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Property Observer recently reported that the Australian Tax Office will write to <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/tax/ato-to-write-to-110000-rental-property-owners-over-incorrect-rent-deductions/2013061262175" target="_blank">110,000 property investors</a> over concerns they may have claimed rental property deductions they were not entitled to claim.
The ATO now has sophisticated data-mining tools that pick up inconsistencies in tax returns compared with previous years,
With around two-thirds of property investors negatively gearing their rental properties, knowing what you can claim is vital.
These are seven allowable rental property deductions:
1. Claim straightaway for interests on loans
Some expenses may be immediately deductible in the income year in which they are incurred. For example, you may be able to claim an immediate deduction for interest on a loan used to purchase a rental property, purchase land to build a rental property, purchase a depreciating asset for the property - such as an air conditioner; or to finance renovations or home improvements, like a deck.
2. Claim straightaway for depreciating assets 
Deductions can be claimed in the income year in which they are incurred for the decline in value of some types of depreciating assets in residential rental properties - for example, curtains, blinds, dishwashers, refrigerators, stoves, television sets and hot water systems. However, construction costs are not depreciating assets
 3. Claim straightaway for costs to repair and maintain your rental property
You can claim a deduction for the costs that you pay to repair and maintain your rental property. For example, replacing part of the guttering or windows damaged in a storm; replacing part of a fence damaged by a falling tree branch; or repairing an electrical appliance.
4. Claim straightaway for tenancy costs
Tenancy costs such as the preparation of a lease agreement, or costs associated with evicting a tenant are also immediately deductible expenses.
5. Claim deductions over a number of years for assets that are part of the property
You can claim some deductions over a number of years, including the cost of depreciating assets, structural improvements and most borrowing costs. Assets that are part of the property such as stoves, refrigerators, air-conditioning and hot water systems can be claimed over a number of years as a 'decline in value' deduction.
6. Claim deductions over a number of years for assets on construction costs
 You may also be able to claim over a number of years the cost of building, construction and structural improvements made by you or a previous owner as a capital works deduction, for example adding a room or constructing a retaining wall or fence.
7. Claim deductions over a number of years on stamp duty and other fees
Another example of expenses that need to be claimed over a number of years is borrowing costs such as stamp duty charged on a mortgage, loan establishment fees and title search fees charged by the lender. If these amounts are less than $100 in total they can be deducted immediately. Otherwise, they are generally deductible over five years or over the term of the loan, whichever is less.
This advice is sourced from the ATO. It is of a general nature only and does not constitute financial advice. Investors should seek qualified professional financial and tax advice when completing their tax returns.
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lschlesinger-FZcF9M3vE6

Seven rental property deductions property investors are allowed to claim to reduce their tax bill

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The announcement that the $7,000 first-home owner grant in the ACT will end on August 31 – replaced by a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/act-lifts-first-home-owner-grant-to-%2412500-but-for-new-homes-only-from-september-1-fhog-fhb/2013060361890">bigger $12,500 grant for new home homes only from September 1</a> – appears to be already changing buyer behaviour among first-home buyers (FHBs).
It comes as just across the border, the NSW government extended the lifetime of its <a href="/news">$15,000 handout for new homes only until 2016</a>, having originally planned to reduce it to $10,000 from January 1.
There has been a “flurry” of FHB home loan applications, mostly for existing homes closer to the city since the changes were announced in early June, according to Paul O’Regan, head of home loans at LJ Hooker.
He estimates that around 35% of home loan applications are now from FHBs, “significantly more so than previous quarters”.
“First-home buyers traditional make up less than a quarter of the market,” O’Regan tells Property Observer.
Some though are choosing to buy new homes – even though they will receive $5,500 extra from the territory government from September 1.
The concern, says O’Regan is that developers may push up prices when there is a bigger handout on offer – something which happened when the first-home owner grant (FHOG) was doubled (and tripled for new homes) in 2008/2009 to assist the housing market during the GFC.
Most though are buying existing home in the $380,000 to $400,000 price bracket with popular suburbs being Macgregor to the west of the city and Tuggeranong to the South.
O’Regan believes the bigger $12,500 grant for new homes will benefit housing construction and employment, but is less certain of its benefits for first-home buyers, given their preference for established homes.
He believes the property investment market in the ACT will increase, with investors picking up the entry level established homes, for which FHBs will no longer receive a government handout from September 1.
He also expects that some first-home buyers will stay at home longer, delaying their purchases as they save up a bigger deposit or seek assistance from their parents.
And he expects the trend of FHBs becoming ‘renter-investors’ – whereby you continue to rent but forgo the FHB grants by buying an investment property – to rise
“For FHBs that buy an investment property, they get the rental income plus their own wages,” he says.
Not to forget that they can also reduce their tax bills by using negative gearing provisions.
Frank Pompeani, principal at LJ Hooker Tuggeranong has noticed a “slight upwards trend” in first-home buyers.
“FHBs have recognised there is good value to be found in the established market," he says.
He says somewhere like southern Tuggeranong offers good value with three bedroom houses under $400,000 on a small block.
“It’s as good value as in the last four to five years,” he says.
At the same time demand for new homes has tapered a little as some FHBs wait for the new grant to kick to get the extra savings.
But reckons there is still better value to be had buying an established home compared with a new home.
Overall, he says the announcement of the changes to the grant have been a “good stabiliser for the market prior to the election”.
“It’s a nice injection prior to the election, but neither FHBs nor sellers should panic, the value will be there."
His advice: research the market, due your diligence, ask an expert and don’t jump into the first home you see.
“If you’re buying an established home, look at 10 to 15 properties and if you’re buying a new home compare different developments in different suburbs,” he says.
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Imminent end of $7,000 FHB grant in the ACT shifting buyer behaviour: LJ Hooker

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While still heavily favouring landlords, the Sydney vacancy rate eased by 0.4 percentage points in May to 2.1%, according to the latest Real Estate Institute of New South Wales (REINSW) figures.
The increase in the vacancy rate follows three successive months of declining vacancy rates from 1.9% in February to 1.7% in April.
The increase was driven by 0.6 percentage point rise in the vacancy rate in the outer Sydney suburbs (more than 25 kilometres from CBD) from 1.7% to 2.3%.
The inner suburbs (within 10 kilometres from CBD) vacancy rate eased by 0.3 percentage points to 1.9% while the middle suburbs (between 10 to 25 kilometres from CBD) remained unchanged at 1.9%.
A vacancy rate below 3% is said to favour landlords over tenants. “After three months in a row of residential vacancy declines we are back to levels seen in January. Despite the increase vacancy rates are still dire.” REINSW president Christian Payne Beyond Sydney vacancy rates lifted by varying degrees in most regional areas.
In the Illawarra, the vacancy rate lifted 0.1 percentage points to 1.9 per cent, led by a rise of 0.3 percentage points in Wollongong at 2.2%. The Hunter region’s vacancy rate lifted 0.3 percentage points to 2.9 per cent, with an increase of 0.2 percentage points in Newcastle to 2.1%. The Central Coast rebounded 0.7 percentage points to 2.6% and Northern Rivers and New England both jumped 0.3 percentage points to 2.4% and 3.1%, respectively. Despite a rise of 0.2 percentage points, Orana, which includes the major centres of Dubbo, Cobar and Mudgee, continued to be the hardest place to find rental accommodation with a vacancy rate of 1.6%. Coffs Harbour was again the easiest place to find rental accommodation despite the second month in a row of decline at 4.0 per cent, down 0.1 percentage points  Bucking the trend was Albury with a fall of 0.4 percentage points to 1.8% and the Riverina which fell 0.1 percentage points to 3.3%. 
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Outer suburbs lead 0.4 percentage point rise in Sydney vacancy rate to 2.1% in May: REINSW

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Lend Lease has sold its 25% interest in the Jem mixed-use retail and office building in Singapore for S$227 million (around A$189 million) amid "softer" construction markets.
The 25% interest in the building has been divested into a newly created fund called the Lend Lease Jem Partners Fund.
The profitable sale was completed earlier than expected following the opening of the retail component of the project this weekend.
Jem (pictured below) is part of a larger Singapore government project - the Jurong East’s new town centre - being developed as the first “lifestyle hub” in West Singapore.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/06/jemjune17one.jpg" width="470" height="191" alt="jemjune17one">
The development site where Jem is located was acquired in June 2010 via a joint venture between Lend Lease (25% ownership) and Lend Lease Asian Retail Investment Fund (ARIF) -75% ownership.
Over the last three years, Lend Lease has developed the site including the retail component of Jem, which opened 100% leased this past weekend (June 15).
“The Jem development is a tremendous example of our integrated business at work, bringing together an attractive project for our investors with design, delivery, development, leasing and asset management all delivered by Lend Lease.
“Strong investor interest enabled us to recycle our capital ahead of expectations and grow our funds under management in Asia,” said Lend Lease chief executive, Steve McCann.
The sale of the direct stake in Jem will lead to another strong result for Lend Lease’s Asian operations in the 2013 financial year, he added.
It will also lower Lend Lease’s effective tax rate for the 2013 financial year.
Lend Lease said that its Asian development, Australian infrastructure development and Australian property businesses were performing better than the prior year.
However, it said the underlying construction markets in Australia and EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) “have softened in the second half of the 2013 financial year, “contributing to reduced earnings from the construction businesses in those regions”.
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Lend Lease sells 25% stake in Singapore commercial development for $189 million 

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Shares in listed property group Lend Lease fell 8% this morning after it warned that underlying construction markets in Australia and the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) “have softened in the second half of the 2013 financial year, “contributing to reduced earnings from the construction businesses" in these regions.
A short while ago Lend Lease shares were trading down 7.1% at $8.64 down from $9 at the start of trading.
<div class="column" style="text-align: justify;">The share price tumble came as announced plans to restructure its construction and infrastructure business amid softer  with decades old construction firms Abigroup and Baulderstone, plus its project management and construction and infrastructure services businesses, to be transformed into three sector-based business divisions.</div>
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 It also announced plans to sells<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/industry-news/lend-lease-sells-25-stake-in-singapore-commercial-development-for-%24189-million/2013061762323?utm_source=po&amp;utm_medium=aida&amp;utm_campaign=newsplus"> 25% stake in Singapore commercial development for $189 million.</a> <h1></h1>
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The four businesses will be transitioned three businesses- one servicing the building sector, one servicing the engineering sector and one servicing the infrastructure services sector.
A decision about the branding of these businesses will be announced following stakeholder consultation during June and July.
Abigroup??? specialises in engineering, building, water and rail construction and dates back more than 50 years when it was established as Abignano Pty Limited in 1961. It became part of the Lend Lease Group in 2011.
Baulderstone is one of Australia’s largest building and engineering companies and has an even longer history with its establishment dating back to 1926, It has built some of Australia’s most iconic buildings including the heritage-listed Sydney Opera House, Sydney's Anzac Bridge, Brisbane's Story Bridge, Melbourne's Etihad Stadium and Adelaide's Convention Centre.
The new structure will take effect from August 1 with the aim of creating “more effective and competitive operating businesses”.
“It will enable greater leverage of skills and expertise, improved operational systems and efficiencies, said Lend Lease.
“The transition will increase our capacity for growth and facilitate more robust end-to-end client solutions,” said Lend Lease group chief executive Steve McCann.
“The combination of core skills in each of these organisations will result in best-in-class delivery capabilities.
“We will have businesses that compete for the leading market position against our external competitors in each of the engineering, building and infrastructure services sectors.
“These existing businesses have a rich and long history and this next step of consolidation will acknowledge and build on the success of this proud history.”
The transition will be headed by Lend Lease’s Australian construction and infrastructure business leaders, chief executive David Saxelby, chief operating officer, Dale Connor and finance boss, Andrew Muller.
 
 
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Lend Lease share price falls 8% after reporting "softening" construction conditions

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Melbourne-focused Asian development group Far East Consortium has acquired the remaining majority portion of the former headquarter of The Age at 250 Spencer Street for $75 million.
The site has approval for an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/developments/ispt-looking-to-sell-majority-of-spencer-street-site-formerly-occupied-by-the-age-newspaper/2013060661961">$800 million six-tower apartment development.</a>
The property development group announced the acquisition in a statement to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange over the weekend, where it is listed.
The purchase is subject to Far East Consortium being granted approval by the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB).
Far East Consortium is currently building the $1 billion Upper West Side project which features four residential towers of 2,600 apartments near The Age site. One tower is already completed with a second under construction.
The latest acquisition continues the trend of Asian-based property developers acquiring Melbourne CBD development sites for residential high-rises.
Current Asian projects in Melbourne include Hengyi Australia, the Australian arm of the mainland Chinese developer which is developing serviced apartments at The William at 199 William Street opposite the Supreme Court.
In December Malaysian developer Mammoth Empire secured a prime development opportunity on Elizabeth Street opposite a 55-storey residential tower it already has under construction.
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/victoria/melbourne-cbds-tallest-residential-tower-crown-tussle/2013022858541">Singapore developer Chip Eng Seng </a>has received the go ahead for CEL Australia’s $170 million Tower Melbourne which will boast 555 apartments (and townhouses) across 71 storeys.
The 11,750 square metres portion of the 15,200 square metres site (nearly a whole city block)  acquired by Far East Consortium was put up for sale by ISPT last month with expectations of between $70 million and $80 million.
The smaller eastern portion of the site was sold to Melbourne apartment developer Central Equity for $17 million in 2010.
Far East Consortium has completed around a dozen projects over the past 20 years.
ISPT acquired the site for $66 million in 2007.
Colliers International agent Tim Storey negotiated the ­off-market campaign.
 
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Hong Kong-listed Far East Consortium acquires ISPT’s Spencer Street site for $75 million

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The fortunes of Clive Palmer’s five-star Coolum Resort have sunk dramatically, a local tourism operative has claimed.
It follows Palmer renaming of the former Hyatt Regency Resort the 'Palmer Coolum Resort', the reported sacking of hundreds of workers and the loss of its premier event, the Australian PGA, which this year will be played at Royal Pines.
Noel Mooney, president of Coolum Business and Tourism, told The Australian that the original investment by Palmer was treated as a very good for the local economy but that things have since soured.
"Nothing (at the resort) seems to make sense now.
"Nothing flows or matches up. Occupancy there has been down to 2% and 3%
“Before (under Hyatt's management and higher occupancy) the tourists would venture out and spend money in the retail areas,” says Mooney.
Court documents obtained by The Australian from Palmer's battles with Hyatt in the Supreme Court last year reveal it had a much higher occupancy but was losing money when he bought it in mid-2011.
The mining billionaire and now political candidate in the seat of Fairfax <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/mining-magnate-clive-palmer-snaps-up-sunshine-coast-resort/2011070650722" target="_blank">acquired the five star former Hyatt Regency resort</a> and adjoining golf course from Lend Lease at Coolum on the Sunshine Coast in July 2011 and has since renamed it Palmer Coolum Resort.
Last year, Palmer severed ties with the Hyatt group, which had the management rights for the resort for 12 years.
The newly branded resort includes a portrait of the mining magnate in the lobby, a restaurant called the Palmer Grill and most recently, a new car museum with 30 vintage cars from Palmer's private collection including a 1954 Aston Martin.
He has reportedly scaled back plans for a dinosaur theme park.
 
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Occupancy rates at Clive Palmer’s Coolum Resort now in low single digits

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Fund manager Moss Capital, run by former Macquarie Bank director Bill Moss, has acquired the Manning Mall in Taree from Mirvac for $32.6 million.
The sub-regional shopping centre (pictured below) in the Mid North Coast NSW town has 11,300 square metres of retail space and is anchored by Target and Coles.
<img alt="mosscapitaljune17one" height="294" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/06/mosscapitaljune17one.jpg">
The funds management business plans to spend a further $150 million in retail assets, The Australian reported.
Mirvac acquired the Manning Mall for $32.5 million in November 2006 and spent a reported $15 million refurbishing it in 2009.
It was valued at $33 million as of June 2012 with turnover of $48 million per annum.
It is Moss Capital’s second regional NSW retail acquisition after it acquired the Griffin Plaza at 2 Yambil Street for $14.75 million in November last year.
The 7,225 square metre neighbourhood shopping centre was purchased from Millennium Asset Management on a yield of around 10.5%.
Bill Moss managed Macquarie Group’s global banking and real estate businesses as part of a 23 year career at the investment bank.
He founded, grew and led Macquarie real estate group to where it managed over $23 billion worth of investments around the world.
Commenting on the latest acquisition, Moss Capital’s head of real estate, Michael Baliva, said Manning Mall fitted its investment criteria "given its non-discretionary focus, robust cash flow, attractive acquisition yield of 10.4% and its strong growth in centre sales following the closure of a competing Coles supermarket in the immediate area".  
“The centre will deliver our investors high risk-adjusted returns with forecast income distributions in excess of 10 per cent per annum; significantly more attractive than from A-REITs investing in similar assets.”

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Moss Capital plans more shopping centre acquisitions after $32.6m Manning Mall, Taree purchase

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Westpac will from Tuesday (June 18) cut its two and three-year fixed-rate home loan rates below 5% for package home loan customers.
The bank will cut both rates by 10 basis points to 4.99% for new borrowings under its premier advantage package offering.
The bank <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/westpac-lead-the-big-banks-below-5-on-nfixed-home-loans/2013020659208">briefly flirted with a 4.99% interest </a>rate for its two-year fixed rate home loan from February 7 to March 19.  
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Term
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<td>
Previous Rate (Stand Alone) %
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<td>
New Rate (Stand Alone) %
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<td>
New Rate (Premier Advantage Package) %
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Change %
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<td>
1 year
</td>
<td>
5.44
</td>
<td>
5.44
</td>
<td>
5.24
</td>
<td>
-
</td>
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<td>
2 year
</td>
<td>
5.29
</td>
<td>
5.19
</td>
<td>
4.99
</td>
<td>
-0.10
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<td>
3 year
</td>
<td>
5.29
</td>
<td>
5.19
</td>
<td>
4.99
</td>
<td>
-0.10
</td>
</tr>
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It follows a host of lenders recently cutting their fixed-rate home loans with demand for the product rising to one in three borrowers, according to the May mortgage approval figures from Mortgage Choice.
<a target="_blank" href="/news">Today HSBC</a> cut its two-year fixed-rate home loan to 4.59% for a limited time and its three-year fixed rate home loan to 4.79%.
Official ABS figures show a fifth of borrowers fixed their home loan rate in April.
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Westpac cuts two and three fixed-rates below 4.99% 

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ANZ has left its standard variable mortgage rate unchanged at 6.13% following its monthly independent interest rates review.
The bank decides on its interest rate settings on the second Friday of every month.
It was the only major bank to pass on more than the 25 basis points cut from the cash rate by the RBA in May.
The bank cut its standard variable mortgage rate by 27 basis points on May 10 - the first time it has cut its interest rates by more than the RBA since implementing its independent interest rates review policy 18 months ago.
Variable interest rates for small business lending also remain unchanged said ANZ.
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ANZ leaves variable mortgage rates unchanged at 6.13% 

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/broadbeach-qld-4218">Broadbeach</a> offers plenty of reasons to live vertically, but moving from a substantial family home into an apartment can expose the compromises of high-density living. Privacy, room for guests and usable living space tend to matter more when an apartment is intended as a permanent home rather than an occasional coastal base.

A typical residential floor at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-eveleigh-broadbeach-7-9-surf-parade-broadbeach-qld-4218">The Eveleigh</a>, on Surf Parade,&nbsp;contains just four apartments. The 94-residence development by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/hirsch-faigen">Hirsch &amp; Faigen</a> is predominantly made up of expansive three-bedroom homes, with a limited collection of half-floor penthouses above.

Across the apartment floors, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a> has used the relatively limited number of residences to give each home greater access to natural light and outlook. Living spaces extend towards full-height glazing, while a series of bay windows frame selected views across the Pacific Ocean, city and hinterland rather than treating the building edge as a continuous wall of glass.

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[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360965]

“The apartment floors deliver a collection of homes that embrace controlled outlook via a series of bay windows deliberately framing moments of view,” Rothelowman Director Kim Lowman said.

From outside, those projecting forms contribute to the tower’s faceted profile. Strong horizontal and vertical elements establish its proportions, while the changing position of the sun alters the light, shadow and reflection across the façade throughout the day.

The same attention moves inside the apartments, where the material palette combines warm timber, natural stone, metallic detailing and softer curved forms. Kitchens sit within the main living zone, with stone island benches, integrated joinery and European appliances, before the living areas extend towards the glazing and the outlook.

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[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360981]

Three genuine bedrooms provide room to accommodate family and guests, while two secure car spaces and storage address some of the practical considerations that can become more noticeable when moving from a larger home. Feedback from the display suite has centred on the warmth and restraint of the interiors, with buyers commenting that the residences feel like homes rather than conventional coastal apartments.

A limited collection of half-floor penthouses occupies the upper levels, increasing the scale of the living spaces and adding private balconies and elevated finishes. From this position, the outlook extends between the ocean and hinterland.

Outside the private residences, The Eveleigh separates its shared spaces between the podium and rooftop. The podium is centred on wellness, with subtropical landscaping surrounding a swimming pool and pool terrace, yoga garden, private gymnasium, sauna and hot and cold plunge facilities. Landscaped retreats and pavilions provide additional places to sit away from the main recreation areas.

&nbsp;

[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.

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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.

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MAYD Founder Todd Mould said North Kirra was increasingly appealing to buyers attracted to the more established, lower-density character of the southern Gold Coast.

"North Kirra presents one of the most compelling luxury residential opportunities currently emerging in Australia, combining absolute beachfront with the character and authenticity that buyers are increasingly seeking, and the same sense of tight-knit community that defined Burleigh and Currumbin perhaps 10 or 15 years ago," Mould said.

"With Gold Coast Airport on its doorstep, it also offers a level of accessibility that broadens its appeal across almost every market demographic."

The project comes as the southern Gold Coast continues to attract an increasing share of high-end apartment development and buyer activity.

Kirra in particular has emerged as one of the region's more tightly held beachfront markets, with its relatively low-density character, established surf and hospitality scene and proximity to Gold Coast Airport differentiating it from the higher-density markets further north.

Mould said those characteristics had informed the approach MAYD and Cera Stribley had taken to the project.

"We've worked closely with Cera Stribley to create a vision that is deeply connected to its surroundings," he said.

"Inspired by the coastline itself, the architecture has been shaped around space, privacy and resort-style living, creating a collection of homes that reflects the next generation of luxury on the southern Gold Coast."

MOTIV Managing Director Carly Cottam, who has been appointed to market the project, said buyer attention had continued to move south along the Gold Coast.

"Purchasers who may once have defaulted to Broadbeach, Main Beach or Surfers Paradise are increasingly recognising the value of a genuine beachfront location that offers lower density, strong amenity and a more established sense of community," Cottam said.

"Kirra has a powerful combination of growing demand and genuine scarcity. Beachfront supply is inherently constrained, the area remains relatively low density, and buyers are increasingly placing a premium on locations that feel established, uncrowded and authentic rather than heavily developed."

Cottam said the proximity to Gold Coast Airport was also proving increasingly important for interstate and second-home buyers.

"Being minutes from Gold Coast Airport makes it particularly compelling for interstate buyers, frequent travellers and second-home purchasers who can access an authentic coastal lifestyle almost immediately after stepping off a flight."

The acquisition takes MAYD's active development portfolio to more than $500 million, with the North Kirra project representing one of its largest undertakings to date.

MAYD is targeting an early 2027 launch.

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

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

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