and his appointment of a minister for cities were cause for some celebration.
The subsequent appointment of Angus Taylor as assistant minister for cities and digital transformation continued the positive outlook; a relatively new parliamentarian with a good track record of business development and an analytical disposition was entrusted to advance this policy agenda.
April 29 marked the start of the next phase of policy development, when we got to see what a Smart Cities Plan looks like and whether it was worth the wait.
On first reading it contains all of the right words – smart, innovative, liveability and prosperity. It also advocated some sensible principles – collaboration, co-operation and partnership. But do these nice words and sensible principles add up to a real step change in urban policy thinking, or to a business-as-usual approach wrapped in the latest policy terminology?
At this stage we cannot be sure, but prospective partners in state and local government seem to have a fair degree of optimism about the plan.
Most sensible public bodies will profess their support, in principle, for any initiative that offers the prospect of new money to support development proposals in their area. They will commit, in principle, to working together for the common good in their locality. And, if necessary, they will rebadge their current plans to fit more easily with the rhetorical flavour of the new initiative.
The proof will, however, lie in the detail of partnership arrangements, in the implementation structures that are developed and in the way new money is allocated. Even more importantly, success will depend on whether the actual measures employed work in practice.
<h2>Partnerships in practice</h2>
In each of our cities – large and small – we need all three levels of government to work together if growth is to be supported and managed effectively. Intergovernmental partnerships have been proposed for as long as we have had different levels of government.
There is much research on what makes such partnerships work well and what does not. Where partnerships work, much of this success is based on mutual respect and recognition of the distinctive contribution of each partner.
It becomes more challenging where the reality of an urban area requires horizontal partnerships between local councils as well as vertical partnerships with state and federal bodies.
The patchy experience of Regional Development Australia committees across the country gives some indication of how well this has been achieved to date. Some have worked very well. Others have struggled in the face of varied and variable enthusiasm among partners.
<h2>Getting implementation structures right</h2>
I have argued previously that effective implementation of any policy initiative is often plagued by a lack of long-term commitment and bipartisan support.
Along with a seemingly irresistible belief within governments of any hue that policies need to be fiddled with (the technical terms would be refreshed, refocused or rebadged) every few years, carefully designed initiatives are rarely left to get on with their work and run their course.
Another problem is bureaucratic capture, in which early ambitions to work differently, with greater agility perhaps, are slowly but surely overtaken by implementation regimes that do the opposite in practice. The business experience of both the prime minister and his assistant minister for cities will be needed to prevent this type of sclerosis taking hold.
<h2>Finding and spending new money to best effect</h2>
As Taylor told Michelle Grattan recently, some partnerships between public bodies and private investors have been very effective in the past – the construction of the national rail network in the US, for example. But there is also no shortage of ones that have not gone well for any of the parties.
So, while there has been some enthusiasm for the potential role of value capture of late – and certainly in the new plan – we need to see the detail of particular proposals.
The UK City Deals model includes the principle of transferring some of the increased tax revenue associated with growth from the Treasury back to local partnerships. However, this has sometimes proved difficult to agree in practice. 
And it is here that bipartisan agreement in the urban policy field seems unlikely at present. The shadow minister for cities, Anthony Albanese, has come straight out with a ringing condemnation of the Turnbull-Taylor plan as a policy without substance.
Albanese also joined with the Property Council of Australia in invoking the spectre of Australian families being slugged with a new property tax to capture some of any increased value associated with public investment in infrastructure.
<h2>How will we know what works?</h2>
Tucked away on page 23 of the plan is a small section about measuring success. This acknowledges the importance of having good-quality data to provide a baseline against which future performance can be measured. It cites the need for “unambiguous targets, accountabilities and timeframes for city-level reforms”.
The plan recognises that, without these, it will be impossible for the government to hold itself and its investment partners to account. I would like to think that in five years’ time we will be able to read a National Audit Office report (like this one on the 2011-14 Liveable Cities Program) describing how this bold new Smart Cities Plan heralded a new era of productive intergovernmental collaboration.
That would mean it succeeded in attracting substantial new private investment, which set our cities on a clear path to being smarter, more productive and nicer places in which to live.
Let’s hope that if I shared this view with The Castle’s Darryl Kerrigan he wouldn’t tell me, or indeed Angus Taylor, that we’re dreamin’.
 
Paul Burton is professor of Urban Management and Planning &amp; Director, Urban Research Program, Griffith University and author for The Conversation.
He can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/paul-burton-5155" target="_blank">here</a>.
</body></html>

Smart Cities Plan offers signs of hope, but are Turnbull and Taylor just dreamin'?

<html><body>
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".
"At the end of the day, house prices are unlikely to adjust so much that it would really change that affordability equation anyway," Steinert told the Australian Financial Review.
"And if they do, believe me it won't be a recession. It will be a depression."
Steinert told columnist Jennifer Hewitt property is such a major force driving Australian growth and activity, that even a small change in the market and in sentiment flows through the entire economy. 
"Housing represents $6.5 trillion of the Australian people's wealth," he tells The Australian Financial Review. 
"It is so big and so many people are involved that even when that order of magnitude of change is obviously small compared to the stock market…its affects people.
"It becomes the new dinner party conversation.
"People feel poorer. 
"They buy less in the shops and people employ less and people are less willing to borrow money to start a business and suddenly that goes on.
"That is how markets work.
"The only way you deal with affordability in my view is first and foremost about supply…in a structural way.
"You cannot deal with affordability in a manageable way by de-stabilising the largest asset in the country."
</body></html>

Labor negative gearing policy could cause recession or depression

<html><body><div>
The RBA board member John Edwards, a former chief economist for HSBC and adviser to former prime minister Paul Keating, has not been given a second five year term.
He will be replaced early by Professor Ian Harper, who recently headed the government's competition policy review.
It is unusual that board members are given a second term.
</div></body></html>

Ian Harper to replace John Edwards on RBA board

<html><body>
Sydney's south west developer Dahua Group Australia capped off a busy month at its $1 billion New Breeze housing estate at Bardia.
All 85 land lots released in April for the projects first stage sold, for a total of $36 million.
It sales ranged from $330,000 for a 250-square metre lot up to $588,000 for 589 square metres.
</body></html>

Bardia land lots selling well for Dahua Group

<html><body>
Sunshine cracked the $1 million club after a period-style family home sold under the hammer for a record-breaking $1.03 million.
It was the<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-sunshine-122361326" target="_blank"> four-bedroom house at 1 Walter St</a>, located on 810 sqm in the coveted Matthews Hill precinct that bettered the $935,000 record set in February this year.
CoreLogic RP Data put the house median at $552,500.
</body></html>

Sunshine property surpasses $1 million for first time

A who's who of Australian surfing, business and entertainment has emerged on title records following the completion of Esprit Rainbow Bay, the latest boutique beachfront apartment development by former professional surfer Paul Gedoun's S&amp;S Projects.

The completed project has attracted an enviable collection of owners, many with long-standing ties to the southern Gold Coast and the surf culture that has helped define Rainbow Bay and neighbouring Kirra for generations.

Given Gedoun's own background in surfing, it perhaps comes as little surprise that some of Australia's most recognisable surfers have chosen to buy into the development overlooking one of the country's most celebrated stretches of coastline.

Pezet Matheson directors Jayde Pezet and Todd Matheson launched the project in late 2021, and have managed the sales campaign all the way through to its sell-out and recent completion.

<img alt="Esprit" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="08fc6261-b84e-4b09-8a44-66d3067fd0d1" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-29%20at%208.51.05%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=4AOcb6ETZwNUnMPdTtz1B3pZAIB_jgZ2" />

Former world champion Mick Fanning, who grew up in Coolangatta, secured an apartment in 2023. He paid&nbsp;$2.07 million. Last year he sold his Bilinga home for over $16 million.

Three-time world champion Joel Parkinson also purchased in the development, alongside big wave surfer Mark Mathews. Mathews bought the most expensive apartment in the building, spending just over $4 million.

Joining them is Rip Curl founder Doug Warbrick, whose company helped shape Australia's global surfing industry over the past five decades.

The appeal of Rainbow Bay has extended well beyond the surfing community.

International DJ Paul Fisher purchased an apartment through his investment vehicle, YLB Developments, an abbreviation of his trademark phrase "You Little Beauty".

The purchase comes as Fisher and his wife Chloe are developing their own luxury apartment project further north in Palm Beach. Their boutique beachfront development, Pescado, comprises just seven apartments on Jefferson Lane, which start from just shy of $6 million. The couple intend to retain the two-level penthouse as their Australian base between international touring commitments.

Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy and his wife Wendy have also invested in Esprit, purchasing two apartments after spending decades holidaying on the southern Gold Coast. They also have a luxury apartment in Joe Adsett's Rockpool, less than 400m away from Esprit.

<h2>Boutique project draws owner-occupiers</h2>

Esprit launched in 2021 and sold strongly, with buyers drawn to its boutique scale, beachfront position and contemporary design.

The completed development comprises 94 apartments across 11 levels, offering expansive floorplans designed primarily for owner-occupiers rather than the investor market.

Crowning the building is Club Esprit, pitched as being the Gold Coast's first residential rooftop wellness centre. The roof features a&nbsp;25 metre magnesium lap pool, which is surrounded by wet daybeds and poolside cabanas,&nbsp;multiple barbecue areas,&nbsp;a yoga and relaxation play lawn, and a private dining room with a kitchen scullery, bar, lounges, and an outdoor terrace.

The wellness centre is&nbsp;fully equipped with a Technogym, ice bath, infra-red sauna, steam room, thermal room, and treatment room. The roof has views spanning&nbsp;Rainbow Bay, Snapper Rocks and the Pacific Ocean.

<h2>S&amp;S Projects continues to shape Rainbow Bay</h2>

S&amp;S Projects founder Paul Gedoun has become one of the key figures behind Rainbow Bay's evolution over the past several years.

After establishing S&amp;S Projects, Gedoun has focused on delivering lifestyle-driven apartment developments designed primarily for owner-occupiers seeking a permanent coastal home.

Esprit is Gedoun's third completed project in Rainbow Bay, following Flow and Awaken, both of which achieved record prices for the suburb.

He is now delivering <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/radia-rainbow-bay-271-boundary-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Radia Rainbow Bay</a>, a 38-apartment development on Boundary Street that is currently selling, and has no plans to leave the precinct anytime soon. S&amp;S Projects has also lodged plans for its fifth Rainbow Bay development, an 88-apartment project on Boundary Street featuring a strong wellness focus.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/first-look-s-s-projects-proposes-88-apartment-wellness-tower-at-coolangattas-boundary-street">First look: S&amp;S Projects proposes 88-apartment wellness tower at Coolangatta's Boundary Street</a>

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Joel Robinson

Who's who of buyers revealed as Esprit Rainbow Bay settles

Nature Based Cities (NBC), the not-for-profit organisation focused on improving biodiversity and nature outcomes in urban development, has launched its latest industry design guidelines and accreditation framework, this time targeting precinct-scale residential communities.

The move extends NBC’s influence beyond its initial focus on medium and high-density residential developments. Several projects have already achieved NBC accreditation since the launch of its Medium &amp; High-Density Residential Guidelines in early 2025.

The expansion into masterplanned communities and new residential precincts reflects the growing need for stronger nature-positive benchmarks as Australia’s outer suburban growth corridors continue to expand at pace.

Paul Hameister OAM, NBC Founder and the Executive Chairman of Melbourne developer Hamton who itself leans heavily into nature and biodiversity in its developments, says the&nbsp;nature-first approach to mitigate the effects of climate change has become standard in other parts of the world such as the UK, but Australia is lagging.&nbsp;Australia’s environmentally sustainable design (ESD) rating tools have no minimum mandatory requirements for living landscapes.

“We’ve always wanted to do more, and we know other developers who want to do more, but the ESD rating tools just aren’t there,” Hameister says. “In Australia, you can have a five-green-star rated building that’s concrete and glass with not a blade of grass. 
 
“The focus is on reducing emissions, which is laudable, but there hasn’t been enough attention paid to protecting and re-establishing nature. We need both for the health of the environment and for communities.”

He says that having now&nbsp;made good progress in supporting developers of medium and high-density residential projects, NBC is now looking to bolster better nature-based decision-making and recognise developers of greenfield projects in the outer ring and large inner-ring brownfield precincts, who want to champion nature and living landscape as a defining feature.

Since 2022, the not-for-profit has sought to remove the roadblocks preventing developers from incorporating nature and living landscapes into their projects, shifting the conversation from the reduction of emissions and grey infrastructure, toward recognising nature as an essential infrastructure.

The New Communities Design Guidelines and Scorecard arm developers with the tools needed to deliver a nature positive outcome for their new communities. Intended to be adopted at the outset of the planning process, the guidelines are designed to help create communities that are cooler, healthier and more resilient while also enhancing social wellbeing and long-term economic value.&nbsp;

New Communities developers seeking accreditation will be independently assessed across a range of key criteria including ecology, tree canopy, biodiversity, and walkability. Once the masterplan is complete and submitted for approval, the scorecard is formalised based on proposed outcomes. Projects that meet the NBC criteria will receive either Commended or Exemplary accreditation outcomes, creating a clear benchmark for nature-positive new communities in Australia.&nbsp;

Janis Fischer, Director at Tract and NBC Advisory Council member, said the development of new communities in our suburbs can have a substantial impact on nature and biodiversity.

"By incorporating nature-based design principles at the inception of a project, developers and their design teams can achieve nature positive outcomes that are good for both people and the planet.’’&nbsp;

NBC accredited New Community projects will gain access to NBC branding and marketing tools to help communicate their nature-based credentials to purchasers and the broader market.&nbsp;

Nature Based Cities: A new Australian benchmark for developing nature-positive new communities

Apartment buildings are increasingly being designed around how people actually live day to day, not just how they want a building to look.

For buyers, that shift is showing up in practical inclusions that respond to changing habits. Work-from-home spaces, EV charging, wellness amenities, secure bike storage and parcel management are becoming part of the broader apartment conversation, reflecting a move toward buildings that reduce friction in everyday life.

Online shopping has become one of the clearest examples of that change.

Australians spent a record $82.6 billion online in 2025, with nearly one in four retail dollars now spent online. That has made parcel delivery a regular part of apartment living, rather than an occasional inconvenience.

For apartment residents, however, the delivery process can be less straightforward than it is for detached homes. Parcels may be left in lobbies, redirected to Post Offices, missed entirely, or placed under the responsibility of building managers and concierge teams.

That is why secure parcel infrastructure is increasingly being considered alongside more familiar apartment amenities.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-VjjLwoViX0?si=A3k7ws9NX35Uac7_" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

Australia Post Parcel Lockers offer one way to address the issue. When a parcel arrives, residents receive a notification through the AusPost app or SMS, then collect it using a QR code or one-time PIN. The parcel is kept secure, accessible and removed from common areas.

The broader Parcel Locker network now includes more than 1,500 locations across Australia, positioned at Post Offices, shopping centres, supermarkets, transport hubs and other accessible locations.

For new apartment projects, the relevance is clear. A building’s amenity offering is no longer only about lifestyle spaces, but also about convenience, security and functionality.

As buyer expectations evolve, secure parcel delivery is becoming part of the same design conversation as flexible working, sustainable transport and resident wellbeing.

It is one less thing for residents to worry about, and another example of apartment design adapting to the way Australians now live.

Apartment design is adapting to the way Australians shop

While school holidays and trips to Europe tend to define the winter property market, there's been no cold snap at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-walden-north-sydney-177-walker-street-north-sydney-nsw-2060">The Walden</a> in North Sydney.

Developer-builder&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/aland">ALAND</a> sold more than $35 million worth of apartments throughout June, including a $6.8 million apartment that now ranks among the highest apartment sales ever recorded in North Sydney.

SRM Residential agent Ben Stewart said buyer demand throughout June reflected a mix of improving market confidence and longer-term thinking from owner-occupiers.

"We're seeing strong demand from owner-occupiers who are taking a longer-term view," Stewart said.

"Many recognise the opportunity to secure an apartment in an iconic building and premium location while values remain attractive. They may initially lease the property, but the intention is to eventually move in themselves, rather than purchasing purely as an investment."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134323 project_image_fid=367129]

Located at 177 Walker Street, The Walden will deliver 161 one, two, three and four-bedroom residences across a 30-storey tower designed by Rothelowman. Every apartment occupies a corner position, maximising natural light, cross ventilation and views across Sydney Harbour, the Opera House, Sydney Heads and the northern districts.

Rather than a traditional balcony, the residences feature winter gardens that seamlessly extend the open plan living areas, creating versatile spaces for relaxing or entertaining throughout the year. Floor-to-ceiling glazing draws in natural light while showcasing sweeping views from the building's elevated Walker Street position.

Every apartment features high-end Calacatta marble, bespoke joinery, and fully integrated appliances.

The larger residences have been planned with distinct entertaining and private zones, with many master suites positioned on corners to capture natural light and harbour views. Walk-in dressing rooms, freestanding baths and refined stone finishes reinforce the house-like feel that has resonated with downsizers and owner-occupiers.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134323 project_image_fid=6393]

Rothelowman Principal Ben Pomroy said the project was designed to make the most of its unique position overlooking the harbour.

"The Walden is a celebration of all things beautiful, curated for those who expect nothing less than exceptional," Pomroy says.

"Meticulously designed entertaining spaces and light-filled living areas that capitalise on capturing the natural beauty of Sydney's iconic harbour."

Residents will also have exclusive access to The Pavilion, a dedicated amenity building featuring a rooftop pool, wellness studio, gymnasium, sauna, concierge service, residents' lounge, private dining spaces and work-from-home facilities.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134323 project_image_fid=6402]

The project marks ALAND's first major luxury apartment development in Sydney's inner-city market after more than two decades delivering residential communities across Greater Sydney.

Founder and CEO Andrew Hrsto previously said the rarity of the Walker Street site made it an opportunity the company could not overlook.

"This is a rare opportunity to bring a truly exceptional project to life in one of Sydney's most iconic locations, and to showcase our craftsmanship and design expertise at a world-class level," Hrsto said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134323 project_image_fid=6383]

The Walden has been introduced to the market at a time when demand for living in North Sydney is at an all-time high. Billions of dollars have been invested in infrastructure, including the recently opened Victoria Cross Metro station, located just 300 metres from The Walden, providing residents with direct access to the Sydney CBD in just minutes.

Private investment has also transformed the area through the arrival of new retail and dining destinations, elevating the lifestyle offering in what was once considered primarily a commercial precinct rather than an aspirational residential address.

The Walden is currently under construction and is scheduled for completion in 2028.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=134323]

ALAND records $35 million in sales in North Sydney as The Walden bucks quiet winter selling season

The long-awaited redevelopment of the former Eastlakes Shopping Centre site has reached a major milestone, with Conquest's plans for a new mixed-use precinct officially placed on public exhibition.

The State Significant Development Application would transform the 1.7-hectare site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/19a-evans-avenue-eastlakes-nsw-2018">19A Evans Avenue</a> into one of Sydney's largest urban renewal projects, delivering 736 apartments above a new shopping centre anchored by Woolworths, alongside specialty retail, dining, commercial space and new public open spaces.

The public exhibition marks the next chapter for the project after <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/conquest">Conquest</a> acquired the stalled Stage Two development from Crown Group, who completed the first stage across the road prior to their voluntary liquidation.

<img alt="First look: Conquest unveils plans for 736-home Eastlakes Shopping Centre redevelopment" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5fca22c5-d1ed-4e2c-8801-03f7df1eafc8" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/eastland%20podium.png?VersionId=uomwr41nF8CmLUZRDcu3mHQechlbxucS" />

&nbsp;

Designed by DKO Architecture, the proposal comprises four residential buildings ranging from 14 to 18 storeys above a two-level retail podium. The development would deliver 736 apartments, including 74 affordable homes, 215 Build-to-Rent apartments and 521 market residences. Provision has also been made for dual-key apartments, which could increase the total number of dwellings to 877.

At ground level, the shopping centre has been designed as the suburb's new meeting place, anchored by a full-line Woolworths and complemented by a curated mix of fresh food retailers, cafés, restaurants, health services and everyday convenience shopping. Generous pedestrian links and landscaped public spaces will connect the retail precinct through to Jack Mundey Reserve, creating a more walkable and connected neighbourhood.

Conquest CEO Michael Akkawi said the redevelopment was about far more than replacing a shopping centre.

"Eastlakes has been overlooked for too long, and this is the community’s moment. We are building a shopping centre and homes, a genuine heart for the suburb, and we genuinely want locals to help shape it."

"We enrich communities through the creation of homes, places, and experiences designed for life, built to last, and owner for generations. That starts with listening, so we warmly encourage everyone with a connection to Eastlakes to view the plans and share their thoughts."

<img alt="First look: Conquest unveils plans for 736-home Eastlakes Shopping Centre redevelopment" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="22f6fb20-54fb-4bd7-8a92-48fafdd00608" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/eastland.png?VersionId=cugp7s9hrMHGJJdYzkeAkrFoQgnF4GXf" />

DKO said the design had been shaped by the site's landscape setting and surrounding open space.

"Our vision for the site embraces its unique Bidjigal identity by blending the residential living with generous landscaping and a material palette inspired by the Bidjigal locality, and celebrating the panoramic views to Botany Bay and the wetlands reserves."

"Taking cues from Country, we seek to harmonise built form with the landscape and lightly touch the earth. By reconnecting, retaining and regenerating existing ecology, and weaving in natural elements, we can deepen our connection to Country."

The landscape strategy extends across the podium and rooftops, incorporating communal gardens, children's play areas, lawns, community gardens, family gathering spaces and extensive tree planting. New landscaped links will also strengthen the connection between the precinct and Jack Mundey Reserve, while publicly accessible open spaces have been integrated throughout the development.

The proposal builds on Conquest's broader placemaking strategy for the site. Through an ongoing partnership, local artist Joe Rashbrook has been appointed Urban Art Curator, working alongside young residents to transform the project's site hoardings into a public art gallery that allows the community to engage with the redevelopment before construction is complete.

Conquest has rapidly expanded its development pipeline since acquiring the Eastlakes site, with more than $6 billion worth of mixed-use projects now in planning across Sydney, including Stanmore, Castlecrag and Waterloo.

Conquest CEO Michael Akkawi said the redevelopment was about far more than replacing a shopping centre.

Jonathan Chancellor

Editor's Picks

Have something to contribute?

Developments

New apartments

New townhouses

News