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A four bedroom timber house sitting on three acres with a backdrop of mountains near Port Douglas is now on the market with the price of over $750,000.
It has been offered by Mark Flinn from Ray White.
Situated at<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-shannonvale-124649546" target="_blank"> 11 Chooks Ridge, Shannonvale</a>, the house features gallery-style master bedroom with sweeping forest views, three other bedrooms, office, four bathrooms and open-plan living area.
<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/2018/10/16/shannonvale%202.jpg" alt="">
Other features include large wooden shutters, deck overlooking the gardens, rock pool, and two carport spaces plus one garage space. 
It is only minutes away from Mossman sugar cane town and the tropical town of Port Douglas.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Shannonvale trophy home still waiting on offer after two and a half years

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A north-facing residence set across a sprawling three level floorplan in Jan Juc has been on the market with a price guide from $3.9 million to $4.3 million for over a year.
It has been offered by Tim Carson and Geoff Bennett from McCartney Real Estate.
Sitting on a 1,673sqm block of land, the house at<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-jan+juc-126874606" target="_blank"> 7 Seahaven Place</a> comes with five bedrooms, kitchen with Corian island bench, main living within built-in, large dining area, home study and separate lounge or theatre room. 
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Additional features include 8 car remote garage with storage, gym, in-ground horizon swimming pool, landscaped north-facing gardens, and outdoor shower.
It is within a short drive to the RACV resort, golf course, vibrant cafes’ and restaurants, and surf beaches. 
<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/2018/10/16/jan%20juc%203.jpg" alt="">
The suburb's median house price sits at<a href="/developments/jan-juc-vic-3228"> $885,000</a>, according to CoreLogic. 
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Jan Juc trophy home with ocean views stuck on market for over a year

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McGrath is among a growing number of real estate agents using FLK IT OVER that enables Residential Tenancy Agreements to be signed on the phone and in a world first can now speak to you through smart speakers Google Home or google assistant.
“Since its launch earlier this year FLK IT OVER has been used to sign 5,500 property leases with over 400 property managers now using the technology,” said its Founder Andrew Colagiuri.  
FLK IT OVER is a digital platform enabling tenants to sign leases via their smartphone. The agent sends tenants a link via SMS then FLK IT OVER takes the tenant through the lease conditions, requiring tenant approval at various stages and a signature at the end on the screen of their phone.
“This technology, first available in NSW, has just launched in Queensland and is now compatible with Google Home so tenants can ask google when their lease ends, when rent is due and who the emergency plumber is without getting off the couch,” said Mr Colagiuri.
“You can also let google know you want to talk to your property manager and an email will be sent requesting them to call – gone are the frustrating days of the tenant having to chasing their agent.”
Mr Colagiuri said, “it’s even helping the environment, so far FLK IT OVER has saved 35 trees (275,000 sheets of paper) reducing costs for agents and freed up their time to concentrate on other work instead of chasing lease signatures.”  
FLK IT OVER was recently awarded best new Utility Product at the digital and technology AMY awards ahead of Qantas, Lendi, Unicef and Alexia.  
Rob Fearnley, Head of Property Management at McGrath said his company is embracing the innovative technology. 
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FLK IT OVER the world's first talking digital tenancy lease agreement

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The Agency has gained a 40-year industry veteran and respected coach in Joe Abboud. 
He has been working as an agent for McGrath Estate Agents for the past decade in the Eastern Suburbs along with being a hands-on coach in the industry, providing one-on-one coaching for more than 20 agents a week.
His coaching dates back to the 1980s when he was appointed education officer for the REINSW’s Inner West division.
Thomas McGlynn, national director of sales, said Joe Abboud will be working with agents nationally, both within The Agency and across the industry, building unique programs tailored to individual agent’s needs.
His program starts with a minimum of seven hours spent with each agent followed by regular video conferencing meetings. Ongoing support is then provided by email and phone.
Abboud’s traditional real estate training relies heavily on process and looking at new technologies for connection.
His focus is on helping agents find a deeper connection with buyers and sellers by understanding how they are feeling and what they need to move on.
“In my opinion the market never changes only price.
"In what’s called a ‘boom’ market, there is limited stock, we are heading into a period where there will be a large selection of homes available, which is what buyers have been waiting for,” Abboud says.
"In today’s market there are many buyers who may have been active, and are now passive, what they need is an agent who will work closely with them, to help them find the home they love. It’s about matching qualified buyers with listings.” “I wanted to work with a brand that genuinely cares about its agents, this is The Agency mantra that has been proven since it launched,” Joe Abboud said.
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The Agency gains real estate veteran and coach Joe Abboud

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This week, inflation and the housing market have been in focus for Australia. Offshore, data for the US remained robust, but was less so in Europe and Emerging Asia.
Australian inflation has been an enduring disappointment for the market, with actual outcomes having come in below expectations quarter by quarter for close to two years. The September quarter continued this trend, with headline and the average of the core measures again sub-consensus at 0.4% (market 0.5%) and 0.3% (market 0.4%). More significant for policy, annual headline and core inflation again fell below the 2.0%yr lower bound of the RBA’s inflation range, now 1.9%yr and 1.7%yr.
Within the quarter, there were many opposing influences, but the main theme was the offsetting of petrol and tobacco inflation by disinflation across house purchase costs and rents and the continued absence of pricing power for the retail sector. Though petrol will remain inflationary in coming months, persistent weakness in housing costs will limit the net effect for headline inflation. As the core measure typically omits energy costs, the effect here will be lopsided and result in annual core inflation holding below the RBA’s 2-3%yr target range through the end of 2019. Together with GDP growth tending back to trend in 2019, this trend will see the RBA remain on hold through 2020.
The soft housing inflation pulse is a consequence of declining house prices and rising supply (restricting rental growth). This week, the October CoreLogic house price data showed that this national decline in house prices is continuing. The decline is led by Sydney (-7.4%yr) and the top end of the market (the top 25% of sales by price down 7.7%yr versus -0.9%yr for the bottom 25%). However, we continue to see evidence of the weakness broadening, with 80% of dwellings now having seen price declines over the past six months compared to 60% for the past year. By dwelling type, losses remain largest for houses. This is consistent with the relative outperformance of houses over apartments to the cycle peak, but is also evidence that increasing apartment supply is yet to affect the price trend materially.     
Dwelling approvals data for September was also released this week. While a bounce was seen in the month, approvals are still down 14% over the year. Further, if high-rise approvals in Victoria are omitted, we estimate approvals actually fell 7.5% in September, with the weakness broad-based by state and dwelling type. Given this trend decline in prices and approvals, it is unsurprising that housing credit growth continues to decelerate. In 3-month annualised terms, total housing credit has slowed from 6.8% in May 2017 to 4.7% currently. Though investor credit has been the primary driver of this softening, owner-occupier credit has also slowed, from 8.7% in July 2017 to 6.4% currently.     
Turning to the US, GDP was again strong in the September quarter at 3.5% annualised. Driving the result was a willing consumer, with growth in this sub-sector rising 4.0% annualised – well ahead of the average of the post-GFC period. Elsewhere however, there were a number of signs that higher interest rates are beginning to take effect. This was most obvious in residential construction, now down around 3% annualised over the past nine months. More important for the economy are glimpses of weakness in business investment following a strong start to the year. The latter deceleration fits well with regional business survey detail on investment intentions, hit by trade policy uncertainty, as well as core orders and shipments, which were flat through the September quarter.
For growth to persist at an above-trend pace, consumption must continue to fire. On this front, the upside surprise for the employment cost index in the third quarter, a 0.8% gain for total compensation, was promising. That said, annual income growth still remains relatively modest at 2.8%yr. To sustain the current pace of consumption, quarterly gains nearer 1.0% are consistently needed. We are not convinced this will occur. Instead, together with tighter financial conditions, we foresee a stabilisation in nominal household incomes around 3.5%yr in 2019. Absent dissaving, this would be consistent with real household consumption closer to 2.5-3.0% annualised than the current 4.0% pace. If consumption does slow, then together with a softening pulse for business investment and the loss of extraordinary support from fiscal policy (in late 2019), US growth will slow back to trend during 2019 and result in the FOMC going on hold after three more rate hikes to June 2019.
While debate over the US economy remains focused on whether growth will be at or above trend, for Europe the risk of sub-trend growth is building. From 2.7%yr in 2017, growth slowed to a 1.6% annualised pace in the first half of 2018. And now the first estimate for the September quarter has disappointed, coming in at just 0.8% annualised, below our estimate of trend growth, 1.2%yr. One-off factors were reportedly at play in the most recent three months, so more time is arguably needed to assess the trend. External demand has been the primary reason growth has slowed in 2018, but looking forward, domestic political risks are paramount. In addition to concerns over Italy, this week, the source of uncertainty was in Germany with Chancellor Angela Merkel announcing that she will not contest her CDU Party leadership this December. She intends to remain as Chancellor until the end of the Coalition Government’s term in 2021, but will not stand for re-election.
In the UK, the Brexit deadline grows nearer. With those clouds up ahead, the BoE left rates on hold this week while retaining their gradual tightening bias. The economy is described as “broadly in balance” with the domestic labour market tight and wages growth picking up more than expected. Indeed, if it were not for Brexit uncertainty, the Bank rate would be higher, with the BoE signalling that a smooth Brexit would see a steeper rate path.   
Finally to Asia, there we have seen moderating global growth and US trade policy continue to weigh on the manufacturing sector of China and other east Asian nations. For China in particular, domestic demand remains a positive, aided of late by stabilising business and infrastructure investment. However, going forward, the downtrend in employment growth poses a risk. This highlights why authorities are becoming more active in the management of the domestic economy and US’ tariffs effect on China’s external competitiveness.
Elliot Clarke is a Senior Economist for Westpac
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Housing is subduing inflation: Elliot Clarke

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Hollywood actor Rebel Wilson turned up to a Sydney weekend auction.
She was there to help one of her two sisters, Annachi hopefully secure a Millers Point terrace.
But Annachi, a nurse, was outbid in the dying stages of the onsite McGrath auction with the heritage listed <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-millers+point-129500930" target="_blank">65 Lower Fort Street</a> (above and below) selling for $2.71 million.
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It sold to a local young family wanting to buy into the area. 
The comedian's siblings are named Liberty, aka Libby, Ryot and Annachi.
Rebel Wilson spent $3.76 million in 2015 for her occasional Sydney bolthole, a three bedroom harbourside home in Birchgrove.
The weekend Millers Point auction was the final terrace being sold off by the NSW State government-owned in Millers Point. 
Some 190 properties with a total value of over $600 million have been sold since the sales program of the low cost housing began in 2014.
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Given the demonstrations that met the relocation of tenants, the controversial sellout was accompanied by a rigorously enforced media attendance ban at all its auctions imposed by the NSW State Government, although Channel 7 were given exclusive access to the finale.
Property NSW, on behalf of Family and Community Services, has redirected the proceeds to other social housing developments across NSW including Bankstown, Liverpool, Fairfield, the Sutherland Shire, Coffs Harbour and North Richmond. 
Family and Community Services retained 28 Millers Point properties.
The highest price achieved to date was $26 million last year for 33 apartments across four historic workers dwellings block.
Sirius, the nearby famous Brutalist-style building, has yet to be sold having been listed with $120 million plus hopes.
There were 801 Sydney auctions over the past week, with a 47 percent preliminary clearance rate which is about 3% lower than last week.
Blacktown returned a preliminary clearance rate of 75 percent from its 12 listings.
But Parramatta had the lowest preliminary clearance rate at just 32 percent from 31 results.
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Rebel Wilson turns up to Millers Point auction

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NSW is set to index stamp duty brackets to the consumer price index.
The seven price bands that determine how much stamp duty by home buyers will be adjusted for inflation under the scheme to start in mid-2019, The Daily Telegraph reported today.
Stamp duty has been unchanged in NSW for 32 years while the median house price has risen by an estimated 1000 per cent.
When the rates were set in 1986 the median Sydney dwelling price, according to CoreLogic, was $80,000 compared with the current median house price of around $1 million.
Last financial year, NSW residential and commercial property buyers paid a total $9.8 billion in stamp duty after 228,000 sales.
Stamp duty accounts for 28 per cent of all state tax revenue.
A typical buyer in Sydney pays about $42,000 duty when purchasing a home. 
The move is tipped to save about $500 on the average property transaction within years, Treasurer Dominic Perrottet is expected to tell media today.
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“The indexation of Stamp Duty is a step forward in reducing the taxation imposts on housing,”stated Tim Reardon, HIA’s Principal Economist.
“This is the first adjustment to Stamp Duty rates since the average house in Sydney cost just$80,000.
“State governments have become increasingly reliant on Stamp Duty from housing as a mainsource of revenue.
“Around $1 in every $5 of state government revenue comes from Stamp Duty on houses.
“The announcement by the NSW Government to address bracket creep for the first time in over30 years is a meaningful contribution to ensuring that the impost of Stamp Duty does not continue to grow.
“Stamp duty is an inefficient tax and it has a disproportionately high impact on households that are vulnerable due to changes in their circumstances including employment, health or other family related matters.
“Stamp Duty is also a volatile source of tax revenue, as the NSW Government is currently experiencing. A small fall in house prices has had a disproportionate impact of state government revenue.
“A better long term solution would be to phase out Stamp Duty altogether and replace it with aform of revenue that doesn’t punish buyers for wishing to pursue their dream of owning a home,” concluded Mr Reardon.
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NSW to index stamp duty brackets to CPI

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‘Mini-warehouses’ are being developed to more affordable options in the industrial market, a new report says.  
The Colliers International report said developers were responding to demand from smaller industrial users looking for assets at lower costs, said Malcom Tyson, Managing Director, Industrial at Colliers International. 
“As the economy grows, the dynamics of the industrial market have been evolving and therefore requirements for industrial space have been diversifying,” said Tyson.
“In particular, it is the growth of small businesses which employ nearly half of Australia’s workforce and generate one fifth of Australia’s GDP, that has triggered a rising demand for strata spaces.”
Australia’s industrial property is in high demand from both domestic and international investors, said Alex Pham, Director of Research at Colliers International.
“Industrial land values have experienced, and will continue to see record growth rates being driven by fierce competition for developable sites and an unprecedented level of investment.”
“With a significant pipeline of infrastructure development yet to be delivered, we can expect industrial value uplifts to continue to be supported by major infrastructure projects, boosting the efficiency of industrial operations.”
<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/2018/10/12/colliers%201.jpg" alt="">
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The main summary findings of the report were:
Summary:
<ul>
<li>From both domestic and global contexts, demand for industrial property is being fuelled by Australia’s robust economic conditions, which continues to be underpinned by a confluence of fundamental factors, including; 
</li>
<li>Strong growth in the global economy on the back of increases in global industrial production and trade - particularly across the Asia Pacific region, 
</li>
<li>The positive spillover effects from increased investment in public infrastructure, 
</li>
<li>The improvement in business sentiment (both globally and domestically) and rising non-mining business investment, 
</li>
<li>A sustainably low interest rate environment, 
</li>
<li>A relatively low Australian dollar, boosting net exports, 
</li>
<li>Strong rates of population growth, with the five-year projection (estimated at 1.6% per annum) doubling the average of the world’s top 30 economies.</li>
</ul>
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'Mini-warehouses' adding affordabile alternative in industrial market: Colliers International 

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GUEST OBSERVATION
You might think that being a state (or territory) treasurer is a boring job. The federal treasurer gets all the media attention and controls many of the big economic levers, including income and company tax, massive Australia-wide spending and trade and competition policy.
But you would be wrong.
Grattan Institute’s <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/state-orange-book-2018/" target="_blank">State Orange Book 2018</a> shows that if state treasurers relied less on taxes that hurt the economy and more on the ones that are the very best they could provide a huge boost to their economies.
The big prize
Almost every tax hurts economic growth, but some hurt more than others.
Our state treasurers know this, yet they continue to make poor choices.
Taxes on transactions, such as stamp duties on real estate purchases, are particularly inefficient.
They make it more expensive to move home to take a new job across town or in a different town, encouraging people to stay put. They make it more expensive to move into bigger or smaller homes, encouraging people to renovate instead.
With the typical stamp duty bill now above $40,000 in Sydney and Melbourne, this is more than just an idle theory.
In contrast, taxes on land are <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/property-taxes/" target="_blank">extraordinarily efficient</a>, and council rates equally so.
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<iframe src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/NpOip/2/" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" width="100%" height="284"></iframe>
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ACT is showing the way
The Australian Capital Territory has Australia’s most efficient tax base – every dollar of revenue raised costs the economy just 21.9 cents.
New South Wales has the least efficient – every dollar of revenue raised costs the economy 29.7 cents.
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/243371/original/file-20181101-78453-1gnjuck.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/243371/original/file-20181101-78453-1gnjuck.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
<a class="source" href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/state-orange-book-2018/" target="_blank">Grattan Institute Orange Book 2018</a>
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While most states are going backwards
Unfortunately, in most states taxes have became less efficient over the past five years.
Booming property prices in Sydney and Melbourne inflated stamp duties, giving them a growing share of the tax base in NSW and Victoria.
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/243367/original/file-20181101-78447-1pk0y6g.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/243367/original/file-20181101-78447-1pk0y6g.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
Average excess burden of taxation cents per dollar of tax revenue collected in each state and territory (2006-2016) <a class="source" href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/state-orange-book-2018/" target="_blank">Grattan Institute Orange book 2008</a>
<hr>
They should copy the ACT
All state treasurers should <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/news/following-the-act-land-tax-approach-boosts-growth-and-state-budgets/" target="_blank">follow the lead</a> of the ACT and replace stamp duties with broad-based property taxes.
Our calculations suggest that doing so could make Australians up to $17 billion a year better off, while also <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/news/housing-tax-reform-what-difference-will-it-make/" target="_blank">making housing more affordable</a>.
And stamp duties are unfair. They make some families pay more tax than others simply because they move home more often.
An annual flat tax <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/SA-Federalism-and-Tax-Future-Directions-for-Property-Tax-Reform-for-web-28-August-2017.pdf" target="_blank">set at between A$5 and A$7</a> for every A$1,000 of unimproved land value would be enough to fund the abolition of property stamp duties.
Which won’t be easy
Proposals to make the switch have stalled <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/SA-Federalism-and-Tax-Future-Directions-for-Property-Tax-Reform-for-web-28-August-2017.pdf" target="_blank">because the politics is hard</a>.
Recent purchasers would be reluctant to pay an annual tax so soon after paying stamp duty. A property tax would pose difficulties for people who are asset-rich but income-poor, especially retirees.
And property taxes cause angst: quarterly property tax bills remind people that they are taxpayers more often than does a one-off stamp duty with each purchase.
So state treasurers should make the switch gradually, <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/news/following-the-act-land-tax-approach-boosts-growth-and-state-budgets/" target="_blank">as in the ACT</a>: slowly wind back stamp duty and ramp up broad-based property tax over time.
It would provide the states with an increasingly stable revenue stream while reducing the disparity between those who bought a home just before the change and just afterwards.
To ensure that asset-rich but income-poor households could stay in their homes, state treasurers would have to allow them to defer paying the levy (with interest) until they sell their properties.
And they should axe insurance tax
State treasurers should also replace state taxes on property, life, health and motor vehicle insurance with a broad-based property levy. Most states have already abolished insurance levies to fund fire and emergency services.
Insurance taxes <a href="http://taxreview.treasury.gov.au/content/FinalReport.aspx?doc=html/Publications/Papers/Final_Report_Part_2/chapter_e8.htm" target="_blank">deter</a> people and businesses from buying adequate insurance, leaving them <a href="https://theconversation.com/properties-under-fire-why-so-many-australians-are-inadequately-insured-against-disaster-50588" target="_blank">exposed to risks</a> such as flood or fire damage to their home, or motor vehicle theft.
And charge for rezoning
And state treasurers should <a href="http://www.planning.act.gov.au/topics/design-and-build/fees/change_of_use_charge_-_lease_variation_charge" target="_blank">follow another ACT lead</a> and introduce explicit “betterment taxes” to capture some of the windfall gains from rezoning of land.
Government permission to build higher-density housing, or convert farmland into greenfield housing land, generates large unearned windfall gains for landowners.
Taxing these windfall gains would be a particularly efficient form of taxation, would reduce the opportunities for <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/in-the-zone-insider-trading-rife-in-land-rezoning-racket-20150929-gjx8nh" target="_blank">corruption</a> in the planning system, and would enable state treasurers to reduce other more economically harmful and regressive taxes.
And apply payroll tax widely
Finally, state payroll taxes should be broadened by abolishing carve-outs for small businesses.
This would enable state treasurers to cut payroll tax rates across the board.
Generous thresholds and exemptions have weakened states’ payroll tax bases and <a href="https://www.murphyeconomics.com.au/Information/tax/ATF_Vol.33-1_2018_Murphy.pdf" target="_blank">increased</a> the economic costs of the tax.
Astoundingly, around 90% of NSW businesses <a href="http://taxreview.treasury.gov.au/content/FinalReport.aspx?doc=html/publications/Papers/Final_Report_Part_2/chapter_d3-2.htm" target="_blank">are exempt</a> from payroll tax.
We believe that, taken together, this set of reforms would make a big difference to economic growth.
Voters might even reward the treasurers and their premiers.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/105378/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;">
Brendan Coates, Fellow, Grattan Institute
John Daley, Chief Executive Officer, Grattan Institute
Tony Chen, Researcher, Grattan Institute
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/abolish-stamp-duty-the-act-shows-the-rest-of-us-how-to-tax-property-105378" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Abolish stamp duty: The ACT shows the rest of us how to tax property

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Around the world, new developments are increasingly framed as sustainable to both policymakers and prospective buyers. They are seen as a “win-win” for the environment and the economy. However, recent concerns suggest social inequality often results.
Barangaroo is one such green development on the harbourfront in Sydney, Australia. What was once a contaminated, dilapidated, post-industrial wharf is now home to a six-hectare park, three office towers and two residential complexes. More is to come, in the form of a 275-metre hotel-casino.
Beyond its immense scale, Barangaroo is significant for another reason: it has a commendable sustainability agenda.
Rooftop solar partially powers the buildings, which are constructed from carbon-neutral materials and even provide a supply of recycled water from a stormwater treatment plant underneath. Beyond the project’s economic advantages – an estimated $2 billion-a-year boost to the New South Wales economy – the environment benefits through increased green space and biodiversity, along with reduced carbon emissions and electricity and water use.
These are undeniably beneficial outcomes. Yet, worryingly, such developments may result in “green gentrification” as increases to environmental amenity in an area result in displacement and exclusion of the disadvantaged.
I examined this claim at Barangaroo, by breaking its outcomes into three parts:
<ul>
<li>who has access to the spaces it creates</li>
<li>what happens to the surrounding property market</li>
<li>how governance enables the outcome.</li>
</ul>
My findings suggest there is an urgent need to prioritise social outcomes in future sustainable development.
The spaces
Barangaroo has created many new spaces, but will people from all kinds of socio-economic backgrounds have access? Multiple hectares of public park and waterfront access, piers, laneways and bridges are accessible at the development. Retail spaces are scattered in between the office towers and residential complexes.
Around 900,000 people from the local Sydney region visited the public park in its first year alone. The commercial space, likewise, provides for 23,000 professionals.
To determine whether these statistics include the disadvantaged it is necessary to delve deeper. Who are those who live nearby? Who are employed in the offices? Who are the shops’ target market?
The price of floor space at Barangaroo is very high – around $20,000 per square metre for its apartments. Affordable housing has been moved offsite, so many will be priced out of living within Barangaroo.
Business giants, such as KPMG and Westpac, are among those that can afford to occupy the office space. Smaller, less professionally oriented businesses are unable to do so. The result is that retailers largely cater to office workers. David Jones, for instance, “has been carefully designed to appeal to Barangaroo’s big office community”.
Likewise, the new restaurants, owned by celebrity chefs and restaurateurs, appeal to those from high socio-economic backgrounds.
These trends provide little room for the disadvantaged to occupy the site’s residential, retail or commercial spaces. What about the public space, however? If those from low socio-economic backgrounds live around the development, they could enjoy these spaces.
The property market
Green gentrification studies suggest sustainable developments may raise the prices of property nearby. Using data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics between 2011 and 2016, I found the rent prices in areas northeast of Barangaroo increased drastically.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/241198/original/file-20181018-41153-4s11hp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
Rental price increases as a percentage in the areas surrounding Barangaroo. Author provided
The main reason for this change was the selling of 214 public housing properties in Millers Point, Dawes Point and The Rocks in 2014. The NSW government announced the sales after Barangaroo’s effect on the surrounding areas began to take place, realising the increased profit to be made.
As a result, the development is not only exclusive on the inside, it has also contributed to the displacement of the disadvantaged from surrounding areas.
The governance
Could appropriate governance have prevented this? The political agenda that enabled this exclusion and displacement effectively ignored the disadvantaged. Counterclaims to the benefits of the development were ignored, as these did not match the win-win narrative of the development’s proponents.
For instance, the then NSW finance minister, Greg Pearce, dismissed the concerns of evicted residents by stating: 
"Millers Point is poorly suited for social housing … when considering its future, the government needs to consider it in the context of all of the surrounding areas, including the Barangaroo redevelopment area."
In a more extreme case, fast-tracked legislation made legally void a claim brought against the government for approving potentially unlawful elements of the development.
These actions minimise antagonistic voices, those that often act to promote social equality.
If future green developments are to minimise exclusion and displacement, they must allow participation from all sectors of society and recognise all the potential impacts in advance. The NSW government has not only enabled exclusion by failing to ensure affordable housing quotas, it has actively encouraged it by selling the nearby public housing.
Barangaroo is a missed opportunity: instead of promoting social equality, it has made inequality worse.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/104941/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;">
Rupert Legg, PhD Candidate, University of Technology Sydney
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/making-developments-green-doesnt-help-with-inequality-104941" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Making developments green doesn’t help with inequality: Rupert Legg

One of North Sydney's best-known commercial buildings could become hundreds of new homes, with insurance giant Zurich Australia lodging a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) to transform 5 Blue Street into a mixed-use residential development above North Sydney Station.

Rather than demolishing the existing building and starting again, Zurich is proposing an adaptive reuse project that would convert the landmark office building into a 15-level residential development delivering 62 apartments, 86 affordable co-living dwellings, activated retail and significant upgrades to the Blue Street Plaza.

The proposal reflects a growing trend of commercial property owners repositioning ageing office assets into residential housing as Sydney grapples with housing supply shortages and changing workplace demand.

<img alt="Zurich" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0bba7d12-06dc-4375-aad7-238c94b21ac5" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%2010.42.05%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=NJl5oLAEBDGuPmY3RnyliKODjMc8lvRh" />

Located directly above North Sydney Metro and train station, the 3,051 sqm site occupies one of the most strategically positioned parcels of land on Sydney's Lower North Shore.

Designed by fjcstudio, the proposal seeks to retain and adapt much of the existing structure while creating a contemporary residential address that better connects with the public domain surrounding North Sydney Station.

The application proposes two basement levels, ground floor retail, affordable co-living accommodation across the podium levels, and apartments above, while preserving and enhancing the publicly accessible Blue Street Plaza.

Rather than pursuing maximum apartment numbers, Zurich has opted for a housing mix heavily weighted towards larger owner-occupier residences.

The proposal includes 62 build-to-sell apartments comprising 12 one-bedroom, 19 two-bedroom, 29 three-bedroom apartments and two premium penthouses. It also incorporates 86 affordable co-living dwellings, which would be managed in perpetuity by a Community Housing Provider.

That balance between traditional apartments and affordable housing reflects the NSW Government's push to increase housing diversity around major transport infrastructure.

The proposal has been lodged concurrently with a rezoning application, with Zurich arguing the site is ideally positioned to support additional housing given its immediate proximity to public transport, employment and services.

"The proposal aims to respond to the housing challenges facing Sydney through the delivery of diverse housing types in a highly accessible location," the design report by fjcstudio states. It also seeks to improve pedestrian amenity through upgrades to Blue Street Plaza while creating a high-performing residential building that responds to the surrounding context.

<img alt="Zurich" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="36082e15-c636-4481-bb68-5a5f6443fe39" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%2010.41.36%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=5P6VD.fvmqjQfIG3TWWMRXxQWiQBjeFB" />

Rather than replacing the commercial building, fjcstudio has developed a design that works with the existing structural framework above the rail corridor, an approach that significantly reduces demolition while allowing the site to be repositioned as a mixed-use residential precinct.

The existing structural constraints have informed much of the building's design, including its relationship with Blue Street and surrounding public spaces.

The building has been designed as a slender tower rising above a clearly defined podium, with vertically expressed façades intended to reduce the perceived bulk while reinforcing North Sydney's emerging skyline.

According to fjcstudio, the architectural language responds directly to the surrounding commercial towers while maintaining a finer grain expression more closely aligned with the neighbouring Lavender Bay streetscape.

The tower incorporates articulated façade elements, landscaped podium edges and recessed upper levels to soften its appearance and improve pedestrian amenity below.

A significant component of the proposal is the revitalisation of Blue Street Plaza.

The existing public space has long served as one of the primary pedestrian connections between North Sydney Station, Greenwood Plaza and Blue Street, yet its role is expected to become even more important following the opening of Sydney Metro.

Zurich's proposal seeks to strengthen that role by improving landscaping, introducing new retail frontages, enhancing pedestrian permeability and creating more active edges throughout the day and evening.

Ground floor retail would wrap the plaza, while separate residential and co-living entries have been designed to improve wayfinding without reducing street activation.

Landscape design has been integrated throughout the podium and public realm, softening what is currently one of the most heavily urbanised parts of North Sydney.

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fjcstudio has carefully oriented apartments towards Sydney Harbour and the CBD while using privacy blades and articulated façades to minimise overlooking between neighbouring buildings.

Large framed openings along the western elevation maximise harbour outlooks, while the eastern apartments have been angled towards the south-east to improve privacy from neighbouring development.

The project forms part of the continuing transformation of North Sydney from a predominantly commercial CBD into a genuine mixed-use city centre.

Since the completion of Victoria Cross Metro Station, developers have increasingly shifted their attention towards residential projects capable of leveraging the area's unparalleled transport connectivity.

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FiveX recently lodged plans for a 61-storey, 490-apartment tower that would become one of the tallest residential buildings in North Sydney if approved.

Aqualand continues to expand its Lower North Shore presence following the completion of AURA on Walker Street and its recent St Leonards and Roseville proposals.

Developers are also progressing projects throughout Walker Street, Miller Street and the Victoria Cross precinct as demand for well-located owner-occupier apartments continues to strengthen.

Joel Robinson

First look: Zurich targets North Sydney office conversion with 148-unit proposal above Metro station

Busy developer Aqualand Prestige has formally taken the next step in its expansion across Sydney's Lower North Shore, lodging a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for its long-held Archer Street site in Chatswood.

The application covers <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/51-55-archer-street-chatswood-nsw-2067">51-55 Archer Street</a>, a 1,767 sqm amalgamated site on the eastern edge of the Chatswood CBD, where the developer is seeking approval for a 45-level mixed-use tower delivering 114 apartments, including a significant affordable housing component, alongside retail, commercial space and six basement levels of parking.

The SSDA marks the latest milestone for a project Aqualand has been quietly progressing over the past two years. The developer first secured the site for its Aqualand Prestige platform before undertaking an alternative design excellence process with PTW Architects, ultimately avoiding a formal design competition through the Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

The proposal has evolved considerably from Aqualand's original concept. The revised scheme has been designed around larger owner-occupier product, with an unusually high proportion of three and four-bedroom apartments, targeting the more affluent buyer profile, and downsizer, emerging across the North Shore.

<img alt="Archer St" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0171204c-5811-41b5-9b09-2335d1b7c3d0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%208.52.48%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=6YTuxfq.puZo7k2wbfgemcO5K3QfXYGQ" />

The 114-apartment mix comprises six studios, 27 one-bedroom apartments, 18 two-bedroom apartments, 50 three-bedroom residences and 13 four-bedroom homes. A quarter of the building will be dedicated to affordable housing, well above the mandated 15 per cent&nbsp;

PTW has structured the building vertically, with affordable housing across levels one to six, premium apartments through levels seven to 31, duplex skyhomes on klevels 32 to 43, a penthouse on level 44, and a rooftop plant level above. Six basement levels will provide resident parking and servicing.

The tower is proposed to reach approximately 154 metres, placing it among a growing collection of residential high-rises transforming Chatswood's skyline.

Rather than competing purely on height, PTW says the design has been driven by creating a slimmer tower capable of delivering significantly larger apartments.

"The primary objective of this project was to create a distinctive building that stands out from the recently approved or built structures in the Chatswood area," the design report states, noting the structural efficiency allows greater investment into apartment quality and resident amenity.

Residents would have access to more than 450 sqm of communal open space including landscaped gardens, swimming pool, rooftop entertaining areas, fitness spaces, community gardens, children's play areas and barbecue facilities.

A major focus of the design has been the public domain.

The ground plane has been opened up through landscaped terraces inspired by Willoughby's sandstone ridges, with native planting, public seating, artwork, retail activation and a series of gathering spaces intended to soften what has traditionally been a hard commercial streetscape.

The landscape strategy references Blue Gum forests once common throughout the area, while incorporating Indigenous storytelling, public art and lighting installations to strengthen the connection to Country.

Chatswood has been one of Sydney's busiest apartment markets over the past 12 months, with a steady pipeline of both new project launches and fresh development applications.

Hyecorp recently launched Celine, a 122-apartment development just along Archer Street, while Changfa and Huirong Group are progressing The Anderson, an 84-apartment project on Anderson Street.

Develotek recently secured approval for a 101-apartment tower on Pacific Highway, while Tian An LFD received the green light for Hammond Greens, its apartment development on the edge of the Chatswood Bowling Club.

Commercial property developer FiveX is also making its move into the residential market. Last month it lodged plans for a 61-storey tower with 490 apartments, which, if approved, would become one of the tallest residential buildings in Chatswood.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-fivex-targets-chatswood-skyline-with-61-storey-tower-after-north-sydney-plans">First look: FiveX targets Chatswood skyline with 61-storey tower after North Sydney plans</a>

Aqualand is also expanding its development pipeline following the launch of its luxury residential brand, Aqualand Prestige. The developer has delivered a string of high-end apartment projects across Sydney's affluent suburbs over the past decade, most recently AURA by Aqualand on Walker Street in North Sydney.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=30959 project_image_fid=292863]

It has since quietly assembled its next wave of projects.

Earlier this year Aqualand launched Boronia in Roseville, a boutique 111-apartment development on Larkin Street. The project is one of the first significant apartment developments to launch in the suburb ahead of what is expected to become one of Sydney's most active new housing precincts under the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing reforms, which allow greater density around train stations.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152095 project_image_fid=373685]

The developer has also lodged plans for a two-tower, 413-apartment development on Herbert Street in nearby St Leonards, further strengthening its presence across the Lower North Shore.

Beyond that, Aqualand remains behind the final stage of Barangaroo, where plans will deliver a five-hectare mixed-use precinct comprising new homes, retail, hospitality and community facilities, alongside a new Metro entrance and more than two hectares of public open space, completing the Barangaroo precinct.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/central-barangaroo-development-takes-big-step-with-concept-proposal-approval">Central Barangaroo development takes big step with concept proposal approval</a>

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-aqualand-joins-st-leonards-apartment-party">First look: Aqualand joins St Leonards apartment party</a> 
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First look: Aqualand pushes ahead with Chatswood apartment tower as SSDA lodged for Archer Street

Mass timber is becoming an increasingly popular construction material in apartment developments, but Adelaide developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/otello">Otello</a> is taking the approach a step further.

At its new <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/flowe-bowden-18-gibson-street-bowden-sa-5007">Flowe Bowden</a> development, the exposed cross-laminated timber (CLT) structure isn't just about reducing the building's environmental footprint. It also forms the foundation of a broader wellness strategy, influencing everything from indoor air quality and natural materials to the way residents move through and experience the building.

The 115-apartment mixed-use development, designed by Melbourne-based architecture practice Fieldwork, will occupy a prominent island site opposite Bowden Village Reserve, combining one, two and three-bedroom apartments with retail and a dedicated wellness destination.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375528]

Wellness isn't confined to a gym or shared resident facility at Flowe. Instead, Fieldwork embedded the concept into the building itself.

The development has been split into two residential wings connected by a naturally ventilated central breezeway, replacing traditional enclosed corridors with open-air walkways that improve natural light, encourage cross ventilation and create more opportunities for neighbourly interaction.

"Rather than treating wellness as something that only happens on the ground floor, our response integrates it throughout the building, which led us to ask what it really means to design a healthy building," Fieldwork Director Quino Holland said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375531]

The building's architecture also reflects Bowden's industrial heritage. The lower podium references the area's historic brick and sandstone buildings, while the upper levels transition to exposed CLT, allowing the timber structure to become a defining feature throughout the apartments and shared spaces.

The use of mass timber sits alongside a range of sustainability initiatives, including a fully electric, gas-free design, rooftop solar and a targeted 5 Star Green Star rating.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375524]

Inside the residences, the focus remains on natural, durable materials. Blackbutt engineered timber flooring, exposed CLT ceilings, porcelain surfaces and warm timber joinery create a calming interior palette, while low-VOC finishes and responsibly sourced materials have been selected to improve indoor air quality.

Kitchens have been designed as the centrepiece of each apartment, featuring porcelain island benchtops, timber-look cabinetry and brushed steel tapware, with layouts that maximise natural light and ventilation.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375530]

The more traditional interpretation of wellness comes in the form of Level Eleven, a two-storey wellness club spanning the ground floor, mezzanine and first floor.

The facility will include a gym, yoga and reformer Pilates studios, Finnish and infrared saunas, magnesium hot and cold plunge pools, and dedicated recovery spaces. Unlike many residential wellness facilities, Level Eleven will also operate commercially, allowing the broader Bowden community to access the venue while giving residents exclusive membership benefits.

The ground floor has also been designed around everyday living. A café overlooking Bowden Village Reserve will activate the street frontage, while a bike workshop with tool storage, co-working space and dog wash has been incorporated to support daily routines and encourage interaction between residents.

"Flowe brings together my two biggest passions, creating places and creating healthier lives," Otello founder Daniel Harris said.

"We wanted to create something Adelaide hasn't seen before, a genuinely healthy building, where the way you live is lifted without even trying."

Flowe is positioned directly opposite Bowden Village Reserve and within walking distance of Bowden Railway Station and the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, placing future residents just minutes from the Adelaide CBD while remaining connected to one of the city's most established urban renewal precincts.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152022]

Otello launches wellness-focused Flowe Bowden with Adelaide-first mass timber apartment design

Not all apartment amenities are immediately visible.

Swimming pools, gyms, rooftop terraces and residents' lounges have long featured on buyers' wishlists, but as the way Australians live has changed, so too have the features that make apartment living more convenient.

Increasingly, buyers are placing value on the practical aspects of day-to-day life. Fast internet, EV charging, secure bike storage, flexible workspaces and parcel management are becoming just as relevant as lifestyle amenities, reflecting changing habits and expectations.

Online shopping has been one of the biggest drivers of that shift.

Australians spent a record $82.6 billion shopping online in 2025, with almost one in every four retail dollars now spent digitally, making parcel deliveries a routine part of everyday life rather than an occasional convenience.

For apartment residents, however, receiving those deliveries isn't always straightforward.

Without someone home to accept a parcel, deliveries can be redirected to a nearby Post Office, left in building foyers or common areas, or require building management to temporarily store packages. As apartment living continues to grow across Australia's cities, parcel management has become an increasingly important consideration for both residents and developers.

Australia Post's Parcel Locker network is one response to that shift.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KPZ9j5FRdsQ?si=Qztc1dNP3ZvEIUhb" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

Rather than relying on home delivery, eligible parcels can be directed to a nominated Parcel Locker, where they're securely stored until collected. Once a parcel arrives, residents receive a notification through the AusPost app or SMS and can retrieve it using a one-time code or QR code at a time that suits them.

The network has expanded to more than 1,500 locations nationwide, with Parcel Lockers positioned at Post Offices, shopping centres, supermarkets, transport hubs and, increasingly, within or alongside residential developments.

That growing presence reflects a broader change in how apartment buildings are being planned.

Developers are increasingly considering the operational side of apartment living alongside traditional lifestyle amenities. Just as secure mailrooms, bicycle storage and EV charging have become more common inclusions, parcel management is emerging as another feature that supports everyday convenience.

It also helps preserve the arrival experience within a building. Carefully designed lobbies and communal spaces can quickly become cluttered when deliveries accumulate, while secure parcel solutions reduce the likelihood of missed deliveries or parcels being left unattended.

For buyers comparing apartments, these everyday details are becoming part of the decision-making process.

Location, floorplans and finishes remain fundamental, but the features that simplify daily life are carrying greater weight than they once did. As online shopping continues to shape consumer behaviour, secure parcel delivery is increasingly becoming another amenity worth looking for.

Parcel delivery is joining the apartment amenity checklist

Inca Property Group has lodged a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for Dawn, a 53-apartment oceanfront development overlooking Mona Vale Beach.

The proposal, at 35-39 Darley Street East, would replace an existing 18-apartment strata building with a new owner-occupier-focused development comprising 53 two and three-bedroom apartments, including nine affordable built-to-rent residences delivered under the State's infill affordable housing scheme.

Positioned on a 2,679 sqm elevated site around 280 metres from Mona Vale Beach, the development has been designed to maximise panoramic ocean views while responding to the site's sloping topography.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/inca-property-group">Inca Property Group</a> Managing Director Josh Thompson said the State Significant pathway provided greater certainty for projects of this scale.

"This State Significant pathway gives the team real certainty to progress <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/dawn-35-39-darley-street-east-mona-vale-nsw-2103">Dawn</a> through to completion," Thompson said.

"It allows us to acquire a one-off site, design it carefully and deliver the right offering for the suburb, assessed by the NSW Government's planning department."

The project is one of the first developments in the area to be assessed under the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy, with the site sitting on the edge of the policy's designated inner area.

The proposal includes three basement levels providing 124 car spaces, alongside a range of resident amenities including a swimming pool, gym, sauna, wellness facilities and private plunge pools for selected ground-floor and penthouse apartments.

<img alt="Dawn" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fc1a1daf-0ce4-4f12-9076-b1fa553c7a91" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-21%20at%208.42.11%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=4GZ9h.gpNkTljbxyAET8Jfhv51XUamDm" />

Thompson said Dawn had been designed specifically for owner-occupiers and downsizers, a buyer profile that has driven demand across Inca's recent Upper North Shore developments.

"The majority of buyers in our recent North Shore projects have been downsizers, and we are learning exactly what this market is looking for. Beyond the location itself, we have included resort-style amenities to deliver a genuine lifestyle offering," Thompson said.

Located within walking distance of Mona Vale Beach, the town centre, Mona Vale Golf Club and the Royal Motor Yacht Club, Dawn represents Inca's first Northern Beaches project following the sell-out of Tara on Park in Waitara and Ellis Residences, currently under construction in St Ives.

Construction will be undertaken by Inca's in-house construction arm, GOP Constructions.

Dawn is the latest major apartment proposal for Mona Vale, with the suburb emerging as one of the key beneficiaries of the NSW Government's new Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy.

New developer One Living, led by industry veteran Joseph Scuderi, recently secured a site on Mona Vale Road, on the border of Mona Vale and Pymble, where it is planning around 140 apartments.

IPM is also planning its third project in Mona Vale, significantly increasing the scale of its previous developments with an 82-apartment proposal at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/159-167-darley-street-west-mona-vale-nsw-2103">159-167 Darley Street West</a>, opposite Bayview Golf Course and less than 800 metres from Mona Vale town centre.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/one-living-enters-sydneys-new-apartment-market-with-northern-beaches-site-acquisition">One Living enters Sydney's new apartment market with Northern Beaches site acquisition</a>

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-ipm-plans-third-mona-vale-project">First look: IPM plans third Mona Vale project</a>

Staff reporter

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