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The <a href="/buildings/australia-108-southbank-70-southbank-boulevard-southbank">core of the skyscraper</a> which will take the title from Eureka as Melbourne's tallest building is approaching 50% of its eventual height.

Images posted on the <a href="/news">Urban.com.au Projects &amp; Construction</a> forum by stalwart member redden show that <a href="/builders/multiplex">Multiplex</a> are now working on the 50th level within the core box. 

Australia 108 will eventually have 99 floors, rising to 317 metres above the intersection of City Road and Southbank Boulevard.

With well over 1000 apartments, Australia 108 will eclipse Eureka Tower, completed last decade, by 20 metres in the height stakes.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/p4081425.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Australia 108 looking westward along City Road - image: redden"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="435" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/p4081425.jpg?itok=ZDYNNqnB" title="Australia 108 looking westward along City Road - image: redden" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Australia 108 looking westward along City Road - image: redden</figcaption></figure>In <a href="/news/brookfield-multiplex-appointed-builder-for-australia-108-piling-to-commence-in-october">September 2015</a> when Multiplex was awarded the construction contract valued at $500 million, the construction milestones which included the number of apartments to be completed were:

<blockquote>
<ul>
<li>Stage 1: up to level 40, 491 apartments, to be completed late 2018</li>
	<li>Stage 2: up to level 56, 252 apartments, to be completed mid 2019</li>
	<li>Stage 3: up to level 66, 162 apartments, to be completed mid 2019</li>
	<li>Stage 4: up to level 86, 120 apartments, to be completed early 2020</li>
	<li>Stage 5: up to final level, 80 apartments, to be completed mid 2020</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>

The only other tower taller than Australia 108 which has received planning approval is One Queensbridge Street which the current Planning Minister Richard Wynne signed off on in <a href="/news/one-queensbridge-street-approved">February 2017</a>.

Australia 108 was approved by then-Planning Minister and now Leader of the Opposition, Matthew Guy, in 2014.
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Alastair Taylor

Australia 108 approaches 50% of its height

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The State Government has earmarked another $75million for the <a href="/new-townhouses/mordialloc-vic-3195">Mordialloc </a>bypass this morning and announced the road, unveiled during the 2017 budget season, will now no longer have at-grade road intersections.

The Mordialloc Freeway, née bypass, was unveiled in 2017 and geotechnical investigations kicked off not long after the May 2017 budget was published.  The original cost of the bypass road was $300 million.

What were to be intersections when the project was first unveiled will be grade separated freeway interchanges located at Springvale Road, Governor Road, Lower Dandenong Road and Centre Dandenong Road with the freeway terminating at the Dingley bypass.

Thames Promenade in Chelsea Heights will have northern entry and exit ramps added to its existing set of Frankston-bound southern entry and exit ramps.  The Frankston Freeway will now, in effect, extend from Cranbourne Road in Frankston to the Dingley Bypass in Clayton South.

The announcement of the project's upgrade to a freeway-standard road is occurring two days before submissions close on the <a href="https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/planning-and-projects/melbourne-road-projects/mordialloc-bypass">scoping requirements</a> for the <a href="https://www.planning.vic.gov.au/environment-assessment/browse-projects/projects/mordialloc-bypass#overview">environmental effects statement</a> which the planning minister deemed necessary in September 2017.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/nelink.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Another large freeway/tollway project, the North East Link"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="360" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/nelink.jpg?itok=DNQCGjm-" title="Another large freeway/tollway project, the North East Link" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Another large freeway/tollway project, the North East Link</figcaption></figure>On the 24th of November, Victorians head back to the polls and this project is located in one of the four marginal electorates that won the election for the Andrews Government at the last state election.

The electorate of Mordialloc is held only by 2.1% and it is in the top 5 most marginal seats in the State's Legislative Assembly for the government.  The project also travels through the electorates of Keysborough and Clarinda which are considered safer for the Andrews Government.

Among other announcements along the line of sandbelt electorates in recent weeks have included the removal of the Skye/Overton Road level crossing which is located on the boundary of the Frankston &amp; Carrum electorates (the most marginal and the second most marginal electorates for the government respectively).

The electorate and suburb of Carrum is also set to see level crossings removed and a new elevated station built in place of the existing Carrum station.  Station Street in Bonbeach and Edithvale Road in Edithvale (in Carrum and Mordialloc electorates respectively) are also on the original list of 50 level crossings to be removed over 8 years.

Planning and consultation on the Bonbeach and Edithvale level crossing removals are ongoing with only the Carrum and the Seaford-Frankston area see any significant work or announcements that work will begin before the end of the year.

In 2015, Infrastructure Victoria was set up and lauded as an agency to 'take the politics out of planning'.  The <a href="/new-townhouses/mordialloc-vic-3195">Mordialloc </a>bypass, now freeway, did not get a mention in Infrastructure Victoria's 30-year strategy - it only appears in the <a href="https://www.vic.gov.au/system/user_files/Documents/vip/Victorian%20Infrastructure%20Plan~Chapter%202~Transport.pdf">5-year plan</a> which the government was required to create after Infrastructure Victoria unveiled the first run of the 30-year strategy.

The State Government has not publicly announced any changes to the heavy rail network development plan that was released under the previous government nor provided any meaningful direction on how our tram and bus networks will evolve over time in the context of a rapidly growing metropolitan area.
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Mordialloc bypass now a freeway

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Australia is in the middle of a rooftop solar boom with news last week that in the March quarter 351 megawatts (MW) of new capacity was installed including 127MW for the month of March alone.  <a href="https://reneweconomy.com.au/australian-rooftop-solar-boom-rolls-on-351mw-in-first-quarter-26595/">According to </a><a href="https://reneweconomy.com.au/australian-rooftop-solar-boom-rolls-on-351mw-in-first-quarter-26595/">SunWiz</a>, the uptake is accelerating.

The acceleration has been attributed to high prices from electricity retailers and the consistent cost reductions in photovoltaic technology that has created an environment where many house-owners and businesses have increasingly greater access to technology that allows them to thumb their noses at electricity retailers.

Those lucky enough to own a house or business premise and have the budget to install a rooftop solar system, especially one combined with a battery, are also starting to see shorter payback times.

Booming solar installations throughout Australia's suburbs, one would think, should be seen as a great achievement of those politicians and groups who believe in greater self-determination and less state intervention - regardless if state subsidies helped us get to the point where we are. Alas, it's not the case with the merry 'Monash forum' rabble.

Much like moving to 100% electric vehicles would solve the emissions challenge of cars, a 1 for 1 replacement doesn't solve the physics/congestion challenge in cities; increased solar rooftop &amp; battery package purchases by households and business adds significant weight to tackling the electricity generation emissions problem, however, it won't be available to every household - in a financial sense, but more importantly in a physical sense.

The issue of unchecked low-density growth at the fringe of cities is well understood - increased urban densities in the inner and middle rings of our cities are a direct antidote to it - but those who will probably live a significant proportion of their lives in multi-dwelling buildings won't be able to participate in the generation side of a distributed energy grid to the same extent as those who own houses.

Apartment buildings and higher-density workplaces will, of course, be able to install electricity generation infrastructure on their roofs but at best this local generation will cover the electricity required to light, heat and cool common areas plus a bit more, at worst there will be a negligible impact.

If we accept there will be an energy production divide at the household level - those who live in houses which can install a PV system on the roof versus those who live in apartments/units - then in the interests of equity, apartments and the higher-density parts of our cities will need specific policy treatment.

'The grid' is the machine that includes generation (thermal power stations, wind turbines, solar arrays, dams with hydro turbines located at the base of them), transmission (the 'big' power powerlines), distribution (the 'small' powerlines in your street) and substations which are the bridges between generation and transmission as well as between transmission and distribution.

Our grid mainly operates in one direction - from generation through the transmission network to the distribution network to the power outlet in your home/business to the device or appliance that's plugged into the power outlet.  Those appliances/devices plugged in are considered 'behind the meter', everything else is considered 'in front of the meter'.

The leadership at the Australia Energy Market Operator, which oversees transmission planning in Victoria's case but overall it monitors the operations of the electricity network around the country, has begun talking about the need for access to the behind-the-meter infrastructure that is rapidly deploying in Australian households and businesses.

"At the moment there is no framework for moderating the feed into the grid from rooftop PV systems,” Jenny Riesz, principal at AEMO, quoted in <a href="https://reneweconomy.com.au/rooftop-solar-australias-greatest-opportunity-greatest-risk-86420/">RenewEconomy</a>, said. “We can turn down the large-scale wind and PV if we have to, but there is no way at the moment to control rooftop PV systems".

<blockquote>
As AEMO chief Audrey Zibelman has repeatedly asserted, this behind the meter energy generation and storage resource has enormous potential to be harnessed by the market operator, in any number of ways, to help provide crucial grid balancing and particularly peak shaving services.

And extensive modelling by Energy Networks Australia has supported this view.

It showed that by orchestrating the nation’s distributed energy resource (DER), and coordinating the dispatch of it in a sensible way, network charges could be reduced by 30 per cent, annual savings delivered to households, and up to $1.4 billion in network investment avoided.
<cite>Rooftop solar: Australia's greatest opportunity and its greatest risk, <a href="https://reneweconomy.com.au/rooftop-solar-australias-greatest-opportunity-greatest-risk-86420/">RenewEconomy</a></cite>
</blockquote>

The are multiple solutions to the impending problem of excess generation and not being able to control it.

<blockquote>
“There is a huge amount that we can do about this,” Riesz told the conference on Thursday. “It’s just that we have to get on and do it. Now. Now is the time.

Key among the possible solutions is increasing daytime demand. This can be done a number of ways, such as shifting hot water clocks from night into the daytime; coordinating the distributed storage “that’s coming in at a rate of notts”; or using electric vehicle charging to mop up excess generation.

“Electric vehicles coming in could enormously help, And we could have other sorts of flexible loads like water pumping, and so on; if we provide the right tariffs and incentives, a lot more of that can be done during the day, to suck up this energy,” Riesz said.
<cite>Rooftop solar: Australia's greatest opportunity and its greatest risk, <a href="https://reneweconomy.com.au/rooftop-solar-australias-greatest-opportunity-greatest-risk-86420/">RenewEconomy</a></cite>
</blockquote>

Australia's rooftop solar boom is happening in an energy policy environment that's been stuck in a rut for a decade. The former South Australian government went out of its way to facilitate a batter for the grid based on a twitter conversation - this is what an inept and paralysed federal government looks like.

Helped along early on in the piece by high feed-in tariffs set at the state level, solar PV + batteries is now at the stage where house-owners wield significant power (pardon the pun) and <a href="https://www.thefifthestate.com.au/energy-lead/energy/solar-and-storage-could-soon-be-the-standard-for-new-homes">developers foresee including systems as standard</a> in house and land packages in the not too distant future.

Apartment-dwellers won't have the same access to generation participation opportunities that house-dwellings currently do, but they could very much play a massive part in the need for the country to invest in storage.  If they're given an incentive package similar to the one early adopters of solar PV systems received.

Lead image credit: <a href="https://sonnenbatterie.de/en-gb/sonnenbatterie">sonnenbatterie.de</a>
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Houses & early feed-in tariffs helped reduced rooftop solar costs, it's time to focus on apartments and the impending storage boom

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This week Laurence &amp; I sit down with Stuart Moseley, the CEO of the Victorian Planning Authority.

We talk about the role the Victorian Planning Authority plays in the state, the challenges Victoria may face and where consultation is heading in the context of new ways to undertake it.   We also chat about Melbourne's employment clusters and how the VPA interfaces with other government departments and authorities.

You can also subscribe to the podcast through <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/urban-melbournes-weekly-podcast/id1356864009?mt=2">iTunes</a>!

<iframe allow="autoplay" frameborder="no" height="300" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/425516658&amp;color=%23ff5500&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;show_teaser=true&amp;visual=true" width="100%"></iframe>

 

 

 
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Weekly Podcast: Episode 9 - Special guest Stuart Moseley, CEO of the Victorian Planning Authority

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In the merry-go-round of construction blitzes produced by the ongoing level crossing removal project, it's the Frankston line's turn with multiple rail line shutdowns to occur within May and June.

Spring Street announced that between the 4th and 27th of May buses will replace trains between Frankston &amp; Carrum as well as the entire Stony Point railway line.

Between the 28th of May and the 17th of June, buses will replace trains between Frankston and Kananook station and between Leawarra and Frankston on the Stony Point line.

The shutdowns in May and June are linked to works required to complete the new Frankston Station and the Skye/Overton Road level crossing removal project.

Minister for Public Transport, Jacinta Allan, referred to the 'out-of-the-box thinking' which is going into the Skye/Overton Road removal project - viaduct components will be built and transported to site from Kilmore outside of peak times.

"It's exciting to see the project team thinking outside the box with this unique bridge design, which will be part of delivering more trains more often for Frankston line passengers".

According to a Spring Street media release, the new rail bridge will comprise "24 u-shaped viaducts - each bigger than a blue whale and weighing 280 tonnes each - will be transported on a 72 metre-long truck from a Kilmore factory to the work site in Frankston."

The segments of the viaduct will then be prepared on site and specialist heavy-lifting machinery will jack them into place.

<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bIeTvC81xho" width="100%"></iframe>

Frankston station is being overhauled as <a href="/news/construction-kicks-off-on-new-frankston-station">we reported back in February</a> when construction commenced.  The Genton Architecture-designed proposal was selected as part of an architectural competition which was overseen by the Office of Victorian Government Architect.

The May-June shutdowns also co-ordinate all the level crossing removal and station removal projects at the southern end of the line and focus then shifts northwards.

The Premier and Minister for Public Transport on the same day as announcing the May-June construction blitz also visited Carrum where works have begun on the extension of the new Station Street bridge across the Patterson River.

Carrum will see a new elevated station and its existing train stabling facilities are being moved to a site right near Kananook &amp; the Skye Road/Overton Road level crossing removal project.

At Carrum, Macleod Road will be extended directly under the new elevated track and connect with the Nepean Highway which allows the existing 'dog's leg' level crossing connecting Station Street and the Nepean Highway to be removed and according to the Level Crossing Removal Authority, the traffic research done to inform the design will negate the need to replace the Eel Race Road level crossing.

The Eel Race Road level crossing will simply be closed and a new pedestrian connection under the rail line will be built.
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Frankston station rebuild and Skye Road level crossing removal to be complete by mid June

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<h2>Comment</h2>

“Every hour during the morning peak, 15,000 pedestrians cross the Spencer and Collins Street intersection outside Southern Cross Station which is five times the number of people in cars, yet cars are given twice the amount of time as pedestrians to pass through.”

That's Cr Nicolas Frances Gilley from the City of Melbourne. It goes right to the heart of an issue that, for the moment, is a focus for the City of Melbourne but should be a question that councils beyond the centre of the city should be pondering.

In the context of population predictions of a metropolitan area of 8 million people, why do we allocate so much space to a transport mode which consumes a heck of a lot more public space per capita compared to more efficient modes?

For a few decades now, the City of Melbourne has led where others have decided business-as-usual is the best course of action and it's resulted in a centre-of-Melbourne which attracts, feels, and is radically different to other areas in the metropolitan area.

The City of Melbourne has begun publishing discussion papers which the council seeks to use to inform the draft transport refresh it hopes to release toward the end of 2018.  The first two of eight papers focus on walking and city space.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/com_transport_fresh_1.png" rel="gallery-all" title="The most important transport mode in the City of Melbourne - walking"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="933" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/com_transport_fresh_1.png?itok=8KFYLlcF" title="The most important transport mode in the City of Melbourne - walking" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The most important transport mode in the City of Melbourne - walking</figcaption></figure>Both discussion papers outline relevant data - such as the mode share of transport trips within the Hoddle Grid and in the wider municipal area - and point to examples overseas where other cities are facing similar issues.

For instance in Auckland, the CoM discussion paper tells the story of how pedestrian delay at traffic lights has been quantified ($2.2 million NZD per annum) and how Oslo will make its centre of the city car-free by 2019.

Barcelona's 'superblock' treatment where the Catalan capital has enacted major change: previously, the blocks in Eixample had 75% of public space allocated to private vehicles, 75% of public space is now allocated to pedestrian uses.

The discussion papers can be found on the <a href="https://participate.melbourne.vic.gov.au/transportstrategy">Participate Melbourne website</a>.

It should not go unnoticed that it is a municipality that is driving change forward.  The City of Melbourne is unique within the metropolitan area as it is the historic commercial centre which has always had a high concentration of activity and our rail network connects us all to it.

The story of central Melbourne's change from the dark, car-filled street days of the 80s is well documented and we are all the beneficiaries of the progressive change however it's unfortunate that this wonderful revitalised central Melbourne, for the most part, stops at the municipal boundary.

The tram network is what the City of Melbourne and other adjoining councils have in common - much of the network is located on streets where trams are slowed down (and therefore their capacity to transport people more efficiently is curtailed) by on-street car parking and the misallocation of road-space to private vehicles is rife.  

Other councils do have transport strategies that would see progressive change over time, but there is nothing uniform across municipal boundaries that could inform the mainly state-based agencies who make the decisions on where to invest capital to create new or improve existing public transport routes.

While we give major kudos to the City of Melbourne for taking the lead - again - on showing Melburnians how change can happen for the better, what we really should be asking is why can the same prioritisation of people over cars not be applied firstly to other parts of Melbourne the tram network touches and then the emerging nodes beyond the tram network.
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City of Melbourne's transport strategy refresh - should it not apply to other municipalities?

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Pace Development Group are expanding northwards into the City of Moonee Valley with a recently acquired site located at 327-357 Mt Alexander Road currently at advertising.

Not afraid of developing in Melbourne's middle ring suburbs as well as the inner-city, the Ascot Vale proposal sits on a 3,846 square metre site which has three frontages, the largest of which is to Mt Alexander Road.

Pace has employed Carr Design Group as the project lead, seeking permission for 89 apartments and 4 townhouses.

The project is located on the current site of the Ascot Vale garden centre and includes 4 heritage properties on the corner of Mt Alexander Road and Moonee Street - two of the heritage properties are to be retained as part of the proposal.

The ground floor contains four retail tenancies, one of which will be large enough for a local supermarket, and the 3 levels of basement car parking cater for both private residents, visitors and customers in the building's proposed retail tenancies.

Contained within the proposal are 17 x 1 bedroom apartments, 62 x 2 bedroom apartments and 10 x 3 bedroom apartments.  All four townhouses are 3 bedroom with 2 bathrooms.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/pace_ascot_vale_1.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Looking south down Mt Alexander Road. Planning image: Carr Design &amp; Pace"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="338" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/pace_ascot_vale_1.png?itok=om_fH5p5" title="Looking south down Mt Alexander Road. Planning image: Carr Design &amp; Pace" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Looking south down Mt Alexander Road. Planning image: Carr Design &amp; Pace</figcaption></figure>All 1 bedroom apartments are a minimum of 51 square metres and can range up to 58 square metres with 8 square metres of private outdoor space.  Some apartments on the first level above the retail tenancies and on the same level as the internal courtyard have upwards of 61 square metres of private outdoor space.

2 Bedroom apartments have a minimum of 68 square metres and the range goes up to over 100 square metres of internal space. The three bedroom apartments have a minimum of 105 square metres of internal space.

The main apartment building sits on the site in a reverse L shape (when viewed from the south) which creates a private space away from the street-fronts. Landscape plans now with Moonee Valley council show a mixture of rain gardens, raised garden beds and gazebos expected to adorn the communal courtyard.

<h2>Development Team Summary</h2>

<ul>
<li>Developer: Pace Development Group</li>
	<li>Architect: Carr Design Group</li>
	<li>Urban Planner: Urbis</li>
	<li>Traffic Management: Ratio</li>
	<li>Waste Management: Leigh Design</li>
	<li>Heritage Consultant: Bryce Raworth</li>
</ul>
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Pace seeks to build mixed-use development in Ascot Vale

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Parkside Constructions is seeking planning approval from the City of Moonee Valley for a 6 level, 28-unit apartment building on the palm-tree laden strip of Mt Alexander Road in Essendon.

MAP Architecture head up the design team for the proposal located at 1032-1036 Mt Alexander Road which would see near 50% of the units in the development have 3 bedrooms - there are only 2 x 1 bedroom apartments accounted for in the plans currently advertised.

In fact, the entire project is heavily weighted toward large to very large apartments - there are 13 x 3 bedrooms and 13 x 2 bedrooms.

The smallest of the 2 bedroom configurations weighs in at 89 square metres in total with the majority designed to have more than 100 square metres.  All 3 bedroom apartments have been designed to have over 100 square metres of space in them with many in the 115-135 square metre range.

The 1133 square metre site has a single frontage of 26.22 metres to Mt Alexander Road and the scale of the proposal has good company with this stretch of Mt Alexander Road covered on Apartments.com.au many times in the past.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/1032-mt_rd_essendon1.png" rel="gallery-all" title="1032-1036 Mt Alexander Road, Essendon. Planning image: MAP Architecture"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="215" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/1032-mt_rd_essendon1.png?itok=59m4BWCZ" title="1032-1036 Mt Alexander Road, Essendon. Planning image: MAP Architecture" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>1032-1036 Mt Alexander Road, Essendon. Planning image: MAP Architecture</figcaption></figure><h2>What they say</h2>

<blockquote>
The proposal provides for a contemporary building with a high level of architectural appeal that will enhance the appearance of the Mount Alexander Road Corridor.

This will be achieved through the use of varied design details, high levels of glazing, curvilinear wall forms for upper levels and high quality finishes.

Despite not incorporating commercial land uses at ground level, the proposal provides an active interface with Mount Alexander Road as a result providing various balconies and windows facing the public realm coupled with low level front fencing and vegetation across the front elevation. Further it is submitted that apartment LG.01 has been designed to allow easy conversion into a home office. The building will be well articulated and responds to the adjoining style and form of development in the area.

The siting, massing and appearance of the buildings and works is consistent with the evolving streetscape of Mount Alexander Road. The proposed development will not be adjacent to any heritage buildings
<cite>1032-1036 Mt Alexander Road, Essendon, Urban Context Report</cite>
</blockquote>

The proposal would see many apartments have views over Allison Park which sits is located to the rear of the site with architectural plans showing the two rear ground floor apartments having gated access to the park.

1032-1036 Mt Alexander Road like many other projects along the same stretch of Mt Alexander Road benefit from the 59 tram line running past the front door.  Essendon station is a 900 metre / 10 minute walk.

The project joins Sturt Street Parque on the Apartments.com.au project database in this specific area.  South of the railway line &amp; Essendon station there are six further projects, two of which are under construction.

1032-1036 Mt Alexander Road is being assessed by the City of Moonee Valley.

<h2>Development Team List:</h2>

<ul>
<li>Developer: Parkside Constructions Pty Ltd</li>
	<li>Architect: MAP Architecture</li>
	<li>Urban Planning: A.R.G. Planning</li>
	<li>Sustainability: SDC</li>
	<li>Traffic Assessment: Traffix Group</li>
	<li>Waste Management: Leigh Design</li>
</ul>
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Three bedrooms aplenty in new middle ring Essendon development

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The City of Casey is seeking submissions on the draft Cranbourne town centre structure plan which is currently on public exhibition.

Cranbourne's draft town centre structure plan covers an area which includes the land from the north of Cranbourne Station, down the South Gippsland Highway; it encompasses the original town centre and the existing light industrial area opposite the Cranbourne racecourse.

The structure plan has 4 precincts which are linked to specific land use - Community uses in the Casey complex located on the eastern side of Cameron Street, residential intensification on the western side of Cameron Street, a Mixed-use commercial core which runs the length of the South Gippsland Highway and employment and service precincts located either side of the main residential intensification precinct on between Cameron Street and the commercial core.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/cranbourne_precincts.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Proposed precinct map of Cranbourne - image: City of Casey"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="430" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/cranbourne_precincts.png?itok=pI_76idl" title="Proposed precinct map of Cranbourne - image: City of Casey" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Proposed precinct map of Cranbourne - image: City of Casey</figcaption></figure><blockquote>
The built form of the Cranbourne Town Centre tells the story of how it has grown and changed over time with distinct areas of commercial, industrial and residential buildings, consistent with a rural township becoming an outer suburb of Melbourne transitioning into a significant activity centre in the region.

Existing buildings throughout the town centre are primarily 1-2 storey, with some larger commercial buildings throughout. It is expected that residential and commercial development will be concentrated in the Cranbourne Town Centre in order to support the expected future demand. These building types are still apparent throughout Cranbourne, and it is expected that growth and development will contribute positively to the centre’s image.

Land around the Cranbourne Railway Station should encourage transit-oriented development and contribute to making the station a more attractive area. Higher density residential and mixed-use development in this location together with commercial development in the High street north area should positively contribute to the image of the centre, creating an attractive public environment which draws people down through to the High Street area. 
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.caseyconversations.com.au/33609/documents/73770"><cite>Draft Cranbourne town centre structure plan</cite></a>
</blockquote>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/cranbourne_indicative.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Indicative built-form near Cranbourne station - image: City of Casey"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="213" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/cranbourne_indicative.png?itok=n8RFVms4" title="Indicative built-form near Cranbourne station - image: City of Casey" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Indicative built-form near Cranbourne station - image: City of Casey</figcaption></figure>The mixed-use commercial core calls for any new development over 1000sqm at the Cranbourne Park shopping centre must include streetscape improvements, facade activation and an enhanced pedestrian environment.  The preferred height limit for the commercial core is 17-20 metres with street-wall heights of 11 metres and upper-level setbacks of 5 metres - perhaps most importantly, new car parking will not be allowed at the front of the building.

In the residential intensification precincts, the Residential Growth Zone will be used and amalgamation of blocks will be encouraged to allow higher-density development to occur.  13.5 metres with a setback of 5 metres is proposed throughout the precinct.

To view the draft structure plan and to make a submission, see the City of Casey <a href="https://www.caseyconversations.com.au/cranbourne-town-centre">website</a>.  Submissions close on Monday 23rd of April 2018.
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City of Casey seeks submissions on Cranbourne's town centre structure plan

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The day after Apartments.com.au took a look at the swathe of construction images for the South Morang to Mernda railway line extension project, Spring Street has announced the project is running 6 months ahead of schedule and that test trains will be running on the extension by September said the Mernda rail extension project will be operating by September.

At the same time, local MLAs Danielle Green and Lily D'ambrosio who also holds the suburban development ministerial portfolio joined the Minister for Public Transport to confirm the new station names - Hawkestowe, Middle Gorge and Mernda. 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">
We’re getting it done – Mernda Rail Extension is ahead of schedule, creating thousands of jobs and giving people in our fastest growing suburbs the transport they deserve. <a href="https://t.co/tWWNIqEKgQ">https://t.co/tWWNIqEKgQ</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/springst?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#springst</a> <a href="https://t.co/xhqAKkWa0h">pic.twitter.com/xhqAKkWa0h</a>
— Jacinta Allan (@JacintaAllanMP) <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://twitter.com/JacintaAllanMP/status/980641504321392643?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2018</a>
</blockquote>

Middle Gorge has previously been referred to as Marymede on Level Crossing Removal Authority (LXRA) website.

The LXRA are also running construction bus tours between Thursday 12th of April and Saturday 14th of April at 10am and 2pm each day - the tours last for 1.5 hours and interested parties need to register <a href="https://levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/events/mernda-rail-project-free-bus-tour">here</a>.

The final introduction of the new timetable to allow South Morang trains to run to the new terminus at Merna will be confirmed over the next few months according to a Spring Street media release.

<h2>Clayton Road now level crossing free</h2>

The Premier and Minister for Public Transport also made a trip to Clayton on Tuesday to inspect works on the new station at Clayton where work on the station's new canopy is complete.

The boom gates at Centre Road are set to be removed today and the level crossing will be removed with boomgates to be removed at Clayton Road within days as well.

The Clayton section of the level crossing removal project will be the second to open after the Noble Park elevated track and the new station opened in February.

Rail services will resume at the new Clayton station on Monday April 16th.
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Mernda rail extension to open six months ahead of schedule, station names updated

Property developer One Living, backed by former Macquarie banker turned investment manager Chris Green’s investment firm, has unveiled plans to bring more institutional capital into housing to help address the national supply crisis.

The New York-based investor has focused his firm, GreenPoint Partners, on addressing the supply shortage hitting middle market housing in Australia.

It is backing the new One Living business to develop more than 1000 units along the eastern seaboard. The new firm is starting with a development on Mona Vale Road, on the border of Mona Vale and Pymble, in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, with around 140 apartments planned. They are eyeing off more sites across the city.

With cost pressures rising in the industry, One Living’s model is to be a vertically integrated developer-builder, so it can respond directly to the housing gap by removing the cost inefficiencies embedded in traditional residential delivery.

“We are building a platform designed to operate at scale and starting in a market where there’s a clear need for quality, attainable housing,” One Living joint managing director Joseph Scuderi said.

“It’s that missing middle – it’s that attainable end of housing… that’s what most Australians invest into and what Australians can actually afford.”

<img alt="Mona Vale" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="798dfa93-4941-4db6-a696-31e9dc18e81c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%202.31.50%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=mKBqi5C_DmeiXS.AtJkcR8LQIxqCqmFi" />

GreenPoint Partners brings years of experience assembling and scaling real estate operating businesses across major markets. And Green sees a big opportunity in Australia.

“For its size, sophistication and importance to the community, Australia’s living sector has remained largely under-institutionalised, which represents significant opportunity,” Green said. “GreenPoint identified that gap, assembled the right team, and is backing One Living to build a platform that is aligned to market needs.”

Green said being a builder-developer would give the company the capacity and flexibility it required to deliver reasonably-priced homes.

“We want it to be at that attainable level; not super high end luxury but at that attainable level,” he said.

<img alt="Mona Vale" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="74a5344a-4b26-4d4a-ada3-056b1220be77" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%202.32.15%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=vY8hXHO4reBMdO8ZXMWCNtGZJofUPQ3j" />

&nbsp;

One Living will undertake a component of affordable housing in its schemes, which it will own and operate, and it could also run build-to-rent on some sites.

Green praised local policy settings.

“The NSW government is being very supportive, strategic and pragmatic in terms of how do we generate more supply of housing,” he said. “We think it’s actually positive for development and the bit that’s been lacking at that attainable level is that it’s lots of relatively small private developers, whereas we want to create an institutional platform.”

One Living is also&nbsp;looking at high-density projects and could take on more institutional funding in the future.

“The way we will be able to achieve economies of scale is through size,” Green added.

Joel Robinson

One Living enters Sydney's new apartment market with Northern Beaches site acquisition

It's been several years since there's been an opportunity to buy a brand new townhome in Melbourne's coastal suburb of Mordialloc. Even apartment developments in recent times have been few and far between in the area.

Local developer LDS Property identified the gap in new housing, securing a site on White Street, directly opposite&nbsp;Woodlands Golf Club Mordialloc. They've recently launched&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-townhouses/wm-residences-mordialloc-102-white-street-mordialloc-vic-3195">WM Residences</a>, just 13 townhouses which they have already started building.

Projects by Buxton Director Heath Thompson, who is selling WM Residences, says the townhouses x that perfect middle ground be

"Mordialloc residents have had limited options to downsize within the suburb, often forcing them to look elsewhere despite long-standing ties to the area," Thompson says.

"With very little comparable new supply coming to market, projects like WM Residences are well placed, particularly as buyers look to capitalise on current conditions amid constrained supply."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6109]

The development, designed by regarded architecture firm&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/ewert-leaf">Ewert Leaf</a>,&nbsp;adopts a deliberately restrained architectural approach, focusing on simplicity, durability and liveability rather than overt design gestures.

The boutique scale is central to the offering. With only 13 three-bedroom residences, each home is configured to prioritise functional layouts and everyday use, supported by private terraces and secure two-car garages.

Ewert Leaf’s design response leans into a calm, neutral material palette. Interiors are defined by oak flooring, white walls and soft finishes, creating a consistent and understated backdrop. The approach avoids trend-driven detailing in favour of longevity, with an emphasis on natural light and spatial clarity.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6110]

Beyond aesthetics, the homes are designed to meet contemporary performance expectations. Each residence targets a minimum 6-star energy rating, incorporating double glazing, comprehensive insulation and all-electric Bosch appliances.

The project’s location supports a walkable coastal lifestyle, sitting within close proximity to Mordialloc’s foreshore, Main Street retail strip and the train station. Local cafés and dining venues, including Suburbia Deli and Hendriks Café, are within a short walk, reinforcing the area’s established neighbourhood character.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6116]

While <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/mordialloc-vic-3195">Mordialloc</a> is often defined by its beach and pier, the project taps into other areas of day to day living, offering easy access to local food, casual dining and transport, rather than positioning itself purely as a lifestyle retreat.

WM Residences reflects a continued trend across Melbourne’s coastal suburbs towards smaller-scale, design-led townhouse developments, particularly on infill sites where proximity to amenity is already established.

With construction commenced prior to its market entry, the project aligns with a growing preference among buyers for developments with visible progress and defined delivery timeframes.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=134646]

WM Residences fills gap in Mordialloc townhouse market

&nbsp;

Developer GURNER™ Group has revealed $1.65 billion in residential sales nationally across the 12 months to December 2025, driven largely by the continued momentum of its Docklands wellness-focused precinct, Elysium Fields.

The sales result was generated across seven projects in Victoria and New South Wales, headlined by Elysium Fields, GURNER™’s $2.75 billion mixed-use precinct planned for Harbour Esplanade in Docklands.

The project has recorded more than $500 million in sales across the first three towers, equating to around 580 apartments sold.

The first tower, Helios, has now sold out of its 240 private residences, with GURNER™ preparing to release a premium penthouse collection comprising 15 three-bedroom penthouses in coming weeks.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370975]

Elysium Fields is being developed on the long-held 20,000 sqm Docklands site at 208-226 Harbour Esplanade, which had remained undeveloped for more than two decades prior to GURNER™ taking over the project around four years ago.

Construction has now commenced across four towers ranging between 18 and 30 storeys, with Hamilton Marino and Maxcon appointed as builders.

Once complete, the precinct is expected to comprise around 1,100 residences, alongside retail, hospitality and public realm uses integrated throughout the site.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370981]

Designed by Fraser &amp; Partners in collaboration with GURNER™ Design House, the project has been positioned around the developer’s broader focus on wellness-led residential living.

“We don’t sell apartments. We create a true luxury lifestyle that simply doesn’t exist elsewhere in the market today,” Founder and Executive Chairman Tim Gurner said.

“To deliver that requires an extraordinary level of detail, coordination and discipline across multiple verticals, from design and hospitality through to wellness and service.”

“We’ve always believed that living extends far beyond the physical residence. It’s about how you feel the moment you arrive, how you live day-to-day, and the ecosystem that supports that.” 
[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370977]

The project’s design places a heavy focus on landscaping, wellness amenities and biophilic design principles.

Plans include around 3,700 sqm of landscaped gardens and open space throughout the precinct, alongside a retail and dining offering spanning approximately 5,000 sqm.

The broader public realm strategy centres around what GURNER™ describes as the “Path of Life”, an urban forest and landscaped pedestrian environment intended to connect the various buildings and wellness spaces across the precinct.

The apartments themselves will incorporate a range of wellness-focused inclusions, including purified air and water systems, circadian lighting, antimicrobial surfaces, and optional in-home wellness upgrades.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370980]

Gurner said the company’s experience through its Saint Haven wellness clubs had directly informed the residential offering now being incorporated into Elysium Fields.

“We’re seeing a clear global shift toward longevity, performance and proactive health,” Gurner said.

“Our role is to deliver that in a way that feels seamless, highly private and beautifully resolved within the environments we create.”

A large component of the wellness offering is planned through the resident amenity and health facilities proposed within the precinct.

That includes plans for bathing and recovery facilities spread throughout the towers, incorporating mineral pools, saunas, steam rooms, flotation therapy, red light therapy and wellness lounges.

The developer is also seeking approvals for what it describes as a “reverse ageing medical clinic” within the precinct.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370978]

According to project information released by the group, the proposed facility would include cryotherapy, IV infusion therapy, infrared and dry saunas, PEMF beds, MRIs, DEXA scans, brain scans and blood analysis services.

Within the first tower, Helios, residents will also have access to a dedicated amenity offering known as the Sky Private Club.

The upper 15 levels of the building will include private lounges, dining spaces, rooftop amenities and optional private wellness studios integrated within residences.

The Helios tower itself comprises 260 apartments ranging between 60 sqm and 300 sqm, including a collection of penthouses.

That includes a planned two-storey penthouse spanning around 600 sqm with uninterrupted bay views.

The Elysium Fields precinct is being delivered in partnership with Digital Harbour Holdings, a consortium that includes the Liberman family, which controls the development rights across the Docklands site.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370979]

The sales result comes as GURNER™ continues expanding its national development pipeline beyond Victoria.

“We have a strong pipeline across Australia and are now focused on scaling into key markets including New South Wales and Queensland, while continuing to build on our Melbourne base,” Gurner said.

“We currently have more than $3 billion in the market, growing to over $5 billion by October, and expect to materially outperform last year in the 2026 calendar year.”

The result also reflects the continued strength of the upper-end apartment market in Melbourne, particularly for owner-occupier-focused product with large-scale amenity and lifestyle offerings.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=144441]

Record result anchored by the Group’s “utopian” Elysium Fields precinct – defying market headwinds in Docklands.

Elysium Fields drive Gurner to $1.65 billion in apartment sales over 2025

National Australia Bank (NAB) will fund <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/palmera-residences-gold-coast-18-garfield-terrace-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">Palmera</a>, a $1 billion, 52-level luxury residential tower being developed by Central Equity in one of the Gold Coast’s most tightly held coastal locations at Northcliffe.

The project, launched recently by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/central-equity">Central Equity</a>, one of Victoria’s largest private residential developers, comes at a time when construction funding for large residential developments has become increasingly competitive as lenders tighten exposure to the sector.

Multiplex has been appointed the builder, and construction is now underway.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365784]

Since its first project, Central Equity has delivered more than 85 residential developments with a combined end value exceeding $8 billion.

Palmera reflects Central Equity’s growing focus on the Gold Coast luxury apartment market and continues a relationship between Central Equity and NAB that dates back to the late 1980s, when the bank funded one of Melbourne’s earliest inner-city residential towers at a time when high-rise apartment living in the CBD was largely unproven.

“NAB’s funding of Central Equity’s $36 million CBD development in the late 1980’s to the financing of the billion-dollar tower today highlights the long-term relationship between the two organisations in delivering major residential projects” said Central Equity Founder and Chairman Eddie Kutner.

He said NAB’s early support was instrumental in helping establish the company’s development model.

“When we commenced our first residential tower in the late 1980s the concept of funding off-the-plan apartments was still largely untested in Australia,” Kutner said.

“NAB recognised the opportunity early and supported the project when others were uncertain. That relationship has now continued for more than 37 years across many developments.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365771]

Central Equity was established in 1987 when Melbourne’s CBD and Southbank precinct were still dominated by warehouses and commercial buildings. Fewer than 100 residents lived in Southbank at the time, and large-scale residential development in the inner city was not widely considered.

Recognising changing demographics and lifestyle preferences, the company began developing high-rise residential projects designed to bring permanent residents into the city centre.

Central Equity has provided accommodation for approximately 40,000 residents across Melbourne’s CBD and Southbank, while also incorporating supporting infrastructure including essential lifestyle facilities like retail spaces, childcare facilities and neighbourhood activity centres.

Central Equity has spent many years assembling the Palmera development site on the corner of Garfield Terrace and Frederick Street in Northcliffe, creating a supersite of around 3,300 sqm.

The developer said the Palmera apartment tower reflects its long-term view of the Gold Coast as a growing and increasingly diversified economy.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365768]

Supported by infrastructure including the light rail network, major road upgrades expanded education, hospital and medical facilities and continued expansion at the Gold Coast Airport with more international and domestic flights.

Positioned in the tightly held Northcliffe precinct, the 52-level tower will deliver 347 apartments, targeting buyers seeking a high-end coastal lifestyle, from downsizers to interstate investors.

Designed by Marchese Partners with interiors by DBI, Palmera has been conceived as a next-generation residential offering, featuring a collection of oversized apartments, with premium three-bedroom residences offering sweeping northern views stretching from Surfers Paradise through to Burleigh Heads.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=108274]

NAB funds $1 billion Surfers Paradise apartment development, Palmera

Two years after completing one of the newest developments in North Sydney, developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/aqualand-australia">Aqualand</a> is turning its attention to the rapidly evolving St Leonards apartment market.

The developer, which completed AURA by Aqualand on North Sydney's Walker Street, has lodged plans for a 5,918 sqm site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/33-37-herbert-street-st-leonards-nsw-2065">33-37 Herbert Street, St Leonards,</a> seeking approval for a pair of residential towers rising above a shared podium opposite Royal North Shore Hospital.

The proposal forms part of the broader transformation underway across the St Leonards-Crows Nest precinct, where former industrial and commercial sites are increasingly being redeveloped into high-density mixed-use projects tied to major transport infrastructure.

<img alt="Aqualand" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2cc428cf-fe70-4cac-9cd5-264ad53af62c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.51.56%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=otKSnHtbjAvAddOnovyXQMgcAwE6DMe1" />

According to the planning documents, the site sits “within the St Leonards–Crows Nest Strategic Centre, identified by the NSW Government as a key area for accommodating future jobs and housing across Sydney.”

The proposal has been designed by fjcstudio, formerly FJMT Studio, and is being progressed through the State Significant Development pathway due to its scale and affordable housing provision.

The scheme would comprise 413 apartments, including 46 affordable housing units, alongside retail and commercial uses fronting Herbert Street. The project would also include communal open space, landscaping, a swimming pool, gymnasium, children’s play areas and podium-level resident amenities.

Planning documents show the development would consist of a part-13, part-39 storey tower form positioned above a four-storey podium.

“The development comprises a unified podium that activates the street interface, and two setback towers to accommodate new housing supply while maintaining an appropriate human scale at ground level,” fjcstudio noted in its Design Report.

The northern and southern towers have been shaped to respond to the surrounding skyline while also limiting overshadowing impacts to nearby public open space, particularly Talus Reserve.

The design report said the differing tower heights were intended to “contribute to a varied skyline while responding to the surrounding built form context and solar access considerations.”

<img alt="Aqualand" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="36da62dc-ff9e-41f2-a7e3-7be38373751c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.51.45%E2%80%AFAM_0.png?VersionId=Mo6Rp2r.XRLTzIfg_PEEpw8NepDH8UBs" />

The site sits directly opposite Royal North Shore Hospital and within walking distance of both St Leonards Station and the new Crows Nest Metro station.

While the site itself sits just outside the formal Crows Nest Transport Oriented Development boundary, the planning documents repeatedly reference its alignment with the broader TOD objectives reshaping the Lower North Shore.

“The site is located adjacent to St Leonards Station and in close proximity to Crows Nest Metro which is within the Crows Nest Transit Orientated Development Accelerated Precinct which has been identified by the NSW Government to support housing delivery,” the Design Verification Statement noted.

According to fjcstudio, the project has been designed to respond to the broader transition occurring across St Leonards, where increasing residential density is being concentrated around transport infrastructure and employment hubs.

“The broader precinct is undergoing significant change, with a mix of existing mid-rise buildings and newer high-density developments,” the report stated.

“Recent and approved projects indicate a consistent shift toward taller built form, typically organised as tower-and-podium typologies with more active ground levels.”

The proposal includes close to 6,000 sqm of retail and commercial space across the ground floor and podium levels, designed to create a more activated street edge along Herbert Street.

Aqualand’s plans would also introduce a landscaped podium shared between the two towers, with communal open space in the form of a podium rooftop designed to support resident interaction and improve urban greening outcomes. The scheme would also introduce pocket parks at the northern and southern ends of the site, including a landscaped area at the corner of Herbert and Ella streets designed to improve pedestrian amenity and soften the streetscape.

&nbsp;

The proposal is being progressed through the NSW Government’s Housing Delivery Authority pathway, which was introduced to accelerate housing supply across the state. The application was declared State Significant Development in April 2025 following an expression of interest process.

<img alt="Aqualand" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="faf6d97d-2671-454f-b85a-fe1c6a7be608" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.51.49%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=diVd28OBVr5.YV.7prrOz.uAanwwwm7a" />

St Leonards has been particularly active with new developments in recent weeks. Developer SP Setia’s <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-sp-setia-targets-st-leonards-skyline-with-40-storey-tod-tower">plans for a new 42-storey tower</a> recently went on exhibition through the same pathway, while <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-stockland-plans-52-storey-538-apartment-st-leonards-tower">Stockland’s 52-storey tower proposal</a> was also recently unveiled.

Aside from the St Leonards project, which is expected to take around nine months to move through the approvals process ahead of a potential 2027 launch, Aqualand is also preparing to launch Boronia, a new apartment project in Roseville comprising around 111 apartments on Larkin Street.

The developer also has approvals in place for the next stage of the Barangaroo precinct, which will feature new residential, retail, hospitality and community uses, alongside a new metro entry across the five-hectare site.

More than 50 new retail destinations are planned for Central Barangaroo, alongside a 270-metre-long boulevard connecting Hickson Park to Nawi Cove. Together with Harbour Park, more than 50 per cent of the precinct will comprise public open space and parkland.

Alastair Taylor

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