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.

Joel Robinson

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

A collection of just 25 large-format apartments and penthouses overlooking Goodwin Park is entering the Coolangatta market, with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/marea-residences-coolangatta-27-27a-dixon-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Maréa Residences</a> combining a low-density, residential-only approach with uninterrupted park and Pacific Ocean outlooks.

Located at 27 Dixon Street, Maréa comprises three and four-bedroom residences alongside a limited number of dual-level penthouses, with the project positioned between Goodwin Park and <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/coolangatta-qld-4225">Coolangatta</a>’s coastal precinct.

Construction has commenced, with completion currently estimated for late 2027. Three-bedroom residences are priced from $1.8 million.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150999 project_image_fid=374005]

The project has been designed around its northern outlook across the park, with the building’s architecture, landscaping and material palette intended to establish a connection with the neighbouring green space. The residences have been configured to maximise natural light and views across Goodwin Park towards the ocean.

Inside, the material palette incorporates timber, stone and brushed brass, complemented by curved detailing and ambient lighting. Kitchens and bathrooms carry the same natural material approach, while residences also include basement parking, storage and lift access.

Maréa’s penthouses are arranged over two levels and include private pools, adding another layer to the project’s focus on larger-format apartment living. Across the development, residences are configured with three or four bedrooms rather than the broader mix of smaller apartment types commonly found in larger projects.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150999 project_image_fid=374010]

Resident amenity is concentrated at rooftop level, where landscaped entertaining terraces and pools take advantage of elevated views across Coolangatta and the Pacific Ocean.

The project has so far been particularly well received by local owner-occupiers and downsizers, according to Urban Activation Property Sales and Marketing Director Matt George, with the residential-only format, construction quality and northern park outlook among the features resonating with purchasers.

“The uninterrupted northern aspect overlooking Goodwin Park has been a key point of difference, with buyers attracted to the sense of serenity and open space the park provides, while still enjoying easy access to the ocean and being within walking distance of the lifestyle and amenities Coolangatta has to offer,” George said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150999 project_image_fid=374002]

“The combination of high-quality construction, a residential-only building, park outlook and proximity to the beach has resonated strongly with the local downsizer market.”

The Dixon Street address is within walking distance of Coolangatta Beach and the broader southern Gold Coast coastline, including the surf breaks at Snapper Rocks and Kirra. Coolangatta’s cafés, restaurants and retail are nearby, while Gold Coast Airport is also within close proximity.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150999]

Maréa Residences brings parkside apartments to Coolangatta

Melbourne developer PDG has secured Victorian Government approval for its $1.5 billion Southbank development <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-one-1-queens-bridge-street-southbank-vic-3006">The One</a>, clearing the way for the long-dormant riverfront site opposite Crown to finally be developed.

The Minister for Planning has approved the project at 1-29 Queens Bridge Street, with the Department of Transport and Planning issuing the planning permit following its assessment.

The approval will allow PDG to develop the prominent 5,059 sqm site with a major mixed-use tower comprising premium apartments, including branded residences, a luxury hotel and boutique office space.

PDG acquired the site in late 2024, with its position directly opposite Crown's main entrance and near Melbourne's Arts Precinct making it one of Southbank's most significant remaining development opportunities.

<img alt="PDG" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3933013e-6332-4386-b9be-089df05caf17" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-27%20at%209.29.22%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=sITIgBqDL0N3VNSMwWEmF5UA.uvcsRyu" />

Designed by COX in collaboration with ODO and PDG, the tower's architecture draws on the movement of the Yarra River, with six vertical pleats running the height of the sculpted facade.

The project will also see the heritage-listed Queens Bridge Hotel restored and incorporated into the development&nbsp;with new hospitality and public uses, including a rooftop venue.

A significant component of The One will be its residential amenity.

More than 5,000 sqm of resident facilities will be delivered across a single level, making it one of the largest consolidated residential amenity offerings proposed in an Australian apartment development.

The planning approval also incorporates a major upgrade of Queensbridge Square, which PDG will deliver in partnership with the City of Melbourne.

<img alt="PDG" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="73167fcd-1031-4b6f-a408-a064cfe45ed1" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-27%20at%209.29.17%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=Pf1AEWxw6SNmBqR0zQW5lyEze.MtxgFp" />

The existing square will be revitalised as a new civic and pedestrian space along the Yarra River, strengthening the connection between the project, Southbank and the riverfront.

PDG Founder and Managing Director Vince Giuliano said the approval represented a major milestone for a site which has remained largely underutilised for more than 15 years.

“This is the most significant Planning Permit approval Melbourne has seen in recent years,” Giuliano said.

“For more than 15 years, this site has remained underutilised. This approval enables us to deliver a project that will contribute meaningfully to the revitalisation of Southbank, restore and reactivate an important heritage building, and create a new civic and hospitality destination for Melbourne.”

The latest approval follows an earlier planning permit issued by the City of Melbourne covering demolition works across part of the site at 9-29 Queens Bridge Street. Those demolition and early works are already underway.

PDG has also started generating early interest in the residential component from owner-occupiers ahead of a planned public launch in early 2027.

PDG secures approval for $1.5bn Southbank apartment development, The One

Local developer Harridan is seeking to turn its Woolloongabba apartment project into the first stage of a broader transformation of Burke Street, using a new 16-storey mixed-use building to establish a greener pedestrian connection toward the rapidly evolving Boggo Road transport and knowledge precinct.

The South East Queensland developer has filed plans for 154 apartments on the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/4-burke-street-woolloongabba-qld-4102">southern side of Burke Street</a>, where its proposal has been designed alongside a wider vision by LatStudios for the street.

That vision positions the southern side of Burke Street for buildings of 15 storeys and above, while envisaging lower-rise development of up to five storeys on the northern side to transition into Woolloongabba's existing character housing. It also proposes wider pedestrian verges, deep planting, new street trees and upgrades to the pedestrian approach to Boggo Road Station.

The Harridan development itself has been designed by Brisbane-based Arqus Design and will comprise 154 apartments across 16 storeys. The mix is weighted heavily toward two-bedroom apartments, with 121 proposed alongside 10 one-bedroom and 23 three-bedroom residences. There will typically be around 14 units per floor.

A lower-ground car park and three podium levels will accommodate 156 resident parking spaces, along with visitor and commercial parking. There will also be 154 resident bicycle spaces and 40 visitor bicycle parks.

&nbsp;

Harridan is a family-owned developer and part of the Holmwood Highgate Group, with more than three decades of development activity across South East Queensland. Its portfolio spans residential, commercial and industrial property, with current residential projects including Riverbank on Byron in Bulimba, Esperance Residences in Carina and The Precinct at Kinross Road in Thornlands.

Wooloongabba has been popular for apartment developers, particularly since the announcement of the 2032 Summer Olympics games in Brisbane.

While there have been a lot of development applications, it has failed to materialize into real supply.&nbsp;

Sarazin has been the major player in the area. They are under construction at Murcia Residences, on the fringe of East Brisbane and Woolloongabba. They have just launched <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-stanley-residences-woolloongabba-8-trafalgar-street-woolloongabba-qld-4102">The Stanley Residences</a>, in Woolloongabba on Trafalagar Street. They also have Nuage coming soon on the nearby <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/nuage-woolloongabba-14-wellington-road-woolloongabba-qld-4102">Wellington Road</a>.

First look: Harridan plans Burke Street transformation beside Boggo Road transport hub

Australia Post is one of the country’s most trusted institutions, powering one of the largest delivery networks in Australia. As online shopping continues to scale, Australians spent a record $82.6 billion online in 2025, with nearly one in four retail dollars now spent online.

That scale of eCommerce activity has fundamentally changed expectations around how and when parcels arrive, and what happens when someone isn't home.

<h3>Problem solved with Parcel Lockers</h3>

The traditional alternatives to home delivery are far from ideal. Buildings can rely on reception teams to manage deliveries, which introduces ongoing staffing costs and liability concerns. Parcels can be left in common areas, which creates security and aesthetic issues. Or residents are redirected to nearby Post Offices for collection, which shifts the inconvenience rather than solving it.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dVG5ChLHf7E?si=D9hQRGCBuzlSQBqK" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

The data behind that frustration is significant. Nationally, around 9 per cent of deliveries are carded, meaning the recipient was not home and must collect the parcel from a Post Office. That figure reflects the national average reported between November 2025 and January 2026. In Melbourne, that figure rises to 20 per cent. In high-density living, it climbs again to 28 per cent. In other words, more than one in four deliveries in Melbourne apartment buildings results in a failed first attempt.

<h3>How Parcel Lockers work</h3>

The mechanics are simple. When a parcel arrives, the resident receives a notification either through the Australia Post app or via SMS. They scan a QR code, use their one-time PIN and the compartment opens. The parcel is secure, accessible and removed from the lobby floor.

Located in thoughtfully chosen, easily accessible areas, including external building interfaces, mixed-use precincts or shared communal zones, Parcel Lockers enhance convenience without requiring internal building access or additional operational oversight.

<h3>The scale of the network</h3>

This expansion represents Australia Post's largest investment in parcel infrastructure to date, building on momentum that began in 2011 when the first 24 Parcel Locker sites were introduced.

Today the Australia Post Parcel Locker network spans over 1,400 locations and more than 105,000 individual compartments, with major investment already underway to significantly expand the network further.

<h3>What it means for developers and building operators</h3>

A Parcel Locker bank is free to install and free for residents to use. That removes one of the primary barriers to adoption and shifts the conversation from cost to integration.

Australia Post's preference is to engage with developers during the design phase. That allows Parcel Lockers to be located in a considered, publicly accessible space that works for residents and the broader community. Retrofit is possible, and existing buildings can be assessed, but the strongest results occur when Parcel Lockers are treated as part of the core services plan rather than a bolt-on solution.

While the iconic Australia Post red is widely recognised, Parcel Lockers can also be delivered in more muted palettes such as beige or green to align with architectural intent.

For developers, they offer a tech-forward amenity that meets modern expectations, a reduction in courier congestion and building-management load supporting lower emissions and better ESG outcomes, and a meaningful marketability advantage in high-density, eCommerce-active areas, all at no cost for installation and maintenance, with Australia Post funding the program aside from power access.

<h3>Who's using them</h3>

Generational shopping behaviours show strong, sustained growth across all cohorts. Millennials (27–43) led online spend in 2024, contributing nearly $25 billion. Baby Boomers (60–78) increased their online spend by 17.6 per cent, becoming the fastest-growing adopters. Gen Z (13–26) and Gen X (44–59) continue to lean on delivery services as part of their everyday shopping habits.

Internationally, uptake is even more pronounced. Overseas markets are seeing rapid adoption by both developers and consumers, positioning Parcel Lockers as standard infrastructure in many new residential projects. For Melbourne's development community, this signals a shift in baseline expectations. Just as secure bike storage and dedicated parcel rooms have become more common, integrated Parcel Locker networks may soon be viewed as part of the essential service mix.

<h3>The bigger picture</h3>

Parcel Lockers aren't just a logistics fix. Developers invest heavily in lobby design, materials, lighting and landscaping to shape first impressions. Yet a stack of unattended parcels can undo that effort in an instant. Embedding parcel infrastructure early allows projects to respond to how people actually live today, supporting resident satisfaction, reducing operational strain and aligning with broader community and ESG outcomes.

As Belinda Quinn, Senior Transaction Manager – Retail &amp; Out of Home at Australia Post, puts it, residents increasingly expect delivery solutions that align with real life, are flexible, secure and available whenever they need them.

How Australia Post is solving the parcel problem for apartment living

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GUEST OBSERVATION
As a general rule, one place you really don’t want to find yourself is in-between a Melburnian and a piece of real estate.
But one group of long-term city residents has been getting in the way of developers and planners for a very long time now. This is even more impressive when you consider these residents have been dead for well over a century.
The Queen Victoria Market’s carpark <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/victoria/past-versus-present-20140507-37wdj" target="_blank">sits atop the city’s original cemetery</a>, founded in the 1830s. Despite exhumations in the 1920s there are still thousands of bodies buried there, some at depth, others barely a foot beneath the surface.
Surveyor Robert Hoddle’s understandable lack of foresight in siting the cemetery so close to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoddle_Grid" target="_blank">the CBD grid that bears his name</a> has meant that the use of this land has long been a sensitive and difficult matter. Works over the years have had to negotiate the competing needs of the market (in more sense than one) and the non-economic needs of human remembrance, trying to combine mercantile and sacred space in a delicate balancing act.
Recently, City of Melbourne <a href="https://participate.melbourne.vic.gov.au/queenvictoriamarket" target="_blank">has proposed</a> turning most of the existing carpark into a park as a sign of respect for those buried there – a far cry from the attitude of the 1930s, when a steam shovel was used to tear through the old cemetery to build the Franklin Street stores.
And yet questions have still been raised about whether the new plans show sufficient forbearance. The proposed extension of Franklin Street and commercial development at the southern end of the market precinct would potentially sit atop burial sites.
This clash between the call of the future and the depth of the past poses important questions for us here in the present: should the dead impede the activities of the living in this way? What, if anything, do we owe the dead?
It’s too easy to say “nothing”, that the dead simply don’t exist any more and any responsibilities we have regarding the dead are actually duties to the living. Even the unsentimental Aristotle thought it “<a href="https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0054:book=1:chapter=11" target="_blank">heartless</a>” to claim the dead couldn’t be harmed by events after their death, such as the fortunes of their descendants.
There is a real question as to how we can harm or benefit a person who no longer exists, and philosophers have tried to answer this question <a href="https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/death/index" target="_blank">in a number of ways</a>. An influential answer, first <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.jstor.org/stable/2214297" target="_blank">offered by Thomas Nagel</a>, is that just as we can harm someone at a great spatial distance, say by betraying them, we can also harm them at a temporal distance as well.
So when, for instance, Colin Campbell Ross <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Campbell_Ross" target="_blank">was pardoned</a> for Melbourne’s <a href="https://www.emelbourne.net.au/biogs/EM00679b.htm" target="_blank">Gun Alley Murder</a>, 86 years after he was wrongfully convicted and hanged, this was justice for Ross, not for the living.
I’ve <a href="https://www.academia.edu/197785/Duties_to_the_Dead_Earnest_Imagination_and_Remembrance" target="_blank">argued previously</a> that the dead persist phenomenally in our recollection – not as conscious selves, but nonetheless as the objects of loving attention they were for us while they lived – and that this gives us a responsibility to maintain that memory.
Sartre said the dead are “prey” to the living, but they are also our dependants: without our maintenance they slip away into oblivion, into what Goethe called the “second death” of being forgotten.
Yet those buried beneath the Queen Vic are beyond memory. There are no direct personal bonds between the living and the dead in this case, no personal promises left to honour or break. Whatever connections of blood or allegiance we might have to these people are lost in their anonymity. Each is, for us, simply a distinct token of humanity, and whatever we owe them, we owe them simply as human beings.
Kierkegaard declared that remembering the dead was the purest act of love, because the dead can neither repay us for our trouble nor force us to remember them. This work of love is harder when the dead are beyond human memory, stripped of their identity and decomposed into a body that can only be reconstructed, not recognised, and described only through general categories – age, height, sex.
But the sense remains that even these remains are those of distinctive persons, objects of someone’s loving regard even if they remain unknowable to us.
The inscription “Known Unto God” on the gravestones of unknown soldiers picks out something like this: to us these are perhaps just bones, but someone – God, at least, for the epitaph-writers of the Great War – knew this person in their distinctive fullness. They lived. And that they lived deserves to be respected.
The reason we’re horrified by the thought of a steam shovel tearing up the old cemetery is not that we’re superstitious or have taken metaphors about the “resting place” of the dead too literally. It’s that the dead continue to demand a respect that extends to how we treat their remains, however far removed these might be from the full, living person they once were.
The dead, in a way, have a right to be awkward. They should be an obstruction, something the living need to work around, because in doing so we refuse to quarantine them from the realm of what is.
The rights of those buried beneath the market carpark are of course no more absolute than those of any other Melburnians. It would be silly to deny that the living have a far greater claim on us, and the demands of the dead are easily outweighed by other considerations. But that doesn’t mean the dead have no claim on us at all.
The continued sensitive management of this site isn’t simply a piece of good urban planning or canny politics. It’s a work of love.
Patrick Stokes is lecturer in Philosophy at Deakin University<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/26462/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.3em;">.
This article was originally published on <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.
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jake-cSmGT7VXVf

Building on cemeteries: Should the dead roll over to make room for real estate?

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The Victorian government’s new strategy for 2050, Plan Melbourne, looks to focus on infrastructure for growth over the next 30-odd years, noting that it is the biggest infrastructure program in the history of the state.
In announcing the new plan, Premier Denis Napthine said that it included transport projects that are game changers, as well as urban renewal and activity precincts.
<a href="/images/2014/05/20/mleb%202020.png" target="_blank"><img src="/images/2014/05/20/mleb%202020.png" alt=""></a>
His focus is on new jobs, transport, and more homes and lifestyle opportunities across the city, while maintaining the liveability.
“The plan creates a clear picture of Melbourne's infrastructure-led growth  to 2050 and a long term plan integrating Victoria's regions with metropolitan Melbourne,” Napthine said.
He noted that $27 billion in the 2014/2015 state budget is being committed for economic infrastructure for the state, in what is the biggest program ever seen in Victoria for infrastructure.
<a href="/images/2014/05/20/mleb%202020%20TWO.png" target="_parent"><img src="/images/2014/05/20/mleb%202020%20TWO.png" alt=""></a>
Land within urban areas will be unlocked, explained Minister for Planning Matthew Guy.
“This is a comprehensive plan for Melbourne that caters for a projected population of 7.7 million people by 2051 and provides a solid foundation to meet these challenges,” Guy said.
The new dedicated Metropolitan Planning Authority will implement the plan and will be given planning authority powers for the metro area of Melbourne, and will use this new authority in urban renewal precincts, employment clusters, activity centres and health and education precincts.
Here are the specific areas mentioned in Plan Melbourne.
Major urban renewal areas include:
Fishermans Bend
E-Gate
Arden-Macaulay
Key rail corridors
National employment clusters:
Monash
La Trobe
<a href="/news">Sunshine</a>
<a href="/news">Dandenong South</a>
East Werribee
<a href="/news">Parkville</a>
Key activity and job centres:
<a href="/news">Dandenong</a>
<a href="/news">Box Hill</a>
<a href="/news">Ringwood</a>
Essendon Fields
<a href="/news">Narre Warren</a>
<a href="/news">Broadmeadows</a>
<a href="/news">Epping</a>
<a href="/news">Footscray</a>
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jduke-EHk3XBmHkn

The 16 suburbs to benefit most from Plan Melbourne 2050

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Sixteen of Victoria’s community and publicly managed heritage properties have been given grants for conservation, according to Planning Minister Matthew Guy.
The first round of the new Victorian Heritage Register Places and Objects Fund will see $900,000 of grants to projects statewide.
The St Mary’s Catholic Church in Bairnsdale is on the list for assistance, with $75,000 of funding. The Church is matching the contribution, and they’re looking to fix the slate roof.
The Old Murmungee Hall, in Murmungee, is an 1869 community building that will receive a $43,000 grant to help fund roof repairs and fix the damp.
A former Freemasons Hall in South Melbourne will receive a $90,000 grant, to repair the coat of arms, brickwork and render.
The Alfred Fuller Pipe Organ in Geelong will receive $10,000, matched by the Church, for cleaning, repairing and restoration.
In 2013 to 2015 around $2 million in heritage grants will be provided.
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Conservation grants for 16 of Victoria’s heritage buildings

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The way a property presents can make or break its potential for sale or for finding those perfect tenants, and so vendors and landlords need to take it seriously.
Place managing director, Sarah Hackett, explains that there are seven factors that should always be considered when trying to provide that immediate attraction and charm.
“While you can go to the extent of staging your home with rented furniture, there are other things you can do to present your home in the best possible way and get buyers and tenants to fall in love with it without spending a fortune,” explains Hackett.
For those heading to an open home to assess a property to purchase, then <a href="/news/how-to-assess-a-property-at-an-open-home">here’s a useful guide</a>.
For those selling, here are her seven tips:
<ol>
<li>
Street appeal We hear about fixing up that front façade all the time – and for good reason. It’s important! First impressions are quickly made about a property, and you don’t want your buyers put off before they’ve even stepped through the front door. “You need to have both the interior and exterior of the property looking in pristine condition,” said Hackett. “Mow the grass and tidy the yard, put out fresh mulch in the garden, sweep driveways and patios and put away garden tools such as hoses and sprinklers. Consider adding a new latch to the fence so that it opens easily and give the fence a fresh coat of paint if needed.” She also explained that when the agent greets the viewer at the front door, it’s nice to add a homely touch. This could be a nice door mat or pot plants. It’s also worth remembering to keep things clean, avoid parking directly in front of the house and to keep vehicles out of driveways. Here’s <a href="/expert-insights/building/five-ways-to-spruce-up-your-propertys-exterior-for-added-value">five ways to spruce up your property’s exterior for added value</a>.  
</li>
<li>
Cleanliness The next step is to keep things clean and to de-clutter the property.  It may require a bit of elbow grease, but the time spent is worthwhile. “This involves removing unwanted dirt and dust so that your property is sparkling, as well as tidying and de-cluttering, which includes cleaning off counter tops in the kitchen and bathrooms; removing photos and papers from the refrigerator; putting away items such as remote controls, magazines and garbage bins from the living areas; and ensuring bedrooms are tidy by making beds and putting clothes away,” she said. Essentially, this step is about removing distractions and unnecessary objections to the property. This is the <a href="/expert-insights/investing/ten-tips-to-prepare-your-home-for-an-open-for-inspection">number one ‘must do’ item on this list of 10 things that you should look towards before your open for inspection</a>. 
</li>
<li>
Lighting Maximising natural light is a good first step – just opening the blinds or curtains can be helpful, as can cleaning the windows. Turn all the interior lights on, even in daytime showings. “This includes ensuring any broken light bulbs have been changed,” explains Hackett. 
</li>
<li>
Style your home While you can bring in the professionals it is also worth DIY-ing if you can’t afford it. “Set your table – it doesn’t have to be a formal setting, in fact casual is better,” she said. “Put a jug of water and nice glasses out or a bread loaf on a nice platter with napkins.” Look for nice features, such as fresh flowers, and create focus points in different rooms. Each room should be styled – consider purchasing cheap, but nice, doona covers, bathroom accessories and artworks. “Ultimately you want it to look like a hotel,” said Hackett. “In this sense you can make the bed a feature of the bedroom by adding extra pillows, and in the bathroom you can display soaps, towels and bath oils.” 
</li>
<li>
Playing to emotions Property is all about tugging on the heartstrings, so don’t be afraid to play to the mood. Music can work well, and is often used at professional display suites. She explains that this works particularly well as people feel more free to talk and discuss the property. 
</li>
<li>
Repairs Don’t leave any imperfections that can be easily fixed – this includes cracked windows, or chipped paint. “These signs of neglect can ring alarm bells for some buyers, who may think the whole property is generally rundown, and it will detract from the property’s appeal,” said Hackett. 
</li>
<li>
Time it right It’s likely you know your property well – so do you also know the time of day when it presents best? West facing houses may suit to do an open home in the morning – particularly if there’s no air conditioning and it tends to get too hot. “Likewise if your house has a lot of shade, hold open houses in the warmer hours. But make sure you work out when the entertaining areas are sunlit but not boiling,” she says.</li>
</ol>
You may also want to read <a href="/news/get-your-property-open-home-ready-in-just-one-morning-a-last-minute-guide">this “last minute guide” to preparing your property for an open home</a>.
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Seven tips for preparing your home for sale or for rent

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Defence Housing Australia could yet be privatised after the 2014 federal budget.
The budget provides $11.7 million for “scoping studies into future ownership option” for Defence Housing Australia, the Royal Australian Mint, Australian Hearing and the corporate registry function of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.
Overall the government will axe 16,500 jobs over three years, by cutting 230 bureaucratic programs and 70 government agencies.
The DHA remains a likely target, although the influential head of the Australia Defence Association, Neil James described the pre-budget reported plans to sell off Defence Housing Australia as set to be a "broken promise" and a "betrayal."
It was The National Commission of Audit that recently recommended privatising Defence Housing Australia, which manages a portfolio of 18,300 properties valued at around $10 billion.
The DHA delivers annual profits to the Commonwealth of $100 million-plus.
The audit report suggested it be done in the first phase of any privatisations by the Abbott government. 
DHA currently provides housing and related services to Defence members and families in order to support the operational, recruitment and retention goals of the Department of Defence.
DHA constructs, purchases and leases houses for Defence personnel, manages dwelling allocation and tenancies and acquires and develops land to build mixed military and private communities.
Most of its funding comes from Defence, or Defence employees.
It finances additional capital investment by selling and leasing back dwellings, the sale of land and dwellings from developments and the disposal of surplus properties.
As at 30 June 2013, DHA had 18,300 houses under management, including over 3,800 it directly owned and around 12,500 leased from investors.
In 2012-13, DHA spent $305 million on a capital programme to acquire 590 new houses by construction or purchase, and $14.4 million on the acquisition of 38 apartments.
It also has a $360 million programme to upgrade and replace defence owned houses.
DHA currently has 12 major developments in progress, including in Sydney, Darwin, Townsville, Canberra and Brisbane. 
DHA was established to commercially manage and improve the defence housing stock as a result of criticism in 1986 of the poor standard of accommodation then available.
Since its creation, DHA has undertaken a major program to bring defence housing up to community standards.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Defence Housing Australia (DHA) privatisation mooted, but not signed off, in 2014 federal budget

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Northbrook Corp, which looks to develop Noosa on Weyba, have filed an appeal in the Planning and Environment Court after being refused their development application by two Sunshine Coast Councils who said it did not fit their planning schemes.
The move to court was said to come as “no surprise” to Noosa Council officials and the Friends of Lake Weyba, who are “vigorously anti-development”, according to The Queensland Times.
Co-developer of the project, which sits in both Noosa and Sunshine Coast Council areas, is Mantle.
The developers submitted a 10-page document responding to the refusals.
The <a href="https://www.noosaonweyba.com.au/" target="_blank">official website for Noosa on Weyba</a> notes that they look to provide a range of housing options, parks, cycleways, aged care amenities and access to Lake Weyba. They also said that they would adopt sustainability principles.
A maximum of 50 apartments, and a range of aged care apartments, retiring living cottages, residential lots and townhouses, as well as a kiosk/tea house for the public at the gateway to Noosa National Park, are proposed. Overall, there would be 850 new dwellings.
The development would sit on a 303 hectare landholding. A total of 19% would be developed over the eight year timeline.
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Queensland developer looks to court appeal after 850 dwellings rejected by two councils

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A man who took out home renovation work without a licence, as well as breached home building legislation, has been ordered to pay $40,000 in fines and costs, after facing the Parramatta Local Court this month.
Buddy Charbel Challita, a 42 year old from Greenacre, was convicted ex-parte on 2 May, fined $6,000 for unlicensed contracting of specialist work, $18,000 for thrice demanding/receiving payment before the work had commenced and $18,000 for thrice contracting residential work without an insurance certificate.
Challita also had to pay professional and court costs, totalling $2,095, costing him $44,095 in overall.
He had applied to Fair Trading for a contractor licence in 2009. This was refused as he had a bankrupt status.
Despite this, in April 2013 he contracted with an East Hills home owner to create two new bathrooms, a laundry and a kitchen. The amount of the work would be $33,420. Under New South Wales requirements, this would need a licence. No home warranty insurance was in place.
He also received a $4,000 deposit from that property owner – this is above the 5% maximum allowed under the Home Building Act. After paying these sums, three months passed with little work undertaken. The property owner was then required to pay for other contractors to complete the work.
Acting Fair Trading Commissioner, Rob Vellar, said that the whole idea of the Home Building Act is to protect consumers from these situations.
“Unlicensed building and commencing work without Home Warranty Insurance in place can not only have a potentially adverse impact upon the future re-sale value of a property,” said Vellar.
“It can also been downright dangerous. Always check your builder is appropriately licensed before entering into any contract for home renovations.”
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Unlicensed home renovator and builder ordered to pay more than $40,000

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Hi Margaret,
My partner and I are thinking of buying our first home by the end of this year and are currently researching on where to build, the demographics, etc which will suit our budget.
We are from WA and are thinking of going for a home and land package. Therefore will you have any piece of advice as we are newbies to the property market and believe that extensive research needs to be conducted before we embark on this journey.
Is there any of your books that are specifically targeted towards first home buyers.
Regards,
Amira
Margaret's answer on the next page. Please click below.
<hr class="system-pagebreak">
Hi Amira,
It's really important to understand that the parameters around how we choose the home we wish to live in are not the same as those we choose the home to invest in.
If you were buying purely for an investment, it's more likely that you would not invest in the same kind of area that you would choose to buy in as an owner occupier.  This is because, at any moment in time, some areas make better investments than others due to the existence of growth drivers which have not yet had a big impact on that market.
If you were choosing to invest you would be looking for areas which are not yet fully serviced, yet show signs of increasing population, infrastructure and popularity. These areas then have a good chance to grow quickly and you will benefit from that by having an investment which grows well.  If you are looking to buy a home to live in you would be looking for an established area which most likely already has had some good growth - you choose it for the convenience and lifestyle benefits it can provide to you and consider its potential to grow as a secondary requirement.
You want to buy in WA, and most residential areas in Perth have had a good run last year, with prices softening this year.  Therefore, as an investment it's not as good, at this moment in time, as say, Brisbane, and so you would most likely not choose a Perth suburb as an investment right now.  But as you want to live there, your aim instead should be to find something within your budget which also allows you to meet all of your lifestyle needs - a decent proximity to your work, near family and friends and close to any of the things you like to do in your leisure time, such as go to the beach, go bushwalking etc.
As you are choosing a house and land package, make very sure that the total price to build this house does not exceed the current price for similar, established properties which are already built.  Often there is a builder premium which you cannot recover through market growth, as this house will only have the same value as similar established houses once it is built.
Then, make sure that you get the right type of loan, right from the start, one which is flexible and will allow you to redraw anything you pay off it to make a deposit on an investment property.  You want to be able to pay down your loan as quickly as you can so that the combined effect of debt reduction and market growth of the property creates the equity you need to get started with a property investment portfolio. 
While my books don't specifically help a first time owner occupier, the latest one, <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/how-to-achieve-property-success-margaret-lomas/prod9780987368294" target="_blank">How to Achieve Property Success</a>, which is a combination and update of my first three books, definitely helps you to undertake effective mortgage reduction and prepare yourself for starting on your property investing journey. 
Regards,
Margaret
Have a property question? <a href="mailto:askmargaret@propertyobserver.com.au" target="_blank">Ask Margaret!</a>
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mlomas-KC9MUPZ6Ca

What should I look for in a house and land investment? Ask Margaret

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Calling Barangaroo an important precinct in Sydney, Urban Taskforce CEO Chris Johnson has said that the City of Sydney’s concerns prompting suggestions for the site to be reduced should be rejected.
Citing a recent PricewaterhouseCoopers report, that saw Sydney CBD as being low growth in economic output, compared to Melbourne and Brisbane, Johnson said that the City of Sydney Council’s reduction in scale ideas for Barangaroo should not become a reality.
“Melbourne’s annual economic growth was 4.7% a year, Brisbane’s 4.4% while Sydney’s was only 2.2%,” he said, arguing that Barangaroo is crucial for the future of Sydney. What Sydney will be like in 2050 was a recent topic of discussion on Property Observer.
“We need to get Sydney CBD back as the leading economic driver of Australia and that requires leadership from state and local government to encourage new development rather than trying to stop it,” he said.
Bold thinking that aims for growth, specifically in the CBD, is crucial, he explained.
“Barangaroo has 22 hectares of land and even the latest potential for 680,000 square meters of development is just over a three to one floor space ratio. Most of the city has buildings over 10 to one floor space ratios so Barangaroo is not excessive.”
He said that the Council should not be taking a negative position on this development, but should get behind the important precinct and help promote it.
However, significant changes have occurred since the Council’s initial involvement. Fairfax Media recently reported that the development has doubled in size since its conception, and that relations have recently deteriorated between the council and the government over the development.
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia/Creative Commons.
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Urban Taskforce criticises suggestion to reduce size of Barangaroo

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Western Australian couple Russell and Carole - contestants on House Rules 2014 - purchased their home off Gumtree.
It was advertised under the heading "renovate or detonate".
"Russell was being ridiculous looking at places that were too expensive so I plugged into Gumtree, ‘Houses for Sale’ and put in an amount that we could afford," said Carole.
Despite the extensive work needed, Carole could see potential, falling in love with the valley views, then buying without any building inspection report. 
They now have a $290,000 mortgage, <a href="https://au.tv.yahoo.com/house-rules/clips/23221878/worst-rooms-carole-and-russell-wa-/" target="_blank">with the renovation by rival contestants airing this week on Channel 7</a>.
Their home on stilts was sitting unstable on an overgrown block in the Perth Hills.
"I wasn’t happy because there was so much work to do," the administration manager, Russell recollects.
After he met Carole, who works for the local council, at a party in 2001, they renovated and sold their first Perth house at a profit.
But the pair lost money when prices dropped after the global financial crisis in 2008.
 Reminscent of the 2013 couple Steve and Michelle at Collaroy Plateau in some ways as the Sydney couple had previously hit tough times too after putting money into a property development venture that went bankrupt. Even after Steve and Michelle sold their prior house they still had debt to pay off.
There are currently anywhere <a href="https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-property-for-sale/c18367?sort=price_desc" target="_blank">between 2,000 and 4000 properties</a> for sale on Gumtree from over $1 million to desired swap arrangements.
Many of them are offering the house for relocation with the land being kept by the owner.
{module Would you buy a home off Gumtree without a building inspection report?}
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