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NAB data mapping suggests that the ABS retail trade measure will fall 0.1% m/m in December following a gain of 0.9% in November.
The ABS printed a 0.9% gain in November, while NAB forecast 0.6% (revised to 0.5%). The strong November print is likely a result of the relatively new Black Friday sales bringing forward Christmas spending into November. 
Beyond technical questions around seasonal factors, this points to ongoing weakness in the retail sector amid high consumer debt levels and sluggish wage growth.
It is unlikely that the sector will see a sustained lift any time soon. On the contrary, the catastrophic bushfire season may further damage consumer confidence in January and February.
Click <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2020/1/22/NAB%20Retail%20Index%20DEC.JPG" target="_blank">here</a> to enlarge:
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2020/1/22/NAB%20Retail%20Index%20DEC.JPG" alt="">
NAB Group Chief Economist Alan Oster said, "the retail sector has numerous fundamental issues; unemployment is set to edge higher, sluggish wage growth and elevated consumer debt continue to dampen consumer sentiment, despite interest rate cuts and higher house and share prices."
"In parallel to our standard mapping equations, we are running an experimental methodology. This alternative methodology forecast a bigger rise in November and an even weaker result in December."
"If anything, our December forecast has downside risk."
"The current bushfire season – underway since September – is a national tragedy. The local economic impact in bushfire-affected areas has been extreme."
"While it is unlikely that the fires were a major influence on the national December retail data, there may be much more substantial second round impacts in January and February," he concluded.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Weakness in the retail sector exacerbated by bushfires: NAB

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As bushfires escalate across Australia and the country falls significantly short of the targets set by other developed nations, <a href="/news/how-will-australians-live-over-the-next-decade-stockland-research">concerns about climate change</a> and the environment is undoubtedly <a href="https://www.savethechildren.org.au/media/media-releases/leading-agencies-address-climate-crisis" target="_blank">Australia's most pressing issue</a>. 
<h2>Rethinking the residential sector </h2>
The residential sector in Australia, as with other countries, is a significant contributor of overall environmental impact including greenhouse gas emissions and material consumption.
<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421519303878?via%3Dihub" target="_blank">Recent research </a>has found that over 80 per cent of detached housing in Australia is only built to the minimum regulatory requirements which is currently 6.0 stars on the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme, with less than 15 per cent built to the economically and environmentally optimal 7.5 stars for the life of the dwelling. 
The way housing's deigned and constructed has a significant impact on households and society. For instance, a poorly designed and/or built home can add significant energy costs or be hard to keep cool during heatwaves in summertime and warm during winter. 
Across Australia we are seeing an increasing issue emerge in relation to energy poverty and negative health outcomes due to poor quality housing and rapidly increasing energy prices. 
<h2>Blueprint for a sustainable future</h2>
A 12-month independent study conducted by RMIT University and analysis by <a href="https://renew.org.au">Renew</a>, sustainable not-for-profit, aimed to provide evidence of qualitative and quantitative lived experience of a housing development which is attempting to deliver high quality housing. The purpose of this research is to guide other new housing developments and future revisions of minimum performance regulations for housing Australia. 
<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/2020/1/21/1_The%20Cape2.jpg" alt="">
Source: <a href="https://www.liveatthecape.com.au/images" target="_blank">The Cape Galleries </a>
 For this research, <a href="https://www.liveatthecape.com.au" target="_blank">The Cape</a> provided sustainable homes for participants. The Cape is a sustainable housing estate in Victoria's Bass Coast that demonstrates how Australian housing estates can build affordable energy efficient housing, carbon neutral homes that achieve a zero emissions, low, cost future. 
The Cape is the ideal controlled variable for this study with its combined passive solar design and construction techniques with affordable technologies such as heat pump heating, cooling and hot water systems, and solar power, to achieve carbon neutral, healthy homes that are comfortable, resilient and healthy in hot spells and heat waves, with super low running costs compared to conventional homes.
<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/2020/1/21/1_The%20Cape3.jpg" alt="">
Source:<a href="https://www.liveatthecape.com.au/images" target="_blank"> The Cape Galleries</a>
The Cape is also generating three to four times the energy it is using. It demonstrates how new “energy positive” estates can become power stations in suburbs, generating a surplus of clean energy for use on site, to help power electric vehicles, and to export to surrounding neighbourhoods and improving energy security.
<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/2020/1/21/1_The%20Cape4.jpg" alt="" style="caret-color: #000000; color: #000000;">
Source: <a href="https://www.liveatthecape.com.au/images" target="_blank">The Cape Galleries </a>
<h2>Research reveal a preference for a sustainable community</h2>
The report shows that most participating households aimed to live in The Cape permanently. 
There were a range of motivations from the households as to why they had bought land and planned to build a home at The Cape. Motivations ranged from wanting to reduce living costs and environmental impact through to being part of a like-minded community. 
Some households already lived in the area and were looking to move into sustainable and quality housing, while others were from Melbourne, or further afield, and were looking to transition living down at The Cape. 
In interviews with households after they moved, they reported that the housing was thermally comfortable, that they rarely had to use their heating and cooling systems and their energy and water bills had significantly fallen. 
The participants also spoke about how friendly the community was, even though it was still under development. Residents spoke about how the existing community welcomed new households and there were a number of community events starting to occur in the development. 
Some of the residents who were not yet living in the development would drive down from Melbourne to participate in some of the community activities such as the community gardening days.
<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/2020/1/21/1_The%20Cape5.jpg" alt="" width="677" height="425">
Source: <a href="https://www.liveatthecape.com.au/images" target="_blank">The Cape Galleries </a>
Overall the majority of households were extremely happy with the performance and quality of the homes.
The use of the development guidelines provided by the developer and the use of a design review panel helped to ensure improved outcomes from having inputs from sustainable housing experts.
<h2>Efficient energy </h2>
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Data shows that energy imported from the grid ranged from 1,048kWh per year to 2,612 kWh per year or from 2.9-7.2 kWh/day with an average of 5.2kWh/day.
Excess renewable energy generation exports ranged from 2,625 kWh per year to 5,420 kWh per year or 7.2-14.8kWh per day and an average of 12.4kWh/day.
</div>
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2020/1/21/1%20Table.jpeg" alt="" width="614" height="308">
Analysis of the energy consumption and generation of renewable energy on 5 occupied homes in the study. Source: RMIT/ Renew 
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Analysis from Damien Moyse shows a reduction in energy consumption of 88% compared to a typical new 6 star home of comparable size in Victoria.
In this context the house at The Cape are performing as expected and in line with data from other sustainable housing developments in Australia.
Some of the homes at The Cape have recently added battery storage to take further advantage of the energy their renewable energy systems are generating. 
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</div>
</div>
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2020/1/21/1%20Table%202.jpeg" alt="" width="615" height="160">
Analysis from Damien Moyse (Renew). Source: RMIT/ Renew
<h2>A low cost future</h2>
<div class="page" title="Page 5">
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<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
A reduction in energy consumption was noticed by the households who reported that their energy costs were significantly lower than their previous homes, estimating that they had now dropped to under $500 a year; a figure confirmed by their energy bills and the modelling we undertook which found economic savings of $2,307/year.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2020/1/21/1%20Table%203.jpeg" alt="" width="621" height="70" style="caret-color: #000000; color: #000000;">
Source: Source: RMIT/ Renew
Some households were in credit on their energy bills. 
If the energy savings ($2,307/year) found at The Cape were replicated across all new housing in Victoria it would lead to economic savings for those households of almost $91 million per year and across Australia it would be almost $180 million per year. 
If all new housing, which is estimated at 118,300 houses per year, was built to the standard of The Cape across the next decade there could be accumulated economic savings for these households of more than $5 billion.
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<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2020/1/21/1%20Table%204.jpeg" alt="" width="622" height="292">
Source: RMIT/ Renew
 
 
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Building sustainable housing estates, RMIT University study reveals

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EXPERT OBSERVER
There’s been plenty of media coverage on high-end properties bouncing back in Sydney and Melbourne following the downturn, but the low-end should certainly not be overlooked.
RiskWise projected strong price increases across a large number of areas in Sydney and Melbourne in the short term, but particularly the long term, thanks to a good (while somewhat deteriorating) employment market and strong population growth, particularly in Melbourne.
The RBA’s interest rate cuts (the most recent one in October 2019 with the possibility of a further one in the first half of 2020), some loosening of credit restrictions, significant improvement in buyer confidence and increased auction clearance rates provide very strong indications regarding these markets.
Buyer sentiment in relation to housing measures has noticeably improved and the Westpac-Melbourne Institute’s House Price Expectations and Time to Buy a Dwelling Indices show a consistent trend. Auction clearance rates have also recovered and are largely above 70 per cent in Sydney and Melbourne.
As we predicted immediately after the election and in our previous Risks &amp; Opportunities Reports, the market has materially improved with affordable areas that have shown resilience recovering well. Other areas, including lucrative ones that experienced strong price reductions, are now leading the way to this recovery.
However high-end properties, while bouncing back well from the property downturn, were far more sensitive to credit restrictions and investor activity than low-end ones.
That's why high-end properties were impacted dramatically during the downturn but also bounced back dramatically when reversing the negative factors, as we are seeing in prestige areas of Sydney and Melbourne.
Lower-end properties are less subject to credit restrictions and investor activity which actually make them a great buying opportunity. In fact, in some cases areas, such as Geelong, even benefited from the lending restrictions as buyers looked for more affordable options.
Taking a long-term outlook, many of these lower-end areas had a good forecast for strong price increases.
He said many were earmarked for gentrification and that RiskWise research in February 2018 showed a large number of these low-end, high-crime areas outperformed the market.
Our nationwide research actually found gentrifying suburbs with high crime typically deliver strong price growth and outperform the local benchmark.
We found affordable high-crime areas with significant gentrification are likely to produce strong price growth, particularly when dwelling prices in the inner and middle rings are severely unaffordable.
For example, even in high danger areas of New York City and London, etc, provided there is strong population growth and severe unaffordability throughout these cities, these crime areas still increase in popularity and therefore experience price increases.
He said many areas in the western suburbs of both Sydney and Melbourne had provided strong price increases for houses, although this did not apply to units.
In fact, over the long term many low-end areas outperform the top end.
DORON PELEG is the CEO at RiskWise
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Low-end Sydney and Melbourne properties offer great buying opportunity: RiskWise's Doron Peleg

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Sydney-based developer, Coronation Property Co, has announced the acquisition of its latest western Sydney site in Merrylands Court, Merrylands.
Situated at 52-54 McFarlane Street, the 12,418 sqm site sits in the heart of the Merrylands town centre, adjacent to one of Stockland’s top-performing shopping centres.
Acquired from Stockland for $41 million, the site is currently DA-approved for the construction of five high-density towers that will comprise 562 residential apartments, as well as approximately 4,500 sqm of ground level retail and basement parking.
Pictured above is a render of the previous owner's plans for the Merryland site (Source: <a href="https://www.commercialrealestate.com.au/news/sydney-developer-coronation-property-plans-build-to-rent-project-following-41-million-merrylands-purchase-920972/">https://www.commercialrealestate.com.au</a>).
Following the DA approval, the Merrylands Town Centre planning controls have been amended and as such Coronation is also exploring increased yield at the site, says Managing Director, Joseph Nahas.
“Our goal is to deliver a mixed-use precinct with a combination of build-to-rent and build-to-sell apartments, as well as a bustling new retail offering for the community that will include a gym, supermarket and a wide variety of food and beverage vendors,” said Managing Director, Joseph Nahas
On the topic of build-to-rent, Mr Nahas says Coronation Property is backing the concept to succeed in Australia, adding that he saw the site as a "seed investment" for their build-to-rent business.
Coronation aim to deliver 5,000 apartments over the next seven years and play a leading roles in built-to-rent for Australia.
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Coronation Property acquire $41 million Merrylands residential site

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EXPERT OBSERVER
With economic activity in Western Australia well below its 10-year average and effective unemployment significantly above the 10-year benchmark, the property market, particularly units, continues to experience weakness.
However, according to the latest RiskWise Property Research Risks &amp; Opportunities Report, buyer confidence is on the increase in the state, particularly Perth with housing finance increasing 15.1 per cent since February 2019 after a reduction of 2.4 per cent relative to August 2018.
With low economic activity and high unemployment, Western Australia’s annual population growth of 1 per cent was the third lowest in the country.
As a result, the housing market, particularly units, has experienced continued weakness in recent years. According to CoreLogic, house and unit prices in Perth have declined by 8.6 per cent and 9 per cent in the past year, respectively.
Western Australia is still in a long transition process from a mining-oriented economy and while unemployment has slightly improved from 6.1 per cent in April to 5.7 per cent in October, it is still projected to deliver low economic growth, a soft job market and low population growth.
Mortgage arrears are at an alarming level with the delinquency rate sitting at 2.75 per cent. While this has improved from 3.05 per cent as reported in August, this number has grown over the course of several years and is now well above the Australian average. The relatively high unemployment rate also increases the risk of credit defaults.
Negative equity also remains a major risk especially for lenders who have a concentration of loans in this market. These risks are compounded by this high rate of arrears. High-risk borrowers, combined with properties that suffer from low demand, require special attention in relation to credit provisioning.
While Perth was ‘very affordable’, there were a small number of suburbs where houses delivered reasonable capital growth in recent years. However, these were exceptions only.
Despite lower interest rates (with another expected in the new year) and some loosening of credit restrictions, houses still carried a medium level of risk due to Western Australia’s economic conditions.
House prices have declined by 9 per cent in the past year and in Perth, house and unit prices declined by 8.6 per cent and 9 per cent, respectively.
Low-performing areas for houses in the past year include Perth - North East (with -8.8 per cent capital growth), Perth – Inner (-8.4 per cent) and Perth - South West (-7.3 per cent).
However, the risks associated with units is even higher as they are expected to deliver poor or negative capital growth due to the combination of oversupply, lending restrictions and low demand as they are generally not attractive to families or owner-occupiers.
Also, units in some suburbs are subject to voluntary lending restrictions by the major lenders, such as lower loan-to-value ratio (i.e. higher deposit). In addition, the state government tax on overseas investors further decreases the demand for new units as investment properties.
Perth – South East has the highest rate of unit oversupply in the state with 1900 units in the pipeline (a 6.7 per cent increase to the current stock).
The issues with construction defects in NSW and Victoria and the publicity they have received in the media mean this situation is unlikely to materially improve in the short term.
While there have been no major construction defects reported in relation to high-rise buildings in Perth, the events in Sydney and Melbourne increase the risk of reputational damage and, consequently, lower demand for both existing and off-the-plan high-rise units.
DORON PELEG is the CEO of RiskWise
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WA property market remains in the doldrums: RiskWise's Doron Peleg

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The latest monthly data from the Commonwealth Bank Household Spending Intentions (HSI) Series indicates that home buying spending intentions are running at a record rate. 
CBA Chief Economist Michael Blythe said, "there are some early signs of a ‘wealth effect’ from the housing market supporting spending on motor vehicles, albeit from a very low level, as well as travel and entertainment."
This means the pick-up in dwelling prices in the second half of 2019 will continue into the first half of this year, and the residential construction downturn should be approaching bottom.
“Past cycles show that leading indicators like building approvals turn about three month after home buying intentions start to lift. A bottoming in the construction cycle would remove a major growth drag on the economy, and also helps retailing," Mr Blythe said.
Noting that retail HSI remained low, Mr Blythe commented, “the flat trend in the retail HSI remains a disappointing outcome relative to the stimulus applied via interest rate cuts, tax rebates and the upturn in dwelling prices. The zig-zag pattern for the retail HSI indicates that the ‘Black Friday’ event brought forward spending from December into November without necessarily boosting spending overall."
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Home buying intentions have reached a record high: CBA

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The Federal Court has found Trivago breached Australian Consumer Law when it made misleading representations about hotel room rates both on its website and television advertising.
The Court ruled that from at least December 2016, Trivago misled consumers by representing its website would quickly and easily help users identify the cheapest rates available for a given hotel.
They found that in fact, Trivago used an algorithm which placed significant weight on which online hotel booking site paid Trivago the highest cost-per-click fee in determining its website rankings and often did not highlight the cheapest rates for consumers.
ACCC Chair Rod Sims said, “Trivago’s hotel room rate rankings were based primarily on which online hotel booking sites were willing to pay Trivago the most."
“By prominently displaying a hotel offer in ‘top position’ on its website, Trivago represented that the offer was either the cheapest available offer or had some other extra feature that made it the best offer when this was often not the case,” Mr Sims said.
The Court also found Trivago’s hotel room rate comparisons that used strike-through prices or text in different colours gave consumers a false impression of savings because they often compared an offer for a standard room with an offer for a luxury room at the same hotel.
The Court also found that, until at least 2 July 2018, Trivago misled consumers to believe that the Trivago website provided an impartial, objective and transparent price comparison for hotel room rates.
“This decision sends a strong message to comparison websites and search engines that if ranking or ordering of results is based or influenced by advertising, they should be upfront and clear with consumers about this so that consumers are not misled,” Mr Sims said.
A hearing on relief, including penalties, will be held at a later date.
Trivago’s website aggregates deals offered by online hotel booking sites (like Expedia, Hotels.com and Booking.com) and hotel proprietors’ own websites for available rooms at a hotel and highlights one offer out of all online hotel booking sites (referred to as the ‘Top Position Offer’). However, Trivago’s own data showed that higher-priced room rates were selected as the Top Position Offer over alternative lower-priced offers in 66.8% of listings.
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Federal Court finds Trivago misled consumers about hotel room rates: ACCC

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Implosion is the most dramatic way of demolishing a building but it’s also the most wasteful and hazardous.
We are entering a new world where skyscrapers and other huge buildings are becoming redundant and need significant overhaul or replacement. The process is called unbuilding or, if you’re a bit highfalutin, deconstruction.
These so-called <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/spreadsheets-in-the-sky-are-putting-melbourne-s-liveability-at-risk-20191203-p53gek" target="_blank">spreadsheet towers</a> populate every major city. They signalled modernity and provided huge profits for those who built them. But these buildings are <a href="/news">profligate users of fuels</a> for light, power and services.
Most developed world cities started building skyscrapers after the second world war. These buildings were <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/International-Style-architecture" target="_blank">International Style</a> architecture, unrecognisable is terms of a particular locale, universal in terms of their ubiquitous metal, concrete, glass – and fully air-conditioned. Now they are ageing, their use-by date is up and their balance sheet profitability no longer attracts.
The challenges of demolition and reuse
The question is: how do we safely dismantle these high-rise structures, which are generally located in busy cities?
Reminders of the dangers of explosive demolition are tragedies such as the <a href="https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6030620/katie-benders-family-commemorate-20-years-since-royal-canberra-hospital-implosion/" target="_blank">death of 12-year-old Katie Bender</a>. She was struck by flying debris when the Royal Canberra Hospital was razed in 1997 to make way for the new National Museum of Australia.
A recent demolition, and the <a href="https://www.archdaily.com/889563/soms-iconic-270-park-avenue-at-risk-of-becoming-the-largest-building-ever-to-be-demolished">tallest ever to be unbuilt</a>, is 270 Park Avenue, New York City (pictured). Its 52 floors were built in 1960 for the Union Carbide chemical company. The building was for 50 years the tallest ever designed by a female architect (Natalie de Bios of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. Is that another low hit for gender equality?) Its replacement by architects Norman Foster will be <a href="/news">twice as high</a>.
The business of disassembling these skyscrapers is just now developing, but it will gain pace as more become obsolete.
Some still get imploded, but usually, in a busy city, demolition techniques must be unobtrusive, as quiet and clean as possible. The <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780865476752">techniques used for cleaning up the World Trade Centre</a> testify to the wastefulness of a more destructive approach.
So how best to demolish a high-rise building?
Plenty of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/18/science/tricky-ways-to-pull-down-a-skyscraper">clever techniques to demolish</a> exist. Some start at the base and work up, others in reverse.
The 40-storey Akasaka Prince Hotel in Tokyo was slowly <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1160452/eco-friendly-japanese-demolition-scheme-slashes-dust-and-noise">demolished in 2012-13</a> using a technique where a cap was built on top of the building. It was stripped floor by floor as the cap was lowered, so all the dust, mess and debris was contained and removed with no effect on the environment.
Buildings are wrapped in scaffold and protective fabric then literally dismantled in the reverse order to which they were built. In the process building waste can be recycled and reused rather than dumped.
Reverse building involves removing the glass, then the frames, taking off the wall cladding, then scraping away at the concrete and steel frames bit by bit. Concrete is removed to expose the steel reinforcing bars, which are then separately removed and recycled. In the process unwanted material can be uncovered, like asbestos, which needs particular care in handling.
Interiors are unbuilt the same way – remove floor coverings, cupboards, doors and lightweight walls, strip the electrical wiring and pipes, take out air conditioning and lifts, remove stairs and escalators.
These removalists act smartly, as materials and fabric are recycled and often reused for another building. It is a sustainable way of dealing with the issue. Things that might normally have been reduced to dust and mud by destruction are instead usefully salvaged and recovered for an extended life cycle.
As part of the benefits of this procedure, unbuilding provides <a href="https://www.huduser.gov/Publications/PDF/deconstruct.pdf">large numbers of construction jobs and associated employment</a> in transportation, waste management and recycling.
It also provides new construction sites. This means cities need not expand beyond existing boundaries and the infrastructure of services, roads and public transport need not be extended.
Building with an eye to unbuilding
What has interested those involved with this work is the capacity of building designers (let’s call them architects) to creatively improve their buildings in terms of life after use-by date. Techniques are being developed that assist in unbuilding and salvaging materials, even down to basic principles such as ease of access to pipes and wires, modular components and simplified connection practices.
The logic is that clarity of building structure and services makes retrieval simpler. Less complexity of materials and components means a building can be untangled more efficiently.
Fastening devices can be simplified and mechanical (rather than using glues and sealants), toxic materials avoided, materials selected with an afterlife in mind and structures designed for simplicity and accessibility. Also important is a clear set of as-built documents that map the original building so it can be disassembled.
Clear design thinking will have value for unbuilding and recycling in the future.
Making construction more sustainable
The construction industry is a main consumer of fuels, timber, steel and other metals, concrete and plastics. That demand drives the logging of forests, mining and extraction, leading to material production and transport that contributes to emissions and pollution.
The UK Green Building Council <a href="https://www.ukgbc.org/climate-change/">estimates</a> the construction industry generates about 22% of UK carbon emissions, uses 40% of drinking water, contributes 50% to climate change and over half our landfill waste, and accounts for 39% of global energy use. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also <a href="https://archive.epa.gov/greenbuilding/web/pdf/gbstats.pdf">reports</a> that the industry contributes to asthma and lung cancer by producing radon via contaminated applied finishes (paint).
Driving the need for much greater reuse of old building materials is an awareness of the fragility of our resources and the energy we use to consume them.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/129002/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/norman-day-228477">Norman Day</a>, Lecturer in Architecture, Practice and Design, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a>
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/unbuilding-cities-as-high-rises-reach-their-use-by-date-129002">original article</a>.
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Unbuilding cities as high-rises reach their use-by date: Norman Day

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Catastrophic fires have, for over three months, escalated to unprecedented levels in Australia with many beholding the tragic loss of lives, property, wildlife and livelihoods.
Today, CEO of CoreLogic International, Lisa Claes released a statement concerning recent bushfires in Australia. 
"Across the country, people are coming together to support those impacted by these terrible events and we are pleased to let you know that CoreLogic is also making a substantial contribution. We are not only donating to the Australian Red Cross and WIRES to support these efforts, but will also match all employee dollar donations for the bushfire appeal," Ms Claes assures.
"In addition, we would like to acknowledge the significant sacrifices being made by volunteer firefighters across multiple fire zones. As a consequence, CoreLogic employees who are members of the Rural Fire Services are being provided with paid volunteer leave to support their efforts. On top of that, we will also be working closely over the coming months with our community partner Habitat for Humanity Australia, providing employee volunteers to assist with recovery and property clean-up activities in the Cuddlee Creek community in South Australia, where over 85 homes have been lost.
"We have already established a Bushfire Response Team to accelerate a number of initiatives that will help customers impacted. That includes a program to help ensure that our customers (and their customers) receive the assistance they need at this difficult time. All our programs for <a href="https://www.corelogic.com.au/corelogic-australian-bushfire-support#banking" target="_blank">financial institutions</a>, <a href="https://www.corelogic.com.au/corelogic-australian-bushfire-support#insurance" target="_blank">insurance companies</a>, <a href="https://www.corelogic.com.au/corelogic-australian-bushfire-support#government" target="_blank">government agencies</a> and <a href="https://www.corelogic.com.au/corelogic-australian-bushfire-support#propertyowners" target="_blank">property owners</a> are outlined on this web page."
CoreLogic offer a free of charge on a one-time basis to financial institutions, insurers and property owners.
<h2>Helping Financial Institutions</h2>
CoreLogic can help identify customer properties that may have been impacted by the bushfires. They can also help find the property's recent estimated value, whether it was listed for sale or rent, and the estimated rebuild cost of the property.
<h2>Helping Insurers</h2>
CoreLogic can help identify customers whose properties may have been impacted which enables insurance organisations to reach out proactively to them and to priorities their inbound enquiries. 
<h2>Helping Government Agencies</h2>
<a href="https://www.corelogic.com.au/corelogic-australian-bushfire-support#contact_us_form" target="_blank">CoreLogic data</a> can help assist state and federal government agencies by identifying and providing information about those properties that may have been impacted. 
They will help government agencies understand population displacement and dislocation, validate relief payment claims, provide economic impact analysis, assist with tax assessments for individuals, businesses or corporations, and identify longer-term health impacts.
<h2>Helping Property Owners</h2>
CoreLogic's can help simplify the task of estimating rebuild costs using their<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://sumsure.cordell.com.au/?_ga=2.200442925.244147514.1579496227-612828265.1579496227#/products/7/profiles/112" target="_blank"> Cordell Sum Sure Calculator</a>. This is an intuitive digital tool that uses CoreLogic property and construction data. It is available as a free-to-use service to help answer pressing concerns regarding bushfire related damagers.
Ms Claes suggests, "For more information regarding our bushfire response, please contact the CoreLogic Customer Call Centre on 1300 734 318, or your client account manager. Alternatively, use the form at the bottom of this page. We are ready to discuss how we can assist you." 
Main photo from <a href="https://www.corelogic.com.au/corelogic-australian-bushfire-support#insurance%20owners" target="_blank">CoreLogic News</a>
 
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Response to Australia's bushfire crisis by CoreLogic

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Metrics anticipate the Australian commercial property loan market outlook for 2020.
Non-bank lender activity in the Australia property loan market is forecast to expand further in 2020, driven by increased interest from both developers as well as investors
The Australian non-bank loan market has been an essential source of funding for Australian property developers and investors for decades, but when compared to more developed markets such as the US and Europe, it still has significant potential for expansion.
There are currently a number of structural and cyclical trends playing out in the market that will see it grow in the coming years, notes the nation’s leading non-bank lender Metrics Credit Partners (Metrics).
Non-bank lenders to provide a greater share
One of the hallmarks of the Australian corporate lending market has been the bank dominance of the sector, with the domestic banks currently holding around 70% market share. Due to the large balance sheet capacity and accompanying capital required to operate in the market, barriers to entry are significant.
However, “banks are under significant regulatory pressure to reign in their loan portfolios to meet stricter capital requirements, which has opened up opportunities for non-bank lenders to claim a greater share of the &gt;$900 billion market." notes managing partner at Metrics, Andrew Lockhart.
“For this reason, expect the proportion of non-bank lenders to grow modestly over the coming year.”
Mr Lockhart adds that institutional capital is also driving this corporate loan growth. “The asset class is a key component in institutional portfolios, particularly for those seeking income-producing assets at a time of low yields, and over 80 per cent of managers expect to raise more capital from pension funds and insurance companies in the near future.
“Outside of the institutions, however, there is also significant interest in investing in corporate loans from Australian retail and self-managed superfund investors, drawn by the attractive risk-adjusted returns of four to ten per cent on offer.”
Given continued uncertainty for equities markets resulting from geopolitical issues and the ‘lower for longer’ rate environment impacting cash and term deposits, this is a trend expected to continue into 2020.
Mr Lockhart notes that raising capital for property developments can be a long and expensive process. “The property sector is an attractive opportunity to build a relationship with a lender, rather than relying on commoditised lending products offered by the banks.
“Given the pullback in bank funding in Australia, along with the appetite we are seeing from borrowers of all sizes for alternative sources of funding, we could well see more sizeable transactions in the Australian market in the years to come.”
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Australian property loan market outlook for 2020, Metrics report

Malaysian developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/s-p-setia">SP Setia</a> is the latest to jump into St Leonards booming Transport Oriented Development precinct.

The developer, which has previously delivered Sapphire by the Gardens apartment development in Melbourne, identified the Atchison Street site in 2023. It filed a Scoping Report around 12 months ago, and now has revealed the designs for the new&nbsp;40-storey mixed-use tower.

The State Significant Development Application covers <a href="https://next-portal.urban.com.au/projects/14650/summary">20-22 Atchison Street</a>, a 1,374 sqm site positioned between St Leonards Station and the new Crows Nest Metro station.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cox-architecture">COX Architecture</a>, the project would deliver 181 apartments, above a four-storey commercial podium, five basement levels, and new public domain works along Mitchell Street. The apartment mix comprises 35 one-bedroom apartments, 39 one-bedroom-plus-study apartments, 85 two-bedroom apartments, and 22 three-bedroom residences.

The proposal has been lodged as a shop-top housing development under the NSW Government’s TOD planning pathway, which allows increased density around key transport infrastructure. The site sits within the recently rezoned Crows Nest Accelerated TOD Precinct.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b799673d-48e2-46b0-801a-0e33a9330100" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/atchinson%20site.png?VersionId=dPh0UfwfaHpbFL1R7H1cbZNbIW0CHbCC" />

SP Setia acquired the Atchison Street site as part of its continued expansion into the Australian apartment market. In comments made to City &amp; Country (The Edge Malaysia) in 2023, SP Setia President and CEO Datuk Choong Kai Wai described the acquisition as “a strategic move” aligned with the group’s post-pandemic market recovery strategy.

“Our target for this exceptional development is local and overseas buyers, including first-home buyers, downsizers and investors,” Choong said.

The tower has been designed as a slender vertical form rising from a mixed-use podium, with COX Architecture positioning the development as a response to the evolving St Leonards and Crows Nest skyline.

“The purpose of the project is to facilitate the delivery of high-quality housing at a strategically located site and deliver a built tower outcome that is consistent with the desired future character of St Leonards and aligns with the TOD controls,” the design report stated.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b1a85eee-76f7-436c-a6da-73ba827b9b13" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/atchinson%20entry.png?VersionId=dA9jHGPMcm.dDbwk4QfxqWiY5bfh3UVt" />

The podium would incorporate retail uses fronting Atchison Street, commercial tenancies, landscaped communal areas, and pedestrian improvements along Mitchell Street. Vehicle access and loading would be consolidated via Atchison Lane.

Residents would have access to more than 665 sqm of communal indoor and outdoor spaces, while the development proposes 96 parking spaces across five basement levels.

The proposal also includes a commitment for 10 per cent of residential floor space to be allocated toward affordable housing through a monetary contribution.

COX said the tower form responds directly to the emerging high-density character of the precinct while seeking to maximise solar access, cross ventilation, and outlook from apartments.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2163f85c-f63b-4be3-aafa-f8763976cec5" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Article%20Feature%20Image%20%28Grid%29_5.png?VersionId=WiAmtIKJ6.ZQ41EtYEQ1fol7AeorKBlL" />

“The building is orientated towards north,” the Apartment Design Guide compliance report noted, adding that the tower’s slim form was driven by the constrained inner-urban site dimensions.

The design also incorporates landscaped setbacks and communal open space at podium level, intended to soften the interface with surrounding streets and improve pedestrian amenity.

The project adds to a growing wave of redevelopment proposals reshaping St Leonards and Crows Nest following the opening of the Sydney Metro City line and the NSW Government’s push for higher-density housing around major transport nodes.

Last week Stockland filed plans just down the road. They want to build a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/601-pacific-highway-st-leonards-nsw-2065">52-storey tower on Pacific Highway</a>.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-stockland-plans-52-storey-538-apartment-st-leonards-tower">First look: Stockland plans 52-storey, 538-apartment St Leonards tower&nbsp;</a>

Joel Robinson

First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/urban-property-group">Urban Property Group</a> has revealed plans for a new mixed-use tower at 10 Dangar Street, Wickham, advancing a proposal that would reshape the southern gateway to Newcastle’s city centre with one of the city’s tallest residential buildings.

The State Significant Development proposal, now on exhibition, seeks approval for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/bowline-10-dangar-street-wickham-nsw-2293">43-storey tower</a> immediately adjacent to the Newcastle Interchange. The project would deliver around 200 apartments, including 42 affordable housing dwellings, alongside 99 co-living units, a 171-room hotel, retail space, and new public domain integrated through the site.

The scheme marks a significant escalation of plans previously approved for the site. Urban Property Group took over the prominent 2,904 sqm parcel, where excavation and demolition had already commenced under an earlier consent for a 14-storey mixed-use development.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="58a96dd9-407f-4d20-86b4-94e4bfeef74b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20podium.png?VersionId=LGlf08pdFGAZDzvx_CXC4XakHNZRuEE0" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/sjb-architects">SJB</a>, the tower has been conceived as a landmark transit-oriented development anchored to the Newcastle Interchange precinct. The proposal includes 245 build-to-sell apartments across a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom residences, as well as two penthouses. Fifteen apartments and one operational unit are earmarked for NDIS housing. The co-living component would add a further 99 units, while the podium would accommodate retail uses and hotel facilities.

SJB said the site presents “a valuable opportunity to anchor the precinct by setting the standard for design, active ground planes and character at the key southern gateway.”

The architecture responds directly to the site’s position beside major transport infrastructure and within one of Newcastle’s fastest-evolving urban renewal precincts. The tower form sits above a sculpted podium designed to frame new public spaces, including a through-site pedestrian link connecting Station Street to Hannell Street, landscaped plazas, and activated retail edges.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a7bd6ff0-f7db-4ce8-a6dc-ea56e72c6149" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20lanne.png?VersionId=xzf39VADyhj7zBQY2I9fx9vI62u2tuSb" />

The design report describes the project as part of the broader transition of Wickham into “a vibrant, high-quality mixed-use urban precinct” that leverages proximity to the station, open space, and regional connectivity.

A detailed public art strategy has also been prepared for the development. The strategy positions the project as “a transit-oriented development of state significance at the gateway to Newcastle’s city centre” and outlines a series of integrated artworks responding to Newcastle’s industrial and transport heritage.

Creative Road’s curatorial framework for the project, titled Unveil, draws on “stratified surfaces, carved volumes, and light-filled apertures” while referencing Newcastle’s transformation from an industrial city into a contemporary education and technology hub.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="77a882bb-14b1-4d28-99ff-9438e39508c0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20site.png?VersionId=cevgo_vN0eKPK78P8YcEu3mKPLkpFqE7" />

The proposal is being advanced through the NSW Housing Delivery Authority pathway after being declared State Significant Development in June 2025. The accompanying scoping report states the development aims to “maximise the site’s proximity to the Newcastle Interchange by delivering transit-oriented development” while increasing housing supply and affordable housing provision within the Newcastle LGA.

Urban Property Group’s plans align with the long-term strategic vision established under the Wickham Master Plan, which identified the interchange precinct as suitable for substantial uplift in height and density. The current proposal would significantly intensify that vision, positioning the tower among the tallest developments proposed for Newcastle.

The site sits immediately north of the Newcastle Interchange, bounded by Dangar Street, Hannell Street, and Charles Street. It is surrounded by a rapidly growing cluster of residential towers and mixed-use projects that have emerged following the completion of the light rail and transport interchange.

First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s latest tower at Wickham interchange

Bottega House has completed settlement of a landmark riverfront site in Macquarie Street, St Lucia, representing its first major Brisbane development.&nbsp;

Positioned on the banks of the Brisbane River, the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/180-macquarie-street-st-lucia-qld-4067">premium site at 180 Macquarie Street</a> features uninterrupted river frontage in one of Brisbane’s most tightly held residential precincts.&nbsp;

The proposed development, currently under assessment with Brisbane City Council, has been designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/plus-studio">Plus Studio</a> with interiors by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/mim-design">Mim Design</a> and will deliver a boutique collection of premium residences positioned specifically for owner occupiers and downsizers.&nbsp;

The residences are set to redefine luxury apartment living in the area, with a focus on architectural quality, refined finishes, landscape integration and elevated amenities including curated wellness facilities, resort-style pools and recreation spaces rarely seen in the local market.&nbsp;

Exclusive sales for the project will be led by Keenan &amp; Byrne, ahead of an anticipated launch later this year.&nbsp;

Bottega House Managing Director Nick Malloch said the project reflects the group’s ambition to deliver a highly curated residential offering within one of Brisbane’s most tightly held precincts.&nbsp;

“This is an incredibly rare riverfront opportunity and one we have approached with a long-term perspective,” Malloch said.&nbsp;

“Our vision from the outset was to create a boutique collection of residences that feel more like private homes than traditional apartments, with generous proportions, refined finishes and exceptional amenity throughout."

Malloch says there is a&nbsp;lack of premium owner-occupier stock of this quality in the market, particularly for downsizers wanting space, privacy and a true lifestyle offering without compromise.&nbsp;

"Demand is expected to be strong given the scarcity of premium riverfront opportunities of this nature within Brisbane’s inner-west."&nbsp;

Bottega House secures landmark riverfront site in St Lucia 

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The arrival of the first piling rig officially marks the commencement of construction at SIERA’s new beachside apartment development, Exhale, in Northcliffe.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/exhale-surfers-paradise-8-enderley-avenue-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">Exhale</a>, a glass-encased tower featuring 54 large-scale apartments at 8 Enderley Avenue, is SIERA’s third Gold Coast development. It follows the recently completed PIPIS Bilinga beachfront project, which achieved suburb-record prices, and the soon-to-be-completed Chevron Island development, Tapestry.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=359603]

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/siera">SIERA</a> Founder and Managing Director Brent Thompson said the arrival of the piling rig represented a significant milestone for the development, which is scheduled for completion in late 2028.

Over the next month, around 260 piles are expected to be installed as work progresses on the basement structure. The building is anticipated to rise above ground level early next year, before unveiling its sculptural glass curtain wall, developed in collaboration with specialist façade engineers.

“The façade was designed to maximise panoramic coastal views while creating a distinctive architectural identity,” Thompson said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=355935]

Designed by BDA Architecture, Exhale will comprise just 54 two- and three-bedroom residences across 26 levels, a level of low-density living rarely delivered in this beachside pocket between Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach.

The project has been conceived as a resident-only building, with no short-stay accommodation permitted. SIERA says the model is intended to appeal to long-term owner-occupiers rather than transient holiday demand.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=361052]

Residences have been designed with large-format layouts and expansive glazing, with most apartments featuring more than 30 metres of glass frontage to maximise natural light and ocean views.

The amenity offering spans two levels and centres on wellness and lifestyle, including a heated magnesium pool, sauna, yoga and Pilates studio, gymnasium, private dining facilities, cinema lounge, and dedicated surfcraft storage.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=359607]

More than half of the apartments have already sold. SIERA has also opened a sales gallery for Exhale at its Chevron Island commercial premises, near its Tapestry tower and the site of its second Chevron Island apartment development, which is slated to launch in early 2027.
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[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=112661]

SIERA kicks off construction at Northcliffe tower Exhale

Local Little Bay residents, along with buyers from premium postcodes across Sydney’s affluent Eastern Suburbs, have dominated purchases in developer-builder Urban Property Group’s first Eastern Suburbs apartment development, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/este-little-bay-jennifer-street-little-bay-nsw-2036">ESTE Little Bay</a>.

The $250 million coastal project, one of the first new developments in the area in several years, has proven particularly popular with downsizers, especially those from Coogee and Bondi. One Double Bay downsizer paid $4.7 million for a four-bedroom penthouse, setting a new local apartment price record in the process.

Buyers have been attracted to the combination of coastal tranquillity, premium design and amenity-rich neighbourhood living. The walkable village setting, along with proximity to three of Sydney’s leading golf courses, New South Wales Golf Club, St Michael’s Golf Club and The Coast Golf Club, has also been a key drawcard.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112343 project_image_fid=352689]

Built across two low-rise buildings designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/hill-thalis-architecture-urban-projects-pty-ltd">Hill Thalis</a> and set along a lush, landscaped green spine, designed by leading landscape architect <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/landscape-architect/arcadia-landscape-architecture">Arcadia</a>, ESTE Little Bay offers a collection of one, two, three and four-bedroom residences with interiors by Richards Stanisich.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/urban-property-group">Urban Property Group</a> Sales Director, Tom McIvor said the response to ESTE has been "nothing short of extraordinary."

“Buyers have been quick to recognise ESTE as a rare opportunity to invest in a coastal sanctuary that offers both seclusion and connectivity to the heart of Sydney,” McIvor said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112343 project_image_fid=352687]

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/srm-residential">SRM Residential</a> Senior Director, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/srm-residential">Clayton Ross</a> said the local market has responded incredibly well, driven by ESTE’s exceptional location and the rarity it offers.

“We’ve seen strong interest from a variety of buyer groups, all of whom are drawn to the exclusivity and quality of the build and construction by the 4.5-star iCIRT-rated builder / developer, Urban Property Group. There’s truly nothing else like it along Sydney’s coastline.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112343 project_image_fid=352690]

The project also includes robust buyer protections, including Resilience Insurance’s Latent Defects Insurance, providing 10 years of structural cover, and an independent iCIRT-rating of the developer.

“The iCIRT-rating adds another layer of confidence,” Ross added. “Buyers see it as a safeguard for their investment and their lifestyle.” A highlight of ESTE’s offering is its exclusive wellness amenities, including a heated rooftop infinity pool and outdoor heated spa, a state-of-the-art Technogym fitness centre, and a sauna.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/este-little-bay-jennifer-street-little-bay-nsw-2036">ESTE Little Bay</a> is topped out and is on track to complete towards the end of 2026, with residents moving in before Christmas.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=112343]

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