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<div>
A three storey, seven bedroom Concord mansion, with a very long lap pool, set a record price for the Sydney suburb on the weekend.
</div>
No. 11 Ludgate Street, Concord was sold for $2.79  million, some $90,000 above the $2.7 million reserve <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-concord-117145251" target="_blank">through listing </a><a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-concord-117145251" target="_blank">agent Joseph Georges from Georges Ellis &amp; Co</a>.
Bidding opening at $2.3 million with a crowd 10 registered bidders amid the 150 people at the 1.30pm auction. Sold to a local family, the agents had been initially advising $2.45 million plus.
The 700 square metre block had cost $1,305,000 in 2010 for the owner builder.
Ludgate St, Concord had another sale on the weekend with No.13 selling later Saturday afternoon for $2.28 million, but it's sale was marked down by most to the successful piggybacking the neighbouring auction.
The Sidney Koh-designed house had been for sale since June last year, with an auction sign posted soon after 11's went up.
Property Observer gleans the Concord record was for the five-bedroom home at 7 Links Avenue at $2.61 million last November.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Concord hits new heights with new suburb record for seven bedroom mansion

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A Bexley vendor and their estate agent have publicised their reserve price ahead of its 19 July auction.
The unusual tactic has already garnered a boost for its marketing with a feature in yesterday's Daily Telegraph, and featured on a Channel 10 news report by Daniel Sutton.
Their web marketing doesn't actually give the reserve price, so presumably inspectees of 15A St Georges Road have been advised of it when they turn up or ring the agent.
The LJ Hooker listing agent confirmed to Property Observer that there was no marketing of the reserve price as he needed to engage possible buyers in a conversation which might not happen if the reserve price was publicly available.
Which highlights the concern of disclosed reserves in the lead up to any auction. 
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-bexley-117327823" target="_blank">There is a $570,000 disclosed reserve price for the two bedroom, two bathroom property</a> which traded at $400,000 in 2004.
My view is that disclosed reserves are worthy for run of the mill property, but likely to work against any vendor with a property tapping emotional purchase aspirations.
I am a bigger supporter of price guidance, as long as vendors and buyers are being told the same figure.
The last survey reported by Property Observer on the gap between real estate agent price guides and actual auction results in Sydney sat at 12%, according to an August 2013 survey by Intelligent Property Services.
In 2012 there was an 9% variation and in 2011 an 8% variation.
Head of research at Intelligent Property Services, Joe Kotevich, suggested the surge came more as a result of buyer demand than any deliberate lowballing by agents.  
Intelligent Property Services obtains the price guides after the first week of showing the property, allowing time adjustment of expectations. The auctions are monitored following inquiry from its buyers agent department.
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Bexley pre-auction reserve disclosure the one swallow before spring

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<div>
The Mermaid Beach retreat of the former Australian cricket team vice-captain Shane Watson has been listed for auction this weekend.
The four-level villa at 14a Lavarack Rd was bough off the plan for $1.34 million in 2006.
</div>
The four bedroom Malibu on Lavarack duplex villa was constructed by boutique builder Daniel Veitch.
It has been<a href="https://www.harcourts.com.au/Property/568095/QHT24622/14a-Lavarack-Road" target="_blank"> listed through Chez Fraser of Harcourts Coastal</a> who has issued more than a handful of contracts.
The north-facing 539 square metre property, which attracts weekly rentals between $900 and $950, comes with four-car basement garage. 
<div>
The Queensland born Watson went to school at Ipswich Grammar.
<a href="/news">Mermaid Beach</a>'s median house price sits at $870,000, according to RP Data.
</div>
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All-rounder Shane Watson bowls up Mermaid Beach townhouse

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Brisbane went the closest for many months to recording the weekend's top national auction sale.
It was almost a photo finish, according to the APM results:
<ul>
<li>$2,790,000 - 11 Ludgate St, Concord NSW 2137, 7 br house, Georges Ellis &amp; Co</li>
<li>$2,605,000 - 106 Villiers St, New Farm QLD 4005, 5 br house, RW - New Farm</li>
<li>$2,350,000 - 21 Clancys La, Doncaster VIC 3108, 5 br house, Jellis Craig Doncaster</li>
</ul>
The five bedroom New Farm property (pictured above) - marketed as one of the most exceptional addresses of the year - is set on Teneriffe Hill.
The 380 square metre block which cost $1.175 million in 2008, now comes with 480 square metres of living.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-new+farm-117172127" target="_blank">Matt Lancashire of Ray White</a> said the entire top floor had been designated as a superb master suite which sets a new standard in luxury.
The street's previous record was $2.2 million for a <a href="https://lockyerarchitects.com.au/news/?p=352" target="_blank">Lockyer Architects-designed house</a>.
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 New Farm mansion with whole floor master suite sells for $2.6 million

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The former Wheel of Fortune host, and production company founder, Steve Oemcke secured $1.89 million when his Elwood home went to weekend auction.
Oemcke is content director with WTFN which produces TV shows including Coxy's Big Break and Bondi Vet.
Oemcke and his wife Cindy bought the then 18-month-old house at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-elwood-117213867" target="_blank">2b Beach Avenue</a> with a renovation since undertaken by Studio 35 Architecture.
The two-level property comes with three bedrooms, study plus a plunge pool.
{qtube vid:=wOJq_WSCApE}
Jason Collie and Barb Gregory of Marshall White had expected more than $1.7 million. <a href="/news">Elwood</a>'s median price sits at $1.2 million, according to RP Data.
Created by Merv Griffin, and produced by Grundy, the hosts of Wheel of Fortune through the years were:
Ernie Sigley (1981-1984) John Burgess (1984-1996) Tony Barber (1996) Rob Elliott (1997-2003) Steve Oemcke (2004-2005) Larry Emdur (2006) Tim Campbell (2008)
The hostess during Oemcke's stint was Sophie Falkiner (1999-2005).
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Wheel of Fortune's Steve Oemcke spins $1.89 million Elwood result

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Mirvac sold all 85 apartments when its launched its fourth Harold Park precinct, known as Altivolo over the weekend.
Construction of <a href="https://haroldparkbymirvac.com/altivolo" target="_blank">Altivolo</a> is expected to begin this year with a 2016 completion at the inner-Sydney Glebe project which is due to see its first precinct, Locarno opened at the end of this month.
Altivolo won the first race under lights at the Harold Park Paceway in October 1949.
Altivolo, bred by Edgar Tatlow in Tasmania for Harry Williams, was by a champion sire, Raider, from a Grattan Loyal mare named Attain.  
Altivolo will be positioned at the gateway to the Harold Park development. The building rises three storeys from street level shaped around a central courtyard.
Studios (40 square metres) were priced from $550,000, one-beds (48-56 square metres) from $615,000, two-beds (75-104 square metres) from $870,000 and three-beds (120-127 square metres) from $1,395,000.
Sales now total 900 across the various buildings on the former Harold Park race course.
Mirvac chief executive, residential, John Carfi told the Australian Financial Review that despite lot of competition in the market right now, the demand for Harold Park has not let up since the day it launched the first precinct in 2011.
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Harold Park Altivolo launch sellout as Mirvac trots to 900 sales

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About $875,000 had been tipped, but $1,055,000 was achieved at the weekend auction of a Surry Hills warehouse apartment in Sydney Mansions.
Behind the heritage brownstone facade, the three bedroom apartment in the former Mark Foy's warehouse has 113 internal square metre space.
It was converted in late 1999 and renovated in 2011. The strata levy sits at $2,267 a quarter.
The Ray White Surry Hills agency marketed it as "Manhattan-loft cool".
{qtube vid:=qPt_bFf-arI}
The two-level home has one bathroom plus plumbing for a second shower.
With an open design with 5.1 metre ceilings, 301/133 Goulburn Street had a northerly aspect through large windows.
There was one security car space. 
It had last traded for $815,000 in mid-2012 when <a href="/news">Surry Hills apartments median was $505,000</a>, against the <a href="/news">current $585,000 median</a>, according to RP Data.
It first sold in 2000 at $490,000 and then at $575,000 in 2004.
Property Observer gleans the warehouse for department store Mark Foy's had previously had eight sales above $800,000, with an $845,000 prior record. The most recent was a one bedroom loft style apartment sold at $800,000.
The most popular suburb for auctions on the weekend was Surry Hills with nine auctions, according to Australian Property Monitors.
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Former Mark Foy's Surry Hills warehouse apartment sells for $1 million plus

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Sydney's recent real estate price gains have been "catch up", according to the ANZ boss Philip Chronican.
"For all the talk of a property bubble, when you look at Sydney real estate versus the rest of Australia, what has been happening is again more just a sense of catch up," <a href="https://bluenotes.anz.com/posts/2014/07/remember-nsw-its-a-leading-economy-once-more/" target="_blank">Chronican wrote on the bank's bluenotes website.</a>
"A decade ago it would have been a bit obvious to say NSW was driving the Australian economy but it does actually sound slightly odd to be saying that today.
"After all, NSW has no iron ore, no LNG, tourism slumped in the decade after the Olympics and NSW property prices have lagged the rest of the country.
"But NSW is returning to pre-2003, the last time it out-performed the Australian economy."
He said his view had been reinforced by a recent tour of the state with the period between 2003 and 2013 "something of an aberration".
He said there was no doubt there was a hangover in NSW after the Olympics, following a period when the economy and the property market had grown excessively.
"Then the rest of Australia took off, particularly Western Australia and Queensland, with the resource investment boom. 
"The story today then is one of recovery," he said adding ANZ’s chief economist Warren Hogan had been emphasising how strong the NSW outlook was in recent research.
"The unemployment rate in Sydney has fallen below 5% compared with a jobless rate of more than 6% for the rest of Australia," wrote Chronican.
"Construction and real estate employment have risen, international student arrivals are up, the latest NSW budget showed improved operating balances and lower net debt.
"The NSW economy is expected to be buoyed by substantial infrastructure spending in coming years as an expected $20 billion in proceeds from the privatisation of electricity networks is invested in new projects.
 "On the property front, Sydney is no longer massively over-priced relative to the rest of the country."<a href="https://bluenotes.anz.com/posts/2014/07/remember-nsw-its-a-leading-economy-once-more/" target="_blank"> </a>
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Sydney property price playing catchup: ANZ's Philip Chronican

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Arding, which has been occupied by the CSIRO since 1947 in New England grazing country has been sold for $2.95 million.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-other-nsw-uralla-7649179" target="_blank">CSIRO’s long-held Arding</a><a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-other-nsw-uralla-7649179" target="_blank"> research station</a><a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-other-nsw-uralla-7649179" target="_blank"> </a>is a 325 hectare (803-acre) Armidale property. The property sold under the hammer to Annette and John Cassidy of Merilba, Kingstown.
It was one of two portions of the pioneering White family’s Saumarez Station acquired by the federal government in 1947 for use by the fledgling Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (later CSIRO).
Arding and the other property, Chiswick, were initially used by the plant industry division for soil and pasture research, but The Land's veteran rural reporter Peter Austin noted since 1960 the focus of both sites has swung to animal, especially sheep, research dealing with breeding technology, internal parasites, nutrition, husbandry practices and information systems.
The 24 paddock Arding was listed to free-up funds for re-investment as part of CSIRO’s contribution to the University of New England’s Integrated Agricultural Education Project, involving five separate capital works projects across the university’s Armidale and Tamworth campuses.
It was listed through Geoff Leedman of Landmark Armidale with price expectations in the $6,000 a hectare ($2,400 per acre) or higher for the property situated 13 kilometres south of Armidale fronting the New England Highway.
<a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.au/nsw/SaumarezHomestead" target="_blank">Saumarez</a> Station (pictured below), which is located about five kilometres south of Armidale, was one of the earliest grazing runs established on the New England tablelands during the 1830s.
<img src="/images/2014/07/07/saumarez.jpg" alt="">
Photo courtesy of the National Trust.
Henry Dumaresq, a former army officer and brother-in-law of Governor Ralph Darling, claimed a squatting station on the New England tablelands, naming it Samaurez in memory of his family connections with the Seigneur de Sausmarez in the Channel Isles.  
In 1857 the licensed pastoral run was sold to Henry Arding Thomas who sold Saumarez in 1874 for £40,000 and moved to Camden west of Sydney.
 The property’s new 1874 owner was Francis White.
When Elsie While died in 1981 at the age of ninety-seven, the homestead was gifted to the National Trust as an eduring example of a late-nineteenth century Australian pastoral station. 
The remaining 3,000 acres surrounding Saumarez homestead is still run by the descendants of FJ White.
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CSIRO sells Arding research station at Armidale for $2.95 million

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About $9.8 billion of homes have been sold at auction in the first six months of 2014, according to the Real Estate Institute of Victoria.
"This is 41% higher than this time last year," Enzo Raimondo, the REIV chief told Property Observer.
"It also surpasses the previous peak of $8.9 billion transacted over the same period in 2010," he added.
It was helped as Melbourne's outer suburbs, traditionally the home of private sales, have been having higher than typical auction listings.
Across Melbourne there have been 18,244 auctions this year, ahead of the busy first half of 2010, when there were 16,071 auctions.
The lowest number of auctions over the decade was 8,820 in January to June 2009.
"This enthusiasm for selling at auction extends well beyond the traditional auction heartland of Melbourne's inner suburbs," Mr Raimondo said.
The suburb with the most auctions was the large, middle northern suburb of Reservoir, with 284 auctions.  
Second was Richmond with 241 – the reverse of the first six months of last year, when Richmond topped the list and Reservoir was second.
Some outer suburbs such as Wheelers Hill had close to 60% more auctions than in the same period last year.
"Craigieburn was the outer suburb with the most auctions – 107 – yet it did not even make it into the top 10 last year," Mr Raimondo said.
Mr Raimondo said that Melbourne’s solid property market this year had, in part, driven the increase in auctions.
“Stronger interest from buyers can lift the number of homes going to auction,” he said.
He said the clearance rate for the first six months of 2014 was an improving 71%, up from 70% in the first half of last year and of 2012.  It is also a substantial increase on the 62% of 2011.
The REIV reported a July 5 weekend clearance rate of 74% compared to 73% last weekend and 68% this weekend last year.
There were 347 auctions reported to the REIV today, with 256 selling and 91 being passed in, 49 of those on a vendor bid.
Houses outperformed units today, at 77% against 70%.
There was a $526,250 unit median and a $672,000 house median. 
AUCTION WRAP: FIRST HALF 2014
<table style="width: 460px; height: 92px;" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="bottom" nowrap>
6 months to 30 June  
</td>
<td nowrap>
Auctions   
</td>
<td nowrap>
Sales  
</td>
<td nowrap>
    Clearance Rate
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="bottom" nowrap>
2011
</td>
<td nowrap>
14,955
</td>
<td nowrap>
9,301
</td>
<td nowrap>
   62%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="bottom" nowrap>
2012
</td>
<td nowrap>
12,460
</td>
<td nowrap>
7,546
</td>
<td nowrap>
   61%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="bottom" nowrap>
2013
</td>
<td nowrap>
14,057
</td>
<td nowrap>
9,861
</td>
<td nowrap>
   70%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="bottom" nowrap>
2014
</td>
<td nowrap>
18,244
</td>
<td nowrap>
13,004
</td>
<td nowrap>
   71% 
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
(Source REIV)
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The $9.8 billion half-year Melbourne auction sales record bonanza: REIV

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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