<html><body>
2019 has seen vacancy rates continue to tighten for A-grade office stock in the nation’s capital, having fallen to 5% from 5.4% in the six months to July 2019 and having already decreased from 8.6% for the six months prior to that, according to the latest report from Herron Todd White.
The property valuation firm found, absorption of A-grade stock has continued to improve, primarily for property in close proximity to the CBD and predominantly by Commonwealth government departments.
While the supply level for premium office stock is currently tight, new stock coming on-line in 2020 and 2021 will relieve this pressure and potentially offset any significant rental growth experienced currently, especially in the premium sector.
Notable office development currently taking place within the CBD includes Amalgamated Property Group’s Civic Quarter, situated alongside the Northbourne Avenue development corridor with direct exposure to the light rail system. 
The report notes, "While there has been very strong interest in the above both government and corporate tenants alike, demand for office space certainly exists outside of the CBD."
"An example of a significant sale transaction is 16-18 Mort Street, Canberra City in June 2019 for $108.5 million. The property was constructed in 1992 and features a total of 14,506 square metre B-Grade office space."
"The continued popularity and growth of co-working spaces and buildings with shared facilities to satiate an ever growing mobile office population that demands more flexible spaces coupled with a move towards smarter more energy efficient buildings will see an increased proportion of current B-grade stock undergoing substantial refurbishment and modernization in order to stay competitive and garner local and offshore investment interest," it concluded.
</body></html>

j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Canberra vacancy rates tighten for A-grade office stock: HTW Commercial

<html><body>
The office market in Rockhampton has stabilised, however remains relatively flat, according to the latest report from valuation firm Herron Todd White.
The property valuation firm found, there have been no major office developments in the CBD since the completion of the NAB building in 2012, however there is still a significant vacancy rate and until existing vacancies are absorbed across the CBD, it is unlikely we will see any other major office developments in the immediate term.
However the Council has recently let the contract for the construction of a new art gallery in the CBD on a 2,800 square metre site.
It will require the demolition of existing office buildings which provide about 3,000 to 4,000 square metres of office space.
The report noted, "rentals have been relatively stable over the past 12 to 24 months, however leases that were negotiated some five to ten years ago that are coming to an end are seeing some re-negotiations as the previous rentals are now considered above market."
"Generally speaking, office rentals within the Rockhampton CBD have been ranging from about $225 to $300 per square metre gross. Rentals above $300 per square metre gross are for prime office tenancies only."
"There have been no recent major transactions of office buildings."
"The most recent was the sale of the NAB building which transacted in 2016 for $9.35 million."
"Owner-occupiers remain fairly active in the market, with most activity in the sub- $1 million price bracket."
"Vacant office buildings have been very thinly traded above the $1 million price bracket in recent years."
"With multiple infrastructure projects commencing and in the pipeline, things are looking positive for the office market in Rockhampton in the short to medium term," the report concluded.
</body></html>

Rockhampton office market left flat: HTW Commercial

<html><body>
Bootmakers Cottage, a four bedroom historic cottage in Hunter Hill, NSW has recently been sold for $3.01 million. 
It was sold by Matthew Ward and Claire Ward of Ward Partners. 
The circa 1867 at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-nsw-hunters+hill-131648086" target="_blank">10 Figtree Road</a> was owned by French entrepreneur Didier Joubert, politician Francis Abigail and then a fruit grower's wife and a warder. 
<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/2019/9/16/hunters%20hill%202.jpg" alt="">
The cottage has been extended to a larger floor plan including four bedrooms, living and dining opening to the verandah, landscaped gardens and two car parking. 
Other features include central hallway, swimming pool, storage areas and brick facade.
<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/2019/9/16/hunters%20hill%203.jpg" alt="">
The property is situated within close proximity to schools, cafes, eateries and public transport. 
It had last sold for $1.85 million in 2007. 
</body></html>

Hunters Hill historic Bootmakers Cottage trophy home sold 

<html><body>
There would be no great surprise to most that the sub-$500,000 market is still thin in the Northern Beaches, according to a recent Herron Todd White (HTW) residential report. 
The report notes there is currently a greater amount of stock, a wider variety and located in a number of additional suburbs than there has been for several years.
A Narrabeen sale in June for $450,000 with a 4.7% yield, a Balgowlah sale in April for $425,000 with a 4.8% yield, an Avalon sale in May for $450,000 with a 4.4% yield and a Dee Why sale in May for $450,000 with a five% yield, are all areas in which older style one-bedroom units have sold in 2019.
The report notes that the only suburb where a two-bedroom unit is available in this price range is Dee Why, with a unit at<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-apartment-nsw-dee+why-130777654" target="_blank"> 2/7 Ilikai Place</a> (pictured above) scraping in at $500,000 even, enjoying a 4.7% yield.
"The product types and price bracket obviously appeal primarily to first home buyers and investors.
"Interestingly, four of the five examples have been subsequently listed for rent immediately after the sale, which is a good indication of the target market," the valuation firm said. 
Yields between 4-5% are fairly consistent across the board, with rents ranging between $380 and $465 per week for the above mentioned properties.
"By looking at buying the ugly duckling in a desired location, there is opportunity to create value and it is much easier to renovate than relocate your unit.
"Whilst there should be no expectation of any significant capital growth over the next 12-month period, there are some early market indicators that the worst may be behind us," the valuation firm said.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/8/15/beacon%20hill.jpg" alt="">
The cheapest house sale of 2019 currently goes to 2 Ellis Road, Beacon Hill (pictured above), the HTW report noted
The sale represents the absolute bottom end of the market, selling at auction for $850,000 in February, well below the Beacon Hill median house price of $1,421,000, according to CoreLogic.
"As you can imagine, the price discount comes at a cost to the location and the quality of the existing improvements," the valuation firm commented. 
The property comprises the original circa 1960s timber weatherboard dwelling, situated on 538 square metres of land and adversely located on the corner of a busy intersection to Warringah Road.
</body></html>

Northern Beaches seeing wider variety of sub-$500,000 properties: HTW residential 

<html><body>
GUEST OBSERVATION
In Western Australia <a href="https://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/McGowan/2019/09/Two-major-announcements-for-National-Child-Protection-Week.aspx" target="_blank">more than half the children placed in state care are Aboriginal</a>. The state government <a href="https://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/McGowan/2019/09/Two-major-announcements-for-National-Child-Protection-Week.aspx" target="_blank">committed</a> this month to reducing this over-representation, in a move that parallels the Closing the Gap Refresh <a href="https://www.coag.gov.au/sites/default/files/communique/coag-statement-closing-the-gap-refresh.pdf" target="_blank">draft target</a> nationally. Despite concerns about another <a href="https://bth.humanrights.gov.au/" target="_blank">stolen generation</a>, Australia has yet to act on a root cause – the difficulty Indigenous women escaping family violence face in finding safe housing.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/320" target="_blank">Our research</a> shows domestic violence and housing are linked as a cause of child removal.
Every year governments <a href="https://indigenousx.com.au/debunking-33-billion/" target="_blank">spend millions</a> addressing <a href="https://healingfoundation.org.au/stolen-generations/stolengenerationsreport/" target="_blank">Indigenous intergenerational trauma</a>. Child removal is an important cause of this trauma.
Care for children is a cornerstone of Aboriginal cultures. Child removal often has severe mental and physical health <a href="https://www.telethonkids.org.au/globalassets/media/documents/aboriginal-health/measuring_social_and_emotional_wellbeing.pdf" target="_blank">effects</a>, with risks of substance use, homelessness and incarceration.
Consequences are similar for children, who also suffer from <a href="http://iaha.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/000214_cultureclosinggap.pdf" target="_blank">cultural dislocation</a>. Yet Indigenous children are admitted to out-of-home care at <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/child-protection/child-protection-australia-2017-18/contents/children-receiving-child-protection-services/indigenous-children" target="_blank">11 times the rate</a> for non-Indigenous children. Far from declining, <a href="https://nit.com.au/rising-rate-of-aboriginal-children-in-out-of-home-care/" target="_blank">rates are increasing</a> – by 21% between 2012 and 2017.
This issue is not primarily one of isolated remote communities. The rate of Indigenous children in out-of-home care is <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/child-protection/child-protection-australia-2017-18/contents/table-of-contents" target="_blank">highest in our major cities</a>.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/293101/original/file-20190919-187957-c97t1m.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/293101/original/file-20190919-187957-c97t1m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
<a class="source" href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/child-protection/child-protection-australia-2017-18/contents/table-of-contents" target="_blank">Child protection Australia 2017-18, AIHW (2019)</a>, Author provided.
Contrary to public discourse, sexual abuse accounts for only a tiny percentage of substantiated notifications. Proportions are <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/child-protection/child-protection-australia-2017-18/contents/table-of-contents" target="_blank">below those for non-Indigenous children</a> (see chart below).
Emotional abuse, which includes the child’s exposure to family violence, accounts for most notifications. The second-most-common type is neglect. This occurs at more than double the non-Indigenous rate and includes inadequate, insecure or unsafe housing.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/292769/original/file-20190917-19040-10xctnw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
<a class="source" href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/child-protection/child-protection-australia-2017-18/contents/table-of-contents">AIHW 2019</a>, Author provided
Mothers have nowhere to go
In situations of family violence many Aboriginal woman face an impossible situation when trying to protect their children. If they stay with the perpetrator they risk notification for emotional abuse. If they leave but cannot find suitable housing, they risk allegations of neglect.
This dilemma applies to <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/311" target="_blank">all low-income women</a>, but it is most acute for Aboriginal women. The combination of discrimination and low income means few find private rental housing. <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/320?utm_source=website&amp;utm_medium=homepage&amp;utm_campaign=slider" target="_blank">Crisis services are often full</a>. The bottlenecks in the homelessness system result in long waits for transitional accommodation.
Waiting times for scarce public housing are long. Many also face delays in being added to priority wait lists due to housing debt – even though this is often a result of their partner’s financial abuse.
These <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/320?utm_source=website&amp;utm_medium=homepage&amp;utm_campaign=slider" target="_blank">women are often trapped</a> in a revolving door between crisis centres, homelessness and returning to an unsafe home. This is a factor in their <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/domestic-violence/family-domestic-sexual-violence-in-australia-2018/contents/summary" target="_blank">high rates of injury and early death</a>.
Delays in being appropriately housed can <a href="https://apo.org.au/sites/default/files/resource-files/2018/09/apo-nid193271-1232351.pdf" target="_blank">prevent children</a> from ever being returned to their parents. Child protection timelines generally allow only 12 months before removal can become permanent.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/293097/original/file-20190919-187967-1wkbgzi.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/293097/original/file-20190919-187967-1wkbgzi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
Data sourced from Child protection Australia 2017–18, AIHW (2019) <a class="source" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/320">Cripps and Habibis (2019)</a>, Author provided
A policy blind spot
Housing’s critical role at the intersection of child protection and domestic violence has yet to be recognised in public policy. The national <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/08_2019/fourth_action-plan.pdf" target="_blank">Fourth Action Plan</a> to reduce violence against women and their children refers to “inadequate housing and overcrowding” as a factor in Aboriginal family violence. Despite this, it offers no specific guidelines or strategies to overcome these problems.
The Closing the Gap policy focus on housing is limited to reducing <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.pc.gov.au/research/ongoing/overcoming-indigenous-disadvantage/2016" target="_blank">overcrowding</a>. While critical, this misses the relationship between housing shortages and family violence and its impact on mums being separated from their children. And the Refresh <a href="https://closingthegap.niaa.gov.au/draft-targets-for-discussion" target="_blank">targets</a> are uncertain and underdeveloped.
Without specific housing targets, it is hard to see how the other targets to reduce violence and overrepresentation in out-of-home care will be met.
As Indigenous policy is realigned under the <a href="https://closingthegap.niaa.gov.au/draft-targets-for-discussion" target="_blank">Closing The Gap Refresh</a> the Australian government must act on this missing link. It should increase the number of crisis beds and consider targets to reduce the numbers of Aboriginal women and children turned away from crisis accommodation.
Programs should support timely access to secure housing. This is especially important for women seeking to reunify with children in state care.
Within the <a href="https://www.anrows.org.au/news/safe-home-lessons-for-practitioners-and-policy-makers/" target="_blank">Safe at Home</a> program, special funds should be made available for housing safety upgrades so Aboriginal women can remain in their own homes.
Beyond this, what’s needed are holistic solutions that work with the whole family, including the perpetrator. These solutions need to be developed and delivered in partnership with Aboriginal people, communities and services, building on the strengths of individuals and communities to overcome the impacts of violence and intergenerational trauma.
The short-term nature of funding is also a problem. Investment needs to go beyond political cycles. Current short-term funding arrangements undermine trust in services and greatly reduce their capacity and potential effectiveness.
Given the long-term <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/e84b6721-7ea0-4688-8eac-59353cfb4452/aihw-australias-welfare-2017-chapter2-5.pdf.aspx" target="_blank">intergenerational costs</a> of child removal and domestic violence, such measures should prove cost-effective. More importantly, they would reduce violence against women and the over-representation of Aboriginal children in out-of-home care.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/123526/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;">
Kyllie Cripps, Scientia Felllow and Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law UNSW Sydney, UNSW.
Daphne Habibis, Associate Professor, University of Tasmania.
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/another-stolen-generation-looms-unless-indigenous-women-fleeing-violence-can-find-safe-housing-123526" target="_blank">original article</a>.
</body></html>

Another stolen generation looms unless Indigenous women fleeing violence can find safe housing

<html><body>
GUEST OBSERVATION
Building an extra 50,000 homes each year for a decade could make prices and rents 20% cheaper. 
Compared to the rest of the world, income inequality is not particularly high in Australia, nor is it getting much worse.
The real problem is housing inequality.
Rising house prices have increased <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-the-bureau-of-statistics-didnt-highlight-our-continuing-upward-redistribution-of-wealth-121731" target="_blank">wealth inequality</a>. Rising housing costs have dramatically widened the gap between high and low disposable incomes.
The gap between low-income and high-income households in Australia is <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/916-Commonwealth-Orange-Book-2019.pdf" target="_blank">close to the OECD average</a>. Income inequality – measured by the gini coefficient – <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/6523.0Main+Features12017-18?OpenDocument" target="_blank">has fallen</a> slightly over the past decade.
The <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/research/completed/rising-inequality/rising-inequality.pdf" target="_blank">Productivity Commission</a> says inequality has increased only slightly in the past three decades. Economists at the <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/rdp/2015/pdf/rdp2015-15.pdf" target="_blank">Reserve Bank</a> have come to similar conclusions.
But inequality is growing once housing costs are factored in, with the poor being hurt the most.
Incomes for the lowest 20% of households <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/901-Housing-affordability.pdf" target="_blank">increased</a> by about 27% between 2003-04 and 2015-16. But their incomes after housing costs increased by only about 16%. Low-income Australians are spending <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/901-Housing-affordability.pdf" target="_blank">much more</a> than they used to keep a roof over their heads.
In contrast, incomes for the highest 20% of households increased by 36%, and their after-housing incomes by 33%.
Leaving the young and poor behind
Home ownership is increasingly benefiting the already well-off. Since 2003-04, increasing property values have contributed to the wealth of high-income households increasing by more than 50%. Wealth for low-income households has grown by less than 10%
<hr>
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/289162/original/file-20190823-170922-dg3w9b.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/289162/original/file-20190823-170922-dg3w9b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
<hr>
As we’ve <a href="https://theconversation.com/retiree-home-ownership-is-about-to-plummet-soon-little-more-than-half-will-own-where-they-live-115255" target="_blank">noted previously</a> rising housing costs have widened the gap between renters and home owners. As property prices have escalated, the higher deposit hurdle has seen rates of home ownership falling fast among the young and the poor.
In 1981 more than 60% of those aged 25-34 had a mortgage; by 2016 it was 45%. The trends are similar among older groups. In the same period, home ownership among the poorest 20% of households has fallen from 63% to 23%.
The big winners of the property boom have typically been older Australians <a href="https://theconversation.com/for-the-first-time-in-a-long-time-were-setting-up-a-generation-to-be-worse-off-than-the-one-before-it-121983" target="_blank">lucky enough</a> to buy a house before prices took off. Housing has thus compounded <a href="https://theconversation.com/three-charts-on-the-great-australian-wealth-gap-84515" target="_blank">inequality between the young and old</a>.
This could lead to higher inequality in the future, because the children with wealthier parents can rely on the “bank of mum and dad” to break into the housing market, and then inherit their parents’ home as an investment property.
Many low-income Australians <a href="https://theconversation.com/rethink-inheritances-these-days-they-no-longer-help-the-young-they-go-to-the-already-middle-aged-122029" target="_blank">won’t be so lucky</a>, which is why the share of Australians who own their homes is expected to <a href="https://theconversation.com/retiree-home-ownership-is-about-to-plummet-soon-little-more-than-half-will-own-where-they-live-115255">fall sharply</a> in the decades ahead.
<hr>
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/268787/original/file-20190411-44785-55hftp.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/268787/original/file-20190411-44785-55hftp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
<hr>
A clearer policy agenda
Despite the clear evidence housing is key to inequality in Australia, housing policy is thin on the ground.
In the dying days of the federal election campaign, the Coalition announced a <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-brutal-truth-on-housing-someone-has-to-lose-in-order-for-first-homebuyers-to-win-117010" target="_blank">plan</a> to help those struggling to save the 20% deposit normally required to buy a home.
The federal government has also made it easier for people to access their <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals/super/withdrawing-and-using-your-super/first-home-super-saver-scheme/" target="_blank">super</a> to pay the deposit.
These policies might be popular but do little to improve housing affordability for low-income earners; they might even <a href="https://insidestory.org.au/another-lost-opportunity-for-housing-affordability/" target="_blank">do more harm than good</a>.
Labor, meanwhile, ran with a <a href="https://theconversation.com/shortens-subsidy-plan-to-boost-affordable-housing-108881" target="_blank">proposal</a> during the last election campaign to build 250,000 new affordable housing dwellings, using a mechanism similar to the earlier National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS). On our <a href="https://blog.grattan.edu.au/2019/09/learning-from-past-mistakes-lessons-from-the-national-rental-affordability-scheme/">analysis</a>, though, the original NRAS was poor value for money, and did not target those most in need.
Addressing inequality requires a clearer view on what to do about rising housing costs.
The priority should be to <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/commonwealth-orange-book-2019/" target="_blank">boost Rent Assistance</a> by 40% – an extra A$1,410 a year for singles and A$1,330 for couples – and benchmark it to rents paid by low-income renters.
The federal government should also give <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/commonwealth-orange-book-2019/" target="_blank">more funding</a> to the states for social housing carefully targeted to people at serious risk of homelessness.
Emulating the Rudd-era <a href="http://www.nwhn.net.au/admin/file/content101/c6/social_housing_initiative_review.pdf" target="_blank">Social Housing Initiative</a>, which resulted in 20,000 new social housing units being built and thousands more refurbished at a cost of A$5.6 billion, would provide a much-needed boost to housing construction when the pipeline is <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/smp/2019/may/pdf/statement-on-monetary-policy-2019-05.pdf" target="_blank">drying up</a>.
Supply-side economics
But redistribution alone won’t be enough. Housing is a A$6.6 trillion market. Subsidies can only paper over market failures arising from overly strict zoning rules that <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/housing-affordability-re-imagining-the-australian-dream/" target="_blank">prevent greater density</a> in our major cities.
Housing inequality will really only fall if housing costs fall. That requires building more houses. We <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/housing-affordability-re-imagining-the-australian-dream/" target="_blank">estimate</a> building an extra 50,000 homes a year for the next decade would make house prices and rents 10% to 20% lower than they would be otherwise.
This is primarily a challenge for state governments. They govern the local councils that set most planning rules and assess most development applications. But the federal government can and should <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/916-Commonwealth-Orange-Book-2019.pdf">encourage</a> the states to boost housing supply by reforming land-use planning and zoning laws.
If Scott Morrison really believes in “<a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/scott-morrison-pays-tribute-to-grandmother-in-mardigras-ritual/news-story/5af22d241145aae979e8d694d2f7dbe7" target="_blank">a fair go for Australians</a>”, he needs to tackle the housing crisis.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/119872/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;">
Brendan Coates, Program Director, Household Finances, Grattan Institute.
Carmela Chivers, Associate, Grattan Institute.
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/rising-inequality-in-australia-isnt-about-incomes-its-almost-all-about-housing-119872" target="_blank">original article</a>.
</body></html>

Rising inequality in Australia isn’t about incomes, it’s almost all about housing: Grattan Institute

<html><body>
Montrose, a circa 1918 Edwardian home situated close to the heart of Marrickville has been listed for sale with a price guide of $2.7 million.
The landmark property has been listed by Rhonda Yim and Blake Lowry from Belle Property Annadale. 
Set on a 1,249 square metre double block, Montrose at<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-marrickville-131639358" target="_blank"> 321 Marrickville Road</a> comprises six bedrooms, formal and casual living areas, separate study and attic storeroom. 
<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/2019/9/16/marrickville%202.jpg" alt="">
It also features marble floors, iron fireplaces, leadlight windows, level gardens, parking for up to six cars and extra-wide frontage. 
Prior to the vendors purchasing the property in 2017, Montrose had been held by the same family for more than 90 years.
<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/2019/9/16/marrickville%203.jpg" alt="">
It's within a level stroll to a host of cafe, entertainment and transport options. 
Last sold in 2017, the property was traded for $2.9 million. 
</body></html>

Marrickville circa 1918 trophy home hits the market 

<html><body>
Agents report that conditions within the Gold Coast office market have been slowing for a while now, according to the latest report from property valuation firm Herron Todd White.
The report found, that exacerbating this sentiment in 2019 to date was the Royal Commission into misconduct in the banking, superannuation and financial services industry and the federal government election campaign.
However after a marketplace hiatus over this period (February to May) the impact of these events seems to have well and truly passed and business appears to have moved back into normal mode once again.
The HTW valuers said, "continuation of the low interest rate environment, with rates reducing yet again, is certainly a positive for the market place in a general sense."
"To date in 2019, we have seen settlement of several sizeable office building transactions."
In January: 130 Bundall Road, Bundall. 3,682 square metre lettable area on a 2,226 square metre site at $11 million (source: CoreLogic). 70% occupied and reflecting a WALE of 2.16 years (by income). Passing yield circa 5.43%. Analysed yield 7.34% (with 7.5% PVA). $2,988 per square metre on floor area. Owner-occupier buyer.
In March: Lakeside 1, Bermuda Point, Lot 1101/1 Lake Orr Drive, Varsity Lakes. 6,114 square metres lettable area on a 7,916 square metre site at $25.1 million (source: CoreLogic). Reported as circa 96% occupied and returning a net passing income in the order of $2.285 million. Based on these metrics, passing yield would be in the order of 9% with a lettable floor area rate of circa $4,105 per square metre, although we consider the passing rental level full.
 In May: 169 Varsity Parade, Varsity Lakes. 3,364 square metres lettable area on a 13,000 square metre site at $14 million (source: CoreLogic). Fully leased and reflecting an estimated WALE of 1.38 years (by income). Passing yield circa 8.73%. Analysed yield 6.85% (with 5% PVA). $4,172 per square metre on floor area. Considered a future residential redevelopment site.
In August: Confidential. Circa 2,500 square metres lettable area U/C exceeding $8 million. 95% occupied and reflecting a WALE of 1.5 years (by income). Will reflect a passing yield of circa 7.6%.
HTW valuers said, "several other larger office buildings have also been put to the market place. All have drawn interest from prospective buyers."
"Based on bone fide offers received, interest in the Gold Coast office sector would appear to be holding firm, although our observation is that yields may be softening slightly, to analysed yields ranging from 7.25% to 8%."
"Supply of larger office floor space (1,000 square metres plus) has been hampered on the Gold Coast for some time now due in the main to no new office buildings being developed."
"The lack of new buildings has attracted entrepreneurial investors to older buildings in the Gold Coast’s older established office precincts such as Southport, Bundall and Surfers Paradise," stated the valuers.
The Property Council of Australia July 2019 Office Market Report indicates a total vacancy factor for the Gold Coast of 12.9%.
This is up from 11.6% in their January 2019 report. Leasing agents had noted a tougher first half for 2019, but expect the second half to be better.
The report authors said, "the negative net absorption of -6,850 square metres is attributed to businesses consolidating into smaller premises, etc.
"Overall, we consider the increased level in the Gold Coast vacancy factor may dampen some investors’ views of the Gold Coast office sector, with the result being solidification of slightly higher yields, but on the positive side of the ledger, rental rates appear to be achieving moderate gains."
"So all in all, the bottom line is likely to be retention of asset value levels over the remainder of 2019," they concluded.
</body></html>

Gold Coast office market shrugs off slowdown: HTW Commercial

<html><body>
A retail strip property located in Boroondara’s Camberwell shopping precinct has been offered for sale with price expectations exceeding $11 million.
CBRE Melbourne’s Retail Strip Investments team of Rorey James, JJ Heng, Sandro Peluso and Lewis Tong were appointed to market the property for sale in conjunction with Phillip Almeida of Performance Property Advisory.
Located at <a href="https://www.commercialrealestate.com.au/property/620-624-burke-road-camberwell-vic-3124-2015493828" target="_blank">620-624 Burke Road</a>, the two-storey property was once occupied by Australian Unity and has since been a medical associated building for more than two decades.
CBRE’s Mr James said, "the property’s current tenant has no further lease options, opening up the opportunity for developers, owner-occupiers and investors to compete for it.
Featuring a ten-metre frontage to Burke Street with rear access to a large council car park, it's also one of the largest landholdings within the retail strip.
CBRE’s Mr Heng noted that three of CBRE’s four recent Camberwell transactions have involved international Asian purchasers, suggesting the trend is likely to continue with the sale of 620-624 Burke Road.
The 828 sqm property is currently leased to PharmaSave, generating annual net rental revenue of $617,733 (after land tax) with potential to generate additional income from 262 sqm of unused space.
620-624 Burke Road was offered to market via an international expressions of interest campaign which closed August 28, 2019.
Offers are currently under review.
</body></html>

Camberwell retail property tipped for $11 million plus sale

<html><body>
The Indooroopilly Bowls Club has finally sold for $1.3 million, four years on from it's closure following an ongoing strata struggle.
The buyers, two local families, purchased the 4,507 sqm property and it will become known as Indooroopilly Greens designed to be a "destination hub nown for quality, passion and community when it comes to health, movement, fitness and food."
Situated at 101 Clarence Road the anchor tenant is Fitter Futures a kid and teen focused movement training facility which is expanding to include adult programmes.
The sale of the property was negotiated by Adam Willmore of Knight Frank, who was appointed by liquidators Morgan Lane and Michael Griffin from Worrells Solvency and Forensic Accountants.
Mr Willmore said he had received well over 100 enquiries from buyers with wide-ranging uses for the property over the four years he had been marketing it.
He said, "it has been a long and difficult process to get to this point where the property will be sold,” the site is essentially one strata unit that is part of the Body Corporate that also governs the 134 residential apartments on the Clarence Road property."
"As such, any incoming buyer needed to obtain body corporate approvals if they wanted to operate anything other than a bowls club."
“Unfortunately there were no club operators interested in the property at an acceptable price level and the majority of the interest in the property was from buyers with alternate uses in mind.”
Mr Willmore said the bowling greens were also zoned Sports and Recreation and sit above basement carparking so there was no development potential in the site.
“We previously had it under contract a number of times to buyers wanting to purchase it for other uses including childcare but the body corporate did not support these buyers’ use for the property,” he added.
</body></html>

Indooroopilly Bowls Club sold after lengthy strata struggle

Property developer One Living, backed by former Macquarie banker turned investment manager Chris Green’s investment firm, has unveiled plans to bring more institutional capital into housing to help address the national supply crisis.

The New York-based investor has focused his firm, GreenPoint Partners, on addressing the supply shortage hitting middle market housing in Australia.

It is backing the new One Living business to develop more than 1000 units along the eastern seaboard. The new firm is starting with a development on Mona Vale Road, on the border of Mona Vale and Pymble, in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, with around 140 apartments planned. They are eyeing off more sites across the city.

With cost pressures rising in the industry, One Living’s model is to be a vertically integrated developer-builder, so it can respond directly to the housing gap by removing the cost inefficiencies embedded in traditional residential delivery.

“We are building a platform designed to operate at scale and starting in a market where there’s a clear need for quality, attainable housing,” One Living joint managing director Joseph Scuderi said.

“It’s that missing middle – it’s that attainable end of housing… that’s what most Australians invest into and what Australians can actually afford.”

<img alt="Mona Vale" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="798dfa93-4941-4db6-a696-31e9dc18e81c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%202.31.50%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=mKBqi5C_DmeiXS.AtJkcR8LQIxqCqmFi" />

GreenPoint Partners brings years of experience assembling and scaling real estate operating businesses across major markets. And Green sees a big opportunity in Australia.

“For its size, sophistication and importance to the community, Australia’s living sector has remained largely under-institutionalised, which represents significant opportunity,” Green said. “GreenPoint identified that gap, assembled the right team, and is backing One Living to build a platform that is aligned to market needs.”

Green said being a builder-developer would give the company the capacity and flexibility it required to deliver reasonably-priced homes.

“We want it to be at that attainable level; not super high end luxury but at that attainable level,” he said.

<img alt="Mona Vale" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="74a5344a-4b26-4d4a-ada3-056b1220be77" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%202.32.15%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=vY8hXHO4reBMdO8ZXMWCNtGZJofUPQ3j" />

&nbsp;

One Living will undertake a component of affordable housing in its schemes, which it will own and operate, and it could also run build-to-rent on some sites.

Green praised local policy settings.

“The NSW government is being very supportive, strategic and pragmatic in terms of how do we generate more supply of housing,” he said. “We think it’s actually positive for development and the bit that’s been lacking at that attainable level is that it’s lots of relatively small private developers, whereas we want to create an institutional platform.”

One Living is also&nbsp;looking at high-density projects and could take on more institutional funding in the future.

“The way we will be able to achieve economies of scale is through size,” Green added.

Joel Robinson

One Living enters Sydney's new apartment market with Northern Beaches site acquisition

It's been several years since there's been an opportunity to buy a brand new townhome in Melbourne's coastal suburb of Mordialloc. Even apartment developments in recent times have been few and far between in the area.

Local developer LDS Property identified the gap in new housing, securing a site on White Street, directly opposite&nbsp;Woodlands Golf Club Mordialloc. They've recently launched&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-townhouses/wm-residences-mordialloc-102-white-street-mordialloc-vic-3195">WM Residences</a>, just 13 townhouses which they have already started building.

Projects by Buxton Director Heath Thompson, who is selling WM Residences, says the townhouses x that perfect middle ground be

"Mordialloc residents have had limited options to downsize within the suburb, often forcing them to look elsewhere despite long-standing ties to the area," Thompson says.

"With very little comparable new supply coming to market, projects like WM Residences are well placed, particularly as buyers look to capitalise on current conditions amid constrained supply."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6109]

The development, designed by regarded architecture firm&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/ewert-leaf">Ewert Leaf</a>,&nbsp;adopts a deliberately restrained architectural approach, focusing on simplicity, durability and liveability rather than overt design gestures.

The boutique scale is central to the offering. With only 13 three-bedroom residences, each home is configured to prioritise functional layouts and everyday use, supported by private terraces and secure two-car garages.

Ewert Leaf’s design response leans into a calm, neutral material palette. Interiors are defined by oak flooring, white walls and soft finishes, creating a consistent and understated backdrop. The approach avoids trend-driven detailing in favour of longevity, with an emphasis on natural light and spatial clarity.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6110]

Beyond aesthetics, the homes are designed to meet contemporary performance expectations. Each residence targets a minimum 6-star energy rating, incorporating double glazing, comprehensive insulation and all-electric Bosch appliances.

The project’s location supports a walkable coastal lifestyle, sitting within close proximity to Mordialloc’s foreshore, Main Street retail strip and the train station. Local cafés and dining venues, including Suburbia Deli and Hendriks Café, are within a short walk, reinforcing the area’s established neighbourhood character.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6116]

While <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/mordialloc-vic-3195">Mordialloc</a> is often defined by its beach and pier, the project taps into other areas of day to day living, offering easy access to local food, casual dining and transport, rather than positioning itself purely as a lifestyle retreat.

WM Residences reflects a continued trend across Melbourne’s coastal suburbs towards smaller-scale, design-led townhouse developments, particularly on infill sites where proximity to amenity is already established.

With construction commenced prior to its market entry, the project aligns with a growing preference among buyers for developments with visible progress and defined delivery timeframes.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=134646]

WM Residences fills gap in Mordialloc townhouse market

&nbsp;

Developer GURNER™ Group has revealed $1.65 billion in residential sales nationally across the 12 months to December 2025, driven largely by the continued momentum of its Docklands wellness-focused precinct, Elysium Fields.

The sales result was generated across seven projects in Victoria and New South Wales, headlined by Elysium Fields, GURNER™’s $2.75 billion mixed-use precinct planned for Harbour Esplanade in Docklands.

The project has recorded more than $500 million in sales across the first three towers, equating to around 580 apartments sold.

The first tower, Helios, has now sold out of its 240 private residences, with GURNER™ preparing to release a premium penthouse collection comprising 15 three-bedroom penthouses in coming weeks.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370975]

Elysium Fields is being developed on the long-held 20,000 sqm Docklands site at 208-226 Harbour Esplanade, which had remained undeveloped for more than two decades prior to GURNER™ taking over the project around four years ago.

Construction has now commenced across four towers ranging between 18 and 30 storeys, with Hamilton Marino and Maxcon appointed as builders.

Once complete, the precinct is expected to comprise around 1,100 residences, alongside retail, hospitality and public realm uses integrated throughout the site.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370981]

Designed by Fraser &amp; Partners in collaboration with GURNER™ Design House, the project has been positioned around the developer’s broader focus on wellness-led residential living.

“We don’t sell apartments. We create a true luxury lifestyle that simply doesn’t exist elsewhere in the market today,” Founder and Executive Chairman Tim Gurner said.

“To deliver that requires an extraordinary level of detail, coordination and discipline across multiple verticals, from design and hospitality through to wellness and service.”

“We’ve always believed that living extends far beyond the physical residence. It’s about how you feel the moment you arrive, how you live day-to-day, and the ecosystem that supports that.” 
[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370977]

The project’s design places a heavy focus on landscaping, wellness amenities and biophilic design principles.

Plans include around 3,700 sqm of landscaped gardens and open space throughout the precinct, alongside a retail and dining offering spanning approximately 5,000 sqm.

The broader public realm strategy centres around what GURNER™ describes as the “Path of Life”, an urban forest and landscaped pedestrian environment intended to connect the various buildings and wellness spaces across the precinct.

The apartments themselves will incorporate a range of wellness-focused inclusions, including purified air and water systems, circadian lighting, antimicrobial surfaces, and optional in-home wellness upgrades.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370980]

Gurner said the company’s experience through its Saint Haven wellness clubs had directly informed the residential offering now being incorporated into Elysium Fields.

“We’re seeing a clear global shift toward longevity, performance and proactive health,” Gurner said.

“Our role is to deliver that in a way that feels seamless, highly private and beautifully resolved within the environments we create.”

A large component of the wellness offering is planned through the resident amenity and health facilities proposed within the precinct.

That includes plans for bathing and recovery facilities spread throughout the towers, incorporating mineral pools, saunas, steam rooms, flotation therapy, red light therapy and wellness lounges.

The developer is also seeking approvals for what it describes as a “reverse ageing medical clinic” within the precinct.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370978]

According to project information released by the group, the proposed facility would include cryotherapy, IV infusion therapy, infrared and dry saunas, PEMF beds, MRIs, DEXA scans, brain scans and blood analysis services.

Within the first tower, Helios, residents will also have access to a dedicated amenity offering known as the Sky Private Club.

The upper 15 levels of the building will include private lounges, dining spaces, rooftop amenities and optional private wellness studios integrated within residences.

The Helios tower itself comprises 260 apartments ranging between 60 sqm and 300 sqm, including a collection of penthouses.

That includes a planned two-storey penthouse spanning around 600 sqm with uninterrupted bay views.

The Elysium Fields precinct is being delivered in partnership with Digital Harbour Holdings, a consortium that includes the Liberman family, which controls the development rights across the Docklands site.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370979]

The sales result comes as GURNER™ continues expanding its national development pipeline beyond Victoria.

“We have a strong pipeline across Australia and are now focused on scaling into key markets including New South Wales and Queensland, while continuing to build on our Melbourne base,” Gurner said.

“We currently have more than $3 billion in the market, growing to over $5 billion by October, and expect to materially outperform last year in the 2026 calendar year.”

The result also reflects the continued strength of the upper-end apartment market in Melbourne, particularly for owner-occupier-focused product with large-scale amenity and lifestyle offerings.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=144441]

Record result anchored by the Group’s “utopian” Elysium Fields precinct – defying market headwinds in Docklands.

Elysium Fields drive Gurner to $1.65 billion in apartment sales over 2025

National Australia Bank (NAB) will fund <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/palmera-residences-gold-coast-18-garfield-terrace-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">Palmera</a>, a $1 billion, 52-level luxury residential tower being developed by Central Equity in one of the Gold Coast’s most tightly held coastal locations at Northcliffe.

The project, launched recently by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/central-equity">Central Equity</a>, one of Victoria’s largest private residential developers, comes at a time when construction funding for large residential developments has become increasingly competitive as lenders tighten exposure to the sector.

Multiplex has been appointed the builder, and construction is now underway.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365784]

Since its first project, Central Equity has delivered more than 85 residential developments with a combined end value exceeding $8 billion.

Palmera reflects Central Equity’s growing focus on the Gold Coast luxury apartment market and continues a relationship between Central Equity and NAB that dates back to the late 1980s, when the bank funded one of Melbourne’s earliest inner-city residential towers at a time when high-rise apartment living in the CBD was largely unproven.

“NAB’s funding of Central Equity’s $36 million CBD development in the late 1980’s to the financing of the billion-dollar tower today highlights the long-term relationship between the two organisations in delivering major residential projects” said Central Equity Founder and Chairman Eddie Kutner.

He said NAB’s early support was instrumental in helping establish the company’s development model.

“When we commenced our first residential tower in the late 1980s the concept of funding off-the-plan apartments was still largely untested in Australia,” Kutner said.

“NAB recognised the opportunity early and supported the project when others were uncertain. That relationship has now continued for more than 37 years across many developments.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365771]

Central Equity was established in 1987 when Melbourne’s CBD and Southbank precinct were still dominated by warehouses and commercial buildings. Fewer than 100 residents lived in Southbank at the time, and large-scale residential development in the inner city was not widely considered.

Recognising changing demographics and lifestyle preferences, the company began developing high-rise residential projects designed to bring permanent residents into the city centre.

Central Equity has provided accommodation for approximately 40,000 residents across Melbourne’s CBD and Southbank, while also incorporating supporting infrastructure including essential lifestyle facilities like retail spaces, childcare facilities and neighbourhood activity centres.

Central Equity has spent many years assembling the Palmera development site on the corner of Garfield Terrace and Frederick Street in Northcliffe, creating a supersite of around 3,300 sqm.

The developer said the Palmera apartment tower reflects its long-term view of the Gold Coast as a growing and increasingly diversified economy.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365768]

Supported by infrastructure including the light rail network, major road upgrades expanded education, hospital and medical facilities and continued expansion at the Gold Coast Airport with more international and domestic flights.

Positioned in the tightly held Northcliffe precinct, the 52-level tower will deliver 347 apartments, targeting buyers seeking a high-end coastal lifestyle, from downsizers to interstate investors.

Designed by Marchese Partners with interiors by DBI, Palmera has been conceived as a next-generation residential offering, featuring a collection of oversized apartments, with premium three-bedroom residences offering sweeping northern views stretching from Surfers Paradise through to Burleigh Heads.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=108274]

NAB funds $1 billion Surfers Paradise apartment development, Palmera

Two years after completing one of the newest developments in North Sydney, developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/aqualand-australia">Aqualand</a> is turning its attention to the rapidly evolving St Leonards apartment market.

The developer, which completed AURA by Aqualand on North Sydney's Walker Street, has lodged plans for a 5,918 sqm site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/33-37-herbert-street-st-leonards-nsw-2065">33-37 Herbert Street, St Leonards,</a> seeking approval for a pair of residential towers rising above a shared podium opposite Royal North Shore Hospital.

The proposal forms part of the broader transformation underway across the St Leonards-Crows Nest precinct, where former industrial and commercial sites are increasingly being redeveloped into high-density mixed-use projects tied to major transport infrastructure.

<img alt="Aqualand" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2cc428cf-fe70-4cac-9cd5-264ad53af62c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.51.56%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=otKSnHtbjAvAddOnovyXQMgcAwE6DMe1" />

According to the planning documents, the site sits “within the St Leonards–Crows Nest Strategic Centre, identified by the NSW Government as a key area for accommodating future jobs and housing across Sydney.”

The proposal has been designed by fjcstudio, formerly FJMT Studio, and is being progressed through the State Significant Development pathway due to its scale and affordable housing provision.

The scheme would comprise 413 apartments, including 46 affordable housing units, alongside retail and commercial uses fronting Herbert Street. The project would also include communal open space, landscaping, a swimming pool, gymnasium, children’s play areas and podium-level resident amenities.

Planning documents show the development would consist of a part-13, part-39 storey tower form positioned above a four-storey podium.

“The development comprises a unified podium that activates the street interface, and two setback towers to accommodate new housing supply while maintaining an appropriate human scale at ground level,” fjcstudio noted in its Design Report.

The northern and southern towers have been shaped to respond to the surrounding skyline while also limiting overshadowing impacts to nearby public open space, particularly Talus Reserve.

The design report said the differing tower heights were intended to “contribute to a varied skyline while responding to the surrounding built form context and solar access considerations.”

<img alt="Aqualand" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="36da62dc-ff9e-41f2-a7e3-7be38373751c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.51.45%E2%80%AFAM_0.png?VersionId=Mo6Rp2r.XRLTzIfg_PEEpw8NepDH8UBs" />

The site sits directly opposite Royal North Shore Hospital and within walking distance of both St Leonards Station and the new Crows Nest Metro station.

While the site itself sits just outside the formal Crows Nest Transport Oriented Development boundary, the planning documents repeatedly reference its alignment with the broader TOD objectives reshaping the Lower North Shore.

“The site is located adjacent to St Leonards Station and in close proximity to Crows Nest Metro which is within the Crows Nest Transit Orientated Development Accelerated Precinct which has been identified by the NSW Government to support housing delivery,” the Design Verification Statement noted.

According to fjcstudio, the project has been designed to respond to the broader transition occurring across St Leonards, where increasing residential density is being concentrated around transport infrastructure and employment hubs.

“The broader precinct is undergoing significant change, with a mix of existing mid-rise buildings and newer high-density developments,” the report stated.

“Recent and approved projects indicate a consistent shift toward taller built form, typically organised as tower-and-podium typologies with more active ground levels.”

The proposal includes close to 6,000 sqm of retail and commercial space across the ground floor and podium levels, designed to create a more activated street edge along Herbert Street.

Aqualand’s plans would also introduce a landscaped podium shared between the two towers, with communal open space in the form of a podium rooftop designed to support resident interaction and improve urban greening outcomes. The scheme would also introduce pocket parks at the northern and southern ends of the site, including a landscaped area at the corner of Herbert and Ella streets designed to improve pedestrian amenity and soften the streetscape.

&nbsp;

The proposal is being progressed through the NSW Government’s Housing Delivery Authority pathway, which was introduced to accelerate housing supply across the state. The application was declared State Significant Development in April 2025 following an expression of interest process.

<img alt="Aqualand" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="faf6d97d-2671-454f-b85a-fe1c6a7be608" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.51.49%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=diVd28OBVr5.YV.7prrOz.uAanwwwm7a" />

St Leonards has been particularly active with new developments in recent weeks. Developer SP Setia’s <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-sp-setia-targets-st-leonards-skyline-with-40-storey-tod-tower">plans for a new 42-storey tower</a> recently went on exhibition through the same pathway, while <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-stockland-plans-52-storey-538-apartment-st-leonards-tower">Stockland’s 52-storey tower proposal</a> was also recently unveiled.

Aside from the St Leonards project, which is expected to take around nine months to move through the approvals process ahead of a potential 2027 launch, Aqualand is also preparing to launch Boronia, a new apartment project in Roseville comprising around 111 apartments on Larkin Street.

The developer also has approvals in place for the next stage of the Barangaroo precinct, which will feature new residential, retail, hospitality and community uses, alongside a new metro entry across the five-hectare site.

More than 50 new retail destinations are planned for Central Barangaroo, alongside a 270-metre-long boulevard connecting Hickson Park to Nawi Cove. Together with Harbour Park, more than 50 per cent of the precinct will comprise public open space and parkland.

Staff reporter

Editor's Picks

Have something to contribute?

Developments

New apartments

New townhouses

News