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Quest Serviced Apartments is more than doubling its room numbers in Western Australia over the next two years. 
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<div>Three of the properties are located in central <a href="/news">Perth</a> on Adelaide Terrace, Kings Park Road and Mounts Bay Road, in response to increasing demand from a thriving corporate sector.
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<div>The other two properties are located on Flinders Lane in <a href="/news">Rockingham </a>and the corner of Pakenham and Short Streets in <a href="/news">Fremantle</a>. 
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Providing accommodation to around 30,000 business travellers annually, Quest currently operates nine properties in WA at <a href="/news">Bunbury</a>, Harbour Village, <a href="/news">Mandurah</a>, on James, <a href="/news">Rheola</a>, <a href="/news">Scarborough</a>, <a href="/news">South Perth</a>, <a href="/news">West End</a> and <a href="/news">Kalgoorlie</a>.
When doors open on the five new properties, Quest will offer a total of 871 rooms across the state, anticipating hosting more than 60 thousand extended-stay business travellers each year – a 128% increase on the existing number.
All five properties have received development approval with construction commenced on all except Fremantle and Adelaide Terrace, both of which are expected to see works start in the next month.
Quest chief Zed Sanjana said Perth had leading occupancy rates with high room yield growth.
“The demand in the West is being primarily driven by the corporate market and we feel the time is right to capitalise on these strong economic indicators and push our growth, with five new developments underway to more than double our current room numbers.”
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Quest shows confidence in Perth with plans to double room numbers in state

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One of St Kilda Road’s prominent office towers, the St Kilda Road police complex has been listed for sale.
It is situated on a corner site at 412 St Kilda Road.
The 21 level office building has the potential for a residential conversion with St Kilda Road having been one of Melbourne’s sought after apartment locations.
The planned residential conversions are tipped to put St Kilda Road’s office vacancy rate in single figures by 2017 with an average of 13,267 square metre of office stock expected to be removed annually over the next five years.
With Victorian Police not extending its lease over the property beyond mid-2016, the <a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-offices-vic-melbourne-501203687" target="_blank">sales campaign is </a><a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-offices-vic-melbourne-501203687" target="_blank">underway through </a><a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-offices-vic-melbourne-501203687" target="_blank">CBRE’s Mark Coster, Mark Wizel and Josh Rutman</a> in conjunction with Dawkins Occhiuto’s Walter Occhiuto and Andrew Dawkins .
Offers close 31 July for the building located at the city-end of St Kilda Road.
The property’s Commercial Zone 1 zoning under the Port Phillip Planning Scheme aims to create vibrant mixed use commercial centres for retail, office, business, entertainment, residential and community uses. 
However current residents complain there is a lack of suitable supermarket retail along the strip.
The property’s corner location, with three street frontages allows good natural light and views of the Royal Botanic Gardens, the Shrine of Remembrance and the CBD, as well as Albert Park Lake and Port Phillip Bay.
Another offering comes from the boutique fund manager Calibre Capital 
The nine-level tower at 509 St Kilda Road has almost 19,700 square metres space, with tenants including Transfield and Australia Post
It is near the Commercial Road junction backing onto Fawkner Park. 
Abacus sold the 18-storey building at 484 St Kilda Road for $94 million which was bought three years ago for about $68 million.
Two years ago, Newmark Property acquired the 20,500-square-metre tower at 417 St Kilda Road from Challenger for $81.3 million.
Singapore’s International Healthway Corporation acquired 553 St Kilda Road for $45 million.
IHC purchased 541 St Kilda Road for $35.75 million.
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Residential conversion mooted for St Kilda Road police centre

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Property investor MarksHenderson has spent $28 million on offices at Sydney’s Walsh Bay.
The Melbourne-based group’s first buy into the Sydney market is the 8 Windmill Street building next to the new Headland Park at Millers Point.
The sale price translates to a passing yield of 7.5% through CBRE senior director, capital markets, Steven Kearney.
The Windmill Street building has a net letttable area of 3,820 square metres with an on-site cafe with outdoor seating.
In 2003 it was developed by Tuscan Corp, David Berry's Sydney property group, after its design by PTW and HPA architects.
David Berry was formerly general manager of Kajima Corporation's Australian operations, responsible for managing the Sydney hotel now known as the Sheraton on the Park Hotel for Kajima Corporation from shortly after opening until its sale to ITT Sheraton Corporation. 
Other nearby sales include Piers 8 &amp; 9, 23 Hickson Road and 36 Hickson Road for a combined $64.5 million and last month’s $26 million sale of 88 Cumberland, The Rocks.
 
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MarksHenderson splashes $28 million on Walsh Bay office

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John Watson, one of the most powerful men in the local music industry, has listed his Randwick home. 
Through the years he has managed Missy Higgins, Daniel Johns (and before that Silverchair) and Cold Chisel to name but three.
His four bedroom, three bathroom property has been listed for 7 August auction <a href="https://www.ppdre.com.au/1P0520" target="_blank">through Jason Pantzer at Phillips Pantzer Donnelly</a>.  It last traded at $2.48 million in 2005.
The renovated two storey home is in the dress circle position opposite Centennial Park on its 745 square metre parcel of level land.
The four bedroom home was designed by architect Harry Levine showcasing its classic Federation origins.
John Watson and his wife, Belinda hope for $3.75 million.
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Music manager John Watson lists Randwick home

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Chris Howe, from Bossley Howe Architects, and his tax lawyer wife, Betsy-Ann, have finally sold their Vaucluse residence.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-vaucluse-108528346">The Hopetoun Avenue offering</a> with four bedrooms plus office house, comes with soaring ceilings.
It also came with $8 million hopes back in 2010, with the first of its eventual seven agents who have had the listing.
It was up for upcoming July 25 auction with hopes of $6.9 million.
There's plenty of glass, wood, sandstone, and travertine throughout its large open-plan interiors.
Its grounds come with pool, ponds, decks, balconies and garden. 
Covering 420 square metre, the house was built in 2008 on 787 square metre of land.
Howe suggested this was the first high-end, contemporary house in Australasia that was fully carbon neutral on energy use.
Property Observer ccolumnist Margie Blok wrote of its innovative design and cutting-edge sustainability when she viewed the house.
“It’s greener than a tree house," Blok was told. She was particularly impressed with the passive heating and cooling systems using double glazing, stack ventilation, evaporative cooling, thermal mass and external automated louvres.
The block traded at $2.95 million in September 2006.
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Architect Chris Howe sells Vaucluse trophy home, finally

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Houses offered for private sale are selling faster this year than last year especially in middle and outer Melbourne suburbs. 
Two locations where the vendors were securing buyers much faster were the beachside suburbs of Mt Martha and Blairgowrie.
The <a href="https://www.reiv.com.au" target="_blank">REIV</a> chief Enzo Raimondo said there have also been significant falls in the number of days properties required before sale in other suburbs, from western bayside Williamstown to Narre Warren in the outer east. 
"There had been a particularly notable change on the Mornington Peninsula, made more accessible to Melbourne by the opening of Peninsula Link," Enzo Raimondo said.
"Three positions on the REIV's list of top 10 improvers were Peninsula suburbs: Mount Martha, Blairgowrie and Mount Eliza. 
"Properties there took between 46 and 38 days less to sell in the first six months of this year, compared to 2013.  
“While the focus this year has been on a stronger auction market, the table shows that the private sale market in a number of suburbs is also stronger this year,” Mr Raimondo said.  
He added that private sales have traditionally been popular in outer suburbs, offering familiarity to local buyers.
 “One of the features (of a private sale) is that it does not impose the time constraints – and immediate decision-making – that’s required at an auction,” he said.
<img src="/images/2014/07/16/table-jluy-16-one.jpg" alt="">
Source: REIV.
* Number of days on market for private sales (houses) 
** Difference (i.e. reduction) in number of days on market in 2014 compared to 2013.Slight differences can occur due to rounding.
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Mornington Peninsula private treaty listings get a hurry on: REIV

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The mid-century modernist Boyd Baker House in Bacchus Marsh has been listed for August 31 auction with $1.3 million plus price hopes.
Designed by architect Robin Boyd, the house has been listed by the lawyer Peter Mitrakas who bought the house in 2006 from the original owner, Dr Michael Baker, the academic mathematician. 
The heritage listed property located on 7.7 hectares on a large scrubby bush block surrounded by the Long Forest Conservation Reserve was commissioned by Michael and Rosemary Baker in 1964, two years after they arrived from England.
<a href="https://www.boydbakerhouse.com.au/index" target="_blank">The 1966 Long Forest Road house</a> bears Boyd signatures internal courtyard and local stone finishes. Highly geometric in its form, it is a square building with small central pond.
Andrew Macmillan of Jellis Craig Bennison Mackinnon and Kay &amp; Burton agent Alex Schiavo have the offering.
Peter and Mary Mitrakas opened it to paying guests in 2007 after paying around $1.11 million for the modernist masterpiece in 2006. 
In 2008 radio broadcaster Tim Ross wed Michelle Glew at Boyd Baker House in Bacchus Marsh, which is about 45 minutes from Melbourne.
There is the adjoining dower house, on 4.6 hectares which traded at $555,000 in 2006, which will be also offered to the buyer.
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The Baker House group comprises three buildings designed by architects Robin Boyd and Roy Grounds. The Baker House (1966) and the dower house, also known as the Elizabeth Sticklen House (1968) were designed by Boyd and the library, built during the 1970s, was designed by Roy Grounds.  
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Modernist Boyd Baker, Bacchus Marsh masterpiece listed

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Lagoona Park, the Victorian rural property where the Poseidon gold nugget was discovered, has been listed for sale.
There are $4.5 million hopes for the 914-hectare property in Newbridge in the Loddon Shire in central Victoria.
It has been listed by Colin Harris, whose family established the well-known Gloroy Poll Dorset sheep stud in 1956. 
The 30 lot Lagoona Park auction is scheduled for August 14 <a href="https://www.eldersrealestate.com.au/rural/buy/property-mixed-farming-vic-newbridge-587295" target="_blank">through Martin Skahill of Elders Real Estate</a> possibly in four separate offerings, ranging in size from 170 hectares to 312 hectares.
Martin Skahill is marketing the property as the home of the nugget, on the Lot 2 Rumbolds 180 hectare portion.
The Loddon River runs through the property which is suited to cropping, meat and wool production or as a stud farm.
Lagoona Park is less than two hours from Melbourne and 30 minutes from Bendigo. 
The nugget was <a href="https://www.tarnagulla.org/photogallery/gallery3/index.php/mining/nugget2" target="_blank">discovered on Melbourne Cup Day in 1906</a>.
The famous Poseidon nugget, weighing 26.6 kilograms (860 ozt) was found in 1906 after interest in alluvial mining was renewed when Jack Porer discovered the Poseidon field at Tarnagulla. The nugget was named after the racehorse Poseidon, winner of the 1906 Caulfield Cup, Victoria Derby and Melbourne Cup.
A replica of the nugget, worth about $1.3 million at current prices, is on display at Museum Victoria.
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Golden nugget farm Lagoona Park listed sans Poseidon gold nugget

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While current market pricing points to around a 50% chance of further easing by the end of the year, ANZ modelling puts the prospect at less than 10% chance of occurring. 
"The results of our probit model are consistent with ANZ’s view of how the economy is evolving and suggests that the market is too complacent about prospects of monetary policy nominalisation," the report by ANZ Research economists Dylan Eades, Savita Singh, and Felicity Emmett said.
The bank said while momentum in the domestic economy has softened recently, most indicators are continuing to point to a gradual improvement in the non-mining sectors of the economy. 
"As such, we continue to expect the RBA to be on hold for some time, before commencing a gradual hiking cycle in early 2015. 
"While we think that the hurdle for further rate cuts is high, we remain cognisant that a number of risks remain that could push out the start of the RBA’s tightening cycle.
"Indeed, the ongoing strength in the Australian dollar combined with a moderation in domestic dataflow suggests that the risks, at this stage, are tilted towards a slightly later start to the tightening cycle, rather than the risk being that the next move in rates is down."
After testing a number of indicators, ANZ found that the indicators which had the best power to predict a cut in the cash rate were:
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The NAB business survey’s index of profitability (with a five month lag),
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<li>Three-month ended growth in retail sales (with a six month lag),</li>
<li>The level of building approvals (with a six month lag),</li>
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A subseries in Westpac-Melbourne-Institute’s consumer confidence survey that is more correlated with household consumption growth, ‘family finances compared to a year ago’ (with a five month lag),
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<li>The spread between the Australian 10-year bond yield and 90-day bank bill (with a six month lag), and</li>
<li>The level of the cash rate</li>
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Forget 50/50: Rate cut prospect less than 10%: ANZ

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Houses within 10 kilometres of Melbourne’s CBD are now typically worth $1 million, new figures from Real Estate Institute of Victoria show.
Inner Melbourne stretches from <a href="/news">Coburg </a>in the north, <a href="/news">Ivanhoe </a>in the east, <a href="/news">Caulfield </a>in the south and <a href="/news">Tottenham </a>in the city’s west.
The 87 suburbs rage from <a href="/news">Toorak </a>being the most expensive at $2.43 million to <a href="/news">Maidstone</a> the most affordable of the inner city ring at $555,000.
The overall median house price for Melbourne’s inner suburbs has risen to $1,027,500 by the end of June, a $13,000 (1.3%) lift in prices from the $1,014,500 median in March.
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The March figures were the first time the median for inner-Melbourne hit six figures.
There were 52 suburbs across Melbourne that had a median house price in excess of $1 million in March quarter 2014. 
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<td>TOORAK  EAST MELBOURNE*  KEW  BRIGHTON  MALVERN*  CANTERBURY*  BALWYN  ARMADALE*  MIDDLE PARK*  HAWTHORN EAST*  SURREY HILLS  CAMBERWELL  PORTSEA*  IVANHOE EAST*  HAWTHORN  ALBERT PARK*  PARKVILLE*  SOUTH YARRA*  SOUTH MELBOURNE*  SANDRINGHAM*  CAULFIELD NORTH*  ELWOOD*  GLEN IRIS  HAMPTON  MONT ALBERT*  BALWYN NORTH  BRIGHTON EAST  KEW EAST*  ELSTERNWICK*  BLACK ROCK*  BEAUMARIS  ALPHINGTON*  ASHBURTON*  MCKINNON*  MALVERN EAST  FITZROY NORTH*  ST KILDA EAST*  ORMOND*  ST KILDA*  CAULFIELD SOUTH*  PORT MELBOURNE  FITZROY*  BOX HILL*  PRAHRAN  BENTLEIGH  FAIRFIELD*  MONT ALBERT NORTH*  WINDSOR*  PARK ORCHARDS*  TEMPLESTOWE  CARLTON*  CARLTON NORTH*</td>
<td>$2,430,000  $2,242,500  $1,944,000  $1,915,500  $1,908,750  $1,804,000  $1,740,000  $1,670,000  $1,670,000  $1,669,250  $1,551,000  $1,525,000  $1,520,000  $1,516,250  $1,505,000  $1,487,500  $1,467,500  $1,455,000  $1,335,000  $1,320,000  $1,317,500  $1,310,000  $1,310,000  $1,307,500  $1,305,000  $1,301,500  $1,301,000  $1,270,000  $1,268,500  $1,240,000  $1,220,000  $1,208,000  $1,175,000  $1,155,000  $1,146,000  $1,135,000  $1,127,500  $1,110,000  $1,110,000  $1,095,000  $1,085,000  $1,080,000  $1,065,000  $1,060,500  $1,050,000  $1,050,000  $1,047,500  $1,047,500  $1,045,000  $1,033,000  $1,027,500  $1,005,000</td>
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The REIV president Neville Sanders said the latest modest lift in the June quarter showed it "wasn’t a spike or aberration".
The March quarter was substantially more than $979,000 in the December median.
There are 83 suburbs that make up inner Melbourne have recorded a 15% boost in auction numbers to 7,282 auctions, with almost 5,400 sold under the hammer.
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Inner Melbourne's million dollar house median no aberration

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."

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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.

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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.

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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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