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Recent media reports have given the impression there is still debate over whether commercial real estate agents should be licensed under the new National Occupational Licensing Scheme.
That’s not the case. This debate is now settled.
A special committee established by the National Occupational Licensing Authority (NOLA), representing all stakeholders, has unanimously agreed that commercial agency work will be included in the new national licence for real estate agents, subject to two exceptions.
The first exception is that agents managing on behalf of ‘related entities’ would not require a licence; the second exception is that ‘sophisticated property owners’, that is those large owners who fully understand the risks involved in commercial property transactions, would also not be required to use a licensed agent.
This means only a very small fraction of commercial transactions could be undertaken by unlicensed agents, and all transactions involving ‘small’ commercial property owners would involve licensed agents.
The committee also resolved concerns about personal probity requirements for licensees.
There should therefore now be no obstacles to introducing the national real estate licence.
Demands by the Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA) – a party to the compromise above – for compulsory professional development for real estate agents around Australia and for diploma level qualifications for all real estate agents (currently only 20% of agents have such qualifications) could then be pursued with NOLA, once the national licence is operating.
Since these demands will impose at least $55 million a year in additional costs on the real estate industry, it is not unreasonable to require thorough investigation and justification by the relevant authorities before such a considerable cost burden is placed on the industry, particularly given all Australian governments are now committed to removing job-destroying cost burdens on businesses.
Milton Cockburn is executive director of the <a href="https://www.scca.org.au/" target="_blank">Shopping Centre Council of Australia.</a>
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Commercial agent licensing resolution a sensible compromise

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<h2>Milton Cockburn: Don’t let the REIA’s self-interested assertions torpedo important agent licensing change</h2>
It is now clear that the Real Estate Institute of Australia, and its various state bodies, intend to torpedo the proposed national licence for real estate agents. The REI has made false claims of a “dumbing down” of educational standards; silly demands for a diploma level of education; and misleading assertions about the consequences of removing licensing requirements for commercial agency work. Despite the REI claiming that it “supports national licensing” it is now obviously bent on derailing this vital COAG initiative, instead of constructively responding to the <a href="https://nola.gov.au/files/2012/08/Property-Occupations-Regulation-Impact-Statement1.pdf" target="_blank">regulation impact statement</a> (RIS).
Unfortunately, while most industry associations regard the removal of unnecessary “red tape” as a major objective, some associations are secretly happy with government regulation. Such regulation erects barriers to entry to their industry and therefore reduces competition within the industry. Regulation, in the form of compulsory licensing and continuous professional development, also provides a handy income stream for these industry associations and for their training providers (which are often one and the same). The REI has been a beneficiary of both outcomes, and these are now under threat. The REI’s self-interest, however, must not be allowed to dictate the national interest.
The REI claims the educational requirements of the proposed national licence, which were determined by an industry/government working group, are a “dumbing down” of educational standards. What it hasn’t revealed is that the REI had three members on this working group – far more than any other organisation – and these representatives all signed off on these requirements. The educational qualifications for the proposed national licence are the same level of qualifications currently required for real estate agents in Queensland, NSW and Victoria, where more than 80% of real estate agents practice. Can anyone recall the REI previously suggesting that real estate agents in NSW, Queensland and Victoria were under-qualified (“dumb”?) compared with their counterparts in SA and WA? Of course not! In its desperation to sink the reforms the REI is sprouting nonsense.
What about its claim that the proposed removal of licensing for commercial agency work will leave the consumer unprotected and that “16-year-olds” will be able to sell commercial property? Let’s leave aside the fact that the existing real estate licence (as well as the proposed national licence) doesn’t teach the holder anything about commercial property, since it is overwhelmingly oriented to residential property.
The REI also ignores the fact that the “consumer” being supposedly protected by a licence is not the “man in the street?. The consumers are the owners of commercial real estate, and these are businesses (often very large ones), or business people, who have selected their own managers (agents) and who have the protection of an enforceable management agreement (contract), as well as commercial recourse, if the transaction goes wrong. They do not need, or want, taxpayers’ money being spent to protect them. Of course there are occasional risks in commercial real estate transactions, just as there are risks in any business transaction, but in a market economy this does not necessarily mean such transactions should be regulated by governments (through licensing and compliance with estate agents’ acts).
This is “nanny state" thinking. In any event the RIS, after surveying the state regulatory authorities, could find no evidence of significant risks warranting regulation at either the higher end or the lower end of the commercial property industry. All that licensing and regulation does for commercial property owners is impose unnecessary costs on managers (which are inevitably passed back to the owner) and restrict their ability to negotiate optimum arrangements with other property managers (such as solicitors or accountants).
The national licensing system (for a range of occupations, not just real estate agents) will improve workforce mobility, reduce business costs and boost national productivity. The RIS states removal of licensing will save commercial property owners up to $2.37 million a year, a considerable underestimation. The REI’s false and self-interested assertions must not be allowed to jeopardise this very important microeconomic reform.
Milton Cockburn is executive director of the <a href="https://www.scca.org.au/" target="_blank">Shopping Centre Council of Australia.</a>
Pamela Bennett of the REIA responds on page 2
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<h2>Pamela Bennett: Skilled agents key to consumer confidence in real estate</h2>
The Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA) rejects outright claims made by Milton Cockburn of the Shopping Centre Council of Australia that it is trying to “torpedo” COAG’s national licensing plan for real estate professionals.
With all due respect, <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/industry-news/dont-let-the-reias-self-interested-assertions-torpedo-important-agent-licensing-changes-milton-cockburn/2012091856640" target="_blank">Cockburn is misinformed, pure and simple.</a> We do support national licensing, but we are determined to look after Australian property consumers by fighting for the highest possible standards across the board.
The REIA representatives involved in the Property Occupations Interim Advisory Committee (POIAC), prior to the release of the regulation impact statement (RIS) on national licensing, argued for diploma-level qualifications.  The rest of POIAC settled for lower qualifications.  The REIA argued for compulsory professional development to keep the profession up to date but again, the rest of POIAC did not.  The steering committee, compiled of state and Commonwealth regulators, not POIAC, made the final decision.
Diploma-level qualifications, currently in four states and territories, are desired by our members nationwide.  Real estate agents are proud of their profession and the important service they provide to the Australian public, and they want to grow their reputations, not go backwards.  Real estate institutes do not think it is “silly” to be highly qualified.
With regards to commercial property, agents are currently licensed, but the proposed regulations would strip that away.   This leaves the consumer completely vulnerable.  Quite literally, anyone could sell commercial property.  Yes, even a 16-year-old.
POIAC did support licensing of commercial property agents.  A hurdle of $100 million was suggested at the time, but again, the steering committee made the final decision to deregulate commercial property transactions.
Contrary to what some may think, most commercial property sales are under $500,000. In Victoria 51% are under $500,000, so we are not talking the big end of town.  We are talking about “mum and dad” investors who invest in commercial property, either directly or through superannuation funds, and they should have the security and peace-of-mind of having a licensed agent manage their transaction.
For example, the owner of a family sandwich bar in the food hall of a shopping centre wants to sell. In the absence of a licensing regime for commercial sales that provides the consumer with information as to who has the appropriate qualifications and insurance coverage to handle such a complex transaction, the vendor would be vulnerable to anyone who wants to deal in commercial transactions without any qualifications.  On top of this, both parties would take a huge financial risk with their life savings.
I’m quite stunned at how the consumer point of view has been left out of the calculations in the RIS and that the process has been driven by regulators who are not experts on the real estate profession. Their proposals, if implemented, will be detrimental to consumers. The RIS on national licensing states that deregulating commercial property will save a comparatively small $2.37 million.  What this figure does not take into account are consumer costs.
The REIA is also concerned with the proposed deregulation of rural property.  Not all rural property is like Cubbie Station.  In Victoria in 2011, 76% of farms were sold for under $500,000.
The Real Estate Institute of Australia will continue in its endeavours to achieve outcomes that will provide for a national licensing system that supports high standards and not those of the lowest common denominator.
Pamela Bennett is president of the <a href="https://www.reia.com.au/" target="_blank">Real Estate Institute of Australia.</a>
 
 
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Room for debate: Should commercial real estate agents be licensed?

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It is now clear that the Real Estate Institute of Australia, and its various state bodies, intend to torpedo the proposed national licence for real estate agents. The REI has made false claims of a “dumbing down” of educational standards; silly demands for a diploma level of education; and misleading assertions about the consequences of removing licensing requirements for commercial agency work. Despite the REI claiming that it “supports national licensing” it is now obviously bent on derailing this vital COAG initiative, instead of constructively responding to the <a target="_blank" href="https://nola.gov.au/files/2012/08/Property-Occupations-Regulation-Impact-Statement1.pdf">regulation impact statement</a> (RIS).
Unfortunately, while most industry associations regard the removal of unnecessary “red tape” as a major objective, some associations are secretly happy with government regulation. Such regulation erects barriers to entry to their industry and therefore reduces competition within the industry. Regulation, in the form of compulsory licensing and continuous professional development, also provides a handy income stream for these industry associations and for their training providers (which are often one and the same). The REI has been a beneficiary of both outcomes, and these are now under threat. The REI’s self-interest, however, must not be allowed to dictate the national interest.
The REI claims the educational requirements of the proposed national licence, which were determined by an industry/government working group, are a “dumbing down” of educational standards. What it hasn’t revealed is that the REI had three members on this working group – far more than any other organisation – and these representatives all signed off on these requirements. The educational qualifications for the proposed national licence are the same level of qualifications currently required for real estate agents in Queensland, NSW and Victoria, where more than 80% of real estate agents practice. Can anyone recall the REI previously suggesting that real estate agents in NSW, Queensland and Victoria were under-qualified (“dumb”?) compared with their counterparts in SA and WA? Of course not! In its desperation to sink the reforms the REI is sprouting nonsense.
What about its claim that the proposed removal of licensing for commercial agency work will leave the consumer unprotected and that “16-year-olds” will be able to sell commercial property? Let’s leave aside the fact that the existing real estate licence (as well as the proposed national licence) doesn’t teach the holder anything about commercial property, since it is overwhelmingly oriented to residential property.
The REI also ignores the fact that the “consumer” being supposedly protected by a license is not the “man in the street?. The consumers are the owners of commercial real estate, and these are businesses (often very large ones), or business people, who have selected their own managers (agents) and who have the protection of an enforceable management agreement (contract), as well as commercial recourse, if the transaction goes wrong. They do not need, or want, taxpayers’ money being spent to protect them. Of course there are occasional risks in commercial real estate transactions, just as there are risks in any business transaction, but in a market economy this does not necessarily mean such transactions should be regulated by governments (through licensing and compliance with estate agents’ acts).
This is “nanny state? thinking. In any event the RIS, after surveying the state regulatory authorities, could find no evidence of significant risks warranting regulation at either the higher end or the lower end of the commercial property industry. All that licensing and regulation does for commercial property owners is impose unnecessary costs on managers (which are inevitably passed back to the owner) and restrict their ability to negotiate optimum arrangements with other property managers (such as solicitors or accountants).
The national licensing system (for a range of occupations, not just real estate agents) will improve workforce mobility, reduce business costs and boost national productivity. The RIS states removal of licensing will save commercial property owners up to $2.37 million a year, a considerable underestimation. The REI’s false and self-interested assertions must not be allowed to jeopardise this very important microeconomic reform.
Milton Cockburn is executive director of the <a href="https://www.scca.org.au/" target="_blank">Shopping Centre Council of Australia.</a>
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/industry-news/skilled-agents-key-to-consumer-confidence-in-real-estate-pamela-bennett/2012091956676">The REIA has issued a response. </a>
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Don’t let the REIA’s self-interested assertions torpedo important agent licensing changes

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/broadbeach-qld-4218">Broadbeach</a> offers plenty of reasons to live vertically, but moving from a substantial family home into an apartment can expose the compromises of high-density living. Privacy, room for guests and usable living space tend to matter more when an apartment is intended as a permanent home rather than an occasional coastal base.

A typical residential floor at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-eveleigh-broadbeach-7-9-surf-parade-broadbeach-qld-4218">The Eveleigh</a>, on Surf Parade,&nbsp;contains just four apartments. The 94-residence development by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/hirsch-faigen">Hirsch &amp; Faigen</a> is predominantly made up of expansive three-bedroom homes, with a limited collection of half-floor penthouses above.

Across the apartment floors, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a> has used the relatively limited number of residences to give each home greater access to natural light and outlook. Living spaces extend towards full-height glazing, while a series of bay windows frame selected views across the Pacific Ocean, city and hinterland rather than treating the building edge as a continuous wall of glass.

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“The apartment floors deliver a collection of homes that embrace controlled outlook via a series of bay windows deliberately framing moments of view,” Rothelowman Director Kim Lowman said.

From outside, those projecting forms contribute to the tower’s faceted profile. Strong horizontal and vertical elements establish its proportions, while the changing position of the sun alters the light, shadow and reflection across the façade throughout the day.

The same attention moves inside the apartments, where the material palette combines warm timber, natural stone, metallic detailing and softer curved forms. Kitchens sit within the main living zone, with stone island benches, integrated joinery and European appliances, before the living areas extend towards the glazing and the outlook.

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[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360981]

Three genuine bedrooms provide room to accommodate family and guests, while two secure car spaces and storage address some of the practical considerations that can become more noticeable when moving from a larger home. Feedback from the display suite has centred on the warmth and restraint of the interiors, with buyers commenting that the residences feel like homes rather than conventional coastal apartments.

A limited collection of half-floor penthouses occupies the upper levels, increasing the scale of the living spaces and adding private balconies and elevated finishes. From this position, the outlook extends between the ocean and hinterland.

Outside the private residences, The Eveleigh separates its shared spaces between the podium and rooftop. The podium is centred on wellness, with subtropical landscaping surrounding a swimming pool and pool terrace, yoga garden, private gymnasium, sauna and hot and cold plunge facilities. Landscaped retreats and pavilions provide additional places to sit away from the main recreation areas.

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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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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.

<img alt="MAYD" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d1bcbb05-e659-4b47-8bd4-1e595315e2ad" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-27%20at%202.05.03%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=jj0XEud1X1DuLt7_KyElhjMdZGOXmLHP" />

MAYD Founder Todd Mould said North Kirra was increasingly appealing to buyers attracted to the more established, lower-density character of the southern Gold Coast.

"North Kirra presents one of the most compelling luxury residential opportunities currently emerging in Australia, combining absolute beachfront with the character and authenticity that buyers are increasingly seeking, and the same sense of tight-knit community that defined Burleigh and Currumbin perhaps 10 or 15 years ago," Mould said.

"With Gold Coast Airport on its doorstep, it also offers a level of accessibility that broadens its appeal across almost every market demographic."

The project comes as the southern Gold Coast continues to attract an increasing share of high-end apartment development and buyer activity.

Kirra in particular has emerged as one of the region's more tightly held beachfront markets, with its relatively low-density character, established surf and hospitality scene and proximity to Gold Coast Airport differentiating it from the higher-density markets further north.

Mould said those characteristics had informed the approach MAYD and Cera Stribley had taken to the project.

"We've worked closely with Cera Stribley to create a vision that is deeply connected to its surroundings," he said.

"Inspired by the coastline itself, the architecture has been shaped around space, privacy and resort-style living, creating a collection of homes that reflects the next generation of luxury on the southern Gold Coast."

MOTIV Managing Director Carly Cottam, who has been appointed to market the project, said buyer attention had continued to move south along the Gold Coast.

"Purchasers who may once have defaulted to Broadbeach, Main Beach or Surfers Paradise are increasingly recognising the value of a genuine beachfront location that offers lower density, strong amenity and a more established sense of community," Cottam said.

"Kirra has a powerful combination of growing demand and genuine scarcity. Beachfront supply is inherently constrained, the area remains relatively low density, and buyers are increasingly placing a premium on locations that feel established, uncrowded and authentic rather than heavily developed."

Cottam said the proximity to Gold Coast Airport was also proving increasingly important for interstate and second-home buyers.

"Being minutes from Gold Coast Airport makes it particularly compelling for interstate buyers, frequent travellers and second-home purchasers who can access an authentic coastal lifestyle almost immediately after stepping off a flight."

The acquisition takes MAYD's active development portfolio to more than $500 million, with the North Kirra project representing one of its largest undertakings to date.

MAYD is targeting an early 2027 launch.

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

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Castle Hill, the longtime hub of the Hills District, has been one of the major beneficiaries of Sydney's Metro expansion, with improved connectivity helping drive continued population growth, development and buyer demand across the Hills District.

But despite that growth, the suburb has seen relatively few major new apartment projects brought to market over the past 18 months.

Hills District developer Reve Group is looking to fill that gap with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/nova-r-ve-castle-hill-2-garthowen-crescent-castle-hill-nsw-2154">Nova Rêve</a>, a major new mixed-use precinct on the corner of Garthowen Crescent and Old Castle Hill Road, a short walk from Castle Hill Metro Station and Castle Towers.

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The project will comprise three residential towers alongside a hotel, restaurants, cafes and a skybar, more than 1,600 sqm of ground-floor retail and almost an acre of landscaped gardens.

It represents the largest project undertaken by Reve Group, the development arm of the Kassis family, which has been building across the Hills District for more than 30 years through Kassis Homes.

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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.

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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.

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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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Milton Cockburn

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