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The Ripples, a tightly held New Farm waterfront, has been listed for sale.
One of the best examples of Spanish Mission-style architecture along the Brisbane River, the Griffth Street mansion was design in 1928 by E.P. Trewern.
<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/2019/10/29/new%20farm%202%201.jpg" alt="">
It sits on 740 square metres that was originally part of Sir Samuel Griffith's Merthyr estate.
The four bedroom home with terracotta roof tiles, decorative rendered gables, ornamental metalwork and geometric leadlight windows has a rare private pontoon on the water.
<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/2019/10/29/new%20farm%203%201.jpg" alt="">
Ray White New Farm agents Matt Lancashire and Nicholas Given have expression of interest until November 15.
The Mills family paid $1,005,000 two decades ago.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Spanish Mission-style New Farm waterfront trophy home The Ripples listed

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Broken Hill had the state’s cheapest October auction offering — which was snapped up for $35,000 by an investor who will flip the mining town cottage.
The onsite auction had just the two phone bidders for what First National agent Mitchell Halpin marketed as “a renovators’ delight”.
Offered under instructions from the NSW Trustee &amp; Guardian, the three-bedroom cottage came with outdoor toilet and laundry.
The home also has a new roof, which cost about $25,000 after the 2016 hailstorm.
Broken Hill is one of the most active housing markets in NSW with 200-plus sales so far this year.
Prices start at $30,000 and have fetched $521,000.
The local buyers and occupants come especially from the teaching, mining and medical professions.
The big property sales this year have been retail offerings.
The Harvey Norman store fetched at $1.09 million, reflecting a 9.9% yield, and the KFC premises sold at $1.2 million.
The Catholic Church spent $850,000 to buy back the former St Joseph’s Convent after a four-decade gap.
This article first appeared in The Daily Telegraph.  
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$35,000 Broken Hill cottage ranks as cheapest weekend sale

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Five individual retail strata lots forming the ground floor of Perth’s The Towers at Elizabeth Quay has been offered for sale via expressions of interest.
Situated at 11 Barrack Street, the Towers at Elizabeth Quay were completed in July 2019 with the retail tenancies (Lots 276, 277, 278, 279 and 280) due to open in 2020.
The sites are being marketed and sold by Ray White Commercial (WA) Property Advisors Brett Wilkins and Phil Zoiti.
<img src="https://f.datasrvr.com/f1/219/92295/EQ_2.JPG">
Wilkins said the five retail strata lots offered for sale separately or as a portfolio would be complemented by a further $2 billion investment at Elizabeth Quay, including the new Australian Chevron HQ, the two towers at EQ West which recently commenced construction, and the two towers proposed by Brookfield.
“The five tenancies comprise The Towers Sales Office, Six Senses, Convenience Store, Argyle Bar and Lucky Necko,” Wilkins said. 
“Four of the tenancies offered for sale have new 10-year leases plus options, and every high net worth buyer wanting a trophy investment really need to look no further.”
Zoiti said: “The Towers feature 275 luxury apartments, with the five retail tenancies on the ground floor, alongside a second tower with the Ritz-Carlton Hotel with 205 luxury rooms and 104 luxury apartments above.”
The expressions of interest campaign closes on Wednesday 13 November 2019.
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Ground floor of Perth's The Towers at Elizabeth Quay offered to market

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GUEST OBSERVATION
We all know the feeling. You’re on your way to an important appointment when disaster strikes.
A glitch in the transport matrix leaves you <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-11/sydney-train-delays-after-signal-failure/11592818?pfmredir=sm&amp;sf221276741=1" target="_blank">waiting for a train that never arrives</a>, or in <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/sydney-melbourne-coming-to-a-standstill-as-infrastructure-struggles-20190812-p52g9n" target="_blank">bumper-to-bumper traffic</a> with little chance of making it to your destination on time. If you are like me, you may wonder: why are our transport systems so fragile, and how could we make them more resilient?
The answer may lie in the infrastructure we provide for the <a href="https://www.cbinsights.com/research/report/micromobility-revolution/" target="_blank">emerging trend of micro-mobility</a> – devices that are small, light and usually electric-powered. Greater investment in a micro-mobility network could improve the reliability of our current transport system, which offers two main networks in road and rail for journeys that are not walkable. This micro-mobility network can be developed by greatly improving the fragmented bicycle networks in our cities.
To understand how this could improve our overall transport system, we must first look at how transport projects are funded and how diversification and redundancy can make up for shortcomings in this process.
<h2>Selecting the best transport projects</h2>
When deciding which projects to build, transport agencies rank projects using a benefit-cost ratio (BCR). This number is the predicted benefits of a project divided by the predicted costs.
Unfortunately, benefit-cost ratios are often <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-do-we-restore-the-publics-faith-in-transport-planning-73684" target="_blank">misused to suit political motives</a>. They are inherently flawed and uncertain for at least three reasons:
<ol>
<li>modelling often <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-fewer-drivers-are-likely-to-use-westconnex-than-predicted-38286" target="_blank">miscalculates future traffic volumes</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/modelling-for-major-road-projects-is-at-odds-with-driver-behaviour-63603" target="_blank">inaccurate assumptions are used</a> to estimate the dollar value of costs and benefits</li>
<li>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-closer-look-at-business-cases-raises-questions-about-priority-national-infrastructure-projects-94489" target="_blank">many uncertain costs and benefits are simply ignored</a>.</li>
</ol>
Reducing investment risk through diversification
In the financial sector, uncertainty is simply a risk to be managed. This can be done with diversification, which is achieved by bundling different assets into a portfolio. For example, bundling shares from different industries reduces the risk that these “diverse” investments will all suffer losses at the same time.
Similarly, investing in a variety of transport modes is a form of diversification. This makes our transport systems more resilient to long-term changes in the economy, the climate, technology, energy and so on. For example, a transport system that provides alternatives to car travel is resilient to increases in the price of fuel or the cost of emissions.
Transport diversification reduces investment risk, so we are likely to get a more stable return on our transport investment. But diversification alone does not prevent a traffic accident blocking a motorway, or a power outage shutting down a railway line.
To tackle those problems, we should consider approaches the technology sector has been using to manage component failures for decades. It can provide <a href="https://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/whats-new/2019/01/amazon-ecr-announces-99-9--service-level-agreement/" target="_blank">services with 99.9% availability</a>. That would be quite an achievement for the transport network!
Managing component failure using redundancy
The technology sector uses redundancy to ensure service is maintained even when one part of the system fails. IT managers keep local and cloud backups so data can be retrieved even if the office burns to the ground. Aircraft designers install multiple flight control systems so the failure of a single system does not cause a crash.
In the transport sector, redundancy is achieved when several modes can be used to make the same journey. While the technology sector can offer redundancy through duplicate systems, providing a duplicate train line “just in case” the first one fails is simply too costly. Instead, we rely on the train network to move people when a road crash halts traffic and we rely on the road network to move people when a train line is closed.
Unfortunately, Australian transport networks do not offer enough capacity or alternatives when one mode is crippled. The predictable result is a fragile transport system with unplanned but not entirely unexpected faults causing frequent delays.
Tapping into micro-mobility solutions
A new wave of mobility solutions is on the horizon. Many are described as “micro-mobility”: electric scooters, electric bicycles and automated delivery pods fit this description, as do conventional bicycles.
These devices are perfect for short trips in crowded cities. They are used for individual mobility and micro-freight (such as small packages and takeaway food).
These devices travel faster than pedestrians, so can be <a href="https://theconversation.com/electric-scooters-on-collision-course-with-pedestrians-and-lawmakers-99654" target="_blank">unwanted on footpaths</a>. However, they are slower than motor vehicles, so can be unwanted on roadways. And as people using micro-mobility devices are <a href="https://theconversation.com/three-charts-on-the-rise-in-cycling-injuries-and-deaths-in-australia-116660" target="_blank">not protected from collisions</a>, they are often reluctant to mix with motor vehicle traffic.
The logical place for micro-mobility devices is on a network that is designed for unprotected humans to travel at around 10-30km/h. In other words, the bicycle network.
The benefits of a bicycle (or “micro-mobility”) network
The <a href="https://theconversation.com/cutting-cycling-funding-is-economic-non-sense-7547" target="_blank">evidence for investment in bicycle infrastructure is strong</a>. It has the benefits of tackling big challenges including obesity, emissions and traffic congestion.
This article highlights three additional benefits that are not included in traditional benefit-cost ratio analysis:
<ol>
<li>providing a bicycle network increases transport diversification and therefore minimises investment risk</li>
<li>a bicycle network provides redundancy to keep the transport system functioning when other networks fail</li>
<li>bicycle networks support the emerging micro-mobility market.</li>
</ol>
However, investment in bicycle networks in Australia has been miniscule for decades. For example, in 2015-16, <a href="https://www.bitre.gov.au/publications/2018/files/infrastructure-statistics-yearbook-2018-booklet.pdf" target="_blank">A$25.1 billion was invested in roads</a> and <a href="https://www.bitre.gov.au/publications/2018/yearbook_2018.aspx" target="_blank">A$8.7 billion in rail</a>. But only <a href="http://www.bicyclecouncil.com.au/publication/national-cycling-strategy-implementation-report-2016" target="_blank">A$121.8 million was spent on the bicycle network</a> – just 0.36% of transport infrastructure spending, or A$5.27 per capita.
The bicycle networks in Australian cities are therefore fragmented and incomplete, as seen below in the map of Sydney.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/296141/original/file-20191009-3910-qqlfms.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/296141/original/file-20191009-3910-qqlfms.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
Sydney bicycle network. <a href="https://opendata.transport.nsw.gov.au/dataset/cycleway-data" target="_blank">Author using Transport for NSW data</a>, <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">CC BY</a>
Without a functioning bicycle network, the overall transport system is susceptible to investment risk and network failure. We will also be left behind as micro-mobility options proliferate and our transport system becomes less and less fit for purpose.
So let’s build a comprehensive bicycle network fit for scooters, delivery pods, bicycles and more, and let’s do it quick smart.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/124895/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
Tony Arnold, PhD Candidate, University of Sydney.
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/to-bolster-our-fragile-road-and-rail-system-we-need-to-add-a-micro-mobility-network-124895" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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To bolster our fragile road and rail system we need to add a ‘micro-mobility’ network

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GUEST OBSERVATION
The Australian society has changed significantly since cemeteries in Victoria were planned and designed 150 years ago. But there haven’t been any major redevelopment or review of the community’s changing requirements for what happens to our bodies when we die.
The Australian population is ageing, with around 15% of Australians aged 65 and over <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/older-people/older-australia-at-a-glance/contents/demographics-of-older-australians" target="_blank">in 2017</a>. About a third of older people in Australia were born overseas, with most coming from a non-English speaking background.
This has implications for our rituals for death and memorialisation, as well as for existing and future cemeteries.
In a new collaborative <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://monash.figshare.com/articles/Approaches_to_Death_Funeral_Rites_and_Memorialisation_in_Contemporary_Australia_Changes_and_Continuities/9922631" target="_blank">research project</a> taken from survey responses and in-depth interviews with members of different communities, we found cemeteries have ongoing significance to Australians, although its meaning and function are changing.
More than half of the 380 survey respondents said they still visit a cemetery once a year or more, and 23% visit once a month or more. But the interview data reveal a more complex and dynamic picture.
We found people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities tend to visit the cemetery more than their Anglo counterparts, and prefered to be memorialised in cemeteries to preserve a sense of belonging.
Anglo-Australians, on the other hand, generally prefer to be cremated and often choose to scatter ashes in places other than a cemetery. In one participant’s case, that meant scattering remains in a French vinyard, an island volcano and their local beach.
Calling Australia home
The cemetery remains an important site of cultural ritualisation and expression to most CALD interviewees.
Interviewees from the CALD communities - especially those from an Asian cultural background - had positive experiences with cemeteries in Australia. When comparing Australian cemeteries with those in Malaysia, Jenny (60s, Malaysian Chinese) said:
"In Malaysia, the cemeteries are not like this […] they are all overgrown […] and we were taught that graves are places where the gangsters will hide out, the thieves will hide out, people will come and rob you, so we don’t go."
The perceptions that Australian cemeteries are more open, greener, better managed, more accessible, and not as scary as those in their original countries made many Asian migrants felt more willing to visit a cemetery here.
Besides the aesthetic contrast, for many CALD interviewees, the cemetery offers a space that embraces their culture and gives them a sense of belonging in Australia.
Tony (30s, Tongan) would love to have a traditional Tongan way of burial in Australia, which involves bone picking (removing the bones from the grave), and grave re-using for future generations. These traditions strengthen their inter-generational connections.
Australian regulations mean these ritual practices are not possible here. But Tony was prepared to make a compromise.
Instead of following the ritual, he insisted on being buried in Australia because his children and family live in Australia. The inter-generational connections can prevail here. They call Australia home.
Participants from the CALD communities generally shared Tony’s idea. They believed having a physical place in Australia (either a grave or a plot for the ashes) gave them a sense of belonging and settlement for themselves and their families.
A library of local history, not a ‘resting place’
On the other hand, people from an Anglo-cultural background no longer see cemeteries as just a space for memorialisation and mourning. From our interviews, many see it as a “library” or a “depository” of the local history and family genealogy.
Cemetery visits, in this sense, contrast between fulfilling one’s cultural duty of memorialisation, and obtaining historical knowledge for self-learning, reflection, and development.
Alfred’s (50s, Anglo-Australian) cemetery visits had been driven by his interest in his family history. Family history can give someone “an explanation” about the kind of person they are, and:
"how the attitudes were passed on to the next generation so you can learn a tremendous amount, multi-generation through a family history search."
Yet, while many Anglo interview participants appreciated the historical and cultural values of the cemetery, they became less enthusiastic when considering the cemetery as their “resting places”.
We believe this corresponds with the nationwide trend since 2012 of more Australians <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/cremations-overtake-burials-as-final-choice-20120813-244ft" target="_blank">preferring cremation</a> to traditional full-body burial.
We found 56% of our survey respondents preferred cremation, 32% indicated preference for a ground burial and 12% were undecided.
In any case, our research indicated many people prefer to be memorialised at a place or site that’s meaningful. This might include their favourite beach or the park where they spent time with their children, rather than in a cemetery, which is outside their social, family spaces.
Tina (50s, Anglo-Australian) embarked on a global journey to fulfil her late husband’s wishes as he wanted his cremation remains (called cremains) scattered in three locations he loved: a vinyard in Burgundy, France, a volcano in Reunion Island, and the family’s local beach in Williamstown, Melbourne. Tina did all three.
Planning your body disposal
More people have started pre-planning what happens to their body when they die. The quantitative data shows 64% of people have already discussed their end of life-related wishes with close friends or family, and 11% have pre-paid for a funeral service.
In an earlier study, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17450101.2018.1471847" target="_blank">we found</a> Chinese Australians, for example, tended to pre-purchase their funeral services and grave sites before they died.
As previously mentioned, this might enhance their sense of cultural belonging in Australia.
On the other hand, people from an Anglo cultural background would “talk about it”, but few actually “lock things in”.
Interviews from the present study revealed people with an Anglo cultural background had a strong desire of “flexibility”. Many didn’t wish to decide at the time of their interview, as they were still exploring possibilities and opportunities outside the conventional modes of body disposal and memorialisation.
In other words, the idea of being memorialised outside the cemetery was an emerging rather than established idea.
Understanding the contemporary and future funeral needs of the culturally diverse Australian population is important to policy makers, as well as the cemetery and funeral industries.
With increasingly limited access to usable land suitable for burial practices – particularly in metropolitan areas – planning must consider the funeral rites of the ageing population and incoming migrant groups. They are likely to make end of life choices in the coming decades.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/124180/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
Wilfred Wang, Lecturer, Communications &amp; Media Studies, Monash University.
Gil-Soo Han, Associate Professor, Communications &amp; Media Studies, Monash University.
Helen Forbes-Mewett, Senior lecturer, Monash University.
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/migrant-communities-keep-our-cemeteries-alive-as-more-anglo-australians-turn-to-cremation-124180" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Migrant communities keep our cemeteries alive as more Anglo-Australians turn to cremation

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Crown Group has won two industry awards for its residential and hotel development, Arc by Crown Group in Clarence Street, Sydney. 
It took out the international award, The Architecture MasterPrize last week, as well as Australia’s peak industry body’s, the HIA’s Best NSW Apartment Complex 2019, at a ceremony in Sydney on Saturday night.
The Architecture MasterPrize is one of the most comprehensive architecture prizes in the world and celebrates the best in design excellence and innovation of architectural, interior, and landscape design.
The Housing Industry Association (HIA) is the peak industry association for the Australian residential building sector and its awards recognise excellence in residential construction and design excellence.
Opened in late 2018, Arc by Crown Group was designed by internationally acclaimed Koichi Takada Architects.
<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/2019/10/23/Arc%20by%20Crown%20Group_facade%20bricks.jpg" alt="">
The 25-story building located at 161 Clarence Street in Sydney’s heart, has a mix of 148 residential apartments, 73 serviced hotel apartments and luxurious five-star resort-style amenities.  
The heritage-inspired street level rustic brick arches and 59 white cathedral-like curved arches envelop the tower’s rooftop lounge and garden.
<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/2019/10/23/Arc%20by%20Crown%20Group_Rooftop%20Facilites.jpg" alt="">
It is renowned for its ice-cave themed indoor swimming pool, spa, gym, and rooftop garden area with city views.  
At ground-level, Arc by Crown Group’s modern retail precinct is home to a dining and retail precinct that includes Michi Izakaya &amp; Ramen, Ministry of Coffee, Delicatessen by Pony Dining and Grew &amp; Co Fine Jewellery.
"This award recognised the unique and innovative design, as well as outstanding and extraordinaryworkmanship, of Arc by Crown Group, a global icon that pushes the boundaries and has set a new benchmark for architectural and design lobally,” Crown Group Chief Operating Officer Pierre Abrahamse said.
Arc by Crown Group has previously won a number of architecture awards for its innovative design features including the 2019 MBA’s best Commercial Pool and best Commercial spa, UDIA NSW Awards for Excellence 2019 commendation, 2019 Architizer A+Awards Residential - Multi Unit Housing - High Rise (16+ Floors) Jury Vote and Popular Choice Awards, 2018 Property Guru Best Condo Development and 2015 International Property Awards Best Residential Development Australia.
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Arc by Crown Group in Sydney CBD wins HIA Best NSW apartment complex

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PropertyGuru's $1 billion Australian listing has been pulled at the eleventh hour.
PropertyGuru is the latest company to back out of a planned listing in Australia as economic uncertainties unnerve investors.
South-east Asia's biggest property portal is the fourth company to cancel an initial public offering (IPO) on the Australian Securities Exchange so far this month.
Its indicative price range was A$3.70 to A$4.50. 
A PropertyGuru spokesman said on that uncertainty in the IPO market was behind the decision to withdraw the listing, despite it having received "strong investor support from a number of leading global and Australian investors."
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The business was founded in Singapore in 2007 by Steve Melhuish and Jani Rautiainen having sensed a dynamic real estate market with no online platform.
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Recently Credit Suisse analysts suggested the Asian online real estate listings business could be the next ASX-listed unicorn, a potential $1 billion-plus listing on the Australian Securities Exchange.
PropertyGuru operates digital property classifieds marketplaces in five countries across Southeast Asia – Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.
It claims its market share of the online real estate marketplace as:
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◼  72% in Singapore
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◼  69% in Vietnam
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◼  42% in Malaysia
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<li>
◼  45% in Thailand
</li>
<li>
◼  49% in Indonesia7
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It is the destination of over 23 million property seekers to find their home every month.
With over 45,000 active agents, the real estate portal has a revenue model that is predominantly subscription-based, where agents currently pay upfront fees for an annual subscription that provides them with a number of discretionary credits.
PropertyGuru says its does not need to raise funds for business operations and that it retains support from existing shareholders.
It said that both major shareholders, TPG and KKR, representing 58 per cent of the company ownership, were not seeking to sell any shares at IPO, and had entered into voluntary escrow arrangements until February 2021.
Reuters reported that investor support was coming in at the lower end of the price range as PropertyGuru took orders for the offering.
The deal's joint lead managers told investors that institutional demand was oversubscribed, the report added.
 
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PropertyGuru's $1 billion Australian listing pulled at the eleventh hour

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Here’s the boldest idea the government’s inquiry into retirement incomes should consider but might not: no longer exempting all of the value of each retiree’s home from the pension assets test.
The test would merely exempt part of the value of retirees’ homes. The change would free-up funds to support other retirees who are struggling because they have to pay rent.
It’s an idea with an impressive lineage.
The <a href="http://taxreview.treasury.gov.au/content/Content.aspx?doc=html/pubs_reports.htm" target="_blank">Henry Tax Review</a> suggested exempting only the first A$1.2 million. The bit above $1.2 million would be regarded as an asset and subject to the test.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/298025/original/file-20191022-56220-7y2uln.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/298025/original/file-20191022-56220-7y2uln.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
<a href="http://taxreview.treasury.gov.au/content/Content.aspx?doc=html/pubs_reports.htm" target="_blank">Henry Tax Review</a>
The review said it would hit only 10,000 retirees. The $1.2 million figure was in 2009 dollars, meaning that if the change came in today the review would want it to cut in at a higher dollar figure.
The <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/news/theres-no-silver-bullet-when-it-comes-to-housing-affordability/" target="_blank">Grattan Institute</a> suggests a lower cut in: $500,000. The first $500,000 of each mortgaged home would remain exempt from the pension assets test, the part above $500,000 would be regarded as an asset. Grattan says it would save the budget $1 to $2 billion a year.
The <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-03/family-home-should-be-included-in-pension-asset-test-acci-says/8237206" target="_blank">Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry</a> agrees, as does the <a href="https://actuaries.asn.au/Library/Miscellaneous/2019/RetirementIncomesGreenPaperFinal.pdf" target="_blank">Actuaries Institute</a>.
The idea scares homeowners
Who could object?
The Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association says asset testing the family home would be “<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-03/no-homes-in-assets-test-say-pensioners/8238828" target="_blank">massively unfair</a>”, targeting the vulnerable.
But people with high-value mortgage-free homes aren’t normally thought of as vulnerable.
Labor’s treasury spokesman Jim Chalmers says it would push more retirees “<a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Hansard/Hansard_Display?bid=chamber/hansardr/e79ccb2b-a20c-483b-95e8-ca89001fbbd2/&amp;sid=0011" target="_blank">off the pension, out of their homes, or both</a>”.
He is right about the former, but wrong to think the retirees who suffered a cut in their pension or lost their pension would be badly off.
The worst off retirees, as recognised by a <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Economics/Economic_security_for_women_in_retirement/Report" target="_blank">Senate Committee</a>, are those without homes making do with grossly inadequate rental assistance.
Right now it is possible for a single person owning a $1.3 million mortgage-free home and $260,000 of other assets to get the full age pension.
Assuming that person draws down on those other assets at the rate of 5% per year, he or she can spend $37,000 per year and pay no rent.
Yet homeowners do well
A non home owner with $785,000, or half the assets, would be denied the pension.
Like the much-richer homeowner, that person would be able to draw an income of about $37,000 per year, but half it will have to go on rent.
It’s hardly fair.
It encourages retirees with homes to stash more and more of their assets into them in order to get the pension (and pass something valuable on to their children). Retirees with lesser assets miss out and have to rent.
But fairness is in the eye of the beholder.
The problem is that a ceiling on exemption from the assets test that seems fair in one part of Australia might not seem fair in another where home prices and perhaps the cost of living is higher.
Our suggestion could be sold as fair
In order to make more equal treatment seem fair to all retirees with homes I and fellow actuary Colin Grenfell have <a href="https://actuaries.asn.au/Library/Miscellaneous/2019/RetirementIncomesGreenPaperFinal.pdf" target="_blank">worked up an option</a> that would use the median (typical) price for each postcode as the cut off point for exemption from the assets test.
It would happen postcode by postcode, updated every year using Council valuations and as the median prices changed.
Only the owners of homes who values were atypical for the area would be affected, and only that part of the value of their home that was atypical would be included in the assets test.
Its key selling point is that it wouldn’t threaten homeowners with values at and below the average for their area.
The funds freed could increase the overall pension, but would probably be better applied to lifting rent assistance.
It’s important to treat retirees in the same financial circumstances the same, regardless of whether they own a mortgage-free home, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/fall-in-ageing-australians-home-ownership-rates-looms-as-seismic-shock-for-housing-policy-120651" target="_blank">fewer and fewer</a> retirees are owning mortgage-free homes.
It would have the added benefit of reducing the pressure on our parents and grandparents to own houses with bedrooms on the first floor that are never opened, not until they die and their houses are sold.
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/125500/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">Anthony Asher, Associate Professor, UNSW.
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/postcode-by-postcode-a-clever-way-to-include-homes-in-the-age-pension-assets-test-125500" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Postcode by postcode: a clever way to include homes in the age pension assets test

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Investing in Geelong has been a trend that many are beginning to follow, according to the latest Herron Todd White (HTW) residential report. 
The valuation firm took a look at the rental yields across the nation. 
The report notes that with Melbourne’s property market finally at ease leaving median house prices at an all-time high, Geelong has caught the eye of many investors for its value and unique growth opportunities.
Geelong boasts a number of the factors that make an area stick out as a place with high growth potential.
Some of these factors include large infrastructure projects currently underway, vacancy rates and rental yields that continue to increase and a population that is growing.
"In terms of yields, the vast majority of Geelong’s suburbs have a gross rental yield higher than that of the Melbourne median, which is 2.7%," the valuation firm said. 
Like Melbourne, Geelong also has its own array of estates being built around the city, with Armstrong Creek being an enticing new development with yields at 3.7%.
Geelong’s ongoing infrastructure advancements has lured a number of investors towards the town, the report noted. 
Just last year, an unexpectedly strong net rental yield led to investors from across the nation building an upscale 4.5 star apartment building with 110 apartments to be sold.
Each one of these apartments produced a net rental yield of between 6% and 8%, according to Core Logic.
"Demand for this type of development is high in Geelong because of the increasing numbers of overnight visitation, with a 15% spike in the year," the valuation firm said. 
In terms of residential areas, suburbs such as Bell Park, Belmont, Torquay and Curlewis are the ones to look out for.
"Curlewis in particular has performed in spectacular fashion over the past 12 months as it has seen median house prices increase in value by 13.23%," it said.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2019/10/23/geelong%201.jpg" target="_blank">Click here</a> to enlarge:
<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/2019/10/23/geelong%201.jpg" alt="">
"To top things off, it has one of the highest yields amongst the entire district at just under 4%," the valuation firm stated. 
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2019/10/23/geelong%202.jpg" target="_blank">Click here</a> to enlarge: 
<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/2019/10/23/geelong%202.jpg" alt="">
The 24-month growth in median house prices and sales numbers for Curlewis. Source: Core Logic.
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Greater Geelong suburbs offer gross rental yields higher than Melbourne median: HTW residential 

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The exiled Chinese billionaire Huang Xiangmo has accused the Australian Tax Office of being a "political weapon" that was surrendering to "unknown dark forces".
He said the Tax Office had been "reduced to a despicable tool of political persecution".
He questioned whether "Australian politicians and media outlets who bank on telling tales about China and the Chinese [are] any different from the White Supremacists or the McCarthyites".
The property developer is fighting a $140 million tax bill by resisting a court order to disclose his worldwide assets which the ATO seeks to freeze.
The Tax Office is seeking to bankrupt the Chinese billionaire.
The <a href="https://www.huangxiangmo.com/" target="_blank" data-track-relatedarticle="inarticlelink">statement</a> was published on his personal website.
Huang, a central figure in the ICAC's ongoing inquiry into the alleged Aldi plastic bag NSW Labor donations, has resided in Hong Kong since his Australian permanent residency visa was cancelled last December.
"Before my visa was unfairly revoked by ASIO, [the] ATO had not once brought up the large amount of tax payable as alleged in the case," Huang said.
"By taking advantage of its tax collection power for the purpose of political character assassination and persecution, the ATO has turned into a 'political weapon'."
Huang said accusations of him of being a Chinese "agent of influence" came without "even a hair of evidence for such allegation".
The bulk of the tax bill was attributed to the sale of a mansion in Hong Kong, which was said to give rise to a capital gains tax liability.
On Monday, the Federal Court continued the freezing order.
It ordered Mr Huang to disclose his worldwide assets within 21 days.
The ICAC is investigating allegations Huang made a $100,000 cash donation to the NSW Labor Party in 2015.
Huang was banned from making political donations in NSW under laws targeting property developers.
He has declined to give evidence by video to the ICAC but denied making the donation.
Huang said he had an "impeccable" tax record in Australia and had "never ... had any history of default anywhere, let alone any record of tax evasion".
Earlier this year two Australian Chinese-language papers devoted their front pages to an open letter backing exiled billionaire property developer after his permanent residency was cancelled for reasons including character grounds in early February.
It says the Morrison government's decision to cancel Huang's residency was outrageous and calls for it to be overturned.
The letter appears to be a paid ad.
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Exiled billionaire Huang Xiangmo brands Australian Tax Office a 'despicable tool of political persecution'

<section data-scroll-anchor="false" data-testid="conversation-turn-5" data-turn="user" data-turn-id="e65dbe94-e3b6-47f7-b62a-9cbb30c9bf79" data-turn-id-container="e65dbe94-e3b6-47f7-b62a-9cbb30c9bf79" dir="auto">Time &amp; Place’s plans to transform the former David Jones factory building in Surry Hills into a mixed-use residential precinct have gone on exhibition through the NSW Government’s In-fill Affordable Housing pathway.</section>

<section data-scroll-anchor="false" data-testid="conversation-turn-6" data-turn="assistant" data-turn-id="request-WEB:f4d533b7-64a5-413d-86fd-5c99649c2b73-2" data-turn-id-container="request-WEB:f4d533b7-64a5-413d-86fd-5c99649c2b73-2" dir="auto">
The Marlborough House proposal, lodged for the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/marlborough-house-47-97-marlborough-street-surry-hills-nsw-2010">47-97 Marlborough Street</a> site, would see the adaptive reuse of the heritage-listed warehouse building alongside the construction of new residential additions and a separate apartment building on the northern portion of the site.

The proposal seeks approval for 172 apartments across three buildings, including 15 per cent affordable housing managed by a community housing provider for at least 15 years from occupation.

<img alt="Marlborough" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5d1d3c2a-bf13-47d6-a335-7c01102cdee1" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.29.36%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=cjMYrbR.BLUlWH4dar0RVDDo0bG.u2YT" />

Interior view from the Northern Building Penthouse overlooking the park

&nbsp;

The redevelopment is planned for the prominent 3,413 sqm site bounded by Marlborough Street, Goodlet Street and Lansdowne Street, directly opposite Eddie Ward Park and around 200 metres from the Surry Hills light rail stop.

Time &amp; Place acquired the former David Jones building in 2024, marking the first time the property had changed hands in around 50 years.

Designed by Wardle, the proposal centres around the adaptive reuse of the former David Jones factory, originally constructed between 1913 and 1935 in the Inter-War Chicagoesque architectural style.

Wardle noted in its Architectural Design Report that the building “occupies a significant place in the industrial and cultural history of Surry Hills” and at its peak was “the largest department store manufacturing facility in Australia, employing over 800 people and fuelling the growth of Sydney’s fashion and retail industries.”

The practice said the project positions itself “not as an isolated intervention, but as a contributor to the civic, social, and architectural grain of the precinct.”

The proposal would deliver 75 apartments within the retained southern heritage building, 59 apartments within the central addition, and a further 38 apartments within the new northern building fronting Lansdowne Street.

Planning documents show the scheme would comprise a mix of heritage apartments, new-build apartments, townhouses and penthouses.

<img alt="Marlborough" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="57758518-40a3-4b83-958c-d06e96a2cffa" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.29.42%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=VerlX9ST5xgBi8.1_YRsqdWTJeT6ygjs" />Interior View of the Heritage Building Apartment

The development would also include a ground-floor retail tenancy on the corner of Marlborough and Lansdowne streets, rooftop communal open space, a landscaped pedestrian link along the western edge of the site, and basement parking accessed from Lansdowne Street via a car stacker system.

&nbsp;

The scheme emerged from a competitive design process run by Urbis, with Wardle ultimately selected as the winning architect ahead of FJC Studio, TZG, Architectus and Wilkinson Eyre.

The Design Integrity Panel later described several aspects of the Wardle scheme as fundamental to the project, including “the stepped character of the new addition to the north of the site”, the landscaped western pedestrian link, and the “garden arrival” experience separating the original Marlborough House from the heritage addition.

Wardle’s design heavily references the site’s industrial and heritage history, while also responding to the surrounding Surry Hills streetscape.

The Architectural Design Report describes Surry Hills as “a finely grained neighbourhood with beautiful and expressive brickworks throughout the suburb,” with the proposal introducing a material palette intended to sit comfortably alongside the existing warehouse fabric and neighbouring terraces.

The report also outlines the project’s relationship with Eddie Ward Park and the broader landscape context of the area.

“Marlborough House occupies a site of deep cultural memory and the neighbouring Eddie Ward Park is of local ecological significance, where natural systems, topography, and stories have long shaped human experience,” Wardle noted in the report.

The architects said the proposal sought to “rebind built form to Country” through landscape, materiality and the adaptive reuse of the heritage structure.

<img alt="Marlborough House" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9ae3f2f9-c85f-477a-a6f8-b43f6cb97c41" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.29.53%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=B.qUCLqRvJOR.n9CvYcTpaknIX9LuqKZ" />

The project is also being progressed under the NSW Government’s in-fill affordable housing provisions, allowing developments that include affordable housing to access additional height and floor space incentives.

Under the plans, 2,593 sqm of the project’s floor space would be dedicated to affordable housing, slightly exceeding the required 15 per cent threshold.

In its Design Excellence Strategy, Urbis said the project aimed to “sensitively adapt and enhance the heritage-listed building on site through alterations and additions that preserve its historical significance” while delivering “high-quality market and infill affordable housing development in Surry Hills.”

Time &amp; Place has been one of the most active developers nationally in the last 12 to 24 months. Late last year they completed&nbsp;The Queensbridge in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/southbank-vic-3006">Southbank</a>, a mixed-use tower with 353 apartments and a hotel. They are currently selling Park Modern, 246 apartments near the famous Botanic Gardens in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/south-melbourne-vic-3205">South Melbourne</a>, and have future projects, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-wilmot-173-burke-road-28-hope-street-glen-iris-vic-3146">The Wilmot</a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/glen-iris-vic-3146">Glen Iris</a>, the redevelopment of the Northcote Plaza, and another tower in South Melbourne.

The developer broke into Sydney just a few years ago with Two Tides in Manly. They have another project nearby, which is at the ultra-luxury end of the market on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/shoreline-manly-beach-89-90-north-steyne-manly">North Steyne</a>, fronting the beach.

It is also continuing to work through the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-time-place-settles-on-design-for-the-chimes-potts-point-redevelopment">redevelopment of The Chimes building</a> on Macleay Street in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/potts-point-nsw-2011">Potts Point</a>, as well as a project on <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/time-place-to-take-on-mosman-apartment-market">Mosman's Redan Street</a>.
</section>

Joel Robinson

First look: Time & Place unveils Marlborough House redevelopment designs for former David Jones warehouse in Surry Hills

The residential transformation of St Kilda Road is set to continue into with more new apartment plans for the sought-after boulevard.

Wing Tai Asia has lodged plans for a major residential tower at 464-466 St Kilda Road, replacing the former VACC House with an 18-storey mixed-use development designed around a retained heritage podium and a sculpted contemporary tower.

The proposal, prepared under Victoria’s Significant Residential Development with Affordable Housing pathway, would deliver 325 apartments and ground-floor retail across the prominent 4,653 sqm boulevard site in Melbourne’s St Kilda Road North Precinct.

The project centres on the adaptive reuse of the site’s heritage-listed VACC Building, an eight-storey office designed by Bernard Evans that has occupied the address for decades. Planning documents state the development would involve “carefully dismantling and conserving off-site the original metal fabric of the podium visible from St Kilda Road,” before reinstating it as the defining frontage of the new scheme.

Above the restored podium, Wing Tai is proposing a curvilinear residential tower. The scheme includes 172 one-bedroom apartments, 63 two-bedroom apartments, 66 three-bedroom apartments, and 24 four-bedroom apartments, alongside two ground-floor food and beverage tenancies fronting St Kilda Road.

The tower has been designed with substantial articulation and variable setbacks to minimise perceived bulk and maintain view corridors along the boulevard. Urbis, which prepared the planning report, said the design “has been significantly articulated through a curvilinear design” with “an interplay with materials, façade expression and depth” to create visual separation and visual interest.

The proposal also includes 254 basement car spaces, landscaped pedestrian links connecting St Kilda Road and Queens Lane, and a biophilic landscape strategy featuring canopy trees, raised planters, cascading greenery and a glass oculus pool overlooking the eastern frontage.

Planning documents confirm the $270.1 million development will contribute 3 per cent of project costs to the Social Housing Growth Fund as part of the application process.

Wing Tai acquired the St Kilda Road property in 2018 alongside Abacus Property Group for $95.38 million, before later consolidating ownership of the site. The property previously served as the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce headquarters for around 60 years.

The transformation of the St Kilda Rd boulevard is already beginning to materialise, with a number of high-profile projects recently completed, launched, or approaching launch as developers continue to back the long-term appeal of the precinct.

Among the most notable recent completions is Louise by Samuel Property Group, just off the strip on Queens Lane, the same pocket Hirsch &amp; Faigen recently launched The Queensbury. Mirvac is too on the same street with The Albertine, which is approaching completion.

Dexus recently secured approval for its slice of St Kilda Road, while Gurner also has approved plans for the precinct.

Wing Tai unveils 325-apartment St Kilda Road tower on former VACC House site

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>

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;

Staff reporter

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