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Savills have advised clients on what they see as the four advantages of utilising SMSF for direct commercial property investment, in preference to other asset classes.
<ol>
<li>Commercial property is one of the few assets that can be bought by an SMSF from its members. Your SMSF can potentially buy your own business premises and then you can pay rent to your SMSF. A residential property, on the other hand, cannot be lived in by a fund member or any fund members’ related parties, nor can it be rented by a fund member of any fund members’ related parties.  </li>
<li>
The MoneySmart website details the strict rules against using borrowed funds to make improvements to residential property that forms an asset in your SMSF portfolio, so don’t even think about buying a renovators’ delight. This can severely limit potential capital gains as you cannot renovate it to increase its value. In contrast, an investment such as a bulk storage unit or warehouse has very low capital expenditure requirements. 
</li>
<li>Commercial leases are typically for a longer period than residential leases – usually around five years with a further option for another five years with incremental rental increases built into the lease. If you choose the right property and tenants with stable businesses which are unlikely to be adversely affected by an economic downturn you won’t have to deal with a regular turnover of tenants and can rely on a steady rental return.  </li>
<li>Many industrial properties are purely functional in design and construction, so there is less concern about tenants maintaining them or investors having to pay for costly renovations, which is often the case with residential property investments. That said, it’s important to ensure any essential, expensive upgrades, such as those required to meet new fire safety or health and safety standards, have already been carried out before investing in a commercial premise.</li>
</ol>
Visit the <a href="https://www.asic.gov.au/" target="_blank" title="Australian Securities and Investments Commission ASIC">Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)</a> website to familiarise yourself thoroughly with all the rules and regulations surrounding SMSFs and property investment.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Four reasons why commercial and industrial property suits SMSFs: Savills

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The latest Quest Serviced Apartments has been opened at Woolloongabba, one of Brisbane’s largest business hubs outside of the CBD.
Quest chief Zed Sanjana said continued expansion in Queensland was a "priority" for the serviced apartment operator.
The Quest Woolloongabba at 130 Logan Road has 132 studio, one, two and three bedroom serviced apartments.
<img src="/images/2014/09/03/Woolloongabba%20sept%203%20two.png" alt="">
It is among the new Quest properties to open this financial year including serviced apartments scheduled for Townsville, Kelvin Grove and Chermside.
Nights start at $184.
Quest’s properties are owned and operated by franchisees, in this case, Simon and Kylee Russell.
The property was previously the Joe David used Ford car yard. 
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Quest opens at Woolloongabba

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Martindale, a Kings Cross terrace with 10 bedrooms and 11 bathrooms has been sold for $2 million pre-auction by McGrath Estate Agents.
The property with a distinctive dark crimson facade at 52 Kellett Street features an insightful floor plan indicating (pictured below) the purposeful layout.
Click to open in new window:
<a href="/images/2014/07/22/potts-point-july-22-floor-plan.gif" target="_blank"><img src="/images/2014/07/22/potts-point-july-22-floor-plan.gif" alt=""></a>
It featured in the 1999 SMH report by the investigative duo Kate McClymont and Andrew Clennell entitled, "Our Brothel Barons".
At the time it reportedly traded as Classique, a brothel whose advertising once boasted of a speciality in lesbian double acts. It has more recently traded as Studio 52, Star 52, Antonio’s Angels and Secret Desire. The rates have been at around $120 for 30 minutes.
The building, which has been marketed as in Potts Point, was listed previously in 2011, 2012 and 2013 without success.
It last traded at $2.1 million in 2006 when bought by ETC Australias Group Pty Ltd. Its earlier sales were $1.5 million in 2004 and at $1.38 million in 1999.
The premises were for sale, not the business.
More than $1.8 million was being sought.
There is no registered lease, with no rental income advisory given in <a href="https://www.mcgrath.com.au/buy/house-potts-point-nsw-2011/228008/?searchID=41071082" target="_blank">the McGrath marketing</a>.
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Pre-auction $2 million deal for Kings Cross 'special' offering

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Serviced office space provider Servcorp has signed onto a floor of the landmark One World Trade Centre, which is currently under construction in Manhattan.
Servcorp took a 15-year lease on the 85th floor, its fourth Manhattan site. 
Servcorp's three Manhattan locations are in 17 State Street, 1330 Sixth Avenue, and 375 Park Avenue.
The Australian company, which operates serviced and virtual office space across 136 floors in 52 cities in 21 countries, last week reported a rise in net profit for the year.
The group expects to increase net profit by 15% in 2015.
Globally the floors are 79% occupied, just below the 85% figure they view as optimal. 
"We’re 90% occupied in the US,” Servcorp chief operating officer ­Marcus Moufarrige told Fairfax Media.
The 3,230 square metre floor in One World Trade Centre would be the only serviced offices available within the building to be anchored by publisher Condé Nast.
It is reportedly expected to spend $1.8 million fitting out the 85th floor.
The new tenant brings One World Trade Center to almost 57.5% leased, ahead of its expected opening in late 2015.
The building, set to be the tallest in the Western hemisphere, is being developed as a joint venture between The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the Durst Organisation.
They were recently forced to cut rents in the middle floors to $69 per square foot.
The upper floors have $75 to $100 per square foot asking prices.
The <a href="https://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303903304579586270070420060" target="_blank" style="line-height: 1.3em;">Wall Street Journal reported</a> when the middle-floor rents were cut in May that the $3.9 billion project "has little hope of proving to be a good financial investment in the short-term".
 
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Servcorp secures New York One World Trade Center office space

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A majestic 1930s Brisbane art deco triplex has been listed for sale for the first time offered in almost 50 years.
The Carrington on Gregory Terrace at Spring Hill has views across parklands to the City skyline. 
It is a 567 square metre corner block with four garages off Bathgate Street.
<a href="https://www.raywhite.com/qld/spring-hill/1186893/" target="_blank">Offers close with Ray White</a> on 24 September.
The ground floor is approved as an office and is currently used as a specialist doctors practice but could easily convert back to residential. 
The expected gross returns if fully rented are given as $120,000 per annum by agent Dean Yesberg.
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Art deco Spring Hill, Brisbane triplex listed

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The long-time owner of 160-162 Lygon Street, Carlton secured $3.66 million at recent auction, just shy of the strip's all-time record.
The 684 square-metre commercial building came with a six-year lease to long-term tenant, BC’s Bar Centrale at an annual rental of $166,472, reflecting a 4.5% rental yield.
Teska Carson handled the auction for the vendor, the Bussolaro family who had held the ­property for 45 years.
Located on the corner of Argyle Place East, the three-storey building includes a ground floor café and bar, a function room with a commercial kitchen and a caretaker’s unit.
<a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-retail-vic-carlton-501173731" target="_blank">The 250 square-metre site</a>, zoned Commercial 1, includes an 11-metre frontage to Lygon Street.
In absolute terms, the highest price paid since 2008 was $3.71 million in 2009 for 350 Lygon Street, a two-level corner site measuring 173 square metres, equating to $21,445 per square metre.
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Lygon Street retail sale at $3.66 million

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The rampant winter Sydney and Melbourne residential auction markets will trigger the RBA Governor to return to jawboning. 
The bubble popper-in-chief Glenn Stevens will wisely be taking whatever opportunity to douse these red hot property markets with a strengthening of the language around the market's intensity.
Especially surrounding the Sydney growth, which while much of it catch-up, is looking overly exuberant in <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/chart-pack/household-sector" target="_blank">today's RBA chart pack</a>.
<img src="/images/2014/09/03/rba%20chart%20sept%203%20one.gif" alt="">
Without success the RBA will find itself in the circumstance where they will need to raise rates when most the the country's business and property markets aren't resilient enough to cope.
As Westpac's Andrew Hanlan put it the record low interest rates are a key tailwind for growth, especially housing, but the economy remains constrained by a number of headwinds.
Of course jawboning hasn't worked with the RBA's efforts to get a lower dollar so what chance the bank can assist in having house prices avoid reaching bubble territory?
First home buyers aren't big participators in the current market, so the RBA's aim will be family home upgraders with record low mortgage funding and the ever emerging mature SMSF property investors.
<img src="/images/2014/09/03/rba%20chart%20sept%203%20two.gif" alt="">
Repeated references to the history of house prices that fall as well as rise will be the RBA's message.
I am old enough to remember the last recession - with property crash - in the early 1990s, but subsequent generations aren't.
There are still plenty of buyers who got caught in the 2003/2004 hype - and some of these buyers that are still underwater.
Since then there have been a series of dips, the biggest after the global financial crisis.
And then another small dip in 2010.
Only last weekend it was evident that the Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke had seemingly been over-exuberant in <a href="/expert-insights/buying/no-bid-michael-clarke-lilli-pilli-home-auction-result">his 2006 Lilli Pilli purchase</a>, as it failed to sell on its second subsequent auction campaign.
Yes mostly in regional Queensland and Tasmania, but even in the seemingly recovering strong markets, the 2014 March quarter RP Data Pain Gain reports plenty of loss taking. They put loss taking at a 7% across the country.
But the prospect of over paying can too often be overlooked in the herd-like emotional auction mentality that is standard Saturday fare for home buyers. And where else do diversifying investors go for the potential gains and income that property promises with extraordinary tax benefits?
<img src="/images/2014/09/03/rba%20chart%20sept%203%20three.gif" alt="">
There's no reckless rush to credit showing up in the RBA house finances chart and interest paid is demonstrably dipping in these unusual times.
Do the punters listen anymore?
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Standby for RBA jawboning on overheated Sydney and Melbourne auction markets

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A Queensland real estate agent faced court on Tuesday on drugs-related charges after police busted an alleged Redlands methamphetamines ring.
LJ Hooker agent Ryan Patrick McCann, of Cleveland, was one of five men charged after police raided six properties on Monday.
McCann, 36, <a href="https://mypolice.qld.gov.au/blog/2014/09/02/drug-charges-cleveland/" target="_blank">faces 34 drugs-related charges</a>. Last year he sold more than $40 million of property, but his LJH web page quickly came down overnight.
McCann was detained for questioning on Monday in relation to allegedly trafficking dangerous drugs, supplying and possession, <a href="https://www.redlandcitybulletin.com.au/story/2527377/cleveland-real-estate-agent-arrested-in-drug-bust/?cs=212" target="_blank">according to the Redland City Bulletin</a>. The Queensland papers reported the estate agent, who appeared in the dock wearing a Scooby Doo T-shirt in court, repeatedly interrupted proceedings, denying he was an addict and was told to sit down and be quiet when he tried to interject.
Defence lawyer David Spiro said McCann was a successful real estate agent who made $100,000 in commissions last month.
He also told the court his client was a drug addict who had only "received commercial recompense" from drugs once, when he had some carpentry work done in return for drugs.
Spiro said the alleged large-scale drug trafficking was “fanciful”.
“There’s only one allegation from the affidavit that my client received commercial recompense for an alleged supply, and that’s the person who provided carpentry services,” he said. “This idea that my client is running a large-scale operation in supply in my submission is fanciful.”
McCann's father, Patrick, a retired real estate agent, who watched proceedings, said he was devastated as his son had worked hard to achieve in the real estate industry.
McCann was remanded in custody until 27 October when he is due to reappear in Wynnum Magistrates court for a committal mention.
Cleveland CIB officers raided a real estate office in Queen Street, Cleveland, before arresting the estate agent at his Raby Bay home.   Forensic search team officers claim they discovered the drug 'ice' hidden inside walls at his bayside home, Seven News reported. Staff at the Cleveland real estate agent's office were locked out of their building while police searched the office.
Magistrate Zac Sarra refused bail on the grounds that McCann was at risk of reoffending.
The court heard McCann, from Raby Bay, had a history of drug taking dating back to 2009 when he was intercepted for drug-related activities while driving. The court heard police had been listening in to McCann's private and business phone calls since 2012.
The LJH real estate agency website said was a 'life member' of the Multi-Million Dollar Captains Club. The Life Member of the Multi Million Dollar Captains Club recognises the top 3% of real estate agents within the LJ Hooker network.
He qualified in the shortest possible time, after he joined LJ Hooker in 2007. He was also listed as a <a href="https://alistrealestateagents.com/?attachment_id=141" target="_blank">2013 Queensland A List agent</a>.
<img src="/images/2014/09/03/mccann-spet-3-one.jpg" alt="">
Ryan McCann. Photo courtesy of alistrealestateagents.com.
Ryan McCann was billed on his homepage website profile as one of Brisbane’s highest profile agents - with endless success stories.
He joined LJ Hooker over three years ago and together this powerful marketing machine has dominated the bayside market with over 70 individual sales last calendar year. McCann sold over $40million of real estate in just 12 months; these figures saw Ryan awarded the runner-up prize at LJ Hooker Queensland State Awards beaten only by the Land and Marketing Division.
His results also placed him in the company’s top 10 performing agents within the country.
Some 92% of MCann’s record sales were repeat or referral based clientele.
As ranked by independent source The Market Tracker, Ryan was ranked the number one agent in the bayside for a record 48 weeks out of 52 for the number of properties under contract and he was placed in the top three for the number of listings, proving that consistency is achievable in sales despite the variation in market conditions.
 
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Queensland real estate agent on alleged drug ring charges

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Kristine Lempriere, the Melbourne designer owner of Townmouse Children's Wear, has listed the Malvern home she shares with her husband Will, three boys Max, Tom and Henri, and baby girl, Adelaide.
It is a brick 1880s Victorian period residence with tessellated verandah, the arched entrance hall, glorious sitting room with bay window, refined study and gracious formal dining.
The main bedroom, with designer en suite and built in robes is complemented by a separate wing accommodating three children. It has been their home since they paid $992,000 in 2002.
The 556 square metre holding at 52 McKinley Avenue has been<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-malvern-117779711" target="_blank"> listed through Fiona Ansell-Jones and Andrew Hayne at Marshall White for 20 September auction</a>.
Around $2.25 million is tipped.
After Kristine studied fashion at RMIT, Townmouse was launched in 2002.
Last March the couple bought their new house, with Kristine blogging she was relieved that they won't have to house hunt for at least another 20 years. 
{qtube vid:=cNucvv6EQnU}
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Townmouse's Kristine Lempriere lists Malvern charmer

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A derelict 135 year old cottage at 336 Burnley Street in Richmond, in inner city Melbourne, is set to sell for $2 million plus as a development site. 
The property has planning permission for the construction of four townhouses, one of which will have to incorporate the rundown heritage listed cottage.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-residential+land-vic-richmond-200964519" target="_blank">Biggin &amp; Scott agent Allan Cove who has the 12 September auction</a>, last sold it in 2012.
The worn-out weatherboard house on a large 779 square metre block fetched $1.621 million at its executors' 2012 auction with five competing developer syndicates taking the bidding beyond its $1.5 million reserve.
It is across the road from the Grand Hotel between Bridge Road and Swan Street with rear frontage to Canterbury Street.
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135 year old Richmond cottage on development site for auction

As apartment buyers increasingly look beyond the four walls of their residence, the quality and depth of shared amenity has become a defining factor in how developments are designed and experienced, particularly in the high-rise, new apartment development space.

In Southbank, where high-density living continues to evolve, developers are placing greater emphasis on creating environments that support wellbeing, connection, and convenience as part of everyday life.

That approach sits at the heart of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/aura-at-melbourne-square-7-hoff-boulevard-southbank-vic-3006">AURA</a>, the latest residential tower in <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/osk-property">OSK Property</a>’s $3.5 billion Melbourne Square precinct. Rising 67 storeys above Hoff Boulevard, the 673-apartment development has been conceived around what OSK describes as a “vertical wellness ecosystem”, a layered collection of amenities that extends throughout the building rather than being confined to a single podium level.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=151921 project_image_fid=370263]

The amenity offering begins on the seventh level within the AURA Club, a dedicated resident hub focused on health, relaxation, and daily convenience. Here, residents will have access to an indoor swimming pool, cold plunge, spa, sauna, and steam room, alongside a fully equipped gym, reformer Pilates studio, and yoga room.

The wellness facilities are complemented by a range of spaces that acknowledge the changing ways people live and work. Work-from-home lounges and co-working areas sit alongside a library, music room, games room, cinema facilities, and open-air terrace spaces, providing residents with flexible environments that can adapt throughout the day.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=151921 project_image_fid=367468]

Beyond the internal amenity, AURA introduces a series of Japanese-inspired gardens that form a quieter counterpoint to the tower’s social spaces.

Landscaped retreats feature curated outdoor dining, tranquil courtyard seating, fire pit, and a tea house pavilion. Rather than functioning as simple recreational areas, the gardens have been designed as places for reflection and informal gathering, drawing on principles of balance, nature, and calm that underpin the project's broader design philosophy.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=151921 project_image_fid=367810]

The social amenity continues to evolve as residents move higher through the building. Levels 49 and 50 house the Meridian Club, where a lounge bar, conservatory spaces, and private dining rooms take advantage of elevated city views. At the summit of the tower, the exclusive Cumulus Club spans Levels 66 and 67, offering additional lounges, private dining, and meditation and treatment rooms positioned above Melbourne’s skyline.

For OSK Property, the extensive amenity offering reflects a broader focus on wellbeing as a core component of apartment living rather than an added feature.

“Aura stands tall as an exemplar of holistic wellness – its focus on social, physical and mental health culminate in a building that is calming, restorative and relaxing, where residents will have their own sanctuary within the well-connected and sought-after Southbank,” says OSK Property CEO Chong Boon Woon.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=151921 project_image_fid=367796]

AURA’s amenity strategy extends beyond the tower itself through its integration with the wider Melbourne Square precinct.

Residents will have direct access to Kennedy Park, Southbank’s 3,745 sqm landscaped public park, alongside a full-line Woolworths supermarket, childcare centre, hospitality venues, and approximately 1,600 sqm of additional retail planned within AURA’s lower levels. Together, these elements create a highly connected residential environment where daily needs, recreation, and wellness are woven into the fabric of the community.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=151921 project_image_fid=370253]

As Melbourne’s apartment market continues to mature, developments are increasingly judged by the lifestyle they provide beyond individual residences.

Through its combination of wellness facilities, landscaped retreats, social clubs, and precinct-wide amenity, AURA represents a shift toward a more comprehensive model of vertical living, one where shared spaces play as significant a role as the homes themselves.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=151921]

Joel Robinson

AURA elevates amenity living at Melbourne Square

Builder-developer Scion is the latest to target Sydney's booming Hills Showground Metro precinct, filing plans for more than 100 apartments within walking distance of the station.

Scion has lodged a concurrent rezoning and State Significant Development Application for <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/27-33-middleton-avenue-castle-hill-nsw-2154">27–33 Middleton Avenue</a>, where it plans to replace four existing homes with an 11 and 14-storey mixed-use development comprising 109 apartments, six affordable housing dwellings, and a ground-floor café.

Designed by BHK Architects, the proposal includes three levels of basement parking with 174 spaces, more than 1,200 sqm of communal open space, and extensive landscaping across the 3,791 sqm site.

The development has been designed as two buildings connected by a recessed wintergarden spine, with the 14-storey building positioned to the south and the 11-storey building to the north.

<img alt="Scion" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="64dc359d-736b-43b8-87a8-70a8285cab47" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-06-25%20at%208.47.01%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=PXh.m8id_aevBPHEckPf88wQ2RQThPos" />

The apartment mix has been weighted towards owner-occupiers, with 13 one-bedroom apartments, 55 two-bedroom residences, 31 three-bedroom apartments, six three-bedroom lofts, and four four-bedroom homes. Six apartments will be dedicated as affordable housing in line with the NSW Housing SEPP.

According to the Architectural Design Report by BKH, the proposal seeks to create "a place-responsive architecture" inspired by the natural landscape surrounding Cattai Creek, while strengthening the public domain through landscaping, active frontages and a neighbourhood café.

Atlas Urban, in its Urban Design Report, says the proposal takes a different approach to increasing density around Hills Showground Station by favouring a more slender, vertically articulated built form over a conventional mid-rise outcome. The report argues this allows for greater deep soil planting, improved solar access and a better public domain outcome, while still delivering additional housing close to rapid public transport.

The site sits around 500 metres from Hills Showground Metro Station, within a precinct earmarked for significant residential intensification following the opening of the Sydney Metro Northwest line. Planning documents accompanying the application note that Greater Sydney's population has grown by more than one million people since planning for the precinct first began, reinforcing the need to accelerate housing delivery around existing transport infrastructure.

Scion is expanding its development pipeline which also includes <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/chatham-west-ryde-2-6-chatham-road-west-ryde-nsw-2114">Chatham in West Ryde</a>, 62 apartments which are approaching completion. They also have a State Significant Development Application with the NSW Government's Housing Delivery Authority for <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/96-anzac-avenue-west-ryde-nsw-2114">145 apartments on Anzac Avenue</a>, also in West Ryde.

First look: Scion plots Castle Hill apartment development near Hills Showground Metro Station

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/urban-property-group">Urban Property Group</a>&nbsp;has unveiled its scaled-back plans for a pair of towers rising up to 49 storeys directly opposite Bella Vista Metro Station.

The builder-developer will deliver 674 apartments and a new mixed-use hub at the gateway to the station precinct.

The State Significant Development Application has been lodged under the Housing Delivery Authority pathway for the 6,979 sqm site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/9-11-mawson-avenue-bella-vista-nsw-2153">9-11 Mawson Avenue</a>, with the apartments sitting above a mixed-use podium. Initial plans were for closer to 900 apartments across two 40-storey towers.

Located around 30 metres from the Bella Vista Metro Station entrance, the development is intended to act as a catalyst for the long-planned Bella Vista Station Precinct, transforming a vacant site into a transit-oriented residential and commercial destination.

Planning documents describe the project as delivering "a high-density mixed use destination that combines housing, retail and community-serving uses in a highly accessible setting."

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group plans 674-apartment Bella Vista towers opposite Metro station" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="21c08216-589e-490d-ad08-2d88b6fa62d9" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/bella%20vista%20podium.png?VersionId=3TnwjjQCNwTsmyQRaWnFrLTSAF0CJeka" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/turner-studio">Turner</a>, with landscape architecture by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/landscape-architect/arcadia-landscape-architecture">Arcadia</a>, the project comprises 674 apartments, including 102 affordable housing dwellings representing 15 per cent of the residential floor space. The housing mix spans studios, one, two and three-bedroom apartments, alongside a collection of townhouse-style residences integrated into the podium levels. The development also includes specialist disability accommodation and an elevated provision of adaptable and liveable housing.

The mixed-use podium has been designed to create an active urban centre around the Metro station, incorporating a 1,423 sqm supermarket, a 3,029 sqm gym, specialty retail spaces, a 100-place childcare centre and a publicly accessible "city room" community space. A secondary laneway, active frontages and landscaped public areas are intended to improve pedestrian connectivity through the site and strengthen links between the station precinct and surrounding neighbourhood.

In the project's design report, Turner said the proposal responds to Bella Vista's emerging role as a higher-density centre within Sydney's north-west growth corridor.

"The project transforms a strategically located site into a high-density mixed use destination that combines housing, retail and community-serving uses in a highly accessible setting," the report states.

"Active frontages, a publicly accessible city room, a secondary laneway and a mix of uses including a local supermarket, child care centre and gym create a more complete and socially useful urban environment for residents, workers and the wider community."

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group plans 674-apartment Bella Vista towers opposite Metro station" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0fde6220-82de-4f6a-9b63-d0fd8157acc9" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/bella%20vista%20da.png?VersionId=7hEmuSutH8plTd_RqqdmPu055F6qe554" />

Urban Property Group has been one of the busiest developers across Greater Sydney this year.

The developer is progressing around 1,000 apartments across <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-urban-property-group-plans-next-major-wollongong-tower">two projects in Wollongong</a>, with several thousand more homes in the pipeline across Newcastle, Castle Hill, Little Bay and Penrith.

First look: Urban Property Group plans 674-apartment Bella Vista towers opposite Metro station

Burwood's southern town centre precinct is set for another major injection of housing, with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/holdmark-property-group">Holdmark</a> unveiling plans for three mixed-use towers containing 900 apartments above new retail and commercial space.

The State Significant Development Application covers a consolidated 10,265 sqm site at 36-46 George Street and 16-26 Elsie Street, immediately south of Burwood's commercial core and within walking distance of Burwood Station, Westfield and Burwood Park.

The proposal comprises <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/36-46-elsie-street-burwood-nsw-2134">three mixed-use towers</a> ranging between 32 and 43 storeys.

<img alt="First look: Holdmark unveils 900-home mixed-use precinct for Burwood town centre" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="84b90b18-a54c-426d-885b-6f205bc2b883" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/burwood%20da1.png?VersionId=cJrb7Snn7qNpRzgXBOXK13PKF2CK021Z" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/studiosc">Studio.SC</a>, the scheme is positioned as a significant extension of Burwood's evolving high-density centre. The project would be delivered across two interconnected development parcels, replacing existing commercial buildings and creating a new pedestrian-focused precinct linking George Street, John Street, Elsie Street and Railway Crescent.&nbsp;

The design report describes the proposal as "a contemporary response to this evolving urban condition," adding that it seeks to "reinforce George Street's role as a human-scaled, active street while contributing to the broader rhythm and grain of the town centre."

The development features a mix of residential, commercial and retail uses, with activated ground-floor frontages intended to strengthen pedestrian connections between Burwood Station, Burwood Place, Westfield and the wider town centre.&nbsp;

The proposal also incorporates extensive communal facilities, landscaped open space and new through-site links designed to encourage public movement across the precinct.&nbsp;

<img alt="First look: Holdmark unveils 900-home mixed-use precinct for Burwood town centre" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="89a6bccc-b78b-4a97-a49f-cac1761f34b6" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/burwood%20podium%20a.png?VersionId=6HBYg_pKxAc3yCND_wDKZmfMfzfneHmz" />

Studio.SC said the project draws inspiration from Burwood Park and the area's mature tree canopy, with "warm, earthy tones and robust materials such as brick and sculpted concrete" used to anchor the buildings within their urban context.

The scale of the proposal reflects Burwood's growing role as one of Sydney's key metropolitan centres. Planning documents note the suburb's strong population growth, high apartment living rates and increasing transport accessibility, particularly with the future Burwood North Metro station expected to further strengthen the area's connectivity. The development is designed to capitalise on those transport links while introducing a substantial amount of new housing stock into the town centre.

Burwood is expected to see a development boom, with the NSW Government rezoning the Burwood North Metro Precinct, a move expected to deliver around 15,000 new homes surrounding the new station.

Earlier this month, Nascon lodged plans for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-nascon-targets-burwood-growth-corridor-with-112-unit-apartment-tower">100-apartment development on the edge of the town centre</a>.

Holdmark's broader portfolio includes plans for nearly 800 new homes at Macquarie Park, currently before the NSW Government's Housing Delivery Authority. The developer is also behind a significant portion of the Melrose Park masterplanned redevelopment, as well as the former Caddens Corner drive-in site, where around 500 homes are planned.

First look: Holdmark unveils 900-apartment, mixed-use precinct for Burwood town centre

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/hyecorp-property-group">Hyecorp</a> has completed construction of Audrey, its parkside apartment development in St Leonards South, becoming the first residential project within the St Leonards South Precinct to reach completion.

Residents are expected to begin moving into the Canberra Avenue development at the end of June, making Audrey the first opportunity for buyers to take up residence within the emerging precinct.

Positioned at the highest point on Canberra Avenue, directly opposite Newlands Park, the project enjoys protected parkland outlooks and district views that cannot be built out as the precinct continues to evolve.

Unlike many of the larger developments planned across St Leonards South, Audrey comprises just 102 residences, making it one of the more boutique offerings within the precinct. The smaller scale has enabled Hyecorp to place a strong focus on owner-occupier design, resident amenity, and long-term liveability.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=110379 project_image_fid=368333]

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/sjb-architects">SJB</a>, Audrey comprises a mix of three-bedroom apartments and a double-storey five-bedroom townhouse, with many residences positioned to capture views toward the Sydney CBD and Harbour Bridge. The project has been underpinned by a strong focus on design continuity, with Hyecorp working alongside interior designers <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/jackson-teece">Jackson Teece</a> and landscape architects <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/landscape-architect/site-image">Site Image</a> to shape both the private residences and shared amenity spaces.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/audrey-st-leonards-13-19-canberra-avenue-st-leonards-nsw-2065">Audrey</a>’s interiors feature open-plan layouts, floor-to-ceiling glazing, oak timber flooring, bespoke joinery, and large-format stone finishes throughout the kitchens and bathrooms. Integrated Miele appliances, brushed metal tapware, and concealed cabinetry detailing were specified across the residences, reflecting Hyecorp's emphasis on quality and owner-occupier appeal.

The upper levels of the building are home to the Tiffany Collection, a premium offering occupying Levels 12 to 15. The residences include upgraded appliance packages, fluted standalone bathtubs, heated bathroom flooring, custom walk-in robes, and larger internal layouts ranging from 155 to 159 sqm.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=110379 project_image_fid=367164]

Backed by a 30-year legacy, Audrey reflects the experience of Hyecorp, an Australian family-owned developer with an award-winning track record across Sydney. As locals, Hyecorp understands the needs of local communities, creating homes and precincts designed for long-term liveability, connection, and lifestyle.

Despite its boutique scale, Audrey delivers an extensive suite of amenities typically associated with much larger developments. Residents have access to an indoor lap pool and spa, personal training studio, private cinema, music room, rooftop entertaining terrace, residents lounge, and private dining room overlooking the Sydney skyline.

The rooftop terrace and communal lounge spaces were conceived as extensions of residents' homes, supporting a lifestyle-focused environment that encourages wellbeing, flexibility, and community connection.

The project also incorporates a ground-floor café and an integrated daycare centre, adding to the growing mixed-use character emerging across the St Leonards South precinct.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=110379 project_image_fid=198680]

Audrey arrives as <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/st-leonards-nsw-2065">St Leonards</a> continues its transformation into one of Sydney's most strategically located urban renewal areas. The precinct's proximity to Royal North Shore Hospital and the broader health, research, and commercial corridor has made it increasingly attractive to medical professionals, healthcare workers, and owner-occupiers seeking housing close to employment and transport infrastructure.

Residents are within walking distance of St Leonards Station and the Crows Nest Metro, while nearby retail includes Mall 88, Forum Plaza, Woolworths, and the recently opened Coles supermarket. Nearby green spaces including Newlands Park, Gore Hill Oval, and Naremburn Park further reinforce the area's lifestyle appeal.

As the first completed project within the precinct, Audrey demonstrates the direction of St Leonards South's evolution, combining higher-density living with generous amenity, strong transport connectivity, and access to green space.

A limited collection of premium residences remains available, including spacious three-bedroom apartments, a four-bedroom townhouse and a selection of penthouses.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=110379]

Jonathan Chancellor

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