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An even more opulent resort and residential development is being planned for Hamilton Island in moves designed to thwart looming competition from Lindeman Island's new Chinese owners.
The Whitsunday island’s owners, the Oatley family, are considering building another five-star qualia resort as well as a 200-house development and a hotel around Dent Island's 18-hole golf course, The Australian reports.
The course was designed by five-time British Open winner Peter Thompson.
Executive chairman Sandy Oatley says the existing qualia is starting to get ‘’very high’’ occupancy rates and the family is looking at future expansion.
"We are waiting to see when Lindeman Island's (redevelopment) happens and (what is happening at Mulpha's) Hayman Island. We are quite keen for the region to move forward because it's a great spot in Australia and we love it and we are proud to be there," he said.
Voted ‘Best Resort in the World’ in the 2012 Conde Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards, qualia’s prices reflect its stature. Its Leeward rooms cost $975 per night, Windward rooms $1550 per night and Beach House $3650 per night
The Oatleys bought the Whitsunday Island for $200 million in 2003 and have spent about $350 million redeveloping it. It’s now said to be Australia’s largest tourist resort.
The redevelopment will be a shot in the arm for the $95 billion tourism industry.
Oatley suggests the next five-star qualia resort on Hamilton would have its own flavour. Unlike the existing 60-suite qualia, he says options for the new resort might include putting out the welcome mat for children, or creating a two- or three-bedroom luxury apartment complex.
The existing qualia has a beach house, which is a bigger version with the double room and bigger pool. It might be some of those sorts of things, he says.
With infrastructure and electricity already established at Dent Island, Oatley says the family might opt to develop there. He says part of a development application to get the golf course approved includes a hotel and 200 home sites on the island. ‘’More buoyant’’ economic conditions would encourage holiday investment.
If the 200-lot development on Dent Island proceeds, it’s believed individual houses would be sold to private owners and put into a real estate ‘letting pool’.
Holidaying around a golf course would appeal to a different group of visitors, Oatley believes. They would enjoy the island’s tranquillity and proximity to Hamilton Island.
It’s reported the Oatleys, and patriarch Bob, sold their Rosemount Estate wine business to Southcorp for $1.5 billion in 2001. Four years later they sold their 18.8% stake in Southcorp for $584 million.
‘’We are thinking about the next five years, thinking about what we will do with new attractions and amenities for the guests, and our usual refurbishing (program),’’ he told News Ltd.
Dent Island’s par 71 championship course was designed by champion golfer Peter Thomson, and features two distinctly different nine-hole circuits. Encircled by panoramic vistas of blue Coral Sea and shimmering Whitsunday Islands, the course is designed to challenge professionals and satisfy resort golfers.
Oh, and that word ‘qualia’? It’s Latin for "a collection of deeper sensory experiences".
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staylor-63KgDrKwoY

New resort and residential development planned for Hamilton Island

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The former Macquarie banker Andrew Hooper-Nguyen and business partner Chris Ellis have just bought the picturesque Spinnaker Sound marina near Bribie Island in Queensland.
Together they look over the 138-berth marina (pictured below), established in 1982, with its flotilla of luxury craft up to 18 metres and think how lucky they are.
<img alt="marinajuly31one" height="223" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/07/marinajuly31one.jpg">
‘’It’s taken us a long time to get here from Sydney,’’ Hooper-Nguyen told Property Observer on achieving his dream.
‘’Queensland is a lovely place and ideal for boating. It’s where all the major activity is.’
‘’Boaties can sail the open waters of the Pumicestone Passage or go north to many safe harbours and islands.
"Pelican Waters and Caloundra are ideal for sailing with Bribie Island forming a breakwater to the ocean swells. Moreton Island and Tangalooma Resort are a 30-minute cruise away.
‘’No matter how rough it gets on Moreton Bay it’s calm here.’’
Hooper-Nguyen and Ellis, the founder of ASX-listed Excel Coal, bought the marina at Sandstone Point, from AMP Capital Select Property Portfolio 2 for less than $10 million, the Australian Financial Review reports.
Hooper-Nguyen would not confirm the price but did not refute it.
Along with the marina comes 8500 square metres of land on which AMP had planning approval for up to 40 units. The men have no development aspirations at this stage, but hope to turn the marina into a community hub where boaties can eat and drink before setting sail.
Hooper-Nguyen described marinas and other related leisure assets as ‘’ideal counter-cyclical investment opportunities’’ benefitting from the potential increased tourism caused by the falling Aussie dollar. ‘’Queensland has been hit badly by falling tourism numbers and the end of the mining boom, so we are in a ‘perfect storm’,’’ he said.
Knight Frank’s Andrew Burke and Jason Degn negotiated the deal which is one of a number of recent marina transactions. These include the $27 million sale of the Abel Point marina at Airlie Beach in far North Queensland, and the currently listing of the 85-berth Marina Oceanus marina at Marina Mirage on the Gold Coast. It reportedly cost $14 million during the boom but may resell for $7 million now.
Receivers for the Meridien Marinas Horizon Shores have reportedly placed the 488-berth Horizon Shores marina on the market. It’s billed as the largest freehold marina asset in Australia.
Hooper-Nguyen suggests many marinas had been purchased pre-GFC and then valued based on their redevelopment potential – not their core earnings potential.
He said they were often highly leveraged and, as a result, many for sale are now in the hands of receivers.
But things have gone well for this keen boatie. ‘’For years I’ve spent money on boats and now I’m hoping to make money from them,’’ he says.
The pair may also target other marinas in good locations with turnaround potential.
The marina first sold in 1996 when purchased by Ted and Lyn Godden who operated the marina until August 2006.
It was then bought by Spinnaker Sound Joint Venture Pty Ltd, a consortium comprising a development company, in partnership with APM whom paid $8.9 million in 2006.
 
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The 2006 sale was followed by a <a href="https://www.omegapartners.com.au/2011/10/what-is-the-market-value-for-cgt-small-business-concessions/" target="_blank">capital gains tax dispute </a>during which Syttadel Holdings noted it had acquired the asset, comprising land, buildings, marina berths, goodwill and plant and equipment for $1.675 million in 1996.
The venture was not initially profitable but by 2006 its net profit was $280,306, noted the tax dispute summary by Omega Partners, who provide resources to accountants and financial planners on.
It was noted the majority of the marina revenue was earned from the hiring of wet berths and dry storage and some income was received from the lease of commercial premises within the marina and the sale of fuel.
Mr Godden, a director and member of Syttadel gave evidence about several enquiries and offers to purchase the marina over time.
One at $2.5 million was made in 2004 – it was rejected because the proposed purchaser wanted vendor finance.
The first serious offer was made in mid-2005 was for $3.7 million.
A written offer of $4 million was made by the same prospective purchaser in early 2006. It was not accepted as Mr Godden was hoping for a price closer to $4.5 million.
Whilst these dealings were taking place a consortium led by a local real estate agent enquired at what price Mr Godden would be prepared to sell. He replied $9 million, which response he said was made tongue in cheek with the figure of $9 million being completely over the top.
The consortium negotiated with Mr Godden and a written contract for the sale and purchase of the marina at $8.7 million was executed in early December 2005. The purchaser, World Housing Corporation Pty Ltd, ultimately failed to complete the transaction and forfeited its deposit.
After that Mr Godden had further dealings with the local real estate agent which led to the execution of a new contract, dated 4 July 2006, by which Spinnaker Sound Joint Venture Pty Ltd agreed to purchase the marina as a going concern for $8.9 million. The contract was completed on 14 August 2006.
Syttadel submitted a private ruling request to the tax commissioner in November 2008 requesting that the commissioner rule that, despite the sale at $8.9 million, the market value of the marina was in the range of $4 million to $4.5 million so that Syttadel would be eligible for the small business CGT concessions.
The commissioner ruled on 25 November 2008 that the value of the asset was its sale price and that Syttadel did not qualify for concessional capital gains tax treatment.
Syttadel objected to the ruling, but by then an assessment had issued, and the commissioner treated the objection as being one against the assessment. The Commissioner disallowed the objection.
The tribunal mentioned that both parties made reference to the passages from Spencer v The Commonwealth (1907) 5 CLR 418 where Griffith CJ said,
"In my judgment the test of value of land is to be determined, not by inquiring what price a man desiring to sell could actually have obtained for it on a given day, i.e., whether there was in fact on that day a willing buyer, but by inquiring ‘What would a man desiring to buy the land have had to pay for it on that day to a vendor will to sell it for a fair price but not desirous to sell?’
and where Isaacs J said
"To arrive at the value of the land at that date, we have, as I conceive, to suppose it sold then, not by means of a forced sale, but by voluntary bargaining between the plaintiff and a purchaser, willing to trade, but neither of them so anxious to do so that he would overlook any ordinary business consideration. We must further suppose both to be perfectly acquainted with the land, and cognizant of all circumstances which might affect its value, either advantageously or prejudicially, including its situation, character, quality, proximity to conveniences or inconveniences, its surrounding features, the then present demand for land, and the likelihood, as then appearing to persons best capable of forming an opinion, of a rise or fall for what reason soever in the amount which one would otherwise be willing to fix as the value of the property.
The tribunal also noted that the parties agreed that the market value of the land had to take into account the highest and best use of the land.
The tribunal had been provided with two valuations, one for the company where the value was set at $4.5 million, and one for the ATO where the valuer had originally set a value of $6.3 million but revised that down to $5.3 million.
The tribunal were unprepared to accept the $4.5 million valuation figure as the Deputy President did not agree with the valuation methodology employed.
The company’s valuer had set the value as being the value at which the vendor would be prepared to sell, and justified this by valuing the component parts of the marina using capitalization rates of 9% and 12%. The ATO’s valuer by contrast had used capitalization rates of 6% which the Deputy President considered ‘appropriate rate having regard to the market evidence and the potential for future growth but taking account the generally poor condition of the marina’. The ATO’s valuer had also supported their valuation by using comparable sales data.
As the tribunal was unprepared to accept the company’s valuation it held that the small business CGT concessions were not available, the Omega report noted.
 
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Spinnaker Sound marina near Bribie Island sold 

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The freehold of the former L’Academie Hotel site at 247 St Pauls Terrace (pictured above), Fortitude Valley in Brisbane is being sold through the receivers with no firm price expectations.
CBRE agent Glenn Price says the only current guide to the non-trading hotel’s current worth is its unimproved land value - about $1.8 million – as there are no recent financials.
‘’We are asking what value potential buyers put on it,’’ Price says in the lead up to the expression of interest campaign in conjunction with receivers BDO.
‘’$1.8 million is the benchmark but it’s up to the potential buyers. There might be a one in front of the figure or a two - it’s up to them.’’
The sale includes the now-suspended former Commercial Hotel licence, an earlier trading name, subject to the buyer satisfying the relevant authorities and paying the requisite fees.
About 1.8km from the CBD, the property is billed by Price as a ‘’blank canvas for an incoming operator to create a new high class entertainment venue within the dynamic and eclectic Fortitude Valley’’.
Over three levels the elevated 639 square metre site is on the corner of Gipps Street. There’s a public bar, second bar, cafe with street frontage, formal restaurant with seating for 74, upper level function room for 40-60, commercial kitchen, training kitchen, six offices and a cool room.
The gross floor area is 1426 square metres and there’s parking for nine vehicles. Trading hours are Monday to Sunday 10am–midnight. The hotel’s most recent use is as a training facility.
The Valley is a nightlife hub with art galleries, pubs, clubs, cafes, a variety of retail, China Town, Brunswick Street Mall, RNA “Showground Hill” Project, and the Wickham and Ann street precincts.
The new high frequency City Glider bus service is a short walk away. Nearby arterials access the CBD, Pacific Motorway, Gateway Motorway and airport.
The Valley has undergone extensive rejuvenation over the past 20 years, led by the Brisbane City Council’s Urban Renewal Taskforce’s multi-million dollar investment in public areas and infrastructure.
Price says the hotel has potential for redevelopment also as offices, retail, accommodation and other uses (subject to council approval). Further development may be allowed under the council’s master plan for the area.
The property is zoned under City Plan MP2, Multi Purpose Centre MP2, Major Centre Plan and is subject to the Fortitude Valley Neighbourhood Plan.
Expressions of interest close on August 7.
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Former Fortitude Valley hotel for sale

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Negotiations are well advanced between St Kevin's College and Coles for the school’s acquisition of 5.4 hectares of vacant land near the Tooronga Village in Glen Iris.
The college is keen to buy the land, fronting Crescent Road, reputedly for as much as $23 million, Property Observer understands.
It intends to use the existing open car park and vacant land for sports facilities - mainly ovals for soccer, hockey, Aussie rules football, tennis, cricket and athletics. A planning scheme amendment will be submitted to the council to get the ball rolling.
In 2011 Coles bought a 7.7 hectare parcel of land near its 800 Toorak Road head office from developer Stockland for residential and commercial development. The purchase price was undisclosed. The land is next door to the supermarket which it leases from Stockland.
Now, on a section of that land, the Coles group wants to build a multi-level car park connecting its store support centre to replace an existing open car park. A permit application has been lodged with the City of Boroondara.
Other parts of the Coles holding are set for purchase by the Christian Brothers school.
St Kevin's and the retailer recently held two resident information sessions to explain their proposals for the two separate developments. It’s believed 60 people attended the first session and 80 the second, with the mood said to be ‘’very positive’’.
Headmaster Stephen F Russell told parents in a newsletter the pending purchase would ‘’fulfil a decade-long aim of our strategic plan: to find suitable land to allow our sports and physical education programs to operate well’’.
‘’The college has been saving for some time in preparation for this opportunity. Along with borrowings we have plans to develop the site leading up to our centenary in 2018.
‘’We will need the support of our community, past, present and future, to accomplish this lofty and necessary ambition.’’
Russell says other primary schools and community groups would be welcome to use the proposed facilities when they are free.
About one hectare of the land will be left for public open space, including a terraced area near the Tooronga Village shopping centre. It will be enhanced by landscaped bicycle pathways with some land being transferred along the Gardiner’s Creek pathway.
The proposed sports fields are close to Tooronga station, making them ideal for rail commuters, the headmaster says.
It was in 2011 that Coles had bought back from Stockland - cut back to a 7.7-hectare slice of the former larger site it had sold to Stockland in 2004.
The sale, for an undisclosed sum, included what was to have been stages two, three, four and five of the controversial Tooronga apartment project.
At the time Coles was planning to build a mixed-use village on the land next door to the supermarket.
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St Kevin's College set to acquire Tooronga land from Coles for sporting fields 

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Rents increased across Australia in May, according to research by rent.com.au.
Its latest report shows rents rose in most states, although NSW, ACT and NT rents remained steady, according to national services manager, David Berridge.
While median rents increased 5% to $419 per week in Queensland, properties leased 8% slower, taking an average of 28 days to find tenants.
“Queensland investors would finally be encouraged with the first significant gain in rents for the state since November 2012,” Berridge says.
While the data shows days on market increased 9% to 25 days in Western Australia, it is still the fastest letting period in the country. It positions WA as the most expensive state in which to rent, followed closely by the Northern Territory.
“The effects of the softening economy in Western Australia are yet to be seen in the rents being paid, with a 3% rise in the average median rent to $553 per week,” Berridge says.
Northern Territory rents stayed steady in May with a weekly median rent of $551, with days on market stretching out to 28 days - an 8% increase.
Victoria reversed its trend, regaining the 3% lost in April, so that renters are paying an average median rent of $383 per week in May. Average days on the market increased by 7% to 31 days.
Tasmanian rents lifted again in May with a 6% increase to $295 per week, with turnover slowing by 15% to 38 days.
New South Wales and the ACT both saw rents remain steady with median weekly rents of $480 and $471 respectively. Days to lease properties in the ACT increased by 13% to 35 days. NSW’s days on market increased slightly to 26 days.
South Australia’s investors also gained in May, with the weekly median rent rising 4% to $338 per week. Turnover slowed again by 11% to 31 days.
The local rent.com.au Rent Suburb Reports for the capital cities showed Darwin having the biggest rise of the capitals with its median rent increasing 7% to $600 per week, although this is still off from the December quarter high of $640.
Perth’s weekly median rent of $650 also sees it gain $25 per week from the December quarter median rent of $625 per week. Sydney at $720 per week has also shown a small rise of 3% in median rent since the December quarter.
All states saw days on market increase, ranging from 4% to 15%.
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Victorian landlords face 31 days on market searching for tenant: rent.com.au 

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Craigieburn is the most popular suburb for young buyers in metropolitan Melbourne, followed by Pakenham, Point Cook, Berwick and Tarneit, says the REIV.  
This is because these suburbs are more affordable than those closer to the CBD. Young buyers have not had the time to build up their savings, which reduces their levels of equity, making them more price sensitive, the research found.  
Median house prices in these outer suburbs range from $315,000 to $460,000, typically translating to average mortgage repayments of around $2000 to $3000 per month.  
Regionally, the most popular towns are Traralgon, Mildura, Shepparton, Warrnambool and Grovedale. Median house prices here range from $222,000 to $364,800. This equates to average mortgage repayments of around $1300 to $2300 per month.  
The REIV says the average age of mortgage holders in Victoria is 32, according to the 2011 Census. It estimates that around 19% of individual mortgage holders are aged under 30.
While the REIV analysis confirms the long term trend for young buyers to move to the outer growth suburbs, it says it is ‘’reasonable to expect that, as housing density increases in the inner city, there will also be an increasing number of young buyers there.
‘’However, at this point in time, the overall volumes are low compared to the outer suburbs.’’
This concentration of younger buyers in growing new suburbs has obvious impacts on the provision of services by governments as their children require child care, schools and recreational facilities.
The REIV research found the majority of mortgage holders, 53%, are aged 35-54 with the highest concentration between 40 and 44.
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Young buyers moving to outer Melbourne suburbs: REIV

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One in every 10 men living in a same-sex relationship in Australia in 2011 lived within two kilometres of Taylor Square in Sydney.
This statistic emerges from an <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4102.0Main+Features10July+2013" target="_blank">Australian Bureau of Statistics study</a> which found that Darlinghurst, Potts Point and Surry Hills historically have the highest proportions of male same-sex couples.
The study also found that, generally, same sex couples earn higher incomes, have more discretionary spending power, are less religious, are better educated and are more likely to be managers or professionals than mixed gender couples.
This makes them more likely to have money to invest in property.
The study found they are very likely – 51% as opposed to 15% of opposite-sex couples – to live in a unit, apartment or terrace house.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the study found that while NSW had just under a third (32%) of Australia's total population, it had 41% of Australia's male same-sex couples, and 34% of Australia's female same-sex couples.
The study acknowledged that many Sydney suburbs with high numbers of same-sex couples have historically been the social centre of Australia's gay community – hence the strong support for the Gay Pride March along Oxford Street.
While same-sex couples are more likely to live in the inner suburbs of large cities or towns than in rural and regional areas, the top 10 suburbs for male and female same-sex couples are all in inner Sydney.
CAPITAL CITY SUBURBS (a) WITH THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF SAME-SEX COUPLES (b) - 2011
<table width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top" colspan="5" width="100%">
 
<hr align="left" width="100%" size="2">
 
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="49%">
Male same-sex couples
</td>
<td valign="top" width="4%"></td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="47%">
Female same-sex couples
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="49%">
 
<hr align="left" width="100%" size="2">
 
</td>
<td valign="top" width="4%"></td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="47%">
 
<hr align="left" width="100%" size="2">
 
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="34%"></td>
<td valign="top" width="16%">
% of couples
</td>
<td valign="top" width="4%"></td>
<td valign="top" width="29%"></td>
<td valign="top" width="18%">
% of couples
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="49%">
 
<hr align="left" width="100%" size="2">
 
</td>
<td valign="top" width="4%"></td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="47%">
 
<hr align="left" width="100%" size="2">
 
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="34%">
Darlinghurst, NSW
</td>
<td valign="top" width="16%">
17.9
</td>
<td valign="top" width="4%"></td>
<td valign="top" width="29%">
St Peters, NSW
</td>
<td valign="top" width="18%">
6.0
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="34%">
Potts Point, NSW
</td>
<td valign="top" width="16%">
17.8
</td>
<td valign="top" width="4%"></td>
<td valign="top" width="29%">
Newtown, NSW
</td>
<td valign="top" width="18%">
5.7
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="34%">
Surry Hills, NSW
</td>
<td valign="top" width="16%">
17.3
</td>
<td valign="top" width="4%"></td>
<td valign="top" width="29%">
Erskineville, NSW
</td>
<td valign="top" width="18%">
5.4
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="34%">
Elizabeth Bay, NSW
</td>
<td valign="top" width="16%">
16.3
</td>
<td valign="top" width="4%"></td>
<td valign="top" width="29%">
Enmore, NSW
</td>
<td valign="top" width="18%">
5.3
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="34%">
Redfern, NSW
</td>
<td valign="top" width="16%">
14.5
</td>
<td valign="top" width="4%"></td>
<td valign="top" width="29%">
Lewisham, NSW
</td>
<td valign="top" width="18%">
4.2
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="34%">
Erskineville, NSW
</td>
<td valign="top" width="16%">
11.0
</td>
<td valign="top" width="4%"></td>
<td valign="top" width="29%">
Alexandria, NSW
</td>
<td valign="top" width="18%">
3.6
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="34%">
Alexandria, NSW
</td>
<td valign="top" width="16%">
10.4
</td>
<td valign="top" width="4%"></td>
<td valign="top" width="29%">
Tempe, NSW
</td>
<td valign="top" width="18%">
3.5
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="34%">
Chippendale, NSW
</td>
<td valign="top" width="16%">
10.3
</td>
<td valign="top" width="4%"></td>
<td valign="top" width="29%">
Chippendale, NSW
</td>
<td valign="top" width="18%">
3.4
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="34%">
Darlington, NSW
</td>
<td valign="top" width="16%">
10.3
</td>
<td valign="top" width="4%"></td>
<td valign="top" width="29%">
Marrickville, NSW
</td>
<td valign="top" width="18%">
3.2
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="34%">
Rushcutters Bay, NSW
</td>
<td valign="top" width="16%">
10.1
</td>
<td valign="top" width="4%"></td>
<td valign="top" width="29%">
Stanmore, NSW
</td>
<td valign="top" width="18%">
3.0
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
While male same-sex couples make up less than 0.4% of all couples across Australia the chart shows they make up 10%-18% of all couples in the 10 suburbs with the highest proportion of people in male same-sex couples.
NSW and Victoria have high rates of male same-sex couples in their capital cities - Sydney 0.7% and Melbourne 0.5%.  
The highest proportions of female same-sex couples tend to be in the inner west of Sydney, such as St Peters, Newtown, Erskineville, and Enmore.  
Female same-sex couples tend to be more geographically dispersed than male same-sex couples. In St Peters female same-sex couples make up 6% of all couples.
 
 
<hr class="system-pagebreak">
The 2011 Census found there were around 33,700 same-sex couples in Australia, with 17,600 male and 16,100 female.  
Same-sex couples represent about 1% of all couples in Australia. The pattern of more male than female same-sex couples has been consistent since 1996, when data first became available, although the degree of difference has decreased in each Census.  
Although the overwhelming majority of same-sex couples described themselves on the Census form as de facto partners, in 1300 same-sex relationships one person was described as the husband or wife of the other.
PERCENTAGE OF ALL COUPLES THAT WERE SAME-SEX, BY POPULATION OF CITY OR TOWN - 2011
<img src="/images/stories/2013/07/samesaexjuly25graph11.gif" width="470" height="274" alt="samesaexjuly25graph11">
Source: 2011 Census of Population and Housing
Consistent with its predominant urban character and more highly educated population, the Australian Capital Territory has the highest rates of both male (0.5%) and female (0.6%) same-sex couples of any state or territory.
PERCENTAGE OF ALL COUPLES THAT WERE SAME-SEX, BY STATE OR TERRITORY - 2011
<img src="/images/stories/2013/07/samesaexjuly25graph22.gif" width="470" height="274" alt="samesaexjuly25graph22">
Source: 2011 Census of Population and Housing
While there are more male same-sex couples than female overall, there are more female same-sex couples in all states other than NSW and Victoria (which have high rates of male same-sex couples in their capital cities). In Sydney, 0.7% of all couples are male same-sex, and in Melbourne 0.5%.
MALE SAME-SEX COUPLES AS A PERCENTAGE OF ALL COUPLES, INNER SYDNEY - 2011
<img src="/images/stories/2013/07/samesaexjuly25graph3.jpg" width="470" height="369" alt="samesaexjuly25graph3">
FEMALE SAME-SEX COUPLES AS A PERCENTAGE OF ALL COUPLES, INNER SYDNEY - 2011
<img src="/images/stories/2013/07/samesaexjuly25graph4.jpg" width="470" height="368" alt="samesaexjuly25graph4">
While smaller towns and cities tended to have lower proportions of same-sex couples, certain towns have high rates, particularly of female same-sex couples. These include Daylesford-Hepburn Springs in Victoria (where female same-sex couples 4.5% of all couples), and Alice Springs in the Northern Territory (female same-sex couples 1.2% of all couples).
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Inner city suburbs popular with same sex couples: ABS

Selling agents Kay and Burton expect more than $2 million for the Hampton home of Danish fashion retailer&nbsp;Benedicte&nbsp;Olrik.

Her high-end boutique, Olrik Denmark, was established in 2006 sells Danish, European and Scandinavian fashion wear in the city, at Crown and in South Yarra.

The 16 Service Street Victorian weatherboard, circa 1890, has been rejuvenated over the past 12 years. It has five bedrooms and a large formal dining room at the front with bay window, art-deco chandelier, and door out to the return verandah.

There&rsquo;s a formal sitting room/library and the open-plan living and meals area at the rear extends into an atrium with fish pond, deck and alfresco dining area.

The kitchen has a Caesar stone bench-top and five-burner Miele stove and oven. A traditional bathroom has a corner spa while another modern bathroom includes the laundry.

Period touches are the marble fireplaces, polished timber floors, picture rails and return veranda.

A talking point is the 112 year old Chinese elm on the block of 962 square metres. The double carport enters a side street.

<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-hampton-112540863" target="_blank">Ian Jackson and Gail Pullen are handling the sale.</a>

Boutique fashion designer Benedicte Olrik lists Hampton trophy home

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The space housing Melbourne’s first Virgin Active health and fitness club has been listed for sale in a move tipped to generate one of the city’s largest strata space sales.  
CBRE has been appointed to market the 138 Bourke Street space, which offers a 15-year lease with options to Virgin Active – one of the world’s leading fitness chains operating more than 266 gyms in the UK, Italy, Spain, Singapore and South Africa with more than 1.2 million members.  
The property is being offered on the heels of Virgin Active recently committing to its second Melbourne facility within the 567 Collins Street office development, being developed by Leighton. It will become the group’s 5th gym in Australia.  
CBRE’s Mark Wizel, Justin Dowers and Josh Rutman will steer the sale campaign for the three-level Bourke Street complex via an expressions of interest process closing 29 August 2013.  
Mr Dowers said the strength of the Virgin Active tenancy covenant was expected to attract significant buyer interest.  
“Rarely do investors have the opportunity to purchase properties of this nature in the east end of the Melbourne CBD, let alone one leased to a single tenant of the calibre of Virgin Active,” Mr Dowers said.  
Virgin occupies the space under a lease expiring in July 2024. The current net annual income is $1,713,000, with a bank guarantee of 12 months.  
Mr Wizel said the gym had a large membership catchment which was supported by the surrounding office workers and residents in the east end of the Melbourne CBD, which is continuing to grow rapidly due to the high density residential development activity in the precinct.  
“The Melbourne CBD is benefiting immensely from the significant growth in population which has been underwritten primarily from Asian migration and the trend towards inner city apartment living,” Mr Wizel said.  
“This growth in residents has increased the demand for service based retailing which has allowed businesses such as Virgin Active to thrive.”  
Mr Dowers said that the timing to offer a securely leased investment such as 138 Bourke Street was opportune given the demand / supply imbalance in the market for properties of this nature.  
“There is no doubt that the low interest rates are bringing a larger quantum of buyers back into the market, with the majority of the interest directing towards retail property with long and secure lease covenants, in addition to consistent rental growth,” Mr Dowers said.
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Investors limber up to buy Melbourne’s landmark Virgin Active gym 

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Victoria has trumped the other states to return the best office leasing figures for the 12 months to June: total square metres reportedly leased are up 36%, according to the latest data from Savills Research.
Victorian office leases reported totalled 366,000 square metres - compared to the NSW figure of 320,000 square metres with Queensland next best at 260,000 square metres leased.
Savills national head of research Tony Crabb says the data reveals 273,403 square metres of leasing activity in the Central Melbourne office market and 93,220 square metres leased in Melbourne's suburban markets.
Most of the central Melbourne leases - about 37% - were in the Docklands precinct with the government the dominant sector in the suburbs at 56%.
While Victoria showed the way on volume, NSW had the most transactions with 147, more than double Victoria’s 70. Queensland also had more reported deals with 110 with transactions in SA, WA and ACT totalling less than 100 between them.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/07/leasingchartjuly24.jpg" width="470" height="302" alt="leasingchartjuly24">
Savills’ Victorian state leasing directors Nicholas Farley and Mark Rasmussen say the figures show a stronger demand for Victorian office property than might have been expected.
"Obviously the figures can be a bit misleading given the apparent discrepancy between square metres and the number of transactions, but there is plenty of activity in the Victorian office leasing market, and especially in Melbourne,’’ Farley says.
Incentives encouraged tenants into the market, Rasmussen said, adding that the activity was reflective of a market characterised by strong fundamentals.
"Incentives are doing their job, as they always do, of enticing tenants to sign on the bottom line, but there is also no doubt that Melbourne’s office market is fundamentally strong, with the sort of diverse tenancy profile that works to help shield it from the worst of market downturns.
"That’s what makes the Melbourne market so resilient compared with other states such as Perth and Brisbane, where heavy dependency on one sector of the economy, such as mining, can leave those cities vulnerable.’’
The research revealed that 47,800 square metres of the total square metres leased were pre-commitments in the CBD and fringe markets, while the finance and insurance sector was the dominant non-suburban sector totalling 31% of reported leasing activity, or 85,325 square metres. The property and business services sector had the largest number of transactions at 30.
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Victoria returns best national office leasing figures: Savills

An entity directed by HSN's Rafi Assouline and Rebel Property's Allen Linz has filed plans for an impressive new precinct in Woolloomooloo.

The major mixed-use development would transform a prominent William Street site into a new residential village anchored by affordable housing and a large public park.

The proposal, submitted as a State Significant Development Application, covers 164-172 and 174-194 William Street, a 6,398 sqm site between Forbes Street and Dowling Street on the southern edge of Woolloomooloo.

Designed by fjcstudio in collaboration with Bangawarra, Studio Bright and Tribe Studio Architects, the scheme would deliver 227 apartments across four residential buildings ranging in height up to 18 storeys, alongside retail space, public domain improvements and a new publicly accessible park.

<img alt="Rebel" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0eb59b7c-914a-4a5c-b849-3a56749f5e93" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-06-12%20at%2011.18.51%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=mxM6EEqeoLjrCiTlCzTKTvzpKuh6kSkH" />

It's another design scheme for Rebel, who took <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-rebel-property-group-takes-woolloomooloo-precinct-to-nsw-government">concept plans to the NSW Gov late last year</a>.

The latest plans will be a mix of 167 build-to-sell apartments and 60 affordable apartments, with the affordable housing component representing 15 per cent of the project's gross floor area. The apartment mix includes 12 one-bedroom, 53 two-bedroom, 89 three-bedroom apartments and 13 penthouses, while the affordable housing component would comprise 42 one-bedroom and 18 two-bedroom apartments.

<img alt="Rebel" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3b3d4553-8a8c-4af5-aa8c-519ffb1e28c6" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-06-12%20at%2011.20.12%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=_Yb6ibN7eDnOtQjCNDK2eviORa4qzgv." />

Rebel Property is seeking to take advantage of the NSW Government's infill affordable housing bonus provisions under the Housing SEPP, which provide additional floor space and height in exchange for the delivery of affordable housing for a minimum of 15 years. The planning pathway allows a 30 per cent increase in floor space ratio and building height where 15 per cent of the development is dedicated to affordable housing.

&nbsp;

At the centre of the development is a 1,356 sqm sunlit public park designed to become a new community gathering space at the gateway to Woolloomooloo. The park would be complemented by a network of pedestrian laneways connecting William Street with the surrounding streets, improving permeability through what is currently a largely impermeable block.

<img alt="Rebel" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="257af931-a393-4007-8c6d-7219796df58d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-06-12%20at%2011.20.51%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=KAHy94GrhaReFsWTGDKfy39EDJ8gEEv4" />

The design team says the public domain has been heavily influenced by the site's topography and Aboriginal cultural heritage, drawing on the escarpments, gullies and landscape characteristics that historically defined the area before urbanisation. The landscape design has been developed in partnership with First Nations consultancy Bangawarra.

The project would be delivered across four separate buildings. The William Street East and William Street West buildings, designed by fjcstudio, would contain the majority of the apartments. Melbourne-based Studio Bright has designed the Forbes Street building, while Tribe Studio Architects is responsible for the Dowling Street building.

Rebel had secured approval for the concept plans late last year.

Joel Robinson

First look: HSN, Rebel, advances Woolloomooloo precinct plans

A locally heritage-listed furniture showroom on Water Street is set to become the centrepiece of a new mixed-use residential development as local developer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/keylin-group">Keylin</a> seeks approval for <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/lotus-on-water-street-290-water-street-fortitude-valley-qld-4006">Lotus on Water Street</a>, a 15-storey project on the Fortitude Valley side of Spring Hill.

The proposal spans 290 Water Street and 137-141 Warry Street, combining several properties into a 2,869 sqm site that sits between Fortitude Valley, Spring Hill and the rapidly evolving Victoria Park precinct. Keylin's plans would deliver 132 apartments alongside new retail, hospitality and commercial space, while retaining and repurposing the historic Brunswick Home Furnishers Showroom that fronts Water Street.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/jackson-teece">Jackson Teece</a>, Lotus on Water Street comprises a 12-storey residential tower rising above a three-storey podium and communal rooftop terrace. The development includes 76 apartments classified as multiple dwellings and a further 56 units proposed as short-term accommodation, designed to be flexibly used as either accommodation or permanent residences. The apartment mix comprises six one-bedroom, 54 two-bedroom and 16 three-bedroom homes.

<img alt="First look: Keylin unveils heritage-led Lotus on Water Street tower in Fortitude Valley" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9822bb79-6c49-49c9-95ba-319e8c8d81c3" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/fortitude%20valley%20front.png?VersionId=ioW8zbN4UVebbLetTFuv92t.HkdgfR5e" />

Residents would have access to an extensive rooftop recreation level spanning more than 1,200 sqm of communal open space. Plans include a pool, gym, sauna, infrared sauna, yoga area, library, private dining room, barbecue facilities and landscaped entertainment spaces, making the rooftop the project's largest shared amenity offering.

At street level, the proposal focuses on the adaptive reuse of the heritage buildings along Water Street, where 518 sqm of retail and commercial space is planned across shop, office and food and drink outlet uses. A permeable residential lobby would be positioned between the retained heritage buildings, creating a pedestrian connection between the historic streetscape and the new tower behind.

<img alt="First look: Keylin unveils heritage-led Lotus on Water Street tower in Fortitude Valley" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="269cf3e0-7d13-48bf-a318-05a00deb5c10" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/fortitude%20valley%20podium.png?VersionId=DLXmTCLsp6GOcLpQ0h.0z7wKCw59EhN_" />

The heritage retention strategy is central to the scheme. The development application notes that the Brunswick Home Furnishers Showroom and adjoining heritage buildings will remain, with only non-significant structures on the site earmarked for removal under a previously issued Heritage Exemption Certificate. Levels one and two of the new podium are recessed behind the heritage façades to maintain their prominence within the streetscape.

Jackson Teece has drawn inspiration from the site's manufacturing history when designing the podium. The planning documents state that the façade incorporates perforated metal screening that references the woven and rattan furniture historically produced on the site. Cascading and climbing plants are integrated throughout the podium to soften the building's presentation and screen parking levels behind. The landscape strategy also informs the project's name, Lotus on Water Street, drawing on the historic Spring Hollow waterholes that once ran through Spring Hill and the blue water lilies associated with Meeanjin, Brisbane's traditional name.

The proposal also incorporates the neighbouring property at 141 Warry Street, currently occupied by a healthcare service. The existing building would remain, with nine dedicated parking spaces allocated within the new development to support its ongoing operation. In total, Lotus on Water Street proposes 117 car spaces, including 110 resident spaces and seven visitor bays, alongside 100 bicycle spaces.

<img alt="First look: Keylin unveils heritage-led Lotus on Water Street tower in Fortitude Valley" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="70cf07bc-4fd8-4e70-92dd-be8b21c4e4f0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/fortitude%20valley%20site.png?VersionId=txlxrJImM0Sm_vTzHVKh5DDUkyL_CiiA" />

The site sits within the Spring Hill East Precinct of the Spring Hill Neighbourhood Plan and is positioned around 650 metres from both Fortitude Valley Station and Exhibition Station. It is also within walking distance of the King Street precinct, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Herston Quarter and Victoria Park, which is earmarked to become a major venue precinct ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Planning documents describe the location as a key gateway between Spring Hill and Fortitude Valley and highlight the area's increasing importance as new transport infrastructure and Olympic-related investment reshape Brisbane's inner north. The development team argues the project will contribute additional housing supply while activating a section of Water Street that has historically received less investment than other parts of the Valley.

Keylin has become increasingly active across Brisbane and southeast Queensland, assembling sites in strategic inner-city locations. They are currently selling and delivering <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/oria-spring-hill-447-gregory-terrace-spring-hill-qld-4000">Oria Spring Hill</a>, just over 140 apartments due for completion in 2027.

Keylin plans heritage-led Lotus on Water Street apartment development in Fortitude Valley

Roseville is poised for a wave of new apartment development following the NSW Government's rezoning of land around Roseville Station under its Transport Oriented Development program.

The new planning controls have unlocked significant development potential within walking distance of the station, with a number of sites expected to be amalgamated and redeveloped in the coming years as developers seek to take advantage of the increased density allowances.

One of the more restrained developments in the precinct, and set among the first to be delivered having commenced well before the recent changes, is Hyecorp's Juliet. The boutique apartment project is already well under construction and remains on track to welcome residents by the end of the year, offering a markedly different proposition to many of the larger-scale developments now likely to emerge across the suburb.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=7395 project_image_fid=278194]

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/juliet-roseville-64-pacific-highway-roseville-nsw-2069">Juliet</a> will comprise just&nbsp;34 one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments opposite Roseville Station. For Hyecorp, which has delivered projects across Sydney's Lower North Shore for more than three decades, Roseville presented a rare opportunity to address a growing gap in the market.

"<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/roseville-nsw-2069">Roseville</a> has long been one of the North Shore's most tightly held and desirable suburbs, offering a unique combination of village charm, established greenery, excellent transport connections, and proximity to some of Sydney's best schools and lifestyle amenities," Hyecorp said.

"We recognised a growing demand from local homeowners seeking to downsize without leaving the community they have built their lives around. The location presented a rare opportunity to create homes that cater specifically to that buyer profile."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=7395 project_image_fid=278196]

The six-level development has been designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/pbd-architects">PBD Architects</a> as a collection of residences that feel more like homes than apartments. The brief centred generous floorplans, abundant natural light, quality finishes, and strong connections to outdoor space.

PBD Architects drew inspiration from Roseville's established garden suburb character, creating a building that sits comfortably within its surroundings rather than dominating them. The architecture incorporates natural materials, soft forms, layered landscaping, expansive balconies, and generous setbacks to strengthen the connection between residents and the suburb's leafy environment.

"The focus was on designing spacious, house-like residences for discerning owner-occupiers and downsizers who wanted to remain on the North Shore without compromising on comfort, privacy, or design," PBD said.&nbsp;

"Every apartment was to feel considered, timeless, and highly functional."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=7395 project_image_fid=278195]

Inside, residences feature engineered timber flooring, stone kitchen benchtops and splashbacks, integrated Fisher &amp; Paykel appliances, ducted air conditioning, and large outdoor entertaining areas designed to take advantage of district and treetop views.

Residents will also have access to a rooftop barbecue and lounge area, alongside practical amenities including parcel lockers, EV charging capability, bicycle storage, a dog wash bay, and a basement car wash facility.

The majority of purchasers so far have been local owner-occupiers from Roseville, Lindfield, Chatswood, Killara, and the broader Upper North Shore, many of whom are transitioning from larger family homes.

"Buyers are looking for spacious, house-like apartments that allow them to downsize without feeling like they are sacrificing comfort or functionality," Hyecorp noted.

"They value large kitchens, generous living areas, ample storage, quality finishes, secure parking, lift access, and low-maintenance living."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=7395 project_image_fid=278204]

Juliet sits directly opposite Roseville Train Station and within walking distance of Roseville Village, while Chatswood's retail and dining precinct is only minutes away. The development is also surrounded by some of Sydney's most established schools, including Roseville College, Ravenswood, Pymble Ladies' College, and Knox Grammar, as well as nearby parklands and golf courses.

Juliet is currently more than 75 per cent sold ahead of its anticipated completion in late 2026.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=7395]

Juliet to sit quietly amid Roseville apartment boom

Sherpa Property Group has unveiled the third instalment of its Flourish series, securing full approval for the two-tower, $500 million Flourish Soleira development in Palm Beach.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/flourish-soleira-1150-1154-gold-coast-highway-palm-beach-qld-4221">Flourish Soleira</a> will rise from a prominent site in the commercial heart of Palm Beach, the long-time home of Cash Converters and a range of local retailers.

The project will introduce a new retail and dining precinct at ground level, beneath 286 apartments.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=370959]

“We’re very committed to not only providing affordable residential offerings that are much needed in Palm Beach, but also delivering a vibrant new commercial heart that complements the extraordinary growth of the southern Gold Coast,” Sherpa Property Group founder Christie Leet said.

The development will sit under Sherpa's Flourish brand, which is aimed at providing a pathway into the beachside suburb for locals, first-home buyers and downsizers. In a move designed to assist first-home buyers entering the market, Sherpa has reserved all one and two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartments exclusively for eligible first-home buyers.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=370964]

“Our vision through Flourish is to create a vibrant retail and lifestyle focal point within the Palm Beach centre zone, delivering thriving communities underpinned by lifestyle-rich locations,” Leet said.

“So far, Flourish has been an incredible success, and we hope to carry this momentum as we progress the next two Flourish projects in Palm Beach.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=371430]

Located across 1150-1164 Gold Coast Highway and 3 Sixth Avenue, the development will comprise two towers. The northern tower will deliver 154 apartments, while the southern tower will add a further 132 residences, helping address ongoing demand for new apartments in the tightly held coastal suburb.

Flourish Soleira will also feature the most extensive rooftop amenity offering ever delivered in Palm Beach.

The two towers will be connected by a skybridge, with residents gaining access to a rooftop recreation deck featuring a full-width swimming pool, hot and cold plunge pools, wellness spaces, a gymnasium, private dining facilities, massage treatment rooms, barbecue areas, a basketball court, golf simulator, indoor and outdoor dining spaces, sun lounges and extensive landscaping.

LPS Group is expected to start construction later this year.

Sherpa is already well advanced on construction of its debut Flourish project, Flourish Amargo, located just around the corner from Soleira. Meanwhile, Flourish Oasis, positioned opposite Amargo, recently commenced construction and has nearly sold out its collection of 47 apartments.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150017]

Sherpa unveils $500m mixed-use Palm Beach precinct, Flourish Soleira

Are mortgage holders set to get a reprieve from the RBA in 2026?

Big Four bank NAB believes so. They are now expecting the next move from the RBA to be a cut, rather than a hike, which they had pencilled in for August. They are unsure of the timing of the cut however, they note in their latest&nbsp;NAB Economics RBA Watch.

NAB Chief Economist, Dr Sally Auld, said recent data suggests the economy has lost momentum and the outlook for rates has shifted, noting that the broader economic backdrop has changed since earlier in the year.

“The next move in the cash rate is likely to be down, but the timing is uncertain," Dr Auld said.

"In February, growth was above trend, the economy was operating above capacity and there was uncertainty over the restrictiveness of rates. None of these conditions exist today,” she outlined.

Dr Auld said recent data pointed to softer momentum across the economy while acknowledging that at the same time, uncertainty remains a key feature of the outlook.

“Both Q1 GDP data and the NAB business survey suggest momentum in the economy has slowed, meaning that growth has likely peaked for the cycle. That said, we are cognisant there is still considerable uncertainty around the outlook, both with respect to activity and inflation.”

Dr Auld said inflation risks and labour market outcomes would be important to watch.

“On the prices side, we are still forecasting above target core inflation through to mid-2027. Margins will compress and weaker labour market outcomes are a risk.”

She said tighter financial conditions are expected to weigh on housing and activity.

“Tighter financial conditions will be reflected in a slowing in house price growth and housing credit growth. In summary, we have greater conviction that the next move in rates is down, but less conviction on the timing.”

Stephen Taylor

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