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The number of consumers who don’t think will be a good time to sell their home or investment property continues to out-weigh those who think it is, according to a new survey. 
NAB's latest Australian Consumer Anxiety Survey for Q2 2019 noted these results suggest many consumers still think the housing downturn could still have more to run.
In net terms, +32% said they thought now was a good time to buy a property to live in and +34% to renovate their home.
With house prices continuing to fall across the country, consumers who thought it wasn’t a good time to sell their home (-35%) or investment property (-33%) also continued to significantly out-weigh those who thought it was a good time to sell.
However, the net number who thought so was somewhat lower than in the previous quarter, suggesting that some consumers may believe the market is close to the bottom.
With downward pressures on interest rates, it also noted a large increase in the net number of consumers who thought it was a good time to get a mortgage on their home (+13).
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2019/6/26/Good%20time%20NAB%201.JPG" alt="">
Source: NAB Anxiety Report Q2 2019
On balance, slightly more consumers (+29%) believe it will be a good time to buy a property to live in over the next 12 months (+25% in Q1 2019), and +24% to renovate their home (+23% in Q1 2019).
The number of consumers who don’t think it will be a good time to sell their home (-15%) or investment property (-14%) continues to out-weigh those who think it is - but this has fallen since Q1 2019, suggesting more consumers are expecting market conditions to improve.
With widespread speculation for further interest rate cuts in 2019, those who think it will be a good time to take out a mortgage a mortgage for their own home (+10) also rose.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2019/6/26/Good%20time%20NAB%202.JPG" alt="">
Source: NAB Anxiety Report Q2 2019
Consumer intentions around property are still overwhelming conservative.
The net number of consumers who said they didn’t intend to sell investment property (-83%), renovate an investment property (-81%), take out an investment loan (-79%), sell their home (-78%), buy investment property (-75%), take out a home loan (-74%) or sell the home they live in (-66%) far outweighed those who said they would.
Consumers were least negative about renovating their homes (-49%). Intentions remain overwhelmingly negative and conservative in all states - see table below.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2019/6/26/Good%20time%20NAB%203.JPG" alt="">
Source: NAB Anxiety Report Q2 2019
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Australians still fear the property market has further to fall: NAB

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ANZ is the last of the big four banks to cut their savings account rates, following the Reserve Bank’s decision to cut the cash rate earlier this month.
They have reduced the rates on their Progress Saver and Online Saver accounts by 0.20% – 2 basis points more than they passed onto their home loan customers on 14 June 2019.
ANZ offer the highest ongoing savings rate out of the big four of 2.20%, while Westpac offers the highest introductory rate of 2.31% for a period of five months.
“Introductory rates have become the white elephant of banking,” RateCity.com.au research director Sally Tindall said. 
“All four big banks have slashed their base rates to just 0.30% interest, when inflation is sitting at 1.3%. That’s a nightmare equation for anyone trying to save."
RateCity.com.au data shows that over 47 banks have dropped their savings rates since the RBA cash rate cut on June 4, including ING, AMP, Bank of Queensland, ME, Suncorp and Bendigo, in addition to the big four banks.
According to RateCity.com.au’s database the average cut to savings account rates by banks who have moved is 0.23%, while the maximum cut on the database is 0.50%.
As a result of all the changes, the average savings account rate is now 1.55%. 
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2019/6/26/Big%204%20rates%20June%2026.JPG" alt="">
Source: Ratecity.com.au
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2019/6/26/Top%20savings%20rates%20June%2026.JPG" alt="">
Source: Ratecity.com.au
UBank has not cut this rate since the RBA cash rate change on June 4.
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Home loan savers suffer slashed interest rates of the big four: Ratecity

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Domain’s Property Price Forecast report has predicted Canberra will be the strongest performing house sales market in 2020.
It has an expected growth in house prices of between 4 to 6 per cent.
Sydney and Brisbane are tipped to have a slightly lower of growth, at 3 to 5 per cent.
Sydney’s biggest correction in house prices since the 1980s should be over by year’s end, according to new forecasts which expects median house prices in Sydney to bottom out at about $1 million and median unit prices to dip just below $700,000 in spring.
<div class="in-content-ad">
Domain economist Trent Wiltshire said the trifecta of an interest rate cut, the Coalition’s election win and potential lending rule changes helped the market bottom out sooner than expected.
Wiltshire expects subdued growth with property prices unlikely to run away again, due to tight lending conditions and highest levels of household debt.
“Banks and borrowers are still pretty cautious,” Mr Wiltshire told Domain.
“The outlook for the economy is pretty weak so that’s another reason why I don’t think we’ll see a big boom.”
<table><tbody>
<tr>
<td colspan="3">
<h4>House price forecasts</h4>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> </td>
<td>2019 (6 month change)</td>
<td>2020 (annual change)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Australia (combined-capital cities)</td>
<td>1%</td>
<td>
2% – 4%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Sydney</td>
<td>2%</td>
<td>
3% – 5%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Melbourne</td>
<td>1%</td>
<td>
1% – 3%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Brisbane</td>
<td>1%</td>
<td>
3% – 5%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Perth</td>
<td>0%</td>
<td>
0% – 2%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Adelaide</td>
<td>1%</td>
<td>
1% – 3% 
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Hobart</td>
<td>0%</td>
<td>
2% – 4%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Canberra</td>
<td>2%</td>
<td>
4% – 6%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3">Notes: Stratified median house price forecasts. 2019 forecast is 6 month per cent change from June quarter 2019 to the December quarter 2019. 2020 forecast is the annual per cent change from December quarter 2019 to December quarter 2020. Darwin excluded from forecasts due to small volumes and market volatility.</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
Hobart will have the strongest unit growth in 2020. 
<table><tbody>
<tr>
<td colspan="3">
<h4>Unit price forecasts</h4>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> </td>
<td>2019 (6 month change)</td>
<td>2020 (annual change)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Australia (combined-capital cities)</td>
<td>1%</td>
<td>1% – 3%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Sydney</td>
<td>2%</td>
<td>2% – 4%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Melbourne</td>
<td>1%</td>
<td>0% – 2%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Brisbane</td>
<td>0%</td>
<td>0% – 2%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Perth</td>
<td>0%</td>
<td>0% – 2%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Adelaide</td>
<td>2%</td>
<td>1% – 3% </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Hobart</td>
<td>2%</td>
<td>3% – 5%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Canberra</td>
<td>1%</td>
<td>1% – 3%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3">Notes: Stratified median house price forecasts. 2019 forecast is 6 month per cent change from June quarter 2019 to the December quarter 2019. 2020 forecast is the annual per cent change from December quarter 2019 to December quarter 2020. ‘Units’ includes units and apartments. Darwin excluded from forecasts due to small volumes and market volatility.</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
Mr Wiltshire’s forecasts were made on expectation of two RBA rate cuts in July and November this year, national population growth of 1.75 per cent each year, a steady national unemployment rate of 5 per cent, and modest growth in home lending from late this year.
 
</div>
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Canberra will have 2020's strongest house price growth: Domain

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National property fund manager Primewest has secured major international engineering firm Fugro to one of its West Perth buildings.
The deal is for more than 3000 square metres at 1060 Hay Street.
Fugro are coming from two sites – the Alluvion building in the Perth CBD and a suburban office site in Balcatta. 
Primewest’s in-house leasing manager Jemma Hutchinson (pictured above) said the aim of successfully future proofing the West Perth asset had been achieved by a combination of proactivity, creativity, thinking outside the box and working with the existing and potential tenants. 
She said the positive outcome had been achieved within two months of starting the in-house leasing campaign.
It left just 560 square metres of space in the building. 
Primewest director John Bond said the company has been utilising creative expansion and leasing strategies across its national assets, with particularly strong recent results in WA, including the Quadrant and Australia Place CBD office buildings. 
He said in just over 12 months Primewest has leased more than 23,000 square metres of space across our portfolio.
Primewest manages one of Australia’s most successful property fund operations, with more than $3.5 billion in assets.
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Primewest in-house leasing secures increased tenancy across Perth portfolio

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The whole top commercial floor of a strata-titled building in Sydney’s Southern CBD is for sale.
The 328 sqm space is in <a href="http://ecomms.raywhite.com/collect/click.aspx?u=jRYOrR8N39QzG/Nyy8oj1MsQ8lDBqOLe5o804VtamUhEA/9ZQVMvzNGgema06ruScwh8KTG/dcOZySCVoUz6QUwhiEE7uvM9l0tyF3b3BHl67HGb7/Xjb0fz9Np9j1bjZg8HYdkB7EBfMVVHQqEv+A==&amp;rh=ff004d6cf0851d4f9b5be1d0e94ba3a197335209" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://ecomms.raywhite.com/collect/click.aspx?u%3DjRYOrR8N39QzG/Nyy8oj1MsQ8lDBqOLe5o804VtamUhEA/9ZQVMvzNGgema06ruScwh8KTG/dcOZySCVoUz6QUwhiEE7uvM9l0tyF3b3BHl67HGb7/Xjb0fz9Np9j1bjZg8HYdkB7EBfMVVHQqEv%2BA%3D%3D%26rh%3Dff004d6cf0851d4f9b5be1d0e94ba3a197335209&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1561010323575000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEkcmY1jgffzLEzenmHM-qn4HmqfA">142-148A Elizabeth Street</a>, also known as Hyde Park Towers.
It is being marketed by Henderson &amp; Horning’s Will Mulvihill and Ray White Commercial South Sydney’s John Skufris, on behalf of a private owner.
It is situated directly opposite the Downing Centre, with intercom access and on-site concierge.
Up to four parking spaces are available for purchase, Skufris said.
It is anticipated the property will suit owner occupiers, legal firms and barristers chambers.
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Legal firm sought as whole strata floor listed in Hyde Park Towers

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Creating more quality green spaces closer to homes and increasing the tree canopy by planting one million trees in Greater Sydney by 2022 is a policy announced today by the NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian.
She said the first of the priorities is to increase the proportion of homes in towns and cities across NSW within a reasonable walking distance of quality green, open and public space. 
“Planting trees and creating new parks is just as important as building new roads, rail lines, schools and hospitals,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“Green and public open spaces should be accessible to everyone across the State, no matter where they live.
“That is why, for the first time, I have made it a priority to make sure more people are within walking distance of quality public space.”
Ms Berejiklian joined Planning and Public Spaces Minister Rob Stokes in Sydney’s South West to also announce planting one million trees across Greater Sydney by 2022 is another Premier’s Priority.
Mr Stokes said the program will contribute to the Government’s long-term target of planting five million trees by 2030.  
“We’re backing councils like Campbelltown City Council to increase the tree canopy cover across Sydney through funding and support,” Mr Stokes said. 
“More trees means more shade, cooler suburbs, more oxygen and a better urban environment for communities to enjoy.”
The plans announced are on top of the NSW Government’s decision to appoint a dedicated Minister for Public Spaces and the $340 million Open Spaces and Greener Sydney package.
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A million more trees by 2022 under Premier Gladys Berejiklian

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Allens has advised global investment manager InfraRed Capital Partners (Australia) Pty Ltd (InfraRed) on the Greater Curtin Stage One development, which reached financial close yesterday.
Procurement for Stage One began in 2016 and is the cornerstone in the delivery of Curtin University’s campus strategy.
Lead Partner David Donnelly (pictured above) said that Stage One represents a shift from a traditional university campus paradigm to a multipurpose destination mindset.
‘It’s a true precinct deal and a complex one, involving new and existing student accommodation, a hotel, self-contained apartments, industry partner spaces, retail, parking and public open spaces. The project will create much of the infrastructure and culture upon which the Greater Curtin vision will be built,’ he said.
‘Tertiary education is key export for our economy, and student accommodation is becoming increasingly recognised as an investment-grade asset class among institutional investors. We were therefore delighted to advise Infrared on this complex project.’
Challenging the traditional concept of a university campus makes the project inherently complex and requires input from multiple stakeholders.
‘We mobilised a team of more than 60 lawyers, including nine partners, across a range of practices with sector expertise to bring this deal together,’ he said.
The deal builds upon Allens’ extensive experience in student accommodation and first-to-market privately financed infrastructure project
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Allens advises InfraRed Capital on Curtin University's campus vision

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Australian Radio Network (ARN) have relocated their Brisbane office into Kings Row Office Park in Milton after committing to a 12-year lease for 1,158sqm. 
Owned by the Shayer Group, Kings Row is one of Brisbane’s premier commercial precincts, comprising four A-Grade office buildings with onsite amenities such as a tennis court, swimming pool, BBQ, conference facilities, high quality end-of-trip facilities and secure basement parking. 
Colliers International Tenant Advisory represented ARN in their negotiations to relocate to Kings Row.
Colliers Leasing was in conjunction with Cushman &amp; Wakefield acted on behalf of the Shayer Group. 
“ARN had outgrown their Stones Corner office and have chosen Kings Row as the new location due to the Brisbane City and River views, quality of office accommodation, accessibility to local amenity and public transport,” said Simon Crouch, Head of Tenant Advisory at Colliers International.  
“The lease agreement also includes rooftop signage, which provides excellent brand exposure for ARN considering the building faces the busy Coronation Drive,” said Bo Veivers National Director of Office Leasing at Colliers International. 
The office park currently offers refurbished and fitted tenancies ranging from 200sqm to 5,000sqm which are marketed between $500-550 per sqm. 
“The opportunities of 1,000sqm or greater of A grade office space in the metro market are limited,” said Mr Veivers.
The Kings Row buildings feature 2,200sqm floorplates, some of which are still available.  
“Milton’s office market has seen great improvement over the last 12 months, backed by stronger leasing activity than we have seen in previous years.
“Total office vacancy in Milton is currently sitting at 21.5%, per the figures released from the Property Council of Australia in February 2019.”
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ARN relocates to Kings Row Office Park

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InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG®) has announced InterContinental Yokohama Pier 8 will open its doors to guests in November 2019 in the Minato Mirai area of Yokohama. 
InterContinental Yokohama Pier 8 will be built on the premises of the Yokohama Hammer Head Project which is developed by SHINKO PIER CRUISE TERMINAL Co.,Ltd. in collaboration with Yokohama City. 
The new-build luxury hotel will be located in the same building as a cruise ship terminal where large cruise ships will be anchored. Together, the precinct will offer guests a new luxury experience that blends both the InterContinental brand, and Yokohama’s distinct history and colourful lifestyle.   
InterContinental Yokohama Pier 8 joins the nearby InterContinental Yokohama Grand, which has been recognised as an icon of the Minato Mirai area since 1991. 
The symbolic hotel was the first InterContinental hotel in Japan, now joining 200 InterContinental Hotels &amp; Resorts across the globe.
InterContinental Yokohama Pier 8 is located on one of the few piers in the world, and boasts 173 spacious rooms. The Club InterContinental rooms and Club Lounge will offer an upgraded experience that is characteristic of the InterContinental brand, while the restaurant and bars, event room, spa, fitness, rooftop experience and indoor garden, each offer a connection to the sea and the sky for a memorable stay. 
IHG currently has 49 hotels operating under four brands in Australasia, including: InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, voco and Holiday Inn Express, with another 29 in the pipeline.
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InterContinental Hotel in Yokohama, Japan set for November opening

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The 410 sqm Surrey Hills block, occupied by a scout hall, failed to raise any interest at its weekend auction.
<a href="https://fletchers.net.au/24154/7-robinson-road-surrey-hills" target="_blank">The 7 Robinson Road holding</a> has been listed now at $1.38 million.
It had been listed by David Taylor and John Taylor from Fletchers Canterbury with a price guide of $1.3 million to $1.4 million. 
Scouts Victoria bought the property in 1955 and built the hall. 
The wide frontage block at 7 Robinson Road offers the potential to create a low maintenance home on its own title. 
<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/2019/6/13/scout%20hall%202.jpg" alt="">
Situated between Chatham and Surrey Hills Stations, it's within walking distance to Surrey Hills Village shops, supermarket, cafes plus nearby Canterbury Sports Ground and Chatham Primary School. 
 
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1st Boroondara Scout Hall, Surrey Hills fails to sell

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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