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About $5 million is being sought by listing agent Jason Black of Black Lifestyle Property for 30 Marine Parade, Maroubra.
Located above Lurline Bay, close to the Mahon rock pool, <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-lurline+bay-117395155" target="_blank">the mansion is set over three floors on 518 square metres</a>.
The four bedroom, four bathroom family home was built in 2007, on a block last traded for $2.06 million in 2001. 
It was designed by architect Timothy Hadiwibawa.
It has been scheduled for 2 August auction by the Fok family.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Timothy Hadiwibawa-designed Maroubra mansion listing

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Alta Vista, at 81 Wellington Parade South, East Melbourne comes with $6 million price hopes.
The 1876 free-standing, double-storey Victorian home <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/81-wellington-parade-south-east-melbourne/Property-Details-buy-residential-6743755" target="_blank">has been listed by </a><a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/81-wellington-parade-south-east-melbourne/Property-Details-buy-residential-6743755" target="_blank">Kay &amp; Burton agent Andrew Baines</a>.
It last reputedly sold at $5.75 million in late 2010, according to one advisory website, though unconfirmed.
Alta Vista has an historic bluestone wall with a wrought iron fence. 
The front garden is adorned with three mature palm trees and the back garden with six beautiful birch trees and water features.  
The property is unique in Jolimont, in so far as being a free standing house with a gated driveway at the front of the property leading to a double carport and a single garage. 
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Alta Vista, East Melbourne listed with $6 million plus hopes

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Yabba dabba don't. The primitive Sydney outskirts offering - an open air stone cottage on 16 hectares at Glenorie - has been withdrawn from sale.
Buyer's baulked at the asking price, so the owner has decided to keep their long-time Flintstonesesque offering.
Under its thatched roof, there is shelter with no floor, door or windows. Some stone lounges and benches, but no bathroom. The kitchen comes simply with fireplace.
Its listing agent Ian Campbell from Ray White Elizabeth Bay described the Smallwood Road property as just one step up from camping.
He took over the listing which had begun in May last year with $668,000 hopes.
Offers above $500,000 were being initially sought by Campbell, then more recently adjusted to $450,000 plus, until its recent withdrawal.
Purchased more than 30 years ago by the Moriceau family, 411-469 Smallwood Road, Glenorie, served as a weekend escape.
It last traded in 1977 at $13,000.
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No sale of Flintstones-style open air Glenorie stone cottage

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Sydney's median house price has edged through the $800,000 barrier to an $811,837 record price, according to the Australian Property Monitors Quarterly House Price Report.
It was at $787,000 in the March quarter.
Sydney house prices were up almost $118,000 annually.
Sydney's overall 3.1% June quarter increase took the 2013-14 financial year house price growth to 17%.
With a $1.53 million median, Sydney's city and east region actually slipped back in the past six months, with a 0.1% dip in prices.
But after troubling times following the global financial crisis, the lower north shore showed signs of bouncing back with its house price median up  4.4% so far this year to a $1.67 million median, according to APM data published within its Fairfax Media publications. 
<a href="/expert-insights/buying/price-surge-for-south-west-fibros-and-northern-beaches-silvertails-sees-sydney-sprint-away-from-the-rest-of-the-capitals">The south-west Sydney housing market was especially strong</a> over the past six months, unlike the eastern suburbs. 
<img src="/images/2014/07/24/apm-chart-july-24-one.gif" alt="" style="line-height: 1.3em;">
Source: Australian Property Monitors 
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Sydney house price median surpasses $800,000 in June 2014 quarter: APM

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A 9% surge so far this year in Sydney's south-west helped the Sydney median house price edge through the $800,000 barrier to an all-time high of $811,837, according to the Australian Property Monitors June quarterly house price report. 
Sydney apartment prices outpaced house prices over the June quarter, up by 3.9% to a record high of $573,255, with the northern beaches the strongest region with prices up 9.4% so far this year.
For once there was no great divide between Sydney's so-called Silvertails and Fibros.
Sydney house prices were up almost $118,000 annually, or a $2,200 a week, without the eastern suburbs being on board.
Sydney's overall 3.1% June quarter increase took the 2013-14 financial year house price growth to 17%, well beyond the nearest capital rival Melbourne with a 10% rise in house prices to $607,700.
With a 13.3% annual hike, Sydney apartment prices were up $67,000 annually, or $1,300 a week.
While less than the December 2013 quarter high watermark for Sydney's current growth cycle, Dr Andrew Wilson, the APM senior economist with the Fairfax Media Domain group, said the Sydney housing market remained the "standout" capital city performer with another strong quarterly result.  
The national median house price increased by 1.9% over the quarter, the same result as the previous quarter to $627,940.
 The national median unit price recorded a sturdy rise of 2.5% to $473,385 which was higher than the 1.6% increase of the March quarter.
But while Sydney unit prices up 13.3% over the year, the Melbourne apartment market reported just a 0.7% increase over the quarter to be up by 4.0% over the year at $419,639.
Recording eight consecutive quarters of house price growth, the Brisbane housing market continues to gather momentum.
Over the June quarter, the Brisbane median house price increased by 1.5% over the quarter with the Brisbane median house price now at a new record level of $477,352.
Brisbane house prices increased by 6.9% over the year ending June which was the highest annual result for the city in four years. But Brisbane unit growth was no where near as strong.
The weakest apartment market in the country is Canberra.
The significance of the latest data is the increasing return of Sydney being the engine room of Australia's property price growth.
Back in 2003, Sydney's median house price was more than double Perth's, but the price gap narrowed to within 6% during late 2006. 
Perth's median was $491,000, in contrast, Sydney's median price at $520,000 in late 2006.
Then around late 2010 Melbourne was fast closing the gap on Sydney as Australia's most expensive city to buy a house, with its median price around $89,000 less.
There is now a $204,000 gap between Sydney and Melbourne, some 25% higher, and a $192,000 gap between Sydney and Perth, some 23% higher. 
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Price surge for south-west fibros and northern beaches silvertails sees Sydney sprint away from the rest of the capitals

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The Commonwealth Bank has cut its five-year fixed mortgage rate to a record 4.99% low, an adjustment of 70 basis points from July 23.
 It is the first time the big bank has cut its five-year fixed rate below 5%. Within hours Westpac and NAB followed by matching the CBA's five-year rate. 
The NAB also cut rates on its three and four-year loans.
Meanwhile Australia’s headline inflation rate was up 0.5% in the June quarter.
There was an annual gain of 3%, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
The ABS’s measure of core inflation sits near the top of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s target range of 2% to 3%.
Michael Blythe, chief economist at Commonwealth Bank of Australia, said the figures were a touch above market expectations and "are a reminder that not all inflation risks are to the downside".
"The QI underlying figures were revised a touch higher as well. Nevertheless, the message from the RBA is that they want a long period of stability in rates," he advised.
"In our view, the RBA can stay on hold till QI 2015."
Savanth Sebastian, economist at CommSec said at present inflation is not a threat to the economy, meaning that the Reserve Bank can comfortably keep interest rates at exceptionally low levels over the medium term. 
"Domestic inflationary pressures remain well contained and given the slow growth in wages it is unlikely to result in a change to the domestic inflation landscape." 
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Competitive CBA cuts five year rate to record low as inflation quickens

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A little-known Chinese-backed development company has bought the Melbourne development site offloaded by AXF Group property tycoon Richard Gu for around $60 million. It last officially traded at $17 million in 2007.
The ­Kinnears Rope Factory is a four-hectare site in Footscray some six kilometres west of Melbourne’s CBD.
It has been bought by a R&amp;F Estate Pty Ltd, a company directed by Jing Lu of Riverwood in Sydney, though the major shareholder is the Glen Waverley based Australia King Eagle Investment Pty Ltd, directed by Jiandong Huang. The ultimate holding company is Australia Star Tower Development Pty Ltd.
The Ropeworks site at 124-188 Ballarat Road is bound by Kinnear Street to the north, Farnsworth Road to the east and Ballarat Road to the south. Significant buildings within the precinct including the Boiler House, Mills, and the ‘rope walk’.
The Kinnears rope making business was established in 1874 and relocated to the site in 1902. It closed in 2002, with the property sold at $8 million.
The municipality has been pinpointed as needing to accommodate between 13,000 and 16,000 additional households by 2030, with a dwelling yield of 1,350 dwellings representing 26% of private dwellings within the suburb of Footscray, based on 2006 ABS census data.
Victorian Planning Minister Matthew Guy approved plans for around 1,500 homes in 2012 after the work by <a href="https://tract.com.au/project/kinnears-ropeworks/" target="_blank">Tract Consultants</a>.
The Australian Financial Review reports that Friday's sale was brokered by CBRE director Mark Wizel according to industry rumours, though Wizel did not provide confirmation to the paper.
The Australian Dictionary of Biography says George Kinnear migrated to Melbourne in 1864 to establish a rope plant for James Miller &amp; Co.
He established his own Colonial Rope Works at Moonee Ponds in 1874, a small but lucrative business, specializing in lashings, clothes-lines and hayband.
The business was sold to sons Edward and Henry in 1899, for £340.
Edward had left Essendon State School at 13 to help in the business.
Trading as George Kinnear &amp; Sons, in 1902 they transferred the works to the larger site at Footscray expanding steadily through the Kinnears' innovative and aggressive organisation and marketing, tariff protection and wartime demands.
The workforce grew to some 200 in 1915.
Kinnears expanded in 1970s when it made inroads into the carpet industry.
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Footscray flip yields huge gain for Richard Gu's Kinnears Rope Factory site

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The Queensland Treasury Corporation has sought advisory firms to apply for roles in the privatisations of five state assets that include the Port of Gladstone and the Port of Townsville.
It is currently seeking lead and commercial advisers for each long-term lease transaction.
Applications are due on 6 August following the government decision to reduce the state’s debt. 
The privatisation progress is subject to the results at the next state election in March.
Meanwhile, the Victorian government is looking at its Port of Melbourne sale.
NSW has offloaded its port leaseholds at Botany and Newcastle in recent years. 
The Australian Financial Review speculated the ports at Gladstone and Townsville could be worth more than $5 billion.
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Queensland seeking advisory firms as ports sell off nears

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Supermarket chain Coles Liquor has secured its first hotel nationally in four years on Hope Island, Queensland.
Knight Frank director of hotels, Craig Harley negotiated the Coles Liquor acquisition for the business leasehold interest of Marina Quays Tavern at 93 Broadwater Avenue, Hope Island.
“The substantial hotel property is adjacent to a planned shopping centre, retirement village, service station, and is surrounded by residential development which enjoys high visibility and extensive passing traffic,” continued Harley.
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Coles Liquor secures Hope Island, Gold Coast tavern

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Patonga Beach Hotel on NSW’s Central Coast has been sold, five months after being listed with $10 million sale hopes.
Listed by the Osborne family, the Patonga Beach Hotel and the adjoining fish shop is set in the gully on the shores of Broken Bay at the mouth of the Hawkesbury River.
No sale price or buyer has yet been revealed.
It is the only hotel in a 12-kilometre radius.
It is opposite the Patonga Beach ferry wharf, popular with day-trippers and visitors from the Central Coast.
<a href="https://rca.joneslanglasalle.com.au/property-hotel+leisure-nsw-patonga-501053471" target="_blank">Jones Lang LaSalle Hotel and Hospitality Group agent John Musca</a> had the 1546 square metre hotel offering, the only hotel in the two bays.
"There's no doubt that by incorporating the adjoining fish shop building and subject to necessary approvals, you could expand the boutique accommodation to become another Raes on Wategos, in Byron Bay," Musca said.
"Many in the industry believe the hotel would be perfect for a celebrity chef hotel style repositioning, similar to that being embarked upon by TV chef George Calombaris in recent acquisition of the Hobsons Bay Hotel in Preston," the marketing suggested.
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Patonga Beach Hotel sold on NSW Central Coast

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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