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A three bedroom in Lalor, 18 kilometres north of Melbourne's central business district, has been listed by Marco Riggio and John Gioftsidis from Love &amp; Co with an indicative selling price of $510,000 to $561,000.
The auction has been scheduled for April 21.
It last sold in 2004 at $230,000.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-lalor-127922562" target="_blank">Set on 9 Lacey St,</a> the Victorian home comes with three bedrooms, lounge and a kitchen with adjoining meals zone.
Positioned on 538 square metres (approx), it also features include two garage spaces and entertaining area.
The suburb's median house price sits on $610,000 according to CoreLogic.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Lalor three bedroom house listed by mortgagee

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The nation's top sale was on Sydney's upper North Shore when a Pymble home was snapped up pre-auction for $6.5 million.
It sold to a family from China who saw the property just three days before they exchanged.
Menton, marketed as a French Provincial-style oasis, came with saltwater pool, N/S tennis court, and a climate controlled 2,100 bottle wine cellar.
<a id="x_mcntLPlnk442456" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-nsw-pymble-127813398" target="_blank">The 1726 sqm property</a> (above and below) last traded at $2.8 million in 2002.
The vendors decided to take the offer, which was at the high end of their expected range rather than go to auction.
"It's a 'bird in the hand' at the moment," the upper North Shore selling agent told Fairfax Media.
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Sydney also saw the sale of <a id="x_mcntLPlnk755832" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-hunters+hill-126659642" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">23 Lyndhurst Crescent, Hunters Hill</a>, a five bedroom riverfront home which sold for $6.18 million.
But its sale was at below the $6.2 million price guidance. It was even further down on the $7.6 million guide figure given last October, when it was initially listed for sale.
It sold to cake makers from Greenacre, one of the three who participated in Saturday’s auction after six had registered, The Sunday Telegraph reported. 
Sydney's preliminary success rate sat at 67 percent. 
<div>Sydney's result from 775 auctions saw a steady 67 percent clearance rate on the prior weekend, but down on the 77 percent at this time last year.</div>
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<div>The nation's strongest clearance rate was in Melbourne, according to CoreLogic, at 69 percent.</div>
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<div>Click here <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2018/4/10/auction-wrap.jpg" target="_blank">to enlarge.</a>
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Melbourne had some 720 homes listings, increasing on last week’s 65.5 per cent final clearance rate when there was a much lower 152 auctions held given the Easter break.
The auction of dual premiership player Thorold Merrett’s Doncaster East home saw a $1.12 million result.
Philip Webb auctioneer Anthony Webb said local downsizers secured <a id="x_mcntLPlnk103044" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-townhouse-vic-doncaster+east-127754922" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the single-level three-bedroom townhouse</a>. 
Merrett, a two-time premiership player in the 1950s, told the Herald Sun he would miss the neighbourhood.
The agency had been quoting $900,000 to $990,000, with six bidders taking the price well beyond.
CoreLogic records indicated it last sold in 2007 at $575,000.
Melbourne's top sale was in Williamstown.
The three bedroom house at <a id="x_mcntLPlnk621219" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-williamstown-127753482" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">218 Osborne St, Williamstown</a> fetched $3.02 million.
Corinda, set in South Williamstown, had been listed with $2.7 million to $2.8 million price guidance.
The nation's cheapest auction was at <a id="x_mcntLPlnk890323" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-unit-vic-thornbury-127780190" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">8/54 Martin Street, Thornbury</a> for $335,000. The Melbourne sale fell within the price guidance range of $315,000 to $340,000 for the one bedroom 1970s apartment.
CoreLogic put its last sale price as $249,500 in 2002.
The Canberra clearance rate fell to just 59 percent, which was the nation's third strongest success rate with 88 homes listed.
A 1960s Griffith home on one of Canberra’s prestigious streets, constructed of stone, brickwork and Australian timbers, fetched its highest price.
The 26 Jansz Crescent offering fetched $1.641 million, with Domain noting it was announced on the market at $1.610 million.
<div class="x_mcntin-content-ad">Held by the same family for 57 years, the four-bedroom, one-bathroom home on 1106 sq m had eight registered bidders.</div>
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<div class="x_mcntin-content-ad">The official land value was $953,000.</div>
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<div class="x_mcntin-content-ad">Adelaide also recorded a success rate of 59 percent from 93 homes listed.</div>
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<div>The Brisbane market had a 40 per cent clearance rate from the 91 homes listed for auction. </div>
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<div>A Georgian-style home at Chelmer sold under the hammer, fetching $1,675,000 through Brad Robson of Place Real Estate.</div>
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<div>The five bedroom property at <a id="x_mcntLPlnk629838" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-chelmer-127736178" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2 Morley Street</a> sold to an upsizing local couple.</div>
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<a id="x_mcntLPlnk118395" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-camp+hill-127791470" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">A newly built four bedroom Camp Hill home </a>was among Brisbane's top sales at $1.05 million.</div>
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<div>At Carindale a $1.35 million offer for <a id="x_mcntLPlnk562954" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-carindale-127834386" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a three-storey, four bedroom home</a> at 45 Nelson Place was not enough to secure a sale, with the auction ending on a $1.5 million vendor bid.</div>
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The home was the project of Steve Stamatiou, a builder at Mati Constructions, and his wife Andrea, with the Courier Mail reporting they built the home over seven months in the French provincial architecture style. 
The 518 sqm building block had cost $535,000 in 2016.
It came with a four-metre-long ‘White Princess’ Granite breakfast bar, full suite of European appliances and a butler’s pantry so large that it almost doubles as a second kitchen, the marketing by Place agent Denis Najzar said.
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<div>After the Easter slowdown, the national preliminary clearance rate rose along with higher volume of auctions with 1,813 homes taken to market returning a 65.3 per cent success rate.</div>
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<div>The higher activity followed the Easter period slowdown which saw only 670 auctions held across the capitals and a 64.8 per cent final auction clearance rate.</div>
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<div>Overall results by property type, saw 70 per cent of units selling at auction this week, which was higher than houses which returned a 63.4 per cent clearance rate.</div>
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Chinese buyers secure top weekend auction offering 

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An imposing country estate at Exeter in the Southern Highlands, Rona Lodge has been sold to the former National Party Federal Minister John Sharp, who sits on the Federal Government's Climate Change Authority.
It fetched $5.45 million, having last sold at $3.75 million in 2004. 
The Highlands has been popular with politicians.
Liberal MP and former tennis champion John Alexander paid $4.8 million last year for Iona Park, a 36 hectare estate and boutique horse stud at Moss Vale.
The former Hawke Government minister Graham Richardson owned the 4.5 hectare Burradoo retreat Bantry, before selling for $1.13 million in 2012.
Rona Lodge, completely renovated in 2006 has been for sale for nearly three years. It sold through Mick Maloney at Richardson &amp; Wrench Bowral.
The traditional character home on six hectares has recently been used by its vendor David Graham as a holiday letting and wedding rental property.
In 2014 it was awarded Best Property for Weddings in the annual Stayz awards.
Last traded for $3.75 million in 2004, the five bedroom, four bathroom home with indoor heated pool includes separate staff quarters with two bedrooms.
Set in manicured private gardens, the estate lends itself to equine interests, with a stable complex, paddocks and shedding.
The home was marketed as a "quintessential Australian beauty".
 It comes with a five bedroom homestead plus a two storey self-contained two bedroom residence.
The master bedroom has its own sitting room, two dressing rooms and its own terrace.
There is also a formal dining room with its own fireplace.
The chef’s kitchen features a double gas range, separate walk-in butler’s pantry and an adjoining breakfast room.
Overlooking the gardens is the formal drawing room that features a Chinminee Phillipe fireplace.
A library is available with a Jetmaster gas log fireplace and it also contains two separate study rooms. There is a cocktail bar.
It also features a conservatory that overlooks the gardens and the tennis courts.
The grounds include a tennis court and pool. 
Stylemeisters David Kunde and David Graham retain Lindon Hall at Robertson which cost $5.5 million in 2008.
John Sharp, who retired from the parliament in 1998 after 14 years, is a keen aviator, having been a licensed pilot of both fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft.
He has been quite active in his highlands property dealings.
This article first appeared in The Daily Telegraph. 
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Former Nationals leader John Sharp the latest politician to buy in Southern Highlands

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Perth’s median house and unit prices were stable in March, with reiwa.com data showing both sectors of the housing market were holding up well.
REIWA President Hayden Groves said Perth’s median house price had increased 0.5% to $517,650 in March, while the median unit price had remain unchanged at $407,000.
“It’s pleasing that both house and unit prices are strengthening at the same time because it suggests one sector of the market hasn’t started to recover at the expense of the other.
“Unit prices in Perth are following the same trends we have observed in house prices, with March being the third month in a row the unit median has remained stable,” Mr Groves said.
The top performing sub-markets for median house price growth in March were South Perth/Victoria Park, Fremantle, Belmont, Vincent/Stirling SE and the Western Suburbs, while in the unit market Joondalup South, Cockburn, Stirling West, Bassendean/Bayswater and Stirling East were the stand-outs.
“Additionally, optimism among sellers appears to be returning with reiwa.com data for March showing listings for sale increased three% over the month.”
“Consumer sentiment in WA is currently the highest it’s been since mid-2013 when we were at the height of the resources boom."
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Perth house and unit medians stable in March

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Trends across the March quarter showed that capital city home values were 0.9% lower over the March quarter, while values across the regional markets tracked 1.1% higher.
Regional markets are now consistently outperforming the combined capitals, according to CoreLogic head of research Tim Lawless. 
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“The stronger combined regional markets performance continues a trend that began to emerge in October last year where regional housing markets showed an overall improvement in the pace of capital gains while the combined capitals trend softened,” Lawless said.
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Regional markets are now consistently outperforming the combined capitals

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Australia is ranked in the top third of countries in almost all indices measuring the best countries to retire, according to our analysis of nine separate ageing and retirement indices.
The problem is, experts contriving such indices can’t agree about which ingredients should be included and which are most important.
The flaw of averages
While composite ageing indices provide us with what appear as simple comparisons, the underlying methodologies are complex, prone to judgement, and can be tweaked to obtain certain results.
Using indicators that aggregate outcomes for the older population within a country also ignores differences between people within this population. Sub-indices by gender and more granular age-groups do exist, but one improvement could include an inequality adjustment based on outcomes by socioeconomic status or income.
What about just asking people about their life? Studies that compare differences in people’s own evaluations of life across countries show these are substantially explained by social and economic differences across countries. And when comparing individuals in high-income countries such as Australia and Britain, good physical and mental health appear most correlated with life satisfaction, while in middle-income countries like Indonesia, income is more important.
But that doesn’t differentiate by age. When the OECD asked older people across rich countries what mattered to them, they said that “health” and “environment” were most important while “civic engagement”, “community” and “income” domains were less so. By contrast, younger groups attributed less weight to “environment” and more to “income”.
Such indices usually involve scoring a country in several categories and combining these into a composite score and ranking. Done well, these can reveal how life in one location is better than another and in which categories it is lagging.
So what do existing indices suggest is important for older people’s well-being? And which countries come out on top?
Ingredients for a good old age
The ingredients used in an overall index differ, ranging from the employment rates of older people in each country, to their political participation, income, levels of exercise, and life expectancy.
These indicators and weights are often chosen subjectively by experts constructing each index. Some comparisons focus on current standards of living and comprise social, environmental, health, and economic indicators. These are probably more immediately relevant to people.
By contrast, indices that aim to measure the likely future for older people mostly comprise financial indicators and those that relate to retirement income system design, demography, and economic conditions. These are probably of greater concern for those thinking ahead about the impacts of population ageing.
Where to retire?
Despite the flaws with such comparisons, few people can help themselves. So how does your country rank?
European countries – particularly Nordic ones – are consistently highly ranked across ageing indices (see figure below). Such results reflect their high health outcomes, high incomes, generous social welfare, and comparatively well-designed retirement income systems. These are also countries that top the subjective happiness rankings.
Lower and middle-income countries receive lower rankings from the current well-being indices in which they feature. India and China, where there is low public provision for retirement, occupy high rankings among indices that emphasise fiscal sustainability over the quality of life of older people.
Australia is ranked in the top third of countries in almost all indices. It ranks particularly highly in the Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index, largely due to the design of its retirement income system.
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/91573/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">For what it’s worth, one could take an index of these indices to summarise. Such an index, call it the CEPAR meta-index of ageing, indeed shows Nordic countries taking the top three places, followed by Australia and the US, with the UK coming somewhere in the middle of 25 countries – apparently well ahead of places like France and Italy. Something to ponder when contemplating the good life in old age.
Rafal Chomik, Senior Research Fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research (CEPAR), UNSW
David Rodgers, PhD Student in Economics, UNSW
This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-is-one-of-the-worlds-best-places-to-retire-or-is-it-91573" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Is Australia really one of the world's best places to retire? 

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The retired restaurateur Margaret Hart and her retired developer husband Roger Hart have listed their Gardners Bay, Tasmania home with $1.9 million plus hopes. 
The SMP Architects-designed home sits on a 1.48 hectare lot overlooking the bay.
With three bedrooms and four bathrooms, the home is listed through Abi Freeman of Charlotte Peterswald.
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It combines steel beams and polished concrete floors with Tasmanian oak joinery and extensive north-easterly glazing to capitalise on the water views.
The master bedroom occupies the first floor and there’s a separate studio and workshop.
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Restaurateur Margaret Hart lists Gardners Bay, Tasmania trophy home

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The Lennox Parramatta, a mixed-use riverside development, will comprise 441 studio, one, two, three and four-bedroom residences.
Residences will range from 40 square metres to 206 square metres internally with prices starting at $495,000 to more than $3.5 million for the development’s opulent SkyVillas.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/project/the-lennox-parramatta-600016030" target="_blank">The project </a>also includes 5,500 square metres of retail and mixed-use space and eight levels of basement parking.
The tower’s slender reflective glass form has an expected construction completion date in late-2020. 
Located at the junction of the historic Lennox Bridge and Parramatta’s Church Street dining and shopping precinct, the $450 plus million project will rise 47 levels.
It is the result of a Project Development Agreement by the City of Parramatta and PCC DevCo1 Pty Ltd, with development management by EQ Projects. 
The design is by architects, Marchese Partners, with the styling by Lorena Gaxiola.  
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Lorena Gaxiola decor at The Lennox Parramatta with pricing from $495,000

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A large two storey house in Blackwater, a town in the significant coal mining area in Central Queensland, has been sold for $67,000.
It was sold at mortgagee auction by Jason Campbell from Blackwater Real Estate.
It previously sold at $275,000 in 2007, but now badly affected by termites.
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<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https:/www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-qld-blackwater-127722786" target="_blank">Situated on 4 Conachan St</a>, the house features three bedrooms upstairs, well-equipped kitchen, and two rumpus/utility rooms.
It comes with the fenced established yard, polished timber floors and four parking spaces. 
According to CoreLogic, the suburb's median house price sits on $88,750.
Campbell says the market is strengthening with plenty of sales occurring and demand for rentals and sale properties in demand.
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Mining town Blackwater three bedroom house sold by mortgagee

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Expert observer.
Unfortunately for the RBA, the health of the economy is not measured on the Geologic Time Scale
This week: Interest rates remain on hold as the RBA talks up employment growth, green shoots remain in manufacturing, and China strikes back in the Trump-led trade war.
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On Tuesday, the RBA left official interest rates unchanged at 1.50% for the 18th consecutive meeting, tying their all-time record. They will break that record next month when they do the same thing.
And the <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/media-releases/2018/mr-18-07" target="_blank">official statement</a> by governor Philip Lowe sounded like it came from a guy who had gone from crossing his fingers to crossing his toes as well. For example:
“The Australian economy grew by 2.4 per cent over 2017. The Bank’s central forecast remains for faster growth in 2018.”
Um, why? The same macro model that got 2017 wrong is now going to get 2018 right?
Or this one:
“The unemployment rate has declined over the past year, but has been steady at around 5½ per cent over the past six months. The various forward-looking indicators continue to point to solid growth in employment in the period ahead, with a further gradual reduction in the unemployment rate expected.”
But a few months ago, those same forward-looking indicators were saying the plateau in the unemployment rate wouldn’t happen.
And finally (but only because I have space constraints):
“Notwithstanding the improving labour market, wages growth remains low. This is likely to continue for a while yet, although the stronger economy should see some lift in wages growth over time.”
If “over time” is read analogous to “life in the Mesazoic Era evolved over time” then I suppose that may be right.
Unfortunately for the RBA, the health of the economy is not measured on the Geologic Time Scale. Stubbornly low inflation, persistently hopeless wage growth, and with the <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/mf/3101.0" target="_blank">Australian population growing at 1.6% p.a.</a>, that 2.4% GDP growth number looks pretty weak. The real question is whether the RBA is not cutting rates because it thinks monetary policy is ineffective at this level, or because it’s scared of fuelling (further fuelling?) a (the?) housing price bubble.
<a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/8731.0Main+Features1Feb%202018?OpenDocument" target="_blank">ABS data</a> released Wednesday showed a drop in building approvals in February. Total dwelling approvals were down 6.2%, driven by a 16.4% drop in apartments, compared to a 1.9% rise in houses. For the 12 months to February 2018, that puts the total down 3.1%, again driven by a large (14.8%) drop in apartments and a rise (6.1%) in houses.
This is all evidence that demand – often from offshore – has dried up in one important sector of the market: apartments. It is still too early to know what the fallout will be, but this is exactly the kind of pattern one sees in property markets when the music has stopped.
The Australian Industry Group’s <a href="https://www.aigroup.com.au/policy-and-research/economics/economicindicators/" target="_blank">Performance of Manufacturing Index</a>, released this week, hit a record high of 63.1 index points for March. Perhaps more importantly, the survey indicated that capacity utilisation was at a record high of 81.2%. This matters because it suggests stronger employment and wage growth in the sector.
On the other hand, manufacturing is about 6.5% of GDP, so even strong growth in the sector has a relatively modest overall effect. But, as they say in baseball, you can’t boo a home run.
US jobs figures continued to impress, with payroll processor ADP releasing figures Thursday Australian time that the economy added 241,000 jobs in March. The official figures from the BEA come out Friday US time, with market expectations at an addition of 185,000. So if the official figures line up with ADP, this will be further evidence of strong employment growth.
<h2>Trump trade war update</h2>
This week, China struck back, again. The Trump administration recently instituted roughly US$50 billion worth of tariffs on steel, cars, automotive and aircraft parts, consumer products like televisions, and other goods. Almost immediately, China responded with tariffs of a similar value on 106 types of American goods.
Those 106 types of goods include soybeans and others produced in the Trump heartland. This was a cleverly designed, targeted measure, designed to hurt Trump politically.
His response:
That reveals his mercantilist view of trade: that it’s a zero-sum game rather than something that increases the size of the economic pie and makes both countries better off. But hey, maybe he has a big reading backlog and isn’t up to 1817, when David Ricardo pointed this out with his theory of <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/comparativeadvantage.asp" target="_blank">“comparative advantage”</a>.
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/94405/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">Let’s hope it does, and President Trump gets the message that he needs to knock this off. All he is doing is making America poorer. And the game theory of it is worse. Tariffs beget tariffs.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/richard-holden-118107" target="_blank">Richard Holden</a>, Professor of Economics and PLuS Alliance Fellow, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-1414" target="_blank">UNSW</a>
This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/vital-signs-australias-stubborn-growth-problems-are-moving-at-a-geologic-pace-94405" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Australia’s stubborn growth problems are moving at a geologic pace: Richard Holden

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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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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