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Melbourne coffee institution St. ALi will begin serving students and staff of the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music representing owner Salvatore Malatesta.
James Lockwood and Rick Berry of Fitzroys negotiated the long eight-year lease for the 16 sqm hole-in-the-wall with a 56 sqm outdoor deck area on behalf of the University of Melbourne.
“We utilised our extensive hospitality database to undertake a targeted approach to quality coffee operators, which resulted in lease negotiations with St. ALi within 24 hours of the space hitting the market,” Lockwood said.
The space is one of a number of brand-new food and beverage tenancies Fitzroys has been marketing in the heart of the Melbourne arts precinct on behalf of the University in line with the its $200 million campus transformation of the Victorian College of the Arts and the Conservatorium of Music, creating the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music.
Malatesta’s involvement in the coffee industry began in earnest in 1996.
“I opened my original coffee cart at the University of Melbourne when I was a student, so we are very excited for St ALi to be heading back to where it all started, and feel there is great synergy of the sustainability principles that both the University and the St ALi brand represent,” Malatesta said.
Other deals recently concluded by Fitzroys for the University include the main café at Southbank Campus, to be opened late 2020, and event bar and foyer in the new Conservatorium of Music, Axil Coffee at the new Webs building at the Parkville Campus, and Mr Ed Café at the Werribee Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences Campus, by Four 10 Hospo Group who also run Leroy’s Café in Newport.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

St. ALi joins others in leasing University of Melbourne retail space

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<div class="column">Land values in NSW dropped by up to 33 per cent after the 2019/2020 bushfires destroyed properties across the state, according to the 'Review of the impact of bushfires on land values' report released on April 9, 2020.</div>
<div class="column"> </div>
<div class="column">CSIRO report that there was more than 10 million hectares of land burnt in Australian during the 2019/2020 bushfire season. This is greater than the combined area burned in the Black Saturday 2009 and Ash Wednesday 1983 bushfires. The CSIRO lists weather and vegetation as playing the major contributing factors to the 2019/2020 bushfires.</div>
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Record low rainfall (2019 was the driest year since records began in 1900) and record high temperatures lead to dry vegetation and an increased frequency of fire weather days.
During the 2019/2020 bushfire season to date, NSW Justice has issued a natural disaster declaration for 51 LGAs across NSW.
The Rural Fire Service (RFS) recorded the most fire incidents in NSW in the 2019/2020 fire season over the last 20 years.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2020/4/24/NSW%20bushfire%20history.png" alt="">
The number of bushfire incidents recorded in each fire season  Source: NSW Review of the impact of bushfires on land values, 9 April 2020. 
 
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2020/4/24/Areas%20of%20NSW%20subject%20to%20bushfires%20201920.png" alt="">
Areas of NSW that were subject to bushfires in the 2019/2020 bushfires. Source: NSW Review of the impact of bushfires on land values, 9 April 2020. 
By March 3, 2020 the RFS recorded that the majority of destruction from the bushfires had occurred to residential properties with some commercial, industrial and public areas also being impacted. The total number of properties destroyed and damaged are as follows: 
<table style="height: 58px; width: 933px;" border="0"><tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #04348a;">
<td>Degree of damage</td>
<td>Residential </td>
<td>Out Building</td>
<td>Commercial </td>
<td>Industrial </td>
<td>Public Area</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Destroyed</td>
<td>2,355</td>
<td>5,207</td>
<td>172</td>
<td>25</td>
<td>49</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Damaged</td>
<td>962</td>
<td>1,911</td>
<td>71</td>
<td>26</td>
<td>66</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
Source: NSW Review of the impact of bushfires on land values, 9 April 2020.
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In addition to the significant level of damage caused by the bushfires to property structures it has been suggested that the extent of the fires may also cause some sterilisation of the landscape. This is due to the greater intensity of these bushfires and the dryness of the landscape which had been in drought. However, the level of regeneration achievable will not be known until after the end of the bushfire season. 
In response to the bushfires, the NSW government declared that it will cover the full cost of council rates for the third and fourth quarters of the 2019-2020 financial year and in conjunction with the Commonwealth government will pay the clean up costs for properties that were destroyed (Service NSW, 2020).
In early February 2020, NSW experienced significant rainfall which helped put out most fires in the state and weakened drought conditions across most of eastern NSW.
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The NSW Valuer General determines land values for approximately 2.6 million properties across the state each year. Almost half of these, 1.1 million, are in located in the 51 LGA’s where a natural disaster declaration was issued. 
NSW RFS impact assessment data indicates approximately 38,000 thousand of these were in the fire impact area. This represents approximately 1.5 per cent of the total number of valuations in the state.
<div class="column">NSW Valuer-General David Parker studied the impact of past bushfires on property sales across the US and NSW to give land owners and councils an indication of where prices could fall this year after the unprecedented events of the past summer.</div>
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<div class="column"><img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2020/4/24/Case%20studies.png" alt=""></div>
<div class="column"> </div>
<div class="column">Impact on land values were contingent on where properties were located, how much land was destroyed by bushfires and the level of demand for land. </div>
<div class="column"> </div>
<div class="column">Dr Parker explains, “If there was a strong market for land before the bushfire and the bushfire only affected a small proportion of properties in the area, there was almost no effect [on the land value]". </div>
<div class="column"> </div>
<div class="column">Looking at the 2013 Blue Mountains bushfires, land values dropped between two and six per cent due to damage to relatively few properties but sustained high levels of demand in the region, ergo property prices after the event created many vacant blocks for sale. </div>
<div class="column"> </div>
<div class="column">However, on the flip side, there was an 11 to 33 per cent drop in land values after the 2017 Sir Ivan bushfires in the Warrumbungle local government area. </div>
<div class="column"> </div>
<div class="column">Dr Parker explained, "areas where demand is low and a high proportion of properties of land was destroyed, you saw the biggest impact on values. </div>
<div class="column"> </div>
<div class="column">"When you think about it, they're the people who need the most help. Their lives have been destroyed."</div>
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NSW land values dropped by up to 33 per cent after bushfires

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A development site in Sydney's west has sold for more than $36 million on behalf of a Revelop property group, in partnership with Mintus Pty Ltd. 
The sale has paved way for a 30,000 square metre apartment project at the Pemulwuy site, including 300 units across eight buildings, ranging from three to five storeys.
CBRE Western Sydney's Alex Mirzaian negotiated the sale of the Butu Wargon Drive property to a local western Sydney developer on behalf of Revelop and Mintus.
Mr Mirzaian noted that, even in these uncertain times, sites with development approvals in under supplied areas would continue to transact, fuelled by the expectation of further construction industry stimulus from the NSW Government.
“Some local western Sydney buyers are looking to keep building with the view that the market will recover in the next 12 months as housing supply dries up,” Mr Mirzaian said.
The project will be the Pemulwuy area's only new multi-unit housing development in the past decade. 
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Pemulway development site sold for $36 million

GUEST OBSERVATION

Electricity demand in Australia has barely budged since COVID-19 took hold. Many may be wondering: after months spent largely at home, are huge household power bills on the way?

The answer, largely, is no. But as the pandemic forces hundreds of thousands of Australians into unemployment, some will still struggle to pay their electricity bills.

A mass failure to pay would threaten the viability of electricity retailers. If some folded, this would reduce market competition and drive up energy costs for everyone.

So let’s take a look at how stay-at-home measures are affecting energy demand, and what the coronavirus pandemic means for electricity consumers in Australia.

<img alt="" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/329907/original/file-20200422-47820-1ttkzt1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" />

The unemployed may struggle to pay their electricity bills this winter. Julian Smith/AAP

A mixed bag

We’ve assessed how social distancing restrictions have affected both demand for electricity and “mobility” (the movement of people) in Australia, New Zealand, the US and the UK.

Interestingly, changes in electricity demand and mobility go together and were significantly different across the countries after strict stay-at-home rules were imposed in late March.

Grid-based electricity demand in both the UK and New Zealand has declined significantly (20 per cent and 15 per cent respectively). Demand is largely unchanged in Australia and has declined about 5 per cent in the US overall, relative to the baseline.

Among Australian states, electricity demand has declined in New South Wales by around 5 per cent, and increased slightly in Western Australia and Tasmania. Demand is largely unchanged in Victoria, South Australia and Queensland compared to the baseline.

The relative strictness of social distancing policies seems to be the main driver of changes in electricity demand. For example, unlike New Zealand, Australia’s construction industry was not subject to lockdown restrictions, which meant electricity use in that sector has continued.

Of course, many factors affect electricity demand, and further analysis is required to isolate the precise impact of social distancing policies.

<img alt="" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/329908/original/file-20200422-47832-1l6fjv6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" />

Electricity demand in Australia has changed little since stay-at-home regulations were introduced. Scott Barbour/AAP

Out and about

To crosscheck changes in electricity demand, we examined the change in the movement of people to retail, recreation and workplace locations as measured in Google’s COVID-19 Community Mobility Reports. These reports use location history data from users to create a picture of how people are moving around the community.

Mobility changes are consistent with the change in electricity demand: since stay-at-home restrictions were imposed, falls in mobility have been about twice as large in New Zealand and the UK as in Australia.

Mobility in the US states of New York and California has declined more than in Australia, but less than in the UK and New Zealand.

<img alt="" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/329909/original/file-20200422-47841-wu09r8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" />

An empty London street. Electricity demand and mobility in the UK has fallen since social distancing was enforced. SOPA Images

What to expect this winter

In Australia, electricity demand from households has increased slightly as millions of people stay at home, prompting warnings of bill shock. But activities such as boiling the kettle and cooking more often, and keeping lights on all day, do not make a big difference to consumption.

This will change in winter, when we need to keep our houses warm. Households using split-system air conditioners for heating can expect seasonally adjusted electricity bills to be around 10-20 per cent higher if they’re heating the house 24 hours a day, rather than just briefly in the morning and again in the late afternoon and evening.

But demand will vary greatly depending on weather and a home’s size, insulation, efficiency of heater and so on.

Averaged across all Australian households (and assuming social distancing regulations continue to apply in winter), we expect total residential electricity consumption to be a little higher this winter than in previous years.

Differences will be more pronounced in the colder states: Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and to a lesser extent New South Wales. The warmer states of Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory will see little change.

Overall, slightly higher demand for electricity in Australian households over winter will probably offset lower commercial and retail demand.

<img alt="" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/329910/original/file-20200422-47784-pzh8de.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" />

Many Australians are worried about bill shock this winter. Dan Peled/AAP

Threat to competition

​ 
While overall electricity demand might not shift much in Australia, skyrocketing unemployment may create a surge in the number of households struggling to pay their energy bills, even with Jobkeeper payments.

Long before the pandemic, regulators, governments, retailers and customer groups had worked to improve consumer protections such as hardship policies. These measures are now likely to be put to the test.

There are signs that electricity retailers are already anxious about looming non-payment. For example, some retailers have offered incentives for customers to take up direct debit, or cash-back for bills paid in advance.

Retailers pay for both the electricity produced, and its transport. If many thousands of customers can’t pay their bills, some retailers may become financially unviable. The smaller retailers have the weakest balance sheets and are most at risk.

But these small companies are the lifeblood of competition in Australia’s retail electricity markets. Losing them would, in time, translate into higher prices.

In Queensland, the government has announced assistance to electricty consumers in response to COVID-19.

If utility non-payment spirals and retailer viability is seriously threatened, governments and regulators might consider ways to share the risks more broadly, to protect competition and consumers. 
Bruce Mountain, Director, Victoria Energy Policy Centre, Victoria University; Kelly Burns, Senior Research Fellow, Victoria University, and Steven Percy, Senior research fellow, Victoria University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license

Staying at home for months is unlikely to lead to an eye-watering electricity bill

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Australia has <a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-debate-turns-to-whether-australia-should-embrace-elimination-strategy-136186" target="_blank" style="font-family: Tahoma, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.15999984741211px;">done better with COVID-19</a> than anyone dared hope. This opens up the prospect of a progressive relaxation of restrictions later this year. Organisations that could participate in an economic stimulus program will need to be in a position then to deliver “shovel-ready” projects to help revive the economy.
The construction sector is the obvious focus of a stimulus plan, and the construction of social housing should be the priority, for reasons that I’ll outline below.
The Rudd government’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/vital-signs-the-gfc-and-me-ten-years-on-what-have-we-learned-103514" target="_blank">stimulus package during the Global Financial Crisis</a> gives us a helpful guide to what does and doesn’t work. The initiatives that failed did so because of a lack of proper planning.
Fortunately, if we get going now, we have months to plan the recovery program. Getting it right will be crucial. By September, one month before <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/general/JobKeeper-Payment/" target="_blank">JobKeeper</a> payments end, many businesses are <a href="https://theconversation.com/new-oecd-estimates-suggest-a-22-hit-to-australias-economy-135026" target="_blank">going to be on their knees</a>.
Why construction?
Most of the successful elements of the Rudd package focused on construction. The reason is simple. Nearly <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp1718/Quick_Guides/EmployIndustry" target="_blank">one in ten Australians</a> work in the construction industry. Many more are employed locally in the production of building products.
Both construction and building product manufacturing provide jobs for people with varying levels of skill, including people who are unskilled. The vast majority of concrete and steel reinforcement, bricks, wall framing, building boards, windows and doors, roof tiles and metal cladding are still made here. A substantial portion of domestic electrical and plumbing products, including stainless steel sinks, copper pipes and electrical cables are also made here.
It’s important to realise that the type of building being constructed will affect its local stimulatory impact. For buildings up to three storeys high, over 50 per cent of their cost is labour on site. Of the remaining cost, the vast majority is Australian-made materials and components. (Although the Australian Bureau of Statistics stopped its series on Australian-made construction products in 2014, the employment impact can still be estimated from <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/8155.02017-18?OpenDocument" target="_blank">ABS manufacturing statistics</a>.)
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/329988/original/file-20200423-47815-af48fv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/329988/original/file-20200423-47815-af48fv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
For typical single and double-storey housing, more than half the cost goes into labour and locally made materials account for most of the rest of it. <a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/new-suburban-homes-currently-under-construction-261423332" target="_blank">Shutterstock</a>
However, the taller a building gets, the greater the percentage of imported components – lifts, mechanical components and facade systems are mostly imported.
Why social housing?
What sort of construction projects should the government consider for a stimulus package? While the response so far has been to focus on “<a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/scott-morrison-flags-company-tax-cuts-ir-reform-as-key-to-covid-19-economic-recovery-20200417-p54kvq">fast-tracking” infrastructure</a>, the current crisis has highlighted a number of pressing social needs. Various aspects of social housing top the list:
<ol>
<li>
Housing to reduce the number of people living in <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-insecurity-of-private-renters-how-do-they-manage-it-77324" target="_blank">precarious private rentals</a>. A substantial program to increase the stock of social housing would be a great legacy.
</li>
<li>
Housing for people who are homeless. They will not be able to go on <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-02/sa-hotels-policy-shows-homelessness-not-intractable/12113682" target="_blank">living in hotels</a> once the lockdown ends.
</li>
<li>
Affordable housing for workers in health, emergency services, education and retail who cannot afford to live close to the communities they provide vital support to. It turns out they are essential workers, some of the most important people in Australia, so we need to look after them.
</li>
</ol>
Housing construction is a very effective way to create jobs, both directly and downstream. <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/speeches/2019/sp-dg-2019-10-17" target="_blank">About 6 per cent of Australian jobs</a> are related to housing.
What other construction work is needed?
There are other opportunities for well-targeted construction stimulus.
In many areas of Australia, public schools and kindergartens still rely on low-quality portable buildings or buildings that have exceeded their economic life. A program to replace them with new and efficient buildings would produce substantial social benefits, cut maintenance costs and improve sustainability.
Improving the deteriorated state of community buildings and parks, particularly in disadvantaged areas, would also deliver social benefits and potentially employ a lot of unskilled labour. Having decent parks and exercise facilities close to where people live will allow social distancing to continue as long as needed.
A Victorian government <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-16/flammable-cladding-removal-fund-victorian-government/11311518" target="_blank">plan to remove combustible cladding</a> from residential and community buildings could also be extended to all states. It’s essential work that would also create jobs.
The government could also consider a program to replace or refurbish university teaching and research buildings that are over 40 years old. Incredibly, as we have found at ARINA in our consultancy work, these older buildings still provide more than half of the 11.8 million square metres of gross floor space occupied by the higher education sector.
These ageing buildings are not well suited to supporting the research into solutions to SARS-CoV-2 and other pressing medical and economic problems. Replacing or refurbishing them would improve outputs, cut maintenance costs and improve sustainability, plus give a much-needed boost to the higher education sector.
Plan now to be shovel-ready
Anglicare SA is already thinking of what it can do to deliver more social housing. Its CEO, Peter Sandeman, told me he is making sure Anglicare has “shovel-ready projects that can be rolled out the moment a stimulus package is announced. There is no better way of stimulating the economy than by constructing social housing.”
This is stimulus that also meets critical social needs, Sandeman says.
There is a desperate shortage of social housing. Our waiting list and the number of people who are homeless demonstrates that.
Social housing provides a long-term benefit to everyone. It adds stability to the lives of the occupants and this is a particular benefit to their children and their education. Safe, affordable housing is the foundation stone that gives people a chance in life.
Other organisations that could be part of the stimulus package should be getting ready, too, and making sure the government knows what they are doing.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/geoff-hanmer-90647" target="_blank">Geoff Hanmer</a>, Adjunct Professor of Architecture, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-adelaide-1119" target="_blank">University of Adelaide</a>
This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-the-focus-of-stimulus-plans-has-to-be-construction-that-puts-social-housing-first-136519" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Why the focus of stimulus plans has to be construction that puts social housing first

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Spending time at the beach or taking a walk in the park can help us recover from the mental and physical impacts of life’s stresses. But physical distancing measures to contain COVID-19 have included closing beaches, playgrounds and parks, adding to the challenges to our mental health. When we stay home to flatten the curve, how can we help ourselves by taking advantage of the benefits associated with nature?
The evidence for nature supporting human well-being has grown in recent decades. We researched the links between nature and urban residents’ well-being and found there are benefits of nature that we can still enjoy now, even in lockdown. Our findings point to some of the ways we can improve our well-being by engaging with everyday nature close to home.
1. A room with a view
We reviewed the evidence, collected survey data on self-reported well-being and biodiversity indicators, and organised focus groups in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia, and Auckland and Wellington, New Zealand, to better understand participants’ relationship with urban nature.
If you’re stuck at home, the good news is there is plenty of research that suggests a view through a window of vegetation or a body of water can provide a micro-break. A view of nature through a window has even aided hospital patients’ recovery from surgery. A short, 40-second glance at a green roof supports cognitive restoration better than a view of concrete.
Our research found urban residents had greater self-reported well-being when they had nature nearby or visible from their homes. Participants valued a view of vegetated areas – green space – and bodies of water – blue space. One participant said:
I could live in something that was pretty grim if it had a balcony that looked out [at nature].
Participants in our focus groups also highlighted the importance of seeing changes in the natural world, such as change in the weather or the seasons. Even if your view does not have a lot of vegetation or water, a view of the sky can allow engagement with nature’s dynamism.
2. Gardening – indoors and out
If you’re lucky enough to have a yard or balcony, now may be a good time to do some gardening. Gardening can offer benefits such as reductions in stress, anxiety and depression. As a physical activity, gardening can also improve physical fitness and support weight loss.
Gardens can also provide habitat for wildlife, potentially introducing you to new plants, pollinating insects and birds. Urban biodiversity benefits us too.
Our study found strong links between gardening and self-reported well-being. If you don’t have a yard, gardening on a balcony or tending to indoor plants also has benefits. One participant explained:
Having a small vegetable garden and flowers in pots makes me feel happy and content … It is wonderful to see things grow in the city.
Gardening in a yard, on a balcony, or even tending indoor plants does us good. Peter Lead, Author provided
3. Green exercise
We know exercise is good for physical fitness and mental health. “Green exercise”, or exercise that takes place in and around nature, can improve your mood and self-esteem.
Our study found strong links between how often urban residents exercised and their self-reported well-being. One participant described how important green exercise is to them:
Being able to walk my dog down at the beach or go up into the hills is a great stress relief and keeps me fit and healthy and, best of all, it’s free.
Another participant described exercising in a public park:
I feel significantly calmer, [my] breathing rate goes down. I love the feel of that moist air going into my lungs from all the trees and I really do feel different.
To limit infection, residents of cities around the world are subject to a range of national and local constraints on when and how they leave the house to exercise. It is important to follow physical distancing guidelines, but it is also important to exercise rather than be both isolated and sedentary.
Urban nature now and for the future
Nature can support our well-being now, when we all could use the help, but we need to protect it. Climate change talks have been postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it is clear climate change has not stalled, even taking into account the effect of lockdown on emissions.
There are lasting ways to reduce our emissions and create low-carbon and cooler cities. And the earlier we act, the better the outcomes will be.
If you have a yard, planting trees might be a good lockdown activity now and will ultimately benefit your future.
Taking time to notice nature – via a glance outside, tending plants in pots or gardens, or via green exercise – will improve your well-being. Appreciating nature and having access to it has never been so important.The Conversation
Lucy Taylor, Assistant Researcher, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, University of Melbourne; Dieter Hochuli, Professor, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, and Erin Leckey, Research Scientist, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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3 ways nature in the city can do you good, even in self-isolation

No state or territory will be spared from Covid-19 fall-out: NAB  

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A wave of new waterfront opportunities is now available at Pelican Waters’ prestigious residential precinct The Quays, on the doorstep of an emerging world-class marina and marina village.
Pelican Waters land specialist Jackie Dalton said the boutique, two-storey sites had generated broad appeal among young families, couples and retirees.
“Buyers are drawn to the incredible lifestyle benefits and the freedom of reflecting their individual tastes through contemporary, bespoke home designs,’’ she said.
Six unique waterfront sites are currently on the market ranging in size from 380 sqm to 475 sqm, and priced from $495,000 to $620,000.
“Enquiry for waterfront land has remained strong throughout 2020, and we expect demand to be high for the final remaining land at The Quays. This is likely to be the last land to be released anywhere in Pelican Waters until early next year,’’ Ms Dalton said.
The Quays offers the last available tidal waterfront lots at Pelican Waters, with future waterfront releases to be behind a lock and weir system.
The fully-functioning marina and boatyard will include a boat stacker with 160 spaces for boats up to 10m long plus 125 wet berths catering for vessels up to 13m.
Associated facilities and services will include a boat lift, shipwright, marine mechanics and electricians, anti-fouling service, boat detailing and chandlery plus amenities such as fuelling, sewerage pump, café and users’ lounge.
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Pelican Water's The Quays release final waterfront residential sites

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Breakfast Point’s historic Blacksmiths Workshop at 123 Peninsula Drive has been snapped up by a high net worth individual for $7,300,000.
Following a competitive expressions of interest campaign, the 3,133 sqm heritage building was marketed and sold by Ray White Commercial Western Sydney Managing Director Peter Vines and Directors Victor Sheu and Joseph Assaf.
Providing uninterrupted views of the Parramatta River, Mr Vines said the landmark property attracted interest from developers, residential buyers and operators in the hospitality industry.
“This was one of the most unique properties I’ve ever worked on and it was no surprise that we received more than 100 enquiries, and nine offers, given there can be numerous future uses for it,” Mr Vines said.
“This was the last available waterfront asset within the award-winning Breakfast Point master planned development, nearing completion by Rose Group and CBUS Property, on a 52ha site which is home to some 2,650 dwellings."
<img src="https://f.datasrvr.com/f1/820/15065/BP_4.JPG" width="640" data-imagetype="External">
The property was built in 1891 and has housed the display suite for the entire project for many years.
The building is 400 sqm internally and the site has an R3 Medium Density zoning, however, it has received approval for commercial use.
“It would suit hospitality, commercial office, residential or a mixture of uses which would need approval by the City of Canada Bay Council,” Mr Assaf said.
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Historic Breakfast Point Blacksmiths Workshop sold

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Community Housing Providers (CHPs) will have greater contractual certainty, to enhance the delivery of social housing outcomes, via new initiative by the NSW Government.
A change in contractual arrangements offered by the NSW Land and Housing Corporation (LAHC) will open the door for CHPs to transition from existing three-year general social housing leases, to 20-year leases on their LAHC owned portfolio.
NSW Minister for Water, Property and Housing Melinda Pavey announced the initiative today by opening an Expression of Interest process, calling for applications from interested CHPs.
A staged implementation process will initially focus on Tier One CHPs that express interest in taking-up the 20-year leases, for which LAHC will review and determine their eligibility to transition around 14,000 properties to 20-year leases.
Stage two will see a review of the suitability for Tier Two and Tier Three CHPs to transition to 20-year leases, covering approximately 1400 properties.
Minister Pavey said this significant increase (about 570 per cent) in the prescribed time-frame for leases will provide greater certainty in contractual obligations between LAHC and CHPs.
Mrs Pavey said, "a 20-year lease will enable CHPs to consider leveraging more secure longer-term revenue streams, to grow their portfolio, employ more people and engage with financiers and investors, to ultimately deliver higher quality homes.”
Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services Gareth Ward said this initiative followed the successful transfer late last year of 14,000 properties to nine CHPs, under the Social Housing Management Transfer program.
 
 
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NSW Government initiative to increase social housing leasing periods

<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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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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