<p>Gold Coast-based developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/ignite-projects">Ignite Projects</a> has lodged a Development Application for a landmark $120 million precinct set to transform the southern gateway of the much-loved Spit.</p>

<p>Positioned at the most prominent entry point to the iconic peninsula, the project has been designed with a strong focus on architecture, public space, heritage and connectivity, delivering a revitalised parkland setting that invites locals and visitors to engage with the Broadwater.</p>

<p>Central to The Isles proposal is a significantly upgraded public realm, including landscaped open space, a new waterfront café, and a family-friendly park featuring a naval-themed playground, open lawns and improved pedestrian connections.</p>

<p><img alt="Ignite Projects unveils exciting details of landmark gateway precinct for the Spit" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="de83a270-6091-4b26-bed0-86f9248e7f9e" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/The%20Isles%201.jpg?VersionId=vt79HlCOwV9F7eLQe9.Z3bv9JGLMaSP2" /></p>

<p>The design retains and celebrates key elements of the site’s history. The training mast from the vacant and degraded naval cadet building, which forms part of a former Navy minesweeper, will be preserved. The existing Navy Memorial will be relocated and upgraded in collaboration with the RSL, allowing it to be publicly accessible for the first time in years.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Heritage-listed Humphreys Boat Shed remnants will remain and be incorporated into the landscape, while the site’s established Norfolk Pines will be retained, reinforcing the area’s character and sense of place. The enhanced parkland will ultimately create a long-term community asset at the entry to The Spit.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
The Development Application (DA) lodged with Gold Coast City Council includes 28 waterfront apartments across three levels, ranging in size from 145sqm to 383sqm, designed as a feature landmark within the precinct and complement the public domain.</p>

<p><img alt="Ignite Projects unveils exciting details of landmark gateway precinct for the Spit" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="bbf94e00-b56a-47fb-a15d-3d17b0b1ec76" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/The%20Isles%203.jpg?VersionId=A0vmBNE_KohYJo1EoZcmF5IVW4tT5aDo" /><br />
&nbsp;<br />
Ignite Projects Director Josh Foote said the project as a whole had been carefully shaped to deliver a meaningful outcome for the wider community, not just future residents.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
“This is about more than delivering opulent apartments – it’s about creating a welcoming and memorable gateway to The Spit that people can enjoy every day,” Mr Foote said.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
“We’ve worked hard to ensure the public realm is a central part of the project, from the landscaped parklands and family-friendly spaces through to the preservation and celebration of important local heritage.”</p>

<p><img alt="Ignite Projects unveils exciting details of landmark gateway precinct for the Spit" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="443bbde5-8221-45f8-a549-dad2623df20c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/The%20Isles%204.jpg?VersionId=iUl6nc.sHkjMdo_1RigwbwUz_celHJ3H" /><br />
&nbsp;<br />
Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/contreras-earl-architecture">Contreras Earl Architecture</a>, The Isles adopts a considered subtropical approach, with the building form shaped to maximise natural light, cross ventilation and views to the Broadwater and surrounding parklands.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Architect Rafael Contreras said the design responded directly to its unique coastal setting.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
“Rather than a typical built form, the architecture has been shaped by performance and experience – from optimising outlook and privacy to creating a strong connection to landscape and climate,” Mr Contreras said.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
“A central landscaped courtyard allows light, air and greenery to permeate the building, while the articulated façade introduces movement and rhythm inspired by the Broadwater.</p>

<p>“The Isles will create a place where people can gather, relax and connect with the water, while also delivering a refined residential product that responds to its unique setting.”</p>

<p><img alt="Ignite Projects unveils exciting details of landmark gateway precinct for the Spit" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1089570d-1120-4302-9900-fb9f75c75c26" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/The%20Isles%205.jpg?VersionId=pl9qmKZNbaL3A7XjmD7sjhLwmXaqzzLZ" /><br />
&nbsp;<br />
The DA relates to the residential and public realm components, with a proposed boutique marina to be progressed as part of a future stage, subject to separate approvals.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
The Isles is being delivered under The Spit Master Plan, a collaborative vision to create a new residential, tourism, leisure, natural environment and cultural heritage hub on the iconic and much-loved peninsula.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Ignite Projects has an established track record delivering premium residential projects across the Gold Coast, including The Monaco at Main Beach and Cabana at Palm Beach.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Sales for The Isles are expected to commence in coming months from an on-site display suite, with construction targeted to begin later this year, subject to approvals.</p>


Joel Robinson

Ignite Projects unveils exciting details of landmark gateway precinct for the Spit

<p data-end="252" data-start="53">The Federal Government’s sweeping changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax could trigger an unintended consequence: a surge of investor demand into the new and off the plan apartment sector.</p>

<p data-end="558" data-start="254">While Treasurer Jim Chalmers has framed the reforms as a way to improve housing affordability and rebalance the tax system, the carve-outs for newly built housing are already positioning off the plan apartments as one of the few remaining tax-effective property investment plays.</p>

<p data-end="966" data-start="560">Under the changes handed down in the Federal Budget, investors purchasing established properties after budget night will no longer be able to access negative gearing benefits. The Government will also replace the long-standing 50 per cent capital gains tax discount with a new inflation-indexation model and introduce a minimum 30 per cent tax on gains from July 2027.</p>

<p data-end="1004" data-start="968">However, there is a major exemption.</p>

<p data-end="1268" data-start="1006">Investors buying new builds, including off the plan apartments, will still be eligible for negative gearing and will be able to choose between retaining the current 50 per cent CGT discount or adopting the new indexed model.</p>

<p data-end="1348" data-start="1270">That distinction is expected to reshape investor behaviour almost immediately.</p>

<p data-end="1625" data-start="1350">For years, established housing has dominated investor purchases because of its perceived lower risk, immediate rental returns and stronger historical capital growth. But with the tax advantages now heavily skewed toward new housing supply, the economics are changing rapidly.</p>

<p data-end="1685" data-start="1627">The Federal Government has been explicit about its intent.</p>

<p data-end="1926" data-start="1687">“The housing market and tax system are broken,” Chalmers said ahead of the Budget, arguing that existing concessions were disproportionately rewarding speculation rather than supporting housing supply.</p>

<p data-end="2115" data-start="1928">The Government says the reforms are designed to encourage investment into new housing rather than established stock, a move aimed at increasing supply during a prolonged housing shortage.</p>

<p data-end="2319" data-start="2117">According to the official Budget papers, limiting negative gearing to newly built homes is intended to “better align tax incentives with housing supply objectives.”</p>

<p data-end="2471" data-start="2321">For the apartment development sector, particularly the off the plan market, the changes could become one of the strongest investor tailwinds in years.</p>

<p data-end="2790" data-start="2473">Developers across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane have spent the past two years battling elevated construction costs, higher interest rates and subdued investor confidence. Many projects have struggled to secure sufficient pre-sales to commence construction, particularly in markets heavily reliant on investor demand.</p>

<p data-end="2839" data-start="2792">The Budget changes may now alter that equation.</p>

<p data-end="3036" data-start="2841">Investors seeking tax-effective property exposure will increasingly find themselves funnelled toward newly built apartments simply because established dwellings no longer offer the same benefits.</p>

<p data-end="3362" data-start="3038">Commonwealth Bank described the reforms as one of the most significant shifts to residential property investment settings in decades, noting that the package is centred around “limiting negative gearing for residential property to new builds” while replacing the existing CGT framework.</p>

<p data-end="3427" data-start="3364">That could have profound implications for the apartment sector.</p>

<p data-end="3813" data-start="3429">Off the plan apartments already hold several advantages for investors. Purchasers typically secure a property at today’s price while settlement occurs years later, allowing time for capital growth and reducing the upfront capital burden. Brand-new apartments also generally attract depreciation benefits, lower maintenance costs, and stronger appeal to renters seeking modern amenity.</p>

<p data-end="3943" data-start="3815">Now, they may also become one of the only residential property types still offering the full suite of historical tax advantages.</p>

<p data-end="4133" data-start="3945">Industry analysts expect investor demand to increasingly migrate toward projects that can clearly demonstrate strong rental demand, transport connectivity and long-term supply constraints.</p>

<p data-end="4429" data-start="4135">The shift is likely to be particularly pronounced in apartment markets already underpinned by structural undersupply, including inner Brisbane, the Gold Coast, parts of Sydney’s Lower North Shore and select Melbourne precincts where new apartment commencements have collapsed over recent years.</p>

<p data-end="4529" data-start="4431">The reforms also arrive at a time when apartment supply nationally remains critically constrained.</p>

<p data-end="4844" data-start="4531">Australia is already struggling to meet the Federal Government’s target of delivering 1.2 million new homes over five years. Construction feasibility pressures have delayed or shelved thousands of apartments across the country, particularly as building costs remain elevated and financing conditions remain tight.</p>

<p data-end="5045" data-start="4846">Critics of the Budget changes argue the reforms could reduce overall investor participation in the housing market and place upward pressure on rents by discouraging investment in established housing.</p>

<p data-end="5209" data-start="5047">Some economists estimate the measures could reduce housing supply over the longer term if overall investor appetite weakens.</p>

<p data-end="5331" data-start="5211">However, the Government is betting that redirecting investor capital into new housing supply will offset those concerns.</p>

<p data-end="5584" data-start="5333">“To continue to incentivise construction of new housing, investors building new residential properties will be able to choose either the 50 per cent CGT discount or the new arrangements,” the Budget papers stated.</p>

<p data-end="5762" data-start="5586">That wording has been closely watched by the development industry because it effectively positions new apartments as the preferred investment class within residential property.</p>

<p data-end="5840" data-start="5764">For off the plan developers, the reforms could become a powerful sales tool.</p>

<p data-end="6035" data-start="5842">Projects that have increasingly relied on owner-occupier demand may once again attract investors seeking to preserve the tax advantages still attached to newly built housing before the July 2027 changes take effect.</p>

<p data-end="6133" data-start="6037">The reforms are also expected to sharpen the divide between established and new housing markets.</p>

<p data-end="6303" data-start="6135">Rather than a broad investor retreat from property altogether, many analysts expect a redistribution of capital toward sectors still supported by Government incentives.</p>

<p data-end="6495" data-start="6305">That could create stronger demand for apartment projects in key urban growth corridors and transit-oriented precincts where population growth, migration and rental shortages remain elevated.</p>

<p data-end="6626" data-start="6497">The policy direction also aligns with the Government’s broader push toward increasing housing density in established urban areas.</p>

<p data-end="6941" data-start="6628">Across Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, planning reforms are increasingly encouraging higher-density apartment development around transport infrastructure and activity centres. By maintaining tax incentives for new housing, the Federal Government is effectively reinforcing that agenda from a taxation perspective.</p>

<p data-end="7126" data-start="6943">For apartment developers who have spent years navigating subdued investor confidence, the changes may ultimately become the catalyst that reactivates parts of the off the plan market.</p>

<p data-end="7259" data-start="7128">While the broader property sector is still digesting the long-term implications of the Budget, one thing is already becoming clear.</p>

<p data-end="7366" data-start="7261">The era of investors buying established apartments and houses primarily for tax advantages may be ending.</p>

<p data-end="7444" data-start="7368">But for off the plan apartments, the investment story may just be beginning.</p>

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<p><button disabled="disabled" type="button">You have not enough Humanizer words left. Upgrade your Surfer plan.</button></p>


Investors to flood off the plan apartment market?

<p>Adding to Chatswood’s growing skyline, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-anderson-chatswood-54-56-anderson-street-chatswood-nsw-2067">The Anderson</a> is grounded in a simple principle: apartment living in a major centre does not have to come at the expense of space and outlook.</p>

<p>Set on Anderson Street in the heart of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/chatswood-nsw-2067">Chatswood</a>, the new residential tower, a collaboration between developers <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/changfa-group">Changfa Group</a> and <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/huirong-group">Huirong Group</a> with architecture and interiors by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/ajc-architects">AJC Architects</a>, will introduce 122 apartments that prioritise generous proportions, considered orientation, and a strong connection to the surrounding heritage precinct.</p>

<p>The design originated from a Design Excellence Competition, where AJC proposed a building that combines suburban-style apartment scale with the density expected in a transport-rich centre. The development will include more than 1,800 square metres of retail and commercial space at street level, landscaped communal roof terraces, and a ground-floor pocket park framed by canopy trees. Together these elements aim to create a building that integrates with Chatswood’s evolving streetscape while maintaining a strong residential focus.</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=151353 project_image_fid=353250]</p>

<p>A key driver behind the architecture was the desire to deliver family-sized apartments rarely seen in the Chatswood market. The Anderson includes a mix of one to four-bedroom apartments, with around 35 per cent of the residences configured as three or four-bedroom homes. At the top of the building, two double-storey penthouses span approximately 200 square metres each, reinforcing the project’s emphasis on scale and long-term liveability for both downsizers and intergenerational households.</p>

<p>Orientation and outlook were central to the planning of the building. The apartments are positioned to maximise views to the north and east across Chatswood’s heritage precinct, with upper levels capturing glimpses of the Pacific Ocean. South-facing apartments gain distant views toward the Sydney CBD and Harbour Bridge, while the building’s configuration intentionally reduces western exposure at lower levels to minimise overlooking toward the nearby railway corridor.</p>

<p>The external design references the character of the surrounding conservation area without replicating it directly. A brick podium anchors the building to the street and introduces a series of architectural portals that draw inspiration from the nearby Chatswood Presbyterian Church. Above this base, the tower shifts to a lighter, more open expression defined by horizontal lines and carefully detailed balconies that balance privacy with outward views.</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=151353 project_image_fid=353254]</p>

<p>Toward the top of the tower, AJC introduces a distinctive lantern-like element formed by sliding screens. These screens provide both solar shading and privacy while also creating a visual marker for the building within the Chatswood skyline. The feature reinforces the architectural intent of the project, a structure that is visually refined while still responding to the practical requirements of apartment living.</p>

<p>Inside the residences, interior architecture focuses on clear spatial flow and practical everyday use. Open-plan living areas connect directly to large balconies, extending the internal living spaces outward and allowing natural light to move deeper into the apartments. Kitchens are designed as central working spaces with premium appliances and carefully selected materials, positioned to serve both daily living and entertaining.</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=151353 project_image_fid=353256]</p>

<p>Bathrooms follow a similarly restrained design language, using refined fixtures and materials to create calm, functional spaces, while wardrobe areas adopt a gallery-style layout with integrated lighting and generous storage. These elements reflect a broader design approach that prioritises clarity, functionality, and durability over decorative gestures.</p>

<p>Positioned just a short walk from Chatswood Interchange, residents will have direct access to rail, metro, retail, and dining. The Metro extension allows travel from Chatswood to Martin Place in approximately 11 minutes, placing the CBD within easy reach for residents while maintaining the convenience of a walkable North Shore neighbourhood.</p>

<p>One-bedroom apartments at The Anderson start from $1,022,000.</p>

<p>[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=151353]</p>


How AJC designed The Anderson to bring oversized apartment living to Chatswood

<p><a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/bridgewell-development">Bridgewell Capital</a> has lodged plans for a major mixed-use apartment development in the heart of Maroubra, seeking a significant uplift in height and density controls to deliver 120 apartments and a 120-place childcare centre near Maroubra Junction.</p>

<p>The State Significant Development application, filed through the NSW Government’s Housing Delivery Authority pathway, covers a 3,270 sqm amalgamated site at 251-257 Maroubra Road and 133-135 Garden Street. The proposal includes a concurrent rezoning that would increase the maximum building height from 12 metres to 35.6 metres and lift the floor space ratio to 4.02:1.</p>

<p>Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/bka-architecture">BKA Architecture</a>, the project would replace a mechanic’s workshop and several detached homes with a 10-storey residential building above four basement levels.</p>

<p>The scheme comprises 120 apartments, including 27 affordable housing units to be managed by a community housing provider for 15 years, alongside 203 basement car spaces and 92 bicycle spaces. A childcare centre occupying nearly 900 sqm of floor area would sit at ground level and be capable of accommodating 120 children and 22 staff.</p>

<p><img alt="First look: Bridgewell plots 120 apartments and childcare centre in Maroubra town centre" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="038a0639-f9e4-4303-8fcc-d43e73fa480f" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Bridgewell%20pers.png?VersionId=eGBElxmNqJW.YF3JFYgHTnPgAstdyXR3" /></p>

<p>According to the Design Report, the project has been conceived as a “gateway proposal” that responds to Maroubra’s evolving urban character and its proximity to the town centre.</p>

<p>“Designed to complement the character of Maroubra’s town centre, this gateway proposal features a building scale that matches its surroundings,” the report stated.</p>

<p>“It integrates residential units above a ground-level childcare centre, fulfilling the strategic objectives of the Randwick City Council Masterplan.”</p>

<p>The apartment mix is weighted toward larger residences aimed at families and downsizers, reflecting changing demographics in the Randwick LGA and increasing demand for medium-density housing close to transport and amenity.</p>

<p>BKA Architecture said the proposal seeks to reinforce Maroubra Road as a civic spine while improving the pedestrian experience around the site through landscaping and upgraded public interfaces.</p>

<p>“The design capitalises on the following site opportunities: reinforcement of Maroubra Road as a civic spine, enhancement of pedestrian pathways and the public interface via new landscaping, and strong market demand for two and three-bedroom apartments to support families and down-sizers,” the Design Report noted.</p>

<p><img alt="First look: Bridgewell plots 120 apartments and childcare centre in Maroubra town centre" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ee509779-3c7e-4918-b03d-761c785459d0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Bridgewell%20site.png?VersionId=eZC4Ruyn.C7O.Qwfr1SVeP5.ds1c5.66" /></p>

<p>The building has been designed with setbacks and articulation intended to transition between the commercial intensity of Maroubra Junction and the surrounding lower-scale residential neighbourhoods. Communal open space is proposed on level one, while upper-level apartments would secure views towards Port Botany, Maroubra Beach and Sydney’s eastern suburbs.</p>

<p>The development sits around 200 metres east of the Maroubra Junction intersection of Anzac Parade and Maroubra Road, within one of Randwick’s identified strategic centres. The site is close to Pacific Square Shopping Centre, major bus routes, schools, parks and future cycling infrastructure proposed under the Maroubra Junction Masterplan.</p>

<p>The Maroubra proposal aligns with broader NSW Government initiatives encouraging higher-density housing near established centres and transport corridors, particularly where affordable housing is incorporated.</p>

<p>Bridgewell is also working on a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/goldfields-sets-the-stage-as-quartet-milton-launches">new 55-unit project in Killara</a>.</p>


First look: Bridgewell plots 120 apartments and childcare centre in Maroubra town centre

<p>National diversified developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/goldfields-group">Goldfields</a> has launched its latest Brisbane apartment project, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/quartet-milton-33-manning-street-milton-qld-4064">Quartet Milton</a>, marking its entry into the sought-after inner-city suburb just two kilometres from the CBD.</p>

<p>The circa $100 million development will rise 18 storeys and deliver 131 apartments, offering a mix of one, two-, and three-bedroom residences.</p>

<p>Ideally located on Manning Street, Quartet residents will be within 300 metres of Milton Station, 500 metres from the Milton Ferry Wharf, and a short walk to Milton Markets, the iconic Park Road, as well as a range of breweries and cafés.</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=108736 project_image_fid=367993]</p>

<p>Designed by architecture firm <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a> and brought to life by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cera-stribley-architects">Cera Stribley</a>, the building features a simple, gridded façade paired with generous glazing to enhance views, maximise aspect, and capture both sunrises and sunsets from within the apartments and their generously sized balconies.</p>

<p>Residents will have access to a 1,000 sqm rooftop, curated to balance wellness and entertaining, in response to increasing demand for wellness-focused shared spaces.</p>

<p>"We've approached Quartet Milton as a complete lifestyle offering, not just apartments, but a place where the design, amenities, and location all work together in a meaningful way," says Goldfields Managing Director Lachlan Thompson.</p>

<p>"Buyers are looking for that sense of confidence, knowing the vision has been carefully thought through not just by us as developers, but by all our consultants appointed to bring this together, and that it will be delivered to the standard they expect."</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=108736 project_image_fid=368000]</p>

<p>Cera Stribley Co-Founder and Managing Principal Domenic Cerantonio said the rooftop is designed to feel like a place "you'd genuinely use every day."</p>

<p>"A 25-metre pool framed by city and mountain views, wellness areas, and private dining spaces for evenings with friends create a setting designed for year-round comfort and effortless Brisbane living."</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=108736 project_image_fid=367999]</p>

<p>In addition to the 25-metre pool, the rooftop will include a sauna, cold plunge, fully equipped gym, and zen gardens, all complemented by panoramic views of the city and river.</p>

<p>While the building is expected to appeal predominantly to owner-occupiers, Goldfields anticipates interest from investors seeking strong rental returns, driven by the project's design, location, and the city's projected capital growth in the lead-up to the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=108736 project_image_fid=367991]</p>

<p><a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/milton-qld-4064">Milton</a>, widely regarded as one of Brisbane's most desirable inner-ring suburbs due to its lifestyle offering and proximity to the CBD, has experienced a shortage of new apartment supply in recent years.</p>

<p>Goldfields is already active in the Brisbane residential market through its Ripley Valley masterplanned community, Hayfield. The 109-hectare neighbourhood is already home to more than 300 families and features a large community park.</p>

<p>Plans for the precinct include a 4 km running track, future schools, and retail and commercial amenities, all within a 35-minute drive of the Brisbane CBD.</p>

<p>Goldfields also plans to deliver a new mixed-use tower at 88 Robertson Street in Fortitude Valley, within the James Street precinct. The project will include 16,000 sqm of boutique commercial space, a level of wellness facilities, and a rooftop restaurant and event space, akin to Goldfields House in South Yarra, its flagship mixed-use development on Chapel Street, which is crowned by the Beverly Rooftop bar, one of Melbourne’s best-known venues.</p>

<p>[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=108736]</p>


Goldfields sets the stage as Quartet Milton launches

<p>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.</p>

<p>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;</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>Even in the low seasons of May and June, occupancy levels reach around 40 per cent.</p>

<p><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" /></p>

<p>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</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p><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" /></p>

<p>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.<span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><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" /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span>​</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p>The apartments will feature modern amenities and contemporary designs with expansive windows capturing sweeping views of The Remarkables mountain range.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Interiors are equipped with modern finishes, premium appliances, and secure electronic key-locked doors, ensuring a comfortable living experience for residents and guests alike.</p>

<p>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;</p>

<p>Queenstown’s sustained demand for visitor accommodation and rental properties is underpinned by a shortage of housing options, attracting both local and international buyers.</p>


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

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<p>GUEST OBSERVER</p>
<p>Smart cities promise efficiency and resilience in urban design to combat climate change, population growth, transport congestion and other wicked problems. The processes that run a city may be abstracted into algorithms that feed on big data, their design optimised for efficiency, commuting, work and other purposes.</p>
<p>This is a positive development for urban spaces, but does this approach overlook other human needs?</p>
<p>While research centres and urban designers are installing sensors, trackers and cameras on every street corner, game designers and artists are using a cornucopia of technologies to bring back an old idea – playing on the street. I have developed one such game for Melbourne International Games Week.</p>
<p>Everyone knows what play is, but as adults we often forget how to play or trivialise its significance. Play is a particular way of being, a different way of seeing the world.</p>
<p>The idea of play as pointless fun is challenged by the designers of serious games who remind us that it is fundamental to learning. We play with possibilities, see how something plays out – this allows us to explore alternative realities and to see familiar situations in a new way.</p>
<p>Play also creates social bonds, connection and community through these shared experiences. Play activates cities and engages people. It appropriates and takes over urban space, changing what it means to people.</p>
<p>Playful citizens can then see their town or city in a new way, feeling a new sense of connection, and sensing new ways it could be.</p>
<p><strong>Not entirely a new idea</strong></p>
<p>While children used to play routinely in cities before the age of digital distraction, adult play in cities is not entirely a new idea. The emergence of the modern city in the 1900s led to changes in how people engaged with and experienced public space in the form of promenading and other social play.</p>
<p>Last century, the playground was invented as a site designed for play. During the 1960s, the Situationists deployed play in cities as a strategy for subversion. And in the 1970s the New Games movement developed outdoor play as a community-building process.</p>
<p>More recently, the interventions into public space of playable cities have revitalised earlier strategies for urban play. Technology has enabled urban play to introduce new modes of engagement.</p>
<p><strong>What is a playable city?</strong></p>
<p>Play creates alternative ways of seeing the world. This involves not only changes in data, but changes in attitude and how we feel in cities. These are things that are harder to achieve with other design strategies in public spaces.</p>
<p>We all know what a game is – we are living in a time with the highest level of play literacy. Participation in games continues to rise, with 68% of Australians playing video games.</p>
<p>Play is often structured through technology. We may recognise that the city has rules, but those rules become changeable through an invitation to play. Games provide new rules of engagement.</p>
<p>Cities are in process, in flux. Although on the surface they are made of concrete, data, steel and glass, they are equally made of people and culture.</p>
<p>Rather than creating playgrounds for adults, playable cities transform spaces that adults already occupy into playful experiences.</p>
<p><strong>A new creative platform</strong></p>
<p>Playable cities appropriate smart cities infrastructure to engage people with their city and with one another. It’s a form of “hacking” urban space. Through a shared sense of community and ownership, visitors, residents and workers in playable cities may then become part of the conversation about urban design.</p>
<p>In this way, smart cities and playable cities may inform each other and provide a new creative platform for artists and designers. Developing encounters in a playable city blends disciplines such as urban design, public art and game development into a hybrid practice situated in urban space.</p>
<p>Technologies like augmented reality sit alongside live theatre, as players move between looking at the screen of their mobile to one another, observing the spaces of the city, or drifting through information architecture.</p>
<p><strong>Invitations to be citizens of play</strong></p>
<p>This approach recognises the multilayered nature of urban space, its complexity, possibilities and how these can be remapped into a playful experience. This happens through mobile phones, signs and ciphers hidden in laneways, large public screens and through the changes in the behaviour of players and the attitudes of those who watch them play.</p>
<p>Cities have always been melting pots of possibility, places that we go to rediscover ourselves - some of their major contributions to the cultural economy are community, connection and creativity.</p>
<p>If that sounds too utopian as we reach peak popularity in dystopian fiction, then perhaps all this play is simply training for the apocalypse – zombie survival runs are a popular genre in street games.</p>
<p>Playable cities do not delineate sites of play but blend this activity with the daily operation of the city itself. Sometimes it is overt, where player behaviour challenges existing rules and conventions of public space and, as a result, transforms the meaning of the site in question. More often than not it is covert, play in secret.</p>
<p>In this way, play persists in cities despite mass surveillance and urban alienation. It’s emerging in opposition to these as a coping strategy that draws attention to the many tensions in cities today: connection and alienation, actual and virtual, digital and analogue, public and private, civic and corporate. Come and join the big game.</p>
<p><em><strong>Troy Innocent</strong> is City of Melbourne knowledge fellow 2017-18 and senior lecturer in games and interactivity at Swinburne University of Technology.</em></p>
<p><em><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/85756/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">You can experience Melbourne as a playable city with <a href="https://ludea.net/wayfinderlive/" target="_blank">Wayfinder Live 2017</a>, a mixed-reality mobile game that explores Melbourne’s laneways and streets to unlock a hidden city. The author developed Wayfinder for <a href="https://www.gamesweek.melbourne" target="_blank">Melbourne International Games Week</a>, Asia Pacific’s largest digital games festival, from October 22-29.</em></p>
<p><em>This article was originally published on <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/bringing-back-an-old-idea-for-smart-cities-playing-on-the-street-85756" target="_blank">original article</a>.</em></p>
<p><em>Photo provided by author.</em></p>
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Bringing back an old idea – playing on the street: Troy Innocent 

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<div>It's been a remarkable few years for dwelling construction in Queensland, especially for high-rise apartments, but the boom times for development are drawing to a close. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>The amplitude of this cycle has been on a par with Queensland's dwelling construction boom of 1994.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Back then about a quarter of dwellings built were multi-units, but the ratio has twice as great this time around, accounting for more than half of the total by 2015. </div>
<p> </p>
<div class="separator"><img src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7MhuU4n8Ggc/WfWzn4xJomI/AAAAAAAAmyA/YvrztJStUVwwkVCRjAa43TjEd-qySEObwCLcBGAs/s640/QLD.jpg" width="640" height="394" data-original-height="833" data-original-width="1348"></div>
<div> </div>
<div>With lenders now tightening deposit requirements for apartment buyers across a swathe of inner Brisbane postcodes, as well as developer insolvencies peppering the newswires, there's no doubt that dwellings starts for apartments will continue to drop precipitously from the latest reported numbers. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>On the positive side, the most timely population estimates suggest that both interstate and net overseas migration are swinging sharply in Queensland's favour, so this should help to mop up the excesses over time. </div>
<p> </p>
<div class="separator"><img src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tX9Jeh29NMU/WfWzl4nOREI/AAAAAAAAmx8/TR_pFjdiQs4ngNieF-QEkNeK3RRgei4ZQCEwYBhgL/s640/QLD2.jpg" width="640" height="390" data-original-height="832" data-original-width="1360"></div>
<p><br><span>Tenants are </span>centralising and moving in too<span>, slowly but surely.</span><br><br></p>
<div>Still, it's clearly going to be a renter's market in 2018, and, if my inbox is any kind of worthy indicator, there's going to be some material discounting on unsold new apartment stock. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Investors with the means should keep a watchful eye out for bargains next year. </div>
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Brisbane apartment dwelling starts to drop precipitously

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<div>The fuel and convenience retailer Jasbe Petroleum will put three properties in regional Victoria to November 23 auction.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>
<div>The are the BP service stations in Wollert and Cranbourne, as well as a brand new United service station on Cheltenham Road in Dandenong. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Both BP properties were developed and operated by Jasbe Petroleum, which operates 50 fuel sites nationally.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The United service station in Dandenong was developed by the country’s largest independent fuel retailer, United Petroleum, and offers investors an opportunity to secure a brand new property with 15-year triple net lease.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Jasbe Petroleum director, Miro Sloup, said the firm had taken a position to recycle some of the capital out of our company’s real estate investments with a view of reinvesting into the business and grow the convenience and fuel operations for our customers. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>The opportunity to purchase the three service stations follows the recent $5 million sale of a freestanding 7-11 in the regional Victorian city of Ballarat (above picture).</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Located at the corner of Hertford and Alfred streets in the Ballarat fringe suburb of Sebastopol, the 4,216 sqm property was purchased by a Melbourne-based farming family after outbidding 16 other groups.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The property is leased to 7-Eleven Stores Pty Ltd on a 15-year term with fixed annual increases of 3%. The transaction reflected a sharp yield of 5.33%.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>CBRE suggest the sale highlighted an upturn in transaction activity in the service station investment market. </div>
</div>
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Three service stations in regional Victoria up for grabs at CBRE auction

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<div>Hewlett Packard's Rhodes campus in Sydney and Forest Hill campus in Melbourne have been listed for sale, as the leading computer maker looks to cash in on valuable real estate.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>At the 3.43ha Rhodes site, HPE is seeking to partner with an Australian developer to rezone the property and improve the site's development potential and value.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Overall, the two sites could be worth $180 million, according to the Australian Financial Review. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>The Rhodes property, situated at 410 Concord Road, currently has a B7 Business Park zoning and very limited site coverage, with HPE’s headquarters totaling just 18,000sqm (representing just one-third of the site).</div>
<div>  </div>
<div>In Melbourne, HPE's 5.7ha site at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property/353-383-burwood-hwy-forest-hill-vic-3131" target="_blank">353-383 Burwood Highway</a> (picture above) is being offered for an outright sale.</div>
<div>
<div> </div>
<div>The zoning already allows for a mixed-use development. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>However, the group will also seek to take a partial leaseback over the existing office building on the site, which has a net lettable area of 9,523 sqm.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>HP has appointed CBRE to market the sites. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Offers close November 30.</div>
</div>
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Hewlett Packard sites listed in Sydney and Melbourne

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<p>A boutique office building in North Sydney belonging to Property Bank Australia and Security Capital Corporation is on the market.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-offices-nsw-north+sydney-502573538" target="_blank">75 Miller Street</a> property is being marketed by Knight Frank’s Tyler Talbot and Dominic Ong along with CI Australia’s Bevan Kenny and Chris Veitch.</p>
<p>The vendor expectations are in the range of $50 million, Fairfax Media added.</p>
<p>Talbot said the asset, which is almost fully leased, is well placed to capture future growth in the sought after North Sydney market and will appeal to both local and offshore buyers.</p>
<p>“We are seeing a great deal of growth in North Sydney’s secondary office space, with further stock withdrawals tightening supply and dramatically increasing net effective rental returns for investors," he said.</p>
<p>Knight Frank research forecasts an average of 10.36% net effective rental growth per annum over the next three years for North Sydney B-grade stock.</p>
<p>Situated on 777 sqm of land area, 75 Miller Street spans 4,930 sqm and is a fully-refurbished boutique asset.</p>
<p>The property features multiple subdivision options and captures harbour views.</p>
<p>It is close to public transport and its onsite amenities includes a ground-floor café, gym and childcare centre.</p>
<p>The property is being marketed through an expressions of interest campaign that ended on October 26.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
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North Sydney office building listed for sale with $50 million hopes

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<p>A converted warehouse to office in Melbourne’s CBD fringe suburb of Richmond is up for auction on November 15 through Teska Carson.</p>
<p>Located at <a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-offices-vic-richmond-502600978" target="_blank">77 Murphy Street</a>, the corner property comprises a single level, 320 sqm brick warehouse which has been converted into office space.</p>
<p>The property will be sold subject to a short-term lease at a current net annual rental of $94,500. </p>
<p>According to marketing agents, Teska Carson’s Tom Maule and Matthew Feld, the property would suit a wide range of buyers including owner-occupiers, developers and investors.</p>
<p>The 320 sqm site is zoned Industrial 1.</p>
<p>“With a short term lease, an ideal, inner city location, and three street frontages, this converted warehouse offers opportunities for owner-occupiers, as well as developers and investors,” said Maule.</p>
<p>“Richmond has become a very much sought after address for those looking for a boutique office environment within easy reach of the CBD.”</p>
<p> </p>
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Warehouse turned office space in Melbourne's Richmond listed for auction

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<p>Quest Apartment Hotels recently opened an apartment hotel in Perth, Quest Innaloo at 1 Sunray Drive, adding 80 rooms to its offering.</p>
<p>The new apartment hotel, which is part of the mixed-use Stirling Cross development comprising 154 residential and 80 serviced apartments, is targeted towards the corporate traveller.</p>
<p>Developed by Fini Group, Quest Innaloo has 80 apartments – a mix of studio, one and two-bedroom apartments. The purpose-built property provides the perfect “home away from home” with fully-equipped kitchen, business lounge and on site gymnasium. </p>
<p>Quest CEO Zed Sanjana expressed confidence in the future of tourism in WA, with the year ending June 2017 seeing more than 10.4 million overnight domestic and international visitors.</p>
<p>“Growing our base in Western Australia is a key priority for Quest with two more properties in the pipeline for the next year – Quest Midland and Quest on Mends Street in South Perth,” said Santana.</p>
<p>He added that Stirling was becoming a business centre for surrounding suburbs.</p>
<p>“We are pleased to be opening Quest Innaloo. The quality of the property is of the highest standard and the team are looking forward to delivering the best service to ensure each guest has the premium experience they expect from a Quest Apartment Hotel,” he said. </p>
<p>Quest Apartment Hotels has opened seven new properties within the past 12 months including: Quest East Perth, Quest Fremantle (WA), Quest Griffith, Quest Macquarie Park, Quest Newcastle West (NSW), Quest Port Adelaide (SA) and Quest Dandenong Central (VIC). </p>
<p>This time last year the pipeline of new property openings for Quest across Australia, anticipated the opening in 10 new locations. The list included Eight Mile Plains (QLD).</p>
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Quest adds 80 rooms to West Australian market – opens doors in Innaloo

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<p>An industrial style office in Melbourne’s Richmond has been put on the market, and is suited both to the investor or the owner occupier with potential for further development.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-offices-vic-richmond-502208006" target="_blank">29-31 Butler Street</a> property has a land area of 480 sum and a net lettable area of 470 sqm.</p>
<p>It is close to public transport and the restaurant district of Victoria Street. </p>
<p>The property features a flexible open plan space, polished concrete floor and high ceilings.</p>
<p>It is zoned Commercial 2 and the property is on two titles.</p>
<p>The property was last sold for $2.2 million in 2016.</p>
<p>There has been no asking price disclosure.</p>
<p>The listing agent is Gordon Kelly of Kelly &amp; Kelly Property.</p>
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Richmond industrial-style office property for sale 

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<p>A two-story Fortitude Valley commercial office has sold for $2,625,000 to a local investor through Savills.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-offices-qld-fortitude+valley-502217670" target="_blank">141 Robertson Street</a> property sits on a 546 sqm site. </p>
<p>The building has 660 sqm of floor area spanning over two storeys, and is close to the James Street retail precinct. </p>
<p>The selling agents were Savills’ Jack Morrison and Nick Russell, who marketed the property <span style="font-size: 12.16px;">via expressions of interest.</span></p>
<p>The buyer has appointed Apollo Property Group to refurbish the property.  </p>
<p>The James Street retail precinct continues to build momentum, with the opening of the second freestanding David Jones store in Australia, and the current construction of the high end boutique hotel, The Calile. </p>
<p> </p>
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Office building in Brisbane’s tightly held Fortitude Valley precinct sells for $2.625 million

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<p>Savills have prepared charts on major retail development analysis across Australia.</p>
<p>It shows stock under construction and national development by retail type.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/10/27/Retail-Construction.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a></p>
<p><img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/10/27/Retail-Construction.png" alt=""></p>
<p><a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/10/27/Retail-Dev.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a></p>
<p><img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/10/27/Retail-Dev.png" alt=""> </p>
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Safari Group offers low-touch investment proposition in Queenstown’s popular ski fields district

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