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A commercial property with the possibility of dual income is up for sale in Sydney’s Brookvale. 
The <a href="https://www.raineandhorne.com.au/properties/brookvale-392642" target="_blank">warehouse/office</a>, situated within the “Eastpoint” security development on the corner of Mitchell and Wattle Roads, comes with a price tag of $652,000 ex-GST. 
Brookvale is the Northern Beaches main commercial precinct.
The property occupies 285 sqm, with the warehouse on 144 sqm and the office on 141 sqm. 
Both are tenanted, with the lease for the warehouse for four years expiring in early 2019. The gross rent is $24,324 + GST per annum.
The upstairs office is on a three-year lease till 2019 and the gross rent is $21,500 + GST per annum.
The total gross income thus comes to $45,824 + GST per annum with total outgoings at $4,854.55.
The yield works out to be 6.3%, according to the listing agents Raine and Horne.
Other features of the property are parking space for two cars; the warehouse and office are both self-contained with bathrooms and kitchenettes and two tenants means a less risk.
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Dual income property in Sydney’s Brookvale listed at $652,000

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Sax Bar, with its colonial facade and prime location in NSW’s Maitland, is up for sale at a price tag of $550,000.
Last traded for $275,000 in 2004, <a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-hotel+leisure-nsw-maitland-501671425" target="_blank">274 High Street</a> is a freehold offering.
It is close to cinemas, art gallery and only 20 minutes from Newcastle and Pokolbin. 
The double-level brick building’s front area has the main bar and seating, which is divided by a double-sided open fire place through then to another room, leading to a back courtyard. This parterre doubles the floor space and facilitates alfresco dining. The courtyard leads to Free Church Street.
The property has been restored fully.
The property is being marketed by Chris Henry of Hunter River Realty Group.
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Colonial retail offering at Maitland for $550,000

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The office sector in Sydney and Melbourne — Australia’s largest markets — is poised for modest improvement in 2016, says the latest Cushman &amp; Wakefield’s Asia Pacific Outlook for the year, after property markets ended 2015 in higher gear even with below-trend economic growth in the region.
Sydney’s CBD is benefitting from ongoing structural changes to the Australian economy, especially with the services sector in New South Wales witnessing a resurgence in employment as the state economy returns to trend growth rates, the research headed by Sigrid Zialcita notes.
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Population growth, retail spending and dwelling construction activity have been the main contributors to the state’s economic growth in recent quarters. 
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Similarly, a revival in Melbourne’s CBD will persist as corporate expansions gain traction and the flight- to-quality sees businesses relocate from the suburbs. As the development cycle ebbs, prime office rents in Melbourne’s CBD are forecast to edge up moderately as vacancies continue to fall. 
That said, expect office prices in both cities to appreciate and spur further compression in cap rates, especially for the highest-grade buildings, although investment volumes are expected to slide due to the lack of stock on the market. 
Another factor driving up prices in both cities is the perpetuation of high yields. Notably, with interest rates forecast to stay at record lows, not to mention that the Reserve Bank of Australia has left the door open to further easing to guard against downside risks, projected yield spreads (320- 340 bps) will remain among the highest in the region.
However, Western Australia, which is disproportionately exposed to mining, will continue to lag behind. As such, the office sector in Perth will continue to be sluggish.
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Sydney and Melbourne office markets treading firmer ground: Cushman & Wakefield 2016 outlook

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Landlords offering free rent, internet on new apartments in Brisbane’s CBD is not just an indication that it’s a tenant’s market, but that it is near saturation as well, says a QUT property economist.
Tenants are calling the shots in the Brisbane CBD and inner ring suburb rental market, according to QUT economist Dr Lyndall Bryant. Of the 500 properties listed in the past six months in sought-after West End, the average days to rent was 39 days.
“That’s five-and-a-half weeks of your apartment sitting empty, so landlords might as well offer a month’s free rent on a six-month lease since it’s likely to be empty anyway,” Dr Bryant said.
“The average rental in West End is $400 a week, which means that with a four-week, rent-free period, tenants, in effect, can get the equivalent of their bond back for free.
They could conceivably move into a new apartment every six months and save two months’ rent every year.
“If this is happening in West End which has great amenity – close to the river, the city and a cosmopolitan hub - what these figures are showing us is that the market is reaching saturation.”
Dr Bryant said demand for near-city apartment living came from three groups: students, young professionals and empty nesters.
With 10,000 new apartments currently under construction, it was unclear where fresh demand for these units would come from, except possibly from international students because of the falling Australian dollar.
"In addition to the 10,000 near-city apartments under construction, inner ring Brisbane has another 15,000 apartments approved and another 15,000 waiting approval.
“If all these properties go ahead there will be an apartment oversupply and it’ll be a tenants’ market for the foreseeable future.  When landlords aren’t getting returns on their investment, they sell up and property values fall.
“Brisbane has shown good investment returns in recent years but incentives such as free rent and internet indicate we are approaching saturation.
“This isn’t good for the market. Any new developments should look very closely at their value proposition until the demand fundamentals shift."
 Dr Bryant said commercial vacancies were at an all-time high.
"Brisbane office market vacancies have blown out to 15 per cent as the mining boom has contracted," she said.
"This has meant there are fewer white collar workers looking for shorter term accommodation who could take up tenancies in near-city apartments."
Dr Bryant said a further complication was recent changes by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) and Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) that had been effective in putting the brakes on property investment lending. 
"In an effort to cool the overheated property market down south, APRA has required the banks to actively discourage higher risk mortgage lending for property investors. That is, interest only loans, high loan to value ratio loans, and loans with very long terms.
“It’s one thing to create high-density, inner city living but not everyone wants to live in an apartment and so it’s important to maintain choice in housing types. 
“With the inner city apartment market reaching saturation, it’s time to shift the policy focus to other segments of the market such as affordable greenfield and “grey field” development."
QUT is one of five Australian universities that have come together to form the Australian Technology Network of Universities.
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Free rent and internet to lure tenants in over-crowded Brisbane CBD: QUT economist

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A 2,300 square metre retail premise sitting next to the site for Western Australia’s first Aldi store in Perth’s Champion Lakes has been snapped up by a private investor for $1.05 million.
The 125 Westfield Drive site comprises a freestanding property occupied by Champion Lakes Car Wash and Chicken Treat, securely leased until 2022 and 2019 respectively.
Champion Lakes is nearly 30 kilometres south-east of the Perth CBD.
The deal was brokered by CBRE’s Michael Milne and Richard Cash.
“Situated adjacent and in front of the Champion Lakes Shopping Centre, this property will benefit from the centre’s major refurbishment and expansion, which will include the state’s first Aldi supermarket, opening in June this year,” Milne said.
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Retail site in Perth next to upcoming Aldi store sells for $1.05 million

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A one hectare beachside development site at Scarborough Beach, around 13 kms from Perth’s CBD, has been taken to the market through JLL.
The 242 West Coast Highway holding is the largest development site currently on offer within the Scarborough Redevelopment Area - one of the largest high density mixed-use sites to be offered in the Perth metropolitan area in recent times.
The 10,165sqm White Sands Tavern site, close to Scarborough and Brighton Beach foreshore, is being offered through a JLL expressions of interest campaign.
Scarborough Beach is undergoing a $57.4 million redevelopment which will see beachfront upgrades and several high-end multi-storey apartment projects coming up.
The existing 2,892sqm (NLA) two-level building generates an annual gross income of about $212,490 plus GST.
The campaign follows the sale of the neighbouring 17,695sqm Luna Maxi site in December.
JLL’s Nigel Freshwater, Phillip Fogliani and Sean Flynn are handling the campaign.
"Combined with its dual frontage to West Coast Highway and Hastings Street to the east, the scale of offering will significantly enhance site circulation, flexibility of development and potential to achieve maximum building height,” said Freshwater.
Scarborough and Brighton are rated amongst Australia's top beaches, he added.
Fogliani said that proposed development guidelines allow a base building height of 12 storeys, which can be increased to 18, over the majority of the site and generous site coverage of up to 80 per cent.
"Existing improvements comprise a 1,438 sqm upper level which is sublet to a gymnasium operator, while the 1,114sqm ground floor incorporates a licenced bar and TAB betting area, drive-through bottle shop, conveniences and tavern infrastructure facilities,” Flynn said.
The lease, with redevelopment clause, will expire in July 2017 with a five-year option.
The EoI for the White Sands Tavern site closes on March 17.
The site last traded for $20 million in 2010 having gone backwards from it's 2007 trade of $21.5 million.
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Scarborough Beach site with mixed-use potential on the market 

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Property developer China Aoyuan Property Group Ltd has announced two more projects after tasting success with its first Australian foray, One30 Hyde Park in Sydney.
Hong Kong-listed Aoyuanpaid $18 million for the 1,000 sqm site at 188 Maroubra Road in Maroubra Junction. Plans to develop 70 apartments have been submitted to Randwick Council for approval and the developer expects to market it by the end of this financial year.
It has also entered into a conditional agreement to acquire a strategic site in Melrose Park, in the municipality of Ryde.
The Melrose Park project is on a 10,000 sqm site and is earmarked for the 2018/19 financial year. Aoyuan said it will continue to build its development pipeline in Australia.
“Aoyuan’s first overseas project, One30 Hyde Park, has impressed us with its outstanding sales performance, and we are confident that it will achieve a gross sales target of close to $400-million,” said Jacky Chan, head of Aoyuan’s Australian operations.
He said the acquisition of the Maroubra and Melrose Park sites will further the group’s strategic expansion plans and also build a strong brand awareness in Australia. 
“Australia is not a short term proposition for us. We are committed to Australia. Last year, the Australian contracted sales performance contributed to nearly 7% of the group’s total contracted sales performance,” he said.
Aoyuan other projects are in Guangdong, Chongqing, Liaoning, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Hunan, Guangxi and Jiangxi. It said as of June 30, 2015, the total GFA of land bank was approximately 12.76 million sqm.
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China’s Aoyuan Property Group expands Sydney footprint, buys Maroubra site for $18 million

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Median house prices fell in Perth in the quarter ended December from the comparable quarter a year earlier, although the results reflected trends seen throughout 2015, preliminary data from REIWA shows.
The December quarter showed the expected impact the Christmas and New Year period traditionally has on the property market, said REIWA President Hayden Groves.
“It’s not uncommon to see a fluctuation in the market at this time of year as it is typically a quieter time in WA real estate. Properties come off the market over the holidays and sales tend to drop off,” he said.
“We get a much clearer picture of how the market is travelling when comparing the data to the December 2014 quarter.”
Houses and units 
Perth’s preliminary median house price came in at $530,000 for the three months to December 2015.
“This is down 0.2 per cent on the revised September 2015 quarterly median and down five per cent when compared to the December 2014 median, however on an annual basis for the year to December 2015 Perth’s median house price held firm dipping just 1.8 per cent,” Groves said. 
Median price for units in the quarter fell 2.2 per cent from the year-ago quarter, though it was up 1.2 per cent to $435,000 over the quarter.
Further, 35 per cent of all house sales in the Perth metro area were in the $360,000 to $500,000 price range. 
“This shows us that first home buyers are still very active and recognise that there is an opportunity in the current market to take the step into home ownership,” Groves said. 
Sales volumes in the $500,000 to $750,000 price range weren’t far behind, making up 32 per cent of total sales volumes in the December 2015 quarter. 
Groves said activity in this bracket tended to be from current home owners who wanted to upgrade to their next home. 
Listings 
Listings for sale fell 3.8 per cent to 14,551 in the December quarter, following a peak of 16,969 in November. 
“It’s not uncommon for listings to drop off at this time of year as traditionally properties are taken off the market around the holiday period before returning to normal levels in the New Year,” Groves said.
“When we compare this figure to the December 2014 quarter we see, as was the case throughout 2015, listings are still higher than the long-term average.”
Sales volumes 
Sales volumes for the three months to December, however, fell sharply to 5,909 from 9,176 in the September 2015 quarter. 
“We estimate that once all sales have settled in the coming months the total number of dwelling sales in WA will come in at around 6,500 for the quarter,” Groves said. 
Selling days and discounting  
Average selling days in the Perth metro area were 59 days in the December quarter, again 13 days more than a year earlier.
“Additionally, 47 per cent of vendors needed to discount their asking price in order to sell in the December quarter, which is an improvement on the September quarter but higher than for the three months to December 2014,” Groves said.
Rental market 
Perth’s overall median rent price in the quarter came in at $400 per week, down $40 from a year earlier though it was steady on the September quarter.
For houses, it was $410, and for units $380. 
Rental listings increased to 9,532 in December from 8,267 in September, while the vacancy rate rose to six per cent. 
Investors were faced with short-term challenges, but it was a good time for tenants to secure a lease at more affordable prices.
“Migrations trends have changed rapidly in WA over the last six months and housing supply has increased. This has caused demand for rental housing to lessen putting downward pressure on prices. 
“The property market is cyclical and long term the projected population growth in WA is still expected to continue which will soak up stock and even out the imbalance we’re seeing,” he said. 
Regional WA 
Results were mixed across regional WA, with regions in the state’s north continuing to adjust, while those in the south were generally more stable. 
Top performers in the quarter were Augusta-Margaret River with 6.5 per cent growth to its annual median house price, followed by Blackwood with a modest increase of 0.7 per cent. 
Groves said the North West sub-region was still feeling the impact of the shift to production in the mining sector, with annual growth in the Kimberley and Pilbara regions declining 3.6 per cent and 26.6 per cent respectively. 
“These areas are experiencing an adjustment as construction slowed down significantly in a short period of time changing the employment requirements. However, when we look at the longer term growth rates for these areas we can see they have declined at a much slower rate,” Groves said.
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Perth house prices dip, rentals fall in December quarter: REIWA data

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Buying a first home can be a daunting task, as Lukas Szymanek and his partner found out. 
The couple went house searching for a year, until a billboard pointed them in the direction of Fairwater. 
“After a year spent looking for houses, we started to think we wouldn’t find anything within our budget. Then we discovered <a href="https://www.frasersproperty.com.au/NSW/Fairwater/Explore/Homes-for-sale">Fairwater,</a>” said Lukas. 
Fairwater, being developed by Frasers Property Australia (formerly Australand) in Sydney’s west, comprises two, three and four-bedroom terraces, townhouses and free-standing homes starting from $627,000. The community is close to Blacktown’s shopping precinct and train station. 
“Being close to the hospital, train station and surrounding amenities was really important for us. We also have an IKEA and Costco close by, as well the park across the road,” said Lukas. 
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Their house is part of the largest geothermal heating and cooling community in the southern hemisphere, according to Frasers. The environment-friendly technology can save up to 60% on heating and cooling costs compared with a traditional air-conditioned home. 
The temperature underground is cooler than the air in summer and much warmer in winter. Geothermal technology uses this constant temperature by circulating refrigerant through pipes 80 metres underground. When the refrigerant returns to the surface, most of the cooling or heating has already taken place, thus saving on energy costs compared to traditional air conditioning. 
The Fairwater project has got a 6-Star Green Star Communities rating from the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA), the first in New South Wales.
“It’s been a really refreshing experience. We have been helped through every stage, from information sessions to picking the colour of materials – you become very involved in the entire process,” Lukas said.
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First home buyers search ends at Frasers’ Fairwater in Blacktown

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Darwin was the clear underperformer across all capital cities in Australia, according to the latest Office Market Report by the Property Council of Australia, with the vacancy rate nearly doubling over last year.
This was the result of an economic convergence of increasing supply and lower demand. The city reported the highest supply rate increase in Australia at the same time as it was experiencing the lowest demand growth, says the PCA.
The vacancy rate rose to 20.7 per cent from 10.9 per cent last year.
“Darwin city has recorded the highest supply rate increase and the lowest demand growth in the nation,” said PCA Northern Territory director Ruth Palmer said.
“A significant amount of supply has been brought onto the market over the last 24 months. This has occurred despite demand weakening during the same period.”
The report shows that negative demand was concentrated in the lower grades. 
“Darwin’s vacancy rate has jumped 9.8 per cent and this was largely due to -18,727sqm of net absorption and 16,286sqm of supply additions. 
All grades of space recorded vacancies of about 15 per cent. 
“In order for us to see a long-term improvement in the office market, we need further investment in the City Centre, in particular the implementation of the Darwin City Centre Master Plan projects,” added Palmer. 
“Furthermore, it's critical that we receive a commitment from the Northern Territory Government to increase employment levels in the City Centre. 
“Not only do we need to increase employment levels and investment in the city, we need to encourage further residential development to allow for additional population growth in our City Centre. 
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Darwin office vacancy rate doubles: PCA

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" />

Rather than concentrating landscaping in a single resident area, the plans integrate planting across the building. Mature trees at the Cordeaux Street corner will be retained, with communal landscaped open space proposed at ground and upper levels alongside deep-soil planting and increased tree canopy coverage.

The building will have two residential entries, one from each street frontage, feeding into a central core with three lifts. Vehicle access is consolidated separately, with the basement entry positioned at the lower part of the site.

Doroch's design report shows 101 of the 139 apartments, or 72.6 per cent, receiving more than two hours of solar access, while 84 apartments achieve natural cross-ventilation. Twenty-eight apartments will incorporate Liveable Housing Australia Silver-level provisions, and every habitable room is designed with a window in an external wall.

The 2016 approval it will replace has never been built, leaving the corner of Cordeaux and Moore-Oxley streets as one of the more prominent unrealised sites in a city centre now being pushed toward higher-density renewal.

Joel Robinson

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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Nova Rêve arrives as Reve Group bets on Castle Hill's next growth phase

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

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