Malaysian developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/s-p-setia">SP Setia</a> is the latest to jump into St Leonards booming Transport Oriented Development precinct.

The developer, which has previously delivered Sapphire by the Gardens apartment development in Melbourne, identified the Atchison Street site in 2023. It filed a Scoping Report around 12 months ago, and now has revealed the designs for the new&nbsp;40-storey mixed-use tower.

The State Significant Development Application covers <a href="https://next-portal.urban.com.au/projects/14650/summary">20-22 Atchison Street</a>, a 1,374 sqm site positioned between St Leonards Station and the new Crows Nest Metro station.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cox-architecture">COX Architecture</a>, the project would deliver 181 apartments, above a four-storey commercial podium, five basement levels, and new public domain works along Mitchell Street. The apartment mix comprises 35 one-bedroom apartments, 39 one-bedroom-plus-study apartments, 85 two-bedroom apartments, and 22 three-bedroom residences.

The proposal has been lodged as a shop-top housing development under the NSW Government’s TOD planning pathway, which allows increased density around key transport infrastructure. The site sits within the recently rezoned Crows Nest Accelerated TOD Precinct.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b799673d-48e2-46b0-801a-0e33a9330100" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/atchinson%20site.png?VersionId=dPh0UfwfaHpbFL1R7H1cbZNbIW0CHbCC" />

SP Setia acquired the Atchison Street site as part of its continued expansion into the Australian apartment market. In comments made to City &amp; Country (The Edge Malaysia) in 2023, SP Setia President and CEO Datuk Choong Kai Wai described the acquisition as “a strategic move” aligned with the group’s post-pandemic market recovery strategy.

“Our target for this exceptional development is local and overseas buyers, including first-home buyers, downsizers and investors,” Choong said.

The tower has been designed as a slender vertical form rising from a mixed-use podium, with COX Architecture positioning the development as a response to the evolving St Leonards and Crows Nest skyline.

“The purpose of the project is to facilitate the delivery of high-quality housing at a strategically located site and deliver a built tower outcome that is consistent with the desired future character of St Leonards and aligns with the TOD controls,” the design report stated.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b1a85eee-76f7-436c-a6da-73ba827b9b13" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/atchinson%20entry.png?VersionId=dA9jHGPMcm.dDbwk4QfxqWiY5bfh3UVt" />

The podium would incorporate retail uses fronting Atchison Street, commercial tenancies, landscaped communal areas, and pedestrian improvements along Mitchell Street. Vehicle access and loading would be consolidated via Atchison Lane.

Residents would have access to more than 665 sqm of communal indoor and outdoor spaces, while the development proposes 96 parking spaces across five basement levels.

The proposal also includes a commitment for 10 per cent of residential floor space to be allocated toward affordable housing through a monetary contribution.

COX said the tower form responds directly to the emerging high-density character of the precinct while seeking to maximise solar access, cross ventilation, and outlook from apartments.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2163f85c-f63b-4be3-aafa-f8763976cec5" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Article%20Feature%20Image%20%28Grid%29_5.png?VersionId=WiAmtIKJ6.ZQ41EtYEQ1fol7AeorKBlL" />

“The building is orientated towards north,” the Apartment Design Guide compliance report noted, adding that the tower’s slim form was driven by the constrained inner-urban site dimensions.

The design also incorporates landscaped setbacks and communal open space at podium level, intended to soften the interface with surrounding streets and improve pedestrian amenity.

The project adds to a growing wave of redevelopment proposals reshaping St Leonards and Crows Nest following the opening of the Sydney Metro City line and the NSW Government’s push for higher-density housing around major transport nodes.

Last week Stockland filed plans just down the road. They want to build a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/601-pacific-highway-st-leonards-nsw-2065">52-storey tower on Pacific Highway</a>.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-stockland-plans-52-storey-538-apartment-st-leonards-tower">First look: Stockland plans 52-storey, 538-apartment St Leonards tower&nbsp;</a>

Joel Robinson

First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/urban-property-group">Urban Property Group</a> has revealed plans for a new mixed-use tower at 10 Dangar Street, Wickham, advancing a proposal that would reshape the southern gateway to Newcastle’s city centre with one of the city’s tallest residential buildings.

The State Significant Development proposal, now on exhibition, seeks approval for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/bowline-10-dangar-street-wickham-nsw-2293">43-storey tower</a> immediately adjacent to the Newcastle Interchange. The project would deliver around 200 apartments, including 42 affordable housing dwellings, alongside 99 co-living units, a 171-room hotel, retail space, and new public domain integrated through the site.

The scheme marks a significant escalation of plans previously approved for the site. Urban Property Group took over the prominent 2,904 sqm parcel, where excavation and demolition had already commenced under an earlier consent for a 14-storey mixed-use development.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="58a96dd9-407f-4d20-86b4-94e4bfeef74b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20podium.png?VersionId=LGlf08pdFGAZDzvx_CXC4XakHNZRuEE0" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/sjb-architects">SJB</a>, the tower has been conceived as a landmark transit-oriented development anchored to the Newcastle Interchange precinct. The proposal includes 245 build-to-sell apartments across a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom residences, as well as two penthouses. Fifteen apartments and one operational unit are earmarked for NDIS housing. The co-living component would add a further 99 units, while the podium would accommodate retail uses and hotel facilities.

SJB said the site presents “a valuable opportunity to anchor the precinct by setting the standard for design, active ground planes and character at the key southern gateway.”

The architecture responds directly to the site’s position beside major transport infrastructure and within one of Newcastle’s fastest-evolving urban renewal precincts. The tower form sits above a sculpted podium designed to frame new public spaces, including a through-site pedestrian link connecting Station Street to Hannell Street, landscaped plazas, and activated retail edges.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a7bd6ff0-f7db-4ce8-a6dc-ea56e72c6149" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20lanne.png?VersionId=xzf39VADyhj7zBQY2I9fx9vI62u2tuSb" />

The design report describes the project as part of the broader transition of Wickham into “a vibrant, high-quality mixed-use urban precinct” that leverages proximity to the station, open space, and regional connectivity.

A detailed public art strategy has also been prepared for the development. The strategy positions the project as “a transit-oriented development of state significance at the gateway to Newcastle’s city centre” and outlines a series of integrated artworks responding to Newcastle’s industrial and transport heritage.

Creative Road’s curatorial framework for the project, titled Unveil, draws on “stratified surfaces, carved volumes, and light-filled apertures” while referencing Newcastle’s transformation from an industrial city into a contemporary education and technology hub.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="77a882bb-14b1-4d28-99ff-9438e39508c0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20site.png?VersionId=cevgo_vN0eKPK78P8YcEu3mKPLkpFqE7" />

The proposal is being advanced through the NSW Housing Delivery Authority pathway after being declared State Significant Development in June 2025. The accompanying scoping report states the development aims to “maximise the site’s proximity to the Newcastle Interchange by delivering transit-oriented development” while increasing housing supply and affordable housing provision within the Newcastle LGA.

Urban Property Group’s plans align with the long-term strategic vision established under the Wickham Master Plan, which identified the interchange precinct as suitable for substantial uplift in height and density. The current proposal would significantly intensify that vision, positioning the tower among the tallest developments proposed for Newcastle.

The site sits immediately north of the Newcastle Interchange, bounded by Dangar Street, Hannell Street, and Charles Street. It is surrounded by a rapidly growing cluster of residential towers and mixed-use projects that have emerged following the completion of the light rail and transport interchange.

First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s latest tower at Wickham interchange

Bottega House has completed settlement of a landmark riverfront site in Macquarie Street, St Lucia, representing its first major Brisbane development.&nbsp;

Positioned on the banks of the Brisbane River, the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/180-macquarie-street-st-lucia-qld-4067">premium site at 180 Macquarie Street</a> features uninterrupted river frontage in one of Brisbane’s most tightly held residential precincts.&nbsp;

The proposed development, currently under assessment with Brisbane City Council, has been designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/plus-studio">Plus Studio</a> with interiors by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/mim-design">Mim Design</a> and will deliver a boutique collection of premium residences positioned specifically for owner occupiers and downsizers.&nbsp;

The residences are set to redefine luxury apartment living in the area, with a focus on architectural quality, refined finishes, landscape integration and elevated amenities including curated wellness facilities, resort-style pools and recreation spaces rarely seen in the local market.&nbsp;

Exclusive sales for the project will be led by Keenan &amp; Byrne, ahead of an anticipated launch later this year.&nbsp;

Bottega House Managing Director Nick Malloch said the project reflects the group’s ambition to deliver a highly curated residential offering within one of Brisbane’s most tightly held precincts.&nbsp;

“This is an incredibly rare riverfront opportunity and one we have approached with a long-term perspective,” Malloch said.&nbsp;

“Our vision from the outset was to create a boutique collection of residences that feel more like private homes than traditional apartments, with generous proportions, refined finishes and exceptional amenity throughout."

Malloch says there is a&nbsp;lack of premium owner-occupier stock of this quality in the market, particularly for downsizers wanting space, privacy and a true lifestyle offering without compromise.&nbsp;

"Demand is expected to be strong given the scarcity of premium riverfront opportunities of this nature within Brisbane’s inner-west."&nbsp;

Bottega House secures landmark riverfront site in St Lucia 

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The arrival of the first piling rig officially marks the commencement of construction at SIERA’s new beachside apartment development, Exhale, in Northcliffe.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/exhale-surfers-paradise-8-enderley-avenue-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">Exhale</a>, a glass-encased tower featuring 54 large-scale apartments at 8 Enderley Avenue, is SIERA’s third Gold Coast development. It follows the recently completed PIPIS Bilinga beachfront project, which achieved suburb-record prices, and the soon-to-be-completed Chevron Island development, Tapestry.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=359603]

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/siera">SIERA</a> Founder and Managing Director Brent Thompson said the arrival of the piling rig represented a significant milestone for the development, which is scheduled for completion in late 2028.

Over the next month, around 260 piles are expected to be installed as work progresses on the basement structure. The building is anticipated to rise above ground level early next year, before unveiling its sculptural glass curtain wall, developed in collaboration with specialist façade engineers.

“The façade was designed to maximise panoramic coastal views while creating a distinctive architectural identity,” Thompson said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=355935]

Designed by BDA Architecture, Exhale will comprise just 54 two- and three-bedroom residences across 26 levels, a level of low-density living rarely delivered in this beachside pocket between Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach.

The project has been conceived as a resident-only building, with no short-stay accommodation permitted. SIERA says the model is intended to appeal to long-term owner-occupiers rather than transient holiday demand.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=361052]

Residences have been designed with large-format layouts and expansive glazing, with most apartments featuring more than 30 metres of glass frontage to maximise natural light and ocean views.

The amenity offering spans two levels and centres on wellness and lifestyle, including a heated magnesium pool, sauna, yoga and Pilates studio, gymnasium, private dining facilities, cinema lounge, and dedicated surfcraft storage.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=359607]

More than half of the apartments have already sold. SIERA has also opened a sales gallery for Exhale at its Chevron Island commercial premises, near its Tapestry tower and the site of its second Chevron Island apartment development, which is slated to launch in early 2027.
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</section>

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=112661]

SIERA kicks off construction at Northcliffe tower Exhale

Local Little Bay residents, along with buyers from premium postcodes across Sydney’s affluent Eastern Suburbs, have dominated purchases in developer-builder Urban Property Group’s first Eastern Suburbs apartment development, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/este-little-bay-jennifer-street-little-bay-nsw-2036">ESTE Little Bay</a>.

The $250 million coastal project, one of the first new developments in the area in several years, has proven particularly popular with downsizers, especially those from Coogee and Bondi. One Double Bay downsizer paid $4.7 million for a four-bedroom penthouse, setting a new local apartment price record in the process.

Buyers have been attracted to the combination of coastal tranquillity, premium design and amenity-rich neighbourhood living. The walkable village setting, along with proximity to three of Sydney’s leading golf courses, New South Wales Golf Club, St Michael’s Golf Club and The Coast Golf Club, has also been a key drawcard.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112343 project_image_fid=352689]

Built across two low-rise buildings designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/hill-thalis-architecture-urban-projects-pty-ltd">Hill Thalis</a> and set along a lush, landscaped green spine, designed by leading landscape architect <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/landscape-architect/arcadia-landscape-architecture">Arcadia</a>, ESTE Little Bay offers a collection of one, two, three and four-bedroom residences with interiors by Richards Stanisich.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/urban-property-group">Urban Property Group</a> Sales Director, Tom McIvor said the response to ESTE has been "nothing short of extraordinary."

“Buyers have been quick to recognise ESTE as a rare opportunity to invest in a coastal sanctuary that offers both seclusion and connectivity to the heart of Sydney,” McIvor said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112343 project_image_fid=352687]

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/srm-residential">SRM Residential</a> Senior Director, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/srm-residential">Clayton Ross</a> said the local market has responded incredibly well, driven by ESTE’s exceptional location and the rarity it offers.

“We’ve seen strong interest from a variety of buyer groups, all of whom are drawn to the exclusivity and quality of the build and construction by the 4.5-star iCIRT-rated builder / developer, Urban Property Group. There’s truly nothing else like it along Sydney’s coastline.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112343 project_image_fid=352690]

The project also includes robust buyer protections, including Resilience Insurance’s Latent Defects Insurance, providing 10 years of structural cover, and an independent iCIRT-rating of the developer.

“The iCIRT-rating adds another layer of confidence,” Ross added. “Buyers see it as a safeguard for their investment and their lifestyle.” A highlight of ESTE’s offering is its exclusive wellness amenities, including a heated rooftop infinity pool and outdoor heated spa, a state-of-the-art Technogym fitness centre, and a sauna.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/este-little-bay-jennifer-street-little-bay-nsw-2036">ESTE Little Bay</a> is topped out and is on track to complete towards the end of 2026, with residents moving in before Christmas.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=112343]

Eastern Suburbs buyers snap up ESTE Little Bay apartments

Brisbane

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ANZ has opened a cashless branch in Brisbane’s CBD, its first for the city, as customers continue to choose online and digital banking options instead of cash.
The new branch in George Street is ANZ’s seventh cashless branch across Australia since it opened the first one in Sydney’s Bondi Junction in March 2016.
“Our customers are embracing the digital changes we’re rolling out across our network as they continue to use cash less for every day purchases," managing director Retail Distribution, Catriona Noble said.
“The simplicity of internet banking and digital apps means many customers often don’t need cash, and in some cases don’t need a physical wallet at all with the availability of mobile payments where they can pay with their smartphone.”
The new George Street branch does not offer traditional telling or over-the-counter cash handling, but staff are available to help customers deposit and withdraw cash through the bank’s SMART ATMs.
The branch staff members are available to help customers with bigger life decisions such as saving towards financial goals, home ownership or running a small business, which many customers still prefer to discuss face-to-face.
The new Brisbane branch is the 75th digital branch ANZ has opened in the past three years, with another 45 scheduled for 2018.
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ANZ opens its first cashless branch for Brisbane

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Spencer and Brooke Lambert, owners of commercial kitchen design and fit-out company Lamberts, have listed their Brisbane riverfront property.
It is a contemporary family home with pool, jet-ski landing and deep water pontoon at Yeronga.
More than $2.5 million is expected for the <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property/39-instow-st-yeronga-qld-4104" target="_blank">39 Instow Street, Yeronga</a> house that showcases a mix of polished and raw timber, polished concrete, stone and glass to take advantage of the views over the Brisbane River and Indooroopilly Golf Course. 
Sarah Hackett of Place Estate Agents Bulimia has the listing.
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Brisbane riverfront trophy listed

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Brisbane’s housing market capital gains is subdued, but sustainable, according to CoreLogic’s latest update report.
The property data firm says that rise in house values compensating a fall in unit values takes Brisbane’s annual growth rate into 2%.
For more information see the video below:
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/o2xJhQxU5uc" frameborder="0" width="450" height="253"></iframe>
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tlawless-5VLUrbAk9s

Subdued but sustainable: Brisbane's housing market update: Tim Lawless

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Pradella's $1 billion riverside West End development in Brisbane has two new tenants, which includes a restaurant.
Restaurateur Amit Maharaj will open his second venue in West End, having leased a 55 sqm space in the latest stage of Riverside West End for a new restaurant.
The second tenancy has been taken up by convenience operator NightOwl, which has taken up a 150 sqm tenancy.
Table 26 and NightOwl are located on the corner of Roger and Duncan Streets in West End.  
Gardens at Riverside West End, includes four buildings - Arbor, Parc, View and Rise -  with a mix of one, two and three bedroom apartments.
A few apartments remain for sale in the Gardens priced from $399,000.
Maharaj’s new restaurant, Table 26, will launch in August.
He has owned and operated the popular West End Park Cafe since 2003 and said his vision for Table 26 was to create a new 'local venue', which would operate from breakfast through to dinner.
He said the restaurant had been inspired by his father, who passed away in 2009.
Maharaj said he was drawn to Riverside because of its prime location in West End, which had become a favourite for Brisbane foodies and boasted a fast-growing local population.
NightOwl marketing manager Geoff Herbert said the new convenience store offers a broad range of products, including healthy fast food and barista style coffee.
The Riverside West End NightOwl will be the franchise's 69th store in Queensland and its eleventh across the Brisbane CBD.
Pradella director Kim Pradella said Table 26 and NightOwl would add to the lifestyle and convenience on offer at Riverside West End and the eclectic mix of restaurants, cafes and retailers in the area.
Another $75 million complex of 80 terraces is coming up in Brisbane's West End.
 
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jonathanchancellor-7SQnKwU6yx

Brisbane's West End development signs up two new tenants

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<div id="post-body-1248243627302399679" class="post-body entry-content">
Greater Brisbane's apartment construction boom totters on its last legs, with annual unit approvals crashing by 42 percent (so far), and developers struggling to sell out live projects. 
There are still quite a number of significant projects under construction. 
When finished, the project will comprise 360 apartments across the three residential towers. 
On Old Cleveland Street, the old retail eyesore has gone, to be replaced with 7,000 square metres of new retail space, including cafés, restaurants, and a 10-theatre cinema precinct.
The final stage of the apartments has reportedly yet to sell out, despite being approved in 2014 and being located in a relatively prime location. 
Over the medium term this will doubtless be a very popular location, but the appetite for new apartments has been sated for this cycle.
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<div class="post-footer"> </div>
<div class="post-footer">
PETE WARGENT is the co-founder of <a href="https://allenwargent.com/" target="_blank">AllenWargent</a> property buyers (London, Sydney) and a best-selling author and <a href="https://petewargent.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">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">Four Green Houses and a Red Hotel</a>.
</div>
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pwargent-M4siyDbqQY

Greater Brisbane's apartment construction boom totters on its last legs: Pete Wargent 

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Developer Walker Corporation has lodged plans for a commercial tower in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley, ditching a 433-apartment twin-tower development approval in favour of a $400 million commercial project. 
The proposed A-Grade tower at 801 Ann Street on the Austral Motors Site has been planned to have 26 storeys and will sit on a full city block bordered by Ann, McLachlan, Connor and Morgan streets. 
Walker general manager for Queensland Development Peter Saba said the tower would raise the bar for commercial property in Brisbane, with its next-generation commercial design. 
“This building will appeal to top-tier companies with its large, flexible floorplates and state-of-the- art features,” he said. 
Walker Corporation recently also submitted a development application for a 73-hectare master planned community, Breakwater, that will connect Robina, Merrimac and Gold Coast City Council’s planned Green Heart Parklands. The masterplan proposes 2,000 townhouses and apartments and is expected to house 3,700 residents.
The building, after approval and completion, would have approximately 5,000 workers, said Saba. 
“The site is sounded by cafes, restaurants and quality retail in the popular James Street precinct, so workers can make the most of the location,” he said. 
It will also have 5-Star Green Star rating. Other key features of 801 Ann St will include a light-filled lobby, site-specific artwork and winter rooms and terraces on certain floors.
Saba said 801 Ann St would significantly expand Walker’s presence in Queensland.
“We have been looking for the opportunity to deliver a significant commercial building in Brisbane and this site is the perfect location,” he said. 
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Walker Corporation plans modern commercial office tower in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley

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The Queensland government is pushing for the Cross River Rail project, a second railway connection through Brisbane’s CBD.
In the state’s ShapingSEQ regional plan, advocates of the project claim it will remove a constraint on job growth by improving access to inner Brisbane.
However, the plan neglects an alternative strategy of prioritising job growth in a few strong “metropolitan centres” within the greater Brisbane metropolitan area to the CBD’s north, west and south.
The Cross River Rail project emerged from a narrow focus on boosting the CBD’s peak-hour commuting capacity by overcoming a bottleneck on the single rail bridge across the Brisbane River.
The issue was framed as a problem, rather than a potential opportunity to encourage employment decentralisation.
It’s been 60 years since Australia’s first drive-in shopping centre, Westfield Chermside, opened in Brisbane’s north.
The centre is now one of the largest in Australia.
In the ShapingSEQ plan, Chermside is one of 11 “principal regional activity centres” outside the CBD competing for market share within Brisbane’s greater metro area.
If media reports are correct, there is an “arms race” between some centres on Brisbane’s northside.
But is competition between so many centres the best strategy for a metro area with rapid population growth, most of it expected at the fringe?
Would it be better to have three “key metropolitan centres” providing more diverse employment and higher-level services – not just “big box” shopping – closer to these areas than the CBD is?
These questions have been dodged for more than a decade.
Planning authorities promoted a key metropolitan centres concept as early as the mid-1970s.
The Moreton Region Growth Strategy recommended three key centres in metropolitan Brisbane, beyond the CBD.
Each was to be a focal point for “public and private employment growth”.
These three centres were to be given “priority over other centres in relation to planning, promotional and resource allocation activities of government”.
The report considered key centres offering alternative employment locations to the central city “both necessary and feasible”.
This approach was continued during the 1990s in the Regional Framework for Growth Management (RFGM) in the southeast.
By 2005, when the first statutory regional plan was introduced, the concept had been dropped.
Instead, a policy of “principal regional activity centres” was adopted and remains in effect.
It was based largely on centres designated by local councils at that time, rather than being a more integrated regional approach.
The large area of the city relative to southeast Queensland means Brisbane City Council has significant influence on planning for the region.
Without its support, a policy of key metropolitan centres outside the Brisbane City boundary would not have been possible.
Such a policy would have necessarily restrained the growth of some centres within the city.
In addition, background research for the 1994 RFGM noted that “considerable forward planning effort” would be needed to consolidate retailing, office, civic and community facilities in selected locations.
Any resolve to undertake this seems to have dissipated by 2005.
About that time, and particularly after the global financial crisis, transport infrastructure development became more about promoting economic growth than being part of an integrated land use strategy.
This was particularly evident in Brisbane’s TransApex road projects, with Cross River Rail falling into a similar category.
Infrastructure development has since threatened to supersede spatial planning in Australian metropolitan areas.
If built, the rail project will serve areas that already have comparatively good public transport services.
The suburban areas where most people live would continue to have limited transport options.
RMIT’s Jago Dodson has called for a stronger suburban focus in city policy.
Projects like the Cross River Rail project have “questionable merit”, according to Dodson, and will have “little impact on conditions in our suburban growth areas”.
A key metropolitan centres policy would likely create more benefits for these growth areas, particularly if combined with effectively networked public transport offering good service to these centres.
Some upgrades of southeast Queensland’s passenger rail network might be needed.
These should serve the agreed spatial planning strategy rather than being narrowly focused on relieving forecast congestion.
The sense of urgency created around Cross River Rail works against the need for genuine community engagement in planning for the Brisbane metro area and the broader region.
The Cross River Rail project should be considered in the context of a metropolitan area that citizens want, not simply as a response to forecast travel demand.
Brian Feeney <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/brian-feeney-317083" rel="author"> </a>is an Adjunct Fellow at the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland and can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/brian-feeney-317083" target="_blank">here</a>.
He is an author at The Conversation.
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/79418/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
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Brisbane’s Cross River Rail will feed the centre at the expense of people in the suburbs

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Australia's richest woman, Hancock Prospecting boss Gina Rinehart, has taken to renting her redundant Brisbane riverfront property while it remains on the market.
It's listed with a reduced $1,500 a week asking rental. It last rented for $2,000 a week in 2012.
Rinehart, who has an estimated wealth of over $13 billion, listed the home late last year. It cost her $3,175,000 in 2010.
The company owns 12 properties across the country, including the $18 million Hawthorne compound that set the Brisbane record in 2014.
The home is listed through Place Graceville agent Peter May and Brad Robson and is for lease through the same agency. 
The two level, four bedroom home on a 1,315 sqm parcel is surrounded by tropical gardens.
The open plan lounge and dining areas are banked by walls of glass which connect with the poolside terrace, which leads to a separate guest retreat with its own private courtyard and river views.
This article first appeared in the Weekend Australian Mansion Australia section. 
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Gina Rinehart rents out Brisbane riverfront

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Brisbane’s Park Village Shopping Centre has sold for $35.2 million to an undisclosed local private investor through Peter Tyson of Savills.
Park Village Shopping Centre has a total gross lettable area of 6,421sqm and is anchored by a 2,626sqm Coles Supermarket with 36 specialty tenancies.
Peter Tyson, the Park Village deal continues the high level of transactional activity in the popular neighbourhood retail space in Queensland. We continue to see strong demand for retail assets from a cross section of investors, locally, interstate and offshore.
“The buyer was attracted to the centre as it is the only neighbourhood facility servicing the Middle Park, Westlake and River Hills precinct in Brisbane’s western suburbs," he said.
"The group see further opportunity to add value to the asset over time through active management.”
The property was sold by Peter Lucas of P.A. Lucas &amp; Co.as the appointed Receiver and Manager of the centre. 
 
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Brisbane’s Park Village Shopping Centre sold for $35.2 million

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Mercedes-Benz Brisbane, in a move for parent company Star Auto Group, has announced an upgrade for 300 Adelaide Street, with the building to be a mix of retail, restaurant and commercial tenancies in addition to its showroom.
The 22-storey building’s most notable upgrade would be a three-level glass podium fronting Adelaide St. 
The building will have a Mercedes-Benz Brisbane permanent pop-up showroom plus café and restaurant which will serve breakfast and lunch Monday to Friday and a dinner and bar offering on Thursday and Friday evenings.   
Mercedes-Benz Brisbane dealer principal Shane Parkins, who is overseeing the project, said the company had been searching for a “key position within the CBD to provide a touchstone point where existing and new customers can arrange a test drive and service bookings”, or just enjoy food and beverages. 
The group’s portfolio also includes a new 12,500 sqm Vans Service &amp; Parts centre at Eagle Farm, and is also currently building Australia’s largest Autohaus on Breakfast Creek Road, Newstead due for completion in 2018.  
Working with architects Cottee Parker, its design will reflect the great Autohaus’ of Europe with a car museum, showroom, restaurant and community event spaces. 
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