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The Brisbane real estate agency consultancy Tessa is taking legal action against the developer of the Newstead Series apartment project after it didn't pay $5.2 million allegedly owed for selling hundreds of apartments.
The Australian Financial Review reported Tessa has briefed barrister Simon Couper, QC, and engaged DLA Piper to commence proceedings before the Supreme Court of Queensland.
The case is against JGL Properties-owned company Evelyn Street Project (pictured above).
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JGL Properties' inner city Newstead Series project included four towers – The Carlyle, The Donaldson, The Ajax and The Koerstz.
The developer, represented by William Roberts Lawyers, alleges the agency agreement between the two parties is "a clear case of a statutory disqualification with the result that Tessa is not entitled to be paid or keep commissions and fees as the formal requirements were not complied with."
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The developer's lawyer said that because Tessa did not get a Form 6 appointment for the apartment towers Ajax and Koerstz, it is not entitled to be paid any commission for sales in two towers.
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<div class="cq-article-content-media section">The developer's lawyer also argues that Tessa is now not even entitled to be paid or keep any commission for sales in or other fees relating to The Carlyle and The Donaldson because of technical reasons in the Property Occupations Act of 2014.</div>
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Tessa has already received commissions and advisory agents fees of $4.95 million to date from the developer but the developer has demanded that be paid back.
The developer denies that Tessa is entitled to payment of a second tranche of fees that become due upon settlement of each apartment sales contract, which started settling last month.
JGL Properties and Tessa both declined to comment on the legal dispute.
The buildings are named after Australia's original wool presses used in the heritage listed woolstores of the Newstead area.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Tessa seeks commissions from JGL Properties for Brisbane off the plan apartment sales

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Versace has opened a Melbourne flagship boutique. The store is Versace's third in Australia.
The flagship boutique is located at 161 Collins Street in Melbourne.
Previous occupants of the space include Ermenegildo Zegna.
The boutique (pictured below) occupies an area of 307 sqm within the T&amp;G building, "blending traditional architectural values of Italy with the dynamism and energy of Versace" today. 
<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/2018/7/5/Versace%203.jpg" alt="">
Located in the prestigious Collins Street luxury precinct, the T&amp;G building's historical features continue inside with the retained Mervyn Napier Waller mural (pictured below) commissioned by the Temperance &amp; General Life Assurance Society in 1928 in what was originally the entrance to the T&amp;G Building. 
<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/2018/7/5/Versace%202.jpg" alt="">
“I am very proud to be opening a new Versace flagship in such an iconic building within the city of Melbourne.
The T&amp;G building on Collins street is a balanced mix of heritage and modern elements, a perfect representation of what Versace stands for today,” Donatella Versace said.
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Versace has opened its Melbourne flagship boutique on Collins Street

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A former Dancing with the Stars judge, Joshua Horner has recently become a selling agent with The Property Market at Tuggerah on the NSW Central Coast.
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<div>The Watanobbi-based performer (pictured above with Todd McKenney and Helen Richey), who has lived in America for the last eight years, has had a long career in showbiz.</div>
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<div>Since returning home to study to become a qualified real estate agent, he has already secured his first listing in the <a href="https://www.thepropertymarket.com.au/staff/joshua-horner" target="_blank">neighbourhood</a>.</div>
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“It was like a gravitational pull. I felt like I’d achieved all my dreams in entertainment.
"I’d danced on Broadway, became a dual citizen of America, worked for Disney, had my own digital series based in LA,” he told the local News Corp paper, the Central Coast Gosford Express.
“I’m 38, I can’t dance as well as I used to," he said realising how wonderful "we have it on the Central Coast."
<a href="http://www.joshuahorner.com/television" target="_blank">Horner</a> said he would love to buy his own house on the Central Coast, somewhere in the valley.
"The Coast is growing into something amazing .... we all know that everyone from Sydney is moving up here," he said.
 
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Central Coast real estate career beckons for Joshua Horner, former Dancing with the Stars judge

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A lot of Chinese buyers lost their 10 per cent apartment deposits last year.
"That was the worst time,” the Merton boss Harry Tribuboff told The Australian noting the trend had dissipated, but interest from Chinese buyers was still slow.
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Tribuboff confirmed Chinese buyers were “very important to our segment of the market”.
“It is very important not to find new reasons for raising their costs,” he said.
Triguboff didn't specify the extent but said it was a "lot" of Chinese buyers. 
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Apartment prices in Sydney had fallen 15 per cent since early last year and were still weakening, but settling down, according to billionaire developer.
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He suggests there is no bust coming.
Last year Harry Triguboff, Australia’s biggest apartment owner and developer, was offering his buyers free stamp duty.
It applied to local and overseas buyers, but excluded foreign person surcharge purchaser duty and additional foreign acquirer duty.
Robert Gottliebsen, writing in The Australian, indicated the initial reaction to the offer had been from overseas Chinese who were embracing the finance offer.
 
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As prices fall 15%, Harry Triguboff confirms Chinese apartment buyers lost their 10 percent deposits 

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The emerging Chinese property development giant Aqualand has appointed a heavyweight advisory board including former Liberal politician Warwick Smith, chairman of the Australia China Council, and who already sits on the boards of ANZ Bank China.
The former Tasmanian will become executive chairman of Aqualand, AL Capital and chair of the advisory board.
Smith joins the influential company director Gabrielle Trainor and former Multiplex chairman Ross McDiven on its advisory board as the company flags ambitions to become one of Australia’s largest developers.
Ms Trainor is an AFL commissioner, a director of Infrastructure Australia, and a former director of the Barangaroo Development Authority.
Aqualand group managing director Jin Lin, son of the parent group’s founder Yi Lin, said the advisory board appointments marked a significant milestone for Aqualand, which only entered the Australian market in 2014.
It now has 18 sites with a $5 billion development pipeline.
John Carfi, a former head of residential for Mirvac, was appointed in April to oversee its Australian strategy.
Aqualand’s parent is the Sheng­long Group, which controls more than $20 billion of assets in the Asia-Pacific, the US and Europe.
One of Aqualand’s biggest projects is in Sydney’s $5 billion Central Barangaroo precinct, in a consortium with Canada's Oxford Properties; Melbourne developer Grocon and shopping centre giant Scentre Group.
Aqualand has signalled it will also focus on major affordable housing projects following last month’s passing of legislation for the $1 billion National Housing Infrastructure Facility.
It is bidding for part of the NSW government’s 10-year $2.5 billion Telopea social and affordable housing masterplanned community near Parramatta.
Aqualand has established AL Capital — led by investment banker Wayne Mo — which last month spent $10.7 million buying 15 per cent equity in the listed real estate agency McGrath.
The group has an arrangement to now utilise McGrath’s project marketing expertise on its projects for a five year term, where McGrath has the first right to discuss the marketing propositions.
John Carfi said last week that the company aimed to rival Australia biggest developers over the next five years.
The group currently had just over $2bn invested in Australia, he said.
 
 
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Aqualand appoints Sinophile Warwick Smith 

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GUEST OBSERVATION
July 1 marked the 80th anniversary of Australia’s iron ore embargo against Japan. The official reason was resource conservation, but the ban was really driven by a fear of Japan – which had been buying up assets like iron ore and scrap metal – gaining a stronghold in Australia that threatened our sovereignty and security.
Despite the passing of 80 years, Australia is having the same discussions we had back in 1938, only this time about China.
China’s growing commercial influence in Australia and other Asia-Pacific countries has sparked concerns about its political ambitions. Responding to these concerns with economic sanctions is likely only to pander to US desires to curb Chinese influence, placing Australia’s economic future and regional security at risk.
The economic sanctions Japan faced in the 1930s and early 1940s contributed in large part to the outbreak of the Pacific War.
With the recent tit-for-tat US and Chinese trade restrictions, is the world heading down a similar path?
What can we do differently this time around?
Australia must recast its foreign policy with a view to the role it wishes to play in its immediate region. This needs to be a little more adventurous than the 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper.
The Australia of the 1930s faced a region in flux. There were territorial disputes, the waning power of Britain – Australia’s primary ally and protector – and the growing military and commercial weight of regional power Japan, whose intentions remained unclear. Sound familiar?
In early 1937, fears emerged of a world steel shortage. While iron ore restrictions were being introduced elsewhere, the Australian government maintained that it was not a lack of resources that had created a shortage but an inadequate output.
It came as quite a surprise then, in May 1938, when the Australian government announced an embargo on iron ore exports, effective July 1 1938. The government cited a (then) recent and very brief report, compiled by the Commonwealth government geological adviser, which concluded iron ore deposits were much smaller than had been estimated and perhaps would not meet domestic needs.
The embargo included existing agreements with foreign investors, such as the Japanese lease at the Yampi Sound mines in Western Australia, where preparations for the first iron ore extraction were well under way.
The government stressed that the embargo was not due to anti-Japanese sentiment. Nevertheless, this was the conclusion the Japanese government drew as it tried and failed to secure access to the Yampi Sound project.
The size of Australia’s current iron ore exports calls into question the logic of this report and the export ban it led to.
A foreign foothold in Australian territory
Throughout the 1930s, Japan pursued a policy of southward expansion, both territorial and economic in nature. At the centre of this policy was the need for resources to cater for Japan’s rapidly growing population. This involved the “economic penetration” of Far Eastern nations, investing Japanese capital to secure essential goods.
Australia, still recovering from the Great Depression, welcomed these investments.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/223755/original/file-20180619-126534-53upal.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
‘Construct new Japan as Below’. Legend reads: Industrial Centre, Immigration Spheres, Expansion Spheres for White Races, Trade Expansion Spheres, Investment Expansion Spheres. From the Collection of the National Archives of Australia, A601, 402/17/30.
Japan’s visions for territorial expansions became clear in July 1937. Japan – as Australia had long feared – proved itself an aggressor when its army invaded China, signalling the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War.
Australia opted for a diplomatic response to this conflict, remaining impartial and encouraging “cooperation and conciliation” as the solution.
However, Japanese economic investments were being viewed with increasing caution.
Australia’s trade commissioner in Tokyo, Eric E. Longfield Lloyd, reported that Japan’s territorial expansion into China had been aided by a seemingly innocent system of economic penetration throughout the 1920s and ’30s. He feared that allowing the Yampi Sound project to continue, operated as it was by Japanese staff, would result in a “foreign foothold” in Australian territory.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/225423/original/file-20180629-117377-1iiilnu.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
From the collections of the National Archives of Australia, A601, 402/17/30.
Longfield Lloyd pressed for the project’s cancellation “by any means whatsoever”. One proposal was was an export embargo “by declaration of insufficiency”.
Here was the origin of the 1938 iron ore embargo.
Chequebook diplomacy
Much like in 1938, today’s fears about Chinese investments hinge on the question of political influence and security implications.
These concern have led to the limiting of property investments and the banning of foreign political donations.
Further afield, China’s vast infrastructure program, the Belt and Road Initiative, has sparked speculation that the nation is using chequebook diplomacy – and perhaps debt-book diplomacy – to secure economic leverage and gain greater influence in regional and global affairs.
This is of particular concern in Australia’s immediate sphere of influence, Southeast Asia and the South Pacific.
Most recently, the Australian government sought to protect its diplomatic and security interests when it outbid the Chinese telecom giant Huawei for the rights to construct a network of internet cables linking the Solomon Islands to Sydney.
Time for a long-range view of Australia and its foreign policy
The economic pressure exerted on Japan in the 1930s and early 1940s – in which Australia was by no means alone, with the US and Britain leading the charge – deprived the nation of its means of survival. This hastened the campaign of aggressive regional conquest in pursuit of raw materials that eventually led to Pacific War.
To be sure, China’s current economic position makes it unlikely that trade sanctions will lead to armed conflict. But throw in territorial disputes, erratic leadership, the US-China struggle for Pacific dominance, and the future seems a lot less certain.
With all this in mind, the 1938 iron ore embargo does serve as a warning against over-reliance and a blinkered outlook that sees only potential dangers in our immediate region.
Now is the time for Australian to broaden its foreign relations, avoiding the potential downfall of over-reliance on the Chinese market and the US alliance, while building new diplomatic ties.
There is such an opportunity in Australia’s neighbourhood, “that part of the world”, as shadow defence minister Richard Marles recently argued: “in which our influence matters the greatest. What we say and do in the Pacific carries enormous weight.”
Australia must take the initiative in its immediate region to develop varied and mutually beneficial economic, diplomatic and strategic relationships.
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/98387/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">In this way, Australia can strengthen its own economy, the economies nearby and its role as a regional leader and collaborator.
Honae Cuffe, PhD Candidate, History, University of Newcastle
This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/fears-about-chinas-influence-are-a-rerun-of-attitudes-to-japan-80-years-ago-98387" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Fears about China's influence are a rerun of attitudes to Japan 80 years ago

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Palm Beach's recent priciest listing has been sold.
It was <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-nsw-palm+beach-128167494" target="_blank">the Ocean Road townhouse style project </a>of Hardie Grant chairman John Gerahty and wife Patricia.
It was listed with high hopes despite not having the land size of its near record setters.
The Manly Daily speculate the sale price was "around $20 million".
With a handy six car spaces, the Gerahty's home sits on 965 square metres which was part of the Deaton family's Tropique property before it was subdivided and sold off.
One of the parcels went to Sydney Swans chairman and investment banker Andrew Pridham.
The Gerahty's had the four level home was completed just last month by Cadence and Co.
The no-expense spared build was designed to make the most of its north-facing position, with views to the Barrenjoey Lighthouse. 
The home has six bedrooms, a media room and separate guest quarters. 
Christie's International agent Ken Jacobs calls it the pinnacle of Palm Beach.
Jacobs says the natural beauty of Palm Beach and the lack of apartment developments have ensured continued appeal.
A $20 million sale would not be the highest Palm Beach since in 2016 Gretel Packer secured the family bungalow on its well-shaded 4000 square metre beachfront reserve holding in a transfer with a notional $24 million value.
It was 1981 when her father, the late media tycoon Kerry Packer broke through the beachside suburb's million-dollar threshold with his $1 million purchase of the Ocean Road holding from the MacCormick family, who had paid 12,000 pounds in 1952.
The $24 million figure ranked as Palm Beach's priciest as the prior high was the $22 million paid nearby by car dealer Laurie Sutton in 2012 for the trophy home, Kalua.
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Palm Beach's priciest townhouse trophy home listing's mystery sale

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Sunshine Coast residents will soon be able to make use of Queensland’s first grand linear park.
Located within Palmview’s largest masterplanned community, Harmony (pictured above), the first $3.1 million phase is set to be completed by mid-August.
Once fully complete, the park will span more than five hectares and run the length of 10 football fields.
AVID Property's Bruce Harper said he was thrilled to be nearing the opening the first phase of the park.
“The Grand Linear Park will be a popular new hub for the whole community to come together and enjoy spending time outdoors, an exciting new addition not just for Harmony residents, but for the entire Coast.”
The Grand Linear Park (pictured below) will ultimately be made up of a series of local parks, each with individual facilities.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2018/7/4/Harmony%20Aerial.JPG" alt="">
Phase one will provide two hectares of community space and the first stage of a large network of interconnected cycle and walk ways.
Phase one of the park will house three separate play areas, and an outdoor fitness centre.
“With 90% of our residents at Harmony set to be within 250 metres of a local park, getting outdoors to enjoy the Sunshine Coast’s active lifestyle will be not only easy but accessible for everyone,” Harper said.
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Construction underway on linear park at masterplanned Sunshine Coast community

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During the first quarter of 2018, resales of Adelaide properties generated $491 million in profits and $14.9 million in losses.
These resales accounted for 3.3% of total resale profits nationally and 3.5% of resale losses.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2018/7/5/PG%20Adelaide%202.JPG" alt="">
The regions with the lowest share of resale losses over the quarter were Burnside, Prospect and Unley while the greatest share of resale losses occurred in Playford, Walkerville and Adelaide.
Adelaide is continuing to see only moderate increases in values however, like most other capital cities, the share of resales at a loss has increased over the quarter.
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Adelaide properties generating profit, but values only rising moderately: CoreLogic

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Perth created $98.1 million in loss making resales accounting for 22.9% of all losses nationally, over the March 2018 quarter.
Its resales of residential properties in Perth created $889 million worth of resale profits which accounted for 6% of resale profits nationally.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2018/7/5/PG%20Perth%201.JPG" alt="">
Peppermint Grove had no resales at a loss.
No other council region had fewer than 15% of resales at a loss over the quarter.
The highest proportion of resales at a loss over the quarter was recorded in the Perth, Mandurah and Rockingham council areas.
With the housing market across Perth showing tentative signs of bottoming out, we may start to see loss making sales steady however, both houses and units recorded an increase over the quarter.
Click to <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2018/7/5/PG%20Perth%202.JPG" target="_blank">enlarge</a>
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2018/7/5/PG%20Perth%202.JPG" alt="">
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Perth accounted for 23% of all residential resale losses nationally: CoreLogic Pain & Gain report

Buyers considering a residence at boutique Gordon townhouse development <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-townhouses/lume-gordon-43-47-dumaresq-street-gordon-nsw-2072">Lume</a>&nbsp;now have another reason to bring forward their decision.

For a limited time, purchasers of a residence at Lume will receive a BMW iX3 50 electric SUV, valued at more than $120,000, as part of their purchase. The offer is designed to add value for buyers while complementing the lifestyle envisioned for the architecturally designed Upper North Shore development.

Scott Timmins, Development Manager at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/winim">WINIM</a>, said the partnership was created to provide buyers with a compelling reason to act.

"In today's market, buyers need a compelling reason to act now, and the BMW partnership was designed to create that catalyst. We wanted to add genuine value for our future purchasers. Choosing the all-electric BMW iX3 50 also reflects the values behind LUME, forward-thinking design, innovation and a more sustainable way of living. It's a premium incentive that complements the lifestyle our buyers aspire to and rewards those who commit early."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=7354 project_image_fid=374893]

Delivered by WINIM in partnership with Burtonwood Investment Partners, Lume comprises 14 architecturally designed two, three and four-bedroom townhomes created for families seeking the space of a freestanding house with the ease of modern, low-maintenance living.

The three-storey residences, designed by award-winning architecture practice <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a>, have been tailored for families and multi-generational living, featuring private internal lifts, flexible lower-level spaces, generous open-plan living and entertaining areas, media rooms, and landscaped outdoor spaces with custom outdoor kitchens.&nbsp;

Inside, engineered oak flooring, bespoke dining joinery with integrated wine fridges and backlit bars, sculptural porcelain bathrooms, Parisi freestanding baths and Astra Walker tapware create interiors that balance functionality with refined finishes.

Each townhome has been designed to combine generous internal spaces with sustainability initiatives such as EV charging infrastructure, while <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/landscape-architect/arcadia-landscape-architecture">Arcadia</a>'s landscaped communal areas, centred around a restored creek line and native planting, encourage residents to connect with nature and spend more time outdoors.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=7354 project_image_fid=269527]

Rothelowman's Gary Tsui said the architecture was conceived to respond carefully to its Upper North Shore setting.

"Our vision was to create elegant, uplifting homes that draw on and positively contribute to the local character through meticulously considered design and an interaction with the surroundings."

The communal landscape has been designed as more than an open space between homes. Arcadia's Ben Newell and Kate Phillips said the adjoining reserve provided an opportunity to create a distinctive natural retreat for residents.

"Just as waterways carve their way through Ku-ring-gai's landscape, a raised boardwalk weaves through the reserve, connecting the homes to this tranquil oasis."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=7354 project_image_fid=374892]

Located just 300 metres from <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/gordon-nsw-2072">Gordon</a> Village and Gordon railway station, Lume offers convenient access to Sydney's CBD while placing residents close to some of the North Shore's leading schools, including Ravenswood, Pymble Ladies' College and Knox Grammar. Lane Cove National Park, Gordon Golf Club and a range of cafés and restaurants further reinforce the family-focused lifestyle on offer, with the BMW iX3 50 complementing everything from local trips around Gordon to weekend drives and city commutes.

Construction is underway with completion expected in mid-2027.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=7354]

Joel Robinson

Boutique Gordon townhomes now come with a BMW iX3 50

Two apartments have sold for more than $10 million at EADE Byron Bay, setting some of the highest apartment prices ever achieved in the coastal town and underlining the growing appetite for luxury beachfront apartments in Australia's most popular coastal locations.

The $210 million project by Vitale Property Group has now secured more than $70 million in sales, led by residences that changed hands for $12.75 million and $11.75 million.

The record-breaking transactions reinforce the shift occurring in Byron Bay's premium property market, where affluent downsizers and lifestyle buyers are increasingly opting for high-end apartments over large beachfront homes.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/eade-byron-bay-29-shirley-street-byron-bay-nsw-2481">EADE Byron Bay</a> occupies a rare 6,000 sqm absolute beachfront site on the corner of Shirley and Milton Streets overlooking Main Beach and The Wreck surf break, just 350 metres from Byron Bay's town centre.

The 25-residence development is the first beachfront apartment project approved in Byron Bay in more than a decade and is currently under construction, with completion expected in May 2027.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=145590 project_image_fid=359521]

The project has attracted a mix of local Byron Shire residents downsizing from larger homes, alongside interstate buyers from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane seeking a permanent coastal lifestyle without compromising on space.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/hayball">Hayball</a> and with interiors by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/alexander-co">Alexander &amp; Co</a>, EADE comprises&nbsp;10 garden apartments ranging from 284 sqm to 622 sqm, nine with private pools, five full-floor apartments and 10 rooftop residences with private plunge pools, expansive outdoor entertaining areas and uninterrupted ocean views.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=145590 project_image_fid=359527]

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/vitale-property-group">Vitale Property Group</a> Managing Partner Chris Vitale said the project's combination of scale, location and limited future supply was driving buyer demand.

"There isn't another beachfront holding in Byron Bay of this size and position that could be developed again," Vitale said.

"Buyers are responding to the scarcity and the irreplaceability of a site of this calibre and to floorplans they can't find elsewhere in the market.

"We are seeing buyers place significant value on quality, space, design, resort-style amenities and the rarity of the location. The sales achieved to date demonstrate that discerning purchasers recognise the long-term significance of what is being created at EADE Byron Bay.

"Many are coming from larger homes in the Byron region, or from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, and are after the space, security and convenience, without the upkeep of a house."

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[smartcode_project:default project_id=145590 project_image_fid=359523]

The Byron Bay project follows Vitale Property Group's delivery of the Mondrian Hotel and Private Residences at Burleigh Heads, with EADE continuing the developer's focus on luxury coastal developments.

Residents will have access to a resort-style swimming pool, gymnasium, sauna, cold plunge pool, concierge services and dedicated workspaces, while the project is targeting an 8-Star Green Star rating.

EADE Byron Bay is being exclusively marketed by Projx Australia in conjunction with WHITEFOX Projects.

WHITEFOX National Projects Director Phillip Rand said demand had been driven predominantly by owner-occupiers.

"We are seeing buyers at EADE place significant value on quality, space, design, resort-style amenities and the rarity of this location," Rand says.

"The sales achieved to date demonstrate that purchasers at this level recognise the long-term significance of what is being created at EADE Byron Bay."

Residences at EADE Byron Bay are currently priced between $4.75 million and $15.95 million.

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[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=145590]

Vitale breaks Byron Bay records with EADE sales flurry 

When buying an apartment, most people compare the big-ticket items first. Floorplans. Kitchens. Balcony size. Natural light. The view.

But there's one everyday consideration that often doesn't come up until after moving in: how parcels are delivered.

As online shopping has become part of everyday life, parcel deliveries have shifted from an occasional event to a regular occurrence. Australians spent a record $82.6 billion shopping online in 2025, with almost one in every four retail dollars now spent digitally.

For apartment residents, that can present a challenge.

If nobody is home to accept a delivery, parcels may be redirected to a nearby Post Office, left in a building lobby or common area, or require building management to step in. In higher-density buildings, where dozens or even hundreds of residents may receive deliveries each day, parcel management has become an increasingly important part of everyday living.

That can create a range of frustrations. A missed delivery often means making time to collect a parcel elsewhere, while packages left unattended in foyers or mail areas can create clutter and increase the risk of theft. What seems like a minor inconvenience can quickly become a recurring issue for residents who shop online regularly.

It's one of those details that rarely features in a display suite but can have a noticeable impact once residents move in.

As a result, buyers are beginning to look beyond traditional apartment features and consider how a building supports day-to-day convenience, including whether there are secure options for receiving deliveries.

Australia Post's Parcel Lockers provide one solution.

<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/CkF2oKmlACg?si=C50sDaoUUn2nuLmq" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

Rather than having a parcel delivered directly to an apartment, eligible deliveries can be sent to a nominated Parcel Locker. Once the parcel arrives, residents receive a notification through the AusPost app or SMS and can collect it using a QR code or one-time PIN at a time that suits them.

The Parcel Locker network now includes more than 1,500 locations nationwide, with installations at Post Offices, shopping centres, transport hubs and an increasing number of residential developments. By providing a secure collection point, Parcel Lockers help reduce missed deliveries and avoid parcels being left unattended in common areas.

For developers, parcel infrastructure is becoming another way to improve the resident experience. Rather than relying on concierge staff or leaving parcels in communal spaces, secure collection points help streamline deliveries while preserving the presentation and functionality of shared areas.

For buyers, it's a reminder that the best apartment features aren't always the most obvious.

A generous floorplan or quality finishes might help narrow the shortlist, but the conveniences that simplify everyday life, whether that's EV charging, secure bike storage or reliable parcel delivery, often become the features residents appreciate most once they're living there.

The apartment feature many buyers don't think about, until their first missed delivery

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/hg-developments">HG Developments</a> is doubling down on Maud Street in Newstead, filing plans for a new apartment tower just a few doors down from its under-construction Aire Newstead development.

Recently submitted to Brisbane City Council, the proposal is for an 18-storey building designed by bureau^proberts, which has drawn heavily on Brisbane's subtropical design principles while referencing the suburb's industrial heritage.

A total of 64 apartments are planned for the amalgamated 1,518 sqm site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/17-21-maud-street-newstead-qld-4006">17–21 Maud Street</a>, a short walk from the Brisbane River and Newstead Riverwalk.

<img alt="First look: HG Developments plans 18-storey subtropical apartment tower for Newstead" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a400c7fd-bd15-48f8-a63b-10ede92efe00" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Maud%20st%20bldg.png?VersionId=.0vPmjpbC7CNP7kqGWa6L7rGIwsNExaw" />

"The building is defined by a series of vaulted motifs that reinterpret the arches, colonnades and layered facades evident throughout Newstead's historic built fabric," the Urban Design Report states.

"Combined with recessed glazing and generous balconies, these elements create a layered building envelope that provides shade, weather protection and opportunities for natural ventilation whilst establishing a distinctive architectural identity."

The proposal comprises 64 two, three and four-bedroom apartments across 18 residential levels, positioning it alongside a growing number of taller residential projects transforming Newstead's northern precinct. The tower incorporates extensive subtropical landscaping, with cascading planter boxes, deep planting at street level and a landscaped rooftop recreation area.

<img alt="First look: HG Developments plans 18-storey subtropical apartment tower for Newstead" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1d8140f4-8b98-45cd-b1b8-1efe8c8e266b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Maud%20st%20podium.png?VersionId=VAZtbCoD44YCJ57N99fQCAKeSJx7ldZs" />

Bureau Proberts has prioritised passive environmental design throughout the project, with generous balconies, recessed glazing and operable façades helping reduce solar heat gain while maximising natural ventilation. River views become available from the upper levels, while the building has been orientated to capture prevailing breezes from both the Brisbane River and the west.

The architects say landscape is intended to be integral to the building rather than an applied element.

"Vertical greenery, cascading planter boxes and elevated gardens are woven throughout the architecture, softening the built form and strengthening the connection between residents and the subtropical environment."

"Through the integration of landscape, high-quality materials and passive design principles, the development delivers a refined residential address that celebrates Newstead's heritage character while contributing positively to Brisbane's evolving subtropical identity."

Newstead has remained one of Brisbane's most active apartment markets in recent years, with a number of developers continuing to back the inner-city suburb.

HG Developments is currently delivering the 40-apartment Aire Newstead at 25 Maud Street. Fortis recently launched the 65-apartment <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/crest-walker-newstead-12-kyabra-street-newstead-qld-4006">Crest &amp; Walker</a> on Kyabra Street, while builder-developer BPG and Don O'Rorke's Consolidated Properties are both expected to launch their respective Newstead projects before the end of the year.

HG Developments doubles down in Newstead with second Maud Street apartment development

Walk past a new apartment development promoting its sustainability credentials and it's easy to picture rooftop gardens, mature trees, landscaped courtyards and residents surrounded by nature.

But in many cases, that's not actually what those sustainability ratings guarantee.

Australia's leading environmental rating tools have played a significant role in improving the energy efficiency and environmental performance of buildings. Yet despite their focus on reducing emissions, many don't require developers to include trees, biodiversity or meaningful green space.

In other words, a building can achieve one of the country's highest sustainability ratings while containing little more than concrete, glass and hard landscaping.

That disconnect has led to the emergence of a new movement across Australia's property industry: nature-based cities.

The concept goes beyond designing buildings that consume less energy. Instead, it encourages developers to treat nature as essential infrastructure, integrating biodiversity, tree canopy, living landscapes and green spaces into projects from the earliest stages of planning.

Research has consistently linked access to nature with better physical and mental health, cooler neighbourhoods, improved biodiversity, stronger climate resilience and more connected communities. As Australia's cities continue to become denser, advocates say those outcomes should be considered just as important as energy efficiency.

Nature Based Cities (NBC) was established in 2022 to help accelerate that shift.

Founded by Hamton Executive Chairman Paul Hameister OAM, the not-for-profit was created after research highlighted a significant gap in Australia's sustainability framework. While existing environmental rating tools rewarded energy performance and emissions reductions, they placed little emphasis on the inclusion of living landscapes.

"We've always wanted to do more, and we know other developers who want to do more, but the ESD rating tools just aren't there," Hameister says.

"In Australia, you can have a five-green-star rated building that's concrete and glass with not a blade of grass.

"The focus is on reducing emissions, which is laudable, but there hasn't been enough attention paid to protecting and re-establishing nature. We need both for the health of the environment and for communities."

Since its launch, NBC has developed independent design guidelines and accreditation frameworks that encourage developers to prioritise ecology, biodiversity, tree canopy, walkability and living landscapes alongside traditional sustainability measures. The organisation first focused on medium and high-density residential developments before recently expanding into precinct-scale communities and masterplanned neighbourhoods.

Jan Talacko, founder of sustainability consultancy Ark Resources and a member of the Nature Based Cities Advisory Council, says the initiative addresses an area that has largely been overlooked by the property industry.

"Throughout my 25 years of working collaboratively with all stakeholders in the property sector, I've always favoured a pragmatic approach to sustainable design which encourages initiatives that not only meet environmental expectations but also improve amenity," Talacko says.

"Whilst we are making steady progress in relation to energy and carbon emissions from buildings, there has been much less emphasis on encouraging biodiversity and tackling the urban heat island effect.

"The Nature Based Cities initiative responds to a gap in the suite of tools currently used by the property development sector, which don't provide sufficient incentive, or recognition, for the integration of landscaping and greenery."

For apartment buyers, the shift is also changing the questions worth asking.

Rather than assuming a sustainable building will naturally include abundant green space, buyers are increasingly being encouraged to look beyond environmental ratings and ask what nature is actually being delivered. How much tree canopy will the development create? Has biodiversity been considered? Are landscaped spaces designed for people as well as appearance?

As Australia's cities continue to grow upwards and outwards, the next generation of sustainability may not simply be measured by lower emissions, but by how successfully developments bring nature back into everyday urban life.

Staff reporter

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