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

Lowe Living launches Jardin House in Camberwell

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

The Walden pairs house-scale living with North Sydney connectivity

The ACT will become the first jurisdiction in Australia to abolish stamp duty for all first home buyers, with no income caps and no property price thresholds from 1 July.

The move, announced as part of the ACT Budget, completes a key election commitment from the Barr Government and removes what Chief Minister Andrew Barr described as one of the biggest barriers to entering the housing market. The reform forms part of the ACT's long-running transition away from transaction taxes and towards a broader-based property tax system.

"This budget marks a major milestone in our long-term tax reform program," Barr said, adding that the government had maintained a sustained focus on removing barriers to home ownership. He said stamp duty had long been one of the largest upfront hurdles facing buyers and that from July, "that barrier is gone" for first home buyers in the Territory.

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The changes come alongside a range of measures designed to encourage new housing supply, including support for the delivery of so-called "missing middle" housing such as terraces, townhouses and low-rise multi-unit developments.

The announcement has renewed debate around whether the ACT's approach could provide a blueprint for improving housing affordability nationally.

New research from OurTop10.com.au, conducted by Primara Research, suggests the Territory's decade-long reform agenda has produced outcomes unmatched elsewhere in Australia.

While stamp duty costs have increased by an average 67 per cent nationally over the past decade, the ACT has recorded growth of just 15 per cent, the lowest increase of any jurisdiction.

The Territory has also emerged as one of the strongest performers on housing delivery. Based on population-weighted housing targets, the ACT is sitting less than one per cent behind its target. Victoria is the next closest at seven per cent behind, while the national average sits 25 per cent below target. New South Wales is tracking 39 per cent behind.

The latest reform removes one of the final barriers facing first home buyers in Canberra.

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The average Australian home buyer currently pays $61,714 in stamp duty. In the ACT, that figure is $38,399 despite the Territory having the third-highest median house price in the country.

Until now, the ACT's first home buyer concession scheme only applied to purchases up to $1.02 million, around $51,000 below Canberra's median house price of $1.071 million. In practical terms, many first home buyers were unable to access the median-priced home without losing the concession.

From July, those restrictions disappear.

Every first home buyer in the ACT will pay no stamp duty, regardless of income or purchase price.

Canberra remains one of Australia's most expensive housing markets, with dwelling values increasing 82 per cent over the past decade. However, that growth ranks only 11th among Australia's 15 major housing markets, suggesting affordability pressures have been less severe than in many other parts of the country.

Simon Ma, CEO of OurTop10.com.au, said the latest reforms recognise that many first home buyers have simply outgrown thresholds set years ago.

"Many first home buyers aren't just looking for a way onto the ladder, they want a home their family can actually live in," Ma said.

"In a market where the median house price is over a million dollars, a concession scheme that cuts out at $1.02 million was never going to get them there.

"Removing the ceiling entirely means ACT first home buyers can now pursue the home they actually want, rather than limiting themselves to a price point designed for a very different market."

Whether other states follow remains to be seen. But at a time when most jurisdictions are struggling to improve affordability while also increasing housing supply, the ACT has quietly become the national test case for both.

15% stamp duty growth. Just 1% off the national housing target. Zero stamp duty for FHBs. Is the ACT the blueprint for the great Australian dream?

ACT abolishes stamp duty for first home buyers

A rooftop pool and spa overlooking the Brisbane CBD, private dining spaces, expansive landscaped gardens and a residents' lounge are set to crown <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/callista-on-park-west-end-49-mollison-street-west-end-qld-4101">Callista on Park</a>, the final residential building within Brisbane's West Village precinct.

The rooftop amenity collection has been designed as an extension of the lifestyle already established throughout West Village, providing residents with a series of indoor and outdoor spaces that capitalise on the building's elevated position above West End.

A swimming pool and heated spa form the centrepiece of the rooftop offering, surrounded by landscaped gardens developed through a collaboration between developer Sekisui House and ASPECT Studios. The design incorporates expansive lawn areas surrounded by English garden-inspired planting.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134800 project_image_fid=370648]

Residents will also have access to two barbecue and outdoor dining areas positioned to take advantage of views across Brisbane's skyline, neighbouring Mollison Park, and the surrounding inner-city landscape.

For larger gatherings, the rooftop includes a private dining room centred around a substantial stone island bench, complete with a full kitchen and a 10-seat dining table set beneath four-metre-high ceilings. The space has been designed to overlook both the rooftop gardens and the Brisbane CBD skyline.

A separate residents' lounge provides an additional indoor retreat connected to the broader rooftop amenity offering, creating another space for residents to work, relax or entertain guests.

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The attention to detail extends beyond the rooftop.

Upon arrival, residents will enter through a lobby featuring a bespoke ceiling light installation developed in collaboration between Sekisui House and Alcorn Middleton Architecture. The arrival experience is complemented by private resident mailboxes and carefully considered interior finishes designed to reflect the premium positioning of the building.

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The amenity offering forms part of Callista on Park, the final residential release within the decade-long transformation of the former Peters Ice Cream Factory site into West Village, one of Brisbane's most established mixed-use communities.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a> and being delivered by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/builders/hutchinson-builders">Hutchinson Builders</a>, Callista represents the most premium residential offering within the masterplanned precinct.

Construction is now entering its final stages, with scaffolding beginning to come down and completion expected in the first quarter of 2027.

Prices for the three-bedroom plus MPR apartments start from just over $2.6 million.

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Callista will mark the final opportunity to purchase within West Village, where residents have direct access to more than 35 retail, dining, wellness and medical operators including Harris Farm Markets, Woolworths, Function Well and Goodlife Health Clubs, Metro Arts, and a growing collection of restaurants and cafés.

Located just 800 metres from the Brisbane CBD, the precinct also places residents within walking distance of South Bank, West End's dining scene, riverfront parklands and major public transport connections.

For Sekisui House, which has delivered more than two million homes globally, Callista serves as the concluding piece of the West Village masterplan, bringing together the precinct's heritage character, parkland setting and emphasis on walkability in a final collection of larger-format residences.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=134800]

Rooftop pool, private dining and skyline gardens to crown West Village's final apartment release, Callista on Park

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/wahroonga-nsw-2076">Wahroonga</a>’s enduring appeal has long been tied to its balance of bushland, established amenity, and access to some of Sydney’s most respected education and healthcare institutions.

Along Fox Valley Road, that combination is becoming increasingly sought after by buyers looking to remain connected to the Upper North Shore lifestyle while prioritising walkability, wellbeing, and convenience.

Developer Capital Corporation's initial vision of a 62-hectare site on Fox Valley Road was that they could create their own walkable community, bordered by&nbsp;more than 25 hectares of bushland and adjoining Coups Creek.

<img alt="Wahroonga" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b84917a1-0d75-49b9-888c-ddf7ebfd6692" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/NEW2026_Wahroonga_Walkway.gif?VersionId=Gk3_xi5ssYfalmwuQQ5umQakddceC31j" />

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-residences-at-wahroonga-estate-169-fox-valley-road-wahroonga-nsw-2076">The Residences at Wahroonga Estate</a> draws directly on the area’s natural landscape, with walking trails and green corridors linking into sections of Lane Cove National Park. The surrounding network of bushwalks, cycling tracks, and reserves reinforces the suburb’s long-standing reputation as one of Sydney’s most nature-oriented residential pockets, while still maintaining close ties to village retail and transport infrastructure.

The address places residents within minutes of Wahroonga and Turramurra villages, where cafés, local grocers, boutiques, and everyday services support a highly localised lifestyle. Popular nearby venues including The Fox Café and Breeze Valley Café provide easy options for morning coffee or casual dining, while longstanding retailers such as IGA Wahroonga Fresh and Novella Fine Books continue to anchor the area’s village character.

&nbsp;

<img alt="Wahroonga" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c4a950f7-4f05-4370-b360-b106359788e5" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/2026_Wahroonga_Entry_Gates.gif?VersionId=7n5kh9ymu.azYEYDemJkPgiIAfSw44oj" />

Healthcare access remains one of the defining locational advantages of the estate. Sydney Adventist Hospital, known locally as The San, sits directly adjacent and is one of the largest and most respected private hospitals in New South Wales. The hospital precinct incorporates specialist medical services, radiology, physiotherapy, and outpatient care, contributing to growing buyer demand from downsizers and owner-occupiers seeking long-term convenience and peace of mind.

Research commissioned by Capital Corporation found that health and wellbeing considerations are increasingly influencing downsizing decisions, particularly among buyers wanting to remain within familiar neighbourhoods while accessing medical infrastructure more easily.

Education has also historically underpinned demand across Wahroonga and the broader Upper North Shore. The estate sits close to several of Sydney’s leading private and independent schools, including Knox Grammar, Abbotsleigh, Barker College, Pymble Ladies’ College, Ravenswood School for Girls, and Loreto Normanhurst. Co-educational options including Wahroonga Adventist School and Sydney Adventist School further strengthen the area’s appeal to established families looking for long-term schooling pathways within a tightly held catchment.

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Transport connectivity supports the suburb’s liveability without compromising its quieter residential character. Wahroonga and Turramurra train stations provide direct rail access into the Sydney CBD, while the nearby Pacific Highway and M1 motorway strengthen links across the North Shore and broader metropolitan area. At the same time, the heavily treed streetscape and low-density character continue to distinguish the precinct from more urbanised parts of Sydney.

The Residences at Wahroonga Estate forms the first stage of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/capital-corporation">Capital Corporation</a>’s broader masterplanned vision for the precinct, delivered alongside the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135247 project_image_fid=364995]

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/group-gsa">GroupGSA</a> with interiors by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/coco-republic-interior-design">Coco Republic</a>, the development integrates landscaped communal spaces including a pet-friendly Green Spine, resident lounge, BBQ pavilion, and direct bushland access, reinforcing the project’s focus on outdoor connection and community-based living.

Now under construction by Gold Star iCIRT-rated builder <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/builders/dasco-australia">DASCO</a>, The Residences at Wahroonga Estate will deliver a collection of one, two, and three-bedroom apartments priced from $990,000, with completion anticipated in 2027.

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Capital Corporation to cater to Upper North Shore downsizers by creating walkable community at The Residences at Wahroonga Estate

Sydney’s property market is known for high prices, competitive bidding, and mounting pressure on first home buyers. But change is on the horizon.

From late 2025, eligible first home buyers in New South Wales will have access to a new federal government initiative aimed at addressing affordability: the Help to Buy Scheme.&nbsp;

<h2>What is the Help to Buy Scheme?</h2>

The program introduces a shared equity model intended to reduce the upfront cost of entering the property market, particularly in high-demand urban areas such as Sydney.

The scheme operates under a shared ownership structure in which the federal government takes an equity stake of up to 40 per cent for new homes, or 30 per cent for existing dwellings. This arrangement allows eligible buyers to significantly reduce their loan size and avoid the added cost of Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI).

Under this model, purchasers can enter the property market with as little as a two per cent deposit, well below the traditional 10 to 20 per cent usually required. The government’s contribution is not a loan but a co-ownership stake in the property. As such, there is no interest or rent charged on its portion.

Because the government’s equity combined with the buyer’s deposit typically meets or exceeds the 20 per cent threshold, LMI does not apply. The remaining balance, generally between 60 and 70 per cent of the property’s value, is financed through a standard home loan with a participating lender.

The government's equity in the property remains in place until the buyer chooses to repay it voluntarily or until the property is sold. Buyers can buy back the government’s share over time, in increments of at least five per cent, depending on their financial situation.

There is no fixed repayment timeline, but the amount to be repaid will be based on the property's market value at the time of repayment, not the original purchase price.

<h2>How do you qualify for the&nbsp;Help to Buy Scheme?</h2>

To qualify for the Help to Buy Scheme, applicants must meet the following conditions:

<ul>
	<li>Be an Australian citizen at least 18 years of age.</li>
	<li>Be a first-home buyer who does not currently own property.</li>
	<li>Intend to live in the property as their primary residence.</li>
	<li>Earn less than $100,000 per year for individuals, or $160,000 for couples.</li>
	<li>Purchase a property within the regional price caps, currently $950,000 in Sydney, though this is expected to rise to approximately $1.3 million ahead of the program’s launch.</li>
</ul>

While the Help to Buy Scheme does not solve affordability challenges across the board, it does offer a more accessible pathway for a defined segment of the market, particularly younger buyers with moderate incomes who have been priced out of traditional lending routes.

The scheme is expected to commence in NSW in late 2025, as part of a national rollout.

Under the new model, purchasers can enter the property market with as little as a two per cent deposit, well below the traditional 10 to 20 per cent usually required

Help to Buy Scheme: What first home buyers in NSW need to know

The First Home Owners Grant (FHOG) is a government initiative designed to help eligible first-time home buyers by offering financial assistance towards the purchase or construction of a new home.

While the FHOG is a nationwide program, it is administered separately by each state and territory, meaning the eligibility criteria, grant amounts, and property requirements can vary depending on your location. This means that the amount available and the conditions attached to the grant will differ, so it is important to check the specific guidelines for your state or territory.

It’s important to note that the FHOG is just one of several incentives available to first home buyers. In most states and territories, the grant is not linked to stamp duty exemptions or concessions, with the exception of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The FHOG is typically a one-off payment, reducing the overall cost of purchasing or building a new home before any stamp duty concessions are applied.

Below, we provide a breakdown of the First Home Owner Grants available across Australia, outlining the specific details for each state and territory.

<h2>New South Wales First Home Owner Grant</h2>

First Home Owner Grant: Offers a $10,000 grant for new homes valued up to $600,000. For land purchases and owner-builders, the threshold extends to $750,000.

Stamp Duty Benefits: Provides full stamp duty exemption for homes valued up to $800,000, with concessions available for properties up to $1 million.

<h2>Victoria South Wales First Home Owner Grant</h2>

First Home Owner Grant: Provides a $10,000 grant for first-home buyers purchasing or building new homes valued up to $750,000.

Stamp Duty Benefits: Offers full stamp duty exemption for properties up to $600,000, with concessions available up to $750,000.

<h2>Queensland First Home Owner Grant</h2>

First Home Owner Grant: Offers $30,000 for contracts signed between 20 November 2023 and 30 June 2025. The FHOG applies to new homes valued up to $750,000.

Stamp Duty Concessions: Provides additional concessions for properties valued up to $800,000.

<h2>Western Australia First Home Owner Grant</h2>

&nbsp;

First Home Owner Grant: Offers a $10,000 grant for new homes valued up to $750,000 in the southern regions and up to $1 million in the northern regions.

Stamp Duty Concessions: Available for homes valued up to $600,000 for transactions entered into on or after 9 May 2024.

<h2>Australian Capital Territory First Home Owner Grant</h2>

First Home Owner Grant: Replaced by the Home Buyer Concession Scheme, offering full stamp duty concessions for eligible buyers.

<h2>South Australia First Home Owner Grant</h2>

First Home Owner Grant: Provides up to $15,000 for new homes, including houses, apartments, and townhouses. As of 6 June 2024, there is no property value cap for eligibility.

Stamp Duty Relief: Available for new homes and vacant land purchases.

<h2>Tasmania First Home Owner Grant</h2>

First Home Owner Grant: Offers a $10,000 grant for new homes and off the plan purchases.

Stamp Duty Exemption: Between 18 February 2024 and 30 June 2026, first home buyers of established homes valued up to $750,000 receive a full exemption on property transfer duty.

<h2>Northern Territory First Home Owner Grant</h2>

First Home Owner Grant: The Northern Territory provides a $10,000 grant for new homes only. Additional government grants and concessions are available for first home buyers.

Stamp Duty Exemption: The only stamp duty exemption available to property buyers is the House and Land Package Exemption (HLPE).

Eligibility criteria and application processes differ across states. Prospective buyers should refer to their respective state revenue offices for full details on grant availability, conditions, and additional concessions.

Every First Home Owner Grant for new property by state

In the ever-evolving landscape of sustainable architecture and environmentally conscious design, systems and ratings in place can help determine the energy efficiency of residential buildings in Australia.

Australia has multiple building rating systems that evaluate energy efficiency and sustainability in existing and new building designs.

Some systems assess individual building components, while others provide an overall rating for the entire structure.

A rating system ensures that homes are comfortable and energy-efficient, whether you are buying, renovating, or building.

NatHERS (Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme) is a common way for new homes to meet energy efficiency requirements.

As new developments continue to shape the urban environment, understanding NatHERS ratings becomes essential for developers and homeowners. This article delves into the concept of NatHERS ratings, their significance, and how they contribute to creating energy-efficient homes.

<h2>What is NatHERS?</h2>

NatHERS is a national initiative implemented by the Australian government to promote energy efficiency in residential buildings. The scheme aims to provide a standardised method for assessing the thermal performance of homes, considering factors such as insulation, orientation, ventilation, and building materials.&nbsp;

NatHERS ratings are the most common way new homes meet the National Construction Code's (NCC's) minimum energy efficiency requirements.&nbsp;

NatHERS assessments provide thermal and whole-home ratings for new homes, townhouses, and apartments.

The rating helps evaluate the energy performance of buildings, guides homeowners and developers to make informed decisions about the energy efficiency of their properties, and encourages the construction of more sustainable, comfortable, and cost-effective homes.

<h2>How NatHERS Ratings Work</h2>

NatHERS ratings are determined through four accredited software tools (AccuRate, BERS Pro, FirstRate5, HERO) using a calculation engine CSIRO developed to predict building temperature based on various factors.

The tools can model complex effects of building mass, insulation, window size, and other elements.

The outcome is a star rating that reflects the building's overall thermal efficiency, indicating how well it can maintain a comfortable indoor temperature without excessive reliance on heating or cooling systems.

The star rating scale ranges from 0 to 10, with a 6-star rating being the minimum requirement for compliance with the National Construction Code (NCC).&nbsp;

Achieving a higher star rating demonstrates a commitment to energy efficiency and sustainability, as the building is better equipped to minimise its environmental impact and reduce long-term energy costs.

Anyone can use NatHERS tools, but accredited assessors can provide certified ratings and professional advice.

<h2>Benefits of Higher NatHERS Ratings</h2>

Energy Efficiency: Buildings with higher NatHERS ratings are more energy-efficient, requiring less heating and cooling energy. This reduces the structure's carbon footprint and lowers occupants' energy bills.

Cost Savings: Homes with higher NatHERS ratings are generally more energy-efficient, resulting in reduced energy consumption for heating and cooling. This translates to lower energy bills for homeowners, making sustainable living environmentally friendly and economically viable in the long run.

Environmental Impact: Lower energy consumption directly translates to a reduced environmental impact. Buildings with higher NatHERS ratings contribute to the overall goal of mitigating climate change by lowering greenhouse gas emissions associated with heating and cooling systems.

Improved Comfort: Buildings with high NatHERS ratings offer better thermal comfort to occupants. Proper insulation, well-designed ventilation, and optimal orientation maintain a consistent and comfortable indoor temperature, providing occupants with a more enjoyable and healthier space.

Market Value and Desirability: Higher NatHERS ratings can enhance the market value of a property. As energy efficiency becomes a more significant consideration for homebuyers, a well-rated building may attract a premium price and stand out in the real estate market.

Compliance with Building Codes: NatHERS ratings are a vital component of the National Construction Code (NCC), and compliance with these ratings is often a mandatory requirement for new developments. Local councils and planning authorities may set minimum energy efficiency standards that must be met to obtain development approval.

The Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) is a crucial initiative shaping the future of energy-efficient, resilient, and cost-effective homes. With its recent upgrades, NatHERS has evolved into a world-leading tool for the building sector, supporting the global commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

Staff Writer

What is a NatHERS rating in new off the plan apartment developments?

Mixed-use developments have gained significant popularity across Australia in recent years due to their unique blend of residential, commercial, and recreational spaces.

Unlike traditional single-purpose developments, mixed-use projects offer a harmonious integration of various functions within a single locale.

Residential units seamlessly coexist with commercial establishments, retail outlets, dining venues, entertainment hubs, and recreational facilities, with the combination not only enhances convenience but also fosters a vibrant lifestyle and a sense of community.

<h3>Convenience and accessibility</h3>

Mixed-use developments are designed with convenience in mind. They often integrate residential units with commercial spaces, retail outlets, restaurants, and recreational facilities, creating a self-contained community.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=114215 project_image_fid=204874]

The proximity allows residents to enjoy the convenience of having essential amenities and services within walking distance. Whether it's grabbing a cup of coffee, going grocery shopping, or accessing healthcare services, everything is conveniently located, saving residents time and effort.

<h3>Vibrant lifestyle and community</h3>

One of the major advantages of mixed-use developments is the vibrant lifestyle they offer. With a diverse range of amenities and communal spaces, residents have ample opportunities to interact, socialise, and build a sense of community.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=107714 project_image_fid=214122]

The presence of parks, community centres, and shared spaces fosters a lively atmosphere, encouraging residents to engage in various activities and events. The vibrant lifestyle within these developments creates a unique sense of belonging and camaraderie among the residents.

<h3>Potential for higher rental yields and property value appreciation</h3>

Mixed-use developments tend to attract a broad range of tenants and buyers due to their versatile nature. This high demand can result in higher rental yields for investors and potentially lead to property value appreciation over time.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=139989 project_image_fid=212887]

The integration of commercial and retail spaces attracts businesses, which can provide a stable rental income stream. Additionally, the popularity of mixed-use developments often drives up property values, making them a potentially lucrative investment in the long term.

<h3>Enhanced security and maintenance</h3>

Mixed-use developments typically have comprehensive security measures in place. With controlled access points, CCTV surveillance, and professional security staff, residents can enjoy enhanced safety and peace of mind.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108019 project_image_fid=212658]

Additionally, these developments often have dedicated maintenance teams responsible for the upkeep of common areas, landscaping, and infrastructure. This ensures that the overall appearance and functionality of the development are well-maintained, creating a pleasant living environment for residents.

<h3>Live-work-play balance</h3>

One of the key attractions of mixed-use developments is the ability to achieve a desirable live-work-play balance. The integration of residential and commercial spaces allows residents to live closer to their workplaces, reducing commuting time and improving work-life balance.

The proximity to various amenities and recreational facilities encourages an active and healthy lifestyle. Residents can easily access fitness centres, parks, restaurants, and entertainment options, all within the same development, leading to a more fulfilling and convenient way of life.

alisonwarters@gmail.com

The top five reasons to buy in a mixed-use development

When buying a property, everyone needs to be aware of the additional costs that come as part of the buying process.

Often the largest outlay, after the deposit which goes to the bank, is stamp duty.

<h2 style="line-height: 1.38;">What is Stamp Duty?</h2>

Stamp duty is an extra tax to pay the government when you buy land, a property, and other certain assets.

It happens when the legal ownership is transferred. It can also be known as property transfer duty or transfer duty.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="415" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/C32BWkB5--c" title="YouTube video player" width="660"></iframe>

<h2>Who pays Stamp Duty?</h2>

In some circumstances, you may get an exemption. For some states, you won’t have to pay for stamp duty if you are a first home buyer or a pensioner for houses under a particular price. There are also stamp duty concessions, where you may be entitled to a discount.

<h2>How much does Stamp Duty cost?</h2>

Each state has different rules which affect how much you need to pay. These rules can affect the rate you pay, and the timeframe you will need to pay in. Before you buy land or a property, make sure you check the up-to-date information for your state’s stamp duty.

You can use a free stamp duty calculator online to see approximately how much you’ll need to pay. Find out if you’re eligible for an exemption by enquiring on a project via Urban!

Overall, the stamp duty you need to pay will depend on:

<ul>
	<li aria-level="1">How much your land/property is worth</li>
	<li aria-level="1">Where your land/property is located</li>
	<li aria-level="1">What type of land/property it is</li>
</ul>

Want to find out more? <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@UrbanAustralia?utm_source=YouTube&amp;utm_medium=Video&amp;utm_campaign=Subscribe&amp;utm_id=Subscribe">Subscribe to our YouTube channel</a> for more property videos.

Ellen Walker

Off-the-plan property explained: What is stamp duty?

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

Mortgage relief? NAB forecasts RBA rate cut, not hike, after softer economic conditions

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Australia spends more on infrastructure today than at any stage in its history. Yet governments are unable to meet demand and don’t expect ever to do so. What can governments do to keep up with escalating demand and community expectations for infrastructure?
Reserve Bank assistant governor Philip Lowe <a href="https://www.businessspectator.com.au/news/2013/11/26/infrastructure/rbas-lowe-urges-tolls-infrastructure" target="_blank">says</a> tolls and levies could be the answer to more efficiently funding the transport infrastructure we need - infrastructure he says would boost productivity and improve living standards.
Tolls are just one issue likely to be debated as part of the Productivity Commission’s current <a href="https://www.pm.gov.au/media/2013-11-13/productivity-commission-inquiry-infrastructure-costs" target="_blank">inquiry</a> into infrastructure costs, which is considering how infrastructure is funded and financed by both the Commonwealth and the states.
Governments trying to fix the infrastructure backlog face a number of constraints including money, suitable land access and community buy-in.
Historically, Australia is a large investor in infrastructure with per capita spending of about $18,500 per annum in the past decade. This means the nation has pulled ahead of the OECD, reflecting two mining booms and nation building public spending.
Gridlock frustrates
At the same time congestion in Australia’s major cities continues to escalate with gridlock on roads impacting passenger and freight logistics. This situation reflects poorly on project selection processes and willingness to choose infrastructure that lifts national productivity. For example, renovating existing infrastructure and shifting demand from the peak to the shoulder period can often have superior productivity impacts compared with building greenfield assets.
While Australia has a strong case to build more infrastructure, it must do so with a great deal more discipline and clear purpose towards the long term national interest.
Prioritising projects with the highest cost benefit ratios is fundamental. At the same time we must recognise that Australia has erred on this front, which has come at a cost to the public. These projects are typically in the category “too much, too late,” such as gold plating electricity distribution networks on the east coast and the south-east Queensland water grid.
If more road and public transport investment is to occur, governments should also focus on how they will service private capital during the long period of investment in infrastructure. This means a willingness to allow prices to reflect full cost recovery for the infrastructure provided, permit prices to reflect the incentive to invest and where appropriate use the government’s balance sheet to fund shadow tolls where a user charge is not appropriate.
Productivity matters
Better infrastructure for Australia should be anchored by a clear objective of lifting national productivity. This clarity of objective has been missing which has made it difficult for governments to be purposeful and consistent in their infrastructure decisions.
To that end the regulatory system requires reform, as it must provide the right price signals and incentives to make the best use of existing infrastructure. Tolls and user charges can have a more fundamental role to play in shaping demand and helping to direct where investment is needed to lift productivity growth.
Of course a toll should always be a fee for a defined level of service, and the community has the right to expect choice in the services available. The problem is that infrastructure often fails this test to the detriment of business and the community.
Tolls need to be justified
It is notable that the M1, M2, M4 and M5 toll roads in Sydney all originally demonstrated great benefit to commuters with faster travel time. But the reality is that now each of these toll roads has a peak hour exceeding 10 hours per day; slow speed and uncertain travel time is the norm.
To address this situation, state and federal infrastructure agencies need to enshrine customer service benchmarks that govern lifetime performance of major assets and networks. Government and the private sector concession holders will then require a framework to sustain them together.
The Australian community expects globally competitive transit times during the peak hour. Using tolls to help fund transport infrastructure is reasonable but without service benchmarks commuters are not assured of value for money; a toll becomes just another tax.
Tolls and user charges are not a panacea without fundamental institutional reform. Infrastructure must perform a service to the community that is relevant and compelling in order to justify a user charge in the first place. This is one of the missing ingredients to a better infrastructure future for Australia.

<hr>
Garry Bowditch is CEO of the <a rel="nofollow" href="https://smart.uow.edu.au/index" target="_blank">SMART Infrastructure Facility</a> at the University of Wollongong, which has been funded by the NSW and Queensland state governments to conduct research into infrastructure costs.
This article was originally published at <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/should-users-pay-the-toll-for-australias-infrastructure-problem-20774" target="_blank">original article</a>.
 
 
<img width="1" height="1" alt="The Conversation" src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/20774/count.gif">
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We need to fix our national infrastructure problem, but who's going to pay for it?

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Two out of five houses sold to investors last year in Queensland.  Investor interest in townhouses and apartments is much higher, with seven out of 10 townhouses selling to investors and 85% of apartments being sold to non-residents.
Sales to investors are up on 2012, by about 10%.  During 2014 they will get even higher.
This article outlines where most of the investment buying has been taking place across Queensland.
Houses
Most houses in Queensland - like the rest of the country - are purchased by owner-residents.  Investor interest is highest in mining-related regions and in resource-based towns.  Investment interest remains high in those areas, albeit at a lower level than in previous years.
Investor interest - so far this cycle - has been more limited in the south east corner of the state than in Queensland's regions.   This is a trend that is somewhat consistent across townhouses and apartment sales as well.
<img alt="matusik-dec-5-one" height="333" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/12/05/matusik-dec-5-one.png">
Townhouses
More townhouses sell to investors than to owner-residents.  A trend which is not only evident in off-the-plan/new townhouse sales, but also for resales too.
Owner-resident interest does increase at resale, but only if the townhouse complex has certain features.  These include:
<ul>
<li>
three- or four-bedroom product
</li>
<li>
ensuites
</li>
<li>
off-street parking for two cars
</li>
<li>
private courtyards
</li>
<li>
duplex arrangements
</li>
<li>
smaller complex
</li>
<li>
well located
</li>
<li>
acoustically proofed i.e. limited road traffic noise
</li>
</ul>
The owner-resident interest in townhouses is highest in the south-east.
Townhouse living is becoming more popular in Brisbane and on both the Gold and Sunshine Coasts.  Townhouse development is expected to increase, at the expense of new house/land, across South East Queensland in coming years/decades.
Think townhouses, more maybe, than apartments.
<img alt="matusik-dec-5-two" height="329" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/12/05/matusik-dec-5-two.png">
Apartments
There is more consistency across Queensland when it comes to apartment sales to investors.  The vast majority of Queensland apartments sell to investors.  The Queensland apartment market is driven by investment selling.
Reflecting the recent market downturn, investor interest in apartments was lowest on the Sunshine Coast and in Cairns and Townsville last year.  In was much lower on the Gold Coast (in 2011 and 2012) than the chart below suggests.  Given the rock-bottom prices being offered for Gold Coast apartments in recent years, it is little wonder that investment interest has increased.
Owner-resident interest is there for resale apartments, but not to the same extent as townhouses or detached homes.
Apartments that attract the most owner-resident resales usually are:
<ul>
<li>
in small complexes
</li>
<li>
have high quality - the <a target="_blank" href="https://matusikmissive.com.au/2012/09/18/four-fs/">four Fs</a>
</li>
<li>
in an established neighbourhood
</li>
<li>
similarly sized (within the same development)
</li>
<li>
on a unique site - view, aspect, height
</li>
</ul>
<img alt="matusik-dec-5-three" height="335" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/12/05/matusik-dec-5-three.png">
<ul></ul>
Comments
For mine, too much property is still being sold to investors across many parts of Queensland.
The longer term averages are 30% for houses; 65% for townhouses and about 75% for apartments.
Yet, we will see more investment selling of Queensland property as the residential recovery gains more momentum during 2014 and 2015.
Investors should be wary of buying in a project or location which is seeing a lot of investment selling.  There is only so much rental market to go around.
Investors also have a better chance of getting a better <a target="_blank" href="https://matusikmissive.com.au/2013/06/05/what-makes-a-good-investment-2/">resale</a> if the dwelling has owner-resident resale appeal.
Sadly, a lot of Queensland's new residential projects of late, don't.

<hr>
Michael Matusik is the founder of <a href="https://www.matusik.com.au/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Matusik Property Insights</a>, which has helped over 550 new residential projects come to fruition.  
Read <a href="https://www.matusikmissive.com.au/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Michael’s Blog</a> or follow him on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ThinkMatusik?fref=ts" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://www.twitter.com/michaelmatusik" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a> or connect via <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelmatusik" rel="nofollow">LinkedIn</a>.
 
 
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Investors are taking too large a slice of the Queensland property market

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Developer Ho Bee Australia’s strong reputation in Asia will aid in the sales of apartments in their $120 million Surfers Paradise tower, which will be the first high rise development to grace the Surfers Paradise skyline in five years.
The $120 million unnamed 41-storey apartment tower will be located between central Surfers Paradise and Main Beach, and will sit adjacent to the Surfers Paradise North light rail station.
<img alt="Ho-Bee-Surfers-Paradise-site-aerial-one" height="237" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/12/04/Ho-Bee-Surfers-Paradise-site-aerial-one.jpg">
Site works are currently underway; with the last development to commence construction in the precinct being the Hilton Towers in 2009.
<img alt="Ho-Bee-Surfers-Paradise-site-aerial-two" height="276" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/12/04/Ho-Bee-Surfers-Paradise-site-aerial-two.jpg">
Sales and marketing agent Deborah Provost says the Gold Coast is facing a critical shortage of new apartment stock.
“This product will go some way in filling that impending void,” says Provost.
“I have been dealing extensively with local, interstate and overseas buyers who are primed to make their next property play on the Gold Coast.
“They are encouraged by the dwindling supply of new apartments here and increasing property values sparked by burgeoning activity in the southern capital markets, but their options here are becoming limited in the traditional beach strip precinct between Broadbeach and Surfers Paradise.
“Currently, the majority of new apartment stock in projects like Hilton and Soul is priced above $1 million and to an extent that has polarised some prospective investors.
“Locally, we will be marketing the project to end-users and lifestyle buyers who know the area and its attributes well.
“Asian investors also have a penchant for beachfront apartments and we will be tapping into this market with targeted investor product,” says Provost.
<img alt="Ho-Bee-tower---artists-impression-cropped-one" height="459" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/12/04/Ho-Bee-tower---artists-impression-cropped-one.jpg">
Barry Lee of DBI Design says the tower will be of international standard.
“The developers are capitalising on the strengthening local market, lack of new beachside apartment stock available or planned, and improving property market conditions across the country.
“This project is a symbolic step forward for our city.
“Its design will make a sophisticated and meaningful contribution to our city’s spectacular skyline, while delivering new levels of innovation in sustainability and community,” says Lee.
Lee says the tower will be the first project in Gold Coast’s new cycle.
The tower is anticipated to launch in the first quarter of 2014, at which time the name will be revealed.
<a target="_blank" href="mailto:ntrotman@propertyobserver.com.au">ntrotman@propertyobserver.com.au</a>
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Overseas investors to tap into Surfers Paradise's first highrise in five years

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A two-bedroom villa in Liverpool was Sydney’s most affordable auction over the past weekend, according to Australian Property Monitors.
Located at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-villa-nsw-liverpool-114933223">4/8 Reilly Street</a>, it sold for $320,000 through Century 21 Fairfield.
Prior to this sale, it last sold in 2009 for $235,000, according to RP Data records. It also sold in 2001 for $145,000, in 1999 for $126,000, and in 1998 for $118,000, according to RP Data records.
Listing agent Nickolas Dilles told Property Observer it was a “very good” auction, with about 25 people in attendance and six registered bidders. The auction saw “very spirited bidding”. 
Dilles revealed that the reserve price was $290,000, and the successful bidder was an owner-occupier.
He added that most of the registered bidders were investors, but “owner-occupiers will pay a premium”.
Dilles also said that the property market in the Liverpool, Fairfield and Cabramatta areas is “extremely busy” at the moment.
“It’s very very vibrant. Anything on the market’s sold in around 10 days,” he said.
He added that a shortage of stock and good returns were contributing factors to the areas’ popularity.
Dilles noted that there is a lot of investor activity in the area at the moment, and believes there is a “50/50” split between investors and owner-occupiers.
In the next six to 12 months, Dilles thinks the property market in Liverpool and its surrounds will continue to grow.
“It’s continuing to escalate, primarily because there’s no stock around. There are many properties being sold at their first open house,” he said.
According to Century 21 Fairfield’s estimated asking rent of $345 per week, the price reflects a 5.61% yield.
According to the <a target="_blank" href="/news">latest RP Data report</a>, the median sale price for units in Liverpool is $278,500, up 5.1% on last year. The average discount required to sell a unit is 6%, while private treaty sales average 64 days on market.
The median asking rent for units is $325 per week, and gross rental yield currently stands at 6.1%.
dleow@propertyobserver.com.au
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Cheap Liverpool, NSW villa sells for $320,000, reflects 5.61% yield

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Investors should look for units in residential towers which have a sense of community about them, according to architects.
Hayball director Rob Stent says towers that build a sense of community retain their value better than other more bland developments.
One tower he designed six years ago now includes heavily booked communal facilities, multiple book reading clubs, dining clubs and networking meetings.
He describes it as a vertical neighbourhood where people have a sense of belonging and community which makes the building sought after.
“Being sought after retains the values and has a higher sense of owner pride. It's a self-perpetuating thing,” Stent told Property Observer.
“Having a building with the right settings you have the value retained. That's what developers that have a longer term perspective on brand and investors with a longer term eye to increased capital values should be having a look at.”
Australian apartment dwellers are more and more looking at shared spaces as a way to offset the space constraints of unit living.
Head of architecture at Monash, Diego Ramírez-Lovering, says Australian residents are becoming more and more used to communal living.
“In Australia it's not quite Sweden where 10 families will happily share a kitchen. It may get there one day,” Ramírez-Lovering says.
Also important is the concept of a 20-minute neighbourhood where people can walk to most places they need to go.
“This issue of the surroundings is an incredibly important issue; we see a lot of people moving out to the fringes buying a house and land package which is relatively affordable,” Ramírez-Lovering says.
“But they then spend a fortune on commuting all around town for employment and recreation and so on. I would say the key is to try and get these clusters of activity so you don't have to go too far.”
They were speaking to Property Observer from Synergy Property’s Nord development, in North Melbourne, a site with a Walk Score of 93.
Hayball has been working on the project for two years and marketing for the project is just underway.
The development includes units of three-bedroom configurations which Ramírez-Lovering says is an increasingly important part of new developments in Melbourne.
“There is a situation in Melbourne with higher density living that has resulted in sub-standard new apartments of impossible size up to 32 square metres and blind bedrooms,”  Ramírez-Lovering says.
“You can understand how the market gets to that point but it's interesting to understand that as we shift to a more intense and dense city and apartments become the norm and have much more diverse households living in them.
“Having apartments that are adequately sized that provide great amenity is so crucial.”
Stent says anecdotal evidence shows renters are less interested in lower quality unit stock now.
“Agents say they’ve never been so busy at painting and carpeting these old style apartments. They're no longer sought after. People are making the choice if they’re renting to go somewhere else that has more amenity or comfort or interior style and quality.”
{qtube vid:=C_G1HxDUK2M}
 
Transcript
I'm very interested as to how we're going to as architects really engage in a really meaningful way in terms of the challenges that are facing our community. We're going to be faced with enormous challenges - the aging population; the productivity commission news is alarming. That's been there for some time. People should be aware of it. How are we going to provide the housing and healthcare for an aging population which will be a significant part of the population with a diminished tax base. Look at the figures in terms of in Melbourne there's 2030 looking to be 6-7 million, recent ABS just released. Our increasingly diverse population is very different to what it was 15-20 years AGO. With not only our ethnic diversity but our demographic diversity in terms of also household configurations. Single households are the fastest growing households in Australia - what that means for housing. We're starting to see evidence the house and land package on the fringe is no longer appealing to many people. There’s still a lot of housing of that nature being build but there’s a need to provide alternative means of housing to satisfy diversity.
Developers that are in tune with those changes increasingly focus on providing a range of housing and not just sticking to the same old. The ones which will be adaptable and ready to meet the changes will be successful. Those that do the same old same old will be less successful because it's been a very simple process.
From investor’s point of view, if they're looking at a development they need to look at those sorts of developments through these eyes. Who’s out there that’s going be giving them the bigger market, that's a much broader market more diverse market than in Australia's history. It is a diverse population now. I n terms of where investors look they'll have to look at our society. That's having a number of attributes in the apartments. Whether there's flexibility in terms of apartments, spatially, what else it offers to provide an opportunity that you can't find in your apartment because of size constraints because of the commercial constraints that you would have augment. For example a playground or a playroom or spaces where you can have a party of have friends and family around.
We did the development some time ago with about 400 apartments, about six years old now. It’s born out in terms of what can emerge in terms in communities in a vertical scale. It has heavily booked communal facilities, there's 3-4 book reading clubs in the building, dining clubs, a whole series of networks and meetings in the building. It’s like a vertical neighbourhood. People do have the sense of belonging and community which makes buildings sought after. Being sought after retains there values and has a higher sense of owner pride. It's a self-perpetuating thing. Having a building with the right settings you have the value retained. That's what developers that have a longer term perspective brand and investors with a longer term eye to increased capital values should be having a look at.
In Australia it's not quite Sweden where 10 families will happily share a kitchen. It may get there one day but the interesting thing is to look at is what’s more successfully with sharing, or less successful. In one of your buildings I looked at, one of the key locations for sharing was the laundry. That makes so much sense because it's student housing. However this notion about rethinking our preconceptions about sharing are. There can be much more sharing than there is now on the other hand not all sharing works. Private open space is held dear dear by the population. That will shift over time. This issue of the surroundings is an incredibly important issue; we see a lot of people moving out to the fringes buying a house and land package which is relatively affordable. But they then spend a fortune on commuting all around town for employment and recreation and so on. I would say the key is to try and get these clusters of activity so you don't have to go too far. That is challenging because the housing usually comes first and services follows. I think that's a flawed model. There are different ways to think about it in alternative ways.  A notion that a house might not just be a house but it might be your office. It might not just be for your immediate family. It might be possible to sell or rent a portion of your house if circumstances change. So Thinking about housing because there is so much of it particularly in middle and outer suburbs, in ways which acknowledges all these changes function in much more flexible ways to accurate these things because the services very often take a long time to get there.
I live in Richmond. We’ve got a great deal of diversity just in our street. Our neighbours are three two-storey 60s built flats. There's leasing boards on them all the time. According to agents they say they’ve never been so busy at painting and carpeting these old style apartments. They're no longer sought after. People are making the choice if they’re renting to go somewhere else that has more amenity or comfort or interior style and quality. People need to be mindful that quality apartments are what people live in to purchase or rent. What we're seeing is some of the lower quality stock being hard to move. Some of the smaller apartments have resistance in terms of rental.
There is a situation in Melbourne with higher density living that has resulted in sub-standard new apartments of impossible size up to 32 square metres and blind bedrooms. You can understand how the market gets to that point but it's interesting to understand that as we shift to a more intense and dense city and apartments become the norm and have much more diverse households living in them. Having apartments that are adequately sized that provide great amenity is so crucial. It's great to see the inclusion of 3 bedroom apartments even though it seems like such a small detail the ability to have families in what was homogenous environment is a great idea.
<a href="mailto:awalsh@propertyobserver.com.au" target="_parent">awalsh@propertyobserver.com.au</a>
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Architects point investors towards residential towers with a community feel

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It’s no secret that the Australian government is up the proverbial creek without a paddle given its federal budget is in crisis. Finance Minister Mathias Cormann told the Ten Network: “We inherited a budget in a very bad shape from the Labor Party, a $30 billion deficit at the time of the election and deteriorating, net debt heading for $200 billion, gross debt heading well beyond $300 billion.”
This week, <a title="Australia’s growth to slow: Goldman Sachs " href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/australias-growth-to-slow-goldman-sachs-20131127-2y9b1" target="_blank">Australia’s growth to slow according to Goldman Sachs: </a>“Relative to the acceleration forecast in the global economy, in Australia we expect economic growth to decelerate in 2014, anticipate further easing required by the RBA, forecast additional fiscal drag and see a corporate sector set on a path of investment restraint.” So based on this forecast the federal government is going to have to “trim the sales” where possibly they may be left with no other alternative than to introduce significant tax reforms.
On September 20, 1985 the Hawke/Keating government introduced the <a title="Capital Gains Tax" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_gains_tax_in_Australia" target="_blank">capital gains tax</a> in Australia where the tax only applies to assets acquired on or after that date where the most significant exemption was the family home which to this day remains tax free. On July 1, 2000 the Howard/Costello government introduced the goods and services tax (GST) a value added tax of 10% on most goods and services transactions. It replaced the previous federal wholesale sales tax system and was designed to phase out a number of various state and territory government taxes, duties and levies such as banking taxes and stamp duty. Well we know the states and territories have all put stamp duty up since then.
<a title="Record Stamp Duty windfall for NSW government " href="https://www.whocrashedtheeconomy.com.au/blog/2013/11/record-stamp-duty-windfall-for-nsw-government/" target="_blank">Record stamp duty windfall for NSW government </a>where figures published by the NSW Office of State Revenue showed a record $356.8 million was made from stamp duty receipts collected in October 2013. The booming property market has done wonders for the NSW state government’s September quarterly budget. The June budget had forecast a $374 million deficit, but a surplus of $239 million was actually achieved. You can see why the states and territories opted to ignore removing stamp duty from their respective cash registers.
<img alt="26-11-2013 9-46-01 AM" src="https://www.rwm.com.au/files/2013/11/26-11-2013-9-46-01-AM.jpg" width="470" height="321">
In July 1985, the Hawke/Keating government introduced negative gearing, the tax treatment of interest expenses and future gain affects the after tax return. Losses from negatively geared property investments, share investments, and other commercial business ventures are tax – deductible against other taxable personal income in Australia. <a title="Let’s get negative about negative gearing" href="https://www.businessspectator.com.au/article/2013/11/26/property/lets-get-negative-about-negative-gearing" target="_blank">Let’s get negative about negative gearing</a> – “The federal budget is in crisis on the revenue side, and one of the unexamined holes in the budget is the $5 billion a year used to fund negative – gearing tax concessions.”
In recent times property investors have been the major players in the market – more particularly <a title="Asian buyers make up a quarter of buyers in Gold Coast." href="/news" target="_blank">Asian buyers make up a quarter of buyers in Gold Coast.</a> To further add to the confusion when Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced his cabinet he removed the housing portfolio so on that basis his government is actually blindfolded on what is actually happening within the Australian property markets – this was a dumb and ill – informed decision.
<img alt="26-11-2013 11-52-58 AM" src="https://www.rwm.com.au/files/2013/11/26-11-2013-11-52-58-AM.jpg" width="470" height="311">
A few weeks ago <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/trends/property-will-be-front-and-centre-of-the-government-s-planned-reforms/2013102865949" target="_blank">I wrote</a>: “I am advised that Mosman has approximately 6,000 properties for rental which in itself is a staggering number – 46.6%. If the government were then to be heavy handed on negative gearing the Mosman property market would be absolutely decimated with investor exit strategies.”
Should it be phased in over say a 10 to 15 year period this could bring down the government at the next election as it would provide the Opposition a great platform – much like the carbon tax campaign Tony Abbott fought so hard on to remove the Labor government. Not to dismiss the hostile campaigning from Hawke/Keating who were the architects of this policy reform.
It doesn’t matter which side of the fence you sit on the negative gearing debate is good for the economy and the government given that investors keep investing back into their investment properties which in turn provides jobs for other businesses.
The biggest problem for the government is when the Howard/Costello government introduced the GST this created the ‘cash economy’ where improvements are done less for cash. The households are all over the less for cash while the investors demand the full invoice to claim a greater tax deduction. Therein, lies the problem for the government – it is hammered on both fronts.
So the capital gains tax is severely impacting the GST – the Abbott government would be better served critiquing the capital gains tax where with the family home it becomes a tax deduction and tax is proportionately paid on the sale. Australia today remains one of the very few countries that doesn’t tax the sale of the family home. Obviously this must be retrospective so with one third of Australians renting, another third owning with a mortgage and the remaining third owning their homes outright this could further stimulate the markets.
It would certainly reduce the cash economy.

<hr>
Robert Simeon is a director of <a style="font-size: 14px;" title="RWM" href="https://www.rwm.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Richardson  Wrench Mosman and Neutral Bay </a>and has been selling residential real estate in Sydney since 1985. 
He has also been writing real estate blog <a title="Virtual Realty News" href="https://www.rwm.com.au/news/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Virtual Realty News</a> since 2000. 
The RWM real estate model has sold in excess of $1 billion in database sales globally.
 
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robertsimeon-hRNTwJyXkQ

The government should look at CGT on the family home

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Since I started writing about housing policy and citing the growing concerns many are having with the rising price of accommodation, it’s been somewhat heartening to see a greater array of individuals acknowledge an undeniable widening gap between existing owners, and a growing pool of ‘wannabe’ renters.  
Most recently, ALP member for McMahon in New South Wales, Chris Bowen, who was reported saying “<a target="_blank" href="#ixzz2lwBjyOPj">''I can see the difficulties for young and first home buyers of getting into the market,''</a> citing an “affordability crisis” to be a “serious national issue.”  
Whilst many parents would recognise the struggle first homebuyers face and wish for an easier path to enable their children, to gain a foothold into what’s too commonly termed the property ladder – as if it’s something to be conquered – emphatic remarks such as those offered above are easy to make when decision-making is out of party hands.  
Yet, it was only a few months ago, when challenged over affordability on Q&amp;A, and lacking any real policy initiative going into the federal election, that Chris Bowen remarked:  
“There (are) two big things that we can do to help with housing affordability. That’s keep unemployment as low as possible. Because you have got a job, that’s the best thing you can do to get into the housing market. And also to keep interest rates low and interest rates are as low as they’ve ever been in Australia.”
 
No one would doubt keeping unemployment numbers low is an important component to a steady housing terrain. However, as for low interest rates, they have done little more than inflate established property prices and speculation on financial markets, which is scant benefit to those facing rising rents, or paying an inflated cost to secure a property at the offset.
 
On the same program, Joe Hockey’s comments took a similar stance – except he did touch on the issue of supply:  
“The fact is you’ve got to increase the supply. I mean it’s a market. There is plenty of demand and increasing demand but what are we going to do for supply? I have some plans on that which we’ll be talking about before the end of the election.”  
When making these comments, it’s unclear whether Joe Hockey had prior awareness of the coalition’s plan to abolish the National Housing Supply Council, which was established specifically to identify gaps between housing supply and demand.  
Apparently, the council’s activities are no longer needed and will be absorbed into other departments which aren’t entirely transparent, as Scott Ludlum found when questioning <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-kgSzyCSsc">as such.</a> Whatever the reason, it’s clear the current government does not hold supply policy high on the priority list.  
As it is, saving hard on an average wage is no longer a guaranteed ticket into the breastfed dream of home ownership – especially if you live anywhere close to Sydney.  
Martin North Principal of Digital Finance Analytics demonstrated this on a recent blog entitled <a target="_blank" href="https://www.digitalfinanceanalytics.com/blog/the-truth-about-house-price-and-income-growth/">“The Truth about House Price and Income Growth”</a> charting house prices compared to average disposable income across the NSW market back to 2002.      
Whilst the higher quartile’s income has kept pace with house price inflation, the other quartiles have only seen their wage grow marginally, his study clearly demonstrates that prices are now outpacing earnings for the larger proportion of residents and therefore effective solutions need to be found.  
Of course, each state faces its own challenges, and some are fairing better than others. But presently first home buyers are clashing budgets with an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2013/11/boomers-foreigners-kill-off-the-housing-dream/">equal to larger proportion of investors and downsizers</a> and therefore targeting similar stock against those who have an existing equity stream to tap into.  
Unfortunately, aside from some tinkering around the edges of housing policy with schemes such as the NRAS (which quickly became over subscribed and jumped upon by SMSF spruikers), it remains a reality that neither political party has yet seen past burdening new buyers with cheap credit by way of grants, low interest rates and incentives, in a vain effort to mask the rising cost of accommodation under the false premise that they’re doing ‘something.’  
And Australia faces challenges ahead – with a falling participation rate due to an aging population, fewer full time positions coupled with a rise in part time work inflating the ‘underemployment’ figures – job creation is not keeping pace with increases in our working age population.  
This was outlined in the freshly released <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pc.gov.au/research/commission/ageing-australia">Productivity Commission paper</a> entitled "An Ageing Australia: Preparing for the Future" which projected:  
“Australia would have four million more people aged 75 years or older by 2060, with 25 centenarians for every 100 newborns, compared with one centenarian for every newborn in 2012.”  
Not only will aging Australian’s have to work to the age of 70, to bridge a shortfall in savings, but the report suggested retirement should be funded in part through a house value ‘equity release scheme,’ claiming:  
“House prices have risen over time in real terms, a trend that is likely to continue.  Against this backdrop, even under conservative assumption allowing households aged over 65 years to easily access their home equity to help fund health and aged care costs could have a significant impact on reducing fiscal gaps”  
However, under such schemes, not only do governments have a vested interest in keeping house prices high and rising, they are pinned to the necessity of such to fund future budgets.  
Article contiues on next page. Please click below.
 
<hr class="system-pagebreak">
Balancing an economy for an aging demographic is not unique to Australia. However, if house prices weren’t as burdensome, requiring an increasing proportion of savings just to enter ownership, not to mention the longer mortgage terms needed to pay down the loan, it would be possible to invest a greater proportion of the household budget into areas of productivity and small business development, as well as channelling savings elsewhere for retirement without the need to use the principle place of residence as a sole equity fund.  
In this respect, Australia differs little from its closest neighbour New Zealand, where the costs of rising accommodation also bites a good way into a household’s budget for new buyers.  
In an article in the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&amp;objectid=11165222">New Zealand Herald</a> concentrating on an increasing difficulty accessing ownership following a sensible requirement on lenders by the RBNZ to maintain an 80% loan to value ratio, a young couple were highlighted as a somewhat typical case study.  
Putting aside the additional ‘useful’ tips for saving the $90,000 deposit needed for their $450,000 purchase – such as “take a packed lunch to work,” – it seems the only way this couple were able to purchase adequate accommodation in the Auckland locality, was to tap into the ‘bank’ of their respective parents, who borrowed against the accumulated equity in their own home to shore up their children’s deposit.  
The couple’s take home pay is $6000 per month, therefore a weighty 50% will go toward mortgage repayments – yet the price of their accommodation, is not out of step with what we expect our own dual income first timers to pay for a modest sized home which will provide adequate facility for more than two or three years.  
New Zealand resident and co-author of the Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey - <a target="_blank" href="https://www.performanceurbanplanning.org/">Hugh Pavletich</a> - makes some sensible comments in relation to this:  
“Within normal housing markets with properly functioning local governments that have not lost control of their costs, young Jamie Clark and Jenna Close on their household income of $70,000, should be able to buy a new home for about $210,000 with a sensible mortgage load of $175,000 requiring a deposit of about just $35,000.”
 
Pavletich’s comments are endorsed by Australian Senator–elect Bob Day who in reply to the comment above stated:  
“For more than 100 years the average New Zealand family was able to buy its first home on one wage. As you have frequently reported, the median house price was around three times the median income allowing young home buyers easy entry into the housing market.  
As discussed in your report, the median house price is now, in real terms i.e. relative to income, up to nine times what it was between 1900 and 2000…a family will fork out approximately $500,000 more on mortgage payments than they would have had house prices remained at three times the median income.”  
The Demographica survey rates 337 different housing markets using a “median multiple” (the median house price divided by gross annual median household income) to assess affordability. The methodology is a measure recommended by the United Nations and World Bank Urban Indicators Programs and employed by Harvard University's Joint Centre for Housing - to name but a few.  
An affordable market is therefore deemed to be one with a median multiple of 3.0 or less, and whilst it’s never easy to draw an exact correlation between the complexities of international policies compared to our own, the report does provide a basis for research into precisely how other markets with rising populations and relatively healthy economies, manage to maintain their affordable nature.  
Article contiues on next page. Please click below.
 
<hr class="system-pagebreak">
Supply  
The reports primary focus is on supply – removing barriers such as urban boundaries and tax overlays, and portrays the model employed in Texas, where aside from environmental compliance there are no zoning restrictions outside the city outskirts, and planners see themselves as regulators rather than interested parties in town design.  
Texas is also a market, which has successfully financed infrastructure by electing local residents onto boards and providing them with access to tax free bonds, which are subsequently allocated for the provision of essential amenities.  
Property rights in Texas are clearly strong in nature with limited regulation, covering little more than the land itself – therefore, housing affordability isn’t a burning concern for Texans, and judging by the number of <a target="_blank" href="https://ideas.time.com/2013/10/17/10-reasons-texas-is-our-future/">American’s moving there</a>, the market is an attractive one.  
Tax  
Secondly, as I highlighted <a target="_blank" href="https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2013/11/land-tax-must-kill-negative-gearing-stamp-duty/">last week</a>, markets such as Pittsburgh in the USA, which has a median multiple below 3.0, is an example where land value tax has been successfully employed.  
When land value tax is implemented – with the burden taken of buildings and their improvements ensuring good quality assessments and sensible zoning laws – it not only assists affordability keeping land values stable, but also benefits local business through infrastructure funding, discourages urban sprawl, incites smart effective development of sites, reduces land banking, and as examples in the USA have demonstrated – assists in weathering the unwanted impacts of real estate booms and busts.  
Speculation and strong tenancy laws  
Another commonality shared amongst ‘affordable’ markets is the lack of speculation that inspires the ‘get in quick’ feeling for aspiring owners.  Germany is one such example where until fairly recent times; real house prices had remained stable since at least the 1970s.  
Home ownership in Germany is not embedded in their culture.  And as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2013/11/what-australia-can-learn-from-germanys-rental-system/">I pointed out a few weeks ago</a>, strong tenancy laws along with liberal supply policies ensures when time does come to purchase, there is plentiful option to do so without breaking the budget.  
Australia?  
Whether we will ever achieve the significant reform needed to turn Australia’s housing market into an affordable one is debatable.  However, with the rise of the internet and the ability of those searching for answers to delve a little deeper than they perhaps would have done before the world became a mirror of reflections. As every action and movement is recorded, posted and photographed in real time, and offered up for an immediate judgement on social media – it can only be hoped, that a majority, not minority, are taking opportunity to look past the frivolity of what I think most would agree (whether by design or purpose), has to date been fairly meaningless and unsatisfactory open government debates on housing policy.  
In the end, it will be up to the growing generation of struggling first timers and priced out renters to vote for the brave advocates who enter politics with what are currently deemed unpalatable plans for true and meaningful reform.
Catherine Cashmore is a market analyst with extensive experience in all aspects relating to property acquisition.
 
 
 
 
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catherinecashmore-6LXia3pPQj

Housing policy reform: What chance do we really have?

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The latest development in Ryde to be released to the public is Meriton’s Evoke apartments, securing 30 apartment sales in the first week.
Located on Porter Street, Evoke will comprise of 278 apartments across four buildings, up to seven storeys in height.
With designs by Architectus, Evoke features a modern exterior with stone and metal cladding inspired by the history of the once-industrial site.
Meriton doesn’t have pre-sale requirements to fund the construction, therefore staging sales evenly across the development.
“Staging our sales evenly allows us to cater to market demands throughout the course of construction,” says national sales director James Sialepis.
“Expressions of interest for this development are extremely strong with investors and owner-occupiers keen to capitalise on its central waterside location - Meriton has already sold 30 apartments at ‘Evoke’ from its Sydney head office,” says Sialepis.
One studio-apartment is available for $505,000 and is 36 square metres in size.
One-bedroom apartments range in size from 46 square metres to 60 square metres and start from $585,000.
Two-bedroom apartments range in size from 69 square metres to 100 square metres and start from $725,000.
Three-bedroom apartments range in size from 108 square metres to 117 square metres and start from $895,000.
Apartments will feature stone benchtops, euro appliances, glass splashbacks and soft-closing drawers.
Residents will have access to a 20-metre pool, sauna, spa and gym as well as an onsite childcare centre and 38 bike parks.
Evoke will also feature onsite shops at street level.
Demolition of the site has already begun with a completion date scheduled for mid 2015.
<a href="mailto:ntrotman@propertyobserver.com.au" target="_blank">ntrotman@propertyobserver.com.au</a>
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Meriton launches Evoke in Ryde with design inspired by site's industrial heritage

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Choosing a builder is one of the most important steps of property development.
There are things like their financial position, their quality and customer service, their staff levels and their experience that are obviously all very important.
But over the years, there is one endearing feature that I’ve found means the most.  It’s something that my builder is - but not something they’ve become over time - it’s something that they just are.
They are ‘old school’. Old school means anything from an earlier era and it’s looked upon with high regard or respect.
These days it seems almost old fashioned to be able to pick up the phone and speak directly to your builder - the bloke who makes the decisions - especially when you are dealing with medium to large project home builders. There’s usually layer upon layer of management levels to sift through before getting the information you need.  With one large multinational builder I’ve dealt with, it took them two months to get the paperwork into their systems before we saw any start on the site.  Sometimes my emails were not answered for days even though I had no less than three customer service contacts.  Once, I was not told when our site manager took a week’s holiday and so assumed he was ignoring or avoiding my calls (he’d forgotten to change his voice message).
Having this experience with a larger building company has only confirmed why I love my Hunter Valley builder.
My builder’s ‘sales director’ has been known to talk me out of a building job (which would be a sale for him) because he has some kind of inside information about the site or location. But then when I find a site he’ll be there within a few hours to look at it and let me know his opinion on the slope, aspect and surrounding areas.  He has a good understanding of local sales – he lives there - and he quotes realistic estimates, nothing over inflated about him. His knowledge is gold as he’s been ‘around the block’ a few times now.
The builder allows Property Bloom staff direct access to their estimator, site supervisor or construction manager to discuss any issues. We can talk to their engineer or their town planning consultant. But, there’s one highly valuable member of our builder’s team; a lady who really is the ‘engine room’. Her attention to detail is what brings our projects together. Her opinion is very well regarded as she’s developed property herself and her knowledge and experience in the game is priceless.
Their team is my team and they tell it straight. There’s no beating around the bush if there’s an issue, they’ll raise it immediately and we’ll nut it out to find the best solution.
They do me favours too. Like today when I rang to see if they could include a significant cost normally considered outside their scope into their tender.  This was because the budget my client had set aside for some demolition work was no longer available and he needed to finance it as part of his construction lending.
It’s the no nonsense but witty, down to earth nature of this company and their staff that I value most.  Old school is good school in my books.
 
<hr>
 Jo Chivers is director of <a style="font-size: 14px;" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.propertybloom.com.au/" title="Property Bloom">Property Bloom</a>, which manages property development.
 
 
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jochivers-wq5Bp59R5a

Why having an 'old school' builder can be the best bet

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First off today an apology to the young RMIT student to which the two images below belong.  Currently on display within level ten of the <a href="http://www.designhub.rmit.edu.au/" target="_blank">RMIT Design Hub</a> building, the scheme below is one of many works conceived by this years crop of students.  With no visible student name of number, we can't credit this design to any particular student...so if any information is forwarded, Apartments.com.au will be happy to publish the details.
On the student creation, it's envisaged as an integrated transport hub catering principally toward the movement of freight.  Air, sea, rail and road transport options are incorporated into the design located on the current Toll Automotive dock which meets Williamstown Road.  With an associated hotel, office building and public transport station, it surely is a grand design.  
Now Apartments.com.au wouldn't be so daft as to critique this particular design, yet it does provide a visual context as to the article that will follow. 
<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_00031.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Rmit student designed airport located within Port Melbourne"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/IMG_00031.jpg?itok=Pt2fKcjp" title="Rmit student designed airport located within Port Melbourne" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>
As recently as July <a href="http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/docklands-airport-plan-slammed-as-8216crazy8217/story-fni0fit3-1226687150609" target="_blank">media reports</a> suggested the possibility of an airport being built within Melbourne's Docklands area. According to the Herald Sun the suitably named <a href="http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/osisdc" target="_blank">Outer Suburban/Interface Services and Development Committee</a>, made up of three Liberal and two Labor MPs, urged the Victorian Government to consider a city airport (in many ways quite similar to<a href="http://www.londoncityairport.com/" target="_blank"> London City Airport</a>) which would "Better service low-cost segments of the aviation market."  Further "The committee believes that a Melbourne City Airport could be a useful ... particularly for commuter-type domestic flights and short-haul international flights such as to New Zealand." 
The committee report stated "Such an airport could be a useful addition as part of a comprehensive brownfield redevelopment area near the centre of Melbourne, such as Docklands," said the report, which was handed down during June.
<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_96041.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="An aerial perspective of the site in question"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/Img_96041.jpg?itok=LAAGxSgM" title="An aerial perspective of the site in question" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>
Given the stupendous size and expense of such a venture, what would be the inhibiting factors for this city airport....aside from common sense?
<ul>
<li class="rtejustify">
		The Westgate and Bolte Bridges, built obstacles in any such venture.  With minimum separation required the alignment and location of any runway is surely compromised.</li>
	<li class="rtejustify">
		Melbourne's variable winds.  Although the prevailing north/south winds would dictate runway alignment, a single runway would unlikely be operational for periods of time</li>
	<li class="rtejustify">
		Two efficient existing airports with a third major airport mooted on suburban Melbourne's south eastern fringe.</li>
	<li class="rtejustify">
		The ground swell of public opinion demanding a dedicated rail line to Melbourne Airport</li>
	<li class="rtejustify">
		Encroaching populous as Fishermans Bend is progressively developed, not to mention existing areas </li>
	<li class="rtejustify">
		Aircraft noise, and many more</li>
</ul>
So the Docklands airport notion has been dispelled as the random musings of a committee justifying their existence.  Now for the crux of the article, rather than ideas of folly would it not be more appropriate to invest in a rail link to Melbourne Airport, but also further study the eventual relocation of the Port of Melbourne?
This is very much a long term stance yet the initial planning has been done.  The Port of Hastings has already been earmarked as a <a href="http://www.peninsulaweekly.com.au/story/1406932/port-of-hastings-development-premier-unveils-110m-kickstart/" target="_blank">major future container port</a>, as has a <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/government-urged-to-consider-secret-bay-west-option-for-port-20120903-25amq" target="_blank">section of land</a> between Point Wilson and Werribee South.  At what point would common sense suggest Avalon as a contender where Avalon Airport owner Linfox Group has for a long period of time trumpeted their desire to turn the facility into a freight hub amalgamating rail, air and sea movements.  
Throw in pending developments such as Salta Group's inland ports at Altona and Lyndhurst which are essentially integrated freight logistics, container handling, storage and distribution centres along with the mooted south eastern airport and a picture is starting to emerge of a future outer metropolitan arc of infrastructure designed to handle Melbourne ever burgeoning freight movements.  At either end of this arc may just be Melbourne's two international ports.
<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/both_maps_combined.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="City of Port Phillip map, aircraft noise anyone? Image courtesy City of Port Phillip"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/both_maps_combined.jpg?itok=UFJIdfZM" title="City of Port Phillip map, aircraft noise anyone? Image courtesy City of Port Phillip" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>
Could the way forward be a model where cumbersome shipping, freight and associated industry are one the urban periphery - on the outside looking in?  This is of course diametrically opposed to the current model where Port of Melbourne (and the notion of a city airport) are at the heart of Melbourne, causing some metaphorical heartburn I might add.  
Consider this - amazingly enough the image above will one day be dominated by high density housing and commercial use, in effect creating a megatropolis from Footscray to Fishermans Bend.  Gone will be the Port of Melbourne, in its place swathes of new development land which could soak up Melbourne's burgeoning population over not years but decades.  Port Melbourne, Docklands, Southbank, Fishermans Bend and E-gate are examples of existing and future examples of mixed purpose development over what was formerly industrial land in order to assist an expanding central Melbourne.
Freight would be efficiently distributed to transport centres without having to traverse inner urban areas, a larger percentage of the population would live closer to Melbourne's CBD allowing for decreased use of private vehicles and a decrease in inner Melbourne truck journeys alleviating to a degree strains on current road infrastructure.  More people living within a certain radius of the CBD suggests that public transport would benefit due to economies of scale involved - high frequency services for a high density population...and so I could continue on and on.
Now some will suggest this is pie in the sky material, but certainly not as whimsical as an airport based within the City of Melbourne.  The initial steps in identifying the long term shift of Port of Melbourne have been taken, whether it occurs in our lifetime is another question.
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