Apartment buyers in New South Wales are set to gain a decade of insurance-backed protection against major building defects, after the NSW Parliament passed the Fair Trading and Building Legislation Amendment Bill 2026.&nbsp;

The Bill establishes decennial defect insurance, known in the market as Latent Defects Insurance (LDI), as an alternative to the existing two-year strata building bond. It cleared the Legislative Council with amendments on Tuesday evening (August 4, 2026), with the Legislative Assembly agreeing to those amendments shortly after.

Under the reform, eligible developers can satisfy their statutory bond obligation by taking out an approved decennial-style policy that gives owners 10 years of cover for major structural defects from completion, claimable directly, without first having to pursue developers or builders through costly legal action.&nbsp;

The change forms the final tranche of amendments arising from the 2021 statutory review of the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 and related legislation.

Resilience Insurance, which originated the cover in Australia and has delivered it in NSW since 2022, welcomed the passage and credited the NSW Government for delivering it.

“This is protection apartment buyers have needed for a long time, and the credit for delivering it belongs to the NSW Government,”&nbsp;said Corey Nugent, CEO of Resilience Insurance.

“Minister Chanthivong and his team have shown real leadership in replacing an outdated two-year bond with cover that matches the lifespan of the buildings people are buying into. Reform like this is what good, evidence-based regulation looks like.”

Resilience has delivered LDI in NSW since 2022, protecting thousands of apartments, giving the State, and now the country, real-world evidence of how decade-long, no-fault protection works in practice.

The reform also places NSW within a wider national shift.

NSW is the third jurisdiction to put decennial cover into law. The ACT legislated for it in 2024, with the scheme taking effect in late 2025, and Victoria passed its own framework on 17 June. Between them, the three cover the majority of Australia's apartment market.

The reform commences once the legislation is proclaimed, which is expected in the coming weeks. From that point, developers of Class 2 residential apartment buildings can meet their statutory obligation with an approved decennial policy in place of the bond.

Buyers who purchased into projects that took out the cover early are among the first in the country to take keys to apartments carrying decade-long structural protection.

“With the legislation passed, the focus now turns to making it work for buyers,”&nbsp;Nugent said.

“There are already thousands of apartments in NSW covered by this insurance, bought by developers who moved early. The question every buyer should be asking in a display suite is a simple one: does this building come with 10-year defect cover, and who stands behind it?&nbsp;

“We look forward to working with the Government and the Building Commission in coming weeks as the framework moves to implementation, and to sharing what we have learned over the past four years so the protection reaches owners as smoothly and quickly as possible.”

Other states are working through their own reform programs. Western Australia has indicated that decennial cover is within consideration a later stage of its reform sequence, and Queensland has been examining the settings as it looks at the development pipeline ahead of the 2032 Olympics.

Resilience Insurance acknowledges the NSW Government’s continued focus on strengthening consumer protection while supporting housing delivery across the State.

Fast Facts: What the reform means

<ul style="color:#222222; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:small; font-style:normal; font-variant-ligatures:normal; font-weight:400; text-align:start; white-space:normal; background-color:#ffffff; text-decoration-thickness:initial; text-decoration-style:initial; text-decoration-color:initial">
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">Proven at scale:&nbsp;Decennial cover has operated in NSW since 2022, protecting thousand of apartments.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">10 years of cover:&nbsp;Protection for major structural defects runs for a decade from completion, claimable directly and with no legal action required.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">An alternative to the bond:&nbsp;Eligible developers can meet their statutory obligation with an approved decennial-style policy in place of the 2% strata building bond.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">Part of a national shift:&nbsp;The ACT has had decennial provisions in force since 2025 and Victoria passed its framework in June. NSW now joins them.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">No-fault, first resort:&nbsp;Owners corporations claim directly from the insurer without first having to establish who is liable for the defect.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">Cost-competitive:&nbsp;At approximately 1.8% of build cost, LDI is typically priced below the 2% bond while offering broader, longer protection.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">Market position:&nbsp;Resilience originated LDI in Australia and has delivered it in NSW since 2022.</li>
</ul>

Fast Facts: What is Resilience LDI?

<ul style="color:#222222; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:small; font-style:normal; font-variant-ligatures:normal; font-weight:400; text-align:start; white-space:normal; background-color:#ffffff; text-decoration-thickness:initial; text-decoration-style:initial; text-decoration-color:initial">
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">Resilience Latent Defects Insurance (LDI):&nbsp;Covers major structural defects for 10 years from completion.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">Consumer-first:&nbsp;Direct claim access, no need for lengthy legal action.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">Cost advantage:&nbsp;At approximately 1.8% of build cost, LDI is typically priced below the traditional 2% Strata Bond while offering broader protection.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">Market leader:&nbsp;&nbsp;Resilience Insurance originated LDI in Australia and is the national market leader.</li>
</ul>

Joel Robinson

NSW parliament passes 10-year defect insurance laws for new apartment buyers

Builder-developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/mcnab-developments">McNab</a> has wasted little time reshaping one of South Brisbane's most significant undeveloped apartment sites after acquiring the property earlier this year.&nbsp;

McNab has lodged plans to scrap an existing approval for two 30-storey towers and instead deliver a single 28-storey residential building, preserving part of the site for a future development opportunity.

The proposal, lodged over <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/64-peel-street-south-brisbane-qld-4101">64 Peel Street and 9 Cordelia Street</a>, is for a residential-led mixed-use development comprising 124 apartments above a landscaped podium, alongside a boundary realignment that preserves part of the land for a future residential project.

<img alt="First look: McNab resets decade-old South Brisbane approval with 124-apartment tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="743bf564-3f8f-45fc-b8d3-bbf18f5b628f" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/mcnab%20Peel%20st%20podium.png?VersionId=EhCxGrVn_VFH3qTbKnI4WppGwaMnOn0t" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/hayball">Hayball</a>, the development will deliver 119 two-bedroom and five three-bedroom apartments across 23 residential levels. A five-level podium will accommodate 135 car spaces, while the ground floor will include a 66 sqm commercial tenancy, an activated residential lobby with work-from-home spaces, and a publicly accessible landscaped plaza linking Cordelia and Peel streets.&nbsp;

Communal amenities will span Level 6 and the rooftop, including indoor and outdoor recreation spaces, a swimming pool, barbecue facilities, kitchen and dining areas, lawn space, sauna, steam room and yoga facilities.

The application also proposes a boundary realignment to create a standalone 1,290 sqm development lot while retaining an adjacent parcel for future redevelopment, allowing the balance of the site to contribute additional housing over time.

Hayball said the architecture has been shaped by the site's elevated corner position at the intersection of Peel and Cordelia streets and Brisbane's subtropical climate.

The design incorporates generous landscaped setbacks, a masonry podium wrapped with planting, large north-facing balconies, and a slender tower profile intended to maximise natural light, cross ventilation and long-range views. The rooftop has been conceived as a wellness-focused retreat overlooking Brisbane, with amenities positioned to capture views towards Mount Coot-tha and the CBD.

<img alt="First look: McNab resets decade-old South Brisbane approval with 124-apartment tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c5f99e84-6ad8-4a87-82d1-869685b754d2" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/mcnab%20tower%20perspective.png?VersionId=Gw0IuJaSAlk.tvGBxInhZOcQAdIB..2b" />

The planning submission positions the proposal as a response to both changing market conditions and Brisbane's Kurilpa Sustainable Growth Precinct planning reforms.

McNab acquired the site after the previous approval was granted, with the existing scheme no longer reflecting current residential market demands, economic conditions, construction challenges, construction efficiencies or the quality of development outcome now being pursued, the planning report noted.

McNab continues to expand its residential development pipeline across Brisbane and the Gold Coast. The developer recently launched The Tannery in West End, securing more than 60 per cent of apartments before the project's public release. It is also delivering Elements Budds Beach in Surfers Paradise and Lucia Highgate Hill, an eight-apartment boutique development overlooking the Brisbane River.

McNab resets decade-old South Brisbane approval with 124-apartment tower

A steeply sloping Bellevue Hill site is set to accommodate a new mid-rise apartment development, with plans lodged for 20 homes that respond to the site's dramatic topography.

The proposal for the consolidated land at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/138a-140-bellevue-road-bellevue-hill-nsw-2023">138A-140 Bellevue Road</a> has been designed by Sydney architecture practice Common Office, which has used the site’s substantial fall to distribute the building’s scale and unlock 20 apartments without presenting the full height to the street.&nbsp;

“The unique design strategy leverages the site’s substantial topographical fall to facilitate increased density, presenting a seven-storey profile to Bellevue Road while rising to 10 storeys at the rear,” Common Office said in its architectural design report.

The apartment mix spans one, two, three- and four-bedroom residences. Four two-bedroom apartments are designated as affordable housing, while the plans also include two adaptable dwellings. The mix is majority three-beds, with the typical three-bed apartment offering around 144 sqm internally, with balconies of around 15 sqm.

The affordable housing component represents 15 per cent of the residential floor area and allows the project to access additional height and floor space under the NSW Government’s in-fill affordable housing provisions. The site also falls within the inner area of the Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy because it is within 400 metres walking distance of Double Bay Town Centre.

<img alt="First Look: Plans lodged for topography-led affordable housing project in Bellevue Hill" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b1230d0f-3bfa-4a11-abaf-0928c66ef345" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Bellevue%20da.png?VersionId=dZeMK3P.OutGjN8ycjsxm8uNsj_QFWQv" />

Common Office has arranged the building around a masonry podium and a lighter upper volume, drawing on two recurring elements of Bellevue Hill’s established architecture: sandstone bases and the vertical proportions of local Inter-war Art Deco apartment buildings.

“The proposal is governed by a holistic design language that reconciles the solid horizontal masonry of the neighbourhood’s podiums with the elegant verticality of its Art Deco heritage,” the architect said.

“The building maintains a consistent rhythmic logic utilising deep recesses and a sophisticated material transition to break down the 10-storey scale into a series of articulated, human-scale volumes.”

<img alt="First Look: Plans lodged for topography-led affordable housing project in Bellevue Hill" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0147f503-1af1-4d51-97fb-c2f1cba63a9d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Bellevue%20bldg.png?VersionId=GoW7q3NlK67OpnePXhk7zvklrlKb72Qc" />

Large-format sandstone tiles will define the lower levels, establishing a robust base that negotiates the change in elevation from Bellevue Road. Above, red-tinted precast concrete frames, recessed balconies, anodised aluminium screens and expanded metal details will create a more vertically expressed façade. Integrated planter beds will introduce greenery across balcony edges and recessed sections of the building.

The elongated northern façade has been divided into three recessed vertical masses to reduce its perceived length. Triangular window elements and metal privacy screens reference the geometry of nearby Art Deco buildings while controlling overlooking toward surrounding homes. The southern elevation will incorporate further privacy screening, landscaped edges and deep balconies to maintain light and ventilation.

<img alt="First Look: Plans lodged for topography-led affordable housing project in Bellevue Hill" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e8679cf1-18bc-4447-8a0f-0052b94ab83c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Bellevue%20da%20rooftop.png?VersionId=5SQqQqRFf76rvE2p1TbxJSweMN70AIbc" />

Private and communal landscaping is distributed throughout the development. A landscaped garden apartment is positioned within the lower portion of the site, while a communal terrace on Level 5 will include a central timber deck, barbecue facilities, resident planting plots and areas for outdoor dining and informal gatherings.

Common Office described the terrace as an elevated sanctuary designed to capture district views and sunlight. Its planting strategy incorporates endemic species associated with the Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub, extending the landscape vertically through the building and providing habitat for local flora and fauna.

A second communal outdoor area is proposed at roof level, with built-in seating, paved gathering areas and perimeter planting.

Bellevue Hill is enjoying renewed momentum in the new apartment market, with several boutique developments recently launched and currently under construction. Positive Investment Enterprise is delivering the 16-apartment Kew Palm House on Birriga Road, while Chanine Developments is also under construction at Florian, a 36-apartment project on Banksia Road.

&nbsp;

Bellevue Hill is enjoying renewed momentum in the new apartment market, with several boutique developments recently launched and currently under construction.

First Look: Apartment development pitched for Bellevue Hill, Double Bay fringe

South Brisbane's apartment pipeline continues to build momentum, with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/trk-property-group">TRK Property Group</a> lodging plans for a 161-apartment tower on Montague Road as developers accelerate investment across the Kurilpa Sustainable Growth Precinct.

The proposal for 176–186 Montague Road would replace an existing office building with a 20-storey residential tower designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cox-architecture">COX Architecture</a>, adding to a growing pipeline of high-density projects reshaping one of Brisbane's fastest-evolving inner-city precincts.

The project has been conceived as a "living building", featuring a flowing tower form, extensive vertical landscaping, and generous communal spaces that respond to the evolving Kurilpa Sustainable Growth Precinct.

TRK Property Group Development Director Matt Kan said the project reflected the confidence developers have in South Brisbane's long-term future.

"South Brisbane is entering an incredibly exciting period, and we see Montague Road sitting right at the heart of that evolution," Kan said.

"With the former Visy site directly opposite us and significant investment planned throughout the broader Kurilpa precinct, there is a real sense of momentum around this part of the city and what it will become over the coming years.

"For TRK, this is an opportunity to be part of that next chapter and deliver a project that responds to where the precinct is heading, while contributing to the continued evolution of Brisbane's river edge."

<img alt="First look: TRK Property joins South Brisbane apartment surge with Montague Road tower plans" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="590fe1ad-f892-4446-a679-80e33a16d029" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/TRK%20tower%20facade.png?VersionId=uOJStrcKpyHFcPE1w6_9SMAFzVMCcZll" />

The scheme includes a mix of one, two, three and four-bedroom apartments, incorporating multi-purpose rooms in selected residences to provide additional flexibility for home offices or expanded living areas. The proposed mix comprises 15 one-bedroom, 13 one-bedroom plus MPR, 73 two-bedroom, 26 two-bedroom plus MPR, 30 three-bedroom, and four four-bedroom apartments.

Rather than adopting a conventional rectilinear tower, COX Architecture has developed a sculpted form inspired by the movement of the Brisbane River.

"The proposal has been designed by COX Architecture as a 'living building' that responds to the site's riverine setting, floodplain history and evolving urban context within the Kurilpa Sustainable Growth Precinct," the planning report states.

"The architectural form draws from the fluid nature of the Brisbane River, with a curved and undulating tower form that creates a varied architectural edge and avoids a conventional rectilinear tower expression."

The podium has also been designed as an architectural feature rather than a conventional parking structure, with cascading planting, screening and natural-toned materials softening its appearance. Resident parking is elevated above ground level to address the site's flood constraints, while habitable apartments sit above flood planning levels. Upper-level communal facilities are designed to accommodate shelter-in-place arrangements during major flood events.

<img alt="First look: TRK Property joins South Brisbane apartment surge with Montague Road tower plans" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="01fa15d0-90df-46c7-9555-7941fc45373c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/TRK%20podium.png?VersionId=mHyua.w1pHGBt9qEdWzrlsv.leztUCwO" />

Communal amenity is a major focus of the proposal. Around 1,815 sqm of shared resident space is proposed across the ground floor, level 19 and the rooftop, including co-working areas, indoor and outdoor recreation spaces, wellness facilities, dining and gathering areas, lawn spaces, a rooftop pool and spa, and extensive landscaping. At street level, a landscaped forecourt and approximately 345 sqm of publicly accessible open space along Montague Road are intended to improve the pedestrian experience while activating the building's frontage.

The development will provide 163 car spaces, including 152 resident bays and 11 visitor spaces, together with 144 bicycle spaces incorporating resident storage, visitor parking, bicycle maintenance facilities and e-mobility charging infrastructure.

The site sits within one of Brisbane's fastest-changing inner-city precincts, less than two kilometres from the CBD and within easy reach of South Bank, West End, the Queensland Cultural Centre and extensive public transport connections. The Kurilpa Sustainable Growth Precinct planning framework is encouraging higher-density residential development to help meet Brisbane's housing supply targets while supporting walkable, transit-oriented neighbourhoods.

TRK Property joins South Brisbane apartment surge with Montague Road tower plans

Article summary

<ul data-end="785" data-start="311">
	<li data-end="459" data-section-id="5hbcyr" data-start="311">Pikos Group has released the five-penthouse collection at Skye Kangaroo Point, headlined by a two-storey sky home spanning more than 1,000 sqm.</li>
	<li data-end="561" data-section-id="1p7lq8n" data-start="460">Early buyer interest suggests the residences could set a new Queensland apartment price record.</li>
	<li data-end="667" data-section-id="1y70z0l" data-start="562">The collection includes four move-in ready penthouses and the highly customised Skye One residence.</li>
	<li data-end="785" data-section-id="yvm0y1" data-start="668">The release caps one of Bri​sbane's most ambitious luxury apartment developments overlooking the Brisbane River.</li>
</ul>

<hr data-end="790" data-start="787" />
Pikos Group has released the five-penthouse collection at its <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/skye-residences-by-pikos-kangaroo-point-8-river-terrace-kangaroo-point-qld-4169">Skye by Pikos</a> development in Kangaroo Point, with early buyer interest indicating the flagship residences could eclipse every apartment sale previously recorded in Queensland.

The collection crowns the luxury riverfront development with five residences, including four completed penthouses and Skye One, a two-level sky home spanning more than 1,000 sqm that will be tailored to its eventual owner.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=90059 project_image_fid=374075]

Wanting to offer a fully customisable home, Pikos is offering Skye One as a blank canvas, allowing the buyer to work alongside the developer's design team to customise the home's layout, finishes and internal spaces.

The residence will feature a 247 sqm private rooftop terrace with its own swimming pool, sauna, steam room, outdoor kitchen and multiple entertaining areas overlooking the Brisbane River and CBD skyline.

The remaining four penthouses have been completed and are ready for immediate occupation, each offering four bedrooms, expansive open-plan living areas, soaring ceilings and private lift access.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=90059 project_image_fid=374059]

One of the defining features throughout the project is its use of Roman Classic Travertine, with more than 20,000 sqm of the natural stone imported from Italy after being personally selected by Pikos Group Founder and Executive Director Pedro Pikos, interior designer Julie Williamson and third-generation stone specialist Mario Caucci.

Pikos said the penthouse collection represented the culmination of the company's long-term vision for Skye.

"True legacy isn't measured by what we build today, but by what endures tomorrow," Pikos said.

"Our ambition is to create places that become more valuable with time, enrich the lives of generations, and stand as timeless landmarks long after we've stepped away."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=90059 project_image_fid=374060]

Williamson said the interiors were inspired by the natural character of Kangaroo Point and the Brisbane River rather than international design trends.

"Materiality tells the story of a place," Williamson said.

"We looked to the movement of the Brisbane River, the texture of the cliff face and the warmth of the surrounding landscape to create interiors that feel understated, enduring and unmistakably Brisbane."

Positioned above the Kangaroo Point cliffs, Skye places residents within walking distance of Howard Smith Wharves, South Bank and James Street while offering uninterrupted river and city views.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=90059]

Brisbane's next apartment price record? Pikos unveils Skye's exclusive penthouse collection

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

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

<html><body>
Regional areas have outperformed capital cities in the year to March, according to ANZ, with Gladstone leading the way in Queensland. 
"Despite being lower in annual growth terms, regional house prices have been more stable than capital city house prices, which have seen larger price falls across all major states and territories," notes the Australian Housing Chartbook.
"Across states/territories and regions, house price growth has continued to differ, reflecting varying economic performance across Australian industries."
"Queensland has shown the greatest intra-state variation in regional house prices, reflecting the divergenteconomic performance of regions exposed to the tourism sector (i.e. Cairns, Gold Coast) and mining-relatedservices (Gladstone, Mount Isa)," the report says.
Click to enlarge
<a title="Click to enlarge" href="/images/stories/2012/07/anzjuly93.jpg" rel="shadowbox"><img src="/images/stories/2012/07/anzjuly93thumb.jpg"></a>
 
Source RP Data, Rismark, ANZ
For information on investing in property in Queensland mining hotspots, read our free eBook <a href="http://propertyobserver.com.au/ebooks/free-ebook-property-investing-in-queenslands-resources-boom">Property investing in Queensland’s resources boom</a> 
</body></html>

cknowlton-QnEa6ntUYP

Investor darling mining town Gladstone strongest Queensland regional housing market, while Bundaberg struggles like the Gold Coast

<html><body>
Regional areas have outperformed capital cities in the year to March, according to ANZ.
"Despite being lower in annual growth terms, regional house prices have been more stable than capital city house prices, which have seen larger price falls across all major states and territories," notes the Australian Housing Chartbook.
"Across states/territories and regions, house price growth has continued to differ, reflecting varying economic performance across Australian industries."
Click to enlarge
<a title="Click to enlarge" href="/images/stories/2012/07/anzjuly92.jpg" rel="shadowbox"><img src="/images/stories/2012/07/anzjuly92thumb.jpg"></a>
 
Source RP Data, Rismark, ANZ
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Bendigo strongest Victorian regional housing market, far outperforming Shepparton: ANZ

<html><body>
Regional areas have outperformed capital cities in the year to March, according to ANZ.
"Despite being lower in annual growth terms, regional house prices have been more stable than capital city house prices, which have seen larger price falls across all major states and territories," notes the Australian Housing Chartbook.
"Across states/territories and regions, house price growth has continued to differ, reflecting varying economic performance across Australian industries.
"NSW regional house prices were the strongest across states and territories in the year to March 2012, with the central inland regions of Orange and Dubbo showing the greatest house price growth," notes the report.
Click to enlarge
<a title="Click to enlarge" href="/images/stories/2012/07/anzjuly91.jpg" rel="shadowbox"><img src="/images/stories/2012/07/anzjuly91thumb.jpg"></a>
 
Source RP Data, Rismark, ANZ
</body></html>

Orange leads NSW regional house growth, with Hastings and Richmond-Tweed languishing: ANZ

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The outer south-east Melbourne suburb of Clyde is not the epicentre of a so-called oversupply of houses in the city’s outer suburbs, but instead the result of new housing projects coming to market at the same time in what was farmland just two years ago.
Figures compiled by SQM Research show that the number of residential listings in postcode 3978 (Clyde, Clyde North and Cardinia) have risen a whopping 316% to 1,270 over the year to June, the biggest increase of any postcode as pin-pointed by The Sunday Age, which taken at face value would suggest a major problem.
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The new house and land package suburb is about 50 minutes south east of Melbourne and was one of a number of market gardens localities rezoned in 2010.
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Local estate agents operating in the area are not concerned.
Paul Rogers from O'Brien Real Estate Narre Warren is selling blocks of land in Villawood’s Pasadena community in Clyde and says agents are looking for new stock all the time to satisfy demand.
Pasadena is a 338-lot residential community near Casey Fields, which launched in July last year. The project offers blocks from 388 square metres up to 668 square metres, priced from around $220,000 to $245,000.
Other local projects include Simonds Homes Cascades on Clyde Estate and Stockland's Selandra Rise in Clyde North.
Rogers says he clocked up 35 residential sales over the past month – “a pretty good figure”.
He says house sales have been around the $330,000 mark but he has recently sold a house-and-land package on a 1.2-hectare block for $1.1 million.
“There are a lot of vacant land and house and land packages not yet build, which is probably where the big rise in listings comes from,” says Rogers.
Another issue, he says, could be that developers are advertising blocks of land as house-and-land packages due to confusion around stamp duty rules, which he says is a grey area.
SQM Research managing director Louis Christopher says the listing figures do not include vacant land, but do include house and land packages.
"We look at them pretty closely," he says. "These are listing that are advertised for sale."
Rogers says he is selling to a broad cross-section of people, including those who are downsizing, older buyers, young couples and upgraders.
He says the suburb has a developing business hub of its own and is also well-serviced by trains into the CBD.
In April a new train station opened at Cardinia on the Pakenham line, which Rogers says is a “one-hour relaxed” commute into the city.
Mark Leonard from First National Real Estate Neilson Partners Narre Warren, who is selling new four-bedroom houses in Clyde around the $370,000 mark, says things have slowed down in winter, but he expects a pick-up in summer.
He says because Clyde is a new estate, the SQM figures could be “statistical abnormalities” because there has been a lot of land developed over the past six to 12 months.
Most buyer interest, he says, comes from second- and third-home buyers, with a little bit of first-home buyer interest ahead of the Victorian government $13,000 first-home bonus ending on June 30.
In addition to train and bus services, the suburb has a nearby shopping centre and primary and secondary schools.
“It could do with some more bus services,” says Leonard.
He says a price of betwen $400,000 to $450,000 would secure a three- or four-bedroom house with a small garden.
These comments are given weight by a March quarter 2012 report by Oliver Hume, which shows that Cardinia only has about six months of land supply compared, with more than a year and a half of supply in Mitchell - Wallan / Beveridge area to the north of Melbourne and more than 10 months’ supply in Melton to the west.
According to Oliver Hume, there are 10 new residential projects underway in Cardinia, comprising 10% of all projects in Melbourne, with an effective median land price of $177,000.
The UDIA and HIA have also rejected claims of a glut in residential listings in outer suburbs.
Clyde’s status was highlighted in SQM Research figures which show a 6.1% monthly jump in Melbourne residential listings to over 55,000 in June with 35,000 of these listings on the outer fringe.
After Clyde, the suburb with the second biggest rise in listings in the year to June 30 was Epping to the North, with a 168% rise to 1,260 followed by Taylors Hill, Sydenham and Hillside (post code 3037) in the north west with an 84% rise to 1,081 listings, the Sunday Age reported.
Hoppers Crossing, Tarneit and Truganina (post code 3029) in the West have the highest number of listings at 4,048 – a rise of 54% for the year to June.
 <a rel="shadowbox" href="/images/stories/2012/07/sqmjuly91.gif" title="Click to enlarge">For advice on buying your dream land package, </a><a _cke_saved_href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/short-course/free-short-course-10-keys-to-buying-your-dream-land-package" target="_blank" href="/property-observer">sign up for our free short course</a>.
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Oversupply figures paint distorted housing picture of outer-Melbourne suburb of Clyde amid Melbourne’s 55,000 listings

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Television property expert Andrew Winter, from the Lifestyle Channel’s award-winning show Selling Houses Australia, is seeking vendor participants for the upcoming sixth series.
His brutal honesty can be confronting at first, but Winter’s property knowledge can yield results for those languishing listings with the help of high-profile interior designer Shaynna Blaze and landscape designer Charlie Albone.
Whether it’s a home with an enormous power pylon in the front yard, a flood-ravaged house, or just bursting with clutter, Winter always has a plan to lure the buyers.
Some are the tried and tested real estate fundamentals plus a few new ones thrown in when dealing with homes with termites or damp, dodgy renovations, or historic homes under strict regulations.
Covering houses plagued by difficult neighbours, tough divorces that add pressure to the sale, or just a tricky easement, the Selling Houses Australia team has transformed 50 of Australia’s hardest to sell properties.
It is now seeking 10 more to add to that list.
“This season we will be seeking diversity, whether that is evident in the house, the location, or the situation of the seller,” Winter told Property Observer.
“We know we live in a complex housing market, right now some places are booming, others are barely ticking along or at a complete standstill,” he adds.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/07/sellinghouseslogog.jpg">
Selling Houses began on Britain's Channel 4 amid the property boom in 2002 when Winter, then a London real estate agent, was plucked from obscurity finding a receptive audience as far away as in Australia on Foxtel.
After six seasons in Britain, Winter, his wife, Caroline, and their three daughters emigrated to Australia, settling in the Gold Coast hinterland.
Selling Houses Australia made its debut in 2008.
Submissions are welcome from home owners – singles, couples or families – experiencing difficulties selling their homes, which have been stuck on the market for months with little interest. Vendors are typically asked to make a financial contribution towards the revamp in its presentation.
Selling Houses Australia can be contacted through <a target="_self" href="mailto:bec_pullman@beyond.com.au">Bec Pullman</a> at Beyond Productions on 02 9437 2000.
For lessons <a href="http://propertyobserver.com.au/ebooks/free-ebook-lessons-from-the-block-and-other-property-reality-television-shows" target="_blank">property investors can learn from property reality TV, download our free eBook.</a>
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Andrew Winter seeking more difficult houses to sell for forthcoming season of Selling Houses Australia

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Melbourne’s outer suburbs continued to have the lowest rental vacancy rate in Victoria, standing at just 1% in June, compared with 1.1% in May, according to the Real Estate Institute of Victoria.
In the middle and inner suburbs, the vacancy rate was 1.9%.
“If this trend continues, there might be upward pressure on rents following the stabilisation that occurred last year,” REIV chief executive Enzo Raimondo forecasts.
The overall vacancy rate for Melbourne is 1.8%, down from 2.1% in May.
“The metropolitan rate also showed a slight decrease throughout the first six months of the year, with the average vacancy rate at 2.1%, compared with 2.8% in the last six months of last year,” Raimondo says.
“Using the most recent data on the number of rental properties in Melbourne, the vacancy rate last month equated to about 4,600 vacant properties.”
The vacancy rate for all of Victoria was 2% last month, having averaged 2.1% during the first six months of the year.
It compares with the 2.6% in the last six months of 2011, according to the REIV.
The vacancy rate is based on properties managed by REIV member agencies.
The state's regional vacancy rate eased from 1.8% to 2.7% – a significant shift that reflected increasing vacancy rates in Geelong, Bendigo and Mildura.
The vacancy rate is based on properties managed by REIV member agencies.
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Melbourne’s outer suburbs have Victoria’s tightest rental vacancy rate: REIV 

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The Northern Territory $10,000 BuildBonus available to home buyers building or purchasing a new home has been extended to the end of this year.
This the second time the NT government has extended the deadline for the handout, which applies to new homes up to a value of $600,000.
It was originally due to end on December 31, 2011, before being extended to June 30 this year.
The NT government also offers first-home owners stamp duty concession of up to $26,730 (the duty owned on the first $540,000 value of a property) and no land tax.
NT Treasurer Delia Lawrie says the Henderson government “continues to help more families, couples and singles into their own properties with the most generous housing incentives in Australia”.
“Whether it is your first home or an investment property, BuildBonus provides a one-off, $10,000 grant to all home buyers purchasing or building a new home to the value of $600,000,” she says.
“As well as giving first-home buyers a leg up, the scheme promotes investment in the housing sector, stimulating our construction sector and creating more rental housing stock.
“The territory’s strong economy means strong demand for housing, and the Territory government is meeting the challenges of growth with record land release and generous support for homebuyers.
“Right now there is land available to purchase across Palmerston, as well as over 2,000 units shovel-ready across Darwin.”
Further information on BuildBonus can be found on the <a href="https://www.housingnt.nt.gov.au" target="_blank">NT government's website.</a>
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Northern Territory government extends $10,000 new home bonus to December 31, 2012

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Through most of 2011 and the beginning of this year, the Australian economy has been hobbled by sentiment. Sentiment is so important for key measurements such as growth and employment. But sentiment is very hard to measure or put a value on.
In my business, we get a good feel for sentiment because the people we deal with are usually making serious decisions and they talk about why they are making them. And the feeling over the past 18 months has been marked by uncertainty, caution and a reluctance to commit.
When you’re running a household or a business and you have to juggle rising costs of living with employment concerns, new taxes and constant reports of a European crisis, it’s understandable that people have lost their confidence.
The Westpac-Melbourne Institute Index of Consumer Sentiment has been running very low this year. The June Index showed Australians were 1.7% less confident last month than they were in October 2011, despite interest rate cuts since then totalling 125 basis points.
So it was with a glimmer of optimism that I saw two signs this week of perhaps a small turnaround in sentiment.
Firstly, we saw positive house value data creeping back into the numbers. Home values rebounded one percent in June, according to RP Data-Rismark. Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane each rose 1%; Perth and Canberra boasted a 2% increase. Hobart reported the biggest rise for June at 2.7%.
It was a welcome mini-comeback for house values after the all-capital cities index fell -1.4% in May.
It suggests that the two interest rate cuts from the RBA in May and June have at least given some impetus to the genuine buyers who have been holding off.
The second sign I saw this week was from the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ building approvals for May 2012.
It showed a rebound in apartment building approvals, up 45% on approvals in May 2011. The downside was that approvals for houses had gone backwards by 7.7%.
So the fact that the RBA held the cash rate at 3.5% last week, along with the small bounce in some housing numbers, creates a sense that we might be at the bottom of this real estate market. With rates on hold after two cuts, and house values improving slightly, we could be a good time to buy.
It’s also a good time to refinance: since 1990 the official interest rate has only been lower than 3.5% between February and October 2009. So whatever is happening in China or Europe, this is a low-interest rate era of history. This is good for buyers and good for mortgage holders.
There is nothing wrong with waiting for the bottom of the market and low interest rates. But it isn’t caution I worry about – it’s inaction caused by fear.
A comeback in sentiment will start when enough people see a depressed real estate market as a good time to buy, rather than evidence of doom.
Mark Bouris is executive chairman of <a href="https://www.ybr.com.au/" target="_blank">Yellow Brick Road</a>, a financial services company offering home loans, financial planning, accounting and tax, and insurance. 
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This could be the bottom of the real estate market and a good time to buy property

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Meelbourne's top end has more big sales “off market” than on market at present.
The latest market conditions have created nervousness for many owners, and they’ve become a lot more cautious about adopting a full blown marketing campaign.
So the number of “off-market” sales is increasing rapidly, especially in the price range of $2.5 million and above.
We’ve now noticed that in the inner city for example, more sales are being made through “off-market” channels than advertised ones at present.
This creates a whole new world of discreet sales, handshake deals and confidentially agreements.
So what are the benefits of “off-market” transactions for buyers and sellers?
• Privacy kept in tact
• Home only open to the most qualified of buyers
• Buyers can negotiate free of any public street theatre
• Terms of agreement can be much more creative
• Prices kept confidential
• No large marketing commitments
Paul Osborne is the founder of Melbourne buyers' agency <a href="https://secretagent.com.au/" target="_blank">Secret Agent</a>.
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Melbourne top-end sales increasingly carried out off market

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Both the <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/rate-cuts-help-housing-market-recover-in-june-with-1-rise-in-capital-city-dwelling-prices-rp-data%E2%80%90rismark/2012070255375">property media</a> news sites and <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/home-prices-jump-after-rba-cuts-20120702-21bv4">generalist media sites</a> this week have been reporting heavily on the latest capital cities values figures:
If you are a young, new, or aspiring investor who is learning the ropes of how to interpret published metrics or figures you may see mentioned in the media, it can be challenging. I say this because just like many other areas of property investment, not only is discerning real metrics and stats from vague and ambiguous figures not easy at the best of times; but it can be especially hard when you find two reputable sources who report on the same data, but with completely different results observed. “Analysis paralysis” really is an industry illness when it comes to property investment.
And take it from me, this process does not get any easier the further down the track you go. My suggestion is this: do your research always, and do take note of what the experts and third-party data sources feed back to the community at different times. But also know that property investment can really only offer, in analysis terms, retrospective feedback and not real time feedback. Well, not yet, anyway. Property investment is a slow-burn investment type. This means that unlike shares, for instance, where assets can be bought and sold in minutes and completely fresh data is made available in what is practically real time, the slow exchange of assets with property makes for slower metrics and means that data cannot be reported back immediately. It tends to be reported back retrospectively for the quarter that just passed.
The flow-on effect of this delayed data means that sometimes (but not always) market indicators are not really observed as part of a consistent trend until that trend has already passed. This gives us a good explanation as to why people sometimes only realise a market has, for example bottomed out after it has already moved into upswing phase.
So what are we to make of the latest data?
The consensus from several media sources appears to be this: early signs of recovery are emerging in the property sector as the market begins to respond positively to several interest rate drops occurring in recent months. We know this because property industry figures are generally reported for the quarter previous and published early on in the following quarter. The key metric to focus on is “overall capital city performance” occurring in the month of June. In light of the recent mortgage rate cuts in May (with a smaller rate cut issued in June), capital cities of every state and territory, when averaged out, showed an increase – albeit a small one – in property values for that month. This is significant because no other month during the last two years has fruited a positive number for this capital city metric.
It is important to note that the capital city performance figures are not the “be all and end all” of reporting metrics used to measure the industry at any given time, however this number is very important in the “knock-on effect” it can bring when transcending to regional, coastal, and other non-city markets. Capital city indicators often influence and thus have a direct effect on these other types of markets in Australia.
So the question is this: is this a positive sign given in the month of June just a blip on the radar? In other words, it could be an initially positive – but temporary – response to recent interest rate cuts and will likely go back to further declining numbers over the new few months. Or should we take this encouraging indicator for what it may really be – a sign of a trend forming, that perhaps the capital city markets are, overall, moving on from the market stagnation we’ve seen since late 2010?
Many influential Australian property industry experts are always quick to assert that the Australian property market is not one cycle, but rather hundreds of mini-cycles, all operating independently. These commentators believe that the upswing, peak, downswing, and bottomed-out main market cycle phases cannot be used to describe the Australian market broadly. Rather, each suburb within a city, each regional town – and each post code pretty much –need to be assessed independently when it comes to figuring this stuff out. This seems logical enough, however sometimes these same commentators are quick to mention that an entire capital city is in one phase, which contradicts the above statement about every post code being unique. For example, Melbourne is consensually agreed upon as being in a flattened, or bottomed-out, cyclical phase.
I’m no expert myself, so I tend to heed their advice, however it does seem that if we are to “trade” in the currency of sweeping statement assessments about entire capital city markets, it seems only fair to genuinely consider the figures posted in the media this week as a step in the right direction for the capital city markets. From the research I’ve done, stories I’ve read, and even the handful of post codes I randomly programmed RP Data with (which I watch over time to observe market trends when it comes to fluctuating values), I’m of the belief that most capital city markets have seen the worst of the price/values softening, and an early upswing is starting to take place. Time will tell, so watch this space, and let’s keep an eye on the next month, quarter, and indeed annual, figures upcoming, to see how the state of the market really is.
I'm keen to hear from the community on this possible trend emerging and what this means for you in your future investment strategy and approach.
Cameron McEvoy is a NSW-based property investor and maintains a blog, <a target="_blank" href="https://propertyspectator.blogspot.com.au/">Property Spectator.</a>
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