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Emerald View, a 96 hectare rural lifestyle property in the historic Grandchester district, has been listed for May 5 Ray White auction.
It has been held in the one extended family for the past 147 years.
The family cattle brand (HRO) was the fifth registered cattle brand in Queensland, owned throughout that time by the Rafter and McLaughlin families.
Emerald View has been an ideal farm for grazing - initially a dairy farm but operating as a cattle property since 1968.
Emerald View is located 75 kilometres or just over an hour from the Brisbane CBD.
<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/2017/04/6/RWR_Emerald_View_021_R.jpg" alt="">
There are more than 40 acres of fertile alluvial creek flats that have previously been cultivated with around 70% or over 160 acres is cleared.
The house, first built in 1966, was raised in 1987 and extended and renovated six years ago, with wide wraparound varandahs on three sides.
 
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Grandchester farm Emerald View to be sold after 147 years

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Infrastructure fund manager Hastings Funds Management and pension fund First State Super have signed a $2.6 billion deal to operate NSW's land titles and registry business.
For some reason the initial forecast had been around $1 billion when a 10-year lease-sale agreement was proposed to help generate the $1bn needed to upgrade Sydney’s sport stadiums..
It comes after then NSW Government then asked private operators to bid for a 35-year contract to run the state's Land and Property Information unit, and its titling and registry business. 
The government announced it will lease the state's 150-year-old land titles registry to Hastings Funds Management and First State Super, after accepting a bid from the consortium.
It's understood Hastings and First State Super saw off three rival bids to sign the deal overnight. The consortium is 80 per cent Australian owned, with the remaining 20 per cent held by RBS Pension Trustee in London.
NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian and treasurer Dominic Perrottet scheduled an announcement for 12.30pm today. Treasurer Perrottet said "$2.6 billion is a phenomenal result for this state".
NSW's LPI is the largest land title registry in the country with 885 employees at the end of the 2016 financial year.
It registered 935,000 documents in the 12-month period. 
The asset manager, which is backed by Westpac Banking Corp, has more than $10 billion in assets under management and owns stakes in the like of NSW electricity transmission company TransGrid, Perth Airport, the Port of Newcastle and Sydney Desalination Plant. 
The Hastings group was advised by RBC Capital Markets and law firm Allens. 
JPMorgan ran the auction for NSW. 
Macquarie's MIRA, which has teamed up with ASX-listed Link and Canada's PSP Investments, was ranked the favourite by The Australian Financial Review.
Surveyors have been calling on the Baird Government to reverse its decision to sell-off the New South Wales land title service.
The privatisation of Land and Property Information is expected to raise a billion dollars for the state’s coffers, but it’s claimed the biggest price may be paid by homeowners.
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Hastings Fund Management win NSW LPI tender

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Google has abandoned plans to move its Australian headquarters to Sydney's White Bay Power Station.
The tech giant had entered into exclusive negotiations with the NSW government last year to potentially take over the development of the 10-hectare site .
But the company said it would not be able to make the move within its timeframe.
The power station, the last from the early 20th century still standing in Sydney, sits on a 10-hectare harbourfront site.
“We are grateful to the NSW government and UrbanGrowth NSW for their efforts to deliver on their impressive vision for White Bay Power Station,” a Google spokesman said.
“Through the genuine and productive negotiations in the last few months we’ve come to realise that achieving that vision isn’t possible within our timeframe. So we’ve mutually agreed with UrbanGrowth NSW to discontinue negotiations over the site.”
The tech giant is currently headquartered at Pyrmont in the Accenture building across the street from The Star casino complex, and in Fairfax Media's building On Darling Island in Pyrmont in the Sydney CBD.
Google is thought to be looking for as much as 100,000sq m of space. 
The government, through its transformative arm UrbanGrowth, oversaw the earlier 13 bids, so will have to find an alternative solution for its vision of a "knowledge and technology" hub for the site.
The former premier Mick Baird said the aim was to create the "best technology precinct in the world", comparable with similar proposals like Roosevelt Island in New York.
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Google still searching for Sydney HQ

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Nine of 36 homes within the Ecco Ripley residential development The Terraces at Parkview Parade in Brisbane’s western growth corridor remain on the market.
House and land packages, priced from $282,000 are now under construction. The two and three-bedroom homes do not attract body corporate fees and can be secured on a $2000 deposit with the balance due on completion.
Scott Blaney, sales manager, Ecco Ripley, said the window of opportunity was closing on the only house-and-land product priced under $300,000.
<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/2017/04/10/411%20Sekisui%20Townhouses%20Streetscape2f.jpg" alt="">
“Time is also running out for those buyers who wish to take advantage of the $20,000 Queensland First Home Owners Grant, which expires on June 30, 2017," he said.
"The terraces had been individually designed to suit their elevated location in the Brooking Rise precinct, within walking distance of the Ripley Town Centre.
“The internal configurations have been optimised to harness natural light and promote cross ventilation.
"A number of terraces also capture views of the surrounding mountain ranges including Flinders Peak.
“They are conveniently positioned close to the Ripley Town Centre, where the first stage is under construction and due to open in 2018.
Over 70 percent of buyers were first home buyers and owner occupiers while the majority of all purchasers were from the Ipswich region.
"Local agents Greater Realty had appraised the annual rental return on a three-bedroom terrace home selling for $294,000 at 5.8 per cent.
The single and double-storey terrace homes in the final release of The Terraces at Parkview Parade range in size from 107.4sqm to 132.4sqm and are priced from $282,000 to $338,000.
<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/2017/04/10/411%20Sekisui%20Townhouses%20Streetscape1f.jpg" alt="">
The Terraces at Parkview Parade was released in September 2016 as the second terrace project from Sekisui House in Ecco Ripley, and followed the success of Terraces at Acacia Lane.
For more information, visit <a href="https://www.sekisuihouse.com.au/terraces" target="_blank">www.sekisuihouse.com.au/terraces</a>
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House and land packages from $282,000 under construction in Ecco Ripley's The Terraces, Brisbane development

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A downturn in China would trigger a recession in Australia, modelling by consulting firm Deloitte Access Economics shows. 
House prices would fall by 9 percent, in the “China sneezes, Australia catches pneumonia” scenario.
Although the Reserve Bank would respond by cutting rates and, when rates reached zero, by pumping liquidity into the market, Deloitte warns that global financial markets may become more ­reluctant to finance Australia’s deficits and may push rates higher.
Deloitte partner Chris Richardson says that while a Chinese downturn is not his central forecast, its elevated debts and reliance on government stimulus spending to keep growth going means that it is a plausible risk, particularly given global tensions over trade.
“Compared with the global ­financial crisis, Australia’s vulnerabilities are higher, our defences are weaker, and this time around China would be a cause of the problem rather than a part of the solution,” Mr Richardson says, in an advance copy of a speech to be delivered to the National Press Club today, and reported by The Australian.
The Deloitte modelling is based on a scenario in which China’s growth rate slows from the 6.5 percent targeted this year to less than 3 percent.
Mr Richardson notes that ­Australia’s dependence on China is greater than with any other country.
Employment would contract by 500,000, with half those numbers formally joining the unemployed and the remainder exiting the labour force.
The construction industry would account for more than a third of the 500,000 jobs lost across the economy and would contract by 25 percent. 
Deloitte says a downturn in China is only one scenario, with it also being possible that China and Asia more generally may sustain the growth that has supported Australia’s extended run of growth since the 1990-91 recession.
Queensland would be among the hardest hit regions in Australia from a severe slowdown in China.
Deloitte says the slowdown in China’s economy since 2011 had already taken a toll, Deloitte Queensland managing partner John Greig said.
The scenario of China stumbling is one of the three potential scenarios detailed in major consultancy Deloitte’s latest “Building the Lucky Country” series report.
The report says that “none of these three scenarios is the ‘most likely’ outcome for Australia. But they’re all plausible”.
The report says that Australia’s gains from our relationship with China have been huge, but there is a flip side in that Australia has increased its dependence on China.
“Australia doesn’t have the defences we had back in 2008 and 2009 — we lack firepower in interest rates and the Budget,” report author Chris Richardson said.
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Australian house prices will fall 9 percent if China downturn occurs: Deloitte

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Canberra has seen a significant growth in house sale prices over the past 12 months, according to Herron Todd White’s latest report.
The property valuation firm says that this is partly due to low interest rates and a limited supply of houses coming onto the market.
Yarralumla has been one of the strongest performing suburbs in Canberra over the past 12 months.
"Several recent sales have broken the Canberra auction record, the most notable being 12 Hunter Street, Yarralumla, selling at auction for $5.475 million," the report advised.
Other recent sales show high prices in Canberra’s inner suburbs have forced buyers to look to the outer suburbs to find a family home.
"Some other areas that have seen considerable growth over the past year are Woden Valley, Weston Creek and the southern suburbs of Belconnen.
This trend is also confirmed by some recent vacant land sales from the Mr Fluffy scheme.
Recent sales have shown houses are proving more popular than apartments," the report stated.
This is probably due to an oversupply of apartments in the Canberra market and a continued number of apartment developments beginning construction.
Currently buyers seem to be attracted to 4- or 5-bedroom houses in established suburbs, according to HTW.
The valuation firm pinpointed a 4-bedroom home at 37 Flanagan Street, Garran (pictured above) recently sold for $1.38 million.
There was also a 5-bedroom home at 60 Barada Crescent, Aranda recently sold for $1.25 million.
The majority of the higher sale prices were for renovated or new dwellings.
"It could be assumed the buyers are families looking to settle into a long term family home.
"This trend looks set to continue as properties in established suburbs remain tightly held and highly sought after," the report stated.
As the Mr Fluffy vacant land blocks are now being brought to market there may be a number of new houses in established suburbs come onto the market.
This increased supply may reduce prices but is likely to take effect in the longer term as the blocks are still in the process of being cleared and sold.
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Significant price growth experienced in Canberra's residential market: HTW

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Darwin takes the second longest time to sell a property, according to CoreLogic’s latest report.
The property data firm says that it takes on average 79 days for houses to be sold and 74 days for units.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/04/10/Screen%20Shot%202017-04-10%20at%2011.48.39%20am.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<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/2017/04/10/Screen%20Shot%202017-04-10%20at%2011.48.39%20am.jpg" alt="">
This is an improvement compared to Perth where it can take up to 93 days for a house to be sold and 89 days for units.
Sydney remains the locality with the fastest selling time with most properties being sold within a month.
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Perth, Darwin vendors taking longest to sell property: CoreLogic

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A tightly-held home with views of the harbour at Northbridge has been sold for $5.25 million, $750,000 above reserve.
Located at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-nsw-northbridge-124940826" target="_blank">29 Weemala Road</a>, it has a 180 degree view over the harbour and all the way to Spit Bridge.
Selling agent David Howe said six of the seven registered bidders were of Chinese background.
Two buyers fought for it after opening the bid at $4.5 million.
It has been held by the same family for 60 years offered to the market for the first time.
Multiple sunlit alfresco spaces are available with formal and informal living.
<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/2017/04/10/29%20Weemala%20Road-2.jpg" alt="">
Village shops, cafes and transports are all minutes away.
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Northbridge house sold for $750,000 above reserve

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The so-called Opera House in Melbourne has been sold by the McGuinness family.
Caine Real Estate agents Paul Caine and Kate Trickey sold the home for $4.15 million having previously last traded for $190,000 in 1983.
The grand tri-level home was built in 1868 by architect George Badger, who was a prominent designer of grandstands at Victorian race courses.
The bluestone and brick house, previously known as Powlett House and Kamarooka, was long knick named The Opera House given its curved balcony is in the form an opera balcony box, curved at each end. It is carried by two slender cast iron columns with Corinthian capitals and delicate cast iron brackets.
This article first appeared in the Weekend Australian Mansion Australia section.
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Historical East Melbourne The Opera House sold

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A developer from China has paid $11.67 million for an 8.78 hectare VicRoads site in the City of Brimbank, in one of Melbourne’s key growth corridors.
The deal was brokered by Savills Julian Heatherich, Jesse Radisich and Nick Peden.
The 80a and 80b Oakwood Road, Albanvale property adjoins Brimbank Shopping Centre.
It has two street frontages totalling 225 metres zoned General Residential providing for a range of development options.
Easements and non-developable areas leave a developable area of circa 4.5 hectares.
Mr Heatherich said it was likely the new owner would pursue a townhouse development.
"The demand for housing in established centres, particularly next door to a shopping centre and with public transport and other amenity including recreation and education facilities already in place, is enormous. 
Radisich said infill sites in Brimbank, one of Melbourne’s most important growth centres, were a magnet for developers.
Brimbank is Melbourne’s third most populous municipality with a predicted increase in the number of dwellings of 11.6 per cent over the next 20 years while house prices in Albanvale have risen more than 30 per cent in the three years to January.  
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China developer pays $11.67 million for Brimbank site

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.

&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.

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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