<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/far-east-consortium">Far East Consortium</a> is preparing to commence construction on <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/640-bourke-street-melbourne-640-bourke-street-melbourne-vic-3000">640 Bourke Street</a> this October, marking the next milestone for the Melbourne CBD development and its higher-end Eliza Collection.

Spanning levels 44 to 68 of the 68-storey <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a>-designed tower, the Eliza Collection has been conceived as a lower-density offering within the broader development, with only five apartments on each floor, dedicated lift access and a collection of resident spaces reserved exclusively for Eliza Collection residents.

The Eliza Collection forms part of Far East Consortium's broader move toward larger-format residences at 640 Bourke Street, where the number of apartments was reduced from earlier plans as apartment sizes increased.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=509 project_image_fid=365685]

"What it's meant for 640 Bourke is we've actually reduced the number of apartments. We've increased the overall size of the apartments. We don't have any studios in here, and what that does for a project is it elevates it," Far East Consortium Director of Sales and Marketing Lauren Sheldon said.

Rothelowman Associate Jun Chang said the design process provided an opportunity to create more generous floorplans.

"We were given the opportunity to be more generous. The apartments became bigger and squarer than any other apartments which had been designed in the CBD before that."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=509 project_image_fid=368869]

That thinking carries through to the Eliza Collection, where the residences have been designed around the space and functionality associated with a larger home, but positioned high above the centre of Melbourne.

Kitchens are equipped with Gaggenau appliances, a butler's pantry, temperature-controlled wine cabinet and sculptural pendant lighting, while engineered timber flooring, stone and porcelain finishes and custom cabinetry feature throughout the broader interiors.

Privacy and security are another point of distinction. Eliza Collection residents have dedicated lift access, while 640 Bourke Street will provide concierge services and secure resident parking. Short-stay accommodation, including Airbnb, will not be permitted within the development.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=509 project_image_fid=365689]

Eliza Collection residents will also have exclusive access to selected amenity spaces across levels one and three of the restored Eliza Tinsley building. These include the Salon with grand piano, an art therapy room, private dining rooms and treatment rooms.

They sit within more than 3,000 sqm of amenity planned across 640 Bourke Street, alongside facilities including a pool, gym, whisky lounge and further social and wellness spaces.

The Eliza Tinsley building itself is central to the wider project's identity. Rather than treating the existing Eliza Tinsley façade as a separate element, Rothelowman used it as a starting point for the architecture of the new tower, with the historic building to accommodate the project's gallery and lobby.

"It's a significant asset and wants to be celebrated and experienced by all residents every single time they go in and out of the building," Rothelowman Principal Stuart Marsland said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=509 project_image_fid=368872]

The tower will rise behind the retained heritage building at 640 Bourke Street, placing residents within walking distance of Southern Cross Station, Flagstaff Gardens, Queen Victoria Market and the Docklands waterfront.

With construction scheduled to begin in October, Far East Consortium has established an onsite display gallery at 640 Bourke Street, including fully built apartments that allow the project's layouts, materials and finishes to be inspected at full scale.

A fully built Eliza Collection apartment is also available to view at the display suite by appointment ahead of the planned October construction commencement.

Eligible purchasers who buy before construction commences can secure the full available off-the-plan stamp duty savings, subject to eligibility and applicable conditions.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=509]

Joel Robinson

Far East Consortium brings Eliza Collection to 640 Bourke Street ahead of October construction start

By the time S&amp;S Projects began planning <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/radia-rainbow-bay-271-boundary-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Radia</a>, the developer already had three Rainbow Bay projects from which to draw.

Flow, Awaken and Esprit had given <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/ss-projects">S&amp;S Projects</a> experience developing in the southern Gold Coast enclave, as well as buyer feedback that could be carried into its fourth project, a boutique collection of 38 residences at 271 Boundary Street.

“We have experienced a lot of success in this location and as this was our fourth building we had taken all of the learnings and buyer feedback from previous projects to arrive at a design and apartment mix that we believe had captured all of that experience and remained a true S&amp;S Project in its design and amenity,” the developer said.

That experience has translated into a collection of two, three, four and five-bedroom residences including two penthouses positioned on an elevated corner in Rainbow Bay, where the site opens to multiple coastal view corridors and the area's distinctive north-facing bay.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=140491 project_image_fid=284542]

S&amp;S Projects says the Boundary Street site took years to assemble, having previously comprised six units, a house and a duplex. The developer worked individually with the existing owners to bring the properties together after an earlier attempt to sell the site had been complicated by the number of parties involved.

“We are constantly looking for properties that meet our brand standards of location, views, and sites that are rare with unique aspects that we can develop to maximise the lifestyle of residents who live in our buildings,” S&amp;S Projects said.

The Boundary Street site gave <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cottee-parker-architects">Cottee Parker</a> a different set of conditions to work with.&nbsp;

“Our design brief was to design a building that took advantage of its unique elevated corner siting offering a range of spectacular view corridor opportunities,” Cottee Parker said.

“The design had to reinforce the strong brand pillars of S&amp;S which are quality, luxury and superior resident amenity.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=140491 project_image_fid=284543]

Cottee Parker responded with a sculptural floorplate and strong horizontal banding, with continuous balconies and landscaped planters wrapping the building. Operable screens along the balcony edges allow residents to manage light and shade while creating an additional layer of pattern across the facade.

The tower rises above a heavily landscaped podium incorporating the entry lobby and recreational level, while the broader architectural expression takes cues from Rainbow Bay's coastal environment through its organic forms and light material palette.

Cottee Parker says the design has also been developed to complement S&amp;S Projects’ three previous Rainbow Bay developments while retaining its own architectural identity.

Inside, the residences continue that coastal response through two interior schemes centred on warm timbers and neutral tones, alongside patterned natural stone and fluted detailing.

Floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors connect open-plan living areas to wraparound balconies, while natural stone is used across benchtops, splashbacks and bathroom walls. Specifications also include light-washed timber flooring, gas fireplaces, integrated bar and wine fridges, freestanding stone baths and 100 per cent wool carpet.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=140491 project_image_fid=284559]

Cottee Parker Director Sandra Brown said the intention was to create an architectural response closely connected to its surroundings.

“Imagine architecture that breathes with the rhythm of nature, where every curve and line flows seamlessly – creating spaces that dance with the elements, where sunlight kisses every surface and the gentle sea breeze fills every space,” Brown said.

The lessons S&amp;S Projects carried into Radia also extend to its resident amenity, with a substantial collection of shared facilities planned for just 38 residences.

A dedicated Residents Club will include a lap pool and spa, gymnasium, ice bath, sauna, steam room and hot rocks sauna. A residents' lounge, private dining room, outdoor dining and barbecue area and business centre are also planned, along with storage and dedicated surfboard and beach lockers.

S&amp;S Projects Founding Director Paul Gedoun said the facilities were also designed around the project's Rainbow Bay setting.

“Each amenity is designed to capitalise on the lifestyle of Rainbow Bay, ensuring residents can enjoy the relaxed coastal experience the enclave is famous for,” Gedoun said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=140491 project_image_fid=284555]

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/pezet-matheson">Pezet Matheson</a> says purchasers to date have predominantly included local downsizers, interstate lifestyle investors and families, alongside a strong contingent of repeat S&amp;S purchasers.&nbsp;

According to the project sales team, feedback has centred on the natural stone and joinery, generous floorplans, natural light and the ability for residences to capture views in multiple directions. The completed Flow, Awaken and Esprit developments have also provided prospective purchasers with an existing reference point for S&amp;S Projects' delivery in Rainbow Bay.

There has also been interest from high-profile surfers and people connected to the surf community, with the elevated building providing outlooks towards several of the area's recognised surf breaks.

Radia continues S&amp;S Projects' concentration of development in a tightly held part of the southern Gold Coast, close to Rainbow Bay Beach, Snapper Rocks, Duranbah Beach, Greenmount Beach and the Tweed River. The neighbourhood also includes a growing collection of hospitality venues, while Coolangatta Airport provides connections beyond the southern Gold Coast.

Hutchinson Builders is now delivering Radia, continuing the project from early works privately funded by S&amp;S Projects. The $250 million development is expected to reach completion in the third quarter of 2027.

“With our history in Rainbow Bay, we have been fortunate to be heavily involved in how the development landscape has unfolded and this project slides into the property landscape comfortably and will feel like it was always there,” the developer said.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=140491]

How three Rainbow Bay projects shaped S&S Projects' fourth, Radia

Nearly 40 years after <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sheida-group">The Sheida Group</a> began working on the northern Gold Coast, the family-owned developer is continuing its involvement in Hope Island with Marina Point Apartments, where apartment scale has been a central part of the development.

Across the 235-apartment waterfront community, the developer has prioritised larger floorplans, substantial open space and marina access, responding to a purchaser base that has predominantly comprised local owner-occupiers and downsizers moving from larger homes.

"Having already delivered Anchorage nearby, we also understood this particular market and how people live here," developer Rick Sheida said.

"<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/marina-point-apartments-hope-island-66-view-line-terrace-hope-island-qld-4212">Marina Point&nbsp;Apartments</a> gave us the opportunity to build on those lessons and create the next evolution of our work in Hope Island."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=136992 project_image_fid=293151]

The Sheida Group acquired the Marina Point land around 2018. Its appeal, Sheida says, went beyond having a waterfront address.

"What attracted us was not simply that the site was waterfront, but the way it meets the water," he said.

"It sits at the junction of broad waterways, creating long sightlines, changing views and a sense of movement throughout the day. Its shape also allowed us to orient the buildings outward, improve privacy between residences and make better use of natural light and breezes."

The buildings have subsequently been positioned around the perimeter of the site, allowing most apartments to take in water views while others look across the resort amenity or hinterland. Once all four buildings are complete, approximately one hectare of the site is expected to remain as open space.

The waterfront also provides the potential for up to 50 marina berths, with berths ranging from 15 to 24 metres and options designed to accommodate wider vessels including catamarans. Access from the marina to the Gold Coast Seaway is bridge-free.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=136992 project_image_fid=293149]

The developer says purchasers to date have predominantly been owner-occupiers and downsizers from <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/marina-point-apartments-hope-island-66-view-line-terrace-hope-island-qld-4212">Hope Island</a> and elsewhere on the Gold Coast, generally aged between 45 and 70. Many have sold larger family homes or properties requiring significant upkeep.

That purchaser profile informed a design brief centred on retaining the space and functionality of a larger home within an apartment format.

"Many of our buyers are coming from large, well-appointed homes in Sanctuary Cove and the surrounding area," the project team said.

"They are accustomed to generous spaces and thoughtful design, so it was important that the apartments delivered the same sense of comfort and functionality.

"Every room needed to feel well proportioned, every space needed a clear purpose and nothing could feel compromised."

Residences range from 139 sqm through to 319 sqm penthouses, with two car spaces provided to apartments and three to penthouses. Minimum 2.7-metre ceilings, floor-to-ceiling glazing, entertainer's kitchens with butler's pantries, substantial storage and balconies ranging from 18 sqm to 37 sqm further reflect the emphasis on space.

One purchaser from Sanctuary Cove has taken the concept further, combining two of Marina Point's largest apartments to create a 552 sqm residence with raked ceilings reaching up to 4.5 metres.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=136992 project_image_fid=293155]

With Building 1 now complete, the developer is also seeing its original design assumptions tested against purchaser feedback.

Three completed display residences allow prospective purchasers to compare apartment sizes, layouts, finishes and outlooks in person. The sales team says one of the most consistent responses has been to the scale of the apartments, with visitors describing them as feeling more like homes than conventional apartments.

The first stage of resident amenity is also operational, including a 25-metre heated lap pool, Technogym-equipped gym, infrared sauna, golf simulator and yoga room. Future facilities are set to include a resort-style pool and spa, waterfront barbecue area and a residents' lounge with a library, fireplace, pool table, kitchen and bar.

Rather than treating the four buildings independently, the design brief called for a complete waterfront neighbourhood, balancing private residences with landscaping, open space, marina access and shared amenity.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=136992 project_image_fid=293152]

For Sheida, Marina Point Apartments is ultimately an extension of the developer's longer-term involvement in Hope Island and its view of how the suburb is evolving.

"We were equally interested in the long-term future of Hope Island," he said.

"Its position between Brisbane and the central Gold Coast gives residents access to both, while improving transport connections are making the northern Gold Coast increasingly attractive as a permanent place to live."

Hope Island Marketplace is 1.3 kilometres from Marina Point, while Sanctuary Cove and Paradise Point are within six kilometres. Links Hope Island, The Pines and The Palms golf courses are also nearby, and the new Hope Island train station is under construction around five kilometres from the development.

Building 2 is under construction, with completion scheduled for 2027.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=136992]

Marina Point Apartments continues The Sheida Group's 40-year Hope Island story

Sydney-based fund manager and developer EG is seeking to turn part of the former Roche pharmaceutical campus in Cromer into a 130-home residential community, introducing a mix of low-rise apartments, townhouses and duplexes to the tightly held Northern Beaches market.

The SJB-designed masterplan has been prepared for the 3.2-hectare site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/100-south-creek-road-cromer-nsw-2099">100 South Creek Road</a>, part of the former Roche landholding that EG acquired for $55 million in 2017 through its Yield Plus Infrastructure Fund No. 2.

EG is proposing what SJB describes as a new "urban village" set within the site's significant existing tree canopy.

<img alt="Cromer" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="482c9a58-49f1-4c53-a12e-aaa02336229f" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-24%20at%2011.20.57%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=hZP8_XfPnfNq500dbcjlpVwYU1ebhF9_" />

Around three hectares of the site is considered developable, with the balance incorporating a riparian corridor that would be rehabilitated and revegetated as part of the proposal.

The indicative masterplan comprises approximately 72 apartments in low-rise residential buildings and another 58 townhouses and duplexes.

The apartment component would include around five one-bedroom, 37 two-bedroom and 30 three-bedroom residences, while the townhouse and duplex component would be spread across several different housing typologies. The overall scheme would deliver around 19,500 sqm of gross floor area at an FSR of 0.6:1.

Parking for the apartment component is currently estimated at around 112 resident spaces and 14 visitor spaces, while the townhouse and duplex component would have 116 resident and 12 visitor spaces.

A significant part of the masterplan revolves around retaining the established landscape character of the former Roche campus.

SJB's plans show heavily treed setbacks along both Campbell Avenue and South Creek Road, a centrally located collection of significant native and exotic trees retained as communal open space, and the regeneration of the northern bushland area.

The existing creek corridor along the site's western edge would also be rehabilitated and revegetated, creating additional separation between the new homes and the neighbouring Northern Beaches Business Park.

A heritage-listed cottage and its garden setting would be retained and restored, with SJB flagging its potential adaptive reuse as communal space.

The proposal also includes new communal recreation areas, pedestrian connections to Campbell Avenue and South Creek Road, and a contribution toward improvements to the adjoining Michele Reserve.

Vehicular access would be restricted to South Creek Road, with no vehicle entry proposed from Campbell Avenue. The main internal road would largely follow the site's existing driveway to minimise the impact on established trees.

SJB said residential redevelopment presented an opportunity to retain the majority of the site's heritage-listed mature trees while delivering a broader range of housing types than typically seen across the Northern Beaches.

"The site being 3.27 hectares in area represents one of the largest vacant sites in common ownership in the Cromer and Dee Why area capable of residential renewal," SJB noted in the masterplan.

The architect said the proposal would particularly target housing diversity through townhouses and other "missing middle" typologies suitable for singles, young families, downsizers and retirees.

<img alt="Cromer" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e3f5d841-8491-427e-8ada-c70d3d03d6bc" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-24%20at%2011.21.02%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=xTV7r.q8lrTzC9vKzMS9zMbjm9wKwhgm" />

The site emerged following the subdivision of the former Roche campus into eastern and western parcels.

EG has already transformed the western portion into the Northern Beaches Business Park, which incorporates heritage-listed office space, modern warehouses and indoor recreation facilities.

The proposed residential community, referred to as Cromer East in SJB's plans, adjoins established housing to the north, east and south-east, while the business park sits beyond the creek corridor to the west.

It is also within 250 metres of Pittwater House School and Northern Beaches Secondary College, while bus stops within a three-to-five-minute walk provide connections to Dee Why, Brookvale and express services to the Sydney CBD. Cromer Park and the South Creek open space corridor are also nearby.

EG acquired the broader 7.5-hectare former Roche campus in 2017 for $55 million through its Yield Plus Infrastructure Fund No. 2. The campus at the time comprised more than 25,000 sqm of industrial and office buildings set within landscaped grounds.

The current residential site represents the eastern portion of that original holding.

EG's investment strategy for the fund has centred on acquiring income-producing real estate with longer-term rezoning and repositioning potential, particularly assets benefiting from infrastructure and changing land-use patterns.

EG also has an established residential track record across Sydney, including Bosco in Five Dock, Tempo in Drummoyne, The Flour Mill in Summer Hill and Pindari in Randwick.

The developer says it has delivered more than 1,000 homes to date, with a further 3,000-plus residences across its development pipeline.

First look: EG plans 130 apartments on former Roche pharmaceutical campus in Cromer

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/s-p-setia">SP Setia</a> has lodged plans for a $750 million, three-tower mixed-use precinct that would complete the long-running redevelopment of Carlton's former Carlton United Breweries site.

The proposal at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/185-195-queensberry-street-carlton-vic-3053">46-78 Bouverie Street and 185-195 Queensberry Street</a> spans a 6,468 sqm site, the last remaining undeveloped parcels within the former brewery's 2007 masterplan.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cox-architecture">COX Architecture</a>, the development will comprise two purpose-built student accommodation towers and a third build-to-sell apartment tower above a shared commercial podium and basement.

Across the three towers, SP Setia is proposing 606 build-to-sell apartments and 1,499 student accommodation units containing 2,009 beds.

The apartments will sit in the tallest tower, which will rise nearly 200m and 55 storeys. It will become&nbsp;one of the more substantial new build-to-sell apartment projects at the northern edge of Melbourne's CBD.

The apartment mix is weighted toward smaller inner-city product, with 188 studios, 206 one-bedroom apartments, 192 two-bedroom apartments and 20 three-bedroom apartments

<img alt="First look: SP Setia plans three-tower finale for Carlton’s former CUB precinct" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8271bc87-1b0a-41b7-ac73-a425ee375261" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/3_2.png?VersionId=G4lw23o90B1boX4k4dj7rdz2ZEajS9wy" />

Part of the precinct will be a large-scale&nbsp;3,684 sqm supermarket and a further 2,198 sqm of speciality retail, creating close to 5,900 sqm of new commercial space within the precinct.

But one of the biggest components of the proposal is what sits between the buildings.

Around 4,650 sqm, or roughly 72 per cent of the site, will be publicly accessible open space, incorporating plazas, pedestrian connections, landscaped laneways and retail spill-out areas.

The ground plane is intended to finally complete pedestrian connections envisaged when the CUB masterplan was first approved nearly two decades ago, stitching together Victoria Street, Queensberry Street, Bouverie Street and Swanston Street through the former brewery precinct.

Urbis said the development would "complete the CUB precinct", with the public realm providing important north-south and east-west connections through what is currently the final undeveloped portion of the masterplanned site.

SP Setia is also exploring a new linear park within the Bouverie Street road reserve, with the concept to be developed further with the City of Melbourne through the planning process.

The proposal is being pursued through the Victorian Government's Development Facilitation Program under Clause 53.23 for significant residential development with affordable housing.

The planning report acknowledges the proposed heights exceed those contemplated under the original Comprehensive Development Plan and masterplan, but argues the built-form context has changed considerably over the past two decades.

Urbis said the three towers would instead create a stepped transition between Carlton and the Hoddle Grid, rising progressively from the 94.1-metre Tower One along the Queensberry Street edge to the 199.44-metre Tower Three closer to the established CBD-scale buildings to the south.

<img alt="SP Setia" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e885a07a-592c-40fc-bf82-e6dbaf32da54" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-21%20at%208.52.24%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=7s_ErUkSKAdY1mAWp3GRZgMNCGtwhk5m" />

SP Setia plans to deliver the development across three stages.

Stage One would deliver the basement, podium and retail areas for the entire precinct alongside the first student tower. Tower Two would follow in Stage Two, before the 606-apartment Tower Three is delivered as the final stage.

If approved and delivered, the project would close out a redevelopment process that has been underway since the former brewery masterplan was approved in 2007, adding more than 2,600 student beds and apartments to a precinct already home to Swanston Central, the Barak Building, RMIT Design Hub and several large student accommodation developments.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

SP Setia plans three-tower finale for Carlton’s former CUB precinct

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>
Hotel owner and operator InterContinental Hotels Group and Linzhu (Australia) Pty Ltd have signed an agreement to open a new Holiday Inn brand hotel in the Sydney CBD by 2020.
The Holiday Inn Sydney Central at the 430 Pitt Street development will comprise 305 rooms, a restaurant, terrace bar and a 120-seat meeting space, according to a media release.
The hotel will be part of a mixed-use development that will have a 17-storey tower with a sloping roof, “green waterfalls”, a 1,000 sqm private art gallery and a retail concourse.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2017/03/09/Holiday%20Inn%20Sydney%20Central%203.jpg" alt="">
 
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2017/03/09/Holiday%20Inn%20Sydney%20Central.jpg" alt="">
“The property will be a jewel in the Sydney CBD landscape with its unique wedge-shaped design and green flowing rooftops,” said Jing Wen Lin, director at property firm Linzhu.
Karin Sheppard, chief operating officer at IHG added, “The Holiday Inn brand has been a story of success for IHG in Australia, so we are excited to be building on our portfolio that already includes six Holiday Inn hotels in Sydney.”
The first Holiday Inn globally opened its doors in 1952 and today the Holiday Inn Brand Family is the largest hotel brand in the world, with the largest development pipeline, said the media release.
The first property in Australasia was the Holiday Inn City Centre Perth, which opened on March 2, 1998.
IHG currently has 26 hotels operating under four brands in Australia: InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express.
 
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/03/09/IHG%20%20Linzhu%20Signing%201.JPG" alt="">
 
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/03/09/IHG%20%20Linzhu%20Signing%202.JPG" alt="">
</body></html>

j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

IHG extends its footprint in Sydney’s CBD with signing of Holiday Inn

<html><body>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/73442/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
The plane crash at Essendon Airport showed the folly of allowing runways to co-exist with commercial development.
Tullamarine Airport opened in 1970 partly because of the risk to housing from aircraft at Essendon. Why, then, have authorities allowed extensive new development within Essendon Airport’s boundaries between housing and runways?
Between 1997 and 2003, the federal government provided 99-year airport leases to private consortia, raising A$8.5 billion. This process illustrates how privatisation can lead to unaccountable incremental actions and impacts that public authorities didn’t anticipate.
Since then, in effect, lessees have enjoyed the privileged position in Australian planning law of being able to decide their own futures. The exclusion of such large areas as airports from broader metropolitan planning threatens orderly planning on a grand scale.
Planning academics Robert Freestone and Douglas Baker have argued:
The prospect of market opportunities from property development and commercial initiatives was a key factor in the high prices secured for airport leases.
This process was compromised if higher prices than those justified by leases were reciprocated by commercial approvals. Any future development assessment would be predetermined towards approval. This would prevent fair consideration of objections, resulting in a lack of proper scrutiny in the public interest.
Airport business is booming
Commercial development is now integrated with traditional airport operations across Australia. But aside from possible reciprocal financial expectations, privatisation has provided extraordinary bargains to lessees through large capital and operational returns.
Linfox Group and Beck Corporation, for example, made a reported payment in 2001 of $22 million for a lease on 305 hectares of prime inner-urban land at Essendon Airport. They have turned this into a projected $1 billion enterprise over the next decade. One-quarter of the airport is leased to commercial tenants.
Business zones adjoin or wrap around runways. The plane crashed into a large retail DFO complex. An eight-storey 150-bed hotel, conference centre, a five-storey office block, private hospital, supermarket, auto centre and much else have also been built or are planned. Projected employment in the precinct is 18,000.
Air traffic has expanded significantly too. Essendon is home to executive air, charter, freight, media and regional air services, air ambulance, police and private aircraft. Essendon is Australia’s largest corporate jet base.
All this activity reinforces the public danger from the incompatibility of air and commercial land uses under privatised governance arrangements.
Operators bypass state planning rules
Under the Airports Act, Essendon Airports Pty Ltd must prepare a management plan outlining airport development for 20 years. The privatised management of airports inherited the Commonwealth’s constitutional overriding of state and territory land-use planning provisions. Master plans must only address “consistency” with state and local planning schemes.
However, airport lessees are not required to act on submissions. Essendon Airport Pty Ltd gave “due regard to all written comments”, then forwarded submissions and its master plan to the federal government. The Commonwealth approved the plan in 2014 regardless of broader urban planning considerations.
Victorian government planning policy has attempted to concentrate commercial development in mixed-use centres well served by public transport. Essendon Airport is a classic road-based, out-of-centre location. It was not identified as an activity centre in Melbourne metropolitan planning. But, for 30 years, no Victorian government has shown an appetite for curbing out-of-centre development.
The 2014 metropolitan plan, Plan Melbourne, proposed to “investigate opportunities for… increased development and employment” at Essendon. Airport management submitted a case to the revised metropolitan strategy process for recognition as an activity centre.
State and local authorities originally expressed concern at the proposal to construct the DFO at Essendon Airport. However, more recently, local and state attitudes have changed.
In 2014, the Liberal planning minister, Matthew Guy, announced a new airport employment precinct and a partnership between the developers, Metropolitan Planning Authority and state and local governments. The airport was identified as both a key transport gateway and important commercial area.
Labor Niddrie MP Ben Carroll also welcomed the expansion of commercial activities. Moonee Valley Council expressed concerns but did not oppose the major proposed land uses. Councillors expressed the view that Essendon Fields is “an important economic hub” and a “vibrant business precinct”.
The then federal infrastructure minister, Warren Truss, said in 2015 that:
Airports are now business destinations in their own right and provide a powerful economic engine for their home region and local communities.
In similar language, Essendon Airport Pty Ltd CEO Chris Cowan said that:
Essendon Airport [provides] a unique opportunity to reinforce its activity centre function by realising non-aviation development potential.
Everybody is now speaking from the same script.
State and local policy has increasingly become aligned with the Commonwealth helping to further the private interests of airport operators at increasing risk to the public.
Instead, airport governance should redefine Commonwealth responsibilities to its citizens and be integrated with broader metropolitan planning. This ultimately may mean closing down airport operations at Essendon.
Michael Buxton is professor of Environment and Planning, RMIT University and author for The Conversation. He can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michael-buxton-1381" target="_blank">here</a>.
 
</body></html>

jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Airport privatisations have put profit before public safety and good planning: Michael Buxton

<html><body>
A fully leased retail centre in Queensland’s largest inland city, Toowoomba, has sold for more than $14 million on a robust yield of 7 percent. 
Wyalla Plaza at 236A-238A Taylor Street, Newtown returns a net rental income of more than $1 million per annum and offers opportunity for further growth, according to its description. 
Tenants include Puma, Domino’s Pizza, Downs Rural Medical and Malouf Pharmacy among others. 
The property was sold through agents Stephen Kidd and Peter Marks of Ray White Commercial to a Melbourne-based investor. 
Kidd said the marketing campaign for Wyalla Plaza attracted strong local, interstate and international interest.
“Wyalla Plaza is 100 per cent leased and includes a service station, medical centre and a total of 25 tenants,” he said.
The property has a land area of 14,028 sqm and a gross floor area of 3,995 sqm. 
Marks said there is currently a strong appetite for investment in Toowoomba with the city of nearly 163,000 people enjoying a bright economic future underwritten by primary industry, natural resources, education and tourism sectors.
“Toowoomba is currently experiencing an influx of major infrastructure developments totalling more than $10 billion,” he said.
</body></html>

Toowoomba shopping centre sells for more than $14 million on a strong yield

<html><body>
A convenience store with an apartment in the rear in NSW’s Fitzroy Falls has just sold for an undisclosed sum.
The Fitzroy Falls General Store at <a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-retail-nsw-fitzroy+falls-501736562" target="_blank">1351 Nowra Road, Fitzroy Falls, NSW 2577</a> is currently under a three-year lease to new tenants with further option of another three years.
The two-bedroom flat at the rear of the premises is occupied by the tenants.
The store is a historic part of the local area, supplying much-needed groceries for local residents, as well as fuel, fast food and coffee for travellers. The store currently returns 6.86% + GST NETT, and the property description says it would make up an ideal part of a buyer’s Superannuation Fund.
The land area is nearly 1,700 sqm. The property was last advertised in September 2015 for a price tag of $550,000 and spend 532 days on the market, RP Data shows. 
The selling agent was Terry Murphy of Terry Murphy Property Sales &amp; Management .
</body></html>

jonathanchancellor-7SQnKwU6yx

Store with apartment in NSW's Fitzroy's Falls sells

<html><body>
A warehouse/office in Perth’s industrial suburb of Wangara has sold for $1,795,000.
Located at the western end of Berriman Drive in the Car Yard precinct, the property at <a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-industrial+warehouse-wa-wangara-501985438" target="_blank">9B Berriman Drive, Wangara, WA 6065</a>, has a land area of 2,100 sqm with a building area of 1,083 sqm.
The warehouse also has an additional mezzanine area and the office is on the ground floor. It has a kitchenette.
The selling agent was Chad Henville of Burgess Rawson.
</body></html>

Warehouse in Perth's Wangara sold for under $2m

<html><body>
The low-growth environment will likely make investors focus on placemaking and present them with the potential to invest in new sectors and locations, according to CBRE’s outlook on the trends shaping the Australian property market.
This was the over-arching theme of the commercial real estate firm’s annual Melbourne Market Outlook presentation recently, which also highlighted the strong performance of Australia’s south-east property markets – in particular, Melbourne and Sydney.
Both cities have stood out from an APAC perspective given their outlook for low office vacancy rates and office rental growth averaging 7 percent over the next three years, said CBRE’s head of Research, Australia, Stephen McNabb.
However, in an environment of relatively limited overall growth, McNabb said investors needed to seek out opportunities to optimise their portfolios, taking into account factors such as the current focus on space efficiency and workplace flexibility.
CBRE’s Asia Pacific head of Research, Dr Henry Chin, said this was driving a heightened interest in trends such as placemaking, as owners sought to unlock property value through asset repositioning.
“Landlords should be striving to create a community of tenants instead of simply providing office space,” Dr Chin said.
“You have to create communities to keep tenants in your building and that’s why we talk about placemaking.”
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2017/03/14/CBREinside.jpg" alt=""> 
McNabb referenced CBRE’s recent Millennials survey, which highlighted the heightened focus of millennials on areas such as greenspace and wellness in the workplace.
“Decision makers need to start looking more at employee data to drive their decisions as customer expectations are changing,” McNabb said.
The presentation also highlighted a growing trend for investors to seek out opportunities in newer sectors and markets.
“From a cyclical perspective, Australia’s south east markets are the stand out in terms of forecast income growth,” McNabb said.
“However, we expect to see more domestic investors looking offshore and at opportunities to alternative assets such as health &amp; aged care, infrastructure and even institutional investment in residential,” McNabb said.
</body></html>

Low growth market making investors look for newer sectors, placemaking: CBRE

<html><body>
A riverfront hotel at North Fremantle in Perth with potential for further development has been listed for sale.
Located at 7-9 John Street, North Fremantle, WA, 6159, the Pier 21 Apartment Hotel sits on 4,006 sqm of land with 87 metre frontage to Swan River.
It has exclusive water access and views of the John Street Marina. It was fully refurbished in 2012.
The owner-operator has a five-year lease back with a net rental of $1.4 million, along with 47 apartment rooms of varying sizes.
There is an opportunity to convert the property into a residential strata conversion or future residential development.
The property is a long established profitable hotel with a loyal customer base.
Expressions of interest close March 17 and the property is being offered through CBRE agents Ryan McGinnity, Ben Younger and David Kennedy.
</body></html>

Riverfront hotel in Perth's North Fremantle listed for sale

<html><body>
A Melbourne strip retail at Sorrento has been sold for $3.71 million at weekend auction.
Located at <a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-retail-vic-sorrento-502246230" target="_blank">157-163 Ocean Beach Road</a>, the property is at the heart of the beachside destination.
It is a Commercial Zone 1 landholding of 554 sqm on a major corner with over 200 car spaces available.
There is strong holding income from two retail buildings, Happy Days Sorrento and Patrick's, totalling $103,941 per annum with no further options after 2019.
There is potential to create a mixed-use development with views over Pioneer Memorial Gardens.
It last sold in 2004 for $1.5 million and $475,000 in 2000.
It was offered by CBRE Melbourne Strip Retail Investments in conjunction with Jellis Craig.
</body></html>

Sorrento shops sell for $3.71 million

<html><body>
The fourth quarter of 2016 saw investment deals in the hotel space fall 31.5 percent to US$1.79 billion from Q4/2014 (US$2.61 billion), with 51 hotels across 11 countries sold in the Asia Pacific.
However, the total value of investment sales rose by 13 percent year-on-year to US$9.87 billion in 2016 with around two-third of transaction volumes coming from three countries: Japan, Australia and China, according to the latest Savills research on the hotel sector.
Australia had the second highest transaction volumes after Japan with US$1.66 billion, 16.8 percent of the region’s total volume. However, transaction volumes decreased by 31.5 percent YoY, the briefing said.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/03/10/SavillsGraph1.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
 <img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/03/10/SavillsGraph1.png" alt="">
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/03/10/SavillsGraph2.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
 <img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/03/10/SavillsGraph2.png" alt="">
The year gone by, 2016, was a slow year for major transactions in Australia, with hotel transactions in excess of $2.23 billion (US$1.66 billion) and 62 hotel assets changing hands, a decrease of 31.5 percent when compared to 2015, says Savills. 
The average deal size this year was $35.9 million, compared to last year’s $48.3 million. Only eight transactions were recorded in Sydney and Melbourne.
The large majority of the transactions was in the second and third-tier cities such as Surfers Paradise or Cairns. 
“Due to tight cap rates in core Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney and Melbourne transactions, we began to see increases in market share for traditionally non-core assets as investors searched for yield farther afield,” said the Savills briefing Hotel Sales &amp; Investment. 
Foreign investor buying remained active, with two major transactions in the last quarter of 2016. The first was the sale of the Travelodge Docklands Melbourne for $107 million (US$81.9 million). The sale price reflected an initial yield of sub-6.0% and was acquired by Singapore’s Sing Holdings. 
Another major transaction was an Ibis portfolio, consisting of 15 hotels (1,595 rooms), for a total value of approximately $200 million (US$148.5 million), which was bought by Accor Hotels from the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. 
The portfolio includes the 250-room Ibis Melbourne and the 200-room Ibis Sydney Airport, as well as five Ibis Budget hotels in Sydney, two in Melbourne, and one each in Newcastle, Dubbo, Coffs Harbour, Canberra and Brisbane Airport. 
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/03/10/SavillsGraph4.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/03/10/SavillsGraph4.png" alt=""> 
</body></html>

prateek24-ezbwHMbNAk

Australia in second spot for hotel deals in Q4 2016: Savills

<html><body>
Following Labor’s thumping win in Western Australia, the new government could introduce a four percent surcharge for foreigners buying residential property in the state, a move which has met with criticism from a leading industry body which says it could hurt the market’s hopes of a recovery. 
Others are more optimistic, saying a clear election win would stimulate the property market as buyers usually hold off major financial decisions till the election outcome.
Other moves by the Mark McGowan government could be changes to stamp duty and formation of an independent infrastructure body, according to an article in the Australian Financial Review.
The previous Liberal government had promised to shave up to $15,000 from the stamp duty for seniors downsizing into a property valued up to $750,000. What Labor does now, the industry will just have to wait and see.
It it introduces the surcharge for foreign buyers of residential property, similar to Victoria, NSW and Queensland, it would do more harm than good, says the Property Council of Australia because of the low foreign investment in the state compared with other states.
"We have the lowest level of foreign investment in property in Australia and putting an extra tax on foreign buyers will make it much harder to get the investment we need to grow the state," the council's WA executive director, Lino Iacomella, was cited as saying by the AFR.
Labor says it will use the funds to put a freeze TAFE fees for the first four years of a McGowan Government.
Among the popular moves, however, Labor has said it will create Infrastructure WA, an independent body long called for by the property industry, to assess and prioritise infrastructure projects.
Before the election, on the common agenda for both Liberal and Labor was strata title reform, such as the creation of community title, which would allow more flexible mixed-use structures with strata properties under different management.
It would also mean owners with plots as small as 1000 square metres, would have flexibility to develop their site in stages, rather than all in one go as happens under current practice, and potentially get better outcomes, said sustainable housing developer Eugenie Stockmann.
Real estate firm Acton chief executive Travis Coleman was cited by www.domain.com.au as saying that there were signs the WA economy was recovering, with the latest economic growth figures for the December 2016 quarter showing positive economic growth for the first time since mid-2015.
“If we have a clear result on Saturday (for whichever major political party), this will give people confidence of a clear political direction for the State over the next four years,” he said.
“So this state election could be the last obstacle towards a noticeable recovery in the Western Australian property market.” 
Be that as it may, the property market is still struggling from the end of the mining boom. House prices in Perth fell 2.4 per cent in February to a median $500,000, while apartments are down 2.8 per cent to a median $400,000, according to CoreLogic data.
</body></html>

Latest Investing Insights

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

Editor's Picks

Developments

New apartments

New townhouses

News

Latest Investing Insights

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

Editor's Picks

Receive the latest news stories to your inbox

Developments

New apartments

New townhouses

News