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>

Joel Robinson

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.
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[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=112661]

SIERA kicks off construction at Northcliffe tower Exhale

Local Little Bay residents, along with buyers from premium postcodes across Sydney’s affluent Eastern Suburbs, have dominated purchases in developer-builder Urban Property Group’s first Eastern Suburbs apartment development, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/este-little-bay-jennifer-street-little-bay-nsw-2036">ESTE Little Bay</a>.

The $250 million coastal project, one of the first new developments in the area in several years, has proven particularly popular with downsizers, especially those from Coogee and Bondi. One Double Bay downsizer paid $4.7 million for a four-bedroom penthouse, setting a new local apartment price record in the process.

Buyers have been attracted to the combination of coastal tranquillity, premium design and amenity-rich neighbourhood living. The walkable village setting, along with proximity to three of Sydney’s leading golf courses, New South Wales Golf Club, St Michael’s Golf Club and The Coast Golf Club, has also been a key drawcard.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112343 project_image_fid=352689]

Built across two low-rise buildings designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/hill-thalis-architecture-urban-projects-pty-ltd">Hill Thalis</a> and set along a lush, landscaped green spine, designed by leading landscape architect <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/landscape-architect/arcadia-landscape-architecture">Arcadia</a>, ESTE Little Bay offers a collection of one, two, three and four-bedroom residences with interiors by Richards Stanisich.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/urban-property-group">Urban Property Group</a> Sales Director, Tom McIvor said the response to ESTE has been "nothing short of extraordinary."

“Buyers have been quick to recognise ESTE as a rare opportunity to invest in a coastal sanctuary that offers both seclusion and connectivity to the heart of Sydney,” McIvor said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112343 project_image_fid=352687]

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/srm-residential">SRM Residential</a> Senior Director, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/srm-residential">Clayton Ross</a> said the local market has responded incredibly well, driven by ESTE’s exceptional location and the rarity it offers.

“We’ve seen strong interest from a variety of buyer groups, all of whom are drawn to the exclusivity and quality of the build and construction by the 4.5-star iCIRT-rated builder / developer, Urban Property Group. There’s truly nothing else like it along Sydney’s coastline.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112343 project_image_fid=352690]

The project also includes robust buyer protections, including Resilience Insurance’s Latent Defects Insurance, providing 10 years of structural cover, and an independent iCIRT-rating of the developer.

“The iCIRT-rating adds another layer of confidence,” Ross added. “Buyers see it as a safeguard for their investment and their lifestyle.” A highlight of ESTE’s offering is its exclusive wellness amenities, including a heated rooftop infinity pool and outdoor heated spa, a state-of-the-art Technogym fitness centre, and a sauna.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/este-little-bay-jennifer-street-little-bay-nsw-2036">ESTE Little Bay</a> is topped out and is on track to complete towards the end of 2026, with residents moving in before Christmas.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=112343]

Eastern Suburbs buyers snap up ESTE Little Bay apartments

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

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The Assistant Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg says he has been troubled by stories of property spruikers pushing people to set up an SMSF so they could borrow against their retirement savings to make speculative property investments. 
However he said such events were the exception rather than the rule so he has given the strongest signal yet that the Abbott Government will not implement a recommendation to ban do-it-yourself super funds from borrowing to invest in property.
"In the final report of the financial system inquiry, which the government commissioned David Murray to prepare, he recommended a complete ban on limited recourse borrowing arrangements in SMSFs," Assistant Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said on Friday as reported by Fairfax Media from the Tax Institute annual superannuation conference in Sydney.  
"I want to emphasise that we have been considering this recommendation very carefully but flag that we want to make sure the approach we take is proportionate to the risks that have been identified."
"To put it in context only 0.07%, perhaps 6,500 properties, were held in an SMSF through a limited recourse borrowing arrangement in 2013," he said.
"David Murray highlighted the risks associated with increased leverage in the financial system. Increased leverage always represents a risk and we recognise that. The government also recognises that most SMSFs do the right thing". 
Tightening the rules around how SMSFs can borrow to invest, instead of placing an outright ban on the practice, remained "under consideration", he said.
Asked whether he thought targeting action against property spruikers was a better solution than limiting the SMSF borrowing rules Josh Frydenberg said that was certainly an option.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

No borrowing ban likely for SMSF: Josh Frydenberg suggestion

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Dixon Advisory Group Limited has paid off two ASIC infringement notices at $10,200 apiece for publishing potentially misleading claims regarding self-managed super funds on its website.
ASIC had concerns a web page and video dd not correctly portray the costs and performance of SMSFs when compared to retail and industry super funds.
ASIC Deputy Chair Peter Kell said any comparisons between SMSFs and industry and retail funds, particularly regarding performance or fees, must be accurate and have a reasonable basis, and that any qualification should be apparent to a consumer when they first see the information.
"ASIC is determined that all consumers including those considering a self-managed approach to their super get accurate information, and are not misled by any form of advertising, including online and through social media," Mr Kell said..
Dixon Advisory's website and social media accounts featured a promotional video making claims relating to an independent review of the superannuating system, according to ASIC.
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po-LsXgBTHBmX

Dixon Advisory Group pays ASIC infringement notices on SMSF claims

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Westpac is cutting lending to self-managed super funds for residential investment properties, according to the Australian Financial Review.
The bank has cut maximum loan-to-value ratios from 80 to 70% and tightened other lending criteria.
Super fund borrowing has increased from less than $500 million to more than $9 billion, the Australian Taxation Office says over the past five years.
The recent financial system inquiry warned that current growth rates could create a systemic risk in the future, even though total borrowing was small compared to the overall economy.
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SMSF borrowing gets tougher for Westpac customers

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Whose super did better than everyone else’s?
There was an average super return of 9.8% for the 2014-15 financial year, as calculated by Chant West.
They ranked the top-performing fund as Queensland’s public sector scheme QSuper, the second-biggest super fund in the country.
It returned 12.3% for its members.
Second placed was MTAA Super, the industry fund for the motor trades returning 11.7% for its members.
While most super funds took a beating in the GFC, Chant West director Warren Chant said the damage has been more than repaired.
“Since the GFC low point at the end of February 2009, growth funds have now delivered an impressive 88 per cent, putting them 37% above their pre-GFC high of October 2007,” he told TheNew Daily.
The full list of the top 10 is below, made up overwhelmingly of industry funds, with just one public sector fund and two retail funds making the list.
Overall, not-for-profit funds – which include industry, public sector and corporate funds (such as Telstra or Qantas) – returned on average 10.2%.
Retail funds, which are generally owned by banks on a for-profit basis, returned 9.6% on average.
The top 10 super funds for 2014/15
1. QSuper – 12.3%
2. MTAA – 11.7%
3. Statewide Super – 11.5%
4. AMP Future Directions – 11.5%
5. VicSuper – 11.1%
6. UniSuper – 11%
7. HOSTPLUS – 11%
8. Intrust Super – 10.9%
9. MLC Horizon – 10.9%
10. AustralianSuper – 10.9%
 
The top 10 super funds 2005-2015
1. REST Industry Super – 7.7%
2. Telstra Super – 7.6%
3. Commonwealth Bank Group Super – 7.4%
4. CareSuper – 7.4%
5. AustralianSuper – 7.3%
6. Catholic Super – 7.2%
7. Cbus – 7.2%
8. QSuper – 7.2%
9. UniSuper – 7.2%
10. HOSTPLUS – 7.1%
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CBUS sits in 7th place on past decade top 10 super funds

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ASIC has provided two information packs designed to better the advice given by advisers on investing in self-managed superannuation funds.
The downloadable documents stress ASIC's view that an SMSF with a starting balance of $200,000 or below is unlikely to be client-centric and more likely be investigated by ASIC.
ASIC Deputy Chairman Peter Kell said it is important that consumers receive good quality advice that will assist them in making informed decisions about their retirement savings.
'ASIC wants to ensure that only those investors for whom an SMSF is suitable are advised to establish an SMSF and that our expectations around the standards of advice are clear.
'SMSFs are a key priority for ASIC and we will continue to target inappropriate advice about SMSFs in our surveillance work,' Mr Kell said.
ASICs information packs can be downloaded <a href="https://www.asic.gov.au/about-asic/media-centre/find-a-media-release/2015-releases/15-192mr-asic-releases-guidance-on-smsf-advice/" target="_blank">here</a>.
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mick.cee-iDmgDDAmu8

ASIC offers to help SMSF investment advisers

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Investment in residential property through self-managed superannuation funds has risen 11% in the past year. 
The big increase in property investment by SMSFs is revealed by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission in its submission to the latest parliamentary inquiry on home ownership. 
"As at March 2015, the value of residential real property investments through SMSFs was $21.78 billion … up from $19.49 billion … in March 2014," the ASIC submission said. 
Despite the growth, residential property still makes up less than 4% of total Australian and overseas assets held by the 500,000 SMSFs. 
The Reserve Bank of Australia also observed that "although the share of the housing stock owned by these funds is small, it has grown quickly". 
Since the law changed in 2003 to allow SMSFs to borrow money, concern has increased about the influence of the small super funds on the housing market. 
SMSFs are the fastest growing sector of the superannuation industry and investment in property through SMSFs is consequently also growing, ASIC noted.
As at March 2015, the value of residential real property investments through SMSFs was $21.78 billion, or 3.7% of total Australian and overseas assets, up from $19.49 billion, or 3.6% of total Australian and overseas assets, in March 2014.
"There has been an increase in investment in residential real property through SMSFs of 11.78% from March 2014 to March 2015, and an increase of 58.69% since March 2011.
"ASIC’s primary role in relation to SMSFs is to regulate the gatekeepers—the financial planners, accountants, auditors and providers of products and services to SMSFs.
"We want to ensure that those who are advising retail clients about establishing and investing through SMSFs are providing good quality advice.
"We consider that gatekeepers have a critically important role in ensuring the overall health of the SMSF sector is sound.
"ASIC has publicly warned investors about misleading advertisements regarding the use of SMSFs.
"ASIC has also taken regulatory action in relation to the promotion of investment in residential property through SMSFs in a number of instances, including Money Choice, Charterhill and Park Trent," the submission noted.
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SMSFs spending on housing up 11%: ASIC

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SPONSORED POST
You put funds aside during your working years to support your retirement income needs. In Australia this is partly managed by the mandatory employer contribution to superannuation. 
Some think this will be sufficient to meet their needs. However, if you wish to live the life portrayed in your imagination and the advertising you also need to contribute. Jeremy Cooper, the Chair of the Federal Government’s Super System Review and Chairman, Retirement Income at Challenger, said it would cost about $1M today to buy a Government Pension for retirement. This $1M would buy an annual income of about $33,717 for a couple with no additional Government benefits.
You need your superannuation funds to grow for two reasons: firstly, because inflation is constantly eroding the spending power of these savings, and secondly to provide more choices in your retirement years. To support your choices you need to appreciate capital growth, inflation, and the role of leveraging through borrowed funds. 
Inflation
Superannuation saving begins in your teens or twenties and you want your money to have the same spending power in your sixties, seventies and eighties. However inflation is constantly reducing the value of money as goods rise in price over time. 
Inflation, which we measure as CPI, at 2% per annum means an income of $100,000 in year one buys only half the same goods in year 37. Many now expect to live beyond 80 or even 90 years, and the impact of inflation in retirement is a key concept to appreciate. It is in these latter years of your retirement that your health care costs can really escalate. If your spending power has reduced over time you may not be able to afford the care you need. 
If you invest your superannuation via a bank account it is unlikely your money would maintain its spending power over time, as the returns from interest after tax are not high enough. If you had invested in property it has maintained the value of your money and maintained your spending power over the last 30 years and more. 
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Capital Growth
Most are keen for their superannuation savings to perform, to grow at a rate greater than inflation. This performance increases the risks to the funds, however you need to invest in assets that grow. 
Because of the past performance of property many of you are confident to invest. Most of you have own your own homes, have seen them rise in value over the years and have successfully managed your debt. 
Leverage
Most of you intend to borrow money to invest in property, and in an SMSF lenders typically will lend up to 70% of the value of the property and sometimes up to an 80% LVR. 
This leveraging increases the returns on your investment. If you have $100,000 invested in a $300,000 property and it grows by 7% per annum then you have made three times that amount on your money and have a 21% return. It is this multiplying effect as you leverage your money with borrowed funds that creates much of the wealth from property. 
Many property investors buying property outside of super, leverage their properties hard to create strong returns on investment. Many plan to release equity to boost their capital to re invest. Inside of super the rules are quite different. You can’t release equity from a property as it grows in value. Rather the decision is to hold or to sell. 
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Why property investment through an SMSF? Forrester Cohen

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SPONSORED POST
People who buy property through a self-managed superannuation fund need to consider what to do with the asset after they have retired and how to pass it on after they have passed away. 
SMSFs allow for assets to be handed from one generation to another as an inheritance, but there are regulatory constraints and taxes to take into account. 
Reserves after retirement
At retirement, an SMSF member may start a pension from their fund, in which case the balance will reduce over time. The fund may have sufficient cash flow to support pension payments but as the person ages the proportion of the fund’s balance that must be paid out as a pension increases so it becomes more likely that the property will have to be sold to support the pension. 
If the family has other sources of income, and doesn’t need to draw a pension from the SMSF, it is possible to leave the assets untouched by keeping the fund indefinitely in what’s known as the accumulation phase. 
SMSFs in accumulation phase do not issue a pension but the income and capital gains made within the fund are taxed at 15%, while they would be tax free if the SMSF was paying a pension. For some retirees, the 15% tax is still less than they would pay if they held the property in their own name so there can be advantages to holding it in the SMSF to pass on as an inheritance.
Inheritance
When an SMSF member dies, the assets held in their fund do not automatically form part of their estate. The estate can access the assets and distribute them according to the person’s will but conditions in the SMSF’s trust deed and superannuation laws must also be satisfied.
There have been cases in which surviving SMSF trustees have been able to go against the wishes of the deceased fund member. SMSF members should seek legal advice on how to avoid that risk.
SMSF members may provide their fund with a binding death benefit nomination, which gives direct instructions on who should receive the deceased member’s share of the fund’s assets but there are restrictions on who can be named as the recipient. Whether such a nomination is appropriate will depend on the fund member’s personal circumstances. 
Relationships matter
The way in which beneficiaries receive their inheritance depends on their relationship with the deceased SMSF member.
People who are in what’s classified under superannuation law as a dependent relationship with the fund member can receive their inheritance payment as a lump sum or a pension from the fund. People who are not in a dependent relationship must be paid a lump sum. 
Dependants can include a spouse, de facto or ex-spouse, as well as children who rely on the person for necessary financial support or are aged under 18 years. Other people may qualify as being dependants of the deceased but adult children typically do not.
The amount of tax each beneficiary pays on the inheritance also depends, in part, on whether or not they are a dependant of the deceased. Other factors also influence the amount of tax due, including the tax structure of the fund itself.  
In some cases, a property held through an SMSF can be passed from a deceased fund member to their beneficiaries without leaving the fund. The way the SMSF is structured affects how easy and how costly it is to do this. 
SMSFs can have up to four members. They can be established with individual trustees, where each member is also a trustee, or with a corporate trustee where each member is also a director of the trustee company. 
If the fund was established with individual trustees, the titles on the SMSF’s assets and the individual trustees must be updated when a fund member dies. State governments and any administration systems the SMSF uses may charge fees for these changes.
Funds with a corporate trustee can change their members by updating the corporate trustee’s directors. The fund must notify the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and the Australian Taxation Office of these changes but there is no change to the title of the SMSF’s assets.
Are other vehicles better?
Holding property through an SMSF is just one way to pass the asset on through the generations. Other options include owning the property directly, or through another tax structure such as a company or family trust. Each has its advantages and drawbacks. 
SMSFs can be tax effective in some situations but there may be simpler and less costly alternatives. Each family is different and what’s best will vary depending on individual circumstances. Seek professional advice. 
 
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Set up future generations through estate planning: Forrester Cohen

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People who invest in real estate through a self-managed superannuation fund should have an exit strategy in mind for their property from the time they acquire it, even if they plan to hold the investment for the long term and pass it down through the family.  This exit may be based on performance criteria as you would do with any other asset, or may be based on income requirements.  It also needs to include the considerations for a number of unexpected circumstances.
There are many scenarios in which an SMSF’s trustees may wish to sell a property. They may identify a better investment opportunity elsewhere and want to realise a capital gain on the property.  They have identified their funds have a better opportunity to out perform the market in another property investment.
The fund may need to pay out pension benefits to retired members and find its income is insufficient to cover the payments. Or, one or more of the members may die, requiring the fund to make a lump sum inheritance payment. 
Whatever the reason for a sale, the fund should have plans in place for disposing of the investment.
For real estate, this starts with the capital growth drivers that increase the performance of the property and filters down through to the property selection. 
The location, type and features of the property should appeal to other buyers, as well as to tenants.
The demographics, economy and employment prospects in the local area will affect buyer demand. Homes in large cities and towns typically sell more quickly than those in regional areas as there is a larger pool of buyers. 
In general, residences that are close to transport and amenities such as shops and schools will be easier to both rent and sell than those in less convenient locations. A well-maintained home with parking, practical living spaces and a tidy kitchen and bathroom may be easier to sell than an awkwardly laid out property that needs work. 
There are many dimensions to buying well for income and capital gain. People purchasing property through an SMSF, like other property investors, should do their research and consider what will appeal to other buyers as well as to tenants. 
Timing
The timing of a property sale will be driven by a range of personal and market factors. 
Assuming the SMSF’s trustees have control over the timing – rather than being forced to sell due to a member’s unexpected death for instance.  While the most tax effective option is usually to continue to hold the property in the fund until the members have retired, there may be performance criteria that drive the timing of an exit.
After the members have retired and converted the SMSF into a pension, all fund income, including capital gains, is tax free. Before the members’ retirement, capital and income on investments in the fund are taxed at 15%. 
Property owned through an SMSF, like property held directly outside of superannuation, qualifies for a capital gains tax discount if the asset has been held for more than 12 months. The CGT discount for property owned inside an SMSF is one third of the gain. That means the fund pays 15% tax on two thirds of the capital gain if it is sold before its members retire.
Say an SMSF sells a property making a capital gain of $120,000 before its members have retired. The fund will incur a tax bill of $12,000 if it has held the property for more than 12 months. That tax bill could be avoided by timing the sale to settle after the members’ retirement.  However changes in a property market’ stength need to be considered.  In a bear market changes can easily wipe $12,000 from a sale price 
Multiple generations
Strategies that involve for holding property through an SMSF across multiple generations of a family are more complicated. 
Planning for what will happen when a fund member dies needs to take a variety of factors into account. These include whether the property will be sold after a member’s death; whether there is debt on the property; whether it is positively or negatively geared; how the fund is structured; how fund member are related to one another; and whether they are dependants of the deceased, as defined under superannuation law.
Some SMSF trustees decide to sell the property if one of the members dies. That way any debt can be repaid out of the sale proceeds and the deceased fund member’s share of the remaining equity can be paid to their beneficiaries or estate. 
If the trustees would prefer to keep the property after the death of a fund member, the plan should consider how the beneficiaries will be paid their inheritance. It should also consider how the fund will make loan repayments and meet other costs associated with the property without that member’s contributions to the fund. 
Superannuation regulations restrict how property can be transferred when used as a vehicle for holding properties over multiple generations. There are tax consequences for each course of action. 
Trustees should seek specialist legal and tax advice on the best options for their fund.
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How to plan your SMSF exit strategy: Forrester Cohen

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GUEST OBSERVER
The latest Productivity Commission report, <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/research/completed/superannuation-post-retirement" target="_blank">Superannuation for Post-Retirement</a>, highlights two aspects of post-retirement income policy that have recently attracted considerable attention: the age at which people should be able to access their superannuation, and whether lump sum withdrawals should be restricted.
Preserving superannuation
The preservation age, which is the age at which a person who retires can access their superannuation, is set by superannuation regulations, and is currently between age 55 for a person born before 1 July 1960, and age 60 for a person born after 1 July 1964. Anyone who reaches the age of 65 can access their super without retiring.
The preservation age has always been lower than the age at which a person becomes eligible for the age pension. In 1997, when the current preservation age was set, a person became eligible for the pension at age 60 (for women) or age 65. Therefore there was a five year gap during which a retiree could draw on their superannuation to support themselves before becoming eligible for the pension. However, superannuation balances were much lower at that time: <a href="https://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/subscriber.nsf/0/C0A01711EAD911BFCA256BCD007D7F10/%24File/41020_2002.pdf" target="_blank">in 2000 </a> the mean superannuation balance for a male over the preservation age was A$44,700, and for a female was A$19,800. With lower balances, there was less incentive to retire early.
The gap of five years between preservation and pension age has now extended to seven years. From 2017 the pension age will be 67 for both men and women, and as superannuation balances have increased, in recent years there has been concern that retirees will retire earlier, living off accumulated superannuation until they reach age pension age. This could reduce workforce participation among people in this age group, which would impact on productivity in the National Accounts; and would also increase the cost of the age pension as superannuation savings are exhausted before pension age.
The Productivity Commission found that there could be a fiscal saving of about A$7 billion by 2055 if the preservation age and the pension age were to be synchronised. Most of this would be from additional tax paid by higher income households. 
<h2>The losers</h2>
However, there are other factors in the report that could equally be used to argue against the proposition.
Firstly, the increase in workforce participation would be relatively small, about 2%, and most of this would be from workers who are already more likely to continue to work beyond the age pension age: those with higher wealth who are more likely to be in managerial or professional positions.
Secondly, the impact of deferring the preservation age is likely be felt most severely by workers who take involuntary retirement, about half of all Australians between the age of 45 and 70. If these retirees are unable to access the superannuation they have accumulated, they will be forced onto other forms of government benefits that are generally lower and more restrictive than the age pension.
Overall, a change to the preservation age is likely to have a regressive effect on retirement incomes. High-income earners would work longer, save more and access higher incomes when they do retire. Lower-skilled workers, who are more likely to face involuntary retirement, would have lower superannuation balances and would be unable to use those balances to supplement income from other benefits while waiting for the age pension.
<h2>Transition to retirement</h2>
There is, however, a case to change the current transition to retirement pension arrangements.
Under the current rules a person who has reached preservation age can access some of their superannuation without formally retiring if they enter into a transition to retirement scheme. Although this was conceived as a good way to allow people to reduce their working hours in the lead up to formal retirement, in practice it has become a way for high-income earners to maximise superannuation concessions without reducing their working hours. The Productivity Commission has joined other <a href="https://www.acoss.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Reform_of_taxation_of_super_contributions_ACOSS.pdf">critics</a> of this arrangement that seems to be used primarily as a tax-saving measure.
<h2>The lump sum myth</h2>
The second issue addressed in the report is the myth of the lump sum. It is frequently <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/it-pro/pensioners-angered-by-claims-of-cruises-and-luxuries-splurge-20140515-zrd5w">said</a> that Australians take a lump sums from their superannuation to fritter away on lifestyle assets such as holidays. However, this is not supported by the evidence of how people access and use their super.
There is a clear preference for people with lower superannuation balances to withdraw significant lump sums when they retire (see chart below).
<a href="/images/2015/07/09/image-20150708-31601-1erjjg2.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2015/07/09/image-20150708-31601-1erjjg2.png" alt="">
Because lump sums are generally less than A$20,000, taking the lump sum does not have any impact on eligibility for the age pension. Members with higher balances are increasingly likely to convert their balance to an income stream, which is now tax free.
Where a lump sum is taken it is generally used to pay down debt, including mortgages, or to purchase durable goods like cars at the start of retirement. About half of the lump sums taken from superannuation are used in this way. About another third are converted to a different form of financial asset: an annuity is purchased or the money is invested or rolled over to another form of deposit.
All of these uses of the lump sum preserve the wellbeing of a person in retirement. Only 7% of lump sums taken are used for a holiday.
The Productivity Commission has conducted analysis, as opposed to a report with recommendations. It does note that any such decisions are a matter for the government to decide. In this instance, perhaps the current government mantra of no change to superannuation can be justified.
Helen Hodgson is Associate Professor, Curtin Law School. Curtin Business School at Curtin University. She can be contacted <a href="https://oasisapps.curtin.edu.au/staff/profile/view/Helen.Hodgson" target="_blank">here</a>.
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