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A commercial property in Manning, Western Australia that comes with over 200sqm building size has been scheduled to go under the hammer. 
The property at <a href="https://ecomms.raywhite.com/collect/click.aspx?u=SGo3TkFVMGk3Y2ZPOE85WGl6VW40UFZKb3JqbERncnpQdE1ITFlNc0psMzR0U0oyODh3RHdrVEt5MmIrNzVLVnV2N1JmL2w2R1hlMG43cWNaMkJpL3lnMGN3bFoxdzYzdXIvL1VuLzd4Vm05STNhdjF6UW05THBPRXE1ZGR1dlFodHd4L01ZVmZ3T3NTL05ONFYzWlk3QnlEWjNkQU8rSm9LbEhaTTFmL3NrPQ==&amp;rh=ff00670e578ae0210b51f040c94898ac06b09383" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable">19 Welwyn Avenue</a> is leased to Woolworths (operating as BWS) on a five-year lease with five options of five years each.
It is being marketed and sold at auction by Ray White Commercial (WA) Property Advisor Brett Wilkins.
“This is the perfect opportunity for investors seeking the security of a Woolworths lease to buy into a pretty neighbourhood strip centre,” Mr Wilkins said.
<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/2020/8/14/2500DJI_0724%20Custom.jpg" alt="">   “In an established suburb within the municipality of the City of South Perth, Welwyn Avenue has attracted multiple high-profile tenants including Woolworths Group Limited, Australia Post and IGA.
“Manning is in an enviable position close to Curtin university and is just 7km from the CBD - while still being removed to enjoy the benefits of suburban life.
“Manning is seriously under-supplied with retail and the asset is on Welwyn Avenue, a major road connecting to Manning Road, giving easy access from north, south and west."    The property is owned by a commercial real estate agent who chose Ray White Commercial (WA) to sell. 
The auction will take place on August 26. 
 
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Manning's BWS freehold heads to auction

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The Perth median house price fell slightly in the June 2020 quarter, according to the latest Herron Todd White (HTW) residential report. 
The valuation firm presented an 'investor playbook' of real estate performance within each service area this month. 
The Western Australian government has maintained that strong border restrictions will continue as long as required, amid news that phase five of the state’s easing of COVID-19 restrictions has been delayed until 1 August. 
The state’s Police Commissioner has also suggested stopping all planes from Victoria from entering the state in order to reduce the risk of new cases. 
On 19 July, the Western Derby was due to host a sell-out crowd of 60,000 at Optus Stadium, however as phase 5 was postponed, there was a limit of 30,000 in attendance as a precaution.
 As of 13 July, the state had 22 active cases, all of which were in hotel quarantine. Western Australia also had 604 people out of the total 635 confirmed cases fully recover from the virus.
The Real Estate Institute of Western Australia (REIWA) confirmed that June recorded the highest amount of sales recorded in a month in Perth since 2015, with transactions increasing 55.1 per cent compared to May and also 45 per cent higher compared to June 2019. 
This was supported mainly by the 289 per cent increase in land sales for the month with 1471 sales recorded, as competition for land increased in line with government incentives. 
Over the first week of July, sales activity within Perth increased by 35 per cent from the previous week, with a reported 1318 transactions recorded during that period. These figures are vastly different to figures recorded at the end of March, which recorded just 426 transactions, the report noted. 
The Perth median house price fell slightly in the June 2020 quarter to $475,000, compared to the $479,000 price recorded over the March quarter.
The Perth median house price for the June 2019 quarter was $489,000. There were 10,407 properties listed for sale at the end of the first week of July, which was a 17 per cent decrease from listed stock at the end of March and a 29 per cent fall in listed stock from the same period last year.
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REIWA reported that there were currently 3963 properties available for rent at the end of the first week of July, which was a 27 per cent decrease from the end of March and 47 per cent decline from the same period in July last year. 
"Perth’s median rental price for June was listed at $350 per week which was a seven per cent decrease from the March 2020 quarter and a three per cent fall from the same time last year, which indicates that rents within the state have remained stable throughout the COVID-19 pandemic with declining vacancy rates and the ban on increasing rents for established properties still being active," the valuation firm said. 
The vacancy rate in Greater Perth has fallen to a mere 2.2 per cent with REIWA President Damian Collins expecting further decreases due to plummeting rental listings. 
The vacancy rate has been in steady decline since early in 2017 when it peaked at just above seven per cent. Western Australia hasn’t seen vacancy rates sub-two per cent since the end of the mining boom in 2012 and 2013, the report noted. 
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"In general, residential investment around Perth has been minimal over the past year, with specific property types and locations seeing small bursts of activity, however this doesn’t mean that investment isn’t viable," the valuation firm said. 
In fact, there are plenty of opportunities for a variety of reasons. An example of this is older units in sought after locations. 
Suburbs such as Maylands and Wembley can offer good yields for the entry-level investor.
Maylands is situated four kilometres north-east of the Perth CBD. REIWA reports the unit median at $290,000 for the March 2020 quarter, falling eight per cent since the year previous. 
The capital growth prospects aren’t great for most 1960’s to 1980’s apartments and flats, however for entry- level product in the low $100,000s, yields can be impressive.
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A 44 square metre, 1970’s unit on Caledonian Avenue is situated close to shops and Maylands train station, with great access to Guilford Road. 
It sold in December 2019 for $110,000 after 10 days on the market. 
The property comprises one bedroom, one bathroom and is situated on the top floor of a 52 unit walk-up complex.
 It was recently listed for rent at $200 per week, showing a notional gross yield of 9.5 per cent.
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For comparison, a 2020 built unit with 48 square metres of living area comprises one bedroom and one bathroom situated on the first floor of a 123 unit complex.
 It sold in February 2020 for $320,000 and has recently been listed for rent at $340 per week, showing a notional yield of 5.5 per cent.
 
Prospects for capital growth in this newly built unit are unfortunately similar to the 1970’s unit on Caledonian Avenue as chronic oversupply of both new and old apartments hinders opportunity for capital gains, however both units have appeal – one for gross return and the other for depreciation benefits.
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A circa 1977 built unit at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-apartment-wa-wembley-131045714" target="_blank">18G/47 Herdman Parade, Wembley</a> (pictured below) sold for $180,000 in May 2019.
it comprises two bedrooms, one bathroom and one car space with 50 square metres of living area. 
It was listed for rent in June 2020 for $250 showing a notional yield of 7.2 per cent.
<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/2020/8/10/wembley.jpg" alt="">
"Switching to a different type of profile, wealthy upgrade buyers have been spotting potential in good locations close to the CBD," the valuation firm said.  
Suburbs such as Cottesloe and South Perth present opportunity for prudent home-searchers who have the equity to hold two mortgages temporarily. 
They choose their preferred location, wait for the right property to come to market, make the purchase and then rent it out until the ideal time to renovate or redevelop.
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A property was purchased back in late 2016 for $3.6 million.
The circa 1962 dwelling comprises four bedrooms, two bathrooms and a double garage on a 911 square metre allotment. 
The property is well located and captures views of South Cottesloe Beach and the Indian Ocean, the report noted. 
The purchasers rented it out almost immediately and with its R20 zoning, the property has subdivision potential for two lots or would be a prime candidate for a high-spec new development.
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A Griver Street property sold in April 2016 for $1.9 million after a 24 day marketing campaign. 
The circa 1960 dwelling comprises three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a double carport on a 969 square metre allotment.
 The property has been subject to a lease since purchase at $600 per week and could benefit from a little TLC, so a renovation could bring it back to its former glory, however it’s ripe for redevelopment with a luxury residence.
"On the outskirts of Perth, investment activity has been reasonably subdued," the valuation firm said. 
The Coronavirus pandemic has unsettled many potential investors and consumer sentiment has fallen off a cliff, decreasing from 93.7 points to 87.9 points in the Westpac-Melbourne Institute Index of Consumer Sentiment between June and July.
"This being said, the difference from state to state could be fairly dramatic and with Western Australia’s current climate of affordability, it is still an attractive time to buy if you can find the right property at the right price," the valuation firm said. 
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Yields in oversupplied areas such as Baldivis, Ellenbrook and Byford are reasonable, but not amazing, the report noted. 
 The Greater Perth average yield for the March 2020 quarter was 4.1 per cent for houses, and 4.7 per cent for units. 
A property at Songlark Court, Baldivis sold for $425,000 in 2016 and was recently listed for rent at $370 per week showing a notional yield of 4.5 per cent, however values in Baldivis have fallen an average of 16 per cent since the last sale and with oversupply still prevalent and building incentives rampant, there isn’t much opportunity for capital gains.
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A property at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-wa-byford-131403514" target="_blank">10 Bunya Green, Byford</a> (pictured below)  sold for $365,000 in February 2020.
<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/2020/8/10/byford.jpg" alt="">
 
The circa 2004 dwelling comprises four bedrooms, two bathrooms and a double garage with 155 square metres of living area on a 450 square metre allotment.
 It was advertised for rent in June at $350 per week showing a notional yield of five per cent.
Where returns do start to improve is in regional Western Australia, the report suggested. 
Areas such as Kalgoorlie- Boulder, Port Hedland and Karratha can see yields anywhere between five and 15 per cent and beyond.
"Our valuers are reporting that the Kalgoorlie market has been strong throughout 2020. Stock levels are the lowest they have been in a long time and there is plenty of demand. 
"This hasn’t yet resulted in price increases or any influx of investors, however vacancy rates are on par with or even lower than in Perth and this rental demand could be enticing to bring investors back to the market," the valuation firm said. 
 The majority of sales that our valuers are seeing have been well-presented, green-title dwellings for owner-occupiers.
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A duplex unit at Morley Way, South Kalgoorlie sold for $200,000 in September 2018 after a very lengthy marketing campaign. 
The property was originally advertised in September 2014 for $289,000. 
The price was reduced multiple times however the campaign was abandoned in January 2017 after 859 days on market.
 It was then relisted in July 2017 and took another 435 days to finally sell. 
The property comprises three bedrooms, one bathroom and single carport with 77 square metres of living area. 
The unit was listed for rent in June 2020 for $320 per week, showing a notional yield of 8.3 per cent.
"Moving up to the Pilbarra, Karratha has been experiencing seemingly exponential growth over the past two years," the valuation firm said. 
Owner-occupiers and investors have stuck their hands in the honeypot and most have come off with strong returns. 
The median house price in Karratha increased five per cent over the March 2020 quarter to $420,000, increasing 23.5 per cent since 2019. 
The unit median has skyrocketed by 46.2 per cent over the past year, settling at $193,750 for the March quarter. 
The median dwelling rent decreased slightly over the March quarter to $550, however it has grown by 29.4 per cent year-on-year.
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A circa 2014-built unit was sold in 2019 for $192,000 after a single day on the market. 
The Pegs Creek property comprises two bedrooms, one bathroom and a single undercover car space with 51 square metres of living area.
 It has been listed for rent at $480 per week for a notional yield of 13 per cent.
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A green-title Baynton property was sold for $365,000 in 2018 after 110 days on the market. 
The circa 2005 dwelling comprises four bedrooms, two bathrooms and a double garage on a 642 square metre allotment. 
The property was listed for rent at $1000 per week showing a notional yield of 14.3 per cent – quite the return!
South Hedland has been showing consistent returns of between 10 and 15 per cent in 2020. 
A Sturt Place property sold for $190,000 in May 2020. 
The circa 1975 dwelling comprises four bedrooms, one bathroom and a double carport on a 519 square metre allotment.
 It was listed for rent in July for $500 per week showing a notional yield of 13.7 per cent.
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Another property sold for $370,000 in April 2020 after two days on the market. 
The circa 1997 dwelling comprises four bedrooms, two bathrooms with a double carport on a 701 square metre allotment. 
The property also has a pool and a shed which has been converted to a one bedroom, one-bathroom granny flat. 
It has recently been advertised for rent at $800 per week showing a notional yield of 11.2 per cent.
"Travelling to the southern side of Western Australia, the South-West region has been inundated with short-stay accommodation demand as border restrictions have prevented any interstate or overseas travel," the valuation firm said. 
This has been bolstered by the recent school holidays as flocks of residents from Perth and wider parts of the state head south for a holiday. 
This has played into the investor market as there has been a lot of building activity within the Margaret River region from principal homeowners constructing a studio or ancillary accommodation to rent on an AirBnB basis.
 Homeowners have been investing in their principal residence and the renovation stimulus is helping that.
"Overall though, there hasn’t been an overabundance of investors in the South-West recently. The tightening of credit surrounding investors did slow down that segment of the market in the lead up to COVID-19 and there has been no real change in the purchaser profile since the pandemic hit.
"There doesn’t seem to be a fear of the second wave at the moment as market activity remains strong amongst owner-occupiers. Hopefully our Coronavirus statistics remain low, as we have seen it can all change in a matter of days." 
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Perth rental market remains stable: HTW residential 

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Tian An LFD has launched its $320 million Auburn Square mixed-use project set in the geographical heart of Sydney, with the majority of enquiries to date stemming from first home buyers keen to secure 2020 prices and capitalise on a 0.25 per cent cash rate.
Positioned in Auburn, enquiries to date have predominantly come from young families looking to firm up their security and swap the rental market for a new home in a family friendly suburb and setting.
“What we’ve seen, is a number of buyers want the security of their own home in an established suburb that ticks all the right boxes in terms of value, quality fixtures and lifestyle, while also falling within the quality school capture zones they desire,” Mr Stewart said.
With market sentiment still reflecting uncertainty due to Covid-19, many renters are looking at these conditions as an opportunity to purchase within new developments in key growth areas which offer lifestyle, quality schools and future employment options, with home buyer grants further buoying their decisions.
Construction will soon commence on the three stage, 427 apartment development situated in the well- established and culturally-rich suburb of Auburn, which is surrounded by eight outstanding parklands and offers residents access to a number of desirable schools such as the first high rise school in NSW, the Arthur Phillip High School.
“Auburn Square will also comprise 4000 sqm of ground floor retail space, with convenient offerings set to include a medical centre and a major supermarket for ultra-convenience,” Mr Stewart said.
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Located just 250m from the train station, minutes from Auburns’ famed Eat Street and with 2000 sqm of green space and a communal podium garden on its rooftop, Auburn Square represents the height of convenience.”
The suburb will soon also be home to a new $250 million logistics park by Mirvac, which brings with it a host of new employment opportunities. Auburn’s employment hub credentials are further strengthened by its proximity to Parramatta.
Stage one will include 148 apartments in one, two and three bedroom configurations spanning 10 levels, with prices starting at $455,000 after up to $69,000 of government grants are applied.
“This is a wonderful opportunity to capitalise on the government’s new home buyer grants that are allowing many to enter the housing market for the first time,” Mr Stewart said.
Home buyers are currently only required to raise a 5 per cent deposit to secure a new property, with the Federal Government matching this with another 5 per cent and new home buyer grants delivering a further $25,000 to purchasers.
Designed by Rothelowman, each apartment had been designed for ultimate day-to-day livability and to enhance natural light, with most apartments in the first stage to be north and east facing. Each apartment has been appointed high-end finishes, contemporary design elements and premium SMEG and Westinghouse appliances. All apartments will include car spaces.
Auburn offers great transport accessibility, bountiful shopping and dining, as well as myriad lifestyle and recreation options at your fingertips, from exploring the many parklands that surround it - such as Auburn Botanic Gardens and Fauna Reserve - to strolls along the river.
Walking distance to Auburn Central Shopping Centre also offers a cinema complex and vast shopping options, as well as dining precincts that span the culinary globe.
Auburn Square’ sales suit is located at 6-8 Auburn Road and will open from 12pm 18 July 2020 with all Covid-19 safety measures in place, including an infra-red temperature reader and distancing guidelines.
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Auburn Square launched by Tian An LFD 

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Melbourne laneways are famous for its cobbled bluestone laneways. 
If we think of the bluestone in Melbourne, we may first think of the famous cobbled laneways intersecting the urban grid.
Initially, these laneways were used for the collection of night soil – human excrement collected at night from buckets or privies – and they are still useful routes for collecting rubbish and recycling bins. But laneways are increasingly being reclaimed as lively strips for cafes, bars, restaurants and galleries in the city, or re-made as <a href="https://www.ausleisure.com.au/news/city-of-melbourne-unveils-first-green-laneway/" target="_blank">gardens</a> in the suburbs.
Laneways are an important part of Melbourne’s heritage infrastructure, protected by legislation and design guides. And they are often defended by enthusiasts whenever a local council threatens to remove the bluestones or pave them over with asphalt.
The other thing we might think of when it comes to bluestone in Melbourne are landmark buildings such as Pentridge Prison (still known affectionately as the “bluestone college”) and the Old Melbourne Gaol in Russell St.
Then there is the more elegant gothic style of St Patrick’s Cathedral, or the brutal modernism of the National Gallery of Victoria. Several blocks further down St Kilda Road are the grand Victoria Barracks, festooned with gorgeous crimson Boston Ivy in autumn.
Deep bluestone foundations also underpin some of the city’s most famous sandstone buildings: the Victorian Parliament, the Treasury, the Town Hall and the Supreme Court.
These dark grey stones that line and frame its streets and buildings are an important feature of Melbourne’s urban identity. Here’s how it began.
From furious beginnings
The formations of bluestone are paradoxically both fast and slow, and begin with explosions of fire and rock.
In successive periods of <a href="https://museumsvictoria.com.au/website/melbournemuseum/discoverycentre/600-million-years/timeline/quaternary/western-district-volcanoes/index" target="_blank">volcanic activity</a> to the north and south-west of Melbourne (some from 4.5 million years ago, some as recent as 10,000 years ago), rocks and boulders were thrown up as flaming projectiles or poured out of volcanoes as molten lava.
From these furious beginnings, basalt settles into the heavy dark stones we now associate with stability and endurance.
But the consistency of bluestone varies widely, depending on how it was formed. When it cools slowly, it’s hard and smooth, with barely a flaw, or at most a delicate thread of tiny bubbles. This is the highest grade stone, used for smooth surfaces such as hearthstones and front-facing walls.
But if a flying boulder lands in water, it cools more rapidly, so pockets of gas produce bubbles, even sometimes a honey-comb effect.
The quality, colour and consistency of bluestone used in Melbourne also varies according to the quarries from which it’s sourced; or whether it comes from Australia or overseas.
Uses in Indigenous culture
Geological time is almost beyond our reckoning, though Indigenous culture and history helps us read these formations on a human scale. A stone axe-head, found deep beneath layers of volcanic ash at <a href="http://www.worngundidj.org.au/?q=tower-hill/about-reserve">Tower Hill</a>, suggests Indigenous people would have witnessed some of the volcanic activity on this site.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/281499/original/file-20190627-76705-1etkjff.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/281499/original/file-20190627-76705-1etkjff.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
A sketch from 1837 showing The Falls, a stretch of bluestone crossing the Yarra that acted as a natural bridge. (Source: State Library of Victoria)<a class="source" href="http://digital.slv.vic.gov.au/view/action/nmets.do?DOCCHOICE=295764.xml&amp;dvs=1561599813270~465&amp;locale=en_US&amp;search_terms=&amp;adjacency=&amp;VIEWER_URL=/view/action/nmets.do?&amp;DELIVERY_RULE_ID=4&amp;divType=&amp;usePid1=true&amp;usePid2=true"> </a>
Important traces of Indigenous knowledge and use of bluestone have also been discovered throughout Melbourne and elsewhere in Victoria.
For instance, bluestone was used for an eel trap system carbon-dated to 6,600 years old, developed near Lake Condah in the sacred <a href="https://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/national/budj-bim" target="_blank">Budj Bim</a> landscape.
There’s also the natural basalt-bluestone ledge across the Yarra river — known as “<a href="https://overland.org.au/2012/07/melbourne-from-the-falls/" target="_blank">The Falls</a>” — which separated fresh and salt water. It was used as a meeting place for different tribal groups, but was removed in the 1880s.
And there are basalt stones arranged as astronomical markers at <a href="https://www3.astronomicalheritage.net/index.php/show-entity?identity=15&amp;idsubentity=1" target="_blank">Wurdi Youang</a>, near Lara.
Settler buildings
Bluestone was the obvious choice <a href="https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/SiteCollectionDocuments/operating-procedure-bluestone.pdf" target="_blank">for construction</a> when Melbourne was a booming gold-rush city in the 1850s. It was cheap and plentiful, and there was convict labor to cut and haul its heavy weight.
But as early as the 1880s, bluestone had become unfashionable, perceived as too dark, somber and forbidding.
Bluestone has a somber, dark appearance – an appropriate material for the Old Melbourne Gaol.
Bluestone buildings were increasingly lightened with sandstone or white stucco edges and borders, while granite and sandstone became the stones of choice for grand public buildings.
Now, bluestone is prized again for its heritage value. But “heritage” is always a movable category, susceptible to changes in both fashion and feeling about the past.
There is something compelling about the way stone helps us think about time, history and change. As Jeffrey Jerome Cohen <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5749/j.ctt155jmth" target="_blank">observes</a>:
<blockquote>
to lay hand upon stone is to press against time in material form.
</blockquote>
Bluestone is prized today for its markers of history
In my own work <a href="https://minerva-access.unimelb.edu.au/bitstream/handle/11343/129561/Bluestone.pdf?sequence=1&amp;isAllowed=y" target="_blank">researching bluestone</a>, I’m collecting more recent personal narratives about this stone.
Many Melburnians have powerful stories about the way its characteristic square “pitchers” and long rectangular building blocks are bought and sold, collected and dispersed, recycled or moved from one site to another, from public buildings to suburban gardens and makeshift walls. It’s as if the citizens were playing a mysterious, long-range collective game of Lego.
 
Some of the most prized stones are those that seem to bear the ancient marks of wheels, or of convict labor, whether in the form of initials and arrows chiselled into the stone, or the more mundane markers of manual work.
Gardeners, builders and diggers of cellars struggle with the large “floaters” under old houses and in the gardens in the north and western suburbs, straining to lever them from the black sticky clay of the <a href="http://vro.agriculture.vic.gov.au/dpi/vro/vrosite.nsf/pages/soil_vic_contenders_black_vertosol">Merri Creek soil</a>, famously used as the basis of the MCG cricket pitch.
Melbourne’s bluestone history is not just geological and cultural: it is also an emotional one, as we constantly redefine our relationship with this distinctive stone.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/118755/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/stephanie-trigg-142520" target="_blank">Stephanie Trigg</a>, Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor of English Literature, <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/from-molten-lava-to-cobbled-laneways-how-bluestone-shaped-melbournes-identity-118755" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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From molten lava to cobbled laneways, how bluestone shaped Melbourne: Stephanie Trigg

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A development application has been lodged for a new commercial tower in Brisbane.
Cbus Property and Nielson Properties, together with Brisbane’s Raniga family, put forward the plans.
The $600 million development will be known as 205 North Quay.
Designed by architecture firms Hassell, New York-based REX and Brisbane’s Richards &amp; Spence, building will include a 25-metre lap pool, childcare facilities, a public realm auditorium, outdoor terraces on every level, and rooftop collaboration and celebration facilities.
<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/2020/7/15/205%20North%20Quay%203.jpg" alt="">
Cbus Property’s Chief Executive Officer, Adrian Pozzo, said the company was pleased to be able to formally submit the development plans, which would optimise the site’s potential and be a catalyst for activating the North Quarter of Brisbane’s CBD, bounding the city’s government precinct with Cbus Property’s prominent 1 William Street commercial tower.
“We are excited to seek planning approval from Brisbane City Council for 205 North Quay, a unique and healthy workplace that will evolve with its users into the future and create a new front door to the city, setting a design standard for others to follow in the exciting burgeoning precinct,” he said.
“The project team has been tasked with creating an office tower that. contributes to Brisbane’s identity as Australia’s New World City, helping to attract investment and tourism, embrace the Queensland lifestyle and ultimately drive the city’s economic growth. As part of this, 205 North Quay’s cutting-edge design also exceeds the council’s ‘Buildings that Breathe’ guidelines.”
<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/2020/7/15/205%20North%20Quay%202.jpg" alt="">
205 North Quay is reportedly targeting a 6 Green Star rating and 5.5 Star NABERS Energy rating.
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DA lodged for Brisbane tower 205 North Quay

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The Hunter Valley (excluding Newcastle) has witnessed a 7.7% increase in its annual dwelling sales over the 12 months to April, according to the latest CoreLogic Regional Market Update. 
The property data firm suggests Hunter Valley has recorded 6,108 dwelling sales over the year, with a 8.9% increase in its house sales. 
The unit sales has declined by 1.2% over the same period. 
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2020/5/28/hunter%201.jpg" target="_blank">Click here</a> to enlarge: 
<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/2020/5/28/hunter%201.jpg" alt="">
Source: CoreLogic 
The property data firm says the region's unit values have declined by 1.8% over the year. 
Its current median unit value sits at $330,262.  
Its median house value has increased by 2.1% over the same period to $444,639. 
A Corlette unit situated opposite the beach was sold for $345,000 in February. 
The <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-unit-nsw-corlette-132819014" target="_blank">2/161 Bagnall Beach Road </a>home (pictured below) comprises three bedrooms, two bathrooms and double garage. 
The ground floor unit is situated within a complex with a swimming pool. 
<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/2020/5/28/corlette.jpg" alt="">
A three bedroom house in Metford has recently been sold for $450,000.
The family home at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-nsw-metford-132966110" target="_blank">24 Foveaux Crescent</a> (pictured below) features modern living area, family dining room, well-equipped kitchen and alfresco deck. 
The property was last sold in 2014 for $350,000.
<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/2020/5/28/metford.jpg" alt="">
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2020/5/28/hunter%202.jpg" target="_blank">Click here</a> to enlarge: 
<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/2020/5/28/hunter%202.jpg" alt="">\
Source: CoreLogic 
The vendor discounting sits at -4.5% for houses and -4.4% for units.
At the same time last year, vendor discounting was -4.3% for houses and -3.7% for units. 
The average days on market for both house and units have noticeably increased in the past 12 months. 
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2020/5/28/hunter%20valley.jpg" target="_blank">Click here </a>to enlarge: 
<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/2020/5/28/hunter%20valley.jpg" alt="">
Source: CoreLogic 
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Hunter Valley sees increasing annual dwelling sales: CoreLogic 

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Research released by Knight Frank confirms that despite lockdowns in response to COVID-19 around the world, 153 residential real estate transactions above US$10m (AU$14.3m) have taken place globally between March and June 2020, with a total value of US$3.2bn (AU$4.6bn). 
However, despite positivity that the global super-prime market didn’t buckle during lockdown, transaction levels to the end of H1 2020 are below the levels seen in H1 2019, with 281 super-prime (US$10m+ / AU$14.3m+) transactions taking place January to June 2020 compared to 594 over the same period 2019. 
The research looks at how 12 key super-prime markets around the world performed in H1 2020 compared to H1 2019 and delves into the number of transactions completed since March 2020 when COVID-19 was officially labelled a pandemic, lockdowns were enforced around the world and international travel ceased.  
Total Transaction Volumes 
<table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="118">
Market
</td>
<td valign="top" width="118">
H1 2019
</td>
<td valign="top" width="113">
H1 2020
</td>
<td valign="top" width="132">
March – June 2019
</td>
<td valign="top" width="151">
March – June 2020
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="bottom" width="118">
Hong Kong
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="118">
155
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="113">
60
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="132">
111
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="151">
41
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="bottom" width="118">
Los Angeles
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="118">
77
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="113">
52
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="132">
58
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="151">
35
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="bottom" width="118">
New York
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="118">
137
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="113">
41
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="132">
100
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="151">
19
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="bottom" width="118">
London
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="118">
75
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="113">
24
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="132">
56
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="151">
16
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="bottom" width="118">
Palm Beach and Broward
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="118">
29
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="113">
24
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="132">
24
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="151">
10
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="bottom" width="118">
Singapore
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="118">
29
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="113">
27
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="132">
24
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="151">
8
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="bottom" width="118">
Sydney
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="118">
13
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="113">
15
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="132">
12
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="151">
6
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="bottom" width="118">
Dubai
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="118">
17
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="113">
8
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="132">
13
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="151">
6
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="bottom" width="118">
Miami
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="118">
25
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="113">
12
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="132">
16
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="151">
4
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="bottom" width="118">
Orange County
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="118">
24
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="113">
9
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="132">
21
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="151">
4
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="bottom" width="118">
Geneva
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="118">
10
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="113">
8
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="132">
9
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="151">
3
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="bottom" width="118">
Melbourne
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="118">
3
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="113">
1
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="132">
2
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="151">
1
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
Knight Frank’s Erin van Tuil, Partner, Crown Residences at One Barangaroo, said: “In half one of 2020 transactions were down in 11 of the 12 markets analysed. Sydney was the stand out market and the only one to record an increase in sales compared to half one 2019, from 13 to 15 transactions respectively.
“Looking at the period between March and June 2020, there were six sales in Sydney compared to 12 in the same period last year. However, Sydney’s super-prime market is set for a successful year thanks to its fundamentals as a city, poising it for resilience, strength and stability.”
Leading on the sales of Crown Residences at One Barangaroo, a development which will consist of 82 super-prime and ultra-prime homes, van Tuil experiences first-hand the positive performance of Sydney’s prime market, despite the effects of the pandemic. From her commentary on viewer testimonials, it is clear to see why appetite for high end homes remains.
van Tuil said: “We are receiving a record number of enquiries for Crown Residences at One Barangaroo, Australia’s first fully-integrated hotel branded residences. While we had a quieter April, we received the highest number of enquiries to date in February and June 2020, and sales are performing phenomenally well.  
“After a period of dislocation, the flight to quality property from active participants in the market has increased dramatically. Buyers are looking for a more intimate connection to their homes with space, ceiling height, privacy, services, and the beauty of a building being front of mind. These feelings are evident in viewers of Crown Residences at One Barangaroo, who are attracted by the private sanctuary of the Residences amidst the proximity to public space, with the services and amenities from the hotel below having become more appealing than ever.”
Overall, four markets were within seven of their March to June 2019 levels of transactions, Melbourne only one below, Geneva six below and Dubai seven below, with a total of six sales. 
Total Sales Volume 
Despite the falling number of transactions, deal values were generally higher. Overall, the global average transaction value increased by 15 percent for the March to June period, at US$20.7m (AU$29.6m) compared to US$18m (AU$25.8m) for the same period in 2019.
Sydney recorded a significant rise in average transaction value to US$16.8m (AU$24m), up from US$12.6m (AU$18m) in 2019, an increase of 33 percent. London saw the largest increase and takes the top spot with an average transaction value of US$38m (AU$54.5m), compared to US$16.9m (AU$24.2m) over the same period as last year.  
<table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="218">
Market
</td>
<td valign="top" width="218">
Total Sales Volume March - June 2019 (US$ million)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="218">
Total Sales Volume March - June 2020 (US$ million)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="bottom" width="218">
Hong Kong
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="218">
2,351 
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="218">
812 
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="bottom" width="218">
Los Angeles
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="218">
1,098 
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="218">
693 
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="bottom" width="218">
New York
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="218">
1,793 
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="218">
363 
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="bottom" width="218">
London
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="218">
944 
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="218">
608 
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="bottom" width="218">
Palm Beach and Broward
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="218">
333 
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="218">
170 
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="bottom" width="218">
Singapore
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="218">
454 
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="218">
130 
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="bottom" width="218">
Sydney
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="218">
152 
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="218">
101 
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="bottom" width="218">
Dubai
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="218">
173 
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="218">
80 
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="bottom" width="218">
Miami
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="218">
255 
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="218">
52 
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="bottom" width="218">
Orange County
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="218">
309 
</td>
<td valign="bottom" width="218">
59 
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
However, Hong Kong ranks highest for the number of transactions and total sales volume with 60 having taken place in 2020 so far worth a combined US$1.2bn (AU$1.7bn). There have been 41 since March and, whilst this is less than half of the 155 in the first half of 2019, it is only marginally down from the 74 in the second half of 2019 when the city grappled with social unrest. 
New York has the third highest number of super-prime sales this year with 41, behind 52 in Los Angeles, and almost half of these (19) have taken place since March. With the city being particularly hard hit by COVID-19, accounting for approximately one in six of all US cases in April, this demonstrates resilience and that the fundamentals remain.
Ultra-Prime Market (US$25m / AU$35.8m)
The research also takes a look at the ultra-prime market (above US$25m / AU$35.8m) in these 12 areas. It highlights that eight of these markets saw one or more transactions in the ultra-prime market over the March to June 2020 period. Two saw more sales than the same period last year and two held steady, with a total of US$1.3bn (AU$1.8m) transacted.  
<table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="218">
Market
</td>
<td valign="top" width="218">
Total Transactions March - June 2019
</td>
<td valign="top" width="226">
Total Transactions March - June 2020
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" nowrap width="218">
Hong Kong
</td>
<td valign="top" nowrap width="218">
20
</td>
<td valign="top" nowrap width="226">
8
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" nowrap width="218">
London
</td>
<td valign="top" nowrap width="218">
6
</td>
<td valign="top" nowrap width="226">
6
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" nowrap width="218">
Los Angeles
</td>
<td valign="top" nowrap width="218">
12
</td>
<td valign="top" nowrap width="226">
5
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" nowrap width="218">
New York
</td>
<td valign="top" nowrap width="218">
16
</td>
<td valign="top" nowrap width="226">
3
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" nowrap width="218">
Palm Beach and Broward
</td>
<td valign="top" nowrap width="218">
1
</td>
<td valign="top" nowrap width="226">
2
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" nowrap width="218">
Geneva
</td>
<td valign="top" nowrap width="218">
2
</td>
<td valign="top" nowrap width="226">
2
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" nowrap width="218">
Sydney
</td>
<td valign="top" nowrap width="218">
0
</td>
<td valign="top" nowrap width="226">
1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" nowrap width="218">
Singapore
</td>
<td valign="top" nowrap width="218">
3
</td>
<td valign="top" nowrap width="226">
1
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
Sydney went from zero sales above US$25m (AU$35.8m) in March to June 2019 to one over the same period in 2020. Hong Kong has once again seen the highest number of ultra-prime sales in this time period with eight and a total of 10 so far in 2020, down from 30 in the first half of 2019. However, in terms of total volume of sales, London leads the way with US$434m (AU$621.2m) in sales followed by Hong Kong’s US$372m (AU$532.4m).
van Tuil said: “We expect momentum in the ultra-prime segment will continue as ultra-high-net-worth individuals look for more spacious options post-lockdown. The 82 Residences at Crown Residences at One Barangaroo offer a mix of homes within the super-prime and ultra-prime segments. Viewers are looking across these segments at the two, three and four bedroom Residences that we have remaining on the market, as well as the breath-taking Duplex Penthouse.”
Mark Manners, Head of Prestige Residential, Knight Frank Australia, concludes: “Global events like the COVID-19 pandemic can disrupt sales processes. However, you tend to find sales are postponed, rather than cancelled. Super – prime and ultra-prime property is viewed as a safe investment for the long-term, so buyer interest has not dampened and is expected to increase as markets continue to exit lockdown.”
 
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Sydney’s super-prime residential market outperforms expectations despite COVID-19 lockdowns 

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Twisted Dessert Bar has agreed terms on a new lease over a single level retail property at Fitzroy in Melbourne’s inner north in a deal brokered by Teska Carson’s Reece Israel.  
The 329 Brunswick Street property comprises a 130 square metre retail premises with several metres frontage to Brunswick Street and rear laneway access via a roller shutter door.
Mr Israel said the property was leased on a three year term with two x three year options at $35,000 per annum net.
He said the tenant had been in the market for a well located space in terms of both amenity and access.
"The property is located in one of Melbourne’s most popular restaurant, fashion and entertainment precincts just ten minutes from the centre of Melbourne. It is also close to the Eastern Freeway and has trams running past the front door.
"It was a great fit for the tenant’s requirements,’’ Mr Israel said.
The lessor is a Melbourne based investor.
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Twisted Dessert Bar takes Fitzroy's Brunswick Street lease

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During the early panic-stricken days of COVID-19 in March, a number of agents in Western Victoria and southwestern South Australia advised of cropping and grazing buyers pulling offers on properties going to tender due to the significant uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, according to the June Herron Todd White (HTW) rural report.
The valuation firm looked at the influence of trade wars, pandemic outcomes and commodity prices on the rural sector, and provided an update of how rural real estate is performing across locations and industries. 
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"Weeks on, those offers being pulled from the market really seem immaterial as the properties sold regardless and farmers more generally have gained confidence that they are a required essential service, maybe more so than ever.  They are also probably the least likely to be stopped in their tracks due to social distancing requirements," the valuation firm said.
The current depth of demand in the market for cropping and grazing land is significant and demand still far outweighs supply in most areas.
Cropping and grazing farmers in this region have been lucky in recent times to avoid the bushfires and droughts of the recent past and continue to go about their daily business on farm.
Many farmers are currently getting ready to or have already started to sow their winter crops.
The report notes sales remain few and far between due to a limited supply to the market but every sale appears to be setting a new benchmark with cropping country in the Wimmera reaching over $9880 per hectare for smaller parcels and grazing land down south well over $12,350 per hectare.
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Labour shortages may be an issue for the more northern fruit picking markets but from all reports, this region appears to be attracting its sons and daughters back to farms from hospitality and associated city lives during this crisis.
"With reports of daughters driving tractors and kids helping move sheep, ag is looking sexier than ever to some of the younger generation who are starting to appreciate the lucky country we live in," the valuation firm said. 
Some of the more intensive asset classes in this region are having mixed results from the pandemic, the report suggested. 
Vegetable producers in particular and producers supplying the major supermarkets struggled to keep up with demand during the early days of hoarding which resulted in a spike in vegetable prices to the farm gate.
On the flip side, those exporting produce overseas or selling into premium markets have been hard hit and left with excess produce in some instances. This is especially evident in the wine regions of the Coonawarra and Barossa where wineries, cellar doors and many associated food and tourism businesses have been decimated by the closure of their export or local markets and tourism.
The report notes the flow on effect to producers is evident. It is these sub-regions and intensive businesses that are generally the source of the largest proportion of employment in these areas.
"The impacts of the pandemic will likely have a lasting impact on these local economies, however, the Australian ag sector more generally remains incredibly resilient and it will likely take more than this pandemic to keep it down," the valuation firm said. 
<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/2020/7/13/vic%20valley%201.jpg" alt="">
A current listing is a lifestyle property nestled in the centre of the Grampian Ranges. 
The<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-acreage+semi-rural-vic-victoria+valley-132026966" target="_blank"> 2633 Victoria Valley Road, Victoria Valley</a> property (pictured above) has been listed with a price guide of $760,000.
Set on near 18ha, the property comprises of a three bedroom residence, airstrip, shearing sheds, aircraft hangar and workshop. 
<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/2020/7/13/mefeking.jpg" alt="">
A 32ha lifestyle property set on the foothills of the Grampians National Park has recently been sold for $210,000.
The <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-other-vic-mafeking-700076566" target="_blank">145 Regulating Basin Road, Mafeking</a> property (pictured above) features sound boundary fencing, native trees, dam and Grampians views. 
 
 
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Western Victoria and southeastern South Australia rural markets remain resilient during COVID-19 pandemic: HTW rural 

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Residential dwellings in Melbourne's outer south-eastern suburbs such as Officer, Clyde and Berwick fall within the $700,000 budget, according to the July Herron Todd White (HTW) residential report. 
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The valuation firm took a look at how a budget of $700,000 could be invested in property markets across the nation. 
The report notes these suburbs offer plenty of choices for those looking to buy as there are many newer estates in these areas.
A brand- new house and land package can range from $500,000 to $650,000.
Latest figures show that the median house prices for Officer, Clyde and Berwick are $557,000, $566,500 and $687,000 and depending on the size, location and specifications, can generate rental yields of 4.5 per cent, 3.71 per cent and 3.1 per cent respectively.
A four bedroom house in Berwick has recently been sold for $640,000.
Positioned on a 618sqm block, the family home at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-vic-berwick-133901110" target="_blank">21 Shaftsbury Avenue</a> (pictured below) features two living areas, two bathrooms, and large pergola area. 
It is situated within walking distance to parks, public transport and shops. 
<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/2020/8/10/berwick.jpg" alt="">
"The recent crisis has rocked buyers’ confidence, with many facing issues of job security," the valuation firm said. 
The government has since introduced a new Home Builder Scheme for those looking to either build a new home or renovate, as homeowners will be given a $25,000 incentive which has been designed to boost the construction industry as it recovers from the effects of COVID-19.
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<div>
House and land packages in these urban growth zones are attractive to first home buyers and young families as they allow flexibility in designing homes to cater to their individual needs, the report noted. 
"In more established areas such as Cheltenham, Oakleigh and Mentone, housing prices start from $960,000 for houses and $600,000 for units," the valuation firm said. 
These areas in the south-east generally yield high sales and rental prices as they are among the most sought after suburbs to live in as they are generally close to public transport, major shopping centres and the CBD.
A current listing is a three bedroom apartment in Cheltenham with sea views. 
The modern apartment at 609/6 Railway Road (pictured below) has been listed for sale with a price guide of $680,000.
It comprises three bedroom, two bathrooms, open plan kitchen and living room area. 
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What $700,000 can buy in southeastern Melbourne: HTW residential 

Around 400 additional homes could be built at Southwark Grounds on Port Road, lifting total site capacity from 1300 to around 1700 dwellings.

A recently approved code amendment would allow apartment towers of up to 14 storeys in some areas of Renewal SA’s redevelopment of the former West End Brewery.

Renewal SA Acting Chief Executive Shane Wingard said he welcomed the code amendment, with the increase in heights and homes making a positive impact on the supply of high-quality, well-connected housing close to the city.

“By going higher across some parts of Southwark Grounds, we are adding a substantial number of very well-located homes with little impact on project delivery time or planned open space,” Mr Wingard said.

Since the project officially launched in 2025, Mr Wingard said more than 12,000 enquiries had been received about living at Southwark Grounds.

“The very strong early interest we’ve seen since homes were first released in the precinct reinforces our plans to create more housing opportunities,” he said.

The Southwark Grounds code amendment was launched in December last year, with community engagement undertaken over five weeks from January.

It proposed increasing maximum building heights from eight to 14 storeys on the eastern section of Southwark Grounds, and to 12 storeys across the remainder of the site, with minimum building heights ranging from two to four storeys.

The code amendment was implemented through an Early Commencement policy in late January, allowing developers to quickly explore the viability of increased height and housing yield while other planning processes continue.

One of the first developers delivering apartment sites have already finalised redesigns to increase the number of apartments following the code amendment.

Samaras’ development adjacent to the future Colonel Light Park is now planning to deliver 125 apartments across 11 storeys, significantly greater than original plans of around 50 apartments across four storeys.

The developer is also exploring the potential for additional affordable housing outcomes.

Most of the apartments at Southwark Grounds will be delivered within a master-planned precinct on a large parcel of land on the eastern portion of the site, covering around two-thirds of its 8.4 hectares.

Wingard said detailed precinct planning over the coming months may identify further opportunities to increase yield further that could see total apartment numbers at Southwark Grounds, exceed this number.

Affordable homes at Southwark Grounds will also see a net increase, with Renewal SA maintaining its commitment to a minimum of 20 per cent affordable housing across the development.

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Civil works have begun across the site, with construction under way on the first new roads surrounding a townhouse precinct in the south‑west corner of Southwark Grounds. This includes Renewal SA’s 17 Founder’s Row homes, which are on track for completion by Christmas.

“We expect to have people living at Southwark Grounds by the end of the year, so delivering roads and public spaces for those residents is among our highest priorities.”

Construction of 40 townhouses off Anderson Street, known as West Village and being delivered by Contour, is forecast to begin in mid‑2026. Kolabb’s Anderson Lane development will follow shortly after, delivering a further 26 townhouses.

Southwark Grounds is a state government‑led urban renewal project now set to deliver around 1,700 homes over the next decade.

Homes will be supported by a supermarket, a range of retail and hospitality offerings anchored by a revitalised Walkerville Brew Tower, a childcare centre, car parking and well‑connected public spaces.

Joel Robinson

400 new homes planned for Adelaide's former West End Brewery site

Brisbane developer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/cavcorp">Cavcorp</a> has lodged plans for a new mixed-use residential development at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/55-wyandra-street-teneriffe-qld-4005">55 Wyandra Street</a>, Teneriffe, anchored by an 85-metre public laneway designed to reconnect the suburb’s riverfront with the Gasworks precinct.

The buildings, known as Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane, would replace the existing Queensland Cotton head office site with a 15-storey residential tower transitioning to eight storeys toward Helen Street. The project has been designed by Plazibat Architects and lodged as a code assessable development application for 93 apartments across a 3,401 sqm mixed-use site within the Newstead and Teneriffe Waterfront neighbourhood plan.

Central to the scheme is the transformation of an existing service easement into a publicly accessible cross-block connection linking Wyandra and Helen Streets. Cavcorp says the new laneway will act as both a pedestrian shortcut and a landscaped civic space between the Teneriffe Riverwalk, ferry terminal, and Gasworks precinct.

<img alt="First Look: Cavcorp unveils Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane plans for landmark wellness tower in Teneriffe" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="26e7f058-b065-4de8-b13d-a2b8cb64dfcc" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/bldg.png?VersionId=sELS0ZKYi361oYipUa1BIKfe_.DLZoFV" />

“The revised proposal delivers a legacy public-realm cross-block link, permanently secured for community use, transforming an existing private easement into a safe, high-quality pedestrian connection between the Teneriffe heritage riverwalk and the Gasworks–Long Island precinct,” the planning report states.

The laneway will sit beneath a large subtropical loggia integrated into the podium levels of the development. The design incorporates deep landscaping, water gardens, lobby spaces, business lounges, and ground-floor apartments to create what Cavcorp describes as a climate-responsive “urban verandah.”

The tower itself has been designed as a slender form with recessed floorplates and curved translucent corners inspired by contemporary Japanese architecture. The building height aligns with the Commercial Road precinct controls, which permit towers up to 15 storeys within proximity to Longland Street.

<img alt="First Look: Cavcorp unveils Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane plans for landmark wellness tower in Teneriffe" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a8a17d40-43b6-4718-b3fd-67676fcbb485" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/pers%202_1.png?VersionId=i3VwDtp5AmL_8InW7w4qRbDFEpb744Jt" />

The project will comprise a mix of larger-format apartments aimed at owner-occupiers, downsizers, and families. The proposed apartment mix includes 11 loggia apartments across the lower levels, 50 four-bedroom Sky-Terrace apartments from levels three to seven, and 32 Sky-Pool Homes occupying the upper tower levels. The Sky-Pool Homes will feature private thermal plunge pools integrated into oversized balconies.

According to the application, the apartments are intended to reinterpret the scale and character of Teneriffe’s woolstore conversions and Queensland homes within a vertical residential format.

“The sky-pool homes build on Cavcorp’s previous projects and introduce a distinct apartment typology to Teneriffe, informed by both local and international precedent and responding to an identified market demand for enhanced safety, space and amenity,” the planning submission notes.

A major focus of the proposal is its five-level wellness and lifestyle offering, extending from the basement through to the rooftop.

Amenities proposed include a rooftop Swim &amp; Racquet Club with a 25-metre Olympic lap pool and tennis court, coworking spaces and libraries, golf simulators, wine storage, concierge facilities, business lounges, pet wash areas, and rooftop longevity-focused wellness spaces with spas, outdoor fitness zones, and landscaped terraces.

<img alt="First Look: Cavcorp unveils Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane plans for landmark wellness tower in Teneriffe" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="944b352c-49b9-4247-a4c6-5967b4b69fda" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/amenity.png?VersionId=Ed_qKjAtMwFT.5gfl3jiA9QwdWxSMsaX" />

All parking will be concealed within basement levels accessed from Wyandra and Helen Streets. Cavcorp says the deep-basement engineering approach allows the entire ground plane to prioritise landscaping, pedestrian movement, and active frontage rather than vehicle infrastructure.

The development continues Cavcorp’s concentration in Newstead and Teneriffe, where the Brisbane developer has delivered a number of apartment projects including Lucent, Le Bain, and Luminare, as well as the Long Island Wellness Precinct nearby. Several of those projects have received national design and architecture awards, including recognition under Brisbane’s “Buildings that Breathe” program.

Cavcorp unveils wellness-focused Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane apartment buildings

Focus Group Investments has lodged plans for a new apartment development at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/64-70-hanover-street-fitzroy-vic-3065">64–70 Hanover Street</a> in Fitzroy, seeking to utilise the Victorian Government’s recently introduced Great Design Fast Track pathway to accelerate approvals for the project.

The proposal is among the latest developments to emerge through the state-led initiative, which was established to fast-track well-designed residential projects in activity centres and transport-connected inner-city locations. The pathway allows qualifying developments that meet elevated design and housing benchmarks to bypass traditional council planning timeframes and instead be assessed directly by the Department of Transport and Planning.

Designed by SJB, the development will comprise a mix of apartments above activated lower levels, with a strong focus on architectural articulation, landscaping, and communal amenity. The design response seeks to balance the industrial character of Richmond’s former warehouse precincts with a more contemporary residential form.

<img alt="First look: Focus Group Investments taps Victoria’s Great Design Fast Track for Richmond apartments" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="abea51cc-d85b-479e-9aef-a589f3b37ca7" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/ground.png?VersionId=e1Kf8EyPWwyiVumtqQ4rM5S4GpOR3CCz" />

Proposed are 63 new dwellings, a wide ranging mix of studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, and townhouses and duplexes. They will be spread across a part-three, part-eight storey building.

The Planning and Urban Context Report by Tract says the development is of an "exemplary architectural standard" and has been carefully crafted by SJB Architects.

"Dwellings&nbsp;will benefit from excellent access to natural light, cross-ventilation opportunities and extensive communal space," the report noted.

The architectural material highlights the project’s integration of landscaped elements and communal spaces throughout the building. The proposal also incorporates sustainability initiatives aligned with the Victorian Government’s push for higher-performing apartment developments under the fast-track program.

The Great Design Fast Track was unveiled by the Victorian Government in 2024 as part of a broader housing supply strategy aimed at accelerating the delivery of new homes. Projects assessed through the pathway must demonstrate high-quality architecture, sustainability outcomes, and housing diversity while being located close to public transport and existing infrastructure.

<img alt="First look: Focus Group Investments taps Victoria’s Great Design Fast Track for Richmond apartments" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="afdbe834-8dc4-4a77-a943-ba07bc927348" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/site_11.png?VersionId=0J657j.TaChAZfp93wqJYBTqSsnREJx2" />

Focus Group, founder and led by Paul De Lutiis, is increasingly active across Melbourne’s inner suburbs, targeting well-connected urban renewal locations suited to medium and higher-density residential development. The Fitzroy proposal continues that strategy, leveraging the area’s strong transport links, established retail amenity, and proximity to the CBD.

Fitzroy has been one of the most popular spots for developers and buyers in recent years. The likes of PACE Development Group, SMA Projects, Crema Group and Chapter Group, currently selling projects in the suburb.

First look: Focus Group Investments taps Victoria’s Great Design Fast Track for Fitzroy apartments

The Gold Coast Planning Committee has supported the preliminary approval for the Benowa Gardens Urban Village project following an extensive community consultation and assessment process.

The proposal will now proceed to a full council vote on June 2.

The application sought approval for a masterplanned urban village on the existing Benowa Gardens Shopping Centre site, combining new housing, retail, dining, health and lifestyle amenities within a walkable, integrated precinct.&nbsp;

The proposed redevelopment includes around 413 apartments integrated above a revitalised mixed-use centre featuring a full-line supermarket of 4,000 sqm, 6,000 sqm of specialty retail and dining space across around 30 retailers, a 7,000 sqm health and wellness precinct, and roughly 9,630 sqm of office and medical suites.&nbsp;

<img alt="$1b Benowa Gardens Urban Village moves to Full Council following Planning Committee support" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fb36ae47-80bc-45f0-9914-31b0c7b6007d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/PR26576%20Ashmore%20Road%20C4%201121%20FI.jpg?VersionId=6mRKk2uU4r67TmTt39DKGUlvFRbTVqWa" />

The broader masterplan also includes very significant traffic and transport improvements, wide pedestrian walkways, upgraded pedestrian and cycle connections, and enhanced public areas designed to create a more connected and walkable community environment.&nbsp;

Centre owner Patrick Lu said the milestone reflected months of detailed planning, technical assessment and ongoing communication with local residents, businesses, schools and stakeholders.

“We appreciate the time, consideration and care Council officers and the Planning Committee have given this proposal throughout the assessment process,” Lu said.

“We also sincerely thank the local community for engaging with us, sharing feedback and participating in the consultation process over many months.

<img alt="$1b Benowa Gardens Urban Village moves to Full Council following Planning Committee support" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="32fd1fc3-d0e6-485f-ac57-9916c9bcb818" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/PR26576%20Ashmore%20Road%20C5%201121%20FI_2.jpg?VersionId=fz8qQKDBLQ7MyFRc856Zccfbh9nFwLOe" />

“We understand projects of this scale bring questions and concerns, which is why we have worked hard to listen carefully, provide information transparently and continue refining elements of the proposal where possible.

“Our vision has always been to create a well-designed, community-focused urban village that responds to the changing needs of the Gold Coast, while delivering improved amenity, housing diversity, healthcare access and local lifestyle benefits.

“This proposal is about creating a genuine live-work-play environment where residents can access everyday services, schools, healthcare, dining, shopping and green space within walking distance, while also supporting local jobs and economic activity.”

<img alt="$1b Benowa Gardens Urban Village moves to Full Council following Planning Committee support" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="50dfbd04-590e-4fc6-983b-766880947867" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Dining%20Day%20Time%20-%20High%20Resolution.jpg?VersionId=BP7ZoKJ0DdL_8iRkkC8VVx99moICV6kg" />

Lu said the proposal had evolved significantly through consultation and technical review, particularly around traffic, pedestrian and student safety and neighbourhood connectivity.&nbsp;

Melissa Griffin, Director at Urbis, said the recommendation recognised the strategic importance of delivering more housing and services within established urban areas already supported by infrastructure.

“This proposal represents the type of thoughtful, integrated growth that planning frameworks across South-East Queensland are encouraging,” Ms Griffin said.

“The project seeks to place housing, retail, healthcare and employment opportunities together in a highly accessible location close to schools, transport and existing services.

“Importantly, the process has involved significant technical assessment and community engagement to ensure local issues and feedback were properly considered throughout the planning pathway.”

$1 billion Benowa Gardens Urban Village heads to council vote following Planning Committee support

Surfers Paradise is officially set for its first new residential development with a 45-storey skybridge connecting the two towers.

John Camilleri’s Celestino Developments has been given the green light by the Gold Coast City Council to develop its major beachfront precinct across its huge 4,000 sqm oceanfront site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/63-79-garfield-terrace-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">63–79 Garfield Terrace</a>, just five months after its <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/first-look-exclusive-billionaire-winx-breeder-s-bold-two-tower-surfers-paradise-play-with-45th-storey-skybridge">submission in late 2025</a>.

The approved scheme will deliver two towers rising 55 and 48 storeys, connected by a skybridge positioned on level 45 that will house a range of resident-only wellness and entertainment spaces.

In its notice of approval, the Gold Coast City Council said the&nbsp;proposed overall built form has been designed to complement the scale, intensity and protect the adjacent amenity and surrounding streets through the use of varied setbacks, site cover and architectural elements.

<img alt="First look exclusive: Billionaire Winx breeder’s bold two-tower Surfers Paradise play with 45th-storey skybridge" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/f_auto,c_limit,w_1440,q_75/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/field/image/Screenshot%202025-12-30%20at%209.53.48%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=ADyPJ_TFbJvSU9wZFOiCBnlPtgF7VWqW" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/dbi">DBI</a>, the development will comprise 275 apartments across the two towers, including a mix of two-, three-, and four-bedroom residences, as well as several penthouses. The apartments will sit above a landscaped podium featuring more than 90 metres of beachfront pool frontage, private resident lawns, lounges, and wellness spaces.

DBI said the design draws heavily from the movement and form of the coastal environment, with curving balcony lines and sculpted façades intended to soften the scale of the towers while maximising ocean outlooks and passive shading outcomes.

“The project occupies a rare, uninterrupted oceanfront site and has been shaped by a design philosophy that merges architectural elegance with environmental responsiveness and a carefully curated lifestyle experience,” DBI said in planning documents submitted to the Gold Coast City Council.

The most distinctive element of the approved project is the skybridge linking the two towers at level 45. The elevated communal space is planned to include executive lounges, formal dining areas, wellness facilities, and panoramic ocean-facing outlooks.

“The skybridge enhances the identity of the development, promotes social interaction, and delivers a lifestyle experience not found elsewhere on the Gold Coast,” DBI said.

At podium level, residents will have access to a suite of resort-style amenities, including resident lounges, private dining rooms, a yoga lawn, gymnasium, plunge pools, and treatment spaces. The beachfront pool has been designed with separate lap, lounge, and children’s areas extending across the width of the site.

The project will also introduce new food and beverage offerings along the Enderley Avenue and Oceanway frontages, contributing additional activation to the beachfront precinct.

Staff reporter

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