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The Longueville childhood home of late artist Brett Whiteley sold after negotiations following its weekend auction.
The top bid was $4.14 million, with the sale price to its inner west buyers going undisclosed.
The Sunday Telegraph reported they were one of four parties who registered to bid for the four-bedroom, three-bathroom 1920s-built home.
The <a id="x_mcntLPlnk338256" class="x_mcntOWAAutoLink" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-longueville-128817522" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable">18 Lucretia Avenue home </a>(pictured below) was the artist's home after his parents paid 2300 pounds in 1944.
Clem and Beryl Whitely had bought the house when their son was five years old.
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It was sold for $33,500 in 1967.
The modernised home last sold in 2012 for $2.55 million.
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There were 459 auctions held in Sydney returning a preliminary auction clearance rate of 59.1 per cent, compared to 51.9 per cent across 462 last week. It was 67.6 per cent across 798 auctions one year ago.
 
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There was also a 59 per cent national clearance rate among the 1,400 homes taken to auction across the combined capital cities.
Over the same week last year, auction volumes were considerably higher with 2,040 homes going under the hammer across the combined capital cities.
This time last year the clearance rate was a stronger 67.5 per cent.
Melbourne, Australia’s largest auction market, saw a preliminary auction clearance rate of 61.3 per cent across 718 auctions this week.
It was up from 57 per cent across 629 auctions last week. One year ago, Melbourne's clearance rate was a stronger 69.8 per cent across 955 auctions.
Melbourne's top reported sale was $3,105,000 for 5 Currajong Road, Hawthorn East.
<a id="x_mcntLPlnk585241" class="x_mcntOWAAutoLink" href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/real-estate/5-currajong-road-hawthorn-east-vic/property-details-sold-residential-11988259/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable">The modernised four bedroom timber Edwardian home</a> (pictured below) had a price guidance of $2.85 million to $3.1 million. 
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Perth was the weakest performing with a 43.8 per cent success rate followed by Brisbane's 49.2 percent.
Brisbane had the nation's cheapest result when mortgagees sold at Deception Bay, located 32 kms north of the CBD.
<a id="x_mcntLPlnk690694" class="x_mcntOWAAutoLink" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-deception+bay-128759214" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable">The $305,000 sale</a> (pictured below) was a two storey three bedroom home.
It had last sold in 1994 at $48,000.
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Brett Whiteley's Longueville childhood home sold post auction

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Sydney is not alone in seeing the end of the property boom with mild house price declines now a reality for some vendors.
The end of the ever-upward price cycle is actually happening across the world, from London to Beijing to Sydney.
After a five year boom that saw the median price up 75 percent, Sydney has belatedly joined others among the world's most sought-after cities where prices are coming back at bit.
Each city has their own set of circumstances, though there are some uniting threads too.
Many have had tax changes expressly introduced to dampen demand.
Many cities have prices somewhat out of kilter with housing affordability and the current trend of household income stagnation.
There are also tougher lending standards - and in our case a banking royal commission - that have combined to undermine the prevailing market.
Sydney doesn't have the troubling Brexit issue which has contributed to price falls in the UK capital.
But like Sydney, London sales volumes are down and more properties are being offered for sale as sentiment turns, especially within central London's best districts where prices are down 17.6 percent since the 2014 peak.
Prime London prices have been weakening since the 2014 stamp duty hike, according to research by Savills, with London's housing slowdown now spreading to other prime markets in the commuter belt. At the same time London developers have record numbers of pricey apartments, likely creating a glut.
In New York, the same trend with home sales in New York's most expensive boroughs falling now for three quarters, as inventory rises and sales volumes sits 17 percent lower.
Canadian home price growth has slowed, though its prices are still above their 2017 peak. Canada's frenzied housing market has dissipated in the wake of tightened mortgage lending, a foreign buyers tax, and four interest rate hikes by the Bank of Canada since last July.
Bloomberg noted recently there had been more than 30 restrictions, from buying thresholds to mortgage curbs, that have helped send sales to a historical low across China. New homes in China are now being offered for less than existing homes by some developers who faced heavy financing constraints.
While Hong Kong home prices are still rising, economists claim a cocktail of concerns ranging from the downbeat stock market, to trade war fears, and rising interest rates would soon take their toll on sentiment.
It seems it doesn't matter where you are around the world there's economic uncertainty, financial fragility and housing risk. There's never an all-encompassing sweet spot for everybody.
As the world's wealthy have been increasingly buying homes on multiple continents, legally or or sometimes illegally, the combined downturn could pose an interesting threat to some markets, according to the International Monetary Fund.
Australian home loan lenders are currently not prepared to lend to prior levels, which has dampened buyer enthusiasm.
Ofcourse Sydney is not one market, but rather hundreds across the suburbs, so there will still be bullish prices achieved this spring.
While the bleak headlines cast a pall over Sydney, for many Sydneysiders, it will be still be getting on with their lives.
This article was first published by the Saturday Daily Telegraph.
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Sydney is like other international cities with end of ever rising property boom

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The new owner of Peppermint Grove’s Taj-on-Swan superblock has emerged as businessman John Gillett.
He plans to build a family home to share with his family, The Weekend West reported after the $17 million acquisition.
Mr Gillett is a former Moran Health Care executive who sold WA aged care provider Craigcare last year in a deal worth $50 million to $100 million. 
The Nedlands-based businessman bought the business in 2003 for a reported $25 million from the Pix family.
The business was sold to Bain Capital coming with about 900 beds across seven aged care and retirement homes in WA and Victoria.
The Bayview Avenue block, which had a $30 million price tag <a href="/news/taj-on-the-swan-set-for-auction-in-ailing-perth-market">two years ago</a>, failed to sell at auction last month.
It was passed in <a href="/news/taj-on-swan-auction-stops-with-15-6-million-offer">at $15.6 million.</a>
Speaking publicly about his purchase for the first time, Mr Gillett told The West as a private person he had “naively” hoped to avoid attention.
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John Gillett emerges Peppermint Grove’s Taj-on-Swan super block

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An Airlie Beach home in the historic Chesapeake Estate has hit the market with $3 million hopes.
The property <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-mandalay-128053370" target="_blank">dates back to the 1980s</a> when eccentric Kiwi millionaire Ron McDonald had a vision to create a 76 hectare compound community with a target market apparently of deposed African dictators.
Their welfare was to be ensured by a team of ex-SAS guards.
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McDonald made his money selling air-conditioning units in Saudi Arabia.
His brochures for the community dubbed, Parc Exclusif promised parklands, houses, apartments and a private hospital. 
After buying a steep rain-forested hillside just east of town, McDonald began building the infrastructure for the thwarted proposed estate.
The three bedroom Mandalay Road home is listed for $3 million by Robyn Tyson at Professionals Whitsundays agency.
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It is being sold by author and investor Bruce Bickerstaff, who bought the home from Hogs Breath Cafe chain founder Don Algie in 2000.
This article was first published in the Weekend Australian.
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Airlie Beach home with colourful backstory hits the market

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The Federal Government scheme that aims to incentivise baby boomer home owners aged over 65 to downsize from their largely empty homes began this month.
The spruikers are ready in wait.
The elderly will be able to put the proceeds of the sale of their home into a superannuation fund tax free, up to $300,000 each or $600,000 per couple.
Research suggests the overwhelming majority of retirees own outright, having no mortgage, so their prospect of surplus funds is real. The estimated value of pensioner home equity at $625bn.
The new scheme, announced in the 2017 budget by Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison, means the elderly, including the baby boomers still way off retirement, will need to carefully consider the sale of their home to potentially utilise the opportunity.
Morrison's thinking was to encourage ageing homeowners to downsize to free up more affordable exisiting stock for young families.
The initiative was first floated three years ago by Morrison when he was social services minister with the government having advice from the Productivity Commission that estimated 15 per cent of older Australians wanted to move.
Of course Scott Morrison can't force older Australians to move house, given the emotional and financial investment in family homes, but the incentive offers some encouragement.
It must have been the home for the past decade, and it can only happen the once.
The superannuation break comes with no requirement it is into a smaller home. It could see them entering the rental market or relocating to an aged-care facility.
The downsizer contribution can only come from the sale proceeds, so, if a couple sold their home for $500,000, their combined downsizer contributions would be limited to $500,000.
Those most likely to benefit from the scheme will be self funded retirees who are excluded from receiving a government pension due to exceeding the income and/or assets tests.
There are still big impediments the government has not addressed on why the elderly stay in large homes long after their children have left.
For many the super downsizer contribution will reduce, even eliminate the age pension and associated pensioner cards. Staying put which has come with the prospect of huge gains from property price growth and the maintenance of their pension often outweigh the advantages of moving.
There will likely be many opening a new superannuation account in which to make the downsizer contribution which must be done within 90 days of settlement.
I worry that the elderly will become vulnerable to what will be a new industry spruiking retiree smsfs. After all it's not that the SMSF arena is full of clean skins currently.
Last month Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) advised around 90 percent of financial advice on setting up smsfs did not comply with relevant laws.
And ASIC identified a growing use of 'one-stop-shops' where there was an increased risk of getting poor advice that did not take account of personal circumstances or was not given in their best interests.
These are among the many factors to consider so professional financial advice should be sought.
This article first appeared in The Saturday Telegraph
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Spruikers will take advantage of retirees in new SMSF downsizing contribution scheme

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Robyn and Peter Clarke, the parents of Sarah-Jane Clarke, founder of the fashion label sass &amp; bide, have listed their historic North Coast NSW cattle farm.
Dyraaba Station has been listed with a $1.8 million asking price. They bought the Casino district farm in 2008.
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<div>The homestead, built of hand sawn hardwoods, has verandahs with views over most of the property in the Richmond Valley.</div>
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<div>It's surrounded with gardens of trees and plants, plus tennis court.</div>
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<div>It has been the home to 50 Angus and Wyagu cows and calves during the Clarke's tenure.</div>
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<div>“We immediately fell in love with the beauty and charm of the place," Mr Clarke recalled.  "We like old buildings and appreciate the quality of the axemanship and the small details that make Dyraaba unique.</div>
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<div>"Dyraaba Station is so significant to the local district.</div>
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<div>"There are many people in the local community that were born here and then went on to work at the station. It has played such an important role in the development of the regional community." </div>
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<div>Ray White Rural agent Peter Douglas described Dyraaba Station as a “significant part of Australia’s rural heritage”.</div>
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“It’s one of the original settler homes, the real people who pioneered the cattle industry in Australia,” Douglas said.
The cattleyards are a reminder of the days when Dyraaba's original 80,000 Hectares was a centre of a vast cattle empire.
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<div>While the marketing marketing campaign shows the fertile rolling paddocks looking lush, Robyn Clarke said that July had been the driest month in the past decade.</div>
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<div>"For the year to the end of July 2018, we have had 876mm.</div>
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<div>"The previous 12 months ending July 2017, we had 1198mm."</div>
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<div>Its quiet healthy cattle resting under the historic fig trees after drinking from Dyraaba Creek.</div>
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Historic 1840s Dyraaba Station listed at $1.8 million

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There's still debate among economists over just whether there's a deepening credit crunch that could further adversely impact on housing markets.
We are now well into attempts begun in late 2014 by the regulator, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, to curb over zealous lending, along with house price escalation and ballooning household debt.
Last August, I wrote that one of the key reasons that spring 2017 would see easing price growth was that the banks wouldn't lend as much.
It has extended right through the 2018 autumn market too, yet Macquarie’s latest survey of bank lending for property loans has found credit availability actually hadn’t changed too much over the past year.
Maybe the bank's bark is worse than their bite. If correct that's a relief, but that doesn't mean home loans will get any easier to obtain or that house price growth will return.
Macquarie undertakes its annual mortgage “mystery shopping” exercise where Macquarie analysts pose as potential customers at ANZ, Commonwealth Bank, NAB, Westpac, Bankwest, Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, Bank of Queensland, Suncorp and St George.
They found that banks had tightened their credit standards by a further 5% over the past year as a result of policy changes.
From the peak of mortgage activity in 2015, borrower capacity has fallen by 13% for owner-occupiers and 22% for investors.
The survey found some banks were willing to lend up to $1 million to a property investor earning $105,000 a year, but typically less than $600,000 to an owner-occupier on the same income.
The average loan capacity for owner-occupiers fell from $700,000 in 2015 to $600,000 presently, while average loan capacity for investors has fallen from $1 million to $800,000.
The anonymous mortgage shopping study conducted by Macquarie analyst Victor German tell the bank officers they were earning $105,000, had general living expenses of $1200 a month, were spending $1300 a month on rent, and had no dependents and a clear credit history with an $11,000 credit card limit.
UBS have an alternative view which is that the credit tightening process was only going to get tighter.
It argues regulatory pressure to tighten lending standards has so far primarily hit the investor market.
UBS banking analyst Jonathan Mott says owner-occupiers have only been hit with a higher household living expenditure benchmark.
“We estimate owner-occupier maximum borrowing capacity has been reduced 7-10% since 2015 and investor maximum borrowing capacity has reduced by 10-30% depending on the borrower’s existing debts,” Mott said in a research note.
Interestingly the boss of Australia's banking regulator, Wayne Byres, recently claimed "the heavy lifting on lending standards has largely been done".
Byres added that "any tightening from here on is expected to be at the margin as banks seek to get a better handle on borrower expenses, and better visibility of borrower debt commitments".
Of course since 2014 APRA has also required banks to assess borrowers' repayment capacity using a minimum 7% interest rate, which is well above prevailing home loan interest rates.
This article first appeared in The Daily Telegraph. 
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Australia's housing credit crunch impact remains the big unknown

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Quiz champion Honza Mikula has listed his 37 hectare Captains Flat property. 
Mikulov, set south of Queanbeyan, NSW, come with an 1890s mines office residence dating back to its time as the bustling copper mining site of the Lake George Mining Co.
The property (pictured above and below) comes with a landscape of concrete ramparts and relics of the bygone era surrounded by native forest.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2018/7/23/Miney.JPG" alt="">
John Buckley at RE/MAX Capital is taking it to <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-captains+flat-128768402" target="_blank">September 1 auction</a>. Buckley expects the property to fetch somewhere between $600,000 and $650,000.
The holding, which is located on Old Mines Road, last traded in the 1960s after the liquidation of the London-based mining company.
Mikula has been on Rockwiz as well as Who Wants to be a Millionaire? in his pursuit of recognition as an Australian quiz champion.
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Former Captains Flat mining site to go under the hammer

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Perth's weak auction market continued with its weekend clearance rate stuck in the 30s.
Its ailing auction market has rarely captured much national attention, but next weekend sees the notorious and prestigious Peppermint Grove super block of Pankaj and Radhika Oswal go to auction.
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The <a id="LPlnk998012" class="x_OWAAutoLink" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-residential+land-wa-peppermint+grove-202042586" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable">2 Bay View Road site</a> has been listed through Ray White agent Vivien Yap <a id="LPlnk350139" class="x_OWAAutoLink" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-residential+land-wa-peppermint+grove-202144098" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable">inconjuction with Sotheby's agent Graham Bowie</a>.
The partially built so-called Taj on Swan mansion was demolished under council orders in 2016.
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The mansion with Swan River views had sat unfinished after the Oswals quit Australia in 2010.
It is now being marketed as "the most famous block in Australia."
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Initially there was a $30 million asking price for the super block, which over the years has been subject of international media attention.
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The 6582 sqm site, which could fit six homes, then came with reduced $19.5 million hopes last year.
The Oswals bought the consolidated block for $22.7 million in 2007 and started construction a year later.
The Oswal family, who controlled the $700 million Burrup Fertilisers gas-processing plant on the Burrup Peninsula, planned to build a "two- storey, Indian-infused luxury residence" on the eight lots they bought from property tycoon Warren Anderson in the heart of Peppermint Grove.
Anderson's super block sat vacant for many years. He created it in 1986 when his company bought 11 houses and demolished most of them. It was subdivided into 22 blocks of which the Oswal bought eight for $22.7 million
Sydney had the dearest weekend auction result when <a id="LPlnk837609" class="x_OWAAutoLink" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-nsw-burraneer-128589450" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable">18 Rutherford Av, Burraneer</a> fetched $4.75 million pre-auction through estate agent David Highland. 
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The deep waterfront 1150 sqm parcel of land came with house set over three substantial levels with expansive views over Gunnamatta Bay.
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There were 400 auctions held in Sydney returning a preliminary auction clearance rate of 61.3 per cent. 
Sydney's prior week saw 408 auctions held with a final clearance rate of just 46.9 per cent, the lowest clearance rate the city has seen since December 2012. 
This time last year, 70.3 per cent of the 625 Sydney auctions held were successful.
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Melbourne was the busiest capital city for auctions, with 612 homes going under the hammer, returning a preliminary clearance rate of 62.3 per cent, compared to last week when 56.2 per cent of the 559 auctions were successful. 
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Over the same week last year, there were 833 auctions held in Melbourne, returning a clearance rate of 73.8 per cent.
Melbourne's dearest reported sale was $2.74 million in Albert Park for a three bedroom, two level modernised terrace at 18 Page Street. There had been <a id="LPlnk98320" class="x_OWAAutoLink" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-albert+park-128683478" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable">$2.5 million to $2.7 million price guidance</a> through Greg Hocking Holdsworth. 
The highest preliminary clearance rate was recorded in Adelaide where 75 percent of the 48 reported auctions were successful.
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The nation's cheapest weekend sale was in Perth where a three bedroom brick and tile home sold for <a id="LPlnk909481" class="x_OWAAutoLink" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-armadale-128592790" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable">$165,000 at Armadale</a>, located on the south-eastern edge of Perth's metropolitan area.
The 1970s house has a renovated kitchen, new carpet in the bedrooms and a fresh coat of paint, Professionals Armadale selling agent Shane Denniston noted.
It had last sold at $270,000 in 2007 and at $185,000 in 2005.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2018/7/23/CL%20Taj%204.JPG" alt="">
Perth's 38.5 percent success rate was the weakest auction market sitting behind Brisbane's 44 percent.
Perth's best auction clearance rates saw a 60 percent plus peak in 2013 and before that in the 50s in 2010.
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Perth dwelling values were 0.7 percent over the three months to June 2018 and 2.1 percent lower over the past year. 
Dwelling values in Perth are now 11.4% lower than they were at their peak in June 2014, CoreLogic advise.
The national weekend auction volumes increased slightly over the week with 1,246 homes taken to auction across the combined capital cities, up from the 1,178 in the prior week, according to CoreLogic.
The preliminary clearance rate was recorded at 60.6 per cent this week, after finalised clearance rates have held around 52 per cent for the last three weeks.
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Taj on the Swan set for auction in ailing Perth market

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In the July meeting minutes, the RBA discussed the Sydney and Melbourne housing markets decline.
The minutes suggested house prices had fallen by almost five percent in Sydney over the preceding year after its significant increases in previous years.
"Members observed that prices in Sydney and Melbourne had fallen the most for more expensive properties, while prices of lower-priced properties had been little changed, consistent with the typical pattern of larger fluctuations in prices at the higher end of the market," the minutes read.
"In the other state capitals, housing prices had been fairly steady, with the exception of Hobart, where prices had picked up markedly given strong demand and supply constraints."
The members noted that data from the national accounts suggested dwelling investment had peaked in late 2016, although residential construction cycles had differed significantly across the states.
"In New South Wales, dwelling investment in higher-density projects had remained at a high level since the beginning of 2016," the minutes read.
They said liaison contacts had suggested there were capacity constraints in Sydney, which meant that, given the large amount of work in the pipeline in New South Wales, construction activity was likely to remain at a high level for some time.
The minutes noted that dwelling investment in Victoria was also likely to remain at a high level for some time.
"Members noted that more of this activity had been in detached dwellings and that ‘greenfield’ land sites had generally been more readily available in Victoria.
"By contrast, the construction cycle for apartments had clearly passed its peak in Queensland, while detached housing construction in Western Australia might have reached a trough.
Growth in household income had remained low compared with the average of the preceding 20 years, the members suggested, with household income remaining subdued over the most recent couple of years.
Growth in labour income had increased to its highest rate since 2012, in line with solid growth in employment.
Wages growth remained low, consistent with ongoing spare capacity in the labour market and some structural forces that had also been evident in other economies.
To read the <a href="/expert-insights/finance/minutes-of-july-2018-monetary-policy-meeting-of-the-reserve-bank-board">full minutes click here.</a>
 
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Top end prices in Sydney and Melbourne fall the most, while little change for lower-priced properties: RBA minutes

One of North Sydney's best-known commercial buildings could become hundreds of new homes, with insurance giant Zurich Australia lodging a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) to transform 5 Blue Street into a mixed-use residential development above North Sydney Station.

Rather than demolishing the existing building and starting again, Zurich is proposing an adaptive reuse project that would convert the landmark office building into a 15-level residential development delivering 62 apartments, 86 affordable co-living dwellings, activated retail and significant upgrades to the Blue Street Plaza.

The proposal reflects a growing trend of commercial property owners repositioning ageing office assets into residential housing as Sydney grapples with housing supply shortages and changing workplace demand.

<img alt="Zurich" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0bba7d12-06dc-4375-aad7-238c94b21ac5" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%2010.42.05%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=NJl5oLAEBDGuPmY3RnyliKODjMc8lvRh" />

Located directly above North Sydney Metro and train station, the 3,051 sqm site occupies one of the most strategically positioned parcels of land on Sydney's Lower North Shore.

Designed by fjcstudio, the proposal seeks to retain and adapt much of the existing structure while creating a contemporary residential address that better connects with the public domain surrounding North Sydney Station.

The application proposes two basement levels, ground floor retail, affordable co-living accommodation across the podium levels, and apartments above, while preserving and enhancing the publicly accessible Blue Street Plaza.

Rather than pursuing maximum apartment numbers, Zurich has opted for a housing mix heavily weighted towards larger owner-occupier residences.

The proposal includes 62 build-to-sell apartments comprising 12 one-bedroom, 19 two-bedroom, 29 three-bedroom apartments and two premium penthouses. It also incorporates 86 affordable co-living dwellings, which would be managed in perpetuity by a Community Housing Provider.

That balance between traditional apartments and affordable housing reflects the NSW Government's push to increase housing diversity around major transport infrastructure.

The proposal has been lodged concurrently with a rezoning application, with Zurich arguing the site is ideally positioned to support additional housing given its immediate proximity to public transport, employment and services.

"The proposal aims to respond to the housing challenges facing Sydney through the delivery of diverse housing types in a highly accessible location," the design report by fjcstudio states. It also seeks to improve pedestrian amenity through upgrades to Blue Street Plaza while creating a high-performing residential building that responds to the surrounding context.

<img alt="Zurich" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="36082e15-c636-4481-bb68-5a5f6443fe39" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%2010.41.36%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=5P6VD.fvmqjQfIG3TWWMRXxQWiQBjeFB" />

Rather than replacing the commercial building, fjcstudio has developed a design that works with the existing structural framework above the rail corridor, an approach that significantly reduces demolition while allowing the site to be repositioned as a mixed-use residential precinct.

The existing structural constraints have informed much of the building's design, including its relationship with Blue Street and surrounding public spaces.

The building has been designed as a slender tower rising above a clearly defined podium, with vertically expressed façades intended to reduce the perceived bulk while reinforcing North Sydney's emerging skyline.

According to fjcstudio, the architectural language responds directly to the surrounding commercial towers while maintaining a finer grain expression more closely aligned with the neighbouring Lavender Bay streetscape.

The tower incorporates articulated façade elements, landscaped podium edges and recessed upper levels to soften its appearance and improve pedestrian amenity below.

A significant component of the proposal is the revitalisation of Blue Street Plaza.

The existing public space has long served as one of the primary pedestrian connections between North Sydney Station, Greenwood Plaza and Blue Street, yet its role is expected to become even more important following the opening of Sydney Metro.

Zurich's proposal seeks to strengthen that role by improving landscaping, introducing new retail frontages, enhancing pedestrian permeability and creating more active edges throughout the day and evening.

Ground floor retail would wrap the plaza, while separate residential and co-living entries have been designed to improve wayfinding without reducing street activation.

Landscape design has been integrated throughout the podium and public realm, softening what is currently one of the most heavily urbanised parts of North Sydney.

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fjcstudio has carefully oriented apartments towards Sydney Harbour and the CBD while using privacy blades and articulated façades to minimise overlooking between neighbouring buildings.

Large framed openings along the western elevation maximise harbour outlooks, while the eastern apartments have been angled towards the south-east to improve privacy from neighbouring development.

The project forms part of the continuing transformation of North Sydney from a predominantly commercial CBD into a genuine mixed-use city centre.

Since the completion of Victoria Cross Metro Station, developers have increasingly shifted their attention towards residential projects capable of leveraging the area's unparalleled transport connectivity.

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FiveX recently lodged plans for a 61-storey, 490-apartment tower that would become one of the tallest residential buildings in North Sydney if approved.

Aqualand continues to expand its Lower North Shore presence following the completion of AURA on Walker Street and its recent St Leonards and Roseville proposals.

Developers are also progressing projects throughout Walker Street, Miller Street and the Victoria Cross precinct as demand for well-located owner-occupier apartments continues to strengthen.

Joel Robinson

First look: Zurich targets North Sydney office conversion with 148-unit proposal above Metro station

Busy developer Aqualand Prestige has formally taken the next step in its expansion across Sydney's Lower North Shore, lodging a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for its long-held Archer Street site in Chatswood.

The application covers <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/51-55-archer-street-chatswood-nsw-2067">51-55 Archer Street</a>, a 1,767 sqm amalgamated site on the eastern edge of the Chatswood CBD, where the developer is seeking approval for a 45-level mixed-use tower delivering 114 apartments, including a significant affordable housing component, alongside retail, commercial space and six basement levels of parking.

The SSDA marks the latest milestone for a project Aqualand has been quietly progressing over the past two years. The developer first secured the site for its Aqualand Prestige platform before undertaking an alternative design excellence process with PTW Architects, ultimately avoiding a formal design competition through the Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

The proposal has evolved considerably from Aqualand's original concept. The revised scheme has been designed around larger owner-occupier product, with an unusually high proportion of three and four-bedroom apartments, targeting the more affluent buyer profile, and downsizer, emerging across the North Shore.

<img alt="Archer St" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0171204c-5811-41b5-9b09-2335d1b7c3d0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%208.52.48%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=6YTuxfq.puZo7k2wbfgemcO5K3QfXYGQ" />

The 114-apartment mix comprises six studios, 27 one-bedroom apartments, 18 two-bedroom apartments, 50 three-bedroom residences and 13 four-bedroom homes. A quarter of the building will be dedicated to affordable housing, well above the mandated 15 per cent&nbsp;

PTW has structured the building vertically, with affordable housing across levels one to six, premium apartments through levels seven to 31, duplex skyhomes on klevels 32 to 43, a penthouse on level 44, and a rooftop plant level above. Six basement levels will provide resident parking and servicing.

The tower is proposed to reach approximately 154 metres, placing it among a growing collection of residential high-rises transforming Chatswood's skyline.

Rather than competing purely on height, PTW says the design has been driven by creating a slimmer tower capable of delivering significantly larger apartments.

"The primary objective of this project was to create a distinctive building that stands out from the recently approved or built structures in the Chatswood area," the design report states, noting the structural efficiency allows greater investment into apartment quality and resident amenity.

Residents would have access to more than 450 sqm of communal open space including landscaped gardens, swimming pool, rooftop entertaining areas, fitness spaces, community gardens, children's play areas and barbecue facilities.

A major focus of the design has been the public domain.

The ground plane has been opened up through landscaped terraces inspired by Willoughby's sandstone ridges, with native planting, public seating, artwork, retail activation and a series of gathering spaces intended to soften what has traditionally been a hard commercial streetscape.

The landscape strategy references Blue Gum forests once common throughout the area, while incorporating Indigenous storytelling, public art and lighting installations to strengthen the connection to Country.

Chatswood has been one of Sydney's busiest apartment markets over the past 12 months, with a steady pipeline of both new project launches and fresh development applications.

Hyecorp recently launched Celine, a 122-apartment development just along Archer Street, while Changfa and Huirong Group are progressing The Anderson, an 84-apartment project on Anderson Street.

Develotek recently secured approval for a 101-apartment tower on Pacific Highway, while Tian An LFD received the green light for Hammond Greens, its apartment development on the edge of the Chatswood Bowling Club.

Commercial property developer FiveX is also making its move into the residential market. Last month it lodged plans for a 61-storey tower with 490 apartments, which, if approved, would become one of the tallest residential buildings in Chatswood.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-fivex-targets-chatswood-skyline-with-61-storey-tower-after-north-sydney-plans">First look: FiveX targets Chatswood skyline with 61-storey tower after North Sydney plans</a>

Aqualand is also expanding its development pipeline following the launch of its luxury residential brand, Aqualand Prestige. The developer has delivered a string of high-end apartment projects across Sydney's affluent suburbs over the past decade, most recently AURA by Aqualand on Walker Street in North Sydney.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=30959 project_image_fid=292863]

It has since quietly assembled its next wave of projects.

Earlier this year Aqualand launched Boronia in Roseville, a boutique 111-apartment development on Larkin Street. The project is one of the first significant apartment developments to launch in the suburb ahead of what is expected to become one of Sydney's most active new housing precincts under the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing reforms, which allow greater density around train stations.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152095 project_image_fid=373685]

The developer has also lodged plans for a two-tower, 413-apartment development on Herbert Street in nearby St Leonards, further strengthening its presence across the Lower North Shore.

Beyond that, Aqualand remains behind the final stage of Barangaroo, where plans will deliver a five-hectare mixed-use precinct comprising new homes, retail, hospitality and community facilities, alongside a new Metro entrance and more than two hectares of public open space, completing the Barangaroo precinct.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/central-barangaroo-development-takes-big-step-with-concept-proposal-approval">Central Barangaroo development takes big step with concept proposal approval</a>

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-aqualand-joins-st-leonards-apartment-party">First look: Aqualand joins St Leonards apartment party</a> 
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First look: Aqualand pushes ahead with Chatswood apartment tower as SSDA lodged for Archer Street

Mass timber is becoming an increasingly popular construction material in apartment developments, but Adelaide developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/otello">Otello</a> is taking the approach a step further.

At its new <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/flowe-bowden-18-gibson-street-bowden-sa-5007">Flowe Bowden</a> development, the exposed cross-laminated timber (CLT) structure isn't just about reducing the building's environmental footprint. It also forms the foundation of a broader wellness strategy, influencing everything from indoor air quality and natural materials to the way residents move through and experience the building.

The 115-apartment mixed-use development, designed by Melbourne-based architecture practice Fieldwork, will occupy a prominent island site opposite Bowden Village Reserve, combining one, two and three-bedroom apartments with retail and a dedicated wellness destination.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375528]

Wellness isn't confined to a gym or shared resident facility at Flowe. Instead, Fieldwork embedded the concept into the building itself.

The development has been split into two residential wings connected by a naturally ventilated central breezeway, replacing traditional enclosed corridors with open-air walkways that improve natural light, encourage cross ventilation and create more opportunities for neighbourly interaction.

"Rather than treating wellness as something that only happens on the ground floor, our response integrates it throughout the building, which led us to ask what it really means to design a healthy building," Fieldwork Director Quino Holland said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375531]

The building's architecture also reflects Bowden's industrial heritage. The lower podium references the area's historic brick and sandstone buildings, while the upper levels transition to exposed CLT, allowing the timber structure to become a defining feature throughout the apartments and shared spaces.

The use of mass timber sits alongside a range of sustainability initiatives, including a fully electric, gas-free design, rooftop solar and a targeted 5 Star Green Star rating.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375524]

Inside the residences, the focus remains on natural, durable materials. Blackbutt engineered timber flooring, exposed CLT ceilings, porcelain surfaces and warm timber joinery create a calming interior palette, while low-VOC finishes and responsibly sourced materials have been selected to improve indoor air quality.

Kitchens have been designed as the centrepiece of each apartment, featuring porcelain island benchtops, timber-look cabinetry and brushed steel tapware, with layouts that maximise natural light and ventilation.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375530]

The more traditional interpretation of wellness comes in the form of Level Eleven, a two-storey wellness club spanning the ground floor, mezzanine and first floor.

The facility will include a gym, yoga and reformer Pilates studios, Finnish and infrared saunas, magnesium hot and cold plunge pools, and dedicated recovery spaces. Unlike many residential wellness facilities, Level Eleven will also operate commercially, allowing the broader Bowden community to access the venue while giving residents exclusive membership benefits.

The ground floor has also been designed around everyday living. A café overlooking Bowden Village Reserve will activate the street frontage, while a bike workshop with tool storage, co-working space and dog wash has been incorporated to support daily routines and encourage interaction between residents.

"Flowe brings together my two biggest passions, creating places and creating healthier lives," Otello founder Daniel Harris said.

"We wanted to create something Adelaide hasn't seen before, a genuinely healthy building, where the way you live is lifted without even trying."

Flowe is positioned directly opposite Bowden Village Reserve and within walking distance of Bowden Railway Station and the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, placing future residents just minutes from the Adelaide CBD while remaining connected to one of the city's most established urban renewal precincts.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152022]

Otello launches wellness-focused Flowe Bowden with Adelaide-first mass timber apartment design

Not all apartment amenities are immediately visible.

Swimming pools, gyms, rooftop terraces and residents' lounges have long featured on buyers' wishlists, but as the way Australians live has changed, so too have the features that make apartment living more convenient.

Increasingly, buyers are placing value on the practical aspects of day-to-day life. Fast internet, EV charging, secure bike storage, flexible workspaces and parcel management are becoming just as relevant as lifestyle amenities, reflecting changing habits and expectations.

Online shopping has been one of the biggest drivers of that shift.

Australians spent a record $82.6 billion shopping online in 2025, with almost one in every four retail dollars now spent digitally, making parcel deliveries a routine part of everyday life rather than an occasional convenience.

For apartment residents, however, receiving those deliveries isn't always straightforward.

Without someone home to accept a parcel, deliveries can be redirected to a nearby Post Office, left in building foyers or common areas, or require building management to temporarily store packages. As apartment living continues to grow across Australia's cities, parcel management has become an increasingly important consideration for both residents and developers.

Australia Post's Parcel Locker network is one response to that shift.

<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/KPZ9j5FRdsQ?si=Qztc1dNP3ZvEIUhb" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

Rather than relying on home delivery, eligible parcels can be directed to a nominated Parcel Locker, where they're securely stored until collected. Once a parcel arrives, residents receive a notification through the AusPost app or SMS and can retrieve it using a one-time code or QR code at a time that suits them.

The network has expanded to more than 1,500 locations nationwide, with Parcel Lockers positioned at Post Offices, shopping centres, supermarkets, transport hubs and, increasingly, within or alongside residential developments.

That growing presence reflects a broader change in how apartment buildings are being planned.

Developers are increasingly considering the operational side of apartment living alongside traditional lifestyle amenities. Just as secure mailrooms, bicycle storage and EV charging have become more common inclusions, parcel management is emerging as another feature that supports everyday convenience.

It also helps preserve the arrival experience within a building. Carefully designed lobbies and communal spaces can quickly become cluttered when deliveries accumulate, while secure parcel solutions reduce the likelihood of missed deliveries or parcels being left unattended.

For buyers comparing apartments, these everyday details are becoming part of the decision-making process.

Location, floorplans and finishes remain fundamental, but the features that simplify daily life are carrying greater weight than they once did. As online shopping continues to shape consumer behaviour, secure parcel delivery is increasingly becoming another amenity worth looking for.

Parcel delivery is joining the apartment amenity checklist

Inca Property Group has lodged a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for Dawn, a 53-apartment oceanfront development overlooking Mona Vale Beach.

The proposal, at 35-39 Darley Street East, would replace an existing 18-apartment strata building with a new owner-occupier-focused development comprising 53 two and three-bedroom apartments, including nine affordable built-to-rent residences delivered under the State's infill affordable housing scheme.

Positioned on a 2,679 sqm elevated site around 280 metres from Mona Vale Beach, the development has been designed to maximise panoramic ocean views while responding to the site's sloping topography.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/inca-property-group">Inca Property Group</a> Managing Director Josh Thompson said the State Significant pathway provided greater certainty for projects of this scale.

"This State Significant pathway gives the team real certainty to progress <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/dawn-35-39-darley-street-east-mona-vale-nsw-2103">Dawn</a> through to completion," Thompson said.

"It allows us to acquire a one-off site, design it carefully and deliver the right offering for the suburb, assessed by the NSW Government's planning department."

The project is one of the first developments in the area to be assessed under the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy, with the site sitting on the edge of the policy's designated inner area.

The proposal includes three basement levels providing 124 car spaces, alongside a range of resident amenities including a swimming pool, gym, sauna, wellness facilities and private plunge pools for selected ground-floor and penthouse apartments.

<img alt="Dawn" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fc1a1daf-0ce4-4f12-9076-b1fa553c7a91" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-21%20at%208.42.11%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=4GZ9h.gpNkTljbxyAET8Jfhv51XUamDm" />

Thompson said Dawn had been designed specifically for owner-occupiers and downsizers, a buyer profile that has driven demand across Inca's recent Upper North Shore developments.

"The majority of buyers in our recent North Shore projects have been downsizers, and we are learning exactly what this market is looking for. Beyond the location itself, we have included resort-style amenities to deliver a genuine lifestyle offering," Thompson said.

Located within walking distance of Mona Vale Beach, the town centre, Mona Vale Golf Club and the Royal Motor Yacht Club, Dawn represents Inca's first Northern Beaches project following the sell-out of Tara on Park in Waitara and Ellis Residences, currently under construction in St Ives.

Construction will be undertaken by Inca's in-house construction arm, GOP Constructions.

Dawn is the latest major apartment proposal for Mona Vale, with the suburb emerging as one of the key beneficiaries of the NSW Government's new Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy.

New developer One Living, led by industry veteran Joseph Scuderi, recently secured a site on Mona Vale Road, on the border of Mona Vale and Pymble, where it is planning around 140 apartments.

IPM is also planning its third project in Mona Vale, significantly increasing the scale of its previous developments with an 82-apartment proposal at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/159-167-darley-street-west-mona-vale-nsw-2103">159-167 Darley Street West</a>, opposite Bayview Golf Course and less than 800 metres from Mona Vale town centre.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/one-living-enters-sydneys-new-apartment-market-with-northern-beaches-site-acquisition">One Living enters Sydney's new apartment market with Northern Beaches site acquisition</a>

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-ipm-plans-third-mona-vale-project">First look: IPM plans third Mona Vale project</a>

Jonathan Chancellor

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