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GUEST OBSERVATION
With underquoting a massive problem and with minimal enforcement of the regulations from Consumer Affairs Victoria, is now the right time to appoint a Real Estate Ombudsman?
The banking, financial services, insurance and the telecommunications sectors all have an ombudsman for good reason. So if it’s appropriate for those sectors, is it right to also protect consumers who are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in the real estate sector in the same manner?
Underquoting should be a bi-partisan issue as it effects all consumers. Both side of politics need to work together to develop a solution to this problem. This includes making amendments to existing legislation to close loopholes which perpetuate underquoting and stricter enforcement of these regulations.
Given the lack of skilled staff however and the thousands of auctions held in Victoria each year, the onus of enforcement needs to be removed from CAV. Currently those rogue agents who breach regulations often do so because they have an exceptionally high chance of getting away with illegal activity, simply because CAV doesn’t have adequate staffing to police it or a satisfactory complaint handling process in place.
There is plenty of evidence to support <a href="/expert-insights/can-we-really-trust-consumer-affairs-to-look-after-our-interests">why this function this should be removed from CAV</a>.
While industry representatives continue to deny that under quoting is a problem, rather than acknowledge the well evidenced fact that it exists (and actively develop solutions to protect consumers and support the majority of estate agents who don’t underquote), maybe the appointment of an ombudsman is the best way to resolve the problem of underquoting and other issues of concern to consumers.
A clear and accountable dispute handling process could be implemented to replace what is currently ineffective within CAV. It could also be partly or completely funded from the Victorian Property Fund, which is intended for use for compensation for claims against rogue estate agents anyway.
A positive side effect of the appointment of an ombudsman could be the lifting of barriers of entry to the industry and going back to what used to be a more stringent criteria to qualify to work in the industry as a licensed estate agent.
The majority of estate agents who are in fact ethical, professional and act with integrity, would have nothing to fear by the appointment of a Real Estate Ombudsman.
<a href="https://www.miriamsandkuhler.com.au/">Miriam Sandkuhler</a> is a licensed buyer’s agent and the founder of <a href="https://www.propertymavens.com.au/">Property Mavens</a> - a specialist property advisory firm based in Melbourne. 
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MiriamSandkuhler-brdvzrAYV2

It's time to appoint a Real Estate Ombudsman

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Guest observation
The sales results on The Block may be shocking to some, but not to those of us who understand renovating and development risk.
Developing and renovating property by nature is a high risk activity. Many an enthusiastic investor has been sucked into the idea of renovating or developing for profit, without fully understanding the ramifications let alone their own risk profile or that of property developing as a strategy.
The results on The Block are evidence of the reality of what can happen when renovating; the need to fully understand the importance of location, the target market, the competition of other stock in the marketplace and not overcapitalising within the development itself.
Risk is the extent to which you are willing to expose yourself to loss, in return for a particular level of gain. This applies to an individual's personal tolerance for risk as well as the risk associated with different types of wealth creation strategies including renovating or developing for profit.
In short, The Block is a television program that is built around the strategy of renovating for profit. In each instance, the production company determines the type and location of the properties purchased. They take the risk hoping they will recover their costs while enabling the competitors to potentially win a cash prize and earn any profit made, over and above the reserve that they set (assuming there are profits).
The risk that the competitors take on board is their willingness to sacrifice income, time and time with family in exchange for a possible prize of $100,000 plus profit share. In doing so they are totally dependent on the production company purchasing not only the right type of property that will appeal to buyers (apartments or houses), in the right location (suburb and position in suburb), but ensuring they don't overcapitalise on the renovation, so that the reserve is reasonable and allows the contestants to make a profit.
So why is it that one of the worst properties (Chris and Jenna's) earned so much profit and three superior properties earned almost nothing by comparison?
What I observed in Sunday night's auction were several things:
<ol>
<li>There were at least two buyers who were prepared to substantially overpay for the first two properties, given their location, size and type of property (i.e. average location in a reasonable but densely populated suburb on a busy main road). These first two buyers skewed the results for the rest of the properties.</li>
<li>The three other buyers weren't prepared to overpay and once the first two buyers dropped out, there was little demand (competition) to drive the prices up beyond the reserve on the remaining three properties.</li>
<li>The calibre of auctioneer i.e. where they start the auction and how high their increments are can make a difference to the result</li>
<li>Auctions only work to create outrageous results when the demand for a property is greater than the supply, especially if the property is unique or boutique. The results indicate that The Block brand wasn't enough to make up for Prahran being an inferior location to Albert Park and even South Melbourne.</li>
<li>While design is a factor and important, it's not everything. Buyers want to ensure that they are also buying a property that has the potential for strong capital growth, even if it is as an owner occupier.</li>
<li>These apartments weren't on single floors, like those on The Block Sky High, or in an attractive boutique property like Fans v Faves. Neither were they houses, like the Dorcas St properties. Attracting ridiculous prices was always going to be a struggle.</li>
</ol>
In addition, the concept of buying below 'replacement value' is irrelevant if the renovator over capitalises on the renovation in the first instance. That is often just poor decision making on behalf of the renovator and means nothing when it comes to actual 'market value'. This is where the importance of suburb, location in suburb, level of competing stock on the market, type of property and other factors come into play.
While devastating for three of the couples who walked away with almost nothing, the moral of the story is that not all property performs the same way. It is a highly complex beast and not for the faint hearted.
Renovating or developing for profit is always high risk and only those with a high risk profile and solid understand of how to reduce development or renovation risk should undertake it.
Understanding these issues will minimise the chances of making costly mistakes and ensure the greatest possible change of success and importantly profit.
Miriam Sandkuhler is the founder of <a href="https://propertymavens.com.au" target="_blank">Property Mavens</a> - a specialist property advisory firm based in Melbourne. She is an Accredited Property Investment Advisor (PIAA), Licensed Buyer Advocate and REIV member and award nominated Buyer Agent, with fourteen years of real estate experience in two states. She is also the author of the book Property Prosperity.
Main picture courtesy of Channel 9. 
 
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Let The Block Glasshouse results serve as a reality check for all would be renovators

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Consumer Affairs or the department of Fair Trading is the governing body in most states that is there to protect the consumer across a variety of industries and transactions.
In Victoria, Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) are the ‘leading’ consumer affairs protection agency and regulator. Their purpose is to help the public be responsible and informed businesses and consumers.
<ul>
<li>They review and advise the state government on consumer legislation and industry codes</li>
<li>They advise and educate consumers, tenants, businesses and landlords on their rights, responsibilities and changes to the law</li>
<li>They register and license businesses and occupations </li>
<li>They conciliate disputes between consumers and traders, and tenants and landlords </li>
<li>They enforce and ensure compliance with consumer laws</li>
</ul>
This is all wonderful for the consumer, however what is most disturbing is that like many government run organisations, they aren’t in any way accountable to the consumer.
Let’s look at the process of a consumer lodging a complaint against a real estate agent or agency and then compare it to what happens if that same consumer were to lodge a complaint against a financial planner with the financial ombudsman service (FOS).
The CAV website explains when to lodge a complaint, what conciliation is and the forms to use when lodging a complaint. There is nothing, however, that identifies the steps CAV will take or how your complaint will be handled or resolved.
In Victoria, most consumers make a phone call to CAV and the complaint is discussed. When personally testing the process and after discussing the matter, I have been required to hang up and lodge a written complaint, addressed to Consumer Affairs and to no one in particular. Having followed that process, nothing was ever sent to me to confirm that they had received my complaint, no complaint number was issued and no contact from CAV was ever made in relation to what was going to happen re the matter I reported. It actually so happened that I reported a financial planner who I knew had obtained his real estate licence fraudulently.  Apparently CAV didn’t deem that worthy of investigation as 18 months later, the financial planner still holds his real estate licence.
Recently, while testing the process again regarding a different matter, I was able to give the details of an unlicensed and active real estate agent and when I requested a case number or to be kept notified of the outcome, I was told no case number would be provided and that due to ‘privacy reasons’, the only way to check the progress of the matter, if in fact there was to be any investigation or action taken at all, was to check the public updates on the CAV website. In other words: "Thanks, but we will tell you nothing from here, we may not even pursue the matter if we deem it not worthwhile or sufficient enough of a breach to worry about."
Scary, isn’t it?  Even worse, CAV are quick to tell the consumer they are in the marketplace investigating and keeping an eye on things. For example, in the lead up to the Easter 2014 auction season, director of CAV Claire Noone announced they would be “watching for any misconduct during the buying and selling process - from the moment a property is advertised to when deposits are paid and held in trust accounts. Our staff will also attend auctions to make sure they are conducted according to auction rules.”  
Announcing this type of crackdown publicly is the equivalent of the police announcing they are about to raid active bikie gangs in the state in the coming weeks, thereby giving them plenty of notice to hide any illegal activity. Other than pre-warning agents to prepare for a raid, CAV accomplished nothing other than trying to highlight they are doing the job (poorly, it seems) that is expected of them.
Not surprisingly, as a result of this ‘early warning’ announcement to the industry, the crackdown on underquoting revealed a "close to 100%" pass rate for agents of what was a biased investigation ( only property with prices disclosed on advertising were investigate). This was despite a new poll suggesting more than half of agents admit the practice is a problem for the industry.
In the latest <a href="https://bit.ly/1hAWhQ7" target="_blank">Real Estate Business </a>straw poll, it appears the industry believes things are much worse than they are. Of the 368 respondents, 47.6% said underquoting was a major problem in the industry, while 17.9% said it was an issue but wasn’t too bad. A total of 19.6% said it was not a problem, but admitted it happens, while just 10.6% of agents believe there is no active underquoting in the industry. 
Victoria needs to follow the lead of South Australia and introduce regulations to stop underquoting. 
Back to Consumer Affairs accountability to the consumer.
My initial investigations with CAV and the media manager at the Department of Justice as to how many staff monitored compliance of section 18 of the ACL or section 131 of the CCA yielded the following statement:
“Australian Consumer Law is such a major part of Consumer Affairs work and has been integrated across the business - policy, inspection, legal, customer service and so on - a head count would not be … meaningful.”
My research since has gleaned that there are approximately 30 investigators working in CAV with approximately 6 dedicated to investigating the real estate industry.  For the year 2013, there were 82,981 Melbourne metro sales, with 30% (24,895) <a href="https://bit.ly/1r4KnSb" target="_blank">sold by auction</a> and only 6 possible dedicated investigators! 
The CAV 2012 – 2013 annual report shows 9609 calls were made regarding estate agents and the fifth highest number of complaints were about ‘misleading and deceptive conduct’. They did however “attend 15 property auctions in St Kilda and South Yarra in April. A similar compliance exercise was completed in December in the Bentleigh area.”  Disappointingly in this report, there is no reference to how many investigations were made further to these calls, but 309 estate agent disputes were ‘finalised’.
Now let’s compare the complaints process at FOS.
Firstly, when you go to their website, they have a dispute handling process clearly identified. They don’t just tell you how to lodge a complaint or when to, but the steps and process along the way.
"Step 1: Contact your financial services provider Step 2: Lodge a dispute with us (complainants will be issued with a case number and case manager to liaise with throughout the course of the complaint process. Timeframes to handle the dispute are identified upfront). Step 3: Our review of the dispute begins Step 4: How your dispute will be handled Step 5: How your dispute will be resolved" 
Source: <a href="https://bit.ly/1nxB0JX" target="_blank">FOS</a>
The process of protecting the consumer and regulating the industry cannot be left to CAV. They are patently understaffed and under skilled to be monitoring matters that involve consumers spending hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars of their hard earned income.  
We shouldn’t trust that Consumer Affairs is looking after our interests in property matters.
It’s time to remove this sector of governance from CAV and to set up an independent board of consumer and real estate industry representatives that prides itself on objectivity, integrity and transparency in all aspects of its operations, like FOS.
<a href="https://www.miriamsandkuhler.com.au/">Miriam Sandkuhler</a> is the founder of <a href="https://www.propertymavens.com.au/">Property Mavens</a> - a specialist property advisory firm based in Melbourne. You can support the introduction of new legislation around underquoting by signing her Victorian petition <a href="https://chn.ge/1unh4yw" target="_blank">here</a>.
 
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Can we really trust Consumer Affairs to look after our interests?

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GUEST OBSERVATION
As little girls growing up, we have all seen the Disney animated fairy tales where the prince rescues the commoner and falls in love, or the Hollywood movie ‘happy ever after’ endings.
As women, we have been conditioned from a very young age by the media, the entertainment industry and even our families to assume we will meet our dream man (or woman), settle down and maybe even have children.  And of course, we will live happily ever after…
While there is always the chance of that coming to fruition, what they don’t tell you is how it can turn to muck very quickly and what the consequences of this can be if it happens!
For those of us who have been around the block a couple of times, we have all seen, heard of, or experienced the effects of a marriage or de facto coupling and an ensuing separation or divorce. For those who haven’t experienced it, you may well have grown up in a single parent family yourself and witnessed the emotional and financial devastation that can be wreaked upon a family when this happens.
Did you know, 40 years after equal pay, women still earn on average 21% less than men? Which means they have less income to meet their everyday expenses - and less to contribute to their superannuation.
And that’s before we factor in the need for many of us to leave workforce to have children. Taking time out from our careers to raise kids results in less contributions to our super and study after study shows that once women return to work they find less opportunities for career advancement.
What this all adds up to is that women, by definition, have a harder time achieving their financial independence.
That can leave women socially and economically vulnerable to the three deadly financial Ds if they are reliant on their partners: divorce, death and desertion.
If these strike, a woman approaching middle age can find herself without her financial independence or worse facing retirement with what some have coined ‘Middle class homelessness’; facing old age with precious little income and the indignity of having to share accommodation.
At the end of the day, the most important way women can empower themselves is by being financially independent. This allows a woman to have choices - be it to leave an abusive or controlling relationship or simply take time out between jobs if so desired.
As a child in the 1970s, I got to live first hand with all of the consequences of the divorce when my parents parted ways. What was most evident to me in this situation as a female, was the importance of a solid education (beyond the limited education my mother had as a result of growing up in Europe during WW2). And especially the importance of having your own money and savings. This in itself would have provided so many more options for my mother once divorced. We were luckier than many as Dad paid his maintenance and were always fed, clothed and had a roof over our head, but I dread to think of the consequences if this wasn’t the case.
Fast forward a few decades, and looking back after my own divorce, I can see how my emotions and the consequences of social conditioning got in my way and ultimately cost me money.
For example, when I divorced, my ex benefited financially from my investment activity (I should have stayed firm about us signing a pre-nup but I allowed emotions to get in the way).
Even though I came out of it still being able to buy my own home and with some investments still intact, the biggest lessons for me were;
<ol>
<li>Don’t wait for others to get the ball rolling when it comes to creating your own financial independence because time is of the essence. This thing called compound growth has a massive impact on your financial outcome and for every 10 years you wait, your wealth decreases by half!</li>
<li>Always keep your emotions out of it when making financial decisions. This is what leads to bad decisions being made time and time again. Deal in facts and move forward on that basis.</li>
<li>While the fairy tale may happen, hope for the best but always plan for the worst. Seek professional advice around investment structuring and how to protect your assets that you bring into a relationship, especially if you plan to have children. Think pre-nup, even if your assets are equal going into the defacto or marriage arrangement.</li>
<li>If you have or plan to have children, you must factor in the time you will have away from the workforce and how this will affect your income and your ability to fund your retirement via superannuation contributions.</li>
<li>Consider the ‘sandwich’ generation of women and plan accordingly. These are women with older kids still living at home who may also need to take time out of work to care for ageing parents.</li>
<li>
As nurturers, many women tend to put others ahead of themselves, sacrificing their own needs and financial security in the process. It is not selfish to create your own financial security ahead of helping your children. In fact it’s important to teach your daughters in particular to look after themselves first. I see plenty of 50 year old female clients who are torn trying to decide if they should buy their children a home to give them a helping hand, or buy themselves a home or create income for retirement. To be blunt - stop it! If women don’t look after themselves first, they can’t help their children and never assume your kids will look after you in return. They simply may not be able to, or could have a spouse who could prevent it from happening. This is a contributing factor to the increase of ‘middle class homelessness’ among women aged 50 plus.
</li>
<li>Don’t assume gold digging is a female only trait. As I have gotten older I see plenty of men seeking to hook up with women who are financially secure. They may be toy boys looking for a sugar mummy or older men who have themselves hit hard times or divorced, so protect your assets and learn what situations, such as living with a partner, can make you financially vulnerable. Then put agreements in place to protect yourself.</li>
</ol>
While it may appear that I am painting a picture of doom and gloom, it’s a sad reality for many and will only get worse over time if women don’t start taking action to empower themselves financially.
In the meantime, go forth and prosper!
<a href="https://www.miriamsandkuhler.com.au/">Miriam Sandkuhler</a> is the founder of <a href="https://www.propertymavens.com.au/" target="_blank">Property Mavens</a> - a specialist property advisory firm based in Melbourne.
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The most important way women can empower themselves is by being financially independent

Around 400 additional homes could be built at Southwark Grounds on Port Road, lifting total site capacity from 1300 to around 1700 dwellings.

A recently approved code amendment would allow apartment towers of up to 14 storeys in some areas of Renewal SA’s redevelopment of the former West End Brewery.

Renewal SA Acting Chief Executive Shane Wingard said he welcomed the code amendment, with the increase in heights and homes making a positive impact on the supply of high-quality, well-connected housing close to the city.

“By going higher across some parts of Southwark Grounds, we are adding a substantial number of very well-located homes with little impact on project delivery time or planned open space,” Mr Wingard said.

Since the project officially launched in 2025, Mr Wingard said more than 12,000 enquiries had been received about living at Southwark Grounds.

“The very strong early interest we’ve seen since homes were first released in the precinct reinforces our plans to create more housing opportunities,” he said.

The Southwark Grounds code amendment was launched in December last year, with community engagement undertaken over five weeks from January.

It proposed increasing maximum building heights from eight to 14 storeys on the eastern section of Southwark Grounds, and to 12 storeys across the remainder of the site, with minimum building heights ranging from two to four storeys.

The code amendment was implemented through an Early Commencement policy in late January, allowing developers to quickly explore the viability of increased height and housing yield while other planning processes continue.

One of the first developers delivering apartment sites have already finalised redesigns to increase the number of apartments following the code amendment.

Samaras’ development adjacent to the future Colonel Light Park is now planning to deliver 125 apartments across 11 storeys, significantly greater than original plans of around 50 apartments across four storeys.

The developer is also exploring the potential for additional affordable housing outcomes.

Most of the apartments at Southwark Grounds will be delivered within a master-planned precinct on a large parcel of land on the eastern portion of the site, covering around two-thirds of its 8.4 hectares.

Wingard said detailed precinct planning over the coming months may identify further opportunities to increase yield further that could see total apartment numbers at Southwark Grounds, exceed this number.

Affordable homes at Southwark Grounds will also see a net increase, with Renewal SA maintaining its commitment to a minimum of 20 per cent affordable housing across the development.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Civil works have begun across the site, with construction under way on the first new roads surrounding a townhouse precinct in the south‑west corner of Southwark Grounds. This includes Renewal SA’s 17 Founder’s Row homes, which are on track for completion by Christmas.

“We expect to have people living at Southwark Grounds by the end of the year, so delivering roads and public spaces for those residents is among our highest priorities.”

Construction of 40 townhouses off Anderson Street, known as West Village and being delivered by Contour, is forecast to begin in mid‑2026. Kolabb’s Anderson Lane development will follow shortly after, delivering a further 26 townhouses.

Southwark Grounds is a state government‑led urban renewal project now set to deliver around 1,700 homes over the next decade.

Homes will be supported by a supermarket, a range of retail and hospitality offerings anchored by a revitalised Walkerville Brew Tower, a childcare centre, car parking and well‑connected public spaces.

Joel Robinson

400 new homes planned for Adelaide's former West End Brewery site

Brisbane developer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/cavcorp">Cavcorp</a> has lodged plans for a new mixed-use residential development at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/55-wyandra-street-teneriffe-qld-4005">55 Wyandra Street</a>, Teneriffe, anchored by an 85-metre public laneway designed to reconnect the suburb’s riverfront with the Gasworks precinct.

The buildings, known as Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane, would replace the existing Queensland Cotton head office site with a 15-storey residential tower transitioning to eight storeys toward Helen Street. The project has been designed by Plazibat Architects and lodged as a code assessable development application for 93 apartments across a 3,401 sqm mixed-use site within the Newstead and Teneriffe Waterfront neighbourhood plan.

Central to the scheme is the transformation of an existing service easement into a publicly accessible cross-block connection linking Wyandra and Helen Streets. Cavcorp says the new laneway will act as both a pedestrian shortcut and a landscaped civic space between the Teneriffe Riverwalk, ferry terminal, and Gasworks precinct.

<img alt="First Look: Cavcorp unveils Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane plans for landmark wellness tower in Teneriffe" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="26e7f058-b065-4de8-b13d-a2b8cb64dfcc" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/bldg.png?VersionId=sELS0ZKYi361oYipUa1BIKfe_.DLZoFV" />

“The revised proposal delivers a legacy public-realm cross-block link, permanently secured for community use, transforming an existing private easement into a safe, high-quality pedestrian connection between the Teneriffe heritage riverwalk and the Gasworks–Long Island precinct,” the planning report states.

The laneway will sit beneath a large subtropical loggia integrated into the podium levels of the development. The design incorporates deep landscaping, water gardens, lobby spaces, business lounges, and ground-floor apartments to create what Cavcorp describes as a climate-responsive “urban verandah.”

The tower itself has been designed as a slender form with recessed floorplates and curved translucent corners inspired by contemporary Japanese architecture. The building height aligns with the Commercial Road precinct controls, which permit towers up to 15 storeys within proximity to Longland Street.

<img alt="First Look: Cavcorp unveils Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane plans for landmark wellness tower in Teneriffe" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a8a17d40-43b6-4718-b3fd-67676fcbb485" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/pers%202_1.png?VersionId=i3VwDtp5AmL_8InW7w4qRbDFEpb744Jt" />

The project will comprise a mix of larger-format apartments aimed at owner-occupiers, downsizers, and families. The proposed apartment mix includes 11 loggia apartments across the lower levels, 50 four-bedroom Sky-Terrace apartments from levels three to seven, and 32 Sky-Pool Homes occupying the upper tower levels. The Sky-Pool Homes will feature private thermal plunge pools integrated into oversized balconies.

According to the application, the apartments are intended to reinterpret the scale and character of Teneriffe’s woolstore conversions and Queensland homes within a vertical residential format.

“The sky-pool homes build on Cavcorp’s previous projects and introduce a distinct apartment typology to Teneriffe, informed by both local and international precedent and responding to an identified market demand for enhanced safety, space and amenity,” the planning submission notes.

A major focus of the proposal is its five-level wellness and lifestyle offering, extending from the basement through to the rooftop.

Amenities proposed include a rooftop Swim &amp; Racquet Club with a 25-metre Olympic lap pool and tennis court, coworking spaces and libraries, golf simulators, wine storage, concierge facilities, business lounges, pet wash areas, and rooftop longevity-focused wellness spaces with spas, outdoor fitness zones, and landscaped terraces.

<img alt="First Look: Cavcorp unveils Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane plans for landmark wellness tower in Teneriffe" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="944b352c-49b9-4247-a4c6-5967b4b69fda" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/amenity.png?VersionId=Ed_qKjAtMwFT.5gfl3jiA9QwdWxSMsaX" />

All parking will be concealed within basement levels accessed from Wyandra and Helen Streets. Cavcorp says the deep-basement engineering approach allows the entire ground plane to prioritise landscaping, pedestrian movement, and active frontage rather than vehicle infrastructure.

The development continues Cavcorp’s concentration in Newstead and Teneriffe, where the Brisbane developer has delivered a number of apartment projects including Lucent, Le Bain, and Luminare, as well as the Long Island Wellness Precinct nearby. Several of those projects have received national design and architecture awards, including recognition under Brisbane’s “Buildings that Breathe” program.

Cavcorp unveils wellness-focused Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane apartment buildings

Focus Group Investments has lodged plans for a new apartment development at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/64-70-hanover-street-fitzroy-vic-3065">64–70 Hanover Street</a> in Fitzroy, seeking to utilise the Victorian Government’s recently introduced Great Design Fast Track pathway to accelerate approvals for the project.

The proposal is among the latest developments to emerge through the state-led initiative, which was established to fast-track well-designed residential projects in activity centres and transport-connected inner-city locations. The pathway allows qualifying developments that meet elevated design and housing benchmarks to bypass traditional council planning timeframes and instead be assessed directly by the Department of Transport and Planning.

Designed by SJB, the development will comprise a mix of apartments above activated lower levels, with a strong focus on architectural articulation, landscaping, and communal amenity. The design response seeks to balance the industrial character of Richmond’s former warehouse precincts with a more contemporary residential form.

<img alt="First look: Focus Group Investments taps Victoria’s Great Design Fast Track for Richmond apartments" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="abea51cc-d85b-479e-9aef-a589f3b37ca7" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/ground.png?VersionId=e1Kf8EyPWwyiVumtqQ4rM5S4GpOR3CCz" />

Proposed are 63 new dwellings, a wide ranging mix of studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, and townhouses and duplexes. They will be spread across a part-three, part-eight storey building.

The Planning and Urban Context Report by Tract says the development is of an "exemplary architectural standard" and has been carefully crafted by SJB Architects.

"Dwellings&nbsp;will benefit from excellent access to natural light, cross-ventilation opportunities and extensive communal space," the report noted.

The architectural material highlights the project’s integration of landscaped elements and communal spaces throughout the building. The proposal also incorporates sustainability initiatives aligned with the Victorian Government’s push for higher-performing apartment developments under the fast-track program.

The Great Design Fast Track was unveiled by the Victorian Government in 2024 as part of a broader housing supply strategy aimed at accelerating the delivery of new homes. Projects assessed through the pathway must demonstrate high-quality architecture, sustainability outcomes, and housing diversity while being located close to public transport and existing infrastructure.

<img alt="First look: Focus Group Investments taps Victoria’s Great Design Fast Track for Richmond apartments" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="afdbe834-8dc4-4a77-a943-ba07bc927348" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/site_11.png?VersionId=0J657j.TaChAZfp93wqJYBTqSsnREJx2" />

Focus Group, founder and led by Paul De Lutiis, is increasingly active across Melbourne’s inner suburbs, targeting well-connected urban renewal locations suited to medium and higher-density residential development. The Fitzroy proposal continues that strategy, leveraging the area’s strong transport links, established retail amenity, and proximity to the CBD.

Fitzroy has been one of the most popular spots for developers and buyers in recent years. The likes of PACE Development Group, SMA Projects, Crema Group and Chapter Group, currently selling projects in the suburb.

First look: Focus Group Investments taps Victoria’s Great Design Fast Track for Fitzroy apartments

The Gold Coast Planning Committee has supported the preliminary approval for the Benowa Gardens Urban Village project following an extensive community consultation and assessment process.

The proposal will now proceed to a full council vote on June 2.

The application sought approval for a masterplanned urban village on the existing Benowa Gardens Shopping Centre site, combining new housing, retail, dining, health and lifestyle amenities within a walkable, integrated precinct.&nbsp;

The proposed redevelopment includes around 413 apartments integrated above a revitalised mixed-use centre featuring a full-line supermarket of 4,000 sqm, 6,000 sqm of specialty retail and dining space across around 30 retailers, a 7,000 sqm health and wellness precinct, and roughly 9,630 sqm of office and medical suites.&nbsp;

<img alt="$1b Benowa Gardens Urban Village moves to Full Council following Planning Committee support" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fb36ae47-80bc-45f0-9914-31b0c7b6007d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/PR26576%20Ashmore%20Road%20C4%201121%20FI.jpg?VersionId=6mRKk2uU4r67TmTt39DKGUlvFRbTVqWa" />

The broader masterplan also includes very significant traffic and transport improvements, wide pedestrian walkways, upgraded pedestrian and cycle connections, and enhanced public areas designed to create a more connected and walkable community environment.&nbsp;

Centre owner Patrick Lu said the milestone reflected months of detailed planning, technical assessment and ongoing communication with local residents, businesses, schools and stakeholders.

“We appreciate the time, consideration and care Council officers and the Planning Committee have given this proposal throughout the assessment process,” Lu said.

“We also sincerely thank the local community for engaging with us, sharing feedback and participating in the consultation process over many months.

<img alt="$1b Benowa Gardens Urban Village moves to Full Council following Planning Committee support" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="32fd1fc3-d0e6-485f-ac57-9916c9bcb818" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/PR26576%20Ashmore%20Road%20C5%201121%20FI_2.jpg?VersionId=fz8qQKDBLQ7MyFRc856Zccfbh9nFwLOe" />

“We understand projects of this scale bring questions and concerns, which is why we have worked hard to listen carefully, provide information transparently and continue refining elements of the proposal where possible.

“Our vision has always been to create a well-designed, community-focused urban village that responds to the changing needs of the Gold Coast, while delivering improved amenity, housing diversity, healthcare access and local lifestyle benefits.

“This proposal is about creating a genuine live-work-play environment where residents can access everyday services, schools, healthcare, dining, shopping and green space within walking distance, while also supporting local jobs and economic activity.”

<img alt="$1b Benowa Gardens Urban Village moves to Full Council following Planning Committee support" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="50dfbd04-590e-4fc6-983b-766880947867" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Dining%20Day%20Time%20-%20High%20Resolution.jpg?VersionId=BP7ZoKJ0DdL_8iRkkC8VVx99moICV6kg" />

Lu said the proposal had evolved significantly through consultation and technical review, particularly around traffic, pedestrian and student safety and neighbourhood connectivity.&nbsp;

Melissa Griffin, Director at Urbis, said the recommendation recognised the strategic importance of delivering more housing and services within established urban areas already supported by infrastructure.

“This proposal represents the type of thoughtful, integrated growth that planning frameworks across South-East Queensland are encouraging,” Ms Griffin said.

“The project seeks to place housing, retail, healthcare and employment opportunities together in a highly accessible location close to schools, transport and existing services.

“Importantly, the process has involved significant technical assessment and community engagement to ensure local issues and feedback were properly considered throughout the planning pathway.”

$1 billion Benowa Gardens Urban Village heads to council vote following Planning Committee support

Surfers Paradise is officially set for its first new residential development with a 45-storey skybridge connecting the two towers.

John Camilleri’s Celestino Developments has been given the green light by the Gold Coast City Council to develop its major beachfront precinct across its huge 4,000 sqm oceanfront site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/63-79-garfield-terrace-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">63–79 Garfield Terrace</a>, just five months after its <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/first-look-exclusive-billionaire-winx-breeder-s-bold-two-tower-surfers-paradise-play-with-45th-storey-skybridge">submission in late 2025</a>.

The approved scheme will deliver two towers rising 55 and 48 storeys, connected by a skybridge positioned on level 45 that will house a range of resident-only wellness and entertainment spaces.

In its notice of approval, the Gold Coast City Council said the&nbsp;proposed overall built form has been designed to complement the scale, intensity and protect the adjacent amenity and surrounding streets through the use of varied setbacks, site cover and architectural elements.

<img alt="First look exclusive: Billionaire Winx breeder’s bold two-tower Surfers Paradise play with 45th-storey skybridge" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/f_auto,c_limit,w_1440,q_75/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/field/image/Screenshot%202025-12-30%20at%209.53.48%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=ADyPJ_TFbJvSU9wZFOiCBnlPtgF7VWqW" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/dbi">DBI</a>, the development will comprise 275 apartments across the two towers, including a mix of two-, three-, and four-bedroom residences, as well as several penthouses. The apartments will sit above a landscaped podium featuring more than 90 metres of beachfront pool frontage, private resident lawns, lounges, and wellness spaces.

DBI said the design draws heavily from the movement and form of the coastal environment, with curving balcony lines and sculpted façades intended to soften the scale of the towers while maximising ocean outlooks and passive shading outcomes.

“The project occupies a rare, uninterrupted oceanfront site and has been shaped by a design philosophy that merges architectural elegance with environmental responsiveness and a carefully curated lifestyle experience,” DBI said in planning documents submitted to the Gold Coast City Council.

The most distinctive element of the approved project is the skybridge linking the two towers at level 45. The elevated communal space is planned to include executive lounges, formal dining areas, wellness facilities, and panoramic ocean-facing outlooks.

“The skybridge enhances the identity of the development, promotes social interaction, and delivers a lifestyle experience not found elsewhere on the Gold Coast,” DBI said.

At podium level, residents will have access to a suite of resort-style amenities, including resident lounges, private dining rooms, a yoga lawn, gymnasium, plunge pools, and treatment spaces. The beachfront pool has been designed with separate lap, lounge, and children’s areas extending across the width of the site.

The project will also introduce new food and beverage offerings along the Enderley Avenue and Oceanway frontages, contributing additional activation to the beachfront precinct.

Miriam Sandkuhler

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