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Big four bank ANZ reported a strong rise in both annual profits and mortgage lending but has warned of a tougher operating environment moving forward with funding costs rising.
The bank reported a 6% rise in annual profits to $5.7 billion with its mortgage book growing by 7% from $170 billion to $182 billion – well above system growth of under 5%.
ANZ also reported a 12 basis point drop in net interest margins over the year to September 30 for its Australian business reflecting “increased funding costs in particular from deposits", as well as asset pricing pressure in its institutional banking division.
ANZ chief executive officer Mike Smith said its Australian retail banking division (which includes mortgage lending) had “performed well across all segments”
“With the global economy softening, it’s clear that the post-GFC lower growth business environment will be with us for the foreseeable future, as will the requirement to operate with higher levels of regulatory capital and higher funding and liquidity costs.
“Although the operating environment in 2013 looks more challenging with stronger headwinds in a number of areas, our unique growth strategy and the momentum we have in adapting to the new environment means we are well placed to deliver value and performance to shareholders in 2013,” he added.
The quality of ANZ’s mortgage book remained strong with mortgage delinquencies continuing to decline across all bands (30, 60 and 90 days in arrears) “however softening economic conditions, particularly in regional Australia, drove increased provision charges”.
The bank grew its deposits base by 12% over the year with customer funding comprises 61% of total funding, with ANZ reducing its reliance on wholesale funding.
“ANZ continues to have the lowest wholesale funding requirement of its domestic peers," said Smith.
Shareholders will receive a total dividend for 2012 of $1.45 per share.
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ANZ reports strong mortgage growth and annual profits of $5.7 billion but warns of “stronger headwinds” in 2013

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Industry super fund AustralianSuper plans to more than double its investments in commercial property over the next five years, according to chairwoman Elana Rubin.
According to its most recent annual results to June 30, Australia’s biggest industry super fund has $4.54 billion invested in direct property through unlisted property trusts up from $4.17 billion in the previous financial year.
In speech to the Israel Australia Chamber of Commerce luncheon reported by the Australian Financial Review, Rubin said the super fund would look to invest in large, top-end shopping centres and also build on its portfolio of CBD offices and other commercial assets.
Rubin expects there to be greater competition from other super funds and institutional investors for premium commercial properties as well as a move to invest directly in assets rather than as passive investors in “pooled vehicles”.
She also expects AustralianSuper to increase its exposure to overseas commercial property assets from just 3% of its portfolio to 20% as competition heats up for local commercial core properties.
In its annual report, AustralianSuper says super members have the option to invest directly in a “range of Australian and international properties, including office buildings, shopping centres, hotels, resorts, factories and warehouses”.
“It’s designed for members seeking strong medium to long-term capital growth and lower volatility than shares”.
The annual report says AustralianSuper’s investments in infrastructure and direct property “continue to provide diversification benefits and to sustain strong long-term returns”.
“Our diversified strategy helped to reduce the impact of poorly performing share markets.”
More than half of AustralianSuper’s property investments are in the ISPT Core Fund, which holds 78 office, industrial and retail assets, including 500 Bourke Street in Melbourne, 363 George Street in Sydney and Central Plaza One on Queen Street in Brisbane.
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AustralianSuper to double commercial property investments as part of diversification play

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There were just 239 sales of vacant residential land and house-and-land packages on the Gold Coast over the September quarter, according to the latest Prodap report.
Of these 239 sales, 56 were house-and-land packages, with vacant lot sales totalling 183.
Report author Bill Morris says the Gold Coast residential land market continues to under-perform, though there are some exceptions, with developer Sunland finding a niche market for its architect-designed homes.
“The real standout was Sunland Group’s four projects at The Glades (Robina), Gardene at Pacific Pines, The Concourse at Royal Pines (Benowa), and The Address at Sanctuary Cove had all but sold out its available stock, with more to be released with strong pre-sales,” says Morris.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/10/glades.jpg">
“Sunland Group is operating in the mid-price range of $700,000 to $1.1 million for quality three- and four-bedroom products, mainly on golf course frontages."
The other developer to manage reasonable sales was Stockland, which recorded 75 sales on its three land estates at Ormeau Ridge (35), Highland Reserve Upper Coomera (25), and Riverstone Crossing Upper Coomera (15).
Mirvac managed 15 land sales at its Gainsborough Greens development in Pimpama, with prices ranging from $215,000 to $400,000.
Gilston Developments sold 12 townhouses at auction at its Grand Manor estate at the Grand Golf Course, with prices ranging from $595,000 to $1,625,000.
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“Vacant land sales continue to hover under 200 per quarter with no sign of improvement,” notes the report, which is based on a survey of every active and passive developer of residential land, house-and-land packages, townhouses and villas on the Gold Coast.
This brings total sales to 1,001 lots and house-and-land packages sold over the past 12 months to September – the lowest volume of annualised sales for records going back to 1985.
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Despite the record low land sales, the number of lots and house-and-land packages available for purchase remain at historical low levels, with few new projects being launched.
There are currently just 818 lots and 388 new houses up for sale representing one year’s supply at current take-up rates.
While stock is not rising, Morris says residential rents are increasing at 6% per annum south of Broadbeach for four-bedroom houses, with the market "virtually unserviced for new stock", except for Stockland’s Observatory land project at Reedy Creek in West Burleigh.
The report notes there is a pipeline of planned projects comprising 2,848 lots, but Morris says this is “unrealistically positive”, running at three times the current annual sales rate.
Morris says low demand rather than over-supply is the main problem – the result of restrictive bank lending policies.
Other problems facing the Gold Coast new housing market are record low population growth prohibitive local council infrastructure and charges, which are only new being “re-formulated”.
The Gold Coast City Council resolved to impose on a 12-month moratorium on infrastructure charges, which will save developers $28,000 per detached house and $20,000 per one- or two-bedroom apartment.
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Sunland boutique projects find niche market but Gold Coast house-and-land sales slump to 27-year low

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Brisbane ended a run of eight consecutive quarters of house price declines as capital city house prices barely moved in the September quarter, according to the latest data from Australian Property Monitors (APM).
The median Brisbane house price was almost unchanged at $430,965 over the September quarter, though still down 1.2% year-on-year.
APM revised the Brisbane June 2012 figure upwards from a previously reported $427,933 to $430,844.
APM senior economist Dr Andrew Wilson called the steady result for Brisbane “encouraging” and a “positive indication the market may have finally bottomed out".
Across the country, the national median house price was also unchanged at $533,480, while unit prices declined by 1.1% to a median of $406,415.
This followed revisions to June 2012 figures with house prices revised down from $536,075 to $533,695 and unit prices revised down from $411,810 to $410,981.
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“Although buyer activity and prices growth appears to be generally consolidating, capital city markets and sub-markets continue to operate at different levels,” says Wilson.
The Melbourne unit market remains the weakest capital city market for both house and units, down 6.1% year-on-year.
It registered a 1.4% drop over the September quarter – the sixth consecutive quarterly fall – taking the median Melbourne unit price down a median of $381,154.
This follows APM revised the  June median Melbourne unit price down from $392,862 to $386,678.
On average, a Melbourne apartment is $24,000 cheaper to buy now that it was a year ago.
Wilson attributed the continued to decline of Melbourne unit prices to a “surplus of new supply in the marketplace” negating an increase in activity from first-home buyers.
At the other end of the spectrum Darwin units were the best performing market across both house and units, with the median price of a Darwin apartment rising by more than $30,000 (8.1%) over the three month period to a median of $406,099.
This followed revisions to the Darwin median house price in June revised down from $384,384 to $375,666.
Apart from the drop in Melbourne unit prices and strength in Darwin unit prices, the September quarter results show that both house and unit prices have essentially been treading water over the past 12 months.
 
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The strongest major capital city market over the past 12 months to September has been Perth, with house prices up 1.3% to a median $537,267, followed by Sydney, where house prices are up 1% year-on-year to a median of $641,890.
Melbourne registered a 0.8% rise in its median house price over the September quarter to $523,804 to leave prices down 0.8% year-on-year.
These figures were calculated based on APM revisions to previous June medians for Sydney (revised up from $642,425 to $644,191), Perth (revised up from $536,151 to $539,823) and Melbourne (revised down from $531,167 to $519,503).
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Among the smaller capital city housing markets, Darwin has been the standout with houses up 3% year-on-year to $610,592.
Hobart remains the weakest housing market, with a 2% decline over the September quarter and 4.7% drop year-on-year to a median of $305,889.
Overall, Wilson says that capital city housing markets continue to “edge their way through a tentative recovery following the downward correction of 2011”.
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However, the housing market remains “mixed and patchy”, with individual housing market prospects for the remainder of 2012 “dependant on the performance of local economies”.
“Although falling interest rates have improved housing affordability and buyer confidence, market growth has been driven largely by other local factors, including changes to buyer incentives, population growth, and value-buying momentum in some prestige markets.
“Given a reasonable economic performance over the remainder of 2012, housing markets will continue to generally find their feet, albeit at varying levels of activity,” Wilson says.
House prices are forecast to increase in Sydney, Perth, Darwin with Melbourne prices to remain relatively steady.
“The Brisbane market is poised for growth, particularly from rising inner-suburban demand, however the recent increase in the unemployment rate could have an impact.
“In Adelaide, the market will likely track sideways, and there are no clear signals that sustained house prices growth is set to return to Hobart,” says Wilson.
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Brisbane house prices hold firm for first time in two years as national housing market 'consolidates': APM

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The Reserve Bank is likely to cut the cash rate only once more – either in November or December – but that could be it for the current monetary policy easing cycle, according to HSBC chief economist Paul Bloxham.
Most economists (23 out of 27 polled by Bloomberg) are tipping a rate cut on Melbourne Cup Day.
Bloxham says the release of third-quarter CPI data shows that inflation is now trending up, giving the RBA “less room to move on rates”.
Examining yesterday's inflation data, Bloxham says it indicates that inflation has passed the low point.
Bloxham says the ABS data shows that Australia inflation jumped in the third quarter, “partly due to the introduction of the carbon tax which boosted the headline figure to 2% year-on-year” above HSBC forecasts of 1.9% and market expectations of 1.6%.
“Looking at the various measures, it appears inflation may have passed its trough and while we still expect another RBA cut by year-end, we think this could be the last this easing cycle.”
“The RBA has said it will look through the third quarter result, much like it did when the GST was introduced in 2000.
“However, with the prospects of inflation already on the up and with the RBA already having cut rates by 150 basis points we think that they may have less room to move on rates now,” says Bloxham.
Bloxham also points that in annual terms, inflationary pressures are strongest in the major categories of health (+7.2%), education (+6.1%) and housing (+4.7%), which was partly offset by declines in recreation and culture (-1.5%) and food and beverages (-1.1%).
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Rising inflation could mean just one more RBA rate cut: HSBC’s Paul Bloxham

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The new and existing house markets of Ipswich and Yamanto on Brisbane’s fringe are expected to benefit directly and indirectly from the recently introduced new $15,000 first-home owners construction grant (FHOCG), according to new research from PRDnationwide.
The property group has released reports on the <a target="_blank" href="/news">Ipswich </a>and <a target="_blank" href="/news">Yamanto </a>property markets and forecasts that both will benefit from an “influx of young budget-conscious buyers since the introduction of the FHOCG on September 21".
The grant applies to new property bought or built at a value under $750,000.
Ipswich is 40 kilometres west of Brisbane and considered part of the greater Brisbane metropolitan area, while the adjoining Yamanto local area comprises the suburbs of <a target="_blank" href="/news">Raceview</a>, <a target="_blank" href="/news">Flinders View</a> and Yamanto.
As the chart below shows, Ipswich house sales are starting to trend up following a number years of declining sales.
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According to the PRDnationwide Ipswich report, a combination of the FHOCG and the reinstatement of transfer duty concessions “provide an exceptional saving for first home buyers who are considering building”.
First-home buyers pay no stamp duty on land valued up to $400,000, an additional saving of $5,520.


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“The availability of competitively priced house and land offerings in the immediate area is likely to be the key draw card to buying new," say PRDnationwide research analyst and Ipswich report author Robert Matta.
“Already developers are noting an increase in buyer enquiry and have been successfully unloading old stock to bring forward mooted stages in their estates. It is expected that volumes will trend upwards on the back of this new incentive at least for the short term.” 
There is also an expectation among local property analysts of a flow-on effect to the existing house markets as sellers are forced to discount properties in order to compete with developers.
PRDnationwide Ipswich principal Peter Mendoza says activity is trending upwards.
“Sales are up 25% on last year,” he says.
“Over the past few years a lot of people put things on hold but we get the feeling there’s a lot more confidence in the market now and people are starting to list and sell.”
According to PRDnationwide research, 30% of total sales in the Ipswich area occurred in the sub-$250,000 price range in the 12 months to June 2012, compared with 15% in the June 2010 period.
The median Ipswich house price sits at $293,000, which is 35% cheaper than compared with inner Brisbane.
“This is a major draw card even for those who work in the Brisbane CBD or surrounds,” he says.
PRDnationwide also highlights census population data, which shows that the Ipswich municipality has demonstrated the highest average annual population growth rate (3.9%) from 2006 to 2011 across the south-east Queensland region.
In Yamanto, the volume of house sales is up 22.7% over the past 12 months to June 2012.
However, house prices have fallen 4.6% over this period to a median of $310,000, with Yamanto following the trend of the wider Ipswich municipality, with the correction to prices improving buying conditions. 
Activity in the Yamanto Aarea vacant land market has also turned a corner to register 40 settled transactions during the June 2012 period, almost double the number recorded during the June 2011 period.
Land prices were down 12.7% to $165,000 for the June 2012 period.
“In the Yamanto, Flinders View and Raceview region we are experiencing a lift in enquiry for established houses,” says PRDnationwide Yamanto principal Roger Muller.
“There are great buys out there in all styles of homes. More listing are needed to supply buyer’s varying requirements.
“With good land prices, some buyers are opting for house and land packages.”
Rental properties are also in high demand, he says, because of good returns on offer.
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New $15,000 construction grant to spur on recovery of Ipswich property market: PRDnationwide

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Sydney has ranked as the sixth biggest destination for overseas commercial property investors to place their funds, according to a new global cities report from Cushman &amp; Wakefield.
Australia’s biggest city attracted US$3.6 billion in offshore capital in the 12 months to June 2012, an increase of 47.7% on the previous 12 months, with Sydney ranking above Shanghai, Berlin, Beijing and Singapore.
Offshore investors abandoned Melbourne, with the city recording a drop of 41.8% in cross-border capital on the previous 12-month period, ranking a distant 24th, with US$1.3 billion worth of investment from offshore sources.
The top destination for global flows of cross-border capital – by some distance – is the London metropolitan market, which attracted US$19.6 billion from offshore institutions, followed by Paris, New York and Tokyo.
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According to the latest Winning in Growth Cities report, global flows of cross-border capital reached US$150 billion in the 12 months to June, a rise of 4.3% on the same period in 2011 and outperforming the market as a whole, which fell by 7.5%.
“This represents a rise in market share of 2.2%, and consensus indicates this is only to increase further in the coming year,” says the report.
Cushman &amp; Wakefield says cross-border investment activity is focused on “those locations that are perceived to offer some level of security as investors balance potential rewards against their heightened sensitivity to risk”.
Sydney ranked as 11th biggest global office investment market (US$4.2 billion) and 10th biggest industrial investment market (US$1 billion).
Melbourne ranked as 22nd biggest global office investment market (US$2.2 billion) and 26th biggest industrial market (US$511 million).
Sydney ranked 17th overall, managing US$6.4 billion in global investment volumes over the 12 months to June 2012, up just 0.2% on the previous 12-month period.
In contrast investment in Melbourne commercial real estate fell by 38.7% to US$3.4 billion, with the Victorian capital ranking 32nd overall.
Brisbane ranked just behind Melbourne, attracting US$3.3 billion from overseas investors, an increase of 37.2%.
Top of the list was the New York metro area, which managed US$34.7 billion, an increase of 17.5%, followed by metropolitan London (US$29.3 billion), Tokyo (US$24 billion) and Paris (US$19.4 billion).
The report also names Sydney as one of the best locations for modern retailing and e-tailing.
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Sydney named sixth biggest global commercial property investment locale: Cushman & Wakefield

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Goldman Sachs has downgraded its leasing expectations for Colonial First State’s Emporium Melbourne retail complex, now a year away from completion on Lonsdale Street in the Melbourne CBD.
Goldman Sachs Australia senior REIT analyst Simon Wheatley expects the retail development to be 85% leased on completion, having previously forecast it to be fully leased.
The leasing downgrade follows Goldman Sachs taking a more conservative view on the project.
“While the Emporium project is in a core CBD location, the vertical retailing format and the limited reported pre-commitment at last update elevate the risk in the current difficult retail environment,” says Wheatley.
“As such we prefer to take a more conservative approach – we previously assumed the property being fully leased and thereby reaching target yield on cost on completion just over a year away, pre-Christmas 2013.
“We now take the view this will be 85% occupancy increasing quickly to 95% thereafter.
Wheatley says if the Emporium project can be successfully completed in line with targets this will be a positive catalyst.
“Until the outcome is proven, however, it is likely investors will increasingly show wariness around the development completion date,” he says.
The $1.12 billion project is being developed by the Colonial First State (CFS) Retail Property Trust and will feature 46,000 square metres of retail space between Lonsdale Street and Little Bourke Street, with 240 shops replacing the old Myer Lonsdale Street store.
The complex will also link with the Myer Melbourne department store and to David Jones via pedestrian bridges and tunnels.
Retailers who have pre-committed to space in the complex include UK fashion retailer Topshop, which will occupy 2,600 square metres over three levels and another “new brand to Australia” that will take 3,000 square metres over four floors.  Fashion shops Salvatore Ferragamo, Sass &amp; Bide, Michael Kors, Scanlon &amp; Theodore and Zimmerman have all been confirmed as tenants.
“Our estimates still factor expectation of a 6.65% yield on Emporium to deliver the target 6.0% yield on the whole project,” says Wheatley.
Emporium Melbourne is being built by Grocon and was at the heart of the recent dispute between Grocon and CFMEU.
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Emporium Melbourne likely to open with 85% occupancy rate in 2013: Goldman Sachs

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The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 1.4% in the September quarter compared with a rise of 0.5% in the June quarter,  according to the latest ABS figures.
Economists had forecast a 1% rise over the quarter.
Year-on-year inflation is now up 2% compared with a rise of 1.2% through the year to the June quarter - and above expectations of a 1.6% year-on-year rise in the September quarter.
This is the largest quarterly rise since the March quarter 2011 (+1.4%) and the largest annual rise since the December quarter 2011 (+3.0%).
However, it is still within the RBA’s target inflation range <a target="_blank" href="https://www.rba.gov.au/inflation/inflation-target">averaging between 2% to 3%</a> - "a rate of inflation sufficiently low that it does not materially distort economic decisions in the community".
The most significant price rises in the September quarter 2012 were for electricity (+15.3%), international holiday travel and accommodation (+6.6%), medical and hospital services (+4.5%), vegetables (+10.5%) and gas and other household fuels (+14.2%).
The most significant offsetting price falls were for automotive fuel (–3.9%), motor vehicles (–1.0%), pharmaceutical products (–2.6%), domestic holiday travel and accommodation (–1.3%) and other financial services (–0.9%).
The ABS says it is unable to quantify the impact of the carbon price on greenhouse emissions, introduced at $23 per tonne on July 1. 
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Inflation rises by a higher than expected 1.4% over September quarter, up 2% year-on-year: ABS

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NAB’s customer satisfaction rating lifted 0.7 percentage points to 80.3% in September to reach the highest score for a big four bank since Roy Morgan began researching customer attitudes to the banks in 1996.

The bank’s customer satisfaction rating has improved by 3.8 percentage points over the past 12 months to be the “clear market leader” among the big four banks.

However, NAB’s rating is due to the satisfaction of its non-home loan customers ( up 5.2 percentage points over the past 12 months), whereas its home loan customers had a decline in satisfaction of 1.4 percentage points over the same period – despite NAB maintaining its promise of offering the lowest standard variable rate of the major banks.

All the major banks improved their ratings over September as customer satisfaction with the banking sector as a whole improved for the third consecutive month to 79.4%.
Despite the positive trend shown by the big four banks, they still lag far behind the satisfaction levels of their smaller rivals, with an average satisfaction rating of 77.3% compared with 84.1%.
The best performers among the smaller banks were bankmecu (93.7%), Heritage Bank (90.7%), BankSA (88.7%) and Bendigo Bank (87.6%).
Over September, the Commonwealth Bank matched NAB with a 0.7 percentage point increase to 78.5%.

Westpac recorded the biggest monthly increase of 1 percentage point to reach 75.7% to rank third of the big four, with ANZ improving by 0.5 percentage points to a satisfaction rating of 74%.

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Roy Morgan says the improvement in Westpac’s customer satisfaction rating was mainly due to an improvement in September in satisfaction among its home loan customers.

Home loan customers still remain less satisfied across all of the major banks compared with non-home loan customers, presumably due to the banks' policy of not passing on full rate cuts.

“Recent reductions in home loan rates should improve satisfaction levels among borrowers but this can also be impacted by any negative perceptions if the full rate drop is not being passed on,” notes Roy Morgan.

“Continued improvement in bank customers’ perception will depend largely on the big four avoiding any further negative publicity, as we have seen that Westpac, the CBA and most recently ANZ have all suffered major setbacks in customer satisfaction following negative market announcements,” says Norman Morris, industry communications director at Roy Morgan Research.

“The big four have arguably set their satisfaction target a little low by focusing almost exclusively on how they rank against each other rather than against their smaller competitors who are perceived as performing much better in terms of customer satisfaction and have considerable combined market strength.”

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NAB customer satisfaction rating reaches record high but home loan customers not any happier: Roy Morgan

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/broadbeach-qld-4218">Broadbeach</a> offers plenty of reasons to live vertically, but moving from a substantial family home into an apartment can expose the compromises of high-density living. Privacy, room for guests and usable living space tend to matter more when an apartment is intended as a permanent home rather than an occasional coastal base.

A typical residential floor at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-eveleigh-broadbeach-7-9-surf-parade-broadbeach-qld-4218">The Eveleigh</a>, on Surf Parade,&nbsp;contains just four apartments. The 94-residence development by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/hirsch-faigen">Hirsch &amp; Faigen</a> is predominantly made up of expansive three-bedroom homes, with a limited collection of half-floor penthouses above.

Across the apartment floors, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a> has used the relatively limited number of residences to give each home greater access to natural light and outlook. Living spaces extend towards full-height glazing, while a series of bay windows frame selected views across the Pacific Ocean, city and hinterland rather than treating the building edge as a continuous wall of glass.

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[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360965]

“The apartment floors deliver a collection of homes that embrace controlled outlook via a series of bay windows deliberately framing moments of view,” Rothelowman Director Kim Lowman said.

From outside, those projecting forms contribute to the tower’s faceted profile. Strong horizontal and vertical elements establish its proportions, while the changing position of the sun alters the light, shadow and reflection across the façade throughout the day.

The same attention moves inside the apartments, where the material palette combines warm timber, natural stone, metallic detailing and softer curved forms. Kitchens sit within the main living zone, with stone island benches, integrated joinery and European appliances, before the living areas extend towards the glazing and the outlook.

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[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360981]

Three genuine bedrooms provide room to accommodate family and guests, while two secure car spaces and storage address some of the practical considerations that can become more noticeable when moving from a larger home. Feedback from the display suite has centred on the warmth and restraint of the interiors, with buyers commenting that the residences feel like homes rather than conventional coastal apartments.

A limited collection of half-floor penthouses occupies the upper levels, increasing the scale of the living spaces and adding private balconies and elevated finishes. From this position, the outlook extends between the ocean and hinterland.

Outside the private residences, The Eveleigh separates its shared spaces between the podium and rooftop. The podium is centred on wellness, with subtropical landscaping surrounding a swimming pool and pool terrace, yoga garden, private gymnasium, sauna and hot and cold plunge facilities. Landscaped retreats and pavilions provide additional places to sit away from the main recreation areas.

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Higher in the building, a rooftop pavilion and private dining suite sit alongside resident lounge, barbecue and outdoor dining areas, opening towards panoramic views across the ocean, city and hinterland.

“Buyers are no longer just looking for an apartment, but a lifestyle where they can relax, reset, and enjoy a balanced way of living,” Hirsch &amp; Faigen Director of Sales Matt George said.

Interest to date has come from established owner-occupiers and interstate lifestyle purchasers, including buyers planning a future move to the Gold Coast. Many are coming from larger homes and want to reduce ongoing maintenance without giving up space for family and guests, privacy, two car spaces or the ability to entertain at home.

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[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360969]

Much of that daily life can also take place beyond the building without requiring a drive. Kurrawa Beach and Pratten Park are an easy walk from Surf Parade, while Pacific Fair, Oracle Boulevard, The Oasis, restaurants, cafés, entertainment and public transport are also within walking distance.

The Eveleigh is Hirsch &amp; Faigen's fourth Gold Coast development since entering the market in 2021, following The Hemingway at Palm Beach, The Emerson at Kirra and Yves at Mermaid Beach. Each of the preceding projects sold out before completion.

“Broadbeach had been on our radar throughout our time operating on the Gold Coast,” the developer said. “Following our projects in Palm Beach, Kirra and Mermaid Beach, Broadbeach represented the natural next step for the business.”

The Surf Parade site brought together proximity to the beach, protected coastal outlooks and walkability to dining, shopping and recreation. Hirsch &amp; Faigen also identified the street as an emerging premium residential address, with enough separation from Broadbeach's busier destinations to retain a quieter environment at home.

The Eveleigh is now under construction by Maxcon, with completion forecast for mid-2028. Three-bedroom residences are currently available from $2.87 million.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=149670]

Joel Robinson

The Eveleigh brings house-like apartments to Broadbeach

A long-stalled Campbelltown development site is back in play, with new plans for 139 apartments set to supersede a mixed-use scheme approved almost a decade ago but never built.

The new proposal for 28 Cordeaux Street would deliver 116 market and 23 affordable apartments in a part 14-storey building, bringing a substantial new project into a Campbelltown market where new apartment supply remains limited.

Plans have been filed over the 3,092 sqm corner site at Moore-Oxley Street, around 600 metres from Campbelltown Railway Station and the city-centre retail core.

The site already carries a mixed-use residential approval dating to 2016. Doroch Architects has now been engaged on a larger replacement scheme, which is progressing as a State Significant Development Application following a Housing Delivery Authority determination in August 2025.

The apartment mix comprises 39 one-bedroom, 72 two-bedroom and 28 three-bedroom residences. Two-bedroom apartments make up just over half of the project, while three-bedroom homes account for 20 per cent.

<img alt="First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="136dd5b9-3791-4da6-9e31-76f533f5b4de" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Campbelltown%20da2.png?VersionId=LgOSy9nwf5u.MGswBBwaGGxuX8QpHSl_" />

Of the 139 apartments, 23 will be delivered as affordable housing under the in-fill affordable housing provisions of the Housing SEPP. The affordable component represents 15 per cent of the residential gross floor area and will be managed by a registered Community Housing Provider.

Doroch has sought to break the scale of the building into two distinct elements, with a masonry podium of around four storeys establishing the street edge before the residential tower steps back above.

The corner position has shaped that approach. Cordeaux Street faces toward the commercial and civic centre, while Moore-Oxley Street leads into the lower-scale residential neighbourhood to the south, and the design verification report describes the site as "bridging the commercial core to the north and established residential areas to the south."

The podium will be expressed predominantly in face brick, while the upper levels shift to brushed and grooved concrete cladding with darker metal detailing. Recessed sections, deep balcony edges and landscaping break down the upper form, with an approximately 11.8-metre setback to the northern boundary addressing the adjoining St Peters Anglican School.

<img alt="First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c8b3d2d3-c561-4bfc-a5d9-a68c0c10dac1" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Campbelltown%20da1.png?VersionId=AeAEyJU02Gk2k5noUj2StziCvdQ7fW4B" />

Campbelltown has been starved of new residential developments in the last decade.

The only other notable development set to come to market this year is ALAND's Queen Square, a mixed-use precinct on over two hectares that will comprise apartments above a vibrant ground-level retail and hospitality dining precinct.

First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site

First Look: Sherlock Construction pitches apartments for low-rise Deception Bay

Queensland builder-developer MAYD has revealed the first look at its major North Kirra beachfront development, lodging amended plans that reduce the number of apartments and increase the proportion of larger residences.

The project is planned across a substantial 4,742 sqm amalgamated site spanning seven lots at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/2-6-pacific-parade-bilinga-qld-4225">2-6 Pacific Parade</a> and 27-33 Golden Four Drive in Bilin​ga, directly opposite Nor​th Kirra Beach.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/mayd-group">MAYD</a> secured the site for $32.5 million in 2025, in what was one of the Gold Coast's largest property transactions of the year.

The development will be delivered across two stages, with the first stage carrying an estimated gross realisation value of around $360 million.

The latest amendments seek to reduce the overall apartment count and shift the project further toward the owner-occupier market, with larger residences designed for buyers wanting considerably more space than traditionally offered in a beachfront apartment.

The residential mix will include townhomes, oversized two-bedroom apartments, substantial three-bedroom residences and four-bedroom homes.

MAYD has appointed Cera Stribley to lead the architecture and interiors, with the Melbourne-based design practice drawing on the beachfront setting through a series of ocean-facing terraces and heavily landscaped balconies.

Strong horizontal forms and curved balconies will define the exterior, with subtropical landscaping integrated throughout the building to soften the built form and increase the connection between the residences and the beachfront.

The project will also include an extensive collection of resident wellness and lifestyle facilities, continuing the broader shift across the Gold Coast's luxury apartment market toward larger homes supported by resort-style amenity.

<img alt="MAYD" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d1bcbb05-e659-4b47-8bd4-1e595315e2ad" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-27%20at%202.05.03%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=jj0XEud1X1DuLt7_KyElhjMdZGOXmLHP" />

MAYD Founder Todd Mould said North Kirra was increasingly appealing to buyers attracted to the more established, lower-density character of the southern Gold Coast.

"North Kirra presents one of the most compelling luxury residential opportunities currently emerging in Australia, combining absolute beachfront with the character and authenticity that buyers are increasingly seeking, and the same sense of tight-knit community that defined Burleigh and Currumbin perhaps 10 or 15 years ago," Mould said.

"With Gold Coast Airport on its doorstep, it also offers a level of accessibility that broadens its appeal across almost every market demographic."

The project comes as the southern Gold Coast continues to attract an increasing share of high-end apartment development and buyer activity.

Kirra in particular has emerged as one of the region's more tightly held beachfront markets, with its relatively low-density character, established surf and hospitality scene and proximity to Gold Coast Airport differentiating it from the higher-density markets further north.

Mould said those characteristics had informed the approach MAYD and Cera Stribley had taken to the project.

"We've worked closely with Cera Stribley to create a vision that is deeply connected to its surroundings," he said.

"Inspired by the coastline itself, the architecture has been shaped around space, privacy and resort-style living, creating a collection of homes that reflects the next generation of luxury on the southern Gold Coast."

MOTIV Managing Director Carly Cottam, who has been appointed to market the project, said buyer attention had continued to move south along the Gold Coast.

"Purchasers who may once have defaulted to Broadbeach, Main Beach or Surfers Paradise are increasingly recognising the value of a genuine beachfront location that offers lower density, strong amenity and a more established sense of community," Cottam said.

"Kirra has a powerful combination of growing demand and genuine scarcity. Beachfront supply is inherently constrained, the area remains relatively low density, and buyers are increasingly placing a premium on locations that feel established, uncrowded and authentic rather than heavily developed."

Cottam said the proximity to Gold Coast Airport was also proving increasingly important for interstate and second-home buyers.

"Being minutes from Gold Coast Airport makes it particularly compelling for interstate buyers, frequent travellers and second-home purchasers who can access an authentic coastal lifestyle almost immediately after stepping off a flight."

The acquisition takes MAYD's active development portfolio to more than $500 million, with the North Kirra project representing one of its largest undertakings to date.

MAYD is targeting an early 2027 launch.

First look at MAYD's North Kirra mixed-use precinct

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Castle Hill, the longtime hub of the Hills District, has been one of the major beneficiaries of Sydney's Metro expansion, with improved connectivity helping drive continued population growth, development and buyer demand across the Hills District.

But despite that growth, the suburb has seen relatively few major new apartment projects brought to market over the past 18 months.

Hills District developer Reve Group is looking to fill that gap with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/nova-r-ve-castle-hill-2-garthowen-crescent-castle-hill-nsw-2154">Nova Rêve</a>, a major new mixed-use precinct on the corner of Garthowen Crescent and Old Castle Hill Road, a short walk from Castle Hill Metro Station and Castle Towers.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377679]

The project will comprise three residential towers alongside a hotel, restaurants, cafes and a skybar, more than 1,600 sqm of ground-floor retail and almost an acre of landscaped gardens.

It represents the largest project undertaken by Reve Group, the development arm of the Kassis family, which has been building across the Hills District for more than 30 years through Kassis Homes.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377675]

Nova Rêve also represents a significant step up from the family's first apartment development, Grand Rêve, which was delivered nearby on Garthowen Crescent.

Grand Rêve introduced larger, house-like apartment layouts and premium inclusions including Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances to the Castle Hill market.

Nova Rêve takes that approach to a precinct scale, combining the residential component with hospitality, retail and substantial public and resident landscaping.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377685]

Reve Group Managing Director Sam Kassis said the project reflected the family's three decades of building in the Hills, which has evolved from trophy homes on quarter-acre blocks to larger-scale apartment development.

"Grand Rêve was our first apartment project here and it showed us what this pocket of Castle Hill could be. Nova Rêve is the refinement of that idea: not just apartments, but a place the whole suburb can use," Kassis said.

A key part of that approach is the hotel, which has been designed to operate as an amenity for the wider Castle Hill community rather than solely hotel guests.

It will include restaurants, cafes, skybars and all-day dining, alongside conference and event facilities catering to business functions, community groups and private events.

At ground level, more than 1,600 sqm of shops and cafes will open onto the surrounding streets and landscaped areas.

Almost an acre of gardens designed by Land and Form Studios will run through the precinct, incorporating pathways, seating, barbecue areas and children's play spaces.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377680]

Reve Group's Romio Georges said creating an active ground plane had been central to the planning of Nova Rêve.

"There are gardens with pathways, barbecues, seating and play areas, shops and cafes opening onto the street, and a hotel with restaurants and a skybar that anyone in Castle Hill can walk into," Georges said.

The project's elevated position on one of Sydney's highest ridgelines will also provide apartments with outlooks toward the Sydney skyline, surrounding parkland and the Blue Mountains.

More than 80 per cent of the apartments will occupy corner positions, with Turner responsible for both the architecture and interiors.

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[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152737]

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Larry Schlesinger

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