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EXPERT OBSERVATION 
The stereotype of a homeless person – those living in tents or sleeping in parks or doorways – is just the visible tip of the much larger crisis of homelessness in Australia.
For every one of about 8,000 “rough sleepers” there about 14 others staying in temporary accommodation or with others in severely crowded dwellings. That’s a total of more than <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/housing/census-population-and-housing-estimating-homelessness/latest-release" target="_blank">116,000 homeless Australians</a>, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics census data.
About 60% are under the age of 35, though the number of homeless aged 55 and older has been steadily increasing. About a quarter are women and children fleeing <a href="https://apo.org.au/sites/default/files/resource-files/2008-12/apo-nid2882.pdf" target="_blank">domestic violence</a>.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2020/DEC/1/homelessness.png" target="_blank">Click here to enlarge</a>.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2020/DEC/1/homelessness.png" alt="">
The causes of homelessness are complex. The stereotype is that it involves mental illness and substance addiction. But the more common denominators are poverty, unemployment and a lack of affordable adequate housing.
Whatever the cause, research by myself and colleagues for the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute proposes a path forward to reduce, and even eliminate, homelessness in Australia.
To do so requires moving away from treating the problem in an uncoordinated manner at the point of crisis and investing in an integrated system that prioritises prevention, fast rehousing and an adequate supply of affordable long-term housing.
A historical legacy
Australia’s existing approach to dealing with homelessness is the legacy of a response originating in the 19th century, long before the advent of the modern welfare state, relying on charitable institutions to pick up the pieces of an economic system failing to care for the most vulnerable.
This has resulted in a somewhat chaotic system of small-scale and often disconnected services that are funded to only put a band-aid on the problem. It is mainly oriented towards crisis responses, with limited resources devoted to responding to homelessness once it has occurred, often only providing temporary relief from homelessness.
Federal, state and territory governments provide about <a href="/news">A$250 million a year</a> in funding to the 1,500 not-for-profit “specialist homelessness services” – organisations such as Launch Housing and Vincent Care – to provide support services and short-term accommodation in refuges, hostels, motels and caravan parks.
But this is insufficient to achieve the aim of even providing temporary accommodation to all those in need. Homeless services turn away <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/housing-assistance/people-turned-away-from-government-funded-speciali/contents/summary" target="_blank">almost 60%</a> of those who ask for help. People instead have to rely on the kindness of family and friends, or sleep in their cars or on the street, while they wait to receive assistance. There is no statutory duty to provide assistance to homeless people in Australia.
The status quo is an expensive and unsatisfactory approach. We can do much better.
Housing comes first
An emerging trend internationally is to reorient homelessness service systems away from a largely crisis response and towards prevention and long-term solutions.
The key is a “Housing First” approach, investing resources into first getting people into long-term accommodation, and then providing support to address the reasons they found themselves homeless in the first place.
Once housing is secured, relevant support workers can then support clients with particular needs, from preparing for employment, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, negotiating the legal system arising from domestic and family violence, and psychiatric or psychological counselling.
Evidence to the superiority of the “Housing First” approach comes from Norway. <a href="/news">Over the past 12 years</a> the number of homeless Norwegians has fallen by more than 35%. This compares with Australia’s approach, which <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/housing/census-population-and-housing-estimating-homelessness/latest-release#key-findings" target="_blank">in the past 20 years</a> has managed to only marginally reduce the number of rough sleepers while other categories of homelessness have continued to rise.
We need an integrated strategy
A clear deficiency in Australia’s approach to homelessness has been the lack of any integrated national strategy and leadership. This means funding arrangements in states and territories are piecemeal and inadequate.
The first step in moving to a “Housing First” approach is coordinated federal and state funding for an adequate supply of affordable and social housing.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2020/DEC/1/Public%20housing%20dwellings.png" target="_blank">Click here to enlarge</a>.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2020/DEC/1/Public%20housing%20dwellings.png" alt="">
As we outline in our new report <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/347" target="_blank">Ending homelessness in Australia: A redesigned homelessness service system</a>, an integrated national strategy would also include an enhanced role for universal welfare services such as primary health services, schools and colleges to assist people at risk of homelessness.
They would have a duty to prevent homelessness when possible, assisting clients to maintain their existing housing or to access new housing. Where this is not possible, they would refer clients to specialist housing services for assistance finding crisis accommodation, and then long-term housing.
In this system, providing crisis accommodation would be the solution of last resort.
That affordable housing is the first step in solving homelessness may seem startlingly obvious. But, counterintuitively, that’s not the premise of how the current system works.
We cannot stress enough how much an adequate planned supply of long-term affordable and social housing that is appropriate, secure and safe is vital to any successful attempt to end homelessness. 
ANGELA SPINNEY is a Research Fellow at the Swinburne University of Technology
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Eliminating most homelessness is achievable: Angela Spinney

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The Greater Melbourne region has seen more profitability in their property markets than Melbourne, according to the recent CoreLogic Pain and Gain report.
“These include Hobsons Bay, Melton and the Mornington Peninsula, where around 98 per cent or more properties sold for a profit," the report read.
During the quarter, the median profit in the region averaged $328,000, demonstrating the diversity of performance in Greater Melbourne.
Regional Victoria only recorded 3.3 per cent of loss-making sales across all unit resales, compared to the Melbourne LGA’s 15.4 per cent.
Regional Victoria was one of four major regions across Australia where owner occupiers saw a higher incidence of loss-making sales than investors, along with Hobart, regional Tasmania and regional Northern Territory.
You can read about the Melbourne council region report here [link to Pain &amp; Gain Melb story].
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Greater Melbourne profitability tops Melbourne: CoreLogic Pain and Gain

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The Melbourne council region saw nearly 40 per cent of resales make a loss in the June quarter, according to the recent CoreLogic pain and gain report.
Melbourne saw a median loss of $50,000 for the gross loss-making sales which made up 37.5 per cent of the sales in the region.
This is up from around 34 per cent in the March quarter, the report noted.
Investor owned units made up around 80 per cent of loss-making sales, due to the general of investor demand in the uncertain economic environment.
With diminished rental income, due to declines in rental income, investors may also find it more difficult to service a mortgage, the report noted.
During the quarter, 15.4 per cent all unit resales made a loss.
This is a strong divergence from houses, which only saw 2.9 per cent of house resales making a loss.
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Nearly 40 per cent of Melbourne resales make a loss in June quarter: CoreLogic Pain and Gain

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Clendon, a six-bedroom 1920s Toorak house has been snapped up for $22.1 million following its four week expressions of interest marketing campaign.
The two-storey house with tennis court, set on a 2360 sqm Clendon Road holding, had a $18.5 million to $20.35 million price guide.
There has been no formal sale notification from its Marshall White listing agents Richard McKinnon and Fraser Cahill who advised of its sale on Wednesday.
It was the home of the mapping and adventure company Emprise Group chairman Sam Hayward.
It last traded for $3.4 million in 1995, having been for sale for some three years starting in the last recession.
<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/2020/DEC/3/Clendon%202.jpg" alt="">
The other big ticket recent Toorak sale was the newly built Toorak home of Australian Finance Group co-founder Malcolm Watkins and his husband,  Peter Kerr.
It possibly fetched just above $25 million through Sarah Case at RT Edgar.
The 4-5 Myvore Court, Toorak home was listed by the couple who've decided to spend more time on the Gold Coast after Melbourne’s COVID-19 lockdown.
They lived at the five bedroom mansion for AROUND a month before heading north.
They retain a Mount Martha abode.
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Clendon, Toorak home sells for $22.1 million

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The Westpac economist Matthew Hassan has noted the broad-based strengthening in the November property prices as recorded by CoreLogic.
"Notably the reopening in Melbourne has finally seen prices turn in the one major market still recording declines a month ago – the 0.7% mth gain surprisingly firm given turnover was still low."
Melbourne's 0.7% gain was across all segments and building types although prices have generally been firmer for lower priced parts of the market.
Despite an apparent large overhang of stock in the inner city, unit prices also posted a solid rise in the month – Hassan adding "perhaps a caution that some of the gain may be running off expectations rather than conditions on the ground."
Hassan noted other markets consolidated on previous gains with Adelaide and Perth, the smaller capital cities and regional areas leading the way.
Turnover nationally largely consolidated on its Q3 'pop', he added.
The detail continues to show stark differences, activity in Melbourne only just moving off the extreme lows seen during lockdown but activity across other capital city markets still holding well above pre-COVID levels (and well above new listings suggesting these markets are likely to be very tight in coming months).
Sydney recorded a 0.4% gain to be up 0.3% on a three month basis.
Units remain a notable weak spot, with prices in this segment down 0.7% in the November month and 1.8% on a 3month basis, declines accelerating slightly, particularly at the top end of the market. 
He added Sydney houses at the lower end of the market have seen the most promising gains.
Prices rose 0.6% in Brisbane, 1.3% in Adelaide, and 1.1% in Perth.
The smaller capital city markets also recorded strong gains – Hobart up 1.4% and both Canberra and Darwin up 1.9%.
"All of these cities except Perth now have prices above their pre-COVID peaks."
Hassan concluded by noting "the housing market is now moving clear of COVID disruptions with recoveries at different stages across different jurisdictions but gaining momentum everywhere."
"While there will still be some weak areas, particularly in the Sydney and Melbourne unit markets, the resurgence in activity, the associated lift in market sentiment and more promising outlook for a vaccine remedy to emerge next year suggests broader momentum will remain well supported in 2021."
Wespatc have recently marked up our price forecasts with a 4% gain now expected in 2021 and a 10% rise in 2022, essentially bringing forward our forecast for a 15% surge that was previously expected to begin in mid-2021.
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Melbourne's surprisingly firm price growth given low November turnover: Westpac

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EXPERT OBSERVATION
Urban Taskforce today welcomed the completion of the NSW Productivity Commission’s final Report into Infrastructure Contributions and calls upon the Government to implement the recommendation as a matter urgency to drive economic activity and support our recovery from COVID-19.
The Productivity Commission has undertaken a comprehensive review over the past ten months. The report goes a long way to curb the poor practices which have evolved through the morass which is the NSW Planning System – and no time should be wasted before its recommendations are implemented. Government Departments and agencies have been extensively involved in the development of this Report. It’s time to get on with it.
Key outcomes in the report are: 
<ul>
<li>removing the disincentive for councils to accept development and growth by allowing for the local government rate peg to reflect population growth </li>
<li>ensuring charges can be properly factored into feasibility studies by requiring contributions plans be developed prior to rezoning ▪ introducing a direct land contribution obligation for landowners following rezoning to provide early and adequate funding for land</li>
<li>managing costs and complexity of section 7.11 local contributions plans by using benchmark costs and focusing the role of the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal in reviewing plans</li>
<li>removing barriers to construction and improving project feasibility by deferring payment of local contributions to the occupation certificate stage</li>
<li>providing a simpler option for councils by increasing the maximum rate of section 7.12 fixed development consent levies to 3% in certain circumstances ▪ limiting the use of state and local planning agreements to direct delivery of works and supporting infrastructure for ‘out-of-sequence’ developments</li>
<li>addressing insufficient and ad hoc section 7.24 special infrastructure contributions (State Government infrastructure levies) through implementation of modest and simple broad-based regional charges</li>
<li>ensuring the beneficiaries of major transport investments contribute to the cost by implementing an additional state contribution for rezoned properties within station service catchments </li>
<li>taking pressure off household water bills by transitioning to cost reflective charges for water connections </li>
<li>making the system easier to navigate and comply with by providing and maintaining clear and rationalised guidance and comprehensive digital tools </li>
<li>being more transparent in reporting on how much money is collected and where it is spent.</li>
</ul>
The Report calls for the practice of “value capture” to be curtailed. Instead, planning agreements should be limited to the recovery of development costs that are over and above those that were anticipated to occur without the development taking place.
The practice of Councils seeking to tax new development to fund historical shortfalls in infrastructure investment must stop. To assist with this, the Report recommends that Council rates will now be linked to population growth in the first major change to the rate pegging system in decades.
Both Councils and the State Government will be required to be open and transparent on contributions they have collected and expenditure made. This should see an end to Council’s stashing infrastructure contributions into a safe and letting developers cop the blame for the lack of public amenity.
Importantly, the Report also acknowledges that affordable housing levies do not fit into a principles-based infrastructure contributions framework (see page 82). The Report clearly states that “the creation of a small quantity of “affordable housing”, may be at the cost of making other housing more expensive”. Taxing new home buyers to fund broad social goals is not efficient or fair. Government should fund affordable housing, or approve more housing thus driving prices down.
Councils will be encouraged to take advantage of the historic low interest rates and borrow to fund infrastructure rather than taking the lazy option of hitting new home-owners for the full cost of new, often unrelated infrastructure. Funding for bio-diversity will also be separately collected and funding for public open space will be required to have a direct nexus to the development.
Tom Forrest is the CEO at Urban Taskforce
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NSW report into infrastructure funding released, time for action: Tom Forrest

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Many Australian cities have fallen back on offering free car parking to attract visitors back to the CBD after the pandemic. In contrast, cities around the world are basing their recovery strategies on bold and evidence-based urban transformations.
In August, Adelaide City councillors voted for <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-12/adelaide-to-hold-drivers-month-to-boost-retail-amid-coronavirus/12549148">incentives for people to drive and park within the CBD</a>, including a controversial “driver’s month” promotion. In Perth, <a href="https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/amp.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/zempilas-free-parking-plan-to-cost-perth-ratepayers-hundreds-of-thousands-20201103-p56b3q">free parking in the CBD</a> during the holidays is expected to cost A$700,000.
In Victoria, the state hit hardest by the pandemic, the City of Geelong has announced <a href="https://www.geelongaustralia.com.au/covid19/article/item/8d7d0f8fc065b64.aspx">a range of free CBD parking policies</a> estimated to cost several million dollars. Melbourne City Council has endorsed <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/lost-opportunity-melbourne-considers-slashing-cost-of-parking-as-part-of-car-led-recovery-20201116-p56exx">free on-street parking</a> via a voucher system estimated to cost $1.6 million in lost revenue. It’s also seeking to reduce the state-based congestion levy on off-street parking by 25%.
The move to increase car traffic into the central city is perhaps most surprising in the case of Melbourne. Planners have called it a “<a href="https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/a-1960s-solution-planners-slam-city-council-s-push-for-free-parking-20201123-p56h49">1960s solution</a>” and a “<a href="https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/lost-opportunity-melbourne-considers-slashing-cost-of-parking-as-part-of-car-led-recovery-20201116-p56exx">lost opportunity</a>”. Free parking and other incentives for car travel <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://twitter.com/BrentToderian/status/1296926489045172224">are at odds</a> with the city’s recent <a href="https://participate.melbourne.vic.gov.au/transportstrategy">Transport Strategy 2030</a>, which seeks to prioritise walking, cycling and public transport.
Parking incentives don’t work
These car-led approaches to a hoped-for economic recovery were <a href="https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/about-council/committees-meetings/meeting-archive/MeetingAgendaItemAttachments/924/16397/NOV20%20CCL%20AGENDA%20ITEM%206.8.pdf">rushed out ahead of new evidence and modelling</a>. This approach also goes against <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-elephant-in-the-planning-scheme-how-cities-still-work-around-the-dominance-of-parking-space-87098">decades</a> of <a href="https://theconversation.com/empty-car-parks-everywhere-but-nowhere-to-park-how-cities-can-do-better-99031">available</a> <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-can-our-cities-do-about-sprawl-congestion-and-pollution-tip-scrap-car-parking-118393">evidence</a> on the detrimental impacts of conventional urban parking policies in Australia and internationally.
Free parking – pursued and mandated in many cities since the mid-20th century – has a nasty habit of building in unnecessary car use through narrowly targeted subsidies to car users, which directly undermine other transport modes. Parking researcher Liz Taylor <a href="https://www.foreground.com.au/planning-policy/street-fight-car-parks-covid-19-and-the-future-of-urban-retail-part-1/">recently</a> <a href="https://www.foreground.com.au/planning-policy/petrol-powered-planning/">explained</a> the historical myths and troubled relationships between retail and parking we risk perpetuating.
COVID has changed cities, and we must adjust
Cheap parking has <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-07/warrnambool-free-parking-plan-attracts-overstayers/12426236">poor prospects</a> for attracting enough visitors to offset the changes the pandemic has brought to Australian CBDs. CBDs rely heavily on daily office workers – who are now largely working from home – and on large residential populations, including international students and tourists to whom borders are now closed.
In Melbourne, daily journeys into the city are <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/victoria/far-from-normal-cbd-businesses-cling-to-customers-as-office-workers-stay-away-20201112-p56dw2">down 90%. Only 8% of office towers are occupied</a>.
Even so, car traffic is now at <a href="https://www-theage-com-au.eu1.proxy.openathens.net/politics/victoria/as-busy-as-bourke-street-push-for-cbd-recovery-gathers-pace-20201112-p56dwa">roughly 90%</a> of its pre-COVID levels. Cars are already back, but that does not translate to people in CBDs – and road capacity means the city <a href="https://www.openforum.com.au/melbournes-covid-car-crunch/">can’t manage many more cars</a>.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/372440/original/file-20201202-15-1dvr3lp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/372440/original/file-20201202-15-1dvr3lp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="Chart showing use of cars, public transport and walking in Melbourne from January to the end of November"></a> Apple mobility data for Melbourne show car travel is back to almost pre-pandemic levels. <a class="source" href="https://covid19.apple.com/mobility">Apple Mobility Trends</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a>
Similarly, Australian CBD retail landscapes have been <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-covid-all-but-killed-the-australian-cbd-147848">drastically altered</a>. Experts <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-suburbs-are-the-future-of-post-covid-retail-148802">predict many lasting changes</a>, including retail “localism” in the suburbs.
Parking hasn’t played any role in these changes. Instead, major economic shifts and political decisions have forced and enabled changes in work and lifestyle.
Many CBD workers simply <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-18/coronavirus-working-from-home-impact-on-australian-cities/12435248">won’t have to come back</a>. CBDs previously didn’t need to be pleasant to be full of people – many were forced to be there. That has changed, and so the city must change too – from a destination of default to a destination of choice.
The adjustment can create better cities
Encouraging cars back into the hearts of cities isn’t just a bad recovery strategy. It could be a huge missed opportunity to create more attractive, high-amenity cities.
Around the world, many cities are welcoming the chance to use parking and streets differently, <a href="https://theconversation.com/covid-has-proved-working-from-home-is-the-best-policy-to-beat-congestion-148926">farewelling the daily car commute</a> to embrace something better.
In Paris, Mayor Anne Hidalgo’s <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carltonreid/2020/10/20/paris-mayor-anne-hidalgo-to-make-good-on-pledge-to-remove-half-of-citys-car-parking-spaces/?sh=49932fa916ec">visionary “15-minute city” plan</a> aims to replace 60,000 surface parking spaces with green pedestrianised streets, safe dedicated cycling networks and “children streets” near schools. The plan actively turns away from car dominance.
Barcelona’s mayor has announced <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-11/barcelona-s-new-car-free-superblock-will-be-big">a massive green revamp</a> of the central city. Its already successful Superblock model, based on large-scale pedestrianisation, will be super-sized. Intersections and parking are being turned into parks and plazas.
 
London is creating <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-28/how-london-s-low-traffic-streets-keep-cars-at-bay">hundreds of low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs)</a>, as is <a href="https://citymonitor.ai/transport/in-one-of-europes-most-car-dependent-cities-lockdown-offers-a-chance-to-rethink-the-road">car-dependent Brussels</a>. LTNs are based on transforming streets with quality cycling and pedestrian infrastructure, closing some streets to car traffic and otherwise instituting low speeds. <a href="https://www.wired.co.uk/article/oslo-pedestrianisation">Oslo’s “Vision Zero” strategy</a> demonstrates the power of these measures to transform cities.
As these cities are finding, street reclamation projects can succeed quickly, and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/nov/16/i-got-it-wrong-since-the-changes-its-become-more-vibrant-life-in-an-ltn">local businesses</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/nov/16/claim-low-traffic-schemes-only-benefit-better-off-debunked-in-new-study">neighbourhoods of all income levels</a> benefit. However, leaders need to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/nov/16/the-guardian-view-on-low-traffic-neighbourhoods-streets-ahead">“hold their nerve”</a> through the complex period of change.
New ways of seeing cities
Australian cities are changing with COVID too. Melbourne in particular has been forced to radically rethink streets as public space at a metropolitan scale. Through innovative co-operation between retailers and local councils, <a href="https://melbourneparklets.ushahidi.io/views/map">hundreds of parklets</a> have emerged across the city.
These spaces offer sensible, creative and exciting ways for people to re-embrace dining out after lockdown. The <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/gertrude-street-locals-don-t-want-council-to-call-time-on-garden-party-20201117-p56fb3">enthusiastic reception</a> is already causing many retailers to forget about parking and call for permanent changes.
The City of Melbourne has issued 1,300 outdoor dining permits and transformed 200 on-street parking spaces. This raises the the question of whether free parking is the best use of its precious public space and funds.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/371045/original/file-20201124-17-km8fmg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="Diners sit within a green parklet on Lygon Street in Melbourne, having fun on reclaimed street space."> A parklet on reclaimed street space on Lygon Street, Melbourne. Liz Taylor (own photo)
While systematic study of parking is often scarce, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264837718309797">far</a> <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-value-of-cycling-rapid-evidence-review-of-the-economic-benefits-of-cycling">stronger</a> <a href="https://vtpi.org/walkability.pdf">evidence</a> supports the economic value of space for active transport, green space and outdoor dining. Our future cities can be places where people “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/02/dining/outdoor-dining-nyc">will see the street belongs to them</a>”.
Street space can feel like the exclusive (and hostile) realm of cars, but it is simply public land that is currently (mis)allocated to cars. Perceptions are beginning to change, allowing city residents to reimagine what streets might offer beyond moving and storing cars.
The race is on to invite people back to our cities. But a return to streets full of cars, narrow sidewalks crowded with pedestrians, and parking problems that never go away simply isn’t much of an invitation.
When urbanist Brent Toderian asked people to post <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://twitter.com/BrentToderian/status/1168055558068301824">photos showing #TheBeautyofCities</a>, the hundreds of submissions featured green streets full of people walking, cycling and having fun, not car parking and traffic.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/150380/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;">
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rebecca-clements-506288">Rebecca Clements</a>, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/elizabeth-taylor-97922">Elizabeth Taylor</a>, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning &amp; Design, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/thami-croeser-729067">Thami Croeser</a>, Research Officer, Centre for Urban Research, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a>
This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-australian-cities-need-post-covid-vision-not-free-parking-150380">original article</a>.
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Why Australian cities need post-COVID vision, not free parking

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Cove House, on the Gold Coast's Sanctuary Cove, has been listed for sale.
The Cove House at Sanctuary Cove has hit the market after taking out the national home building industry’s top prize at the 2020 HIA-CSR Australian Housing Awards in May.
Owner Tracey Morland engaged her cousin, architect Justin Humphrey, to design the subtropical waterfront home.
<img src="https://www.realestate.com.au/blog/images/1280x720-fit,progressive/2020/11/26060047/capi_e19410e9de667619c8cb260d565b5681_7940fe70a4a2267361962608ec94ecfc.jpeg">
The riverfront home at 7366 Marine Drive was built in 2018 by BJ Millar Constructions using natural materials of concrete, timber and stone, and includes a large master bedroom and ensuite, two guest bedrooms – each with a bathroom – and a home office.
The north-facing residence incorporates garden atriums throughout the interior design, to separate living spaces while connecting to the exterior environment.
<img src="https://www.realestate.com.au/blog/images/1280x720-fit,progressive/2020/11/26060043/capi_e19410e9de667619c8cb260d565b5681_9c66a7c167dd8cc6cbfc978b282f84a1.jpeg">
Mrs Morland told REA that she listed the property for sale after purchasing a vacant riverfront site at Bayside Close, Sanctuary Cove, where she and Mr Humphrey will embark on another project.
She described the new project as, “one last hurrah”, following the thrill of The Cove House being named Australian Home of the Year, as well as picking up this year’s award for the HIA Australian Custom Built Home.
The house occupies a 966 sqm lot and exists almost completely self-sufficiently on a 15 kw solar system, Tesla energy storage batteries and a submerged rainwater tank under the driveway.
It is marketed by Matt Gates of Ray White Prestige Gold Coast Surfers Paradise.
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Cove House on the Gold Coast, the 2020 Australian House of The Year, listed for sale

New record high loan commitments for housing: ABS

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Our economy has <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/national-accounts/australian-national-accounts-national-income-expenditure-and-product/latest-release">grown</a> in the September quarter (the three months to September) after two quarters of going backwards.
Using the literal meaning of <a href="https://www.dictionary.com/browse/recession">recession</a>, we are no longer in one – economic output (the things we produce and consume) is no longer be going backwards.
But things won’t be like they were. Even a rebound in gross domestic product of <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/national-accounts/australian-national-accounts-national-income-expenditure-and-product/sep-2020">3.3%</a> (the biggest in 40 years) doesn’t make up for the 7% we lost in the previous quarter, meaning we’ll remain worse off than we were at the start of the year and much worse off than we would have been had the pandemic not happened.
Here are six things to expect as the economy recovers:
1. Consumer spending will recover first, but might need help
Consumer spending will to return to normal first, as <a href="https://budget.gov.au/2020-21/content/bp1/download/bp1_bs2.pdf">forecast in the budget</a>.
(Don’t be fooled by the forecast decline of 1.5% for 2020-21 compared to 2019-20. From where we stood in the June quarter 2020 – an enormous decline of 12% on the March quarter – this is a massive recovery.)
So far the signs are promising, but in part this might be because the stimulus payments are still flowing, keeping household disposable income above pre-COVID levels.
The coronavirus supplement that tops up JobKeeper and other benefits (originally A$225 per week) winds down to $75 per week after Christmas and <a href="https://theconversation.com/top-economists-want-jobseeker-boosted-by-100-per-week-and-tied-to-wages-150364">expires on March 31</a>.
<a href="https://treasury.gov.au/coronavirus/jobkeeper/extension">JobKeeper</a>, originally $1,500 per fortnight, became harder to get in October and will wind down to $1,000 per fortnight in January and $650 for part-time workers, before expiring on March 31.
Treasury expects wage growth to be slower than price growth for the next two years, so a household-led recovery is by no means guaranteed.
If the recovery stalls in the household sector, activities such as hospitality, retail and arts and entertainment will suffer a second blow and unemployment will remain high.
After the year we’ve had, the household sector could be forgiven for losing confidence.
The government should consider extending the coronavirus supplement payments, and be ready for further one-off stimulus payments if required.
Unlike the imminent income tax cuts, these measures are temporary and can be discontinued as soon as they are no longer required.
Governments can also stimulate demand directly. Victoria has announced an additional <a href="https://education.vic.gov.au/about/careers/teacher/Pages/tutors.aspx">4000 tutors</a> to assist school students left behind after an interrupted year. Other areas in which governments could usefully create meaningful jobs include the care sector and the arts.
2. Overseas demand won’t assist in the recovery
Exports face headwinds and are unlikely to recover over the next 18 months.
The International Monetary Fund expects the global economy to shrink by <a href="https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/Issues/2020/09/30/world-economic-outlook-october-2020">4.4%</a> in 2020 after growing 2.8% in 2019, a turnaround of more than 7%.
This will be apparent in all of Australia’s major customers including China and will depress demand for exports.
More importantly, travel bans have come close to eliminating “exports” of tourism and education, which together account for almost one fifth of Australian export income.
This income will remain weak until international travel properly restarts.
3. We will lose four years population growth
Before the crisis, the 2019 mid-year budget update predicted Australia’s population would grow from 25.6 million to <a href="https://budget.gov.au/2019-20/content/myefo/download/02_Part_2.pdf">28.4 million</a> by June 2026.
This year’s budget says we won’t get there until June 2030, a full four years later.
Even after travel resumes, net overseas migration is expected to remain lower than before due to economic uncertainty and weak labour market conditions.
Businesses will find it more difficult to get the staff they need through skilled migration, crating a greater role for higher education and vocational education.
By 2024 migration is assumed to return to normal, yet population growth will continue to be slow. This is because the birth rate is <a href="https://population.gov.au/docs/recent_impacts_on_australias_population_quick%20guide.pdf">projected</a> to be lower than usual for the remainder of the decade.
4. Business investment will be weaker, and different
2020 has been a difficult year, but it’s also been the year we’ve learnt to do things differently.
We have learnt about on-line shopping, working from home, telehealth and on-line entertainment, and we will continue to make use of what we have learnt after the pandemic is over.
These changes could drive the next genuine wave of productivity growth.
Bricks-and-mortar retail, commercial office space, roads, bridges and railways are all investments that facilitate the meeting and movement of people.
With new technologies and a smaller population that is learning to keep things local, these old-world investments won’t be as generate the same returns as they once might have.
Where we might see the investment dollars being spent is on home improvements, while government investment dollars could be spent on improving local amenities such as parks and community centres.
5. We’ll need to get more people into paid work
A year ago, 66% of Australia’s adult population was participating in the labour market, either by being employed or looking for work.
During the crisis the participation rate dipped below 63%.
It has since returned to 65.8%, a touch above where the budget expects it will stay. Other countries including <a href="https://data.oecd.org/emp/labour-force-participation-rate.htm">Canada, Britain, New Zealand and Germany</a> do better than us.
There’s room to get more unpaid carers (many of them women) into the paid workforce.
More than <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/employment-and-unemployment/barriers-and-incentives-labour-force-participation-australia/latest-release">900,000</a> people who perform significant unpaid caring work say they would like more paid employment.
In my work for the National Foundation for Australian Women, I found the net budgetary cost of increasing caring services was <a href="https://nfaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Appendix-A.pdf">modest</a>, mainly because it brought about a strong increase in the tax-paying workforce.
6. One last dark cloud: the terms of trade
The terms of trade measure what we can buy for each unit of what we sell; how many imports we can buy for each unit we export.
The budget forecasts a fall of almost 11% in 2021-22 as a result of lower prices for iron ore.
Taking a long view, this may be nothing more than a correction, but it is as big a fall in a single year as we experienced in the <a href="https://www.blackincbooks.com.au/books/dog-days">dog days</a> after the end of mining boom when the terms of trade declined for four consecutive years, and we experienced four years without real growth in income growth per capita.
Population, participation and productivity are the “three P’s” that drive economic growth in the long run, but in the short run a big decline in the terms of trade poses a <a href="https://theconversation.com/myefo-projections-signal-a-deepening-income-recession-35539">real risk</a> to a household-led economic recovery.
Where to from here
In an effort to avoid more economic pain, the government has rightly abandoned fiscal restraint in the most recent budget.
Much of its recovery strategy (perhaps too much) is built around income tax cuts and investment incentives.
I see a need for a greater emphasis on temporary measures aimed at supporting household spending, given the role it will have to play in unwinding the recession.
<hr>
 Read more: <a href="https://theconversation.com/modelling-finds-investing-in-childcare-and-aged-care-almost-pays-for-itself-148097">Modelling finds investing in childcare and aged care almost pays for itself</a> 
<hr>
In the longer term, there is a case for paring back some of the larger income tax cuts to expand child care, aged care and disability care; measures that would support low-paid workers, boost labour force participation, and improve the standard of living for many Australians.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/148797/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;">
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/janine-dixon-11006">Janine Dixon</a>, Economist at Centre of Policy Studies, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/victoria-university-1175">Victoria University</a>
This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/6-things-to-watch-for-as-australia-crawls-out-of-recession-148797">original article</a>.
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Six things to watch for as Australia crawls out of recession

Around 400 additional homes could be built at Southwark Grounds on Port Road, lifting total site capacity from 1300 to around 1700 dwellings.

A recently approved code amendment would allow apartment towers of up to 14 storeys in some areas of Renewal SA’s redevelopment of the former West End Brewery.

Renewal SA Acting Chief Executive Shane Wingard said he welcomed the code amendment, with the increase in heights and homes making a positive impact on the supply of high-quality, well-connected housing close to the city.

“By going higher across some parts of Southwark Grounds, we are adding a substantial number of very well-located homes with little impact on project delivery time or planned open space,” Mr Wingard said.

Since the project officially launched in 2025, Mr Wingard said more than 12,000 enquiries had been received about living at Southwark Grounds.

“The very strong early interest we’ve seen since homes were first released in the precinct reinforces our plans to create more housing opportunities,” he said.

The Southwark Grounds code amendment was launched in December last year, with community engagement undertaken over five weeks from January.

It proposed increasing maximum building heights from eight to 14 storeys on the eastern section of Southwark Grounds, and to 12 storeys across the remainder of the site, with minimum building heights ranging from two to four storeys.

The code amendment was implemented through an Early Commencement policy in late January, allowing developers to quickly explore the viability of increased height and housing yield while other planning processes continue.

One of the first developers delivering apartment sites have already finalised redesigns to increase the number of apartments following the code amendment.

Samaras’ development adjacent to the future Colonel Light Park is now planning to deliver 125 apartments across 11 storeys, significantly greater than original plans of around 50 apartments across four storeys.

The developer is also exploring the potential for additional affordable housing outcomes.

Most of the apartments at Southwark Grounds will be delivered within a master-planned precinct on a large parcel of land on the eastern portion of the site, covering around two-thirds of its 8.4 hectares.

Wingard said detailed precinct planning over the coming months may identify further opportunities to increase yield further that could see total apartment numbers at Southwark Grounds, exceed this number.

Affordable homes at Southwark Grounds will also see a net increase, with Renewal SA maintaining its commitment to a minimum of 20 per cent affordable housing across the development.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Civil works have begun across the site, with construction under way on the first new roads surrounding a townhouse precinct in the south‑west corner of Southwark Grounds. This includes Renewal SA’s 17 Founder’s Row homes, which are on track for completion by Christmas.

“We expect to have people living at Southwark Grounds by the end of the year, so delivering roads and public spaces for those residents is among our highest priorities.”

Construction of 40 townhouses off Anderson Street, known as West Village and being delivered by Contour, is forecast to begin in mid‑2026. Kolabb’s Anderson Lane development will follow shortly after, delivering a further 26 townhouses.

Southwark Grounds is a state government‑led urban renewal project now set to deliver around 1,700 homes over the next decade.

Homes will be supported by a supermarket, a range of retail and hospitality offerings anchored by a revitalised Walkerville Brew Tower, a childcare centre, car parking and well‑connected public spaces.

Joel Robinson

400 new homes planned for Adelaide's former West End Brewery site

Brisbane developer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/cavcorp">Cavcorp</a> has lodged plans for a new mixed-use residential development at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/55-wyandra-street-teneriffe-qld-4005">55 Wyandra Street</a>, Teneriffe, anchored by an 85-metre public laneway designed to reconnect the suburb’s riverfront with the Gasworks precinct.

The buildings, known as Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane, would replace the existing Queensland Cotton head office site with a 15-storey residential tower transitioning to eight storeys toward Helen Street. The project has been designed by Plazibat Architects and lodged as a code assessable development application for 93 apartments across a 3,401 sqm mixed-use site within the Newstead and Teneriffe Waterfront neighbourhood plan.

Central to the scheme is the transformation of an existing service easement into a publicly accessible cross-block connection linking Wyandra and Helen Streets. Cavcorp says the new laneway will act as both a pedestrian shortcut and a landscaped civic space between the Teneriffe Riverwalk, ferry terminal, and Gasworks precinct.

<img alt="First Look: Cavcorp unveils Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane plans for landmark wellness tower in Teneriffe" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="26e7f058-b065-4de8-b13d-a2b8cb64dfcc" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/bldg.png?VersionId=sELS0ZKYi361oYipUa1BIKfe_.DLZoFV" />

“The revised proposal delivers a legacy public-realm cross-block link, permanently secured for community use, transforming an existing private easement into a safe, high-quality pedestrian connection between the Teneriffe heritage riverwalk and the Gasworks–Long Island precinct,” the planning report states.

The laneway will sit beneath a large subtropical loggia integrated into the podium levels of the development. The design incorporates deep landscaping, water gardens, lobby spaces, business lounges, and ground-floor apartments to create what Cavcorp describes as a climate-responsive “urban verandah.”

The tower itself has been designed as a slender form with recessed floorplates and curved translucent corners inspired by contemporary Japanese architecture. The building height aligns with the Commercial Road precinct controls, which permit towers up to 15 storeys within proximity to Longland Street.

<img alt="First Look: Cavcorp unveils Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane plans for landmark wellness tower in Teneriffe" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a8a17d40-43b6-4718-b3fd-67676fcbb485" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/pers%202_1.png?VersionId=i3VwDtp5AmL_8InW7w4qRbDFEpb744Jt" />

The project will comprise a mix of larger-format apartments aimed at owner-occupiers, downsizers, and families. The proposed apartment mix includes 11 loggia apartments across the lower levels, 50 four-bedroom Sky-Terrace apartments from levels three to seven, and 32 Sky-Pool Homes occupying the upper tower levels. The Sky-Pool Homes will feature private thermal plunge pools integrated into oversized balconies.

According to the application, the apartments are intended to reinterpret the scale and character of Teneriffe’s woolstore conversions and Queensland homes within a vertical residential format.

“The sky-pool homes build on Cavcorp’s previous projects and introduce a distinct apartment typology to Teneriffe, informed by both local and international precedent and responding to an identified market demand for enhanced safety, space and amenity,” the planning submission notes.

A major focus of the proposal is its five-level wellness and lifestyle offering, extending from the basement through to the rooftop.

Amenities proposed include a rooftop Swim &amp; Racquet Club with a 25-metre Olympic lap pool and tennis court, coworking spaces and libraries, golf simulators, wine storage, concierge facilities, business lounges, pet wash areas, and rooftop longevity-focused wellness spaces with spas, outdoor fitness zones, and landscaped terraces.

<img alt="First Look: Cavcorp unveils Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane plans for landmark wellness tower in Teneriffe" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="944b352c-49b9-4247-a4c6-5967b4b69fda" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/amenity.png?VersionId=Ed_qKjAtMwFT.5gfl3jiA9QwdWxSMsaX" />

All parking will be concealed within basement levels accessed from Wyandra and Helen Streets. Cavcorp says the deep-basement engineering approach allows the entire ground plane to prioritise landscaping, pedestrian movement, and active frontage rather than vehicle infrastructure.

The development continues Cavcorp’s concentration in Newstead and Teneriffe, where the Brisbane developer has delivered a number of apartment projects including Lucent, Le Bain, and Luminare, as well as the Long Island Wellness Precinct nearby. Several of those projects have received national design and architecture awards, including recognition under Brisbane’s “Buildings that Breathe” program.

Cavcorp unveils wellness-focused Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane apartment buildings

Focus Group Investments has lodged plans for a new apartment development at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/64-70-hanover-street-fitzroy-vic-3065">64–70 Hanover Street</a> in Fitzroy, seeking to utilise the Victorian Government’s recently introduced Great Design Fast Track pathway to accelerate approvals for the project.

The proposal is among the latest developments to emerge through the state-led initiative, which was established to fast-track well-designed residential projects in activity centres and transport-connected inner-city locations. The pathway allows qualifying developments that meet elevated design and housing benchmarks to bypass traditional council planning timeframes and instead be assessed directly by the Department of Transport and Planning.

Designed by SJB, the development will comprise a mix of apartments above activated lower levels, with a strong focus on architectural articulation, landscaping, and communal amenity. The design response seeks to balance the industrial character of Richmond’s former warehouse precincts with a more contemporary residential form.

<img alt="First look: Focus Group Investments taps Victoria’s Great Design Fast Track for Richmond apartments" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="abea51cc-d85b-479e-9aef-a589f3b37ca7" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/ground.png?VersionId=e1Kf8EyPWwyiVumtqQ4rM5S4GpOR3CCz" />

Proposed are 63 new dwellings, a wide ranging mix of studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, and townhouses and duplexes. They will be spread across a part-three, part-eight storey building.

The Planning and Urban Context Report by Tract says the development is of an "exemplary architectural standard" and has been carefully crafted by SJB Architects.

"Dwellings&nbsp;will benefit from excellent access to natural light, cross-ventilation opportunities and extensive communal space," the report noted.

The architectural material highlights the project’s integration of landscaped elements and communal spaces throughout the building. The proposal also incorporates sustainability initiatives aligned with the Victorian Government’s push for higher-performing apartment developments under the fast-track program.

The Great Design Fast Track was unveiled by the Victorian Government in 2024 as part of a broader housing supply strategy aimed at accelerating the delivery of new homes. Projects assessed through the pathway must demonstrate high-quality architecture, sustainability outcomes, and housing diversity while being located close to public transport and existing infrastructure.

<img alt="First look: Focus Group Investments taps Victoria’s Great Design Fast Track for Richmond apartments" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="afdbe834-8dc4-4a77-a943-ba07bc927348" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/site_11.png?VersionId=0J657j.TaChAZfp93wqJYBTqSsnREJx2" />

Focus Group, founder and led by Paul De Lutiis, is increasingly active across Melbourne’s inner suburbs, targeting well-connected urban renewal locations suited to medium and higher-density residential development. The Fitzroy proposal continues that strategy, leveraging the area’s strong transport links, established retail amenity, and proximity to the CBD.

Fitzroy has been one of the most popular spots for developers and buyers in recent years. The likes of PACE Development Group, SMA Projects, Crema Group and Chapter Group, currently selling projects in the suburb.

First look: Focus Group Investments taps Victoria’s Great Design Fast Track for Fitzroy apartments

The Gold Coast Planning Committee has supported the preliminary approval for the Benowa Gardens Urban Village project following an extensive community consultation and assessment process.

The proposal will now proceed to a full council vote on June 2.

The application sought approval for a masterplanned urban village on the existing Benowa Gardens Shopping Centre site, combining new housing, retail, dining, health and lifestyle amenities within a walkable, integrated precinct.&nbsp;

The proposed redevelopment includes around 413 apartments integrated above a revitalised mixed-use centre featuring a full-line supermarket of 4,000 sqm, 6,000 sqm of specialty retail and dining space across around 30 retailers, a 7,000 sqm health and wellness precinct, and roughly 9,630 sqm of office and medical suites.&nbsp;

<img alt="$1b Benowa Gardens Urban Village moves to Full Council following Planning Committee support" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fb36ae47-80bc-45f0-9914-31b0c7b6007d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/PR26576%20Ashmore%20Road%20C4%201121%20FI.jpg?VersionId=6mRKk2uU4r67TmTt39DKGUlvFRbTVqWa" />

The broader masterplan also includes very significant traffic and transport improvements, wide pedestrian walkways, upgraded pedestrian and cycle connections, and enhanced public areas designed to create a more connected and walkable community environment.&nbsp;

Centre owner Patrick Lu said the milestone reflected months of detailed planning, technical assessment and ongoing communication with local residents, businesses, schools and stakeholders.

“We appreciate the time, consideration and care Council officers and the Planning Committee have given this proposal throughout the assessment process,” Lu said.

“We also sincerely thank the local community for engaging with us, sharing feedback and participating in the consultation process over many months.

<img alt="$1b Benowa Gardens Urban Village moves to Full Council following Planning Committee support" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="32fd1fc3-d0e6-485f-ac57-9916c9bcb818" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/PR26576%20Ashmore%20Road%20C5%201121%20FI_2.jpg?VersionId=fz8qQKDBLQ7MyFRc856Zccfbh9nFwLOe" />

“We understand projects of this scale bring questions and concerns, which is why we have worked hard to listen carefully, provide information transparently and continue refining elements of the proposal where possible.

“Our vision has always been to create a well-designed, community-focused urban village that responds to the changing needs of the Gold Coast, while delivering improved amenity, housing diversity, healthcare access and local lifestyle benefits.

“This proposal is about creating a genuine live-work-play environment where residents can access everyday services, schools, healthcare, dining, shopping and green space within walking distance, while also supporting local jobs and economic activity.”

<img alt="$1b Benowa Gardens Urban Village moves to Full Council following Planning Committee support" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="50dfbd04-590e-4fc6-983b-766880947867" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Dining%20Day%20Time%20-%20High%20Resolution.jpg?VersionId=BP7ZoKJ0DdL_8iRkkC8VVx99moICV6kg" />

Lu said the proposal had evolved significantly through consultation and technical review, particularly around traffic, pedestrian and student safety and neighbourhood connectivity.&nbsp;

Melissa Griffin, Director at Urbis, said the recommendation recognised the strategic importance of delivering more housing and services within established urban areas already supported by infrastructure.

“This proposal represents the type of thoughtful, integrated growth that planning frameworks across South-East Queensland are encouraging,” Ms Griffin said.

“The project seeks to place housing, retail, healthcare and employment opportunities together in a highly accessible location close to schools, transport and existing services.

“Importantly, the process has involved significant technical assessment and community engagement to ensure local issues and feedback were properly considered throughout the planning pathway.”

$1 billion Benowa Gardens Urban Village heads to council vote following Planning Committee support

Surfers Paradise is officially set for its first new residential development with a 45-storey skybridge connecting the two towers.

John Camilleri’s Celestino Developments has been given the green light by the Gold Coast City Council to develop its major beachfront precinct across its huge 4,000 sqm oceanfront site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/63-79-garfield-terrace-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">63–79 Garfield Terrace</a>, just five months after its <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/first-look-exclusive-billionaire-winx-breeder-s-bold-two-tower-surfers-paradise-play-with-45th-storey-skybridge">submission in late 2025</a>.

The approved scheme will deliver two towers rising 55 and 48 storeys, connected by a skybridge positioned on level 45 that will house a range of resident-only wellness and entertainment spaces.

In its notice of approval, the Gold Coast City Council said the&nbsp;proposed overall built form has been designed to complement the scale, intensity and protect the adjacent amenity and surrounding streets through the use of varied setbacks, site cover and architectural elements.

<img alt="First look exclusive: Billionaire Winx breeder’s bold two-tower Surfers Paradise play with 45th-storey skybridge" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/f_auto,c_limit,w_1440,q_75/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/field/image/Screenshot%202025-12-30%20at%209.53.48%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=ADyPJ_TFbJvSU9wZFOiCBnlPtgF7VWqW" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/dbi">DBI</a>, the development will comprise 275 apartments across the two towers, including a mix of two-, three-, and four-bedroom residences, as well as several penthouses. The apartments will sit above a landscaped podium featuring more than 90 metres of beachfront pool frontage, private resident lawns, lounges, and wellness spaces.

DBI said the design draws heavily from the movement and form of the coastal environment, with curving balcony lines and sculpted façades intended to soften the scale of the towers while maximising ocean outlooks and passive shading outcomes.

“The project occupies a rare, uninterrupted oceanfront site and has been shaped by a design philosophy that merges architectural elegance with environmental responsiveness and a carefully curated lifestyle experience,” DBI said in planning documents submitted to the Gold Coast City Council.

The most distinctive element of the approved project is the skybridge linking the two towers at level 45. The elevated communal space is planned to include executive lounges, formal dining areas, wellness facilities, and panoramic ocean-facing outlooks.

“The skybridge enhances the identity of the development, promotes social interaction, and delivers a lifestyle experience not found elsewhere on the Gold Coast,” DBI said.

At podium level, residents will have access to a suite of resort-style amenities, including resident lounges, private dining rooms, a yoga lawn, gymnasium, plunge pools, and treatment spaces. The beachfront pool has been designed with separate lap, lounge, and children’s areas extending across the width of the site.

The project will also introduce new food and beverage offerings along the Enderley Avenue and Oceanway frontages, contributing additional activation to the beachfront precinct.

Staff reporter

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