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East coast residential developer Sunland reported a dip in net profit to $3.2 million but has reconfirmed full-year earnings of up to $29 million, given anticipated second-half property settlements.
Sunland managing director Sahba Abedian said he had also noticed a cyclical pull-back in bank lending for new properties.
"I do feel there is some adjustment taking place where banks are becoming more stringent on their lending, and that is in respect to lending to developers as well," Mr Abedian said. 
"I think it is partly regulation, but I also feel they have a view to the cycle," the Australian Financial Review reported.
"Despite the prevailing headwinds, we continue to see opportunities in specific market segments in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Sydney's northern beaches, and our recent acquisitions in these locations are expected to contribute to earnings growth in the short to medium term."
Sunland has a total of 855 contracts on hand with a combined value of $663 million, with an estimated 380 settlements during the second half of the year.
He said a sustained focus on operational efficiencies enabled the group to achieve an average return on development of 25 per cent, above a target of 20 per cent.
 
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Sunland secures 25 percent returns on its residential development

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A $488,000 sale of a two bedroom fibro on 600 sqm at Bradbury was the cheapest among recent weekend auctions.
Selling to an investor, it suggested the headlines around the negative gearing policy debate had failed to unnerve strong buying interest.
Some four of the five registered parties were investors.
But it's selling agent Russell Wyer from Richardson &amp; Wrench Campbelltown suggested the investor interest was more likely to be directed towards the prospect of positive gearing than negative gearing.
He thought the acquisition lent itself to the addition of a granny flat in its vast back yard on <a href="https://www.domain.com.au/15-bland-street-bradbury-nsw-2560-2012550475" target="_blank">Bland Street</a>.
He envisaged a doubling in rental income to around $650 a week after the $100,000 plus outlay on the granny flat.
The pursuit of positive gearing by many conservative investors has been somewhat overlooked in the debate that has followed the unveiling of the federal opposition's policy to restrict negative gearing to new properties and raise the tax on any sale.
There's complexity around the investment terms and ofcourse it’s not the property that determines whether an investment is negative or positive. 
What is a positively geared property for one could be a negatively geared one for another, due to different income tax circumstances.
Basically a property with negative cashflow means the rental income does not cover all the outgoing costs, so this loss helps reduce a person’s overall tax liability.
The gearing aspect means that the property has been bought using finance with the loan repayments adding to the outgoings.
Leaving personal tax considerations aside, negatively geared property is a loss making situation.
But the investor's expectation is for the value of the property to increase to cover the annual losses.
And they might also anticipate future rental income will increase sufficiently to cover the losses.
The big risk with a negatively geared property is that its value may not increase sufficiently to cover the loss especially if interest rates rise.
There’s also now the prospect raised by Labor of hiking the tax on any capital gains.
According to property research and investment firm Aviate Group managing director Neil Smoli it typically takes five to six years for an investment property to become neutral, that is, for the rent received to balance the interest payable.
"This is influenced by the interest rate of the day, the net rental income received after costs, the investor’s marginal tax rate as well as depreciation allowances,” he said.
He argues any reform should take a long-term view and classify ‘new’ stock as any property up to 10 years old so as not to pull the rug from under the feet of investors abruptly.
“A timeline of this duration for the investor to be able to use negative gearing seems logical and fair.”
This article was first published in the Saturday Daily Telegraph.
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Positive gearing the prospect with granny flat on Bland Street, Bradbury

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Leading mutual lender, Teachers Mutual Bank intends to merge with the NSW-based Fire Brigades Employees’ Credit Union. 
The boards of Fire Brigades Employees Credit Union (FBECU) and Teachers Mutual Bank have signed a memorandum of understanding.
FBECU has over 7,400 members and more than $215 million in assets. Teachers Mutual Bank was established in 1966, now with over 160,000 members and $4.5 billion in assets.
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Teachers Mutual Bank to merge with Fire Brigades Employees' Credit Union

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Li Ruipeng, the Chinese businessman on the run from authorities in China and at the centre of a luxury watch gifting scandal in Canberra, has been hiding out on the Gold Coast, according to the Australian Financial Review.
Mr Li, whose instant noodle and property company owes millions of dollars to suppliers, staff and money lenders across China, is also in legal trouble in Australia, was in Australia as recently as last week.
Court documents show Mr Li is involved in 27 legal disputes on the mainland, owes creditors at least $30 million and is being investigated for illegal fundraising.
Mr Li often boasted of his political connections in Australia. He displayed photographs of these contacts in his office, including the now infamous shot of him in June 2013 with ousted human services minister Stuart Robert, former Australian prime minister and then opposition leader Tony Abbott and Ian Macfarlane, who at the time was opposition industry spokesman.
At the dinner Mr Li gave all MPs, as well as the wives of Mr Abbott and Mr Robert, designer watches. They were initially accepted, assumed to be fakes, but later returned.
Greg Roberts, compliance manager at Wealthcare Custodians, is taking legal action against the Chinese businessman.
Wealthcare, which was set up in 2005, had hoped to leverage Mr Li's contacts and build up a business providing advice to wealthy Chinese investors, particularly those looking to take part in the Significant Investor Visa program.
Sydney firm Wealthcare Custodians Limited confirmed it was taking legal action against its former chairman after he disappeared last year owing almost $300,000.
Wealthcare offer the investor the ability to consider a number of investment options; from the safety of bank and foreign exchange accounts over the major universal currencies, as well as a more actively managed growth fund. 
The growth fund offers a range of diversified, actively managed property and manufacturing opportunities, spread over rural, residential, retail, commercial, industrial, tourism and infrastructure sectors. Of particular focus are the areas of hospitals, aged care facilities and educational facilities in areas of need around Australia.
Its Australasian Infrastructure Trust was specifically designed and created to enable high net worth Chinese investors and their families around the world, to avail themselves of the Australian Federal Government’s Significant Investor Visa (SIV), which allows qualifying participants to apply for permanent residency in Australia.
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Chinese Rolex giver being pursued by Wealthcare

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Singer songwriter Melissa Higgins has sold her warehouse conversion in Melbourne's Abbotsford.
The red-brick residence has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a study and an outdoor entertaining terrace.
Architecturally designed, the converted warehouse has maintained original features such as high herringbone ceilings and exposed Oregon pillars.
Higgins bought the property for $1.825 million in 2012. More than $2.1 million was expected.
<a href="https://kayburton.com.au/properties/view/353449-21a-mollison-street-abbotsford-3067-sale" target="_blank">Expressions of interest</a> were set to close through Kay &amp; Burton listing agent Sarah Case on February 29.
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Melissa 'Missy' Higgins has sold her Abbotsford warehouse conversion

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Residential developer Peet Group announced an operating profit after tax for the half-year ended 31 December 2015 of $18.5 million – an 8% increase over the the previous corresponding period.
The national group’s managing director and chief executive officer, Brendan Gore, said the Group had achieved a good half-year performance that reflected the supportive conditions across the group’s key east coast markets, in particular Victoria and ACT/ New South Wales.
“The strong result was driven by price growth across the Victorian land portfolio as well as the group’s continued focus on operational efficiencies.
“It confirms that the ongoing disciplined implementation of our strategy is delivering improved operating performance, and underlines the benefits of Peet’s diverse national portfolio.has a record number of contracts in hand as the buoyant east coast markets helped it to an 8 per cent lift in its 2016 interim profit."
Headquartered in Perth, the listed developer's strength is its national portfolio with weakness still in WA. 
By the end of December last year, the developer had 2,318 contracts on hand with a gross value of $523 million.
That stockpile compares with the 2,061 contracts Peet had accumulated by the end of June last year, with a gross value of $441 million.
Peet has progressed preparations for the launch of sales at Flagstone in South East Queensland, and is also currently preparing to launch its next retail syndicate opportunity in Victoria.
As at 31 December 2015, the group’s gearing was 30.6%, following the acquisition of a 123-hectare developing residential estate in Tarneit (Vic) in December 2015, with settlement to occur over three years.
This acquisition followed the Group’s sale of its Arena residential estate in Greenvale (Vic) for $93.1 million with the settlement of that property also to occur in instalments over three years.
Part of the proceeds from this sale have been redeployed to fund the acquisition of Tarneit at a substantially lower cost base than the Greenvale land.
"“Conditions across Victoria, New South Wales/ ACT and South Australia are expected to remain supportive, while Western Australia and Northern Territory are expected to remain subdued through the 2016 calendar year,” said Mr Gore.
“Activity in the Queensland residential market continues to improve due to its relative affordability, which has seen a recovery in interstate migration.
"This market recovery is expected to support the launch of the Group’s 12,000-lot Flagstone project in 2H16.
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Peet sees Queensland recovery as interstate migration pickup

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Jack Ma, China's second richest person and founder of multi-billion dollar online retailer Alibaba, has become the latest Chinese investor to buy a Bordeaux wine estate with Château de Sours.
The Decanter website reported Château de Sours in Bordeaux is a prodcuer of red, white and rosé wines.
A price was not disclosed.
Ma joins a growing list of Chinese investors in Bordeaux and becomes one of the highest profile château buyers in the French wine region. 
Dating back to 1785, it seems Ma wishes to create ‘a mini Versailles in Entre deux Mers’.
Ma, who is good friends with fellow Chinese owner Zhao Wei, is reportedly planning a central administration centre for their Bordeaux assets.
This will run their individually-owned properties together so as to leverage economies of scale. The group are also reportedly planning to buy estates in California, Italy, New Zealand and Australia, Decanter report.
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Australia on shopping list as Bordeaux winery bought by Alibaba's Jack Mar

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Internationally acclaimed Australian filmmakers Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin have seemingly found a buyer for their Darlinghurst mansion, Iona finally.
It was listed for sale for $16 million last July.
Sydney Sotheby's International Realty took the property listing down from the realestate.com.au website late last week, though would not confirm any sale details.
Iona is set to shortly host the Silver Committee fundraiser for the Sydney Children's Hospital.
Originally built for pastoralist Edward Chisholm, it is understood the landmark property has been bought by a Sydney buyer.
It was marketed as "a once in a lifetime opportunity to possess a heritage masterpiece."
The couple, along with their two children, spend much of their time in New York so will now look for a smaller Sydney home and office as Iona is also the headquarters of Luhrmann’s production company Bazmark.
"As we have been spending shorter periods of time in Australia and are more full time in New York, our priorities centre around a settled school life for our children," said the couple in a statement on its listing in mid-2015.
The Italianate late 1880s trophy home is listed on the State Heritage Register.
The nine-bedroom home sits on a 2700 square metre block in the centre of Darlinghurst.
Surrounded by established gardens, the 2700 sqm property also features a pool. 
Luhrmann and Martin had rented Iona for nine years before purchasing it in 2006 for $10 million from Ian Gowrie-Smith.
The home was lovingly restored by costume and production designer Martin and features her own wallpapers and carpet designs throughout.
This article was first published in the Sunday Telegraph.
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Iona, Darlinghurst sold by Baz Luhrmann for near $16 million asking price

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Property website onthehouse.com.au is set to be shut down April after its board ended negotiations with realestateVIEW just before contracts were due to be signed. 
Onthehouse had pursued a joint venture with realestateVIEW.com.au which they said had more value than a Macquarie Group-led takeover bid that was rejected in January this year. 
"I was extremely surprised they had changed their mind and I'm disappointed we've wasted the last two months of due diligence and expenses," realestateVIEW managing director Enzo Raimondo told The Australian Financial Review. 
"In the absence of a sale agreement for the Onthehouse.com.au and media businesses, they will be closed by April 2016 at an estimated closure cost of circa $1.7 million," the ontheouse company said in a statement to the ASX. 
No white knight has emerged, but industry players could be interested at a distressed sale price.
The website's assets will be written down to zero resulting in an impairment charge of $3.2 million. Residex will be retained in the envisaged restructure, forecast to deliver revenues of more than $2 million in FY16 and to operate at a break even position going forward.
In the absence of a sale agreement for the Onthehouse.com.au and media businesses, they will be closed by April 2016 at an estimated closure cost of circa $1.7 million. 
"Now we need to focus on our software business and invest in it to create new opportunities around revenue and market share," chief executive Chris Meehan said. 
"You can't continue to invest in something that is consuming $4 million in cash."
The real estate software business group's first-half revenue fell  3 per cent to $12.7 million from $13 million a year earlier. "The rebuild of the Console SaaS platform is an important element of RES’s overall strategy to increase its share of the real estate software market and develop new revenue opportunities through third party integrations," it advised.
Onthehouse was in advanced negotiations to form a joint venture that would combine the company’s consumer-centric portal (onthehouse.com.au) with real estate industry owned portal (realestateview.com.au.
It claimed the joint venture would create a significant third tier competitor in the Australian real estate portal market, with greater scale across both consumer audience and revenue, and is expected to be immediately profitable.
Chris Meehan anticipated the new business would have well over two million unique browsers per month, and around 75% of sale and rental listings.
"This joint venture would be a natural evolution for Onthehouse’s Consumer Online division.
Enzo Raimondo, RealestateVIEW’s managing director, said Onthehouse.com.au provided a strong strategic fit with RealestateVIEW.
It was last June when Onthehouse Holdings announced it was looking for a joint venture partner to assumed majority ownership of its consumer online division, the platform providing free access to property sale prices and estimated home values on most properties in Australia.
A strategic review of the company following months of internal company turmoil had resolved to keep and concentrate on its real estate solutions division that provides software tools for real estate agents, other property professionals and financial institutions through Console and Real Estate Ad Network. 
It conclusions reached by the board have been touted as avoiding the need to raise capital and dilute the current shareholding, or obtain debt funding.
The board told shareholders the business had "significant intrinsic value that is not currently recognised by the market."
Its COD was set to be developed in a non-listed JV vehicle in which OTH Holdings would maintain an interest, of between 30% and 49%.
The board anticipated JV partners could be one or several of the following:
<ol>
<li>Like businesses that can add experience, technology or other industry assets etc. to the venture; and/or,</li>
<li>Venture capital investors or other funders.</li>
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"The board believes significant value can be created in this structure without the responsibility of funding the COD business.
"The search for appropriate JV partners has commenced and OTH is currently in discussion with a number of parties," chairman Tony Scotton told shareholders mid last year.
The board expected that the separation strategy would take six months to execute. 
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Onthehouse set to be closed after realestateview merger deal abandoned

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The pioneering winemaking family Kim and Frances Moginie are retiring some three decades after establishing Joadja Winery in the NSW Southern Highlands.
They will shortly be handing over the reigns of the vineyard and boutique winery to young wine enthusiasts Matt Toomey and Siobhan Maloy and the extended Maloy family. 
Joadja Winery, which was the first grape grower and wine producer in the cool climate wine region of the Southern Highlands, sold last week
On offer was the 8.5 hectares property which has produced wines awarded 4.5 stars by wine expert James Halliday. 
It has 50 tonne crush capacity winery and modern laboratory and barrel storage equipment along with a lovely stone, timber and glass cellar door with wood fire.
With regional characteristics of cool climate, 900 mm rainfall and high altitude, both white and red wines have been produced. Some 15 acres of the 21 acres are under vine.
The white varieties; Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris (Pinot Grigio) and Chardonnay, and the red varieties grown included Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. 
Marketed by Colliers International with potential for further development (STCA) through tourism and agriculture, it is located on the door step to the village of Berrima.
This article was first published in the Sunday Telegraph.
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Oldest Joadja vineyard sold in NSW Southern Highlands 

Buyers considering a residence at boutique Gordon townhouse development <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-townhouses/lume-gordon-43-47-dumaresq-street-gordon-nsw-2072">Lume</a>&nbsp;now have another reason to bring forward their decision.

For a limited time, purchasers of a residence at Lume will receive a BMW iX3 50 electric SUV, valued at more than $120,000, as part of their purchase. The offer is designed to add value for buyers while complementing the lifestyle envisioned for the architecturally designed Upper North Shore development.

Scott Timmins, Development Manager at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/winim">WINIM</a>, said the partnership was created to provide buyers with a compelling reason to act.

"In today's market, buyers need a compelling reason to act now, and the BMW partnership was designed to create that catalyst. We wanted to add genuine value for our future purchasers. Choosing the all-electric BMW iX3 50 also reflects the values behind LUME, forward-thinking design, innovation and a more sustainable way of living. It's a premium incentive that complements the lifestyle our buyers aspire to and rewards those who commit early."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=7354 project_image_fid=374893]

Delivered by WINIM in partnership with Burtonwood Investment Partners, Lume comprises 14 architecturally designed two, three and four-bedroom townhomes created for families seeking the space of a freestanding house with the ease of modern, low-maintenance living.

The three-storey residences, designed by award-winning architecture practice <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a>, have been tailored for families and multi-generational living, featuring private internal lifts, flexible lower-level spaces, generous open-plan living and entertaining areas, media rooms, and landscaped outdoor spaces with custom outdoor kitchens.&nbsp;

Inside, engineered oak flooring, bespoke dining joinery with integrated wine fridges and backlit bars, sculptural porcelain bathrooms, Parisi freestanding baths and Astra Walker tapware create interiors that balance functionality with refined finishes.

Each townhome has been designed to combine generous internal spaces with sustainability initiatives such as EV charging infrastructure, while <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/landscape-architect/arcadia-landscape-architecture">Arcadia</a>'s landscaped communal areas, centred around a restored creek line and native planting, encourage residents to connect with nature and spend more time outdoors.

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Rothelowman's Gary Tsui said the architecture was conceived to respond carefully to its Upper North Shore setting.

"Our vision was to create elegant, uplifting homes that draw on and positively contribute to the local character through meticulously considered design and an interaction with the surroundings."

The communal landscape has been designed as more than an open space between homes. Arcadia's Ben Newell and Kate Phillips said the adjoining reserve provided an opportunity to create a distinctive natural retreat for residents.

"Just as waterways carve their way through Ku-ring-gai's landscape, a raised boardwalk weaves through the reserve, connecting the homes to this tranquil oasis."

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Located just 300 metres from <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/gordon-nsw-2072">Gordon</a> Village and Gordon railway station, Lume offers convenient access to Sydney's CBD while placing residents close to some of the North Shore's leading schools, including Ravenswood, Pymble Ladies' College and Knox Grammar. Lane Cove National Park, Gordon Golf Club and a range of cafés and restaurants further reinforce the family-focused lifestyle on offer, with the BMW iX3 50 complementing everything from local trips around Gordon to weekend drives and city commutes.

Construction is underway with completion expected in mid-2027.

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Joel Robinson

Boutique Gordon townhomes now come with a BMW iX3 50

Two apartments have sold for more than $10 million at EADE Byron Bay, setting some of the highest apartment prices ever achieved in the coastal town and underlining the growing appetite for luxury beachfront apartments in Australia's most popular coastal locations.

The $210 million project by Vitale Property Group has now secured more than $70 million in sales, led by residences that changed hands for $12.75 million and $11.75 million.

The record-breaking transactions reinforce the shift occurring in Byron Bay's premium property market, where affluent downsizers and lifestyle buyers are increasingly opting for high-end apartments over large beachfront homes.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/eade-byron-bay-29-shirley-street-byron-bay-nsw-2481">EADE Byron Bay</a> occupies a rare 6,000 sqm absolute beachfront site on the corner of Shirley and Milton Streets overlooking Main Beach and The Wreck surf break, just 350 metres from Byron Bay's town centre.

The 25-residence development is the first beachfront apartment project approved in Byron Bay in more than a decade and is currently under construction, with completion expected in May 2027.

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The project has attracted a mix of local Byron Shire residents downsizing from larger homes, alongside interstate buyers from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane seeking a permanent coastal lifestyle without compromising on space.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/hayball">Hayball</a> and with interiors by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/alexander-co">Alexander &amp; Co</a>, EADE comprises&nbsp;10 garden apartments ranging from 284 sqm to 622 sqm, nine with private pools, five full-floor apartments and 10 rooftop residences with private plunge pools, expansive outdoor entertaining areas and uninterrupted ocean views.

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<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/vitale-property-group">Vitale Property Group</a> Managing Partner Chris Vitale said the project's combination of scale, location and limited future supply was driving buyer demand.

"There isn't another beachfront holding in Byron Bay of this size and position that could be developed again," Vitale said.

"Buyers are responding to the scarcity and the irreplaceability of a site of this calibre and to floorplans they can't find elsewhere in the market.

"We are seeing buyers place significant value on quality, space, design, resort-style amenities and the rarity of the location. The sales achieved to date demonstrate that discerning purchasers recognise the long-term significance of what is being created at EADE Byron Bay.

"Many are coming from larger homes in the Byron region, or from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, and are after the space, security and convenience, without the upkeep of a house."

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[smartcode_project:default project_id=145590 project_image_fid=359523]

The Byron Bay project follows Vitale Property Group's delivery of the Mondrian Hotel and Private Residences at Burleigh Heads, with EADE continuing the developer's focus on luxury coastal developments.

Residents will have access to a resort-style swimming pool, gymnasium, sauna, cold plunge pool, concierge services and dedicated workspaces, while the project is targeting an 8-Star Green Star rating.

EADE Byron Bay is being exclusively marketed by Projx Australia in conjunction with WHITEFOX Projects.

WHITEFOX National Projects Director Phillip Rand said demand had been driven predominantly by owner-occupiers.

"We are seeing buyers at EADE place significant value on quality, space, design, resort-style amenities and the rarity of this location," Rand says.

"The sales achieved to date demonstrate that purchasers at this level recognise the long-term significance of what is being created at EADE Byron Bay."

Residences at EADE Byron Bay are currently priced between $4.75 million and $15.95 million.

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Vitale breaks Byron Bay records with EADE sales flurry 

When buying an apartment, most people compare the big-ticket items first. Floorplans. Kitchens. Balcony size. Natural light. The view.

But there's one everyday consideration that often doesn't come up until after moving in: how parcels are delivered.

As online shopping has become part of everyday life, parcel deliveries have shifted from an occasional event to a regular occurrence. Australians spent a record $82.6 billion shopping online in 2025, with almost one in every four retail dollars now spent digitally.

For apartment residents, that can present a challenge.

If nobody is home to accept a delivery, parcels may be redirected to a nearby Post Office, left in a building lobby or common area, or require building management to step in. In higher-density buildings, where dozens or even hundreds of residents may receive deliveries each day, parcel management has become an increasingly important part of everyday living.

That can create a range of frustrations. A missed delivery often means making time to collect a parcel elsewhere, while packages left unattended in foyers or mail areas can create clutter and increase the risk of theft. What seems like a minor inconvenience can quickly become a recurring issue for residents who shop online regularly.

It's one of those details that rarely features in a display suite but can have a noticeable impact once residents move in.

As a result, buyers are beginning to look beyond traditional apartment features and consider how a building supports day-to-day convenience, including whether there are secure options for receiving deliveries.

Australia Post's Parcel Lockers provide one solution.

<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/CkF2oKmlACg?si=C50sDaoUUn2nuLmq" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

Rather than having a parcel delivered directly to an apartment, eligible deliveries can be sent to a nominated Parcel Locker. Once the parcel arrives, residents receive a notification through the AusPost app or SMS and can collect it using a QR code or one-time PIN at a time that suits them.

The Parcel Locker network now includes more than 1,500 locations nationwide, with installations at Post Offices, shopping centres, transport hubs and an increasing number of residential developments. By providing a secure collection point, Parcel Lockers help reduce missed deliveries and avoid parcels being left unattended in common areas.

For developers, parcel infrastructure is becoming another way to improve the resident experience. Rather than relying on concierge staff or leaving parcels in communal spaces, secure collection points help streamline deliveries while preserving the presentation and functionality of shared areas.

For buyers, it's a reminder that the best apartment features aren't always the most obvious.

A generous floorplan or quality finishes might help narrow the shortlist, but the conveniences that simplify everyday life, whether that's EV charging, secure bike storage or reliable parcel delivery, often become the features residents appreciate most once they're living there.

The apartment feature many buyers don't think about, until their first missed delivery

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/hg-developments">HG Developments</a> is doubling down on Maud Street in Newstead, filing plans for a new apartment tower just a few doors down from its under-construction Aire Newstead development.

Recently submitted to Brisbane City Council, the proposal is for an 18-storey building designed by bureau^proberts, which has drawn heavily on Brisbane's subtropical design principles while referencing the suburb's industrial heritage.

A total of 64 apartments are planned for the amalgamated 1,518 sqm site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/17-21-maud-street-newstead-qld-4006">17–21 Maud Street</a>, a short walk from the Brisbane River and Newstead Riverwalk.

<img alt="First look: HG Developments plans 18-storey subtropical apartment tower for Newstead" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a400c7fd-bd15-48f8-a63b-10ede92efe00" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Maud%20st%20bldg.png?VersionId=.0vPmjpbC7CNP7kqGWa6L7rGIwsNExaw" />

"The building is defined by a series of vaulted motifs that reinterpret the arches, colonnades and layered facades evident throughout Newstead's historic built fabric," the Urban Design Report states.

"Combined with recessed glazing and generous balconies, these elements create a layered building envelope that provides shade, weather protection and opportunities for natural ventilation whilst establishing a distinctive architectural identity."

The proposal comprises 64 two, three and four-bedroom apartments across 18 residential levels, positioning it alongside a growing number of taller residential projects transforming Newstead's northern precinct. The tower incorporates extensive subtropical landscaping, with cascading planter boxes, deep planting at street level and a landscaped rooftop recreation area.

<img alt="First look: HG Developments plans 18-storey subtropical apartment tower for Newstead" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1d8140f4-8b98-45cd-b1b8-1efe8c8e266b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Maud%20st%20podium.png?VersionId=VAZtbCoD44YCJ57N99fQCAKeSJx7ldZs" />

Bureau Proberts has prioritised passive environmental design throughout the project, with generous balconies, recessed glazing and operable façades helping reduce solar heat gain while maximising natural ventilation. River views become available from the upper levels, while the building has been orientated to capture prevailing breezes from both the Brisbane River and the west.

The architects say landscape is intended to be integral to the building rather than an applied element.

"Vertical greenery, cascading planter boxes and elevated gardens are woven throughout the architecture, softening the built form and strengthening the connection between residents and the subtropical environment."

"Through the integration of landscape, high-quality materials and passive design principles, the development delivers a refined residential address that celebrates Newstead's heritage character while contributing positively to Brisbane's evolving subtropical identity."

Newstead has remained one of Brisbane's most active apartment markets in recent years, with a number of developers continuing to back the inner-city suburb.

HG Developments is currently delivering the 40-apartment Aire Newstead at 25 Maud Street. Fortis recently launched the 65-apartment <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/crest-walker-newstead-12-kyabra-street-newstead-qld-4006">Crest &amp; Walker</a> on Kyabra Street, while builder-developer BPG and Don O'Rorke's Consolidated Properties are both expected to launch their respective Newstead projects before the end of the year.

HG Developments doubles down in Newstead with second Maud Street apartment development

Walk past a new apartment development promoting its sustainability credentials and it's easy to picture rooftop gardens, mature trees, landscaped courtyards and residents surrounded by nature.

But in many cases, that's not actually what those sustainability ratings guarantee.

Australia's leading environmental rating tools have played a significant role in improving the energy efficiency and environmental performance of buildings. Yet despite their focus on reducing emissions, many don't require developers to include trees, biodiversity or meaningful green space.

In other words, a building can achieve one of the country's highest sustainability ratings while containing little more than concrete, glass and hard landscaping.

That disconnect has led to the emergence of a new movement across Australia's property industry: nature-based cities.

The concept goes beyond designing buildings that consume less energy. Instead, it encourages developers to treat nature as essential infrastructure, integrating biodiversity, tree canopy, living landscapes and green spaces into projects from the earliest stages of planning.

Research has consistently linked access to nature with better physical and mental health, cooler neighbourhoods, improved biodiversity, stronger climate resilience and more connected communities. As Australia's cities continue to become denser, advocates say those outcomes should be considered just as important as energy efficiency.

Nature Based Cities (NBC) was established in 2022 to help accelerate that shift.

Founded by Hamton Executive Chairman Paul Hameister OAM, the not-for-profit was created after research highlighted a significant gap in Australia's sustainability framework. While existing environmental rating tools rewarded energy performance and emissions reductions, they placed little emphasis on the inclusion of 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."

Since its launch, NBC has developed independent design guidelines and accreditation frameworks that encourage developers to prioritise ecology, biodiversity, tree canopy, walkability and living landscapes alongside traditional sustainability measures. The organisation first focused on medium and high-density residential developments before recently expanding into precinct-scale communities and masterplanned neighbourhoods.

Jan Talacko, founder of sustainability consultancy Ark Resources and a member of the Nature Based Cities Advisory Council, says the initiative addresses an area that has largely been overlooked by the property industry.

"Throughout my 25 years of working collaboratively with all stakeholders in the property sector, I've always favoured a pragmatic approach to sustainable design which encourages initiatives that not only meet environmental expectations but also improve amenity," Talacko says.

"Whilst we are making steady progress in relation to energy and carbon emissions from buildings, there has been much less emphasis on encouraging biodiversity and tackling the urban heat island effect.

"The Nature Based Cities initiative responds to a gap in the suite of tools currently used by the property development sector, which don't provide sufficient incentive, or recognition, for the integration of landscaping and greenery."

For apartment buyers, the shift is also changing the questions worth asking.

Rather than assuming a sustainable building will naturally include abundant green space, buyers are increasingly being encouraged to look beyond environmental ratings and ask what nature is actually being delivered. How much tree canopy will the development create? Has biodiversity been considered? Are landscaped spaces designed for people as well as appearance?

As Australia's cities continue to grow upwards and outwards, the next generation of sustainability may not simply be measured by lower emissions, but by how successfully developments bring nature back into everyday urban life.

Jonathan Chancellor

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