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Just near North Cottesloe beach, a Cottesloe three bedroom house with ocean views has been relisted for sale.
It is offered through Justin Wallace from Wallace Real Estate, who had thought it had been sold in January.
It as first listed in 2016 seeking offers in the mid $3 millions.
"Just a stone's throw to the North Cottesloe Surf Club, surrounded by restaurants and pubs and with the Eric Street Shopping Centre around the corner, this home truly captures the essence of beachfront living," said Justin Wallace.
<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/2018/4/12/WA%202.jpg" alt="">
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-cottesloe-122835798" target="_blank">Situated at 1/154 Marine Parade</a>, Cottesloe, the Western Australian home comes with three bedrooms, open plan kitchen and living, and north facing alfresco.
With floor to ceiling glass bi-fold doors surrounding the open plan kitchen, dining and living areas, the views can be enjoyed all day long. 
<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/2018/4/12/WA%203.jpg" alt="">
Extra features include the plunge pool, reverse cycle air conditions, and double block electric blinds.
The early 1980s offering last traded in 2007 at $2.5 million when sold by Claudia Keech.
It is in a tightly held triplex.
<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/2018/4/12/WA%204.jpg" alt="">
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Second chance for North Cottesloe triplex offering

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Park soccer, social cricket and street basketball bring the public spaces of our cities to life. For many of the most marginalised communities, access to public space for sport is crucial for developing and maintaining a sense of belonging. But as populations grow and competition for playing fields, courts and parks becomes fiercer, many communities are losing access to their sporting spaces.
Our research project is exploring informal team sport, social inclusion and urban space in Sydney and two other cities, Singapore and London.
Just turn up and play
We are focusing on “pick-up sport” – regular or semi-regular team sports played in public spaces where people join in on a “turn up and play” basis.
On Friday nights in Sydney’s Blacktown, people of all ages from Filipino and African backgrounds play basketball in neighbourhood stadiums and public courts. In Redfern, Aboriginal youth play street ball on outdoor playgrounds in a rapidly gentrifying neighbourhood.
Ashfield Park in Sydney’s inner west comes alive in the late afternoons as Sudanese, Nepalese, Indian, Chinese, Afghan, Iranian and Turkish people gather for park soccer. On Friday nights, a group of Colombian men play against Chileans. Both groups wear homemade team jerseys. On Sunday afternoons in summer the informal Sydney Nepalese Soccer Club uses the park to train. Later in the evening, men from Nepal and India play social cricket.
These games have histories. Many of the players have gathered weekly for years. In some cases, informal teams have evolved into official ethnic leagues.
For new arrivals, getting involved in pick-up sport can be an important first step into the friendships and social networks that help a newcomer with settlement, integration and belonging.
Structured sport programs are often used to increase community cohesion and assist migrant settlement. However, many marginalised city inhabitants prefer informal sport to official club sport.
Registration costs, language barriers and stigmatisation of racial minorities – including Aboriginal youth – make joining an official club difficult. For transient groups, like temporary migrants, the constraints of organised club sport are prohibitive. And, of course, women face a number of barriers to participating in sport. For many, just finding and registering for a formal neighbourhood team is a leap into the unknown.
Pick-up sport, on the other hand, allows for relaxed rhythms of encounter. These unhurried interactions allow space for the “slow cook” that is needed for new forms of community and “multicultural conviviality” to emerge.
Interactions across ethnic and socioeconomic lines, and between newly arrived and longer-term residents, help city communities to thrive. Pick-up sport provides the perfect opportunity for this.
‘Sorry you can’t play here’
But this social activity is increasingly under threat. The threat is palpable for one group of migrant and refugee men we have been observing in Sydney’s inner west.
They have been playing social soccer in the same park for over a decade. The players come from Afro-Caribbean, Chinese, Afghan, Iranian, Turkish, Nepalese and South American backgrounds. They are a mixture of longer-time immigrants and relative newcomers, including refugees and international students, with ages ranging from early 20s to 60s. The group is always evolving as people come and go.
For these men, playing soccer gives them a real sense of community and belonging. It also cultivates an openness to meeting new people who regularly join in.
Their games have run through summer, while official club games run over winter. Traditionally, this sporting ground has been happily shared between the formal and informal teams. However, the council has recently started renting the fields for private summer competitions and training, ending its support for “time share” between paid and unpaid use.
The group of men were reportedly politely told “sorry you can’t play here” and that the clubs were paying, had booked the space, and thus had a “right” to it. The team has since been forced to play on sloping bumpy ground among the trees.
These displaced players feel angry, marginalised and discriminated against. Their long-term use of the space was not recognised, nor was the social value their activity brings to the area.
This story is repeated around Sydney and across the country as sporting clubs compete for space and increasingly cash-strapped local councils look for ways to increase revenue. We met a social soccer team of young Muslim girls who were displaced because, they were told, the council needed funds from paying club sport to maintain the fields.
Meanwhile the New South Wales state government is pushing ahead with plans to spend over $2 billion on two major Sydney stadiums, despite considerable community backlash.
These commercialising forces ultimately undermine the social benefits of both formal and informal sport and the inclusivity of cities.
Counting the cost
Beyond sport, these instances raise important questions about urban planning, gentrification and the privatisation of public space. These forces have real consequences for the formation of new communities and integration in diverse cities.
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/92352/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">As the sociologist Iris Marion Young argues in her book, Justice and the Politics of Difference, public space is where the city’s strangers come together. Sport can produce great community benefits. We urge planners and politicians to consider the important role that open spaces have for informal social team sport in enhancing community cohesion in our big cities.
Amanda Wise, Associate professor, Macquarie University
Keith Parry, Senior Lecturer in Sport Management, Western Sydney University
Kristine Aquino, Lecturer in Global Studies, University of Technology Sydney
Sarah Neal, Professor of Sociology, University of Sheffield
Selvaraj Velayutham, Senior lecturer, Macquarie University
This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/pushing-casual-sport-to-the-margins-threatens-cities-social-cohesion-92352" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Pushing casual sport to the margins threatens cities' social cohesion

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GUEST OBSERVATION
The chairwoman and CEO of AMP have resigned after the company admitted to charging for advice never provided and lying to clients and regulators. But no banking CEOs have been toppled despite the Financial Services Royal Commission unearthing instances of fraud, bribery, impersonating customers, failures to report misconduct to regulators and other poor behaviour.
Similar conduct in the United States has resulted in bank executives and directors being forced to resign. That this is not happening in Australia shows how the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) aren’t using their full powers to take action on the banks’ bad behaviour.
APRA already has the power under the Banking Act to remove someone from a bank board and install its own nominee. The recently enacted Banking Executive Accountability Regime has given APRA more power to remove directors and install new ones.
So ASIC and APRA are not bedevilled by a lack of power, but by a lack of willpower.
In 1998 the Wallis Inquiry hived off the consumer protection and market conduct functions from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and gave these to ASIC. Professor Ian Harper, a member of the inquiry, now concedes that may have been an error.
The ACCC is an excellent regulator, with a long history of being a tough cop. Handing the consumer protection and market conduct function back to the ACCC is a step that federal Treasurer Scott Morrison should take now.
The royal commission heard that a Commonwealth Bank subsidiary was billing customers for ongoing service after their deaths. But no executives have been sacked for this.
Indeed, Matt Comyn, who was responsible for this division from 2012 onwards, has been promoted to Commonwealth Bank CEO. Former CEO Ian Narev has been permitted to sail off into the sunset with bonuses intact.
This shows ASIC is the same, or worse, than what it was in 2014: a timid, hesitant regulator, too quick to accept the assurances of regulated entities.
Despite United States authorities being widely regarded as weak in standing up to their banks, American CEOs are being held accountable.
Take the example of John Stumpf, chairman and CEO of Wells Fargo, the biggest retail bank in the US. Under his direction Wells Fargo staff had been opening multiple accounts for clients, with neither their knowledge nor their consent, and then charged account-keeping fees.
When the scandal hit, Stumpf was hauled before the US Senate. He performed so disastrously that the board told him he needed to go straight away.
No one is suggesting Stumpf knew about the fraud, or that Comyn knew that CBA was charging fees for advice to dead people. But Stumpf’s misstep caused his departure. Why is no one suggesting Comyn must go?
This is the true state of the Australian financial sector: bank executives and CEOs who could be facing criminal charges, and should have resigned, don’t even acknowledge the buck stops with them.
Regulatory failure
And if there is any doubt about the need to get cracking, here is the knockout blow: UBS has downgraded Westpac shares because the royal commission revealed that the percentage of “liar loans” in the bank’s A$400 billion loan book may be much higher than stated, or even than Westpac itself is aware of.
This is the culmination of ten years of cowboy behaviour in a financial system that now resembles the Wild West.
This is what happens when compliance culture breaks down, which in turn is a function of regulatory oversight and enforcement. Put differently, our regulators have failed to act for so long that the problem is assuming systemic proportions.
What will be interesting to see is whether the APRA inquiry is another whitewash. I half suspect that if it failed to excoriate CBA it would look pretty silly.
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/95772/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">Let’s hope the panellists understand that. But if they don’t, then they must be called out.
Andrew Schmulow, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law, University of Western Australia
This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/apra-and-asic-have-the-legal-power-to-sack-bank-heads-but-they-need-willpower-95772" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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APRA and ASIC have the legal power to sack bank heads, but they need willpower: Andrew Schmulow

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Multiplex has been appointed by the Trades Hall &amp; Literary Institute to work on the Trades Hall Living Heritage Project, funded by the State Government of Victoria.
Multiplex will undertake restoration and refurbishment works to the historic three-level Trades Hall building in Victoria Street, Carlton.
Victoria’s Trades Hall is Australia’s oldest and largest trades hall. The prominent Carlton landmark continues to serve as a hub for union organisation
It was constructed in 10 stages, the most significant occurring between 1876 to 1925.
The Trades Hall Living Heritage Project is led by architect and heritage consultant Lovell Chen.
The project focuses on conservation works and refurbishment for the main public spaces in the 3,800 square metre heritage-listed building.
Works include refurbishment to the New Council Chamber and building services upgrades.
A key driver of the project is to open up the historic building and enable public access.
“We are delighted to be appointed to restore Trades Hall and breathe new life into this historic Carlton building,” said Graham Cottam, Regional Managing Director Multiplex Victoria.
This is one of the first major building projects to benefit from the Government’s recently establishedLiving Heritage Grants Program.
The grant funding is enabling the refurbishment project, plus essential conservation and activation works such as roofing works and repairs to the Lygon Street portico.
Detailed conservation works will include the specialist restoration of several of the main interiors, including those in the Old Council Chamber (pictured below), and the New and Old Ballrooms. The Old Council Chamber officially opened in 1884.
The original 1880s decorative scheme, including significant portraits and elaborate wall treatments, is the work of prominent decorators of the period, C.S. Paterson Brothers.
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The Trades Hall Living Heritage Project is scheduled for completion in mid-2019.
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Multiplex appointed to Trades Hall, Carlton restoration 

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The Melbourne property investment and development company, Up Property, has unveiled plans to transform Moorabbin’s 60-year-old Philip Morris manufacturing site into a business park.
Designed to bring inner city urban culture to the Bayside pocket, the landmark location has been named Morris Moor – in a nod to the site’s location, rich history and significance in the local community.
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It will be a multi-use community precinct worth in excess of $100 million upon completion.
“Our vision is for Morris Moor to become an iconic destination for Melbourne and the local residential and business community to work, play, eat and drink,” Up Property managing director Adam Davidson said.
“Upon taking ownerships of the site in May last year, we received overwhelming interest from businesses looking for opportunities beyond that of a typical office precinct – from gymnasiums and coffee roasters to indoor golf simulators and cinemas.”
Upgrading an area predominantly known for being an industrial precinct, Up Property will be working alongside property development and advisory agency, Connect Plus Property Solutions.
The plans to repurpose the original site features over 50,000 square metres of leasable space across an existing eight buildings.
Director of Connect Plus, Simmy Abraham said that rather than demolishing the original buildings and disregarding the site’s history, Up Property has recognised the iconic location and have taken the more challenging path of transforming the original buildings into the contemporary, industrially inspired, Morris Moor.
A permit has already been received for the 6.27-hectare site, which upon completion and full capacity, will yield in excess of 1,600 new jobs for the Moorabbin community, doubling the amount that were employed at the site in its previous life as a manufacturing mecca.
Architects, Genton Architecture, undertook the masterplan.
Morris Moor features approximately 2,879 square metres of hospitality space, designed in consultation with award winning architecture and interior design firm Techne. 
Construction began this month on Morris Moor’s prominent office building, which frames the site at its well-known corner on Chesterville and Cochranes Road.
Boasting 5,257 square metres of office space across two levels, the building has the potential to house up to six tenants ranging from approximately 250 square metres to the whole building.
The building is set to become the best offering of office accommodation in the local area, receiving a full refurbishment, including a new facelift to its facade and a reimagined CBD style lobby which will be ready for tenant occupation in the first quarter of 2019.
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Three tenants have already been secured for the site including:
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Little Learning School: a 140-place childcare centre set to transform and breathe life into one of the site’s oldest warehouses fronting Chesterville Road
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Clik Collective: a co-warehousing facility in excess of 6,000 square metres from the operators of the well-known Kensington Collective
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Schotts Home Emporium: Melbourne’s much-loved furniture retailer who has already commenced the fit-out of their impressive new 4,140 square metre showroom facility within one of Morris Moor’s far east buildings.
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Philip Morris Moorabbin manufacturing site to be transformed into new urban destination

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A three bedroom house in Northam, about 97 kilometres east-northeast of Perth in the Avon Valley, has been sold for $130,000 by mortgagees some four years after its initial listing. 
It was sold by Lui Marcelli from Country Reality-Northam.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-wa-northam-126308182" target="_blank">The 4 Martin Street house </a>has been recently renovated with new kitchen, bathroom and laundry.
<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/2018/4/26/northam%202.jpg" alt="">
It features three bedrooms, the lounge and meals area, large separate games room, and a double carport as well as a large garage/shed. 
It had last sold at $250,000 in 2010.
The initial asking price was $269,000.
The asking price was dropped progressively to sit at $139,000 in January.
For the investor, the suggested rent is at around $250 per week.
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Loss making Northam three bedroom house sold by mortgagee

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Thirty years ago today Queen Elizabeth II opened the World Expo in Brisbane, Australia. The six-month event attracted more than 15 million people to the city’s South Bank. World expos have a long and prestigious history as urban development vehicles, and the 1988 edition helped to shape Queensland’s capital.
Expos remain popular even if the basic premise – nations gathering in one place to display their technological innovations – now seems outdated. Expo 88 was an event in both senses of the word. It was a planned occasion with a specific theme, but it was also a pivotal moment – a point from which things were never the same again for the host city.
This article explains the significance of Expo 88 and outlines why other cities should pay attention to this example of event-led urban regeneration.
A ‘free-enterprise expo’
Expo 88 was conceived hastily after Brisbane hosted the 1982 Commonwealth Games. The success of the Games had impressed Queensland’s pro-development leadership who were keen to reposition their capital as a world city, rather than a regional centre.
Brisbane’s A$645 million World Expo was part of Australia’s bicentennial celebrations, but the project was conceived and organised at the state level. The Queensland government’s support for the project came with one proviso: this had to be a “free-enterprise expo”, one that paid for itself. Perhaps surprisingly, given the track record of big events like expos and Olympic games, this was achieved.
Expo 88 was a success, not just because targets for participating nations, corporations and attendees were exceeded, but because the event was genuinely loved. People liked the pavilions and the formal entertainment, but they loved the riverfront setting, the animated walkways, and the festive atmosphere.
An academic study 15 years after the event found that memories were both strong and positive. One participant summed up the general feeling: “I remember being happy.”
It’s hard to find anyone in Brisbane who has a bad word to say about Expo 88. Given that most mega-events tend to divide opinion, that’s a considerable achievement.
Sustaining the spectacle
Expo 88 was a temporary event but it changed Brisbane culturally and physically. It redefined the city as one oriented towards culture and leisure, turning citizens into cosmopolitan consumers. The expo also helped to create South Bank Parklands – a 40-hectare site that is now the city’s most popular leisure precinct.
However, the relationship between Expo 88 and South Bank is more complicated than is often assumed.
The original legacy plan was to sell the riverside expo site to developers. They wanted to create a tourist precinct typical of those that now dominate the world’s post-industrial waterfronts.
But the expo raised expectations and created a public appetite for a South Bank that could replicate the sociable festivity that people had enjoyed in 1988. The expo was now part of the city’s psyche.
This forced the (new) government to change the plans. A revised master plan was conceived – formulated by a company that specialised in theme park design – with half of the site retained as open space.
The behaviours, emotions and expectations engendered by Expo 88 influenced the reconfiguration of the site.
Time to think again
The parklands that opened in 1992 were a success at first, but flaws in the master plan, a failure to attract a broad range of users, and the lack of commercial revenue forced a rethink. The development corporation responsible for the site adopted a new vision – one to which contemporary cities should pay close attention. By designing a place that appealed to locals, and that was properly integrated into the surrounding area, officials assumed that tourists would be attracted too.
The revised plan worked. South Bank Parklands is now a much-loved and heavily used part of Brisbane.
This is not a relaxing and tranquil space; it does not provide a way of escaping the city like Central Park in New York does. This is a precinct that hosts playgrounds, picnic lawns, event venues, urban beaches, paddling pools and cafes. It is Brisbane’s playground – used by locals and visitors – providing free fun by the bucketload.
Behind the carnival mask
Before touting Expo 88 as an exemplar for future projects, it is important to note less positive aspects that might be conveniently forgotten in oversimplified policy lessons.
Like many other mega-event projects and waterfront schemes, the development of Brisbane’s South Bank displaced low-income groups and “scruffy” industries which were swept aside by a growth regime intent on property development and new investment.
To justify the project, the existing site had to be denigrated. The Expo 88 souvenir program described it as “an area of derelict dockyards, unacknowledged brothels and disreputable hotels”. Only by representing South Bank as an area that was decaying, depraved and worthless could such large–scale transformation be justified.
Cities pursuing mega-projects today continue to use this dubious tactic.
Lessons for other cities
Expo 88 offers multiple lessons for urban authorities contemplating similar projects. Three stand out:
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Revenues from ticketing, sponsorship, merchandising and property sales funded the expo – proving that mega-events don’t have to leave governments indebted.
</li>
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Expo 88 demonstrated that temporary events change public expectations of urban space, which can drive permanent changes to the cityscape.
</li>
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The case highlights an important urban design principle: successful tourism spaces can be created by focusing first on attracting locals.
</li>
</ol>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/95430/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">This World Expo project was hastily conceived, and legacy plans had to be changed several times, but the creation of South Bank Parklands means Brisbane is still partying like it’s 1988.
Andrew Smith, Reader in Tourism and Events, University of Westminster
Judith Mair, Senior Lecturer in Event Management, The University of Queensland
This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/celebrate-88-the-world-expo-reshaped-brisbane-because-no-one-wanted-the-party-to-end-95430" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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The ’88 World Expo reshaped Brisbane because no one wanted the party to end

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Property developer Dyldam has announced a transitional generational change in its senior management team as the value of the group’s development pipeline of residential and mixed-use projects has reached $6 billion in the company’s 50th year of operation. 
Over the next few months current chief operating officer Fayad Fayad will be promoted to chief executive and current development director Remon Fayad will assume the role of chief operating officer.
Both Joseph Khattar and Sam Fayad will continue to mentor the new senior executives as they transition into their new roles and will both further increase their involvement in their philanthropic commitments.
Khattar said it was time for a change.
“It is now time to hand over the reins to the next generation of executives, with Fayad working his way through all aspects of the company’s operations since 1999.
"Remon has been with us since 2005 and has played an important role in delivering a record pipeline of projects we are now developing.
“I established this business in 1969 with my father Naim and believe Dyldam is in its strongest ever position in its fiftieth year and I have every confidence in its future under these two experienced and very capable men” Khattar added.
Fayad Fayad shares his enthusiasm.
“Remon and I are honoured to accept these senior executive roles at Dyldam as we are on the threshold of delivering an expected and much needed 9,000 apartments in Sydney’s major growth corridors," Fayad Fayad said.
"We pay homage to the achievement of Dyldam’s illustrious history and will strive to build upon this success as we develop the portfolio of landmark sites in the coming decades.
“We have accepted these roles with the full knowledge that we carry a heavy responsibility to ensure the company continues to grow over the next 50 years."
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Dyldam handing over the reins to next generation of executives

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The Tigers’ roar continues to reach throughout their home suburb, with reigning premiers the Richmond Football Club taking up a Swan Street office for its expanding sports science training program.
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Fitzroys agent Ervin Niyaz negotiated the 3+3-year deal for the 130 sqm space on <a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-offices-vic-richmond-502373226" target="_blank">Level 1, 226 Swan Street</a> at $35,000 per annum, or $269 per sqm, on behalf of a private landlord.
The space is positioned above Spud Bar and Urban Man on the popular city fringe strip that has emerged as one of Melbourne’s most popular lifestyle and hospitality precinct.
“Office tenants continue to be drawn to the Richmond area given Swan Street expanding its offering of eateries, bars and nightlife venues, the large volume of residential and office development nearby, its convenient transport options and inner-city location, and proximity to Melbourne’s sports and events precinct that includes the MCG, AAMI Park and Rod Laver Arena,” Niyaz said.
He said the club needed extra space for the program in addition to an existing office nearby on Swan Street and its nearby home facilities at Punt Road Oval.
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Tigers' roar spreads through Richmond

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Two individual adjacent freestanding office buildings in South Brisbane have been sold as a package deal to a Brisbane-based organisation.  
The properties located on Peel Street were offered for sale through Gregory Woods and Robert Dunne of Savills.
Woods said the campaign attracted 81 enquiries from both developers and local businesses due to the near-city location and strong redevelopment prospects.
Buyers were being told more than $4 million would secure the acquisition.
Woods said the new owners beat four other bidders to secure the properties, and intend to refurbish and occupy one building, and lease out the adjoining property.
“The properties presented an attractive opportunity for owner occupiers, with the added opportunity to generate rental income from the second building," adding the new owner can do this while maintaining a medium term redevelopment play with the Principle Centre zoning providing a 10 storey height limit
The properties total a combined site area of 910sq m, with each property covering 455sq m and offering a net lettable area of 360sq m and 313sq m respectively.
 
 
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Savills secure two-in-one South Brisbane deal

The Gold Coast economy has grown by 25 per cent since 2020/21 to surpass $55 billion, but perhaps the more significant story is what sits behind the headline number.

For decades, the Gold Coast has been viewed through the lens of tourism, lifestyle and population growth. The latest State of the City Report suggests that perception is increasingly out of step with reality.

Released by Invest Gold Coast, the report ranks the Gold Coast as Australia's largest non-capital city economy and, perhaps more notably, second nationally behind Sydney for Economic Complexity, a measure that assesses the diversity and sophistication of an economy.

It's a result that places the Gold Coast ahead of Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, highlighting the extent to which the city's economic base has broadened beyond its traditional industries.

Today, the Gold Coast supports more than 350,000 jobs, is home to over 83,000 businesses and generates $19 billion in annual exports. Manufacturing now accounts for 62 per cent of international export growth, while sectors including health, education, advanced manufacturing, technology and professional services are becoming increasingly important contributors to the local economy.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=372547]

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said the report confirmed the city's evolution into one of Australia's most significant economies.

"The Gold Coast economy continues to grow at an incredible pace. This is no surprise to those of us who have watched the evolution up close," Mayor Tate said.

"As one of the most entrepreneurial, investment driven and opportunity focused economies in the country our ambition has been realised and possibilities are endless.

"The Gold Coast has built a reputation as the city that says yes. We say yes to investment, yes to opportunity and yes to people who want to build something.

"It's this mindset helping us drive major growth across health, advanced manufacturing, screen production, marine, technology and the knowledge economy."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360975]

While population growth has been one of the defining stories of the past decade, the report points to a broader economic transformation taking place.

The city's knowledge economy now contributes $7.9 billion annually and supports around 31,000 jobs, while the health and wellbeing sector contributes $5.2 billion and employs more than 42,000 people. Together, the six priority sectors identified in the report account for almost $24 billion in economic output and more than 145,000 jobs.

One of the strongest examples is the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct at Southport. The 200-hectare precinct now contains more than $5 billion worth of health, education, research and innovation infrastructure and supports over 16,000 jobs.

The report also highlights the growing role of advanced manufacturing, particularly in aerospace, defence and modular construction.

Gold Coast-based Gilmour Space Technologies recently became the first Australian commercial company to attempt an orbital launch, while companies including Modscape and ModnPods are helping establish the Yatala-Stapylton corridor as one of Australia's fastest-growing advanced manufacturing hubs.

The city's entrepreneurial culture is also translating into business growth.

Since 2019/20, the number of businesses operating on the Gold Coast has increased by 22 per cent, while firms employing more than 200 people have grown by 80 per cent. The report suggests the next challenge is converting more local start-ups and medium-sized businesses into nationally significant companies.

Development activity remains another key indicator of confidence.

There are currently more than $23 billion worth of major projects underway across the Gold Coast, supported by a record 75 active cranes, a figure that now exceeds Brisbane and represents a 150 per cent increase since 2016.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112024 project_image_fid=343235]

Importantly, the report notes the next phase of investment will need to extend beyond residential development.

While 93 per cent of crane activity is currently tied to housing, Invest Gold Coast argues future investment will increasingly need to focus on cultural, civic, infrastructure and industry-enabling projects that strengthen the city's long-term economic resilience.

Invest Gold Coast Chair Will Hodgman said the city was now benefiting from years of economic diversification.

"What is happening on the Gold Coast is the result of the city's economic base broadening, fuelled by industries with long-term, high-growth potential," Mr Hodgman said.

"This is no longer a secondary Australian economy, the Gold Coast is becoming a globally connected city with deeper capability across health, knowledge and creative industries, advanced manufacturing, technology and exports."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365786]

Looking ahead, the Gold Coast's population is projected to exceed one million residents by 2046.

For a city that was once largely defined by tourism and lifestyle, the latest figures suggest the Gold Coast is becoming something more significant, one of Australia's most diverse and economically sophisticated urban economies, and increasingly one that national and international investors can no longer afford to overlook.

Joel Robinson

75 cranes, $23 billion pipeline and a $55 billion economy: Inside the Gold Coast economic boom

Ron Bakir's Homecorp has sold more than 75 per cent of the apartments in its wellness-driven Florence Residences in Surfers Paradise following its first weekend release.

The <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/florence-residences-24-monte-carlo-avenue-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">26-storey project on Monte Carlo Avenue</a>, which commenced construction earlier this year, has seen a flurry of buyers secure their slice of the Gold Coast's latest wellbeing-focused offering in one of the nation's most competitive property markets.

Since the pandemic, the Gold Coast's population has grown by more than 11 per cent, a rate approximately four times faster than Sydney's, driven largely by lifestyle changes and interstate migration. While buyer activity has moderated in some markets nationally, demand for newly built dwellings on the Gold Coast continues to gain momentum as purchasers increasingly prioritise lifestyle, amenity, wellbeing, liveability and long-term investment potential.

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Homecorp CEO Ron Bakir says buyers today are looking for more than just a home.

"What we are seeing is a shift in how people define value in property," Bakir says.

"What attracts residents to new developments is a desire for more than just a residence. They are looking for a place that complements their lifestyle, supports their wellbeing and reflects the way they want to live into the future.

"Lifestyle, longevity, proactive health, wellbeing, connection and a sense of community are increasingly shaping purchasing decisions, particularly on the Gold Coast, where these factors continue to be a major drawcard."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150414 project_image_fid=372744]

Bakir says Homecorp is responding to this shift through an approach that places greater emphasis on design, amenity and experience working together to create places that feel considered, connected and enduring in value.

Inspired by Eastern European design, Florence Residences will comprise 120 apartments alongside a private residents-only wellness club featuring a resort-style rooftop pool, hot and cold plunge pools, a spa retreat, contemporary gymnasium, and a spacious yoga and Pilates studio.

The development will also feature a residents-only lounge with private dining facilities and a rooftop bar, premium outdoor entertaining areas, a hotel-style lobby lounge, generous bike parking, and pet-friendly amenities including a heated dog wash.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150414 project_image_fid=372742]

A limited number of apartments remain available, with an exclusive collection of four-bedroom sub-penthouses set to be released in the coming months.

Florence is one of the latest additions to Homecorp's expanding multi-billion-dollar property portfolio, which also includes plans for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/homecorp-lodges-plans-for-260-million-moroccan-bathhouse-inspired-tower-in-budds-beach">$260 million development in Budds Beach</a> tailored to the growing wellness market.

A development application has been lodged for a 27-storey, 156-residence tower at 8–10 Acacia Avenue and 25–27 Oak Avenue, featuring a residents-only Moroccan spa-inspired sanctuary.

Apartments at Florence Residences are priced from $1,249,000, with construction expected to be completed by late 2027.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150414]

Buyers rush to Homecorp's Florence Residences as Gold Coast wellness trend gains momentum

The NSW Government has expanded its $1 billion Pre-sale Finance Guarantee program, broadening access for affordable housing providers and smaller residential developments as it seeks to accelerate housing delivery across the state.

The Minns Government says the program has already helped bring forward more than 600 homes across Sydney and regional NSW since launching in September 2025, with similar models now adopted in South Australia and Western Australia.

The latest changes, announced by Treasurer Daniel Mookhey and Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully, are designed to improve access to finance for projects that have planning approval but are struggling to secure funding.

Among the key changes is an expansion of support for community housing providers. The program will now support up to 100 per cent affordable housing projects valued at up to $30 million when delivered by not-for-profit providers, while support for larger affordable housing developments will increase for projects worth up to $80 million.

The government says the changes will help accelerate the delivery of housing for low-income workers, older people, people living with disability, and those at risk of homelessness, while reducing reliance on direct grants or subsidised loans to bridge funding gaps.

The eligibility criteria for smaller residential developments have also been broadened. The previous $5 million minimum project value threshold has been removed and replaced with a requirement that projects deliver at least four homes.

Support has also increased for projects delivering fewer than 20 homes, with the guarantee now able to cover up to 75 per cent of dwellings in a development, capped at $30 million per project.

The changes are expected to particularly benefit smaller-scale and regional developments, which often face greater challenges meeting pre-sale requirements imposed by lenders.

Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said the scheme demonstrates how government can use its balance sheet to stimulate housing supply without relying solely on taxpayer-funded grants.

"The Pre-sale Finance Guarantee shows how this Government is using its balance sheet to reduce risk and unlock private investment, enabling new homes to move from design to construction faster," Mookhey said.

"This landmark reform allows us to deliver homes for working families at a lower cost to taxpayers, while also maintaining strong financial discipline."

Planning Minister Paul Scully said the program had already proven effective in bringing stalled projects to market.

"The Pre-sale Finance Guarantee has already proven it can unlock stalled projects and accelerate housing delivery by giving lenders the confidence they need to back good developments," Scully said.

"These changes will allow more affordable housing and smaller developments to access support so more homes can be built faster where communities need them most."

Housing Minister Rose Jackson said the expansion would help community housing providers overcome financing barriers that often delay projects.

"We know community housing providers are ready to build more homes, too often they're held back by barriers to finance," Jackson said.

"Expanding the Pre-sale Finance Guarantee helps remove those barriers so more affordable homes can get off the ground sooner."

The announcement was welcomed by the Property Council of Australia, which has long advocated for measures aimed at improving project feasibility and access to finance.

Property Council NSW Executive Director Katie Stevenson described the expansion as a practical intervention that addresses one of the most immediate constraints on housing delivery.

"This is exactly the kind of practical intervention we need right now, focused on getting projects out of the ground, not just approved," Stevenson said.

"It builds on a model the Property Council has worked closely with government to develop following calls for such a scheme ahead of last year's NSW Budget, so it's great to see it being expanded."

Stevenson said the reforms would help unlock projects that are ready to proceed but have been delayed by financing challenges. However, she noted that broader feasibility issues remain a significant barrier to increasing housing supply.

"The biggest challenge in NSW housing today is delivery. Too many projects have planning approval but are simply not financially viable to proceed under current settings," she said.

Speaking at the Property Council's NSW Housing Summit, Housing Minister Rose Jackson acknowledged that feasibility and financing pressures continue to constrain housing delivery, while reaffirming the government's commitment to work with industry on solutions.

Stevenson said the government's recognition of those challenges was encouraging ahead of next week's state budget.

"It's positive to see the government clearly recognising that feasibility pressures are now a binding constraint on supply," she said.

"With the Budget just days away, the focus must be on backing delivery, making sure projects stack up, finance can flow, and more homes can move from approval to construction."

The expanded Pre-sale Finance Guarantee forms part of the NSW Government's broader housing agenda, which also includes planning reforms, the NSW Housing Pattern Book, and a series of rezonings intended to increase housing capacity across the state.

NSW expands Pre-sale Finance Guarantee to unlock more affordable and regional housing

Design-led developer-builder Lowe Living has unveiled its latest residential development, Jardin House, marking its first foray into Melbourne's blue-chip City of Boroondara.

Located a short walk from Camberwell Junction, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/jardin-house-by-lowe-living-camberwell-335-camberwell-road-camberwell-vic-3124">Jardin House</a> has been designed to appeal to affluent local downsizers and established families seeking a low-maintenance alternative to the large homes that have long defined Camberwell and surrounding suburbs.

The project will comprise a collection of two and three-bedroom apartments ranging from 92 sqm to 280 sqm, alongside a limited number of penthouse residences featuring rooftop terraces spanning more than 100 sqm, with optional private pools.

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[smartcode_project:default project_id=146717 project_image_fid=372212]

Lowe Living Co-Founder and Managing Director Tim Lowe said Camberwell represented a natural next step for the developer as it expands into some of Melbourne's most tightly held residential markets.

"Jardin House is an important project for our team as it marks the next evolution of our portfolio into different well-established blue-chip pockets of Melbourne," Lowe said.

"Camberwell, with its incredible walkability, family-led neighbourhood feel and superb access to education and transport, makes it a natural choice for us."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=146717 project_image_fid=372227]

Designed by Tristan Wong Architects, with interiors by Hecker Guthrie and landscaping by Acre, the development takes inspiration from the Art Deco architecture that remains a defining feature of many of Camberwell's established streets.

A curved facade, arched openings, textured brickwork and sculpted forms reference the suburb's architectural heritage, while extensive landscaping softens the building's presence and creates a strong connection to the surrounding tree-lined streetscape.

The project will be set behind a secure gated entrance, with residents arriving through landscaped gardens designed to create a transition between the public realm and private residences.

Inside, the residences feature natural stone and timber finishes, full-height glazing, Miele appliances and generous open-plan living areas designed for long-term owner occupation.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=146717 project_image_fid=372225]

While the apartments themselves have been designed to attract discerning owner-occupiers, it is the amenity offering that sets Jardin House apart from many other boutique projects currently launching across Melbourne.

The centrepiece is a 350 sqm private bathhouse curated in partnership with Aurora Spa &amp; Bathhouse founder Lyndall Mitchell.

The wellness precinct includes mineral pools, hydrotherapy experiences, a Himalayan salt room, sauna, steam room, cold plunge pools and dedicated relaxation spaces, creating what Lowe Living describes as a private wellness retreat exclusively for residents.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=146717 project_image_fid=372222]

The collaboration follows Lowe Living's recent partnership with Aurora at Maison Savoy in Brighton, although Jardin House is the first project to incorporate both indoor and outdoor wellness experiences.

Emma Lowe, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Lowe Living, said wellness was becoming an increasingly important consideration for apartment buyers.

"Collaborating with Lyndall Mitchell from Aurora Spa &amp; Bathhouse for a second time is an intentional nod to creating residences that are more than just homes, but a way to enrich the lives of our residents through wellness and longevity," Lowe said.

The amenity offering is complemented by a Technogym fitness studio, residents' lounge, private dining spaces and concierge services.

The launch comes as developers increasingly target Melbourne's established eastern suburbs, where rising land values, ageing housing stock and growing downsizer demand are creating opportunities for boutique apartment projects.

Lowe said the company expects significant generational wealth transfer across suburbs such as Camberwell in coming years, creating further demand for luxury apartment living.

"Camberwell is a blue-chip suburb where homes regularly transact for multiple millions of dollars," he said.

"The generational change of wealth in these locations expected in the coming years is significant, so we see an opportunity to create exclusive residences that appeal to older families and downsizers in order to meet this demand."

Apartments at Jardin house start from $1,195,000. The project forms part of Lowe Living's near-$1 billion portfolio of new developments across Melbourne.

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Lowe Living launches Jardin House in Camberwell

As <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/north-sydney-nsw-2060">North Sydney</a> continues its transition from a commercial centre into a more layered residential and lifestyle precinct, a new generation of apartment developments is reshaping expectations around scale, amenity, and long-term liveability.

Improved transport connections through the Victoria Cross Metro, continued investment in dining and public spaces, and a constrained supply of new luxury apartments have sharpened demand for homes that combine proximity to the CBD with the privacy and outlook traditionally associated with harbourside houses.

At 177 Walker Street, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/aland">ALAND</a>’s new apartment development <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-walden-north-sydney-177-walker-street-north-sydney-nsw-2060">The Walden</a> enters the market with a distinctly residential approach to high-rise living. The 30-level tower will deliver 161 residences, ranging from one-bedroom apartments through to sub-penthouses and a full-floor penthouse, all oriented to capture uninterrupted views across Sydney Harbour, the Opera House, and out toward the Pacific Ocean.

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Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a>, the project takes advantage of the site’s natural topography and elevated position above the harbour. Rather than relying on density alone, the architecture focuses on outlook, orientation, and spatial flow, with every apartment occupying a corner position to maximise natural light and cross ventilation.

Rothelowman says the site itself shaped much of the architectural response.

“The site has a long history in terms of its inevitable transformation and when we came in, we took inspiration from the idea of reestablishing a sense of the site’s natural terrain and fall. Our scheme aims to integrate with the terrain and the landscape, using the undulating site to slowly reveal glimpses and views of the harbour. The rotation of the tower off grid means every apartment has a view and is naturally cross ventilated. The building's colour palette is quintessentially Sydney, with bronze and sandstone and a luminescent green colour in the glass, making it very earthy and grounded in its location.”

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Inside the residences, the emphasis moves toward larger-format living typically associated with standalone homes. Kitchens sit at the centre of the apartments, connecting directly to open-plan dining and living areas before extending outward into expansive winter gardens and balconies. Calacatta marble, bespoke joinery, integrated appliances, and custom metal detailing are used throughout, while three distinct interior palettes, Terrace, Opera, and Harbour, allow buyers to personalise the spaces without compromising the architectural consistency of the project.

The larger residences place particular attention on separation between entertaining and private zones. In many apartments, master suites occupy the outer corners of the floorplates, allowing bedrooms to benefit from floor-to-ceiling glazing and harbour outlooks independent of the living spaces. Dressing rooms and ensuites continue the material palette through fluted detailing, freestanding baths, and layered stone finishes.

Rothelowman says the design intent centred on creating homes that feel enduring rather than transient.

“Our philosophy is all about the way people live in these spaces, and we wanted to create homes that reflect the quality of life in this unique Sydney location. The apartments showcase expansive living spaces that are generous, sophisticated, and bold, with the ability to connect with views throughout each apartment.”

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A separate four-storey amenity building known as The Pavilion expands the residential offering beyond the apartments themselves. Positioned alongside the tower, the building consolidates wellness, recreation, and social spaces into a dedicated resident retreat. Facilities include a 20-metre rooftop pool and sundeck, sauna, spa, ice bath, wellness studio, gymnasium, concierge service, wine cellar, residents’ lounge, private dining spaces, and dedicated co-working areas with meeting rooms and boardroom facilities.

The amenity mix reflects the buyer profile emerging in North Sydney, where owner-occupiers and downsizers are increasingly prioritising convenience, apartment scale, and long-term usability over purely investment-driven decisions.

The Walden also represents a significant milestone for ALAND, marking the company’s first major move into Sydney’s inner-city luxury apartment market after more than two decades delivering large-scale residential communities across Greater Sydney. Founder Andrew Hrsto says the Walker Street site stood apart because of both its positioning and its rarity.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134323 project_image_fid=6390]

“As a company, we had been searching for a site in one of Sydney’s blue-chip locations, spanning the Eastern Suburbs, the Sydney CBD and the North Shore, and when we had the opportunity to purchase this site, we immediately recognised that it could be something iconic.”

At launch, The Walden recorded more than $103 million in sales, with buyers drawn to the project’s harbour positioning, apartment scale, and proximity to the Metro, which now connects North Sydney to Barangaroo in three minutes and Martin Place in five.

ALAND has commenced construction, and is expecting a completion date in 2028.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=134323]

Staff reporter

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