<p>One of North Sydney's best-known commercial buildings could become hundreds of new homes, with insurance giant Zurich Australia lodging a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) to transform 5 Blue Street into a mixed-use residential development above North Sydney Station.</p>

<p>Rather than demolishing the existing building and starting again, Zurich is proposing an adaptive reuse project that would convert the landmark office building into a 15-level residential development delivering 62 apartments, 86 affordable co-living dwellings, activated retail and significant upgrades to the Blue Street Plaza.</p>

<p>The proposal reflects a growing trend of commercial property owners repositioning ageing office assets into residential housing as Sydney grapples with housing supply shortages and changing workplace demand.</p>

<p><img alt="Zurich" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0bba7d12-06dc-4375-aad7-238c94b21ac5" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%2010.42.05%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=NJl5oLAEBDGuPmY3RnyliKODjMc8lvRh" /></p>

<p>Located directly above North Sydney Metro and train station, the 3,051 sqm site occupies one of the most strategically positioned parcels of land on Sydney's Lower North Shore.</p>

<p>Designed by fjcstudio, the proposal seeks to retain and adapt much of the existing structure while creating a contemporary residential address that better connects with the public domain surrounding North Sydney Station.</p>

<p>The application proposes two basement levels, ground floor retail, affordable co-living accommodation across the podium levels, and apartments above, while preserving and enhancing the publicly accessible Blue Street Plaza.</p>

<p>Rather than pursuing maximum apartment numbers, Zurich has opted for a housing mix heavily weighted towards larger owner-occupier residences.</p>

<p>The proposal includes 62 build-to-sell apartments comprising 12 one-bedroom, 19 two-bedroom, 29 three-bedroom apartments and two premium penthouses. It also incorporates 86 affordable co-living dwellings, which would be managed in perpetuity by a Community Housing Provider.</p>

<p>That balance between traditional apartments and affordable housing reflects the NSW Government's push to increase housing diversity around major transport infrastructure.</p>

<p>The proposal has been lodged concurrently with a rezoning application, with Zurich arguing the site is ideally positioned to support additional housing given its immediate proximity to public transport, employment and services.</p>

<p>"The proposal aims to respond to the housing challenges facing Sydney through the delivery of diverse housing types in a highly accessible location," the design report by fjcstudio states. It also seeks to improve pedestrian amenity through upgrades to Blue Street Plaza while creating a high-performing residential building that responds to the surrounding context.</p>

<p><img alt="Zurich" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="36082e15-c636-4481-bb68-5a5f6443fe39" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%2010.41.36%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=5P6VD.fvmqjQfIG3TWWMRXxQWiQBjeFB" /></p>

<p>Rather than replacing the commercial building, fjcstudio has developed a design that works with the existing structural framework above the rail corridor, an approach that significantly reduces demolition while allowing the site to be repositioned as a mixed-use residential precinct.</p>

<p>The existing structural constraints have informed much of the building's design, including its relationship with Blue Street and surrounding public spaces.</p>

<p>The building has been designed as a slender tower rising above a clearly defined podium, with vertically expressed façades intended to reduce the perceived bulk while reinforcing North Sydney's emerging skyline.</p>

<p>According to fjcstudio, the architectural language responds directly to the surrounding commercial towers while maintaining a finer grain expression more closely aligned with the neighbouring Lavender Bay streetscape.</p>

<p>The tower incorporates articulated façade elements, landscaped podium edges and recessed upper levels to soften its appearance and improve pedestrian amenity below.</p>

<p>A significant component of the proposal is the revitalisation of Blue Street Plaza.</p>

<p>The existing public space has long served as one of the primary pedestrian connections between North Sydney Station, Greenwood Plaza and Blue Street, yet its role is expected to become even more important following the opening of Sydney Metro.</p>

<p>Zurich's proposal seeks to strengthen that role by improving landscaping, introducing new retail frontages, enhancing pedestrian permeability and creating more active edges throughout the day and evening.</p>

<p>Ground floor retail would wrap the plaza, while separate residential and co-living entries have been designed to improve wayfinding without reducing street activation.</p>

<p>Landscape design has been integrated throughout the podium and public realm, softening what is currently one of the most heavily urbanised parts of North Sydney.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>fjcstudio has carefully oriented apartments towards Sydney Harbour and the CBD while using privacy blades and articulated façades to minimise overlooking between neighbouring buildings.</p>

<p>Large framed openings along the western elevation maximise harbour outlooks, while the eastern apartments have been angled towards the south-east to improve privacy from neighbouring development.</p>

<p>The project forms part of the continuing transformation of North Sydney from a predominantly commercial CBD into a genuine mixed-use city centre.</p>

<p>Since the completion of Victoria Cross Metro Station, developers have increasingly shifted their attention towards residential projects capable of leveraging the area's unparalleled transport connectivity.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>FiveX recently lodged plans for a 61-storey, 490-apartment tower that would become one of the tallest residential buildings in North Sydney if approved.</p>

<p>Aqualand continues to expand its Lower North Shore presence following the completion of AURA on Walker Street and its recent St Leonards and Roseville proposals.</p>

<p>Developers are also progressing projects throughout Walker Street, Miller Street and the Victoria Cross precinct as demand for well-located owner-occupier apartments continues to strengthen.</p>


Joel Robinson

First look: Zurich targets North Sydney office conversion with 148-unit proposal above Metro station

<p>Busy developer Aqualand Prestige has formally taken the next step in its expansion across Sydney's Lower North Shore, lodging a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for its long-held Archer Street site in Chatswood.</p>

<p>The application covers <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/51-55-archer-street-chatswood-nsw-2067">51-55 Archer Street</a>, a 1,767 sqm amalgamated site on the eastern edge of the Chatswood CBD, where the developer is seeking approval for a 45-level mixed-use tower delivering 114 apartments, including a significant affordable housing component, alongside retail, commercial space and six basement levels of parking.</p>

<p>The SSDA marks the latest milestone for a project Aqualand has been quietly progressing over the past two years. The developer first secured the site for its Aqualand Prestige platform before undertaking an alternative design excellence process with PTW Architects, ultimately avoiding a formal design competition through the Housing Delivery Authority pathway.</p>

<p>The proposal has evolved considerably from Aqualand's original concept. The revised scheme has been designed around larger owner-occupier product, with an unusually high proportion of three and four-bedroom apartments, targeting the more affluent buyer profile, and downsizer, emerging across the North Shore.</p>

<p><img alt="Archer St" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0171204c-5811-41b5-9b09-2335d1b7c3d0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%208.52.48%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=6YTuxfq.puZo7k2wbfgemcO5K3QfXYGQ" /></p>

<p>The 114-apartment mix comprises six studios, 27 one-bedroom apartments, 18 two-bedroom apartments, 50 three-bedroom residences and 13 four-bedroom homes. A quarter of the building will be dedicated to affordable housing, well above the mandated 15 per cent&nbsp;</p>

<p>PTW has structured the building vertically, with affordable housing across levels one to six, premium apartments through levels seven to 31, duplex skyhomes on klevels 32 to 43, a penthouse on level 44, and a rooftop plant level above. Six basement levels will provide resident parking and servicing.</p>

<p>The tower is proposed to reach approximately 154 metres, placing it among a growing collection of residential high-rises transforming Chatswood's skyline.</p>

<p>Rather than competing purely on height, PTW says the design has been driven by creating a slimmer tower capable of delivering significantly larger apartments.</p>

<p>"The primary objective of this project was to create a distinctive building that stands out from the recently approved or built structures in the Chatswood area," the design report states, noting the structural efficiency allows greater investment into apartment quality and resident amenity.</p>

<p>Residents would have access to more than 450 sqm of communal open space including landscaped gardens, swimming pool, rooftop entertaining areas, fitness spaces, community gardens, children's play areas and barbecue facilities.</p>

<p>A major focus of the design has been the public domain.</p>

<p>The ground plane has been opened up through landscaped terraces inspired by Willoughby's sandstone ridges, with native planting, public seating, artwork, retail activation and a series of gathering spaces intended to soften what has traditionally been a hard commercial streetscape.</p>

<p>The landscape strategy references Blue Gum forests once common throughout the area, while incorporating Indigenous storytelling, public art and lighting installations to strengthen the connection to Country.</p>

<p data-end="239" data-start="66">Chatswood has been one of Sydney's busiest apartment markets over the past 12 months, with a steady pipeline of both new project launches and fresh development applications.</p>

<p data-end="442" data-start="241">Hyecorp recently launched Celine, a 122-apartment development just along Archer Street, while Changfa and Huirong Group are progressing The Anderson, an 84-apartment project on Anderson Street.</p>

<p data-end="661" data-start="444">Develotek recently secured approval for a 101-apartment tower on Pacific Highway, while Tian An LFD received the green light for Hammond Greens, its apartment development on the edge of the Chatswood Bowling Club.</p>

<p data-end="909" data-start="663">Commercial property developer FiveX is also making its move into the residential market. Last month it lodged plans for a 61-storey tower with 490 apartments, which, if approved, would become one of the tallest residential buildings in Chatswood.</p>

<p><em>Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-fivex-targets-chatswood-skyline-with-61-storey-tower-after-north-sydney-plans">First look: FiveX targets Chatswood skyline with 61-storey tower after North Sydney plans</a></em></p>

<p data-end="1339" data-start="1019">Aqualand is also expanding its development pipeline following the launch of its luxury residential brand, Aqualand Prestige. The developer has delivered a string of high-end apartment projects across Sydney's affluent suburbs over the past decade, most recently AURA by Aqualand on Walker Street in North Sydney.</p>

<p data-end="1339" data-start="1019">[smartcode_project:default project_id=30959 project_image_fid=292863]</p>

<p data-end="1398" data-start="1341">It has since quietly assembled its next wave of projects.</p>

<p data-end="1805" data-start="1400">Earlier this year Aqualand launched Boronia in Roseville, a boutique 111-apartment development on Larkin Street. The project is one of the first significant apartment developments to launch in the suburb ahead of what is expected to become one of Sydney's most active new housing precincts under the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing reforms, which allow greater density around train stations.</p>

<p data-end="1805" data-start="1400">[smartcode_project:default project_id=152095 project_image_fid=373685]</p>

<p data-end="1991" data-start="1807">The developer has also lodged plans for a two-tower, 413-apartment development on Herbert Street in nearby St Leonards, further strengthening its presence across the Lower North Shore.</p>

<p data-end="2303" data-is-last-node="" data-is-only-node="" data-start="1993">Beyond that, Aqualand remains behind the final stage of Barangaroo, where plans will deliver a five-hectare mixed-use precinct comprising new homes, retail, hospitality and community facilities, alongside a new Metro entrance and more than two hectares of public open space, completing the Barangaroo precinct.</p>

<p><em>Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/central-barangaroo-development-takes-big-step-with-concept-proposal-approval">Central Barangaroo development takes big step with concept proposal approval</a></em></p>

<p><em>Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-aqualand-joins-st-leonards-apartment-party">First look: Aqualand joins St Leonards apartment party</a></em><br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


First look: Aqualand pushes ahead with Chatswood apartment tower as SSDA lodged for Archer Street

<p data-end="492" data-start="327">Mass timber is becoming an increasingly popular construction material in apartment developments, but Adelaide developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/otello">Otello</a> is taking the approach a step further.</p>

<p data-end="843" data-start="497">At its new <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/flowe-bowden-18-gibson-street-bowden-sa-5007">Flowe Bowden</a> development, the exposed cross-laminated timber (CLT) structure isn't just about reducing the building's environmental footprint. It also forms the foundation of a broader wellness strategy, influencing everything from indoor air quality and natural materials to the way residents move through and experience the building.</p>

<p data-end="1109" data-start="848">The 115-apartment mixed-use development, designed by Melbourne-based architecture practice Fieldwork, will occupy a prominent island site opposite Bowden Village Reserve, combining one, two and three-bedroom apartments with retail and a dedicated wellness destination.</p>

<p data-end="1109" data-start="848">[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375528]</p>

<p>Wellness isn't confined to a gym or shared resident facility at Flowe. Instead, Fieldwork embedded the concept into the building itself.</p>

<p>The development has been split into two residential wings connected by a naturally ventilated central breezeway, replacing traditional enclosed corridors with open-air walkways that improve natural light, encourage cross ventilation and create more opportunities for neighbourly interaction.</p>

<p>"Rather than treating wellness as something that only happens on the ground floor, our response integrates it throughout the building, which led us to ask what it really means to design a healthy building," Fieldwork Director Quino Holland said.</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375531]</p>

<p>The building's architecture also reflects Bowden's industrial heritage. The lower podium references the area's historic brick and sandstone buildings, while the upper levels transition to exposed CLT, allowing the timber structure to become a defining feature throughout the apartments and shared spaces.</p>

<p>The use of mass timber sits alongside a range of sustainability initiatives, including a fully electric, gas-free design, rooftop solar and a targeted 5 Star Green Star rating.</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375524]</p>

<p>Inside the residences, the focus remains on natural, durable materials. Blackbutt engineered timber flooring, exposed CLT ceilings, porcelain surfaces and warm timber joinery create a calming interior palette, while low-VOC finishes and responsibly sourced materials have been selected to improve indoor air quality.</p>

<p>Kitchens have been designed as the centrepiece of each apartment, featuring porcelain island benchtops, timber-look cabinetry and brushed steel tapware, with layouts that maximise natural light and ventilation.</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375530]</p>

<p>The more traditional interpretation of wellness comes in the form of Level Eleven, a two-storey wellness club spanning the ground floor, mezzanine and first floor.</p>

<p>The facility will include a gym, yoga and reformer Pilates studios, Finnish and infrared saunas, magnesium hot and cold plunge pools, and dedicated recovery spaces. Unlike many residential wellness facilities, Level Eleven will also operate commercially, allowing the broader Bowden community to access the venue while giving residents exclusive membership benefits.</p>

<p>The ground floor has also been designed around everyday living. A café overlooking Bowden Village Reserve will activate the street frontage, while a bike workshop with tool storage, co-working space and dog wash has been incorporated to support daily routines and encourage interaction between residents.</p>

<p>"Flowe brings together my two biggest passions, creating places and creating healthier lives," Otello founder Daniel Harris said.</p>

<p>"We wanted to create something Adelaide hasn't seen before, a genuinely healthy building, where the way you live is lifted without even trying."</p>

<p>Flowe is positioned directly opposite Bowden Village Reserve and within walking distance of Bowden Railway Station and the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, placing future residents just minutes from the Adelaide CBD while remaining connected to one of the city's most established urban renewal precincts.</p>

<p>[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152022]</p>


Otello launches wellness-focused Flowe Bowden with Adelaide-first mass timber apartment design

<p>Not all apartment amenities are immediately visible.</p>

<p>Swimming pools, gyms, rooftop terraces and residents' lounges have long featured on buyers' wishlists, but as the way Australians live has changed, so too have the features that make apartment living more convenient.</p>

<p>Increasingly, buyers are placing value on the practical aspects of day-to-day life. Fast internet, EV charging, secure bike storage, flexible workspaces and parcel management are becoming just as relevant as lifestyle amenities, reflecting changing habits and expectations.</p>

<p>Online shopping has been one of the biggest drivers of that shift.</p>

<p>Australians spent a record $82.6 billion shopping online in 2025, with almost one in every four retail dollars now spent digitally, making parcel deliveries a routine part of everyday life rather than an occasional convenience.</p>

<p>For apartment residents, however, receiving those deliveries isn't always straightforward.</p>

<p>Without someone home to accept a parcel, deliveries can be redirected to a nearby Post Office, left in building foyers or common areas, or require building management to temporarily store packages. As apartment living continues to grow across Australia's cities, parcel management has become an increasingly important consideration for both residents and developers.</p>

<p>Australia Post's Parcel Locker network is one response to that shift.</p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KPZ9j5FRdsQ?si=Qztc1dNP3ZvEIUhb" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p>

<p>Rather than relying on home delivery, eligible parcels can be directed to a nominated Parcel Locker, where they're securely stored until collected. Once a parcel arrives, residents receive a notification through the AusPost app or SMS and can retrieve it using a one-time code or QR code at a time that suits them.</p>

<p>The network has expanded to more than 1,500 locations nationwide, with Parcel Lockers positioned at Post Offices, shopping centres, supermarkets, transport hubs and, increasingly, within or alongside residential developments.</p>

<p>That growing presence reflects a broader change in how apartment buildings are being planned.</p>

<p>Developers are increasingly considering the operational side of apartment living alongside traditional lifestyle amenities. Just as secure mailrooms, bicycle storage and EV charging have become more common inclusions, parcel management is emerging as another feature that supports everyday convenience.</p>

<p>It also helps preserve the arrival experience within a building. Carefully designed lobbies and communal spaces can quickly become cluttered when deliveries accumulate, while secure parcel solutions reduce the likelihood of missed deliveries or parcels being left unattended.</p>

<p>For buyers comparing apartments, these everyday details are becoming part of the decision-making process.</p>

<p>Location, floorplans and finishes remain fundamental, but the features that simplify daily life are carrying greater weight than they once did. As online shopping continues to shape consumer behaviour, secure parcel delivery is increasingly becoming another amenity worth looking for.</p>


Parcel delivery is joining the apartment amenity checklist

<p data-end="471" data-start="164">Inca Property Group has lodged a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for Dawn, a 53-apartment oceanfront development overlooking Mona Vale Beach.</p>

<p data-end="777" data-start="473">The proposal, at 35-39 Darley Street East, would replace an existing 18-apartment strata building with a new owner-occupier-focused development comprising 53 two and three-bedroom apartments, including nine affordable built-to-rent residences delivered under the State's infill affordable housing scheme.</p>

<p data-end="976" data-start="779">Positioned on a 2,679 sqm elevated site around 280 metres from Mona Vale Beach, the development has been designed to maximise panoramic ocean views while responding to the site's sloping topography.</p>

<p data-end="1119" data-start="978"><a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/inca-property-group">Inca Property Group</a> Managing Director Josh Thompson said the State Significant pathway provided greater certainty for projects of this scale.</p>

<p data-end="1399" data-start="1121">"This State Significant pathway gives the team real certainty to progress <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/dawn-35-39-darley-street-east-mona-vale-nsw-2103">Dawn</a> through to completion," Thompson said.</p>

<p data-end="1399" data-start="1121">"It allows us to acquire a one-off site, design it carefully and deliver the right offering for the suburb, assessed by the NSW Government's planning department."</p>

<p data-end="1605" data-start="1401">The project is one of the first developments in the area to be assessed under the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy, with the site sitting on the edge of the policy's designated inner area.</p>

<p data-end="1852" data-start="1607">The proposal includes three basement levels providing 124 car spaces, alongside a range of resident amenities including a swimming pool, gym, sauna, wellness facilities and private plunge pools for selected ground-floor and penthouse apartments.</p>

<p data-end="1852" data-start="1607"><img alt="Dawn" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fc1a1daf-0ce4-4f12-9076-b1fa553c7a91" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-21%20at%208.42.11%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=4GZ9h.gpNkTljbxyAET8Jfhv51XUamDm" /></p>

<p data-end="2031" data-start="1854">Thompson said Dawn had been designed specifically for owner-occupiers and downsizers, a buyer profile that has driven demand across Inca's recent Upper North Shore developments.</p>

<p data-end="2299" data-start="2033">"The majority of buyers in our recent North Shore projects have been downsizers, and we are learning exactly what this market is looking for. Beyond the location itself, we have included resort-style amenities to deliver a genuine lifestyle offering," Thompson said.</p>

<p data-end="2588" data-start="2301">Located within walking distance of Mona Vale Beach, the town centre, Mona Vale Golf Club and the Royal Motor Yacht Club, Dawn represents Inca's first Northern Beaches project following the sell-out of Tara on Park in Waitara and Ellis Residences, currently under construction in St Ives.</p>

<p data-end="4143" data-start="3991">Construction will be undertaken by Inca's in-house construction arm, GOP Constructions.</p>

<p data-end="593" data-start="417">Dawn is the latest major apartment proposal for Mona Vale, with the suburb emerging as one of the key beneficiaries of the NSW Government's new Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy.</p>

<p data-end="789" data-start="598">New developer One Living, led by industry veteran Joseph Scuderi, recently secured a site on Mona Vale Road, on the border of Mona Vale and Pymble, where it is planning around 140 apartments.</p>

<p data-end="1053" data-start="794">IPM is also planning its third project in Mona Vale, significantly increasing the scale of its previous developments with an 82-apartment proposal at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/159-167-darley-street-west-mona-vale-nsw-2103">159-167 Darley Street West</a>, opposite Bayview Golf Course and less than 800 metres from Mona Vale town centre.</p>

<p data-end="4143" data-start="3991"><em>Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/one-living-enters-sydneys-new-apartment-market-with-northern-beaches-site-acquisition">One Living enters Sydney's new apartment market with Northern Beaches site acquisition</a></em></p>

<p data-end="4143" data-start="3991"><em>Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-ipm-plans-third-mona-vale-project">First look: IPM plans third Mona Vale project</a></em></p>


First look: Inca eyes Mona Vale with State Significant DA for Dawn apartments

<p>Sydney’s property market is known for high prices, competitive bidding, and mounting pressure on first home buyers. But change is on the horizon.</p>

<p>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;</p>

<h2>What is the Help to Buy Scheme?</h2>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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).</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<h2>How do you qualify for the&nbsp;Help to Buy Scheme?</h2>

<p>To qualify for the Help to Buy Scheme, applicants must meet the following conditions:</p>

<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>

<p>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.</p>

<p>The scheme is expected to commence in NSW in late 2025, as part of a national rollout.</p>


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

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>Below, we provide a breakdown of the First Home Owner Grants available across Australia, outlining the specific details for each state and territory.</p>

<h2>New South Wales First Home Owner Grant</h2>

<p><strong data-end="252" data-start="225">First Home Owner Grant:</strong> 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.</p>

<p><strong data-end="413" data-start="389">Stamp Duty Benefits:</strong> Provides full stamp duty exemption for homes valued up to $800,000, with concessions available for properties up to $1 million.</p>

<h2>Victoria South Wales First Home Owner Grant</h2>

<p><strong>First Home Owner Grant:</strong> Provides a $10,000 grant for first-home buyers purchasing or building new homes valued up to $750,000.</p>

<p><strong>Stamp Duty Benefits</strong>: Offers full stamp duty exemption for properties up to $600,000, with concessions available up to $750,000.</p>

<h2>Queensland First Home Owner Grant</h2>

<p><strong data-end="920" data-start="893">First Home Owner Grant:</strong> 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.</p>

<p><strong data-end="1162" data-start="1135">Stamp Duty Concessions:</strong> Provides additional concessions for properties valued up to $800,000.</p>

<h2>Western Australia First Home Owner Grant</h2>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>First Home Owner Grant:</strong> 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.</p>

<p><strong>Stamp Duty Concessions:</strong> Available for homes valued up to $600,000 for transactions entered into on or after 9 May 2024.</p>

<h2>Australian Capital Territory First Home Owner Grant</h2>

<p><strong data-end="1617" data-start="1590">First Home Owner Grant:</strong> Replaced by the Home Buyer Concession Scheme, offering full stamp duty concessions for eligible buyers.</p>

<h2>South Australia First Home Owner Grant</h2>

<p><strong>First Home Owner Grant:</strong> 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.</p>

<p><strong>Stamp Duty Relief:</strong> Available for new homes and vacant land purchases.</p>

<h2>Tasmania First Home Owner Grant</h2>

<p><strong>First Home Owner Grant</strong>: Offers a $10,000 grant for new homes and off the plan purchases.</p>

<p><strong>Stamp Duty Exemption</strong>: 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.</p>

<h2>Northern Territory First Home Owner Grant</h2>

<p><strong>First Home Owner Grant:</strong> The Northern Territory provides a $10,000 grant for new homes only. Additional government grants and concessions are available for first home buyers.</p>

<p><strong>Stamp Duty Exemption</strong>: The only stamp duty exemption available to property buyers is the House and Land Package Exemption (HLPE).</p>

<p><em>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.</em></p>


Every First Home Owner Grant for new property by state

<p>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.</p>

<p>Australia has multiple building rating systems that evaluate energy efficiency and sustainability in existing and new building designs.</p>

<p>Some systems assess individual building components, while others provide an overall rating for the entire structure.</p>

<p>A rating system ensures that homes are comfortable and energy-efficient, whether you are buying, renovating, or building.</p>

<p>NatHERS (Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme) is a common way for new homes to meet energy efficiency requirements.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<h2>What is NatHERS?</h2>

<p>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;</p>

<p>NatHERS ratings are the most common way new homes meet the National Construction Code's (NCC's) minimum energy efficiency requirements.&nbsp;</p>

<p>NatHERS assessments provide thermal and whole-home ratings for new homes, townhouses, and apartments.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<h2>How NatHERS Ratings Work</h2>

<p>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.</p>

<p>The tools can model complex effects of building mass, insulation, window size, and other elements.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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;</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>Anyone can use NatHERS tools, but accredited assessors can provide certified ratings and professional advice.</p>

<h2>Benefits of Higher NatHERS Ratings</h2>

<p><strong>Energy Efficiency:</strong> 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.</p>

<p><strong>Cost Savings:</strong> 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.</p>

<p><strong>Environmental Impact:</strong> 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.</p>

<p><strong>Improved Comfort: </strong>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.</p>

<p><strong>Market Value and Desirability:</strong> 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.</p>

<p><strong>Compliance with Building Codes:</strong> 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.</p>


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?

<p>Mixed-use developments have gained significant popularity across Australia in recent years due to their unique blend of residential, commercial, and recreational spaces.</p>

<p>Unlike traditional single-purpose developments, mixed-use projects offer a harmonious integration of various functions within a single locale.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<h3>Convenience and accessibility</h3>

<p>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.</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=114215 project_image_fid=204874]</p>

<p>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.</p>

<h3>Vibrant lifestyle and community</h3>

<p>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.</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=107714 project_image_fid=214122]</p>

<p>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.</p>

<h3>Potential for higher rental yields and property value appreciation</h3>

<p>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.</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=139989 project_image_fid=212887]</p>

<p>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.</p>

<h3>Enhanced security and maintenance</h3>

<p>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.</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=108019 project_image_fid=212658]</p>

<p>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.</p>

<h3>Live-work-play balance</h3>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>


alisonwarters@gmail.com

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

<p style="line-height: 1.38;">When buying a property, everyone needs to be aware of the additional costs that come as part of the buying process.</p>

<p style="line-height: 1.38;">Often the largest outlay, after the deposit which goes to the bank, is stamp duty.</p>

<h2 style="line-height: 1.38;">What is Stamp Duty?</h2>

<p>Stamp duty is an extra tax to pay the government when you buy land, a property, and other certain assets.</p>

<p>It happens when the legal ownership is transferred. It can also be known as property transfer duty or transfer duty.</p>

<p style="line-height: 1.38;"><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></p>

<h2>Who pays Stamp Duty?</h2>

<p>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.</p>

<h2>How much does Stamp Duty cost?</h2>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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!</p>

<p>Overall, the stamp duty you need to pay will depend on:</p>

<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>

<p style="line-height:1.38">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.</p>


Ellen Walker

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

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<p>A cafe/eatery in Melbourne’s Mulgrave will go under the hammer at Burgess Rawson auction on June 29.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.burgessrawson.com.au/buying/VIC/East/Mulgrave/Retail/3P1317#.V2ale1fwzow" target="_blank">7/2 Stadium Circuit and Oval Concourse</a> shop has a building area of 257 sqm including mezzanine, with a capital intensive tenant fitout.</p>
<p>The tenant is on a secure 12-year lease plus options through to 2028.</p>
<p>The lease comes with fixed 4 percent increases and the lessee pays the usual outgoings.</p>
<p>The property includes dual alfresco areas and comes with an exclusive seven-day licensed business. </p>
<p>Waverley Park is a Mirvac development with 1,400 dwellings, 3,500 residents and Hawthorn Football Club (AFL) corporate headquarters and training grounds.</p>
<p>Its rental income was $103,415 pa as at Nov 2016.</p>
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prateek24-ezbwHMbNAk

Cafe in Melbourne's Mulgrave up for sale at Burgess Rawson auction

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<p>Australia’s first commercial office tower made of timber is set for the Barangaroo development.</p>
<p>International House Sydney will be located at the gateway to Barangaroo on Sydney's Sussex Street.</p>
<p>It will be built by Lendlease.</p>
<p>It will be Lendleases’s third building constructed using these materials following Forte timber apartments in Melbourne and The Dock, a public library in Docklands.</p>
<p>The office tower over 7910 square metres has been designed by Tzannes Associates.</p>
<p>“The architecture of International House Sydney reflects a new form of beauty. Beyond shape and surface, it is ‘deep design’ renewing architecture’s role to serve the greater social purpose of lowering carbon emissions,” Alec Tzannes told The Urban Developer website.</p>
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Lendlease propose six storey Barangaroo timber office block

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<p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/57114/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1"></p>
<p>GUEST OBSERVER</p>
<p>Opposition Leader Bill Shorten told Q&amp;A viewers that the federal government spends more on negative gearing and capital gains tax discounts than it does on child care or higher education.</p>
<p>Is that right?</p>
<h2>Checking the source</h2>
<p>When asked for sources to support Shorten’s statement, an ALP spokesperson said the Grattan Institute has estimated the cost of the capital gains tax and negative gearing concessions at $11.7 billion per year.</p>
<p><em>The Treasury’s tax expenditure statement (TES) lists the cost of the capital gains tax discount as $6.15b for 2015-16. The TES does not list the cost of negative gearing, but using Grattan’s total figure and subtracting the value of the capital gains tax discount, this shows that the cost of negative gearing is around $5.5 billion… this cost exceeds the cost of child care assistance or university education as per the budget papers.</em></p>
<p>You can read the longer response <a href="https://theconversation.com/full-response-from-labor-spokesperson-61201" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
<p>So, does federal government spending on child care or higher education outstrip the cost of revenue forgone due to negative gearing and capital gains tax (CGT)?</p>
<h2>How much does the government spend on child care subsidies?</h2>
<p>This year’s budget showed the federal government is estimated to spend about $8.2 billion on child care fee assistance in 2016-17. That’s comprised of about $4.2 billion for the child care benefit and about $3.9 billion for the child care rebate.</p>
<p><a href="/images/2016/06/21/image-20160614-17209-1gramrh.png" target="_blank"><span class="attribution">Click to enlarge</span></a></p>
<p><span class="attribution"><img src="/images/2016/06/21/image-20160614-17209-1gramrh.png" alt=""></span></p>
<p><span class="attribution">Budget Paper 1, 2016-17 Federal Budget.</span></p>
<p>Here’s a graph produced by the Parliamentary Budget Office showing how the cost of child care subsidies is projected to change over time.</p>
<p><a href="/images/2016/06/21/image-20160614-29225-1v45yz.png" target="_blank"><span class="attribution">Click to enlarge</span></a></p>
<p><span class="attribution"><img src="/images/2016/06/21/image-20160614-29225-1v45yz.png" alt=""></span></p>
<p><span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Budget_Office/Chart_packs">Parliamentary Budget Office</a></span></p>
<div class="enlarge_hint"> </div>
<h2>How much does the government spend on higher education?</h2>
<p>This year’s budget shows that the federal government is estimated to spend about $9.5 billion on higher education in 2016-17, an amount which is fairly stable over the forward estimates period. It is projected to be about $9.4 billion by 2019-20.</p>
<p><a href="/images/2016/06/21/image-20160615-22416-5uy7q4.png" target="_blank"><span class="attribution">Click to enlarge</span></a></p>
<p><span class="attribution"><img src="/images/2016/06/21/image-20160615-22416-5uy7q4.png" alt=""></span></p>
<p><span class="attribution">Budget paper 1, 2016-17 federal budget.</span></p>
<p>Here’s a graph produced by the Parliamentary Budget Office showing how the cost of higher education expenses is projected to change over time.</p>
<p><a href="/images/2016/06/21/image-20160615-22411-1qzpsjt.png" target="_blank"><span class="attribution">Click to enlarge</span></a></p>
<p><img src="/images/2016/06/21/image-20160615-22411-1qzpsjt.png" alt=""></p>
<p><span class="attribution">Parliamentary Budget Office</span></p>
<h2>How much do negative gearing and capital gains tax concessions cost the government in revenue forgone?</h2>
<p><strong>Capital gains tax:</strong> As Labor’s spokesperson says, the Treasury’s 2015 tax expenditure statement (TES) lists the cost of the capital gains tax discount as $6.15 billion for 2015-16.</p>
<p>According to Treasury’s estimates of tax expenditures, the “cost” associated with the capital gains tax discount for individuals and trusts is estimated to be $6.8 billion in 2016-17, rising to $9.09 billion in 2019-20. Note that this estimate does not include any estimate for the concessional treatment of owner-occupied housing.</p>
<p><a href="/images/2016/06/21/image-20160615-22398-cw74xm.png" target="_blank"><span class="attribution">Click to enlarge</span></a></p>
<p><span class="attribution"><img src="/images/2016/06/21/image-20160615-22398-cw74xm.png" alt=""></span></p>
<p><span class="attribution">Budget Paper 1, 2016-17 federal budget.</span></p>
<p><strong>Negative gearing:</strong> This is where it gets tricky. Treasury does not regard negative gearing as a “tax expenditure” and thus does not provide any estimates for the “revenue foregone” as a result of it. So we have to look at other sources for estimates.</p>
<p>Labor has inferred from the Grattan Institute’s report that the cost of negative gearing is around $5.5 billion ($11.7 billion minus the $6.15 billion cost of the CGT discount).</p>
<p>Labor did not provide The Conversation with any Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) estimates on the cost of negative gearing to The Conversation. Labor’s spokesman said only that the PBO estimated Labor’s plan to restrict negative gearing to new property and to halve the capital gains tax discount could raise $565 million over the forward estimates.</p>
<p>The Greens put the cost of negative gearing at somewhere around $4 billion a year.</p>
<p>A 2015 report by The Australia Institute said that modelling by National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling (NATSEM) estimated that:</p>
<p><em>negative gearing of residential investment property is currently reducing tax revenue by $3.7 billion per year.</em></p>
<p>Ben Phillips, Associate Professor at the ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods (who previously conducted the NATSEM modelling quoted by The Australia Institute), reported in February 2016 that:</p>
<p><em>We estimate that in 2017-18 the total tax savings from negatively gearing properties is $4.3 billion.</em></p>
<p>And I have previously estimated that negative gearing costs more than $5 billion per annum in revenue forgone – although that estimate was for the 2010-11 financial year when interest rates were considerably higher than they are today. It was also a “gross” figure that did not allow for the impact of interest expenses being carried forward to be offset against future capital gains tax liabilities.</p>
<p>So what’s the combined cost of negative gearing and CGT? Nobody knows for sure. It could be as high as $11.7 billion, as the Grattan Institute has <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/hot-property/">said</a>. It could also be lower.</p>
<h2>So does CGT and negative gearing cost more than child care or higher education?</h2>
<p>This year’s budget showed the federal government is estimated to spend about $8.2 billion on child care fee assistance and about $9.5 billion on higher education in 2016-17.</p>
<p>Using the estimates outlined above, the combined annual effective cost of negative gearing and capital gains tax discounts to the public purse in revenue foregone is somewhere between about $9 billion and $11.7 billion (although no-one knows for sure because of differing opinions on the cost of negative gearing).</p>
<p>So Shorten’s statement that Australia is “spending more at the Commonwealth level on negative gearing and capital gains tax discounts than we are on child care or higher education” is likely to be somewhere in the ball park – but it’s impossible to say conclusively.</p>
<h2>A word of caution</h2>
<p>It’s worth remembering that none of the major parties are advocating scrapping negative gearing altogether.</p>
<p>And finally, it is worth drawing attention to Treasury’s caution that its estimates of tax expenditures such as the capital gains tax discount assume that taxpayer behaviour is unaffected by the existence of the concessional tax treatment. That assumption that may not be valid in practice, so that these estimates:</p>
<p><em>do not indicate the revenue gain to the budget if specific tax expenditures were to be abolished…. care needs to be taken when comparing tax expenditures with direct expenditures as they may measure different things.</em></p>
<h2>Verdict</h2>
<p>Is Australia “spending more at the Commonwealth level on negative gearing and capital gains tax discounts than we are on child care or higher education”?</p>
<p>Nobody knows for sure, because of the difficulty in measuring exactly how much negative gearing tax breaks cost the federal government every year in revenue foregone. (Treasury cautions against comparing tax expenditures with direct expenditures as they may measure different things.)</p>
<p>Using available estimates, however, Bill Shorten’s statement is probably in the ballpark.</p>
<h2>Review</h2>
<p>I agree with this assessment of the statement. There are official estimates on the projected spending on childcare, education and the revenue foregone in relation to the capital gains tax discount, although as Treasury notes these figures may not be directly comparable. It is more difficult to estimate the foregone revenue in relation to negative gearing as there are no official estimates. Each model will come up with a different estimate based on the parameters used for the estimate.</p>
<p>I would also caution that the statement by Bill Shorten should be read in conjunction with proposed ALP policies in these areas. In particular, tax concessions on negative gearing and the CGT discount will be pared back but negative gearing will still be available to taxpayers currently holding investment properties, and the CGT discount will be halved but not removed.</p>
<p>Given the difficulties in identifying the cost of negative gearing and the problems inherent in comparing data measured differently, the statement is within reasonable estimates.<strong> – Helen Hodgson</strong></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><em><span class="fn author-name">Saul Eslake is v</span>ice-chancellor’s fellow, University of Tasmania and author for The Conversation. He can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/saul-eslake-665" target="_blank">here</a>.</em></p>
<p><em><span class="fn author-name">Helen Hodgson is a</span>ssociate professor, Curtin Law School and Curtin Business School, Curtin University and author for The Conversation. She can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/helen-hodgson-94553" target="_blank">here</a>.</em></p>
<p><em> </em></p>
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What’s the combined cost of negative gearing and CGT? Saul Eslake

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<p><span>GUEST OBSERVER</span></p>
<p><span>The bond market, even more so than the stock market, is often a key indicator of investor expectations and the overall health of the economy. </span></p>
</div>
<div class="column">
<p><span>Figure 1 below shows the RBA reported bond yields on treasury bonds from 90 day bills to 10 long term bonds. We can see that from March to April this year, long-term yields decreased than short-term ones. </span></p>
<p><a href="/images/2016/06/21/Screen%20Shot%202016-06-21%20at%208.10.58%20AM.png" target="_blank"><span>Click to enlarge</span></a></p>
<p><span><img src="/images/2016/06/21/Screen%20Shot%202016-06-21%20at%208.10.58%20AM.png" alt=""></span></p>
<p><span>This is called </span><span>“flattening” </span><span>of the yield curve and is often a sign of lower investor confidence and a bleaker future outlook for the economy. From April to May, the op effect can be observed: while yields for all maturity dates decreased, the yield curve steepene slightly. The drop in short term yields reflects the RBA</span><span>’</span><span>s decision at the start of May to cut the cash rate by 25 basis points (0.25 percent).</span></p>
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</div>
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
<p><span>So what has happened since the interest rate cut? Figure 2 illustrates snapshots of treasury bonds being traded on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) on three separate occasions: one before the interest rate cut (19/04/16) and two after (17/05/16 and 15/06/16). Again, between the April and May snapshots, a similar effect to the above can be observed: short term rates decreased due to the interest rate cut and long term rates decreased slightly less.</span></p>
<p><a href="/images/2016/06/21/Screen%20Shot%202016-06-21%20at%208.16.12%20AM.png" target="_blank"><span>Click to enlarge</span></a></p>
<p><span><img src="/images/2016/06/21/Screen%20Shot%202016-06-21%20at%208.16.12%20AM.png" alt=""></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span>However, since the May cut, short term rates have remained at about the same level, while long term rates, especially on bonds with 10+ year maturities, have continued to plummet. The yield on the longest duration bond (maturing in 2039) is down nearly 0.4% over the past month. This means that since April, the steepness of the yield curve has only increased by about 0.1 percent. </span></p>
<p><span>An interest rate cut is designed to stimulate the economy and lift investor confidence. While this boost was achieved in the (very) short term, the threat of Great Britain leaving the EU, uncertainty about China’s future direction and an upcoming Federal Election to name a few have all but eroded the stimulus. </span></p>
<p><span>With the Brexit vote on June 23rd and Australia voting on July 2nd, some of the shakiness may be resolved. However, both events have the potential to further upset economic conditions. If the latter occurs, expect another rate cut before the year is over.</span></p>
<p><em>For more information, <a href="https://secretagent.com.au/" target="_blank">click here</a>.</em></p>
<p><span> </span></p>
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Another rate cut may be due before the year is over: Secret Agent

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<p>A Coffs Harbour beachfront resort development opportunity has been announced to the market.</p>
<p>The property, BreakFree Aanuka Beach Resort has been operating for 30 years in the holiday location.</p>
<p>The development is currently operated by the Mantra Group who have a five year lease remaining.</p>
<p>It offers the only direct local access to the popular Diggers Beach.</p>
<p>Set across two strata-titled totalling 6030 sqm of beachfront lots, the resort has a reception, administration, conference, F&amp;B, leisure and recreational facilities.</p>
<p>The bluechip investment is being managed by Knight Frank Directors Donald Watson-Brown and Ryan O'Hanlon.</p>
<p>Watson-Brown suggested that it offers a lucrative holding income of over $420,000 per annum for a site with extensive development upside.</p>
<p>"The resort offers flexibility and plenty of options in its investment proposition," said Watson-Brown</p>
<p>"The current owners are keen for development of the property to go to a party that has a vision to use the property in a positive way for the local area – whether that is mixed-use residential, hotel, or other type of development."</p>
<p>The accommodation offerings of the resort are not included in the sale.</p>
<p>“Aanuka Beach Resort has proved to be an integral part of the local history of the Northern NSW Coast tourism industry, providing generations of beachgoers lifelong holiday memories," he said. </p>
<p>Fellow director Ryan O'Hanlon spoke of Coffs Harbours location for investors.</p>
<p>“Positioned within close proximity of the Pacific Highway, Coffs Harbour is a historically strong-performing holiday destination and this is a great development opportunity."</p>
<p>“The offering represents a highly strategic play for future development on the site. Underpinned by direct access to Diggers Beach, the owner of the Aanuka Resort infrastructure will control the future use, refurbishment or even larger-scale development of this historically successful holiday precinct," he said.</p>
<p>Aanuka Beach Resort, Coffs Harbour is located approx. 535 km north of Sydney and 389 km south of Brisbane.</p>
<p>The property is located 2 km to Coffs Harbour City, 8.5 km to the airport, 1 km to the Park Beach Plaza Shopping Centre and 10 km to Coffs Harbour Stadium.</p>
<p>The property is for sale via expressions of interest.</p>
<p> </p>
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Aanuka beachfront resort development in Coffs Harbour on the market

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<div id="toc">Settlement is the official process of legally transferring a property from one person to another. It is usually conducted by the legal and financial representatives - eg conveyancers, of both the buyer and the vendor. Settlement normally occurs between four and six weeks after both parties have signed the contract of sale. </div>
<div id="content_div_22830">
<p>The settlement date is included in the contract of sale and agreed to when you signed it. It is the date that: </p>
<ul>
<li>the balance of the purchase price is to be paid to the vendor </li>
<li>all relevant legal documents - eg memorandum of transfer, are completed and lodged with the appropriate agencies </li>
<li>the certificate of title is transferred into the buyer's name </li>
<li>the property is legally transferred to the buyer </li>
<li>the adjustments for rates and taxes are calculated.</li>
</ul>
<p>Settlement is a complex legal process and it is strongly recommended that you engage the services of a professional conveyancer or solicitor to represent you. <br><br>The majority of settlements occur in the settlements room, a room provided by the Land Services Group which is open weekdays between 9.00 am and 5.00 pm. No booking is required.</p>
<h2 id="title0"><strong>Documents required</strong></h2>
<p>Documents usually lodged, along with the necessary fees, with the Land Titles Office (LTO) after settlement includes: </p>
<ul>
<li>memorandum of transfer - to transfer the certificate of title from the vendor's name into the buyer's </li>
<li>memorandum of mortgage - the buyer's mortgage is registered on the property's certificate of title </li>
<li>discharge of mortgage - removes the vendor's mortgage from the certificate of title.</li>
</ul>
<p>These documents are available online. Once these documents have been lodged, the LTO will advise all the relevant state and local government agencies of the transfer of ownership for rating and taxation purposes.</p>
<h2 id="title1"><strong>Rates and taxes</strong></h2>
<p>Outgoings - eg rates and taxes, will be transferred from the vendor to the buyer. The vendor is responsible for rates up to and including the date of settlement. After settlement the buyer becomes responsible.</p>
<h2 id="title2"><strong>Stamp duty</strong></h2>
<p>This is a Government tax calculated on the value of the property at the date of the contract of sale. This is usually payable at or before settlement. <a href="https://www.revenuesa.sa.gov.au/taxes-and-duties/stamp-duties" target="_blank">More information about stamp duty</a> can be found on the RevenueSA website.</p>
<h2 id="title3"><strong>Grants</strong></h2>
<p>If you are buying a property and are eligible for any grants you can lodge your application with RevenueSA once settlement has been completed. If you are using a conveyancer they will complete and lodge these forms on your behalf.</p>
<h2 id="title4"><strong>Taking possession</strong></h2>
<p>Once settlement has been completed the buyer can contact the vendor or their agent to negotiate a date to obtain the keys for the property. Any access to the property that is required before possession can be negotiated with the vendor or their agent.</p>
<h2 id="title5"><strong>Withdrawing from the contract of sale</strong></h2>
<p>Once the contract of sale has been signed by both parties and the cooling off period has expired neither the buyer or the vendor can withdraw from the contract without legal repercussions - eg compensation may have to be paid. <br><br>Withdrawing from the legally binding contract of sale can be expensive and complex. It is strongly recommended that you seek independent legal advice before deciding to do so. The consequences of defaulting on the contract will be detailed in the contract of sale.</p>
<p>If you want more information <a href="https://www.sa.gov.au/topics/property-and-land/buying-a-home-or-property/property-contracts-finance-and-taxes/the-settlement-process" target="_blank">click here.</a></p>
<p> </p>
</div>
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jonathanchancellor-7SQnKwU6yx

Property 101: The SA settlement process

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<p>The first apartment development in Attadale, located at 54 Canning Highway has been listed by Mark Hay.</p>
<div>The apartment block was architecturally designed by Machin Architects and features 30 one-and two-bedroom apartments and four top floor penthouses.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>There is also a private, resident use only, 20,000 square metre garden designed by Jamie Durie and his team at Durie Designs at the rear of the building.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Around 45% of the property has already sold off the plan.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The medium price for a unit in Attadale is $470,000 according to CoreLogic RP Data.</div>
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Jamie Durie gardens in Perth project

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<p><span>The New South Wales Real estate auction results for Saturday 18 June 2016 have been prepared for </span>realestate.com.au<span> by </span>CoreLogic<span>, Australia's no.1 property information service.</span></p>
<p>There was a preliminary <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/auction-results/nsw?rsf=edm:auction:nsw" target="_blank">75 percent success rate</a>.</p>
<p> </p>
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po-LsXgBTHBmX

All the June 18 NSW weekend auction results: CoreLogic

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<p>Toorak's $24 million plus record setting, snappy sale by the wealthy Smorgon family to Chinese buyers might have captured the headlines last week, but just 50 kms away sits the nation's cheapest property opportunity.</p>
<p>Melton South secured the lowest auction result when $235,000 was paid for a three bedroom house.</p>
<p>The sale price of <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-melton+south-122601670" target="_blank">63 Station Road</a> (above)  through Raine &amp; Horne<span> was at less than a third of the weekend Melbourne house median.</span></p>
<div class="x_domain-article-share-panel x_is-sticky">
<div class="x_domain-article-share-link x_domain-article-share-tw">Even Sydney investors have the affordable Melbourne locality on their purchasing radar, the Domain real estate suggested at the weekend.  </div>
<div class="x_domain-article-share-link x_domain-article-share-tw"> </div>
<div class="x_domain-article-share-link x_domain-article-share-tw">But the vacated property was picked up by a local home buyer, Raine &amp; Horne Melton agent Kieran Carson advised.</div>
<div class="x_domain-article-share-link x_domain-article-share-tw"> </div>
<div class="x_domain-article-share-link x_domain-article-share-tw">He said his four bidders were split between two home buyers and two investors seeking the<span> three bedroom brick house with central bathroom that last sold at $72,000 in 1999.</span>
</div>
<div class="x_domain-article-share-link x_domain-article-share-tw"> </div>
<div class="x_domain-article-share-link x_domain-article-share-tw">A recent study has shown around 80 percent of the Victoria’s investors do their investing locally.</div>
<div class="x_domain-article-share-link x_domain-article-share-tw">
<p>The study showed Queensland was the next favoured investment location, but a long way behind as just 12 percent of Victorian investors own property in the sunshine state.</p>
<p>Victorian investors steer clear of pricey NSW accounting for just 3.3 percent, according to the Terri Scheer Insurance survey.</p>
<p><span>But there's no stopping the Sydney supremacy when it comes to auction sales success during 2016.</span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p>Auction volumes bounced higher across the country from the long weekend dip, but Sydney was the only capital city to record a clearance rate above 70 percent.</p>
<p>With prices ranging between $400,000 and $3.42 million, Sydney vendors secured the sale of 74 percent of stock. There was a $1.3 million median house price and an $857,000 apartment median.</p>
<p>The nearest rival was Melbourne's 68 percent success rate with its houses recording an $875,000 median and units at a $545,000 median.</p>
<p>The national clearance rate was 67 per cent from the 2,139 capital city auctions, up from the 65 percent with the 1,100 listings in the prior week.</p>
<p>This time last year the volume was 2,268 and the clearance rate was 77 per cent.</p>
<p>CoreLogic's Kevin Brogan noted the trend in auction clearance rates had "nudged lower" over the last few weeks.</p>
<p>Some 964 Melbourne auctions have been reported, showing a preliminary clearance rate of 68 per cent, an improvement from last week when 64 per cent of the 341 auctions sold.</p>
<p>"Although Melbourne’s clearance rate remains under 70 per cent for the second week in a row, the increase this week signifies Melbourne’s auction market is close to reverting back to the levels seen prior to the slow down over the Queen’s birthday weekend," Kevin Brogan said.</p>
<p>At the same time last year, Melbourne’s clearance rate was 79 percent.</p>
<p>The Inner sub-region was the busiest for auctions across Melbourne with 202 homes going under the hammer.</p>
<p>Sydney’s preliminary auction clearance rate was 74 per cent this week, virtually matching 74 per cent last week.</p>
<p>"This week’s result is significantly lower than one year ago at 82 per cent, however the city continues to maintain a much higher clearance rate than what was seen towards the end of 2015.</p>
<p>Of Sydney's sub-regions, the best performers were the Ryde sub-region at 88 per cent and North Sydney and Hornsby at 85 per cent.</p>
<p>But the priciest sale was $3.42 million on the upper North Shore at Pymble followed by a Chiswick riverfront at $3.25 million.</p>
<p>Lantern Hill, a five bedroom 1940s home with pool and tennis court on 2675 sqm at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-pymble-122628282" target="_blank">8 Macquarie Road, Pymble</a> (below) was sold pre-auction through McGrath at $3.42 million.</p>
<p><img src="/images/2016/06/17/Screen%20Shot%202016-06-19%20at%207.27.34%20PM.png" alt=""></p>
<p>It last sold at $2.58 million in 2013.</p>
<p>It was marketed as French Riviera style.</p>
<p>The $3.25 million Chiswick knockdown house was three bedroom original home on a 644 sqm holding at 8 Fortescue Street.</p>
<p><img src="/images/2016/06/17/Screen%20Shot%202016-06-19%20at%207.39.19%20PM.png" alt=""></p>
<p>It was the street's eighth sale above $3 million in the past six years, including a $4.9 million sale just two week's ago of a contemporary home.</p>
<p>Domain senior economist Dr Andrew Wilson noted the busiest Sydney suburb with 11 auctions was Strathfield, including the recently built <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-strathfield-122699174" target="_blank">27 Myrna Road</a>, (below) with 325 sqm internal space, which was passed in at $3.4 million.</p>
<p><img src="/images/2016/06/17/Screen%20Shot%202016-06-19%20at%207.40.21%20PM.png" alt=""></p>
<p>Toorak secured the country's highest auction price when <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-toorak-122758286" target="_blank">16 Chastleton Ave</a> sold at $5.02 million.</p>
<p><img src="/images/2016/06/17/Screen%20Shot%202016-06-19%20at%207.41.32%20PM.png" alt=""></p>
<p>It last sold at $1.05 million in 1998.</p>
<p>Kay &amp; Burton secured the likely 1950s knockdown price for the three bedroom house on 688 sqm.</p>
<p>The $24 million mid-week sale of the Smorgon's property secured t<span>he newly built seven-bedroom home on 1770 sqm at 4 Robertson Street was for the buyer, Shirley Ching Hua Hsieh.</span></p>
<p><span>The undisclosed Toorak price failed to better the Victorian record of $26 million at Portsea. </span></p>
<p>With record June Saturday auction volumes for Melbourne, Glen Waverley had the most auctions in Melbourne with 21 scheduled including the modern home at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-glen+waverley-122642014" target="_blank">6 Darri Court</a>, (below) which was passed in at $2.525 million.</p>
<p><img src="/images/2016/06/17/Screen%20Shot%202016-06-19%20at%207.26.07%20PM.png" alt=""></p>
<p>The 785 sqm block had cost $1 million in 2014.</p>
<p><span>Brisbane's clearance rate dipped to 44 per cent, down from 46.3 per cent last week.</span></p>
<div class="x_domain-article-content-body">
<p>Sales included a Norman Park <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-norman+park-122730438" target="_blank">1930s workers’ cottage</a> in Brisbane’s east (below), marketed as listed for the first time, and fetching $669,000.</p>
<p><img src="/images/2016/06/17/Screen%20Shot%202016-06-19%20at%207.24.42%20PM.png" alt=""></p>
<p><span>The deceased estate at </span><span>39 Frank St, Norman Park</span><span> attracted nine</span><span> registered bidders. </span><span> </span></p>
</div>
<p><span>Adelaide sat at 67 percent cleared, down from 75 percent last week.</span></p>
<p><span>Perth's clearance rate was 34 percent, compared to 28.6 percent last week.</span></p>
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Home buyer beats interstate investor invasion in Melbourne's most affordable Melton 

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<div style="text-align: left;" align="center">GUEST OBSERVER</div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="center"> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="center">Following some of the most damaging weather Australia’s east coast has ever seen, the Victorian State Government is being urged to consider reforms which would see maintenance funds be made mandatory for owners corporation communities. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;"> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">Maintenance funds help communities pay for emergency repairs whilst waiting for insurance claims to be processed; but without them, the wait can be perilous. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;"> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">Thousands of apartment and unit communities were hit hard by recent weather, and with no laws in place to ensure that emergency maintenance funds are collected; many will struggle to cope with the fallout now and in the future. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;"> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">We’re very concerned that Victorian owners corporation communities aren’t in a position to financially deal with the unpredictable nature of Australian weather.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">We understand 20,000 claims have been lodged since the wild weather hit, and with the knowledge that many won’t be covered, the number of affected owners unable to afford repairs could very well reach into the thousands.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">If reports of insurers not covering recent damage, under an “act of the sea” clause are correct, it really shines a light on the need for maintenance funds to be behind each community. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;"> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">Living in Australia often means being exposed to wild weather events and communities need to go a step further than simply relying on their insurance policy to save the day.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">Insurers commonly do not cover ‘acts of the sea’ so repairs following the raging waters that have ripped coastline communities apart will likely need to be funded in other ways.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">Aside from the funds themselves however, the wait for claims to be processed amid major events like the ones just seen can hurt just as much, so having access to funds immediately is pretty crucial.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">Beyond weather from above, bushfires are a year-in year-out threat to Victorian owners corporation communities and communities need to be held accountable on their financial preparedness as soon as possible. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;"> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">It won’t be long until we’re discussing the devastating effect of bushfires on owners throughout the state and we’ve got a scheduled rollout for the State Government to consider in making these funds mandatory.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"> </div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>By end of year 1, owners corporations with greater than 50 lots must implement a maintenance plan and set up the collection of funds. </li>
<li>By end of year 2, for owners corporations with 10-50 lots must implement a maintenance plan and set up the collection of funds. </li>
<li>By end of year 3, remaining owners corporations with 10 lots or less must implement a maintenance plan and set up the collection of funds. </li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;"> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">Under this plan, the 1.5 million Victorians living in strata will in 3 years be able to consider minor hiccups following major weather events as a worst case scenario and we’re encouraging the State Government to consider the value of that.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">In place of any progress on the legislative front, Mr Beck is urging Victorian owners corporation residents to raise their voice and speak to a professional owners corporation manager to get clarification on how their community should best go about setting up funds. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;"> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">Owners corporation communities don’t have to wait for the regulatory say so to set up maintenance funds, they can start financing their future needs today.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">The ugly truth is that there’s no guarantee there won’t be a major event this weekend that creates more chaos, so we hope State Government decision makers and owners corporation communities alike move quickly to see this issue overcome.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><em>Rob Beck is general manager, Strata Community Australia (Vic) and can be contacted <a href="https://www.vic.stratacommunity.org.au" target="_blank">here</a>.</em></div>
<p style="text-align: left;"> </p>
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