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The Elms, a 100-year-old Federation North Hobart property has been listed for sale.
It was designed by Bernard Walker for the Flexmore family in 1917.
The Elms is a 513-square-metre mansion set on 2000 square metres of land.
<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/2017/04/21/452%20Elizabeth%20Street-2.jpg" alt="">
It is located at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-tas-north+hobart-124209686" target="_blank">452 Elizabeth Street</a> with nine bedrooms and nine bathrooms.<cite> </cite>
Chris Huxtable, of Falls Real Estate Hobart says highlights include its dark timber panelling and barley twist banister.
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<div>Its vendors currently offer the property’s four downstairs suites as visitor accommodation while living upstairs.</div>
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It is for sale by expressions of interest with a price guide of $2.5 million-plus.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Century-old Federation home The Elms listed for sale in Hobart

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A report by PRDnationwide has delivered a positive verdict on the impact the 2018 Commonwealth Games will have upon the Gold Coast Property Market, with an estimated $2 billion to be injected into the local economy.
To be hosted in sporting venues across Brisbane, Townsville and Cairns, the report found the Commonwealth Games will continue the trend of median price growth established by its predecessors, including the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games and 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games.
Indeed, the growing Gold Coast property market has already experienced positive spill-over effects from the announcement of the event. Between 2015 and 2016, both houses and units in the Gold Coast region have recorded an increase in their median prices of 6.3% and 5.3% respectively.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/04/19/Commonwealth.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/04/19/Commonwealth.png" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/04/19/Commonwealth.png" width="700" height="425"></a>
Average vendor discounting has also tightened to -2.6% for houses and -3.5% for units. This indicates an increasingly competitive market, whereby buyers are willing to pay closer to the first list asking price to secure their ideal property.
Commenting on the findings, PRDnationwide QLD franchise director Greg Braithwaite, said that the Sydney Olympic Games had demonstrated its far-reaching benefits for property markets in cities around Australia.
“The Sydney Olympic Games positively influenced the Brisbane property market, due to an event being held in Brisbane,” he said. “It is expected that the Games will also have a positive impact on the property market of other cities.”
The Queensland Government and Gold Coast City Council has delivered 30,000 new jobs during the construction phase of the games, for projects worth $320 million, with a further $160million allocated to major road upgrades.
Newly constructed sports centres in both Carrara and Coomera will open their doors by the year’s end, as will a new velodrome in Chandler and a $14.5 million hockey facility in Labrador. Meanwhile, large investment in the upgrading Gold Coast rail is designed to reduce crowding, increase passenger numbers and provide better connection to other areas of Gold Coast and Brisbane.
Not only has median prices risen over the past two years, but the rental market is also being impacted by a surge in demand. Brisbane suburb Ashmore is reporting the lowest vacancy rate the area has historically seen, with similar market conditions in Robina.
The report forecasted the Commonwealth Games will boost the Gold Coast’s tourism industry, which will follow on directly to the property sector as a result of the games and 24 months after.
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Brisbane property market enjoys Commonwealth Games investment

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Interest rates hikes have struck home owners and investors after the Commonwealth Bank (CBA) lifted fixed rate deals on its loans by as much as 0.5 per cent. Customers taking out fixed rate deals with rate will now be hit with increases across 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 year fixed terms. It is the second rate hike within 20 days.
However, the bank provided for owner occupiers signing up to principal and interest fixed home loan deals to escape the latest hikes.
The Commonwealth Bank said the move was to ensure it "continue[d] to meet our regulatory requirements".
In a memo issued to mortgages brokers, CBA outlined that interest-only investment loans would be the worst hit — 2, 3, 4, and 5 year terms would all rise by 0.5 per cent.
The changes are effective for new and existing customers who switch into one of these products from today.  
Three-year fixed rate interest-only owner occupier loan rates will rise by 0.25 per cent to 4.49 per cent.
Three-year fixed rate interest-only investment loan rates will rise by 0.5 per cent to 4.94 per cent.
Three-year principal and interest investment loan rates will rise by 0.25 per cent 4.69 per cent.
CBA raised rates for interest-only loans to 5.94 percent in March.
Homebuyers also faced increased fixed interest rates in December 2016.
The bank’s measures follow an increased crackdown by the banking regulator, the Australian Prudential and Regulation Authority, to limit interest-only loans.
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Commonwealth Bank increases interest rates for home owners and investors 

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Self-managed superannuation funds would be banned from borrowing money under an expanded housing affordability policy being unveiled by federal Labor today as unchecked growth could pose a threat to the nation's financial system stability over the long term due to growing exposure to bad investments.
The new measures will include adopting a nationally consistent Vacant Residential Property Tax, as recently imposed by the Victorian government, to curb investors buying properties and leaving them vacant.
Labor will also double the fines imposed on foreign investors who illegally purchase residential real estate. 
Victoria to tax owners for leaving homes vacant as it tackles housing crisis
Labor leader Bill Shorten and Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen have a new suite of seven measures that will add to Labor's existing policy to curb capital gains tax concessions and negative gearing.
A Labor government would adopt a Coalition proposal to establish a bond aggregator, which provides a larger and cheaper pool of funds for the private sector to build community housing.
It will reappoint a housing minister.
Since September 2013, when the Coalition came to power, prices in Sydney have increased by nearly 50 per cent and by more than 30 per cent in Melbourne.
Residential vacancy rates in the Sydney metropolitan market have sunk to 1.9 percent, while Melbourne's vacancy rate fell to a 10 year low in February to 1.7 percent. 
Former banker David Murray recommended in his 2014 Financial System Inquiry that a general ban on borrowing by SMSFs, which was lifted in 2007, be restored. Since 2012, borrowings by self-managed funds has grown from $2.5 billion to $24 billion, of which 91 per cent, or almost $22 billion has been for residential and commercial property.
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"In addition, borrowing by superannuation funds implicitly transfers some of the downside risks to taxpayers, who underwrite adverse outcomes in the superannuation system through the provision of the age pension," his inquiry said.
Mr Shorten said restoring the general ban on borrowing would "help cool an overheated housing market partly driven by wealthy Self-Managed Super Funds".
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<div>"The government has simply ignored this recommendation while housing risks have been building in the economy on their watch," says Labor's policy document, in an advance briefing to the Australian Financial Review.</div>
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"Ignoring this recommendation would also leave the budget more exposed over time.
"This measure will prevent the unnecessary build-up of risk in Australia's superannuation system, reduce future calls on the aged pension as a result of a less diversified superannuation system, and make the financial system more resilient on the face of potential economic shocks." 
What Victoria’s new vacant property tax means to you: Juwai's Gavin Norris
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Labor will stick with its existing policy of halving the 50 per cent capital gains tax exemption for property investors to 25 per cent and restricting future negative gearing to new homes only.
Labor's plan to double foreign investor fees will result in new charges of between $10,000 and $40,600, depending on the value of the property.
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<div>The new criminal penalties for breaching FIRB rules on residential real estate will be $270,000 for an individual and $1.35 million for a company. The civil penalty will be the greater of either 20 per cent of the purchase price or 20 per cent of the market value of the property. </div>
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Vacancy tax to go national under new Labor tax

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Auction volumes are set to markedly increase this weekend, with 1,586 auctions scheduled to take place in capital cities around Australia, according to data from CoreLogic. The figure is up from 493 last week, when auction activity slowed down over the Easter period.
Melbourne is expected to see the most significant increase in volumes over the week, with 743 properties to go to auction, up from 102 last week. 
Across Sydney, auction volumes are set to double, with 543 auctions scheduled to take place, increasing from 279 last week. 
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/04/21/capital%20city%20auctions.png" target="_blank">CLICK TO ENLARGE</a><a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/04/21/capital%20city%20auctions.png"></a>
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/04/21/capital%20city%20auctions.png"><img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/04/21/capital%20city%20auctions.png" width="700" height="425"></a>
Outside of Sydney and Melbourne, each of the remaining capital cities will also see a higher number of auctions this week compared to last week.
Victoria has the busiest suburbs for auctions this week, with 19 homes set to go under the hammer in Craigieburn, followed by Glen Waverley, Melbourne and Werribee where each will host 12 auctions.
Overall auction activity is also set to be higher than the corresponding week last year, which recorded 1,565.
The Easter period saw a decrease of auction activity  across the combined capital cities, with a total of 493 auctions held, down significantly from 3,517 auctions the week prior when the busiest week for auctions so far this year was recorded. 
The final auction clearance rate fell slightly, from 74.8 per cent the previous week to 73.9 per cent last week.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/04/21/rsz_corelogic_national_auction_preview__week_ending_23_april_2017__.png" target="_blank">CLICK TO ENLARGE</a>
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/04/21/rsz_corelogic_national_auction_preview__week_ending_23_april_2017__.png" width="700" height="425">
Melbourne was the best performing capital city auction market last week, with 81.3 per cent of the 102 auctions successful. However, Sydney had the highest volume of auctions, with 279 held and a clearance rate of 77.0 per cent. 
Across the smaller capital cities, clearance rates improved week-on-week in Adelaide, Canberra and Perth, however volumes were significantly lower across each market last week compared to the week prior.
Across the non-capital city auction markets, the Geelong region recorded the strongest clearance rate at 94.7 per cent, while the Gold Coast had the highest number of auctions (34). 
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Auction volumes return to normal with 1,586 scheduled around Australia this weekend: CoreLogic

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Leading Australian impact fund manager, Impact Investment Group, (IIG) has entered the Sydney property market, securing options to buy into Central Park.
IIG, the Liberman family backed entity, has entered into put and call options with joint venture developers Frasers Property Australia and Sekisui House Australia to acquire two of the final properties to be built in the Central Park precinct for $190 million.
The site is partially developed.
On its mid-2018 completion, IIG will acquire the six-level, 5,413sqm ‘100  Broadway’ commercial office property and the 297-room luxury hotel ‘Four Points by Sheraton Sydney, Central Park’.
IIG has established separate investment syndicates for each property.
100 Broadway and the hotel form part of DUO – a mixed use development comprising two towers of residential, hotel, retail, childcare and commercial spaces, designed by the leading global architecture firm, Foster + Partners and local collaborating architect Architectus.
IIG CEO, Chris Lock, said he "couldn’t be more proud" of our first foray into the Sydney market with these properties.
"We were waiting to find a building designed to the highest standards in sustainability."
100 Broadway will integrate with Central Park’s highly efficient systems for power, heating, cooling and recycling water.
The properties will draw power from Central Park’s two-megawatt trigeneration plant, which is expected to reduce CO2-e emissions by 190,000 tonnes over its 25-year expected life.
The DUO towers sit on the north-west corner of the Central Park precinct in Chippendale, facing Broadway and are five minutes’ walk to Sydney’s central train station and bus interchange.
The towers are being built above and around the heritage-listed Australian Hotel, built in 1936 and bought last year by hotelier Bruce Solomon and high-profile chef Matt Moran.
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Impact Investment Group set for office/hotel Central Park, Sydney stake

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The REIV is expecting about 770 auctions in 291 suburbs this week.
The top auction location this week is Craigieburn (15 auctions), followed by Bundoora, Glen Waverley, Smythesdale, and Werribee with 11 auctions in each.
Offerings include is a four bedroom house at <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/real-estate/3-ealing-close-craigieburn-vic/property-details-buy-residential-10943216/" target="_blank">3 Ealing Close</a>, Craigieburn (above).
Last weekend there were just the 44 auctions given Easter.
This weekend there are around 770 auctions.
This weekend last year agents secured a 75% success rate from 539 auctions.
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Craigieburn leads Melbourne's 770 auction weekend: REIV

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Strong buyer demand for Villa World’s Augustus project at Hervey Bay has pushed the masterplanned residential development past the half-way mark.
The 763-lot project has clocked more than 400 sales since its launch, driven sharply in recent months by a strong cohort of first-home buyers and retirees.
The latest sales run came ahead of the March 31 expiry of the $12,000 Hervey Bay Housing Affordability Grant, which has been complemented by the state government’s boosted first home owner’s grant of $20,000.
Villa World development manager Gary Hunter said the project has attracted consistent buyer interest over many years.
However the combination of the two government grants has generated an influx of buyers for the project.
“In recent months, we’ve seen record sales figures at Augustus from first-home buyers and retires alike,” Hunter said.
“Villa World has a great reputation in providing an affordable, quality product to market. The grant was just the icing on the cake.”
<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/2017/04/18/AUG1609%20Lots225-228%201578_RT%20Trees.jpg" alt="">
The latest sales have led first-home buyers to account for 70% of sales at Augustus, with 20% to retirees and only 10% to investors.
Sales have almost doubled in recent months with 33 contracts secured in the March quarter of 2017.
Augustus property consultant Ric King said sales momentum and figures have reflected the success of the government grants.
“Augustus has seen a clear upsurge in first-home buyers and retirees lapping up the savings from the two government grants,” King said.
<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/2017/04/18/AUG1609%20Lots231-233%201530_RT.jpg" alt="">
It is just 4 kilometres from the Hervey Bay Esplanade and 13 kilometres from the airport.
The contemporary residences feature an extensive range of quality inclusions including stone kitchen bench tops, stainless steel appliances and they are NBN ready.
New homes are now selling from $337,000.
Villa World, an ASX-listed developer, is one of Australia’s largest housing providers with more than 40,000 people calling a Villa World address home.
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Augustus, Hervey Bay sales pass the half-way mark

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Queensland architect Shane Thompson and his former wife Sally have listed in Brisbane's Chandler.  
The 177 Eastwood Street offering comes with a transformed 1950s cottage. 
The house – with a deck overlooking a lily pond – has four bedrooms and two bathrooms.
The 2.4-hectare lot has been listed by One Agency.
The property is next to 1000 hectares of bushland reserve, just 14.5 kilometres from the Brisbane CBD.
The couple fully renovated the cottage, re-lining walls, putting in a new kitchen and bathroom and sourcing recycled floorboards and second-hand doors and windows.
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Brisbane architect's 1950s bush cottage transformation

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Reality TV renovators Joe and Fil are selling their Maribyrnong house.
It was transformed on the Channel 7 show, House Rules.
It has been listed so they can move on to their next project.
After the show wrapped, the pair also added a fourth bedroom and third bathroom to the house at 12 Grandview Avenue.
It is scheduled to be auctioned on May 13.
Rendina Real Estate, Kensington agent Richard Rendina said buyer interest had been in the vicinity of $1.3 million.
 
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House Rules' Joe and Fil list their Maribyrnong home

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

<ul style="color:#222222; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:small; font-style:normal; font-variant-ligatures:normal; font-weight:400; text-align:start; white-space:normal; background-color:#ffffff; text-decoration-thickness:initial; text-decoration-style:initial; text-decoration-color:initial">
	<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>
</ul>

Fast Facts: What is Resilience LDI?

<ul style="color:#222222; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:small; font-style:normal; font-variant-ligatures:normal; font-weight:400; text-align:start; white-space:normal; background-color:#ffffff; text-decoration-thickness:initial; text-decoration-style:initial; text-decoration-color:initial">
	<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

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.

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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.

TRK Property joins South Brisbane apartment surge with Montague Road tower plans

Article summary

<ul data-end="785" data-start="311">
	<li data-end="459" data-section-id="5hbcyr" data-start="311">Pikos Group has released the five-penthouse collection at Skye Kangaroo Point, headlined by a two-storey sky home spanning more than 1,000 sqm.</li>
	<li data-end="561" data-section-id="1p7lq8n" data-start="460">Early buyer interest suggests the residences could set a new Queensland apartment price record.</li>
	<li data-end="667" data-section-id="1y70z0l" data-start="562">The collection includes four move-in ready penthouses and the highly customised Skye One residence.</li>
	<li data-end="785" data-section-id="yvm0y1" data-start="668">The release caps one of Bri​sbane's most ambitious luxury apartment developments overlooking the Brisbane River.</li>
</ul>

<hr data-end="790" data-start="787" />
Pikos Group has released the five-penthouse collection at its <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/skye-residences-by-pikos-kangaroo-point-8-river-terrace-kangaroo-point-qld-4169">Skye by Pikos</a> development in Kangaroo Point, with early buyer interest indicating the flagship residences could eclipse every apartment sale previously recorded in Queensland.

The collection crowns the luxury riverfront development with five residences, including four completed penthouses and Skye One, a two-level sky home spanning more than 1,000 sqm that will be tailored to its eventual owner.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=90059 project_image_fid=374075]

Wanting to offer a fully customisable home, Pikos is offering Skye One as a blank canvas, allowing the buyer to work alongside the developer's design team to customise the home's layout, finishes and internal spaces.

The residence will feature a 247 sqm private rooftop terrace with its own swimming pool, sauna, steam room, outdoor kitchen and multiple entertaining areas overlooking the Brisbane River and CBD skyline.

The remaining four penthouses have been completed and are ready for immediate occupation, each offering four bedrooms, expansive open-plan living areas, soaring ceilings and private lift access.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=90059 project_image_fid=374059]

One of the defining features throughout the project is its use of Roman Classic Travertine, with more than 20,000 sqm of the natural stone imported from Italy after being personally selected by Pikos Group Founder and Executive Director Pedro Pikos, interior designer Julie Williamson and third-generation stone specialist Mario Caucci.

Pikos said the penthouse collection represented the culmination of the company's long-term vision for Skye.

"True legacy isn't measured by what we build today, but by what endures tomorrow," Pikos said.

"Our ambition is to create places that become more valuable with time, enrich the lives of generations, and stand as timeless landmarks long after we've stepped away."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=90059 project_image_fid=374060]

Williamson said the interiors were inspired by the natural character of Kangaroo Point and the Brisbane River rather than international design trends.

"Materiality tells the story of a place," Williamson said.

"We looked to the movement of the Brisbane River, the texture of the cliff face and the warmth of the surrounding landscape to create interiors that feel understated, enduring and unmistakably Brisbane."

Positioned above the Kangaroo Point cliffs, Skye places residents within walking distance of Howard Smith Wharves, South Bank and James Street while offering uninterrupted river and city views.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=90059]

Staff reporter

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