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Irrawang, a modern Queenslander-style home on 51 hectares on the Hunter River in Nelsons Plains, has been listed for sale.
The Raymond Terrace Road property comprises has two kilometre river frontage and a fodder farm producing around 12 tonnes of feed per day.
<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/2019/7/29/nelsons%20plains%203.jpg" alt="">
The 600 square metre Queenslander with a wrap-around verandah has four bedrooms, an open living space, media room and a home office.
Adjacent to the homestead is a farm, machinery shed and a hay shed.
<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/2019/7/29/nelsons%20plains%202.jpg" alt="">
It has been offered by Cain Beckett from Jurd's Real Estate Cessnock.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Nelsons Plains Queenslander on 120 acres hits the market

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Investa Commercial Property Fund (ICPF) announced it has finalised over 95,000 square metres of office leasing over the last year.
ICPF said they achieved a 97% occupancy and a WALE of 5.1 years as of the 30th June.
In Sydney, ICPF leased over 72,800 square metres during the year, including a lease renewal of 8,700 square metres to Deutsche Bank at Deutsche Bank Place, 126 Phillip Street, Sydney (pictured above), 3,500 square metres to a life insurance firm at 40 Mount Street, North Sydney (pictured below) and 4,400 square metres to flexible workspace provider IWG’s Spaces brand at ICPF’s development at 60 Martin Place Sydney.
<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/2019/8/26/40%20mount%20st%20north%20sydney.jpg" alt="">
In Melbourne, ICPF finalised over 9,600 square metres of leasing, with asset 120 Collins Street, Melbourne the stand-out, with 19 leases transacted.
120 Collins Street has capitalised on historically low vacancy levels and strong demand for prime office accommodation especially in the desirable East End precinct, as the building nears 100% occupancy.
<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/2019/8/26/120%20collins%20st%20mel.jpg" alt="">
In Brisbane, a new lease was signed at 259 Queen Street (pictured below) over 4,500 square metres.
<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/2019/8/26/259%20queen%20st%20brisbane.jpg" alt="">
Finally, at QV1 in Perth two existing tenants signed lease renewals totalling circa 6,800 square metres.
Jason Leong, Fund Manager, ICPF said: "Australia’s major capital cities continue to outperform, with vacancy in the Sydney and Melbourne markets near 10-year lows and, specific to Sydney, there is very limited new office supply on the horizon."
David Cannington, Head of Research and Strategy, Investa said: "Looking ahead, we expect that the recent strength in office demand will moderate on softer economic conditions. However, office market vacancy in both Sydney and Melbourne will stay low and high-quality prime office space will remain the preferred option of CBD office market tenants."
"Both pre-commitment of office projects currently under construction and continued prime market rental growth are positive indicators of a strong preference for high quality office."
Ben Christie and Milly Stockdale from Colliers International said: "These new leasing transactions at 120 Collins were a result of the high level of building and surrounding amenity coupled by accommodation quality and building services."
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ICPF have leased out 95,000 square metres of office space in 2019 so far

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Black House, the brand new four level Merewether home, has hit the market with $2.1 million to $2.2 million hopes. 
Built by Guy Bunder and designed by SDA with landscaping by sustainable surrounds, the just completed home on Flowerdale Avenue is inspired by Japanese architecture.
The angular lines and walls of glass are visually contrasted by an architectural element - Shou Sugi Ban charred cladding - a traditional Japanese technique where the timber is burnt to protect it. 
<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/2019/7/22/black%20house%203.jpg" alt="">
The four bedroom home features a private parents' retreat and a gas heated mineral pool, met by an alfresco entertaining area. 
It recently received a special commendation in the ‘Residential Architect – Houses (New)’ category at the 2019 Newcastle Architecture Awards.
<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/2019/7/22/black%20house%202%20.jpg" alt="">
The interior minimalism features of Black House include oversized windows, a 14 square metre glazed roof, concrete walls and concrete floors. 
Mark Kentwell and Jesse Wilton of PRDnationwide Newcastle/Lake Macquarie have the listing.
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Merewether Japanese architecture-inspired trophy home listed 

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Australia’s largest kebab meat supplier TEK Foods has sold a 1,500 square metre food processing facility in Melbourne’s north for $2.6 million.
Title deeds show SAZ Property secured the Campbellfield food processing facility.
It is a 1500-square-metre factory at 56 Lara Way.
CBRE negotiated the deal for the SAZ Food Group, which since being established in 1993, has produced Halal-certified sweet and savoury Middle Eastern Foods.
TEK Foods has shifted operations further north to Somerton.
The factory sits on a large 2415-square-metre site.
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Kebab supplier TEK Foods sells processing facility for $2.5 million

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GUEST OBSERVATION 
The government intends to destroy Djab Wurrung sacred trees and sites to upgrade the Western Highway at the same time as it seeks heritage status for the Eastern Freeway.
The Victorian government has announced it is <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/government-seeks-heritage-protection-for-notoriously-jammed-freeway-20190820-p52j43" target="_blank">seeking heritage listing for parts of the Eastern Freeway</a> in Melbourne. We heard this news on Wednesday as we sat under a <a href="https://www.greenleft.org.au/content/struggle-save-birthing-trees" target="_blank">grandfather tree</a> in solidarity with Djab Wurrung people whose cultural heritage is being threatened by the same government.
A Major Road Projects Victoria proposal to extend the Western Highway will destroy sacred Djab Wurrung trees and places. They <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/the-feed/how-a-community-created-an-embassy-to-save-sacred-land-from-bulldozing" target="_blank">have been protecting these trees</a> for more than a year, but <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/protester-numbers-surge-at-sacred-tree-site-as-eviction-clash-looms-20190821-p52jh7" target="_blank">faced eviction</a> – from their own Country – by today’s deadline. All this is happening as the government is conducting <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/nitv-news/article/2018/06/21/victorian-treaty-bill-passes-through-upper-house" target="_blank">treaty negotiations across the state</a>.
What kind of world do we live in when freeways are valued as of greater cultural significance than the practice of the oldest living culture in the world? Threatening to evict Djab Wurrung while proposing heritage status for the Eastern Freeway is a surreal perversion of law, heritage and community value.
These matters raise important questions about how cultural heritage value is determined and by whom. They also attest to the continued power of roads and transport infrastructure in a climate-changing world.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/288982/original/file-20190821-170935-1kpt61x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
Protest ‘road signs’ at the camp. artwork by Mick Douglas, Author provided
Scorning an ancient cultural heritage
The proposal to expand the Western Highway has been around for decades. The on-Country presence of Djab Wurrung people was sparked when it became clear the new duplicated section between Buangor and Ararat would destroy their sacred trees, which include an important <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/nitv-news/article/2019/04/17/demolition-800-year-old-sacred-trees-compared-notre-dame-fire" target="_blank">directions tree and birthing site</a>.
This is not merely about protecting individual trees – some of which are up to 800 years old. It’s about the way those trees relate to each other, the landscape, Djab Wurrung people and their law, which have been here for thousands of generations.
Victoria supposedly has a legislative system for protecting this Aboriginal heritage. The government asserts that it has followed the “due process” of this system in relation to the Djab Wurrung trees. The fact that Djab Wurrung Elders and leaders have been protesting on site for the past 15 months raises serious questions about what constitutes “due process”.
Many concerns <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-21/western-highway-tree-protesters-may-be-arrested-this-week/11420640?sf217857042=1&amp;fbclid=IwAR2E-MbmLkZhQ5u_ljoK4n13tRR58B5MZyrlPiHgmfVHyAJXVrB3o7-i00Y" target="_blank">have been raised</a> about a flawed system. At the very least, it has been exposed as a blunt instrument clearly not sensitive enough to cope with these complexities.
Not only is the government unwilling to negotiate on Country in good faith, Djab Wurrung people are being actively silenced and criminalised. One of the leaders, Zellanach Djab Mara, was recently held on remand for 26 days on a charge of driving without a licence, which his supporters saw as <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/2019/05/27/system-oppression-djab-wurrung-protector-released" target="_blank">a move to “get him off Country”</a>. A magistrate later <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/2019/05/27/system-oppression-djab-wurrung-protector-released" target="_blank">said</a> Zellanach’s time in custody was too long for a minor offence.
But Djab Wurrung people will not be silenced. <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/standoff-over-800-year-old-sacred-indigenous-trees-heats-up-as-work-crews-move-in" target="_blank">More than 500 people</a> arrived at <a href="https://dwembassy.com/" target="_blank">the camp</a> on Wednesday in solidarity. The campaign has gained <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/14/world/australia/djab-wurrung-trees" target="_blank">international media attention</a> and more than 130,000 people have <a href="https://www.change.org/p/daniel-andrews-protect-sacred-djapwurrung-birthing-trees-from-expansion-of-the-western-hwy-by-vicroads" target="_blank">signed a petition</a>.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/288980/original/file-20190821-170910-1daw8xz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
Hundreds of supporters gather at Djab Wurrung embassy camp on Wednesday, August 21. Photo by Megan Williams, used with permission, Author provided
Celebrating 50 years of freeway culture
Melbourne’s Eastern Freeway certainly has history, a notorious one. Traversing Wurundjeri Country, its construction caused massive destruction of Wurundjeri places and heritage. It also displaced working-class communities in inner Melbourne, triggering one of Australia’s <a href="http://www.ycat.org.au/1977-the-battle-of-alexandra-parade/3/" target="_blank">most significant anti-freeway campaigns</a>.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tony-birch-105618">Tony Birch</a> has <a href="https://griffithreview.com/articles/recovering-narrative-place-stories-climate-change-tony-birch/" target="_blank">written eloquently</a> about the scar the Eastern Freeway created psychologically and geographically. The damage included: "[…] obliteration of a vital section of the river at its confluence with the Merri Creek, a once majestic waterway winding its way into the north across Wurundjeri land."
But these are not the histories the government seeks to honour by heritage-listing the Eastern Freeway. These histories are silenced <a href="/news">in favour of bridge design</a>. Just like the concurrent attempt at erasing Djab Wurrung heritage. Listing the Eastern Freeway would assert that the destruction such roads create is something we collectively value as heritage.
Heritage in an upside-down world
Both these decisions expose just how upside-down and perverse our way of collectively cherishing place and heritage has become. And both advance a transport system that continues to encourage high-carbon mobility, despite Victoria’s <a href="https://www.climatechange.vic.gov.au/legislation/climate-change-act-2017" target="_blank">legislated commitment</a> to achieving net zero emissions by 2050.
A viable and <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/cheaper-western-highway-route-overlooked-former-vicroads-advisor-says-20190820-p52j0n" target="_blank">cheaper route for the Western Highway duplication</a> is available, just as a viable alternative to the Eastern Freeway once existed.
Road safety is vital, certainly. But surely it would be better achieved by reducing freight traffic on roads, rather than enabling everyone to drive faster. Freight rail offers an alternative solution to some of the key issues that advocates of the Western Highway project use to justify it.
It is possible to have highway safety and efficient mobility at the same time as protecting sacred places and actual cultural heritage through genuine processes.
Proposing a freeway for heritage listing is a clear statement of a government willing to cherry-pick what counts as heritage. As Djab Wurrung Traditional Owner and former state MP for Northcote <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/opinion/topic/2019/08/17/protecting-the-djab-wurrung-trees/15659640008626" target="_blank">Lidia Thorpe asserts</a>: "The protection of high cultural and natural values must be part of any treaty process, rather than brazenly destroying those values while the treaty process is under way."
A way forward
We call on the Victorian government to immediately establish a respectful dialogue with Djab Wurrung people by accepting their invitation to come to Country and talk with Elders and leaders in good faith. To do so the threat of eviction must be immediately withdrawn. As Zellenach said to us while we were at camp, “no one can effectively negotiate while under duress”.
If the Victorian government is serious about Treaty, this is the opportunity to demonstrate understanding of what respectful recognition of Indigenous sovereignty looks like.
The world is watching.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/288914/original/file-20190821-170927-14nhvr7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
Sign at the Djab Wurrung embassy. Photo by Blanche Verlie, Author provided
Marianne (Ria) Jago at the Victorian Women’s Legal Service is a collaborator on this article.
We wrote this article on Djab Wurrung Country at the invitation of Djab Wurrung people to help protect their Country. We pay respects to Djab Wurrung Elders past, present and emerging and the sovereign Aboriginal peoples on whose lands we each live and work.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/122195/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
Libby Porter, Professor of Urban Planning, Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University; 
Amaara Raheem, PhD Candidate, School of Architecture and Urban Design, RMIT University; 
Blanche Verlie, Associate Lecturer, School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT University; 
Bronwyn Lay, Coordinator, Climate Change Research and Practice Hub, RMIT University 
Mick Douglas, Associate Professor, School of Design, RMIT University<a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063"> </a>
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/what-kind-of-state-values-a-freeways-heritage-above-the-heritage-of-our-oldest-living-culture-122195" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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What kind of state values a freeway’s heritage above the heritage of our oldest living culture?

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A Wembley, West Australia mortgagee apartment has sold for $220,000.
The vendors made a loss of $170,000 since it last sold in 2008.
Ray Jennings of Bexley Real Estate marketed the property.
Situated at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-apartment-wa-wembley-131420862" target="_blank">15/370 Cambridge Street</a>, the abode consists of a two bedroom, one bathroom apartment.
Set on 83 sqm, the home sold after just 13 days on the market.
The listing described the property as a "renovators challenge" presented in a "very average condition."
Last sold in 2008, the property traded for $390,000.
The 1970 built property previously sold in 2000 for $160,000.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/subscribe" target="_blank"><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/2019/1/Subscriber%20strip%20ad.jpg" alt=""></a>
The median sale price for a unit in <a href="/developments/wembley-wa-6014">Wembley</a> is $284,500, according to CoreLogic data.
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Wembley, WA mortgagee apartment sold for $170,000 loss

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The former Futuris chief executive Les Wozniczka has emerged as a substantial shareholder in the valuation firm, Landmark White.
He now holds 9.5 percent of the ASX listed company.
His share acquisitions began in May. 
Another significant shareholder to emerge through the recent capital-raising was Noel and Michelle Kagi who hold 14 percent.
Kari, the director of irrigation products wholesaler HR Products, was already a shareholder.
<div class="XGJcx _1DCKj _2yu-G">
Landmark White's oversubscribed $5.44 million capital-raising saw many exisiting shareholders not participate. 
Earlier this week the embattled property valuation group Landmark White made its long-awaited return to the ASX, with its shares trading at 9 cents.
Its return follows being hit with <a href="/news/landmark-white-limited-reports-property-valuations-data-breach">two cyber-attacks earlier this year</a> when confidential home loan information was <a href="/news/landmark-white-shares-fall-10-percent-after-dark-web-data-revelation">posted illegally on the web</a>.
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Les Wozniczka takes substantial shareholding in valuation firm, Landmark White

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Mitala Newport, a collection of four luxury freestanding houses, have been completed on the dress circle address of the Sydney northern beaches suburb.
They are located on Mitala Street which leads to the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club.
The designer homes are the work of architect Mark Hurcum, who, along with a local family, paid just over $6.1 million for the sprawling Pine Lodge in 2017.
Pine Lodge, on a 3,665 square metre landholding looking across Pittwater, had been held by the Gee family for 60 years.
There was a gracious old sandstone cottage, plus timber cabin, pool, boatshed, timber jetty, ramp and pontoon.
All of the buildings on the property were demolished, and now stand four stylishly modern homes, each offering a different floor plan and 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/2019/8/23/Mitala%20NEwport%204.jpg" alt=""> The covered terrace of 6A Mitala Street.
Constructed by Cutting Edge Building, they sit in gardens landscaped by Cameron Lester.
Hurcum said Mitala Newport was designed and constructed as a celebration of the art of living.
He said the site is ideally sited in a protected enclave at the southern end of Pittwater.
It sits between and within walking distance of the Royal Motor Yacht Club and the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club.
"Unlike many Pittwater waterfront sites, the waterfront is easily accessible," Harcrum said.
"It is a great location for activity and contemplation
"The amenity is apartment like, one level living and lift access but with house amenity in terms of privacy, guest and family accommodation, large three car garage and abundant storage.
"Each dwelling has private, useable and low maintenance gardens with a range of micro-climates and landscape. Each has its own private lap pool.
"These buildings are about place and environment. As such the native and nautical environment have inspired the buildings.
"The aim was to create buildings that had the feeling of living on a luxury yacht In a secluded and private harbour, at one with the environment, maximising its benefits and maintaining control over it.
"This is the ultimate sea change but still directly connected to the city."
Three of the four homes, currently known as 6, 6A (pictured above and below) and 8, have been listed for sale through LJ Hooker Palm Beach agents Peter Robinson and David Edwards.
<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/2019/8/23/Mitala%20Newport%203.jpg" alt=""> The interiors of 6A Mitala Street
They're asking for offers in the region of $5 million for the two non-waterfront 6A and 8A, while number six, one of the two waterfronts, will be priced at a record $10 million.
Hurcum is keeping the fourth freestanding home as his own.
"He loves the design and location so much he decided that is where he would like to live," Robinson said.
Each residence is configured differently, but all have the potential to be set up with four bedrooms.
The kitchen, living and dining areas in the non-waterfront homes have been designed on the second level to take advantage of the water views. 
<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/2019/8/23/Mitala%20Newport%202.jpg" alt=""> The modern kitchen of 6A Mitala Street designed by Mark Hurcum.
The waterfront number six, with its primary living space on the ground floor, opens to a terrace complete with a heated lap pool that looks across its private landscaped surrounds.
Dissecting the four unique homes is a path that leads to a communal jetty which has deep water mooring. 
Peninsula locals say there hasn't been the attention to details since John David's Palm Beach triplex, a collaboration between Wally Barda and Thomas Hamel.
The triplex villa project on Palm Beach's Snapperman Beach, The Boatshed won the villa development of the year award at the Housing Industry Association's national awards.
Roderic David oversaw the development of the Iluka Road property with curved roof lines that hint at the bow of a ship.
Newport's highest residential house sale has stood since 2008 when Brook Adcock, who founded private equity firm Adcock Private Equity, spent $14.6 million on the Prince Alfred Parade dress circle on Pittwater. 
Australian golfer Craig Parry is likely to be spending more time around Newport, having recently sold his Birchgrove harbourfront home for around $10 million.
Parry first bought onto Mitala Street in 2003, spending $3.21 million on a five bedroom home with a pool. A year later he added bought the house behind it for $835,000, taking his total on the street to over 1,900 square metres.
His house sits next door to the the project.
The most noteworthy of new homes on Pittwater include model Jennifer Hawkins and Jake Wall's home that cost them $2 million plus to build, following their $4 million outlay.
The contemporary home not sits on its 3,260 square metres with landscaping by Secret Gardens.
It has four storeys, five bedrooms, a swimming pool and a sunken lounge on a lower level which is virtually on the foreshore.
There's also a home office, a home theatre and a gym.
Just around the corner in Avalon, the waterfront has seen a number of substantial home builds in recent years.
Dick Smith's founder Richard Smith quietly spent $4.85 million on a home on the Riverview Road dress circle in 2014 and commissioned a new home.
Down the road Hurcum designed an ultra-modern waterfront with aeroplane like wings that jutt out of the home.
Also known as Dakota House, the home sits in gardens designed by Jamie Durie which feature its own amphitheater-like space.
Last year a home designed by Hurcum in Narrabeen, dubbed Narrabeen House, sold for a suburb record $7.55 million, breaking the previous record by more than $2 million.
This article was first published in the Weekend Australian.
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Four houses at Mitala Newport completed with one set for a record price

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The luxury Perth home of Ross and Lory Merlino, co-founders of artisan furniture maker Merlino, has been sold for $7 million.
They commissioned the Imperial Homes build in 2013, having paid $2,585,000 for the Attadale holding in 2006.
Now stands an opulent three level mansion on the 1,075 square metre elevated parcel with views from the hills in the east to Fremantle in the west.
The ground floor features a sunken lounge with its own kitchenette that opens to an outdoor living area.
The outside space homes a barbecue kitchen, self-cleaning pool and spa, sauna and a deck.
Also on this level is a custom 10 seat, sound proofed home theatre room.
On the first floor is the main living space and kitchen, as well as the master bedroom with marble bath and dressing room.
The basement level has a fully-self contained apartment, garaging for seven cars and a gym.
Mont Property selling agent Matthew Podesta advised the six bedroom home was one of the finest to come to market in Perth.
The $7 million sale easily exceeded the prior suburb record, set late last year when a modern 2010 built home around the corner sold for $5.1 million.
Merlino started off as a small family business, known as R &amp; L Merlino, in 1980 with the selling of Marcel Bruer chairs in the Perth marketplace.
Within 18 months the business had progressed to the purchase of their first warehouse, the employment of staff and the expansion of the furniture range imported from Italy.
This article first appeared in The Weekend Australian. 
 
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Ross and Lory Merlino sell Attadale holding for suburb record $7 million

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Many of us do not need to hear any more warnings from <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/2018/10/08/summary-for-policymakers-of-ipcc-special-report-on-global-warming-of-1-5c-approved-by-governments/" target="_blank">the IPCC</a>, <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2209126-david-attenborough-on-climate-change-we-cannot-be-radical-enough/" target="_blank">David Attenborough</a> or climate activists like <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/11/greta-thunberg-schoolgirl-climate-change-warrior-some-people-can-let-things-go-i-cant" target="_blank">Greta Thunberg</a>. We have seen enough to be convinced that limitless <a href="https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/post-capitalism-life-within-environmental-limits" target="_blank">economic growth and the globalisation of high-consumption lifestyles</a> have <a href="https://www.breakthroughonline.org.au/whatliesbeneath" target="_blank">brought our planet’s life-support systems to the brink of collapse</a>.
In response to today’s urgent ecological and social problems, we often hear calls from sustainability advocates about the need to “<a href="https://www.sloww.co/downshifting-simple-living/" target="_blank">downshift</a>” away from consumer lifestyles, to practise <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-revolution-disguised-as-organic-gardening-in-memory-of-bill-mollison-66137" target="_blank">permaculture</a> and to embrace <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-simple-life-manifesto-and-how-it-could-save-us-33081" target="_blank">simpler ways</a> to live. When these <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-suburbs-are-the-spiritual-home-of-overconsumption-but-they-also-hold-the-key-to-a-better-future-108496" target="_blank">movements scale up</a>, the argument goes, we will “<a href="http://theconversation.com/life-in-a-degrowth-economy-and-why-you-might-actually-enjoy-it-32224">degrow</a>” our economies to a sustainable scale.
Important though these analyses and perspectives are, they almost always leave something critical out of the conversation. There is a very powerful reason we are currently unable to move toward a simpler and sustainable society: the costs of securing access to land for housing often mean only the relatively affluent can afford such “green lifestyles”.
In response to this problem, we offer some ideas to show how public land could be used for sustainable forms of community-led development.
Creating a place like Sustainable Fawkner’s ‘Dandelion Patch’ depends on access to suitable land. More creative public housing policies could lead the way in developing more community food gardens.
The property system makes simple living hard
Recognition of the need for <a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-strikes-greta-thunberg-calls-for-system-change-not-climate-change-heres-what-that-could-look-like-112891" target="_blank">system change</a> is growing. But those arguing for high-impact societies to downshift toward cultures of sustainable consumption need to acknowledge a fundamental problem more clearly: simply keeping a roof over our heads can demand an energy-intensive lifestyle and a dependence on market growth.
Why? Having to buy or rent a home in capitalist societies like Australia has huge implications for most of us. It affects what we do for work, how much we work, our need for a car, etc. And, if you can barely afford land or your own home, putting solar panels on the roof, working part-time or growing your own organic food all become very unlikely.
In short, securing the basic need for housing is putting people in <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/more-home-owners-falling-behind-on-mortgage-as-debt-climbs-20190617-p51yhg" target="_blank">more and more debt</a>. This often means any attempt at “dropping out” of market consumerism first involves a whole lot of “dropping in”. The consequences of this reality are anything but <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.amazon.com/Affluenza-When-Much-Never-Enough/dp/1741146712" target="_blank">simple, local and sustainable</a>.
A different type of land and housing opportunity is needed for reasons of sustainability and equity. Central here is the recognition that access to land, just as with air and water, is not a market product. <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/LandAndHR/Pages/LandandHumanRightsIndex.aspx" target="_blank">It is a human right</a> and should be recognised as such.
Even discussing land reform in terms of “affordable housing” still frames land as a market commodity. These discussions often rely on notions of charity and welfare to increase access to land when it really should be available as a right.
But in a nation where simply <a href="https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2019/07/negative-gearing-reform-dead-buried-cremated/" target="_blank">abolishing negative gearing appears to be politically unpalatable</a>, it would be pragmatic, as a first step, to explore less controversial but still effective policy approaches.
Pointers to rethinking how we govern land
There are <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1941069" target="_blank">many conceptions</a> of property, which means we do not simply have to choose between free market capitalism and state socialism. In Singapore, for example, <a href="https://www.hdb.gov.sg/cs/infoweb/about-us/history" target="_blank">more than 80% of residents live in state-provided housing</a>.
Societies can govern access to land in an infinite variety of ways. Each way distributes or concentrates wealth and power in progressive or regressive ways.
One policy deserving of attention involves attempting to transcend the “welfare” framing of existing uses of public housing. Already, secure access to public land has empowered some residents to participate <a href="https://www.facs.nsw.gov.au/housing/living/rights-responsibilities/get-involved/chapters/community-greening-program" target="_blank">in programs such as community food gardens, resources repair/share programs, housing management, maintenance</a> and, in the UK, even <a href="http://www.forevergreen.org.uk/Forever_Green_Ecological_Architects/hedgehog-self-build-housing-co-op" target="_blank">housing construction</a>.
In New South Wales, <a href="https://www.facs.nsw.gov.au/housing/living/rights-responsibilities/get-involved/chapters/community-greening-program" target="_blank">50,000 public housing residents</a> have converted many hectares of land in social housing areas into gardens growing vegetables, fruit and flowers. In Victoria, <a href="http://www.cultivatingcommunity.org.au/community-gardens/our-services-2/" target="_blank">more than 20 public housing estates</a> have established community gardens.
If these self-selecting residents could be <a href="http://ntwonline.weebly.com/" target="_blank">better supported and validated</a>, their status in society (and how they might conceive of themselves) could move from being regarded as “social dependants” to “pioneers of a new economy”. By showing that access to public land can help with the emergence of local and sustainable <a href="https://thenextsystem.org/cultivating-community-economies" target="_blank">community economies</a>, such experiments could be the cultural driver of a broader policy rethink of how we govern land.
For example, more public land could be made available for <a href="http://www.forevergreen.org.uk/Forever_Green_Ecological_Architects/hedgehog-self-build-housing-co-op" target="_blank">housing construction collectives</a>, where people participate in building their own homes under the guidance of experts. Australia could seek inspiration from Senegal, where <a href="https://www.collective-evolution.com/2015/06/17/senegal-transforming-14000-villages-into-ecovillages/" target="_blank">14,000 ecovillages</a> are being developed.
In governing land we are limited only by our imaginations. Currently, a chronic lack of imagination is being shown. It is time to experiment with new frameworks that can increase access to land and thereby empower more people to explore lifestyles of <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-suburbs-are-the-spiritual-home-of-overconsumption-but-they-also-hold-the-key-to-a-better-future-108496" target="_blank">reduced consumption and increased self-sufficiency</a>. 
The first step is recognising the obstacle
We call on the <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1469540512444019" target="_blank">simple living</a>, <a href="https://retrosuburbia.com/" target="_blank">permaculture</a> and <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9789811321306" target="_blank">degrowth</a> movements – and the sustainability movement more generally – to better recognise the obstacle that access to land presents to achieving their goals. More energy and activism should be dedicated to envisioning, campaigning for and experimenting with <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.routledge.com/Housing-for-Degrowth-Principles-Models-Challenges-and-Opportunities/Nelson-Schneider/p/book/9781138558052" target="_blank">alternative property and housing arrangements</a>.
Our purpose is not to dismiss the importance of the various <a href="https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/post-capitalism-life-within-environmental-limits" target="_blank">downshifting movements</a>. We need as many people as possible pushing against the tide of consumerism and showing that low-impact living can be <a href="http://www.paecon.net/PAEReview/issue61/Alexander1_61.pdf" target="_blank">good living</a>.
These social movements will help create the culture of <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.fishpond.com.au/Books/Sufficiency-Economy-Samuel-Alexander/9780994160614" target="_blank">sufficiency</a> that is needed to support a politics of sustainability. But any such politics must include more empowering and creative land policies.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/121246/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;">
Alex Baumann, Casual Academic, School of Social Sciences &amp; Psychology, Western Sydney University. 
Samuel Alexander, Research fellow, Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute, University of Melbourne.
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/access-to-land-is-a-barrier-to-simpler-sustainable-living-public-housing-could-offer-a-way-forward-121246" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Access to land is a barrier to simpler, sustainable living

National diversified developer Fortis has officially launched Crest &amp; Walker, its latest Brisbane apartment development, with construction now underway on the 20-storey Newstead project.

Award-winning builder BINAH has commenced construction on the Bureau^Proberts-designed building, which will deliver a limited collection of 65 two and three-bedroom apartments on Kyabra Street.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=145922 project_image_fid=373556]

The project marks Fortis' fourth active residential development in Brisbane, following River House, which is nearing completion, alongside projects in New Farm and Hamilton as the national developer continues to expand its South East Queensland pipeline.

Fortis General Manager – Development Queensland Dan Boman said Crest &amp; Walker reflects the developer's long-term commitment to delivering design-led residential projects in Brisbane's established inner-city suburbs.

"We're proud to be strengthening our presence in Brisbane with Crest &amp; Walker, particularly in such a sought-after lifestyle destination as Newstead," Boman said.

"Every Fortis project is shaped by its context, and we approach each one with the respect and care it deserves.

"Our focus is always on creating places that feel connected to their neighbourhood and elevate the everyday experience for residents. Newstead continues to evolve as one of Brisbane's most sought-after urban communities, and Crest &amp; Walker reflects our ambition to contribute meaningfully to that story."

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Positioned between Gasworks Plaza and James Street, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/crest-walker-newstead-12-kyabra-street-newstead-qld-4006">Crest &amp; Walker</a> has been designed as a boutique residential address offering privacy and generous living spaces within one of Brisbane's most established lifestyle precincts.

The building features a contemporary brick podium softened by integrated landscaping, while the upper levels are characterised by restrained architecture and enduring materiality. Interiors have been designed to maximise natural light, acoustic performance and long-term liveability.

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Residences comprise spacious two and three-bedroom floorplans, with two-bedroom apartments priced from $1.55 million and three-bedroom, half-floor residences from $3.95 million.

Residents will have access to a wellness-focused rooftop featuring a swimming pool, sauna, steam room, landscaped dining spaces and outdoor lounge areas overlooking Newstead and the Brisbane CBD.

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Sales are being managed by Slaite Projects, with Fortis expecting strong demand from owner-occupiers seeking a high-quality, design-focused apartment in one of Brisbane's most tightly held inner-city suburbs.

Completion of Crest &amp; Walker is slated for late 2028.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=145922]

Joel Robinson

Fortis expands Brisbane pipeline with launch of Crest & Walker in Newstead

The enormity of delivering a true skyscraper in Australia's new development market is often overlooked.

It has taken the best part of a decade since plans for Chevron One were first unveiled, but the 52-storey tower is now complete, with residents collecting their keys and moving into what has become one of the Gold Coast's most recognisable new landmarks.

Rising 127 metres above Chevron Island, Chevron One stands almost twice as high as any other building on the island. Its scale places it alongside the trio of towers at Jewel, arguably the last truly significant addition to the central Gold Coast skyline when they were completed around six years ago.

While there are several developments underway around a similar height to Chevron One, they are more concentrated within clusters of the highest towers in the city. The fact Chevron One sits within a developing precinct, looking back at the other high-rise developments in Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach, makes it a different proposition altogether. It will certainly become a reference point on the Gold Coast skyline.

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Developer Bensons Property Group is behind the 52-storey tower, which has just shy of 250 apartments, along with an exhaustive list of resident amenity spread across what is the largest development site ever assembled on Chevron Island.

The tower has been the talk of the town for years, says Ray White Projects Gold Coast agent Caitlin Rosenboom, who is selling the remaining apartments.

"People have been watching Chevron One go up for years," Rosenboom says, adding that many prospective buyers have been surprised by the scale of the views once they step inside.

"It's only when they walk through a completed apartment that they truly understand the position of the building," Rosenboom says.

"The views are jaw-dropping. Whether you're looking east over the ocean, across Surfers Paradise, along the river systems or out to the hinterland, every level offers something different but equally impressive."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6515 project_image_fid=360215]

One of Chevron One's defining advantages is its location on the eastern side of Chevron Island on Stanhill Drive, a position which protects the views forever.

"There's only one row of houses between Chevron One and the water, and the height restrictions along the river means views from Chevron One can never be built out,"&nbsp;Rosenboom says.

While new apartment developments continue to emerge across the Gold Coast, Rosenboom says opportunities to secure a completed apartment with this level of outlook are becoming increasingly rare.

"The size of the site is something that would be incredibly difficult to replicate today," she says.

"That's allowed Chevron One to deliver the sort of amenity, open space and resident facilities that very few projects can offer. There are not many completed apartment buildings on the Gold Coast right now that can compete with the combination of scale, quality and amenity."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6515 project_image_fid=68839]

There's around 2,000 sqm of amenity solely for the use of residents of Chevron One. Club One features a uniquely shaped swimming pool that mirrors the footprint of the building itself, set within a extensively landscaped gardens. There's also an indoor pool and spa, a fully equipped gym with a Pilates room, a yoga garden, a bookable private dining area and lounge that can host up to 30 people, and a 24-hour concierge service.

As for the buyers, Rosenboom is fielding enquiry from everywhere: Sydneysiders and Melburnians looking at the new and off-the-plan market following the changes in the Federal Budget, as well as those looking to relocate, through to South East Queenslanders seeking either a permanent home or a weekender bolthole.

"The Gold Coast lifestyle continues to resonate with people relocating from the southern states, and when they see the views and the quality of what's been delivered at Chevron One, it becomes very easy for them to understand the appeal," Rosenboom says.

A diverse mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments remain available, with each offering "something a little different", be it the orientation and views, configuration, or level, to suit a wide variety of buyers.

The remaining apartments are ready to inspect in person, by appointment.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=6515]

A decade in the making: Residents to move into Chevron One as construction wraps up

A general rule of thumb in new apartment developments is that the penthouses get the rooftop.

It's a formula that's become commonplace across Australia's apartment market. Residents might have access to a pool, gym or barbecue facilities on a dedicated lower level, but the most desirable outdoor spaces are typically reserved for the highest-priced homes at the top of the building.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sherpa-property-group">Sherpa Property Group</a> has taken the opposite approach.

Rather than dedicating the rooftop to a handful of buyers, the Gold Coast developer has made it the centrepiece of its Flourish collection, creating expansive shared spaces from the best vantage point in the building.

The philosophy has reached its most ambitious expression at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/flourish-soleira-palm-beach-1150-1160-gold-coast-highway-palm-beach-qld-4221">Flourish Soleira</a> in Palm Beach, where two rooftop precincts connected by a skybridge will deliver one of the most extensive lifestyle offerings seen in a residential apartment project on the Gold Coast.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=374053]

"We're seeing a clear move toward developments that offer more than just an apartment," Sherpa Group founder Christie Leet said.

"People want spaces that support how they actually live, whether that's working from home, staying active, or spending time with family and friends.

"That's where amenity becomes critical. It's not just about what's included, but how those spaces are designed to be used every day."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=374052]

The breadth of amenity has already attracted buyers across multiple demographics. Younger first home buyers have been drawn to Soleira's one-bedroom apartments, a product rarely delivered in Palm Beach, while families have responded to practical inclusions such as the shallow children's pool adjoining the main lap pool and the extensive communal recreation areas.

Instead of a single rooftop, Soleira delivers two distinct lifestyle zones.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=372547]

The southern rooftop has been dedicated to wellness, featuring a gym, yoga and Pilates studio, work-from-home facilities, a wellness centre, spa, and hot and cold plunge pools.

The northern rooftop focuses on recreation and entertaining, incorporating a heated resort-style pool, private dining rooms, pizza ovens, barbecues, a golf simulator, children's recreation areas, and what is expected to be the Gold Coast's first rooftop basketball court, which will also double as a squash court.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=374054]

Beyond the rooftops, Soleira will introduce 1,500 sqm of curated retail beneath the towers, creating one of Palm Beach's first genuinely mixed-use lifestyle precincts where cafés, restaurants and convenience retail become part of residents' everyday lives.

Sherpa has also retained management rights across the development, allowing it to oversee the long-term operation of the building through a 24-hour concierge model. The developer is also exploring additional revenue streams within the precinct aimed at helping offset ongoing body corporate costs for residents.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=370962]

While Soleira is the largest project Sherpa has delivered, the rooftop-first philosophy has been evolving for several years.

It began with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/amargo-6-12-sixth-avenue-palm-beach-qld-4221">Flourish Amargo</a>, the first project released under the Flourish brand. Rather than competing at the ultra-luxury end of the market with oversized half-floor and full-floor residences, Sherpa focused on creating lifestyle-driven apartments supported by resort-style shared spaces.

Amargo introduced more than 800 sqm of rooftop amenity, combining wellness facilities, heated pools, entertaining areas, cabanas, pizza ovens and private dining spaces into what was designed as an extension of residents' homes rather than a facility used only occasionally.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=146527 project_image_fid=366550]

That approach continued with Flourish Oasis, where the same amenity-led philosophy was refined into a more boutique development. Strong demand from Sherpa's growing VIP database saw much of the project sold before it reached the broader market, reinforcing buyer appetite for apartment communities centred around shared lifestyle experiences.

Flourish Amargo is slated for completion mid-way-through next year, with Oasis to be delivered by late 2027. Flourish Soleira is expected to complete in 2030.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150017]

Sherpa takes amenity to the sky as Flourish Soleira captures booming Palm Beach demand

As apartment living continues to evolve across Sydney's growth corridors, the quality and distribution of shared spaces is increasingly shaping how residents experience home. Rather than functioning as add-ons, amenities are being embedded into the daily rhythm of a building, supporting everything from quiet retreat to social interaction, often within a single vertical community.

At <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/aeris-melrose-park-nursery-street-melrose-park-nsw-2114">Aeris</a> in Melrose Park, this approach is resolved through a layered amenity offering that unfolds from ground level through to its upper podium. Developed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sekisui-house-australia">Sekisui House Australia</a> in partnership with Hankyu Hanshin Properties, the project introduces 468 apartments across two towers and a mid-rise building, positioned at the highest point of the broader masterplan.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=426 project_image_fid=359199]

The amenity experience begins at street level, where two courtyards sit within a landscaped setting that connects residents to the wider network of parks and green spaces. These green spaces are not isolated pockets but part of a wider pedestrian network that links Aeris to the surrounding <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/melrose-park-nsw-2114">Melrose Park</a> precinct, including Central Park, future schools, and the Town Centre opening in July 2026. The result is a transition that moves from public to private without abrupt boundaries, allowing residents to pass through shaded, tree-lined environments before reaching the building itself.

Moving upward, the focus shifts to the level five podium, where the primary communal facilities are concentrated. This space brings together a 16-metre swimming pool, outdoor seating areas, and a communal BBQ zone arranged to take advantage of elevated outlooks. Seating is positioned beneath pergolas, creating pockets of shade that extend the usability of the space throughout the day. The pool edge aligns with views toward the wider district, reinforcing the sense of elevation that defines the project’s positioning.

In the adjacent building, this is complemented by quieter, more contemplative spaces, including an outdoor cinema set within the same level. Positioned to operate primarily in the evening, it introduces a different tempo to the shared environment, shifting from daytime activity to after-hours use without requiring separate zones.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=426 project_image_fid=360299]

The podium also accommodates an intimate private resident gym. Located on the lower levels, it gives residents convenient access to fitness facilities without leaving the building.

Above, the elevated podium sky deck extends the amenity offering, providing additional open-air spaces with elevated outlooks across the surrounding landscape. While more restrained in program, this upper level reinforces the project’s vertical progression, from ground-level greenery to elevated outlook, allowing residents to move between distinct spatial conditions within a single address.

This distribution of amenities reflects a deliberate response to how residents use space across the day. Sekisui House Australia Sales and Marketing Director Peter Kalaf points to the role these shared areas play in shaping buyer demand. Aeris has been conceived as more than a collection of apartments, with the podium pool, gym and outdoor cinema forming part of a broader lifestyle offering that extends the home beyond each individual residence.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=426 project_image_fid=360300]

What distinguishes Aeris is not the inclusion of these elements individually, but how they are arranged in relation to one another. Active, social, and passive spaces are layered vertically rather than separated, allowing residents to choose between them without leaving the building or moving far from their apartment. This proximity supports both routine use, such as a morning swim or evening workout, and more occasional gatherings, whether around the BBQ area or within the cinema setting.

The amenity design also sits within a broader framework of connectivity across Melrose Park. The Melrose Park Town Centre, anchored by Coles and Dan Murphys, features a mix of retail, dining, health and lifestyle offerings, bringing everyday convenience closer to residents. By the end of the year, more than five hectares of parks and open space, equivalent to around seven football fields of green space on residents' doorstep, will further enhance the precinct, allowing the internal facilities at Aeris to operate as an extension of the wider neighbourhood rather than a substitute for it.

Construction at Aeris continues to gather momentum, with ground floor slabs expected to be completed in late 2026 before the first sections of the buildings begin to rise above ground.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=426]

Elevated amenity anchors daily life at Aeris, Melrose Park

Repeat buyers are one of the strongest measures of confidence in any apartment development.

At <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/era-newcastle-west-124-126-bull-street-newcastle-west-nsw-2302">ERA</a> in Newcastle West, some purchasers are returning to <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/gwh">GWH</a> after living at the developer's One Apartments. Their decision to purchase again was driven by the quality of life they found after moving into their first GWH home.

Keith Wilton had spent years living in a house in East Maitland before deciding it was time for a change. Apartment living had always been on his radar, but he was selective about what he wanted.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FH_1EzB-1vs?si=XScVlP1ERsTDJoME" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

"I had some boxes I wanted to tick," he says.

Keith points to the open-plan design, generous outdoor areas and considered inclusions as key reasons One Apartments worked for him.

“One of those things was a nice indoor open plan area, but also I wanted a nice outdoor open area that I could entertain on in summer or Christmases or birthdays,” he says.

He also found value in the smaller details, from integrated appliances to shared resident spaces including the pool, cinema and rooftop areas.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356818]

After comparing several developments, he chose One Apartments because of GWH's longstanding local reputation and his own experience working with the developer on a commercial project more than a decade earlier.

"I knew that they were local, that the quality of the build was going to be up there. I'd looked at other apartment complexes around and close by, and I just knew that here was a better decision location wise."

Today, Keith says the move has completely changed how he experiences Newcastle.

"I enjoy living in this location because it's more of a lifestyle change. That Newcastle city living where you can walk to restaurants and bars and even beaches and parks and even shopping across the road."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356828]

Beyond the location, he says it's the sense of community that has surprised him most.

"Everyone loves living here because they chose to live here, but everyone looks out for each other. It's a real great community feel here."

For Aimee and Lyle Goodman, the journey started almost by chance.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tsioMLcnjas?si=zq-ys3JuWpfa5hFv" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

The couple happened to be having coffee in Newcastle when they noticed the site where One Apartments was about to begin construction.

"We were aware GWH was planning a development," Aimee says. "We made one phone call and things moved pretty quickly after that."

As busy business owners, they initially thought apartment living would simply reduce the maintenance that came with larger homes. Instead, it fundamentally changed how they spent time together.

"We actually catch up more as a family now," Aimee says.

"We've had homes with big yards and lots of space, but everyone ended up in different rooms. Here we'll have dinner together, the kids can play, and we spend far more quality time together."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356829]

Lyle says their confidence came from GWH's reputation within Newcastle's building industry.

"I know people who've worked across different apartment projects, and whenever GWH came up the feedback was always the same. They're rock solid. They're quality."

That confidence only grew throughout the buying process.

"One of the things that really impressed us with GWH was the whole process, was the communication," Lyle says. "It was consistent, it was regular, there was no problem if we had some weird questions, there was no problems in getting answers."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=351104]

Aimee says one moment stood out.

"The project actually finished on time. We realised we needed to hurry up and sell our house because everything was happening exactly when they said it would."

The positive experience at One Apartments ultimately gave all three buyers the confidence to purchase again with GWH, this time at ERA.

Their confidence reflects what many buyers are seeking in today's apartment market. Location remains important, but so too does certainty around delivery, quality and long-term liveability.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356822]

ERA builds on those foundations with 280 one, two and three-bedroom apartments across two landmark towers in <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/newcastle-west-nsw-2302">Newcastle West</a>.&nbsp;

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/fk-australia">Fender Katsalidis</a>, the project will include more than 2,000 square metres of resident amenities, including a resort-style pool, gym, sauna, private cinema and rooftop entertaining spaces overlooking the harbour and coastline.&nbsp;

The development is also within walking distance of the Newcastle Interchange, Honeysuckle, Darby Street, the harbour foreshore, restaurants, retail and the city’s beaches, continuing the walkable lifestyle that existing GWH buyers say has transformed how they live.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356826]

For Keith, the appeal remains straightforward.

"You feel at home even before you've moved into your home."

For Aimee, the change is measured in time.

“I just felt like I had more time,” she says.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=351102]

Construction at ERA is now underway, with more than half of the residences already sold and limited two and three-bedroom apartments remaining in the East Tower release. Priced from $980,000 for two-bedroom residences and $1.46 million for three-bedroom residences, buyers can secure an apartment with a 10 per cent deposit, with premium homes offering ocean views from Level 8 and harbour views from Level 10.

ERA is also backed by Resilience Insurance's 10-year Latent Defects Insurance policy, providing protection against structural or waterproofing defects for 10 years after completion. The project is anticipated to be completed in early 2028.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=135096]

Staff reporter

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