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Bookmaker Tom Waterhouse does not understand the responsibility that comes with fronting your brand, says Aussie Home Loans founder John Symond. 
Symond has been the face of the Aussie Home Loans brand since its launch in the 1990s, most famous for his catch-phrases “We’ll save you” and “That’s confidence. That’s Aussie”. 
Waterhouse, the face of the Tom Waterhouse betting business (with the phrase “I know what punters want”) has come under fire for previously appearing as a pseudo commentator on live sports events and promoting betting odds on free to air television. 
According to Symond, Waterhouse failed to understand that television is a “sensitive space”. 
“Tom invaded their free space where they were relaxing. They didn’t want that,” said Symond as part of a Mumbrella panel discussion. 
Symond said there was no need for a bookmaker on footy shows. 
The others on the panel - Boost Juice boss Janine Allis, Lorna Jane creator Lorna Jane Clarkson and online tech marketer Ruslan Kogan – agreed with Symond on the great responsibility that comes with fronting your own brand, particularly when it faces criticism. 
“If you’re fronting the brand and the consumers think Aussie is John Symond, then John Symond’s got to come out and make a statement”, said Symond. 
Symond has faced criticism over his decision to sell the business to the Commonwealth Bank having launched Aussie Home Loans as a challenger to the dominance of the major banks. 
However he has stated that Aussie Home Loans continues to operate as a separate entity.</body></html>

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Tom Waterhouse does not understand the responsibility of being the face of a brand: John Symond

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Unlisted property fund manager ISPT is seeking to sell a portion of its 250 Spencer Street site that was previously occupied by The Age newspaper and which has approval for an $800 million six-tower apartment development.
The 11,750 square metres portion of the 15,200 square metres site (nearly a whole city block) is being sold off-market with expectations of between $70 million and $80 million, according to market sources, reports The Australian Financial Review.
The smaller eastern portion of the site was sold to Melbourne apartment developer Central Equity for $17 million in 2010.
In January, Victorian planning minister Matthew Guy granted approval for <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/victoria/six-high-rise-towers-to-replace-former-age-site-on-spencer-street/2013012959013" target="_blank">six Bates Smart-designed towers between 39 and 63 storeys</a> after the plans were first submitted in December 2011.
The sale of the site is being handled by Colliers International’s Tim Storey, with the campaign closing this week.
ISPT in partnership with Axiom Properties Limited bought The Age newspaper’s Melbourne headquarters for $66.1 million in 2007.
Axiom Properties cashed in its 50% stake in 250 Spencer Street, selling it to ISPT in 2010.
The Age – sometimes referred to as the Spencer Street Soviets – relocated to their new premises at the Bates Smart-designed Media House across from Southern Cross Station in December 2009.
It formally vacated the 250 Spencer Street property in February 2010.
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ISPT looking to sell majority of Spencer Street site formerly occupied by The Age newspaper

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Dwelling prices are trending up in five out of six of Australia’s major capital cities, albeit at different rates of uneven growth.
The strongest upward trends are in Sydney and Perth, the latest RBA chart pack's dwelling price graph shows.
The graph uses RP Data- Rismark data.
<img height="375" width="470" src="/images/stories/april23tivoli/house_prices.gif" alt="house_prices">
More insipid growth is occurred in Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra while the Adelaide market has shown little sign of improving and is still well below its 2009 peak.
Sydney, Perth and Canberra dwelling prices are all close to their previous peaks.
Regional dwelling prices have hardly changed over the past four years.
AMP Capital Investors chief economist Shane Oliver has highlighted that the current recovery in dwelling prices following the start of the current monetary policy easing cycle (beginning in November 2011) is the<a target="_blank" href="/news"> weakest compared with the three previous easing cycles.</a>
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Dwelling prices trending up in major capital cities but at uneven growth rates: RBA chart pack

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First-home buyers have deserted the NSW property market in droves with improved housing affordability and significantly reduced interest rates not having any impact on the willingness of this key market segment to climb onto the property ladder.
The number of home loans to NSW first-home buyer in the March quarter totalled 2,647 - 57% lower than a year ago and a 40.6% fall in the March quarter alone, the latest Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA) figures reveal.
This was the largest annual decline recorded across the country but in line with a national trend of dwindling first-home buyer demand.
According to the REIA, first-home buyers made up 14.5% of the national owner-occupier market in the March quarter compared to 16.5% in the December quarter 2012 - the lowest level since the June quarter of 2004.
The number of new finance commitments to first home buyers decreased 22.5% to 18,348 in the March quarter.
Compared to the first quarter of 2012, new finance commitments to first home buyers decreased 21.3%.
Some of the blame for the  steep slide in NSW first-home buyer numbers will be attributed to the state government’s decision to axe the $7,000 first-home owner grant on September 31 in favour of a $15,000 grant for new homes only.
In Queensland, a state which has also cancelled its first-home owner grant in favour of a $15,000 handout for new homes in September last year, home loans to first-home buyer decreased by 43.7% over the March quarter  to 2,557 - the largest quarterly decline across the nation.
Victoria, the ACT, South Australia and Tasmania all plan similar changes to first-home buyer grants in the coming months.
Both <a href="/news">Property Observer</a> editor Jonathan Chancellor and <a href="/news">hotspotting.com.au’s Terry Ryder</a> have highlighted the ill-directed nature of such schemes (Ryder called Queensland’s grant “a new definition of insanity”) which attempt to dangle a financial carrot in front of the noses of first-home buyers to sway them towards new homes over existing ones.
The REIA is also campaigning for a re-commitment by these states to a universal grant available for both new and existing homes.
It should be borne in mind that first-home buyer numbers have declined despite housing affordability as measured by the REIA improving for seven consecutive quarters following the RBA cutting cash rate by 200 basis points since November 2011 and much of this (around 80%) being passed on by lenders to variable rate mortgage holders.
Over the same period, dwelling prices have risen by a moderate 2.4%, according to RP Data figures.
Clearly other forces are also at play including relatively low consumer confidence, concerns about job prospects and the high cost of home ownership in key markets like Sydney and Melbourne, despite recent incremental improvements.
Victoria, which has yet to implement its new homes only $10,000 first-home buyer grant, recorded a more modest 15.4% drop in the number of loans to first home buyers over the quarter to 6,053. However, the figure is unchanged compared with the same quarter of the previous year.
South Australia was the only state or territory to record a rise in the number of loans to first home buyers, up by 1.8%.
For the year, Western Australia recorded the largest increase in loans to first home buyers, up by 19.2%.
The number of first home buyers in Tasmania dropped by 3.9% over the quarter but increased 15.9% compared to the March quarter of the previous year, to 349. During the quarter, first home buyers made up 16.8% of owner-occupier market in Tasmania.
The number of first buyers’ loan commitments in the Northern Territory dropped 23.8% to 231 over the quarter but increased 0.9% compared to the March quarter of 2012. Of all owner-occupier housing finance commitments in the territory, first home buyers made up 21.9% during the first quarter 2013.
The number of first home buyers in the Australian Capital Territory fell 0.5% to 367 during the quarter. This is 9.9% higher than the figure recorded during the March quarter 2012.
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With existing homes ineligible for state grants, NSW suffers 57% annual drop in first-home buyers: REIA

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The peak in the resources investment boom is impacting on the perennial Queensland hotspot location of Gladstone.
Valuers Herron Todd White report that the Gladstone residential market has remained “relatively subdued over recent months as major gas projects in the area are nearing peak construction workforces and demand for accommodation has eased significantly”.
“In a number of instances, values have returned to levels below what was reached at the height of the previous boom in late 2007.
“Vendors in the current market are being faced with an abundance of competition and are being forced to reduce prices to obtain a sale," says Herron Todd White in its latest May report.
These comments are echoed by Real Estate Institute of Queensland chief executive Anton Kardash, who says the Gladstone’s market has cooled down somewhat after several quarters of very strong results due to the resources boom.
The REIQ records a stagnant Gladstone market over the past year with a 0.3% rise in Gladstone house prices over the March 2013 quarter to $449,000 off 113 sales.
In comparison to Gladstone’s stagnation, Rockhampton recorded a 7.8% rise in median house prices off 270 sales to $339,000 while Mackay house prices rose 3.2% to $428,250.
Even the struggling Cairns housing market outperformed Gladstone over the quarter with values up 2.4% to a median of $358,500 off 324 sales.
<img alt="gladstone_prices" height="151" width="470" src="/images/stories/april23tivoli/gladstone_prices.jpg">
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/queensland/rockhampton-s-time-will-come-soon-terry-ryder/2013030659704">Hotspotting.com.au’s Terry Ryder </a>wrote in March that Gladstone had entered into a “correction phase, as bulk new supply floods into the market” with Mackay and Rockhampton identified by Ryder as the new rising stars.
In April, development group Crawford Property advertised a $20,000 discount on its Gladstone townhouse development with the price of a three-bedroom townhouse reduced from $549,000 to $529,000.
 
<hr class="system-pagebreak">
Herron Todd White also notes the recent sharp rise in the Gladstone vacancy rate from 2.1% in the December 2012 quarter to 5.9% in the March 2013 quarter as recorded by the REIQ.
A year ago the Gladstone vacancy rate was 1.4%. 
<img alt="reiq_vacancy_rates" height="438" width="441" src="/images/stories/april23tivoli/reiq_vacancy_rates.jpg"> 
“Mackay and Gladstone both recorded significant increases in vacancy rates as at the end of March due to less demand for rental properties from mining companies, and an element of increases in the supply of rental stock,” said the REIQ's Anton Kardash.
Herron Todd White calls the rise in the vacancy rate a “very significant recent statistic”.
“This statistic clearly indicates the vulnerability of the Gladstone accommodation market and consequently the residential property market.
“We still feel that the dwellings in Gladstone City area and immediate surrounding suburbs will prove to be the best medium to long term investments in the area due to the large number of house and land developments currently underway generally on the outskirts of Gladstone area.
Herron Todd White expects workforce numbers relating to the construction of LNG projects around Gladstone to peak in 2013.
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Prices fall and vacancies rise in “vulnerable” Gladstone market: Herron Todd White

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The decision by the ACT government to withdraw the $7,000 first-home owner grant on August 31 and replace it with a $12,500 grant for new homes only from September 1, means six states and territories have shifted their incentives in favour of what Ray White boss Brian White says is effectively a “builders’ grant”.
NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia. Tasmania and the ACT have all withdrawn (or will withdraw in the coming months) their handouts for first-home buyers who buy an established home.
The Real Estate Institute of Australia's (REIA) campaign for these states and territories to honour the “uniform” nature of the original InterGovernmental Agreement struck in 2000 that “an eligible home will be new or established” is unlikely to succeed.
For first-home buyers, these are the grant handouts available in their state and territory markets currently as well as what’s about to change in the coming months:
(Click on the state names for links to the relevant state revenue office pages).
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.osr.nsw.gov.au/benefits/first_home/">NSW</a>
The NSW state government offers a $15,000 grant for first-home owners who purchase or build a new home valued at up to $650,000. The grant was available until December 31, 2013, reducing to $10,000 from January 1, 2014, but the 2013 State Budget<a target="_blank" href="/news"> extended the availability of the $15,000 </a>until January 2016.
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.sro.vic.gov.au/sro/sronav.nsf/alltitle/First%20Home%20Owners?open">Victoria</a>
The Victorian government offers a $7,000 first-home owner grant for both new and existing homes until from June 30. The grant is available if the price of the property or construction of the home does not exceed $750,000. From July 1 a new $10,000 grant for newly constructed homes under $750,000 begins.
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.osr.qld.gov.au/first-home-owner-grant/index.shtml">Queensland</a>
The Queensland government offers a $15,000 great start grant for first-home buyers buying or building a new home valued under $750,000.
<a target="_parent" href="https://www.finance.wa.gov.au/cms/content.aspx?id=344">Western Australia</a>
The WA government offers the $7,000 first-home owner grant for both existing homes and new homes. A cap limits the total value of properties (i.e. total value of home and land) to $750,000 or less, or if the home is located north of the 26th parallel to $1,000,000 or less.
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.revenuesa.sa.gov.au/fhog/index">South Australia</a>
The South Australian government offers a FHOG of $15,000 for new homes. It also offers a maximum Housing Construction Grant (HCG) of $8,500  to all home buyers (FHBs and non-FHBs) who are purchasing or building a new home with a market value of under $400 000. Above $400,000 to a maximum of $445,000 the grant decreases in increments of $5,000.
For first home buyers buying an existing home there is a First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) of $5,000.
The Housing Construction Grant expires on June 30 2013. The $5,000 FHOG grant for existing homes expires on June 30 2014.
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.revenue.act.gov.au/home_buyer_assistance">ACT</a>
The ACT government offers a $7,000 grant to first home buyers buying both existing and new homes capped at the total value of home and land of $750,000 or less. This expires on August 31. From September 1 first-home buyers in the ACT will receive $12,500 if they buy or build a new home or buy one that has been substantially renovated.
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.sro.tas.gov.au/fhog">Tasmania</a>
The Tasmanian government currently offers a one-off FHOG payment of up to $7,000. The grant is not means tested and there is no cap on the value an eligible home.
There is also a First Home Builder Boost (FHBB), a payment, in addition to the FHOG, of up to $8 000. It is available for eligible applicants, purchasing a newly built home or who are owner-builders between 1 January 2013 and 30 June 2014 and who meet the required time frames for commencement and completion of the house.
Both these grants will end on June 30, 2014.
From July 1 2014, Tasmanian first-home buyers who build or buy a new home (including off-the-plan) will be entitled to a $7,000 FHOG.
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.treasury.nt.gov.au/TaxesRoyaltiesAndGrants/HomeOwnerIncentives/Pages/default%20220213.aspx">Northern Territory</a>
The Northern Territory offers a first-home owner grant for both new and established homes that remains ongoing.
FHOG is not means tested however, from 1 January 2010 eligibility ceases to apply if the consideration for, or the value of the home is more than the transaction eligibility threshold (see table below). This includes the unencumbered value of the land on which a home is to be built. The amount of the transaction eligibility threshold is determined based on the commencement date of the eligible transaction.
The commencement date of an eligible transaction is:
for a contract to purchase or construct a home, the date when the contract is made; or
for an owner builder, the date the laying of the foundations commenced.
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="1" style="width: 470px;"><tbody>
<tr>
<td width="318" valign="top">
Commencement date of eligible transaction?
</td>
<td valign="top">
Transaction eligibility threshold?
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="318" valign="top">
On or after 4 December 2012?
</td>
<td valign="top">
$600 000?
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="318" valign="top">
From 1 January 2010 - 3 December 2012?
</td>
<td valign="top">
$750 000?
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="318" valign="top">
Prior to 1 January 2010?
</td>
<td valign="top">
No threshold applied?
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
The amount of the grant increased on 4 December 2012 in relation to eligible transactions that commenced on or after that date. From that date, the amount of the grant also varies depending on the type of transaction and location of the property.
If the commencement date of the eligible transaction is on or after 4 December 2012, the amount of the grant is the lesser of the consideration actually paid for the eligible transaction, or:
a) $12 000 if the home is an established home in the urban area;
b) otherwise - $25 000
If the commencement date of the eligible transaction is before 4 December 2012, the amount of the grant is the lesser of the following:
a) the amount of consideration actually paid for the eligible transaction;
b) $7000
An established home is one that has been previously sold or occupied, and is lawfully fit for occupation.
An urban area means all land located wholly within the boundaries of:
<ul>
<li>the Darwin, Palmerston or Litchfield municipalities;</li>
<li>Wagait Shire;</li>
<li>the Darwin Waterfront Precinct;</li>
<li>the “prescribed area” for the Darwin Rates Act.</li>
<li>any other area prescribed by regulation.</li>
</ul>
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First-home owner grants: a state-by-state guide

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People who pay thousands of dollars to attend investment seminars in the belief this will help them get rich quick are only fooling themselves, Yellow Brick Road founder and Celebrity Apprentice host Mark Bouris has warned.
Bouris says there are no “shortcuts” or “secrets to success” - only “pure hard work”.
His says his message is aimed at “those people who pay tens of thousands of dollars to find out things like the seven secrets to success”.
“It’s all BS. There is no such thing as a secret to success,” said Bouris in an interview on a Channel Nine Saturday morning breakfast show.
“There are no secrets other than work hard, be committed and having a purpose.”
This message may equally apply to those who attend <a href="/news">property investment seminars</a>, with ASIC currently clamping down on dodgy spruikers.
Usually the initial investment seminar is free - accompanied by a free lunch - but follow up one-on-one consultations come with a hefty financial investment requirement.
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No shortcuts to investment success: Mark Bouris

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<img alt="collierslogo" height="94" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/02/collierslogo.jpg">
Colliers International’s Stephen Kidd says as retailing is the largest single employer group in Australia at the moment, growing support of e-commerce may very well put a large number of jobs at risk.
<img style="margin: 5px; float: left;" alt="stephenkidd" height="200" width="200" src="/images/stories/2013/06/stephenkidd.png">Agent: Stephen Kidd
Position: Director, Retail Investment Services - Queensland
Company: Colliers International
Office location: Brisbane
How long have you been in the industry?
Since the late 80s – around  the 1987 stock market crash.
What’s happening in the area you specialise in?
With the onset of the internet, retailing is becoming very competitive, margins will continue to shrink and this will have an impact on everyone involved in the existing bricks and mortar food chain from warehouses to shops to property owners to retailers and their staff. Creating exclusivity in distribution channels will be one of the few successful ways to combat this e-war on bricks and mortar retailing survival. The major supermarkets are doing this already with their home brands and they are being closely followed by such things as exclusive fashion lines in department stores.  Many retailing formats are set to disappear as has already been evidenced by book stores, video stores, music stores etc. Many other retailing channels will change as manufacturers alter to become directly linked to their customers and have to establish their own company owned channels of distribution. The internet will have the greatest impact on those things which are easy to search on the net – cars, shoes, electronics, bikes – anything with a model number or a name. As retailing is the largest single employer group in Australia at the moment, growing support of e-commerce may very well put a large number of jobs at risk.
Describe the most interesting property you have sold:
The first property I ever sold was a shopping centre in Rockhampton. $13.75 million.  I will never forget the sale or the thrill of doing a deal where many others had failed.  I went on to sell that buyer many properties over the years until his recent death.
What are the ingredients to being successful in your job?
I think it is about persistence, optimism and never forgetting who you are being paid by.
What aspects of your role do you enjoy the most?
The amazing variety of people you meet every day and the knowledge they are so readily prepared to impart.
Where would you invest a spare $750,000?
For me, there really are only two areas to invest – property or shares.
Which football team do you support?
None.
What’s your favourite app or techno gadget?
Emails, e-brochures and any other forms of quick communication.
How do you use social media?
As I'm told.
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In profile: Colliers International Queensland director of retail investment services Stephen Kidd

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Federation Centres  has entered into a conditional agreement to sell six regional shopping malls to fund manager Challenger for $602 million.
These assets are owned by Federation Centres and certain former Centro syndicates, with a gross value of $1.2 billion.
Federation Centres is the new restructured entity that emerged from the debt-laden Centro Retail Australia business in February.
The portfolio of assets consists of the regional shopping centres at Bankstown and Roselands in New South Wales, and the convenience centres at Toormina and Lennox, in New South Wales, Sunshine in Victoria and Karratha in Western Australia.
The sale was negotiated by Simon Rooney of Jones Lang LaSalle, who successfully negotiated the sale of GPTs sale of a half share in Erina Fair for $397.1 million in May and precedes a number of major transactions to be completed in the near term.
"As a result, total retail transaction volumes are expected to be strong in 2013 with approximately $3.0 billion being recorded year to date, and follows a record year for transaction activity in 2012 ($6.3 billion)," says Rooney. 
“Sovereign wealth funds and pension funds have been major participants in capital partnerships around the globe and are a deep source of liquidity. Demand from these large offshore investors seeking passive investments in core quality Australian retail assets has been the key driver behind many of these large transactions," he adds.
The overall Federation Centres- Challenger transaction equates to a passing yield of 7.42%.


FDC will remain as the manager of these centres and will be responsible for managing their redevelopment program.
Federation Centres has an established relationship with Challenger selling its syndicate-owned Surfers Paradise Centre in Queensland to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/retail/challenger-acquires-centro-surfers-paradise-mall-for-%241625-million/2013012058885">Challenger for $162.5 million in January.</a>
“On completion, this transaction continues to deliver on our key objective of introducing select and like-minded strategic parties on a range of larger centres," says Federation Centres managing director and chief executive officer, Steven Sewell
"This facilitates reduced funding costs and supports the recently awarded Standard &amp; Poor’s A- investment grade credit rating for Federation Centre's senior secured bank debt.
"The co-ownership strategy provides Federation Centres with the liquidity and balance sheet flexibility for the future funding of our redevelopment and enhancement program of our portfolio of quality Australian shopping centres," he says.
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Federation Centres sells half stakes in six regional malls to Challenger for $602 million

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Home loan approvals are trending up strongly driven by owner-occupier upgrading into new homes and investor demand for mortgage finance, the latest RBA chart pack shows.
However, first home-buyer demand for mortgages remains low and has shown no signs of lifting since the start of 2013.
The graph below also shows the impact the first-home buyer boost had in dragging forward demand in 2009.
<img alt="6br-hla" height="378" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/may23abelesauction/6br-hla.gif">
The scheme ran from October 2008 to December 2009.
Up until September 30, 2009, it provided first-time buyers with an extra $7,000 to purchase an existing home and $14,000 if they purchased a newly constructed home or built a new home. The scheme operated in tandem with the $7,000 grant no longer available or being phased out in NSW, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT.
Between October 2009 and December 2009, the first-home owner’s boost was halved, with $3,500 available for the purchase of established homes and $7,000 for the purchase of new homes.
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Upgraders and investors drive rise in mortgage approvals: RBA chart pack

<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.

&nbsp;

[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.

&nbsp;

[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.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360969]

Much of that daily life can also take place beyond the building without requiring a drive. Kurrawa Beach and Pratten Park are an easy walk from Surf Parade, while Pacific Fair, Oracle Boulevard, The Oasis, restaurants, cafés, entertainment and public transport are also within walking distance.

The Eveleigh is Hirsch &amp; Faigen's fourth Gold Coast development since entering the market in 2021, following The Hemingway at Palm Beach, The Emerson at Kirra and Yves at Mermaid Beach. Each of the preceding projects sold out before completion.

“Broadbeach had been on our radar throughout our time operating on the Gold Coast,” the developer said. “Following our projects in Palm Beach, Kirra and Mermaid Beach, Broadbeach represented the natural next step for the business.”

The Surf Parade site brought together proximity to the beach, protected coastal outlooks and walkability to dining, shopping and recreation. Hirsch &amp; Faigen also identified the street as an emerging premium residential address, with enough separation from Broadbeach's busier destinations to retain a quieter environment at home.

The Eveleigh is now under construction by Maxcon, with completion forecast for mid-2028. Three-bedroom residences are currently available from $2.87 million.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=149670]

Joel Robinson

The Eveleigh brings house-like apartments to Broadbeach

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

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

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

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

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

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

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