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The Cassowary Coast Regional Council area has seen a continued resurgence of the banana farm market, according to the latest rural report from valuation firm Herron Todd White.
Since July 2019, approximately 20 per cent of total rural sales over 20 ha comprise sales purchased for conversion to banana production or of going concern banana farms.
Banana prices have gradually improved since its 2016 low caused by the Panama TR4 banana disease, according to the report.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/Screen%20Shot%202020-09-10%20at%2011.43.40%20am.png" alt="">
Recent trends in banana prices in the Brisbane and Melbourne have both increased.
HTW director Danny Glasson notes 60 sales over 20ha has occurred in the region since July last year.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Cairns region sees the resurgence of the banana farm market: HTW Rural

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The Gold Coast region’s rate per hectare for larger land holdings has been improving, according to the latest rural report from valuation firm Herron Todd White.
This is evident in a recent sale of the Scenic Rim property ‘Wirraway’ which broke a record in the region.
Originally listed for $20 million before being gutted by fire, the property sold for $8.05 million in July.
HTW director Janine Rockliff notes the buyer, a couple from western Queensland, own an adjoining 777.92 ha property which they purchased from the Queensland government for a total of $15.6 million.
This brings their total spend to $23.65 million or $17,602 per hectare gross.
The property is in close proximity of a number of other large holdings transacted in the past three years, including the 865ha Gorge Farm for $6.15 million and 1,345ha Broadlands property for $19.4 million.
Purchasers seeking larger holdings and an increased interest in the area has improved the rate per hectare.
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The value of large rural land holdings in the Gold Coast is improving: HTW Rural

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Positive conditions have instilled a high degree of confidence in the Echuca and Deniliquin regions, according to the valuation firm Herron Todd White’s latest rural report.
A well above average season in regard to crop and fodder is expected due to most of the area receiving around 100 millimetres of rain throughout autumn, plus good follow-up winter rainfall, says HTW director John Henderson.
“The overall result of this confidence in the seasonal outlook in the area has translated to a rising market”, Henderson said.
Some degree of uncertainty about the outlook for commodity prices in the short-term remains.
The report noted recent sales that showed a $1,000 per hectare rise, including a batch of well-developed irrigation properties close-by the Finley district sold for $5,435 to $6,175 per hectare.
This is compared to similar properties which sold for $4,570 to $5,065 per hectare in December 2018 to February 2019.
“The rising market is a feature of most of southwest New South Wales and northern Victoria, with agents reporting strong enquiry in the region.”
The general outlook for the region is for rural values to continue to rise.
However, the report notes that uncertainty around key commodity prices may start to influence decision-making in the near future.
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Rural values continue to rise in the Echuca and Deniliquin regions: HTW Rural

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Victoria’s Gippsland region has only seen moderate growth in land prices in comparison to the remainder of the state.
According to valuation firm Herron Todd White’s latest rural report, this is a result of consecutive poor seasons, including recent bushfires, drought and now COVID-19.
However, the supply of property on the market has been steady in 2020, wrote HTW’s Angus Shaw.
“Irrigation areas such as the Macalister Irrigation District have continued to show their strength with relatively balanced supply and a continued strengthening in demand from both dairy and vegetable growers.”
This can be seen in recent sales, such as 160ha irrigated dairy property Roonsleigh at Tinamba, which sold in excess of $25,000 per hectare inclusive of water.
Other recent sales include two sales of grazing country at Boisdale, suitable for vegetable production, which both sold at auction for in excess of $30,000 per hectare.
According to the report, approximately 70 per cent of dairy operators are expecting a profitable and above five year average return this season.
“The decreasing input costs of hay and grain, improved seasonal conditions and relatively strong milk prices this season have led to significantly improved confidence in the local dairy sector.”
Evidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic is having little impact on the majority of rural markets, although drought and bushfire have softened the demand for some grazing properties.
 
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Rural Gippsland sees moderate growth: HTW Rural

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The Real Estate Market Facts quarterly report has shown an impact on prices from the COVID-19 pandemic, but it has not been as dramatic as some have predicted.
“In the March edition I flagged that June quarter 2020 will reflect the impacts of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic on both the sales and rental markets,” said REIA president Adrian Kelly.
“Whilst there has been an impact on prices it is relatively modest and has certainly not been the doomsday prophesies some commentators expected.
“Nor has the impact been uniform across Australia with local market conditions varying, resulting in a range of outcomes.”
This REMF edition shows in the June quarter 2020 the weighted average median price for houses for the eight capital cities decreased by 2.2% to $770,359, with only Darwin having an increase and Adelaide remaining stable.
This is the first quarterly decrease since March 2019. For the year the weighted average median price for houses for the eight capital cities increased by 5.9%.
The weighted average median price for other dwellings also decreased by 1.9% to $592,415 over the quarter, with only Adelaide and Hobart recording increases.
For the year the weighted average median price for houses for the eight capital cities increased by 4.8%.
Over the quarter, the median rent for three-bedroom houses decreased in all capital cities except for Canberra, where there was a marginal increase, and Sydney where the rent remained stable.
The decrease in median rents for 3 bedroom houses, over the quarter, was 1.6%. There is a consistent pattern for June quarter median rents to decline and the 2020 decline cannot be attributed entirely to the impact of COVID-19. Indeed the quarterly decline is below the June 2018 decline of 2.5%.
The median rent for two-bedroom other dwellings decreased in all capital cities except Darwin, which had a 1.7% increase. The largest decline was in Melbourne, and at 8.7% it's the largest decline in the past 10 years.
The weighted average vacancy rate for the eight capital cities decreased to 3.0% during the June quarter, which shows a loosening in the market compared to last quarter.
“A factor contributing to the market stability is the decline in the number of listings for sale,” said Mr Kelly.
“In all capital cities except Perth the number of houses and other dwellings for sale declined compared to the June quarter 2019.
“The biggest declines were in Hobart where the number of houses for sale declined by 33% and the number of other dwellings by 26%.
“The market is holding up better than many expected with the Government’s initiatives of JobKeeper and JobSeeker as well as the banks loan deferrals playing their part in stabilising the situation.
“With extensions to these having been announced we expect continued stability in the market,” concluded Mr Kelly.
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Rents across most categories have seen drops across Australia with few exceptions: REIA

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GUEST OBSERVATION
A banknote has been sitting in my wallet for six months now. As time ticks on, it burns an ever greater hole in my pocket.
At first I felt uneasy spending it, following COVID-19 warnings to pay more attention to hand hygiene and the surfaces we all touch on a daily basis.
Now I have less and less opportunity to do so. While the World Health Organisation has <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/who-we-did-not-say-that-cash-was-transmitting-coronavirus-2020-03-06">never advised</a> against using cash, <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-20/will-coronavirus-kill-off-cash-in-australia/12065860">more and more businesses</a> are displaying signs that read “We Only Accept Contactless Payment” next to their registers.
A recent <a href="https://newsroom.mastercard.com/asia-pacific/press-releases/mastercard-study-shows-consumers-moving-to-contactless-payments-for-everyday-purchases-as-they-seek-cleaner-touch-free-options/">global poll</a> conducted by MasterCard – a company with reason to favour card-based payments – found 82% of its users see contactless payments as cleaner than cash.
Online shopping is booming too. Amazon’s value alone has <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/sergeiklebnikov/2020/07/23/5-big-numbers-that-show-amazons-explosive-growth-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic/#5e58ab4a4137">risen by 570 billion US dollars</a> this year.
But while electronic payment may reduce our exposure to germs, it also shows banks, vendors and payment platforms what we do with our money. Social media is awash with <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://twitter.com/LeProfMoriarty/status/1301043738475720704">posts</a> condemning the forced use of contactless payment for fear of overseers eyeballing spending. Some people are even <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/732178480871805/">boycotting stores</a> that won’t accept cash.
The growth of digital transactions exposes yet another aspect of our personal life to, what the social psychologist Shoshana Zuboff has called, “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/jan/20/shoshana-zuboff-age-of-surveillance-capitalism-google-facebook">surveillance capitalism</a>”. Financial data is now a valuable raw material that can be bought, sold and refined in the name of profit.
The decline of cash
When the pandemic began, cash had already been on the decline for years. In Australia, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/jun/24/virtually-no-demand-for-coins-in-covid-19-era-as-australias-shift-from-cash-to-digital-hastens">demand for coins</a> fell by more than 50% between 2013 and 2019.
For many people, increasing digitisation is synonymous with progress. It can be seen as a way of leaving the cumbersome, historical artefacts of coins and banknotes behind.
COVID-19 has accelerated this move away from cash. Wariness of <a href="https://www.insider.com/does-money-carry-germs">microbe-ridden banknotes</a> has seen contactless payment become a spontaneous public health standard.
Because cash is a social material, it moves between us, connecting us both financially and physically. The US Federal Reserve even decided to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-fed-dollars/fed-quarantines-us-dollars-repatriated-from-asia-on-coronavirus-caution-idUSKBN20T1YT">quarantine dollars</a> returning from Asia earlier this year in an attempt to stop the coronavirus crossing its borders.
Dropping digital breadcrumbs
One perk of paper money is that it does not leave paper trails. Digital money, however, leaves traces in the databases of banks, vendors and platform owners, while governments look keenly over their shoulders.
Financial journalist Brett Scott calls this a “<a href="https://networkcultures.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/14-brettscott.pdf">prison of watchable payments</a>”.
Tax officials love digital transactions because they make it easier to monitor the nation’s economy. Banks and payment platforms are pleased as well: not only do they collect fees and gain the ability to allow or obstruct transactions, they can also profit from the troves of personal data piling up on their servers.
Internally, banks use this data to offer you <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/life/banks-keep-lots-of-information-about-you-this-is-how-it-is-used/10912378#:%7E:text=What%20do%20banks%20use%20the%20personal%20data%20for%3F&amp;text=The%20first%20type%20is%20personalised,whether%20to%20lend%20us%20money.">other bespoke services</a> such as loans and insurance. But information is also aggregated to better understand wider economic trends, and then <a href="https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/finance-news/2018/04/06/big-banks-sell-data-customer-spending-habits/">sold on to third parties</a>.
At the moment, these data metrics are anonymised but that doesn’t guard against retailers using <a href="https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/finance-news/2018/04/06/big-banks-sell-data-customer-spending-habits/">de-anonymising techniques</a> to attach transactions back to your identity.
<a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90310803/here-are-the-data-brokers-quietly-buying-and-selling-your-personal-information">Data brokers</a> exist for this very reason: building digital profiles and creating a marketplace for them. This allows retailers to target you with tailored advertisements based on your spending. The devices at everyone’s fingertips become a feedback loop of information in which companies analyse what people have bought and then urge them to buy more.
Can surveillance work on your behalf?
Having records of every transaction can also be useful for individuals. Companies such as <a href="https://www.revolut.com/en-AU">Revolut</a> and <a href="https://monzo.com">Monzo</a> offer “spending analytics” services to help customers manage their money by tracking where it goes each month.
But information about a user’s own behaviour never truly belongs to them. And, as the digital economist Nick Srnicek explains, “<a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/Platform_Capitalism/2HdNDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&amp;gbpv=0#spf=1599549352476">suppression of privacy is at the heart of the business model</a>”.
Digital payment with (some) privacy
While filling virtual baskets or paying by tapping a card does open up transactions for inspection, there are still ways you can protect your health and your data at the same time.
“Virtual cards” like those provided by <a href="https://privacy.com/">privacy.com</a> are one useful tool. These services let users create multiple card numbers for different online purchases that conceal consumption patterns from banks and credit card details from merchants.
Cryptocurrencies might also find a new limelight in the pandemic. Hailed as cash for the internet, the inbuilt privacy mechanisms of Bitcoin, Zcash and Monero could work to mask transactions.
However, finding companies that accept them is challenging, and their <a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/Money_Code_Space/QZj5DwAAQBAJ?hl=en&amp;gbpv=0#spf=1599549442513">privacy capabilities are often overstated</a> for everyday users. This is particularly true when using exchanges and third-party wallet software such as <a href="https://www.coinbase.com/">Coinbase</a>.
In brick-and-mortar stores, staying under the radar can be more difficult. <a href="https://auspost.com.au/money-insurance/buy-gift-cards/auspost-gift-card">Prepaid cards</a> are one option – but you’ll need to buy the card itself with cash if you want to keep your anonymity fully intact. And that takes us back to square one.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/145179/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;">
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jack-parkin-1147810">Jack Parkin</a>, Digital Economist, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney University</a>
This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/cashless-payment-is-booming-thanks-to-coronavirus-so-is-financial-surveillance-145179">original article</a>.
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Cashless payment is booming and so is financial surveillance

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A mortgagee property in Queensland’s Worongary has been sold for $570,000. 
The 3,581 square metre block is conveniently located close-by Worongary shopping centre, schools and the motorway.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/Screen%20Shot%202020-07-30%20at%204.42.46%20pm.png" alt="">
The property, located at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-worongary-134093498" target="_blank">101 Mudgeeraba Road</a>, offers dual living with a four-bedroom, three-bathroom main residence and a self-contained flat.
Positioned separately from the house, the two-bedroom, one-bathroom granny flat is perfect for family, guest accommodation or as a source of rental income.
Its features include an expansive property and hardwood flooring.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/Screen%20Shot%202020-07-30%20at%204.42.41%20pm.png" alt="">
The home last traded in 2014, selling for $570,000.
LJ Hooker agents Karl Grossman and Chantal Damiani had the listing.
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Worongary, Queensland mortgagee home sold for $570,000

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GUEST OBSERVATION
The Australia-China relationship is unravelling at a pace that could not have been contemplated just six months ago.
In recent days, the ABC’s Bill Birtles and the Australian Financial Review’s Mike Smith were <a href="https://theconversation.com/journalists-have-become-diplomatic-pawns-in-chinas-relations-with-the-west-setting-a-worrying-precedent-145749">forced to flee</a> China following intimidation by security agencies and the imposition of an exit ban, later lifted following negotiations led by Australian diplomats.
Chinese media outlets then <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-09/chinese-scholars-have-visas-revoked-as-diplomatic-crisis-grows/12644022">alleged</a> that Australia’s security agencies raided the properties of several Chinese journalists in June in connection with a foreign interference investigation involving NSW MP <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/chinese-media-links-journalist-raids-to-labor-mp-shaoquett-moselmane/news-story/412f77bb439a079a7d0baf86ac63eed3">Shaoquett Moselmane</a>.
With no sign of the political tensions between Australia and China easing, the big danger in all of this is the erosion of the economic and people-to-people ties that were once the glue holding the relationship together.
If this goes, the events of recent days might only be a starting point in a broader bilateral decoupling that offers little prospect for the protection — let alone advancement — of Australia’s national interest.
Cause for optimism amid declining ties
Political tensions between the two countries <a href="https://www.australiachinarelations.org/content/australias-tilt-china">date back</a> to at least 2017. Apart from a brief “reset” when then-Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull gave an upbeat <a href="https://www.malcolmturnbull.com.au/media/speech-at-the-university-of-new-south-wales-sydney-7-august-2018">speech</a> on China at the University of New South Wales in August 2018, the trajectory of ties at the government level has been downhill since then.
Yet, the economic relationship continued to flourish, with two-way trade <a href="https://www.dfat.gov.au/trade/resources/trade-statistics/Pages/trade-time-series-data">growing</a> from $183.5 billion in 2017 to $251.4 billion in 2019.
And people-to-people ties appeared to offer cause for optimism, too.
The number of Chinese <a href="https://internationaleducation.gov.au/research/International-Student-Data/Pages/default.aspx">students</a> and <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/3401.0">tourists</a> arriving in Australia showed few signs of peaking.
Vigorous cooperation was seen in other areas, such as Chinese researchers emerging as Australia’s <a href="https://www.australiachinarelations.org/content/australia-china-science-boom">leading</a> partners in producing scientific and research publications.
The belief ‘black hands’ are now at work
In the background, however, there were signs of worrying developments.
Ten years ago, it wasn’t hard for foreign academics to find Chinese colleagues willing to talk openly about politically sensitive issues in a private setting, or even modestly depart from the Chinese government’s line in a public forum, such as an academic conference.
But in June, Frances Adamson, Australia’s former ambassador to China and now head of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, <a href="https://www.dfat.gov.au/news/speech/frances-adamson-dfat-secretary-50th-episode-australia-world-podcast">reflected</a> that while China has academics who have spent their lives working on and with Australia,
when I read now what they say publicly, that nuance that existed before is gone.
This unwillingness to depart from the official line stems from the heightened censorship and illiberal turn China has taken in recent years. This has been instigated by the Chinese Communist Party — and in particular, President Xi Jinping — as they have become increasingly paranoid their grip on power is under attack.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/357159/original/file-20200909-20-1xolwi1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
 China has become increasingly illiberal and bellicose since Xi came to power. Mark Schiefelbein/AP
A prominent Chinese government <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hongkong-extradition-usa/china-tells-us-to-remove-black-hands-from-hong-kong-idUSKCN1UI0QJ">narrative</a> now alleges “black hands” connected to “foreign forces” are at work trying to undermine the country’s leadership.
This sensitivity has been sharpened by US government rhetoric. In July, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stopped not far short of <a href="https://www.state.gov/communist-china-and-the-free-worlds-future/">declaring</a> a policy of regime change in China, saying
We must also engage and empower the Chinese people – a dynamic, freedom-loving people who are completely distinct from the Chinese Communist Party.
But changing the CCP’s behaviour cannot be the mission of the Chinese people alone. Free nations have to work to defend freedom.
While the Australian government has deliberately put distance between itself and the Trump administration, Beijing remains wedded to the idea Australia is a US lackey, despite significant <a href="https://www.australiachinarelations.org/content/australian-policy-prc-it-independent-us%E2%80%99">evidence</a> to the contrary.
 
‘Are we actually safe here now?’
Australians appear to have already been caught up in the consequences.
Academic and blogger Yang Hengjun, a China-born Australian citizen, has been detained since January 2019, <a href="http://au.china-embassy.org/eng/sghdxwfb_1/t1761341.htm">accused</a> of “engaging in criminal activities endangering [China’s] national security”.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/357164/original/file-20200909-20-1qkrwi0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
 Yang Hengjun has denied Chinese reports he had confessed to espionage. AP
And last month, the Chinese-Australian journalist Cheng Lei was also <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-08/australian-anchor-cheng-lei-china-endanger-national-security/12642596">detained</a> under suspicion of carrying out “criminal activities” endangering China’s national security.
This came just weeks after the Australian government changed its travel risk <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-07/dfat-changes-travel-advice-for-australians-in-china/12431134">advisory</a> to warn Australians might be “arbitrarily detained” in China.
These moves have had a chilling effect on the people-to-people ties that once formed the ballast of China-Australia relations.
PwC’s Asia practice leader, Andrew Parker, <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/australian-journalists-flee-china-as-cheng-lei-is-charged-with-endangering-security/news-story/2b9b2649c70450b5d48c9390d1a3955b">said</a> some in the business community are starting to ask the question, “are we actually safe here now”?
Concerns for Chinese academics in Australia, too
But importantly, not all the developments are one-way.
The ABC has <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-09/chinese-scholars-have-visas-revoked-as-diplomatic-crisis-grows/12644022">reported</a> that two leading Chinese academics in the field of Australian studies were also caught up in the investigation into the alleged Chinese plot to infiltrate the NSW parliament, resulting in their visas being revoked.
One of the academics, Chen Hong, the director of the Australian Studies Centre at East China Normal University, <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-09/chinese-scholars-have-visas-revoked-as-diplomatic-crisis-grows/12644022">rejected</a> the allegations.
There were signs before the dramatic developments of this week that some Chinese journalists and academics were becoming wary of engaging with foreigners due to rhetoric directed at China, as well as policy actions taken by Australia.
In one of his last stories for the AFR before leaving China, Smith <a href="https://www.afr.com/world/asia/china-think-tanks-sever-academic-ties-as-hostilities-rise-20200826-p55pmz">reported</a> that Chinese academics had told him they were cutting off communications out of
fear they will be accused of being Communist Party infiltrators.
Some Chinese observers believe national security concerns are not the only factor in what is unfolding in Australia.
Moselmane’s lawyers are <a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/nsw-mp-shaoquett-moselmane-wants-investigation-after-police-raided-his-home/news-story/7306a6ad90fe1dfd99af4d59655ee82f">seeking an investigation</a> into whether the media were tipped off before the Australian Federal Police raid on his home in June.
This possibility raises questions about whether the source of the alleged leak saw an opportunity for domestic political gain or to push another barrow, such as adding to Australia-China tensions.
At the same time, academics at Australian universities, many of whom were born in China, have been put under the spotlight in News Corp <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/ccp-weaponising-our-research/news-story/0c3fb0cb8a3578296339aca252c42a8c">outlets</a> for allegedly having links to the Chinese government. The fact that none of these academics have to date been identified by Australian law enforcement agencies as having done anything wrong appears to count for little.
It’s becoming clear the fears of being caught up as “<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-08/bill-birtles-mike-smith-evacuated-china-safety-concerns/12638786">pawns in a diplomatic tussle</a>” (as Birtles described it) are real now for journalists, academics and business people — those who used to believe they could continue to work in both countries, without significant concerns about political disputes.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/145836/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;">
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/james-laurenceson-203">James Laurenceson</a>, Director and Professor, Australia-China Relations Institute (ACRI), <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-technology-sydney-936">University of Technology Sydney</a>
This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-the-australia-china-relationship-is-unravelling-faster-than-we-could-have-imagined-145836">original article</a>.
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Why the Australia-China relationship is unravelling faster than we could have imagined

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The federal government’s HomeBuilder program is protecting tradies’ jobs.
A recovery in the number of slabs being poured will be seen as early as the December quarter, says HIA chief economist Tim Reardon.
Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ lending indicators in July showed dwelling finance commitments for owner occupiers had its strongest monthly growth since January 2009, rising by 9.7 per cent.
This is also the largest month-on-month rise in the history of the series.
According to the Housing Institute of Australia, the number of loans issued for the purchase of residential land has also swelled, with a 30 per cent increase for the second month in a row.
“This will protect employment in the residential building industry and across the economy into 2021”, Reardon said.
Figures from September 9 show loan approvals have risen 12 per cent – 6.3 per cent higher than a year ago.
There had been an “encouraging sign” that HomeBuilder is helping strengthen sentiment even in areas is doesn’t directly target, said Master Builders Australia CEO Denita Wawn.
The recent figures display “the highly effective impact of HomeBuilder in activating demand”, she said.
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HomeBuilder protects tradies' jobs

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A strata home in Waikiki, Western Australia has been listed for sale by mortgagee with a price guide of $219,000.
The three bedroom, one bathroom unit is situated at<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-waikiki-134212914" target="_blank"> 1-46 Gnangara Drive</a>.
Elaine Lofthouse of Douglas Corby Ray White Rockingham Baldivis has the listing. 
Situated in a small complex, the home comes with a living/dining area and a lounge room. 
It is located within walking distance to the Waikiki Shopping Village. 
The unit will suit buyers looking for a low maintanence property with the convenience of being close to all amenities. 
 
 
 
 
</body></html>

Waikiki, Western Australia mortgagee strata home listed 

Property developer One Living, backed by former Macquarie banker turned investment manager Chris Green’s investment firm, has unveiled plans to bring more institutional capital into housing to help address the national supply crisis.

The New York-based investor has focused his firm, GreenPoint Partners, on addressing the supply shortage hitting middle market housing in Australia.

It is backing the new One Living business to develop more than 1000 units along the eastern seaboard. The new firm is starting with a development on Mona Vale Road, on the border of Mona Vale and Pymble, in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, with around 140 apartments planned. They are eyeing off more sites across the city.

With cost pressures rising in the industry, One Living’s model is to be a vertically integrated developer-builder, so it can respond directly to the housing gap by removing the cost inefficiencies embedded in traditional residential delivery.

“We are building a platform designed to operate at scale and starting in a market where there’s a clear need for quality, attainable housing,” One Living joint managing director Joseph Scuderi said.

“It’s that missing middle – it’s that attainable end of housing… that’s what most Australians invest into and what Australians can actually afford.”

<img alt="Mona Vale" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="798dfa93-4941-4db6-a696-31e9dc18e81c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%202.31.50%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=mKBqi5C_DmeiXS.AtJkcR8LQIxqCqmFi" />

GreenPoint Partners brings years of experience assembling and scaling real estate operating businesses across major markets. And Green sees a big opportunity in Australia.

“For its size, sophistication and importance to the community, Australia’s living sector has remained largely under-institutionalised, which represents significant opportunity,” Green said. “GreenPoint identified that gap, assembled the right team, and is backing One Living to build a platform that is aligned to market needs.”

Green said being a builder-developer would give the company the capacity and flexibility it required to deliver reasonably-priced homes.

“We want it to be at that attainable level; not super high end luxury but at that attainable level,” he said.

<img alt="Mona Vale" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="74a5344a-4b26-4d4a-ada3-056b1220be77" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%202.32.15%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=vY8hXHO4reBMdO8ZXMWCNtGZJofUPQ3j" />

&nbsp;

One Living will undertake a component of affordable housing in its schemes, which it will own and operate, and it could also run build-to-rent on some sites.

Green praised local policy settings.

“The NSW government is being very supportive, strategic and pragmatic in terms of how do we generate more supply of housing,” he said. “We think it’s actually positive for development and the bit that’s been lacking at that attainable level is that it’s lots of relatively small private developers, whereas we want to create an institutional platform.”

One Living is also&nbsp;looking at high-density projects and could take on more institutional funding in the future.

“The way we will be able to achieve economies of scale is through size,” Green added.

Joel Robinson

One Living enters Sydney's new apartment market with Northern Beaches site acquisition

It's been several years since there's been an opportunity to buy a brand new townhome in Melbourne's coastal suburb of Mordialloc. Even apartment developments in recent times have been few and far between in the area.

Local developer LDS Property identified the gap in new housing, securing a site on White Street, directly opposite&nbsp;Woodlands Golf Club Mordialloc. They've recently launched&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-townhouses/wm-residences-mordialloc-102-white-street-mordialloc-vic-3195">WM Residences</a>, just 13 townhouses which they have already started building.

Projects by Buxton Director Heath Thompson, who is selling WM Residences, says the townhouses x that perfect middle ground be

"Mordialloc residents have had limited options to downsize within the suburb, often forcing them to look elsewhere despite long-standing ties to the area," Thompson says.

"With very little comparable new supply coming to market, projects like WM Residences are well placed, particularly as buyers look to capitalise on current conditions amid constrained supply."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6109]

The development, designed by regarded architecture firm&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/ewert-leaf">Ewert Leaf</a>,&nbsp;adopts a deliberately restrained architectural approach, focusing on simplicity, durability and liveability rather than overt design gestures.

The boutique scale is central to the offering. With only 13 three-bedroom residences, each home is configured to prioritise functional layouts and everyday use, supported by private terraces and secure two-car garages.

Ewert Leaf’s design response leans into a calm, neutral material palette. Interiors are defined by oak flooring, white walls and soft finishes, creating a consistent and understated backdrop. The approach avoids trend-driven detailing in favour of longevity, with an emphasis on natural light and spatial clarity.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6110]

Beyond aesthetics, the homes are designed to meet contemporary performance expectations. Each residence targets a minimum 6-star energy rating, incorporating double glazing, comprehensive insulation and all-electric Bosch appliances.

The project’s location supports a walkable coastal lifestyle, sitting within close proximity to Mordialloc’s foreshore, Main Street retail strip and the train station. Local cafés and dining venues, including Suburbia Deli and Hendriks Café, are within a short walk, reinforcing the area’s established neighbourhood character.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6116]

While <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/mordialloc-vic-3195">Mordialloc</a> is often defined by its beach and pier, the project taps into other areas of day to day living, offering easy access to local food, casual dining and transport, rather than positioning itself purely as a lifestyle retreat.

WM Residences reflects a continued trend across Melbourne’s coastal suburbs towards smaller-scale, design-led townhouse developments, particularly on infill sites where proximity to amenity is already established.

With construction commenced prior to its market entry, the project aligns with a growing preference among buyers for developments with visible progress and defined delivery timeframes.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=134646]

WM Residences fills gap in Mordialloc townhouse market

&nbsp;

Developer GURNER™ Group has revealed $1.65 billion in residential sales nationally across the 12 months to December 2025, driven largely by the continued momentum of its Docklands wellness-focused precinct, Elysium Fields.

The sales result was generated across seven projects in Victoria and New South Wales, headlined by Elysium Fields, GURNER™’s $2.75 billion mixed-use precinct planned for Harbour Esplanade in Docklands.

The project has recorded more than $500 million in sales across the first three towers, equating to around 580 apartments sold.

The first tower, Helios, has now sold out of its 240 private residences, with GURNER™ preparing to release a premium penthouse collection comprising 15 three-bedroom penthouses in coming weeks.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370975]

Elysium Fields is being developed on the long-held 20,000 sqm Docklands site at 208-226 Harbour Esplanade, which had remained undeveloped for more than two decades prior to GURNER™ taking over the project around four years ago.

Construction has now commenced across four towers ranging between 18 and 30 storeys, with Hamilton Marino and Maxcon appointed as builders.

Once complete, the precinct is expected to comprise around 1,100 residences, alongside retail, hospitality and public realm uses integrated throughout the site.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370981]

Designed by Fraser &amp; Partners in collaboration with GURNER™ Design House, the project has been positioned around the developer’s broader focus on wellness-led residential living.

“We don’t sell apartments. We create a true luxury lifestyle that simply doesn’t exist elsewhere in the market today,” Founder and Executive Chairman Tim Gurner said.

“To deliver that requires an extraordinary level of detail, coordination and discipline across multiple verticals, from design and hospitality through to wellness and service.”

“We’ve always believed that living extends far beyond the physical residence. It’s about how you feel the moment you arrive, how you live day-to-day, and the ecosystem that supports that.” 
[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370977]

The project’s design places a heavy focus on landscaping, wellness amenities and biophilic design principles.

Plans include around 3,700 sqm of landscaped gardens and open space throughout the precinct, alongside a retail and dining offering spanning approximately 5,000 sqm.

The broader public realm strategy centres around what GURNER™ describes as the “Path of Life”, an urban forest and landscaped pedestrian environment intended to connect the various buildings and wellness spaces across the precinct.

The apartments themselves will incorporate a range of wellness-focused inclusions, including purified air and water systems, circadian lighting, antimicrobial surfaces, and optional in-home wellness upgrades.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370980]

Gurner said the company’s experience through its Saint Haven wellness clubs had directly informed the residential offering now being incorporated into Elysium Fields.

“We’re seeing a clear global shift toward longevity, performance and proactive health,” Gurner said.

“Our role is to deliver that in a way that feels seamless, highly private and beautifully resolved within the environments we create.”

A large component of the wellness offering is planned through the resident amenity and health facilities proposed within the precinct.

That includes plans for bathing and recovery facilities spread throughout the towers, incorporating mineral pools, saunas, steam rooms, flotation therapy, red light therapy and wellness lounges.

The developer is also seeking approvals for what it describes as a “reverse ageing medical clinic” within the precinct.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370978]

According to project information released by the group, the proposed facility would include cryotherapy, IV infusion therapy, infrared and dry saunas, PEMF beds, MRIs, DEXA scans, brain scans and blood analysis services.

Within the first tower, Helios, residents will also have access to a dedicated amenity offering known as the Sky Private Club.

The upper 15 levels of the building will include private lounges, dining spaces, rooftop amenities and optional private wellness studios integrated within residences.

The Helios tower itself comprises 260 apartments ranging between 60 sqm and 300 sqm, including a collection of penthouses.

That includes a planned two-storey penthouse spanning around 600 sqm with uninterrupted bay views.

The Elysium Fields precinct is being delivered in partnership with Digital Harbour Holdings, a consortium that includes the Liberman family, which controls the development rights across the Docklands site.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370979]

The sales result comes as GURNER™ continues expanding its national development pipeline beyond Victoria.

“We have a strong pipeline across Australia and are now focused on scaling into key markets including New South Wales and Queensland, while continuing to build on our Melbourne base,” Gurner said.

“We currently have more than $3 billion in the market, growing to over $5 billion by October, and expect to materially outperform last year in the 2026 calendar year.”

The result also reflects the continued strength of the upper-end apartment market in Melbourne, particularly for owner-occupier-focused product with large-scale amenity and lifestyle offerings.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=144441]

Record result anchored by the Group’s “utopian” Elysium Fields precinct – defying market headwinds in Docklands.

Elysium Fields drive Gurner to $1.65 billion in apartment sales over 2025

National Australia Bank (NAB) will fund <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/palmera-residences-gold-coast-18-garfield-terrace-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">Palmera</a>, a $1 billion, 52-level luxury residential tower being developed by Central Equity in one of the Gold Coast’s most tightly held coastal locations at Northcliffe.

The project, launched recently by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/central-equity">Central Equity</a>, one of Victoria’s largest private residential developers, comes at a time when construction funding for large residential developments has become increasingly competitive as lenders tighten exposure to the sector.

Multiplex has been appointed the builder, and construction is now underway.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365784]

Since its first project, Central Equity has delivered more than 85 residential developments with a combined end value exceeding $8 billion.

Palmera reflects Central Equity’s growing focus on the Gold Coast luxury apartment market and continues a relationship between Central Equity and NAB that dates back to the late 1980s, when the bank funded one of Melbourne’s earliest inner-city residential towers at a time when high-rise apartment living in the CBD was largely unproven.

“NAB’s funding of Central Equity’s $36 million CBD development in the late 1980’s to the financing of the billion-dollar tower today highlights the long-term relationship between the two organisations in delivering major residential projects” said Central Equity Founder and Chairman Eddie Kutner.

He said NAB’s early support was instrumental in helping establish the company’s development model.

“When we commenced our first residential tower in the late 1980s the concept of funding off-the-plan apartments was still largely untested in Australia,” Kutner said.

“NAB recognised the opportunity early and supported the project when others were uncertain. That relationship has now continued for more than 37 years across many developments.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365771]

Central Equity was established in 1987 when Melbourne’s CBD and Southbank precinct were still dominated by warehouses and commercial buildings. Fewer than 100 residents lived in Southbank at the time, and large-scale residential development in the inner city was not widely considered.

Recognising changing demographics and lifestyle preferences, the company began developing high-rise residential projects designed to bring permanent residents into the city centre.

Central Equity has provided accommodation for approximately 40,000 residents across Melbourne’s CBD and Southbank, while also incorporating supporting infrastructure including essential lifestyle facilities like retail spaces, childcare facilities and neighbourhood activity centres.

Central Equity has spent many years assembling the Palmera development site on the corner of Garfield Terrace and Frederick Street in Northcliffe, creating a supersite of around 3,300 sqm.

The developer said the Palmera apartment tower reflects its long-term view of the Gold Coast as a growing and increasingly diversified economy.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365768]

Supported by infrastructure including the light rail network, major road upgrades expanded education, hospital and medical facilities and continued expansion at the Gold Coast Airport with more international and domestic flights.

Positioned in the tightly held Northcliffe precinct, the 52-level tower will deliver 347 apartments, targeting buyers seeking a high-end coastal lifestyle, from downsizers to interstate investors.

Designed by Marchese Partners with interiors by DBI, Palmera has been conceived as a next-generation residential offering, featuring a collection of oversized apartments, with premium three-bedroom residences offering sweeping northern views stretching from Surfers Paradise through to Burleigh Heads.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=108274]

NAB funds $1 billion Surfers Paradise apartment development, Palmera

Two years after completing one of the newest developments in North Sydney, developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/aqualand-australia">Aqualand</a> is turning its attention to the rapidly evolving St Leonards apartment market.

The developer, which completed AURA by Aqualand on North Sydney's Walker Street, has lodged plans for a 5,918 sqm site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/33-37-herbert-street-st-leonards-nsw-2065">33-37 Herbert Street, St Leonards,</a> seeking approval for a pair of residential towers rising above a shared podium opposite Royal North Shore Hospital.

The proposal forms part of the broader transformation underway across the St Leonards-Crows Nest precinct, where former industrial and commercial sites are increasingly being redeveloped into high-density mixed-use projects tied to major transport infrastructure.

<img alt="Aqualand" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2cc428cf-fe70-4cac-9cd5-264ad53af62c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.51.56%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=otKSnHtbjAvAddOnovyXQMgcAwE6DMe1" />

According to the planning documents, the site sits “within the St Leonards–Crows Nest Strategic Centre, identified by the NSW Government as a key area for accommodating future jobs and housing across Sydney.”

The proposal has been designed by fjcstudio, formerly FJMT Studio, and is being progressed through the State Significant Development pathway due to its scale and affordable housing provision.

The scheme would comprise 413 apartments, including 46 affordable housing units, alongside retail and commercial uses fronting Herbert Street. The project would also include communal open space, landscaping, a swimming pool, gymnasium, children’s play areas and podium-level resident amenities.

Planning documents show the development would consist of a part-13, part-39 storey tower form positioned above a four-storey podium.

“The development comprises a unified podium that activates the street interface, and two setback towers to accommodate new housing supply while maintaining an appropriate human scale at ground level,” fjcstudio noted in its Design Report.

The northern and southern towers have been shaped to respond to the surrounding skyline while also limiting overshadowing impacts to nearby public open space, particularly Talus Reserve.

The design report said the differing tower heights were intended to “contribute to a varied skyline while responding to the surrounding built form context and solar access considerations.”

<img alt="Aqualand" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="36da62dc-ff9e-41f2-a7e3-7be38373751c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.51.45%E2%80%AFAM_0.png?VersionId=Mo6Rp2r.XRLTzIfg_PEEpw8NepDH8UBs" />

The site sits directly opposite Royal North Shore Hospital and within walking distance of both St Leonards Station and the new Crows Nest Metro station.

While the site itself sits just outside the formal Crows Nest Transport Oriented Development boundary, the planning documents repeatedly reference its alignment with the broader TOD objectives reshaping the Lower North Shore.

“The site is located adjacent to St Leonards Station and in close proximity to Crows Nest Metro which is within the Crows Nest Transit Orientated Development Accelerated Precinct which has been identified by the NSW Government to support housing delivery,” the Design Verification Statement noted.

According to fjcstudio, the project has been designed to respond to the broader transition occurring across St Leonards, where increasing residential density is being concentrated around transport infrastructure and employment hubs.

“The broader precinct is undergoing significant change, with a mix of existing mid-rise buildings and newer high-density developments,” the report stated.

“Recent and approved projects indicate a consistent shift toward taller built form, typically organised as tower-and-podium typologies with more active ground levels.”

The proposal includes close to 6,000 sqm of retail and commercial space across the ground floor and podium levels, designed to create a more activated street edge along Herbert Street.

Aqualand’s plans would also introduce a landscaped podium shared between the two towers, with communal open space in the form of a podium rooftop designed to support resident interaction and improve urban greening outcomes. The scheme would also introduce pocket parks at the northern and southern ends of the site, including a landscaped area at the corner of Herbert and Ella streets designed to improve pedestrian amenity and soften the streetscape.

&nbsp;

The proposal is being progressed through the NSW Government’s Housing Delivery Authority pathway, which was introduced to accelerate housing supply across the state. The application was declared State Significant Development in April 2025 following an expression of interest process.

<img alt="Aqualand" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="faf6d97d-2671-454f-b85a-fe1c6a7be608" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.51.49%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=diVd28OBVr5.YV.7prrOz.uAanwwwm7a" />

St Leonards has been particularly active with new developments in recent weeks. Developer SP Setia’s <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-sp-setia-targets-st-leonards-skyline-with-40-storey-tod-tower">plans for a new 42-storey tower</a> recently went on exhibition through the same pathway, while <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-stockland-plans-52-storey-538-apartment-st-leonards-tower">Stockland’s 52-storey tower proposal</a> was also recently unveiled.

Aside from the St Leonards project, which is expected to take around nine months to move through the approvals process ahead of a potential 2027 launch, Aqualand is also preparing to launch Boronia, a new apartment project in Roseville comprising around 111 apartments on Larkin Street.

The developer also has approvals in place for the next stage of the Barangaroo precinct, which will feature new residential, retail, hospitality and community uses, alongside a new metro entry across the five-hectare site.

More than 50 new retail destinations are planned for Central Barangaroo, alongside a 270-metre-long boulevard connecting Hickson Park to Nawi Cove. Together with Harbour Park, more than 50 per cent of the precinct will comprise public open space and parkland.

Staff reporter

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