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<img src="/images/stories/2013/07/collierslogojuly17.jpg" width="200" height="138" alt="collierslogojuly17" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">
James Crawford has recently been appointed by a listed property developer (AHC Limited) to sell 12 high profile commercial sites in Helensvale on the Gold Coast.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/07/crawfordprofile.png" width="200" height="200" alt="crawfordprofile" style="float: left;">Agent: James Crawford Position: Director of Investment Sales Company: Colliers International Office location: Brisbane
How long have you been in the industry?
Five years
What’s happening in the area you specialise in?
The commercial property market on the Gold Coast has experienced challenging times however, Gold Coast City Council (GCCC) initiatives, low interest rates and an increase in business confidence is contributing to the stabilisation and modest improvement in market conditions.
Describe the most interesting property you have sold?
We were recently appointed by a listed property developer (AHC Limited) to sell 12 high profile commercial sites in Helensvale on the Gold Coast. With more than 100,000 vehicles passing daily, the project has been a huge success. Buyers and interested parties have included ASX listed companies, high net worth individuals, racing car teams, developers, national storage groups, importers, retailers, financial services groups and IT groups to name just a few…
What are the ingredients to being successful in your job?
A genuine interest in people, property and a results driven attitude.
What aspects of your role do you enjoy the most?
Building relationships and securing a sale.
Where would invest a spare $750,000?
I would leverage $750,000 to purchase a tenanted freestanding commercial property circa $1.5m on the Gold Coast.
Which football team do you support?
Australian Wallabies
What’s your favourite app or techno gadget?
My iPhone. Allows me to respond to clients and buyers wherever I may be.
How do you use social media?
I stay connected with industry associates and clients via <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/pub/james-crawford/34/a74/b90">Linkedin.</a>
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In profile: James Crawford, Colliers International's Gold Coast commercial property specialist

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Profits at Macquarie group are set to rise in 2014 as its financial services arm, Macquarie Bank, continues to expand its mortgage footprint via mortgage lending, wholesale funding and mortgage broker distribution deals.
Macquarie chief executive Nicholas Moore signalled a rise in profits in May with the group's AGM, set to take place on Thursday -  last year Macquarie reported a 17% rise in net profit to $851 million for the year ended March 31.
At its 2013 full-year result announcement in early May, Moore said that "profit for the 2014 financial year was expected to be an improvement on 2013 provided market conditions were not worse than those experienced during 2012 - 13."
More recently analysts at Deutsche Bank say the investment bank is significantly undervalued by the market and are forecasting the Macquarie share price to rise as much as 30% over the next year and a half.
The share price has risen from around $36 in mid-April to currently at $46.33 with Macquarie's mortgage expansion a key component of its growth strategy.
The latest APRA monthly banking figures show that Macquarie Bank has grown its owner occupier home loan book by 22.4% in the space of three months from $3.96 billion in February to $4.85 billion in May and more than doubled it in the past 12 months - in May 2012, the loan book was worth $2.2 billion.
This ranks Macquarie as the 11th biggest mortgage lender to owner-occupiers, though it has some way yet to go if it is to become the so-called 'fifth-pillar' in banking behind the four major banks - a position long occupied by ING Bank, which has a $27.59 billion owner-occupier mortgage book.
Macquarie's investor home loan book is also surging, having risen 21% over the past three months from $1.77 billion to $2.14 billion.
Alongside its growing home loan book, Macquarie is branching into new areas of mortgage finance funding while cementing relationships with niche home loan players.
Last month BRW Magazine reported that Macquarie Bank would provide warehouse funding to assist specialist lender Bluestone's re-emergence after a GFC-induced five-year break from mortgage origination.
Macquarie Bank acquired a 17.5% stake in Bluestone in November 2010.
Under the stewardship of chairman Alistair Jeffrey, Bluestone was one of the biggest providers of non-conforming loans (mortgages to borrowers with credit-impaired borrowing histories), but was forced to stop originating new home loans in the wake of the sub-prime mortgage crisis.
Bluestone will now offers its mortgages through AFG’s network of 1,800 mortgage brokers, of which Macquarie is a shareholder.
The provision of funding for Bluestone followed soon after Macquarie Group and Macquarie Bank raised their holding in Mark Bouris’s wealth management and home loans franchise business Yellow Brick Road from 8.3% to 10.5%, this after Macquarie Bank tied up a wholesale funding and mortgage distribution arrangement with the fast expanding franchise business in November last year.
In April, Macquarie Group and Macquarie Bank acquired a 19.8% stake in listed non-bank lender Homeloans Limited - a further potential distribution arm and funding tie-up for its home loans.
Prior to the onset of the GFC, Macquarie provided securitised mortgages to Bluestone and Aussie Home Loans, before pulling back due to the virtual freezing of the residential mortgage backed-securities (RMBS) market.
In early 2010, Macquarie Bank signalled its return to the mortgage game with the creation of Vow Financial, a mortgage aggregation business comprising a number of mortgage broker groups, through which it can distribute its mortgage offerings.
Macquarie has a minority (less than 20%) stake in Vow, which represents around 600 brokers across Australia and has loans under management of about $16.5 billion.
In January this year, Business Spectator columnist Robert Gottliebsen wrote of mortgage and deposit war erupting on the back of Yellow Brick Road accessing cheap funding from Macquarie Bank.  
Macquarie has made no secret of its plans to grow its mortgage lending arm.
As part of its annual operational briefing in February, Macquarie Group CEO Nicholas Moore noted the group’s expanding mortgage portfolio and that “originations are expected to continue to grow significantly in the 2013 calendar year”.
Mortgage Choice chief executive Michael Russell told BRW magazine that Macquarie Bank clearly has an “insatiable desire for a much bigger market share in home loans”.
The APRA figures also show that Macquarie Bank has a $4.65 billion secured housing loan book and total resident assets of $59 billion.
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Macquarie profits forecast to rise in 2014 financial year as home loans business grows 22.4% in three months

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Harry Triguboff will quit the Gold Coast apartment market after completing construction of Meriton's Stellar Apartment project at Southport. 
The Meriton website confirms that Stellar will be its “last development on the Gold Coast” following the release of the final stage of its $1 billion Brighton on Broadwater project.
The residential tower is set to rise to 55 levels and featuring around 500 apartments as well as over 30 shops, an on site recreational complex with indoor heated pool, sauna, spa and gymnasium, overlooking the Broadwater and Nerang River.
Off-the-plan sales of Stellar apartments have yet to begin, but interested parties are asked to register their details with Meriton.
When completed it will be the tallest tower in Southport, designed by DBI architects, and featuring, one, two and three bedroom apartments with views of the Broadwater, Pacific Ocean and Surfers Paradise skyline.
Around 600 apartments in Brighton on Broadwater have been retained as serviced apartments - a market Meriton sees as key to its future growth.
Triguboff, who turned 80 earlier this year, told the Gold Coast Bulletin the Gold Coast market was too volatile with developers needing assistance.
His comments suggest he will continue to focus his developments around Sydney, where he has been building up <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/developments/harry-triguboff-buys-mascot-site-for-%2447-million-with-plans-for-400-apartments/2013062562656">a large war-chest of inner city and suburban development sites.</a>
Harry Triguboff (pictured below), who built his first <a target="_parent" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/new-south-wales/harry-triguboff/2013013159060">two-story development in the Sydney suburb of Tempe</a> in 1963, described Sydney as “economically solid” and a “big and old city”.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/07/Harry-Triguboffjuly24.jpg" width="470" height="373" alt="Harry-Triguboffjuly24">
"The Gold Coast is still building up,” he said, with developers put off by its booms and busts.
The news that Meriton will exit the Gold Coast after 17 projects will come as a blow to the local real estate industry, developers and investors, given the negative publicity around the local high-rise apartment market and the failure of other high profile high-rise projects.
Triguboff suggested an intriguing solution to the Gold Coast market – offering differential interest rates.
"For instance, if mortgage rates were 5% in Sydney they could be 3% or 4% on the Gold Coast,” he said.
Triguboff’s first developments on the Gold Coast were the Nelson and Florida developments, in the early 1980s.
In the mid-1990s he built eight residential towers on Main Beach, Southport. He returned to the city in 1993, snapping up a succession of Main Beach development sites and building eight towers in the beachside suburb.
More recently he has focused on Brisbane with two high-rise apartment projects - the  completed 74-level Soleil tower, currently the city's tallest and Infinity, which will rise to 81 stories when completed in early 2014.
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Harry Triguboff to quit "volatile" Gold Coast market after one last high-rise hurrah

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The premises of a Domino’s Pizza outlet in the south west rural town of Ararat has been listed for August 7 auction with expectations that it will fetch around $475,000 under the hammer.
It will be auctioned as part of a<a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-retail-vic-ararat-500808735" target="_blank"> Burgess Rawson portfolio auction.</a>
In previous Burgess Rawson auction, fast food outlets have been snapped up by investors at attractive yields with the presence of a well-known brand name and a long lease proving enticing.
In June, McDonald’s Australia bought back its own Preston, Melbourne premises at auction for $6.45 million reflecting a yield of 5.65% on net income of $365,000 plus GST.
In April a <a target="_blank" href="/news">KFC restaurant in Mentone</a> in Melbourne’s southeast sold for $3.505 million equating to a gross yield of around 6.5% based on rent of around $227,167 per annum.
The Domino's Ararat premises measure 130 square metres and have recently undergone a $200,000 refurbishment undertaken by ASX-listed Domino’s.
The double-fronted shop on two titles is on Ingor Street as part of an established shopping centre with anchor retailers including Woolworths and Bakers Delight.
It is being marketed by Jamie Perlinger and Billy Holderhead of Burgess Rawson.
Domino’s Pizza has signed a new five year lease with 10 years’ worth of renewal options.
Domino’s pays annual rent of around $31,000 with fixed annual increases of 4%.
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Domino's premises in Ararat offers small investors 6% plus yield potential with long lease

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ME Bank has cut its three year fixed lending rate by 5 basis points to 4.94% per annum - its lowest rate ever.
It continues a trend of lenders cutting fixed rates ahead of a possible rate cut on August 6.
The new rate is available for its three year fixed home and investment loans across the super members home loan (SMHL) and member equity home loan (MEHL) range, including loans within a members package. 
“Fixing lets borrowers lock in low rates over the longer- term, which can help you pay off your home loan faster," said Jamie McPhee, chief executive of ME Bank.
“It also provides an insurance policy against increasing interest rates and provides cash-flow certainty if your current circumstances mean higher rates would put you under stress.”
ME Bank is 100% owned by industry super funds.
Its mortgages and other financial products are provided to industry super fund, union and employer association members.
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ME Bank cuts three-year fixed home loan rate to 4.94%

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The 2013 financial year delivered a 15.6% return for members of median growth superannuation funds, equalling the best performance in the past 16 years, according to research firm Chant West.
Funds oriented more heavily to listed shares and property delivered the strongest results.
It equals the super return generated in 2007 – just before the GFC sent returns plummeting into the red –and was not that far short of the previous highest return of 19.4% in 1997, achieved five years after compulsory super was introduced by Paul Keating.
Unhedged international shares delivered the strongest return over the past year of 33% but the second best performing asset was Australian listed property (A-REITS) with a return of 24% with global listed property returning 17.2%.
Unlisted property returned 8.4%.
Australian shares returned 21.9% and international hedged shared returned 21.3%.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/larry_uploads/chant_west.jpg" width="470" height="278" alt="chant_west">
The top-performing fund for the year was BT’s Super for Life 1960s Lifestage, which returned 18.6%, while even the worst-performing fund in the growth category returned a healthy 10.2%.
Master trusts, with their higher weighting to listed shares and listed property (59% versus 55%), finished the financial year ahead of industry funds, returning 16.1% versus 15.9% - only the third time that master trusts have finished ahead in the past ten years.
Over the longer term, however, industry funds maintain their dominance.
Master trusts are super funds that allow financial advisers to be more personally involved with clients in their super fund asset allocation.
Chant West director Warren Chant cautioned super fund members not to get carried away with a one year figure.
“You’ve always got to remember that superannuation is a long-term investment. There will be good times and bad times, and you certainly can’t expect returns like this every year,” he said.
He says the typical return objective for a growth fund is to beat inflation by 3 to 4% (after investment fees and tax) over rolling five year periods which, in the current low inflation environment, translates to 6% to 7% per annum.
“To judge whether funds are meeting their long-term objectives, you really need to look back as far as you can, and certainly well past the GFC. 
“We now have reliable data for all the major funds going back 21 years to July 1992, which is when compulsory super came in, and if we look back over those 21 years we see that funds have achieved those objectives. 
"The annualised return over that period is 7.5%, the annual CPI increase is 2.6%, so the real return above inflation has averaged 4.9% per annum. 
“As for the risk objective, there were three negative years out of the past 21 which averages out to one in seven, so that target was also met. The bottom line is that, over the 21 years in which we’ve had compulsory super, Australia’s major funds have done what they set out to do,” Chant says.
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Listed property trusts help super funds to best returns in 16 years: Chant West

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Singapore-based CapitaLand will retain its 59% stake in listed property group Australand after failing to secure a “sufficiently compelling” offer.
The announcement comes just a day before Australand releases its half-year results and a day after there was speculation in the Fairfax press that Stockland may make a bid for Australand.
Australand's share price had soared from around $3.20 in mid-June to close at $3.61 yesterday.
However it fell to $3.49 in early trading following the announcement.
Australand issued a statement to the ASX yesterday notifying the market that the process of seeking a buyer had concluded and that indicative proposals had been received from “various parties for all and parts of the business which commenced in early 2013”.
“However, no proposal was able to be developed that was superior to business as usual,” said Australand.
It added that CapitaLand would continue to receive a “steady stream of recurring income” from Australand’s from its commercial and industrial properties, its industrial development business and would benefit from “the improved outlook for the residential sector in key Australian cities”.
A statement submitted by CapitaLand noted that indicative proposals had been received but none were "sufficiently compelling".
Bidders for parts of Australand included GPT, which had its $2.8 billion bid to acquire Australand’s investment property portfolio and commercial and industrial businesses rejected in December.
GPT withdrew its interest at the end of May as did US private equity giant Blackstone.
Mirvac was also tipped as a possible buyer - though this was never confirmed.
A block share trade of CapitaLand holding was also mooted.
The Australian Financial Review's Street Talk column reported that Perth-based residential developer the Satterley Property Group was interested in acquiring Australand's WA and Victorian residential land assets.
Hadley Green Investment Group director Mark Wist commented to Property Observer that the combination of an investment portfolio and a residential property development business would not have appealed to a wide range of potential providers - hence interest amongst interested parties in only acquiring parts of the Australand business.
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CapitaLand to retain majority stake in Australand ahead of half-year results announcement

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Property investing is set to become more male-dominated over the coming years, according to a new survey by mortgage comparison website RateCity.com.au.
It found that of those people who plan to invest over the next 12 months, 63% are men compared with 37% who are women.
Two years ago, the results were a lot closer with 58% prospective investors being men compared with 42% being women.
The results are compiled from RateCity database and the Nielsen CMV National Online Survey comprising responses from 69,592 Australians in 2013 and 32,924 in 2011.
Property investing is also growing  more appealing for younger Australians with the survey finding that those aged between 25 and 34 are the biggest age group intending to invest in property in the next 12 months.
This has changed from the end of 2011 when the biggest age group planning to invest in property was 35-44.
Overall, there was a slight increase of Australians planning to invest in property, with about 3% of the 69,592 people surveyed by Nielson planning to do so over the next 12 months - this excludes people who already own property.
Out of these people, 56% agree that it’s a good time to invest more, which shows that investors are more positive about the property investment market.
“It’s easy to see why property investment is an attractive option for many young Australians because of their risk profile,” says Alex Parsons, CEO of RateCity.
“They have more time to invest in property as property investment is generally a long-term strategy. It’s probably the first time for many young people to invest and property is a lower risk investment than other investment types.”
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Gender divide widens as men show greater affinity for property investing: RateCity survey

How have the investor magazine hotspots fared two years on?

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Another non-bank mortgage lender that uses money raised from small investors to fund property developments has run into trouble.
Bairnsdale-based Gippsland Secured investments (GSI), which has raised around $154 million from just over 5,000 savings accounts, has suspended further redemptions of ‘at call’ and term investments.
The funds have been frozen as of July 19 with GIS warning that information from an ongoing review of “certain loan assets and security properties” will show that “there will be material increase in GSI's provisions for impairment of loans".
Selling its debentures and loans via six branches in East Gippsland, GIS offered fixed investments offering returns of 5.2% per annum for three months rising to 5.6% for 24 months with ‘at call’ investments offering a 5.2% return for SMSFs only.
“Mortgage secured loans for any purpose,” says the GIS website.
GIS reached the $150 million investment funds milestone in July last year with the funds used to finance “local people and projects within the Gippsland region”. Photos on the website show residential development projects.
It reported a loss of $63,000 for the six months to December 2012 with $126.4 million lent out for terms of less than 12 months and $2.9 million worth of loans impaired.
It follows the collapse of another regional <a href="/news">Victoria debenture issuer and mortgage lender Banksia</a> and the collapse of Queensland-based LM Investment Management and Wickham Securities and NSW-based Provident Capital.
All offered investors – mainly ‘mom and dad’ investors and retirees with self-managed superfunds – high returns with the funds lent on as mortgages, often on high risk property developments.
In many cases these companies acted as lender of last resort because the developer could not secure funds from the mainstream lending market.
GIS’s most recent Summer 2013 newsletter mentions that its final results were “hindered slightly by the adverse fallout from the demise of Banksia Finance (based in Kyabram) and the purchase of Southern Finance (based in Warrnambool) by Bendigo Bank.
“Although having no direct connection with either company, we do operate in the same industry and so it’s no real surprise that the negative sentiment impacted on us to at least some degree,” wrote Glenn Sanford, managing director of GIS.
“GSI continues to actively manage its key financial drivers such as liquidity and capital on an ongoing basis and we are comfortable with the current settings.
“GSI is an independent business, operating a straight forward business model that has stood the test of time,” say the directors in the newsletter.
Sanford along with another director, John Stephenson, are the treasurer and chairman respectively of Provic Group Inc - an industry body representing nine debenture/note issuing companies based in regional centres across Victoria and southern New South Wales.
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Investor funds worth $154 million frozen in rural non-bank lender Gippsland Secured Investments

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.

Joel Robinson

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.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152737]

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Nova Rêve arrives as Reve Group bets on Castle Hill's next growth phase

A collection of just 25 large-format apartments and penthouses overlooking Goodwin Park is entering the Coolangatta market, with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/marea-residences-coolangatta-27-27a-dixon-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Maréa Residences</a> combining a low-density, residential-only approach with uninterrupted park and Pacific Ocean outlooks.

Located at 27 Dixon Street, Maréa comprises three and four-bedroom residences alongside a limited number of dual-level penthouses, with the project positioned between Goodwin Park and <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/coolangatta-qld-4225">Coolangatta</a>’s coastal precinct.

Construction has commenced, with completion currently estimated for late 2027. Three-bedroom residences are priced from $1.8 million.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150999 project_image_fid=374005]

The project has been designed around its northern outlook across the park, with the building’s architecture, landscaping and material palette intended to establish a connection with the neighbouring green space. The residences have been configured to maximise natural light and views across Goodwin Park towards the ocean.

Inside, the material palette incorporates timber, stone and brushed brass, complemented by curved detailing and ambient lighting. Kitchens and bathrooms carry the same natural material approach, while residences also include basement parking, storage and lift access.

Maréa’s penthouses are arranged over two levels and include private pools, adding another layer to the project’s focus on larger-format apartment living. Across the development, residences are configured with three or four bedrooms rather than the broader mix of smaller apartment types commonly found in larger projects.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150999 project_image_fid=374010]

Resident amenity is concentrated at rooftop level, where landscaped entertaining terraces and pools take advantage of elevated views across Coolangatta and the Pacific Ocean.

The project has so far been particularly well received by local owner-occupiers and downsizers, according to Urban Activation Property Sales and Marketing Director Matt George, with the residential-only format, construction quality and northern park outlook among the features resonating with purchasers.

“The uninterrupted northern aspect overlooking Goodwin Park has been a key point of difference, with buyers attracted to the sense of serenity and open space the park provides, while still enjoying easy access to the ocean and being within walking distance of the lifestyle and amenities Coolangatta has to offer,” George said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150999 project_image_fid=374002]

“The combination of high-quality construction, a residential-only building, park outlook and proximity to the beach has resonated strongly with the local downsizer market.”

The Dixon Street address is within walking distance of Coolangatta Beach and the broader southern Gold Coast coastline, including the surf breaks at Snapper Rocks and Kirra. Coolangatta’s cafés, restaurants and retail are nearby, while Gold Coast Airport is also within close proximity.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150999]

Maréa Residences brings parkside apartments to Coolangatta

Melbourne developer PDG has secured Victorian Government approval for its $1.5 billion Southbank development <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-one-1-queens-bridge-street-southbank-vic-3006">The One</a>, clearing the way for the long-dormant riverfront site opposite Crown to finally be developed.

The Minister for Planning has approved the project at 1-29 Queens Bridge Street, with the Department of Transport and Planning issuing the planning permit following its assessment.

The approval will allow PDG to develop the prominent 5,059 sqm site with a major mixed-use tower comprising premium apartments, including branded residences, a luxury hotel and boutique office space.

PDG acquired the site in late 2024, with its position directly opposite Crown's main entrance and near Melbourne's Arts Precinct making it one of Southbank's most significant remaining development opportunities.

<img alt="PDG" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3933013e-6332-4386-b9be-089df05caf17" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-27%20at%209.29.22%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=sITIgBqDL0N3VNSMwWEmF5UA.uvcsRyu" />

Designed by COX in collaboration with ODO and PDG, the tower's architecture draws on the movement of the Yarra River, with six vertical pleats running the height of the sculpted facade.

The project will also see the heritage-listed Queens Bridge Hotel restored and incorporated into the development&nbsp;with new hospitality and public uses, including a rooftop venue.

A significant component of The One will be its residential amenity.

More than 5,000 sqm of resident facilities will be delivered across a single level, making it one of the largest consolidated residential amenity offerings proposed in an Australian apartment development.

The planning approval also incorporates a major upgrade of Queensbridge Square, which PDG will deliver in partnership with the City of Melbourne.

<img alt="PDG" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="73167fcd-1031-4b6f-a408-a064cfe45ed1" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-27%20at%209.29.17%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=Pf1AEWxw6SNmBqR0zQW5lyEze.MtxgFp" />

The existing square will be revitalised as a new civic and pedestrian space along the Yarra River, strengthening the connection between the project, Southbank and the riverfront.

PDG Founder and Managing Director Vince Giuliano said the approval represented a major milestone for a site which has remained largely underutilised for more than 15 years.

“This is the most significant Planning Permit approval Melbourne has seen in recent years,” Giuliano said.

“For more than 15 years, this site has remained underutilised. This approval enables us to deliver a project that will contribute meaningfully to the revitalisation of Southbank, restore and reactivate an important heritage building, and create a new civic and hospitality destination for Melbourne.”

The latest approval follows an earlier planning permit issued by the City of Melbourne covering demolition works across part of the site at 9-29 Queens Bridge Street. Those demolition and early works are already underway.

PDG has also started generating early interest in the residential component from owner-occupiers ahead of a planned public launch in early 2027.

PDG secures approval for $1.5bn Southbank apartment development, The One

Local developer Harridan is seeking to turn its Woolloongabba apartment project into the first stage of a broader transformation of Burke Street, using a new 16-storey mixed-use building to establish a greener pedestrian connection toward the rapidly evolving Boggo Road transport and knowledge precinct.

The South East Queensland developer has filed plans for 154 apartments on the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/4-burke-street-woolloongabba-qld-4102">southern side of Burke Street</a>, where its proposal has been designed alongside a wider vision by LatStudios for the street.

That vision positions the southern side of Burke Street for buildings of 15 storeys and above, while envisaging lower-rise development of up to five storeys on the northern side to transition into Woolloongabba's existing character housing. It also proposes wider pedestrian verges, deep planting, new street trees and upgrades to the pedestrian approach to Boggo Road Station.

The Harridan development itself has been designed by Brisbane-based Arqus Design and will comprise 154 apartments across 16 storeys. The mix is weighted heavily toward two-bedroom apartments, with 121 proposed alongside 10 one-bedroom and 23 three-bedroom residences. There will typically be around 14 units per floor.

A lower-ground car park and three podium levels will accommodate 156 resident parking spaces, along with visitor and commercial parking. There will also be 154 resident bicycle spaces and 40 visitor bicycle parks.

&nbsp;

Harridan is a family-owned developer and part of the Holmwood Highgate Group, with more than three decades of development activity across South East Queensland. Its portfolio spans residential, commercial and industrial property, with current residential projects including Riverbank on Byron in Bulimba, Esperance Residences in Carina and The Precinct at Kinross Road in Thornlands.

Wooloongabba has been popular for apartment developers, particularly since the announcement of the 2032 Summer Olympics games in Brisbane.

While there have been a lot of development applications, it has failed to materialize into real supply.&nbsp;

Sarazin has been the major player in the area. They are under construction at Murcia Residences, on the fringe of East Brisbane and Woolloongabba. They have just launched <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-stanley-residences-woolloongabba-8-trafalgar-street-woolloongabba-qld-4102">The Stanley Residences</a>, in Woolloongabba on Trafalagar Street. They also have Nuage coming soon on the nearby <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/nuage-woolloongabba-14-wellington-road-woolloongabba-qld-4102">Wellington Road</a>.

Larry Schlesinger

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