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More than 140,000 householders and investors who list their houses and apartments on short-stay rental websites over the summer holidays could be placing their assets and their financial stability at risk, according to the Insurance Council of Australia’s Understand Insurance initiative.
Lisa Kable, spokesperson says householders who offer their houses or apartments on short-term holiday rental websites are likely to find they are not adequately protected by home and contents insurance.
“We conservatively estimate more than 140,000 properties that are usually either owner occupied or rented out long-term will be listed for short-term rentals these holidays."
“However, owners may not realise that most insurers regard short-stay holiday rental as a commercial use of the property because the likelihood something will go wrong are higher," she added.
According to the ICA (Insurance Council of Australia), a home building or contents claim incurred while a property is being rented out may be declined, leaving the owner financially vulnerable to financial loss and other liabilities.
The ICA recommends that homeowners and investors considering short-term letting their properties should:
1. Check household insurance Product Disclosure Statements prior to advertising on short-stay home rental platforms such as Airbnb, Stayz, Homeaway, Flipkey and booking.com. If there are gaps, look for specialist insurance that protects your home and contents while paying guests are staying.
2. Not rely solely on a rental platform’s host protection insurance. There are gaps in the cover offered. Most don’t cover the personal property of the host, cash, pets and public liability in shared areas 
3. Reduce their risk by removing valuables and irreplaceable items such as jewellery, original artworks and collectors’ pieces during the short-term stay 
4.Check strata rules, tenancy agreements and local council laws because they may prohibit short-stay holiday lets
5. Ensure their property is safe and secure
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

More than 140,000 investors with short-stay holiday rentals may need to check their insurance

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The Harvey Norman CEO Katie Page has secured the sale of one of the Main Beach apartments in her boutique M3565 building.
The $5.5 million sale ranks as the highest price paid for a beachfront apartment in the Gold Coast this year.
The<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-apartment-qld-main+beach-129127466" target="_blank"> four-bedroom, fourth-floor apartment</a> (above and below), had been initially priced at $7.85 million.
<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/2018/12/14/Page2.jpg" alt="">
The apartment on level five has been re-listed at $5.75 million.
Page, the wife of Harvey Norman executive chairman Gerry Harvey, paid $15.5 million in 2007 for the 882sq m block at 3565 Main Beach Pde.
<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/2018/12/14/Page3.jpg" alt="">
The project was designed by Sydney architect Virginia Kerridge.
The luxury residences hit the market in July 2017.
When they hit the market, Page announced she was <a href="/news/katie-page-to-keep-luxurious-gold-coast-penthouse">keeping the penthouse</a> crowning the development of six units.
 
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Katie Page secures $5.5 million Main Beach apartment sale

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Ray White's November sales results saw a 16 percent drop on its November 2017 record, according to their latest advisory.
Dan White advised in The White Paper update the group sold $3.87 billion in unconditional sales last month.
The November drop was bigger than the October drop when the trading sales value for Australia and NZ came in just over $3.66 billion, eight per cent less than October 2017.
September saw almost $3.4 billion traded for the month, which was 10 percent lower than September 2017.  
Australiasia's housing market correction was evident in August as the group recorded $3.49 billion in unconditional sales, which was 13 percent lower than August 2017.
The NSW network recorded a 26 percent fall in sales in August to $938 million and there was a 28 per cent drop in total sales in Victoria to $465 million.
Dan White noted Ray White's market share has been growing across these markets in the last 12 months but the overall market was shrinking.
"While there’s no doubt that the core east coast markets have eased, Ray White Double Bay had their best November ever," he added.
Ray White Double Bay recorded November sales of $151 million with the 25 person sales team converting 38 sales with an average sale price of $3.96 million.
The Double Bay agents Craig Pontey and Elliott Placks secured Ray White's highest sale of the month – a Vaucluse trophy home – for around $30 million.
Mr White noted that despite some bright pockets that transactions were down broadly and with less market activity, advertised listings have surged higher.
"Buyers now have ample choice and time on their hands to negotiate on price and there is certainly not the same urgency in the market, plus finance is hard to access."
The tally is across Australia and its international offices.
Their New Zealand network had their best month of sales for 2018 in November which was up by 28 per cent on the same month last year and up 15 per cent on October. 
 
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Ray White sees 16 percent drop in November sale results

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Australia’s sprawling cities present many challenges to sustainability, but planning innovations can help achieve at least half of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. 
Thirty years after the landmark <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Common_Future" target="_blank">Brundtland report</a>, the debate on urban sustainability continues. Urban planners are still grappling with the challenges of making our cities sustainable.
Urban sustainability is an evolving concept. Our <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.routledge.com/Global-Planning-Innovations-for-Urban-Sustainability/Darchen-Searle/p/book/9780815357575" target="_blank">edited volume</a> provides planning solutions for eight of the 17 UN <a href="https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/" target="_blank">Sustainable Development Goals</a>. Has the concept of urban sustainability made a difference in planning practice? Our answer is yes.
Based on <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01944363.2016.1214080?src=recsys" target="_blank">Campbell’s planner’s triangle</a>, urban sustainability encompasses three dimensions:
<ol>
<li>
social sustainability
</li>
<li>
environmental sustainability
</li>
<li>
economic sustainability.
</li>
</ol>
Sustainability solutions involve trade-offs between these three dimensions. A planning innovation might solve a challenge in terms of social sustainability but be less efficient in regard to the two other dimensions.
The <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01944363.2016.1213656" target="_blank">Sustainable City paradigm</a> has been a dominant school of thought since the 1990s. Yet it is still unclear how cities incorporate this paradigm in urban policies.
Influential works on urban policies have emphasised the transfer of urban policies from one context to another – known as <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1468-2427.12191_6" target="_blank">mobile urbanism</a>. Our book highlights evidence to the contrary. Planning innovations are generally shaped by local contextual factors and are not imported.
Of the planning innovations presented in 12 case study chapters in our book, we present those most relevant to Australia later in this article.
Key issues facing Australian cities
Australian cities have urgent sustainability issues that require fresh policy initiatives.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/four-ways-our-cities-can-cut-transport-emissions-in-a-hurry-avoid-shift-share-and-improve-106076" target="_blank">Transport use is too reliant on cars</a>. As a result, fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions remain far too high. Large areas of land are given over to <a href="https://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch6en/conc6en/ch6c1en" target="_blank">road space</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/empty-car-parks-everywhere-but-nowhere-to-park-how-cities-can-do-better-99031" target="_blank">parking</a>.
High car use goes hand in hand with low-density <a href="https://theconversation.com/to-cut-urban-sprawl-we-need-quality-infill-housing-displays-to-win-over-the-public-63930" target="_blank">urban sprawl</a>. This requires longer trips to everything, extra resources for longer pipes, wires and roads, more <a href="https://theconversation.com/were-investing-heavily-in-urban-greening-so-how-are-our-cities-doing-83354" target="_blank">losses of agricultural land and natural vegetation</a>, and more hard surfaces that <a href="https://theconversation.com/cities-can-grow-without-wrecking-reefs-and-oceans-heres-how-107263" target="_blank">increase water pollution run-off as well as heat</a> in summer.
And the design of low-density development produces even more unsustainability. Planning controls have forced developers to reduce the size of new housing lots, but <a href="https://www.domain.com.au/news/australias-homes-the-smallest-in-two-decades-but-still-second-largest-globally-commsec-20171120-gznaxc/" target="_blank">house sizes have barely reduced in size</a>. As a result, <a href="https://theconversation.com/vanishing-australian-backyards-leave-us-vulnerable-to-the-stresses-of-city-life-81479" target="_blank">backyards are disappearing</a>. Lost along with them are <a href="https://theconversation.com/can-trees-really-cool-our-cities-down-44099" target="_blank">trees to cool the air</a> and sequester carbon, and physical activity opportunities for children.
Australia’s cities also have major social sustainability issues. Increasing numbers of professional and managerial households have priced poorer residents out of the best areas of the cities.
The result has been <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-did-the-rich-man-say-to-the-poor-man-why-spatial-inequality-in-australia-is-no-joke-73841" target="_blank">heightened spatial polarisation</a>. Lower-income households have been forced to live further out in suburbs with inadequate public transport and jobs. Solutions for creating places in the suburbs were presented in a recent <a href="https://sees.uq.edu.au/event/12638/uq-placemaking-events" target="_blank">summit</a> organised by UQ Planning.
What’s happening in cities overseas?
The innovative ways that overseas cities have responded to similar sustainability challenges can provide pathways for Australian cities to follow.
Helsinki’s experience suggests one means of overcoming a sticking point in achieving higher-density development: getting around NIMBY opposition and achieving community agreement on where denser development could go. In Helsinki, the public participated in a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_participation_geographic_information_system" target="_blank">public participation geographic information system</a> exercise. This mapped their preferences for areas that should not be developed for apartments.
Well-intended planning controls can hinder higher-density development, even in desirable locations. In Los Angeles’ historic core, old office buildings lay vacant after a new CBD office precinct outside the old core was developed. Residential use requirements for on-site parking and open space and for a building setback from the front property boundary hindered the conversion of the old buildings to residential use. By relaxing these requirements, the city’s 1999 <a href="https://preservation.lacity.org/incentives/adaptive-reuse-ordinance" target="_blank">adaptive reuse ordinance</a> was a key to regenerating the old core as a residential area.
The adaptive reuse of historical buildings has helped regenerate downtown Los Angeles.
The challenge of reducing car use without large public outlays remains daunting, but Seville shows one way this can be achieved. There, a complete bicycle network of 180km – 12% of the total road length in the city – has been built since 2007. Separation from car traffic has been achieved through bollards and the like, or by parked cars where the bikeway is built on a footpath.
Cycle trips now make up about 10% of total vehicle trips in Seville, six times the previous share. The driving forces for the network were the formation of a cyclists’ association, public demonstrations and the election of a left-of–centre city government that gave political support.
The demolition of motorways sounds like an extreme way of reducing car use, but the experience of Seoul shows it can have big economic and environmental benefits. The motorway built over a former stream in the central city was demolished in the early 2000s. The stream was restored to a natural state.
This has reduced air pollution and the heat island impact of the former motorway, and created an ecological passage to the main river in Seoul. Recreational and cultural amenities along the restored stream have made it a desirable area and generated new economic activities. New bus services close to the stream have replaced car access.
The strong powers and finances of the city government and a supportive mayor made the <a href="https://urban-regeneration.worldbank.org/Seoul" target="_blank">Cheonggyecheon Restoration Project</a> possible.
Spatial polarisation in cities results from market forces dominating urban redevelopment.
The experience of Vancouver illustrates how inclusionary planning can ameliorate these forces. City-sponsored local resident groups have been at the centre of making strategies to renew the city’s low-income Downtown Eastside area.
Instead of the high-tech-based development originally proposed, priority has been given to developing employment more suited to the low-income residents’ needs, including opportunities in the informal sector. City council-owned sites have been used for social innovation hubs, services to help residents find jobs, and a street market for a street vendors’ collective.
As explained in our book, these planning innovations are mostly the product of local contextual factors. Therefore, planning innovations for Australian cities will require local involvement in shaping sustainability solutions. Incentives such as changes in regulatory frameworks and tax subsidies might also be needed to develop planning innovations.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/107091/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/sebastien-darchen-6781" target="_blank">Sebastien Darchen</a>, Senior Lecturer in Planning, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805" target="_blank">The University of Queensland</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/glen-searle-103536" target="_blank">Glen Searle</a>, Honorary Associate Professor in Planning, University of Queensland and, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841" target="_blank">University of Sydney</a>
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/our-cities-fall-short-on-sustainability-but-planning-innovations-offer-local-solutions-107091" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Our cities fall short on sustainability, but planning innovations offer local solutions: Sebastien Darchen & Glen Searle

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GUEST OBSERVATION 
Suburban affluence is the defining image of the good life under capitalism, commonly held up as a model to which all humanity should aspire.
More than half of the world’s population now lives in <a href="http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/news/population/world-urbanization-prospects-2014" target="_blank">cities</a>. Yet with the global economy already in gross <a href="https://www.footprintnetwork.org/our-work/ecological-footprint/" target="_blank">ecological overshoot</a>, and a world population heading for more than <a href="https://www.un.org/development/desa/en/news/population/world-population-prospects-2017" target="_blank">11 billion</a>, this way of living is neither <a href="https://www.jasonhickel.org/the-divide/">fair</a> nor sustainable.
To live within our environmental means, the richest nations will need to embrace a planned process of economic “<a href="https://theconversation.com/life-in-a-degrowth-economy-and-why-you-might-actually-enjoy-it-32224" target="_blank">degrowth</a>”. This is not an unplanned recession, but a deliberate downscaling of economic activity and the closely correlated consumption of <a href="https://beyondthisbriefanomaly.org/2018/10/18/carbon-civlisation-and-the-energy-descent-future-life-beyond-this-brief-anomaly/" target="_blank">fossil energy</a>. We don’t argue this is likely, only that it is necessary.
You might naturally assume this will involve pain and sacrifice, but we argue that a “<a href="https://griffithreview.com/wp-content/uploads/GR52_Alexander_Adcock-Ebook.FINAL_.pdf" target="_blank">prosperous descent</a>” is possible. Our new book, <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.palgrave.com/us/book/9789811321306" target="_blank">Degrowth in the Suburbs: A Radical Urban Imaginary</a>, envisions how this might unfold in the suburban landscapes that are currently emblematic of overconsumption.
The well-known documentary <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0446320/" target="_blank">The End of Suburbia</a> presented a coherent narrative of a post-petroleum future, but got at least one thing wrong. There is not a single end to suburbia; there are many ends of suburbia (as we know it).
Reimagining the suburbs beyond fossil fuels
Suburban catastrophists such as James Kunstler argue that fossil fuel depletion will turn our suburbs into urban wastelands. But we see the suburbs as an ideal place to begin retrofitting our cities.
This won’t involve tearing them down and starting again. Typically, Australia’s built environment is turned over at less than 5% per year. The challenge is to reinhabit, not rebuild, the suburban landscape. Here are some of the key features of this reinvigorated landscape:
<ul>
<li>
Suburbanites can and should <a href="https://retrosuburbia.com/" target="_blank">retrofit their homes and develop new energy practices</a> to prepare for an <a href="https://beyondthisbriefanomaly.org/2018/10/18/carbon-civlisation-and-the-energy-descent-future-life-beyond-this-brief-anomaly/" target="_blank">energy descent future</a>.
</li>
<li>
Households must be encouraged to <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1469540512444019?journalCode=joca" target="_blank">downshift consumerism</a>, swapping superfluous “stuff” for more free time and other sources of meaning and well-being. An <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.amazon.com/Sufficiency-Economy-Enough-Everyone-Forever/dp/0994160615">economics of sufficiency</a> involves borrowing and sharing rather than always buying and upscaling.
</li>
<li>
We should reclaim and reimagine areas of the built environment that are misused or underused. The vast areas dedicated to <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/dead-space-in-the-city-the-true-scale-of-vacant-car-parking-revealed-20180626-p4znu3" target="_blank">car parking</a> are but one example.
</li>
<li>
Finally, and most importantly, we should realise that change must come via <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.amazon.com/City-Grassroots-Cross-Cultural-California-Development/dp/0520047567" target="_blank">grassroots political organisation</a>, rather than waiting for growth-fixated governments to lead the way. This is not to deny the need for “<a href="/news">top-down</a>” structural change. Our argument is simply that the necessary action from governments will not arrive until there is an active culture of sufficiency that demands it.
</li>
</ul>
What social forces might produce this necessary but elusive urban transformation? We think it can be driven by two broad social groups: the <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.amazon.com/Loss-Happiness-Market-Democracies/dp/0300091060" target="_blank">disillusioned middle class</a> and the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-precariat-is-recruiting-youth-please-apply-10550" target="_blank">exploited working class</a>. These two groups, which already blur together along a spectrum, can potentially become a cohesive urban social movement of transformative economic and political significance.
The disillusioned middle class: radical downshifters
Our first groups consists of employed professionals, bureaucrats, and tradespeople who have secure housing, earn decent wages, and can direct significant portions of their income to discretionary spending. This sector of society participates, consciously or unconsciously, in what is often called “<a href="http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199756384/obo-9780199756384-0135.xml" target="_blank">consumer culture</a>”.
This consumerism often <a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/high-price-materialism" target="_blank">fails to fulfil its promise</a> of a rich and meaningful life. The consumer class has been sold a lie, and many affluent consumers are now developing what social scientist Ronald Inglehart calls “<a href="https://ourworldindata.org/materialism-and-post-materialism" target="_blank">post-materialist</a>” goals and values. This emerging way of life involves seeking purpose and satisfaction in life through things other than material riches, including deeper community engagement, more time to pursue private passions, or even increased political action.
This is significant, for three reasons. First, <a href="https://link.springer.com/book/10.1057/978-1-137-30427-8" target="_blank">history</a> shows that social movements tend to be sparked by dissatisfaction with the status quo – otherwise, why would people resist or seek alternatives? The <a href="https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/books/academic-professional/sociology/Affluenza-Clive-Hamilton-and-Richard-Denniss-9781741146714" target="_blank">deep disillusionment</a> with materialistic lifestyles provides an incentive to explore alternative, more satisfying ways to <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28461433" target="_blank">live</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652611005142" target="_blank">self-provide</a>.
Second, by withdrawing their spending from the market economy, this emerging <a href="http://www.whpress.co.uk/EV/EV2214" target="_blank">social movement</a> can undermine that economy and fast-track its <a href="http://simplicityinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/CrashOnDemandSimplicityInstitute.pdf" target="_blank">transformation</a>.
Finally, a “radical downshifting” in consumption could allow people to free up their time by working less. This will provide people with more <a href="http://samuelalexander.info/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/EthicalPerspectives.pdf" target="_blank">time to participate</a> in building <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.amazon.com/Rise-Creative-Class-Transforming-Community/dp/1469281422" target="_blank">new forms</a> of economy and engaging in collective action for change. The “voluntary simplicity movement” already numbers as many as <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1469540512444019?journalCode=joca" target="_blank">200 million people</a>, although its potential depends on more organised and radical expressions.
The exploited working class: economic builders
Radical downshifters will never transform the economy on their own, and this is where our second group comes in. Working-class urbanites, while also drifting into superfluous consumption, are typically characterised as individuals and households who are “<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-precariat-is-recruiting-youth-please-apply-10550" target="_blank">battling</a>” to make ends meet.
Again, a growing dissatisfaction with the status quo provides the incentive to seek and participate in <a href="https://theconversation.com/karl-marx-wouldnt-agree-that-worker-power-has-been-killed-by-the-21st-century-95982" target="_blank">fundamental change</a>. We are often told that Australia’s economy has grown uninterrupted for a quarter-century, yet many people feel their personal circumstances have <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/mar/02/who-is-to-blame-for-australias-stalled-wages" target="_blank">stagnated</a>.
There has indeed been growth, yet almost all the benefits have been siphoned away by the <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/8/8/16112368/piketty-saez-zucman-income-growth-inequality-stagnation-chart" target="_blank">wealthy</a>. Why would the working class owe any allegiance to a system that only benefits the rich? As the battlers realise they are being oppressed and duped by an <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/richest-men-in-the-world-2274065153" target="_blank">unjust system</a>, they threaten to become a dynamite class of explosive <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.amazon.com.au/Precariat-New-Dangerous-Class/dp/1472536169" target="_blank">potential</a>.
As economic crises threaten to <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.amazon.com.au/Can-Avoid-Another-Financial-Crisis/dp/1509513736" target="_blank">intensify</a> in coming years – including the challenge of <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/automation-4443" target="_blank">automation</a> – we maintain that the exploited working class may be driven to explore alternative ways to self-provide. As incomes become more meagre and jobs less secure, more people will need to seek alternative ways of meeting economic needs “beyond the market”.
Whether through necessity or choice, we foresee a growing number of people beginning to participate in informal, non-monetary, and <a href="https://www.localfutures.org/wp-content/uploads/Post-growth-Localisation.pdf" target="_blank">local</a> economies, including the <a href="https://www.sharing.org/information-centre/articles/sharing-economy-short-introduction-its-political-evolution" target="_blank">sharing economy</a>. Just as radical middle-class downshifters will help stifle economic growth by withdrawing their discretionary spending, those who are less affluent could begin to lay alternative economic foundations, and provide a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Take-Back-Economy-Transforming-Communities/dp/0816676070/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1531972992&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=take+back+the+economy" target="_blank">post-capitalist social safety net</a>.
Working together
We contend that these two social groups – the disillusioned middle class and the exploited working class – can conceivably form a cohesive movement with similar goals. The capitalist system isn’t working for many people, even those who are “winning” the rat race. Furthermore, historic growth trajectories seem to be coming to an end, due to both <a href="http://limits2growth.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/AETW-Policy-Briefing-No-1-digital.pdf" target="_blank">financial</a> and <a href="/news">ecological</a> constraints.
Already, a diverse range of movements are working towards a new urbanity. These include <a href="https://theconversation.com/lets-reap-the-economic-benefits-of-local-food-over-big-farming-24478" target="_blank">local farmers’ markets</a> and community and home <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-it-time-to-resurrect-the-wartime-grow-your-own-campaign-66337" target="_blank">gardens</a>, <a href="https://3000acres.org/" target="_blank">urban agriculture projects</a>, freecycling groups, <a href="https://www.plutobooks.com/9780745334226/small-is-necessary/" target="_blank">sharing communities</a>, and repair cafes. It also includes the growing pool of climate activists, <a href="https://350.org/" target="_blank">divestment</a> organisers, <a href="https://www.retrosuburbia.com/" target="_blank">permaculture</a> groups, <a href="http://samuelalexander.info/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/The-Transition-Movement-Samuel-Alexander.pdf" target="_blank">transitions towns</a>, and progressive <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/green-bans-red-union-meredith-burgmann/prod9781742235400" target="_blank">unions</a>.
There is the small but vocal “<a href="https://www.saveoursuburbs.org.au/" target="_blank">save our suburbs</a>” network, in which we see the seeds of something more progressive. And it includes the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeNaMlibiak" target="_blank">energy frugal households</a> quietly moving towards solar, batteries and increased energy self-suffiency. One by one, these households are <a href="https://reneweconomy.com.au/rooftop-solar-may-overtake-coal-by-2040-and-save-billions-20657/" target="_blank">undermining</a> the fossil fuel industry and subtly disrupting the status quo.
As financial and ecological crises deepen in coming years, the social consciousness needed to develop new systems of production and cultures of consumption will become compelling. Together these social groups (and others not yet imagined) could form an urban social movement that withdraws support for the existing system and begins building <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Take-Back-Economy-Transforming-Communities/dp/0816676070/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1531972992&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=take+back+the+economy" target="_blank">new economies</a> on our suburban streets.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/108496/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/samuel-alexander-102353" target="_blank">Samuel Alexander</a>, Research fellow, Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-melbourne-722" target="_blank">University of Melbourne</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/brendan-gleeson-9823" target="_blank">Brendan Gleeson</a>, Director, Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-melbourne-722" target="_blank">University of Melbourne</a>
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-suburbs-are-the-spiritual-home-of-overconsumption-but-they-also-hold-the-key-to-a-better-future-108496" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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The suburbs hold the key to a better future: Samuel Alexander & Brendan Gleeson

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Looking past the hype about 'trackless trams'
CRRC’s version of theptically guided bus, now operating in Zhuzhou, is more like light rail than its predecessors. 
The optically guided bus is the latest in a long line of initiatives to repackage the bus as premium rail-derived technology. The name “trackless trams”, the vehicle design, and the modest deployment costs all have broad appeal. The concept has gained traction in Australia, with prominent advocates including <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-trackless-trams-are-ready-to-replace-light-rail-103690" target="_blank">Professor Peter Newman</a>.
Recognition of the role of upgraded buses and bus rapid transit is welcome. However, a certain level of dogma, fuelled by inflated claims about the technology and its potential, has taken hold.
This article aims to debunk some misconceptions.
Myth 1: It’s revolutionary technology
Optical guidance systems date back to the late 1980s and have had limited commercial success since the early 2000s. We count just three applications: in the French city <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport_Est-Ouest_Rouennais" target="_blank">Rouen</a>, <a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRAM_de_Castell%C3%B3n" target="_blank">Castellón</a> in Spain, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_Area_Express_(Las_Vegas)" target="_blank">Las Vegas</a> in the United States.
The mechanically guided bus remains the most popular — including <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O-Bahn_Busway" target="_blank">Adelaide’s O-Bahn-style</a> kerb-guided bus — and, to a more limited extent, rail guidance systems. Magnetic and wire guidance technologies have also been trialled to deliver the same benefits — including precision docking, lane assist, reduced road footprint and better ride quality — but at lower cost than physically guided systems due to the absence of continuous guidance infrastructure.
The systems in Rouen, Castellón and Las Vegas all use the French-developed <a href="http://citytransport.info/Buses03.htm" target="_blank">Visée (later renamed Optiguide)</a> “self-steering” optical guidance system.
This technology uses a roof-mounted camera to detect a “virtual rail” — twin dashed lines painted on a darker road surface. An on-board computer combines the image with the speed, yaw and wheel angle of the bus to determine the path to be followed and steers the vehicle.
In partnership with Renault, the Civis guided bus concept was developed into a transport system using <a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irisbus_Agora" target="_blank">Irisbus Agora</a> articulated buses fitted with the optical guidance system.
The present incarnation is admittedly a more advanced deployment of optical guidance technology. Chinese company <a href="http://www.crrcgc.cc/g5141.aspx" target="_blank">CRRC</a> has used high-speed rail technology to develop what it calls autonomous rail rapid transit, or ART.
The system is more like light rail than its predecessors. The vehicles are larger (2.65m wide by 3.4m high) and can be made longer or shorter by adding or removing sections.
The electric vehicles use supercapacitor batteries mounted on the roof and charged at stations via an electric “umbrella”. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capa_vehicle" target="_blank">Supercapacitor technology</a> is not new, having been used in Shanghai, Nanjing, Guangzhou and Ningbo over the past decade.
A major advantage of the CRRC system is its multi-axle hydraulic steering technology and bogie-like wheel arrangement, which has less overhang and thus requires less swept path clearance in turns. Each section of the 32m vehicle is around 10.5m long and the minimum turning radius is 15m.
<a href="http://www.crrcgc.cc/tabid/5122/sourceId/23683/infoid/286135/Default.aspx" target="_blank">According to CRRC</a>, the cost of deployment is between US$7 million and US$15 million per kilometre. That’s much less than the US$20 million to US$30 million for light rail, and US$70 million to US$150 million for metro. Each vehicle has a capital cost of about <a href="https://www.engineersgarage.com/blogs/china-unwraps-world-first-driverless-rail-transit-system-autonomous-technology" target="_blank">US$2.2 million</a>.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/247147/original/file-20181126-149323-xpztz4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/247147/original/file-20181126-149323-xpztz4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
CRRC optically guided bus in Zhuzhou, China, a 3.2km system inaugurated in May 2018.
Myth 2: Optically guided buses have better ride quality
This is true up to a point. It has as much to do with traction technology, route alignment and driver behaviour as with optical guidance. Ride quality is a direct result of rubber versus steel traction. The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Track_gauge" target="_blank">track gauge</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axle_load" target="_blank">axle loads</a> also determine ride quality on a railway.
Another important factor is the alignment geometry. Light rail can handle only 4-6% gradients. Rubber-tyred traction can manage up to 9%. A higher-quality bus corridor with smoother gradients and curves will offer better ride quality.
Pavement quality is also important. We see an example of this in Melbourne’s Albert Park, where roads are built with high-specification concrete for the Australian Grand Prix.
The optically guided bus offers a much smoother ride, but this is mainly due to its advanced automation.
Existing buses can be “jerky”. This has a lot to do with buses getting more powerful (and lighter) over the years. An average bus engine generated 230 horsepower 20 years ago. Today this can be up to 330hp — that’s good for uphill climbs but also allows the driver to accelerate faster.
One suggestion is to apply an acceleration limiter. The need for harsh braking is also an issue, but this is related to the level of priority given to buses in traffic — such as at signals and in congested lanes — as well as driver training.
Myth 3: Optically guided buses are game-changing
The potential success of the technology is not related to whether the buses are optically guided or not, nor to any of the characteristics described above.
The sleek, rail-like appearance of these vehicles is certainly part of their appeal. Optically guided buses could challenge the idea that “buses are boring, and trains are sexy” and what we at ITLS describe as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0739885909800085" target="_blank">choice versus blind commitment</a> in the bus and rail debate. Rather than being emotionally fixated on technology, we should choose the mode best suited to a particular transport requirement.
Operating on the road, right of way remains the critical factor. What good is a “trackless tram” if it gets stuck in traffic? In car-dominated Australia, governments have struggled to reallocate road space away from inefficient private cars (which average just <a href="https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/media/documents/2017/HTS%20Report%20Sydney%202012-13.pdf" target="_blank">1.1 people per vehicle</a> for work commutes) to spatially efficient mass transit.
Bus priority typically arises from road widening, rather than any redesignation of road space. As long as this mentality holds, we will struggle to improve travel time by bus compared with car — which is the most important element for attracting users onto public transport.
If “trackless trams” can radically alter the political paradigm and garner community support for the sensible reallocation of road space and signal priority, that creates a huge opportunity for cost-effective deployment of high-quality mass transit.
<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0739885914001024" target="_blank">ITLS research</a> has shown there is huge latent demand for public transport in the middle and outer suburbs of Australian capitals. The latest bus technology can be readily deployed along cross-town and orbital corridors now serviced by, for example, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrobus_(Sydney)" target="_blank">Metrobus</a> in Sydney and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SmartBus" target="_blank">SmartBus</a> in Melbourne.
Time will tell whether “trackless trams” can shift the conversation from the idea of permanent, fixed infrastructure synonymous with rail to the pressing issues of right-of-way quality and public transport priority.
The author thanks Graham Currie (ITS Monash), David Hensher (ITLS), Michael Apps (BIC), Lauran Huefner (BusSA), Stephen Rowe (Busways) and Darryl Mellish (BusNSW) for constructive feedback on an earlier version of this article.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/107092/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/yale-zhuxiao-wong-591775" target="_blank">Yale Zhuxiao Wong</a>, Doctoral Candidate and Research Analyst, Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841" target="_blank">University of Sydney</a>
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/looking-past-the-hype-about-trackless-trams-107092" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Looking past the hype about trackless trams: USYD's Yale Zhuxiao Wong

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Soil is a non-renewable part of the environment. Can it sustain food production for our growing population?
It takes a lot to make a room of soil scientists gasp.
Last month, I presented at the <a href="http://soilscienceconference.org.au/" target="_blank">National Soils Conference</a> in Canberra, and asked 400 colleagues a simple question: do you think soil will play as significant a role in food production in 100 years as it does today?
A sea of hands went up: the consensus was clearly “yes”. I demurred, saying I’m not so sure.
Gasps rippled across the room. Why say that? You’re a soil scientist! Are you crazy?
A century is a long time. Most of our scientific horizons seem no more than a decade or two away. But how we manage food and our environments needs very long-term, inspired thinking.
Within my concern about whether the future of food production is on terra firma, there is also a hope.
That hope rests in the desire that there will be adequate, quality food for all of the 10 billion, 15 billion or 20 billion people in the future. To achieve that, perhaps we don’t need to rely on the our planet’s thin skin of soil after all.
Future farming
We already see the advance of vertical and hydroponic farming, and the potential for growing meat-like protein in the lab. Synthetic biology is one way forward.
We have seen the advances of hydroponic farming.<a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/hydroponic-farm-153790559?src=LJEAtFK80lQ9mtfEm-Fw-Q-1-9"> </a>
So will we have the technological know-how, and will we be able to afford the infrastructural investment to produce all our food away from natural soil within a century?
Technologically we would like to think this is possible. But will we have the need? Do we have the will?
There are two predominant modern movements in relation to food. The first is the ethical and environmental movement, which holds that food should be produced without harm to the environment or perhaps even to animals. Soil is an important – and non-renewable – part of the environment. This raises the crucial question of whether it can continue to sustain the world’s growing population.
Alongside this is the slow food movement, with its concern for the production of high-quality food of known provenance. It’s sometimes called “paddock to plate” or “field to fork”.
Already, modern food production techniques to manage energy and water use can potentially give 10 times the yield per unit area that normal field conditions provide. This could be transferred to vertical growing spaces, 100 units high.
That alone means we would need just 0.1% of the land area we use now for food production. This could free up huge tracts of land to allow soil to recover from degradation, restoring ecosystems across the planet. It would represent a high-tech answer to the question of environmental ethics.
Returning areas of soil currently used for food production back to native vegetation could help us conserve wildlife, defend against floods, and provide natural buffer areas that can filter water and cycle nutrients. Locations may include soils in rainforests with copious biodiversity and voluminous water-cycling capability, or wetlands upstream of cities prone to flooding.
In Australia, the decline of carbon in cropping lands, soil erosion and nutrient imbalances continue largely unchecked and unabated.
This approach is not necessarily incompatible with the slow food movement. Indeed, it could actually help the movement achieve its goals, because it would take the pressure off the world’s soils, thus ensuring there is enough high-quality soil left to pursue high-quality ethical production.
More food for more people
The United Nations Food &amp; Agricultural Organisation predicts a need to double agricultural production by 2050 to meet the demand of an estimated population of 9.5 billion. This must be done while simultaneously maintaining functioning ecosystems; therefore securing soils and their life-supporting functions have never been more crucial.
In Australia, while soil care has improved, it is not yet sustainable. Widespread soil acidification and the decline of carbon in cropping lands, soil erosion and nutrient imbalances continue largely unchecked and unabated. With the new approach the appropriate soil and terroir could be dedicated to high-quality sustainable bespoke food and wine production.
The great loessial soils of North America, Russia and Ukraine are often regarded as the best in the world – they could be managed sustainably for the production of cereals for centuries to come. Even some of these most food-productive soils could be returned to their former pre-agricultural state. In Australia our famous red-brown earths might be more useful for forestry than being pressed into service for cereal production.
That said, the infrastructural costs of producing food entirely without soil will be enormous. It’s more likely we will land on a blended solution that combines highly engineered growing spaces and “under the sky” soil-based agriculture.
Over the coming century, our challenge will be to move away from our almost total reliance on soil – that mutable and vital thin skin of the earth – to allow large tracts of our most vulnerable soils to repair. Healing our wounded soils will be an important step on the road to global sustainability.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/108049/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alex-mcbratney-129" target="_blank">Alex McBratney</a>, Professor of Digital Agriculture &amp; Soil Science; Director, Sydney Institute of Agriculture, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841" target="_blank">University of Sydney</a>
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/in-100-years-time-maybe-our-food-wont-be-grown-in-soil-108049" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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In 100 years' time, maybe our food won't be grown in soil:  USYD's Alex McBratney

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This week, the busiest suburb for auctions is in Victoria where Bentleigh East has 20 homes scheduled for auction.
Followed by Craigieburn also in Victoria with 17 scheduled auctions, while St Ives (NSW) and Bentleigh (Vic) each have 15 auctions scheduled.
The combined capital cities are expected to see a lower volume of auctions this week with CoreLogic currently tracking 2,285 auctions, down from the 2,631 held last week.
Melbourne is set to see a lower volumes of auctions take place over the week, with 1,101 being tracked so far, decreasing from last week when 1,283 auctions were held across the city and much lower than 12 months ago when 1,630 homes went under the hammer.
In Sydney, 695 homes are currently scheduled for auction this week, down from 870 last week and lower than the same week last year when 708 auctions were held across the city.
Across the smaller auction markets, the number of homes scheduled for auction this week are lower in Brisbane and Canberra, while Adelaide, Perth and Tasmania are expected to see a higher number of auctions take place.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2018/12/13/Auctions%20this%20week%20Dec%2013.JPG" alt="">
Indicative of the auction numbers in Bentleigh East is 11 Argyle Street, Bentleigh East (pictured in title).
This three bedroom one bathroom house has an indicative price guide of $1 million - $1.1 million.
Set on 610 sqm the property is situated within walking distance of shops, cafes and public transport links.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2018/12/13/Bentleigh%201.JPG" alt="">
Another example of the volume of properties going to auction in Bentleigh East is 5/36 Browns Road, Bentleigh East (pictured above).
The one bedroom one bathroom apartment comes with a price guide of $295,000 - $324,500.
Set on 50 sqm the apartment is noted in the listing as "brand new."
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2018/12/13/Bentleigh%203.JPG" alt="">
Another property indicative of the busy auction week is 49B Elizabeth Street, Bentleigh East (pictured above).
This three bedroom two bathroom townhouse goes to auction with a price guide of $750,000 - $800,000.
Located minutes from Centre Road's cafe and shops the property is also close to public transport links.
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Over 1000 Melbourne weekend auctions with Bentleigh East the busiest

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Santosha — which translates to contentment — on Paradise Point has been sold for $5,275,000 by Gold Coast equestrian couple Ken Dowsett and Linda Spratley.
</div>
The Sovereign Islands house, designed by building designer Paul Clout, came with initial $7.2 million hopes.
<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/2018/12/13/Sant2.jpg" alt="">
The <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-qld-sovereign+islands-127315742" target="_blank">luxury house at on Knightsbridge Pde West</a> had previously traded at $5.1 million in 2015 after Angelo and Francina Cantatore built the three-level resort-style home in 2009.
It was sold by Vertullo Real Estate agent Chris Moyer who'd been marketing the home on its 746 sqm holding since January, when there were 24 homes for sale on the parade, which has an east and west strip. There are still 24 for sale, though some 12 sales throughout the year.
This article was first published in the Weekend Australian. 
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Santosha sold on Sovereign islands

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A Sovereign Island waterfront mansion sitting on a double block of 1,458sqm is now on the market with the price of $9.88 million. 
It has been offered by Edin Kara and Ali Mian from Ray White Sovereign Islands.
The mansion at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-sovereign+islands-129165882" target="_blank">55 Knightsbridge Parade West </a>offers over 52 sqm of water frontage, views of the Broadwater, Coomera river and Hinterland, and a large 30 sqm pontoon for the yacht. 
Spreading over 4 levels plus a rooftop, it comes with 7 king sized bedrooms, multiple formal and informal living and dining areas, game room, gym, library, two studies and two attics. 
<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/2018/8/28/sovereign%20islands%202.jpg" alt="">
There is an eight person lift servicing all levels including its roof top.
Other highlights include vacuum maid, C Bus smart wiring, LED lighting and multi zoned ducted air conditioning.
All exterior windows double glazed and copper clad for extra protection from the salt.
 <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/2018/8/28/sovereign%20islands%203.jpg" alt="">
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Sovereign Island waterfront mansion stuck on market for over two years

Apartment buildings are increasingly being designed around how people actually live day to day, not just how they want a building to look.

For buyers, that shift is showing up in practical inclusions that respond to changing habits. Work-from-home spaces, EV charging, wellness amenities, secure bike storage and parcel management are becoming part of the broader apartment conversation, reflecting a move toward buildings that reduce friction in everyday life.

Online shopping has become one of the clearest examples of that change.

Australians spent a record $82.6 billion online in 2025, with nearly one in four retail dollars now spent online. That has made parcel delivery a regular part of apartment living, rather than an occasional inconvenience.

For apartment residents, however, the delivery process can be less straightforward than it is for detached homes. Parcels may be left in lobbies, redirected to Post Offices, missed entirely, or placed under the responsibility of building managers and concierge teams.

That is why secure parcel infrastructure is increasingly being considered alongside more familiar apartment amenities.

<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/-VjjLwoViX0?si=A3k7ws9NX35Uac7_" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

Australia Post Parcel Lockers offer one way to address the issue. When a parcel arrives, residents receive a notification through the AusPost app or SMS, then collect it using a QR code or one-time PIN. The parcel is kept secure, accessible and removed from common areas.

The broader Parcel Locker network now includes more than 1,500 locations across Australia, positioned at Post Offices, shopping centres, supermarkets, transport hubs and other accessible locations.

For new apartment projects, the relevance is clear. A building’s amenity offering is no longer only about lifestyle spaces, but also about convenience, security and functionality.

As buyer expectations evolve, secure parcel delivery is becoming part of the same design conversation as flexible working, sustainable transport and resident wellbeing.

It is one less thing for residents to worry about, and another example of apartment design adapting to the way Australians now live.

Joel Robinson

Apartment design is adapting to the way Australians shop

While school holidays and trips to Europe tend to define the winter property market, there's been no cold snap at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-walden-north-sydney-177-walker-street-north-sydney-nsw-2060">The Walden</a> in North Sydney.

Developer-builder&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/aland">ALAND</a> sold more than $35 million worth of apartments throughout June, including a $6.8 million apartment that now ranks among the highest apartment sales ever recorded in North Sydney.

SRM Residential agent Ben Stewart said buyer demand throughout June reflected a mix of improving market confidence and longer-term thinking from owner-occupiers.

"We're seeing strong demand from owner-occupiers who are taking a longer-term view," Stewart said.

"Many recognise the opportunity to secure an apartment in an iconic building and premium location while values remain attractive. They may initially lease the property, but the intention is to eventually move in themselves, rather than purchasing purely as an investment."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134323 project_image_fid=367129]

Located at 177 Walker Street, The Walden will deliver 161 one, two, three and four-bedroom residences across a 30-storey tower designed by Rothelowman. Every apartment occupies a corner position, maximising natural light, cross ventilation and views across Sydney Harbour, the Opera House, Sydney Heads and the northern districts.

Rather than a traditional balcony, the residences feature winter gardens that seamlessly extend the open plan living areas, creating versatile spaces for relaxing or entertaining throughout the year. Floor-to-ceiling glazing draws in natural light while showcasing sweeping views from the building's elevated Walker Street position.

Every apartment features high-end Calacatta marble, bespoke joinery, and fully integrated appliances.

The larger residences have been planned with distinct entertaining and private zones, with many master suites positioned on corners to capture natural light and harbour views. Walk-in dressing rooms, freestanding baths and refined stone finishes reinforce the house-like feel that has resonated with downsizers and owner-occupiers.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134323 project_image_fid=6393]

Rothelowman Principal Ben Pomroy said the project was designed to make the most of its unique position overlooking the harbour.

"The Walden is a celebration of all things beautiful, curated for those who expect nothing less than exceptional," Pomroy says.

"Meticulously designed entertaining spaces and light-filled living areas that capitalise on capturing the natural beauty of Sydney's iconic harbour."

Residents will also have exclusive access to The Pavilion, a dedicated amenity building featuring a rooftop pool, wellness studio, gymnasium, sauna, concierge service, residents' lounge, private dining spaces and work-from-home facilities.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134323 project_image_fid=6402]

The project marks ALAND's first major luxury apartment development in Sydney's inner-city market after more than two decades delivering residential communities across Greater Sydney.

Founder and CEO Andrew Hrsto previously said the rarity of the Walker Street site made it an opportunity the company could not overlook.

"This is a rare opportunity to bring a truly exceptional project to life in one of Sydney's most iconic locations, and to showcase our craftsmanship and design expertise at a world-class level," Hrsto said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134323 project_image_fid=6383]

The Walden has been introduced to the market at a time when demand for living in North Sydney is at an all-time high. Billions of dollars have been invested in infrastructure, including the recently opened Victoria Cross Metro station, located just 300 metres from The Walden, providing residents with direct access to the Sydney CBD in just minutes.

Private investment has also transformed the area through the arrival of new retail and dining destinations, elevating the lifestyle offering in what was once considered primarily a commercial precinct rather than an aspirational residential address.

The Walden is currently under construction and is scheduled for completion in 2028.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=134323]

ALAND records $35 million in sales in North Sydney as The Walden bucks quiet winter selling season

The long-awaited redevelopment of the former Eastlakes Shopping Centre site has reached a major milestone, with Conquest's plans for a new mixed-use precinct officially placed on public exhibition.

The State Significant Development Application would transform the 1.7-hectare site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/19a-evans-avenue-eastlakes-nsw-2018">19A Evans Avenue</a> into one of Sydney's largest urban renewal projects, delivering 736 apartments above a new shopping centre anchored by Woolworths, alongside specialty retail, dining, commercial space and new public open spaces.

The public exhibition marks the next chapter for the project after <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/conquest">Conquest</a> acquired the stalled Stage Two development from Crown Group, who completed the first stage across the road prior to their voluntary liquidation.

<img alt="First look: Conquest unveils plans for 736-home Eastlakes Shopping Centre redevelopment" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5fca22c5-d1ed-4e2c-8801-03f7df1eafc8" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/eastland%20podium.png?VersionId=uomwr41nF8CmLUZRDcu3mHQechlbxucS" />

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Designed by DKO Architecture, the proposal comprises four residential buildings ranging from 14 to 18 storeys above a two-level retail podium. The development would deliver 736 apartments, including 74 affordable homes, 215 Build-to-Rent apartments and 521 market residences. Provision has also been made for dual-key apartments, which could increase the total number of dwellings to 877.

At ground level, the shopping centre has been designed as the suburb's new meeting place, anchored by a full-line Woolworths and complemented by a curated mix of fresh food retailers, cafés, restaurants, health services and everyday convenience shopping. Generous pedestrian links and landscaped public spaces will connect the retail precinct through to Jack Mundey Reserve, creating a more walkable and connected neighbourhood.

Conquest CEO Michael Akkawi said the redevelopment was about far more than replacing a shopping centre.

"Eastlakes has been overlooked for too long, and this is the community’s moment. We are building a shopping centre and homes, a genuine heart for the suburb, and we genuinely want locals to help shape it."

"We enrich communities through the creation of homes, places, and experiences designed for life, built to last, and owner for generations. That starts with listening, so we warmly encourage everyone with a connection to Eastlakes to view the plans and share their thoughts."

<img alt="First look: Conquest unveils plans for 736-home Eastlakes Shopping Centre redevelopment" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="22f6fb20-54fb-4bd7-8a92-48fafdd00608" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/eastland.png?VersionId=cugp7s9hrMHGJJdYzkeAkrFoQgnF4GXf" />

DKO said the design had been shaped by the site's landscape setting and surrounding open space.

"Our vision for the site embraces its unique Bidjigal identity by blending the residential living with generous landscaping and a material palette inspired by the Bidjigal locality, and celebrating the panoramic views to Botany Bay and the wetlands reserves."

"Taking cues from Country, we seek to harmonise built form with the landscape and lightly touch the earth. By reconnecting, retaining and regenerating existing ecology, and weaving in natural elements, we can deepen our connection to Country."

The landscape strategy extends across the podium and rooftops, incorporating communal gardens, children's play areas, lawns, community gardens, family gathering spaces and extensive tree planting. New landscaped links will also strengthen the connection between the precinct and Jack Mundey Reserve, while publicly accessible open spaces have been integrated throughout the development.

The proposal builds on Conquest's broader placemaking strategy for the site. Through an ongoing partnership, local artist Joe Rashbrook has been appointed Urban Art Curator, working alongside young residents to transform the project's site hoardings into a public art gallery that allows the community to engage with the redevelopment before construction is complete.

Conquest has rapidly expanded its development pipeline since acquiring the Eastlakes site, with more than $6 billion worth of mixed-use projects now in planning across Sydney, including Stanmore, Castlecrag and Waterloo.

Conquest CEO Michael Akkawi said the redevelopment was about far more than replacing a shopping centre.

First look: ‘Far more than replacing a shopping centre’ as Conquest unveils 736-home Eastlakes redevelopment

Abadeen has lodged a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for one of Mosman's largest apartment developments in recent years, seeking approval to transform the former Honeysuckle Garden and Midas site on Military Road into a 100-apartment mixed-use development.

The SSDA, lodged with investment partner Phoenix Property Investors, proposes around $230 million worth of new housing on the prominent <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/494-516-military-road-mosman-nsw-2088">494-516 Military Road</a> site.

The proposal comes as Mosman Council continues to progress its recently endorsed Masterplan, which identifies the precinct for increased housing density while maintaining the suburb's established character.

Designed by DKO Architecture, the development would comprise 100 apartments above ground-floor retail, with a rooftop wellness precinct including a gym, sauna, entertaining areas and landscaped communal spaces.

Rather than pushing to the full 12-storey height identified in Council's Masterplan, the proposal ranges between five and nine storeys, stepping down towards Hale Road. A tenth level would accommodate resident amenities rather than additional apartments.

The project has been designed to appeal to a broad range of buyers, from first home buyers and young professionals through to families and local downsizers looking to remain on the Lower North Shore.

<img alt="Mosman" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5dada03f-5b4c-43ba-ba62-2868add31440" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-27%20at%209.57.55%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=7LBy0B.Jo8_iWAFJsClcV7Q3UnXrv49r" />

Abadeen Executive Chairman Justin Brown said the apartments had been designed as genuine long-term homes rather than investor-focused stock.

"The apartments have been designed as genuine long-term homes, with efficient floorplans that maximise usable living areas, generous storage, natural light and strong connections between indoor and outdoor spaces," Brown says."

"We've focused on creating homes for a broad range of buyers, from first home buyers and growing families through to downsizers who want to remain in Mosman."

The rooftop wellness offering forms a key part of the proposal, with residents set to have access to a gym, sauna, outdoor entertaining spaces, communal dining areas, landscaped gardens and a multi-use recreation court overlooking Sydney Harbour.

<img alt="Mosman" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d37c2d6b-583a-4a0f-b7a9-9f46b893d2f4" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-27%20at%209.58.06%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=FPoa5FCm2RtzjhAh2w5FTWJbV6GHfY8D" />

DKO drew heavily on the site's natural and cultural history, undertaking a Connecting with Country process with local Aboriginal Elders to inform the architectural and landscape design.

Senior Associate Matthew Ritchard said the design sought to create a building that responded to both the site's landscape and its cultural significance.

"The architectural language of the project is a deep expression of Connecting with Country, where the materiality and colour palette serve as a bridge between the site's geological history and its future as a residential sanctuary."

The proposal also retains the site's established blue gum tree as the centrepiece of the communal landscaped gardens, while introducing activated retail fronting Military Road to strengthen the connection between Mosman and Cremorne villages.

If approved, the project would deliver 100 new homes within walking distance of shops, public transport, schools and local amenities, adding to the limited pipeline of new apartments on the Lower North Shore.

<h2>Project Snapshot</h2>

Project: Honeysuckle Garden Redevelopment

Address: 494-516 Military Road, Mosman

Developer: Abadeen and Phoenix Property Investors

Architect: DKO Architecture

Lead Architect: Matthew Ritchard

Value: $230 million

Residences: 100 apartments

Key features:

<ul>
	<li>
	Ground-floor retail
	</li>
	<li>
	Rooftop wellness precinct
	</li>
	<li>
	Gym and sauna
	</li>
	<li>
	Outdoor entertaining and BBQ areas
	</li>
	<li>
	Landscaped communal gardens
	</li>
	<li>
	Multi-use recreation court
	</li>
	<li>
	Retained mature blue gum tree
	</li>
	<li>
	Connecting with Country design process
	</li>
	<li>
	Harbour, CBD and Balmoral views from upper-level apartments
	</li>
</ul>

Abadeen Executive Chairman Justin Brown said the apartments had been designed as genuine long-term homes rather than investor-focused stock

First look: Abadeen plans 100 apartments on former Honeysuckle Garden site in Mosman

The wave of apartment proposals sweeping through Mosman shows no signs of slowing, with another major residential development lodged through the NSW Government's State Significant Development pathway.

Developer First Quadrant Properties, which recently completed Willoughby Grounds and has several projects in planning across the North Shore, has unveiled plans for <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/cove-on-ourimbah-40-56-ourimbah-road-mosman-nsw-2088">Cove on Ourimbah</a>, a 63-apartment development on Ourimbah Road, adding to the growing pipeline of projects reshaping one of Sydney's most tightly held harbour suburbs.

The proposal would consolidate nine properties at 40-56 Ourimbah Road into a part eight, part nine-storey apartment building, continuing the momentum created by the NSW Government's accelerated planning pathways that have seen several significant developments emerge across Mosman over the past 12 months.

Designed by Doroch Architects, the project would deliver 63 apartments, resident wellness facilities including a gym, pool and sauna, landscaped communal spaces and basement parking, while using recessed upper levels, generous setbacks and extensive planting to reduce the perceived scale of the building.

<img alt="First look: First Quadrant Properties eyes nine-storey Mosman apartment project under State Significant pathway" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="32ee68e4-141e-4a10-8f83-48e961a5e71e" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Ourimbah%20Road%2C%20Mosman%20a.png?VersionId=CUeILFc6APlwXPc.iplElbxHvREKwjig" />

Doroch Architects said the building had been designed to reinforce Mosman's established character.

"The building's aesthetic is grounded in the existing residential character of Ourimbah Road and the broader Mosman context," the architect noted in the planning documents submitted to the NSW Government.

The design adopts a contemporary material palette of natural stone, textured concrete and brown concave metal cladding, complemented by integrated planters and deep balconies. The podium incorporates softened curved concrete forms, while increased setbacks have been provided adjacent to the heritage-listed property at 60 Ourimbah Road to create a more sympathetic transition.

The site sits around 330 metres from Mosman Town Centre, placing it within the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy area, where increased residential density is being encouraged close to shops, transport and services.

The proposal follows a string of major apartment projects lodged or declared State Significant in Mosman in recent months, including Abadeen's 100-apartment Honeysuckle Garden redevelopment on Military Road and several other developments across Awaba Street, Redan Street and Muston Street from the likes of Time &amp; Place, HELM and Prosker Property.

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Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/time-place-to-take-on-mosman-apartment-market">Time &amp; Place to take on Mosman apartment market</a>

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/first-look-abadeen-plans-100-apartments-on-former-honeysuckle-garden-site-in-mosman">First look: Abadeen plans 100 apartments on former Honeysuckle Garden site in Mosman</a>

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Staff reporter

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