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A Brisbane CBD basement has become the new home for a First Nations owned and operated art gallery.
The Henderson Gallery have taken up occupancy in the basement of 300 Adelaide Street, leasing the 489 sqm space through Savills.
The lease was negotiated by Executive of Savills Commercial Leasing, Daniel Paxton, on a five year term plus options.
“The space is traditionally a tricky tenancy to lease, however the refurbishment by LSH Property enabled us to gain traction and led to three serious parties interested in the space,” Mr Paxton said.
The Henderson Gallery is owned by Robert Henderson, Wiradjuri, focusing on First Nations art experiences for domestic and international visitors.  
The Henderson Gallery offers "exhibitions, First Nations influenced menus in Birrang Café, wine bar, live performances and more."
Mr Paxton said the Gallery have also leased a 159 sqm suite within the building to house their not-for-profit foundation, The Wayne Weaver Foundation.  
The Henderson Gallery opened in their new location on February 23 2019.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Savills secure CBD basement lease for Indigenous Australian art gallery

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10 one bedroom live/work styled apartments have hit the Byron Bay market.
The Habitat concept apartments come with $800,000-$830,000 price points.
Situated at 28-50 Parkes Avenue, the units are designed to give people the option to live above a flexible space in which they can manage and run a business.
<img src="https://f.datasrvr.com/f1/019/53339/Habitat_2.JPG">
Mr Fraser Williams-Martin of DFJ Architects, said “we’ve designed the apartments to have a contemporary warehouse feel, allowing you to live upstairs and work downstairs.
“The area itself is a hub of small businesses and these properties are ideally suited to young and creative entrepreneurs"
“The design is based on European models and really is revolutionary, especially when it comes to a regional town like Byron.”
Ray White Byron Bay Sales Associate April Nicolson said "the 'Habitat' site is a progressive, all-encompassing destination only five-minutes from the beach, and a 10-minute cycle to town."
 
“Residents have access to all exclusive facilities including pools, park and recreation area, award-winning restaurant Barrio and professional meeting spaces in the main commercial precinct."
<img src="https://f.datasrvr.com/f1/519/64332/Habitat_3.JPG">
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10 ‘live/work’ apartments listed in Byron Bay

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An Exmouth, WA residential land parcel has been sold for a 60% price reduction on its 2008 sale price.
Originally listed in October 2018 with price guide of $109,000 the land holding sold on March 13 for $78,142.
Marking a $130,000 price reduction on it's 2008 sale price when it traded for $208,000.
The <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-residential+land-wa-exmouth-200595971" target="_blank">37 Bluefin Cove</a> land parcel is a 275 sqm dry lot situated on the island in the Exmouth Marina Village.
It was unsuccessfully listed in 2013 and 2014 for over 150 days on each occasion.
When listed during those years the holding had an asking price of $177,000 and $179,000.
<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 price for a home in <a href="/developments/exmouth-wa-6707">Exmouth, WA</a> is $405,000 according to CoreLogic.
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Exmouth, WA mortgagee land parcel sold for 60% price reduction

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LandMark White has been reinstated by Commonwealth Bank to its panel for residential valuations.
Marking a significant step for the company after the <a href="/news/landmark-white-limited-reports-property-valuations-data-breach">recent cyber-attack</a>, Keith Perrett, Chairman of LandMark White, said the decision made by Commonwealth Bank is an endorsement of the actions taken by the company in response to the incident.
"We’re pleased a number of financial institutions have reinstated LMW to its panel of valuation providers, including one of Australia’s major lenders.
"Commonwealth Bank recognised the risk to our company, our staff and shareholders, and reviewed the enhancements to our systems and networks in an efficient manner while also ensuring its affected customers were supported,” Mr Perrett said.
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The company has been working closely with financial institutions throughout the last few weeks – including all of Australia’s major lenders – to ensure its systems and networks are now subject to the highest level of security and monitoring.
Commonwealth Bank, as well as NAB and ANZ, <a href="/news/banks-drop-landmark-white-valuations-after-data-breach">dropped LandMark White</a> following the attack.
LMW liaised with Commonwealth Bank’s Data Protect Group to assess and improve its datasecurity environment, while the company has also committed to a framework for robust risk management and continuous improvement.
"We’re pleased a number of financial institutions have reinstated LMW to its panel of valuation providers, including one of Australia’s major lenders. 
“It’s a great sign of faith in our company and our people, and I thank the Commonwealth Bank for the support they have shown LMW in the last few weeks. We are confident we now have one of the most secure systems and networks for a property valuation company in Australia.”
“We have been a trusted member of the industry for nearly 40 years and with the support ofall the major banks, we’re confident we’ll be here for another 40 years and longer.”
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CommBank resumes LandMark White valuations

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GUEST OBSERVATION
A <a href="http://www.nightwingenterprises.com/downloads/nXqKw/YDA_Report_Card_WEB.pdf" target="_blank">National Report Card on Youth Homelessness in Australia</a> says government action over the past decade would earn no more than two stars under its four-star rating system. There has been under-investment in most areas. Promises made have been only partially delivered.
The report identifies the lack of a coordinated national strategy as an obstacle to achieving goals that were set a decade ago. The report card will be presented at the <a href="https://youthhomelessnessconference.org.au/" target="_blank">National Youth Homelessness Conference</a> being held in Melbourne today and tomorrow.
It’s the first national conference focused solely on homeless youth in Australia in 20 years. It will consider four proposed strategic reforms:
<ol>
<li>early intervention</li>
<li>rapid rehousing</li>
<li>engagement in education, training and/or employment</li>
<li>extending state care to the age of 21.</li>
</ol>
Losing our way even with a roadmap
The report card assesses progress since the <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://apo.org.au/node/8435" target="_blank">2008 report</a> of the National Youth Commission (NYC) into youth homelessness, the second of two landmark inquiries.
Following the rigorous procedures of the 1989 Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission <a href="https://www.humanrights.gov.au/our-work/childrens-rights/publications/our-homeless-children" target="_blank">Inquiry into Youth Homelessness</a> headed by Brian Burdekin, the NYC’s independent community inquiry held hearings all over Australia. There were 21 public hearings, 319 people gave evidence, and 92 written submissions were received.
The inquiry’s 400-page report, <a href="https://www.theoasismovie.com.au/pdfs/Homeless_report.pdf" target="_blank">Australia’s Homeless Youth</a>, made 80 recommendations and included a widely publicised ten-point Roadmap for Youth Homelessness. The NYC argued that implementing this roadmap could transform the face of youth homelessness in Australia.
In December 2008, following this report, the federal government released a white paper, <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://apo.org.au/node/2882" target="_blank">The Road Home: A National Approach to Reducing Homelessness</a>. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made a bold public <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/rudds-2020-homeless-pledge-welcomed-20081221-72rw" target="_blank">commitment to halve homelessness by 2020</a>. This involved three key policy strategies:
<ul>
<li>“turning off the tap” – early intervention</li>
<li>“improving and expanding services”</li>
<li>“breaking the cycle”.</li>
</ul>
How was the report card compiled?
The report card references the ten points of the NYC roadmap. It is a review of responses to youth homelessness over the past decade from a national perspective, and of what still needs to be done.
The 2008 white paper and all subsequent state and territory plans and strategy documents were systematically reviewed against information about what has been done for young people.
Progress under each point was rated using a four-star assessment. Experts and experienced leaders in the various areas then reviewed the preliminary assessments to finalise the ratings.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/264056/original/file-20190315-28505-1rxmiw3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/264056/original/file-20190315-28505-1rxmiw3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
The National Report Card on Youth Homelessness ratings. Author provided
So what happened to the roadmap?
After the white paper, work began on a national strategy to tackle homelessness, but that project was shelved. The states and territories have issued their own plans and strategies, which are, despite some common features, somewhat divergent. The overall national response to homelessness would be hugely strengthened by working to an agreed national strategy like in other high-priority social policy areas.
The roadmap highlighted affordable housing for young people as a priority. This need has hardly been addressed. Young people make up a significant proportion of the homeless population, but <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://apo.org.au/node/63479" target="_blank">they are only 2.9% of tenants in social housing</a>.
Domestic and family violence is a known <a href="https://www.ahuri.edu.au/policy/ahuri-briefs/what-is-the-link-between-domestic-violence-and-homelessness?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIusH7_9iC4QIViIqPCh19QQC4EAAYAiAAEgKGevD_BwE" target="_blank">cause of homelessness</a>. Only in recent years has there been a significant effort to make this a high social policy priority. A recent increase in funding for a range of services and initiatives is promising but overdue.
The white paper proposed “turning off the tap”, or early intervention, but little has been accomplished. <a href="https://www.launchhousing.org.au/australianhomelessnessmonitor/" target="_blank">More Australians seek help from homelessness services now than in 2008</a>. This is arguably the single biggest policy failure. An early proposal to expand <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/families-and-children/programmes-services/reconnect" target="_blank">Reconnect</a>, the early intervention program that has existed since 1997, came to nothing.
Some effort has been made to reform state care and protection, especially the inadequate support for young people leaving care at 18. They are particularly vulnerable to homelessness. The idea of extending state care to at least 21 years of age is not new, nevertheless it is still not well resourced nor securely established nationally.
Some repair and expansion of the crisis system of homelessness services has been achieved. However, many communities complain they do not have even basic crisis capacity.
The roadmap called for improvement of specialist services for homeless youth such as mental health, drug and alcohol services, and employment services. Little progress has been made on drug and alcohol and employment services. Youth-specific mental health services is one area that has had significant development.
The roadmap also called for a new form of housing that linked supported accommodation with education, training and support into employment. These were foyers and foyer-like facilities <a href="http://foyer.org.au/foyers-in-australia/" target="_blank">modelled largely on the UK foyers</a>. Over a decade, some 15 foyers have been developed in Australia. This can be acknowledged as an achievement.
Lastly, the roadmap argued that support after homelessness (“post-vention”) is important for young people. The passage to independence should not simply be expected, but rather they need extended support (the kind of support most families provide their children) to “break the cycle” of homelessness. In policy terms, Australia has come late to this understanding and little has been achieved on this issue in the past decade.
In making an overall assessment of progress since the NYC roadmap, the report card acknowledges some positive initiatives and progress but also neglect and underachievement. The existing crisis-focused service systems are not reducing youth homelessness; proven early intervention approaches remain critically underfunded and underdeveloped. What has been done, or rather not done, over the past decade continues to fail young people who are at risk of homelessness or experiencing homelessness.
Overall, the report card gives a two-star rating – “developing – some progress under way” – to efforts to reduce youth homelessness over the past decade. As a nation, we cannot be satisfied with a below-average response to youth homelessness. The next decade needs to be a very different story.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/113118/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;">
David MacKenzie, Associate Professor, Department of Social Science, Swinburne University of Technology
Tammy Hand, Research Fellow, School of Psychology, Social Work and Social Policy, University of South Australia
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/youth-homelessness-efforts-get-a-lowly-2-stars-from-national-report-card-113118" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Youth homelessness efforts get a lowly 2 stars from national report card

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GUEST OBSERVATION
The long debate over the causes of wage stagnation took an unexpected turn last week, when Finance Minister Matthias Cormann described (downward) flexibility in the rate of wage growth as “<a href="https://www.magic1059.com.au/news/national-news/88452-low-wage-growth-not-all-bad-minister" target="_blank">a deliberate design feature of our economic architecture</a>”.
It was a position that was endorsed in a flurry of confusion <a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/economy/australian-economy/sixteensecond-backflip-turns-interview-into-trainwreck/news-story/fe62507c8e961d6381f510133cd68563" target="_blank">16 seconds after it had been rejected</a> by Defence Industry Minister Linda Reynolds.
Cormann had said policies aimed at pushing wages up could cause “massive spikes in unemployment”.
The ease with which Reynolds was trapped into at first rejecting and then accepting what her ministerial colleague had said flowed from the fact that Cormann had broken one of the standing conventions of politics in Australia, and for that matter, the English-speaking world.
For more than forty years, both the architecture of labour market regulation and the discretionary choices of governments have been designed with the precise objective of holding wages down.
These policies have been quite successful, as can be seen from the graph.
However, at least until recently, there has been bipartisan agreement on at least one aspect of them – that no one should mention their role in holding back wages.
<hr>
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/264070/original/file-20190315-28499-eksq75.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/264070/original/file-20190315-28499-eksq75.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/5206.0" target="_blank">ABS Australian Accounts, seasonally adjusted</a>
<hr>
Instead, the decline in the wage share of national income has been variously blamed on:
<ul>
<li>technology</li>
<li>immigration</li>
<li>imports from China and, more recently,</li>
<li>the end of the mining boom.</li>
</ul>
None of these explanations stand up to scrutiny.
The idea that technology is driving the wage share down is perhaps the most popular.
But technological change has been continuous, if uneven, since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century. Most of the time, workers have shared in the resulting productivity gains.
There have however, been a number of exceptional periods in which workers have been harmed.
They have been times when the balance of power had favoured employers. At those unusual times, any kind of disruption, whether caused by new technology or not, has had the potential to enable employers to break working conditions and cut wages.
Right now, for example, there is no necessary reason for the ability to do business over the Internet to harm workers. In many ways it empowers workers by reducing the information advantages of big employers.
But in an environment where unions are weak and working conditions are vulnerable to erosion, the outcome is firms like Airtasker, where workers bid against each other to perform outsourced tasks, <a href="https://theconversation.com/all-care-and-no-responsibility-why-airtasker-cant-guarantee-a-minimum-wage-76943" target="_blank">often for less than the minimum wage</a>.
There is nothing new about this kind of working arrangement.
It could be seen outside the wharves on Sydney’s “<a href="https://theconversation.com/all-care-and-no-responsibility-why-airtasker-cant-guarantee-a-minimum-wage-76943" target="_blank">Hungry Mile</a>” in the 1930s, where workers went from wharf to wharf each day hoping for work, or today on street corners in the United States, where (often undocumented) construction workers gather in the mornings hoping to be picked for work.
But if technology isn’t to blame, what is?
The overlong shadow of the overhang
The real story begins in the early 1970s, when there was an upsurge in inflation associated with the breakdown of the post-war <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bretton_Woods_system" target="_blank">Bretton Woods</a> system of fixed exchange rates , and soaring prices in commodity markets including that for oil. The result was a “wage-price spiral” as both wages and prices rose at unexpected annual rates of more than 10%.
In a nation with a history of strong trade unions, decades of full employment, and the boundless faith in the future forged by the 1960s, wages grew faster than prices as both spiralled upwards.
By the time rising unemployment began to bite, and inflation slowed down, the wage share of national income had risen to an unprecedented 62%.
Reining in this “<a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/rdp/1988/pdf/rdp8806.pdf" target="_blank">real wage overhang</a>” became the central preoccupation of macroeconomic policy throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
This made sense at the time. But, as in other fields, ideas formed in the 1970s and 1980s continued to dominate the thinking of policymakers long after they had either been proven to be failures or rendered obsolete by changing circumstances, as was the case with policies designed to hold back wages.
The policies had several elements. There were a series of changes in industrial relations law, most of which have attacked unions and weakened the bargaining power of labour.
The Fraser government introduced Sections 45D and 45E of the Trade Practices Act <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2004A02274" target="_blank">banning secondary boycotts</a>, that is, action in solidarity with other workers. Fraser also created the Industrial Relations Bureau, the first of a series of industrial “police forces”.
On its election in 1996, the Howard government introduced the <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2006C00104" target="_blank">Workplace Relations Act 1996</a> which extended scope for non-union agreements. After winning a Senate majority in 2004, Howard introduced <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WorkChoices">WorkChoices</a> which limited the scope of collective bargaining, and wound back protections against dismissal.
The Industrial Relations Bureau maintained at least a pretence of impartiality. By contrast, the organisations created by the Abbott and Turnbull governments (the Registered Organisations Commission and Australian Building and Construction Commission) have been so nakedly anti-union that they have repeatedly <a href="https://www.afr.com/news/politics/police-wanted-to-prosecute-over-awu-raids-leak-senate-estimates-hears-20190218-h1bdmu">broken the law</a> <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-13/abcc-nigel-hadgkiss-resigns-over-breach-labor-pressures-cash/8942558" target="_blank">they are supposed to uphold</a>.
Labor governments have wound back some of the most extreme measures, but have not changed the general direction of policy.
Even measures that appeared superficially favourable to workers turned out differently. For example, in 1993 the Keating government introduced the concept of “protected industrial action”.
It was some time before it became apparent that the result was <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/grogonomics/2015/mar/16/industrial-action-is-at-near-record-lows-but-businesses-will-still-blame-unions" target="_blank">to abolish any general right to strike</a>, something that exists in almost every other democratic government.
As Minister for Workplace Relations, Bill Shorten introduced measures that were pitched as protecting penalty rates through a review process undertaken by the Fair Work Commission. A few years later, in a highly politicised process, the Commission <a href="https://www.liberal.org.au/latest-news/2017/02/23/fair-work-commission-review-penalty-rates" target="_blank">used the process to cut penalty rates</a>.
Coalition governments have also used the power of the state directly against unions. Notable examples include the string of <a href="https://www.royalcommission.gov.au/royal-commission-trade-union-governance-and-corruption" target="_blank">royal commissions</a> created by the Abbott government and the use, in 1998, of ex-military strikebreakers to break the Maritime Union of Australia. Their training and deployment was facilitated by a government consultant who <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/technology/battle-on-the-waterfront-20070512-ge4vby" target="_blank">worked with the major waterfront employer, Patricks</a>.
orchestrating the offshore training of the replacement workforce through the actions of consultant Stephen Webster and other shadowy ex-military figures.
Finally, macroeconomic management has operated on the basis that any increase in wages is a danger signal requiring a tightening of fiscal and monetary policy. A notable example, was the warning by then Employment Minister Eric Abetz in January 2014 months after taking office that Australia faced a “<a href="https://ministers.jobs.gov.au/abetz/industrial-relations-after-thirty-years-war-address-sydney-institute" target="_blank">wages explosion</a>”.
<hr>
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/264082/original/file-20190315-28483-4y15qz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/264082/original/file-20190315-28483-4y15qz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
 <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/6345.0" target="_blank">ABS Wage Price Index</a>
<hr>
Far from “exploding”, wage growth slid and hasn’t recovered.
More striking than his failed prediction, was Abetz’ assumption, taken for granted in policy debate, that any substantial increase in wages would be disastrous.
It is only in the last few years that this assumption, inherited from last century, have been challenged.
The Reserve Bank in particular has become an advocate for higher wage growth.
Yet as Cormann’s incautious outbreak of truthtelling has shown, the view has yet to percolate through to Australia’s elites.
<hr>
John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland
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/ultra-low-wage-growth-isnt-accidental-it-is-the-intended-outcome-of-government-policies-113357" target="_blank">original article</a>.
The <a href="https://www.assa.edu.au" target="_blank">Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia</a> is one of Australia’s four learned academies. The ASSA coordinates the promotion of research, teaching and advice in the social sciences, promotes scholarly cooperation across disciplines, comments on national needs and priorities in the social sciences, and provides advice to government on issues of national importance.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/113357/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
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Ultra low wage growth isn’t accidental - it is the intended outcome of government policies

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Property prices have fallen in most major centres, but there seems to be little relief in sight for struggling tenants as rents continue to increase, according to new data. 
Analysis by rent.com.au shows rents in February increased in all capital cities except Brisbane and Perth, but experts say that may change soon. 
The increase follows a trend of growing rental prices within the past 12 months as the nation grappled with a lack of affordable housing. 
In 2018, house prices dropped by an average of 4.8% across the nation, prompting Deutsche Bank to identify a potential Australian housing crash as one of the top 30 risks to the global economy. 
While the current rise in rents seems out of step with the downward trend in house prices, experts say it is to be expected.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2019/3/14/RENTS.png" alt="">
Source: Rent.com.au
Static incomes, rising interest rates for existing borrowers and population growth are offsetting lower renting costs across cities. 
“Rents and house prices can move in different directions at the same time,” University of New South Wales City Futures research fellow Chris Martin said. 
“This is because house prices have a speculative component that rents do not have. Rents more directly reflect demand for, and supply of, housing as housing. By contrast, house prices also reflect a degree of speculation – that is, housing as an asset, that someone else might pay more for later.”
For the past decade, housing prices across the major capitals have risen well above the trend in rents due to low interest rates and “rampant speculation” from investors keen to capitalise on the skyrocketing prices. 
Now, would-be buyers have lost confidence and are pulling out of the market, resulting in the price drop. 
“This also means that construction commencements have also contracted, as developers are less confident about finding buyers. If this persists, this may result in supply pressures on rents,” Martin said.
Greg Bader, the CEO of rent.com.au, says the recent increase has also been influenced by an influx of demand in the market, as students seek suitable accommodation. 
“In isolation, falling house prices don’t tend to impact rents directly. However, a market downturn can lead to an oversupply of properties, which does then flow through to an eventual drop in rental prices,” Bader said.
“But this can be a slow burn.”
While the February market snapshot shows a small lift in rental prices across the peak season, Bader stresses that renters are “yet to see the impact of a housing downturn”.
There are more than 2.1 million Australians living in rental properties, with the 2016 census showing that the nation’s cohort of renters is on the rise with almost as many Australians renting, as those that own their houses.
In November, the latest Rental Affordability Index – an indicator of rental affordability relative to household incomes – found that “renters currently spend an average of 20% of their income on housing costs, while owners with a mortgage pay 16%”.
Bader said that potential renters looking for the downturn to influence cheaper rents will have to wait a while. 
“With the number of properties available increasing in many areas, it’s likely that the market will see some softening as demand teeters off – most likely in areas where there’s some oversupply [apartments] and in outer suburbs where there’s more choice,” he said. 
The best thing that renters can do in the meantime is to narrow down locations, research lifestyle options and be prepared to compromise, he said.
“Don’t be afraid to look at neighbouring suburbs which can offer just as many lifestyle options but can come at a significant discount and save you money,” Bader said.
“Be flexible. You may need to compromise on some things, but go in with an idea of what’s most important to you, e.g. a good kitchen over parking space.”
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Rents continue to rise despite fall in property prices

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The Sydney art institution Watters Gallery in Darlinghurst has been sold at auction by Colliers International for $5,505,000.
It was the first time the gallery space had been offered to the market in 50 years. 
Miron Solomons, Matt Pontey and Nick Lumley of Colliers International sold the 230 square metre, three storey Victorian terrace with vacant possession.
It went for more than $1 million over the initial starting bid of $4.5 million, with the property receiving 45 bids. 
Located at 109 Riley Street in Darlinghurst, the art gallery had contemporary internal finishes including polished concrete floors and multiple rooms with high quality amenities including a lift and loading dock. 
The gallery, which closed its doors in December 2018, has been owned and operated by Frank Watters and Geoffrey and Alexandra Legge since 1964. 
“109 Riley Street has significant historic value in Sydney, as it dates from a key period of Darlinghurst development during the subdivision of grand estates into residential and commercial development,” said Miron Solomons, National Director, Investment Services at Colliers International. 
The space has had a variety of uses over time, originally as a boot warehouse from 1858 – 1862, then used as retail space and also operated as a hotel until 1968, where it was converted to an art gallery by architect Don Gazzard.
Watters Gallery is named after director and owner Frank Watters who lived above the gallery since 1970.
Substantial extensions to the rear of the building were carried out by Walter Barda Design in 2010. 
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Watters Gallery in Darlinghurst sells for $5.5 million

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Sales activity appears to have slowed considerably over the past few months, according to the latest Herron Todd White (HTW) rural report. 
The report suggests this is not surprising in the dryland cropping and grazing sectors given the impact of the drought in western New South Wales and poor crop yields throughout north-western Victoria.
"As expected, few properties are being put to the market, with prospective vendors biding their time until better seasonal conditions arrive before presenting their properties to the market for sale," said the HTW valuer. 
In the horticultural space, there has also been little recent sales activity, stated the HTW report. 
Late summer is typically a slow period, as many of the local producers are preoccupied with their harvests. Early reports suggest average to slightly above average yields for almond crops as well as table and wine grapes.
Good news for wine grape growers are prices of around $600 per tonne for most red varieties this season, which is 50% higher than what was being offered two years ago and should ensure continued investment by growers. The improved prices are less pronounced for white varieties such as Chardonnay.
"Irrigation water availability remains a key concern. The cost of leasing water is currently just under $500 per megalitre, which is a significant cost for those irrigators reliant on leased water," said HTW. 
The risk of ongoing dry conditions in the catchment is affecting confidence and is considered to be contributing to a reduced number of horticultural property sales. Local agents also confirm reduced demand for greenfield sites, due mainly to the spike in water prices. 
"A large-scale almond orchard in the Renmark region, which has further development potential, is currently being advertised for sale.
"The outcome will be keenly watched as it will be a good litmus test for corporate investment in the local horticultural space." 
A 50 acres of freehold land in multiple tiles has been listed for $500,000 (pictured above).
The property at<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-farmlet-vic-mildura-700015554" target="_blank"> 104 &amp;95-115 Etiwanda &amp; Benetook Avenue</a> comes with two bedroom home plus studio, car and workshop shedding, well established river red gums, cotton wood trees and garden.
It has been fenced into numerous paddocks with established improved pastures water by flood irrigation/drainage supply or low levels direct from the Murray River.
<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/2019/3/5/mildura%202.jpg" alt="">
Another $720,000 - $770,000 listing in Mildura is a 11.6 hectare vineyard (pictured above).
Located at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-viticulture-vic-mildura-7966530" target="_blank">3494 San Mateo Avenue</a>, it comes with low level irrigation, electric pump, shed with workshop and cool room.
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Sale activity slows in Mildura rural market: HTW

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The retiring Federal Labor politician Jenny Macklin has sold the home in her Melbourne electorate.
Her East Ivanhoe home (above) secured $3.15 million for the member of Jagajaga.
Macklin has now has bought in Parkville.
She's spent $2,075,000 on an upper level apartment in <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-apartment-vic-parkville-128876606" target="_blank">the Fender Katsalidis-designed Arcadia block</a> (below) with her partner Ross Turner.
<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/2019/3/18/Fender.jpg" alt="">
The apartment has three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
Macklin had called Ivanhoe East home since the mid 1990s when she paid $365,000 for the 1950s, three bedroom home in 1,415 sqm of native gardens back in 1996, the year she was first elected.
Macklin was a minister in the Rudd and Gillard Governments from 2007 to 2013, having previously been her party's deputy leader from 2001 to 2006.
This article was first published in the Weekend Australian. 
 
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Retiring Labor politician Jenny Macklin moves out of electorate

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/consolidated-properties">Consolidated Properties Group</a> (CPG) is approaching the launch of its latest Brisbane riverfront development, Castile, on the dress circle Skyring Terrace in Newstead.

VIP buyers are now being engaged, with a full public sales launch coming later this year.

Positioned as the final opportunity to secure a new absolute riverfront residence on the East bank of Newstead, Teneriffe or New Farm, Castile at 47 Skyring Terrace has been designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/woods-bagot">Woods Bagot</a> as a timeless addition to the Brisbane skyline.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150489 project_image_fid=371113]

The name Castile draws on themes of permanence, sophistication and legacy, reflecting a broader vision centred on enduring architecture and timelessness in the rarest of riverfront positions.&nbsp;

CPG Chairman and CEO Don O’Rorke said the project had been envisioned as a future Brisbane icon.&nbsp;

“With 47 metres of direct river frontage and never to be built out views, 47 Skyring Terrace is the definitive address on the Brisbane River,” O’Rorke said.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150489 project_image_fid=371114]

“Rather than following trend-based apartment design, Castile draws inspiration from Brisbane’s great heritage buildings, reinterpreting classical architecture into a contemporary riverfront landmark designed to stand proudly for the next 100 years,” he said.&nbsp;

The approved development will comprise 227 apartments across a 25-storey tower alongside a boutique six-storey riverfront building of just 12 residences.&nbsp;

Construction is scheduled to commence in September 2026.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150489]

Joel Robinson

CPG unveils Castile Newstead ahead of upcoming sales launch

Australia’s online shopping habits have shifted dramatically over the last decade. As eCommerce volumes surged, so too did the frustrations that came with traditional parcel delivery: missed deliveries, long Post Office queues, parcel theft and the challenge of being home during business hours.

Australia Post’s Parcel Lockers emerged as one of the more practical responses to that changing consumer behaviour.

What started as a relatively niche delivery option has evolved into a nationwide network of more than 1,400 self-service Parcel Lockers positioned at train stations, shopping centres, supermarkets and Post Offices across the country. The system allows Australians to send, collect and return parcels 24 hours a day, fundamentally changing how many people interact with deliveries.

The appeal is relatively straightforward: flexibility.

Instead of waiting at home for a delivery driver or rushing to a Post Office before closing time, users can direct eligible parcels to a Parcel Locker location of their choice. Once the parcel arrives, Australia Post sends a notification with a collection code or QR access through the AusPost app, allowing customers to retrieve their package at any time within the collection window.

For apartment residents in particular, the system has become increasingly valuable.

Higher-density living has created logistical challenges around deliveries, especially in buildings without concierge services or secure parcel rooms. Missed deliveries are common, while parcel theft has become an increasing concern as online shopping volumes continue to rise.

Australia Post itself has repeatedly highlighted the growing issue of “porch pirates” during peak shopping periods, encouraging customers to use Parcel Lockers as a safer alternative to unattended home deliveries.

That security aspect is one of the key reasons the Australia Post Parcel Locker network has grown so rapidly.

Parcel Lockers are positioned as secure, monitored collection points that reduce the risk of theft while also improving delivery efficiency for Australia Post. Instead of multiple redelivery attempts, parcels can be consolidated into a single secure destination.

The Parcel Lockers themselves are free to use through a MyPost account and support a range of parcel sizes up to 16 kilograms and dimensions of approximately 35 x 44 x 61 centimetres.

Beyond receiving parcels, the system has increasingly become integrated into the broader eCommerce ecosystem.

Customers can now use Parcel Lockers to return online purchases, while retailers have embraced the model as a way to improve delivery success rates and reduce friction in the shopping process. Australia Post has actively expanded partnerships with major retailers and promoted Parcel Lockers as part of a broader out-of-home strategy.

The timing of that expansion aligns with broader changes in Australian shopping behaviour.

The acceleration of online retail during and after the pandemic placed enormous pressure on delivery infrastructure. Parcel volumes reached record highs, particularly during Black Friday and Christmas periods, with Australia Post delivering more than 100 million parcels during peak festive seasons.

That growth forced logistics providers to rethink the “last mile” of delivery, widely regarded as the most expensive and operationally difficult stage of the process.

Parcel Locker systems have increasingly been viewed as part of the long-term solution.

The concept itself is not unique to Australia. Parcel Locker networks have become common globally, particularly across Europe and Asia, where dense urban environments and apartment living create similar logistical challenges. But Australia’s geography and suburban sprawl made adoption slower initially.

Now, however, the convenience factor is driving mainstream usage.

For commuters, Parcel Lockers near train stations allow parcels to be collected on the way home from work. For apartment dwellers, they remove the uncertainty around access and missed deliveries.

The rise of the AusPost app has also streamlined the experience, centralising notifications, tracking and Parcel Locker access into a single platform. Australia Post has increasingly pushed customers toward app-based delivery management, partly as a way to combat phishing scams and fake delivery notifications, which have become more sophisticated in recent years.

The Parcel Locker model is also beginning to influence property development itself.

Parcel management has become a growing consideration in apartment building design, particularly as online shopping becomes embedded in everyday life. Many new residential developments are now incorporating dedicated parcel rooms or Parcel Locker systems into foyers and communal spaces.

For developers, parcel management is increasingly viewed as part of the broader resident amenity offering, alongside gyms, wellness spaces and communal work areas.

That reflects a wider evolution in how residential buildings are designed.

Apartment buyers are placing greater emphasis on convenience, security and operational functionality, particularly in higher-density urban environments. Parcel delivery, once considered a minor operational detail, has become an increasingly important part of that equation.

Australia Post’s Parcel Locker network sits at the centre of that behavioural shift.

What began as a simple alternative delivery option has evolved into a key piece of infrastructure supporting Australia’s growing eCommerce economy and changing urban lifestyles.

And as online shopping continues to expand, the role of Parcel Lockers is likely to become even more embedded in how Australians live, shop and receive goods.

How Australia Post Parcel Lockers changed parcel delivery convenience in Australia

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;

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;

Staff reporter

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