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Ballina 234, a new house-and-land package at Point Cook, Victoria is set to go under the auctioneer's gavel July 6.
Proceeds raised from the no-reserve auction will be donated to the Maddie Riewoldt’s Vision charity for the fight against bone marrow failure syndrome.
Designed by Fairhaven Homes, the single storey house at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-point+cook-131150374" target="_blank">12 Joyce Street, Point Cook </a>comprises four bedrooms, rumpus, large open-plan living/meals/kitchen area, covered alfresco area and fully landscaped garden. 
Other features of Ballina 234 include kids’ wing with study nook, designer lighting, driveway and fencing.
The home will come complete with $50,000 worth of furniture and a 12 month Foxtel Platinum Package.
The lucky bidder will also receive a new Mercedes Benz to park in their new double garage.
<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/2019/6/27/point%20cook%202.jpg" alt="">
Situated on a 425 sqm block within Satterley’s Upper Point Cook Estate, Ballina 234 is just a few steps from Upper Point Cook estate’s recently opened $2.4 million 1 hectare park.
The 1800-lot residential estate won the Best Residential Community Over 250 Lots in the 2018 Urban Development Institute of Australia 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/2019/6/27/point%20cook%203.jpg" alt="">
Surrounded by walking and cycling paths, the development features 14ha of open space, parks and playgrounds and brand-new childcare centre. 
A free family fun day is planned for the July 6 auction with attractions include a footy clinic, the chance to meet AFL stars, food trucks and a performance by singer Harrison Craig, the 2013 winner of The Voice Australia.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Brand new Point Cook home set to auction for charity

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EXPERT OBSERVATION
Aussie wealth remains elevated, but has eased back from record highs due to falling home prices.
But in a positive development, total household wealth (net worth) stabilised in the March quarter after the biggest fall in a decade in the December quarter. The Aussie sharemarket is acting as a wealth ‘buffer’ against the property downturn. In the March quarter, the S&amp;P/ASX200 index rose by 9.5 per cent – the strongest gain in 9½ years.
Foreigners have increased their allocation to Aussie listed shares this year. Foreign ownership of Aussie shares was hovering near 4-year highs at 31.3 per cent in the March quarter, up from 30.9 per cent in the December quarter.
The weaker value of the Aussie dollar against the greenback, a desire for iron ore exposure, attractive dividend yields, solid payout ratios and likely further interest rate cuts have boosted demand for Aussie shares. And the local sharemarket’s relatively defensive composition when compared to its China supply-chain exposed peers in Asia have made the ASX200 an attractive proposition as the global ‘chase for yield’ re-intensifies.
Looking ahead, Aussie per capita wealth is expected to consolidate around $400,000 after significant gains over the past five years, should home valuations continue to moderate. But property prices appear to have flattened in Sydney and Melbourne in June amid tentative signs of stabilisation.
And it remains to be seen whether the ASX200 index, up almost 18 per cent so far this year, can continue its blockbuster run towards record highs, especially with the company ‘confession season’ and earnings reporting season ahead in August.
Aussie share valuations look a little stretched with the Best Price/Earnings ratio straddling 3-year highs at over 17 times earnings.
And earnings per share growth is modest outside of the resources sector, but continued monetary and fiscal stimulus will continue to act as a support. Business confidence and investment is also expected to lift given greater policy certainty following the election. But trading conditions remain challenging given slowing domestic demand and US-China trade tensions.
Click <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2019/6/27/Commsec%20shares.JPG" target="_blank">here</a> to enlarge.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2019/6/27/Commsec%20shares.JPG" alt="">
What do the figures show?
Financial Accounts:
Total household wealth (net worth) rose by 0.2 per cent to $10,242.6 billion in the March quarter after falling by 2.1 per cent to $10,225.9 billion in the December quarter. The record-high figure for household wealth was $10,422.3 billion in the September quarter of 2018. Over the year to March, net worth fell by 0.7 per cent.
In per capita terms, wealth fell by $1,512 in the March quarter to $404,556 following a record $9,993 decline in the December quarter – the third consecutive quarterly decline.
The Bureau of Statistics noted: “The increase in household wealth in the March quarter was driven by real (inflation adjusted) holding gains on financial assets, offset by holding losses on residential real estate.”
The percentage point contributions to the change in household wealth in the December quarter, include:
Land and dwellings detracted 1.5 percentage points;
Financial assets contributed 1.8 percentage points;
Financial liabilities detracted 0.2 percentage points.
Households held a record $1,160.7 billion in cash and deposits at the end of March. Cash and deposit holdings represented 21.5 per cent of financial assets, down from 22.1 per cent in the December quarter and below the 21.8 per cent average since the global financial crisis and long-run average of 21.7 per cent.
Households held $1,015.7 billion in shares or 18.8 per cent of all financial assets in the March quarter, down from 18.9 per cent in the December quarter, but below the 19.3 per cent average since the global financial crisis and the long-run average of 22.6 per cent.
Pension fund (superannuation fund) assets rose by $119.9 billion to a record-high $2,320 billion in the March quarter. Cash and deposits stood at 10.6 per cent of financial assets, below the 12.9 per cent average since the global financial crisis, but above the long-term average of 9.4 per cent.
Foreigners held $604.8 billion of Aussie listed sharesin the March quarter, up from $548.1 billion in December, but below the record-high of $612.9 billion in the September quarter. Foreigners held 31.3 per cent of total listed shares – near 4-year highs - but slightly below the 31.6 per cent average since the global financial crisis and long-term average of 32.8 per cent.
What are the implications for interest rates and investors?
As evidenced by today’s wealth report, the Reserve Bank will be hoping that Aussie shares and bonds will continue to do the ‘heavy lifting’, shielding households from the downside risks associated with the property downturn, slow wages growth and the potential loss of momentum in the jobs market.  
Aussie bonds have been a strong performer over the year to May 31, up by 9 per cent (Bloomberg Australian Composite Bond Index 0+ Years), as government bond yields have fallen to record lows. Australia’s AAA sovereign credit rating and solid fiscal position has made sovereign bonds an attractive destination for risk averse investors.
But Aussie shares have been a star global outperformer, with the S&amp;P/ASX300 Accumulation Index up 10.9 per cent, ahead of global shares at 8.9 per cent (MSCI World Net Index) over the year to May 31 - an attractive proposition for foreigners seeking yield in a low growth, interest rate and inflation environment.
CommSec expects another rate cut in the next few months due to spare capacity in the labour market and economy.
RYAN FELSMAN is a Senior Economist at CommSec
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Foreign holdings of Aussie shares hits 4-year high: CommSec's Ryan Felsman

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The Melbourne suburb of Bentleigh East is once again host to the highest volume of auctions this weekend, with 11 homes set to go under the hammer, according to CoreLogic.
Next busiest are Northcote and Reservoir, also in Victoria, with 10 auctions scheduled each.
This week, the number of auctions scheduled to take place across the combined capital cities is expected to fall, with 1,201 currently being tracked by CoreLogic, down from the 1,484 auctions held last week at final results.
Both Melbourne and Sydney are expected to see a decrease in activity this week, with 497  homes scheduled for auction across Melbourne, while Sydney is set to host 469 auctions, decreasing on the 635 and 558 auctions held last week respectively.
The smaller auction markets will also see a lower volume of homes auctioned week on week with the exception of Brisbane and Perth where auction volumes are relatively steady.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2019/6/27/Bentleigh%20East%20June%204.JPG" alt="">
The busy auction weekend in Bentleigh East, sees <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-bentleigh+east-131323446" target="_blank">71 Bignell Road</a> (pictured in title) offered.
The property going under the hammer is a four bedroom, two bathroom house.
It comes with an indicative price guide of $1,150,000-$1,190,000.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2019/6/27/Bentleigh%20East%20June%202.JPG" alt="">
Another example of the breadth of auctions taking place in Bentleigh East is 4A Tambet Street (pictured above).
The property going under the hammer is a four bedroom, three bathroom townhouse.
It comes with an indicative price guide of $1,120,000-$1,170,000.
 <img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2019/6/27/Bentleigh%20East%20June%203.JPG" alt="">
A third property going to auction in Bentleigh East this week is <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-unit-vic-bentleigh+east-131357494" target="_blank">2/3 Montclair Court</a> (pictured above).
The property going under the hammer is a three bedroom, one bathroom villa. 
It comes with an indicative price guide of $620,000 - $670,000.
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Bentleigh East again the busiest weekend property auction hotspot

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A 1960s architecturally designed home in Campbell, ACT has been sold at $1.41 million.
It was offered to the market for the first time by Louise Harget and Dan McAlpine from Belle Property Kingston. 
Positioned on a 956 square metre block, the split-level house at 64 Gellibrand Street comprises four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a sunken lounge, a retro kitchen and a sun room with a gas fireplace.
<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/2019/6/4/campbell%202.jpg" alt="">
There is a self-contained garden apartment on the lower level.
The original features of the house include Cedar doors with mottled glass, timber panelling, hand crafted cabinetry and high ceilings.
<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/2019/6/4/campbell%203.jpg" alt="">
Other highlights include old established gardens, hardwood flooring and private elevated terrace at the back of the home. 
It is close to the City Centre, Russell Offices, Canberra Airport, local shops and both Campbell Primary and High Schools. 
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1960s Campbell, ACT house sold for $1.41 million

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A substantial architecturally designed home on 5 acres at Bordertown, South Australia has been listed for sale with $1.75 million hopes. 
Set in a rural area, the environmentally designed home at<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-sa-bordertown-131177766" target="_blank"> 721 Cannawigara Road</a> was built to achieve best environmental performance and efficiency five years ago. 
<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/2019/6/25/bordertown%202.jpg" alt="">
The 726 square metre homestead features double-gazed windows, underfloor heating/cooling system, solar assembly on the rooftop, and functional rendered foam brick walling.
It comprises five bedrooms, commodious living, dining and entertaining areas, media room, separate family room and kitchen with built-in ovens.
The home with district views also comes with heated swimming pool with adjoining games room, enclosed alfresco area, indoor barbecue and full sized tennis court.
<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/2019/6/25/bordertown%203.jpg" alt="">
There is a double car garage, with bonus attic storage and a four bay shed for farm and garden machines or secure storage.
Malcolm Hautop and Tanya Venables of SAL Real Estate Bordertown have the listing. 
Bordertown, with a population of around 3,000 people, is located about 280 kilometres east of Adelaide.
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Environmentally friendly, architecturally designed home at Bordertown, SA listed 

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EXPERT OBSERVATION 
Australia’s record economic expansion has almost completed its 28th year. Interest rates have fallen to fresh record lows; wages are growing near 2.5%; underlying inflation is around 1.5%; the jobless rate is 5.2%.
Total returns on Australian shares (All Ordinaries Accumulation index) have lifted by 11.4% over 2018/19 (20-year average +9.5%) to a smidgen below record highs.
What does it all mean?
The 2018/19 financial year is almost complete and it is an opportune time to see how investments, financial markets and economies have performed over the past year.
Overall, the global economy has slowed over the past year, largely restrained by the US-China trade conflict. Central banks are now favouring rate cuts over rate hikes largely because inflation remains low.
The US economy generally remains in good shape. But Chinese authorities have been stimulating their economy in response to the slowdown caused by the trade dispute with the US.
The Australian economy is currently growing at a 1.8% annual pace – the slowest pace in 9.5 years. Just like other major economies, growth slowed over the year. Uncertainty over the Federal Election result also slowed activity ahead of the May 18 poll. Activity is expected to lift with election uncertainty resolved.
The Reserve Bank has re-assessed policy settings in response to stubbornly low inflation. The Reserve Bank now believes that unemployment can fall to 4.5% before igniting inflationary pressures.
As a result the Reserve Bank cut the cash rate by 25 basis points in June to 1.25% and has flagged another rate cut in coming months.
Inflation is expected to edge higher to around 2% in 2018/19 with unemployment 4.50-5.00%. But much will depend on the global trade environment.
<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/2019/6/25/commsec%201.jpg" alt="">
Returns on shares have lifted by just over 11% in 2018/19 and growth of 7-11% is expected in 2018/19.
The Australian dollar should support the record economic expansion, largely holding in the late 60s/early 70-cent range against the greenback.
<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/2019/6/25/commsec%202.jpg" alt=""> 
What does the data show?
<ul>
<li>Interest rates</li>
</ul>
The cash rate was reduced from 1.50% to 1.25% in June. It was the first rate change since August 2016.
The market-determined 90-day bank bill rate has held between 1.21% and 2.10% over 2018/19 and is ending the year near record lows.
Yields on the long bond – 10-year government bonds – have held in a range of between 1.29% and 2.79% and yields are ending the year near record lows.
<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/2019/6/25/commsec%203%20.jpg" alt="">
<ul>
<li>Currencies</li>
</ul>
The Aussie dollar has fallen around 6% over 2018/19. The Aussie started the year around US74 cents and is ending the year near US69 cents.
We have calculated that the Aussie is ranked 103rd strongest against the US dollar of 120 currencies tracked.
The currencies of Thailand, Egypt, Uganda, Mexico, Philippines and Japan all have lifted around 3-7%.
The weakest currencies have been in the emerging economies of Venezuela, Argentina and Haiti. Only 24 currencies have lifted against the greenback over the year.
<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/2019/6/25/commsec%204.jpg" alt="">
In the first six months of 2019, the Aussie dollar has fallen by around 2% against the US dollar, making it the 97th strongest of 120 currencies tracked.
The currencies of Russia, Egypt, Thailand, Central Africa and Canada have lifted around 3-10%.
The weakest currencies have been the emerging economies of Haiti, Argentina, Turkey, Pakistan and Ghana. Only 42 currencies lifted against the greenback over the year.
The Aussie has gradually trended lower for around two years. Over most of the period US policy interest rates were rising while the Aussie cash rate was left unchanged.
The Aussie fell from around US80 cents to US68 cents (if the January 2019 ‘flash crash’ to US67.43 cents is ignored).
<ul>
<li>Commodities</li>
</ul>
Commodity prices eased over the second half of 2018 in line with slower global growth but recovered some lost ground in 2019.
The Commodity Research Bureau futures index has fallen by 11% over the year, but the CommSec daily index is up 3%.
The difference between the two indexes is basically iron ore, with its price up 81% over 2018/19 while gold and coking coal gained 12%.
Base metal prices fell 10-20%; oil is down 23% while spot natural gas has slid 58% and thermal coal fell 37%.
<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/2019/6/25/commsec%205.jpg" alt="">
Sharemarket
The Australian sharemarket started 2018/19 with the All Ordinaries at 6,289.7 and the ASX200 at 6,194.6.
The All Ords currently stands at 6,734.3 points (up 7.1%) with the ASX200 is at 6,650.8 (up 7.4%). We estimate that Australia is 19th of 72 global bourses.
So far 35 bourses have recorded gains in 2018/19. The best performer has been hyperinflation-affected Zimbabwe but Argentina and Brazil have lifted more than 40%. The US Dow Jones has lifted by around 10%.
<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/2019/6/25/commsec%206.jpg" alt="">
The worst performers have been West Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Lebanon and Pakistan and Egypt. The Irish sharemarket has fallen 12%.
In the first six months of 2019, the All Ordinaries has risen by 18%, ranking Australia 8th of 73 nations. Greece, Argentina, Russia and China have been amongst the top performers (up around 20-37%) while Lebanon, Sri Lanka and Oman are amongst countries recording the biggest declines.
<ul>
<li>Investment returns</li>
</ul>
Total returns on Australian shares (All Ordinaries Accumulation index) have so far lifted by 11.4% over 2018/19, hitting record highs in recent days.
Returns on dwellings have declined by 3.6% to date in 2018/19 while returns on government bonds have lifted by 10.4%.
<ul>
<li>Sectors &amp; size groupings</li>
</ul>
Of the 22 identified industry sub-sectors, only eight have recorded declines in 2018/19.
Leading the gains have been Consumer durables &amp; apparel and Telecom (both up by near 41%) followed by Commercial services (up 21%) with Software &amp; services and Transportation (up 20%).
At the other end of the scale, Household &amp; personal products has fallen by over 36%, followed by Autos &amp; components (down 21%) and Energy and Capital goods (both down 8%).
Of the size categories, the ASX50 has outperformed (up over 9%) from the ASX100 (up 8%) and the Small Ordinaries and MidCap50 (up 1%).
What are the implications for investors?
Returns on shares are near record highs. In fact sharemarket returns have only fallen once in the past 10 years. So an investor that has employed a diversified strategy across asset classes would be well pleased with the performance over recent years.
The outlook for the sharemarket remains positive. The Federal Election is in the background for another three years. And the Reserve Bank has adopted a stimulatory monetary policy.
The Reserve Bank now believes that the economy can operate at a faster pace, thus generating greater job growth with the hope of driving the jobless rate to 4.5%.
The cash rate was cut by a quarter percent in June and a similar decline is expected in the next few months.
But the Reserve Bank doesn’t believe it can do it all alone – it is calling on greater fiscal stimulus.
Certainly Federal and State governments are being active in advancing new infrastructure projects. And with budgets broadly balanced or in modest surplus, there is scope for even more fiscal stimulus to be applied.
Over the coming year, infrastructure building and net exports will add to economic growth.
The Reserve Bank hopes that the stimulatory policy settings will lead to stronger household spending as well. Weaker home building will be the main factor weighing on growth.
Last year we noted: “Over the coming year CommSec expects the All Ordinaries index to be near 6,400-6,600 points in December 2018 and 6,600-6,800 points in June 2019”. The December forecast proved too ambitious but the June forecast looks to be safely achieved.
Over the coming year CommSec expects the All Ordinaries index to be near 6,800-7,000 points in December 2019 and 7,100-7,300 points in June 2020.
Housing markets across the nation are continuing to rebalance to reflect the increase in supply (new home construction).
Lower home prices and rate cuts will ensure that first home buyers remain active.
Investors are also expected to return although sharemarkets are expected to remain more attractive in the short run.
Over 2019/20, national home prices may post small gains between 0-4%. Since the Federal Election there have been signs of stabilisation of Sydney and Melbourne home prices.
The low inflation/low interest rate environment is entrenched, meaning that lower nominal investment returns are also here to stay. So investors will need to remain flexible and alert to the returns achieved across sharemarket sectors and across asset classes to ensure that their savings are keeping pace with the cost of living.
The ‘triple L’ theme (low unemployment, low inflation, low interest rates) will also dominate global markets over the coming year.
In fact the US Federal Reserve is already contemplating rate cuts despite delivering the last rate hike just over six months ago.
The Aussie dollar is expected to largely trade in the late 60s/early 70s against the US dollar over most of the coming year. But interest rate differentials between the US and Australia and the US-China trade discussions are the two factors that could move the Aussie out of the tight range.
At the time of writing, financial markets were waiting on the next instalment of US-China trade talks.
Successful completion of the talks should lead to a major upgrade in prospects for the global economy.
If agreement remains elusive, expect stimulatory monetary policies to remain in place in China as well as advanced global economies.
Craig James is Chief Economist at CommSec. 
Ryan Felsman is Senior Economist at CommSec.
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Economic growth slows with more stimulus on the way: CommSec's year in review 

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Management consultant Chris Livitsanis has sold his Portsea home, without water views, for almost $6 million.

<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property/28-wildcoast-rd-portsea-vic-3944" target="_blank">The architect-designed home</a> was built after he bought the vacant building block in 2015 for $900,000.

It is understood to have sold to pharmaceutical and medical cannabis consultant Con Tangalakis.

<img alt="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/6/28/portsea%202.jpg">

The home was designed by architect Dominic Piccolo as a five-bedroom, six-bathroom house.

It came with an initial $6.2 million to $6.4 million price guide through Liz Jensen at Kay &amp; Burton.

The Australian Financial Review dubbed Livitsanis a "house flipper".

[smartcode_project:default project_id=89720]

Livitsanis's prior's weekender Dreamweaver, the Portsea back beach offering that fetched $3.5 million having been passed in at 2014 auction on a $3.5 million vendor bid.

It had been on and off the market over the past two years with an asking price of $3.5 million.

The two-storey Cheviot Road home with gas and solar-heated lap pool and spa plus championship Modgrass tennis court was sold to Arthur and Effie Charlaftis.

He is the former REA Group chief operating officer.
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Medical cannabis consultant Con Tangalakis buys at Portsea

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Under all Victorian tenancy agreements (fixed-term and periodic) entered into on or after 19 June 2019, rent can only be increased once every 12 months, rather than at six-monthly intervals.
The rent must not be increased before the end of a fixed-term tenancy agreement, unless the terms of the agreement allow for this. 
Six-monthly increases will still be allowed for agreements entered into before 19 June 2019 that are:  
<ul>
<li>existing fixed-term tenancy agreements of less than five years, and</li>
<li>existing periodic (month-by-month) tenancy agreements. </li>
</ul>
For all rent increases, landlords and property managers must use the updated notice of rent increase from the government's <a href="https://submit.consumer.vic.gov.au/ch/25390/2d6fc35/2426631/kkudkBKulnOy8z1kwAfvAXi2_pv4syhyUwzlNsIS" target="_blank" data-auth="NotApplicable">rent increases page</a>.
Landlords and property managers will now have the option to provide the prescribed renting guide Renting a home: a guide for tenants electronically to tenants who have consented to receive information this way. Previously, they were required to provide the guide as a printed booklet. 
To provide the guide electronically they must:
<ol>
<li>ensure they have the tenant’s written consent to receive notices and other documents electronically. This can be included in the terms of their lease, or obtained with the Consent to electronic service of notices and other documents form, available from the <a href="https://submit.consumer.vic.gov.au/ch/25390/2d6fc35/2428465/kkudkBKulnOy8z1kwAfvxyCeVfkKGydYNqjp4quc" target="_blank" data-auth="NotApplicable">renting guide page</a>
</li>
<li>send the tenant the following link: <a href="https://submit.consumer.vic.gov.au/ch/25390/2d6fc35/2428465/kkudkBKulnOy8z1kwAfvxyCeVfkKGydYNqjp4quc-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable">consumer.vic.gov.au/rentingguide</a>
</li>
</ol>
More than 130 reforms to the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 were passed in the Victorian Parliament in 2018.
Some were selected for early implementation this year, with the remaining reforms to be fully implemented by 1 July 2020. 
To help prepare for these changes, a new dedicated <a href="https://submit.consumer.vic.gov.au/ch/25390/2d6fc35/2426770/kkudkBKulnOy8z1kwAfvUUHF0I5Iat4GUJWDXMdk" target="_blank" data-auth="NotApplicable">Changes to renting laws section</a> is now available as a one-stop information source on:
<ul>
<li>the early reforms that are already in effect</li>
<li>stakeholder consultation </li>
<li>key reforms and their impact on tenants and landlords.    </li>
</ul>
The Victorian Government said it is working with industry and community groups to develop information and training materials to help them prepare for these changes.
 
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Victoria restricts rent increase frequency to 12 months

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The building of inner city apartments in Melbourne and Sydney has slowed to a dangerous level, according to The Australian columnist, Robert Gottliebsen.
He suggests governments are making the looming unit shortfall worse.
"Not only is substantial employment and business activity at stake in both states, but in Sydney the NSW government has dreamt up an unbelievable plan that will halt apartment construction in many areas, potentially for years," he wrote.
He says apartment building has slowed dramatically because communities and councils across the city are making it as hard as possible for high density living projects to find a way through the approval processes.
"Normally such decimation of an industry is caused by demand, but in June 2019 demand is not the problem."
The supply in both cannot be generated to meet looming demand.
He noted at the moment in both cities there is excess supply but demand momentum helped by the return of Chinese to the market has already lifted Sydney apartment prices by 10% after they had fallen by 20 to 30%.
"During 2020 the demand-supply ratio will change markedly."
In both Sydney and Melbourne it takes about three years for a development to get through the approvals, while in other states the apartment approval process takes less than a year, he said.
In Sydney the current approval mess means that production of apartments is now down 40%.
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Governments making the looming 2020 Sydney and Melbourne apartment shortfall worse: Robert Gottliebsen

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Agri-logistics is emerging as a growth sector of the Australian real estate market, with more than $1.5 billion worth of assets changing hands over the past two years. 
CBRE Director of Agri-Logistics, Stephen Caffery, said the sector was attracting greater institutional investment, underpinned by the strength of Australia’s industrial, logistics and agricultural markets.  
“On the back of a buoyant industrial &amp; logistics sector, recent free trade agreements, Asia’s investment appetite and capacity for Australia’s agriculture industry to produce high value food and fibre products, there has been a sharp upturn in investment in the sector,” Caffery said.
“Agri-logistics has all the ingredients to become the standout investment class in Australia over the next decade. The sector is the backbone that supports Australia’s $60 billion farm gate production industry each year.
“All of Australia’s agricultural products, at some point, will need to be processed, value-added, stored and transported for either domestic consumption or export markets.
“Investing in these supply chains represents an enormous opportunity for investors looking for long term secure cashflows in assets that are defensive in economic downturns.” 
Highlighting the increased investment in the sector, CBRE is marketing two high quality food manufacturing facilities located in one of Melbourne’s premium South Eastern locations, Braeside.  
The properties located at 91-97 Woodlands Drive (pictured above) and 223-225 Governor Road (pictured below) provide a lettable area of 15,450 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/2019/6/18/Flavour%20Makers%20_%20223-225%20Governor%20Road.jpg" alt="">
They are leased to leading food developer and manufacturer Flavour Makers for 12 years, generating a triple net income of $1,830,000 per annum (with fixed annual increases of 3.0%).  
CBRE’s Ben Hegerty said the Flavour Makers facilities offered a complete end-to-end food development and manufacturing solution with state-of-the-art dry blending facility, liquid processing plant and a meals plant capable of processing both liquid and solid ingredients.
“These facilities are regulatory approved and extensively audited by both domestic and international customers,” Hegerty said. 
“Flavour Makers is experiencing a period of sustained growth and is investing both in increasing existing capability and capacity, as well as investing in new food technologies.
“As a result, they provide a high degree of underlying security for long term, passive investments outside core industrial locations.”
This follows several major transactions in the sector over the past two years including Charter Hall’s $207 million acquisition of the Ingham’s portfolio, comprising 27 poultry supply chain assets in December 2019, and Qualitas’ $388 million sale and leaseback of Allied Pinnacle’s portfolio of 10 grain handling and food processing facilities in March 2018. 
Caffery said agri-logistics assets located outside of traditional industrial heartlands would continue to present attractive opportunities for investors. 
“Agri-logistics assets that are strategically located to maximise supply chain efficiencies represent an outstanding opportunity for investors.
“Taking beef feedlots for example, to operate an efficient supply chain, it makes economical sense to construct feedlots close to reliable grain growing regions, rather than processing facilities to reduce transport costs.”
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Agri-logistics emerging as Australia’s next property growth sector

Perth’s new apartment market recorded its strongest quarter of sales since Q4 2021, with 412 apartments sold in Q1 2026 and a record quarterly sold value of $537 million, according to Urbis’ latest Apartment Essentials results.

Urbis said the March quarter result reflects strong, highly product‑specific demand across both ends of the market, from more attainable projects delivering at scale, through to premium stock being absorbed by equity‑rich downsizers.&nbsp;

David Cresp, Partner at Urbis, said the key story in Perth is not demand, it is the market’s ability to convert demand into delivered housing.&nbsp;

“This is the strongest sales quarter since Q4 2021, and it reinforces that demand in Perth is real and it’s local,” David Cresp said. “But the task now is delivery, turning that demand into projects that can actually be built and completed.”&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=110291 project_image_fid=302785]

<h2>Affordable product leads, premium demand remains resilient</h2>

Sales in Q1 were led by more affordable projects, with The Boulevard (SKS Group) recording 115 sales in the quarter, the presentation noting this is only the second time a single project has surpassed 100 quarterly sales. The project was able to offer more affordable housing product right next to a train station.&nbsp;

Palmyra West (Finbar) also delivered strong results with 28 sales in Q1, following 84 sales in Q4, with an average price of under $800,000, underscoring depth of demand for well‑located, attainable new stock.&nbsp;

At the premium end, Urbis said downsizer demand is continuing, with the results highlighting Romeo (Applecross, Finbar) recording 75 sales and reaching almost 50% sold in one quarter.

Jual (Shenton Park, Celsius Property) also posted a strong quarter with 28 sales, reaching 39% sold in one quarter.

Urbis noted that Perth apartment demand is not speculative, not investor‑led, and not uniform, describing it as localised, often equity‑driven and highly product‑specific, a pattern reflected in the polarisation between strong “attainable” performers and premium downsizer product.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=148957 project_image_fid=364102]

<h2>Prices underpinned by costs, and the delivery risk is growing</h2>

Urbis said pricing pressure is cost not demand‑driven: construction costs and delivery risk are now a central constraint, with the results noting build costs remain elevated and volatile, and that energy, fuel and labour uncertainty weigh on feasibility.

David Cresp said a growing challenge for private Build‑to‑Sell developers is simply securing a builder in the current environment.

“Developers are really feeling the pressure from a building market that was operating at capacity and securing a builder is challenging,” David Cresp said, adding that even where a builder can be secured, “trying to get to the price that makes the development financially viable is incredibly challenging in the current market.”&nbsp;

Urbis’ broader WA commentary also notes that industry remains at or above capacity with lot and housing creation, and that many builders are limiting new sales to manage stretched workforces and fixed‑price contract pressures, conditions that flow directly into apartment feasibility and delivery timing.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108869 project_image_fid=317905]

<h2>Supply: improving later, but still constrained, and Perth lags eastern benchmarks</h2>

While near‑term supply remains constrained, Urbis’ forecast shows completions lifting “Supply is forecast to be back above 1,500 apartments per annum for the first time since 2019”, with 1,775 completions forecast for 2026, and volumes remaining above that level over the following years.&nbsp;

Looking further ahead, completions are forecast to reach 2,500 in 2028, with the report noting 32% of that total is social/affordable, reflecting the role of government‑supported delivery in rebuilding the pipeline.&nbsp;

However, Urbis said Perth remains behind comparable markets on pipeline scale. In a national comparison of projects under construction, the report shows under construction Perth Build‑to‑Sell (BTS) at 3,446 apartments versus the Gold Coast at 7,922. Mr Cresp said “The challenge for Perth is how to we grow the delivery pipeline”.

Urbis’ conclusion is that Perth’s market is increasingly defined by product discipline and delivery certainty, with the research identifying “delivery certainty is key” and calling out builder risk and procurement models as core success factors, alongside “timing and staging”.&nbsp;

Joel Robinson

Perth apartment sales hit strongest pace since late 2021 as builder capacity tightens

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sammut-developments">Sammut Group</a> has secured development approval for its latest Brisbane apartment project, marking the Sydney developer’s next step in expanding its Queensland pipeline following the success of its debut Gold Coast development, Coast.

The approved project at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/44-glen-road-toowong-qld-4066">44 Glen Road, </a><a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/toowong-qld-4066">Toowong</a> will deliver a 15-storey riverfront apartment building with 42 residences, significantly increasing the scale of the site’s previous approval for a smaller luxury scheme. Designed by Bureau^proberts, the development will comprise a mix of predominantly four-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments positioned to maximise Brisbane River and city views.

Sammut Director Julian Sammut said the group had been actively searching Brisbane for several years before identifying Toowong as the right fit.

“Brisbane was the right step for Sammut,” Sammut said.

“With the success of Coast we thought we should definitely look to do more in Queensland alone. We then pushed up to look at Brisbane. We've been looking for I'd say two to three years actually and it was hard to find the right location.”

<img alt="Sammut makes Brisbane apartment play" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/f_auto,c_limit,w_1440,q_75/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/field/image/Screenshot%202025-12-23%20at%203.27.14%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=dYAVIL7qdcGA8ojvkslSrLjczXFejSSx" />

Sammut said suburbs including New Farm and Teneriffe were considered before the group ultimately focused on Toowong due to its strong downsizer demographic and limited supply of developable riverfront land.

The site was acquired off-market after what Sammut described as a lengthy negotiation and planning process, with the developer pursuing an uplift to the original approval.

“We are DA approved now which is very exciting,” Sammut said.

“We've had our change approval come through and we've obviously doubled the height, 15 storeys plus rooftop. We've got 42 amazing apartments that are going to be coming to market soon.”

<img alt="Sammut makes Brisbane apartment play" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,dpr_2.0,q_auto:good/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-12-23%20at%203.27.26%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=ohkRkY0dIZlqdfME2EZePsCQavRiBadE" />

Bureau^proberts said the design responds to Toowong’s evolving urban character, balancing contemporary apartment living with the area’s established residential identity.

“A place where traditional Queensland living has taken place for centuries; Toowong is seeing a shift of contemporary influence, commercial and retail hubs mixed with well-considered residential offerings – all the while maintaining its character and charm,” the architect noted in planning documents submitted to Brisbane City Council.

The architecture practice said the project’s form was shaped by its riverfront setting, flood considerations, neighbouring building scales, and view corridors.

“They said the mix of four and two-bedroom apartments capture the ‘fundamental qualities of Queenslander living,’ translated into the context of a contemporary subtropical building.”

The development sits just off Coronation Drive within walking distance of Toowong’s retail precinct and the upgraded Regatta ferry terminal, while also benefiting from proximity to the incoming green bridge connection to West End. Sammut said the accessibility and amenity offering were central to the site’s appeal.

The approval adds to growing residential activity along the Toowong riverfront, joining nearby projects including Consolidated Properties’ Monarch Residences and Spyre Group’s ARC Residences.

Sammut secures approval for debut Brisbane apartment development in Toowong

Developer Lanevick is heading back into Sydney’s apartment market after focusing more heavily on the luxury townhouse and terrace sector in recent years.

Lanevick, founded and directed by Steve Maroun, is expecting to receive approval in the coming months for a new apartment development in Gladesville, with the aim to launch it to the market later this year.

The 51-apartment project, designed by Studio Johnston, will comprise a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments positioned toward the Hunters Hill downsizer market.

“Traditionally it’s been difficult for people in that market to downsize because there just hasn’t been the right product available,” Maroun said.

“We’re targeting buyers who might have 30 to 40 per cent of their house value sitting in the bank after downsizing.

“They still want good spacious entertaining areas, they still want quality design, but they also want flexibility and the ability to enjoy life a bit more after working hard for a long time.”

The project sits near Boronia Park and within close proximity to the Parramatta River foreshore, an area Maroun says offers more of a Hunters Hill lifestyle than a traditional apartment precinct.

“From a lifestyle perspective, it’s really more Hunters Hill than Gladesville,” Maroun said. “You’re close to the foreshore, close to parklands, and still connected back into the village precinct.”

From level four and above, apartments will capture water views&nbsp;toward Sydney Harbour. Communal amenity will include rooftop entertaining areas, wellness spaces, and a gym tailored toward owner-occupier buyers.

“We’ve really designed these apartments around that buyer coming from the Hunters Hill LGA and what they’re actually looking for in their next chapter.”

The proposed development has also been designed to respond to the changing character of the broader Gladesville town centre, where a growing number of mixed-use and residential proposals are expected to emerge over the coming years.

“Gladesville presented a rare opportunity to deliver a genuinely design-led residential project within an evolving lifestyle precinct, just moments from the growing Gladesville town centre, and we’ve approached the project with a strong focus on architecture, liveability and long-term community value,” Maroun said.

Maroun said Lanevick saw a first-mover advantage within the precinct as planning controls continue to evolve to accommodate greater housing density.

“We think there’s a real opportunity there that hasn’t really been serviced properly yet,” he said.

“There’s going to be a broader evolution of the whole Gladesville village precinct over time, particularly with more activation and mixed-use outcomes.”

The Venus Street proposal will include a commercial and retail component at ground level designed to contribute to that evolving streetscape activation.

“A big part of the thinking was how do you activate that area properly and create more vibrancy and amenity, which is what Hunters Hill has been looking for,” Maroun said.

Lanevick’s focus since 2020 has largely been on smaller-scale luxury townhouse and terrace developments. The developer recently completed Royale Randwick, also designed by Studio Johnston, where prices reached $3.65 million. The project was featured in the UDIA NSW 2026 Professional Development Prospectus and was also named a finalist for Development of the Year.

&nbsp;

Lanevick to cater for Hunters Hill downsizers with new Gladesville apartment development

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.

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]

Staff reporter

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