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More than 140,000 householders and investors who list their houses and apartments on short-stay rental websites over the summer holidays could be placing their assets and their financial stability at risk, according to the Insurance Council of Australia’s Understand Insurance initiative.
Lisa Kable, spokesperson says householders who offer their houses or apartments on short-term holiday rental websites are likely to find they are not adequately protected by home and contents insurance.
“We conservatively estimate more than 140,000 properties that are usually either owner occupied or rented out long-term will be listed for short-term rentals these holidays."
“However, owners may not realise that most insurers regard short-stay holiday rental as a commercial use of the property because the likelihood something will go wrong are higher," she added.
According to the ICA (Insurance Council of Australia), a home building or contents claim incurred while a property is being rented out may be declined, leaving the owner financially vulnerable to financial loss and other liabilities.
The ICA recommends that homeowners and investors considering short-term letting their properties should:
1. Check household insurance Product Disclosure Statements prior to advertising on short-stay home rental platforms such as Airbnb, Stayz, Homeaway, Flipkey and booking.com. If there are gaps, look for specialist insurance that protects your home and contents while paying guests are staying.
2. Not rely solely on a rental platform’s host protection insurance. There are gaps in the cover offered. Most don’t cover the personal property of the host, cash, pets and public liability in shared areas 
3. Reduce their risk by removing valuables and irreplaceable items such as jewellery, original artworks and collectors’ pieces during the short-term stay 
4.Check strata rules, tenancy agreements and local council laws because they may prohibit short-stay holiday lets
5. Ensure their property is safe and secure
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

More than 140,000 investors with short-stay holiday rentals may need to check their insurance

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The Harvey Norman CEO Katie Page has secured the sale of one of the Main Beach apartments in her boutique M3565 building.
The $5.5 million sale ranks as the highest price paid for a beachfront apartment in the Gold Coast this year.
The<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-apartment-qld-main+beach-129127466" target="_blank"> four-bedroom, fourth-floor apartment</a> (above and below), had been initially priced at $7.85 million.
<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/2018/12/14/Page2.jpg" alt="">
The apartment on level five has been re-listed at $5.75 million.
Page, the wife of Harvey Norman executive chairman Gerry Harvey, paid $15.5 million in 2007 for the 882sq m block at 3565 Main Beach Pde.
<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/2018/12/14/Page3.jpg" alt="">
The project was designed by Sydney architect Virginia Kerridge.
The luxury residences hit the market in July 2017.
When they hit the market, Page announced she was <a href="/news/katie-page-to-keep-luxurious-gold-coast-penthouse">keeping the penthouse</a> crowning the development of six units.
 
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Katie Page secures $5.5 million Main Beach apartment sale

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Ray White's November sales results saw a 16 percent drop on its November 2017 record, according to their latest advisory.
Dan White advised in The White Paper update the group sold $3.87 billion in unconditional sales last month.
The November drop was bigger than the October drop when the trading sales value for Australia and NZ came in just over $3.66 billion, eight per cent less than October 2017.
September saw almost $3.4 billion traded for the month, which was 10 percent lower than September 2017.  
Australiasia's housing market correction was evident in August as the group recorded $3.49 billion in unconditional sales, which was 13 percent lower than August 2017.
The NSW network recorded a 26 percent fall in sales in August to $938 million and there was a 28 per cent drop in total sales in Victoria to $465 million.
Dan White noted Ray White's market share has been growing across these markets in the last 12 months but the overall market was shrinking.
"While there’s no doubt that the core east coast markets have eased, Ray White Double Bay had their best November ever," he added.
Ray White Double Bay recorded November sales of $151 million with the 25 person sales team converting 38 sales with an average sale price of $3.96 million.
The Double Bay agents Craig Pontey and Elliott Placks secured Ray White's highest sale of the month – a Vaucluse trophy home – for around $30 million.
Mr White noted that despite some bright pockets that transactions were down broadly and with less market activity, advertised listings have surged higher.
"Buyers now have ample choice and time on their hands to negotiate on price and there is certainly not the same urgency in the market, plus finance is hard to access."
The tally is across Australia and its international offices.
Their New Zealand network had their best month of sales for 2018 in November which was up by 28 per cent on the same month last year and up 15 per cent on October. 
 
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Ray White sees 16 percent drop in November sale results

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Australia’s sprawling cities present many challenges to sustainability, but planning innovations can help achieve at least half of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. 
Thirty years after the landmark <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Common_Future" target="_blank">Brundtland report</a>, the debate on urban sustainability continues. Urban planners are still grappling with the challenges of making our cities sustainable.
Urban sustainability is an evolving concept. Our <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.routledge.com/Global-Planning-Innovations-for-Urban-Sustainability/Darchen-Searle/p/book/9780815357575" target="_blank">edited volume</a> provides planning solutions for eight of the 17 UN <a href="https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/" target="_blank">Sustainable Development Goals</a>. Has the concept of urban sustainability made a difference in planning practice? Our answer is yes.
Based on <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01944363.2016.1214080?src=recsys" target="_blank">Campbell’s planner’s triangle</a>, urban sustainability encompasses three dimensions:
<ol>
<li>
social sustainability
</li>
<li>
environmental sustainability
</li>
<li>
economic sustainability.
</li>
</ol>
Sustainability solutions involve trade-offs between these three dimensions. A planning innovation might solve a challenge in terms of social sustainability but be less efficient in regard to the two other dimensions.
The <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01944363.2016.1213656" target="_blank">Sustainable City paradigm</a> has been a dominant school of thought since the 1990s. Yet it is still unclear how cities incorporate this paradigm in urban policies.
Influential works on urban policies have emphasised the transfer of urban policies from one context to another – known as <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1468-2427.12191_6" target="_blank">mobile urbanism</a>. Our book highlights evidence to the contrary. Planning innovations are generally shaped by local contextual factors and are not imported.
Of the planning innovations presented in 12 case study chapters in our book, we present those most relevant to Australia later in this article.
Key issues facing Australian cities
Australian cities have urgent sustainability issues that require fresh policy initiatives.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/four-ways-our-cities-can-cut-transport-emissions-in-a-hurry-avoid-shift-share-and-improve-106076" target="_blank">Transport use is too reliant on cars</a>. As a result, fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions remain far too high. Large areas of land are given over to <a href="https://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch6en/conc6en/ch6c1en" target="_blank">road space</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/empty-car-parks-everywhere-but-nowhere-to-park-how-cities-can-do-better-99031" target="_blank">parking</a>.
High car use goes hand in hand with low-density <a href="https://theconversation.com/to-cut-urban-sprawl-we-need-quality-infill-housing-displays-to-win-over-the-public-63930" target="_blank">urban sprawl</a>. This requires longer trips to everything, extra resources for longer pipes, wires and roads, more <a href="https://theconversation.com/were-investing-heavily-in-urban-greening-so-how-are-our-cities-doing-83354" target="_blank">losses of agricultural land and natural vegetation</a>, and more hard surfaces that <a href="https://theconversation.com/cities-can-grow-without-wrecking-reefs-and-oceans-heres-how-107263" target="_blank">increase water pollution run-off as well as heat</a> in summer.
And the design of low-density development produces even more unsustainability. Planning controls have forced developers to reduce the size of new housing lots, but <a href="https://www.domain.com.au/news/australias-homes-the-smallest-in-two-decades-but-still-second-largest-globally-commsec-20171120-gznaxc/" target="_blank">house sizes have barely reduced in size</a>. As a result, <a href="https://theconversation.com/vanishing-australian-backyards-leave-us-vulnerable-to-the-stresses-of-city-life-81479" target="_blank">backyards are disappearing</a>. Lost along with them are <a href="https://theconversation.com/can-trees-really-cool-our-cities-down-44099" target="_blank">trees to cool the air</a> and sequester carbon, and physical activity opportunities for children.
Australia’s cities also have major social sustainability issues. Increasing numbers of professional and managerial households have priced poorer residents out of the best areas of the cities.
The result has been <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-did-the-rich-man-say-to-the-poor-man-why-spatial-inequality-in-australia-is-no-joke-73841" target="_blank">heightened spatial polarisation</a>. Lower-income households have been forced to live further out in suburbs with inadequate public transport and jobs. Solutions for creating places in the suburbs were presented in a recent <a href="https://sees.uq.edu.au/event/12638/uq-placemaking-events" target="_blank">summit</a> organised by UQ Planning.
What’s happening in cities overseas?
The innovative ways that overseas cities have responded to similar sustainability challenges can provide pathways for Australian cities to follow.
Helsinki’s experience suggests one means of overcoming a sticking point in achieving higher-density development: getting around NIMBY opposition and achieving community agreement on where denser development could go. In Helsinki, the public participated in a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_participation_geographic_information_system" target="_blank">public participation geographic information system</a> exercise. This mapped their preferences for areas that should not be developed for apartments.
Well-intended planning controls can hinder higher-density development, even in desirable locations. In Los Angeles’ historic core, old office buildings lay vacant after a new CBD office precinct outside the old core was developed. Residential use requirements for on-site parking and open space and for a building setback from the front property boundary hindered the conversion of the old buildings to residential use. By relaxing these requirements, the city’s 1999 <a href="https://preservation.lacity.org/incentives/adaptive-reuse-ordinance" target="_blank">adaptive reuse ordinance</a> was a key to regenerating the old core as a residential area.
The adaptive reuse of historical buildings has helped regenerate downtown Los Angeles.
The challenge of reducing car use without large public outlays remains daunting, but Seville shows one way this can be achieved. There, a complete bicycle network of 180km – 12% of the total road length in the city – has been built since 2007. Separation from car traffic has been achieved through bollards and the like, or by parked cars where the bikeway is built on a footpath.
Cycle trips now make up about 10% of total vehicle trips in Seville, six times the previous share. The driving forces for the network were the formation of a cyclists’ association, public demonstrations and the election of a left-of–centre city government that gave political support.
The demolition of motorways sounds like an extreme way of reducing car use, but the experience of Seoul shows it can have big economic and environmental benefits. The motorway built over a former stream in the central city was demolished in the early 2000s. The stream was restored to a natural state.
This has reduced air pollution and the heat island impact of the former motorway, and created an ecological passage to the main river in Seoul. Recreational and cultural amenities along the restored stream have made it a desirable area and generated new economic activities. New bus services close to the stream have replaced car access.
The strong powers and finances of the city government and a supportive mayor made the <a href="https://urban-regeneration.worldbank.org/Seoul" target="_blank">Cheonggyecheon Restoration Project</a> possible.
Spatial polarisation in cities results from market forces dominating urban redevelopment.
The experience of Vancouver illustrates how inclusionary planning can ameliorate these forces. City-sponsored local resident groups have been at the centre of making strategies to renew the city’s low-income Downtown Eastside area.
Instead of the high-tech-based development originally proposed, priority has been given to developing employment more suited to the low-income residents’ needs, including opportunities in the informal sector. City council-owned sites have been used for social innovation hubs, services to help residents find jobs, and a street market for a street vendors’ collective.
As explained in our book, these planning innovations are mostly the product of local contextual factors. Therefore, planning innovations for Australian cities will require local involvement in shaping sustainability solutions. Incentives such as changes in regulatory frameworks and tax subsidies might also be needed to develop planning innovations.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/107091/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;">
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/sebastien-darchen-6781" target="_blank">Sebastien Darchen</a>, Senior Lecturer in Planning, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805" target="_blank">The University of Queensland</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/glen-searle-103536" target="_blank">Glen Searle</a>, Honorary Associate Professor in Planning, University of Queensland and, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841" target="_blank">University of Sydney</a>
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/our-cities-fall-short-on-sustainability-but-planning-innovations-offer-local-solutions-107091" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Our cities fall short on sustainability, but planning innovations offer local solutions: Sebastien Darchen & Glen Searle

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GUEST OBSERVATION 
Suburban affluence is the defining image of the good life under capitalism, commonly held up as a model to which all humanity should aspire.
More than half of the world’s population now lives in <a href="http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/news/population/world-urbanization-prospects-2014" target="_blank">cities</a>. Yet with the global economy already in gross <a href="https://www.footprintnetwork.org/our-work/ecological-footprint/" target="_blank">ecological overshoot</a>, and a world population heading for more than <a href="https://www.un.org/development/desa/en/news/population/world-population-prospects-2017" target="_blank">11 billion</a>, this way of living is neither <a href="https://www.jasonhickel.org/the-divide/">fair</a> nor sustainable.
To live within our environmental means, the richest nations will need to embrace a planned process of economic “<a href="https://theconversation.com/life-in-a-degrowth-economy-and-why-you-might-actually-enjoy-it-32224" target="_blank">degrowth</a>”. This is not an unplanned recession, but a deliberate downscaling of economic activity and the closely correlated consumption of <a href="https://beyondthisbriefanomaly.org/2018/10/18/carbon-civlisation-and-the-energy-descent-future-life-beyond-this-brief-anomaly/" target="_blank">fossil energy</a>. We don’t argue this is likely, only that it is necessary.
You might naturally assume this will involve pain and sacrifice, but we argue that a “<a href="https://griffithreview.com/wp-content/uploads/GR52_Alexander_Adcock-Ebook.FINAL_.pdf" target="_blank">prosperous descent</a>” is possible. Our new book, <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.palgrave.com/us/book/9789811321306" target="_blank">Degrowth in the Suburbs: A Radical Urban Imaginary</a>, envisions how this might unfold in the suburban landscapes that are currently emblematic of overconsumption.
The well-known documentary <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0446320/" target="_blank">The End of Suburbia</a> presented a coherent narrative of a post-petroleum future, but got at least one thing wrong. There is not a single end to suburbia; there are many ends of suburbia (as we know it).
Reimagining the suburbs beyond fossil fuels
Suburban catastrophists such as James Kunstler argue that fossil fuel depletion will turn our suburbs into urban wastelands. But we see the suburbs as an ideal place to begin retrofitting our cities.
This won’t involve tearing them down and starting again. Typically, Australia’s built environment is turned over at less than 5% per year. The challenge is to reinhabit, not rebuild, the suburban landscape. Here are some of the key features of this reinvigorated landscape:
<ul>
<li>
Suburbanites can and should <a href="https://retrosuburbia.com/" target="_blank">retrofit their homes and develop new energy practices</a> to prepare for an <a href="https://beyondthisbriefanomaly.org/2018/10/18/carbon-civlisation-and-the-energy-descent-future-life-beyond-this-brief-anomaly/" target="_blank">energy descent future</a>.
</li>
<li>
Households must be encouraged to <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1469540512444019?journalCode=joca" target="_blank">downshift consumerism</a>, swapping superfluous “stuff” for more free time and other sources of meaning and well-being. An <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.amazon.com/Sufficiency-Economy-Enough-Everyone-Forever/dp/0994160615">economics of sufficiency</a> involves borrowing and sharing rather than always buying and upscaling.
</li>
<li>
We should reclaim and reimagine areas of the built environment that are misused or underused. The vast areas dedicated to <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/dead-space-in-the-city-the-true-scale-of-vacant-car-parking-revealed-20180626-p4znu3" target="_blank">car parking</a> are but one example.
</li>
<li>
Finally, and most importantly, we should realise that change must come via <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.amazon.com/City-Grassroots-Cross-Cultural-California-Development/dp/0520047567" target="_blank">grassroots political organisation</a>, rather than waiting for growth-fixated governments to lead the way. This is not to deny the need for “<a href="/news">top-down</a>” structural change. Our argument is simply that the necessary action from governments will not arrive until there is an active culture of sufficiency that demands it.
</li>
</ul>
What social forces might produce this necessary but elusive urban transformation? We think it can be driven by two broad social groups: the <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.amazon.com/Loss-Happiness-Market-Democracies/dp/0300091060" target="_blank">disillusioned middle class</a> and the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-precariat-is-recruiting-youth-please-apply-10550" target="_blank">exploited working class</a>. These two groups, which already blur together along a spectrum, can potentially become a cohesive urban social movement of transformative economic and political significance.
The disillusioned middle class: radical downshifters
Our first groups consists of employed professionals, bureaucrats, and tradespeople who have secure housing, earn decent wages, and can direct significant portions of their income to discretionary spending. This sector of society participates, consciously or unconsciously, in what is often called “<a href="http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199756384/obo-9780199756384-0135.xml" target="_blank">consumer culture</a>”.
This consumerism often <a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/high-price-materialism" target="_blank">fails to fulfil its promise</a> of a rich and meaningful life. The consumer class has been sold a lie, and many affluent consumers are now developing what social scientist Ronald Inglehart calls “<a href="https://ourworldindata.org/materialism-and-post-materialism" target="_blank">post-materialist</a>” goals and values. This emerging way of life involves seeking purpose and satisfaction in life through things other than material riches, including deeper community engagement, more time to pursue private passions, or even increased political action.
This is significant, for three reasons. First, <a href="https://link.springer.com/book/10.1057/978-1-137-30427-8" target="_blank">history</a> shows that social movements tend to be sparked by dissatisfaction with the status quo – otherwise, why would people resist or seek alternatives? The <a href="https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/books/academic-professional/sociology/Affluenza-Clive-Hamilton-and-Richard-Denniss-9781741146714" target="_blank">deep disillusionment</a> with materialistic lifestyles provides an incentive to explore alternative, more satisfying ways to <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28461433" target="_blank">live</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652611005142" target="_blank">self-provide</a>.
Second, by withdrawing their spending from the market economy, this emerging <a href="http://www.whpress.co.uk/EV/EV2214" target="_blank">social movement</a> can undermine that economy and fast-track its <a href="http://simplicityinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/CrashOnDemandSimplicityInstitute.pdf" target="_blank">transformation</a>.
Finally, a “radical downshifting” in consumption could allow people to free up their time by working less. This will provide people with more <a href="http://samuelalexander.info/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/EthicalPerspectives.pdf" target="_blank">time to participate</a> in building <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.amazon.com/Rise-Creative-Class-Transforming-Community/dp/1469281422" target="_blank">new forms</a> of economy and engaging in collective action for change. The “voluntary simplicity movement” already numbers as many as <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1469540512444019?journalCode=joca" target="_blank">200 million people</a>, although its potential depends on more organised and radical expressions.
The exploited working class: economic builders
Radical downshifters will never transform the economy on their own, and this is where our second group comes in. Working-class urbanites, while also drifting into superfluous consumption, are typically characterised as individuals and households who are “<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-precariat-is-recruiting-youth-please-apply-10550" target="_blank">battling</a>” to make ends meet.
Again, a growing dissatisfaction with the status quo provides the incentive to seek and participate in <a href="https://theconversation.com/karl-marx-wouldnt-agree-that-worker-power-has-been-killed-by-the-21st-century-95982" target="_blank">fundamental change</a>. We are often told that Australia’s economy has grown uninterrupted for a quarter-century, yet many people feel their personal circumstances have <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/mar/02/who-is-to-blame-for-australias-stalled-wages" target="_blank">stagnated</a>.
There has indeed been growth, yet almost all the benefits have been siphoned away by the <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/8/8/16112368/piketty-saez-zucman-income-growth-inequality-stagnation-chart" target="_blank">wealthy</a>. Why would the working class owe any allegiance to a system that only benefits the rich? As the battlers realise they are being oppressed and duped by an <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/richest-men-in-the-world-2274065153" target="_blank">unjust system</a>, they threaten to become a dynamite class of explosive <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.amazon.com.au/Precariat-New-Dangerous-Class/dp/1472536169" target="_blank">potential</a>.
As economic crises threaten to <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.amazon.com.au/Can-Avoid-Another-Financial-Crisis/dp/1509513736" target="_blank">intensify</a> in coming years – including the challenge of <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/automation-4443" target="_blank">automation</a> – we maintain that the exploited working class may be driven to explore alternative ways to self-provide. As incomes become more meagre and jobs less secure, more people will need to seek alternative ways of meeting economic needs “beyond the market”.
Whether through necessity or choice, we foresee a growing number of people beginning to participate in informal, non-monetary, and <a href="https://www.localfutures.org/wp-content/uploads/Post-growth-Localisation.pdf" target="_blank">local</a> economies, including the <a href="https://www.sharing.org/information-centre/articles/sharing-economy-short-introduction-its-political-evolution" target="_blank">sharing economy</a>. Just as radical middle-class downshifters will help stifle economic growth by withdrawing their discretionary spending, those who are less affluent could begin to lay alternative economic foundations, and provide a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Take-Back-Economy-Transforming-Communities/dp/0816676070/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1531972992&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=take+back+the+economy" target="_blank">post-capitalist social safety net</a>.
Working together
We contend that these two social groups – the disillusioned middle class and the exploited working class – can conceivably form a cohesive movement with similar goals. The capitalist system isn’t working for many people, even those who are “winning” the rat race. Furthermore, historic growth trajectories seem to be coming to an end, due to both <a href="http://limits2growth.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/AETW-Policy-Briefing-No-1-digital.pdf" target="_blank">financial</a> and <a href="/news">ecological</a> constraints.
Already, a diverse range of movements are working towards a new urbanity. These include <a href="https://theconversation.com/lets-reap-the-economic-benefits-of-local-food-over-big-farming-24478" target="_blank">local farmers’ markets</a> and community and home <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-it-time-to-resurrect-the-wartime-grow-your-own-campaign-66337" target="_blank">gardens</a>, <a href="https://3000acres.org/" target="_blank">urban agriculture projects</a>, freecycling groups, <a href="https://www.plutobooks.com/9780745334226/small-is-necessary/" target="_blank">sharing communities</a>, and repair cafes. It also includes the growing pool of climate activists, <a href="https://350.org/" target="_blank">divestment</a> organisers, <a href="https://www.retrosuburbia.com/" target="_blank">permaculture</a> groups, <a href="http://samuelalexander.info/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/The-Transition-Movement-Samuel-Alexander.pdf" target="_blank">transitions towns</a>, and progressive <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/green-bans-red-union-meredith-burgmann/prod9781742235400" target="_blank">unions</a>.
There is the small but vocal “<a href="https://www.saveoursuburbs.org.au/" target="_blank">save our suburbs</a>” network, in which we see the seeds of something more progressive. And it includes the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeNaMlibiak" target="_blank">energy frugal households</a> quietly moving towards solar, batteries and increased energy self-suffiency. One by one, these households are <a href="https://reneweconomy.com.au/rooftop-solar-may-overtake-coal-by-2040-and-save-billions-20657/" target="_blank">undermining</a> the fossil fuel industry and subtly disrupting the status quo.
As financial and ecological crises deepen in coming years, the social consciousness needed to develop new systems of production and cultures of consumption will become compelling. Together these social groups (and others not yet imagined) could form an urban social movement that withdraws support for the existing system and begins building <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Take-Back-Economy-Transforming-Communities/dp/0816676070/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1531972992&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=take+back+the+economy" target="_blank">new economies</a> on our suburban streets.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/108496/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;">
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/samuel-alexander-102353" target="_blank">Samuel Alexander</a>, Research fellow, Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-melbourne-722" target="_blank">University of Melbourne</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/brendan-gleeson-9823" target="_blank">Brendan Gleeson</a>, Director, Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-melbourne-722" target="_blank">University of Melbourne</a>
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-suburbs-are-the-spiritual-home-of-overconsumption-but-they-also-hold-the-key-to-a-better-future-108496" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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The suburbs hold the key to a better future: Samuel Alexander & Brendan Gleeson

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Looking past the hype about 'trackless trams'
CRRC’s version of theptically guided bus, now operating in Zhuzhou, is more like light rail than its predecessors. 
The optically guided bus is the latest in a long line of initiatives to repackage the bus as premium rail-derived technology. The name “trackless trams”, the vehicle design, and the modest deployment costs all have broad appeal. The concept has gained traction in Australia, with prominent advocates including <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-trackless-trams-are-ready-to-replace-light-rail-103690" target="_blank">Professor Peter Newman</a>.
Recognition of the role of upgraded buses and bus rapid transit is welcome. However, a certain level of dogma, fuelled by inflated claims about the technology and its potential, has taken hold.
This article aims to debunk some misconceptions.
Myth 1: It’s revolutionary technology
Optical guidance systems date back to the late 1980s and have had limited commercial success since the early 2000s. We count just three applications: in the French city <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport_Est-Ouest_Rouennais" target="_blank">Rouen</a>, <a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRAM_de_Castell%C3%B3n" target="_blank">Castellón</a> in Spain, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_Area_Express_(Las_Vegas)" target="_blank">Las Vegas</a> in the United States.
The mechanically guided bus remains the most popular — including <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O-Bahn_Busway" target="_blank">Adelaide’s O-Bahn-style</a> kerb-guided bus — and, to a more limited extent, rail guidance systems. Magnetic and wire guidance technologies have also been trialled to deliver the same benefits — including precision docking, lane assist, reduced road footprint and better ride quality — but at lower cost than physically guided systems due to the absence of continuous guidance infrastructure.
The systems in Rouen, Castellón and Las Vegas all use the French-developed <a href="http://citytransport.info/Buses03.htm" target="_blank">Visée (later renamed Optiguide)</a> “self-steering” optical guidance system.
This technology uses a roof-mounted camera to detect a “virtual rail” — twin dashed lines painted on a darker road surface. An on-board computer combines the image with the speed, yaw and wheel angle of the bus to determine the path to be followed and steers the vehicle.
In partnership with Renault, the Civis guided bus concept was developed into a transport system using <a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irisbus_Agora" target="_blank">Irisbus Agora</a> articulated buses fitted with the optical guidance system.
The present incarnation is admittedly a more advanced deployment of optical guidance technology. Chinese company <a href="http://www.crrcgc.cc/g5141.aspx" target="_blank">CRRC</a> has used high-speed rail technology to develop what it calls autonomous rail rapid transit, or ART.
The system is more like light rail than its predecessors. The vehicles are larger (2.65m wide by 3.4m high) and can be made longer or shorter by adding or removing sections.
The electric vehicles use supercapacitor batteries mounted on the roof and charged at stations via an electric “umbrella”. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capa_vehicle" target="_blank">Supercapacitor technology</a> is not new, having been used in Shanghai, Nanjing, Guangzhou and Ningbo over the past decade.
A major advantage of the CRRC system is its multi-axle hydraulic steering technology and bogie-like wheel arrangement, which has less overhang and thus requires less swept path clearance in turns. Each section of the 32m vehicle is around 10.5m long and the minimum turning radius is 15m.
<a href="http://www.crrcgc.cc/tabid/5122/sourceId/23683/infoid/286135/Default.aspx" target="_blank">According to CRRC</a>, the cost of deployment is between US$7 million and US$15 million per kilometre. That’s much less than the US$20 million to US$30 million for light rail, and US$70 million to US$150 million for metro. Each vehicle has a capital cost of about <a href="https://www.engineersgarage.com/blogs/china-unwraps-world-first-driverless-rail-transit-system-autonomous-technology" target="_blank">US$2.2 million</a>.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/247147/original/file-20181126-149323-xpztz4.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/247147/original/file-20181126-149323-xpztz4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
CRRC optically guided bus in Zhuzhou, China, a 3.2km system inaugurated in May 2018.
Myth 2: Optically guided buses have better ride quality
This is true up to a point. It has as much to do with traction technology, route alignment and driver behaviour as with optical guidance. Ride quality is a direct result of rubber versus steel traction. The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Track_gauge" target="_blank">track gauge</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axle_load" target="_blank">axle loads</a> also determine ride quality on a railway.
Another important factor is the alignment geometry. Light rail can handle only 4-6% gradients. Rubber-tyred traction can manage up to 9%. A higher-quality bus corridor with smoother gradients and curves will offer better ride quality.
Pavement quality is also important. We see an example of this in Melbourne’s Albert Park, where roads are built with high-specification concrete for the Australian Grand Prix.
The optically guided bus offers a much smoother ride, but this is mainly due to its advanced automation.
Existing buses can be “jerky”. This has a lot to do with buses getting more powerful (and lighter) over the years. An average bus engine generated 230 horsepower 20 years ago. Today this can be up to 330hp — that’s good for uphill climbs but also allows the driver to accelerate faster.
One suggestion is to apply an acceleration limiter. The need for harsh braking is also an issue, but this is related to the level of priority given to buses in traffic — such as at signals and in congested lanes — as well as driver training.
Myth 3: Optically guided buses are game-changing
The potential success of the technology is not related to whether the buses are optically guided or not, nor to any of the characteristics described above.
The sleek, rail-like appearance of these vehicles is certainly part of their appeal. Optically guided buses could challenge the idea that “buses are boring, and trains are sexy” and what we at ITLS describe as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0739885909800085" target="_blank">choice versus blind commitment</a> in the bus and rail debate. Rather than being emotionally fixated on technology, we should choose the mode best suited to a particular transport requirement.
Operating on the road, right of way remains the critical factor. What good is a “trackless tram” if it gets stuck in traffic? In car-dominated Australia, governments have struggled to reallocate road space away from inefficient private cars (which average just <a href="https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/media/documents/2017/HTS%20Report%20Sydney%202012-13.pdf" target="_blank">1.1 people per vehicle</a> for work commutes) to spatially efficient mass transit.
Bus priority typically arises from road widening, rather than any redesignation of road space. As long as this mentality holds, we will struggle to improve travel time by bus compared with car — which is the most important element for attracting users onto public transport.
If “trackless trams” can radically alter the political paradigm and garner community support for the sensible reallocation of road space and signal priority, that creates a huge opportunity for cost-effective deployment of high-quality mass transit.
<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0739885914001024" target="_blank">ITLS research</a> has shown there is huge latent demand for public transport in the middle and outer suburbs of Australian capitals. The latest bus technology can be readily deployed along cross-town and orbital corridors now serviced by, for example, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrobus_(Sydney)" target="_blank">Metrobus</a> in Sydney and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SmartBus" target="_blank">SmartBus</a> in Melbourne.
Time will tell whether “trackless trams” can shift the conversation from the idea of permanent, fixed infrastructure synonymous with rail to the pressing issues of right-of-way quality and public transport priority.
The author thanks Graham Currie (ITS Monash), David Hensher (ITLS), Michael Apps (BIC), Lauran Huefner (BusSA), Stephen Rowe (Busways) and Darryl Mellish (BusNSW) for constructive feedback on an earlier version of this article.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/107092/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;">
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/yale-zhuxiao-wong-591775" target="_blank">Yale Zhuxiao Wong</a>, Doctoral Candidate and Research Analyst, Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841" target="_blank">University of Sydney</a>
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/looking-past-the-hype-about-trackless-trams-107092" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Looking past the hype about trackless trams: USYD's Yale Zhuxiao Wong

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Soil is a non-renewable part of the environment. Can it sustain food production for our growing population?
It takes a lot to make a room of soil scientists gasp.
Last month, I presented at the <a href="http://soilscienceconference.org.au/" target="_blank">National Soils Conference</a> in Canberra, and asked 400 colleagues a simple question: do you think soil will play as significant a role in food production in 100 years as it does today?
A sea of hands went up: the consensus was clearly “yes”. I demurred, saying I’m not so sure.
Gasps rippled across the room. Why say that? You’re a soil scientist! Are you crazy?
A century is a long time. Most of our scientific horizons seem no more than a decade or two away. But how we manage food and our environments needs very long-term, inspired thinking.
Within my concern about whether the future of food production is on terra firma, there is also a hope.
That hope rests in the desire that there will be adequate, quality food for all of the 10 billion, 15 billion or 20 billion people in the future. To achieve that, perhaps we don’t need to rely on the our planet’s thin skin of soil after all.
Future farming
We already see the advance of vertical and hydroponic farming, and the potential for growing meat-like protein in the lab. Synthetic biology is one way forward.
We have seen the advances of hydroponic farming.<a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/hydroponic-farm-153790559?src=LJEAtFK80lQ9mtfEm-Fw-Q-1-9"> </a>
So will we have the technological know-how, and will we be able to afford the infrastructural investment to produce all our food away from natural soil within a century?
Technologically we would like to think this is possible. But will we have the need? Do we have the will?
There are two predominant modern movements in relation to food. The first is the ethical and environmental movement, which holds that food should be produced without harm to the environment or perhaps even to animals. Soil is an important – and non-renewable – part of the environment. This raises the crucial question of whether it can continue to sustain the world’s growing population.
Alongside this is the slow food movement, with its concern for the production of high-quality food of known provenance. It’s sometimes called “paddock to plate” or “field to fork”.
Already, modern food production techniques to manage energy and water use can potentially give 10 times the yield per unit area that normal field conditions provide. This could be transferred to vertical growing spaces, 100 units high.
That alone means we would need just 0.1% of the land area we use now for food production. This could free up huge tracts of land to allow soil to recover from degradation, restoring ecosystems across the planet. It would represent a high-tech answer to the question of environmental ethics.
Returning areas of soil currently used for food production back to native vegetation could help us conserve wildlife, defend against floods, and provide natural buffer areas that can filter water and cycle nutrients. Locations may include soils in rainforests with copious biodiversity and voluminous water-cycling capability, or wetlands upstream of cities prone to flooding.
In Australia, the decline of carbon in cropping lands, soil erosion and nutrient imbalances continue largely unchecked and unabated.
This approach is not necessarily incompatible with the slow food movement. Indeed, it could actually help the movement achieve its goals, because it would take the pressure off the world’s soils, thus ensuring there is enough high-quality soil left to pursue high-quality ethical production.
More food for more people
The United Nations Food &amp; Agricultural Organisation predicts a need to double agricultural production by 2050 to meet the demand of an estimated population of 9.5 billion. This must be done while simultaneously maintaining functioning ecosystems; therefore securing soils and their life-supporting functions have never been more crucial.
In Australia, while soil care has improved, it is not yet sustainable. Widespread soil acidification and the decline of carbon in cropping lands, soil erosion and nutrient imbalances continue largely unchecked and unabated. With the new approach the appropriate soil and terroir could be dedicated to high-quality sustainable bespoke food and wine production.
The great loessial soils of North America, Russia and Ukraine are often regarded as the best in the world – they could be managed sustainably for the production of cereals for centuries to come. Even some of these most food-productive soils could be returned to their former pre-agricultural state. In Australia our famous red-brown earths might be more useful for forestry than being pressed into service for cereal production.
That said, the infrastructural costs of producing food entirely without soil will be enormous. It’s more likely we will land on a blended solution that combines highly engineered growing spaces and “under the sky” soil-based agriculture.
Over the coming century, our challenge will be to move away from our almost total reliance on soil – that mutable and vital thin skin of the earth – to allow large tracts of our most vulnerable soils to repair. Healing our wounded soils will be an important step on the road to global sustainability.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/108049/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alex-mcbratney-129" target="_blank">Alex McBratney</a>, Professor of Digital Agriculture &amp; Soil Science; Director, Sydney Institute of Agriculture, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841" target="_blank">University of Sydney</a>
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/in-100-years-time-maybe-our-food-wont-be-grown-in-soil-108049" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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In 100 years' time, maybe our food won't be grown in soil:  USYD's Alex McBratney

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This week, the busiest suburb for auctions is in Victoria where Bentleigh East has 20 homes scheduled for auction.
Followed by Craigieburn also in Victoria with 17 scheduled auctions, while St Ives (NSW) and Bentleigh (Vic) each have 15 auctions scheduled.
The combined capital cities are expected to see a lower volume of auctions this week with CoreLogic currently tracking 2,285 auctions, down from the 2,631 held last week.
Melbourne is set to see a lower volumes of auctions take place over the week, with 1,101 being tracked so far, decreasing from last week when 1,283 auctions were held across the city and much lower than 12 months ago when 1,630 homes went under the hammer.
In Sydney, 695 homes are currently scheduled for auction this week, down from 870 last week and lower than the same week last year when 708 auctions were held across the city.
Across the smaller auction markets, the number of homes scheduled for auction this week are lower in Brisbane and Canberra, while Adelaide, Perth and Tasmania are expected to see a higher number of auctions take place.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2018/12/13/Auctions%20this%20week%20Dec%2013.JPG" alt="">
Indicative of the auction numbers in Bentleigh East is 11 Argyle Street, Bentleigh East (pictured in title).
This three bedroom one bathroom house has an indicative price guide of $1 million - $1.1 million.
Set on 610 sqm the property is situated within walking distance of shops, cafes and public transport links.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2018/12/13/Bentleigh%201.JPG" alt="">
Another example of the volume of properties going to auction in Bentleigh East is 5/36 Browns Road, Bentleigh East (pictured above).
The one bedroom one bathroom apartment comes with a price guide of $295,000 - $324,500.
Set on 50 sqm the apartment is noted in the listing as "brand new."
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2018/12/13/Bentleigh%203.JPG" alt="">
Another property indicative of the busy auction week is 49B Elizabeth Street, Bentleigh East (pictured above).
This three bedroom two bathroom townhouse goes to auction with a price guide of $750,000 - $800,000.
Located minutes from Centre Road's cafe and shops the property is also close to public transport links.
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Over 1000 Melbourne weekend auctions with Bentleigh East the busiest

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Santosha — which translates to contentment — on Paradise Point has been sold for $5,275,000 by Gold Coast equestrian couple Ken Dowsett and Linda Spratley.
</div>
The Sovereign Islands house, designed by building designer Paul Clout, came with initial $7.2 million hopes.
<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/2018/12/13/Sant2.jpg" alt="">
The <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-qld-sovereign+islands-127315742" target="_blank">luxury house at on Knightsbridge Pde West</a> had previously traded at $5.1 million in 2015 after Angelo and Francina Cantatore built the three-level resort-style home in 2009.
It was sold by Vertullo Real Estate agent Chris Moyer who'd been marketing the home on its 746 sqm holding since January, when there were 24 homes for sale on the parade, which has an east and west strip. There are still 24 for sale, though some 12 sales throughout the year.
This article was first published in the Weekend Australian. 
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Santosha sold on Sovereign islands

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A Sovereign Island waterfront mansion sitting on a double block of 1,458sqm is now on the market with the price of $9.88 million. 
It has been offered by Edin Kara and Ali Mian from Ray White Sovereign Islands.
The mansion at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-sovereign+islands-129165882" target="_blank">55 Knightsbridge Parade West </a>offers over 52 sqm of water frontage, views of the Broadwater, Coomera river and Hinterland, and a large 30 sqm pontoon for the yacht. 
Spreading over 4 levels plus a rooftop, it comes with 7 king sized bedrooms, multiple formal and informal living and dining areas, game room, gym, library, two studies and two attics. 
<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/2018/8/28/sovereign%20islands%202.jpg" alt="">
There is an eight person lift servicing all levels including its roof top.
Other highlights include vacuum maid, C Bus smart wiring, LED lighting and multi zoned ducted air conditioning.
All exterior windows double glazed and copper clad for extra protection from the salt.
 <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/2018/8/28/sovereign%20islands%203.jpg" alt="">
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Sovereign Island waterfront mansion stuck on market for over two years

A mix of Gold Coast locals, fly-in, fly-out purchasers from Sydney and Melbourne, and Brisbane-based families has driven early sales success at Broadbeach's newest apartment tower, Lumara.

The 26-level project, a joint venture between builder-developer 5Point Projects and Bourke Projects, comprises just 37 luxury residences and is attracting a buyer profile that is looking for exclusivity, above the most amenity-rich suburb on the Gold Coast.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150454 project_image_fid=364156]

Jamie Bourke, Director of Bourke Projects, says every buyer secured so far intends to use Lumara as a lock-up-and-leave residence, combining holiday use with the ability to work remotely when required.

“The size of the apartments, both half- and full-floor options, and the different zones within the floorplans, lends itself perfectly to dedicated home office setups and multi-generational family holidays,” Bourke says.

That flexibility has become a key drawcard for affluent buyers seeking a second residence on the Gold Coast without sacrificing the ability to conduct business away from their primary home base.

The absence of holiday letting within the building has also resonated strongly with purchasers.

“This type of buyer doesn't need to generate holiday rental income,” Bourke says. “They're paying for exclusivity, privacy and certainty around who their neighbours are.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150454 project_image_fid=366491]

The strong demand comes amid broader shifts in the high-end apartment market following the Federal Budget announcements in May.

“We were already seeing strong enquiry from high-net-worth buyers, but that has only accelerated since the policy changes,” Bourke says.

“A lot of those buyers are looking to place more capital into premium lifestyle assets rather than investment-grade stock that has been targeted by the Federal Government.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150454 project_image_fid=366486]

Designed by Cottee Parker, Lumara adopts a slender, sculpted form with an emphasis on natural materials suited to its beachfront setting. The architectural approach draws on coastal influences, with a palette of stone, timber and concrete selected for durability and the ability to weather over time.

Apartments are limited to three and four-bedroom configurations, with a maximum of two residences per floor through the mid-levels and a selection of full-floor and dual-level homes in the upper levels. All apartments are oriented to the north to maximise natural light, cross-ventilation and views across the ocean, city skyline and hinterland.

A two-level amenity offering is positioned high within the building on levels 20 and 21, conceived as a sky wellness retreat. Facilities include a magnesium pool, spa, sauna and steam rooms, alongside more social spaces such as a private dining room, resident lounge, workspaces and outdoor barbecue areas integrated with landscaped greenery.

The uppermost levels are reserved for larger-format residences, including several full-floor homes and a dual-level penthouse with its own private wellness features and recreational spaces.

&nbsp;

To give buyers confidence, 5Point and Bourke commenced construction ahead of the apartments launching to the market, a sure-fire way to prove they mean business, and the building will be delivered. They are targeting a 2028 completion date.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150454]

Joel Robinson

Locals, interstate holiday makers, drive early sales at Lumara, Broadbeach's newest luxury apartment tower

Often when it comes to purchasing property, the biggest barrier to entry is the deposit. Buyers of established homes typically aim for a 20 per cent deposit to avoid the added cost of Lenders Mortgage Insurance, while most property transactions require around a 10 per cent deposit when contracts are exchanged.

The off-the-plan market works differently, with buyers typically paying a deposit during construction and settling the balance upon completion. As completion approaches at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/fabbrica-fitzroy-369-gore-street-fitzroy-vic-3065">Fabbrica Fitzroy</a>, developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/pace-development-group">Pace</a> is making it easier for buyers to secure a residence through a deposit-matching incentive. Purchasers need only contribute a five per cent deposit*, with Pace matching the remaining five per cent.

The offer comes as Pace unveils a completed display apartment and townhouse, now available for inspection by appointment ahead of the project's Spring completion.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=139552 project_image_fid=371009]

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/sjb-architects">SJB</a> with interiors by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/winwood-mckenzie-architecture">Winwood Mckenzie</a> and landscaping by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/landscape-architect/acre">Acre</a>, Fabbrica draws on Fitzroy’s industrial and manufacturing history, incorporating references to the former Argyle Shirt Factory and Life Savers Confectionery Company that once occupied the site.

The development comprises 85 residences, spanning low-maintenance apartments through to larger-format townhouses with private street access and double lock-up garages, a relatively uncommon offering in Fitzroy’s higher-density apartment market.

Pace says the project has been designed to appeal to buyers seeking inner-city convenience without sacrificing space, flexibility, or amenity.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=139552 project_image_fid=371016]

Inside the residences, Winwood Mckenzie has focused on adaptable layouts and integrated detailing, with features including custom joinery, and concealed storage solutions. The material palette leans into warm, tactile finishes intended to complement the building’s industrial architectural language.

Fabbrica’s rooftop amenity is a key part of the project offering. Spanning around 800 sqm, the communal rooftop includes a private dining room, communal kitchen, lounge spaces, work-from-home zones, and outdoor dining areas overlooking the Melbourne CBD skyline.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=139552 project_image_fid=371017]

Landscape architecture studio Acre has introduced a layered rooftop garden designed to soften the urban setting while creating a more communal environment for residents.

The Fitzroy location also positions residents within walking distance of Brunswick Street, Smith Street, parks, cafés, galleries, and public transport, while remaining only minutes from Melbourne’s CBD. The project has an enviable Walk Score of 96.

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Pace, which is also delivering the project as builder, has developed more than 100 projects across Melbourne over the past three decades. The vertically integrated approach has become increasingly common among developers seeking greater control over construction delivery amid broader market pressures affecting the apartment sector.

The strikingly contemporary Gore Street development is now around 70 per cent complete, with purchasers expected to move into their new homes in Spring 2026. A limited number of residences remain available under the current deposit match offer.

*Conditions apply in relation to the deposit match offer.

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Pace offers five per cent deposit match at Fabbrica Fitzroy ahead of Spring completion

Sydney developer Hyecorp's roots on the Lower North Shore stretch back three generations, and that deep understanding of the market continues to shape where and how it develops today.

From high-rise towers to boutique apartment projects, the family-run developer has built its reputation by focusing on a part of Sydney it knows intimately. Founded by Michael Abolakian in the early 1990s, Hyecorp is now led by his sons Stephen, Troy and Patrick.

Stephen Abolakian, joint managing director alongside Troy, has spent more than two decades in the business, overseeing development, planning, finance, marketing and sales.

Abolakian says the developer's disciplined focus on where it chooses to operate has been, and continues to be, one of Hyecorp's greatest strengths.

“We know the buyer profile exceptionally well,” Abolakian says.

“The demographics between places like Willoughby, Chatswood, St Leonards and Roseville are very similar. There are nuances between suburbs and projects, but culturally and from a buyer perspective, there’s a strong overlap.”

That buyer has historically been overwhelmingly owner-occupier driven.

Unlike many Sydney apartment developers that have traditionally relied heavily on investor demand, Hyecorp’s projects have typically attracted downsizers, upsizers, rightsizers and family owner-occupiers seeking long-term homes rather than short-term investments.

“Historically, investors have been a much smaller portion of our demand profile,” Abolakian says.

“We design for owner-occupiers. We don’t design for yield, we design for comfort, amenity, family living and long-term usability.”

That philosophy extends well beyond apartment layouts.

From landscaping and communal gardens to shared amenities and circulation spaces, Hyecorp’s developments are designed around how people actually live, something Abolakian believes has become increasingly important in Sydney’s apartment market.

“There was probably a period where having an approved project in market was enough,” he says.

“There wasn’t as much competition and if you built it, buyers would come. That’s no longer the case.”

“There’s more supply in the pipeline now, particularly with TOD precincts and low and mid-rise reforms opening up opportunities across Sydney. Buyers have more choice, so if you get the product wrong, they’ll simply go elsewhere.”

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The shift has forced developers to become more sophisticated in how they approach apartment design, particularly as owner-occupier expectations continue to rise.

For Hyecorp, that means thinking beyond who the buyer is today and designing for who they may become in five or 10 years' time.

“People buying now often aren’t moving in for several years,” Abolakian says.

“You might have a young couple buying today, but by the time they move in they may have children, older children, or changing lifestyle needs. You’ve got to think about how families evolve.”

That thinking also shapes Hyecorp’s approach to amenity, which positions wellness at the forefront.

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While resort-style facilities have become increasingly common marketing tools across Sydney apartment developments, Abolakian says the challenge is ensuring amenities are genuinely usable and appropriate for the scale of the project.

“If amenities are done right, they can materially improve the living experience,” he says, adding however that if you&nbsp;overdo it or get it wrong, you can end up with facilities nobody uses that simply create ongoing strata costs.”

That balance is something Hyecorp is aiming to strike with projects like Roseville Avenue, one of the group's upcoming Lower North Shore developments, which Abolakian describes as bringing a resort-style living experience into a metropolitan setting.

“It’s about creating something that feels special without being excessive,” he says.

“Good gardens, quality apartments, thoughtful amenity. Creating that resort feeling in a metro location.”

<img alt="Hyecorp" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="13c4c0f3-b1b7-44cf-9344-0b3d1d07797a" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-06-02%20at%2012.14.57%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=9OLWjyj2bYkDV35F78WJnyMSPfc2bJ2z" />

The focus on owner-occupier product comes as Sydney’s apartment market continues to navigate a difficult development environment.&nbsp;For Hyecorp, maintaining an in-house operating model across construction, sales, marketing and development management has become increasingly important in navigating that environment.

“We’ve always believed in keeping a lot of the process in-house,” Abolakian says.

“It creates efficiencies, but it also creates quality control. You can make faster decisions and ensure the end product stays aligned with the original vision.”

Despite the challenges, Abolakian believes demand for quality owner-occupier apartments across Sydney remains strong beneath the surface, particularly across established Lower North Shore suburbs where downsizers continue to seek new housing options close to existing communities.

“There are definitely people waiting,” he says.

“Once some of the broader uncertainty settles, whether that’s the global environment or some of the local economic noise, I think the right projects will perform very strongly.”

Hyecorp currently has three residential developments on the market across Sydney’s Lower North Shore.&nbsp;Audrey, St Leonards, positioned opposite Newlands Park, is nearing completion and preparing to welcome its first residents, with the project now almost sold out.

Hyecorp has also recently launched&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/celine-chatswood-37-archer-street-chatswood-nsw-2067">Celine Chatswood</a>, an architectural tower, while continuing to deliver&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/juliet-roseville-64-pacific-highway-roseville-nsw-2069">Juliet Roseville</a>, a more boutique scale of development with just 34 apartments.

Why Hyecorp continues to back Sydney's Lower North Shore apartment market

South East Queensland’s apartment market is entering a new phase defined by rising prices, constrained affordability, and mounting pressure on the construction pipeline, according to RPM Group’s latest SEQ Apartments &amp; Townhomes Market Report.

The May 2026 report highlights a widening divide between what buyers can afford and what developers can viably deliver, with detached house prices continuing to push more buyers toward apartments across Brisbane, the Gold Coast, and the Sunshine Coast.

RPM says Brisbane’s median house price has reached around $1.5 million, accelerating the shift toward higher-density housing as buyers are increasingly priced out of the detached market.

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Median unit prices rose across all three major SEQ markets in the March quarter. Brisbane City recorded the strongest annual growth, with median unit prices climbing 21 per cent to $862,000, while the Gold Coast reached the highest overall median at $950,000, up 17 per cent year-on-year. The Sunshine Coast followed at $870,000, representing annual growth of nine per cent.

RPM noted the affordability gap between houses and units remains significant, with detached homes commanding premiums of 67 per cent in Brisbane and 68 per cent on the Gold Coast relative to apartments.

The report suggests this price disparity is increasingly consolidating buyer demand within the apartment market, particularly among downsizers and owner-occupiers.

“Demand is real. Supply is moving. But they’re operating on different timelines and the gap between what’s being built and what buyers can afford is the defining tension in this market right now,” RPM Queensland and NSW Managing Directors Peter Neale and Clinton Trezise said in the report.

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While approvals and commencements are strengthening, RPM argues the delivery pipeline remains constrained by construction costs, labour shortages, and extended build timelines.

Apartment approvals across Queensland increased 86 per cent over the year to February 2026, reaching 12,682 approvals, the highest level recorded since 2016. Brisbane overtook the Gold Coast as the state’s most active apartment approval market, with nearly 5,000 apartments approved over the past 12 months.

Unit commencements also strengthened considerably, rising 48 per cent year-on-year to 5,453 commencements in the December 2025 quarter, the highest level since 2018.

However, RPM’s research found apartment delivery timeframes have expanded sharply compared to the previous cycle. Projects are now averaging around 30 months from approval to completion, compared to roughly 20 months a decade ago.

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The number of units under construction has climbed to approximately 31,530 dwellings, nearing the previous 2016 peak, though projects are remaining in the pipeline for considerably longer.

Construction costs continue to weigh heavily on feasibility. RPM found the average apartment construction cost in Greater Brisbane reached $630,000 per dwelling in 2025, exceeding both Sydney and Melbourne. Coastal Queensland markets, including the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, were even higher at an average of $817,418 per apartment due to the prevalence of larger premium product.

The report also points to increasing pressure from Olympic-related infrastructure spending ahead of Brisbane 2032, with labour competition expected to intensify over the next several years.

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ANZ Associate Director of Property Daniel Gradwell said the underlying demand drivers across South East Queensland remain strong, supported by interstate migration, downsizers, and population growth.

“The challenge is bringing enough supply to market to meet that demand, and nothing on the horizon makes that straightforward,” Gradwell said.

RPM’s analysis found the affordability challenge is becoming more pronounced in the new apartment market itself, with only three per cent of surveyed new apartments priced below $1 million.

Instead, the market is increasingly concentrated in higher price brackets, with the most common new apartment price band across SEQ sitting between $1.5 million and $1.75 million. Around half of all new apartment stock surveyed is priced below $2 million.

The report suggests developers are not necessarily avoiding lower price points by choice, but because current construction economics make delivering affordable apartments increasingly difficult at scale.

Rental conditions also remain tight across the region. Median rents for one-bedroom apartments rose 12 per cent in Brisbane over the past year to $580 per week, while Gold Coast one-bedroom rents increased nine per cent to $630.

Despite rising rents, RPM noted bond lodgements have generally trended downward over the past five years, indicating more apartments are being absorbed by owner-occupiers rather than retained as investor-held rental stock.

Looking ahead, RPM expects projects targeting the mid-market owner-occupier segment between $1.25 million and $2 million to remain the most viable part of the market, while premium projects in highly constrained coastal or riverfront locations continue to attract demand.

“Construction costs are rewriting the feasibility rulebook across Greater Brisbane, and with little relief in sight, only projects in the right price band, right location, and with presales secured early will make it through,” the report concludes.

SEQ apartment demand outpacing affordable supply as construction timelines stretch: RPM

Camberwell Junction has long been the epicentre of amenity in Melbourne’s Boroondara region.

For nearly a century, it has drawn both locals and visitors, anchored by the Camberwell Sunday Market, which first operated in 1929 and quickly became a fixture of the suburb’s identity. Over time, the Junction evolved into one of Melbourne’s most established retail and lifestyle precincts, now comprising more than 400 stores and over 300 commercial businesses.

Despite that depth of amenity, one thing has remained notably limited: the supply of new apartments.

In a suburb defined by its heritage streetscapes and tightly held residential stock, new development opportunities have been scarce, particularly within the core of the Junction itself. That lack of supply has left a gap in the market for larger, design-led apartments suited to downsizers and owner-occupiers wanting to remain in the area.

Boutique developer Above Zero identified that gap when it secured a prime site on Burke Road, in the heart of Camberwell Junction.

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The site has a long planning history. Various proposals have been put forward over more than a decade, many of which were knocked back by the City of Boroondara, with initial applications dating back to 2015. Above Zero acquired the site in 2022 and returned with a revised scheme, refining both the building’s height and its ground-level interface to better align with Council expectations.

That process has culminated in approval for Camberwell House.

The Cera Stribley-designed development will deliver 57 residences on a 1,950 sqm site within the Camberwell Activity Centre, placing it directly within one of Melbourne’s most established retail and transport hubs.

It is expected to be one of the only new apartment developments to launch in the Junction in recent years, reinforcing the rarity of new supply in the precinct. Currently, there are just a handful of projects on the market in Camberwell, underscoring the significance of a development of this scale and positioning.

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Camberwell House has been conceived with a clear focus on larger-format apartments. The project will offer a mix of two-, three- and four-bedroom residences, alongside a limited number of penthouses, targeting owner-occupiers seeking scale rather than volume-driven product.

The building’s vertical presence will also set it apart.

Positioned on Burke Road, the development is set to become one of the taller buildings in its immediate context, allowing for elevated outlooks across Melbourne’s CBD skyline and toward the Dandenong Ranges. In a precinct characterised by lower-scale built form, that height provides a point of differentiation, particularly for buyers seeking outlook and natural light.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=4896 project_image_fid=368568]

Architecture has been led by Cera Stribley, with interiors by GOLDEN and landscape design by Florian Wild. The design approach centres on material consistency and restraint, with residences oriented to maximise light, ventilation and connection to outdoor spaces.

Full-height glazing and generous terraces form a key part of that strategy, allowing apartments to extend beyond their internal footprint and engage with the surrounding environment.

Beyond the private residences, a significant component of the project is its amenity offering.

Above Zero has positioned Camberwell House as a “complete living environment”, incorporating a full floor dedicated to resident facilities. At the centre of that is a wellness zone, including a 12.5-metre lap pool, spa, sauna and treatment spaces, alongside a gym and recovery-focused amenities.

This level of amenity is more commonly associated with inner-city developments, rather than established middle-ring suburbs like Camberwell.

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Additional shared spaces include a private library lounge, dining and entertaining areas, and an indoor golf simulator. A self-contained guest suite has also been incorporated, allowing residents to accommodate visiting family or friends without impacting their primary living space.

The inclusion of these facilities reflects a broader shift in buyer expectations.

As more downsizers look to transition from larger family homes into apartments, there is increasing demand for developments that offer not just a residence, but a lifestyle. That includes access to wellness, social and entertaining spaces within the building itself, reducing the reliance on external amenity while still maintaining proximity to established precincts.

Camberwell House is positioned to benefit from both.

Its location places it within immediate walking distance of Camberwell Junction’s retail and dining offering, as well as public transport connections, including tram and train services. That combination of internal amenity and external convenience is central to its appeal.

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Jellis Craig Projects Director Stephen Bowtell is handling sales for the project and says Camberwell House offers a rare entry point into one of Melbourne’s most tightly held markets.

“Buyers are recognising that Camberwell House offers something they simply haven’t seen before in Boroondara,”&nbsp;Bowtell&nbsp;says.

“It combines a level of resident amenity and service typically associated with Melbourne’s premium inner-city developments, while being positioned right in the heart of Camberwell Junction.

“The response to the concierge offering has been particularly strong. Buyers appreciate not only the convenience, but also the sense of security and peace of mind that comes from having a dedicated presence in the building every day.

“When you combine that with the wellness facilities, the exceptional arrival experience, and panoramic views across both the CBD skyline and the Dandenong Ranges, it creates a lifestyle proposition that is genuinely unique within the local market.”
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Staff reporter

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