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Queensland’s 10 longest listings have been on the market since 2009, according to SQM Research:
According to data collected by <a href="https://www.sqmresearch.com.au/" target="_blank">SQM Research</a>, the state’s oldest listing in Queensland is a unit at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-unit-qld-north+booval-105928216" target="_blank">38/40 Gledson Street, North Booval </a>which has spent 1,911 days on the market. 
It is currently for sale at $280,000, originally listed at $298,000.
<ul>
<li>38/40 Gledson Street, North Booval — 1,911 days</li>
<li>267 Laceys Creek Road, Dayboro — 1,900 days</li>
<li>78 James Road, Beachmere — 1,801 days</li>
<li>8 Apollo Crescent, Beachmere — 1,801 days</li>
<li>136 Granard Road, Archerfield — 1,741 days</li>
<li>5 Hayden Street, Riverview — 1,741 days</li>
<li>2/199 Queen Street, Cleveland — 1,722 days</li>
<li>36 Patrick Street, Beachmere — 1,715 days</li>
<li>10 Prince Street, Beachmere — 1,673 days</li>
<li>97 Biggs Avenue, Beachmere — 1,645 days</li>
</ul>
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Queensland’s 10 longest listings all on the market since 2009: SQM Research

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Bidura, the 1860 Edmund Blacket Glebe building, has been listed for sale by the NSW government.
Designing along conventional Victorian Regency lines, it was Blacket's home while he was designing the University of Sydney’s Great Hall. 
In recent years it has been occupied by staff of the Family and Community Services and the Department of Justice.
The NSW government is selling off the 5,556 square metre property at 357 Glebe Point Road which was previously used as a juvenile court until 2000.
It ceased functioning as a children’s home in 1977.
It has been owned by the NSW government since the 1920s.
With three street frontages and views over Blackwattle Bay and the city skyline, the NSW Minister for Finance and Services Dominic Perrottet said the Glebe Point property was expected to generate significant developer interest for a residential project.
Photo courtesy of NSW Courts. 
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Glebe's Bidura listed by NSW state government

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The Bondi Beach house that the young James Packer built as his first home in the mid-1990s, has sold.
The vendors, the New York-based Lochtenberg family, accepted $7 million for the trophy home. It had been most recently listed through McGrath agent Bethwyn Richards, and was sold by Peter O'Malley of <a href="https://www.harrispartners.com.au/recent-sales/30249/bondi-beach/14-notts-ave/" target="_blank">Harris Partners Real Estate</a>.
When the property went to auction in 2010, the Notts Avenue sellers wanted $8 million-plus, but the buyers stopped their bidding at $7 million.
It was last sold when Packer's former fiancee, Kate Fischer, pocketed $2,825,000 in 2000.
The freestanding house enjoys ocean and coastal views, located in a cul-de-sac opposite the Icebergs, footsteps to sand, surf and famed coastal walk.
The 210 square metre residence at 14 Notts Avenue had been transferred from Packer's development company into Fischer's name in 1998.
James Packer and Kate Fischer had been in a five-year relationship during which the Notts Avenue property was bought for $425,000 in 1995.
Subsequently James Packer moved into a three-level apartment on nearby Campbell Parade, which remains his home. 
Title Tattle has been around long enough to recall James Packer, well actually he was called Jamie back then, began living on the beach strip sharing an $800 a week rental apartment with David Gyngell in the Pacific Terraces complex elsewhere on Notts Avenue.
His late father Kerry Packer had helped finance the Pacific Terraces development by Bill Shipton in 1983.
The Notts Avenue house has been rented out by the Lochtenbergs at about $2,500 a week since their purchase in 2000.
At one stage, the tenants were Oliver Curtis and his then mate, John Hartman.
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James Packer's former Notts Avenue, Bondi Beach home sells for $7 million

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Malaysian developer Mammoth has paid $12.3 million for its third development site in Melbourne.
It is a 2,271-square-metre site on Wreckyn Street in North Melbourne which was sold by the veterinary organisation, Lort Smith Animal Hospital.
With 10 bidding parties, the $5,416 a square metre sale price was a new record for a pure land acquisition in North Melbourne. 
However earlier this month, a Chinese investor with unknown intentions <a href="/expert-insights/investing/chinese-buyer-pays-32-over-reserve-a-record-land-rate-for-north-melbourne-office-site">paid $6,358 a square metre when paying $13.2 million for a 2076 square metre office building bloc</a>k at 13-21 Bedford Street, North Melbourne. 
Mammoth’s 55-level MY80 Elizabeth Street with 487 apartments is due for imminent completion.
Empire, its second high-rise apartment block, with 474 apartments over 61 levels, is due for construction commencement with 60 remaining for purchase.
The delayed settlement sale was through CBRE with Charter Keck Cramer acting as the transaction ­manager.
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Malaysian property developer Mammoth purchases North Melbourne site

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Sydney's cheapest weekend auction sale was 8/58 MacDonald St, Lakemba, a two bedroom offering at $326,000 sold by John Shalala at Ray White Croydon.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-unit-nsw-lakemba-117420671" target="_blank">It last sold in 2010 at $245,000, so reflected 7.8% annual growth over the four years</a>.
As Property Observer reported yesterday, Sydney's most expensive property sold at weekend auction <a href="/expert-insights/buying/mosman-price-shocker-tops-sydneys-weekend-auctions">was a three-bedroom Beauty Point home with Middle Harbour views</a>.
The house at 12 Euryalus Street, Mosman fetched $3.23 million.
However, Property Observer noted it last sold at $3.1 million in June 2010, so not even 1% price growth during the past four years.
The bungalow property comes with approval to rebuild a three level family home on the elevated, north facing 773 square metre block.
Sydney's 80% weekend auction result was the highest clearance rate reported since early April.
Australian Property Monitors reported the Sydney weekend auction market was in "revival mode" over the past five weekends with the average initial clearance rate over that period rising to 78.3% compared to just 74.1% over the previous five-weekend period.
Auction listings have flattened over recent weekends. The significantly higher volumes this year compared to past years has almost disappeared.
There were 434 auctions scheduled in Sydney on the weekend compared to 404 listed over the same weekend last year, just 7.5% higher.
But prior weekends over the past two months were up on last year by 24%; 52%; 31%; 35%; 54%; 37%; 37%; 32% and 61% on the June long weekend.
Sydney's north-west recorded a 92.3% clearance rate at the weekend and was the best performer of all the Sydney suburban regions.
This was closely followed by the inner west with 90.7%, the south 85.7%, the upper north shore 84.3%, the city and east 81.8%, the northern beaches 81.3% and Canterbury-Bankstown with a clearance rate of 80%.
Next weekend Sydney agents have around 430 auction offerings (about 10% up on last year) and APM's preliminary figures for the 23 August weekend is currently sitting at 410 offerings, which is around the same weekend last year.
The recent rise in volumes - that may have waned - has not been just a Sydney trend. A  review of volumes nationally over the first eight months of the year shows there have been nearly 50,833 capital city auctions in total, or 38% more auctions held when compared to the same period last year, according to RP Data.
Fewer listings with strong buyer demand means the days of 80% clearance rates will return, making it harder to buy without strong competition.
Back to that cheapest weekend sale at 8/58 MacDonald St, Lakemba, a two bedroom offering sold at $326,000 pre-auction. 
It was sold by an investor who got around $270 a week on its 2010 purchase to an investor who will be hoping to now secure around $325 a week.
So in the past four years the yield has tightened from 5.7% to a 5.1% yield now.
The 2013-2014 price upswing has triggered this drop in rental yields, into which investors still rush.
Recent RP Data research shows rents have failed to keep pace with prices in all capital cities.
Sydney and Melbourne have the lowest yields of all capital cities, at 3.9% and 3.4% respectively.
Most investors must be chasing capital growth rather than rental return. Be wary when at the currently highly competitive auctions.
Sydney rents rose by 3.7% in the past year, making it the only city where growth outstripped inflation. 
By comparison, house prices in the city increased by 16.7% since April 2013.
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As investors dominate, Lakemba sale highlights price growth and tightening yields

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The historic Collingwood warehouse of the Hong Kong-based banker Richard Lee was passed in at weekend auction at $1.3 million.
Lee, chief operating officer of the investment banking division of CLSA, and his wife Peta, bought the property in 2010 for $905,000.
They spent the next 18 months renovating part of the 150-year-old Victoria distillery.
The four-level three bedroom warehouse at <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/14-21-northumberland-street-collingwood/Property-Details-buy-residential-7289509" target="_blank">14/21 Northumberland Street</a> had been listed Sarah Sharp, of RT Edgar.
The warehouse conversion was within the Barrett Burston Collingwood Malthouse.
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The Barley House, 1860s Collingwood warehouse fails to sell

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The Terrey Hills-bound rugby league icon Brad Fittler and his partner Marie Liarris will accept $2,295,000 for their redundant Rushcutters Bay apartment which was initially listed with $2.5 million hopes for its recent auction.
The north-facing, four bedroom apartment in the Marina One building had been bought in 2010 for $2.12 million.
It was listed for auction <a href="https://www.rwebay.com.au/1593550/" target="_blank" style="line-height: 1.3em;">through Jason Boon of Richardson &amp; Wrench Elizabeth Bay</a>, and Shane Vincent of Belle Property Randwick.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-nsw-rushcutters+bay-117154815" target="_blank">The apartment</a> has 197 square metres space outlooking over Rushcutters Bay park.
They are reputedly moving to an acreage in <a href="/news">Terrey Hills</a>.
<a href="/news/brad-fittler-sells-rose-bay-investment-with-14-annual-gain">They sold a Rose Bay investment semi</a> for $1.925 million earlier this year, a bullish result.
 
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Brad Fittler's Rushcutters Bay apartment remains for sale

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Makeup businessman Napoleon Perdis is off to Athens, according to the SMH columnist Andrew Hornery, so his two homes in the United States are up for sale.
Perdis told Hornery's PS column that he and wife Soula Marie, along with their four daughters, would be moving to Athens next year.
He has listed his two existing homes in America, one with a $6 million plus price tag in the Hollywood Hills. 
The other is the family's weekender, up for sale for $4 million in the desert resort of Palm Springs.
The two homes are located <a href="https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/7218-Mulholland-Dr_Los-Angeles_CA_90068_M11741-85515" target="_blank">on Mulholland Drive</a> in Los Angeles (pictured above) and <a href="https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/700-Tamarisk-Ln_Palm-Springs_CA_92262_M29261-29038" target="_blank">on Tamarisk Drive</a> in Palm Springs (pictured below).
The four storey Napoleon Perdis home in Los Angeles is a lavish Mediterranean-style home set in the Hollywood Hills. The six-bedroom, eight bathroom  home has 7,200 square feet of space. opulent, drenched-in-grandeur extravagance.
It is for sale at $6 million. The Hollywood Hills home last traded at $3.8 million in 2005. 
South of Los Angeles, in the getaway town of Palm Springs, is the five-bedroom, six bathroom contemporary structure covering 5,000 square feet with mountain view. It traded in 2008 at $1,805,000.
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Athens-bound Aussie Napoleon Perdis lists Hollywood and Palm Springs homes

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Six Melbourne 7-Elevens outlets were sold last week.
The average initial yield was 4.7%.
The sales ranged between Malvern East at $2.85 million and <a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-retail-vic-mill+park-501210303" target="_blank">Mill Park</a> (pictured above) at $6.45 million with a $333,339 annual rental.
The other sales were Prahran ($4.23 million), Rowville ($5.9 million), Wantirna South ($5.6 million) and Glen Waverley ($4 million).
The buyers were private investors.
All up, the Withers family secured $71 million last week at the JLL auctions in the latest offering of 15 of its 7-Eleven service station and convenience stores.
Last week.<a href="/expert-insights/investing/yields-tighten-in-latest-7-eleven-sydney-service-station-offering"> seven NSW offerings of 7-Eleven service stations sold</a> at auction with an average 4.6% yield, tighter than the 6.8% two years ago.
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Melbourne 7-Elevens averaged 4.7% yield

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Mooloolaba's Pink House sold at weekend auction for $3.8 million, when offered for the first time in 100 years.
Set on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, the Pink House is among the last freestanding homes remaining in the locality.
Sunshine Coast Next Property agents<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-mooloolaba-117375011" target="_blank"> Loren Wimhurst and Karen Jones marketed the property</a> as "one of the last development opportunities on the Mooloolah River never before offered to the market".
The former fishing shack on the Mooloolah River, north of Brisbane, has a glamourous history given its association with old world Hollywood stars.
Cary Grant, Jean Harlow and Errol Flynn stayed at the holiday home of the Eager car dealership family. 
Fred Eager was the son of the cigar-smoking businessman from Ohio, E.G. Eager who was responsible for the the introduction of the Overland car in 1911 to Australia. The family were later the representatives of General Motors Holden.
Fred Eagar died in 1949 at his home, Craigston on Wickham Terrace, Brisbane, aged 62. 
His skill as a big game fisherman and yachtsman was undisputed. He held the Queensland shark record with a 1941 catch of a white shark weighing 1324 lbs. 
Fred Eager actually had two holiday houses on the Mooloolah River, Tangalooma and four doors away, Terrawina. Property Observer believes it was Tangalooma which was the weekend offering.
Among his fleet of water-craft was the luxury yacht, Tangalooma which was commandeered by the Navy in the second world war. 
Part-owner Jillian Chalmers told the Weekend Australian it was sad to sell the home which had been passed down to friends and family over the generations. It was also co-owned by the Hooper and Knobel family. 
"Originally built as a fishing shack, legendary stories still circulate in reference to the size of the fish and the catch, to this day," the marketing said.
"Many similar shacks surrounded this one, and the Pink House is the last one standing." 
The 1,012 square metre property at 63 River Esplanade boasts 37 metres of Mooloolah River frontage within a 350 metre walk to the Mooloolaba Surf Club.
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Fred Eager's Pink House, Mooloolaba sells for $3.8 million

Kew has long been regarded as one of Melbourne's premier residential suburbs. It's a location defined by its grand period homes, leafy streets and some of the city's most prestigious schools, yet it has often sat just outside the spotlight cast on neighbouring Hawthorn and Camberwell.

Increasingly, however, buyers are recognising that Kew offers much of what draws people to those suburbs, with a quieter residential setting, exceptional amenity and long-term owner-occupier appeal.

Within a few minutes' walk, residents can access Kew Junction, one of Melbourne's most established village centres. Cafés, bakeries, restaurants, supermarkets, boutique retailers and everyday services are all on the doorstep, with local favourites including Centonove, Adeney Milk Bar Cafe, and Frank &amp; Harri creating the type of walkable lifestyle that has become increasingly difficult to find in Melbourne's inner east. Beyond the immediate neighbourhood, Glenferrie Road's renowned shopping and dining precinct in Hawthorn and the retail, dining and entertainment offerings of Camberwell Junction are both just a short drive or tram ride away.

The suburb is equally well connected. Tram routes 48 and 109 provide direct access to the CBD, while High Street and Cotham Road connect residents to the wider inner east.&nbsp;Nearby access to the Eastern Freeway also places the Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula and Melbourne Airport within easy reach, adding another layer of convenience for weekend travel.&nbsp;It's a rare combination of connectivity and tranquillity, where quiet residential streets sit just moments from some of Melbourne's most established shopping and lifestyle precincts.

For families, Kew remains one of Melbourne's most tightly held addresses. Carey Baptist Grammar School, Xavier College, Methodist Ladies' College, Trinity Grammar, Ruyton Girls' School and Genazzano FCJ College are all nearby, while the Yarra River parklands, walking trails and sporting clubs provide another layer of lifestyle appeal.

It's within this established pocket that developer Ricdanic is delivering <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/wimba-ave-kew-9-11-wimba-avenue-kew-vic-3101">Wimba Ave</a>, a boutique collection of just 13 residences across two buildings named after its location on the tree-lined Wimba Avenue,&nbsp;within one of Kew's most prestigious pockets where homes have been known to sell up to and above $8 million.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=140755 project_image_fid=354809]

The residences prioritise the space that buyers are increasingly searching for but struggling to find in established suburbs. Living areas extend beyond five metres in width, ceiling heights range from three to five metres, and apartments open onto private gardens averaging around 125 sqm. Selected residences also feature balconies of approximately 60 sqm, while premium inclusions include Miele appliances, double-glazed windows, EV readiness, fully electric systems and a 7.2 NatHERS energy rating.

Architect Chris Idle says opportunities to deliver homes of this scale within established suburbs have become increasingly uncommon.

"There are very few opportunities to do these kinds of developments in leafy, established suburbs," he says. "To get this level of amenity, natural light, and architectural freedom in such a setting is extremely rare."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=140755 project_image_fid=366267]

The architecture draws on Kew's established character through the use of handmade Krause bricks, while landscaping by John Patrick introduces 23 plant species, including nine native varieties, creating an environment which focuses just as much on nature as it does the building.

Construction on Wimba Ave is well underway by renowned high-end builder Sinjen, with completion expected in late 2027. Prices start from $2.22 million.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=140755]

Joel Robinson

The enduring appeal of Kew's tree-lined streets and village lifestyle

"For me, it's the location." That was the first thing Chris pointed to when reflecting on why he and his wife Marita decided to purchase at Candela Ivanhoe, the under-construction new apartment development by Salter Brothers in the heart of the north-eastern M​elb​ourne​ suburb. ​

"We've lived here before… everything is here," Chris said.

"Our doctor is around the corner, there's dentists, pilates, everything we need, restaurants, fast food places, two train stations, Ivanhoe and Darebin, both in walking distance. You don't need anything else."

<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/X8K0Bozug7A?si=Puwc6vx_ZO0qQZF8" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

Just 10 kilometres from Melbo​urn​e's CBD, Ivanhoe combines direct city connectivity with the amenity of an established village community. Residents have access to highly regarded schools, expansive parklands, public transport, and a thriving retail and hospitality precinct centred around Upper Heidelberg Road, all within a neighbourhood that has retained its leafy character despite its proximity to the city.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/candela-ivanhoe-40-upper-heidelberg-road-ivanhoe-vic-3079">Candela Ivanhoe</a> sits within the heart of this established landscape, positioned just moments from Ivanhoe Village and within walking distance of many of the suburb's most sought-after amenities.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=342 project_image_fid=364553]

From Candela, residents can access cafés, grocers, wine bars, restaurants and essential services on foot, while Ivanhoe Station and Darebin Station provide direct connectivity across Mel​bour​ne. The development is also surrounded by some of the suburb's best-known lifestyle destinations, including Pinkie, Laurent, Enni, Docasa and Woodfire Pizza e Cucina, alongside Ivanhoe Plaza, Woolworths, pharmacies and specialty retailers.

Green space is another defining feature of the suburb. Darebin Parklands, Ivanhoe Park, Nellie Ibbot Park and the Yarra River trail network provide extensive opportunities for recreation, while Ivanhoe Golf Course and Ivanhoe Tennis Club continue to underpin the area's long-established lifestyle appeal.

The suburb's education offering further strengthens demand. Ivanhoe Grammar School, Ivanhoe Girls' Grammar School, Mary Immaculate Primary School and Ivanhoe Primary School have helped establish the area as one of Melbou​​rne's most sought-after schooling precincts, attracting families and downsizers alike who want to remain connected to the area.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=342 project_image_fid=357510]

While location was the priority for Marita and Chris, the project itself also needed to meet their expectations.

"Whilst location was paramount, I was also looking at design of the environment and Candela ticked every box," Marita said.

"We're just thrilled with our choice."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=342 project_image_fid=336455]

Developed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/salter-brothers">Salter Brothers</a>, Candela Ivanhoe has been designed to complement its village setting, with an emphasis on generous floorplans, natural light and practical everyday living.

Residents will have access to a range of shared amenities, including a communal rooftop garden and dedicated residential lounge, complemented by a ground-floor café and lifestyle wellbeing centre, helping foster the sense of community already emerging among future owners.

That approach has resonated strongly with the market. More than 90 per cent of purchasers at Candela Ivanhoe are owner-occupiers, with buyers ranging from downsizers and second-home buyers to young families and first home buyers, creating a genuinely multi-generational community of grandparents, parents and children. It reflects a broader shift across Melbo​​urne's apartment market, where buyers are increasingly prioritising neighbourhood quality, lifestyle amenity and long-term liveability.

Currently under construction by Ironside, Candela Ivanhoe comprises 58 apartments. Candela Ivanhoe is scheduled for completion in the coming months, and residents can move in from September. One to four bedroom residences, prices from $649,000 and limited opportunities remaining.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=342]

Location and lifestyle drive demand at Candela Ivanhoe

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]

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.

Jonathan Chancellor

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