<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/broadbeach-qld-4218">Broadbeach</a> offers plenty of reasons to live vertically, but moving from a substantial family home into an apartment can expose the compromises of high-density living. Privacy, room for guests and usable living space tend to matter more when an apartment is intended as a permanent home rather than an occasional coastal base.

A typical residential floor at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-eveleigh-broadbeach-7-9-surf-parade-broadbeach-qld-4218">The Eveleigh</a>, on Surf Parade,&nbsp;contains just four apartments. The 94-residence development by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/hirsch-faigen">Hirsch &amp; Faigen</a> is predominantly made up of expansive three-bedroom homes, with a limited collection of half-floor penthouses above.

Across the apartment floors, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a> has used the relatively limited number of residences to give each home greater access to natural light and outlook. Living spaces extend towards full-height glazing, while a series of bay windows frame selected views across the Pacific Ocean, city and hinterland rather than treating the building edge as a continuous wall of glass.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360965]

“The apartment floors deliver a collection of homes that embrace controlled outlook via a series of bay windows deliberately framing moments of view,” Rothelowman Director Kim Lowman said.

From outside, those projecting forms contribute to the tower’s faceted profile. Strong horizontal and vertical elements establish its proportions, while the changing position of the sun alters the light, shadow and reflection across the façade throughout the day.

The same attention moves inside the apartments, where the material palette combines warm timber, natural stone, metallic detailing and softer curved forms. Kitchens sit within the main living zone, with stone island benches, integrated joinery and European appliances, before the living areas extend towards the glazing and the outlook.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360981]

Three genuine bedrooms provide room to accommodate family and guests, while two secure car spaces and storage address some of the practical considerations that can become more noticeable when moving from a larger home. Feedback from the display suite has centred on the warmth and restraint of the interiors, with buyers commenting that the residences feel like homes rather than conventional coastal apartments.

A limited collection of half-floor penthouses occupies the upper levels, increasing the scale of the living spaces and adding private balconies and elevated finishes. From this position, the outlook extends between the ocean and hinterland.

Outside the private residences, The Eveleigh separates its shared spaces between the podium and rooftop. The podium is centred on wellness, with subtropical landscaping surrounding a swimming pool and pool terrace, yoga garden, private gymnasium, sauna and hot and cold plunge facilities. Landscaped retreats and pavilions provide additional places to sit away from the main recreation areas.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360966]

Higher in the building, a rooftop pavilion and private dining suite sit alongside resident lounge, barbecue and outdoor dining areas, opening towards panoramic views across the ocean, city and hinterland.

“Buyers are no longer just looking for an apartment, but a lifestyle where they can relax, reset, and enjoy a balanced way of living,” Hirsch &amp; Faigen Director of Sales Matt George said.

Interest to date has come from established owner-occupiers and interstate lifestyle purchasers, including buyers planning a future move to the Gold Coast. Many are coming from larger homes and want to reduce ongoing maintenance without giving up space for family and guests, privacy, two car spaces or the ability to entertain at home.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360969]

Much of that daily life can also take place beyond the building without requiring a drive. Kurrawa Beach and Pratten Park are an easy walk from Surf Parade, while Pacific Fair, Oracle Boulevard, The Oasis, restaurants, cafés, entertainment and public transport are also within walking distance.

The Eveleigh is Hirsch &amp; Faigen's fourth Gold Coast development since entering the market in 2021, following The Hemingway at Palm Beach, The Emerson at Kirra and Yves at Mermaid Beach. Each of the preceding projects sold out before completion.

“Broadbeach had been on our radar throughout our time operating on the Gold Coast,” the developer said. “Following our projects in Palm Beach, Kirra and Mermaid Beach, Broadbeach represented the natural next step for the business.”

The Surf Parade site brought together proximity to the beach, protected coastal outlooks and walkability to dining, shopping and recreation. Hirsch &amp; Faigen also identified the street as an emerging premium residential address, with enough separation from Broadbeach's busier destinations to retain a quieter environment at home.

The Eveleigh is now under construction by Maxcon, with completion forecast for mid-2028. Three-bedroom residences are currently available from $2.87 million.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=149670]

Joel Robinson

The Eveleigh brings house-like apartments to Broadbeach

A long-stalled Campbelltown development site is back in play, with new plans for 139 apartments set to supersede a mixed-use scheme approved almost a decade ago but never built.

The new proposal for 28 Cordeaux Street would deliver 116 market and 23 affordable apartments in a part 14-storey building, bringing a substantial new project into a Campbelltown market where new apartment supply remains limited.

Plans have been filed over the 3,092 sqm corner site at Moore-Oxley Street, around 600 metres from Campbelltown Railway Station and the city-centre retail core.

The site already carries a mixed-use residential approval dating to 2016. Doroch Architects has now been engaged on a larger replacement scheme, which is progressing as a State Significant Development Application following a Housing Delivery Authority determination in August 2025.

The apartment mix comprises 39 one-bedroom, 72 two-bedroom and 28 three-bedroom residences. Two-bedroom apartments make up just over half of the project, while three-bedroom homes account for 20 per cent.

<img alt="First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="136dd5b9-3791-4da6-9e31-76f533f5b4de" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Campbelltown%20da2.png?VersionId=LgOSy9nwf5u.MGswBBwaGGxuX8QpHSl_" />

Of the 139 apartments, 23 will be delivered as affordable housing under the in-fill affordable housing provisions of the Housing SEPP. The affordable component represents 15 per cent of the residential gross floor area and will be managed by a registered Community Housing Provider.

Doroch has sought to break the scale of the building into two distinct elements, with a masonry podium of around four storeys establishing the street edge before the residential tower steps back above.

The corner position has shaped that approach. Cordeaux Street faces toward the commercial and civic centre, while Moore-Oxley Street leads into the lower-scale residential neighbourhood to the south, and the design verification report describes the site as "bridging the commercial core to the north and established residential areas to the south."

The podium will be expressed predominantly in face brick, while the upper levels shift to brushed and grooved concrete cladding with darker metal detailing. Recessed sections, deep balcony edges and landscaping break down the upper form, with an approximately 11.8-metre setback to the northern boundary addressing the adjoining St Peters Anglican School.

<img alt="First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c8b3d2d3-c561-4bfc-a5d9-a68c0c10dac1" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Campbelltown%20da1.png?VersionId=AeAEyJU02Gk2k5noUj2StziCvdQ7fW4B" />

Campbelltown has been starved of new residential developments in the last decade.

The only other notable development set to come to market this year is ALAND's Queen Square, a mixed-use precinct on over two hectares that will comprise apartments above a vibrant ground-level retail and hospitality dining precinct.

First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site

First Look: Sherlock Construction pitches apartments for low-rise Deception Bay

Queensland builder-developer MAYD has revealed the first look at its major North Kirra beachfront development, lodging amended plans that reduce the number of apartments and increase the proportion of larger residences.

The project is planned across a substantial 4,742 sqm amalgamated site spanning seven lots at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/2-6-pacific-parade-bilinga-qld-4225">2-6 Pacific Parade</a> and 27-33 Golden Four Drive in Bilin​ga, directly opposite Nor​th Kirra Beach.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/mayd-group">MAYD</a> secured the site for $32.5 million in 2025, in what was one of the Gold Coast's largest property transactions of the year.

The development will be delivered across two stages, with the first stage carrying an estimated gross realisation value of around $360 million.

The latest amendments seek to reduce the overall apartment count and shift the project further toward the owner-occupier market, with larger residences designed for buyers wanting considerably more space than traditionally offered in a beachfront apartment.

The residential mix will include townhomes, oversized two-bedroom apartments, substantial three-bedroom residences and four-bedroom homes.

MAYD has appointed Cera Stribley to lead the architecture and interiors, with the Melbourne-based design practice drawing on the beachfront setting through a series of ocean-facing terraces and heavily landscaped balconies.

Strong horizontal forms and curved balconies will define the exterior, with subtropical landscaping integrated throughout the building to soften the built form and increase the connection between the residences and the beachfront.

The project will also include an extensive collection of resident wellness and lifestyle facilities, continuing the broader shift across the Gold Coast's luxury apartment market toward larger homes supported by resort-style amenity.

<img alt="MAYD" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d1bcbb05-e659-4b47-8bd4-1e595315e2ad" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-27%20at%202.05.03%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=jj0XEud1X1DuLt7_KyElhjMdZGOXmLHP" />

MAYD Founder Todd Mould said North Kirra was increasingly appealing to buyers attracted to the more established, lower-density character of the southern Gold Coast.

"North Kirra presents one of the most compelling luxury residential opportunities currently emerging in Australia, combining absolute beachfront with the character and authenticity that buyers are increasingly seeking, and the same sense of tight-knit community that defined Burleigh and Currumbin perhaps 10 or 15 years ago," Mould said.

"With Gold Coast Airport on its doorstep, it also offers a level of accessibility that broadens its appeal across almost every market demographic."

The project comes as the southern Gold Coast continues to attract an increasing share of high-end apartment development and buyer activity.

Kirra in particular has emerged as one of the region's more tightly held beachfront markets, with its relatively low-density character, established surf and hospitality scene and proximity to Gold Coast Airport differentiating it from the higher-density markets further north.

Mould said those characteristics had informed the approach MAYD and Cera Stribley had taken to the project.

"We've worked closely with Cera Stribley to create a vision that is deeply connected to its surroundings," he said.

"Inspired by the coastline itself, the architecture has been shaped around space, privacy and resort-style living, creating a collection of homes that reflects the next generation of luxury on the southern Gold Coast."

MOTIV Managing Director Carly Cottam, who has been appointed to market the project, said buyer attention had continued to move south along the Gold Coast.

"Purchasers who may once have defaulted to Broadbeach, Main Beach or Surfers Paradise are increasingly recognising the value of a genuine beachfront location that offers lower density, strong amenity and a more established sense of community," Cottam said.

"Kirra has a powerful combination of growing demand and genuine scarcity. Beachfront supply is inherently constrained, the area remains relatively low density, and buyers are increasingly placing a premium on locations that feel established, uncrowded and authentic rather than heavily developed."

Cottam said the proximity to Gold Coast Airport was also proving increasingly important for interstate and second-home buyers.

"Being minutes from Gold Coast Airport makes it particularly compelling for interstate buyers, frequent travellers and second-home purchasers who can access an authentic coastal lifestyle almost immediately after stepping off a flight."

The acquisition takes MAYD's active development portfolio to more than $500 million, with the North Kirra project representing one of its largest undertakings to date.

MAYD is targeting an early 2027 launch.

First look at MAYD's North Kirra mixed-use precinct

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Castle Hill, the longtime hub of the Hills District, has been one of the major beneficiaries of Sydney's Metro expansion, with improved connectivity helping drive continued population growth, development and buyer demand across the Hills District.

But despite that growth, the suburb has seen relatively few major new apartment projects brought to market over the past 18 months.

Hills District developer Reve Group is looking to fill that gap with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/nova-r-ve-castle-hill-2-garthowen-crescent-castle-hill-nsw-2154">Nova Rêve</a>, a major new mixed-use precinct on the corner of Garthowen Crescent and Old Castle Hill Road, a short walk from Castle Hill Metro Station and Castle Towers.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377679]

The project will comprise three residential towers alongside a hotel, restaurants, cafes and a skybar, more than 1,600 sqm of ground-floor retail and almost an acre of landscaped gardens.

It represents the largest project undertaken by Reve Group, the development arm of the Kassis family, which has been building across the Hills District for more than 30 years through Kassis Homes.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377675]

Nova Rêve also represents a significant step up from the family's first apartment development, Grand Rêve, which was delivered nearby on Garthowen Crescent.

Grand Rêve introduced larger, house-like apartment layouts and premium inclusions including Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances to the Castle Hill market.

Nova Rêve takes that approach to a precinct scale, combining the residential component with hospitality, retail and substantial public and resident landscaping.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377685]

Reve Group Managing Director Sam Kassis said the project reflected the family's three decades of building in the Hills, which has evolved from trophy homes on quarter-acre blocks to larger-scale apartment development.

"Grand Rêve was our first apartment project here and it showed us what this pocket of Castle Hill could be. Nova Rêve is the refinement of that idea: not just apartments, but a place the whole suburb can use," Kassis said.

A key part of that approach is the hotel, which has been designed to operate as an amenity for the wider Castle Hill community rather than solely hotel guests.

It will include restaurants, cafes, skybars and all-day dining, alongside conference and event facilities catering to business functions, community groups and private events.

At ground level, more than 1,600 sqm of shops and cafes will open onto the surrounding streets and landscaped areas.

Almost an acre of gardens designed by Land and Form Studios will run through the precinct, incorporating pathways, seating, barbecue areas and children's play spaces.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377680]

Reve Group's Romio Georges said creating an active ground plane had been central to the planning of Nova Rêve.

"There are gardens with pathways, barbecues, seating and play areas, shops and cafes opening onto the street, and a hotel with restaurants and a skybar that anyone in Castle Hill can walk into," Georges said.

The project's elevated position on one of Sydney's highest ridgelines will also provide apartments with outlooks toward the Sydney skyline, surrounding parkland and the Blue Mountains.

More than 80 per cent of the apartments will occupy corner positions, with Turner responsible for both the architecture and interiors.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152737]

<h3 data-end="3697" data-section-id="q3n5ak" data-start="3672">&nbsp;</h3>
</main>

Nova Rêve arrives as Reve Group bets on Castle Hill's next growth phase

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

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

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

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

Every First Home Owner Grant for new property by state

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

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

Staff Writer

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

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

alisonwarters@gmail.com

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

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

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

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Financing group Banksia Securities <a href="https://www.smartcompany.com.au/cashflow/051442-10-collapses-and-the-lessons-learnt">has collapsed</a>, putting $660 million in savings at risk.
Receivers McGrath Nicol took control of Banksia, which is based in the Victorian country town of Kyabram. 
Banksia’s trustee appointed Tony McGrath, Joseph Hayes, Matthew Caddy and Robert Kirman as receivers and managers yesterday at the request of Banksia’s board. 
The trustee is a secured creditor. However, Banksia owes around $660 million to investors and advanced these funds to borrowers primarily to finance real property purchases. 
As a non-bank lender, Banksia offers investors high interest on debentures and holds first-ranking real property mortgages to secure its advances. 
McGrath Nicol froze all interest payments and redemptions as of last night.
Tony McGrath said the receivers were in the process of conducting an urgent review of Banksia’s financial position, loan book and underlying security properties. 
“Our primary concern is to ensure the interests of debenture holders are being protected,” he said in a statement. 
“In this regard, we will be working closely with the trustee to ensure debenture holders receive regular communication and Banksia’s assets are managed in a manner to maximise returns”. 
David Grbin, group executive general manager of corporate client services at The Trust Company Limited, which is acting on behalf of the trustee, said the trustee will focus attention on ensuring debenture holders are treated fairly and equally. 
“We will communicate with debenture holders openly and will act in their best interests throughout the receivership,” Grbin said.
This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.smartcompany.com.au/" target="_blank">SmartCompany</a>.
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cwaters-YrtBR88nBe

Victorian non-bank lender Banksia Securities collapses

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Perth house prices have had the strongest gains over the last year and quarter.
And only Hobart was stronger during September among Australian capital cities.
Perth house prices have grown 6.63% over the year ending September, 6.7% over the last quarter and 2.44% over the last month, according to Residex data.
Hobart had gains of 3.62% over the last month.
The median price in Perth is now $498,000, with an average growth of 9.02% per year over the last 10 years.
Its average price growth is beaten only by Darwin where house prices have grown an average of 10.01% per year over the last 10 years.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/10/afford3.jpg">
There were 24,707 house sales in Perth last year, up 13.41% from the previous year.
House rents in the city are up 21.52% for the year to $480 per week. The increase is double anywhere else in the country.
For units the trend is similar, with Perth showing the greatest price growth over the last year (12.73%), quarter (2.23%) and month (2.21%) for any capital city. Unit prices have grown 9.29% per year over the last 10 years, beaten by 10.75% in Darwin.
The median unit price in Perth is now $430,000.
Unit rents are up 20.83% for the year to $435 per week. The next highest increase was 20% in Sydney, where unit rents are now $540 per week.
There were 11,808 unit sales in Perth over the last year, up 15.81% over the previous year.
Across Australia house prices are up 0.94% for the month and unit prices are unchanged.
Over the last month house prices fell in Darwin, Adelaide and Brisbane. Unit prices fell in every state capital except Sydney and Perth.
Sydney is still by far the most expensive place to buy a house or apartment. The median house price is $668,500, more than $100,000 more expensive than Melbourne, the next highest. Sydney unit prices are $498,000, more than $60,000 more than Melbourne.
Residex says its latest figures are good for home owners, putting the Reserve Bank in good stead for another rate cut.
“The potential rate cut comes on the back of an improving housing market Australia wide, and additional rate cuts should help ensure the market remains stable and leaves adjustment phases recently seen in many markets behind,” Residex chief John Edwards says.
Edwards says some people may see the conditions as the possible makings of a housing bubble but he says that is not the case.
“Affordability is still not terrific in the major capital cities, even with the interest rate reduction… The unit market is affordable, the house and land market in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Darwin are unaffordable, and some of the others are marginally affordable.”
He says consumer confidence is low and the unemployment rate is likely to rise which will be countered by increased building projects.
“Overall, if there is a housing bubble risk, the markets to watch are unit markets, in particular those where there is currently a stock shortage. In essence, the main risk is Perth and to a lesser extent, Brisbane.”
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awalsh-7Ub9EypybQ

Perth property experiences strongest gains in country: Residex

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Warracknabeal in the Wimmera is Victoria’s most affordable suburb despite mooted plans for a giant topless statue of musician Nick Cave.
The median house price in the wheatbelt town is just $105,864, with 54 properties sold in the last 12 months, according to RP Data.
The town, the birthplace of Nick Cave, is nearly 300 kilometres north west of Melbourne.
According to the 2011 census the town has a population of 2,745, with 1,349 dwellings. This is up from 2,625 as indicated by the 2006 census.
Previous RP Data figures suggest the town has a median rent of $160 per week for houses. Median prices fell 8.8% last year.
Nick Cave has long harboured plans of building a giant golden statue of his likeness bare-chested on a rearing stallion. The plans have been discussed since at least 2001, but he says recent economic conditions might make constructing a giant gold statue of himself in the middle of the town seem in bad taste.
Cave is the legendary frontman  of Grinderman, The Bad Seeds and The Birthday Party.
Perhaps investors should buy now and wait for prices to no doubt skyrocket after Cave finally realises his plans.
A search on online real estate listing portals reveals more than 50 options.
A property at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-warracknabeal-107575231">32 Gardiner Street</a> is listed for sale at $125,000, though a quick check reveals it has been on the market since August last year. It was originally listed at $137,000 before gradually dropping down. Prior to this it was listed for most of 2009 at $120,000 before being reduced to $115,000.
The three-bedroom property sits on 590 square metres and is listed through Rob Lehmann from North West Real Estate. It was listed for rent at $150 per week in January this year, giving a gross yield of around 6.25%.
The property at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-warracknabeal-111218187">111A Jamouneau Street</a> has a similar history. It’s a three-bedroom house on 1,000 square metres listed at $120,000. It was on the market for most of 2011 at $129,500 and was relisted in August this year for $120,000 through John Hadley, again from North West Real Estate.
And<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-warracknabeal-107497689"> 6 Kelsall Street</a> has been listed at $99,500 through Gerry Smith First National. Marketing for the cottage suggests the property could rent at $145 per week, giving a gross yield of around 7.5%. The 1930-built property has been on the market for 475 days.
Nearby Dimboola is the second most affordable suburb in Victoria, with a median house price of $107,470.
Coleraine in the Southern Grampians is the third most affordable suburb with a median house price of $117,263.
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" style="width: 470px;">
<colgroup>
<col width="63">
<col>
<col>
<col>
<col width="122">
<col>
<col>
<col>
<col width="127">
<col>
<col>
<col>
<col width="131">
<col>
<col>
<col>
<col width="86">
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<col width="87">
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<col>
<col>
<col width="69">
<col>
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<col>
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr height="53">
<td width="63" height="53">National Rank</td>
<td width="122">Suburb</td>
<td width="86">Median Value</td>
<td width="87">Number sold (12 months)</td>
<td width="69">Distance from GPO</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td align="right" height="20">3</td>
<td><a href="/news">WARRACKNABEAL</a></td>
<td align="right">$105,864</td>
<td align="right">54</td>
<td align="right">286.7</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td align="right" height="20">4</td>
<td><a href="/news">DIMBOOLA</a></td>
<td align="right">$107,470</td>
<td align="right">22</td>
<td align="right">301.4</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td align="right" height="20">6</td>
<td><a href="/news">COLERAINE</a></td>
<td align="right">$117,263</td>
<td align="right">20</td>
<td align="right">289.4</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td align="right" height="20">10</td>
<td><a href="/news">CASTERTON</a></td>
<td align="right">$123,359</td>
<td align="right">20</td>
<td align="right">315.7</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td align="right" height="20">11</td>
<td><a href="/news">NHILL</a></td>
<td align="right">$125,876</td>
<td align="right">39</td>
<td align="right">337.3</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td align="right" height="20">19</td>
<td><a href="/news">ST ARNAUD</a></td>
<td align="right">$145,827</td>
<td align="right">40</td>
<td align="right">201.7</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td align="right" height="20">23</td>
<td><a href="/news">MERBEIN</a></td>
<td align="right">$152,548</td>
<td align="right">40</td>
<td align="right">469.8</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td align="right" height="20">25</td>
<td><a href="/news">MORWELL</a></td>
<td align="right">$153,087</td>
<td align="right">205</td>
<td align="right">134.9</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td align="right" height="20">27</td>
<td><a href="/news">TONGALA</a></td>
<td align="right">$157,724</td>
<td align="right">25</td>
<td align="right">173.6</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td align="right" height="20">28</td>
<td><a href="/news">RED CLIFFS</a></td>
<td align="right">$157,819</td>
<td align="right">69</td>
<td align="right">462.2</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td align="right" height="20">37</td>
<td><a href="/news">COHUNA</a></td>
<td align="right">$165,281</td>
<td align="right">37</td>
<td align="right">232.3</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td align="right" height="20">45</td>
<td><a href="/news">STAWELL</a></td>
<td align="right">$169,912</td>
<td align="right">83</td>
<td align="right">208.3</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td align="right" height="20">50</td>
<td><a href="/news">CHURCHILL</a></td>
<td align="right">$172,177</td>
<td align="right">70</td>
<td align="right">138.3</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td align="right" height="20">53</td>
<td><a href="/news">MOUNT BEAUTY</a></td>
<td align="right">$175,686</td>
<td align="right">24</td>
<td align="right">229</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td align="right" height="20">54</td>
<td><a href="/news">GOLDEN BEACH</a></td>
<td align="right">$176,096</td>
<td align="right">27</td>
<td align="right">217</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td align="right" height="20">55</td>
<td><a href="/news">ARARAT</a></td>
<td align="right">$176,575</td>
<td align="right">146</td>
<td align="right">187.9</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td align="right" height="20">56</td>
<td><a href="/news">MOE</a></td>
<td align="right">$176,809</td>
<td align="right">152</td>
<td align="right">120.3</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td align="right" height="20">61</td>
<td><a href="/news">ORBOST</a></td>
<td align="right">$178,426</td>
<td align="right">29</td>
<td align="right">307.1</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td align="right" height="20">65</td>
<td><a href="/news">KERANG</a></td>
<td align="right">$180,070</td>
<td align="right">48</td>
<td align="right">249</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td align="right" height="20">68</td>
<td><a href="/news">LOCH SPORT</a></td>
<td align="right">$181,507</td>
<td align="right">57</td>
<td align="right">231.3</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td align="right" height="20">73</td>
<td><a href="/news">MARYBOROUGH</a></td>
<td align="right">$182,870</td>
<td align="right">165</td>
<td align="right">132.8</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td align="right" height="20">76</td>
<td><a href="/news">AVOCA</a></td>
<td align="right">$185,411</td>
<td align="right">23</td>
<td align="right">147.7</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td align="right" height="20">78</td>
<td><a href="/news">TERANG</a></td>
<td align="right">$186,938</td>
<td align="right">25</td>
<td align="right">185.9</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td align="right" height="20">85</td>
<td><a href="/news">NUMURKAH</a></td>
<td align="right">$189,415</td>
<td align="right">49</td>
<td align="right">192</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td align="right" height="20">94</td>
<td><a href="/news">TALLANGATTA</a></td>
<td align="right">$192,312</td>
<td align="right">25</td>
<td align="right">264.4</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Source: <a href="https://www.myrp.com.au/" target="_blank">RP Data</a>
</body></html>

Warracknabeal and Dimboola most affordable housing locations in Victoria

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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/reputed-%2417-million-toorak-sale-takes-the-chocolates/2012102157343"><img src="/images/stories/2012/10/17m.gif"></a>
The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/reputed-%2417-million-toorak-sale-takes-the-chocolates/2012102157343">whispered sale price of a Toorak home</a> built by Sir Macpherson "Mac" Robertson, of MacRobertson's Chocolates fame. It was sold by funds manager Ron Dewhurst, and it could be the highest Melbourne sale price of the year.
 
<hr>
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/new-south-wales/cottage-point-waterfront-carved-up-into-12-portions-with-expatriate-buyer-expectations/2012102257361"><img src="/images/stories/2012/10/12.gif"></a>
The<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/new-south-wales/cottage-point-waterfront-carved-up-into-12-portions-with-expatriate-buyer-expectations/2012102257361"> number of portions </a>Sydney entrepreneur Drew Muirhead has split his unsold five-bedroom Cottage Point waterfront on Sydney's Pittwater into. It has been given a nominal $7.8 million value, with each portion listed in $650,000 part ownership shares, while he would retain two himself. 
 
<hr>
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/victoria/jobe-watson-sells-albert-park-investment-cottage/2012102257334"><img src="/images/stories/2012/10/905k.gif"></a>
The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/victoria/jobe-watson-sells-albert-park-investment-cottage/2012102257334">approximate sale price for Jobe Watson's Albert Park investment property</a>, which recently sold. The Richardson Street was purchased for $930,000 in December 2007, having previously traded at $880,000 in mid-2007.
 
<hr>
<a target="_blank" href="/news"><img src="/images/stories/2012/10/27sqm.gif"></a>
The block size of <a target="_blank" href="/news">Sydney's smallest home</a>. Agents are selling a 45-square-metre house in Paddington and a Darlinghurst house on about 40 square metres.
 
<hr>
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/new-south-wales/simon-mordant-s-%2450000-gain-after-decade-in-darling-point/2012102357379"><img src="/images/stories/2012/10/50k.gif"></a>
The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/new-south-wales/simon-mordant-s-%2450000-gain-after-decade-in-darling-point/2012102357379">amount arts philanthropists Simon and Catriona Mordant</a> made on the sale of their Darling Point penthouse to writer Melanie Hershon, the daughter of the late ragtrader Michael Hershon. It was sold two months ago after seven months on the market.
 
<hr>
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/retail/emporium-melbourne-likely-to-open-with-85-occupancy-rate-in-2013-goldman-sachs/2012102457396"><img src="/images/stories/2012/10/85percent.gif"></a>
The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/retail/emporium-melbourne-likely-to-open-with-85-occupancy-rate-in-2013-goldman-sachs/2012102457396">percentage of the Emporium Melbourne retail complex that is expected to be leased</a> upon its completion next year. Goldman Sachs Australia senior REIT analyst Simon Wheatley expects the retail development to be 85% leased on completion, having previously forecast it to be fully leased.
 
<hr>
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/developments/surfers-paradise-s-soul-not-unsuprisingly-under-receivership/2012102557436"><img src="/images/stories/2012/10/425m.gif"></a>
The value of pre-sales achieved in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/developments/surfers-paradise-s-soul-not-unsuprisingly-under-receivership/2012102557436">Juniper Group's Gold Coast development Soul by 2008</a>. Many buyers have been unable or unwilling to settle. Receivers have been appointed to manage the development. 
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cknowlton-QnEa6ntUYP

The 7 must-know numbers of the week, including the possible top Melbourne sale of the year

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The last home to be designed by the Australian Modernist architect Guilford Bell has been listed for sale with $3.5 million-plus hopes.
It's a 1986 house on a 2.5-hectare block at <a href="/news">Officer</a>, minutes from Beaconsfield and Old Berwick, 50 kilometres south-east of Melbourne.
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/2012/10/oct26outwhiteside]}
The Grant House, also called Whiteside, was built in 1986 for Robert Grant and his partner who ran the popular City Gardener garden supplies business in Melbourne for many years. The property was previously an apple and pear orchard owned by Grant's family.
The sloping land framed by cypress hedges was the site for the home designed by Guilford Bell at the age of 74, and credited as his last major residential work.
The <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-officer-109981456" target="_blank">26-36 Whiteside Road </a>house is a snow-white pavillion style abode comes with its pyramidal, sky-pointing roof with Buddhist shrine or carnival marquee appearance.
The late respected architect Guilford Bell's status among well-to-do clients has triggered a National Trust-listing. Bell died in 1992. 
 
<hr class="system-pagebreak">
 
The grounds have a pool and series of landscaped gardens – a cherry tree walk, a summer glade and sunken parterre, and terraces of white irises along with lawns and lotus-filled dam, towering cypress hedges, and white wisteria-covered arbour.
There are views to the Gippsland Ranges.
The house is clad in a corrugated Zincalume along with a second corrugated-steel structure to accommodate a three-car garage and a fully serviced cottage.
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/2012/10/oct26whitesidein]}
The other dominant feature is the use of 130,000 bricks within the house precinct and garden terraces, which took a local brickie almost two years to lay.
Its listing agent is Malcolm Graham of <a href="https://www.granthousewhiteside.com.au/history/" target="_blank">Alex Scott &amp; Staff Berwick</a>. 
It was briefly listed for sale in 2007 with $2 million-plus hopes when its zoning was yet to upgraded to its current Growth Corridor zoning for residential development.
"The privacy and peaceful surrounds of this site has a wow effect, which opens ones mind to the ongoing potential as only half the site is improved of this quality investment," its marketing material says.
The holding cost $36,000 in 1976. 
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Guilford Bell's last design, in outer Melbourne, listed

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Moora, in Midland WA is the state’s most affordable location, according to RP Data figures.
Median houses prices in the suburb, two hours north of Perth, is $193,637.
In the last 12 months there have been 25 sales in the town. There are currently a number of properties up for grabs.
A two-bedroom cedarwood bungalow at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-moora-111616783">11 Gardiner Street</a> is listed for sale at $159,950. Agent Laurie Armstrong bills the property as an “investor's delight”.
The house comes on 506 square metres and has two street frontages. It is in the southern edges of the town.
A little bit closer to the centre of town at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-moora-111181143">80 Gardiner Street</a> is a two-bedroom timber bungalow with an iron roof listed at $145,000 by the same agent.
Armstrong bills the property as being “right on for the first home buyer”. It comes on 1,012 square metres with a shed.
In a higher price bracket, <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-moora-111297195">lot 205 Riley Road</a> is listed at more than $390,000. The four-bedroom, two-bathroom home comes on two hectares.
Agent Jason Greay lists the property as being in a quiet area of town close to the Moora Race Club, the local horse racing area.
The property comes with numerous horse related extras.
The wheatbelt town suffered from significant floods in 1999 when cyclone Elaine caused the Moore River to break its banks. This was followed by heavy rainfalls later in the year, which caused a second flood.
At last count the population of the town was 4,642 people, according the 2011 ABS census. There are 2,264 private dwellings. The population is slightly older than the rest of WA, and relatively few are university educated.
The second most affordable suburb in WA is Katanning, 250 kilometres south-east of Perth and then Kambalda West, in Coolgardie.
Just two Perth suburbs feature on the list, Brookdale and Orelia, both on the outer fringes. 
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" style="width: 470px;">
<colgroup>
<col width="104">
<col>
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<col>
<col>
<col>
<col width="144">
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<col>
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<col>
<col>
<col>
<col width="145">
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<tbody>
<tr height="20">
<td width="104" height="20">Suburb</td>
<td width="94">Median Value</td>
<td width="167">Number sold (12 months)</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td height="20"><a href="/news">Moora</a></td>
<td align="right">193637</td>
<td align="right">25</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td height="20"><a href="/news">Katanning</a></td>
<td align="right">196507</td>
<td align="right">44</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td height="20"><a href="/news">Kambalda West</a></td>
<td align="right">204895</td>
<td align="right">25</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td height="20"><a href="/news">Narrogin</a></td>
<td align="right">216212</td>
<td align="right">34</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td height="20"><a href="/news">Utakarra</a></td>
<td align="right">232003</td>
<td align="right">23</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td height="20"><a href="/news">Collie</a></td>
<td align="right">238225</td>
<td align="right">53</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td height="20"><a href="/news">Manjimup</a></td>
<td align="right">238851</td>
<td align="right">42</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td height="20"><a href="/news">Withers</a></td>
<td align="right">254321</td>
<td align="right">42</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td height="20"><a href="/news">Brookdale</a></td>
<td align="right">264527</td>
<td align="right">49</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td height="20"><a href="/news">Double</a></td>
<td align="right">266667</td>
<td align="right">52</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td height="20"><a target="_blank" href="/news">Orelia</a></td>
<td align="right">267647</td>
<td align="right">95</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td height="20"><a href="/news">Spalding</a></td>
<td align="right">268025</td>
<td align="right">20</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Source: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.myrp.com.au/">RP Data</a>
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Moora tops list of 12 most affordable WA locations

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As a born and bred Sydney resident of 30 years, I’ve watched over the progress (or, in many years, the lack thereof) of the north-west rail link. Over the years there have been numerous proposals to extend the existing rail network to accommodate commuters living in the suburban expanse that is the north-western suburban region.
The current proposal is for eight new train stations along a dedicated line that will be a mix of underground tunnels, sky-train sections and flat land sections. Just this week, the first demolition work commenced for some structures directly in line for the proposed work, which is a more solid indication that the line will actually go ahead.
So today I thought I’d offer some theories about how the new rail line, both in the lead-up to its completion, and post-completion, could impact on the residential property markets in the council areas around this corridor.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/10/raillink.jpg">
The area in question takes in to account several large shire and municipal council areas, and according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, an estimated population of around 648,000 people and growing. This is significant, as it reflects just over 14% of Sydney’s overall 4,605,000 current population. The proposed eight stations will connect suburbs across three main local government areas, which are some of the fastest-growing population areas in Sydney:
<ul>
<li>Blacktown City (currently around 307,800 and is not only the most populous local government area in all of NSW, but has had the fastest population increase and intake in the last five years)</li>
<li>The Hills Shire (currently around 176,500 and also in the top five fastest-growing councils by population)</li>
<li>Hornsby Shire (currently around 164,600 and showing positive population growth)</li>
</ul>
So how will this impact the suburbs close to the proposed stations? To understand that, we first need to know more about the people who occupy them and the types of households most prevalent.  Most Sydneysiders have come to know the north-west region as a family/suburban area. And they are correct – at least according to ABS data. But RP Data can also provide an insight to this audience by way of reporting on the typical size of dwellings most readily available on the market at any one time.
To keep it short and sweet, instead of bombarding you with stats and numbers, I’ll give you the general flavour of it per local government area:
Blacktown City is popular with families with very young children, who historically preferred detached houses, but recent shifts have caused a swing towards townhouses (attached dwellings), units and apartments. This is consistence with housing stock trends reflecting increased demand for units, as well as higher-than-ever new construction commencements for units and apartments in many suburbs within the council area.
Hills Shire is popular with both young families (families with very young children, as above) and also established families, but also has the highest rate of single-person households out of all three local government areas. RP Data also highlights increased new construction starts, evenly split between free-standing houses and townhouses, villas, and units.
Hornsby Shire council area contains suburbs that are typically established families, preferring detached houses, with a small but growing preference for units in most suburbs.
 
<hr class="system-pagebreak">
 
<img src="/images/stories/2012/10/raillink2.jpg">
There is also a significant spread of median dwelling prices across all suburbs within all three local government areas, making it difficult to plot and trends, however generally speaking Hornsby contains the most expensive median dwelling prices, followed by Hills Shire in the middle, and Blacktown City after that.
The biggest question around the rail link for would-be investors interested in these areas is no doubt “Will the rail line increase capital growth and/or rental return on properties close to it?”. Without any statistics behind me and based largely on rail line extension projects completed in other areas of Sydney over the last 20 years, I would argue it is likely that some areas will record increases more than others. There are so many variables to consider before we can get more clarity around this, including:
<ul>
<li>Commuter times and ease of connection to CBD (and other high employment areas within the city) once the project is complete.</li>
<li>Speculation about Chatswood station’s congestion and overcrowding issues slowing down overall commute times for users.</li>
<li>Suburbs close to the new stations that are within walking distance will benefit from the commuter ease of access, but may lose out to noise congestion issues caused by outer-suburb drivers wishing to park in the side streets and then alight on to a train.</li>
<li>Demographic changes to the suburbs close to the new stations (more commuters, singles, and double-income-no-kids couples moving to these areas) could mean that dwelling values for larger family homes (the five-bedroom, three-car, three-bathroom variety) may suffer as demand for them may not be as strong as smaller and more affordable dwellings.</li>
<li>Residents have also only been offered speculation as to the precise travel times involved to change train services to access different areas of the city. The rail link only connects to an existing Epping line, meaning that to get to other areas of Sydney such as the south-west, southern suburbs, and north shore by rail will still be cumbersome.</li>
</ul>
Another element to consider is not only where the average north-western Sydneysider will need to work, in 10 years’ time (the rail link’s estimated completion), but how they work. More and more people are working remotely and thus are moving away from outer-suburban areas of cities, and out of cities altogether.
If the trend continues at the rates it is currently gaining momentum, in 10 years, much of our professional workforce may not even need to commute for work. This could result in a shift for Sydneysiders who select their suburb of residence in accordance to work proximity.
Someone who telecommutes could live on the central coast instead of suburban Sydney.
It is still too early to speculate more precisely on the effect of metro rail services being rolled out to this region of Sydney. There council areas affected each contain many individual suburbs, with each of these having its own market dynamics and nuances.
However, one thing is certain: opportunity for investors is always created when infrastructure advances.
My advice to those considering these areas today for tomorrow’s investment rewards is to do your due diligence as per usual, but to also research heavily the implication on traffic congestion on the road caused by changes the way people reach their train station for weekday commuting.
Cameron McEvoy is a NSW-based property investor and maintains a blog, <a href="https://propertyspectator.blogspot.com.au/" target="_blank">Property Spectator.</a>
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cmcevoy-Go82SmsJA9

What the north-west Sydney rail link means for property investors: Cameron McEvoy

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Despite the prestige Palm Beach peninsula rumour mill's normal reliability, Title Tattle scoffs at the suggestion the hedge fund expatriate Greg Coffey bought himself an early retirement present – the neighbouring $13 million Whale Beach property known as The Wedge.
No word on the buyer's identity from the Raine &amp; Horne selling agent Glenn Lee, but almost everyone has assumed the speed of its acquisition, and the very bullish price, all had the modus operandi of the hedge fund trader, nicknamed the Wizard of Oz.
Of course last week Greg Coffey hit international headlines when he announced his retirement aged 41 from his London hedge fund, taking with him as estimated fortune of $400 million to enjoy.  
His resignation letter at Moore Capital Management even said he intended to spend more time in Australia with his wife, Ania, and their children.
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/2012/10/oct9whalebeach]}
But Title Tattle gleans the rumour that swept the peninsula over the weekend that Coffey was last Friday's $13 million-plus buyer of <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/geoff-cousins-snappily-secures-%2413-million-plus-whale-beach-buyers/2012101957317" target="_blank">adman Geoff Cousins' weekender</a> (pictured above) was way off.
Certainly buying the neighbouring property had been a habit of Coffey's, as earlier this year he spent $2.5 million to buy a property that adjoins Merdjayoun, the 1930s Balmoral hillside house he bought in 2005 for $11.8 million.
The Coffeys paid $7.75 million in 2006 for their Whale Beach property, which doesn't have as easy direct beach access that the Wedge enjoys and everyone thought any purchase would allow installation of a pool within the envisaged compound.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/10/jura.jpg">Perhaps Coffey's grand plans are being saved for his sprawling Ardfin estate (pictured above and below) in the Hebridean Island of Jura, Scotland, which was listed with a £3.5 million asking price when sold in 2010.
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/2012/10/oct22garden]}
The  11,595-acre (4,692-hectare) estate is situated at the southern tip of the Atlantic fringe island. It includes the <a href="https://www.jurainfo.com/blog/estates/jura-ardfin-estate-for-sale/" target="_blank">16-bedroom C-listed Jura House</a> and <a href="https://www.jurainfo.com/blog/jura-house-gardens-gallery/" target="_blank">renowned walled gardens</a> (pictured above), which, benefitting from a southerly aspect and the effects of the Gulf Stream, are home to exotic specimen plants from Australiasia. They'd been open to tourists, estimated at 2,500 annually, but closed since his 2010 purchase.
 
<hr class="system-pagebreak">
 
<img src="/images/stories/2012/10/harrison1.jpg" width="470">Believed to have only visited the island twice since acquisition, Coffey has now commissioned <a href="https://www.harrisongolf.com.au/harrison-unveils-plans-for-a-new-golf-course-on-the-scottish-island-of-jura" target="_blank">architect Bob Harrison to undertake the design</a> of an 18-hole golf course (pictured above and below), along with renovating other properties with the likely aim of encouraging well-heeled tourists who'd like to combine a round of golf with the island's other major attrraction, red deer stalking.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/10/harrison2.jpg" width="470">The population of the island is a mere 183 people, making it the least populated area in Europe, based on a 2005 population survey. The island's top employer is the whisky distillery, so tourism is its mainstay, including the holiday rental cottage at Barnhill where <a href="https://www.jurainfo.com/blog/travel-reports/orwell-pilgrimage-to-barnhill-jura/" target="_blank">George Orwell wrote his famous novel 1984</a> between 1946 and 1948. Prime Minister David Cameron is a regular visitor as his wife Samantha's stepfather, Viscount Astor, owns a 20,000-acre estate on the island.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/10/harrison3.jpg" width="470">There's been a little online chatter against the golf course, although an island blogger has suggested the golf project was believed to have the support of the vast majority of Jura residents following consultation with planning consent from the Argyll and Bute district council tipped for later in the year.
Bob Harrison has said the site was "the most beautiful I have ever seen. Nothing I’ve seen anywhere in the world competes with the sheer beauty of the Jura site. I love Scotland in general and, by a pleasant coincidence, had been a devoted fan of the Machrie course on nearby Islay for many years. Jura has become my favourite place on earth.”
"After nearly 20 years in the financial markets I’ve decided to leave the industry," Coffey wrote last week on his retirement.
"The demands of my growing family mean that I am unable to commit to the market with the same intensity going forward.
"I plan on seeing much more of my wife and children and spending time in my home country, Australia."
Moore Capital Management is run by American billionaire industry pioneer Louis Bacon.
He reportedly averaged annual return to investors of 22%. Coffey was ranked the 11th-wealthiest hedge-fund manager in Britain, with an estimated net worth of £260 million pounds ($402 million), London's Sunday Times reported in April. The Australian BRW magazine Young Rich tallied his fortune at $665 million earlier this year. A spokesperson for Coffey has advised residents that the gardens at Ardfin House were being renovated adding:  "It is Greg's full intention that once all the renovation works are completed, which is probably going to be at the end of the year, Greg will look to re-open the gardens next year at some point."
And so who did buy the Wedge at Whale Beach?
Title Tattle would suggest it's been bought by someone whose fortune has stemmed from the mining services industry. No name yet, as Title Tattle drills a bit deeper. And those who missed out can bid for another offering two doors along which has been listed through Glenn Lee with $10 million plus hopes.
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Retired expatriate hedge fund trader Greg Coffey's Scottish island golf course designs creating a wedge: Title Tattle

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Low residential vacancy rates and rising rents were evidence of strong underlying demand, with residential property markets improving as buyers sought out medium-density housing, according to Mirvac Property Group.
The group’s development division reported yesterday it was on track to settle 1,800 residential lots in the 2013 financial year.
It was in line with fiscal 2012. It has had the settlement of 331 lots as at September 30, 2012.
NSW was Mirvac’s strongest market, while Victoria’s property market has underperformed. The Queensland market remained patchy but would lift towards the end of the year, driven by increasing interstate migration and investment by resource companies, Mirvac chief executive officer development Brett Draffen advised.
"Dwelling approvals in New South Wales, after an initial recovery following the global financial crisis are now increasing close to their pre-GFC levels.
"The low rental vacancy rate and solid rental growth points to strong underlying demand.
"In conjunction with the improving housing market fundamentals, the announcement of land supply measures by the state Government and incentives for first time purchasers of new properties should provide a further boost in demand.
"Following a post-GFC uplift, the Victorian property market had become more subdued, as evidenced by slowing volumes and falling prices; more so for houses than medium density accommodation. The appreciation of the Australian dollar has continued to suppress the state’s manufacturing sector, with investment still biased towards the resource states.
"While the improving fundamentals will boost the property market, Victoria is still likely to under perform the other main states (New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia)."
Mirvac advised 85% pre-sales at Yarra Point, in the Melbourne Dockland and 43% pre-sold in the Yarra’s Edge, Array project.
With 80% of Mirvac's residential properties priced below $1 million, Mirvac said its medium-density product was in demand, particularly in the south-eastern states.
“The combination of soft property prices and lower borrowing costs have resulted in an improvement in housing affordability while home ownership is becoming financially attractive compared to renting,” Brett Draffen says.
“This trend is expected to gain momentum given housing affordability, the changing preference of new migrants, the aging of the population and increasing incidence of small households,” Draffen says.
Mirvac also noted its focus on the office sector and regional shopping centres was working in subdued market conditions.
Reaffirming its guidance for flat growth this financial year, Mirvac said it expected the group's 2012/13 operating profit to be between $366 million and $370 million. Mirvac reported operating profit after tax of $366 million for 2011-12. 
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Mirvac affirms profit guidance as sub-$1 million median density attracts buyers

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Barangaroo's new hotel and casino should be built over the water, the former prime minister Paul Keating has urged. 

He's suggested Premier Barry O'Farrell reverse the decision for the Barangaroo hotel to be erected on solid ground. Keating is the former chairman of the advisory Barangaroo Design Excellence Review Panel.
But the Premier quickly ruled out the idea of returning the hotel to its original position saying: "I think that would be a terrible precedent given the Harbour is one of the greatest assets and attributes this city has."
The initial 2009 plans under Keating's stewardship had the proposed hotel built over the harbour but it was revised after a public outcry, with Keating yesterday attributing it to "Clover Moore, Darling Island residents and The Sydney Morning Herald".
<img src="/images/stories/2012/10/barangaroo3.jpg">
The proposal was derided on unveiling when the SMH published its front-page characterisation of the hotel on the pier as<a target="_blank" href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/grand-slam-for-barangaroos-grand-plan-harbour-makeover-looks-like-worst-of-dubai-20091221-la26"> "the worst of Dubai</a>".
It was during the period of anti-development urban affairs reportage by the then urban affairs editor Matthew Moore. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.smh.com.au/nsw/big-red-cut-down-to-size-but-barangaroo-critics-not-silenced-20100616-ygjh">It included a six-month campaign  against the hotel concept</a> with the president of the Barangaroo Action Group, Ian Campbell, prominent in the reportage. Having paid $9.1 million in 2008, Campbell owned a prestige Sydney Wharf apartment in the nearby Darling Island district, which while over water itself, was at risk of losing morning sun from the then proposed hotel development, which was being presented (below) in as unflattering light as possible.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/10/baran.jpg">
Philip Thalis, who won the initial design competition on redeveloping Barangaroo but failed to secure the design implementation, was the commentator who dubbed the hotel over the harbour as "a catastrophic mistake for Sydney".
"It's the worst of Dubai 'look at me' architecture,'' Thalis told the SMH urban affairs reporting team in late 2009.
Matthew Moore, who has since taken redundancy from Fairfax Media, is expected to appear in an upcoming ABC Australian Story that looks at the emotional upheaval within its dwindling journalistic ranks. 
The project's lead architect Lord Richard Rogers did find voice through the property pages of the SMH in May 2011, telling then its property editor Jonathan Chancellor that the hotel was <a target="_blank" href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/lord-rogers-barangaroo-architect-defends-his-vision-20110529-1fas0">" a wonderful opportunity for a landmark as long as the ground area is public domain".</a>
"It's a visual marker," he told me.
Ivan Harbour, a partner at the London-based architectural firm Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners – whose design was selected for the project – noted it was the heritage Walsh Bay wharves nearby that helped shape the practice's plan.
"We as outsiders came along and saw that Sydney builds in the water," Harbour said.
"We thought if we can put water into the site through the inlets, maybe we can project outside of the site too. So we are not taking water away, in fact we are increasing the amount of water.
"It seemed to us it wasn't an irrational thing to do to have this as a focal point. We didn't quite understand the comparison with Dubai," Harbour said.
The architects did like its briefly attributed nickname, Big Red.
"We thought fantastic – it has a nickname, which means it's in the consciousness," Harbour said.
 
<hr class="system-pagebreak">
 
The luxury hotel, Sydney's first international premium hotel for more than a decade, was billed as integral to the site's vibrancy, adding activity after hours and at weekends, according to the developer, Lend Lease.
"But then we were asked at some point to make it anaemic," Harbour said.
Among those leading the opposition was the Sydney lord mayor, Clover Moore, who was the subject of a tirade by the former prime minister after she presented to Parliament a petition of more than 11,000 names calling for a review of the proposed development. The attempt to force a special commission of inquiry into the Barangaroo development were colourfully dismissed by Keating as advocacy by ''sandal-wearing, muesli-chewing, bike-riding pedestrians''. But following the public outcry and the review, the amendments removed the building's obvious redness and also reduced the hotel height from 213 metres to 170 metres.
Its gross floor area was reduced from 44,000 square metres to 33,000 square metres.
"We rather liked its character, as it symbolised a strength," Harbour said. "It hasn't lost its colour, not in our minds. Sydney has a climate for colour – why go grey?"
Rogers agreed. "The colour band in most cities goes from black to white ... it's rather sad."
The decision then led to Barangaroo builders Lend Lease being given a bigger hotel, which requires the city's second casino to fund it, according to today's report by Daily Telegraph reporter Andrew Clennell.
Keating says the compensation was forced because Lend Lease already had a contract with the government to have a hotel on the water and O'Farrell broke that contract.
The Daily Telegraph revealed this week that the government at its next cabinet meeting on November 5 would move James Packer's six-star hotel Barangaroo casino proposal to the next phase of "detailed consideration", effectively giving it the green light.
Labor's shadow cabinet has given the greenlight to the project after lobbying from Packer's camp including the former Labor powerbrokers Mark Arbib and Karl Bitar.
The project's lead architect, Lord Richard Rogers, has described the renewal of the 22-hectare stretch of concrete and East Darling Harbour wharves as ''turning Sydney's back door into another front door''.
“The water is critical, the public space is critical, the city is growing and you need more public space,” he suggests.
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