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Tahnee Barnes, who won the life-changing opportunity to work with leading eastern suburbs agent Bill Malouf in the LJ Hooker Million Dollar Intern program, has joined The Agency.
“Meeting Matt Lahood and hearing his plans for my future, and then joining Brad Gillespie and Irene Do, it was ideal,” she said after the new appointment.
Brad Gillespie and Irene Do have already sold over $20 million worth of residential property this year at an average sale price of $1,255,000.
Specialising in the inner city suburbs, from east to the west, Brad Gillespie claims a 25 per cent market share for house sales and the highest market share for apartment sales in Alexandria.
Gillespie has set numerous building and suburb records including:
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<li>Rosebery suburb record broken by $$1,030,000 at $3,350,000 in 2015 and equalled in 2017 – 8 Ripon Way (2015) and 21 Dalmeny Avenue (2017)</li>
<li>Alexandria suburb record for one bedroom house $1,110,000 – 192 Wyndham Street</li>
<li>Alexandria suburb record for a four bedroom house $2,650 ,000 – 266 Belmont Street</li>
<li>117 Wyndham Street building record $1,340,000 – 101/117 Wyndham St, Alexandria</li>
<li>The Atlas building record $1,420,000 – PG01/11 Power Avenue, Alexandria</li>
<li>Spectrum building record $1,640,000 – C15/147 McEvoy Street, Alexandria</li>
<li>125 Euston Road building record $1,255,000 – 17/125 Euston Road, Alexandria</li>
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 Gillespie and Do, who describe themselves as "quiet achievers", have been looking to expand their market share in the inner city region, with hiring Tahnee Barnes the first step towards this expansion. “Tahnee Barnes is one of the most passionate young agents I have met,” Brad Gillespie says.
“Tahnee is hungry to learn and being new to the industry, brings a fresh take on things.”
After a decade in the army, Tahnee Barnes won the opportunity to work <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tahnee_milliondollarintern/?hl=en" target="_blank">with leading eastern suburbs agent Bill Malouf</a> in the LJ Hooker Million Dollar Intern program late last year (below)
<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/2018/3/22/mal2.jpg" alt="">
“I am so lucky to have spent that time with Bill Malouf and we still catch up to this day,” she said.
Hailing from the ACT, Barnes previously worked in recruitment.
She beat nearly 200 hopefuls for the coveted three month internship.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Tahnee Barnes, the Million Dollar Intern, joins The Agency

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Perth’s vacancy rate has dropped to 5.3 per cent - the lowest since July 2015.
REIWA President Hayden Groves said Perth’s latest vacancy rate for January 2018 had improved significantly.
“It’s quite remarkable to see it this low considering seven months earlier Perth’s vacancy rate soared to 7.3 per cent – the highest we have ever experienced, and now it’s back at levels last seen in 2015.
“The vacancy rate is a good indicator for how the entire rental market is tracking, with reiwa.com data for February showing stable rent prices and declining listing levels. Leasing activity did drop off in February, however levels are still healthy and trending above long term averages,” Mr Groves said.
The reiwa.com vacancy rate is compiled using data obtained from a monthly survey of REIWA members.
The survey details how many rental properties members manage and how many of those are vacant.
Mr Groves said there were a number of factors that had contributed to lowering the vacancy rate, such as an increase in population growth and a reduction in average tenure time.
“Population growth in WA has started to improve. Rental markets always feel the effects of population trends, with new entrants into the state the first to soak up rental stock.
“Tenants are also moving more frequently. In 2014 for example, the average tenure time was 45 months, fast forward to 2017 and it’s now 34 months, which is almost a full year less. This has led to an increase in leasing activity which has driven demand for rentals and had a positive effect on the vacancy rate.
“Another contributing factor is the reduction in the number of new dwelling commencements across the Perth Metro area. This has played an important role in lowering the vacancy rate. With less new dwellings coming onto the market, existing rental stock is now being soaked up, which is why rental listings have declined 19 per cent over the last year.
“After a challenging few years for landlords and investors, it’s pleasing to see some parity return to the rental market, with tenants and landlords seeing benefits simultaneously,” Mr Groves said. 
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Perth vacancy rate lowest it’s been in more than two years

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Located 10 minutes south of the township of Broke, a three bedroom house with mountain views has been sold by mortgagees for $425,000.
It was sold by Michael Cruickshanks and Luke Papworth from LJ Hooker.
The Broke property had last sold for $255,000 in 1997.
Featuring a three bedroom split level home,<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-nsw-broke-127029850" target="_blank"> the 1015 Wollombi Road</a> home comes with large family/dining adjoining the kitchen, separate formal lounge room and huge lounge or games room.
There is also an inground pool, large farm shed and garage with workshop.
The suburb's median house price sits on $550,000 according to CoreLogic. 
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Broke three bedroom house sold by mortgagee

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Port Macquarie in New South Wales was the busiest individual suburb for auctions across the nation last weekend, with 25 residential homes set to go under the hammer.
A Port Macquaire four bedroom house, near Ascot Park, was listed for sale with a price guide of $790,000 - $840,000 (pictured below), but it was passed in price withheld by McGrath Estate Agents.
The block last sold in 2015 at $245,000.
There were approved building plans in 2016 costing $262,000.
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<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-port+macquarie-127617098" target="_blank">Situated at 42 Black Caviar Parade</a>, it features multiple living spaces, tiered theatre and swimming pool.
It comes with four double bedrooms, gourmet stone kitchen, and full study or possible fifth bedroom.
It is five minutes from schools and shops, and ten minutes to CBD and beaches.
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No sale on Black Caviar Parade, Port Macquarie 

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A Baulkham Hills four bedroom house in Sydney has been sold at the auction for $1.007 million (pictured below).
It was sold by Scott Dunger and Ash Singh.
The price guide had been $900,000 to $920,000.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-nsw-baulkham+hills-127603414">The 41 Brodie St home</a> comes with three bedrooms, living areas with easy flow between and separate dine-in kitchen.
Set on a 696sqm block, it features include outdoor BBQ area surrounded by the garden, carpet throughout and lock-up garage.
The house is positioned just minutes to Stockland Mall, multiple schools and nature reserves.
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Baulkham Hills house sold at $1 million

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Is there a case for revisiting the idea of new cities for Australia in the light of recent population projections and resurgent debate about the implications of a big Australia?
By big we’re talking in the order of <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/3222.0Main%20Features62012%20(base)%20to%202101?opendocument&amp;tabname=Summary&amp;prodno=3222.0&amp;issue=2012%20(base)%20to%202101&amp;num=&amp;view" target="_blank">another 12 million people by mid-century</a>. That’s said to be <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-12/australia-is-struggling-to-handle-its-swelling-population/9535116" target="_blank">equivalent to adding a Canberra every year</a> for the next 30 years. But, on business-as-usual projections, three-quarters of that growth will be accommodated in our four biggest cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/3222.0main+features72012%20(base)%20to%202101" target="_blank">According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics</a>, this could mean a Sydney of almost 9 million people and Melbourne of almost 10 million by just after 2050.
The last time the nation seriously confronted the reality of sustained and accelerated population growth was in the early 1970s. And there was a mood to do something decisive. In 1972 an Australian Institute of Urban Studies task force emphatically <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/9420956?selectedversion=NBD1633419" target="_blank">recommended</a>:
efficient and humane alternatives to overconcentrated growth … A massive new-cities program needs to be started NOW.
Benjamen Gussen’s proposal for a ‘charter city’ in the Pilbara stimulated this imaginary depiction (above). Justin Bolleter.
The Whitlam government obliged with a <a href="http://www.johncainfoundation.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/lyndsay-neilson-presentation.pdf" target="_blank">national growth centre program</a>. Undertaken jointly with the states, this produced some positive outcomes. These included an expanded Albury-Wodonga and systematic longer-term planning for Campbelltown in southwest Sydney and eventually Joondalup in northwest Perth. Admittedly there were some duds, such as the tri-city <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/11/29/1038386312281" target="_blank">Bathurst-Vittoria-Orange</a> and Monarto outside Adelaide, now a free-range zoo.
Funding and enthusiasm trailed off. This more or less reflected trends globally, certainly in the UK, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2002/may/15/communities.guardiansocietysupplement" target="_blank">heartland of new town thinking</a>, where the Commission for New Towns was abolished by 1998.
But <a href="http://www.newtowninstitute.org/spip.php?article420">Paris carried on</a> and even the private sector in the US developed new communities, <a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/howard/howard-magazine/ph-mg-ho-columbia-planned-cities-20170606-story" target="_blank">bringing innovation to the design process</a>. Other nations with high population growth, such as <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/wadeshepard/2017/12/12/why-hundreds-of-completely-new-cities-are-being-built-around-the-world/#4ad64fc514bf" target="_blank">China, maintained engagement</a>. Now even <a href="https://www.nic.org.uk/news/adonis-new-infrastructure-can-bring-first-new-towns-half-century-billions-national-economy/" target="_blank">Britain is returning</a> to <a href="http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN06867/SN06867.pdf" target="_blank">new-look garden cities as models of sustainable growth</a>.
<h2>So what’s going on in Australia?</h2>
If Australia had a fair dinkum national urban and population policy, then future patterns of national settlement would be firmly in its sights. But we don’t, and those <a href="https://theconversation.com/hopes-of-a-new-urban-age-survive-ministers-fall-52975" target="_blank">hopes of a new era</a> under Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull just haven’t ignited. Instead, we mostly have a scattershot of initiatives, incentives and deals on offer within an overall economistic rhetoric of smartness and value capture.
Infrastructure Australia’s recent report, <a href="http://infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/policy-publications/publications/files/future-cities/Future-Cities-Summary-Report-2018.pdf" target="_blank">Future Cities: Planning for our growing population</a>, is not much help. It concentrates on the largest cities only, and reiterates the conventional wisdom of their evolution towards higher-quality, higher-density cities.
It is worth asking why existing – and presumed inevitable – patterns of growth are the equivalent of a new city, but new urban places are not tabled as viable options.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/210047/original/file-20180313-30983-q1df03.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/210047/original/file-20180313-30983-q1df03.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
Australia created a new city for its capital and annual population growth is now being equated to ‘new Canberras’, so why not consider more new cities? <a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/aerial-view-canberra-city-center-1040423728?src=iwImnPPAC2OgKnPtvdHwYg-1-18" target="_blank">Yicai/Shutterstock</a>
There is nothing approaching a coherent vision of national urban system planning. This scale of thinking has largely dropped out of the policy realm. The rise of design-driven planning has brought many benefits in balancing public and private interest, but these are usually played out at the local scale.
Metropolitan planning strategies display more comprehensive thinking but are jurisdictionally constrained. They also inevitably converge on the same suite of aspirations – growth management, housing supply and affordability, employment, density, mixed-use activity centres and transit-oriented development. And, as we see in Melbourne, the progressive liberalisation of urban growth boundaries to allow greater expansion <a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-cities-and-their-metropolitan-plans-still-seem-to-be-parallel-universes-87603" target="_blank">misses opportunities for more radical rethinks</a>.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/all-the-signs-point-to-our-big-cities-need-for-democratic-metro-scale-governance-92417" target="_blank">Metropolitan governance is the order of the day</a>, without doubt, but what spatial framework does that sit in? The <a href="https://www.greater.sydney/" target="_blank">Greater Sydney Commission</a> is proving its worth in this direction and organising local authorities into a co-ordinated assemblage. But its strategy has almost nothing to say about the rest of the state.
There is no spatial state plan. Wollongong, Newcastle, the Central Coast (contributing over 200,000 daily return commuter trips into Sydney) and regional areas lie out of view.
Where state planning strategies do exist (such as Western Australia) these tend to be toothless and lacking in vision.
Since mid-2017 some bigger-picture thinking has surfaced in submissions and presentations to the House Standing Committee on Infrastructure, Transport and Cities, which is conducting a timely <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House/ITC/DevelopmentofCities" target="_blank">inquiry into the Australian government’s role in city development</a>. The message is that there are no quick fixes, single solutions or optimum city sizes. There is also an awareness that the path dependency of growth in metropolitan areas will ensure their continuing primacy.
The <a href="https://www.economicshelp.org/blog/glossary/agglomeration-economies/" target="_blank">agglomeration economies</a> favouring non-metropolitan locations are admitedly weaker but a strengthening narrative relates to the links between 21st-century transportation and settlement. <a href="https://theconversation.com/high-speed-rail-at-200-billion-wed-better-get-it-right-62541" target="_blank">High-speed rail</a> is not just an inter-city technological marvel but – done well to an integrated spatial plan – becomes a nation-building instrument for expanding key regional centres.
Think longer term, think big
Long-term thinking compels bigger vision. The 2013 book <a href="http://www.publish.csiro.au/book/7215/" target="_blank">Made in Australia</a> by Richard Weller and Julian Bolleter attempts this, by daring to imagine a future beyond the conventional wisdom of low-density spread and urban consolidation. Guided by ABS national population projections – <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/3222.0Main%20Features52012%20(base)%20to%202101?opendocument&amp;tabname=Summary&amp;prodno=3222.0&amp;issue=2012%20(base)%20to%202101&amp;num=&amp;view" target="_blank">70 million by 2101</a> – its sights are firmly <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.parksleisure.com.au/documents/item/2693" target="_blank">set on a whole new conception of megaregions and new cities</a>. Northern Australia, in particular, comes into view as a new urban frontier.
There are various scenarios to explore within a new city paradigm:
<ul>
<li>the polycentric city (think: Hunter to the Illawarra in NSW)</li>
<li>integrated planning for regional centres and expanded towns (a more targeted <a href="http://regional.gov.au/regional/programs/regional-growth-fund.aspx" target="_blank">Regional Growth Fund</a>)</li>
<li>regional satellites (network city regions focused on metropolitan cores)</li>
<li>upscaled master plan communities set within a regional vision (<a href="https://www.greaterspringfield.com.au/" target="_blank">Springfield</a>)</li>
<li>“new cities in cities” (<a href="https://theconversation.com/flying-into-uncertainty-western-sydneys-aerotropolis-poses-more-questions-than-answers-73682" target="_blank">Western Sydney aerotropolis</a>).</li>
</ul>
The contemporary new city idea cannot be a tired rerun of town and country planning policies from the past. These elevated post-war welfare-state British new towns as the benchmark and ignored their many shortcomings as urban environments.
The population tap is unlikely to be turned off even if politically leveraged downward. Humanitarian migration is also likely to grow. This means we need to have a debate that is not just about population size but also about its distribution.
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/92990/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">Australia is a post-colonial country built largely through relatively new, planned cities. We have a capital city famously built from scratch. Australians should be able to engage with a more nuanced evaluation of the role of new cities in delivering the desired triple bottom line of urban productivity, liveability and sustainability.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/robert-freestone-168551" target="_blank">Robert Freestone</a>, Professor of Planning, Faculty of Built Environment, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-1414" target="_blank">UNSW</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/elizabeth-taylor-97922" target="_blank">Elizabeth Taylor</a>, Vice Chancellor's Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063" target="_blank">RMIT University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/julian-bolleter-292111" target="_blank">Julian Bolleter</a>, Research Fellow, Australian Urban Design Research Centre, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-western-australia-1067" target="_blank">University of Western Australia</a>
This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/new-cities-its-an-idea-worth-thinking-about-for-australia-92990" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Should Australia be thinking about a new city?

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Property funds manager Clarence Property has further bolstered the portfolio of its unlisted Westlawn Property Trust (WPT), with the $12 million acquisition of a commercial and retail building in the heart of Brisbane's Hamilton.
The fully tenanted 9 Hercules Street Hamilton is Clarence Property's fourth WPT acquisition in the last 12 months, following the purchase of 201 Leichhardt Street Spring Hill for $14.272 million and 48 Bell-Aire Avenue Northgate for $8.475 million in October 2017.
The commercial precinct 183 Varsity Parade, Varsity Lakes, was secured for $11.8 million in March 2017, bringing the total value of WPT acquisitions over the past year to $46.5 million.
Clarence Property recently launched its latest capital raising for WPT.
It is forecasting a 7 per cent cash distribution to investors paid monthly.
WPT has not failed to pay a monthly distribution to unit holders since the Trust's inception in 1994.
Clarence Property managing director Peter Fahey says Hercules Street, located at the doorstep of Brisbane's renowned Portside Wharf precinct (below), offered solid returns and flexibility for further development in the future.
"The Brisbane city and fringe market remains highly competitive in the sub $15 million range, so finding an asset that wasn’t over rented with a WALE above 3.5 years was very attractive," he said.
"The site also has an approved unit development which offers flexibility in the future should we decide to develop when the time is right.
The Hercules Street property is a 2175sqm commercial precinct  currently home to Vystal Property Group, Exercise Sports Science Australia, Corporate Development Mentors and Medi Pro Capital Finance, plus cafe ll Capretto.
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The deal was negotiated by Colliers International agents Hunter Higgins and Sam Stubbings. 
Property investment fund manager Clarence Property launched its latest capital raising for its flagship unlisted Westlawn Property Trust on the back of its recently completed seventh offering - which closed over subscribed for $33 million.
WPT is forecasting an 8.6 per cent gross distribution including franking credits.
"Last year, WPT delivered an 18.6 per cent return to investors and has delivered an average return of 12.1 per cent per annum over the past three years, which is a commendable performance," Fahey said adding existing investors are mainly based in northern NSW and South East Queensland.
Many of them are expected to increase their stake in this latest capital raising.
He said there was an appeal to a wide range of investors who are principally seeking regular income, from small  self managed super funds right through to wholesale and sophisticated investors.
WPT was established in 1994 with 13 investors and one property.
It now boasts more than 1,000 investors and nearly $250 million of commercial property under management, together with a 500-lot, $200 million master-planned Epiq community under construction at Lennox Head.
The masterplanned Epiq has realised more than $65 million in land sales in the past two years, with releases two and three, comprising a total 160 lots, both selling out within 24 hours at ballot-style buyer events.
 
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Clarence Property launch latest capital raising for its flagship Westlawn Property Trust

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Footscray’s Spice ‘n’ Grocery premises has been sold at auction to a local private investor for $2.65 million.
More than 100 people turned up to watch four bidders contest for the 390sqm property at <a href="https://www.commercialrealestate.com.au/property/49-51-leeds-street-footscray-vic-3011-2014162599" target="_blank">49-51 Leeds Street.</a>
The bidding started at $1.7million.<a href="https://www.commercialrealestate.com.au/property/49-51-leeds-street-footscray-vic-3011-2014162599" target="_blank"></a>
Savills Australia’s Julian Heatherich and Mark Stafford brokered the deal in conjunction with Trimson Partners’ John Verduci and Philip Mazzella.
“Selling for 47 per cent above reserve, this was a particularly hotly contested auction, demonstrating the burgeoning demand for retail assets in Melbourne’s inner-west,” Mr Heatherich said.
“The 2.21 per cent yield also highlights buyer appetite.”
Heatherich said the buyer recognised the value of the current six-year lease, which is returning $58,710sqm.
Stafford said the property presented “significant future upside” based on its Activity Centre zoning and location beside the Footscray Market and 100 metres from the train station.
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Savills secures the sale of Footscray's Spice 'n' Grocery 

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Stockland has confirmed the imminent arrival of global, fashion retailer, H&amp;M to Stockland Green Hills, opening in the Maitland district in May.
The new 2,300 square metre store will be set over two levels, located within the centres new fashion mall.
The store will offer the full H&amp;M offering, with apparel, underwear and accessories for Men, Women, Kids and Baby as well as H&amp;M Home. 
John Schroder, Stockland Group Executive and CEO Commercial Property said the opening of H&amp;M will follow Stockland’s $414 million transformation of the shopping centre into the premier lifestyle, fashion, entertainment, health and dining destination for the region.
The grand opening of Stockland Green Hills on March 22 will also see the opening of Mecca Maxima, Seed, Decjuba, Tigerlily, Bonds, Harris Scarfe and first new format David Jones store in the Hunter - taking the centre to around 74,000 square metres.
H&amp;M at Stockland Green Hills will be Stockland’s fourth store for the portfolio, following the opening of H&amp;M’s Sydney flagship store at Glasshouse on Pitt Street Mall in 2015 and last year’s openings at Stockland Townsville and Stockland Rockhampton. 
H&amp;M now has 26 stores across Australia and more than 4,700 stores globally.
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H&M to open at Stockland Green Hills 

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Big W has left Broken Hill following closure of its store in Westside Plaza, owned by the shopping centre Sentinel Property Group.
Its managing director Warren Ebert said Sentinel had offered numerous solutions to Big W but the retailer decided not to take up an option to extend its long standing lease. 
“We offered to reduce their rent, decrease their space and numerous other solutions but they just didn’t want to talk to us.
“Big W has gone and left the regional centre of Broken Hill in the lurch with its decision to close its store.”
Mr Ebert said Sentinel has received significant interest from other national retailers in taking over the space.
Westside Plaza is part of the Sentinel Countrywide Retail Trust, having cost $33.7 million in 2015. Acting on behalf of Federation Centres, Steven Lerche, Rino Carpinelli and Peter Isaksson of Savills Retail Investment Sales sold the centre following a national expressions of interest campaign to Sentinel.
Westside Plaza in Broken Hill was Sentinel's second sub-regional shopping centre purchase.
It features a total lettable area of 17,400sqm. It had a 98% occupancy rate on acquisition dominated by national tenants including Woolworths, Big W, Dick Smith, Best &amp; Less, Priceline, Prouds, NAB, McDonalds
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Big W quits Sentinel's Broken Hill property

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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