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Developers of apartment projects in Sydney are offering handouts and concessions to encourage off-the-plan purchases from first-home buyers and investors following badly timed changes to NSW government handouts announced in the June budget.
At the time these changes were introduced Meriton boss Harry Triguboff lamented that they would kill off investors “while still not giving birth to the first-home buyers”.
In June NSW Treasurer Mike Baird announced a doubling of the existing first-home owners’ grant from $7,000 to $15,000 and also increased the threshold from $600,000 to $650,000.
However the grant only applies to those buying a new home and only kicks in on October 1.
It provided first-home buyers with up to $35,240 in government handouts when the $15,000 is added to up to $20,240 available in stamp duty concessions available for a 15-month period under the existing First Home-New Home scheme.
This scheme provides exemptions on transfer duty on new homes valued up to $550,000 (a maximum exemption of $20,240) and concessions on transfer duty for new homes valued between $550,000 and $650,000.
A first-home buyer purchasing an apartment valued at $550,000 before October 1 would be eligible to receive $27,240 – but would be eligible for $35,240 under the doubled first-home owners' grant handout.
Baird also introduced reduced incentives for investors and other non-first-home buyers, kicking in on July 1.
Since July 1 investors and other non-first-home buyers can apply for a $5,000 grant for new homes whether purchased off the plan or newly built, with a value up to $650,000. This replaced the previous far more generous NSW home builders' bonus scheme, which provided potential stamp duty saving of $22,490.
Here are six developers currently offering concessions on certain apartment projects:
$8,000 handout from CPM Realty for Ore Apartments
This developer is offering to top up the existing $7,000 first-home buyer grant to $15,000 for those who purchase off the plan in its <a href="https://www.oreapartments.com.au/#/home">Ore Apartments project on Amelia Street in Waterloo</a>. One-bedroom apartments start from $495,000 and two-bedrooms from $599,000.
<img width="470" src="/images/stories/2012/08/smh3.jpg">
Secure for $5,000 now and still get $15,000 grant on October 1 at Clemton Park Village - Australand
Australand is offering first-home buyers the opportunity to purchase <a href="https://www.cpvillage.com.au/index.php" target="_blank">two-bedroom apartments in its Clemton Park Village near Campsie</a>, 13 kilometres west of the CBD, with a deposit of $5,000 and delay exchanging of contracts to October 1 to receive the full $15,000 first-home-owners' grant. Two-bedroom apartments are priced from $498,000
<img src="/images/stories/2012/08/smh2.jpg" width="470">
No stamp duty offer from Becton on Divercity till end of August
To encourage investors who may have waivered following the July 1 changes, developer Becton is offering to pay the stamp duty on all one-bedroom apartments purchased in its <a href="https://www.divercitywaterloo.com.au/" target="_blank">Divercity project in Waterloo until the end of August</a>. Prices start from $445,000.
<img width="470" src="/images/stories/2012/08/smh1.jpg">
No stamp duty offer from TMG till end of August on Genesis apartments
Similarly, developer TMG is offering to pay the stamp duty on all one-bedroom apartments in its <a href="https://www.roseberypark.com.au/project/" target="_blank">Genesis apartments in Rosebery Park</a>, six kilometres from the CBD, until the end of August. Prices start from $483,000.
<img width="470" src="/images/stories/2012/08/smh4.jpg">
Developer to pay stamp duty and $8,000 grant gap to first-home buyers at Allure in Dee Why
Qiantang Investment Group (QIG) and Joy City Property Development are charging no stamp duty on their <a href="https://www.beachsideliving.com.au/developer" target="_blank">joint apartment project Allure in Dee Why</a> on Sydney's northern beaches for first-home buyers that make purchases under $550,000. In addition they will also ensure first-home buyers get the full $15,000 government handout by paying the extra $8,000 on settlement. Two-bedroom apartments start from just under $550,000.
Developer to pay  $8,000 grant gap to first-home buyers at Australian Towers II
Developers Ecove and SOPA (Sydney Olympic Park Authority) are offering to match the extra $8,000 that first-home buyers will receive from October 1 as part of the $15,000 handout in its <a href="https://livelifemore.com.au/">25-storey tower – ATII – in Sydney Olympic Park</a> in Parramatta. The incentive applies to first-home buyers only. One bedroom apartments start from $450,000 and two-bedrooms from $585,000.
A Sun Herald report that Link in Zetland, being developed by Tripod International and being marketed by Ian Bennett from Colliers International, was incentivising first-home buyers or investors with a special August offer has been dismissed as inaccurate.
Bennett says the developer is offering its standard $5,000 to exchange on Link apartments, with the remaining 10% deposit required within 14 days.
 
 
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Incentives on offer as Waterloo developers battle government timelines to entice buyers

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The NSW government has set out the full terms of reference of its <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/industry-news/unpaid-sub-contractors-trigger-nsw-government-reform-inquiry-into-construction-industry-collapses/2012080955934">NSW building industry insolvency inquiry</a>.
The inquiry was launched this week in response to the recent collapse of high-profile building firms <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/industry-news/st-hilliers-construction-arm-placed-in-voluntary-administration/2012051554713" style="font-size: 14px;">St Hilliers Construction</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/kell-rigby-one-of-australia-s-oldest-most-respected-building-companies-set-for-voluntary-administration/2012020853012" style="font-size: 14px;">Kell &amp; Rigby</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/industry-news/contractors-must-wait-in-line-as-reed-construction-prepares-to-sue-nsw-government-following-%2470-million-collapse/2012061855164" style="font-size: 14px;">Reed Construction</a>, as well as hundreds of other smaller building firm collapses, which have left around 24,000 unsecured creditors – mainly suppliers and sub?contractors – out?of?pocket, some owed millions of dollars.
Among the things the inquiry will examine will be payment practices affecting sub-contractors and the existing protections in place for them as well as possible changes to the legislation to reduce the incidence of building firm insolvencies as part of its independent inquiry into insolvency in the building industry.
The full terms of reference are included in a NSW government document, which reveals in stark terms the impact the failing building industry is having on the wider state economy.
It says the building industry accounts for a significant 15% of businesses in NSW, but worryingly, makes up to 30% of the companies going into administration in the state, the NSW government has confirmed.
“The government is concerned about this high rate of insolvency and the impact it is having on the community, small businesses, the NSW economy and the government’s construction program,” says the NSW government.
The independent inquiry chaired by Sydney barrister Bruce Collins, QC, and ordered by NSW Finance Minister Greg Pearce will accept submissions from the construction industry, financial professionals, relevant government regulators and the public.
Separate to the inquiry, the NSW government has established a taskforce to “review government procurement and contract administration processes”.
High-profile recent building firm collapses included St Hillers Construction and Reed Construction, which had social housing and infrastructure contracts with the state government.
“The inquiry will also consider the work of this taskforce," says the state government.
However, the inquiry will not make findings “in relation to particular incidences of company failure” – the role of ASIC – but examples of failure may inform consideration of policy and legislative options.
Submissions close on September 14 with the inquiry reporting within three months of being established.
The full terms of reference are: 
1. Assess the extent and cause of insolvency in the construction industry.
2. Consider payment practices affecting sub-contractors, existing protections for subcontractors and the impacts of insolvency on sub-contractors.
3. Consider legislative or other policy responses that can be taken to minimise the incidence and impact of insolvency in the industry, including:
a. options for improving the priority given to unsecured creditors where the debt results from a sub-contracting relationship
b. opportunities to simplify debt collection processes
c. strategies to improve financial management skills in the industry
d. a mandatory insurance scheme to secure payments to sub-contractors
e. a discretionary mutual fund to compensate contractors from losses arising from insolvency of a lead contractor or principal
f. the effectiveness of trust arrangements in protecting sub-contractor payments retained by a lead contractor or principal
g. mechanisms to ensure appropriate and effective financial disclosure between contracting parties, including disclosing payment of sub-contractors
h. other relevant issues or innovations raised by the Small Business Commissioner or stakeholders.
4. In developing recommendations the inquiry should consider the impact of Commonwealth jurisdiction over insolvency.
5. The inquiry will receive advice from an industry reference group including industry key associations and the Small Business Commissioner.
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One in three NSW company collapses are building firms: State building inquiry  

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Notorious Melbourne property spruiker Henry Kaye is facing a showdown with the corporate watchdog as he seeks to regain control of two of his companies.
Last week Kaye began proceedings in the Supreme Court to be reinstated to two of his companies, an application that will be opposed by ASIC lawyer Peter Paleologos, the Herald Sun reported.
Palegologos told the court he wanted to raise "issues of commercial morality" when Kaye's application is heard next month.
Kaye gained notoriety in the early 2000s for claims he made in investment seminars that he could turn ordinary Australians into millionaires and convincing thousands of mum and dad investors to invest in his property schemes.
Attendees at Kaye's free seminars were convinced to spend $15,000 in a property investment education course, with promises that they could get rich quickly by buying property without a deposit.
The practices of Kaye were brought to public attention by real estate consumer advocate Neil Jenman, who spoke out against Kaye.
The Age reported in December 2003 that Jenman had refined his attack on Kaye to the mantra-like “Stay away from Henry Kaye. He creates pain."
Kaye challenged Jenman to a public debate at the time, but Jenman said he would only debate him in a court – at the time Kaye was under investigation by three corporate watchdogs.
In 2003 The Age reported Kaye or someone in his company employed a private investigator to dig into Jenman's professional and personal life, including contacting estate agents and members of Jenman's family.
Jenman said this was an indication of how desperate Kaye had become as his property empire unravelled.
Kaye’s National Investment Institute collapsed in 2003 owing 3,500 investors up to $60 million.
In 2004, Richard Cauchi, the liquidator of a company associated with Kaye, described the 120-company Kaye empire as "a washing machine of money".
In 2005 Kaye dropped his appeal against a Federal Court finding that he had breached the Trade Practices Act in promoting his "millionaires" property seminars.
In 2010 Kaye was disqualified from managing corporations for five years by ASIC following his involvement in 26 failed companies that provided suspect investment and property education services to the public.
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Property spruiker Henry Kaye facing ASIC showdown as he seeks to return to business

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The NSW government has launched an inquiry into the state of the building industry following a spate of recent high-profile construction firm collapses, some of which had contracts with the state government.
The inquiry, announced by NSW Finance and Services Minister Greg Pearce and being led by Sydney barrister Bruce Collins, QC, will look at the “construction industry insolvency with aim of safeguarding the interests of sub-contractors in the sector”.
It may also shed some light on the nature of the working arrangement between construction firms and contractors, the timing, negotiations and disputes over payments to contractors as well as government arrangements with private building firms on public projects.
A spokesperson for the office of Greg Pearce told Property Observer the enquiry was “effectively underway”, with Collins already starting to write to interested parties as part of a “long list of people” he intends to write to.
Submissions will be posted on the NSW government’s online discussion portal <a href="https://www.nsw.gov.au/haveyoursay">Have Your Say</a>, with a closing date of September 14.
A technical glitch has delayed the launching of a section on the website dedicated to the building inquiry, but it is expected to go live tomorrow or next week at the latest.
The government set out the<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/industry-news/one-in-three-nsw-company-collapses-are-building-firms-state-building-inquiry/2012080955940"> terms of reference</a> for building inquiry late today.
Recent high-profile building collapses including <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/industry-news/st-hilliers-construction-arm-placed-in-voluntary-administration/2012051554713">St Hilliers Construction</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/kell-rigby-one-of-australia-s-oldest-most-respected-building-companies-set-for-voluntary-administration/2012020853012">Kell &amp; Rigby</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/industry-news/contractors-must-wait-in-line-as-reed-construction-prepares-to-sue-nsw-government-following-%2470-million-collapse/2012061855164">Reed Construction</a>.
The NSW government has come under fire for awarding contracts to some companies that were proven, with hindsight, to be struggling financially.
It awarded social housing contracts to St Hilliers Construction just months before the firm collapsed.
St Hilliers Construction founder Tim Casey says the firm is owed more than $6 million from the NSW government and slammed its decision to take over 13 NSW social housing projects.
Reed Group owner Geoff Reed has launched a legal claim of between $50 million and $60 million against the NSW government, alleging “premature and unreasonable action in terminating its contracts with Reed Constructions”. Announcing the inquiry, Pearce, says that between 2009 and 2011, “hundreds of companies in NSW collapsed owing billions of dollars, slamming the brakes on vital projects and investment”.
“Up to 24,000 unsecured creditors, including suppliers and sub?contractors, have been left out?of?pocket, some by millions of dollars,” he says.
Pearce says the fragility of the construction industry is taking a toll on workers and the economy.
“The Commonwealth regulates insolvency and company practices, but the NSW government won’t walk away from its responsibility to address this issue.
“Mr Collins will look at the extent and causes of insolvency in the NSW construction industry and what reforms are needed to minimise the adverse effects on subcontractors,” he says.
“The inquiry will look at how to resolve these issues in the absence of effective policy direction from the Commonwealth.
“The NSW government has outlined an infrastructure program to get the state moving again, but this relies on a strong construction industry,” Pearce says.
The terms of reference for the inquiry include how initiatives such as insurance schemes, trust arrangements or mutual funds could help secure subcontractors.
Pearce says the government will also establish a taskforce to ensure government agencies are managing construction risks.
Greg Pearce also announced today the completion of a $4.4 million social housing project in Caringbah that will house up to 25 senior residents.
The project was one of a number of housing projects that stalled when the construction company St Hilliers Constructions collapsed in May this year.
It was then announced the NSW Government would take over the unfinished projects.
Pearce said the Government faced a challenging task to get these much-needed housing projects back on track, but with the cooperation of the subcontractors involved, all work was progressing well on the remaining projects.</body></html>

Unpaid sub-contractors trigger NSW government reform inquiry into construction industry collapses

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The receivers of failed fund manager and lender Provident Capital are seeking managers for two of its frozen mortgage funds and have also announced that an “informal” information session will be held for debenture holders on August 13.
Phil Carter, Tony Sims and Marcus Ayres from PPB Advisory, who were appointed on July 3 following a Federal Court order, have placed an advertisement in the Australian Financial Review calling for indicative offers to be the responsible entity and manager of the Provident Capital Monthly Income Fund and the Provident Capital High Yield Fund.
There are around 520 unitholders for both the monthly income and high yield funds, which collectively hold around $32 million of funds under management.
Indicative offers are due by August 21.
This advertisment is part of expression-of-interest campaigns for the sale of part of Provident's assets and business launched by PPB Advisory since its appointment.
PPB Advisory has also announced that an information session for all debenture holders will be held at 10.30am at the Wesley Conference Centre at 220 Pitt Street in Sydney on Monday, August 13.
Victorian debenture holders can attend a telecast of the meeting at the Rydges Hotel, 186 Exhibition Street in Melbourne; Queensland debenture holders can attend  at the Christie Conference Centre Caribbean Room at 320 Adelaide Street in Brisbane; South Australian debentures holders can attend at the Hilton Hotel Victoria Room at 233 Victoria Square in Adelaide (10am South Australian time).
For those debenture holders in Perth, a meeting will be held at the Hilton Hotel Swan Room at 14 Mill Street (8.30am Perth time).
The receivers have stressed this is an "informal information session only".  
"No binding resolutions on the debenture holders will be passed and attendance or non-attendance will not impact your rights or claims as a debenture holder in any way."
As many as 3,500, mainly small investors have about $130 million invested in debentures with Provident Capital.
The receivers have also commenced developing asset management strategies for each non-performing loan and commenced investigation into the affairs of the company and what claims may be available  against third parties.
Around 85% of Provident loans were six months or more in arrears, according to its most recent financial booklet prior to its collapse.
The receivers are currently preparing an application to the Federal Court to confirm the methodology proposed to pay future distributions, but have warned of a shortfall on the principal amount owing to debenture holders and have determined that it would be “inappropriate for any future distributions to include an interest component”.
“Subject to the Court’s approval, to ensure all debenture holders are treated equally, all future  distributions to debenture holders during the Receivership will be made on a pro-rata basis in reduction of the face value of debentures,” say the receivers.
Property Observer has heard from borrowers who have complained that prior to the collapse of the lender, they had received little communication about even basic things such as the size of their debt, while being charged tens of thousands of dollars in roll-over fees.
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Provident receivers set August date for information session and seeks managers for two mortgage funds

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Nearly 11,000 square metres of A-grade commercial space at the base of the twin-tower Oracle development in Broadbeach on the Gold Coast has been listed for recievership sale, with the market estimating a sale  around $50 million.
The listing of the commercial space comes as a new report by the Property Council of Australia finds that the office vacancy rate on Broadbeach tightened noticeably over the first six month of the year from 16.8% to 11.1%,  well below the 21.5% vacancy rate for the Gold Coast office market as a whole.
This time last year, the Broadbeach vacancy rate was 30.3%.
The office and retail precinct of The Oracle comprises four detached buildings known as Oracle North, Oracle South, Oracle East and Oracle West, centrally serviced by Oracle Boulevard and bounded by Charles and Elizabeth Avenues and Surf Parade.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/08/oracle.jpg">
The commercial precinct forms the base of the troubled residential development which comprises 507 luxury apartments across two towers.
The A-grade office component, comprising 6,731 square metres of net lettable area over two levels, is fully leased with 22 separate tenancies, including leases to Gold Coast Tourism, listed housing developer Villa World and radio station operator Southern Cross Austereo.
The retail space has 4,005 square metres of net lettable area, with leases to fashion retailers Mimco and Witchery, as well as restaurant chains Max Brenner, Bavarian Bier Café, Crust Pizza, Guzman Y Gomez and Mecca Bah.
The commercial precinct is being sold by Mark Witheriff and Rem Rafter of CBRE through than expressions-of-interest campaign targeting both national and international markets, including Asia, where it will be promoted via a roadshow.
The 100% A-grade office occupancy rate at The Oracle contrasts starkly with the overall state of the Gold Coast office market, which has the highest office vacancy rate in Australia, according to the latest Property Council report for the first six months of 2012.
The Gold Coast office vacancy rate tightened marginally in the first six months of the year from 22% to 21.5%.
However, it is still more than double that of the Brisbane fringe market (8.5%) and Brisbane CBD (7.9%).
And it remains well above the next worst performing fringe market – the Sydney fringe market of Chatswood, where the vacancy rate eased from 10.7% to 13.7%
“A total of 4,292 square metres was added [on the Gold Coast] over this period, which was almost balanced out by withdrawals of 3,453 square metres and absorption of 2,723 square metres,” says Queensland executive director of the Property Council of Australia Kathy MacDermott.
“All grades, except for B-grade, experienced slight vacancy decreases over this period.”
“With only 1,723 square metres due to come online in the second half of 2012, this should provide the market with further room for absorption.”
Prospective buyers of the Oracle will take note that the Property Council report recorded vacancies tightening noticeably in Broadbeach over the six-month period from 16.8% to 11.1%, significantly lower than the 30.3% vacancy rate recorded at the same time last year.
This was in contrast to other office locations.
“The Southport and Robina-Varsity Lakes markets experienced little change, with decreases of 0.7 and 1 percentage points, respectively,” says MacDermott.
“Both Bundall and Surfers Paradise saw vacancy increases, with Bundall up by 0.8% to 32.1%, its highest level in more than 19 years.
“The Surfers Paradise vacancy rate increased by 1.6 percentage points over the six months, to reach a staggering 28.5%.”
“While certain markets across the Gold Coast remain depressed, Broadbeach is edging towards healthy vacancy levels. As work on major projects such as the Commonwealth Games and the Gold Coast Rapid Transit increases, this will help the market will begin its gradual recovery,” she says.
Witheriff calls the Oracle “one of the most vibrant mixed-use developments in Australia and a proven drawcard for quality commercial and retail tenants”.
“The strong cashflow supported by the national and international tenants with long-term leases has made this world-class precinct a proven performer even in a challenging market,” he says.
The $850 million Oracle project was developed by South Sky Investments, a subsidiary of  Niecon, part of the Nikiforides Group.
It has been in the hands of receivers KordaMentha since December 2010 after the Nikiforides family's Niecon business ran into trouble when a financier withdrew from the project.
A sales campaign to sell the remaining apartments within the two towers commenced in December last year.
Sales have picked up recently, led by interest from local buyers. Gold Coast residents have bought $20 million worth of the 505 apartments.
Peppers Retreat, Resorts and Hotels has been given letting rights to Tower 1, which has been renamed Peppers Broadbeach.
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Oracle commercial precinct on Broadbeach listed with $50 million hopes, with Gold Coast office vacancy rate at 21.5%

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It took Johnson Controls a year to remove, retrofit and replace each of the Empire State Building’s 6,514 double-hung, dual-pane windows – 26,056 panes of glass in total. It was all part of a three-year project that has made the 1930s-era skyscraper – arguably the most famous in the world – among the most energy efficient buildings in the world as well.
The revamp also cut the 102-storey building’s energy bill by around US$2.5 million a year, meaning the US$13 million retrofit will pay itself off in only three years.
But it was a major challenge, given the building’s age and heritage status for Johnson Controls, a huge US-multinational specialising in retrofiting commercial buildings.
Johnson Controls has a long history in Australia and has also been responsible for retrofitting major building spaces in Australia, including the Gateway Plaza and Tower overlooking the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge.
Other Australian projects include retrofitting of 83,000 square metres of property owned by the Victorian Department of Treasury &amp; Finance to reduce energy use by 33%, water use by 8% and greenhouse gas emissions by 9,400 tons annually.
But the Manhattan landmark was arguable the company's greatest green challenge.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/08/empirestate3.jpg">
“The Empire State Building is a historical landmark so you can’t change the look,” Clay Nesler, vice president of global energy and sustainability for Johnson Controls, tells Property Observer.
This meant Johnson Controls had to use the existing unpainted red window frames, dating back to the Empire State's construction in 1931.
The windows were never meant to be red, but because the building was constructed at the height of The Great Depression they were never painted (to save costs) and the original primer colour remains today as a distinctive part of the look of the skyscraper.
To better insulate the building, contractors had to insert an extra spacer into each window and fill this with an inert gas.
“Every day 75 windows came down and 75 new ones went up – it took us a year just to the do the windows,” Nesler says
The process paid off, with the insulation provided by the new window design removing the need to undertake a costly retrofit of the 1931 air-conditioning “chiller” plant in the building.
Replacing the windows was one of eight energy-efficiency improvement measures implemented by Johnson Controls in a project that kicked off in 2008.
Johnson Controls also implemented a new tenant energy management system, which allows every tenant in the building to monitor (via an online system) the amount of energy they are using over any period of time and compare their energy use to other tenants.
“So accounting firms can compare themselves with other accounting firms in the building,” says Neslor.
The success of the Empire State Building project comes as Johnson Controls releases the results of its latest Efficiency Indicator (EEI) survey showing that plans for green building certification in Australia grew about 50% last year.
According to the 253 Australian facility managers, building executives and owners surveyed, more than a quarter (27%) plan to pursue green certification on new construction projects and 41% plan to certify existing buildings.
 
<hr class="system-pagebreak">
 
Nesler says the results show that energy management is growing in importance for Australian building executives with 79% describing energy management as very or extremely important to their organisations, up from 63% in 2011.
Click to enlarge
<a title="Click to enlarge" rel="shadowbox" href="/images/stories/2012/08/es.gif"><img src="/images/stories/2012/08/esthumb.gif"></a>
Source: Johnson Controls
It also found that just over half (52%) of Australian respondents have invested in energy efficiency in the past year, and 35% have invested in renewable energy – both below the global averages (63% and 36% respectively).
Another interesting local result was that Australia, alongside the UK, was the only market in which respondents cited asset value as a top-three motivator for efficiency behind energy cost savings and government and utility incentives or rebates.
According to the survey, Australia’s top three energy efficiency measures adopted in the past 12 months included: lighting improvements (67%), water efficiency improvements (57%), and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) improvements (50%).
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Retrofitting the Empire State Building provides profit lessons for going green in Australia

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<img src="/images/stories/2012/08/17point1m.jpg">
How much the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) has paid for a Hume Highway site at Craigieburn on which it will construct a $109 million training facility. The property, which previously operated as the Apollo Caravan Park at 284-290 Hume Highway, is about 30 kilometres north of Melbourne CBD and comprises 18.6 hectares of relatively flat land, making it ideal for the MFB’s purposes. Savills Australia’s industrial director Michael Green was retained by MFB to find a suitable site and says the proposed new facility willcomplement the MFB’s existing complex at Burnley. He says construction is due to start soon with the facility operational in 2014.
 
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<img src="/images/stories/2012/08/1point12m.jpg">
The price paid for a 290-square-metre refurbished office facility in the Townsville CBD. The sale of the property at 569 Flinders Street, Townsville, was negotiated by Michael Hooper of Ray White Commercial Townsville. Hooper says the property was sold to a local investor. Hooper says there was solid interest in this fully refurbished office with 10 secure rear car parks over a 1,0120-square-metre allotment.
 
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<img src="/images/stories/2012/08/15m.gif">
The value of rural property in north Queensland that has changed hands after a prime portfolio of farming ex-forest plantation land was offered for sale by public tender earlier this year. The portfolio, which consisted of 44 rural properties totalling nearly 4,000 hectares of land located from Innisfail through Tully to Ingham, was taken to the market by global asset manager GMO Renewable Resources. Rawdon Briggs, Colliers International rural and agribusiness executive, has so far brokered deals for 32 of the farms, which saw both corporates and local families purchase this original wet tropics cane land and convert it to sugar cane production once more. The remaining properties in the portfolio range in size from 35 hectares to 339 hectares and are in the Tully and Ingham region.
 
<hr>
 
<img src="/images/stories/2012/08/2point95m.gif">
The price paid by an overseas investor for two prime industrial sites in Airport West on Melbourne’s outer suburban area. Colliers International Tim Homes and Marco Sandrin negotiated the sale of 36 and 35 – 47 Hood Street in Airport West following a campaign which generated strong demand from owner-occupiers, due to its access to the Tullamarine and Calder Freeways. The sites are about 13km north of the Melbourne CBD with convenient access to the Tullamarine and Calder Freeways, Metropolitan Ring Road and Tullamarine and Essendon Airports. The total land area of the property was approximately 5,293 square metres, including 2,145 square metres of office and warehouse space.
 
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<img src="/images/stories/2012/08/1point265m.gif">
The price a private investors has paid for a warehouse/office building at Northgate on Brisbane’s north side that has motoring giant Ford Australia as an anchor tenant. The property at 24 Allworth Street, Northgate, was sold by Steve Black of Ray White Commercial Pine Rivers in conjunction with Cameron Heim of Wright Property. The two-storey building, consists of two units of approximately 290 square metres and 270 square metres each. The property is situated in close proximity to Brisbane Airport.
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Commercial hammer prices

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The appeal of fixed-rate mortgages declined for the third straight month in June to represent the lowest proportion of the owner-occupier market since September last year, according to ABS housing finance data.
Fixed loans of two years' duration or more accounted for just 10.2% of all owner-occupier lending in June, well down from 12.3% of loans in May.
Fixed-rate mortgages reached a recent peak of 14.6% of owner-occupier loans in March, according to the ABS, and were also high at 14% in April, but have declined since in line with the RBA cutting the cash rates in May and June with expectations of at least one more rate cut this year.
The average size of a fixed-rate loan was $289,500, according to ABS figures.
According to July figures from mortgage broker AFG (one month ahead of the ABS), fixed-rate loans held steady 16% of all loans processed, as most new borrowers opted to stick with variable rates.
July figures released by Mortgage Choice show a marked drop in demand for fixed-rate loans from 18% to 15% as demand for variable-rate home loans reached an 11- month high due to speculation of another rate cut in coming months.
Click here for the current (as of August 7) fixed and variable rate offerings in the market.
{module What do you intend to do given the current interest rate fluctuations?}
For information on refinancing, watch our free webinar Refinancing and the Interest Rates Riddle
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Fixed-rate loans losing their appeal: ABS data

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First-home buyers as a proportion of total owner-occupier housing finance commitments rose to their highest level in five months in June, according to ABS housing finance data.
In original terms, the number of first-home buyer commitments as a percentage of total owner-occupied housing finance commitments rose to 18.3% in June 2012, from 17.8% in May 2012.
It was the third successive month that first-home buyer commitments as a percentage of total owner-occupied housing finance commitments have risen.
Loans to first-home buyers were up a strong 4.3% for the month, noted Westpac, to be up 11.8% in the June quarter as a whole.
"This likely reflects the buyer incentives expiring in Victoria and to a lesser extent NSW and SA although lower interest rates also played a role," says Westpac.
"The upgrader market remains essentially flat with loans up 1.2% for he month only partially reversing a 1.5% fall in May. Loans to this segment are unchanged from a year ago".
The proportion of first-home buyers in the market was 16.8% in April, 16.4% in March and 17.2% in February.
However, first-home buyers made up 20.3% of the market at the start of the year.
Between June 2012 and May 2012, the average loan size for first home buyers rose $3,600 to $289,400.
The average loan size for all owner-occupied housing commitments rose $1,900 to $295,500 for the same period.
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First-home buyers at highest level in five months: ABS

<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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“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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[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360966]

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.

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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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Larry Schlesinger

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