The residential transformation of St Kilda Road is set to continue into with more new apartment plans for the sought-after boulevard.

Wing Tai Asia has lodged plans for a major residential tower at 464-466 St Kilda Road, replacing the former VACC House with an 18-storey mixed-use development designed around a retained heritage podium and a sculpted contemporary tower.

The proposal, prepared under Victoria’s Significant Residential Development with Affordable Housing pathway, would deliver 325 apartments and ground-floor retail across the prominent 4,653 sqm boulevard site in Melbourne’s St Kilda Road North Precinct.

The project centres on the adaptive reuse of the site’s heritage-listed VACC Building, an eight-storey office designed by Bernard Evans that has occupied the address for decades. Planning documents state the development would involve “carefully dismantling and conserving off-site the original metal fabric of the podium visible from St Kilda Road,” before reinstating it as the defining frontage of the new scheme.

Above the restored podium, Wing Tai is proposing a curvilinear residential tower. The scheme includes 172 one-bedroom apartments, 63 two-bedroom apartments, 66 three-bedroom apartments, and 24 four-bedroom apartments, alongside two ground-floor food and beverage tenancies fronting St Kilda Road.

The tower has been designed with substantial articulation and variable setbacks to minimise perceived bulk and maintain view corridors along the boulevard. Urbis, which prepared the planning report, said the design “has been significantly articulated through a curvilinear design” with “an interplay with materials, façade expression and depth” to create visual separation and visual interest.

The proposal also includes 254 basement car spaces, landscaped pedestrian links connecting St Kilda Road and Queens Lane, and a biophilic landscape strategy featuring canopy trees, raised planters, cascading greenery and a glass oculus pool overlooking the eastern frontage.

Planning documents confirm the $270.1 million development will contribute 3 per cent of project costs to the Social Housing Growth Fund as part of the application process.

Wing Tai acquired the St Kilda Road property in 2018 alongside Abacus Property Group for $95.38 million, before later consolidating ownership of the site. The property previously served as the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce headquarters for around 60 years.

The transformation of the St Kilda Rd boulevard is already beginning to materialise, with a number of high-profile projects recently completed, launched, or approaching launch as developers continue to back the long-term appeal of the precinct.

Among the most notable recent completions is Louise by Samuel Property Group, just off the strip on Queens Lane, the same pocket Hirsch &amp; Faigen recently launched The Queensbury. Mirvac is too on the same street with The Albertine, which is approaching completion.

Dexus recently secured approval for its slice of St Kilda Road, while Gurner also has approved plans for the precinct.

Joel Robinson

Wing Tai unveils 325-apartment St Kilda Road tower on former VACC House site

Malaysian developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/s-p-setia">SP Setia</a> is the latest to jump into St Leonards booming Transport Oriented Development precinct.

The developer, which has previously delivered Sapphire by the Gardens apartment development in Melbourne, identified the Atchison Street site in 2023. It filed a Scoping Report around 12 months ago, and now has revealed the designs for the new&nbsp;40-storey mixed-use tower.

The State Significant Development Application covers <a href="https://next-portal.urban.com.au/projects/14650/summary">20-22 Atchison Street</a>, a 1,374 sqm site positioned between St Leonards Station and the new Crows Nest Metro station.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cox-architecture">COX Architecture</a>, the project would deliver 181 apartments, above a four-storey commercial podium, five basement levels, and new public domain works along Mitchell Street. The apartment mix comprises 35 one-bedroom apartments, 39 one-bedroom-plus-study apartments, 85 two-bedroom apartments, and 22 three-bedroom residences.

The proposal has been lodged as a shop-top housing development under the NSW Government’s TOD planning pathway, which allows increased density around key transport infrastructure. The site sits within the recently rezoned Crows Nest Accelerated TOD Precinct.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b799673d-48e2-46b0-801a-0e33a9330100" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/atchinson%20site.png?VersionId=dPh0UfwfaHpbFL1R7H1cbZNbIW0CHbCC" />

SP Setia acquired the Atchison Street site as part of its continued expansion into the Australian apartment market. In comments made to City &amp; Country (The Edge Malaysia) in 2023, SP Setia President and CEO Datuk Choong Kai Wai described the acquisition as “a strategic move” aligned with the group’s post-pandemic market recovery strategy.

“Our target for this exceptional development is local and overseas buyers, including first-home buyers, downsizers and investors,” Choong said.

The tower has been designed as a slender vertical form rising from a mixed-use podium, with COX Architecture positioning the development as a response to the evolving St Leonards and Crows Nest skyline.

“The purpose of the project is to facilitate the delivery of high-quality housing at a strategically located site and deliver a built tower outcome that is consistent with the desired future character of St Leonards and aligns with the TOD controls,” the design report stated.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b1a85eee-76f7-436c-a6da-73ba827b9b13" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/atchinson%20entry.png?VersionId=dA9jHGPMcm.dDbwk4QfxqWiY5bfh3UVt" />

The podium would incorporate retail uses fronting Atchison Street, commercial tenancies, landscaped communal areas, and pedestrian improvements along Mitchell Street. Vehicle access and loading would be consolidated via Atchison Lane.

Residents would have access to more than 665 sqm of communal indoor and outdoor spaces, while the development proposes 96 parking spaces across five basement levels.

The proposal also includes a commitment for 10 per cent of residential floor space to be allocated toward affordable housing through a monetary contribution.

COX said the tower form responds directly to the emerging high-density character of the precinct while seeking to maximise solar access, cross ventilation, and outlook from apartments.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2163f85c-f63b-4be3-aafa-f8763976cec5" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Article%20Feature%20Image%20%28Grid%29_5.png?VersionId=WiAmtIKJ6.ZQ41EtYEQ1fol7AeorKBlL" />

“The building is orientated towards north,” the Apartment Design Guide compliance report noted, adding that the tower’s slim form was driven by the constrained inner-urban site dimensions.

The design also incorporates landscaped setbacks and communal open space at podium level, intended to soften the interface with surrounding streets and improve pedestrian amenity.

The project adds to a growing wave of redevelopment proposals reshaping St Leonards and Crows Nest following the opening of the Sydney Metro City line and the NSW Government’s push for higher-density housing around major transport nodes.

Last week Stockland filed plans just down the road. They want to build a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/601-pacific-highway-st-leonards-nsw-2065">52-storey tower on Pacific Highway</a>.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-stockland-plans-52-storey-538-apartment-st-leonards-tower">First look: Stockland plans 52-storey, 538-apartment St Leonards tower&nbsp;</a>

First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/urban-property-group">Urban Property Group</a> has revealed plans for a new mixed-use tower at 10 Dangar Street, Wickham, advancing a proposal that would reshape the southern gateway to Newcastle’s city centre with one of the city’s tallest residential buildings.

The State Significant Development proposal, now on exhibition, seeks approval for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/bowline-10-dangar-street-wickham-nsw-2293">43-storey tower</a> immediately adjacent to the Newcastle Interchange. The project would deliver around 200 apartments, including 42 affordable housing dwellings, alongside 99 co-living units, a 171-room hotel, retail space, and new public domain integrated through the site.

The scheme marks a significant escalation of plans previously approved for the site. Urban Property Group took over the prominent 2,904 sqm parcel, where excavation and demolition had already commenced under an earlier consent for a 14-storey mixed-use development.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="58a96dd9-407f-4d20-86b4-94e4bfeef74b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20podium.png?VersionId=LGlf08pdFGAZDzvx_CXC4XakHNZRuEE0" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/sjb-architects">SJB</a>, the tower has been conceived as a landmark transit-oriented development anchored to the Newcastle Interchange precinct. The proposal includes 245 build-to-sell apartments across a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom residences, as well as two penthouses. Fifteen apartments and one operational unit are earmarked for NDIS housing. The co-living component would add a further 99 units, while the podium would accommodate retail uses and hotel facilities.

SJB said the site presents “a valuable opportunity to anchor the precinct by setting the standard for design, active ground planes and character at the key southern gateway.”

The architecture responds directly to the site’s position beside major transport infrastructure and within one of Newcastle’s fastest-evolving urban renewal precincts. The tower form sits above a sculpted podium designed to frame new public spaces, including a through-site pedestrian link connecting Station Street to Hannell Street, landscaped plazas, and activated retail edges.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a7bd6ff0-f7db-4ce8-a6dc-ea56e72c6149" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20lanne.png?VersionId=xzf39VADyhj7zBQY2I9fx9vI62u2tuSb" />

The design report describes the project as part of the broader transition of Wickham into “a vibrant, high-quality mixed-use urban precinct” that leverages proximity to the station, open space, and regional connectivity.

A detailed public art strategy has also been prepared for the development. The strategy positions the project as “a transit-oriented development of state significance at the gateway to Newcastle’s city centre” and outlines a series of integrated artworks responding to Newcastle’s industrial and transport heritage.

Creative Road’s curatorial framework for the project, titled Unveil, draws on “stratified surfaces, carved volumes, and light-filled apertures” while referencing Newcastle’s transformation from an industrial city into a contemporary education and technology hub.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="77a882bb-14b1-4d28-99ff-9438e39508c0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20site.png?VersionId=cevgo_vN0eKPK78P8YcEu3mKPLkpFqE7" />

The proposal is being advanced through the NSW Housing Delivery Authority pathway after being declared State Significant Development in June 2025. The accompanying scoping report states the development aims to “maximise the site’s proximity to the Newcastle Interchange by delivering transit-oriented development” while increasing housing supply and affordable housing provision within the Newcastle LGA.

Urban Property Group’s plans align with the long-term strategic vision established under the Wickham Master Plan, which identified the interchange precinct as suitable for substantial uplift in height and density. The current proposal would significantly intensify that vision, positioning the tower among the tallest developments proposed for Newcastle.

The site sits immediately north of the Newcastle Interchange, bounded by Dangar Street, Hannell Street, and Charles Street. It is surrounded by a rapidly growing cluster of residential towers and mixed-use projects that have emerged following the completion of the light rail and transport interchange.

First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s latest tower at Wickham interchange

Bottega House has completed settlement of a landmark riverfront site in Macquarie Street, St Lucia, representing its first major Brisbane development.&nbsp;

Positioned on the banks of the Brisbane River, the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/180-macquarie-street-st-lucia-qld-4067">premium site at 180 Macquarie Street</a> features uninterrupted river frontage in one of Brisbane’s most tightly held residential precincts.&nbsp;

The proposed development, currently under assessment with Brisbane City Council, has been designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/plus-studio">Plus Studio</a> with interiors by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/mim-design">Mim Design</a> and will deliver a boutique collection of premium residences positioned specifically for owner occupiers and downsizers.&nbsp;

The residences are set to redefine luxury apartment living in the area, with a focus on architectural quality, refined finishes, landscape integration and elevated amenities including curated wellness facilities, resort-style pools and recreation spaces rarely seen in the local market.&nbsp;

Exclusive sales for the project will be led by Keenan &amp; Byrne, ahead of an anticipated launch later this year.&nbsp;

Bottega House Managing Director Nick Malloch said the project reflects the group’s ambition to deliver a highly curated residential offering within one of Brisbane’s most tightly held precincts.&nbsp;

“This is an incredibly rare riverfront opportunity and one we have approached with a long-term perspective,” Malloch said.&nbsp;

“Our vision from the outset was to create a boutique collection of residences that feel more like private homes than traditional apartments, with generous proportions, refined finishes and exceptional amenity throughout."

Malloch says there is a&nbsp;lack of premium owner-occupier stock of this quality in the market, particularly for downsizers wanting space, privacy and a true lifestyle offering without compromise.&nbsp;

"Demand is expected to be strong given the scarcity of premium riverfront opportunities of this nature within Brisbane’s inner-west."&nbsp;

Bottega House secures landmark riverfront site in St Lucia 

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The arrival of the first piling rig officially marks the commencement of construction at SIERA’s new beachside apartment development, Exhale, in Northcliffe.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/exhale-surfers-paradise-8-enderley-avenue-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">Exhale</a>, a glass-encased tower featuring 54 large-scale apartments at 8 Enderley Avenue, is SIERA’s third Gold Coast development. It follows the recently completed PIPIS Bilinga beachfront project, which achieved suburb-record prices, and the soon-to-be-completed Chevron Island development, Tapestry.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=359603]

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/siera">SIERA</a> Founder and Managing Director Brent Thompson said the arrival of the piling rig represented a significant milestone for the development, which is scheduled for completion in late 2028.

Over the next month, around 260 piles are expected to be installed as work progresses on the basement structure. The building is anticipated to rise above ground level early next year, before unveiling its sculptural glass curtain wall, developed in collaboration with specialist façade engineers.

“The façade was designed to maximise panoramic coastal views while creating a distinctive architectural identity,” Thompson said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=355935]

Designed by BDA Architecture, Exhale will comprise just 54 two- and three-bedroom residences across 26 levels, a level of low-density living rarely delivered in this beachside pocket between Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach.

The project has been conceived as a resident-only building, with no short-stay accommodation permitted. SIERA says the model is intended to appeal to long-term owner-occupiers rather than transient holiday demand.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=361052]

Residences have been designed with large-format layouts and expansive glazing, with most apartments featuring more than 30 metres of glass frontage to maximise natural light and ocean views.

The amenity offering spans two levels and centres on wellness and lifestyle, including a heated magnesium pool, sauna, yoga and Pilates studio, gymnasium, private dining facilities, cinema lounge, and dedicated surfcraft storage.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=359607]

More than half of the apartments have already sold. SIERA has also opened a sales gallery for Exhale at its Chevron Island commercial premises, near its Tapestry tower and the site of its second Chevron Island apartment development, which is slated to launch in early 2027.
</section>
</section>

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=112661]

SIERA kicks off construction at Northcliffe tower Exhale

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?

Prominent New Zealand apartment and hotel operator, <a href="/developers/safari-group">Safari Group</a>, is offering up a prime investment opportunity for Australians to purchase off the plan in one of the world’s most popular ski destinations.

They recently took to market Mountain Oak Queenstown Apartments, in the growing precinct of Remarkables Park in Frankton, near the airport and at the foot of The Remarkables - the mountain range the locals like to call “The Remarks”.&nbsp;

Sydney investors have shown interest in the one, two and three-bedroom apartments that secure high-season occupancy six months over the year, primarily over summer and winter months.

They average 90 per cent occupancy across their portfolio over January, February, March, August, November and December, while shoulder season months of April, July, September and October are still occupied 70 per cent of the time, with the growing appeal of Queenstown becoming not just a hotspot for the snow, but a lifestyle destination.

Even in the low seasons of May and June, occupancy levels reach around 40 per cent.

<img alt="Safari Group’s Mountain Oak Apartments brings new investment potential to Queenstown" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/f_auto,c_limit,w_1440,q_auto/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/field/image/Ext_Cam15_Sunny.jpg?VersionId=SJAROUM_1s.Tr5ciMk4EEj5oAt_Vewmv" />

Safari’s Safari Hotels arm can also manage the holiday letting for an investor, from the listing on holiday accommodation websites such as Airbnb and Booking.com to the cleaning and maintenance of the investment. They’ve been in the short stay management business for 15 years and offer 24/7 support for investors, an important convenience benefit for any overseas investor

Another major drawcard for Australians is that New Zealand doesn’t have a stamp duty policy - so the entry price of NZ$639,000 (AU$586,000), is all that is payable on completion.

<img alt="Safari Group’s Mountain Oak Apartments brings new investment potential to Queenstown" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,dpr_2.0,q_auto:good/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/313_Livingv2_WEB.jpg?VersionId=nV229fM0ZeYpoxOrX372HyGjfwY_LR8c" />

Safari is starting construction of the 141 apartments in Q2 this year, with a two-year build estimated to complete in mid-to-late 2027.<img alt="" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="15" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXczFpFAb7WuA6f4f9TtKWcqXyNwR8qqtakWv352ERkpqNlP3KwIo8YKxw67jZNHfpjEGIZGv5MQTbnvLZwNt8iu9IVdOrswOjCvBZ4zhSoOOLrpt6etVEZTN1gkBho0r_R72zdHNA?key=yq3daOanqHSb88QFd8jGYKdb" title="Click and drag to move" width="15" />​

The apartments will feature modern amenities and contemporary designs with expansive windows capturing sweeping views of The Remarkables mountain range.&nbsp;

Interiors are equipped with modern finishes, premium appliances, and secure electronic key-locked doors, ensuring a comfortable living experience for residents and guests alike.

With its strategic location near Coronet Peak and Cardrona Alpine Resort, as well as key retail and dining precincts such as Market Street, Five Mile Shopping Centre, and Remarkables Market, Mountain Oak offers a strong proposition for investors seeking high rental yields and capital appreciation in one of New Zealand’s most sought-after locations.&nbsp;

Queenstown’s sustained demand for visitor accommodation and rental properties is underpinned by a shortage of housing options, attracting both local and international buyers.

Safari Group offers low-touch investment proposition in Queenstown’s popular ski fields district

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Brisbane is increasingly in the crosshairs of real estate buyers because of the affordability comparison.
It’s median house price is almost exactly half that of Sydney’s and so is its median unit price. The comparisons are also highly favourable with Melbourne and Canberra.
Having cheap real estate on offer is one thing; the key question is whether there are also prospects for growth. That’s why one of Hotspotting’s most popular products is the “Cheapies with Prospects” package – it focuses on areas that offer not only affordability but also potential for growth.
Brisbane overall hasn’t offered much in the way of capital gains during the period in which Sydney and Melbourne have thrived, largely because the underlying economy has under-achieved.
But there are mounting signs of improvement, especially in the areas of jobs creation, population growth and revival in the resources sector.
So where to head for homes at attainable prices and growth drivers? Brisbane offers three standout options, where there is ample supply of houses well below the overall Greater Brisbane median house price around $530,000.
The cheapest real estate in the Greater Brisbane area is generally found in the Ipswich City LGA in the south-west. Here there are suburbs with median house prices in the $200,000s and the low $300,000s.
One precinct with appeal is the one that includes Goodna (median house price $325,000) and Redbank Plains ($335,000). These suburbs are at the eastern fringe of the LGA, the part closest to Brisbane – and they abut the motorway and the train line that links to central Brisbane. 
They’re also close to the Springfield master-planned community which has an array of modern facilities, including university campus, hospital and commercial-retail precincts.
There are numerous big shopping centres and major employment nodes nearby, with the recently-announced $5 billion Defence vehicle contract focused on this precinct as a major new jobs creator.
So this precinct offers an appealing package: affordability, transport links, shopping and jobs nodes.
Logan City in the far south of the Greater Brisbane area has plenty to offer as well. Many of its suburbs have median house prices in the $300,000s, including Eagleby ($315,000), Beenleigh ($335,000) and Woodridge ($310,000).
This LGA has new development areas, where master-planned communities are under way, but these are off the west, whereas the older and cheaper suburbs tend to be clustered around the transport spine created by the Pacific Motorway and the train line, both of which link central Brisbane to the Gold Coast.
This is also where there is an impressive shopping offering, including major bulky goods retail, and well-established infrastructure like schools and medical facilities (as well as a surprising number of golf courses).
The third of the “Cheapies with Prospects” areas to note in Greater Brisbane is the Moreton Bay LGA up in the far north heading towards the Sunshine Coast. Like Logan City, this precinct has major road and rail links between the coast and central Brisbane.
This is the most active market in Greater Brisbane at the moment: Caboolture, Kallangur, Morayfield, Narangba and North Lakes have each recorded over 400 house sales in the past 12 months.
The first three on that list have median house prices in the $300,000s, as do several other suburbs in the LGA (including some of the bayside areas). North Lakes, a suburb created by an ongoing master-planned community, is more expensive with a median around $500,000, but has brought a heightened level of infrastructure and amenities to the precinct.
There are emerging signs of price growth in this precinct: the suburbs of Beachmere, Burpengary and Upper Caboolture have had double-digit growth in their median prices in the past year, while others are up 6-7 percent.
The upmarket end of the Moreton Bay LGA market is the Redcliffe Peninsula – but most of the water-focused suburbs in this precinct have median house prices in the $400,000s, which is still fairly attractive compared to what you’d pay in Sydney and Melbourne.
And the Peninsula now has rail links to central Brisbane (the new line opened in 2016).
Many of the suburbs in the three precincts have median rental yields in the 5 to 5.5 percent range, as an additional appeal factor.
 
Terry Ryder is the founder of hotspotting.com.au
<a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au">ryder@hotspotting.com.au</a>
twitter.com/hotspotting
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terryryder-YECXbqmri2

Top three Brisbane property locations for affordability and growth: Terry Ryder

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EXPERT OBSERVER
The national housing market has just experienced its largest downturn in dwelling values since at least the 1980s.
The fact that values nationally fell by less than 10% speaks to the ongoing strength of the housing market over the past 40 years which has culminated in Australia being one of the most expensive places in the world in which to buy property.
Since the federal election in May, there have been ongoing signs of improving market conditions.
This has been driven by a number of factors including: an unexpected win by the Coalition in the federal election which removed uncertainty about changes taxation policies relating to investment, two 25 basis point cuts to interest rates, tax cuts for low income earners and an easing of some of the previous lending restrictions that were in place.
While there are clear signs of improving conditions, many point to the fact that the very low volume of sales in the market indicate that the recovery is not real or unsustainable.
While that could very well prove to be true if/when stock levels rise, the truth of the matter is that in a downturn, sales volumes typically fall and subsequently, the early stages of a housing recovery are usually characterised by low volumes of sales.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2019/8/23/CL%20Recovery%201.JPG" alt="">
The above chart shows the monthly volume of settled sales for dwellings nationally, together with the rolling three month change in dwelling values nationally. The dotted line represents 0% change, so anything below means that values are falling and anything above is indicative of growth. What becomes quite clear from the data is that when values are declining, sales volumes typically fall and increasing values typically leads to higher volumes.
What is also evident is that the market doesn’t respond immediately, when values start rising, initially at least, it isn’t necessarily occurring in concert with a rise in sales volumes. Even recent examples in the 2009 and 2011 market recoveries show this to be the case.
This is precisely what is occurring at the moment, specifically in Sydney and Melbourne where housing conditions are improving following a sharp downturn.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2019/8/23/CL%20Recovery%202.JPG" alt="">
Another way to look at how a housing market recovery starts out with low sales volumes is the auction market.
Coming out of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), values nationally started to lift in January 2009. Equally, the above chart shows how auction clearance rates bounced however, this bounce occurred with very low volumes of auctions taking place.
Equally, the housing recovery which started in early 2012 saw a relatively low number of auctions occurring right through until early 2013. It is a similar story right now with auction clearance rates having bounced higher since the middle of May, yet the volume of properties going to auction remaining quite low.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2019/8/23/CL%20Recovery%203.JPG" alt="">
Finally, you can only really take to auction or purchase what is available for sale. One of the major reasons why transaction volumes remain so low is because there is very little actually available for sale. The number of new listings nationally (new listings are anything not previously advertised for sale over the past 6 months) are the lowest they’ve been at this time of year for many years and are -18.9% lower than they were last year.
Total listings are also lower than they’ve been at this time of year for many years and are -4.4% lower than they were a year ago.
Auction volumes have certainly fallen much more than volumes in the general market however, as housing market conditions have softened, vendors have become much more selective about which properties are appropriate to be taken to auction.
Notwithstanding that, as we have seen in the past you can’t say that an increase in dwelling values is not sustainable just because the volume of stock either selling or going to auction is low.
Ultimately, you can only transact that which is actually available for sale and at this point there is not a lot of stock available for sale. Of course as we enter spring that may change and a higher volume of stock for sale may prove to snuff out any increases in housing values but at this stage the improving trend is quite real.
CAMERON KUSHER is the head of research for the Australian branch of CoreLogic
Kusher regularly posts on the <a href="https://www.corelogic.com.au/news" target="_blank">CoreLogic website</a>.
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The signs of a market recovery: CoreLogic's Cameron Kusher

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EXPERT OBSERVER
It’s been fascinating watching the ripple effect spread real estate growth throughout regional Victoria.
While the Melbourne market has been in decline in the past 18 months or so (generally speaking - some sectors have strongly resisted price decreases), there’s been notable price growth happening in Victoria markets outside the state capital.
Over the past 12-18 months, I have nominated Regional Victoria as the strongest market in the nation. Regional Victoria has been – and still is - one of the nation’s outstanding jurisdictions on price performance.
The standout feature in my latest analysis of sales activity and price trends is that locations a greater distance from Melbourne are now enjoying significant growth in prices.
Initially, most of the growth markets were locations within commutable distance of the Melbourne metropolitan area. It started with Geelong (pictured above) and, just outside the south-eastern outskirts of the metro area, the key towns of Cardinia Shire, Pakenham (below) and Officer.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/9/16/Pakenham.jpg" alt=""> Pakenham from above.
Then we saw Ballarat and the hill change towns a little north of Melbourne start to grow, as well as the towns of Baw Baw Shire in the east (Warragul and Drouin).
More recently, Bendigo in the north and the towns of the Latrobe Valley in the east have got on board.
And now growth markets are being found in locations more distant from the state capital, including Wodonga, Wangaratta, Echuca and Mildura. Some of the towns of East Gippsland (where I was last week, speaking at two events in busy Bairnsdale) are showing signs of growth as well.
My analysis of price trends shows that 84% of Regional Victoria markets have recorded median price growth in the past 12 months. Price decline of any magnitude is rare: I can find only one regional location where the median house price has fallen more than 5%.
Six out of 10 Regional Victoria markets have recorded median price growth above 5% in the past year – a total of 96 strong growth markets in the state outside of Melbourne, of which 35 have had double-digit growth in their median house prices. Another 39 markets have recorded price growth under 5%.
Ballarat is the standout on price performance. Four suburbs have had annual growth in their median house prices of 20% or more – Mt Pleasant (29%), Brown Hill (22%), Golden Point (21%) and Wendouree (20%).
But the No.1 location for annual price growth is the town of Maldon (below) in the Mt Alexander LGA north of Melbourne, where the median has risen 30% to $525,000 in past 12 months.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/9/16/Maldon.jpg" alt=""> Maldon high street.
Notable price growth is happening elsewhere around the state: locations with annual median price growth between 15% and 20% include Cowes and Wonthaggi in the Bass Coast LGA; Geelong suburbs Drysdale, Whittington and St Leonards; Woodend in the Macedon Ranges LGA; Venus Bay in South Gippsland; Loch Sport in the Wellington LGA; Koo Wee Rup in Cardinia Shire; and Daylesford in the Hepburn LGA.
Many of these markets, especially Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo, are attracting buyers out of Melbourne, as both investors and home-buyers seek affordability and/or better rental yields.
And new growth markets are emerging further afield.
Wangaratta (median house price $315,000) has emerged as a market where sales demand has grown steadily over the past two years. Quarterly sales have risen from 80-85 two years ago to around 120 more recently. Its median price has risen 11% in the past 12 months.
Further north at the NSW border, Wodonga (median $340,000) presents as a solid market with growing strength.
In the western precinct of the state, Port Fairy has growing sales activity and its median house price has increased 7% to $615,000 in the past year.
Other precincts which show promise of joining the general growth trend in Regional Victoria include the LGAs of Wellington (where Sale has rising sales activity), Latrobe (including Traralgon and Morwell), and East Gippsland (where Bairnsdale, Paynesville and Lakes Entrance have steady activity, with signs of prices rising).
All those municipalities are east of Melbourne, where growth is gradually rippling out from previous up markets in the LGAs of Cardinia (Pakenham and Officer) and Baw Baw (Warragul and Drouin).
But the growth isn’t just a reaction to the ripple effect and markets following the lead of Melbourne’s recent boom. Markets don’t rise unless something is happening in the local environment – such as a busy local economy, new business ventures, improved transport links and/or new spending on infrastructure.
The background is strong. The state of Victoria is the No.1 ranked economy in the nation, according to CommSec’s State of the States report, and continues to lead the nation on population growth. 
The states leads Australia on a number of other key indicators, including income growth, improvement in the jobless rate, building approvals, uplift in housing affordability and the number of first-home buyers active in the market.
All of that is helping to create the environment in which locations across Victoria have rising property values.
 
Terry Ryder is the founder of hotspotting.com.au
<a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au">ryder@hotspotting.com.au</a>
twitter.com/hotspotting
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More regional Victoria areas seeing over five percent yearly gains: Hotspotting's Terry Ryder

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As announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison during the 2019 election campaign, from 1 January 2020 eligible first home buyers will be able to enter the housing market sooner.
Up to 10,000 guarantees per year will allow eligible first home buyers to purchase a home with a deposit of as little as five per cent.
Applicants will be subject to a range of eligibility criteria, including taxable incomes of up to $125,000 per annum for singles and up to $200,000 per annum for couples in the previous year, they must be Australian citizens purchasing property in Australia and they must be taking out owner-occupied loans on a principal and interest basis. 
Properties purchased under the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme will be subject to regional price caps. 
Regional price caps will be set with a view to ensuring equitable access to the scheme across Australia.
The coverage of the guarantee will be broadly consistent with parental guarantee products offered by some lenders. The guarantee will remain in place until a loan is refinanced or the outstanding loan balance falls below 80 per cent of the property purchase price—whichever comes first.
Access to the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme will occur as part of the normal home loan application process, with limited additional effort for first home buyers being required when seeking a guaranteed loan, the assistant Treasurer and Minister for Housing, Michael Sukkar said.
The bill introduces amendments to the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation Act 2018 to implement the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme and establish a new research function within the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation.
The bill expands the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation's functions to enable it to provide guarantees.
Sucker noted based on median household income and a 15 per cent saving rate (on before-tax income), it takes approximately eight years to save a 20 per cent deposit on a median priced home. 
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How the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme guarantee will work 

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While housing sales activity slumped during the housing downturn, the recent trend shows turnover has levelled out as home values rise and mortgage rates reach the lowest level since the 1950’s.
Although the housing market appears to have moved through the bottom of a near two year downturn, sales activity remains well below normal levels.
Nationally, CoreLogic estimates that there were 367,630 settled sales over the twelve months ending August 2019; 17% lower year- on-year, and about 30% below the recent peak level of annual sales recorded over the twelve months ending September 2015.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2019/9/26/corelogic%201.jpg" target="_blank">Click here</a> to enlarge: 
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/9/26/corelogic%201.jpg" alt="">
 
Source: CoreLogic 
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The good news is that home sales appear to be stabilising, albeit at a low base. 
The six month trend has found a floor at around the same lows recorded during the previous two downturns in 2008 and 2010-12. 
The six month trend has been tracking higher since June 2019, in line with a recovery in home values.
Such a large reduction in market activity has implications for the economy, especially from a consumption perspective. 
Reduced housing activity implies less spending on retail items such as home furnishings, white goods and appliances. 
With both values and volumes falling, state government stamp duty revenues have experienced a big hit, and of course we see real estate industry and finance sector participants receiving less income based on lower rates of sale and lower values.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2019/9/26/corelogic%202.jpg" target="_blank">Click here</a> to enlarge: 
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/9/26/corelogic%202.jpg" alt="">
Source: CoreLogic 
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The drag on economic growth is compounded when housing values fall, as the wealth effect moves into reverse and households are less inclined to spend on discretionary items.
There isn’t a single trigger for the levelling in sales activity; in fact we can point to a variety of factors that have supported a turnaround in conditions.
A boost to confidence following the federal election, which removed a lot of the uncertainty around housing tax reform. Also, lower mortgage rates and policy changes from APRA which relaxed home loan servicing tests for borrowers were other likely factors driving the rebound in activity. 
Additionally there is the improvement in housing affordability driven by the 8.4% fall in housing values nationally.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2019/9/26/corelogic%203.jpg" target="_blank">Click here</a> to enlarge: 
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/9/26/corelogic%203.jpg" alt="">
Source: CoreLogic 
Most of the capital cities have seen either a stabilisation in settled sales activity or a rise in the trend rate of sales. 
Housing turnover is rising the most sharply in Adelaide, with a more subtle improvement across Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra. 
The trend in sales has stabilised across Brisbane, Perth and Darwin but is still trending lower in Hobart.
The fact that housing values are now under some upwards pressure while housing turnover remains low presents somewhat of a paradox.
One explanation for the low rate of sales activity comes back to constraints around stock available for sale. 
Newly advertised stock levels remain about 15% lower than a year ago across Australia and total advertised stock levels are still 8% lower than a year ago and haven’t been this low for this time of the year since 2010.
As housing values continue to recover and the seasonal rise in listing numbers gathers pace we are likely to see sales activity also trend higher. Credit availability remains the wildcard in a material bounce back in turnover.
Although credit policies have become a little looser, gaining loan approval remains a challenge for many borrowers, despite the lowest mortgage rates since the 1950’s.
TIM LAWLESS heads up the CoreLogic RP Data research and analytics team and can be contacted<a href="https://blog.corelogic.com.au/author/timlawless/" target="_blank"> here.</a>
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Housing turnover stabilises as housing conditions improve: Tim Lawless 

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EXPERT OBSERVER
It's like deja vu all over again! 
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<div>The historic ratio of household debt to disposable income was once again revised down, but the trajectory remained up. </div>
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<div>And in the end, we ended up back in the same old place, with an Aussie household debt ratio still at 1.9x disposable income. </div>
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<div>Note that the impact of tax and rate cuts has yet to flow through fully to these figures, so behavioural patterns could change going forward. </div>
 <div class="separator"><img src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E1JICRVccs4/XY2p48YKbqI/AAAAAAAAx_E/iSC6SMuc62Yj4H-65nfDIT5IdyvUEI7mQCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/RBA1.jpg" width="640" height="378" data-original-height="808" data-original-width="1366"></div>
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<div>The 'record high' headlines will naturally follow in due course, although the ratio was ostensibly about 200 per cent a couple of years ago - before previous revisions were pushed through - and the growth in housing credit has since been crunched lower (to record lows for housing investors, at zero growth). </div>
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<div>The bulk of Australia's household debt remains concentrated in the upper two income quintiles, while net of a huge surge in prepayments the debt-to-income ratio is pretty much unchanged since 2006. </div>
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<div>Treasurer Frydenberg was also lightning quick off the mark to highlight that the value of assets was 5x that of the debt. </div>
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<div>Meanwhile the ratio of household interest payments to disposable income continued to fall and sow sits well under 9 per cent.</div>
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<div>This ratio is now some 33 per cent lower than at the 2008 peak, and trending lower (it was also higher in the late 1980s than it is today):</div>
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<div>Interest rates have since fallen further in the September quarter, so further declines are in the post.</div>
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<div>There has been some mortgage stress, even in spite of the household interest payments ratio being down by a third, mainly experienced in Western Australia and largely related to the forced interest-only mortgage reset. <div class="separator"><img src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kzDI0RPnsOI/XY245qcXHRI/AAAAAAAAx_k/poT5fkvt4uYJppj8l-6cjZan2M6BGJG3wCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/sandp.jpg" width="640" height="360" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1422"></div>
 That said, S&amp;P expects arrears to fall as repayments have become easier.  <div> </div>
<div>PETE WARGENT is the co-founder of AllenWargent property buyers (London, Sydney) and a best-selling author and <a href="https://petewargent.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blogger</a>. </div>
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Interest repayments continue to get easier: Pete Wargent

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EXPERT OBSERVER
Canberra continues to show the solidity for which it is renowned, with most suburbs having recorded growth in their median house prices in the past year. While many city markets stumbled or stalled in the first half of 2019, Canberra retained its “steady as she goes” course and continues to deliver growth.
While the generalised data (one figure to describe an entire city) suggests little or no growth in Canberra prices, the more in-depth analysis conducted by Hotspotting tells a different story. Almost two-thirds of Canberra suburbs have recorded growth in their median house prices in the past 12 months.
The national capital is undoubtedly one of the steadiest markets in the nation – underpinned by the strongest real estate economy in capital city Australia. 
The ACT is consistently ranked No.3 or No.4 by CommSec in its quarterly State of the States report; as an economy it usually ranks ahead of all states/territories except Victoria and NSW. It ranks among the top two or three in CommSec’s latest report on housing finance, business investment, unemployment and retail trade.
The latest ABS data shows the ACT ranks second in the nation on population growth, close behind Victoria. Its unemployment rate is consistently the lowest in the nation. 
Its vacancy rate of 1.2% compares with the national average of 2.2%. Rents show consistent uplift and there is evidence of solid price growth in most parts of the Canberra market.
Long-term growth figures published by CoreLogic show Canberra house prices have increased 231% in the past 20 years, compared with 202% in Sydney and the national average of 197%.
Canberra is the Australian real estate embodiment of the “slow and steady wins the race” scenario.
Since the start of 2015, demand has been trending upwards in Canberra. It hasn’t been a dramatic rise and there have been a few minor ups and downs - but over four years the graph depicting demand in the market has trended north.
And the price data supports that. Our suburb-by-suburb analysis shows that 64% of suburbs have recorded increases in their median house prices in the past year: 19 suburbs have grown their median house prices by more than 5% and another 19 have grown by less than 5%. Only seven suburbs have decreased by more than 5%.
Price growth leaders include O’Connor (up 20% to $1,260,000), Calwell (up 14% to $630,000) and Duffy (14% to $730,000). Theodore ($580,000), Holder ($680,000), Latham ($595,000) and upmarket Yarralumla ($1,560,000) all have recorded annual growth of 12-13%.
In terms of sales activity, strong markets are found right across the ACT. As we often find, the strongest demand is in the northern suburbs: both the Belconnen and Gungahlin districts have multiple growth suburbs.
The Tuggeranong district is emerging steadily as a precinct with good growth markets. Suburbs with growing sales momentum include Calwell, Chisholm, Monash and Theodore – all of which have recorded median price growth above 5% in the past year.
The Inner North, Inner South and Woden Valley districts all have growth markets.
Terry Ryder is the founder of hotspotting.com.au
<a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au">ryder@hotspotting.com.au</a>
twitter.com/hotspotting
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Canberra undoubtedly one of the steadiest property markets in Australia: Hotspotting's Terry Ryder

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EXPERT OBSERVATION
School catchments have always been important in driving demographics, and how and where families choose to live.
But as the capital cities become denser, this will become more and more so the case.
In Sydney and Brisbane we are now seeing the advent of high-rise inner-city high schools, which is something perhaps more readily associated with countries such as Japan, or elsewhere in Asia.
At the Inner Sydney High School site in Surry Hills, the 14-storey school with a tech and science focus is under construction, but isn’t due to open until 2020.
Yet already applicants from outside the catchment area are being sidelined onto a waiting list.
<img src="https://gonextlevelwealth.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Catchment.jpg">
Aspirational parents will have a natural desire for their children to be able to access the high-tech facilities and state-of-the-art modern classrooms, and as such we can reasonably expect that they’ll move heaven and earth to achieve that end.
When fully constructed the Inner Sydney High School will provide education for 1,200 students.
PETE WARGENT is the co-founder of AllenWargent property buyers (London, Sydney) and a best-selling author and <a href="https://petewargent.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blogger</a>. 
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Why school catchments are becoming critical: Pete Wargent

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EXPERT OBSERVER
<div>Market mispricing?</div>
<div> </div>
<div>If you'll kindly indulge a Tuesday night blog post after an evening talking, um, Australian monetary policy at the Clock Hotel (n.b. soft drinks only!), then herewith it follows. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>One week ago the October 2019 RBA Minutes were released, and they stated that, if needed, policy would be eased further to achieve full employment and the inflation target. 
</div>
<div> </div>
<div class="separator"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DRBZQLy3u2w/Xa7Rmuaj5lI/AAAAAAAAyb0/9eymjiILxfw9dfOchYSpgYfk1z-bP_JdgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/RBA4.jpg"><img src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DRBZQLy3u2w/Xa7Rmuaj5lI/AAAAAAAAyb0/9eymjiILxfw9dfOchYSpgYfk1z-bP_JdgCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/RBA4.jpg" width="640" height="202" data-original-height="263" data-original-width="831"></a></div>
<div> </div>
<div>Source: RBA</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Then on October 18 the RBA Governor delivered a designedly upbeat speech to the IMF in Washington, which justifiably highlighted Australia's record unbroken stretch of economic growth among other Antipodean successes (including the floating currency, which often - though not always - moves in harmony with commodity prices). </div>
<div> </div>
<div>I didn't listen to the audio live, but while we don't need to link to all of the media pieces, across the board we saw a rash of articles suggesting that the RBA is done with cutting and has hosed down the prospect of further cuts. A bit odd, it seemed. 
</div>
<div class="separator"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yOb6CoNIbAM/Xa7QjD8vWaI/AAAAAAAAybg/bQhRxx6datcUorhTVySG840RkCNgvS_ZACEwYBhgL/s1600/rba.jpg"><img src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yOb6CoNIbAM/Xa7QjD8vWaI/AAAAAAAAybg/bQhRxx6datcUorhTVySG840RkCNgvS_ZACEwYBhgL/s640/rba.jpg" width="640" height="594" data-original-height="687" data-original-width="738"></a></div>
<div class="separator"> </div>
<div class="separator"> </div>
<div>I'll come back to this point, but I broke one of my own golden rules here: at the risk of sounding like an episode of Yes, Prime Minister, always listen to what was actually said, not what was said about what was being said!</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Inflation smoked</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The latest employment figures were <a href="https://petewargent.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-gentlest-of-turning-points" target="_blank">modestly positive</a>, but the leading indicators are weakening and there was no indication that labour force slack will be reduced significantly, or that full employment will be on the horizon any time soon. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Unemployment was still uppish at 5.2 per cent, and the underemployment rate remained <a href="https://petewargent.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-gentlest-of-turning-points" target="_blank">way high at 8.3 per cent</a>. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Looking towards next Wednesday's inflation figures for the September quarter, it's hard to see where any inflationary pressures at all are going to come from, except for - yet again - smokes. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>There may well be some food price inflation due to the drought (which itself drags further on economic growth), but rental price growth will be at or close to record lows, and there may be some other offsetting factors. 
</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Crunching through the numbers, with a hat tip to the ever-brilliant Justin Smirk at Westpac, spits out trimmed mean inflation of, say, 0.3 per cent, and the weighted median may well be even lower still.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>So that gets you to annual core inflation of about 1½ per cent for trimmed mean, and just 1.2 per cent for the weighted median, which is so far below the mandated target you could drive a truck through the gap (or an attractively priced new SUV the way new car sales have been tracking!). </div>
<div> </div>
<div>If all of this proves to be the case - and, by the way, the mid-point of the inflation target is 2½ per cent - why wouldn't the RBA be cutting with bells on?</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Financial markets have effectively priced out a November cut - and almost any further cuts at all - as far as I can tell because some people said that's what the Governor said...but is that what was said?</div>
<div> </div>
<div>What's the French word for nuance?</div>
<div> </div>
<div>To recap briefly, we have a 'no' to full employment, and a resounding 'no' for being close to achieving the inflation target, which market expectations see as a distant dream. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Now let's go back to the IMF speech, and more specifically the very brief Q&amp;A segment.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>And then to a question from the floor! Question: has the RBA got 'a lot of work to do' in terms of delivering monetary easing (the cash rate is at 0.75 per cent), and should we assume negative rates or other unorthodox policies?</div>
<div> </div>
<div class="separator"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-clR0lulvZts/Xa7QjR6iU9I/AAAAAAAAybk/Gr6cNLxerWop15HuL3ZX5MUE0_VVFXOOQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/rba2.jpg"><img src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-clR0lulvZts/Xa7QjR6iU9I/AAAAAAAAybk/Gr6cNLxerWop15HuL3ZX5MUE0_VVFXOOQCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/rba2.jpg" width="640" height="314" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="1111"></a></div>
<div>
 Source: RBA
</div>
<div>To my mind, there's only one way that a central bank Governor could've answered that question given the circumstances, and here it is:</div>
<div> </div>
<div class="separator"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f-5mD8YZPyQ/Xa7QjEC41XI/AAAAAAAAybc/v_-AtHtN2jUVIO0rjd4o_QVHjJNPYIG5QCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/rba3.jpg"><img src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f-5mD8YZPyQ/Xa7QjEC41XI/AAAAAAAAybc/v_-AtHtN2jUVIO0rjd4o_QVHjJNPYIG5QCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/rba3.jpg" width="640" height="164" data-original-height="286" data-original-width="1112"></a></div>
 
<div>Source: RBA</div>
 November live 
<div>Now I could be off beam here - it's happened on this blog at least once before! - but this answer, and perhaps some of the remainder of the transcript might have been misinterpreted...and the market pricing may in turn have been led astray. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>No central banker could have reasonably responded 'we have lots more to do' on easing, and the question on negative interest rates was always going to be batted to the fence, which it quite rightly was. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>The consensus view is that there will be no further easing this year, but if inflation is as low as it looks to be - essentially a sin tax on tobacco and a bit of drought-related food price inflation - then the November meeting could be a live one. I've leaned heavily here on the analysis of Sophia Rodrigues of Central Bank Intel (if you're an institution you should subscribe to her forthcoming content), and another prominent markets analyst in Sydney (well, it's the Clock Hotel, you can work it out). </div>
<div> </div>
<div>PETE WARGENT is the co-founder of AllenWargent property buyers (London, Sydney) and a best-selling author and <a href="https://petewargent.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blogger</a>. </div>
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Why the November RBA meeting may be live: Pete Wargent

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EXPERT OBSERVER
I believe real estate markets are driven more by local factors than national ones. While many commentators are placing great significance on interest rate reductions as a prime driver of real estate markets, I’m much more interested in what’s going on the coalface of local economies. 
And, in those terms, I put a high rating on the Sunshine Coast as a market that investors of all kinds should be considering. I regard the Sunshine Coast as the strongest market in Queensland at the moment and indeed one of the strongest in Australia.
I see events happening there as an economic revolution, which is shifting the Sunshine Coast from tourist destination to international city – a massive transition that’s happened in the past 2-3 years and continues to happen.
I recently completed a comprehensive 30-page report called The Sunshine Coast: Australia’s Most Compelling Growth Story, in which I note that the Sunshine Coast economy was no longer predominantly reliant on tourism because of the creation in recent years of strong health, education and technology industries – all part of an infrastructure program totalling more than $20 billion.
Economies reliant on tourism traditionally fail to deliver sustainable real estate growth. But the Sunshine Coast has diversified and strengthened and is now, I think, the nation’s most compelling growth story.
It has a $17.7 billion economy, making it one of the largest regional economies in Australia, and on infrastructure it’s outspending several of the nation’s capital cities.
The health, education and technology sectors – including the new $5 billion health precinct - are bringing new residents to the Sunshine Coast and this is providing strong impetus to the real estate market, notably at the Top End. The median house price for Noosa Heads has increased 40% in the past three years, while the median apartment price has jumped 25% in the past year.
In terms of becoming an international city, the Sunshine Coast will soon have an international airport and an international broadband network connection to Asia. Earlier this year the Sunshine Coast was named in the Top7 Intelligent Communities of 2019 by the global Intelligent Community Forum, alongside major international cities like Chicago.
Central to everything that’s happening in the region is the creation of a Sunshine Coast CBD from the ground up – a $5 billion enterprise which is now under way on a 53ha greenfield site in central Maroochydore.
The new city centre has attracted investment from local, national and international firms interested having an early presence in the growing region.
The Sunshine Coast is among the top 10 leading regions in the country for employment generation, adding more than 20,000 jobs over the past five years. The $1.8 billion Sunshine Coast University Hospital (SCUH) has created 5,000 jobs since opening in April 2017 and the new Maroochydore City Centre is forecast to provide 15,000 jobs over the lifespan of the 20-year project and inject $4.4 billion into the economy. 
In addition, the Sunshine Coast International Broadband Network will deliver 800 new jobs once it’s operational next year and will deliver the fastest data connection to Asia from the east coast of Australia.
Part of the economic revolution of the Sunshine Coast in recent years has stemmed from the region’s growing reputation as an innovation and technology hub.
Demographer Bernard Salt has described the Sunshine Coast as “the entrepreneurship capital of Australia “because of the large number of knowledge-based start-ups and small businesses such as information technology, clean-tech, creative industries, aviation and education.
The population of the Sunshine Coast is forecast to reach 580,000 by 2041, an increase on the previous forecast of 558,000.
The Sunshine Coast is one of Australia’s fastest-developing economies, growing each year at rates well above national averages and is expected to expand to $33 billion by 2033.
As a consequence, our new Spring edition of The Price Predictor Index has found that the Sunshine Coast has more locations with rising sales activity than any other municipality in Australia. And that kind of outcome is likely to create sustainable long-term price growth.
Terry Ryder is the founder of hotspotting.com.au
<a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au">ryder@hotspotting.com.au</a>
twitter.com/hotspotting
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