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The Federal Opposition has demanded to be consulted ahead of any federal election in July on the appointment of the Reserve Bank governor.
It is speculated the deputy governor will succeed Glenn Stevens as the central bank's governor.
The Australian Financial Review says Treasurer Scott Morrison has declined to consult with the opposition on any promotion to governor of Reserve Bank of Australia deputy Philip Lowe, who has won Labor's backing.
Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen on Monday demanded the government stop naming senior Treasury portfolio positions without consulting the opposition, because he argued the government is now effectively on an election footing.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Labor demands to be consulted on next RBA governor 

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When we head to the polls, auction property market activity typically slows.
It's a bit like long weekends, Easter and school holidays which are in many markets are generally avoided given the ideal scenario is to choose an uninterrupted four-week sales campaign block. 
This year's election, perhaps as soon as Saturday July 2, will actually be well timed for minimal impact amid the traditional winter slowdown.
But expect a chill to come with it given that negative gearing policy is set to be one of the key election issues.
The seismic Labor Opposition policy, and the Government's seeming abandonment of any change, at least for the time being, will trigger diverse consequences. 
Like the balloon effect: squeeze a balloon in one place, and it inflates elsewhere, some vendors might bring their sales forward while others will bring their purchasing forward. Other owner occupiers and investors will delay.
Overall the electorate - and therefore much of the market - will simply await the outcome of any double dissolution election that will not be about the construction industry bill.
It will be much more about the future value of people’s houses given Labor’s plans and the Government's seeming abandonment of any changes. 
It seeks to restrict the use of negative gearing in the property market to new homes, and to also halve the discount applied to capital gains tax.
This campaign is therefore not likely to be typical when elections tend not to impact on actual home values. 
Elections often have an impact on listing activity.  
So I'd expect prospective vendors to bring forward their sales campaigns to May and June, but then closer to the election date the prospective sellers will postpone their sales campaigns.
CoreLogic RP Data analysis of recent elections showed that there was around a 20 percent drop in the volume of listings, while the clearance rate is usually unaffected. 
Historically when there is no change of government the housing market tends to respond better post-election than when there is a change.
Just how much the auction trends can be attributed to an election is debatable, however federal elections do have an impact on consumer and business confidence.  
Federal budgets too, and we still have to get through it's impact in May.
The debate on negative gearing has now been enlightened by the latest Tax Office statistics that show there were 1,257,301 individual investors in 2013-14 who claimed a total of $10.9 billion worth of rental losses over the year. 
The number of individuals claiming a rental loss was the lowest since 2009-10. Given low interest rates, the average loss claimed was $8,722, the lowest since 2005-06.  
A record 776,672 taxpayers earned a net profit from their investment property in fiscal 2014. 
Although landlord earnings from rents were flat at $38 billion.
More Australians than ever own a rental property at 2.03 million with an indisputable spread across low, middle and high income earners.
This article was first published in the Saturday Daily Telegraph.
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Plenty of property decisions to accompany the negative gearing election

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Median house rentals in metropolitan Melbourne , according to the REIV, increased slightly to $420 from $415 a week, while in regional Victoria, the weekly median rent for houses increased to $300 from $290 a week.
The REIV's rental market snapshot to February 2016 found the proportion of vacant properties remained stable over February in metro Melbourne at 3.1 percent and regional Victoria at 2.4 percent. 
<a href="/images/2016/03/29/Screen%20Shot%202016-03-29%20at%203.44.36%20PM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2016/03/29/Screen%20Shot%202016-03-29%20at%203.44.36%20PM.png" alt="">
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Melbourne rents edge higher: REIV

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Westpac consumer banking boss George Frazis says the Australian housing fundamentals remained strong.
Westpac has a $363 billion exposure to mortgages, with the bank having strengthened lending standards by lifting serviceability buffers and writing fewer loans with large leverage, he advised this week.
He dismissaed the US research house Variant Perception report last month that claimed Australia had “one of the biggest housing bubbles in history” and prices would fall 50 per cent in parts of Sydney and Melbourne.
“Hedge funds have been making those allegations for 20 years,” he told The Australian, claiming offshore funds “don’t understand the Australian mortgage market”.
“Basically we’ve got an environment where we’ve got responsible lending obligations (and) the incentives are aligned between the borrower and the bank to ensure effectively we do whatever we can to make sure people stay in their homes.
“We’ve got ... one million-plus customers; at the moment we have in the order of about 250 houses in repossession, so an extremely low number."
He said 74 percent of Westpac customers are ahead on their repayments.
“We’re actually breathing down the neck of Commonwealth Bank, we’re closing the gap on mortgages and we’ve stopped the gap growing in deposits, which I’m really pleased about,” he said.
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Westpac narrows gap on Commbank while dismissing housing bubble claims

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Foreign property investors are claiming more than $200 million a year of negative gearing tax deductions, a News Corp Australia analysis of latest Australian Taxation Office data shows.
It concluded there were almost 56,000 foreign real estate investors in Australia in 2014, up from 52,700 the previous year.
More than 40 per cent of them used the negative gearing rules, which allow investors to claim a tax deduction when expenses exceeded rental income from their invstment property.
A spokeswoman for Treasurer Scott Morrison said “tax changes to be made by the Government will be announced in the Budget”.
The new ATO data shows 22,529 foreign investors claimed almost $208 million of net rental losses in 2013-14.
Based on Australia’s tax rates for foreign residents of between 32.5c and 45c in the dollar, those negative gearing losses are estimated to have saved them more than $76 million in tax.
Real estate experts say any savings from banning foreigners from using the tax breaks would have little impact on the Federal Budget and may be counter-productive.
Foreign real estate investors in Australia: almost 56,000
Foreign investors using Australian negative gearing rules: 22,529
Amount of net rental losses claimed: $208 million
Total tax saving: more than $76 million
Tax rates for foreign residents: between 32.5c and 45c in the dollar
Source: 2013-14 Australian Taxation Office data
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40 percent of foreign investors make negative gearing property claims

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GUEST OBSERVER
To the inexperienced investor, the property market can seem like an overwhelming mix of numbers, jargon, cycles and advice. Knowing what the property market is doing is a challenge but it is important to learn as much as possible. 
When you are informed you can make your own decisions, rather than relying on someone else telling you what to do. Here are the six best ways to identify a healthy property market so you can take control of your investing choices.
1. The first thing to look out for is the movement of titled stocks. When it comes to property development there are multiple stages, beginning with acquisition, through to planning, civil works, roads, subtitles, and finally registered, titled lots ready to go. If developers are selling all of their stock before everything is complete, that’s a good sign that the market’s warming up. If there are thousands of completed lots sitting there, registered but unsold, that means the market is slow.
2. When the market is healthy, you will be able to see the media increasingly reporting good news property stories. As the growth cycle moves upwards, developers are the first to act. Following that, around 12 months later, the media catch on and start reporting. That pushes the market up to its peak because that’s when your everyday investors catch on and open their wallets. Keep an eye out for the ‘b’ word in the press (that’s bubble), as that is a good sign that the market is hot.
3. Underlying to any market movement is the economy; therefore it’s wise to keep an eye on Australia’s four main capital cities. Melbourne and Sydney’s economies tend to move together, with Sydney slightly ahead. This comes down to economic drivers, and that Sydney is a larger business hub. The economies of Perth and Brisbane rely on two main industries: tourism and mining. If the economy is flat, depending on how flat and why, then the property market may sit flat too.
4. Another sign is the rental market. I look for two things: low rental vacancy rates in a market and for rising rental prices. Simply, due to the nature of supply and demand, the rising cost of rentals equals an increased need for housing. An increased demand for property means a healthy market
5. When the market is booming, development and government incentives begin to dwindle. Incentives, like the First Home Owners Grant, are put in place to get people into the property market, driving the economy. This is because the building industry is vast, and when it is thriving you need appliances, benches, landscapers and myriad other products and services. So when these incentives are harder to come by, that means market is healthy.
6. If you’re selling a property, and once you’ve listed it you immediately receive multiple offers, that’s the sign of a healthy market. This is tracked via a mechanism called average days on the market. Alternatively if you are selling at auction, you will receive crowds of people attending, which is what we’re seeing in our capital cities at the moment.
Due to the fickle nature of the industry these six identifiers won’t always line up at once, but if you’ve got four or more of these, then the market is fairly healthy, which is great news for investors.
Allister Lewison is director of OpenCorp and can be contacted <a href="https://www.opencorp.com.au" target="_blank">here</a>.
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How to identify a healthy property market: OpenCorp's Allister Lewison

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Greg Hocking Holdworth has sold a development site in South Melbourne for $3.97 million.
Currently two residences on one title, it was marketed for its <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-south+melbourne-121792838" target="_blank">multi-unit re-development</a> potential.
The 513 sqm site was 227 to 229 Cecil Street with second frontage to Napier Street.
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South Melbourne development site fetches $3.97 million

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Chinese billionaire Wang Qinghui has emerged as the cash buyer of the historic Bishopscourt, Darling Point estate for $18 million, although the actual sale price has not yet been registered at the NSW LTO.
The purchase ends 105 years of Anglican Church ownership having been the official residence of its Sydney Archbishop.
Wang debuted on the Forbes Rich List of China in 2014 following his early investment in the Beijing Xinwei Telecom Technology Group, according to Fairfax Media.
According to Reuters, Beijing Xinwei is designated by five central government ministries to be a key software enterprise for state planning.
Wang, 47, was an early investor in the Beijing Telecom in 1999 through his venture firm Bonanza Investment, of which he is president.
The sale price was well below expectation.
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Darling Point, Bishopscourt bonanza for Chinese billioniare

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A block of leasehold land in the Victorian ski resort of Mt Hotham sold on Easter Saturday at a no-reserve auction for just $14,000.
Another leasehold block sold at $18,000, the cheapest sales on the mountain in 35 years.
The two properties were the last holdings in Venture Technologies Corporation's Mount Hotham property portfolio.
Venture Technologies executive Ron Bassett invested more than $50 million in Mt Hotham and nearby ski field, Falls Creek in the 1990s.
Agent John Castran said the sales were the cheapest on the mountain in 35 years.
They were both on 40 year leases.
The two properties were the last holdings in Venture Technologies Corporation's Mount Hotham property portfolio.
"I was astounded at how low the properties sold for," Mr Castran told the Australian Financial Review.
The buyers are residents who want to develop the land into cabins for the great views at <a href="https://www.castran.com.au/buying/VIC/North-Eastern/Mount-Hotham/Land/1P0609" target="_blank">Higgi Drive, Mount Hotham</a>.
One was 11 sqm the other 288 sqm. 
John Castran, managing director of Castran Real Estate, which sells properties around Victoria’s alpine towns, had previously advised he though prices had bottomed out in 2013.
Construction on a $4.4 million investment into further snowmaking infrastructure was scheduled to be completed in time for the 2016 snow season.
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Mt Hotham's $14,000 land sale

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Melbourne high-rise developer Joe Russo has secured two development sites in Houston, Texas, with plans for about 1000 apartments.
He paid about US$8 million ($10.5 million) for a small block in Houston's "latte and laptop" mid-town district with plans for more than 350 apartments over 28 levels.
Russo told the Australian Financial Review it had an end value of about $228 million.
He has also bought a second site across the road that will hold more than 600 apartments, with plans including shops and a piazza.
"I looked at five cities in the US and fell in love with Houston," he said.
"It's a growing city with 6.5 million people, the biggest medical precinct in the US. In the midtown area where I have acquired my sites, there's a lot of gentrification going on with bars and restaurants opening up and a new light rail in operation."
He said finding new sites for development in Melbourne that stacked up was a lot harder. 
"I have not seen an opportunity in Melbourne worth pursuing in the past 12 months," he told the newspaper.
He said Melbourne sites with permits had too-high price tags, while those without permits now came with too much planning risk, after new interim height controls last year by Victorian Planning Minister Richard Wynne.
"You are still getting owners of unpermitted sites trying to sell them for the same prices as those which have permits," he said.
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Caydon's Joe Russo lands Houston apartment projects

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;

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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

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