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Craig McKellar of CVA has just leased a commercial space in the Craigieburn Plaza at Craigieburn.
The fully fitted 86sqm property at Shop 5, 32-38 Craigieburn Road was leased on a 3 + 3 + 3 year lease term.
Universal Real Estate are the lessors at a rate of $50,000 per annum equating to a building rate of $581.40/sqm.
featuring a frontage of 7 m, the property contains three separate offices, reception, staff amenities and in excess of 300 public car spaces.
Located within a recently developed estate, the property is within close proximity to Dynon Road, CityLink and Melbourne's CBD.
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Universal Real Estate leases Cragieburn Plaza space

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An established café/restaurant site located in the Brunswick Cumberland Hotel Building has just been leased.
It was listed by Craig McKellar of CVA.
The 236 sqm property at Shop 1, 337-341 Sydney Road was leased for $112,500 per annum by Plonk Bar &amp; Eatery Pty Ltd.
They are the current owners of Vale Bar &amp; Eatery in Ascot Vale.
It is a 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 year lease term equating to a building rate of $476/sqm.
The property features a first floor office, seating capacity for 95 patrons, general liquor licence, and 5 on-site parking spaces.
It is supported by transport services at its doorstep.
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Plonk Bar & Eatery leases Brunswick restaurant

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The Block’s 2020 season, which will be shot in Melbourne’s bayside at Brighton, looks set to be a battle of the decades.
There will be five relocated homes, one from every decade between the 1920s and the 1960s (1940s above).
I’m guessing the contestant couples will then take their decorative themes from the era in modernising their home, which will also come with a rear two-storey extension.
Maybe the time-warp series will be something like Annabel Crabb’s Back in Time for Dinner on the ABC, but for the masses and sponsored by McCafe and Youfoodz.
The worthy sustainable recycling endeavour is similar to the show’s Elsternwick series two season’s ago when five weatherboard homes facing the wrecking ball were relocated under host Scott Cam’s watch.
This time they will be installed on a 2770 square metre holding being bought by Channel 9 for around $15 million.
It was once a nursing home which was bought for $5 million in 2013 by Nick Williams, the son of horse trainer, Lloyd Williams, after its closure.
The parcel was onsold by another developer who proposed 13 townhouses.
The next series of The Block starts next month with the refurbishment of the Oslo Hotel, St Kilda.
The producers quit Sydney in 2011 complaining that they couldn't cope with our councils.
This article first appeared in The Sunday Telegraph. 
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The Block 2020 to be a battle of the decades

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An Innaloo, West Australia mortgagee home has been listed for $400,000.
The asking price is down on its previous sale price.
Matt McWaters and Tony John of Harcourts Empire are currently marketing the listing.
Situated at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-villa-wa-innaloo-131419346" target="_blank">13A Morris Road</a>, the villa previously transacted for $485,000 back in 2008.
Set on 251 square metres, the three bedroom, two bathroom town house is described in the listing as a "spacious entertainer".
<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/2019/7/31/inaloo%201%201.jpg" alt="">
One of a complex of four, it is located opposite the convenient Morris Place shopping centre.
It's within walking distance of public transport, schools, parks, restaurants and entertainment.
The home was listed as a rental as recently as April 2018 seeking $400 per week, down from the $450 per week it sought in July 2017 and $470 per week it was asking for in April 2017.
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The median sale price for a home in <a href="/developments/innaloo-wa-6018">Innaloo</a> is $545,000, according to CoreLogic, which calculate its annual change in median price over the past 10 years as -0.4%.
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Innaloo, WA mortgagee home listed for 20% reduction on previous sale price

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The gambling company Ladbrokes has become a lessor in Bowen Hills, Brisbane.
It has committed to a 10-year lease for 3,250 square metres over Levels 1 and 2 at 25 Montpelier Road.
Industry sources said the space would fetch $565-$575 square metres gross.
With 25 Montpelier Road fully leased, the property will be shortly listed for sale with a WALE of six years.
The A-Grade building is located within the hub of the trend-setting Gasworks Precinct.
Completed in 2011, the 4-star Green Star Rated Asset has one of the largest floor plates in the city fringe.
It sits across the road from the Fortitude Valley Homemaker Centre, 250 metres from the Gasworks Retail and Restaurant Precinct and 500 metres from Bowen Hills Train Station.
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Gambling agency Ladbrokes secures Bowen Hills tenancy

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There have been no major shifts in Australia's industrial property markets in the past month, according to valuation firm Herron Todd White's latest industrial property clock.
Four of the eight capital cities hold a positive position in their industrial property market.
Melbourne is the strongest as it holds the peak of market position, it is joined by Coffs Harbour.
Meanwhile, industrial space in Sydney and the Sunshine Coast is approaching peak of market.
Brisbane and Hobart are classed as rising markets.
Click <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2019/7/22/HTW%20INDUSTRIAL%20PROPERTY%20CLOCK%20JULY.png" target="_blank">here</a> to enlarge.
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Adelaide, Perth, Canberra and Darwin were not given a position on the HTW Industrial Property Clock this month.
Cairns, Gladstone, Ipswich, Rockhampton, Toowoomba and Townsville all remain at the bottom of the market.
The central Coast and Newcastle industrial property markets are both still in the starting to decline position, according to HTW.
Other areas that are approaching the peak of market include Lismore, the Southern Highlands and the Souther Tablelands.
Echuca, Illawarra, Mildura and Geelong are classified as rising markets while Horsham and Mackay are still in the start of a recovery.
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No movement across Australia's industrial market in June: HTW Industrial Clock

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GUEST OBSERVATION
<a href="https://www.afr.com/news/politics/national/the-apartment-building-crisis-explained-20190716-p527k0">News</a> of evacuations from cracked apartment buildings in Sydney and the <a href="https://theconversation.com/cladding-fire-risks-have-been-known-for-years-lives-depend-on-acting-now-with-no-more-delays-111186" target="_blank">need to replace combustible cladding across Australia</a> illustrate how uncertainty compounds problems for those affected. Who is responsible for the remedy? Residents have had to leave their homes indefinitely, <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/looking-for-answers-mascot-towers-owners-want-to-return-home-20190627-p521wl" target="_blank">not knowing when their buildings can be repaired and made safe</a>. Others remain in at-risk buildings with the constant <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-17/apartment-owner-welcomes-victorian-combustible-cladding-fix/11315278" target="_blank">worry about what might happen if fire breaks out</a>.
Some may also wonder whether the remedies really are “safe”. And how much they will be out of pocket? Some <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/i-couldnt-believe-it-was-happening-how-a-single-mother-with-a-baby-boy-is-left-owing-dollar13000-and-living-in-temporary-housing-after-being-kicked-out-of-her-mascot-towers-apartment/ar-AAEtQZ3" target="_blank">express concern about whether they will ever be able to sell their unit</a> and what their financial fate will be given that their home is their largest investment.
The <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-18/building-industry-meeting-agrees-to-create-national-body/11320444" target="_blank">outcome of last Thursday’s Building Ministers’ Forum</a> did little to end the uncertainty plaguing residents. More broadly, the uncertainty is hitting the construction industry, with <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/berejiklian-calls-for-national-solution-amid-building-crisis-20190715-p527gj" target="_blank">insurance costs rising and some insurance being withdrawn altogether</a>.
Uncertainty gnaws away at us
How uncertainty plays a central role here can be seen in a little known but classic piece written 50 years ago by a cultural anthropologist. Professor Elizabeth Colson drafted “Tranquility for the Decision-maker” for a volume, <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.worldcat.org/title/cultural-illness-and-health-essays-in-human-adaptation/oclc/741222" target="_blank">Cultural Illness and Health</a>.
Colson had studied the Gwemba Tonga of east-central Africa, in what is now Zambia. Villages of the Gwembe Tonga were faced with displacement due to the building of a dam on the Zambezi River. They were given a choice of where to settle.
However, the construction zone barred the villagers’ access to the ritual grounds where they traditionally made such decisions. An inability to arrive at a decision resulted in prolonged uncertainty. Colson witnessed behaviour that suggested the harm that uncertainty had on individual and community mental health.
Colson also told of how the group dealt with drought. Farmers had seed they could plant and then tend, but if they planted it too soon before the rains, the seed would be lost. If they planted it too late or failed to tend it, then the plants would not reach maturity, and they would have no crops for food and no seed for the next year.
Villagers figured that they could find a way to cope with having no crops; they had a “plan B”. However, each day they dithered about whether to plant, going out to the fields but then returning again. The uncertainty had harmful effects on the villagers, Colson explained. They lacked a way to determine whether to adopt “plan B” or stick with “plan A”.
Such an analysis suggests that we can deal with good fortune and bad fortune. What really drives us up the wall is uncertainty.
This uncertainty can be generated by the unpredictability of nature or the volatility of international markets. It’s made worse in situations where clear and unambiguous information is missing.
More problematic are complex and costly situations where delay results from blaming and <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/systemic-crisis-states-responsible-for-fixing-cladding-problems-20190718-p528c5" target="_blank">manoeuvring to avoid paying the financial or political cost</a> of a decision. These two elements can occur in unison: a lack of knowledge and potentially responsible parties evacuating the “blame avenue”.
Situations where uncertainty is playing a role include farmers facing drought, as in Colson’s case, and potential climate change impacts – such as severe weather events for coastal communities.
There are also effects on rural communities of changes in international prices for mining and agricultural exports. Similar dynamics around uncertainty and blame apply to interned <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-resignation-syndrome-and-why-is-it-affecting-refugee-children-101670" target="_blank">asylum seekers awaiting a government decision</a>, the <a href="https://theconversation.com/getting-to-the-heart-of-coal-seam-gas-protests-its-not-just-the-technical-risks-107086" target="_blank">debate about coal seam gas development in Narrabri</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/getting-clean-drinking-water-into-remote-indigenous-communities-means-overcoming-city-thinking-106701" target="_blank">communities with groundwater contaminated by chemicals like PFAS</a>.
In these examples, costs to individuals and families are potentially great relative to their resources. Resolution often requires a central role for large institutions, whether government agencies or multinational corporations.
Uncertainty due to a lack of information is being addressed in certain arenas. For instance, mathematical <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-predicting-the-weather-and-climate-is-even-harder-for-australias-rainy-northern-neighbours-106939" target="_blank">models to predict the weather are improving</a>. The same can be said for models to predict shifts in international commodity prices.
Institutional responses make uncertainty worse
Also needing attention are institutional decision-making processes. Decision-making is often fragmented, as it involves disparate organisations or silos in organisations. Add to that a propensity to avoid taking the blame and shouldering the financial or political cost or the potential impact to one’s career.
This domain falls under the banner of “allocation of responsibility”, an area addressed historically by social and cultural anthropologists looking at law and moral codes. Attempting to avoid blame can contribute to delay in decision-making, which prolongs and potentially deepens uncertainty.
Collaborative efforts can reduce such delays and uncertainty. Collaboration requires the building of trusting working relationships among agencies and organisations – a form of what is called “collective impact”. One also needs openness with affected individuals, families and communities – an element in <a href="https://www.alrc.gov.au/publications/procedural-fairness-duty-and-its-content" target="_blank">procedural fairness</a>.
These aspects are relatively easy to identify but challenging to implement and even more challenging to sustain for a prolonged period.
The point here is that the true impact on residents of cracks in their apartment block, flammable cladding, an uncertain migration status, or PFAS in the groundwater is not merely the inconvenience or out-of-pocket expense. The impact includes prolonged uncertainty about very significant elements of their well-being. That has an impact on individual and community mental health, with potential flow-on effects to physical health.
The remedy involves a greater willingness by organisations and agencies to take on responsibility without delay and improved institutional relationships to arrive at suitable resolutions for the long term. So, our concern should not only be about the cracks in the buildings but about the fissures separating those who together could implement remedies.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/120662/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;">
Will Rifkin, Chair in Applied Regional Economics and Director, Hunter Research Foundation Centre, University of Newcastle
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/its-not-just-the-building-cracks-or-cladding-sometimes-uncertainty-does-even-more-harm-120662" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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It’s not just the building cracks or cladding – sometimes uncertainty does even more harm

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A Willoughby, South Australia mortgagee cottage listed six times in the past five years has had its asking price reduced again.
The two bedroom one bathroom cottage is situated on 139 hectares of primary production zoned land.
Paul Gibson of Cliff Hawkins is currently marketing the property.
The earliest indicate of its mortgagee status came in December 2018.
Situated at 2332 Cape Willoughby Road, the holding is listed for $450,000.
The asking price is a $330,000 reduction on what it originally sought back in July 2015 of $780,000.
Featuring two dams, one being spring fed a large working shed/garage and 5 rain water tanks, the property has views from the cottage with decking on three sides.
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Much listed Willoughby, SA mortgagee holding slashed $330,000 and unsold

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A Dudley Park, West Australia mortgagee house has been listed for $89,000 less than its previous sale price.
The property has remained on market for over 500 days.
Theo Alexandrou of Harcourts is currently marketing the listing.
Situated at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-dudley+park-131627150" target="_blank">17 Duyfken Way</a>, the property is a four bedroom two bathroom house.
Originally listed for $449,000 the asking price was repeatedly slashed to $375,000 where it currently resides.
Set on 641 sqm, the previous vendors submitted developers permits for a Pool/Spa in 2007 and a Patio/Pergola in 2008. Both projects were valued at around $9,000, each on a build area of around 30 sqm.
Located in Mariners Cove, the home is approximately a 500 metre walk to the nature reserve and Estuary, plus a 6-minute drive to the town centre the new Mandurah Forum. 
The property features a theatre room with a highlight window, as well as a fully appointed kitchen.
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The median sale price for a home in <a href="/developments/dudley-park-wa-6210">Dudley Park, West Australia</a> is $369,000, according to CoreLogic, which calculate its annual change in median price over the past 10 years as -0.4%.
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Dudley Park, WA mortgagee home listed at $90,000 value reduction

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EXPERT OBSERVATION
A very quiet week for data saw the spotlight again fall on central banks, particularly the RBA and ECB.
This week, there were two speakers from the RBA: first Assistant Governor (Financial Markets) Christopher Kent; then Governor Phillip Lowe. The Assistant Governor's speech was focused on the Committed Liquidity Facility, its role within the economy and recent changes the RBA has made. These remarks have no immediate significance for monetary policy and economic momentum. However, during Q&amp;A, Assistant Governor Kent noted that the RBA was unlikely to adopt unconventional monetary policy measures, while making clear the RBA had considered a number of policies implemented elsewhere from the perspective of what would be most effective in Australia.
Arguably the RBA believe they are unlikely to deliver unconventional easing because they regard the outlook as "reasonable", and also believe they still have scope to support the economy through conventional means. This was highlighted in the Governor's subsequent speech. Governor Lowe was constructive on the outlook, noting that the "foundations of the Australian economy remain strong" and that the "two recent reductions in the cash rate will support demand... [as will] recent tax cuts, higher commodity prices, [and] some stabilisation in the housing market. Further, "if demand growth is not sufficient, the Board is prepared to provide additional support by easing monetary policy further", while "other arms of public policy could also play a role".
Westpac continues to see greater risk to the outlook, believing that activity growth and inflation will disappoint the RBA's expectations. Recent data for the labour market and consumer sentiment have supported our economic view, so too the stickiness of the Australian dollar, which has failed to depreciate in response to the June/ July rate cuts.
As a result, as highlighted by Chief Economist Bill Evans, we believe the case for a third cash rate cut to 0.75% will now be made by October (following two more labour market prints and June quarter GDP), and more importantly that there will be a need for a fourth cut to 0.50% come February 2020. In recent days, markets have quickly gravitated towards our view, pricing roughly an extra 7bps in the IB curve, seeing a third cut in October fully priced and a 0.59% expected cash rate at February 2020 – indicating the likelihood of a fourth cut.
To ensure the effectiveness of the cut to 0.50%, we also see the possibility of the RBA adopting a package of other measures to aid pass-through. Chief Economist Bill Evans has outlined an example of this concept, using the experience of the Bank of England. However, we note that any unconventional easing undertaken by the RBA must suit Australian circumstances. It is important to note that we do not believe this possibility for unconventional easing is in conflict with the remarks of Assistant Governor Kent. This is because we see such a course of action only eventuating after a material economic disappointment, and only to guarantee the effectiveness of conventional monetary policy, i.e the rate cut to 0.5%, not to move market rates lower in their own right. It is also important to emphasise that the rate cut we envisage in February is not conditional on an associated package of other policies being adopted.
For their own reasons, Westpac New Zealand economics have also updated their policy view this week, now seeing a second rate cut from the RBNZ to 1.00%, most likely in November. In short, the New Zealand economy has disappointed of late, and there are concerns over business sentiment and its potential impact on investment and employment. This is in addition to global uncertainties and sector-specific weakness in forestry. Importantly, our New Zealand team continue to believe these cuts will prove effective and will see growth strengthen come 2020.
On the broader global backdrop, this week saw the IMF revise down their global growth view for 2019 and 2020 on weakness in emerging and developing markets. The scale of these revisions was immaterial, but they highlight that momentum continues to deteriorate and that risks remain skewed to the downside. The latest Markit PMI data for Europe and the US also confirmed a further loss of momentum in manufacturing. Euro Zone manufacturing momentum is the worst it has been in seven years, and for the US, nearly ten.
The July ECB meeting largely met expectations through indicating the deposit rate is very likely to be cut at their September 12 meeting and that other stimulus measures are on the table. While the July meeting does not involve updated projections, President Draghi noted the outlook is getting "worse and worse". The Governing Council note data continues "to point to somewhat slower growth in the second and third quarters of this year. This mainly reflects the ongoing weakness in international trade in an environment of prolonged global uncertainties, which are particularly affecting the euro area manufacturing sector."
The detail on other potential stimulus measures is not clear cut, but the Council are clearly making preparations in the context of responding to the medium term inflation outlook disappointing. We continue to believe that a cut will be delivered in September, but now expect a broader stimulus package will also soon be introduced. This is in response to the particularly bad run of data over recent weeks, in particular the ECB Bank Lending survey. The new package is likely to include a tiered deposit rate to mitigate the pressure on banks and see asset purchases of sovereign bonds restarted. Our expectation is for the ECB to introduce a €30bn per month program in December lasting for a year, at this stage.
Ahead next week, for Australia we receive the June quarter CPI report. And in the US, there is the all-important July FOMC meeting, which is expected to result in a 25bp rate cut.
ELLIOT CLARKE is a senior economist at Westpac.
SIMON MURRAY is an economist at Westpac 
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The RBA is unlikely to adopt unconventional monetary policy measures: CoreLogic's Elliot Clarke

One of North Sydney's best-known commercial buildings could become hundreds of new homes, with insurance giant Zurich Australia lodging a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) to transform 5 Blue Street into a mixed-use residential development above North Sydney Station.

Rather than demolishing the existing building and starting again, Zurich is proposing an adaptive reuse project that would convert the landmark office building into a 15-level residential development delivering 62 apartments, 86 affordable co-living dwellings, activated retail and significant upgrades to the Blue Street Plaza.

The proposal reflects a growing trend of commercial property owners repositioning ageing office assets into residential housing as Sydney grapples with housing supply shortages and changing workplace demand.

<img alt="Zurich" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0bba7d12-06dc-4375-aad7-238c94b21ac5" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%2010.42.05%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=NJl5oLAEBDGuPmY3RnyliKODjMc8lvRh" />

Located directly above North Sydney Metro and train station, the 3,051 sqm site occupies one of the most strategically positioned parcels of land on Sydney's Lower North Shore.

Designed by fjcstudio, the proposal seeks to retain and adapt much of the existing structure while creating a contemporary residential address that better connects with the public domain surrounding North Sydney Station.

The application proposes two basement levels, ground floor retail, affordable co-living accommodation across the podium levels, and apartments above, while preserving and enhancing the publicly accessible Blue Street Plaza.

Rather than pursuing maximum apartment numbers, Zurich has opted for a housing mix heavily weighted towards larger owner-occupier residences.

The proposal includes 62 build-to-sell apartments comprising 12 one-bedroom, 19 two-bedroom, 29 three-bedroom apartments and two premium penthouses. It also incorporates 86 affordable co-living dwellings, which would be managed in perpetuity by a Community Housing Provider.

That balance between traditional apartments and affordable housing reflects the NSW Government's push to increase housing diversity around major transport infrastructure.

The proposal has been lodged concurrently with a rezoning application, with Zurich arguing the site is ideally positioned to support additional housing given its immediate proximity to public transport, employment and services.

"The proposal aims to respond to the housing challenges facing Sydney through the delivery of diverse housing types in a highly accessible location," the design report by fjcstudio states. It also seeks to improve pedestrian amenity through upgrades to Blue Street Plaza while creating a high-performing residential building that responds to the surrounding context.

<img alt="Zurich" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="36082e15-c636-4481-bb68-5a5f6443fe39" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%2010.41.36%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=5P6VD.fvmqjQfIG3TWWMRXxQWiQBjeFB" />

Rather than replacing the commercial building, fjcstudio has developed a design that works with the existing structural framework above the rail corridor, an approach that significantly reduces demolition while allowing the site to be repositioned as a mixed-use residential precinct.

The existing structural constraints have informed much of the building's design, including its relationship with Blue Street and surrounding public spaces.

The building has been designed as a slender tower rising above a clearly defined podium, with vertically expressed façades intended to reduce the perceived bulk while reinforcing North Sydney's emerging skyline.

According to fjcstudio, the architectural language responds directly to the surrounding commercial towers while maintaining a finer grain expression more closely aligned with the neighbouring Lavender Bay streetscape.

The tower incorporates articulated façade elements, landscaped podium edges and recessed upper levels to soften its appearance and improve pedestrian amenity below.

A significant component of the proposal is the revitalisation of Blue Street Plaza.

The existing public space has long served as one of the primary pedestrian connections between North Sydney Station, Greenwood Plaza and Blue Street, yet its role is expected to become even more important following the opening of Sydney Metro.

Zurich's proposal seeks to strengthen that role by improving landscaping, introducing new retail frontages, enhancing pedestrian permeability and creating more active edges throughout the day and evening.

Ground floor retail would wrap the plaza, while separate residential and co-living entries have been designed to improve wayfinding without reducing street activation.

Landscape design has been integrated throughout the podium and public realm, softening what is currently one of the most heavily urbanised parts of North Sydney.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

fjcstudio has carefully oriented apartments towards Sydney Harbour and the CBD while using privacy blades and articulated façades to minimise overlooking between neighbouring buildings.

Large framed openings along the western elevation maximise harbour outlooks, while the eastern apartments have been angled towards the south-east to improve privacy from neighbouring development.

The project forms part of the continuing transformation of North Sydney from a predominantly commercial CBD into a genuine mixed-use city centre.

Since the completion of Victoria Cross Metro Station, developers have increasingly shifted their attention towards residential projects capable of leveraging the area's unparalleled transport connectivity.

&nbsp;

FiveX recently lodged plans for a 61-storey, 490-apartment tower that would become one of the tallest residential buildings in North Sydney if approved.

Aqualand continues to expand its Lower North Shore presence following the completion of AURA on Walker Street and its recent St Leonards and Roseville proposals.

Developers are also progressing projects throughout Walker Street, Miller Street and the Victoria Cross precinct as demand for well-located owner-occupier apartments continues to strengthen.

Joel Robinson

First look: Zurich targets North Sydney office conversion with 148-unit proposal above Metro station

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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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>

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