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National rents were -0.1% lower over the month to September 2019, with a median rental value of $436/week, according to the latest Quarterly Rental Review from CoreLogic
They found Rental rates across the combined capital cities came in -0.2% lower over the month with a weekly median rental value of $464/week which remains considerably higher than the combined regional markets where the median rental value current sits at $381/week, with rents across regional areas having risen by 0.1% over the month of September 2019.
Looking at the change in rents over the month across the capital cities, Adelaide was the only capital city to record a monthly rise in rents (+0.1%), with rental rates lower in Sydney (-0.3%), Melbourne (-0.1%), Perth (- 0.1%), Hobart (-0.2%), Darwin (-0.2%) and Canberra (- 0.3%), while unchanged in Brisbane.
According to CoreLogic’s head of research, Tim Lawless, “the broad based weakness in rental conditions can probably be attributed to a rise in rental supply following the surge in investment and residential construction activity through the previous housing boom which has contributed to rental supply."
"Additionally, as first home buyer numbers have surged, this has likely contributed to a reduction in demand as renters convert to buyers.”
“Markets where rents are rising the fastest have generally seen less of a supply response, creating tight rental conditions and pushing rents higher,” he concluded.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Rents continue to trend lower despite market rebound: CoreLogic

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A Blackheath, New South Wales mortgagee home has been sold for $415,000.
The cottage last sold for $580,000 in 2017.
The house sold after 204 days listed on the market as a mortgagee.
Peter Torok of Ray White marketed the property.
Situated at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-nsw-blackheath-131423678" target="_blank">3 Thirroul Avenue</a>, the abode comprises a three bedroom, one bathroom house.
Set on 405 sqm, the listing described the property as "a traditional mountains cottage."
Originally listed for $550,000 - $580,000 the asking price was reduced to $449,000 after an unsuccessful July 2019 auction.
The 1960 built home is located within walking distance of Blackheath's on trend village, local schools &amp; transport.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/subscribe" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/1/Subscriber%20strip%20ad.jpg" alt=""></a>
The median sale price for an apartment in <a href="/developments/blackheath-nsw-2785">Blackheath, NSW</a> is $582,500, according to the latest CoreLogic data.
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Blackheath, NSW mortgagee sold for $165,000 loss

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The Tax Office is seeking to bankrupt the Chinese billionaire, Huang Xiangmo.
It will consider court action in Hong Kong to recover his $140.9 million tax bill.
Last month the ATO sought orders in the Federal Court in Sydney to freeze the local assets of the exiled billionaire.
Huang Xiangmo is a central figure in the alleged NSW corruption watchdog's investigation into the $100,000 Labor Party donation in an Aldi bag.
The ATO sought urgent orders against Huang and his wife Jiefang as it seeks $140 million in allegedly unpaid tax and penalties.
The Chinese property developer has denied he's ever shopped at Aldi, let alone donated $100,000 cash to the Labor Party.
The inquiry at ICAC has heard that Huang, whose Australian resident return visa was cancelled last year, was the alleged donor of the cash delivered in an Aldi bag after a 2015 fundraising dinner.
As a developer, Mr Huang was not allowed to make political donations.
<p data-gtm-vis-recent-on-screen-6236702_632="1568667377656" data-gtm-vis-first-on-screen-6236702_632="1568667377656" data-gtm-vis-total-visible-time-6236702_632="4000" data-gtm-vis-has-fired-6236702_632="1">His Australian permanent residency visa was cancelled last December for reasons including character grounds.
"Both Mr Huang and Mrs Huang are now out of the jurisdiction," the ATO's barrister, Anthony Mcinnerney, SC, told the court last month.
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Huang Xiangmo, Chinese billionaire faces bankruptcy after ATO tax bill

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Hotelier Julian Gerner will retain ownership of Sorrento's Continental Hotel in a deal struck this week.
It comes after the demise of the proposed project partner, property developer Steller and the failure of recent purchaser LBA Capital to settle.
“I have negotiated an agreement to deliver on the vision to restore, renovate, protect and preserve the 1875 ‘Marvellous Melbourne’ hotel for the Sorrento community, all Victorians, interstate and overseas tourists for generations to come,” Gerner said.
He is targeting a recommencement of construction post Australia Day, 2020.
There is a new ownership entity, The Ocean Amphitheatre Company, named in honour of George Coppin who built the Continental and developed the township of Sorrento.
Hotelier Julian Gerner purchased the property from the Di Pietro family following a sales campaign in 2015.
Gerner then obtained planning and heritage approval for an extensive redevelopment of the 144-year-old heritage-listed hotel, the largest limestone structure in the Southern Hemisphere.
But the project was then shut down given issues regarding the project's partnership.
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Julian Gerner to develop Sorrento's Continental Hotel

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The turn in the housing market has been remarkable, with the rebound in prices considerably stronger than expected, the latest ANZ Australian Housing Update has stated.
They found auction clearance rates bottomed in December and have been rising since. But the improvement became much more marked from May onwards, while the change in sentiment was driven by the combination of lower rates, easier access to credit, and increased certainty around housing taxation.
The recovery in prices has been driven by Sydney and Melbourne.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2019/10/18/ANZ%20Forecasts%201.JPG" alt="">
Prices in the two cities stabilised in June after a period of decline, leaving them down 15% and 11%, respectively, from their peaks.
Prices are up 3% in both cities in the past three months, and ongoing buoyant auction clearance rates point to more gains.
In Brisbane and Adelaide prices appear to be stabilising after a period of modest weakness (-3% and -1% from the respective peaks).
Perth prices are falling, bringing the cumulative decline to 21% since the top in 2014.
Hobart prices now look to be stabilising after big jump since early 2016 where prices have risen a cumulative 34%. 
The report said, "easier credit is helping to drive the quick rebound."
"We had thought that the easing of the mortgage serviceability floor would be at least partly offset by other tightening measures such as the updated Household Expenditure Measure (HEM) and the introduction of comprehensive credit reporting. But that has not been the case. We do, though, see credit conditions remaining tighter than they were pre-Royal Commission."
"Nationwide, we expect prices to continue to rise strongly through Q4, driven by Sydney and Melbourne, after which we expect gains to moderate.
"We have annual price growth for Sydney and Melbourne peaking in mid2020 in the low double digits.
"Through 2020 we look for growth of 6% nationwide with a further gain of 4% through 2021. The risks seem tilted to the upside, alongside the risks for further monetary easing," they added.
The high volume of recent completions has not been replaced by new approvals and work yet to be done is falling sharply. 
Building approvals have dropped sharply, driven by a renewed decline in major apartment building approvals. 
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2019/10/18/ANZ%20Forecasts%202.JPG" alt="">
Property developers are increasingly confident about access to credit, they found, while reduced rates and APRA easing have increased demand.
While strong population growth, low unemployment and relatively low vacancy rates will support the recovery of construction activity, quality concerns may delay the timing.
ANZ forecast activity to trough in mid-2020 before picking up modestly. 
Declines in house prices over the past few years have improved a range of affordability measures.
ANZ Economists said, "the recent sharp turnaround in prices, however, will ultimately reduce affordability, in Sydney and Melbourne in particular."
"Housing loan arrears rates have risen, mostly in WA. Excluding WA, arrears rates in Australia are below 1% and have decreased slightly in recent months."
"Australia’s arrears rate remains low by international standards."
"While mortgage repayments generally are affordable given low interest rates, high household debt leaves householders vulnerable."
"A negative shock driving unemployment higher would be amplified by the high level of debt," they concluded.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2019/10/18/ANZ%20Forecasts%203.JPG" alt="">
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The Australian housing market is on the rebound: ANZ

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A 3 hectare industrial site in Lane Cove, 13 kilometres north-west of Sydney’s CBD has hit the market. 
Situated on the shores of the Lane Cove River, the property at 170 Epping Road has been a functioning corn mill for 125 years.
Cushman &amp; Wakefield’s Paul Fernandes and Orlando Maciel have been appointed to sell 170 Epping Road via an expressions of interest campaign closing November 7.
The corn milling operations commenced in 1894 under the Chicago Starch Mills banner.
Over the course of 125 years, it have been operated by Starch Australasia, Clifford Love &amp; Co, Goodman Fielder and currently, Ingredion, an ingredient provider who continues to operate the site to this day.
The site comprises of about 30,000 square metres which includes seven industrial warehouses offering 4,500 square metres of storage, distribution and undercover loading.
Located opposite the Northern entrance to the Lane Cove Tunnel and the beginning of the M2 motorway, the property is just 1.3 kilometres from the Metro Line rail stop at North Ryde.
Surrounded by parkland, the property also features about 350 metres of uninterrupted frontage to the Lane Cove River, with Magdala park directly opposite.
Subject to the necessary approvals, the site holds the potential for a change in permissible use or rezoning.
This would follow the former Shell/McDonalds site at 150 Epping Road, which was redeveloped into a residential complex and completed in late 2016.
Ingredion will maintain its business in Australia following the sale at a new office and laboratory in Sydney.
Cushman &amp; Wakefield’s Paul Fernandes said: “170 Epping Road presents a rare opportunity for investors or developers to secure over 29,000 square metres fronting the Lane Cover River, with primary access to Sydney’s main arterial thoroughfares.
“We have already seen major residential developments in nearby locations that reaffirm, subject to planning approval, the potential to transform the large 170 Epping Road property into a business or mixed- use precinct in a unique location. This could add significant value to the site,” Fernandes added. 
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Lane Cove corn mill industrial site hits the market 

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Parramatta had the weekend’s cheapest auction sale when $420,000 was paid for a two-bedroom apartment in the 1974 complex, Wentworth Gardens.
There have been just 11 higher sales in the complex, including four fetching above $500,000.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-apartment-nsw-parramatta-131994482" target="_blank">The 12th floor Campbell Street</a> unit last sold in 2012 for $323,000.
The 59 square metre space was offered as a $450 a week rental in 2015.
Dee Why, another apartment construction hot spot, had Sydney’s second-cheapest result when a studio apartment in the newly completed Osprey Apartments fetched $480,000.
A Punchbowl unit failed to sell, when passed in on a $395,000 vendor bid.
There were three registered bidders, one an investor and the others first home buyers.
In Rossmore Avenue, the two-bedroom 62 square metre unit had a new kitchen and new bathroom.
Dating back to 1970, it last traded in 2003 for $206,000.
Listing agents Anthony Ghantous and Fadi Hajjar now have a $409,000 asking price.
This article first appeared in The Daily Telegraph.
 
 
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Parramatta sees cheapest weekend auction sale

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GUEST OBSERVATION
In a country as dry as Australia, surely it is a no-brainer that we have in place a coordinated, national drought response that can be rolled out the same way that the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements are triggered when the country experiences cyclones, floods or bushfires.
Drought used to be part of these arrangements but, for good policy reasons, was removed in 1989.
Our last attempt at national drought policy
Once upon a time, Australia had a national drought policy. It was enacted in 1992 following a comprehensive review and report by an independent panel, the <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/6206176" target="_blank">National Drought Policy Review Task Force</a>, and detailed negotiations between Commonwealth and state ministers and their officials.
The policy included commitments by both state and Commonwealth governments to implement a coordinated and comprehensive package of programs covering drought preparation and response.
At the Commonwealth level, these measures were centred around:
<ul>
<li>
the controversial “exceptional circumstances” provisions of its revised <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-8500.2006.00483.x" target="_blank">Rural Adjustment Scheme</a>, which were aimed at supporting farm businesses by subsidising up to 100% of the interest paid on commercial loans.
</li>
<li>
a farm household support scheme that provided short-term income support to farmers and also offered grants for those who decided to leave the land.
</li>
<li>
farm management bonds, later known as <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/Business/Primary-producers/In-detail/Farm-management-deposits-scheme/" target="_blank">farm management deposits</a>, that allowed farmers to set aside pre-tax income they could later draw on in times of need.
</li>
<li>
a drought relief payment (added to the policy in 1994) that provided income support for farmers in areas declared to be experiencing “exceptional circumstances” drought. By May 1995, <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/RP9596/96rp06" target="_blank">over 10,000 families</a> were accessing this payment every month.
</li>
</ul>
Flaws in the policy
As anyone familiar with these programs will know, the exceptional circumstances program was plagued by problems.
The first was the lack of clarity around defining when a drought moved from a “normal” situation that was expected to be managed by farmers, to an “exceptional” situation with which even the best manager could not be expected to cope.
The definition of an “exceptional circumstances” drought became the subject of ongoing debate, along with concerns that drought assistance was based on administrative boundaries, leading to inequities that became known as the <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?id=EC_ubyzIecUC&amp;pg=PA59&amp;lpg=PA59&amp;dq=australia+drought+%22lines+on+maps%22+problem&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=Xt_qqiXXkc&amp;sig=ACfU3U3WoO17x1bFqBhucrPqvrQtiVGMYQ&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwia3aeAno7lAhVpILcAHTEeCC0Q6AEwAHoECAgQAQ#v=onepage&amp;q=australia%20drought%20%22lines%20on%20maps%22%20problem&amp;f=false" target="_blank">“lines on maps” problem</a>.
The second issue was the amount of information farmers were required to provide in order to demonstrate eligibility for “exceptional circumstances” assistance. The process was considered onerous and time-consuming.
Amid these concerns, a comprehensive review of drought policy was conducted in 2008 by the <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/drought/report" target="_blank">Productivity Commission</a>. This was accompanied by a <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/droughtec/ec-report.pdf" target="_blank">report</a> by the Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO on the likely impact of climate change on the frequency and severity of droughts in Australia, and an independent report on the <a href="http://www.agriculture.gov.au/ag-farm-food/drought/drought-policy/history/dryness-report" target="_blank">social impact of drought</a>.
Following the review, the government decided to end the “exceptional circumstances” program in 2009. This effectively gutted the national drought policy.
Since then, there has been no further attempt at developing a comprehensive, predictable drought policy response from the federal or state governments. There have been intergovernmental <a href="http://www.agriculture.gov.au/ag-farm-food/drought/drought-policy/national-drought-agreement" target="_blank">National Drought Agreements</a>, but these have done little more than restate the principles underpinning the country’s drought policy since 1992.
In recent years, the Coalition government has appointed a drought envoy, Barnaby Joyce, and drought coordinator-general, Stephen Day, to study the impact of drought on farmers and recommend possible solutions, but we have <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/sep/23/labor-calls-for-release-of-drought-envoy-reports-barnaby-joyce-says-he-sent-via-text" target="_blank">yet to see what either has come up with</a>.
Providing meaningful, timely and predictable support
Much of the criticism levelled at the government’s response to the current drought relates to its ad hoc and knee-jerk nature. This reactive way of dealing with drought highlights the need to return to a more predictable approach. This would avoid <a href="https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/disbelief-over-1-million-funding-as-moyne-shire-locals-deny-they-are-in-drought/news-story/d82ba5220872e2d291f898cbe70f3e6a" target="_blank">perceptions of pork barrelling</a> and provide certainty to farmers about what support is available and under what circumstances.
A new national drought policy needs to take several forms. First, it needs to support farmers to prepare for drought before it happens. This is one area where the current policy has been moderately successful.
As of August 2019, Australian farmers had set aside a total of <a href="http://www.agriculture.gov.au/ag-farm-food/drought/assistance/fmd/statistics" target="_blank">$5.809 billion in farm management deposits</a>. These deposits have encouraged farmers to manage financial risk by building up cash reserves in high-income years, which they could then use during times of drought.
Individual farmers can currently hold a total of $800,000 in deposits. One possible improvement is to raise the ceiling on annual deposits in the years following drought recovery to allow a rapid rebuilding of cash reserves.
Second, a strong drought policy needs to provide support to all farmers during drought, not just those who have accumulated sufficient deposits to help them ride out the lean years.
In recent years, many farmers have taken advantage of long-term, low-interest loans to help during drought, and some have called for <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2019-10-07/farms-push-for-interest-free-drought-loans/11574552" target="_blank">zero-interest loans</a> to be made available, as well. But loans are not an ideal solution, as repayments are generally required even when farm incomes remain low.
An alternative to low- or no-interest loans are <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1467-8489.12213" target="_blank">income contingent loans</a>. Similar to the <a href="https://www.studyassist.gov.au/help-loans/hecs-help" target="_blank">HECS-HELP scheme in higher education</a>, these types of loans only require repayment when the borrower can afford to do so.
This would not only give farmers greater flexibility when it comes to repayment, it would also greatly reduce the extensive red tape that strangled the old “exceptional circumstances” scheme.
Third, we need a serious rethink of the way we provide income assistance to farmers in a broader sense. Providing income support to farmers who are asset-rich, for instance, raises questions about fairness when compared with poor people in cities who are struggling to get by on Newstart payments.
This imbalance has come into stark focus in recent weeks, particularly on social media, as government ministers have discussed the introduction of <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/dole-drug-tests-demonise-the-needy-20190906-p52okv" target="_blank">drug testing for Newstart recipients</a>, and in the <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-09/farm-household-allowance-on-cashless-welfare-cards-no-problem/11492590" target="_blank">debate around the Indue card</a>.
There has been <a href="https://theconversation.com/farm-poverty-an-area-of-policy-aid-built-on-sands-of-ignorance-23756" target="_blank">no serious attempt in the past 45 years</a> to measure the extent of poverty among farmers. We can develop more appropriate and equitable income-support policies if we can better understand the genuine nature of their need.
The elephant in the room
While the government has assiduously avoided making the link, an effective national drought policy also cannot be divorced from discussions about climate change.
The 2008 Productivity Commission report was pretty clear in its conclusions about the impact of climate change on drought in Australia. A growing number of farmers are now <a href="http://farminstitute.org.au/publications/research_report/change-in-the-air" target="_blank">acknowledging this reality</a>. Denying the need for serious consideration of climate change is not doing our agricultural producers any favours.
Developing an effective national drought policy is hard work. But in another sense, it should also be easy. This is because, unlike many other areas of government policy, it can be bipartisan.
Although the National Party has historically been aligned with rural voters, all parties are broadly sympathetic to farmers and value their contributions to the economy and, importantly, our national identity. The public also generally <a href="https://csrm.cass.anu.edu.au/research/publications/parched-rural-australia-thirsty-solutions" target="_blank">regards farmers positively</a> and is responsive to their plight when they are faced with hardship.
As such, this should be one area where our politicians can come together to develop a coherent national response — one that is known in advance, forward-looking, equitable with other income-assistance programs in the community, and provides meaningful support before, during and after drought.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/124775/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;">
Linda Botterill, Professor in Australian Politics, University of Canberra.
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-national-drought-policy-should-be-an-easy-bipartisan-fix-so-why-has-it-taken-so-long-to-enact-a-new-one-124775" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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A national drought policy should be an easy, bipartisan fix. So why has it taken so long to enact a new one?

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The Lowy family has sold its $815 million stake in Australian shopping centre owner Scentre Group ending its association with the Australian retail sector that began in 1959.
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The move cuts the family’s ties with the 60 year old shopping centre company that grew from a single centre that opened in Blacktown in western Sydney.
Sir Frank Lowy has been in Sydney overseeing the sell down through investment bank UBS.
The Australian newspaper reported its sent a chill through the listed real estate investment trust sector.
The stake comprised 3.9 per cent of the company’s stock, with 206.1 million shares divested to institutions in what marked the largest ever REIT block trade in Australian history.
The sale at $3.956 was at a small discount to the closing price of $4.01.
Sir Frank, who was born in 1930, was knighted in 2017 and ranked as Australia’s 6th richest person on this year’s The List with a fortune of $8.92bn.
He co-founded the Westfield empire with John Saunders.
The offshore component sold to French group Unibail-Rodamco in a $32bn deal finalised last year.
Scentre was created in June 2014 when the Westfield Group separated its American and European businesses.
The sale also positions the Lowy Family Group for the next phase of investing and it is already backing a new property fund in Australia looking for opportunistic plays, with the aid of former Westfield executive Michael Gutman and the Alceon operation.
The group has launched a series of ventures in fields ranging from health, cybersecurity and theatre, confirming Sir Frank’s entrepreneurial streak.
The Lowy exit marks the end of an era and signals new challenges for the retail sector.
Department stores Myer and David Jones are ailing but the departing Mr Miles pointed to the surge in luxury retailers and predicted more would come into Australia.
He warned that not all shopping centres would come through the industry’s challenges but the local Westfield empire had been dramatically reshaped by asset sales in recent years and efforts to integrate with e-commerce.
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Chill for REITs as Lowy family sell $815 million Scentre Group stake

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There was "an abundance of housing credit available,” the Commonwealth Bank’s CEO Matt Comyn said yesterday.
The CEO suggested the recent cuts by the Reserve Bank were contributing to a turnaround in the housing market.
“House prices are now rising in Sydney and Melbourne after having fallen for 18 months, and there are encouraging signs that the market has stabilised,” he said.
“While regulatory guidance has increased in recent years for home lending, these changes have improved lending standards across the industry and have further improved the resilience of the financial system.”
According to the CEO, CBA is “very clear” on the steps that must be taken to continue to deliver “in the current economic, regulatory and competitive environment.”
“Our results show the underlying strength of our core business, with home and business lending both up 4 percent,” he said.
The difference in mortgage pricing for new and existing customers is "substantially less" than the figure claimed by the ACCC, Comyn said.
The competition regulator identified a gap of 32 basis points in interest rates between the front and back books of the major banks, But he said it was significantly lower than 30 basis points at CBA.
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Abundance of housing credit available: CBA Matt Comyn

Busy developer Aqualand Prestige has formally taken the next step in its expansion across Sydney's Lower North Shore, lodging a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for its long-held Archer Street site in Chatswood.

The application covers <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/51-55-archer-street-chatswood-nsw-2067">51-55 Archer Street</a>, a 1,767 sqm amalgamated site on the eastern edge of the Chatswood CBD, where the developer is seeking approval for a 45-level mixed-use tower delivering 114 apartments, including a significant affordable housing component, alongside retail, commercial space and six basement levels of parking.

The SSDA marks the latest milestone for a project Aqualand has been quietly progressing over the past two years. The developer first secured the site for its Aqualand Prestige platform before undertaking an alternative design excellence process with PTW Architects, ultimately avoiding a formal design competition through the Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

The proposal has evolved considerably from Aqualand's original concept. The revised scheme has been designed around larger owner-occupier product, with an unusually high proportion of three and four-bedroom apartments, targeting the more affluent buyer profile, and downsizer, emerging across the North Shore.

<img alt="Archer St" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0171204c-5811-41b5-9b09-2335d1b7c3d0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%208.52.48%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=6YTuxfq.puZo7k2wbfgemcO5K3QfXYGQ" />

The 114-apartment mix comprises six studios, 27 one-bedroom apartments, 18 two-bedroom apartments, 50 three-bedroom residences and 13 four-bedroom homes. A quarter of the building will be dedicated to affordable housing, well above the mandated 15 per cent&nbsp;

PTW has structured the building vertically, with affordable housing across levels one to six, premium apartments through levels seven to 31, duplex skyhomes on klevels 32 to 43, a penthouse on level 44, and a rooftop plant level above. Six basement levels will provide resident parking and servicing.

The tower is proposed to reach approximately 154 metres, placing it among a growing collection of residential high-rises transforming Chatswood's skyline.

Rather than competing purely on height, PTW says the design has been driven by creating a slimmer tower capable of delivering significantly larger apartments.

"The primary objective of this project was to create a distinctive building that stands out from the recently approved or built structures in the Chatswood area," the design report states, noting the structural efficiency allows greater investment into apartment quality and resident amenity.

Residents would have access to more than 450 sqm of communal open space including landscaped gardens, swimming pool, rooftop entertaining areas, fitness spaces, community gardens, children's play areas and barbecue facilities.

A major focus of the design has been the public domain.

The ground plane has been opened up through landscaped terraces inspired by Willoughby's sandstone ridges, with native planting, public seating, artwork, retail activation and a series of gathering spaces intended to soften what has traditionally been a hard commercial streetscape.

The landscape strategy references Blue Gum forests once common throughout the area, while incorporating Indigenous storytelling, public art and lighting installations to strengthen the connection to Country.

Chatswood has been one of Sydney's busiest apartment markets over the past 12 months, with a steady pipeline of both new project launches and fresh development applications.

Hyecorp recently launched Celine, a 122-apartment development just along Archer Street, while Changfa and Huirong Group are progressing The Anderson, an 84-apartment project on Anderson Street.

Develotek recently secured approval for a 101-apartment tower on Pacific Highway, while Tian An LFD received the green light for Hammond Greens, its apartment development on the edge of the Chatswood Bowling Club.

Commercial property developer FiveX is also making its move into the residential market. Last month it lodged plans for a 61-storey tower with 490 apartments, which, if approved, would become one of the tallest residential buildings in Chatswood.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-fivex-targets-chatswood-skyline-with-61-storey-tower-after-north-sydney-plans">First look: FiveX targets Chatswood skyline with 61-storey tower after North Sydney plans</a>

Aqualand is also expanding its development pipeline following the launch of its luxury residential brand, Aqualand Prestige. The developer has delivered a string of high-end apartment projects across Sydney's affluent suburbs over the past decade, most recently AURA by Aqualand on Walker Street in North Sydney.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=30959 project_image_fid=292863]

It has since quietly assembled its next wave of projects.

Earlier this year Aqualand launched Boronia in Roseville, a boutique 111-apartment development on Larkin Street. The project is one of the first significant apartment developments to launch in the suburb ahead of what is expected to become one of Sydney's most active new housing precincts under the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing reforms, which allow greater density around train stations.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152095 project_image_fid=373685]

The developer has also lodged plans for a two-tower, 413-apartment development on Herbert Street in nearby St Leonards, further strengthening its presence across the Lower North Shore.

Beyond that, Aqualand remains behind the final stage of Barangaroo, where plans will deliver a five-hectare mixed-use precinct comprising new homes, retail, hospitality and community facilities, alongside a new Metro entrance and more than two hectares of public open space, completing the Barangaroo precinct.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/central-barangaroo-development-takes-big-step-with-concept-proposal-approval">Central Barangaroo development takes big step with concept proposal approval</a>

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-aqualand-joins-st-leonards-apartment-party">First look: Aqualand joins St Leonards apartment party</a> 
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Joel Robinson

First look: Aqualand pushes ahead with Chatswood apartment tower as SSDA lodged for Archer Street

Mass timber is becoming an increasingly popular construction material in apartment developments, but Adelaide developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/otello">Otello</a> is taking the approach a step further.

At its new <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/flowe-bowden-18-gibson-street-bowden-sa-5007">Flowe Bowden</a> development, the exposed cross-laminated timber (CLT) structure isn't just about reducing the building's environmental footprint. It also forms the foundation of a broader wellness strategy, influencing everything from indoor air quality and natural materials to the way residents move through and experience the building.

The 115-apartment mixed-use development, designed by Melbourne-based architecture practice Fieldwork, will occupy a prominent island site opposite Bowden Village Reserve, combining one, two and three-bedroom apartments with retail and a dedicated wellness destination.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375528]

Wellness isn't confined to a gym or shared resident facility at Flowe. Instead, Fieldwork embedded the concept into the building itself.

The development has been split into two residential wings connected by a naturally ventilated central breezeway, replacing traditional enclosed corridors with open-air walkways that improve natural light, encourage cross ventilation and create more opportunities for neighbourly interaction.

"Rather than treating wellness as something that only happens on the ground floor, our response integrates it throughout the building, which led us to ask what it really means to design a healthy building," Fieldwork Director Quino Holland said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375531]

The building's architecture also reflects Bowden's industrial heritage. The lower podium references the area's historic brick and sandstone buildings, while the upper levels transition to exposed CLT, allowing the timber structure to become a defining feature throughout the apartments and shared spaces.

The use of mass timber sits alongside a range of sustainability initiatives, including a fully electric, gas-free design, rooftop solar and a targeted 5 Star Green Star rating.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375524]

Inside the residences, the focus remains on natural, durable materials. Blackbutt engineered timber flooring, exposed CLT ceilings, porcelain surfaces and warm timber joinery create a calming interior palette, while low-VOC finishes and responsibly sourced materials have been selected to improve indoor air quality.

Kitchens have been designed as the centrepiece of each apartment, featuring porcelain island benchtops, timber-look cabinetry and brushed steel tapware, with layouts that maximise natural light and ventilation.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375530]

The more traditional interpretation of wellness comes in the form of Level Eleven, a two-storey wellness club spanning the ground floor, mezzanine and first floor.

The facility will include a gym, yoga and reformer Pilates studios, Finnish and infrared saunas, magnesium hot and cold plunge pools, and dedicated recovery spaces. Unlike many residential wellness facilities, Level Eleven will also operate commercially, allowing the broader Bowden community to access the venue while giving residents exclusive membership benefits.

The ground floor has also been designed around everyday living. A café overlooking Bowden Village Reserve will activate the street frontage, while a bike workshop with tool storage, co-working space and dog wash has been incorporated to support daily routines and encourage interaction between residents.

"Flowe brings together my two biggest passions, creating places and creating healthier lives," Otello founder Daniel Harris said.

"We wanted to create something Adelaide hasn't seen before, a genuinely healthy building, where the way you live is lifted without even trying."

Flowe is positioned directly opposite Bowden Village Reserve and within walking distance of Bowden Railway Station and the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, placing future residents just minutes from the Adelaide CBD while remaining connected to one of the city's most established urban renewal precincts.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152022]

Otello launches wellness-focused Flowe Bowden with Adelaide-first mass timber apartment design

Not all apartment amenities are immediately visible.

Swimming pools, gyms, rooftop terraces and residents' lounges have long featured on buyers' wishlists, but as the way Australians live has changed, so too have the features that make apartment living more convenient.

Increasingly, buyers are placing value on the practical aspects of day-to-day life. Fast internet, EV charging, secure bike storage, flexible workspaces and parcel management are becoming just as relevant as lifestyle amenities, reflecting changing habits and expectations.

Online shopping has been one of the biggest drivers of that shift.

Australians spent a record $82.6 billion shopping online in 2025, with almost one in every four retail dollars now spent digitally, making parcel deliveries a routine part of everyday life rather than an occasional convenience.

For apartment residents, however, receiving those deliveries isn't always straightforward.

Without someone home to accept a parcel, deliveries can be redirected to a nearby Post Office, left in building foyers or common areas, or require building management to temporarily store packages. As apartment living continues to grow across Australia's cities, parcel management has become an increasingly important consideration for both residents and developers.

Australia Post's Parcel Locker network is one response to that shift.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KPZ9j5FRdsQ?si=Qztc1dNP3ZvEIUhb" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

Rather than relying on home delivery, eligible parcels can be directed to a nominated Parcel Locker, where they're securely stored until collected. Once a parcel arrives, residents receive a notification through the AusPost app or SMS and can retrieve it using a one-time code or QR code at a time that suits them.

The network has expanded to more than 1,500 locations nationwide, with Parcel Lockers positioned at Post Offices, shopping centres, supermarkets, transport hubs and, increasingly, within or alongside residential developments.

That growing presence reflects a broader change in how apartment buildings are being planned.

Developers are increasingly considering the operational side of apartment living alongside traditional lifestyle amenities. Just as secure mailrooms, bicycle storage and EV charging have become more common inclusions, parcel management is emerging as another feature that supports everyday convenience.

It also helps preserve the arrival experience within a building. Carefully designed lobbies and communal spaces can quickly become cluttered when deliveries accumulate, while secure parcel solutions reduce the likelihood of missed deliveries or parcels being left unattended.

For buyers comparing apartments, these everyday details are becoming part of the decision-making process.

Location, floorplans and finishes remain fundamental, but the features that simplify daily life are carrying greater weight than they once did. As online shopping continues to shape consumer behaviour, secure parcel delivery is increasingly becoming another amenity worth looking for.

Parcel delivery is joining the apartment amenity checklist

Inca Property Group has lodged a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for Dawn, a 53-apartment oceanfront development overlooking Mona Vale Beach.

The proposal, at 35-39 Darley Street East, would replace an existing 18-apartment strata building with a new owner-occupier-focused development comprising 53 two and three-bedroom apartments, including nine affordable built-to-rent residences delivered under the State's infill affordable housing scheme.

Positioned on a 2,679 sqm elevated site around 280 metres from Mona Vale Beach, the development has been designed to maximise panoramic ocean views while responding to the site's sloping topography.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/inca-property-group">Inca Property Group</a> Managing Director Josh Thompson said the State Significant pathway provided greater certainty for projects of this scale.

"This State Significant pathway gives the team real certainty to progress <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/dawn-35-39-darley-street-east-mona-vale-nsw-2103">Dawn</a> through to completion," Thompson said.

"It allows us to acquire a one-off site, design it carefully and deliver the right offering for the suburb, assessed by the NSW Government's planning department."

The project is one of the first developments in the area to be assessed under the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy, with the site sitting on the edge of the policy's designated inner area.

The proposal includes three basement levels providing 124 car spaces, alongside a range of resident amenities including a swimming pool, gym, sauna, wellness facilities and private plunge pools for selected ground-floor and penthouse apartments.

<img alt="Dawn" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fc1a1daf-0ce4-4f12-9076-b1fa553c7a91" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-21%20at%208.42.11%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=4GZ9h.gpNkTljbxyAET8Jfhv51XUamDm" />

Thompson said Dawn had been designed specifically for owner-occupiers and downsizers, a buyer profile that has driven demand across Inca's recent Upper North Shore developments.

"The majority of buyers in our recent North Shore projects have been downsizers, and we are learning exactly what this market is looking for. Beyond the location itself, we have included resort-style amenities to deliver a genuine lifestyle offering," Thompson said.

Located within walking distance of Mona Vale Beach, the town centre, Mona Vale Golf Club and the Royal Motor Yacht Club, Dawn represents Inca's first Northern Beaches project following the sell-out of Tara on Park in Waitara and Ellis Residences, currently under construction in St Ives.

Construction will be undertaken by Inca's in-house construction arm, GOP Constructions.

Dawn is the latest major apartment proposal for Mona Vale, with the suburb emerging as one of the key beneficiaries of the NSW Government's new Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy.

New developer One Living, led by industry veteran Joseph Scuderi, recently secured a site on Mona Vale Road, on the border of Mona Vale and Pymble, where it is planning around 140 apartments.

IPM is also planning its third project in Mona Vale, significantly increasing the scale of its previous developments with an 82-apartment proposal at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/159-167-darley-street-west-mona-vale-nsw-2103">159-167 Darley Street West</a>, opposite Bayview Golf Course and less than 800 metres from Mona Vale town centre.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/one-living-enters-sydneys-new-apartment-market-with-northern-beaches-site-acquisition">One Living enters Sydney's new apartment market with Northern Beaches site acquisition</a>

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-ipm-plans-third-mona-vale-project">First look: IPM plans third Mona Vale project</a>

First look: Inca eyes Mona Vale with State Significant DA for Dawn apartments

Seasoned Victorian apartment developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/central-equity">Central Equity</a> has logged more than $400 million in sales in its luxury apartment project Palmera Residences at Northcliffe on the Gold Coast.&nbsp;

Central Equity Director Karl Kutner said the sales result reflected a combination of location, product quality and delivery certainty with the project already under construction by building powerhouse Multiplex.&nbsp;

"Surpassing $400 million in sales since launch is a significant milestone and an outstanding endorsement of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/palmera-residences-gold-coast-18-garfield-terrace-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">Palmera Residences</a>,” he said.&nbsp;

"We believe one of the key reasons for this strong result is the confidence purchasers have in knowing the project is under construction with Multiplex. Buyers are increasingly looking for certainty. They want to know that the project they commit to today will be delivered by an experienced team with a proven track record."&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365782]

Kutner said it was clear there was still high demand for luxury projects that offered certainty of delivery.&nbsp;

“We are in a market where many residential developments have faced delays due to rising construction costs, labour shortages and financing challenges,” said Kutner.&nbsp;

"But having construction underway has provided our buyers with resounding confidence backed by more than 40 years of development delivery by Central Equity combined with construction by one of Australia's most respected construction companies."&nbsp;

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Central Equity is one of Australia's most experienced privately-owned property developers. Over more than four decades, the company has delivered in excess of 85 residential developments including 10,000 apartments and many thousands of stand alone homes.&nbsp;

Located on Garfield Terrace at Northcliffe, between Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach, Palmera Residences occupies one of the Gold Coast's most sought after beachside locations. The development has been designed to appeal to owner occupiers seeking premium residences that combine generous living spaces and resort style amenities.&nbsp;

Palmera Residences will feature an exceptional collection of resort style amenities, including two swimming pools: a generously sized family pool with safe shallow zones for relaxed recreation, and a 20 metre lap pool positioned to maximise all day sunlight.&nbsp;

Residents will also enjoy exclusive access to wellness and recreational facilities including a magnesium pool, sauna, yoga studio, expansive fitted gymnasium, resident lounge, outdoor BBQ’s&nbsp;and indoor and outdoor dining areas, together with a dedicated concierge and luxurious hotel inspired entrance foyer.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365767]

A unique feature at Palmera Residences has been designed to enhance the Gold Coast lifestyle which includes both indoor and outdoor gymnasium facilities, together with thoughtfully designed indoor and outdoor dining and entertaining areas. A corner café has also been incorporated to provide residents with a destination for their everyday needs.&nbsp;

Kutner said buyer demand had been broad based with purchasers attracted from interstate as well as throughout South East Queensland.&nbsp;

"We're seeing strong interest from owner occupiers, lifestyle buyers and people relocating to the Gold Coast. Many purchasers have been searching for a premium beachside residence where quality, design and delivery are equally important."&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365771]

Kutner said the sales milestone was an important achievement, but the focus remained firmly on delivering an exceptional development.&nbsp;

"While reaching $400 million in sales is an important milestone, our priority remains delivering a project that exceeds purchaser expectations,” he said.&nbsp;

"Palmera Residences has been designed to become one of the Gold Coast's landmark residential addresses, and we look forward to welcoming our purchasers to their new homes."&nbsp;

There are a limited number of residences remaining in selected configurations with pricing from $2,950,000 to $8,950,000. Palmera Residences is also crowned by expansive penthouses with wrap around views.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=108274]

Construction certainty and strong buyer demand drive major sales result for luxury Gold Coast development

Staff reporter

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