<section data-scroll-anchor="false" data-testid="conversation-turn-2" data-turn="assistant" data-turn-id="request-WEB:9894702f-d5ab-4186-930d-8f794421c3c4-0" data-turn-id-container="request-WEB:9894702f-d5ab-4186-930d-8f794421c3c4-0" dir="auto">
<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/doma-group">DOMA Group</a> has unveiled plans for Newcastle Quay, a major waterfront precinct set to reshape Newcastle’s harbourfront and further cement the city’s evolution into one of Australia’s fastest-growing urban destinations.

Positioned on a prominent site within the Honeysuckle Precinct, Newcastle Quay will span both sides of Honeysuckle Drive, connecting directly to the Foreshore Promenade and sitting within walking distance of Newcastle Interchange.

The mixed-use precinct is planned to include around 1,000 apartments, more than 28,000 sqm of commercial office space, 6,000 sqm of retail, and a 180-room hotel anchored by a 500-seat conference and exhibition centre, a move expected to significantly lift Newcastle’s ability to attract major business and tourism events.
</section>

<img alt="DOMA Group unveil Newcastle’s future with transformative Newcastle Quay Precinct" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0642ca09-67cc-4920-8a7e-d18df9729b4e" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/%3D.png?VersionId=CnDmZxQnOV5LN0ePu7jaFBXC9tPGTrWm" />

The proposal builds on DOMA’s growing Newcastle pipeline, where the developer has already delivered 866 apartments and more than 19,000 sqm of commercial and retail space since entering the market in 2013. A further $2 billion pipeline is also in the works across the city.

The masterplan and executive architecture are led by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/sjb-architects">SJB</a>, with building concepts developed alongside Stewart Architecture, Architecture AND and Curious Practice, and landscape design by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/landscape-architect/turf-design">Turf Design Studio</a>. More than 11,000 sqm of open space is planned, including a new waterfront park known as Honeysuckle Green, upgrades to Tree of Knowledge Park, and new pedestrian and cycling links throughout the precinct.

At the centre of the development will be the heritage-listed Wickham School of Arts, which DOMA plans to reposition as the civic and cultural heart of the precinct through restaurants, bars, events and public gathering spaces.

The broader vision is to create a genuine day-to-night precinct, blending residential, hospitality, retail, commercial and cultural uses in a way Newcastle has yet to experience at this scale.

DOMA Group Managing Director Jure Domazet said the aim was to create a precinct that becomes synonymous with Newcastle itself.

“Our vision is to create a precinct that not only delivers high-quality commercial, residential, and cultural spaces, but also defines Newcastle’s waterfront for generations to come,” Domazet said.

DOMA’s Chris Farrington said the project would fundamentally change how Newcastle is perceived nationally.

“Newcastle Quay is more than a waterfront precinct, it is a national announcement for this city,” Farrington said.

“A world-class Conference and Exhibition Centre will open Newcastle and the Hunter Region to a national and international audience for the first time, delivering something this city has long deserved.”

The project is expected to generate more than 4,000 full-time equivalent jobs and act as a major economic driver for the Hunter region through tourism, business events, hospitality and commercial investment.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said the final parcel of harbourfront land will be a "true mixed-use precinct destination that includes housing, hospitality and entertainment, commercial spaces, retail, economic and social outcomes."

Joel Robinson

DOMA Group unveils 1,000-apartment Newcastle Quay precinct

ASX-listed developer Stockland is continuing to ramp up its return to the apartment market.

In late 2024, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/stockland">Stockland</a> announced it would resume apartment development after a 13-year absence, launching with Stanton Place in Rosebery, a 144-apartment project now under construction.

Last week, the developer unveiled plans alongside the NSW Government for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-stockland-nsw-gov-unveils-plans-for-3-300-home-waterloo-south-renewal">3,300-home precinct in Waterloo</a>.

Now, Stockland has shifted its focus in St Leonards, lodging a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) to replace an approved 42-storey office tower with a 52-storey residential development comprising more than 500 apartments.

<img alt="Stockland" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8979095e-9072-432b-a7da-58b180cf994d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-20%20at%204.27.36%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=_jbRXYOafCSHjwsz.yQCNIymMyCj8zkF" />

An existing 14-storey commercial office building would make way for a 264.5-metre tower designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/bates-smart">Bates Smart</a>. The project would deliver 538 apartments, including 30 affordable housing units, alongside retail and commercial uses at the podium and ground plane.

It will rise from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/601-pacific-highway-st-leonards-nsw-2065">601 Pacific Highway</a>, a prominent 2,844 sqm triangular site adjoining Mitchell Plaza and fronting Pacific Highway.

The development is being pursued under the Housing Delivery Authority pathway after Stockland’s proposal was declared State Significant Development earlier this year.

<img alt="First look: Stockland plans 52-storey mixed-use tower with 538 apartments in St Leonards" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="67f40f35-0458-47ab-80c0-a4e98a31838a" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/stockland%201.png?VersionId=rxXe3njr.auuGDuiR0k42uI8Zr4K.gZA" />

The apartment mix includes 217 one-bedroom apartments, 191 two-bedroom apartments, 122 three-bedroom apartments, and eight four-bedroom residences. Six basement levels would accommodate 300 car spaces, bicycle parking, loading areas, and building services.

Bates Smart said the project has been shaped around a series of urban design principles intended to improve the pedestrian experience and respond to the evolving character of St Leonards.

“With a boundary length of almost 75m along Pacific Highway and 70m along Atchison Street to the north, complying simply with the LEP envelope and required setbacks would result in a very wide tower form on the skyline,” the architects noted in the Design Report.

“We propose breaking the tower form into two defined volumes rather than a singular form.”

The podium has similarly been articulated into separate forms to reduce perceived bulk and create a finer-grain response to Mitchell Plaza and Atchison Street. Retail tenancies would activate the lower levels, while commercial space is proposed across the podium floors.

<img alt="First look: Stockland plans 52-storey mixed-use tower with 538 apartments in St Leonards" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="90149990-0551-40d2-bd48-14b69a015d12" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/stockland%202.png?VersionId=MJC2KIIWFvU9FPGr3IVq09gkRN_gX3m8" />

The design also places a significant emphasis on communal amenity and environmental performance. Residents would have access to landscaped terraces, wellness areas, flexible workspaces, and rooftop communal facilities, while the all-electric building is targeting an average 7-star NatHERS rating. Bates Smart said the project incorporates passive design measures including natural ventilation, integrated shading, and lightweight façade systems.

Planning documents note the site is around 350 metres from St Leonards Station and 400 metres from the metro entrance, placing it within one of Sydney’s most connected emerging residential precincts.

The project arrives amid a wave of large-scale redevelopment proposals reshaping the St Leonards and Crows Nest skyline. Several nearby sites have recently been approved, lodged, or declared under the Housing Delivery Authority pathway as the precinct absorbs significant residential density uplift tied to transit-oriented development policies.

<img alt="Stockland" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7805bd7c-dfd7-4b35-8e15-ec4a8bf8e61b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-20%20at%204.27.26%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=iY12K2m2bQ6EeDnshqfZC9rbLx_oEugP" />

Bates Smart’s report describes St Leonards as transitioning away from its historical commercial identity toward a more mixed-use urban environment.

“In recent years, the character of St Leonards has started to evolve, driven by new development trends along the Pacific Highway corridor,” the report said.

“These projects have increasingly focused on residential accommodation, marking a shift from its purely commercial roots.”

Sekisui House Australia is currently selling Waterstone down near Newlands Park, in a pocket being branded "St Leonards South." Hyecorp recently completed Audrey in the same pocket.

First look: Stockland plans 52-storey, 538-apartment St Leonards tower

ANZ believes the Reserve Bank is in no rush to move again.

Following the release of the May Monetary Policy Board Minutes, ANZ has taken the view that the RBA is now firmly in a holding pattern, with the cumulative impact of previous rate hikes giving the Board scope to assess how the economy evolves from here.

That positioning, in ANZ’s view, makes a June rate hike unlikely.

The bank continues to expect the cash rate to remain unchanged at 4.35 per cent for an extended period, with the RBA adopting what is effectively a wait-and-see approach.

The Minutes point to a Board that sees financial conditions as already restrictive, but without a clear read on just how restrictive they are. That uncertainty has shifted the focus away from immediate policy action and toward monitoring both domestic conditions and global developments, particularly the conflict in the Middle East.

As ANZ interprets it, the Board is deliberately avoiding strong forward guidance.

Instead, it is allowing itself flexibility, acknowledging that monetary policy has limited ability to influence the near-term trajectory of inflation, while also recognising that economic growth is likely to remain below potential for some time.

Despite that pause in momentum, ANZ notes that the Board still carries a tightening bias.

The Minutes reveal that, in weighing up its decision, the Board seriously considered another 25 basis point increase. The key debate centred on the trade-off between inflation and activity, particularly in the context of global uncertainty.

Ultimately, most members leaned toward the inflation side of that equation.

Underlying inflation is still expected to remain above target for an extended period, regardless of how external risks evolve. That has led to a view within the Board that the risks to its inflation objective have increased, and that the current cash rate may not be sufficiently restrictive to fully contain those pressures.

That’s important.

While the decision, for now, is to hold, the underlying tone of the Minutes suggests the door to further tightening has not been closed.

ANZ also points to commentary from Assistant Governor (Economic) Sarah Hunter, who highlighted the risk that inflation could pass through the economy more quickly and broadly than in previous cycles. Both Hunter and a majority of the Board expressed concern that inflation expectations could become less anchored after such a prolonged period above target.

That combination, persistent inflation and the risk of expectations shifting, is what continues to underpin the RBA’s cautious stance.

However, where ANZ diverges from the RBA is on the outlook for activity.

The Board appears relatively comfortable with current spending patterns, effectively downplaying recent declines in business and consumer sentiment. It notes that sentiment has historically been only weakly correlated with actual spending, and that feedback from its liaison program has not yet pointed to a meaningful slowdown in consumption.

ANZ is less convinced.

The bank believes the link between household disposable income, sentiment and spending is more direct than the RBA is currently acknowledging. With inflation continuing to erode real incomes, ANZ expects household spending to soften more materially than the central bank is forecasting.

That divergence matters because it shifts the balance of risk.

If activity weakens more than expected, the trade-off between inflation and growth changes. In ANZ’s view, that would reduce the need for further tightening and reinforce the case for the RBA to remain on hold.

It also suggests that the current policy setting may already be doing more work than the Board fully appreciates.

The broader takeaway from ANZ’s interpretation is that the RBA is walking a narrow path.

On one side sits the risk of inflation remaining elevated for longer than expected. On the other is the growing pressure on households and the potential for a sharper slowdown in activity.

For now, the Board is choosing to wait.

But it is a pause that still carries an underlying tightening bias, rather than a clear pivot toward easing.

In practical terms, that leaves the cash rate anchored at 4.35 per cent for the foreseeable future, with the next move still uncertain.

For borrowers, it reinforces the reality that relief is not imminent.

And for the broader economy, it highlights the delicate balance the RBA is trying to strike, between bringing inflation back to target and avoiding an unnecessarily sharp slowdown in growth.

According to ANZ, it is a balance that is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain.

RBA to hold rates for "prolonged period" rather than hikes: ANZ

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/venturecrowd-property-projects">VentureCrowd</a> is down to the final Canopy Villa release at Cumulus Grand Villas in Carrara, as construction continues on the 59-residence gated community positioned above 100 hectares of natural savanna on the Gold Coast.

The remaining Canopy Villa forms part of one of four collections within the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/bda-architecture">BDA Architecture</a>-designed community and has attracted interest from buyers seeking larger-format homes that combine privacy, security and low-maintenance living. Positioned within a private cul-de-sac and facing a protected black she oak forest, the four-bedroom villa includes a large private outdoor area suited to pet owners and families wanting more flexible space.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-townhouses/cumulus-grand-villas-carrara-17-baltimore-court-carrara-qld-4211">Cumulus Grand Villas</a>, located at 17 Baltimore Court, comprises a mix of three and four-bedroom villas across the Skyline, Canopy, Savanna and Broadview collections. Prices currently range from $1.455 million to $1.895 million, with the final Canopy Villa priced from $1.825 million.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135663 project_image_fid=360477]

The Canopy Collection villas offer four bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms and approximately 245 sqm of internal space, alongside double garages and landscaped private areas. Expansive glazing, open-plan living spaces and private balconies have been designed to maximise natural light and outlooks toward the surrounding savanna landscape.

Construction is now underway across the fully funded development, which VentureCrowd says has become an increasingly important consideration for buyers assessing off-the-plan opportunities on the Gold Coast. The project is being delivered by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/builders/devcon">Devcon Property Group</a>, which has operated in South East Queensland since 1993 and delivered more than 1,000 homes across the region.

VentureCrowd Director of Property David Whitting previously said the project responds to changing buyer priorities in the prestige Gold Coast market.

“Flexible floorplans have proven particularly relevant for purchasers aged between 40 and 65, including next home buyers, downsizers and investors,” Whitting said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135663 project_image_fid=360505]

The buyer profile at Cumulus has reflected that shift toward owner-occupier-driven demand. Stuart Towns and Tracey Loynes recently purchased a Canopy Villa, drawn to both the lifestyle offering and the flexibility the home provided for their next stage of living together.

The couple, who met three years ago, sold their Robina home earlier this year after identifying what they saw as strong long-term investment potential at Cumulus while remaining within the same Gold Coast market. The villa’s private backyard was a major drawcard for their dog Luna, while proximity to golf courses including Emerald Lakes also aligned with their lifestyle interests.

Beyond the residences themselves, the community has been planned around shared lifestyle and recreation amenities. The Infinity Terrace will include a 20-metre heated pool, barbecue facilities, alfresco dining spaces and elevated retreat areas overlooking the surrounding landscape. Walking trails, a private nature reserve, orchard and herb garden are also integrated into the masterplan.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135663 project_image_fid=360473]

BDA Architecture Director Darren Greenaway said the design approach was heavily influenced by the site’s outlook and secluded setting.

The practice sought to create what Greenaway described as a “little piece of paradise,” drawing inspiration from the elevated views, surrounding greenery and quiet location.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/carrara-qld-4211">Carrara</a> continues to attract buyers seeking larger homes within proximity to the coast but without direct beachfront pricing. Cumulus sits within easy reach of Broadbeach, Pacific Fair, Robina Town Centre and the M1, providing connections north to Brisbane and south toward the Gold Coast Airport and northern New South Wales.

The first stage of Cumulus Grand Villas is targeting completion in 2026.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=135663]

VentureCrowd nears sell-out of Canopy Collection at Cumulus Grand Villas in Carrara

Waverley Council has made a call that many councils have been reluctant to make publicly. Growth is coming, regardless of who controls it.

The release of the Bondi Junction Vision and Master Plan is less about whether the Eastern Suburbs’ primary centre will change, and more about how that change is shaped, funded, and ultimately experienced on the ground. Waverley Council has released a 100-page plan which is effectively the first comprehensive blueprint for Bondi Junction in over two decades, and in doing so, signals a clear shift in how councils are positioning themselves in the current planning environment.

For the past 18 months, the conversation across New South Wales has been dominated by the State Government’s Low and Mid-Rise Housing reforms and the emergence of the Housing Delivery Authority pathway. Both have created faster, more centralised avenues for development approvals, particularly in well-located, infrastructure-rich areas like Bondi Junction.

Waverley Council’s response has been to move early, and decisively.

Rather than react to individual proposals as they come through the HDA or broader State-led reforms, Council has sought to establish a clear, place-based framework that sets the terms for how Bondi Junction evolves. The underlying position is relatively straightforward: if densification is inevitable, it should be tied to infrastructure, public domain improvements, and a cohesive vision for the centre, not delivered piecemeal through ad hoc applications.

<img alt="bondi junction" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7f1f729c-ed99-4c6c-bf87-ffbce6991941" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-19%20at%209.58.16%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=ULX4OlXKjeJ5BvNCNGL86evgXCjCfMih" />

At its core, the document is attempting to reposition Bondi Junction from what it largely functions as today, a transport interchange anchored by a major retail centre, into something far more layered. The ambition is to transform it into what the plan describes as the “civic and cultural heart of Sydney’s East,” a place that is active beyond commuting hours and capable of supporting a broader mix of uses, experiences and communities.

That repositioning is built around four key ambitions.

The first is to create a true destination. Bondi Junction already attracts significant foot traffic, with more than 86,000 daily transport users and millions of annual retail visits, but much of that activity is transient. People pass through, rather than stay.

The Master Plan seeks to change that dynamic. It leans heavily into the idea of an “18-hour economy,” extending activity well beyond traditional retail hours through dining, cultural programming, events, and a more active night-time offering. This is not just about adding more hospitality venues, but about fundamentally shifting how the centre operates, from a daytime shopping destination to a place that functions across the full span of the day and into the evening.

Oxford Street Mall sits at the centre of that shift.

Long seen as underperforming relative to its potential, the Mall is identified as one of the key catalyst projects in the plan. It is to be reimagined as a day-to-night spine, combining retail, dining, wellness and cultural uses in a way that creates a continuous flow of activity. Outdoor dining, rooftop venues, laneway activation and a curated events program are all part of the strategy, alongside significant public domain upgrades that aim to improve comfort, safety and usability.

&nbsp;

The second ambition is to transform Bondi Junction into a world-class interchange.

Despite being one of the most heavily used transport nodes in Sydney, the current experience is fragmented. Connections between the station, Westfield, Oxford Street Mall and surrounding streets are often unclear, and major roads create physical barriers that disrupt pedestrian movement.

The Master Plan proposes a more seamless, people-focused network. That includes clearer pedestrian links, improved wayfinding, better integration between transport modes, and a rethinking of how arrival into the centre is experienced. The aim is to shift the perception of Bondi Junction from a place people move through, to a place they arrive in.

The third ambition focuses on greening and open space.

One of the more consistent pieces of community feedback throughout the Vision phase was the need for more greenery, better public spaces, and a more comfortable urban environment. Despite being surrounded by major parks, Bondi Junction itself has relatively limited accessible open space, with much of the public realm dominated by hard surfaces and traffic infrastructure.

The plan responds with a network of new and upgraded public spaces, increased tree canopy, and what it terms the “Parkline,” a green link connecting Waverley Park through to Centennial Park. This is not just about aesthetics. It is about addressing heat, improving liveability, and ensuring that increased density is matched by access to high-quality outdoor space.

The fourth ambition is perhaps the most important from a development perspective: growth that gives back.

Bondi Junction is already the primary location for new housing supply in the Waverley LGA, and that is expected to continue. The area carries a target of 2,400 new dwellings by 2029, with further growth projected beyond that as demand for well-located housing continues to rise. The Master Plan does not seek to limit that growth. Instead, it attempts to shape it.

New housing is to be concentrated around transport, with stepped building heights designed to protect the character of surrounding neighbourhoods. At the same time, the plan introduces a more explicit link between development uplift and public benefit. This is where value capture becomes central.

The document outlines a framework where increased development potential is tied to contributions that fund public domain improvements, community infrastructure, open space, and affordable housing. It is an approach that recognises that much of the transformation of Bondi Junction will be delivered by the private sector, but seeks to ensure that the benefits of that growth are shared more broadly. The Civic Precinct is a key part of that equation.

Leveraging Council-owned land, the plan proposes a consolidated civic and cultural hub centred around Ebley Street. This would include new community facilities, cultural spaces, and potentially a new Council Chambers, creating a focal point for civic life that currently does not exist in Bondi Junction at scale.

It is one of several catalyst projects identified in the Master Plan, alongside the Oxford Street Mall transformation. These projects are intended to anchor change, acting as early interventions that unlock broader investment across the precinct.

Importantly, the Master Plan is not just a design document. It includes a delivery framework that sets out how these ambitions are intended to be realised.

Council is explicit in acknowledging that it cannot deliver the transformation alone. Implementation will require coordination between State agencies, private developers, landowners and the community, with a mix of planning agreements, infrastructure contributions and direct delivery mechanisms used to fund and stage improvements over time.

The plan outlines a mix of short-term, medium-term and long-term actions, from immediate public domain upgrades and planning controls, through to larger-scale projects that will unfold over the next decade or more. In practical terms, the next 12 to 24 months will be the most important.

This is when the Master Plan will move through exhibition, refinement and eventual adoption. It is also the period in which Council will seek to embed the framework into its planning controls, giving it weight in the assessment of future development applications.

Council officers have indicated that once the Master Plan is in place, it could be used as a benchmark when assessing Housing Delivery Authority proposals, and potentially reduce the need for further HDA declarations within Bondi Junction. In effect, it is an attempt to bring planning control back to the local level, while still aligning with State housing targets.

That tension between State-led reform and local planning control is not unique to Waverley. It is playing out across Sydney.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

If delivered as intended, Bondi Junction will become denser, more active, and more complex. It will support more residents, more workers, and a wider range of uses, extending beyond its current retail core into a more layered urban environment.

“The civic and cultural heart of Sydney’s East”: Bondi Junction masterplan revealed

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><div class="page" title="Page 8">
<div class="section">
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
Commercial property markets in the Newcastle and Hunter region have improved, however the market is suffering in the mining sectors of the region.
Valuation firm Herron Todd White suggests that the industrial market is relatively robust in strong and well sought after locations such as Beresfield and Thornton.
"While there is certainly downward pressure on market vales, we haven’t really seen solid market evidence of capital value decreases.
"Current rents have reduced slightly from the soft peak of two to three years ago," the report says.
The HTW month in review suggests however the market is suffering significantly north of Hunter Valley where mining takes over from Newcastle's city and port.
"We’ve noted hard evidence during the year of both capital and rental value diminution in the Rutherford market where activity has been very limited.
"Further up the valley to areas even more heavily mining sector reliant such as Singleton (McDougalls Hill) and Mount Thorley, local agents indicate that buyer enquiry is essentially at a standstill," the report says
Herron Todd White said that they are aware of numerous indiustrial properties built in the last five years that the occupier has had to vacate.
"One of these properties has been on the market for sale and lease since construction in 2011 with only minor subleasing of office components occurring," says the November review.
Despite the negative figures posted north of Hunter the selling activity in small start titled industrial units closer to Newcastle remains relatively strong, with the sales activity being dominated by owner occupiers generally buying the property through superannuation funds, the report indicates.
"This trend remains unchanged throughout the year and has intensified marginally given the potential tax savings available under this scenario.
"The industrial market in 2015 has most definitely been affected by reductions in mining sector activity and spending cutbacks which directly influences the requirement for mining services companies in the Hunter Valley.
"We expect this trend to continue in 2016 and if mortgage stress takes hold with any increase in interest rates, the potential for further value reductions in the Hunter Valley is high."
 
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div></body></html>

jrobinson-rf4aSBido9

Commercial property in Newcastle improving: HTW

<html><body>
A self-managed super fund (SMSF) has bought an industrial property in Victoria's Sunshine West for $2.72 million for a yield of 7.7%. 
The <a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-industrial+warehouse-vic-sunshine+west-501221303" target="_blank">570-572 Somerville Road</a> property was sold subject to a new four-year lease to Schenck Process Pty Ltd, at a current rental of $215,000 per annum net.
Schenck Process is a multinational company that makes equipment for industrial weighing, feeding, measuring, conveying, filtration and automation.
The sale was brokered by Savills Australia industrial directors Chris Jones and Ben Hegerty with Brigitte Bennett.
The property comprises a 2,451 square metre facility, including a refurbished 379 square metre office and a 2,072 square metre, high clearance, warehouse with a loading canopy.
The 0.44 hectare site includes a frontage to Somerville Road.
Jones said the securely let property with its new four-year lease, strong annual review mechanism and modern versatile improvements was an ideal SMSF opportunity.
"This property provided the sort of security and peace of mind that goes with a well-tenanted, well-located and relatively maintenance free property, a package likely to deliver sound growth prospects and that’s just what you want to put into your super fund,’’ Jones said.
The vendor was a Melbourne-based private investor.
</body></html>

j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Super fund buys industrial property in Victoria's Sunshine West

<html><body>
A growing number of interstate syndicates, funds and private investors are lining up to buy Melbourne’s industrial property assets spurred by Victoria’s leading growth status and the lack of comparable prime investment opportunities in rival capitals, according to Savills.
Enquiries from interstate buyers is at their highest post-GFC, accounting for 30 to 50% of all enquiries for individual properties in the sub $20 million market, say Savills divisional director(s), investments, Chris Jones and Ben Hegerty.
"We have sold 17 properties in this category since March and eight of those have sold to interstate buyers from WA, SA, Queensland and New South Wales, for more than $150 million," Jones said. 
He said a lack of comparable investment stock at home, particularly in Sydney and Perth, had been the critical factor, while attractive long-term capital growth and rental prospects, Melbourne’s reputation as Australia’s leading industrial city, and Victoria’s nation-leading population growth and economic performance, provided a very positive future market assessment.
"Victoria has long held the title of Australia’s most attractive industrial destination based on the availability of relatively cheap and easily serviceable land, its superior freeway network and port facilities movements.
"More recently a dearth of quality investment properties in interstate markets, particularly Perth and Sydney, and the ability to acquire assets with high underlying land values, and in many instances higher and better future uses, have swung the investment spotlight firmly towards Melbourne,’’ he said.
Hegerty said several of the deals had been off-market, underscoring the demand for Victorian assets. A majority were investor driven, he added.
In the latest off-market deal, Adelaide-based commercial property syndicator, Harmony Property Syndication, paid $10.75 million on a yield of 7.1% for an industrial property at Hallam.
The 1-5 Siddons Way property, a 9,574 square metre office and warehouse facility on a 15,300 square metre allotment, was sold subject to a long-term lease till 2026 to national tenant Pakcentre Marketing Services.
The current rental is $765,920 per annum net.
Hegerty said latest ABS data revealing annual economic growth (gross state product) in Victoria had bounced back to 2.5%, stronger than NSW and Queensland and all other states bar NT and WA, should provide investors with further confidence that Victoria was a sound investment destination.
One of the key aspects to the GSP turnaround has been population. Victoria had the fastest national growth rate of all capitals in the year to March of 1.7% and has led the national average since 2013, ABS data showed.
</body></html>

Melbourne industrial a hit with interstate investors: Savills  

<html><body>
<div>Sydney median house prices were up by 1% in October to be up by 21% over the year to $1,058,500.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Sydney median unit prices were also up by 1% in the month to be up by 15% over the eyar to $684,500.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>There has also been moderate growth over the past year for Brisbane houses (4%) and units (3%).</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Interestingly Melbourne has now picked upp the pace, with house prices in the Victorian capital recording growth of 7% in the last quarter alone to be 11% higher over the year. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>On the other hand, some moderate declines were recorded in other cities and regions. </div>
<div> </div>
<div><a href="/images/2015/12/1/Table_1_October_Statistics_Summary.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a></div>
<div> </div>
<div><img src="/images/2015/12/1/Table_1_October_Statistics_Summary.jpg" alt="" width="781" height="579"></div>
<div> </div>
<div>In other news, there was a very strong result recorded for the Reserve Bank's Financial Aggregates.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>
PETE WARGENT is the co-founder of <a href="https://allenwargent.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">AllenWargent</a> property buyers (London, Sydney) and a best-selling author and <a href="https://petewargent.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">blogger</a>. 
His latest book is <a href="https://www.bigskypublishing.com.au/Books/General-Interest/Four-Green-Houses--and-a-Red-Hotel/1015/productview.aspx" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Four Green Houses and a Red Hotel</a>.
</div>
</body></html>

pwargent-M4siyDbqQY

Residex market update: Pete Wargent

<html><body>
Next year could be the time for the quiet cities to shine.
While Sydney/Melbourne have been rising, and Perth/Darwin falling, the other four capital cities have been apparently dormant in the middle of the pack. 
But sales activity patterns, taken with other indicators, suggest we can expect better things from Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra and Hobart in 2016. 
The Canberra market appears poised for recovery, the Tasmanian economy is improving and the Hobart market is producing increasingly positive statistics, while both Brisbane and Adelaide have sales momentum in specific precincts, which are likely to deliver growth in the New Year. 
There is considerable movement in Brisbane markets. Within the Greater Brisbane area, the pecking order keeps changing and new markets keep emerging while others subside.
A year ago Brisbane North was strong, with many suburbs delivering double-digit price growth, but now the momentum is very much south of the CBD. 
Logan City is the leading precinct with large numbers of growth markets, while the Brisbane South market has stepped up in the second half of 2015 and remains strong going into the New Year.
Logan City has 18 suburbs with rising sales trends, which is the second best in Australia (behind the resurgent Gold Coast).
The most noticeable gains recently have been made by Ipswich City in the south-west of the metropolitan area. Traditionally, Ipswich City has been the leading capital growth precinct in Brisbane. Now, after several down years, it’s making a comeback and is a market to watch, with a high level of affordability and a strong infrastructure spend.
Adelaide is a rising market, but to date significant price growth has been isolated to select precincts. 
Sales activity in the past four quarters has been higher, in each case, than the corresponding period a year earlier. This includes the September 2015 Quarter, which produced the best sales result for this time period for the past four years.
The Adelaide market has been on a generally upward path for the past two years, without ever achieving boom status. The rise in activity has been gradual rather than dramatic – and to date price growth has been moderate – except in specific areas, notably in the middle-market precincts in the western suburbs. 
Right now, Adelaide has twice as many growth suburbs as Sydney and looks good for better performance in 2016.
Tasmania keeps sending out signals that its economy is improving and that confidence is rising – and we are seeing glimmers of improved activity in property markets, as well as some solid numbers from Hobart in terms of growth in rents and prices. 
Canberra sales activity in the September Quarter confirmed my previous assessment that the market had arrested its earlier decline, after two years of stagnating or decreasing sales in its markets.  
There have been improvements in house sales levels, but the unit market remains weak. This is reflected in the latest price growth data from CoreLogic RP Data, which shows a 5.1% annual rise in the House Value Index but a 2.6% annual decrease for units.  
In terms of total sales in the ACT, including both houses and units, every quarter this calendar year has recorded higher sales than in the same quarter in 2014. 
Typically in Canberra, the December Quarter is the strongest period for house sales – and I expect the current trend of gradually rising sales activity to continue into the December 2015 Quarter.
 
Terry Ryder is the founder of <a href="https://www.hotspotting.com.au/" target="_blank">hotspotting.com.au</a>. You can <a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au" target="_blank">email him</a> or follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/hotspotting" target="_blank">Twitter.</a>
</body></html>

terryryder-YECXbqmri2

2016 may be the year of the quiet city: Terry Ryder

<html><body>
<div>Last week Reserve Bank Governor Stevens disclosed that he had discussed with his underlings whether the Reserve should do away with its apparently precise central growth, unemployment and inflation forecasts, in favour of publishing only their 'fan charts' and ranges in tables. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>By way of an example the November Statement on Monetary Policy (SOMP) forecasts showed GDP growth returning to 3 to 4% by the year ended December 2017, with the unemployment rate forecast to decline gradually, but the fan charts show that even the 70 per cent confidence intervals are surprisingly wide. </div>
<div> </div>
<div><a href="/images/2015/11/30/RBA3.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a></div>
<div><img src="/images/2015/11/30/RBA3.jpg" alt=""></div>
<div>Noting that accurate forecasting is impossible, Stevens lamented that even if even if the central lines were to be left off the fan charts altogether, those awkward commentator folk would simply back it of the charts, which seems rather unfair. In short, the most powerful central bank or econometric modelling can't forecast accurately what will happen over any meaningful time horizon, and neither can you!</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Ponzi scheme</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Also last week a macro market report hit the headlines likening the Australian property market to a Ponzi scheme. Australians would be forgiven for thinking that they've heard such warnings before, for the simple reason that they have, more or less continuously since 2001. I haven't read the report in question, so am in no position to critique the content, but to his credit Lindsay David of LF Economics has previously made predictions that are specific, measurable and time-bound, and so his predictions can be judged accordingly. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Co-author Philip Soos has nothing if not longevity, rolling out his crash predictions for such a long period of time that they are threatening to see off their fifth Prime Ministerial term of office (his views were expressed in some detail in the piece "Bubbling Over: The End of Australia's $2 Trillion Housing Party" which predicted a 40 per cent crash for housing values nationally). </div>
<div> </div>
<div>The last time anyone bothered to check the value of Australian dwelling stock had swelled to $5.8 trillion with the latest available data implying that $6 trillion is a shoo-in, probably before the end of the calendar year.</div>
<div> </div>
<div><a href="/images/2015/11/30/Resi1.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a></div>
<div><img src="/images/2015/11/30/Resi1.jpg" alt=""></div>
<div> </div>
<div>
<div>To be fair, on the one hand dwelling prices have indeed corrected sharply in any number of mining towns and regions: Gladstone, Port Hedland, South Hedland, Dysart, and Moranbah spring to mind, and no doubt there are plenty of others. On the other hand figures released by Residex at the end of last week showed that Sydney's median house price has increased from $668,000 at the end of 2010 to $1,058,500 by the end of October 2015, an increase of more than 58 per cent or nearly $400,000. Buried under the emotive rhetoric Soos has made a number of robust arguments, in particular the illusory nature of housing shortages, which are seemingly apparent when the economy is humming along, but can wondrously vanish into thin air when market downturns happen. These simple points highlight the perennial challenges facing macro property market research reports and forecasts: market timing and granularity.</div>
 Timing <div>While macro research can identify downside risks and probabilities, history suggests that it is very difficult to forecast housing markets accurately over any meaningul time horizon.</div>
<div> </div>
<div class="separator">
Famously Case &amp; Shiller called the US real estate bubble in July 2003 when its index read 142.99, yet the index ran all the way to 206.52 in July 2006 before reversing all the way back from whence it came to 134.07 in March 2012 (the latest Case-Shiller reading in 2015 showed the index to be 28 percent above the level it was tracking at the time of the original bubble call, while homeowners have continued to benefit from housing services throughout).
</div>
 <div>
There would be similar tales in Northern Ireland where average house prices all but tripled from £88,000 to £226,000 between 2002 and 2007 before crashing all the way back to £125,000. An obvious bubble, sure, but the timing was difficult (if not impossible) to pick. The average price today has increased again to £162,000, approaching double the average house price in 2002.
</div>
<div> </div>
<div><a href="/images/2015/11/30/Ireland.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a></div>
<div><img src="/images/2015/11/30/Ireland.jpg" alt=""></div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div>In London we have heard crash predictions for at least the past decade-and-a-half, while despite downturns and recessions house prices in some boroughs have tripled...and still there has been no crash.</div>
<div> </div>
<div><a href="/images/2015/11/30/London.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a></div>
<div><img src="/images/2015/11/30/London.jpg" alt=""></div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div>
<div>
Few would disagree that parts of Australia's housing market are seriously expensive, but timing the downturns is rarely as easy as it appears in hindisght. 
</div>
<div>
Granularity 
</div>
<div>The state level data shows that since September 2011, New South Wales (+57 per cent) and Victoria (+23 per cent) have accounted for 80 per cent of the increase in the total value of dwelling stock, while the figures for the June 2015 quarter showed that prices are declining in Western Australia and the Northern Territory.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Click to enlarge</div>
<div><img src="/images/2015/11/30/Resi2.jpg" alt=""></div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div>The obvious point here being that there is no "Australian property market", rather a series of sub-markets which cover 9.6 million dwellings and demonstrate very different characteristics and fundamentals. Having observed the history of bubble predictions Scott Sumner once concluded that:  "If we notice market movements that seem to align with our initial forecasts we tend to pat ourselves on the back and assume the forecasts were correct. This is one of many cognitive biases that human beings are prone to. Pay no attention to bubble forecasts. They are useless. Indeed the entire bubble concept is useless." <div> </div>
<div>Risk markets</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Last year Soos wrote that due to it having the strongest yields Darwin has the smallest property bubble, a theory which might hold some sway in an academic vacuum, but shows a worrying lack of understanding of the real world and what caused the Top End's housing boom in the first place. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>In fact, in my opinion at any rate, Darwin appears to be the capital city with by far the greatest risk of a genuine price crash, with rents now in freefall and vacancy rates rising sharply (cf. the illusory supply shortage identified by Soos himself). </div>
<div> </div>
<div><a href="/images/2015/11/30/SQM.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a></div>
<div><img src="/images/2015/11/30/SQM.jpg" alt=""></div>
<div> </div>
<div>
<div>Thin property markets such as Darwin with a relatively small population are more prone to shifts in dynamics at the margin, and as population growth switches into reverse gear by the end of this calendar year the results to the downside could be spectacular. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Other high risk markets include any number of regional areas with a residual resources capex footprint, with mining capex now collapsing, while parts of inner city Melbourne and Brisbane are suffering from overbuilding of new apartments, with APRA's lending crackdown set to leave many off-the-plan buyers short. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Even within capital city markets there are sub-markets which can be expected to experience diverging fortunes. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>For example, with the population still expanding rapidly, Sydney has a number of inner city markets for which demand is so high that any correction in prices will be met by a wave of new buyers. On the other hand, price inflation in some of the outer western Sydney locations over the past few years has been so far beyond absurd that even a 40 per cent correction might represent a neutral scenario.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Property Observer recently reported on the report by LF Economics comparing Australia's housing market to a Ponzi scheme, which you can read here.</div>
</div>
<div> </div>
<div>
PETE WARGENT is the co-founder of <a href="https://allenwargent.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">AllenWargent</a> property buyers (London, Sydney) and a best-selling author and <a href="https://petewargent.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">blogger</a>. 
His latest book is <a href="https://www.bigskypublishing.com.au/Books/General-Interest/Four-Green-Houses--and-a-Red-Hotel/1015/productview.aspx" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Four Green Houses and a Red Hotel</a>.
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</body></html>

Forecasting real estate myths: Pete Wargent

<html><body>
This week marks the second busiest week for auctions across the combined capital cities this year, with 3,649 auctions held over the week, just short of the 3668 held earlier this year, over the last week of March. 
This week the preliminary clearance rate is 60.1%, having increased, albeit only slightly, from a low of 59.5% last week, the first time the clearance rate has dipped below 60 % since Easter 2013. At the same time last year, both auction volumes (3,908) and the clearance rate were higher (63.7%).
<a href="/images/2015/11/30/20151130-Capital-city.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2015/11/30/20151130-Capital-city.jpg" alt="">
This week in Melbourne, Australia’s largest auction market, saw the highest volume of auctions so far this year, with 1,828 auctions held across the city, up from 1,510 last week. A preliminary auction clearance rate of 65 % was recorded this week, rising slightly from 64.7 % last week. This time last year, 1,635 properties were taken to auction across Melbourne and a clearance rate of 63 % was recorded. The highest volume of auctions was held across Inner Melbourne this week, with 347 auctions and a preliminary clearance rate of 71 %, the strongest of any other Melbourne sub-region so far this week.
<a href="/images/2015/11/30/20151130-Melbourne.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2015/11/30/20151130-Melbourne.jpg" alt="" width="705" height="475">
 
Sydney’s preliminary clearance rate this week was 56.3 % across 954 auction results. There were a total of 1,284 auctions held across the city. Last week, Sydney had recorded the lowest clearance rate for the year to date (56.7 %), with 1,116 properties going to auction, however this week has seen the clearance rate fall even further and it will be interesting to monitor this as additional results are reported over the next few days. Looking back at this weekend last year, 1,631 auctions were held across Sydney and a clearance rate of 70.6 % was recorded. Sydney’s North Sydney and Hornsby region hosted the most auctions of any Sydney sub-region this week, with 185 properties taken to auction. The preliminary clearance rate for the region is higher than the wider Sydney result, at 62.8 % across 132 results.
Click to enlarge
 <img src="/images/2015/11/30/20151130-Sydney.jpg" alt="" width="808" height="545">
There were 211 Brisbane auctions this week with half of the 156 results reported as selling. In comparison, last week the final auction clearance rate for the city was 41% across 226 auctions and this weeks 50% clearance rate is also higher than one year ago when there were 294 auctions with a success rate of 37.8%. The Gold Coast’s preliminary clearance rate was 39.2% across 51 results this week.
<a href="/images/2015/11/30/20151130-Brisbane.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2015/11/30/20151130-Brisbane.jpg" alt="" width="797" height="529">
 
This week, Adelaide saw a preliminary clearance rate of 59.5 %, with 116 reported results across a total of 155 scheduled auctions. In comparison, over the previous week Adelaide’s clearance rate was 64.4 % and 62.3 % one year ago.
Perth’s clearance rate of 34.4 % across 59 auctions is similar to the previous week, when 40 auctions were held and a clearance rate of 31.3 % was recorded.  Over the same week last year, the clearance rate was a lower 28.3 %, and 62 auctions were held.
Canberra’s preliminary auction clearance rate of 58.6 % this week is lower than last week, when the final auction clearance rate was 61.8 % and also lower than the 59.5 % recorded last year.
 
</body></html>

smiller-vwPjRHTkST

Second largest auction weekend for the year: CoreLogic RP Data's Shana Miller

<html><body>
It never ceases to amaze me just how little some “property experts” actually know about real estate machinations to the point they constantly make fools of themselves with dumb commentaries.
For example, one commentator earlier this week declared on Twitter “Auction clearance rates crumbling Melbourne 66.3% 2yr low Sydney another crash just 57.5% 3yr low” – well, that may be true as west of Sydney is performing badly. I then reminded him that I thought he is the worst property commentator in Australia. Last week, Sydney’s lower north shore recorded a bullish 80.4 % clearance rate up from 76.6 % the previous week – of course this was not mentioned.
It is also worth mentioning just like clockwork as soon as we hit the Melbourne Cup each year the market starts easing off which is exactly what we are presently witnessing – buyers are tired. Having said that, we will see property sales recorded right up to Christmas and what we are presently witnessing is no different to last year, the year before that and so on.
The common denominator is that we are seeing fewer properties on the market. In 2013 Mosman had 100 or more houses on the market in a given week on 33 occasions, in 2014 Mosman could only break the 100 mark on just 11 occasions. In 2015 it never made it to 100 with the highest being on March 12 with 84 and the lowest on July 2 with 42.
There are points that we need to make about many Sydney markets. Firstly, with Chinese buyers we have only just seen the “tip of the iceberg” where we expect in 2016 and beyond that they will be the main driving force behind Sydney property prices. We can also expect that the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) and Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will be pushed to the limit with overseas buying applications.
Six weeks ago I suggested that we were hearing that many investors both local and overseas were getting very nervous and now we hear that one in three off – the – plan buyers are in trouble. This is a major problem for Sydney’s newly created “investor market” as if these properties were to flood the markets prices would capitulate.
It will be most interesting going into 2016 to watch what strategy developers, and more particularly the banks funding these developments, decide to adopt. Will this see the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) forced into relaxing the newly introduced LVR’s? The off – the – plan feeding frenzy saw entire developments sold in a minimum of hours. Well I predict it will take months and months to see these properties find new owners. Will the developers offload apartments to parties that are already owners at discounted prices? That would be a sensible option to avoiding adverse publicity.
How many properties will the ATO force back onto the market in the form of Divestment Orders for parties that acquired real estate illegally? If this is as big as some believe (myself included) the Sydney property markets could not sustain these two forces combined – Divestment Orders and Off – The – Plan purchases.
We do need to be clear here in that the newly created “investors’ market” should not be confused with the homeowner markets – although some areas that contain these newly created high density developments will naturally affect the homeowner markets.
The absolute no-brainer here is when the Rudd government moved the ratio for overseas buyers buying off – the – plan from 50 % to 100 % in December 2008. This needs to be reduced back to 50 % as a matter of urgency.
Strange isn’t it how some want to bellow about clearance rates and others want to look at our property market machinations in greater detail. I know what I find the more interesting to discuss.
Historically when property markets start correcting then fewer properties go to public auction. Makes one ponder what some commentators would then be left to bellow about?
<h5>MOSMAN – 2088</h5>
• Number of houses on the market this time last year – 114
• Number of houses on the market last week – 74
• Number of houses on the market this week – 65
• Number of apartments on the market this time last year – 76
• Number of apartments on the market last week – 71
• Number of apartments on the market this week – 60
<h5>CREMORNE – 2090</h5>
• Number of houses on the market this time last year – 14
• Number of houses on the market last week – 13
• Number of houses on the market this week – 15
• Number of apartments on the market this time last year – 31
• Number of apartments on the market last week – 16
• Number of apartments on the market this week – 18
<h5>NEUTRAL BAY – 2089</h5>
• Number of houses on the market this time last year – 10
• Number of houses on the market last week – 8
•Number of houses on the market this week – 8
• Number of apartments on the market this time last year– 42
• Number of apartments on the market last week – 36
*Number of apartments on the market this week – 33
 
 ROBERT SIMEON is a director of <a href="https://www.rwm.com.au/" target="_blank" title="RWM" rel="nofollow">Richardson Wrench Mosman and Neutral Bay</a> and has been selling residential real estate in Sydney since 1985.  He has also been writing real estate blog <a href="https://www.rwm.com.au/news/" target="_blank" title="Virtual Realty News" rel="nofollow">Virtual Realty News</a> since 2000. 
</body></html>

robertsimeon-hRNTwJyXkQ

Why off the plan can be a deadly market: Robert Simeon

<html><body>
Property Bloom has been developing property in New South Wales Hunter Region for almost fifteen years now and it still amazes me the sheer potential this region has to offer. 
As we near our one hundredth property development, I took some time to reflect on this magnificent region after some light bedtime reading I came across this week. I've shared some of these research links with you.
The Hunter Region has everything going for it; beautiful environment, awesome beaches, fabulous mountain ranges and bush settings, wineries, diverse economy, dynamic industry, vibrant restaurant scene, affordable housing and amazing people and community. It continues to reinvent itself and there is now great focus on making it an information technology and professional services centre. 
Did you know that the Hunter is the first Australian region to measure it's innovation performance on a world scale?  
Measurements included:
Introducing new or significantly improved methods and processes Introducing marketing or organisational innovations Innovative businesses collaborating with others  Businesses innovating in-house
You can check it out <a href="https://rdahunter.org.au/initiatives/2014-hunter-innovation-scorecard" target="_blank">here</a>.
This week the NSW Government released its new twenty year Draft Plan for Growing  the Hunter City and it confirms all that I hoped for and more.  Hunter City is defined as ..." the metropolitan area extending from Toronto and Swansea in the south to Raymond Terrace in the north and from Newcastle Harbour in the east to Lochinvar in the west. It has emerged from the expansion of Newcastle and its surrounding towns and has a rich history and strong growth prospects for the future." 
It has identified Newcastle or the Hunter City as they've coined the area, as Australia's next major city. Of course Newcastle is already a Australia's seventh largest city by population according to population experts 
When you are researching an area in which to invest in, then reading these types of government plans is key to getting a real feel for what is planned for the area. 
The draft plans released identify visions, goals and actions that will guide the strategic planning of the region over the next twenty  years.  They aim to:
<ul>
<li>protect the region’s most important asset, the environment</li>
<li>grow and diversify the economy to create local jobs</li>
<li>create thriving, liveable centres</li>
<li>deliver greater housing choice</li>
<li>in collaboration with councils, establish a committee to drive the coordination and delivery of the actions in the Plan. </li>
</ul>
The public have been invited to have a say in this direction and you can do that here: https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/hunter
 Maybe Property Bloom will be celebrating our century of property development sooner than expected, based on what I read about the plans for Australia's next major city; Hunter City. 
 
Jo Chivers is chief executive officer of property development project managers <a href="https://www.propertybloom.com.au/about" target="_blank">Property Bloom</a>. 
 
</body></html>

jochivers-wq5Bp59R5a

Where is Australia's next major city? Jo Chivers

<html><body>
A speculatively built industrial property comprising six units at Braeside in Melbourne’s south-east has sold for a total of $1.84 million and an average $2,200 a square metre.
Developed by Melbourne-based Ballantyne Builders, the units ranging from 123 to 162 square metres, sold before completion. 
Located at 20 Canterbury Road in a well-established industrial estate, it boasts of tenants such as Nissan Motorsport, Fabtronics Australia and Weber Performance.
"The units were designed to meet pent-up demand in this sector and with few similar units of comparable price and quality available, were quickly taken up," said Chris Telley of Savills, who brokered the deals with Gareth Jackson and Nixon Industrial.
He added that the quick sales were driven by the price point, truck access, secure premises, and size. They are close to Wells Road, Governor Road and Springvale Road.
"Ballantyne seized on a market opportunity and were well rewarded,’’ Telley said.
</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