<html><body>
<h2>Comment</h2>

In a perfect world, different levels of government would work well with each other, with the layer of government who's better placed to plan for a region's future - the state government - producing, consulting and updating plans over time with the Federal layer swooping in every now and again, choosing to help out financing new infrastructure projects the state government has deemed a specific region will need.

That's how we'd want things to work, alas, if the public slanging matches are anything to go by, we know that something altogether different occurs.

One day after the Western Sydney City Deal was announced, Tim Pallas, the Victorian Treasurer, has put out another one of his colourful 'Prime Minister for Sydney' media releases.

It feels as though they are designed for maximum multi-platform tabloid media coverage given that segment of the local media's penchant for overt Melbourne boosterism-jingoism.

I must admit, I tend to smile whenever I see the headlines float about the internet because who doesn't like to see when our leaders give the 'roaches north of the Murray a good clipping. The entertainment/joy lasts about ten seconds, however, and with nauseating predictability, those ten seconds of hilarity get shorter and shorter the more that line of attack is used.

One figure Spring Street likes to repeatedly use is the percentage of Federal infrastructure funding states get - New South Wales gets 45% and Victoria gets 10% despite having 25% of the country's population.

On face value, the criticism headed northward is valid.  But it loses its lustre when it's so often repeated.

With Infrastructure Victoria's purpose to 'take the short-term politics out of planning' trashed on the day its draft report was released, when the Premier ruled out altering the road pricing regime, the constant public sniping at Canberra doesn't bode well from altering the perception that infrastructure planning is anything but political.

The Victorian Infrastructure Plan sets out priorities and projects underway right through to 2021, but in reality, the transport section is just a shopping list of items the current government - for the most part - announced either during the election or has given little justification other than they want to 'fix' congestion.

For instance, in the last budget round, we saw that money would be made available to study how getting the Melbourne Airport Rail Link built faster might happen - according to previously released network development plans there was a dependency on the Metro Tunnel before the Airport Rail Link could be built.

Changed plans are fine, even welcomed when the benefits could be realised sooner and kudos to the Federal Government who've come in over the top and said 'let's get it done sooner'.  The reason why they did that is not important, it's the fact they're willing to accelerate infrastructure delivery that is important.  

It follows that if this Federal Government is willing to accelerate certain projects, then why not give them a long laundry list of them.

The one shining beacon Spring Street has released is its regional network development plan - even the state opposition's pledge over the weekend to remove the 'classic V/Line fleet' and replace with new trains appears to be based on this plan.

Plan Melbourne's vision of a 20-minute city is unquestionably an admirable goal but in the context of a growing city, how would that be achievable from outer to middle ring areas of the city where, increasingly, roads will be unable to cope with increased levels of use as jobs are concentrated in areas like Monash, La Trobe, Dandenong South, Sunshine and Werribee East?

Rather than lobbing pebbles at Canberra using predictable one-liners, Spring Street should be releasing its updated public transport network development plans so the debates, consultations and updates can get underway, nurturing public support for them in the process.

Cheap shots across the Murray might be easy, but winning the argument by pointing out the lack of commitment from the Federal Government on thorough evidence-based and community-backed transport infrastructure plans is the right thing to do.
</body></html>

Alastair Taylor

Spring Street jumps up and down at Western Sydney City Deal, hasn't released Melbourne PT network development plans

<html><body>
The Prime Minister and New South Wales Premier were at the University of Western Sydney on Sunday to announce the Western Sydney City Deal which among other things will kick off an ambitious rail network for Sydney's outer-outer suburbs.

Key amongst the primary announcements was the commitment of up to $50million from both the Commonwealth and New South Wales governments for the purposes of conducting a business case for an entirely new north-south rail line that will connect Sydney's North West, West and South West with the new Western Sydney Airport and "aerotropolis".

Documents published after the announcement estimate the total cost of a new rail line from Schofields in Sydney's north-west to Macarthur in Sydney's south-west would weigh in between $17 and $20 billion 2017 dollars.

The Western Sydney Airport near Badgery's Creek is scheduled to open for operations in 2026 and the first phase of the new north-south outer suburban cross-town line is likewise scheduled to open in time for the start of aviation operations.

The first phase will run from St Mary's where the new line will interchange with the existing T1 Western branch line to the new airport.

<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/west_syd_rail.png" rel="gallery-all" title="The preferred network vision from the Western Sydney Rail Needs Scoping Study - image: TfNSW"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="372" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/west_syd_rail.png?itok=fahdRSj3" title="The preferred network vision from the Western Sydney Rail Needs Scoping Study - image: TfNSW" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The preferred network vision from the Western Sydney Rail Needs Scoping Study - image: <a href="https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/projects/current-projects/western-sydney-rail-needs-scoping-study">TfNSW</a></figcaption></figure>Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW) has <a href="https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/projects/current-projects/western-sydney-rail-needs-scoping-study">published a Western Sydney Rail Needs Scoping Study</a> which, at a high level, depicts corridors that over time will see upgrades or new rail lines built.

The Sydney metro - the first phase of which is nearing completion and commencement of operations - even comes gets a gong with extensions to connect with the new outer-suburban north-south orbital rail line in Schofields.

The Sydney Metro West which aims to add more passenger-carrying capacity between Sydney's CBD and Parramatta, is no newcomer to the spotlight with local Sydney media reporting on it extensively, however the scoping study places it firmly in context of the Greater Sydney Commission's vision for the metropolitan area of Sydney to develop three distinct CBDs over the coming decades.

For Melburnians unfamiliar with Sydney, an equivalent distance covered by this new north-south outer-suburban orbital rail line in Western Sydney would be connecting Ringwood and Frankston via Dandenong. 

Naturally, however, in Western Sydney's case, Dandenong would be the equivalent position of a new airport complete with major urban development plans to build a third CBD and associated residential areas for the metropolitan area.

<h2>Comment</h2>

Only last week I <a href="/expert-insights/buying/lets-heed-infrastructure-australias-message-be-more-ambitious-with-melbournes-public-transport-network">opined</a> about getting more ambitious with Melbourne's public transport network and this week we have a very clear example of an ambitious vision elsewhere.  

I am extremely conscious of the pitfalls of comparing Melbourne &amp; Sydney, especially when it comes strategic development - it's an apples and orange scenario in that Melbourne has a distinct advantage of having many hundreds (if not a few thousand) hectares of land located adjacent to the centre of the city that could provide a development pipeline for half a century.

That naturally flows to Public Transport planning that focuses on adding dedicated tracks in the inner-city to support growth over the same period.  Melbourne Metro 1, Melbourne Metro 2 and the City Loop configuration plus all the supporting projects like level crossing removals are testaments to this.

Like (but also, arguably, unlike) Sydney, Melbourne does have significant job centres outside the inner-city - especially in the middle ring in Melbourne's east - but to date, there appears to be little interest in even publicly studying the utilisation of rail, running cross-town against the existing radial network, as a catalyst to connect these major suburban centres with people living in other regions of Melbourne's metropolitan area.

As Jago Dodson points out in his <a href="https://theconversation.com/all-the-signs-point-to-our-big-cities-need-for-democratic-metro-scale-governance-92417">Conversation piece</a>, metro-scale governance in Australia primarily lies within state government departments around Australia and they are therefore subject to ebb and flow of state government election cycles.

While there's definitely a space for debating how to govern &amp; therefore plan for our metropolitan areas better in future, we're still reliant on our state government departments to 'come up with the goods' and we're still waiting on <a href="https://transport.vic.gov.au/">Transport for Victoria</a> to come out of the shadows and shows us what they've been working on with regards to network development plans across all modes of Victoria's public transport network.
</body></html>

Western Sydney gets a City Deal, ambitious rail-based transit vision

<html><body>
Laury's back this week and cover off a new planning application on Lygon Street in Brunswick East, how the Melbourne Airport Rail Link and Melbourne Metro 2 should have a coordinated planning response at Southern Cross and Clayton's new station &amp; the Monash National Employment and Innovation Cluster.

<iframe allow="autoplay" frameborder="no" height="300" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/406838739&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>

Lead image credit: Level Crossing Removal Authority.
</body></html>

Weekly Podcast: Episode 5 - Planes, Trains and Cranes

<html><body>
Demolition of the Port Phillip arcade on Flinders Street has begun which signals the start of major works on the new Town Hall station as part of the Melbourne Metro project.

The Melbourne Metro Rail Authority through its Metro Tunnel facebook page posted the first images of buildings coming down.

<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="750" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fmetrotunnel%2Fposts%2F2097194390502823&amp;width=500" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" width="100%"></iframe>

Town Hall, which was earlier referred to as <a href="/new-apartments/melbourne-vic">CBD South</a>, will have an underground paid-area connection to Flinders Street station as well as three separate surface entries located at the Collins Street end of City Square, Federation Square and on the site of the now-being-demolished Port Phillip Arcade.

According to the draft development plans for CBD South/Town Hall on the Metro Tunnel website, Cocker Alley and Scott Alley which run south from Flinders Lane will become access points to the new entry to be building on the Port Phillip Arcade site.  The main pedestrian entrance to Town Hall station will be from Swanston Street.

The only three buildings fronting Swanston Street &amp; Flinders Street to survive the demolition will be the Nicholas Building, Young &amp; Jacksons and 222-224 Flinders Street which currently has Dangerfield as its tenant.

<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/metro_tunnel_plan1.png" rel="gallery-all" title="The public entrances to the Swanston Street Town Hall station entry - image: MMRA"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="315" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/metro_tunnel_plan1.png?itok=hy4jVpZZ" title="The public entrances to the Swanston Street Town Hall station entry - image: MMRA" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The public entrances to the Swanston Street Town Hall station entry - image: MMRA</figcaption></figure>The Melbourne Metro Rail Authority also <a href="https://www.facebook.com/metrotunnel/photos/a.1900123403543257.1073741836.1771719843050281/2098099137079015/?type=3&amp;theater">posted images</a> of the A'Beckett Street acoustic shed that is nearing completion and will join the already complete Franklin Street shed which allows work to run around the clock whilst minimising noise and dust in the immediate vicinity of the State Library (formerly CBD North) station construction site.

The MMRA describes the construction process that will be deployed at both State Library and Town Hall stations as trinocular caverns.

<blockquote>
Three overlapping tunnels will be mined by road headers to create a wide open space that allows the concourse and platforms to be integrated on a single level.

The result is a spacious station cavern with vaulted ceilings, rather than two separate tunnels separated by a cross passage. The total platform width at the CBD stations will be around 19 metres – some of the widest underground metro platforms in the world.

This construction technique is uniquely suited to the CBD's highly variable geological conditions.
<a href="http://metrotunnel.vic.gov.au/construction/building-the-tunnels-and-stations"><cite>Metrotunnel.vic.gov.au</cite></a>
</blockquote>

<a href="/new-apartments/north-melbourne-vic-3051">North Melbourne</a>, <a href="/new-apartments/parkville-vic-3052">Parkville</a> and Anzac stations will be built using a cut and cover method. 

The Melbourne Metro tunnel will allow the Pakenham/Cranbourne lines to join with the Sunbury line, provide new track capacity through central Melbourne to run higher frequencies that will see positive increases in services across approximately two-thirds of Melbourne's rail network.

The Victorian Government announced in late February the project was already one year ahead of schedule and is set to commence operations by the end of 2025.

<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/museum_1975_pro.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="La Trobe Street with Museum, now Melbourne Central, station under construction in 1975 - image: PRO"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/museum_1975_pro.jpg?itok=tiH7y3iT" title="La Trobe Street with Museum, now Melbourne Central, station under construction in 1975 - image: PRO" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>La Trobe Street with Museum, now Melbourne Central, station under construction in 1975 - image: <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-06-12/melbourne-underground-rail-city-loop-construction-photos/5516134">PRO</a></figcaption></figure>
</body></html>

Demolition on Port Phillip Arcade signals start of major works on the new Town Hall station

<html><body>
Hot on the heels of the new Noble Park station opening, Clayton is rapidly approaching its open date as well.

The Level Crossing Removal Authority (LXRA) noted on its <a href="https://www.facebook.com/levelcrossings/">facebook</a><a href="https://www.facebook.com/levelcrossings/"> page</a> that the first part of the catenary is now in place, as well as the first pieces of track as well as new lifts.

The Clayton section of the Caulfield to Dandenong rail corridor level crossing removal programme is a single section of elevated track that will traverse both Clayton and Centre Roads.

This contrasts with the Noble Park section which has, in effect, two smaller elevated sections over Heatherton Road and Corrigan Roads plus another over Chandler Road.

<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/clayton3.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Lift cores now in place on the new Clayton platform - image: LXRA"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/clayton3.jpg?itok=JqfT6DZ6" title="Lift cores now in place on the new Clayton platform - image: LXRA" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Lift cores now in place on the new Clayton platform - image: LXRA</figcaption></figure>The Pakenham/Cranbourne lines form one edge of the wider Monash National Employment and Innovation Cluster, with Clayton station the closest to the heart of the precinct (centred on Monash University).

State Government agency, the Victorian Planning Authority, released a <a href="https://vpa-web.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Monash-NEIC-framework-plan_March2017_WEB.pdf">draft framework plan</a> in March 2017 which highlights the primacy of Clayton station in terms of rail transport.

Similarly, a new priority shared path exists within the draft framework plan which appears to link Clayton Station to Monash University via the Monash Medical precinct. The Monash Medical precinct has a new children's hospital for Melbourne's south-east.

<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/clayton2.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The new elevated track around Clayton - image: LXRA"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/clayton2.jpg?itok=-q7gGdKc" title="The new elevated track around Clayton - image: LXRA" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The new elevated track around Clayton - image: LXRA</figcaption></figure>The Clayton Station precinct is no stranger to new urban development as well with 11 projects located in the suburb according to the Urban Project Database.

9 of the projects are residential, representing just under 1000 new residential units across multiple project statuses. 

There is 1 commercial project located very close to the station, with the final project being the new Biomedical Learning and Teaching building at Monash University's main campus.

Like all main suburban centres between the CBD and Dandenong, <a href="/buildings/m-city-2107-dandenong-road-clayton">Clayton is high on the priority</a> watchlist for new projects as the new rail infrastructure is commissioned and mid next decade an even higher level of service begins with the opening of the Metro Tunnel.

We'll be watching!

See below for a list of all current projects located in Clayton.
</body></html>

Clayton's near-complete station is ringed by eleven projects

We're well and truly into 2018 and that means there's been significant progress being made on construction sites all around the city.

Like previous iterations, this is not an exhaustive list - more of a snapshot of the construction activity around the city, and also on our forum.

As always, click the title above each image to see more of them in their individual&nbsp;forum threads.

<a href="/news?">From the North and West Melbourne forum thread</a> - Melbourne Village &amp; Flagstaff Green.

<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/p2271112.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The Melbourne Village site in West Melbourne is being excavated rapidly - image: UM user redden"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="435" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/p2271112.jpg?itok=3V2BYGJ0" title="The Melbourne Village site in West Melbourne is being excavated rapidly - image: UM user redden" width="580" /></a>

<figcaption>The <a href="/buildings/melbourne-village-377-spencer-street-west-melbourne">Melbourne Village</a> site in West Melbourne is being excavated rapidly - image: UM user redden</figcaption>
</figure>

&nbsp;

<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/p2271114.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Flagstaff Green - image: UM user redden"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="435" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/p2271114.jpg?itok=I3M1zpl4" title="Flagstaff Green - image: UM user redden" width="580" /></a>

<figcaption><a href="/buildings/flagstaff-green-15-batman-street-west-melbourne">Flagstaff Green</a> - image: UM user redden</figcaption>
</figure>

&nbsp;

From the&nbsp;<a href="/news?">Swanston Central</a>&nbsp;forum thread.

<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/p2030801.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Swanston Central - image: UM user redden"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="435" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/p2030801.jpg?itok=3nbgsiw8" title="Swanston Central - image: UM user redden" width="580" /></a>

<figcaption><a href="/buildings/swanston-central-168-victoria-street-carlton">Swanston Central</a> - image: UM user redden</figcaption>
</figure>

From the <a href="/news?">Carlton &amp; Parkville forum thread</a> - student accommodation central.&nbsp; Atira &amp; Urbanest @ 599 Swanston Street.

<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/p2140918.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Atira - image: UM user redden"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="435" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/p2140918.jpg?itok=fyWK7AcI" title="Atira - image: UM user redden" width="580" /></a>

<figcaption><a href="/developments/north-melbourne-vic-3051">Atira</a> - image: UM user redden</figcaption>
</figure>

&nbsp;

<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/p2271089.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Urbanest at 599 Swanston Street - image: UM user redden"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="435" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/p2271089.jpg?itok=3aYGn6dH" title="Urbanest at 599 Swanston Street - image: UM user redden" width="580" /></a>

<figcaption><a href="/buildings/599-605-swanston-street-carlton">Urbanest at 599 Swanston Street</a> - image: UM user redden</figcaption>
</figure>

<a href="/news">18 Moray Street</a> site is now underway with site clearing

<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/p2271050.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="18 Moray Street - image: UM user redden"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="435" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/p2271050.jpg?itok=DZ9nlJ8B" title="18 Moray Street - image: UM user redden" width="580" /></a>

<figcaption><a href="/new-apartments/imperium-hotel-18-24-moray-street-southbank">18 Moray Street</a> - image: UM user redden</figcaption>
</figure>

The finishing touches to <a href="/news?">Shadow Play</a> are happening at ground level.

<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/p2271052.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Shadow Play - 105 Clarendon Street, Southbank - image: UM user redden"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="435" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/p2271052.jpg?itok=CDRFXNuH" title="Shadow Play - 105 Clarendon Street, Southbank - image: UM user redden" width="580" /></a>

<figcaption><a href="/buildings/shadow-play-105-clarendon-street-southbank">Shadow Play</a> - 105 Clarendon Street, Southbank - image: UM user redden</figcaption>
</figure>

<a href="/news">839 Collins Street</a> looks to be roughly half-way through constructing its floorplates.

<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/p2070857.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="839 Collins Street - image: UM user redden "><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="435" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/p2070857.jpg?itok=BfekGscb" title="839 Collins Street - image: UM user redden " width="580" /></a>

<figcaption>839 Collins Street - image: UM user redden</figcaption>
</figure>

<a href="/news?">Australia 108</a> continues its rise.

<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/img_6950.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Australia 108 - image: Mark Baljak"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="345" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/img_6950.jpg?itok=FFFSNCMs" title="Australia 108 - image: Mark Baljak" width="580" /></a>

<figcaption><a href="/buildings/australia-108-southbank-70-southbank-boulevard-southbank">Australia 108</a> - image: Mark Baljak</figcaption>
</figure>

<a href="/news">Moonee Ponds Market</a> site is firing along and the final stage has just been released for sale by Caydon.

<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/dsc_0213_zpsimn4tlgj.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Former market site, Moonee Ponds - image: UM user GlennWilson"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/dsc_0213_zpsimn4tlgj.jpg?itok=NRAxyNkX" title="Former market site, Moonee Ponds - image: UM user GlennWilson" width="580" /></a>

<figcaption>Former market site, Moonee Ponds - image: UM user GlennWilson</figcaption>
</figure>

Lead image: <a href="/news">Number 1 Collins Wharf</a>, by redden.

A snapshot of Melbourne's construction - March 2018

<html><body>
An episode dedicated entirely to Infrastructure Australia's release of its paper: <a href="http://infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/policy-publications/publications/future-cities.aspx">Future Cities - planning for our population growth</a>.

<iframe allow="autoplay" frameborder="no" height="300" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/403819047&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>
</body></html>

Weekly Podcast: Episode 4 - Infrastructure Australia's Future Cities paper

<html><body>
Infrastructure Australia's (IA's) recent release of its Future Cities paper included 15 recommendations which overwhelmingly called for the Federal Government to play a greater role in the growth of our cities and similarly, the recommendations called for a paradigm shift.

The federal agency like its state counterpart, Infrastructure Victoria, highlighted road pricing and the need for it to change and there were other cross-over themes like sweating existing transport &amp; social infrastructure assets as well as calling for an end to the business-as-usual development of Australia's cities.

Future Cities also calls on governments to shift toward greater investment in public transport.

<blockquote>
[Recommendation] 8: Australian governments should increase investment in public transport infrastructure in cities experiencing significant population growth.

Investment in mass transit is crucial to reducing congestion, increasing accessibility and reducing the rate of emissions growth. This is particularly relevant for higher density areas where space is limited.

Governments should prioritise:

<ul>
<li>High capacity public transport trunk routes linking key centres and transport nodes</li>
	<li>Regular and reliable feeder public transport routes, designed to connect to trunk routes and maximise the reach of the network</li>
	<li>Prioritisation of road space for high occupancy vehicles including trams and buses</li>
	<li>Walking and cycling as principal means of transport within centres and to transport nodes.</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>

In Melbourne's case, the first dot point is something that needs to be explored in greater detail.  For instance, there's an obvious key centre that the Public Transport network serves incredibly well and one that has a good 20 years worth of new investment that could occur to increase capacity.

That's the CBD and adjacent areas along with the well-publicised Network Development Plan, but what other places in metropolitan Melbourne could we justifiably call a 'key centre'?

The Victorian Planning Authority is a good start - it designates Monash, La Trobe, Sunshine, East Werribee and Dandenong South as National Employment and Innovation Clusters.  These are areas which have high amounts of existing employment spaces as well as serving as regional precincts for other social infrastructure &amp; services like hospitals and education facilities.

Coincidentally, the Victorian Planning Authority is set to complete the major masterplan work it has been conducting over the past two years at the Monash, La Trobe and Sunshine National Employment and Innovation Clusters.

As part of testing the performance of the transport network against Infrastructure Australia's three city growth scenarios, various road and public transport projects were used in the models - the West Gate Tunnel, Melbourne Metro, Level Crossing removals - and curiously even projects like the East-West Link.

One large public transport project which was not included in the models, despite a good deal of initial information being in the public domain thanks to Infrastructure Victoria, was Melbourne Metro 2.

Nevertheless, it's also useful to contrast the state of public transport projects north of the Murray with those that are in the public domain down here.

<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/syd_rail_congestion_ia.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Rail congestion in Sydney under Infrastructure Australia's growth scenarios"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="414" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/syd_rail_congestion_ia.png?itok=gVSSLUjz" title="Rail congestion in Sydney under Infrastructure Australia's growth scenarios" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Rail congestion in Sydney under Infrastructure Australia's growth scenarios</figcaption></figure>The Greater Sydney Commission's <a href="https://www.greater.sydney/three-cities">three-city vision</a> stands out in those rail maps above, especially the re-balanced medium density scenario (bottom right tile) with North-South and East-West rail lines interconnecting in the traditional CBD, Parramatta and at Badgery's Creek. 

Sydney's rail network allows for train-to-train connections outside the CBD already, however the network, should it be built as outlined in the medium density scenario depicted in the tile on the bottom right, would take that to the next level.

Melbourne however?  Still much of the same muchness, despite well-known centres actively being master-planned right now by the VPA. 

This is not a centralised versus decentralised growth argument - there are lots of jobs as well as land to create space for more in the inner-city and there are many hundreds of thousands of jobs equally located outside of central Melbourne.

Our transport network already services the city &amp; suburban job market, however work is underway to concentrate even more jobs in suburban areas where the Public Transport network does far less of the heavy lifting.

<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/mel_rail_congestion_ia.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Rail congestion in Melbourne under Infrastructure Australia's growth scenarios"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="435" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/mel_rail_congestion_ia.png?itok=YepsA6zi" title="Rail congestion in Melbourne under Infrastructure Australia's growth scenarios" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Rail congestion in Melbourne under Infrastructure Australia's growth scenarios</figcaption></figure>The Infrastructure Australia report makes mention of generic bus and tram network improvements and there are no doubt many high profile projects involving those public transport modes that will see the light of day over the next few decades.

Melbourne's heavy rail network will undergo major changes - Infrastructure Australia included the City Loop changes into its list of modeled projects - but it's basic suburbs to city function remains constant.

Infrastructure Australia says that government should focus more on public transport that links key centres, perhaps it's time to finally do a study that looks at partial or full orbital rail corridors in the inner and middle suburbs.
</body></html>

Let's heed Infrastructure Australia's message: be more ambitious with Melbourne's public transport network

<html><body>
Infrastructure Australia after the release of its Future Cities: planning for our population growth paper is calling on the Federal Government to take a leadership role in the development of Australia's cities.

The paper's executive summary starts with "Australia’s largest cities are facing a watershed moment in their growth and development."

<blockquote>
In the coming 30 years the size of the Australian population will grow substantially. Between 2017 and 2046, Australia’s population is projected to increase by 11.8 million people. 

That’s equivalent to adding a new city, roughly the size of Canberra, each year for the next 30 years.

This paper identifies the choices facing our largest cities and the best pathways to respond.
<cite>Infrastructure Australia - Future Cities: planning for our population growth, <a href="http://infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/policy-publications/publications/files/future-cities/Executive-Summary.pdf">Executive Summary</a></cite>
</blockquote>

While citing the four largest cities in Australia will see 75% of the growth in that period, the paper has an added focus on Melbourne and Sydney.

For both cities, Infrastructure Australia has provided three different growth scenarios - low-density development (effectively business as usual laissez-faire growth), concentrated high-density growth (toward the inner regions of each city) and a balanced growth scenario which in Melbourne's case would see the inner-city still see a significant amount of development but the western suburbs would pick up the slack and be the focus for growth.

Each of the three scenarios is then scored against four performance indicators: a) performance of the transport network, b) access to jobs, c) access to and demand for social infrastructure (hospitals, schools) and d) access to and demand for green space.

<a href="http://infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/policy-publications/publications/future-cities-melbourne-maps.aspx">Melbourne</a> and <a href="http://infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/policy-publications/publications/future-cities-sydney-maps.aspx">Sydney</a> get extra special treatment in the documents and tools that Infrastructure Australia released last week with both getting an interactive map which walks you through the scenarios and their respective performance scores.

<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WnjF9WHm9TU" width="100%"></iframe>

The paper's analysis of the 'Melbourne of today' points to the uncompetitiveness of public transport in relation to private transport for those who live outside and don't work within the centre of the city.

It says "the dominance of private vehicles is enhanced by uncompetitive travel times, compared to private vehicles, provided by public transport."

<blockquote>
Figure 2 shows average trip times in inner, middle and outer-Melbourne, by mode. It shows significantly higher trip times for public transport than any other mode.

This is partially because public transport journeys are skewed to commuting, which are generally longer than leisure trips. Journeys by private vehicle also tend be for a broader range of purposes, such as short trips to the local shops, which would reduce average times.

Nevertheless, in order to increase its mode share, public transport will increasingly need to compete with private vehicles.

To do this, travel times will need to improve.
<cite>Infrastructure Australia - Future Cities: planning for our population growth, <a href="http://infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/policy-publications/publications/files/future-cities/Chapter-2.pdf">Melbourne now and in 2046</a></cite>
</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/melbourne_travel_times.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Average trip times by mode and region - Infrastructure Australia"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="451" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/melbourne_travel_times.png?itok=scLcaa0M" title="Average trip times by mode and region - Infrastructure Australia" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Average trip times by mode and region - Infrastructure Australia</figcaption></figure>The paper's <a href="http://infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/policy-publications/publications/files/future-cities/Chapter-3.pdf">analysis</a> of the three scenarios and their various performance rankings paints an alarming but not an altogether surprising picture that flies in the face of government media bites about 'fixing congestion'.

"Under all scenarios, private vehicle use and congestion increase". 

Other quoteworthy passages from the analysis section include "the increase in demand across all scenarios affects road and public transport congestion levels"

<blockquote>
The data shows that in contrast to public transport, additions to the road network under the three scenarios do not decrease overall congestion from the reference case.

This indicates that while targeted road construction remains important, the scale of capacity enhancements required to meet demand and in turn to moderate congestion, particularly during the peak, is not achievable through construction alone
</blockquote>

Under a centralised high-density growth scenario, the burden of moving so many people around shifts from the heavy rail network - which would still remain radial &amp; focused on still moving commuters from the suburbs - to the tram network.

More broadly across the three different growth scenarios, Public Transport mode share only increases from 14% today to 22-23%.  This might be explained because projects such as Melbourne Metro 2 - that Infrastructure Victoria has done some initial work on - were not included in the list of projects that were modelled by Infrastructure Australia.  Curiously, the now defunct East-West Link was included in the modelled projects.

The top 3 key findings for Melbourne are: unplanned growth delivers the worst outcome for Melbourne, public transport is crucial to improving accessibility for a city of Melbourne's size and private vehicles will continue to play an important role in Melbourne however, across all scenarios congestion significantly increases, and adding new roads is only part of the solution.

To view the interactive maps and documents, see <a href="http://infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/policy-publications/publications/future-cities.aspx">www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au</a>. 

Lead image credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/136315829@N03/34346958400/in/photolist-Uk896W-UVnqGe-UKajm8-UPQq5A-UGDBvp-XbvJid-WzLwuF-Y7QBMN-EqoDqs-YPh8uH-Zt9nTY-Ypt9RH-UznUd4-XazeeP-VBsMb6-XdUWcp-VyeVjq-YeJy4b-22YDiSy-VcKFPi-22TYsKf-VP2ub6-YaDSEY-21QUu3S-YbVX6t-C7srgo-Vu3ja2-Tds3VR-UaQpUb-UN7mZ3-VoXHQw-22TYtBA-VfiYc8-YsmeRi-Tds5da-UiyoKN-YwE4hQ-YMUPcD-VQhrx5-Wj4Ea7-ZiHrB1-J7u66c-CUuCPn-YwnACU-21HyRRQ-24e8gvG-SJRZAV-TwM4C3-TVbb1g-YjNhtE">flickr</a>.
</body></html>

Infrastructure Australia calls on Federal Government to provide more leadership on cities

<html><body>
Further change to Chapel Street's streetscape could be on the way should a new development application lodged with Stonnington City council from joint venture proponents Franzé developments and Sampieri Group gain approval.

Located across addresses 430-438 Chapel Street and adjacent to the Temperance Hotel, Franzé and Sampieri have proposed a 7 level mixed-use building that would see retail, commercial/office and residential spaces. Located in South Yarra's Activity Centre Zone 1, the site is covered by a heritage overlay.

The retention of the heritage facade 'has provided an opportunity to distinguish two unique retail tenancies' according to the proponents. At 800 square metres, the site was purchased on the market late in 2017 with Jackson Clement Burrows installed as the proposal's design lead.

22 one, two and three bedroom apartments are included. The ground floor retail spaces weighs in at 550 square metres with 1,000 square metres of commercial office space across two levels.

<h2>What they say</h2>

<blockquote>
This project will form an important part of the ongoing development of the Chapel Street precinct which is going through vital progression and change with the recent announcements regarding the redevelopment of the Jam Factory and former Spotlight sites.

“The site has the benefits of two significantly different streetscapes which make it a really exciting project. The Chapel Street interface will provide a more traditional retail and food and beverage offering, aiming to attract premium tenants which will help improve the overall quality of the pedestrian experience and promote further patronage
<cite>Paul Franzé, Managing Director of Franzé Developments</cite>
</blockquote>

The proposal seeks to have two active frontages, one to Chapel Street and one to Bray Street running parallel to Chapel on the eastern aspect of the site.

The Bray Street frontage includes a pocket park that has been designed by Aspect Studios and is intended to be a flexible, functional public space that includes seating, green infrastructure incorporating water sensitive design that according to the proponents will be 'ideal for community and potential food and beverage use'.

Podium heights will differ depending on the street - on Chapel Street the podium is 3 levels and designed to fit comfortably with the scale of neighbouring structures and to Bray Street the podium will be 5 levels in height.

<blockquote>
The three-level frontage to Chapel Street sits comfortably with the scale of the neighbouring structures and the tower form above is generously set back.

A five-level podium to Bray Street hugs the tower form, creating the illusion of three interlocking components and the soft and monochromatic façade is a considered and sensitive transition between the neighbouring contemporary and traditional structures.
</blockquote>

The development application was lodged with Stonnington City Council late last year, and joins additional current project in both Melbourne and Geelong.

<h2>430-438 Chapel Street Project Team</h2>

<ul>
<li>Developer: joint venture of Franzé Developments and Sampieri Group</li>
	<li>Architect: Jackson Clement Burrows</li>
	<li>Planning: proUrban</li>
	<li>Landscape Design: Aspect Studios</li>
</ul>
</body></html>

Franzé Developments & Sampieri Group eye off Chapel Street

Queensland builder-developer MAYD has revealed the first look at its major North Kirra beachfront development, lodging amended plans that reduce the number of apartments and increase the proportion of larger residences.

The project is planned across a substantial 4,742 sqm amalgamated site spanning seven lots at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/2-6-pacific-parade-bilinga-qld-4225">2-6 Pacific Parade</a> and 27-33 Golden Four Drive in Bilin​ga, directly opposite Nor​th Kirra Beach.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/mayd-group">MAYD</a> secured the site for $32.5 million in 2025, in what was one of the Gold Coast's largest property transactions of the year.

The development will be delivered across two stages, with the first stage carrying an estimated gross realisation value of around $360 million.

The latest amendments seek to reduce the overall apartment count and shift the project further toward the owner-occupier market, with larger residences designed for buyers wanting considerably more space than traditionally offered in a beachfront apartment.

The residential mix will include townhomes, oversized two-bedroom apartments, substantial three-bedroom residences and four-bedroom homes.

MAYD has appointed Cera Stribley to lead the architecture and interiors, with the Melbourne-based design practice drawing on the beachfront setting through a series of ocean-facing terraces and heavily landscaped balconies.

Strong horizontal forms and curved balconies will define the exterior, with subtropical landscaping integrated throughout the building to soften the built form and increase the connection between the residences and the beachfront.

The project will also include an extensive collection of resident wellness and lifestyle facilities, continuing the broader shift across the Gold Coast's luxury apartment market toward larger homes supported by resort-style amenity.

<img alt="MAYD" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d1bcbb05-e659-4b47-8bd4-1e595315e2ad" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-27%20at%202.05.03%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=jj0XEud1X1DuLt7_KyElhjMdZGOXmLHP" />

MAYD Founder Todd Mould said North Kirra was increasingly appealing to buyers attracted to the more established, lower-density character of the southern Gold Coast.

"North Kirra presents one of the most compelling luxury residential opportunities currently emerging in Australia, combining absolute beachfront with the character and authenticity that buyers are increasingly seeking, and the same sense of tight-knit community that defined Burleigh and Currumbin perhaps 10 or 15 years ago," Mould said.

"With Gold Coast Airport on its doorstep, it also offers a level of accessibility that broadens its appeal across almost every market demographic."

The project comes as the southern Gold Coast continues to attract an increasing share of high-end apartment development and buyer activity.

Kirra in particular has emerged as one of the region's more tightly held beachfront markets, with its relatively low-density character, established surf and hospitality scene and proximity to Gold Coast Airport differentiating it from the higher-density markets further north.

Mould said those characteristics had informed the approach MAYD and Cera Stribley had taken to the project.

"We've worked closely with Cera Stribley to create a vision that is deeply connected to its surroundings," he said.

"Inspired by the coastline itself, the architecture has been shaped around space, privacy and resort-style living, creating a collection of homes that reflects the next generation of luxury on the southern Gold Coast."

MOTIV Managing Director Carly Cottam, who has been appointed to market the project, said buyer attention had continued to move south along the Gold Coast.

"Purchasers who may once have defaulted to Broadbeach, Main Beach or Surfers Paradise are increasingly recognising the value of a genuine beachfront location that offers lower density, strong amenity and a more established sense of community," Cottam said.

"Kirra has a powerful combination of growing demand and genuine scarcity. Beachfront supply is inherently constrained, the area remains relatively low density, and buyers are increasingly placing a premium on locations that feel established, uncrowded and authentic rather than heavily developed."

Cottam said the proximity to Gold Coast Airport was also proving increasingly important for interstate and second-home buyers.

"Being minutes from Gold Coast Airport makes it particularly compelling for interstate buyers, frequent travellers and second-home purchasers who can access an authentic coastal lifestyle almost immediately after stepping off a flight."

The acquisition takes MAYD's active development portfolio to more than $500 million, with the North Kirra project representing one of its largest undertakings to date.

MAYD is targeting an early 2027 launch.

Joel Robinson

First look at MAYD's North Kirra mixed-use precinct

<main data-perf-region="main">
Castle Hill, the longtime hub of the Hills District, has been one of the major beneficiaries of Sydney's Metro expansion, with improved connectivity helping drive continued population growth, development and buyer demand across the Hills District.

But despite that growth, the suburb has seen relatively few major new apartment projects brought to market over the past 18 months.

Hills District developer Reve Group is looking to fill that gap with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/nova-r-ve-castle-hill-2-garthowen-crescent-castle-hill-nsw-2154">Nova Rêve</a>, a major new mixed-use precinct on the corner of Garthowen Crescent and Old Castle Hill Road, a short walk from Castle Hill Metro Station and Castle Towers.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377679]

The project will comprise three residential towers alongside a hotel, restaurants, cafes and a skybar, more than 1,600 sqm of ground-floor retail and almost an acre of landscaped gardens.

It represents the largest project undertaken by Reve Group, the development arm of the Kassis family, which has been building across the Hills District for more than 30 years through Kassis Homes.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377675]

Nova Rêve also represents a significant step up from the family's first apartment development, Grand Rêve, which was delivered nearby on Garthowen Crescent.

Grand Rêve introduced larger, house-like apartment layouts and premium inclusions including Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances to the Castle Hill market.

Nova Rêve takes that approach to a precinct scale, combining the residential component with hospitality, retail and substantial public and resident landscaping.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377685]

Reve Group Managing Director Sam Kassis said the project reflected the family's three decades of building in the Hills, which has evolved from trophy homes on quarter-acre blocks to larger-scale apartment development.

"Grand Rêve was our first apartment project here and it showed us what this pocket of Castle Hill could be. Nova Rêve is the refinement of that idea: not just apartments, but a place the whole suburb can use," Kassis said.

A key part of that approach is the hotel, which has been designed to operate as an amenity for the wider Castle Hill community rather than solely hotel guests.

It will include restaurants, cafes, skybars and all-day dining, alongside conference and event facilities catering to business functions, community groups and private events.

At ground level, more than 1,600 sqm of shops and cafes will open onto the surrounding streets and landscaped areas.

Almost an acre of gardens designed by Land and Form Studios will run through the precinct, incorporating pathways, seating, barbecue areas and children's play spaces.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377680]

Reve Group's Romio Georges said creating an active ground plane had been central to the planning of Nova Rêve.

"There are gardens with pathways, barbecues, seating and play areas, shops and cafes opening onto the street, and a hotel with restaurants and a skybar that anyone in Castle Hill can walk into," Georges said.

The project's elevated position on one of Sydney's highest ridgelines will also provide apartments with outlooks toward the Sydney skyline, surrounding parkland and the Blue Mountains.

More than 80 per cent of the apartments will occupy corner positions, with Turner responsible for both the architecture and interiors.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152737]

<h3 data-end="3697" data-section-id="q3n5ak" data-start="3672">&nbsp;</h3>
</main>

Nova Rêve arrives as Reve Group bets on Castle Hill's next growth phase

A collection of just 25 large-format apartments and penthouses overlooking Goodwin Park is entering the Coolangatta market, with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/marea-residences-coolangatta-27-27a-dixon-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Maréa Residences</a> combining a low-density, residential-only approach with uninterrupted park and Pacific Ocean outlooks.

Located at 27 Dixon Street, Maréa comprises three and four-bedroom residences alongside a limited number of dual-level penthouses, with the project positioned between Goodwin Park and <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/coolangatta-qld-4225">Coolangatta</a>’s coastal precinct.

Construction has commenced, with completion currently estimated for late 2027. Three-bedroom residences are priced from $1.8 million.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150999 project_image_fid=374005]

The project has been designed around its northern outlook across the park, with the building’s architecture, landscaping and material palette intended to establish a connection with the neighbouring green space. The residences have been configured to maximise natural light and views across Goodwin Park towards the ocean.

Inside, the material palette incorporates timber, stone and brushed brass, complemented by curved detailing and ambient lighting. Kitchens and bathrooms carry the same natural material approach, while residences also include basement parking, storage and lift access.

Maréa’s penthouses are arranged over two levels and include private pools, adding another layer to the project’s focus on larger-format apartment living. Across the development, residences are configured with three or four bedrooms rather than the broader mix of smaller apartment types commonly found in larger projects.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150999 project_image_fid=374010]

Resident amenity is concentrated at rooftop level, where landscaped entertaining terraces and pools take advantage of elevated views across Coolangatta and the Pacific Ocean.

The project has so far been particularly well received by local owner-occupiers and downsizers, according to Urban Activation Property Sales and Marketing Director Matt George, with the residential-only format, construction quality and northern park outlook among the features resonating with purchasers.

“The uninterrupted northern aspect overlooking Goodwin Park has been a key point of difference, with buyers attracted to the sense of serenity and open space the park provides, while still enjoying easy access to the ocean and being within walking distance of the lifestyle and amenities Coolangatta has to offer,” George said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150999 project_image_fid=374002]

“The combination of high-quality construction, a residential-only building, park outlook and proximity to the beach has resonated strongly with the local downsizer market.”

The Dixon Street address is within walking distance of Coolangatta Beach and the broader southern Gold Coast coastline, including the surf breaks at Snapper Rocks and Kirra. Coolangatta’s cafés, restaurants and retail are nearby, while Gold Coast Airport is also within close proximity.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150999]

Maréa Residences brings parkside apartments to Coolangatta

Melbourne developer PDG has secured Victorian Government approval for its $1.5 billion Southbank development <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-one-1-queens-bridge-street-southbank-vic-3006">The One</a>, clearing the way for the long-dormant riverfront site opposite Crown to finally be developed.

The Minister for Planning has approved the project at 1-29 Queens Bridge Street, with the Department of Transport and Planning issuing the planning permit following its assessment.

The approval will allow PDG to develop the prominent 5,059 sqm site with a major mixed-use tower comprising premium apartments, including branded residences, a luxury hotel and boutique office space.

PDG acquired the site in late 2024, with its position directly opposite Crown's main entrance and near Melbourne's Arts Precinct making it one of Southbank's most significant remaining development opportunities.

<img alt="PDG" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3933013e-6332-4386-b9be-089df05caf17" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-27%20at%209.29.22%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=sITIgBqDL0N3VNSMwWEmF5UA.uvcsRyu" />

Designed by COX in collaboration with ODO and PDG, the tower's architecture draws on the movement of the Yarra River, with six vertical pleats running the height of the sculpted facade.

The project will also see the heritage-listed Queens Bridge Hotel restored and incorporated into the development&nbsp;with new hospitality and public uses, including a rooftop venue.

A significant component of The One will be its residential amenity.

More than 5,000 sqm of resident facilities will be delivered across a single level, making it one of the largest consolidated residential amenity offerings proposed in an Australian apartment development.

The planning approval also incorporates a major upgrade of Queensbridge Square, which PDG will deliver in partnership with the City of Melbourne.

<img alt="PDG" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="73167fcd-1031-4b6f-a408-a064cfe45ed1" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-27%20at%209.29.17%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=Pf1AEWxw6SNmBqR0zQW5lyEze.MtxgFp" />

The existing square will be revitalised as a new civic and pedestrian space along the Yarra River, strengthening the connection between the project, Southbank and the riverfront.

PDG Founder and Managing Director Vince Giuliano said the approval represented a major milestone for a site which has remained largely underutilised for more than 15 years.

“This is the most significant Planning Permit approval Melbourne has seen in recent years,” Giuliano said.

“For more than 15 years, this site has remained underutilised. This approval enables us to deliver a project that will contribute meaningfully to the revitalisation of Southbank, restore and reactivate an important heritage building, and create a new civic and hospitality destination for Melbourne.”

The latest approval follows an earlier planning permit issued by the City of Melbourne covering demolition works across part of the site at 9-29 Queens Bridge Street. Those demolition and early works are already underway.

PDG has also started generating early interest in the residential component from owner-occupiers ahead of a planned public launch in early 2027.

PDG secures approval for $1.5bn Southbank apartment development, The One

Local developer Harridan is seeking to turn its Woolloongabba apartment project into the first stage of a broader transformation of Burke Street, using a new 16-storey mixed-use building to establish a greener pedestrian connection toward the rapidly evolving Boggo Road transport and knowledge precinct.

The South East Queensland developer has filed plans for 154 apartments on the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/4-burke-street-woolloongabba-qld-4102">southern side of Burke Street</a>, where its proposal has been designed alongside a wider vision by LatStudios for the street.

That vision positions the southern side of Burke Street for buildings of 15 storeys and above, while envisaging lower-rise development of up to five storeys on the northern side to transition into Woolloongabba's existing character housing. It also proposes wider pedestrian verges, deep planting, new street trees and upgrades to the pedestrian approach to Boggo Road Station.

The Harridan development itself has been designed by Brisbane-based Arqus Design and will comprise 154 apartments across 16 storeys. The mix is weighted heavily toward two-bedroom apartments, with 121 proposed alongside 10 one-bedroom and 23 three-bedroom residences. There will typically be around 14 units per floor.

A lower-ground car park and three podium levels will accommodate 156 resident parking spaces, along with visitor and commercial parking. There will also be 154 resident bicycle spaces and 40 visitor bicycle parks.

&nbsp;

Harridan is a family-owned developer and part of the Holmwood Highgate Group, with more than three decades of development activity across South East Queensland. Its portfolio spans residential, commercial and industrial property, with current residential projects including Riverbank on Byron in Bulimba, Esperance Residences in Carina and The Precinct at Kinross Road in Thornlands.

Wooloongabba has been popular for apartment developers, particularly since the announcement of the 2032 Summer Olympics games in Brisbane.

While there have been a lot of development applications, it has failed to materialize into real supply.&nbsp;

Sarazin has been the major player in the area. They are under construction at Murcia Residences, on the fringe of East Brisbane and Woolloongabba. They have just launched <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-stanley-residences-woolloongabba-8-trafalgar-street-woolloongabba-qld-4102">The Stanley Residences</a>, in Woolloongabba on Trafalagar Street. They also have Nuage coming soon on the nearby <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/nuage-woolloongabba-14-wellington-road-woolloongabba-qld-4102">Wellington Road</a>.

Alastair Taylor

Editor's Picks

Have something to contribute?

Developments

New apartments

New townhouses

News

Alastair Taylor

Editor's Picks

Receive the latest news stories to your inbox

Have something to contribute?

Developments

New apartments

New townhouses

News