<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/broadbeach-qld-4218">Broadbeach</a> offers plenty of reasons to live vertically, but moving from a substantial family home into an apartment can expose the compromises of high-density living. Privacy, room for guests and usable living space tend to matter more when an apartment is intended as a permanent home rather than an occasional coastal base.

A typical residential floor at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-eveleigh-broadbeach-7-9-surf-parade-broadbeach-qld-4218">The Eveleigh</a>, on Surf Parade,&nbsp;contains just four apartments. The 94-residence development by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/hirsch-faigen">Hirsch &amp; Faigen</a> is predominantly made up of expansive three-bedroom homes, with a limited collection of half-floor penthouses above.

Across the apartment floors, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a> has used the relatively limited number of residences to give each home greater access to natural light and outlook. Living spaces extend towards full-height glazing, while a series of bay windows frame selected views across the Pacific Ocean, city and hinterland rather than treating the building edge as a continuous wall of glass.

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“The apartment floors deliver a collection of homes that embrace controlled outlook via a series of bay windows deliberately framing moments of view,” Rothelowman Director Kim Lowman said.

From outside, those projecting forms contribute to the tower’s faceted profile. Strong horizontal and vertical elements establish its proportions, while the changing position of the sun alters the light, shadow and reflection across the façade throughout the day.

The same attention moves inside the apartments, where the material palette combines warm timber, natural stone, metallic detailing and softer curved forms. Kitchens sit within the main living zone, with stone island benches, integrated joinery and European appliances, before the living areas extend towards the glazing and the outlook.

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[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360981]

Three genuine bedrooms provide room to accommodate family and guests, while two secure car spaces and storage address some of the practical considerations that can become more noticeable when moving from a larger home. Feedback from the display suite has centred on the warmth and restraint of the interiors, with buyers commenting that the residences feel like homes rather than conventional coastal apartments.

A limited collection of half-floor penthouses occupies the upper levels, increasing the scale of the living spaces and adding private balconies and elevated finishes. From this position, the outlook extends between the ocean and hinterland.

Outside the private residences, The Eveleigh separates its shared spaces between the podium and rooftop. The podium is centred on wellness, with subtropical landscaping surrounding a swimming pool and pool terrace, yoga garden, private gymnasium, sauna and hot and cold plunge facilities. Landscaped retreats and pavilions provide additional places to sit away from the main recreation areas.

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Higher in the building, a rooftop pavilion and private dining suite sit alongside resident lounge, barbecue and outdoor dining areas, opening towards panoramic views across the ocean, city and hinterland.

“Buyers are no longer just looking for an apartment, but a lifestyle where they can relax, reset, and enjoy a balanced way of living,” Hirsch &amp; Faigen Director of Sales Matt George said.

Interest to date has come from established owner-occupiers and interstate lifestyle purchasers, including buyers planning a future move to the Gold Coast. Many are coming from larger homes and want to reduce ongoing maintenance without giving up space for family and guests, privacy, two car spaces or the ability to entertain at home.

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Much of that daily life can also take place beyond the building without requiring a drive. Kurrawa Beach and Pratten Park are an easy walk from Surf Parade, while Pacific Fair, Oracle Boulevard, The Oasis, restaurants, cafés, entertainment and public transport are also within walking distance.

The Eveleigh is Hirsch &amp; Faigen's fourth Gold Coast development since entering the market in 2021, following The Hemingway at Palm Beach, The Emerson at Kirra and Yves at Mermaid Beach. Each of the preceding projects sold out before completion.

“Broadbeach had been on our radar throughout our time operating on the Gold Coast,” the developer said. “Following our projects in Palm Beach, Kirra and Mermaid Beach, Broadbeach represented the natural next step for the business.”

The Surf Parade site brought together proximity to the beach, protected coastal outlooks and walkability to dining, shopping and recreation. Hirsch &amp; Faigen also identified the street as an emerging premium residential address, with enough separation from Broadbeach's busier destinations to retain a quieter environment at home.

The Eveleigh is now under construction by Maxcon, with completion forecast for mid-2028. Three-bedroom residences are currently available from $2.87 million.

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Joel Robinson

The Eveleigh brings house-like apartments to Broadbeach

A long-stalled Campbelltown development site is back in play, with new plans for 139 apartments set to supersede a mixed-use scheme approved almost a decade ago but never built.

The new proposal for 28 Cordeaux Street would deliver 116 market and 23 affordable apartments in a part 14-storey building, bringing a substantial new project into a Campbelltown market where new apartment supply remains limited.

Plans have been filed over the 3,092 sqm corner site at Moore-Oxley Street, around 600 metres from Campbelltown Railway Station and the city-centre retail core.

The site already carries a mixed-use residential approval dating to 2016. Doroch Architects has now been engaged on a larger replacement scheme, which is progressing as a State Significant Development Application following a Housing Delivery Authority determination in August 2025.

The apartment mix comprises 39 one-bedroom, 72 two-bedroom and 28 three-bedroom residences. Two-bedroom apartments make up just over half of the project, while three-bedroom homes account for 20 per cent.

<img alt="First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="136dd5b9-3791-4da6-9e31-76f533f5b4de" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Campbelltown%20da2.png?VersionId=LgOSy9nwf5u.MGswBBwaGGxuX8QpHSl_" />

Of the 139 apartments, 23 will be delivered as affordable housing under the in-fill affordable housing provisions of the Housing SEPP. The affordable component represents 15 per cent of the residential gross floor area and will be managed by a registered Community Housing Provider.

Doroch has sought to break the scale of the building into two distinct elements, with a masonry podium of around four storeys establishing the street edge before the residential tower steps back above.

The corner position has shaped that approach. Cordeaux Street faces toward the commercial and civic centre, while Moore-Oxley Street leads into the lower-scale residential neighbourhood to the south, and the design verification report describes the site as "bridging the commercial core to the north and established residential areas to the south."

The podium will be expressed predominantly in face brick, while the upper levels shift to brushed and grooved concrete cladding with darker metal detailing. Recessed sections, deep balcony edges and landscaping break down the upper form, with an approximately 11.8-metre setback to the northern boundary addressing the adjoining St Peters Anglican School.

<img alt="First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c8b3d2d3-c561-4bfc-a5d9-a68c0c10dac1" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Campbelltown%20da1.png?VersionId=AeAEyJU02Gk2k5noUj2StziCvdQ7fW4B" />

Campbelltown has been starved of new residential developments in the last decade.

The only other notable development set to come to market this year is ALAND's Queen Square, a mixed-use precinct on over two hectares that will comprise apartments above a vibrant ground-level retail and hospitality dining precinct.

First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site

First Look: Sherlock Construction pitches apartments for low-rise Deception Bay

Queensland builder-developer MAYD has revealed the first look at its major North Kirra beachfront development, lodging amended plans that reduce the number of apartments and increase the proportion of larger residences.

The project is planned across a substantial 4,742 sqm amalgamated site spanning seven lots at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/2-6-pacific-parade-bilinga-qld-4225">2-6 Pacific Parade</a> and 27-33 Golden Four Drive in Bilin​ga, directly opposite Nor​th Kirra Beach.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/mayd-group">MAYD</a> secured the site for $32.5 million in 2025, in what was one of the Gold Coast's largest property transactions of the year.

The development will be delivered across two stages, with the first stage carrying an estimated gross realisation value of around $360 million.

The latest amendments seek to reduce the overall apartment count and shift the project further toward the owner-occupier market, with larger residences designed for buyers wanting considerably more space than traditionally offered in a beachfront apartment.

The residential mix will include townhomes, oversized two-bedroom apartments, substantial three-bedroom residences and four-bedroom homes.

MAYD has appointed Cera Stribley to lead the architecture and interiors, with the Melbourne-based design practice drawing on the beachfront setting through a series of ocean-facing terraces and heavily landscaped balconies.

Strong horizontal forms and curved balconies will define the exterior, with subtropical landscaping integrated throughout the building to soften the built form and increase the connection between the residences and the beachfront.

The project will also include an extensive collection of resident wellness and lifestyle facilities, continuing the broader shift across the Gold Coast's luxury apartment market toward larger homes supported by resort-style amenity.

<img alt="MAYD" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d1bcbb05-e659-4b47-8bd4-1e595315e2ad" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-27%20at%202.05.03%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=jj0XEud1X1DuLt7_KyElhjMdZGOXmLHP" />

MAYD Founder Todd Mould said North Kirra was increasingly appealing to buyers attracted to the more established, lower-density character of the southern Gold Coast.

"North Kirra presents one of the most compelling luxury residential opportunities currently emerging in Australia, combining absolute beachfront with the character and authenticity that buyers are increasingly seeking, and the same sense of tight-knit community that defined Burleigh and Currumbin perhaps 10 or 15 years ago," Mould said.

"With Gold Coast Airport on its doorstep, it also offers a level of accessibility that broadens its appeal across almost every market demographic."

The project comes as the southern Gold Coast continues to attract an increasing share of high-end apartment development and buyer activity.

Kirra in particular has emerged as one of the region's more tightly held beachfront markets, with its relatively low-density character, established surf and hospitality scene and proximity to Gold Coast Airport differentiating it from the higher-density markets further north.

Mould said those characteristics had informed the approach MAYD and Cera Stribley had taken to the project.

"We've worked closely with Cera Stribley to create a vision that is deeply connected to its surroundings," he said.

"Inspired by the coastline itself, the architecture has been shaped around space, privacy and resort-style living, creating a collection of homes that reflects the next generation of luxury on the southern Gold Coast."

MOTIV Managing Director Carly Cottam, who has been appointed to market the project, said buyer attention had continued to move south along the Gold Coast.

"Purchasers who may once have defaulted to Broadbeach, Main Beach or Surfers Paradise are increasingly recognising the value of a genuine beachfront location that offers lower density, strong amenity and a more established sense of community," Cottam said.

"Kirra has a powerful combination of growing demand and genuine scarcity. Beachfront supply is inherently constrained, the area remains relatively low density, and buyers are increasingly placing a premium on locations that feel established, uncrowded and authentic rather than heavily developed."

Cottam said the proximity to Gold Coast Airport was also proving increasingly important for interstate and second-home buyers.

"Being minutes from Gold Coast Airport makes it particularly compelling for interstate buyers, frequent travellers and second-home purchasers who can access an authentic coastal lifestyle almost immediately after stepping off a flight."

The acquisition takes MAYD's active development portfolio to more than $500 million, with the North Kirra project representing one of its largest undertakings to date.

MAYD is targeting an early 2027 launch.

First look at MAYD's North Kirra mixed-use precinct

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Castle Hill, the longtime hub of the Hills District, has been one of the major beneficiaries of Sydney's Metro expansion, with improved connectivity helping drive continued population growth, development and buyer demand across the Hills District.

But despite that growth, the suburb has seen relatively few major new apartment projects brought to market over the past 18 months.

Hills District developer Reve Group is looking to fill that gap with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/nova-r-ve-castle-hill-2-garthowen-crescent-castle-hill-nsw-2154">Nova Rêve</a>, a major new mixed-use precinct on the corner of Garthowen Crescent and Old Castle Hill Road, a short walk from Castle Hill Metro Station and Castle Towers.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377679]

The project will comprise three residential towers alongside a hotel, restaurants, cafes and a skybar, more than 1,600 sqm of ground-floor retail and almost an acre of landscaped gardens.

It represents the largest project undertaken by Reve Group, the development arm of the Kassis family, which has been building across the Hills District for more than 30 years through Kassis Homes.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377675]

Nova Rêve also represents a significant step up from the family's first apartment development, Grand Rêve, which was delivered nearby on Garthowen Crescent.

Grand Rêve introduced larger, house-like apartment layouts and premium inclusions including Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances to the Castle Hill market.

Nova Rêve takes that approach to a precinct scale, combining the residential component with hospitality, retail and substantial public and resident landscaping.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377685]

Reve Group Managing Director Sam Kassis said the project reflected the family's three decades of building in the Hills, which has evolved from trophy homes on quarter-acre blocks to larger-scale apartment development.

"Grand Rêve was our first apartment project here and it showed us what this pocket of Castle Hill could be. Nova Rêve is the refinement of that idea: not just apartments, but a place the whole suburb can use," Kassis said.

A key part of that approach is the hotel, which has been designed to operate as an amenity for the wider Castle Hill community rather than solely hotel guests.

It will include restaurants, cafes, skybars and all-day dining, alongside conference and event facilities catering to business functions, community groups and private events.

At ground level, more than 1,600 sqm of shops and cafes will open onto the surrounding streets and landscaped areas.

Almost an acre of gardens designed by Land and Form Studios will run through the precinct, incorporating pathways, seating, barbecue areas and children's play spaces.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377680]

Reve Group's Romio Georges said creating an active ground plane had been central to the planning of Nova Rêve.

"There are gardens with pathways, barbecues, seating and play areas, shops and cafes opening onto the street, and a hotel with restaurants and a skybar that anyone in Castle Hill can walk into," Georges said.

The project's elevated position on one of Sydney's highest ridgelines will also provide apartments with outlooks toward the Sydney skyline, surrounding parkland and the Blue Mountains.

More than 80 per cent of the apartments will occupy corner positions, with Turner responsible for both the architecture and interiors.

&nbsp;

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Nova Rêve arrives as Reve Group bets on Castle Hill's next growth phase

Development

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A local developer has paid $5.04 million to outbid a number of offshore groups for a potential development site with Hoddle Street frontage.
The deal on the vacant possession showroom was brokered by Savills agents Nick Peden and Jesse Radisich.
The corner <a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-land+development-vic-abbotsford-501678049" target="_blank">218-228 Hoddle Street</a> property, with two street frontages, was a likely candidate for redevelopment, although the purchaser had not revealed any plans. 
Jesse Radisich said the 1161 square metre property included frontage of 30 metres to Hoddle Street and 38 metres to Stafford Street, with a Commercial 2 zoning allowing for office, some manufacturing uses, bulky goods and other retailing uses.
The property attracted over 100 enquiries.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Savills sells Hoddle Street development site to local

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GUEST OBSERVER
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The announcement by the NSW Government of plans for an extra 36,000 new apartments around 11 stations on the proposed Sydney Metro line supports the integration of transport and density. 
It is essential that housing densities are increased around new railway stations. The addition of 36,000 new apartments around the 11 stations on the proposed metro from Sydenham to Bankstown is a good beginning but over time more density may be needed.
The strategy indicates that high rise buildings should be located around a number of stations including Bankstown, Canterbury and Campsie but the documents indicate that ‘high rise’ is considered to be 9 stories and above. It is important that buildings up to 20 stories are located in the urban centres near railway stations and services, and that communities understand that this will occur.
The Sydenham to Bankstown Strategy delivers increased densities within 800 metres of each railway station. Clearly development will be determined by the feasibility of replacing existing buildings and if the uplift in density is insufficient then change will not occur. It will be important that the economic viability of redevelopment of existing town centres is tested with the private sector to ensure that the housing targets can be met. 
The strategy lists potential infrastructure upgrades and suggests that a contribution scheme from development will fund some of these projects. The extent of contribution will need to be carefully managed to ensure that projects are still viable.
The Government’s strategy for development and urban renewal around the 11 stations along the Sydenham to Bankstown Metro line must be implemented through a strong planning framework. Rezoning of land around stations must be undertaken efficiently and within a reasonable amount of time. 
The Government must not allow individual councils to water down the development potential. After all it is the State Government that is delivering and investing in the new Metro line and this form of rapid transit needs significant development close to stations to maximise the effectiveness of the public transport system.
Chris Johnson is chief executive officer of property development industry group Urban Taskforce and can be contacted <a href="https://www.urbantaskforce.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=article&amp;id=97&amp;Itemid=126#.Vdaart55dFI" target="_blank">here</a>.
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cjohnson-8xfqfuuCSq

Apartment development essential around Sydney Metro stations: Urban Taskforce

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A UK-based student accommodation group has purchased two adjoining Melbourne development sites at 221 Pelham Street and 81-85 Barry Street.
Combined, the sites have more than 1,000 square metre area and were bought by from vendor Vaughan Construction Group through Daniel Wolman, Oliver Hay and Guy Wells at Colliers International.
221 Pelham Street, a former Reece Plumbing building, has a recently approved permit for 55 apartments.
“Located directly opposite Melbourne University, these sites combined are one of the last big parcels of land in this popular precinct,” Mr Hay said.
“The property was purchased off market by a prominent UK-based student accommodation group, who fought off fierce competition to acquire the site. The sale represents the group’s first foray into the Melbourne market.”
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Pelham St Melbourne sites make way for student accommodation

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GUEST OBSERVER
The appointment of a federal minister for cities and the built environment is a signal moment in urban policy in Australia. It is a much-needed portfolio for an overwhelmingly urban nation but will need new policy capacity if the government’s urban goals are to be realised.
Australian cities are among the fastest-growing in the developed world. They face problems of poor housing affordability, growing inequality, inadequate and inefficient infrastructure, unsustainable environmental demand and uneven employment distribution and productivity.
Long neglected federally, urban affairs is the gaping void in 21st-century public policy. Not since 1972 has Australia seen both the Labor and the Liberal parties commit to a cities portfolio within the Commonwealth ministry. That this has now occurred under a Coalition government is especially unusual.
Labor governments have been most engaged with urban questions. Curtin initiated a federal housing program and spurred states to better urban planning. Whitlam sewered neglected suburbs and stabilised fringe land markets, while Keating stimulated inner-city urban renewal. The Rudd-Gillard government boosted infrastructure and set national principles for metropolitan planning.
The short-lived McMahon government’s 1972 National Urban and Regional Development Authority is the only previous Coalition urban foray of note.
<h2>Creating the capacity to do urban policy</h2>
As the new minister, Jamie Briggs’s agenda is not yet detailed, although it looks set to focus on integration, infrastructure and greening. What could a new urban program look like, and what are the urban reform imperatives facing the Turnbull government?
The first task must surely be to develop permanent urban analytical and policy capacity in the federal public service. The Department of Environment, where the cities minister will be hosted, has almost no urban policy capability. The strongest federal urban capacity is in the Planning Analysis Branch of the Department of Infrastructure. The Turnbull government must build rapidly off this small but competent base.
A second task is to create federal capacity for cross-portfolio policy coordination. A cities agenda requires federal arrangements that can link across transport, infrastructure, environment, housing, finance, education, health and social services to build a multi-dimensional policy perspective on cities.
The third capacity-building task is to re-establish national coordination arrangements for urban policy. The federation gives almost all hands-on urban responsibility to the states but the Commonwealth has the revenue. The previous Labor government worked through the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) to establish consensus principles for major city planning and investment in a largely bipartisan way. That process could be revived and improved with relative ease.
A robust evidence base exists on which to ground policy directions but it is not well linked with policy. Capability development should thus also extend to Australia’s high-quality but under-resourced university research sector. The extensive network of scholars within the State of Australian Cities Research Network could assist with this task, as could the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute.
The final capacity need is for federal policy to establish its own analytical framework. The urban sector abounds with rent-seekers. A federal urban perspective must stand above such rent-seeking to develop a sophisticated conceptual stance on how our cities work and the levers of policy.
<h2>Directions for policy</h2>
The overturning of Tony Abbott’s aversion to public transport funding is a welcome sign of progress. Public transport is vital for future urban productivity and sustainability.
New arrangements are needed to make transparent the external urban costs of private car use, whether through road and parking user pricing or via enhanced environmental emissions charging. Such measures need to be progressive, however, so the burden does not fall unfairly on low-income, car-dependent households with the fewest alternatives.
Building infrastructure alone is unlikely to improve how our cities function. We need to make better use of existing assets. This includes dedicated multi-modal network coordination in public transport, as the 2009 Senate inquiry into public transport advocated, accompanied by optimisation of existing road space via conversion to high-frequency transit routes. 
Further areas in urgent need of intervention are Australia’s inflated and exclusionary urban housing markets. Negative gearing should be reformed as a tax credit scheme with transparency to ensure the value of the concession is targeted to the most needy urban renters.
We need an urban taxation regime that captures the value gains from federal investment. Land value uplift from infrastructure investment should not accrue to private interests but be recycled into the federal funding pool.
A national approach to replace stamp duty with broad-based land taxes is also needed. This would improve the flexibility and efficiency of urban housing markets while retaining a financing stream for urban investment. Land tax should be progressive, so it targets land value and housing wealth, not housing consumption.
A progressive capital gains tax on owner-occupied housing could also be applied to dampen price inflation and raise new public revenue. Similarly, a national approach to inclusionary zoning mechanisms for affordable housing would also help to ensure urban redevelopment creates new social housing supply.
As a suburban nation Australia faces serious gaps in how it plans new suburbs and renews existing areas. A national suburban policy is needed to improve the quality of fringe development and facilitate the renewal of ageing middle suburbs for new housing.
Employment distribution in Australian cities is highly uneven. Ready access to high-quality jobs is increasingly the preserve of inner-urban households. Federal support for expansion of suburban employment nodes linked to public transport could ensure more higher-quality jobs are closer to the places households live. Ensuring land-use zoning does not exclude workers from job-rich middle suburbs is a further task.
Reform of the planning arrangements for our cities is desperately needed. National principles for metropolitan planning, as COAG established in 2009, are not unhelpful. But we need governing entities that can plan and manage cities at the metropolitan level while providing a democratic accompaniment to the current dominance of state planning ministers.
Prime Minister Turnbull has previously argued that density is the solution to our urban woes but that poorly done density reduces amenity. High-amenity densification is possible but the urban science on very-high-density development shows its environmental performance is often poor.
Density can help to improve our cities but only as part of carefully crafted wider changes to spatial structure via infrastructure, housing and governance reform. Density is a means, not an end in itself. Plans to expand green space and provide for biodiversity in cities must be part of any densification strategy.
<h2>Putting policy to work</h2>
A sense of urgency is needed. The urban sphere is dominated by what Nicole Gurran and Peter Phibbs have called busy work in which policy discussion and review defer substantial change.
Moreover urban policy is often captive to property, infrastructure and financial interests that put their private gain over the public interest. The Turnbull urban agenda needs to be more than a talking point or vehicle for shoddy deals.
Urban policy is the key policy discipline of the 21st century. It needs to be placed at the core of Australia’s federal policy arrangements.
Jago Dodson is professor of Urban Policy and director, Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University .
He is an author for The Conversation and can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jago-dodson-2359" target="_blank">here</a>.
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Could the federal government finally ‘get’ cities?

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The townhouse market in Ballarat has seen significant upswing in supply over the past five years, according to Herron Todd White.
Herron Todd White's September Month in Review noted several developers have built multiple three bedroom townhouses with the demand met by investors - holding capital values steady.
The report said developers and agents are now reporting this demand is showing some signs of slowing and As such, the next 12 months will reveal if an over supply issue is a possibility.
"Off the plan purchases for villas and units have been steady in recent months with three developments of ten to 20 townhouses each in progress within Brown Hill, Ballarat East and Sebastopol," it said. 
"The villa market has shown approximately a 5% to 10% increase in value over the past five years in the sub prime locations.This increase has largely been driven by investors looking for positively geared properties with tax depreciation benefits. Given the increase in supply prices should begin to stabilise. 
"An opportunity would be to purchase an older, original 1- or 2-bedroom unit in the Wendouree area, undertake a simple renovation or update of the property and then lease it. This would result in a return to the investor of around 7%."
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mick.cee-iDmgDDAmu8

Ballarat townhouse market strong: Herron Todd White

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It's hot, I'm sweating and in the middle of cutting a very good deal. 
This time it's not with a vendor or real estate agent  - I'm not buying a development site - but the negotiation is fierce and taking place with a Thai business woman who owns the stall where I'm buying a much wanted ornament.
I'm on holiday in Thailand with the kids and a trip to the local markets has reminded me of how important it is to negotiate in the correct way to get the best deal. I'm also trying to train up my sons in the practice of negotiation. 
Here everything is up for negotiation. I'm using my proven formula that works not only when I am shopping in Thailand but  also when I'm making offers on development sites and negotiating with builder's, consultants and tradespeople. 
I'd set my sights on a pair of wooden, silver plated elephant ornaments (I know, customs will have a field day with these!).
I'd shopped around and knew what I wanted to pay (completed my due diligence).  I'd asked a few questions about how her day was, what her name is and if this may be her first 'morning' sale. The last question is key as if so, it will bring her luck for the rest of the day (so I'd gathered intelligence and established a relationship). 
Rather than make an outlandishly low offer which I know would insult the Thai sales lady, I politely make my offer with a wide smile on my face but with serious eyes. The offer is a bit under half of what she's quoted. I back it up with a few good reasons. "I saw this one for sale down there for less" or "this one is not as big as the one they are selling there".  After some fun interchanges and much tapping of numbers on an old calculator back and forth, we came to a mutually suitable price and everyone was happy. I have my silver plated elephants and she has a good price. 
I use similar techniques when making offers on properties. At Property Bloom we study the market to establish what the property should be worth, we look at its last sale price and find several comparable property sales to back up our offer.  
Understanding the unique benefits of a property will help you put a value on it. For us, the value lies mostly in the land, it's location and what's under it, not what's on top of it. 
Property Bloom has established relationships with agents and they know our clients are serious buyers that won't muck them around. Our clients have their finance preapprovals in place and can move quickly to secure a property if the numbers stack up and we know it will make a great development site. We'll ask questions about why the property is selling and what the vendor expectations are.  
But there in one major negotiation tactic that always comes into play. It's making sure there is something in the deal for everyone. 
If the vendor is making something from selling and our client is set to make something much more from developing, and if there's a bit for the agent or the person who has referred us, then we can cut a good deal. 
Usually these types of negotiations involve much less  sweat than the ones done in Thailand.
As I start to leave the stall hugging my silver plated elephants, I hear the Thai lady sing 'kob koon Ka' (thank you) as she waves me good bye and adds,' you come back soon?' confirming that she'd like to do more business with me. The same goes for our property deals, we'll always be back for more if the numbers stack up and there's something in it for everyone. 
Jo Chivers is chief executive officer of property development project managers <a href="https://www.propertybloom.com.au/about" target="_blank">Property Bloom</a>. 
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jochivers-wq5Bp59R5a

Don't sweat the big deal: Jo Chivers

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Logan City Council has released an expressions of interest campaign for the development of land comprising six separate adjoining land parcels on the Logan River next to the Pacific Motorway.
The 43 hectare lot has an approved master plan in place and some existing development approvals and will eventually become a new precinct within the City of Logan.
Expressions of interest are being sought through Savills.
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Land development to create new Logan suburb

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GUEST OBSERVER
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Victoria is set to build, for the first time ever, more multi-unit dwellings than detached houses in 2016. 
It will mark a significant shift to more urbanised living by the city destined to have the largest 12 population in Australia, of 8 million, in 2050. Melbourne’s population was 4.4 million at the end of 2014 and Victoria’s was 5.9 million. Total residential building approved in 2014/15 was a record $20.2bn, up 20% from 2013/14, with 50% in detached houses.
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Victoria’s residential building approvals were running at a record annual (or through the year) pace of 68k in July. The equivalent national approvals figure also hit a record 221k in July, driven by a strong rise in multi-unit approvals in Melbourne and Sydney over the past year.
In Victoria, multi-unit dwelling approvals, mainly high rise apartments in the metropolitan areas, now account for around 50% of the Victorian total. It compares to about 60% for NSW which has been building more multis than detached homes since the mid-1990s.
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One of the major trends in the inner Melbourne suburbs over the past decade is that the traditional industrial and warehouse areas have been turned over to residential, usually multi-unit developments. 
The proximity to the city offers distinct travel advantages along with a preference shift to apartment and high-rise life styles. The multi-unit developments are a more affordable alternative to detached houses in nearby suburbs. The State Government’s policies, like exempting off- the-plan purchases from stamp duty, have assisted the upswing. 
Detached houses represent just under 50% of total approvals. Most of the houses tend to be built in outer-metropolitan suburbs or the regional centres where new land prices are more affordable.
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The recently announced height limits on residential buildings by Victoria’s State Government will undoubtedly curb some inner-city construction. We expect that more dwellings will be built in the outer suburbs. Demand conditions are expected to stay relatively firm, unless there are Federal Government changes to investor-related tax policies or foreign investor access to the residential property market. 
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Victoria’s residential construction forecasts 
We expect to see an average of 65k new dwellings built in Victoria across both 2015 and 2016, based on approvals. In our view it means around 33k multi-unit dwellings and 32k detached houses in both years. The multis tend to be built in the inner suburbs. 
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Victoria’s construction boom is dominated by the high-rise developments. The approvals data shows that high rise apartment blocks (four or more levels) account for 80% of all multi-units and 46% of total residential. So there has been a marked change in the building materials used compared to new detached homes. It has coincided with a reduction in Australia’s manufacturing capability through a prolonged period of an over-valued Australian dollar. 
Victorian approvals by region, by number and value 
The detached houses are predominantly constructed where land is available, in the outer suburbs which account for 50% of the 33k total of new houses in 2014/15. However, there are a significant percentage of new detached homes (at least 20% of the 2014/15 total of 33k) that are new-for-old knockdowns in the inner Melbourne suburbs. New construction can be more financially appealing and quicker than renovation in some cases.
The regional centres like Bendigo, Ballarat and Geelong are also building large numbers, about 30% of the total, which is positive for regional jobs in construction, retail and transport. 
Victoria has some features that tend to favour building compared to the other States. It has a large population, in one of the smaller Australian states, with good transport links. There are large supplies of accessible and affordable land around Melbourne and the regional cities suitable for residential. 
For the multi-unit developments the approvals data shows that 74% of the 2014/15 total of 33.5k will be built in the inner-city areas. But that means about 23% will be built in the outer suburbs, usually around the major transport links. The Victorian Government is undertaking a considerable development program that will improve new transport links around the outer suburbs as the population increases. 
There is also a significant contribution from Alterations and Additions (A&amp;As) in the total Victorian residential construction picture. The figures here include A&amp;As approved by local councils but the level of actual A&amp;A expenditures is at least two to four times higher. This is because not all A&amp;A need approval from local councils. In the national accounts, A&amp;As spending is estimated at 40% of the total residential investment. 
In Victoria, A&amp;As approved were valued at $2.3bn in 2014/15 or about 11% of the total value of approved residential construction. But actual spending could be as high as $8bn. Inner-city A&amp;As totalled $1.3bn according to the approvals data, which was about 6% of the total value of approvals. A&amp;As have a major influence on hardware, whitegoods and furnishings retailing. 
The current building cycle – longer duration? 
The current Victorian building cycle differs from the previous ones in a number of ways which could extend its duration. Interest rates look set to stay at relatively low levels for longer. It has fuelled an extended lift in residential property prices, allowing sellers and developers to move more properties. Prices have also risen for commercial, industrial and retail properties.
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On current indications, interest rates do not look they will be rising in Australia until 2017, at the earliest. The inflation outlook remains quite subdued, despite the lower Australian dollar, and wages growth is moderating.
The “pass-through” time between approval and completion is lengthening because there are more high-rise developments. They require more site preparation, including demolition and excavation. They usually have extensive underground car parking and often involve multi- use developments where commercial, retail, accommodation and cafes are included, such as the large new developments underway in the suburbs, like near Box Hill railway station. Construction periods are lengthening and can easily take more than a year. Some of the large high-rise developments in Melbourne’s CBD have reported construction periods close to 3 years.
Overseas investors, ie non-residents, have emerged as a significant new source of demand for the property developers in the last three years. They are playing a much more active role in the new residential market thanks to a significant easing of the Federal Government’s regulations around foreign purchase of all types of local property. At this stage it does not appear that there will be any regulatory changes in the current political cycle. But the newly announced Turnbull Government may be more amenable to future changes.
Population and pent-up demand pressures have been more intense, raising demand levels, for the last ten years. It coincided with an unusually weak new dwelling supply response which underpinned strong rises in rents and dwelling prices. Higher student numbers are an important part of the population increase. Victoria’s population growth has eased back to an annual rate near 100k, but that is still high compared to a decade ago.
If, as expected, new construction activity in 2014/15 is 65k, it will match the underlying demand from population growth and, most probably, some of the pent-up demand from previous years. But the combination of a better jobs market performance and firm population growth should mean demand conditions remain relatively firm.
There have also been press and anecdotal reports, sourced from the power and water providers, that some (possibly as much as 20%) of the new inner-city apartments are not fully utilised, ie they may be not lived in for a majority of the year or leasable. So they may not in the rental market. It may help explain why Melbourne rental growth is running at around 2%pa, rather than weakening in the face of a record increase in supply via high construction levels.
 
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The chart showing Melbourne’s residential rents and vacancy rates as departures from their longer term average (1995 to 2015) indicates that despite the large supply increase, vacancy rates are below their average level, while rents are rising again! It may be different for CBD rents, where there are clear oversupply issues. 
Big Population: Melbourne headed for 6 million people in 2031 
The ABS population projections have Melbourne reaching 6 million people in 2031, from 4.4 million in 2014. So another 1.6 million people will create ongoing demand pressure for more dwellings over the next few decades. Victoria’s population is expected to rise from its current 5.9 million to 7.1 million in 2031. 
In terms of households, Victoria currently has around 2.2 million, with Melbourne at 1.5 million, or about 70% of the total. The number of households in Melbourne is forecast to rise by about 600k to 2.1million in 2031. Dwelling construction in Melbourne needs to average around 40k per year to match the lift in households, assuming population per dwelling numbers are unchanged. Dwelling construction in greater Melbourne has averaged around 40k over the past decade. So the relatively robust levels of construction activity need to be maintained over the next decade to match population growth. 
 
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Michael Workman is senior economist, <a href="https://www.commbank.com.au/corporate/research?ei=mv_research" target="_blank">Commonwealth Bank</a>.
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Victoria to build more multi-unit dwellings than detached houses: CBA's Michael Workman

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A substantial block of vacant land within the Coolum Beach industrial estate on the Sunshine Coast has been sold at auction by Ray White Commercial Noosa &amp; Sunshine Coast North. 
The 2,010 sqm site at <a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-land+development-qld-coolum+beach-501541195" target="_blank">72-74 Link Crescent, Coolum Beach</a>, was sold to a local businessman for $296,000.
Ray White Commercial Noosa and Sunshine Coast agent Tracey Ryan secured the price on behalf of a deceased estate.
Ms Ryan said there were 10 registered bidders at the auction following strong interest in the marketing campaign for the block, which was fully fenced and included hardstand.
“All bidders were local including several who already owned sites in the estate,” she said.
"Bidding came down to a battle between two buyers bidding in $1,000 increments before the property was sold under the hammer for $296,000.”
Ms Ryan said the Coolum Industrial Estate is a rapidly expanding precinct comprising 147 lots, including small to medium core industrial sites plus the new state government large format blocks.
“The estate is conveniently located within easy access to the Sunshine Motorway and David Low Way via Yandina-Coolum Road and is located approximately 15 minutes from the Sunshine Coast Airport.”
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Coolum Beach block sold at auction‏

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Four recently-completed Milsons Point penthouses and skyhomes in the Bridgehill Residences at 80 Alfred Street have been listed for sale.
The penthouses are on the 17th and 18th floor. They range in size from <a href="https://www.cbresi.com.au/PastProjects/BRIDGEHILL-RESIDENCES,-MILSONS-POINT-/604.aspx?PRegion=30" target="_blank">244sqm to 400sqm</a>. 
Bridgehill chose to complete the penthouses before offering them for sale. 
“We sold 120 apartments off-the-plan in 2013 but we wanted to showcase the exceptional quality of the penthouses,” said David Lee, director of sales and marketing for Bridgehill. 
“Realtors now tell us the penthouses will exceed $30,000 per square metre.
"We will be embarking on an international marketing campaign because the falling Australian dollar makes our property even more financially attractive to offshore buyers.”   
Designed by architects SJB, Bridgehill Residences.
The managing director of Bridgehill, Yibin Xu has previously overseen the waterfront development Monaco Rhodes and is currently underway with Esprit Mascot and awaiting approval for a large complex at Green Square.
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