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<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.
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Alastair Taylor

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

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

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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.
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Weekly Podcast: Episode 5 - Planes, Trains and Cranes

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

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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.
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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

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

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

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

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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>
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Franzé Developments & Sampieri Group eye off Chapel Street

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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