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The Inner South West region of Sydney had the highest auction clearance rate on the weekend, according to CoreLogic’s latest report.
The property data firm says that out of the 100 auctions in the Inner South West 88% resulted in a successful outcome.
This is followed by the City and Inner South with 83.8% and Ryde with 83.3%.
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The Central Coast had the lowest auction clearance rate with only 44.4% of its 18 auctions cleared.
 
A four bedroom house at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-nsw-croydon+park-125135658">22 Waratah Street</a>, Croydon Park (above) was sold on the weekend for $1.72 million.
Similarly a four bedroom house at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-nsw-ashbury-125104114">10 Trevenar Street</a>, Ashbury (below) was sold on the weekend for $1,717,500.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Inner South West Sydney region scores 88% weekend auction success: CoreLogic

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The North East region of Melbourne had the highest auction clearance rate on the weekend, according to CoreLogic’s latest report.
The property data firm says that out of the 138 auctions in the North East 88.4% resulted in a successful outcome.
This is followed by North West and Outer East with 82.9% and the Mornington Peninsula with 82.6%.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/05/01/Screen%20Shot%202017-05-01%20at%2011.38.26%20am.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
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The Inner region had the lowest auction clearance rate with only 75.1% of its 201 auctions cleared.
A three bedroom house at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-vic-preston-125058290">88 May Street</a>, Preston (above) was sold in the weekend for $1.33 million.
Similarly a five bedroom house at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-vic-greensborough-125160310">48 Killarney Ridge</a>, Greensborough (below) was sold in the weekend for $1.1 million.
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North East Melbourne scores 88% weekend auction clearance rate: CoreLogic

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Wollongong had the highest auction clearance rate in the regions for the weekend, according to CoreLogic’s latest report.
The property data firm says that out of the 38 auctions in Wollongong 79% resulted in a successful outcome.
This was followed by Geelong with 75% and Sunshine Coast with 54.6%.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/05/01/Screen%20Shot%202017-05-01%20at%2011.38.34%20am.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
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The Hunter region had the lowest auction clearance rate with only 46.2% of its 26 auctions cleared.
A two bedroom house at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-vic-geelong+west-125152362">27 Collins Street</a>, Geelong West (above) was sold on the weekend for $687,500.
Similarly a three bedroom house at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-vic-newtown-125143094">20 Elderslie Terrace</a>, Newtown (below) was sold on the weekend for $640,000.
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Geelong scores second-highest weekend auction clearance rate for regions: CoreLogic

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Raine &amp; Horne Rural Sydney has finalised a joint venture with aviation firm Fleet Helicopters to help transport its high-net worth clients and investment fund managers to property inspections across Australia.
Andrew Tout, director of Raine &amp; Horne Rural Sydney said some clients manage investment funds worth more than $60 billion and they want to see as many agricultural assets as possible.
“The joint venture with Fleet Helicopters, which has a fleet of 39 choppers, is proving a game changer for our time-poor clients," he said.
“Our clients are private entities and maintaining their confidentiality is paramount."
 
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Raine & Horne Rural Sydney finalises joint venture with Fleet Helicopters

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Dwelling value growth was flat in Sydney over April with Melbourne values up 0.5 percent over the month according to CoreLogic's Hedonic Home Value Index for April
Tim Lawless, head of CoreLogic research said the moderation in growth was due largely to a slightly negative April result in Australia’s largest capital city housing market, Sydney, where dwelling values were broadly flat (rounded up from - 0.04 percent) over the month. 
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"The result for Melbourne was also lower than previous months of 2017, with dwelling values up 0.5 percent over the month,” he said.
"Dwelling values increased by 0.1 percent across the combined capital cities in April, with housing market conditions slowing in both Sydney and Melbourne.
"The softer results across Australia’s two largest capital cities comes after dramatic capital gains were recorded over the second half of 2016 and the first three months of 2017.
"Between July 2016 and the end of March 2017, Sydney dwelling values surged 11.3 percent, whilst Melbourne values increased slightly more at 12.6 percent in the same period.
"The April results mark the weakest monthly change in dwelling values across the Sydney market since December 2015, when CoreLogic reported a 1.2 percent fall in Sydney dwelling values; the soft reading comes after dwelling values have risen by 75.1 percent over the past five years, an annual rate of growth of 15 percent over this period.
"Most other capital cities also recorded softer growth conditions in April than for the first three months of 2017.
The trends generally remain positive, with quarterly growth of 2.9 percent across the combined capitals index.
"Based on the rolling quarterly change in dwelling values, the strongest housing market is currently in Hobart, where home values have risen 5.1 percent over the past three months.
"Hobart’s housing market has staged a solid improvement over the past two years and is now the third best performing capital city on an annual basis, with dwelling values moving almost 14 percent higher over the past twelve months alone.
“We need to be cautious in calling a peak in the market after only one month of soft results.
“April, in particular, coincides with seasonal factors including Easter, school holidays and ANZAC day long weekend.
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"The softer results should also be viewed against a backdrop of an ever evolving regulatory landscape s which is firmly aimed at slowing investment and interest-only mortgage lending. Testament to this is mortgage rates which have been edging higher, particularly for investors and interest-only loans, as well as rental yields which have been hovering around record lows. The higher cost of debt, as well as stricter lending and servicing criteria, has likely dented investment demand over recent months.” 
“In a city like Sydney, where more than 50 percent of new mortgage demand has been from investors, a tighter lending environment for investment purposes has the potential to impact housing demand more than other cities."
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Melbourne makes move on Sydney's top price growth mantle: CoreLogic

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Serial renovators Dea and Darren Jolly, stars of two series of Channel 9 show, The Block, are back at it again.
They picked up the keys on Thursday to a charming unrenovated Sorrento cottage on Melbourne's pricey Mornington Peninsula coastal playground.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/05/01/Screen%20Shot%202017-05-01%20at%2012.46.05%20PM.png" alt="">
It sold for $1.8 million through Sotheby's International agents Rob Curtain and Danielle Vains.
Dea's instragram has been peppered veiled references to the beach house acquisition including plans by Jane Merrylees, her architect, showing the proposed day bed on the verandah that looks out towards Port Phillip Bay with just a glimse of blue waters.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/05/01/Screen%20Shot%202017-05-01%20at%2012.46.48%20PM.png" alt="">
The character-filled 1900 four bedroom residence boasts an array of traditional features including a wrap-around porch, impressive 3.5m-high ceilings, fretwork, sash windows and more. There are two original fireplaces one in the lounge room and another in the kitchen.
"There is enormous potential to renovate and create a truly exceptional period home or rebuild to capture stunning water views from across the road," the marketing suggested with it just moments from the sand and bay trail track.
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The purchase comes six months after they pocketed a nice gain from the sale of their Kew East rebuild with $2.908 million.  
They'd spent a year and about $1 million rebuilding their 1920s Kew East California bungalow after purchasing it in a rundown state for $1.395 million in June last year.
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The renovation landed the Jollys in court with the couple’s building and design company DJJ Promotions placed, without conviction, on a two-year good behaviour bond by the Melbourne Magistrates Court.
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Dea and Dazza's acquisition is a side show to the main event, when the latest series in Elsternwick start filming this week.
Much like the former Swans and Pies ruckman Darren, Aussie model Elyse Knowles is understood to have been enlisted as a celebrity contender for the new season.
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Sydney Confidential understands Elyse will be renovating with her partner Josh Barker, however the couple won't be holed up with the other contestants for the full two months of filming at the Melbourne job site.
After several seasons of renovations in apartment blocks, the series will involve restoring houses that have been relocated to the suburban street. 
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The holding was once set to become a school, but neighbours including comedian Gina Riley, famous for Kath and Kim, campaigned against it.
Five time winner Sydney auctioneer Damien Cooley hasn't been signed up quite yet for the auctions later this year.
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Channel 9 will then be staying in Melbourne for its 2018 series too having purchased the infamous Gatwick Hotel on the seedy Fitzroy Street, St Kilda strip.
The Spanish Mission 64 room hotel cost around $15 million with the Block in the process of relocating its permanent occupants.
This article first appeared in the Daily Telegraph.
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The Block's Dea and Darren Jolly buy in Sorrento

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A beachfront esplanade terrace at Middle Park was the nation's top sale of a weekend auction listing at $5 million plus.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-middle+park-125172066" target="_blank">The Beaconsfield Parade terrace</a> - formerly owned by Collingwood player now Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley - sold shortly after being passed in without bid.
Its subsequent sale - at an undisclosed price - matched expectations held by Cayzer agent Michael Szulc for the three bedroom modernised terrace.
It was sold by Buckley for $3.6 million in 2007 when the now Collingwood coach and his wife Tania moved to their $3.93 million Toorak home.
It had traded at $1.38 million in 2001.
 
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Middle Park terrace sold for $5 million plus

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A beachfront esplanade terrace at Middle Park was the nation's top sale of a weekend auction listing at $5 million plus.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-middle+park-125172066" target="_blank">The Beaconsfield Parade terrace</a> (above) - formerly owned by Collingwood player Nathan Buckley - sold shortly after being passed in without bid.
Its subsequent sale - at an undisclosed price - matched expectations held by Cayzer agent Michael Szulc for the three bedroom modernised terrace.
It was sold by Buckley for $3.6 million in 2007 when the now Collingwood coach and his wife Tania moved to their $3.93 million Toorak home.
It had traded at $1.38 million in 2001.
The weekend's big sale came Friday night when after three years of marketing $70 million was paid for the Double Bay harbourfront, Elaine.
After 126 years of ownership by the Fairfax media dynasty, it was bought by software tech billionaire Scott Farquhar.
The combined national capital city preliminary clearance rate bounced back to sit at 76.9 percent this weekend, increasing from last weekend, when final results saw the clearance rate fall to 69.8 percent after 10 consecutive weeks remaining in the mid-70 percent range.
The rebound in the preliminary clearance rate has occurred against a backdrop of higher auction volumes, with 2,347 properties taken to auction across the combined capital cities, up from last week’s 1,751, however lower than one year ago (2,675) given fewer auction offering in most of the capital cities.
Kevin Brogan, auction analyst at CoreLogic said the higher clearance rate and increase in volumes this week were attributable to stronger results across the two larger auction markets of Melbourne and Sydney, with performance across the remaining capitals remaining varied over the week.
Across Melbourne, 79.9 percent of the 1,087 reported auctions sold.
There were 1,232 auctions held, rising from 828 last weekend when the final auction clearance rate was 75.2 percent.
The inner region of Melbourne had a preliminary clearance rate of 75.1 percent with the strongest results at the North East region and North West region, with 88.4 percent and 82.9 percent of auctions clearing respectively. 
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The creative duo, Round the Twist creator Paul Jennings and his actor partner Mary-Anne Fahey secured the pre-auction sale of their St Kilda pad. 
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<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-vic-st+kilda-125096482" target="_blank">The four-bedroom Acland Street semi </a>(above) sold for an undisclosed sum between its $1.9 million to $2.09 million price guidance through Whitefox agent Brad Ward.
It traded at $1.55 million in 2013 when bought by the couple who are spending the majority of their time in Warrnambool.
Jennings has sold more than 8.9 million books, including The Cabbage Patch Fib while Fahey is best known for her The Comedy Company character Kylie Mole.
The retired North Melbourne defender Michael Firrito and wife Bonnie, who are upsizing, sold in Ascot Vale.
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<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-ascot+vale-125093838" target="_blank">The four bedroom Kent Street semi</a> (above) fetched $1,316,500 through AlexKarbon agent Charles Bongiovanni who advised The Herald Sun that the reserve was about $1.28 million. It was bought in 2011 at $760,000.
In Sydney, 804 properties were taken to auction with a preliminary clearance rate of 78.4 percent, increasing from last weekend when the final clearance rate for the city was 72.4 percent, across 596 auctions.
One year ago, 818 Sydney homes were taken to auction and the clearance rate was 71.7 percent. 
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A Strathfield offering saw the inner west suburb top the Sydney auction results for consecutive weekends. <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-strathfield-125101794" target="_blank">The $4.75 million Newton Road Strathfield sale</a> (above) was just six kms away from Sydney's cheapest, when <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-studio-nsw-ashfield-125151206" target="_blank">an Ashfield studio apartment</a> (below) sold pre-auction at $295,000. The $305 a week Ashfield rental last sold in 1995 at $65,000.
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The eastern suburbs region, where 40 results have been reported so far, saw a 75 percent preliminary clearance rate.
The strongest regions were the Inner South West at 88 percent and Baulkham Hills and Hawkesbury at 84.2 percent. 
Brisbane was host to 124 auctions this week and so far 87 results have been reported, with 56.3 percent sold. A $990,000 sale was its top reported result when a three bedroom Coorparoo house sold. There were many prices withheld from publication.
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The $990,000 top sale was<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-coorparoo-125145146" target="_blank"> a bungalow</a> (above) last sold in 1949.
Last weekend, Brisbane auction volumes across the city were higher with 134 auctions held across the city and a 44.3 percent clearance rate recorded. 
This week, Adelaide saw a preliminary clearance rate of 65.4 percent, with 52 reported results across a total of 82 scheduled auctions. Over the previous week Adelaide’s clearance rate was 58.2 percent and 61 percent one year ago. 
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Adelaide has the nation's cheapest result when <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-sa-salisbury+east-125139414" target="_blank">a three bedroom 1970s Andrew Avenue, Salisbury East brick home </a>(above) sold for $253,000. It last sold at $80,000 in 1995. The price guidance had been $210,000 plus through Harcourts Brock Williams.
In Perth, 33 auctions took place, with Perth’s preliminary clearance rate of 53.8 percent across the 13 reported results. 
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Canberra’s preliminary auction clearance rate of 67.9 percent was lower than the 69.4 percent recorded last weekend. Evatt was the busiest suburb with three results including <a href="https://www.domain.com.au/16-60-copland-drive-evatt-act-2617-2013506730" target="_blank">a $490,000 three bedroom 1995 townhouse</a> (above) which last sold at $392,500 in 2011.
Tasmania saw 10 auctions take place and with nine results have been reported so far, there have been six sales.
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Beachfront Middle Park terrace nation's top weekend sale

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The former centrepiece of Nathan Tinkler's Hunter Valley horse breeding empire is back on the market.
With cattle now grazing in paddocks, it has been on and off the market since 2014, when a mooted $120 million sale to Middle East interests collapsed.
More recently a Sutherland Shire family came close to buying.  
The Patinack horse breeding and racing empire was a dream venture of the former coal baron, funded in his desperate last days by the retailer Gerry Harvey who has yet to secure the full debt being repaid. 
Harvey holds first mortgages over the land which liquidators have set a May 4 offer deadline through MacCallum Inglis agent Michael Burke. 
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Tinkler's Hunter Valley horse stud listed

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A house made entirely from basalt stone at Blackheath has been listed for sale.
Located at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-blackheath-125098798" target="_blank">80 Hargraves Street</a>, the property is surrounded by World Heritage National Park.
It features a main living room with an open fire place and rock chimney as well as Tasmanian oak floors and matching panelled ceilings.
A spacious main bedroom includes a sitting room with three additional bedrooms available on the property.
<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/2017/04/11/80%20Hargraves%20Street-2.jpg" alt="">
The entertainer’s kitchen adjoins with the dining and second living area.
There is an established and low maintenance cold climate gardens along with a garden studio.
Other feature includes a double garage or games room also made out of stone construction.
The property is offered through Ray White agent Katrina Allport.
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Blackheath stone house listed for sale

Apartment buyers in New South Wales are set to gain a decade of insurance-backed protection against major building defects, after the NSW Parliament passed the Fair Trading and Building Legislation Amendment Bill 2026.&nbsp;

The Bill establishes decennial defect insurance, known in the market as Latent Defects Insurance (LDI), as an alternative to the existing two-year strata building bond. It cleared the Legislative Council with amendments on Tuesday evening (August 4, 2026), with the Legislative Assembly agreeing to those amendments shortly after.

Under the reform, eligible developers can satisfy their statutory bond obligation by taking out an approved decennial-style policy that gives owners 10 years of cover for major structural defects from completion, claimable directly, without first having to pursue developers or builders through costly legal action.&nbsp;

The change forms the final tranche of amendments arising from the 2021 statutory review of the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 and related legislation.

Resilience Insurance, which originated the cover in Australia and has delivered it in NSW since 2022, welcomed the passage and credited the NSW Government for delivering it.

“This is protection apartment buyers have needed for a long time, and the credit for delivering it belongs to the NSW Government,”&nbsp;said Corey Nugent, CEO of Resilience Insurance.

“Minister Chanthivong and his team have shown real leadership in replacing an outdated two-year bond with cover that matches the lifespan of the buildings people are buying into. Reform like this is what good, evidence-based regulation looks like.”

Resilience has delivered LDI in NSW since 2022, protecting thousands of apartments, giving the State, and now the country, real-world evidence of how decade-long, no-fault protection works in practice.

The reform also places NSW within a wider national shift.

NSW is the third jurisdiction to put decennial cover into law. The ACT legislated for it in 2024, with the scheme taking effect in late 2025, and Victoria passed its own framework on 17 June. Between them, the three cover the majority of Australia's apartment market.

The reform commences once the legislation is proclaimed, which is expected in the coming weeks. From that point, developers of Class 2 residential apartment buildings can meet their statutory obligation with an approved decennial policy in place of the bond.

Buyers who purchased into projects that took out the cover early are among the first in the country to take keys to apartments carrying decade-long structural protection.

“With the legislation passed, the focus now turns to making it work for buyers,”&nbsp;Nugent said.

“There are already thousands of apartments in NSW covered by this insurance, bought by developers who moved early. The question every buyer should be asking in a display suite is a simple one: does this building come with 10-year defect cover, and who stands behind it?&nbsp;

“We look forward to working with the Government and the Building Commission in coming weeks as the framework moves to implementation, and to sharing what we have learned over the past four years so the protection reaches owners as smoothly and quickly as possible.”

Other states are working through their own reform programs. Western Australia has indicated that decennial cover is within consideration a later stage of its reform sequence, and Queensland has been examining the settings as it looks at the development pipeline ahead of the 2032 Olympics.

Resilience Insurance acknowledges the NSW Government’s continued focus on strengthening consumer protection while supporting housing delivery across the State.

Fast Facts: What the reform means

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	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">Proven at scale:&nbsp;Decennial cover has operated in NSW since 2022, protecting thousand of apartments.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">10 years of cover:&nbsp;Protection for major structural defects runs for a decade from completion, claimable directly and with no legal action required.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">An alternative to the bond:&nbsp;Eligible developers can meet their statutory obligation with an approved decennial-style policy in place of the 2% strata building bond.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">Part of a national shift:&nbsp;The ACT has had decennial provisions in force since 2025 and Victoria passed its framework in June. NSW now joins them.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">No-fault, first resort:&nbsp;Owners corporations claim directly from the insurer without first having to establish who is liable for the defect.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">Cost-competitive:&nbsp;At approximately 1.8% of build cost, LDI is typically priced below the 2% bond while offering broader, longer protection.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">Market position:&nbsp;Resilience originated LDI in Australia and has delivered it in NSW since 2022.</li>
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Fast Facts: What is Resilience LDI?

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	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">Resilience Latent Defects Insurance (LDI):&nbsp;Covers major structural defects for 10 years from completion.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">Consumer-first:&nbsp;Direct claim access, no need for lengthy legal action.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">Cost advantage:&nbsp;At approximately 1.8% of build cost, LDI is typically priced below the traditional 2% Strata Bond while offering broader protection.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">Market leader:&nbsp;&nbsp;Resilience Insurance originated LDI in Australia and is the national market leader.</li>
</ul>

Joel Robinson

NSW parliament passes 10-year defect insurance laws for new apartment buyers

Developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/drew-group">Drew Group</a> is wasting little time following the completion of Lagoon Main Beach, lodging plans for another high-rise apartment development less than two kilometres away at the northern end of Surfers Paradise.

Drew Group, led by local developer Jon Drew, is pitching for a 32-storey residential tower at 180–184 Ferny Avenue, replacing three low-rise buildings on a prominent 1,055 sqm corner site just 150 metres from the beach.

Drew called on architecture firm&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/bda-architecture">BDA</a>&nbsp;to design the new slender tower, which will have 130 apartments. BDA drew on the inspiration of legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright's philosophy of organic architecture, which seeks "a superior sense of use and a finer sense of comfort, expressed in organic simplicity."

"The design creates a seamless dialogue between built form, natural elements, and the iconic Surfers Paradise context," BDA wrote in the application recently submitted to the Gold Coast City Council.<img alt="First look: Drew Group eyes next Gold Coast tower after completing Lagoon Main Beach" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5dcaa84d-67ba-4e22-b8f1-208ca5056b05" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/surfers%20paradise%20da.png?VersionId=Ah9oBOlL0ofC5eboXSI.dEq9VRfEnFaT" />

BDA also drew inspiration from New York's iconic Flatiron Building, with softened curved corners responding to the geometry of the triangular site. While referencing the 1902 Manhattan landmark, the design reinterprets its distinctive form through a contemporary coastal lens.

Drew is targeting the Gold Coast's "missing middle" market, a segment that has arguably been underserved in recent years. The project is weighted towards owner-occupiers, with 104 two-bedroom apartments complemented by a further 26 one-bedroom residences.

Resident amenity will be centred on the level five podium, featuring a resident lounge, gym, yoga room, steam room, sauna, lap pool with a lagoon area, spa, cold plunge and magnesium plunge.&nbsp;

Additional resident facilities will occupy the rooftop, including work-from-home spaces, a meeting room, resident lounge with a full kitchen, bar and dining area, as well as a dedicated wellness zone with additional plunge pools, steam rooms and saunas.

<img alt="First look: Drew Group eyes next Gold Coast tower after completing Lagoon Main Beach" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a1392ad9-620b-41f9-957d-b1fcec13613f" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/surfers%20da%20podium.png?VersionId=9kDudIwvCaZFW6F8IyXGP6wQg0B_VS3E" />

The application follows the completion of Drew Group's Lagoon Main Beach, which only has around four apartments left to sell after a successful sales and marketing campaign.

Built by Hutchinson Builders, Lagoon comprises 248 apartments and was popular with local owner-occupiers and interstate buyers.

First look: Drew Group eyes next Gold Coast tower after completing Lagoon Main Beach

Builder-developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/mcnab-developments">McNab</a> has wasted little time reshaping one of South Brisbane's most significant undeveloped apartment sites after acquiring the property earlier this year.&nbsp;

McNab has lodged plans to scrap an existing approval for two 30-storey towers and instead deliver a single 28-storey residential building, preserving part of the site for a future development opportunity.

The proposal, lodged over <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/64-peel-street-south-brisbane-qld-4101">64 Peel Street and 9 Cordelia Street</a>, is for a residential-led mixed-use development comprising 124 apartments above a landscaped podium, alongside a boundary realignment that preserves part of the land for a future residential project.

<img alt="First look: McNab resets decade-old South Brisbane approval with 124-apartment tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="743bf564-3f8f-45fc-b8d3-bbf18f5b628f" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/mcnab%20Peel%20st%20podium.png?VersionId=EhCxGrVn_VFH3qTbKnI4WppGwaMnOn0t" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/hayball">Hayball</a>, the development will deliver 119 two-bedroom and five three-bedroom apartments across 23 residential levels. A five-level podium will accommodate 135 car spaces, while the ground floor will include a 66 sqm commercial tenancy, an activated residential lobby with work-from-home spaces, and a publicly accessible landscaped plaza linking Cordelia and Peel streets.&nbsp;

Communal amenities will span Level 6 and the rooftop, including indoor and outdoor recreation spaces, a swimming pool, barbecue facilities, kitchen and dining areas, lawn space, sauna, steam room and yoga facilities.

The application also proposes a boundary realignment to create a standalone 1,290 sqm development lot while retaining an adjacent parcel for future redevelopment, allowing the balance of the site to contribute additional housing over time.

Hayball said the architecture has been shaped by the site's elevated corner position at the intersection of Peel and Cordelia streets and Brisbane's subtropical climate.

The design incorporates generous landscaped setbacks, a masonry podium wrapped with planting, large north-facing balconies, and a slender tower profile intended to maximise natural light, cross ventilation and long-range views. The rooftop has been conceived as a wellness-focused retreat overlooking Brisbane, with amenities positioned to capture views towards Mount Coot-tha and the CBD.

<img alt="First look: McNab resets decade-old South Brisbane approval with 124-apartment tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c5f99e84-6ad8-4a87-82d1-869685b754d2" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/mcnab%20tower%20perspective.png?VersionId=Gw0IuJaSAlk.tvGBxInhZOcQAdIB..2b" />

The planning submission positions the proposal as a response to both changing market conditions and Brisbane's Kurilpa Sustainable Growth Precinct planning reforms.

McNab acquired the site after the previous approval was granted, with the existing scheme no longer reflecting current residential market demands, economic conditions, construction challenges, construction efficiencies or the quality of development outcome now being pursued, the planning report noted.

McNab continues to expand its residential development pipeline across Brisbane and the Gold Coast. The developer recently launched The Tannery in West End, securing more than 60 per cent of apartments before the project's public release. It is also delivering Elements Budds Beach in Surfers Paradise and Lucia Highgate Hill, an eight-apartment boutique development overlooking the Brisbane River.

McNab resets decade-old South Brisbane approval with 124-apartment tower

A steeply sloping Bellevue Hill site is set to accommodate a new mid-rise apartment development, with plans lodged for 20 homes that respond to the site's dramatic topography.

The proposal for the consolidated land at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/138a-140-bellevue-road-bellevue-hill-nsw-2023">138A-140 Bellevue Road</a> has been designed by Sydney architecture practice Common Office, which has used the site’s substantial fall to distribute the building’s scale and unlock 20 apartments without presenting the full height to the street.&nbsp;

“The unique design strategy leverages the site’s substantial topographical fall to facilitate increased density, presenting a seven-storey profile to Bellevue Road while rising to 10 storeys at the rear,” Common Office said in its architectural design report.

The apartment mix spans one, two, three- and four-bedroom residences. Four two-bedroom apartments are designated as affordable housing, while the plans also include two adaptable dwellings. The mix is majority three-beds, with the typical three-bed apartment offering around 144 sqm internally, with balconies of around 15 sqm.

The affordable housing component represents 15 per cent of the residential floor area and allows the project to access additional height and floor space under the NSW Government’s in-fill affordable housing provisions. The site also falls within the inner area of the Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy because it is within 400 metres walking distance of Double Bay Town Centre.

<img alt="First Look: Plans lodged for topography-led affordable housing project in Bellevue Hill" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b1230d0f-3bfa-4a11-abaf-0928c66ef345" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Bellevue%20da.png?VersionId=dZeMK3P.OutGjN8ycjsxm8uNsj_QFWQv" />

Common Office has arranged the building around a masonry podium and a lighter upper volume, drawing on two recurring elements of Bellevue Hill’s established architecture: sandstone bases and the vertical proportions of local Inter-war Art Deco apartment buildings.

“The proposal is governed by a holistic design language that reconciles the solid horizontal masonry of the neighbourhood’s podiums with the elegant verticality of its Art Deco heritage,” the architect said.

“The building maintains a consistent rhythmic logic utilising deep recesses and a sophisticated material transition to break down the 10-storey scale into a series of articulated, human-scale volumes.”

<img alt="First Look: Plans lodged for topography-led affordable housing project in Bellevue Hill" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0147f503-1af1-4d51-97fb-c2f1cba63a9d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Bellevue%20bldg.png?VersionId=GoW7q3NlK67OpnePXhk7zvklrlKb72Qc" />

Large-format sandstone tiles will define the lower levels, establishing a robust base that negotiates the change in elevation from Bellevue Road. Above, red-tinted precast concrete frames, recessed balconies, anodised aluminium screens and expanded metal details will create a more vertically expressed façade. Integrated planter beds will introduce greenery across balcony edges and recessed sections of the building.

The elongated northern façade has been divided into three recessed vertical masses to reduce its perceived length. Triangular window elements and metal privacy screens reference the geometry of nearby Art Deco buildings while controlling overlooking toward surrounding homes. The southern elevation will incorporate further privacy screening, landscaped edges and deep balconies to maintain light and ventilation.

<img alt="First Look: Plans lodged for topography-led affordable housing project in Bellevue Hill" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e8679cf1-18bc-4447-8a0f-0052b94ab83c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Bellevue%20da%20rooftop.png?VersionId=5SQqQqRFf76rvE2p1TbxJSweMN70AIbc" />

Private and communal landscaping is distributed throughout the development. A landscaped garden apartment is positioned within the lower portion of the site, while a communal terrace on Level 5 will include a central timber deck, barbecue facilities, resident planting plots and areas for outdoor dining and informal gatherings.

Common Office described the terrace as an elevated sanctuary designed to capture district views and sunlight. Its planting strategy incorporates endemic species associated with the Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub, extending the landscape vertically through the building and providing habitat for local flora and fauna.

A second communal outdoor area is proposed at roof level, with built-in seating, paved gathering areas and perimeter planting.

Bellevue Hill is enjoying renewed momentum in the new apartment market, with several boutique developments recently launched and currently under construction. Positive Investment Enterprise is delivering the 16-apartment Kew Palm House on Birriga Road, while Chanine Developments is also under construction at Florian, a 36-apartment project on Banksia Road.

&nbsp;

Bellevue Hill is enjoying renewed momentum in the new apartment market, with several boutique developments recently launched and currently under construction.

First Look: Apartment development pitched for Bellevue Hill, Double Bay fringe

South Brisbane's apartment pipeline continues to build momentum, with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/trk-property-group">TRK Property Group</a> lodging plans for a 161-apartment tower on Montague Road as developers accelerate investment across the Kurilpa Sustainable Growth Precinct.

The proposal for 176–186 Montague Road would replace an existing office building with a 20-storey residential tower designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cox-architecture">COX Architecture</a>, adding to a growing pipeline of high-density projects reshaping one of Brisbane's fastest-evolving inner-city precincts.

The project has been conceived as a "living building", featuring a flowing tower form, extensive vertical landscaping, and generous communal spaces that respond to the evolving Kurilpa Sustainable Growth Precinct.

TRK Property Group Development Director Matt Kan said the project reflected the confidence developers have in South Brisbane's long-term future.

"South Brisbane is entering an incredibly exciting period, and we see Montague Road sitting right at the heart of that evolution," Kan said.

"With the former Visy site directly opposite us and significant investment planned throughout the broader Kurilpa precinct, there is a real sense of momentum around this part of the city and what it will become over the coming years.

"For TRK, this is an opportunity to be part of that next chapter and deliver a project that responds to where the precinct is heading, while contributing to the continued evolution of Brisbane's river edge."

<img alt="First look: TRK Property joins South Brisbane apartment surge with Montague Road tower plans" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="590fe1ad-f892-4446-a679-80e33a16d029" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/TRK%20tower%20facade.png?VersionId=uOJStrcKpyHFcPE1w6_9SMAFzVMCcZll" />

The scheme includes a mix of one, two, three and four-bedroom apartments, incorporating multi-purpose rooms in selected residences to provide additional flexibility for home offices or expanded living areas. The proposed mix comprises 15 one-bedroom, 13 one-bedroom plus MPR, 73 two-bedroom, 26 two-bedroom plus MPR, 30 three-bedroom, and four four-bedroom apartments.

Rather than adopting a conventional rectilinear tower, COX Architecture has developed a sculpted form inspired by the movement of the Brisbane River.

"The proposal has been designed by COX Architecture as a 'living building' that responds to the site's riverine setting, floodplain history and evolving urban context within the Kurilpa Sustainable Growth Precinct," the planning report states.

"The architectural form draws from the fluid nature of the Brisbane River, with a curved and undulating tower form that creates a varied architectural edge and avoids a conventional rectilinear tower expression."

The podium has also been designed as an architectural feature rather than a conventional parking structure, with cascading planting, screening and natural-toned materials softening its appearance. Resident parking is elevated above ground level to address the site's flood constraints, while habitable apartments sit above flood planning levels. Upper-level communal facilities are designed to accommodate shelter-in-place arrangements during major flood events.

<img alt="First look: TRK Property joins South Brisbane apartment surge with Montague Road tower plans" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="01fa15d0-90df-46c7-9555-7941fc45373c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/TRK%20podium.png?VersionId=mHyua.w1pHGBt9qEdWzrlsv.leztUCwO" />

Communal amenity is a major focus of the proposal. Around 1,815 sqm of shared resident space is proposed across the ground floor, level 19 and the rooftop, including co-working areas, indoor and outdoor recreation spaces, wellness facilities, dining and gathering areas, lawn spaces, a rooftop pool and spa, and extensive landscaping. At street level, a landscaped forecourt and approximately 345 sqm of publicly accessible open space along Montague Road are intended to improve the pedestrian experience while activating the building's frontage.

The development will provide 163 car spaces, including 152 resident bays and 11 visitor spaces, together with 144 bicycle spaces incorporating resident storage, visitor parking, bicycle maintenance facilities and e-mobility charging infrastructure.

The site sits within one of Brisbane's fastest-changing inner-city precincts, less than two kilometres from the CBD and within easy reach of South Bank, West End, the Queensland Cultural Centre and extensive public transport connections. The Kurilpa Sustainable Growth Precinct planning framework is encouraging higher-density residential development to help meet Brisbane's housing supply targets while supporting walkable, transit-oriented neighbourhoods.

Staff reporter

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