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SPONSORED POST
Buyers want technology in their dwellings and lives.
So Avantra, the Longton Property Group’s $300 million project in Sydney’s Mascot, aims to bring this new dimension to the luxury residential living with its mix of high-end design and technology. 
On completion residents of the 328-apartment complex will have access to a unique iButler service that simplifies tasks like shopping, cleaning, pet care etc.
iButler is a cross-platform application that offers customers a search and booking function for domestic services such as shopping, car washing, pet care, household cleaning, dry cleaning and booking removalists. 
Avantra residents will be able to use their provided iPads and other personal devices to book services simply by entering their postcode from any location and choosing the desired service.
Home automation is one of the unique technological offerings of the Avantra project, and the developer's apartment project offers unique home automation through the iButler service.
Online grocery shopping through the iButler system is a convenient service.
It also including ‘smart’ digital lockers that residents can use to receive home delivered goods.
Avantra is spread over a 8,762 square metre site and comprises two multi-storey buildings, including ground floor retail and a courtyard garden.   
Residents will also have their own information sharing network, iCommunity, providing updates on the news, weather and finance on personal devices and electronic noticeboards placed in the lobby.
The iCommunity Network is a dedicated community social media platform for each Longton apartment complex, which uses Twitter and its Chinese sister, Weibo, to create a virtual neighbourhood. 
The social media network will deliver daily updates regarding neighbourhood events (like BBQs, birthdays, catch ups), community initiatives (sports or groups) and a classified advertisements section. 
The courtyard overlooked by the multi-storey apartments also focuses on the concept of community.
Avantra’s landscape designer, Daniel Baffsky of 360 Degree Landscape says it is designed to bring “a higher level of detail to the landscape spaces so we bring in a domestic feel”.
The internal size of studios in Avantra are 60m˛to 61m, one-bedroom plus MPR units are 75m to 82m, two-bedroom plus MPR units are 100m to 127m, while three-bedroom plus MPR unit is 154 m. 
Avantra builds on a blend of an iconic industrial past with contemporary city living, boasting roof top gardens and a swimming pool with a view of the CBD, according to the developer.
It is close from Mascot station and 5 km from the Sydney CBD. 
Residents can expect to move in by December 2017.
For more information, <a href="https://www.avantra.com.au/" target="_blank">click here</a>.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

New housing project in Sydney's Mascot makes life easy with Hi-Tech

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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 competition to be the city with Australia’s “tallest skyline” is in full swing. But too many towers are rejecting local climate and context in an attempt to dominate skylines.
As a high-rise apartment boom sweeps Australia, concern is growing that the proliferation of skyscrapers will be to the detriment of cities.
To overcome this, we need to move away from thinking about the skyscraper as an “icon”. Instead, we should be asking how the tall building – which will always “stand out” – can also “fit in” to cities.
Towering trends
Australia is home to around 325 towers of 100 metres or taller in height (approximately 30 storeys and above). Most are located in Sydney or Melbourne.
Around 272 additional towers are either under construction or proposed in Australia. Melbourne, in particular, seems to be embracing the skyscraper. It has 111 new towers in the pipeline, more than double that of Sydney.
<a href="/images/2016/04/21/image-20160413-15868-1toptiq.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2016/04/21/image-20160413-15868-1toptiq.jpg" alt="">
Tall building construction in Australia - Left: number of buildings 100m+ completed each year; right: total number of buildings 100m+ completed, under construction or proposed per city. www.skyscrapercenter.com
Such numbers may seem dramatic. But they reflect a greater international trend in high-rise construction.
In the 20th century, 1,062 towers of 150 metres or taller were completed globally. Yet it took just eight years of the 21st century for this figure to double. Between 2000 and 2015 2,445 skyscrapers taller than 150 metres were built. A further 1,793 are under construction or proposed.
China is without doubt the centre of this construction boom. Research suggests it will build between 20,000 and 50,000 skyscrapers over the next 20 years to accommodate 350 million new urban dwellers. Shanghai already has 1,510 towers taller than 30 storeys – almost five times as many as Australia.
Few places are escaping this trend. London has 175 skyscrapers of 30 storeys or taller in the pipeline. This has led some to worry the city will turn into “a bad version of Dubai or Shanghai”.
Switzerland – known better for its timber chalets than crystalline towers – intends to build between 140 and 160 new high-rises.
Economics certainly plays a role in driving this trend. The skyscraper has long been known as the “machine that makes the land pay”. With the increasing cost of inner-city land, building up is a sure-fire way to increase developers’ potential profits.
Then there is the huge level of urbanisation in the developing world. Rural-to-urban migration is driving a huge demand for new housing. Add to this the growing popularity of city-centre living. The suburbs are failing to compete with the vibrancy and culture the city has to offer.
Finally, towers are being used as part of global or regional competitions to demonstrate a city’s or company’s identity and success. As far back as the 12th century, rich families in Bologna built increasingly tall towers as status symbols for their wealth and power, displaying their dominance over their rivals.
Little has changed. Rival casinos plan competing towers either side of Sydney’s Darling Harbour, acting as urban “trophies” at a city scale. But surely our towers should be more than just trophies?
The generous skyscraper?
One of the main challenges that separates low-rise from high-rise buildings is the scale of their impact on the city.
Shorter buildings will often only have an impact on their immediate surroundings, perhaps a few hundred metres beyond their boundaries at a maximum. A skyscraper, however, will likely be experienced both visually and environmentally across a city for several kilometres. A tower’s shadow can stretch for hectares.
Historic city views and panoramas can be altered forever. Reports of hundreds of new skyscrapers bring to mind canyonesque streets, hemmed in by concrete blocks that plunge parks and public realm into darkness. However, this doesn’t have to be the case.
Rather than using dramatic shape and form in skyscraper design to create icons, Chicago architect Jeanne Gang’s Solar Carve Tower in New York, for example, is carved and chamfered to allow light to penetrate onto the public High Line below. A similar generosity of design would not go amiss in most new towers.
Beyond transparency
Too many of Australia’s tallest towers say very little about the context within which they sit or the climate in which they perform. This is not unique to Australia.
The rise of generic glass towers on skylines globally has led to concern that cities are becoming homogenised by cookie-cutter tower blocks. In doing so, they are losing some of the qualities that make these cityscapes unique.
Worse still, the use of seemingly never-ending glazing on tower blocks is environmentally criminal in most Australian climates.
There’s little point in building up if we don’t celebrate the million-dollar view height provides. But does this really mean wrapping every inch of towers in floor-to-ceiling glass?
A more contextual response would be to learn to balance view with appropriate shade and solidity in tall building facades, developing designs that respond to local climate and sunpath. Such an approach could breed a new generation of sustainable Australian towers, uniquely linked to one of a city’s strongest determinants – its climate.
Ground floor interface
While skylines get all the headlines, it is at the ground level where skyscraper design perhaps needs greatest improvement.
Residential towers can offer little more than gleaming glass real estate in the sky, most of which is inaccessible (literally and often financially) to many city residents. Given that upper floors are out of bounds, the ground floor becomes the key place where the public can interact with the building.
The problem is the ground-floor realm often only accommodates access for parking and private lobby space. Since most residential towers are single-function, they lack the vibrancy and activities that mixed-use buildings with cafes, restaurants and work spaces offer. This means any public spaces that are created can be empty during the day when residents are at work.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Building up and creating higher densities can (in theory at least) free up greater space for the public at ground. What’s more, it can free up higher spaces, more dramatic and exciting spaces that would be unviable in low-rise schemes.
It can be difficult to argue that the skyscraper is not a selfish typology – absorbing resources, light and airspace from the city. But it can be a generous one too – perhaps most generous of all by providing higher densities and thus more compact cities, reducing suburban spread.
But our next generation of residential towers need to do more than simply generate higher densities. Key to this is moving away from treating towers as mere icons and instead creating high-rise architecture that responds to each city’s unique climate, culture and context.
Philip Oldfield senior lecturer, School of Architecture &amp; Design, UNSW Australia and author for The Conversation. He can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/philip-oldfield-140685" target="_blank">here</a>.
 
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Beyond the icon: despite a construction boom, Australian skyscraper design needs to evolve

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The Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison has delayed any potential sale of the Kidman &amp; Co cattle empire to Chinese interests until after the federal election so as to thoroughly assess the transaction’s national interest merits.
It was revealed Australian Rural Capital (ARC) was providing a 20 per cent local stake in a Chinese-led joint-venture deal to buy the massive pastoral business which covers 2.5 per cent of the nation’s agricultural land for $370 million.
Shanghai Pengxin would indirectly control 80pc of the business that currently covers about 11m hectares in Queensland, SA, NT and WA.
The offer needs Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) approval and Mr Morrison’s consent.
He’d signed an order last Friday which prohibits the Kidman transaction from proceeding for a period of 90 days from the gazetted date, meaning any final call of Kidman is likely to occur after polling day.
Mr Morrison said the order provided further time for him to consider the national interest implications “of this complex and sensitive acquisition”.
“My obligation is to make careful and detailed assessments of foreign investment proposals against the national interest and that is exactly what I intend to do on the Kidman matter as I did on the previous consideration of that transaction,” he said.
“National interest considerations of proposed transactions should not and will not, on my watch, be rushed, on important matters such as this.”
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Kidman sale to Chinese interests delayed

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The former petrol station at Dulwich Hill - which has almost shrine like status for devotees of the conservative Prime Minister John Howard - has been listed for sale as a residential development site.
It was the corner servo where the future 25th Prime Minister cut his teeth in the family's battling small business in the 1940s.
The Wardell Road offering will go to auction alongside an adjacent property.
They have a combined price guide of between $3.8 million and $4.2 million.
Born in 1939 John, like his older brothers, Wal, Stan and Bob pumped petrol at weekends for his father who was a supporter of the then newly-formed Liberal Party.
They lived through the post-war turmoil of a long coal strike and petrol rationing, and although he was only 10, John Howard maintained a clear recollection of the 1949 election campaign that brought his hero, Robert Menzies to power.
"I can remember listening to the policy speeches on radio with my father," he told journalist Craig McGregor in 1982.
"I can remember the talk around the house, which was very anti-Labor. It had a particular bias because of petrol rationing.
One of Menzies' slogans had been "Empty out the Chifley socialists and fill up the bowsers." 
John Howard also recalled the family elation on the night of the Menzies election and of a celebratory backyard bonfire to burn the rationing coupons. 
Howard's garage proprietor father, Lyall, who died in 1955, had bought into the business with his own father, Walter who'd purchased the property in 1930. It was the family's livelihood for decades. 
The two properties are being marketed as offering "enormous capital growth potential" coupled with a good holding income.
According to the listing agent, Luke Smith, at Raine &amp; Horne Commercial, the combined 455 square metre site was producing $153,868 revenue annually plus GST. 
The site also has a 2.6:1 floor space ratio, which will attract developers keen to land-bank. 
“This auction represents a rare opportunity to purchase a site in Dulwich Hill,” he added.
It is located just 100 metres from Dulwich Hill train station and the light rail. 
“Buyers can look forward to achieving strong re-sales as part of any future redevelopment,” said Mr Smith.
Over the past two years, five projects have been completed within 100 metres.
<img src="/images/2016/04/21/Lyall20Howard27s20Garage.jpg" alt="" width="2054" height="1092">
Mr Smith believes the property’s links to Australia’s 25th Prime Minister might attract some buying attention.
269 and 271-275 Wardell Road will go under the hammer on May 24.
The garage, on the corner of Wardell Road and Ewart Street, was sold for $100,000 by the family to a Greek immigrant in the mid-1980s, well ahead of John Howard's 1996 election triumph.
He once referred to the days of pumping petrol to empathise with drivers at high petrol prices.
"I know people are feeling it. I learned from a very early age that when you fill your car up you actually look at that click, click, click," he said, referring to the now obsolete bowser price counters.
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Former PM John Howard's Dulwich Hill family petrol station for sale

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486 Sandy Bay Road, Sandy Bay Tasmania has been listed with expectations of selling for $2.3 million.
 
Shangrila, a four-bedroom house, is on the water's edge with harbour views.
 
It is marketed by Charlotte Peterswald for Property Sales.
 
 
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Sandy Bay Tasmania trophy listed

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A modernist Russell Jack-designed four-bedroom house at St Ives has been sold for the first time.
The <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-st+ives-122145106" target="_blank">107 Hunter Ave</a> offering sold before auction for $1,452,000 through James Levy at Savills Cordeau Marshall, St Ives.
It was snapped up with two weeks.
It all all the original fittings from 1967 being a deceased estate of the Waterhouse family.
It was the first sale of the house which has architectural significance. The buyers' guidance was $1.25 million.
Russell Jack, a well-known modernist architect, designed the home with flat roof.
Russell Jack studied architecture and town planning in the late 1940s after returning from service in the Royal Australian Air Force.
Like many young Australian architects in the 1950s, Jack travelled around the UK and Europe looking at buildings.
After returning to Sydney in 1954, he set up practice with John Allen, and Keith Cottier joined them the following year. The firm became Allen Jack + Cottier in 1965.
The Jack House, designed by Russell and his wife, Pamela as their won family home, won the Sulman Award in 1956. 
His adaptation of modernist principles, which became known as the Sydney School, saw his often take advantage of bush settings.
This article was first published in the Sunday Telegraph.
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Russell Jack St Ives, Sydney trophy sold

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A new generation of 'urban escapists' are choosing to build in a new area rather than live in inner ring suburbs, according to developer Rawson Communities.
Rawson Communities general manager Ben Hogan, said this demographic, between 25-40 years of age was a key driver of outer urban growth in areas like Sydney’s burgeoning Marsden Park, with this precinct has recently been highlighted as the fastest growing residential postcode in New South Wales.
“These Urban Escapists are seeking a contemporary lifestyle and family-orientated neighbourhood in a great location with accessible connections to shopping and community hubs, schools and recreation areas," he said.
“We are seeing huge growth in this demographic and expect it to drive sustainable development in the local area over the next 18 months.”
Rawson Communities are the developers of Horizon in Marsden Park, 12 kilometres to the west of Rouse Hill Town Centre and six kilometres from Schofields Station, with direct trains into the CBD with  lot sizes ranging from 225 sqm to 450 sqm, with price points starting from $614,300.
For more information <a href="https://horizonmarsdenpark.com.au" target="_blank">click here</a>.  
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Urban escapists eyeing off western Sydney developments

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DEXUS Property Group today announced the resignation of its chief operating officer, Craig Mitchell, who is leaving to become the chief executive officer of Grocon Pty Ltd.
Last month Craig Mitchell was suggested as a contender for the Charter Hall Group chief investment officer gig. 
Sources said Mitchell was keen to make his name away from his boss, the well-regarded Darren Steinberg. 
Carolyn Viney, one of the highest ranking women in the property industry, announced her decision to step down this June.
Mitchell was considered for GPT Group's chief executive officer role but missed out to Bob Johnston.
Mitchell is chief operating officer at DEXUS and an executive director of DEXUS Funds Management having more than 25 years of financial management and accounting experience, with more than two decades specialising in the property industry.
Prior to DEXUS, Mitchell held positions with Stockland Group and Westfield.
Darren Steinberg, DEXUS CEO thanked Craig for his significant contribution to the Group over more than eight years.
"He leaves DEXUS in a strong position and we wish him all the best in his new leadership role.” Craig joined the Group as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in September 2007 and as a member of the Executive General Management team has overseen various functions including the management of the third party funds management platform and retail business.
"Craig was appointed to the Board as an Executive Director in February 2013.
Richard Sheppard, Chair of DEXUS said: “On behalf of the Board and the team at DEXUS we extend our thanks and gratitude to Craig and appreciate his dedication and overall contribution to the Group.” Craig‟s existing responsibilities in the short term will be assumed by members of the Executive General Management team.
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Craig Mitchell quits DEXUS for Grocon

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The philanthropic former newspaperman James Fairfax has now moved to formalise the gifting of his now subdivided historic Retford Park estate in the NSW Southern Highlands.
The Italianate 1887 residence will sit within a protected 32-hectare heritage curtilage to be owned by the NSW National Trust.
Retford Park will be another heritage property on the National Trust Heritage Trail, which will run along the Old Hume Highway 31, including Harper's Mansion at Berrima, Golden Vale at Sutton Forrest, Riversdale at Goulburn and Cooma Cottage at Yass.
The Old South Road property, which sits on the southern edge of Bowral’s rapidly suburban expansion, comes with about 100 hectares including land zoned for subdivision which is being conducted through Savills.
The project director, Allen Robinson said Mr Fairfax was determined to maintain the integrity of Retford Park with plans that were sympathetic to the heritage property and surrounding areas.
The philanthropic former chairman of the ailing publishing company that bears his family name had long advised he would bequeath Retford Park for the benefit of the public.
The story was written by me in 2009 in the Sydney Morning Herald. It was his idea for at least three decades.
Retford Park has been the country home of the arts patron since he paid £15,000 in 1964 for it on a then four-hectare holding.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/03/retfordmarch1two.jpg" alt="retfordmarch1two" width="470" height="468">
Retford Park, with an Italianate revival-style mansion, dates back to the 1880s when it was the summer retreat of the <a href="https://www.wsc.nsw.gov.au/uploads/1721/w_appendix-7-sue-rosen-final-retford-park-report_resize.pdf" target="_blank">retailing Hordern family</a>. It sits in well maintained gardens that include three Wollemi pines and a Guilford Bell swimming pool pavillion.
"I think Retford Park is an important part of the heritage of the Wingecarribee Shire area and provision has been made in my will for the house and the immediate surrounding land, including the garden, to be left in trust to be viewed by future generations," Mr Fairfax told me in 2009.
Listed on the register of the national estate since 1980, Retford Park takes its name from the village in Nottinghamshire, the northern England town from where Anthony and Ann Hordern immigrated in 1825.
The grounds have many heritage oaks, an enduring association with the Hordern's retailing business, whose emblem was an oak tree under which were the words "While I live, I'll grow".
<img src="/images/stories/2013/03/retfordmarch1three.jpg" alt="retfordmarch1three" width="470" height="310">
It was first sold after Anthony's great-grandson, Sir Samuel Hordern, died in 1956, leaving an estate of $279,000. It was briefly owned by the cattle stud operator King Ranch (Australia), of which Edwina Hordern's husband, Peter Baillieu, was managing director.
In his 1991 book, Regards to Broadway, Mr Fairfax recollected he'd had no plans to buy a country house. "But chatting to Peter Baillieu at a cocktail party in December 1963, I learned that Retford Park and 10 acres [four hectares] of land were to be sold." 
It occurred to James that it might be a suitable place for his mother to stay on her annual six month visits from England.
Mr Fairfax, the eldest son of the late Sir Warwick Fairfax and his first wife, Betty Wilson, then set about regularly buying adjoining rural land.
He also set about enlivening the house. 
"When my offer of £15,000 for the house and 10 acres with an option to buy another 10 in three years was accepted, I went into the usual ‘What on earth have I taken on?’ syndrome, but soon
recovered as I got involved in the redecoration which was being done by Leslie Walford," he recalled to Sue Rosen in 2011.
"Some six months later, in the winter of 1964, I commissioned Donald Friend to paint a mural in the dining room," he said.
Photos courtesy of <a href="https://www.highlifemagazine.com.au/" target="_blank">Highlife Magazine</a>, which reports on life in the Southern Highlands of Australia
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James Fairfax to gift historic Retford Park estate

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GUEST OBSERVER
The minutes of the April monetary policy meeting of the Board of the RBA provided few surprises but some notable choices in wording and some elaboration on key themes in the Governor’s decision statement.
Recall that the minutes relate to a meeting on April 5 and pre-date more positive monthly data on jobs and surveyed business conditions but also a drop in consumer sentiment and a further rise in the AUD.
Our main points of interest are the discussion in the ‘Considerations for policy’ section and the additional detail on assessments of current conditions and prospects.
The minutes repeat the main points from the Governor’s decision statement, including the key line that “Continued low inflation would provide scope for easier policy, should that be appropriate to lend support to demand”, a more upbeat assessment on the economy following the December quarter national accounts, commentary on the AUD that was more ‘factual’ than ‘critical’, and reduced concern about the potential impact of “financial turbulence” which was a more prominent issue in March.
The key new takeaways from the minutes are:
<ul>
<li>a clear assessment that the more positive tone on domestic activity was carrying into 2016;</li>
<li>slightly more stress being placed on the current degree of policy stimulus;</li>
<li>a bolstering of expectations that inflation will remain low;</li>
<li>and the critical channel of concern for the AUD rise being the impact on the services export sector. </li>
</ul>
Taking each of these point in turn:
The Governor’s statement had relatively little to say on Australian economic activity other than that the economy was continuing to rebalance and there were reasonable prospects for continued growth. The minutes flesh this out much more with key comments elevated to the ‘considerations’ section. 
The key line here is: “Domestically, the latest national accounts data suggested that the economy grew at a moderate pace in the December quarter and more recent data were consistent with this having continued in early 2016.” That compares to the comment in the March meeting minutes that “available data suggested that the domestic economy had continued to grow at a slightly below-trend pace”. It is somewhat interesting that the April minutes do not mention growth in relation to trend (on most measures it would be best described as near trend). However, the main point is really that this momentum is seen as having carried into 2016, a view that would have been reinforced by the March labour force survey and March business survey results.
The ‘considerations’ section included a notable tweak in wording on current policy settings, assessed as “very accommodative” rather than merely “accommodative” in the Governor’s statement. Although the meaning of this shift is open to interpretation, we would view putting more emphasis on the degree of stimulus as a subtle way of saying that the ‘hurdle’ for additional stimulus measures is higher. The shift in wording seems a little odd given the degree of attention paid to the wording in the Governor’s statement.
On inflation, the ‘considerations’ section emphasises the downside: “On all measures, wage growth remained at quite low levels and domestic cost pressures, more generally, remained subdued. Combined with the appreciation of the exchange rate and the low level of inflation globally, this suggested that inflation in Australia was likely to remain low over the next year or two.” This compares to the same section in the March minutes which simply noted “Wage growth had remained at quite low levels”. The commentary is pointing towards a likely lowering in the RBA’s inflation forecasts, something we have flagged as a possibility.
On the AUD, the key minutes repeated the concern that “an appreciating exchange rate could complicate progress in activity rebalancing towards non-mining sectors”. Two other comments provide an important elaboration on this: “Members noted that the recent rebound in commodity prices, even if sustained, was unlikely to lead to any material change in mining investment over the next couple of years”; and “Members observed that [the net services exports] component of GDP was one of the most sensitive to changes in the exchange rate and discussed the impact of exchange rate movements on the economy more broadly.” 
That suggests the key complicating factor from an AUD rise is that the degree of stimulus from an associated rise in the terms of trade for the mining sector may be limited and that the main source of weakness could be around services exports. That in turn suggests activity measures in the latter – confidence, conditions, employment – will be the critical test for whether the rise is becoming a factor (i.e. “could complicate” becoming “is complicating”). Clearly the RBA is greatly interested in the sectoral make-up of activity indicators in coming months.
Aside from these main points, the minutes seemed a little more positive on international conditions – China in particular where the pace of overall growth was described as having been broadly unchanged in the first two months of 2016 vs referring to “continued weakness in the industrial and real estate sectors” back in March – and financial markets which had improved, but were wary of the rally in Australia’s commodity prices.
Conclusion
The minutes provide some valuable insight into the Bank’s assessment of conditions domestically and the nature of the risks it is assessing, particularly around the recent gains in the AUD. Both continue to suggest the Bank is comfortable with current policy settings and although there are clearly risks around the outlook, particularly vis a vis the AUD, we are comfortable to retain our call that rates will remain on hold for the remainder of 2016, with the proviso that we do not envisage a further significant surge in the AUD.
We continue to see the Bank’s strategy on the AUD as hinging on whether 'new' levels of the currency are sufficient to markedly change its forecasts for inflation and, much more importantly, growth. The RBA will provide updated forecasts in its May Statement on Monetary Policy (due May 6). 
On growth we expect the stronger than expected Q4 national accounts to offset downward revisions from a higher currency, holding the RBA’s forecast steady at 3% – at most growth may be revised down 0.25ppts but even this would leave its 2016 forecast at ‘trend’. On inflation, the March quarter CPI (due April 27) is key input – our expectation of a 0.6 percent/qtr gain in the core CPI measure is also likely to limit any downgrade to the Bank’s forecasts with its 2016 view on underlying inflation likely to be pared back 0.25ppts to a range mid-point of 2.25 percent for 2016. Neither of these adjustments look like being substantive enough to trigger a policy response.
Matthew Hassan is senior economist with <a href="https://www.westpac.com.au/" target="_blank">Westpac</a>.
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Possible lowering of RBA's inflation forecasts: Westpac's Matthew Hassan

An entity directed by HSN's Rafi Assouline and Rebel Property's Allen Linz has filed plans for an impressive new precinct in Woolloomooloo.

The major mixed-use development would transform a prominent William Street site into a new residential village anchored by affordable housing and a large public park.

The proposal, submitted as a State Significant Development Application, covers 164-172 and 174-194 William Street, a 6,398 sqm site between Forbes Street and Dowling Street on the southern edge of Woolloomooloo.

Designed by fjcstudio in collaboration with Bangawarra, Studio Bright and Tribe Studio Architects, the scheme would deliver 227 apartments across four residential buildings ranging in height up to 18 storeys, alongside retail space, public domain improvements and a new publicly accessible park.

<img alt="Rebel" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0eb59b7c-914a-4a5c-b849-3a56749f5e93" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-06-12%20at%2011.18.51%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=mxM6EEqeoLjrCiTlCzTKTvzpKuh6kSkH" />

It's another design scheme for Rebel, who took <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-rebel-property-group-takes-woolloomooloo-precinct-to-nsw-government">concept plans to the NSW Gov late last year</a>.

The latest plans will be a mix of 167 build-to-sell apartments and 60 affordable apartments, with the affordable housing component representing 15 per cent of the project's gross floor area. The apartment mix includes 12 one-bedroom, 53 two-bedroom, 89 three-bedroom apartments and 13 penthouses, while the affordable housing component would comprise 42 one-bedroom and 18 two-bedroom apartments.

<img alt="Rebel" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3b3d4553-8a8c-4af5-aa8c-519ffb1e28c6" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-06-12%20at%2011.20.12%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=_Yb6ibN7eDnOtQjCNDK2eviORa4qzgv." />

Rebel Property is seeking to take advantage of the NSW Government's infill affordable housing bonus provisions under the Housing SEPP, which provide additional floor space and height in exchange for the delivery of affordable housing for a minimum of 15 years. The planning pathway allows a 30 per cent increase in floor space ratio and building height where 15 per cent of the development is dedicated to affordable housing.

&nbsp;

At the centre of the development is a 1,356 sqm sunlit public park designed to become a new community gathering space at the gateway to Woolloomooloo. The park would be complemented by a network of pedestrian laneways connecting William Street with the surrounding streets, improving permeability through what is currently a largely impermeable block.

<img alt="Rebel" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="257af931-a393-4007-8c6d-7219796df58d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-06-12%20at%2011.20.51%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=KAHy94GrhaReFsWTGDKfy39EDJ8gEEv4" />

The design team says the public domain has been heavily influenced by the site's topography and Aboriginal cultural heritage, drawing on the escarpments, gullies and landscape characteristics that historically defined the area before urbanisation. The landscape design has been developed in partnership with First Nations consultancy Bangawarra.

The project would be delivered across four separate buildings. The William Street East and William Street West buildings, designed by fjcstudio, would contain the majority of the apartments. Melbourne-based Studio Bright has designed the Forbes Street building, while Tribe Studio Architects is responsible for the Dowling Street building.

Rebel had secured approval for the concept plans late last year.

Joel Robinson

First look: HSN, Rebel, advances Woolloomooloo precinct plans

A locally heritage-listed furniture showroom on Water Street is set to become the centrepiece of a new mixed-use residential development as local developer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/keylin-group">Keylin</a> seeks approval for <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/lotus-on-water-street-290-water-street-fortitude-valley-qld-4006">Lotus on Water Street</a>, a 15-storey project on the Fortitude Valley side of Spring Hill.

The proposal spans 290 Water Street and 137-141 Warry Street, combining several properties into a 2,869 sqm site that sits between Fortitude Valley, Spring Hill and the rapidly evolving Victoria Park precinct. Keylin's plans would deliver 132 apartments alongside new retail, hospitality and commercial space, while retaining and repurposing the historic Brunswick Home Furnishers Showroom that fronts Water Street.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/jackson-teece">Jackson Teece</a>, Lotus on Water Street comprises a 12-storey residential tower rising above a three-storey podium and communal rooftop terrace. The development includes 76 apartments classified as multiple dwellings and a further 56 units proposed as short-term accommodation, designed to be flexibly used as either accommodation or permanent residences. The apartment mix comprises six one-bedroom, 54 two-bedroom and 16 three-bedroom homes.

<img alt="First look: Keylin unveils heritage-led Lotus on Water Street tower in Fortitude Valley" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9822bb79-6c49-49c9-95ba-319e8c8d81c3" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/fortitude%20valley%20front.png?VersionId=ioW8zbN4UVebbLetTFuv92t.HkdgfR5e" />

Residents would have access to an extensive rooftop recreation level spanning more than 1,200 sqm of communal open space. Plans include a pool, gym, sauna, infrared sauna, yoga area, library, private dining room, barbecue facilities and landscaped entertainment spaces, making the rooftop the project's largest shared amenity offering.

At street level, the proposal focuses on the adaptive reuse of the heritage buildings along Water Street, where 518 sqm of retail and commercial space is planned across shop, office and food and drink outlet uses. A permeable residential lobby would be positioned between the retained heritage buildings, creating a pedestrian connection between the historic streetscape and the new tower behind.

<img alt="First look: Keylin unveils heritage-led Lotus on Water Street tower in Fortitude Valley" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="269cf3e0-7d13-48bf-a318-05a00deb5c10" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/fortitude%20valley%20podium.png?VersionId=DLXmTCLsp6GOcLpQ0h.0z7wKCw59EhN_" />

The heritage retention strategy is central to the scheme. The development application notes that the Brunswick Home Furnishers Showroom and adjoining heritage buildings will remain, with only non-significant structures on the site earmarked for removal under a previously issued Heritage Exemption Certificate. Levels one and two of the new podium are recessed behind the heritage façades to maintain their prominence within the streetscape.

Jackson Teece has drawn inspiration from the site's manufacturing history when designing the podium. The planning documents state that the façade incorporates perforated metal screening that references the woven and rattan furniture historically produced on the site. Cascading and climbing plants are integrated throughout the podium to soften the building's presentation and screen parking levels behind. The landscape strategy also informs the project's name, Lotus on Water Street, drawing on the historic Spring Hollow waterholes that once ran through Spring Hill and the blue water lilies associated with Meeanjin, Brisbane's traditional name.

The proposal also incorporates the neighbouring property at 141 Warry Street, currently occupied by a healthcare service. The existing building would remain, with nine dedicated parking spaces allocated within the new development to support its ongoing operation. In total, Lotus on Water Street proposes 117 car spaces, including 110 resident spaces and seven visitor bays, alongside 100 bicycle spaces.

<img alt="First look: Keylin unveils heritage-led Lotus on Water Street tower in Fortitude Valley" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="70cf07bc-4fd8-4e70-92dd-be8b21c4e4f0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/fortitude%20valley%20site.png?VersionId=txlxrJImM0Sm_vTzHVKh5DDUkyL_CiiA" />

The site sits within the Spring Hill East Precinct of the Spring Hill Neighbourhood Plan and is positioned around 650 metres from both Fortitude Valley Station and Exhibition Station. It is also within walking distance of the King Street precinct, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Herston Quarter and Victoria Park, which is earmarked to become a major venue precinct ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Planning documents describe the location as a key gateway between Spring Hill and Fortitude Valley and highlight the area's increasing importance as new transport infrastructure and Olympic-related investment reshape Brisbane's inner north. The development team argues the project will contribute additional housing supply while activating a section of Water Street that has historically received less investment than other parts of the Valley.

Keylin has become increasingly active across Brisbane and southeast Queensland, assembling sites in strategic inner-city locations. They are currently selling and delivering <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/oria-spring-hill-447-gregory-terrace-spring-hill-qld-4000">Oria Spring Hill</a>, just over 140 apartments due for completion in 2027.

Keylin plans heritage-led Lotus on Water Street apartment development in Fortitude Valley

Roseville is poised for a wave of new apartment development following the NSW Government's rezoning of land around Roseville Station under its Transport Oriented Development program.

The new planning controls have unlocked significant development potential within walking distance of the station, with a number of sites expected to be amalgamated and redeveloped in the coming years as developers seek to take advantage of the increased density allowances.

One of the more restrained developments in the precinct, and set among the first to be delivered having commenced well before the recent changes, is Hyecorp's Juliet. The boutique apartment project is already well under construction and remains on track to welcome residents by the end of the year, offering a markedly different proposition to many of the larger-scale developments now likely to emerge across the suburb.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=7395 project_image_fid=278194]

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/juliet-roseville-64-pacific-highway-roseville-nsw-2069">Juliet</a> will comprise just&nbsp;34 one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments opposite Roseville Station. For Hyecorp, which has delivered projects across Sydney's Lower North Shore for more than three decades, Roseville presented a rare opportunity to address a growing gap in the market.

"<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/roseville-nsw-2069">Roseville</a> has long been one of the North Shore's most tightly held and desirable suburbs, offering a unique combination of village charm, established greenery, excellent transport connections, and proximity to some of Sydney's best schools and lifestyle amenities," Hyecorp said.

"We recognised a growing demand from local homeowners seeking to downsize without leaving the community they have built their lives around. The location presented a rare opportunity to create homes that cater specifically to that buyer profile."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=7395 project_image_fid=278196]

The six-level development has been designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/pbd-architects">PBD Architects</a> as a collection of residences that feel more like homes than apartments. The brief centred generous floorplans, abundant natural light, quality finishes, and strong connections to outdoor space.

PBD Architects drew inspiration from Roseville's established garden suburb character, creating a building that sits comfortably within its surroundings rather than dominating them. The architecture incorporates natural materials, soft forms, layered landscaping, expansive balconies, and generous setbacks to strengthen the connection between residents and the suburb's leafy environment.

"The focus was on designing spacious, house-like residences for discerning owner-occupiers and downsizers who wanted to remain on the North Shore without compromising on comfort, privacy, or design," PBD said.&nbsp;

"Every apartment was to feel considered, timeless, and highly functional."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=7395 project_image_fid=278195]

Inside, residences feature engineered timber flooring, stone kitchen benchtops and splashbacks, integrated Fisher &amp; Paykel appliances, ducted air conditioning, and large outdoor entertaining areas designed to take advantage of district and treetop views.

Residents will also have access to a rooftop barbecue and lounge area, alongside practical amenities including parcel lockers, EV charging capability, bicycle storage, a dog wash bay, and a basement car wash facility.

The majority of purchasers so far have been local owner-occupiers from Roseville, Lindfield, Chatswood, Killara, and the broader Upper North Shore, many of whom are transitioning from larger family homes.

"Buyers are looking for spacious, house-like apartments that allow them to downsize without feeling like they are sacrificing comfort or functionality," Hyecorp noted.

"They value large kitchens, generous living areas, ample storage, quality finishes, secure parking, lift access, and low-maintenance living."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=7395 project_image_fid=278204]

Juliet sits directly opposite Roseville Train Station and within walking distance of Roseville Village, while Chatswood's retail and dining precinct is only minutes away. The development is also surrounded by some of Sydney's most established schools, including Roseville College, Ravenswood, Pymble Ladies' College, and Knox Grammar, as well as nearby parklands and golf courses.

Juliet is currently more than 75 per cent sold ahead of its anticipated completion in late 2026.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=7395]

Juliet to sit quietly amid Roseville apartment boom

Sherpa Property Group has unveiled the third instalment of its Flourish series, securing full approval for the two-tower, $500 million Flourish Soleira development in Palm Beach.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/flourish-soleira-1150-1154-gold-coast-highway-palm-beach-qld-4221">Flourish Soleira</a> will rise from a prominent site in the commercial heart of Palm Beach, the long-time home of Cash Converters and a range of local retailers.

The project will introduce a new retail and dining precinct at ground level, beneath 286 apartments.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=370959]

“We’re very committed to not only providing affordable residential offerings that are much needed in Palm Beach, but also delivering a vibrant new commercial heart that complements the extraordinary growth of the southern Gold Coast,” Sherpa Property Group founder Christie Leet said.

The development will sit under Sherpa's Flourish brand, which is aimed at providing a pathway into the beachside suburb for locals, first-home buyers and downsizers. In a move designed to assist first-home buyers entering the market, Sherpa has reserved all one and two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartments exclusively for eligible first-home buyers.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=370964]

“Our vision through Flourish is to create a vibrant retail and lifestyle focal point within the Palm Beach centre zone, delivering thriving communities underpinned by lifestyle-rich locations,” Leet said.

“So far, Flourish has been an incredible success, and we hope to carry this momentum as we progress the next two Flourish projects in Palm Beach.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=371430]

Located across 1150-1164 Gold Coast Highway and 3 Sixth Avenue, the development will comprise two towers. The northern tower will deliver 154 apartments, while the southern tower will add a further 132 residences, helping address ongoing demand for new apartments in the tightly held coastal suburb.

Flourish Soleira will also feature the most extensive rooftop amenity offering ever delivered in Palm Beach.

The two towers will be connected by a skybridge, with residents gaining access to a rooftop recreation deck featuring a full-width swimming pool, hot and cold plunge pools, wellness spaces, a gymnasium, private dining facilities, massage treatment rooms, barbecue areas, a basketball court, golf simulator, indoor and outdoor dining spaces, sun lounges and extensive landscaping.

LPS Group is expected to start construction later this year.

Sherpa is already well advanced on construction of its debut Flourish project, Flourish Amargo, located just around the corner from Soleira. Meanwhile, Flourish Oasis, positioned opposite Amargo, recently commenced construction and has nearly sold out its collection of 47 apartments.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150017]

Sherpa unveils $500m mixed-use Palm Beach precinct, Flourish Soleira

Are mortgage holders set to get a reprieve from the RBA in 2026?

Big Four bank NAB believes so. They are now expecting the next move from the RBA to be a cut, rather than a hike, which they had pencilled in for August. They are unsure of the timing of the cut however, they note in their latest&nbsp;NAB Economics RBA Watch.

NAB Chief Economist, Dr Sally Auld, said recent data suggests the economy has lost momentum and the outlook for rates has shifted, noting that the broader economic backdrop has changed since earlier in the year.

“The next move in the cash rate is likely to be down, but the timing is uncertain," Dr Auld said.

"In February, growth was above trend, the economy was operating above capacity and there was uncertainty over the restrictiveness of rates. None of these conditions exist today,” she outlined.

Dr Auld said recent data pointed to softer momentum across the economy while acknowledging that at the same time, uncertainty remains a key feature of the outlook.

“Both Q1 GDP data and the NAB business survey suggest momentum in the economy has slowed, meaning that growth has likely peaked for the cycle. That said, we are cognisant there is still considerable uncertainty around the outlook, both with respect to activity and inflation.”

Dr Auld said inflation risks and labour market outcomes would be important to watch.

“On the prices side, we are still forecasting above target core inflation through to mid-2027. Margins will compress and weaker labour market outcomes are a risk.”

She said tighter financial conditions are expected to weigh on housing and activity.

“Tighter financial conditions will be reflected in a slowing in house price growth and housing credit growth. In summary, we have greater conviction that the next move in rates is down, but less conviction on the timing.”

Jonathan Chancellor

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