The residential transformation of St Kilda Road is set to continue into with more new apartment plans for the sought-after boulevard.

Wing Tai Asia has lodged plans for a major residential tower at 464-466 St Kilda Road, replacing the former VACC House with an 18-storey mixed-use development designed around a retained heritage podium and a sculpted contemporary tower.

The proposal, prepared under Victoria’s Significant Residential Development with Affordable Housing pathway, would deliver 325 apartments and ground-floor retail across the prominent 4,653 sqm boulevard site in Melbourne’s St Kilda Road North Precinct.

The project centres on the adaptive reuse of the site’s heritage-listed VACC Building, an eight-storey office designed by Bernard Evans that has occupied the address for decades. Planning documents state the development would involve “carefully dismantling and conserving off-site the original metal fabric of the podium visible from St Kilda Road,” before reinstating it as the defining frontage of the new scheme.

Above the restored podium, Wing Tai is proposing a curvilinear residential tower. The scheme includes 172 one-bedroom apartments, 63 two-bedroom apartments, 66 three-bedroom apartments, and 24 four-bedroom apartments, alongside two ground-floor food and beverage tenancies fronting St Kilda Road.

The tower has been designed with substantial articulation and variable setbacks to minimise perceived bulk and maintain view corridors along the boulevard. Urbis, which prepared the planning report, said the design “has been significantly articulated through a curvilinear design” with “an interplay with materials, façade expression and depth” to create visual separation and visual interest.

The proposal also includes 254 basement car spaces, landscaped pedestrian links connecting St Kilda Road and Queens Lane, and a biophilic landscape strategy featuring canopy trees, raised planters, cascading greenery and a glass oculus pool overlooking the eastern frontage.

Planning documents confirm the $270.1 million development will contribute 3 per cent of project costs to the Social Housing Growth Fund as part of the application process.

Wing Tai acquired the St Kilda Road property in 2018 alongside Abacus Property Group for $95.38 million, before later consolidating ownership of the site. The property previously served as the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce headquarters for around 60 years.

The transformation of the St Kilda Rd boulevard is already beginning to materialise, with a number of high-profile projects recently completed, launched, or approaching launch as developers continue to back the long-term appeal of the precinct.

Among the most notable recent completions is Louise by Samuel Property Group, just off the strip on Queens Lane, the same pocket Hirsch &amp; Faigen recently launched The Queensbury. Mirvac is too on the same street with The Albertine, which is approaching completion.

Dexus recently secured approval for its slice of St Kilda Road, while Gurner also has approved plans for the precinct.

Joel Robinson

Wing Tai unveils 325-apartment St Kilda Road tower on former VACC House site

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>

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.
</section>
</section>

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=112661]

SIERA kicks off construction at Northcliffe tower Exhale

First Home Buyer

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GUEST OBSERVER
First home buyers are close to record lows in many of Australia’s states and they are below the long term average in every state except Western Australia.  
As at the end of April 2017, first home buyers comprised just 13.9 percent of all owner occupier mortgage demand nationally.  The situation is worse in New South Wales, where first time buyers comprised only 8.4 percent of the market over the first four months of the year so far; based on the long term average, first home buyers ‘normally’ comprise around one fifth of owner occupier demand across New South Wales.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/06/29/Screen%20Shot%202017-06-29%20at%2011.51.30%20AM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge </a>
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/06/29/Screen%20Shot%202017-06-29%20at%2011.51.30%20AM.png" alt="">
With first home buyer participation declining as prices rise, it’s an easy connection to suggest that housing affordability is to blame for the low participation rate, but that is probably only part of the reason.  South Australia, for example, doesn’t have the same affordability challenges as New South Wales, yet first time buyers are the second lowest of any state at 12.2 percent and first time buyer activity in Victoria (16.6 percent) is more substantial than participation in Tasmania (15.2 percent) where housing is the most affordable of any state.
Availability of jobs is an important factor for first home buyers and this is likely to be one of the factors supporting first time buyer demand in Victoria, even though stamp duty rates (prior to July 1) are high and affordability measures are the second highest of any capital city outside of Sydney.   
Over the past five years 39 percent of the jobs created nationally have been in Victoria which is substantially higher than the long term average of 24 percent.
The two states where first time buyers are most active, at least on a proportional basis, are Western Australia, where first time buyers comprise 28.4 percent of owner occupier mortgage demand, and Queensland at 21.5 percent.  
First home buyers are higher than the long term average in Western Australia and Queensland first timers are close to the long term average participation rates.  Jobs growth has been mild across both states over the past five years, however housing prices have been tracking lower in Perth and increasing roughly in line with incomes in Brisbane.  
The dwelling price to income ratio in Brisbane is 5.9 and in Perth its 6.0; substantially lower than the larger capital cities.  
It’s likely that the healthier affordability of housing in these regions, despite the mild jobs growth, is a primary factor in supporting first time buyer demand.
Other factors come back to transaction costs, particularly the cost of stamp duty and deposit.  
There is a high likelihood that stamp duty exemptions for first home buyers, which go live on July 1st in Victoria and New South Wales will temporarily boost first time buyer numbers in the market.  
While the exemptions are likely to drive first home buyer demand, it’s likely that additional demand concentrated across the lower priced end of the market could simply push prices higher over the short to medium term. 
Tim Lawless is head of the CoreLogic research and analytics team and can be contacted <a href="https://www.corelogic.com.au" target="_blank">here</a>.
 
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tlawless-5VLUrbAk9s

First home buyers at record lows

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The majority of respondents to a survey believe they would tolerate a not-so-desirable property and suburb in order to become a homeowner.
According to a survey of 2,019 Australians by finder.com.au, 78 percent of those polled would happily do so.
An untrendy suburb (44 percent), evidence of the previous owner having a pet (42 percent), and a property that’s a deceased estate (41 percent) were also identified as features buyers would overlook. Some 45 percent of those surveyed would buy an  ‘unlucky’ house number, number thirteen. 
The survey asked respondents “If you were to buy a property in the current market, what would you put up with in order to get into the market?”.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/06/13/Screen%20Shot%202017-06-13%20at%2010.06.35%20AM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/06/13/Screen%20Shot%202017-06-13%20at%2010.06.35%20AM.png" alt="">
Bessie Hassan, Money Expert at finder.com.au, said things that may be viewed as undesirable are now being viewed in a new light as house prices continue to climb. 
“Wish-lists are going out the window, as buyers compromise to get their spot on the property ladder. Buyers need to be realistic and realise there’s no such thing as a ‘perfect’ property,” she said.
"One in four (25 percent) respondents admit they’d live within close proximity to a brothel, and one in five (20 percent) would put up with a property located near a noisy bar. 
“Buyers are less likely to accept an unsavoury smell or the presence of asbestos in the dwelling.
“If the area has a high crime rate or the street contains abandoned vehicles, these are also things buyers can’t overlook.
“Keep in mind that areas change over time, and gentrification and urban renewal can shift the appeal of a suburb, so you could be looking at the next hot suburb without realising it.
“Buyers should get a building and pest inspection to ensure the property is structurally sound, and to decide if any pre-existing faults can be affordably managed. 
“In some cases, the flaw may be well worth the discount."
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/06/13/Screen%20Shot%202017-06-13%20at%2010.06.42%20AM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/06/13/Screen%20Shot%202017-06-13%20at%2010.06.42%20AM.png" alt="">
South Australians are the most desperate to get into the property market with 14 percent willing to put up with all of the listed turnoffs followed by NSW and WA at 9 percent, QLD at 8 percent and VIC at 7 percent. 
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jonathanchancellor-7SQnKwU6yx

What buyers will and will not tolerate to crack into the market

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The NSW Government has announced a number of changes to increase housing supply in the state, blaming the previous government for a shortfall of 100,000 Sydney homes.
In releasing reforms to the first home buyer grant system, the state government announced they will increase housing supply through fast tracking approvals for well-designed terraces, dual occupancies and town houses and a number of other measures to open up land.
According to the NSW Government, the plan will increase housing supply through:
<ul>
<li>
greater use of independent panels for some councils to ensure development applications are done e ciently and to ensure the integrity of the planning process; 
</li>
<li>
fast tracking approvals for well-designed terraces, dual occupancies and town houses through complying development; 
</li>
<li>
accelerating the development of Priority Precincts and Priority Growth Areas to deliver an additional 30,000 homes in carefully chosen areas; 
</li>
<li>
providing up to $2.5 million to individual councils to accelerate the development of new Local Environment Plans that open up new housing areas; 
</li>
<li>
ensuring housing supply is delivered through the establishment of a new ministerial taskforce on housing a ordability and a new Premier’s Priority headline goal of delivering an average of 61,000 housing completions a year over the next four years, with two supporting targets; 90 percent of approvals determined within 40 days by 2019 and state-led rezonings for 10,000 additional dwellings in appropriate areas per year on average to 2020-21.
</li>
</ul>
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NSW Government moves to fast track residential approvals

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Western Australia's new Labor government has cut the $5000 boost payment to first home buyers in a bid to save $20 million. 
State treasurer and finance Minister Ben Wyatt said on Wednesday the government would end the boost payment on 30 June, six months ahead of the December deadline set by the previous Coalition government.
It was introduced as an extra payment last December.
In December, the grant was increased by $5000 up from $10,000 and took effect from January 1,2017.
It was to remain in place for 12 months.
My Wyatt said the previous government’s pre-election decision to boost the grant to $15,000 was just an “election cash splash”.
First-home buyers buying a new home worth up to $750,000 after 30 June will still be eligible for the first-home owner grant of $10,000. 
"The boost is not an effective mechanism for stimulating additional construction of homes and given the disastrous state of the finances which we have inherited, we need to remove any ineffective spending," Mr Wyatt said.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

WA cuts first home owner boost

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Changes to first home buyer grants and stamp duty concession as are set to go ahead in many states from 1 July, 2107.
In Victoria, stamp duty on any new or established property purchased up to $600,000 will be waived.
Regional Victoria will see the First Home Buyer Grant double for new homes sold up to the value of $750,000.
Concessions for stamp duty will be applied on a sliding scale for homes valued from between $600,000 and $750,000.
More information:
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2017/04/6/album_photos_medium_28.jpg" alt="">
<a href="https://www.sro.vic.gov.au/first-home-owner">Victorian State Revenue Office</a>
New South Wales
First-time buyers of new homes in NSW have a full exemption from stamp duty up to $550,000 and concessions for new homes valued between $550,000 and $650,000.
From 1 January 2016, the NSW grant is now a $10,000 First Home Owner Grant for new homes purchased for up to $750,000.
More information:
<a href="https://www.osr.nsw.gov.au/grants/fhog" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2017/04/6/nsw.jpg" alt=""></a>
<a href="https://www.osr.nsw.gov.au/grants/fhog" target="_blank">NSW Office of State Revenue</a>
Queensland
QLD's $20,000 First Home Buyers Grant is a one off payment available until midnight on 30 June 2017 for people building or buying a new home in QLD. 
In July the grant reverts back to $15,000.
Stamp duty concessions are also available for first-time buyers; full exemption up to $500,000 and a sliding scale from between $500,000 and $549,000.
More information: 
<a href="https://firsthomeowners.initiatives.qld.gov.au/" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/04/6/qld.png" alt=""></a>
<a href="https://firsthomeowners.initiatives.qld.gov.au/" target="_blank">Queensland State Revenue Office</a>
Western Australia
A temporary $5,000 boost to the FHOG is available for eligible first home buyers who enter into a contract between 1 January and 31 December 2017 to purchase or construct a new home. 
Owner builders who commence laying foundations of their home between those dates, will receive a boost of $5,000 in addition to the $10,000 FHOG. .
First home owners may qualify for the grant and/or the first home owner rate of duty if they are either purchasing an established home or if they are building or purchasing a new home.
Western Australia also offers stamp duty concessions for first-time buyers on all properties; full exemption up to $430,000 and a sliding scale from between $431,000 and $530,000.
More information: 
<a href="https://www.finance.wa.gov.au/cms/State_Revenue/FHOG/First_Home_Owner_Grant.aspx" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2017/04/6/govOfWATextColour_283x268.jpg" alt=""></a>
<a href="https://www.finance.wa.gov.au/cms/State_Revenue/FHOG/First_Home_Owner_Grant.aspx" target="_blank">West Australian Government – Department of Finance</a>
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Full stamp duty concessions are available on transfer of a new apartment or substantially refurbished apartment for a contract entered into from 31 May 2012 to 30 June 2014 (capped at stamp duty payable on a $500 000 apartment) and a partial concession from 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2017.
For contracts entered into between 20 June 2016 and 30 June 2017 (inclusive), the concession applies to purchases of off-the-plan apartments located anywhere in South Australia.
South Australia also offers stamp duty concessions for the purchase of off-the-plan apartments in specified areas.
More information: 
 
<a href="https://www.revenuesa.sa.gov.au/grants-and-concessions/first-home-owners" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/04/6/sa.png" alt=""></a>
<a href="https://www.revenuesa.sa.gov.au/grants-and-concessions/first-home-owners" target="_blank" style="font-size: 12.16px;"></a>
<a href="https://www.revenuesa.sa.gov.au/grants-and-concessions/first-home-owners" target="_blank">Revenue SA</a>
Tasmania
The First Home Owner Grant is a one-off payment for eligible first home buyers/builders. From 1 January 2016, the FHOG payment is set at $20,000 for eligible purchasers of new homes, homes off the plan and owner/builder homes. The payment drops to $10,000 for transactions entered into after 1 July 2017. 
More information: 
<a href="https://www.sro.tas.gov.au/domino/dtf/SROWebsite.nsf/v-all/Overview%20-%20First%20Home%20Buyers?OpenDocument&amp;menuitem=FHOG" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/04/6/tas-1.png" alt=""></a>
<a href="https://www.sro.tas.gov.au/domino/dtf/SROWebsite.nsf/v-all/Overview%20-%20First%20Home%20Buyers?OpenDocument&amp;menuitem=FHOG" target="_blank">Tasmanian State Revenue Office</a>
Northern Territory
The Territory Revenue Office can confirm that there are no plans to change or abolish the $26 000 first home owner grant currently available on the purchase or construction of a new home.
More information:
<a href="https://www.treasury.nt.gov.au/TaxesRoyaltiesAndGrants/Pages/default.aspx" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2017/04/6/nt1.jpg" alt=""></a>
<a href="https://www.treasury.nt.gov.au/TaxesRoyaltiesAndGrants/Pages/default.aspx" target="_blank">Northern Territory State Government</a>
ACT
The First Home Owner Grant will reduce to $7,000 on 1 January 2017.
The ACT also offers stamp duty concessions for first-time buyers buying new homes; full concession up to $455,000 and a sliding scale to $585,000. Gross income thresholds apply in the ACT.
A first home owner grant cap applies to eligible transactions.  The cap limits the total value of eligible properties (i.e. total value of home and land) to $750,000 or less.
More information: 
<a href="https://www.revenue.act.gov.au/home-buyer-assistance/first-home-owner-grant" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/04/6/ACT%20Logo.gif" alt=""></a>
 
<a href="https://www.revenue.act.gov.au/home-buyer-assistance/first-home-owner-grant" target="_blank">ACT Revenue Office</a>
 
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Changes to first home buyer grants, stamp duty in effect come July

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There’s plenty to like and lots to criticise in the housing measures announced by the State Government in Victoria.
Firstly, let’s be grateful for some progress on a difficult issue and acknowledge this factor: at last we have a state government willing to recognise that resolution of affordability issues lies within its own hands.
The standard political response to affordability problems is to point the finger of blame in other directions. All manner of culprits have been made scapegoats, including foreign buyers, Australian investors and migrants to Australians.
But the reality is that politicians lie at the heart of the problems. All three levels of government play significant roles in adding to the costs of building or buying dwellings – none more so than state governments.
So it’s refreshing to see Victoria taking some responsibility for this issue. It’s also heartening to see that Premier Daniel Andrews and his cohorts have recognised that simplistic solutions won’t make a difference. Rather, they have announced a multi-phased campaign to try to improve things.
Too much media time in the affordability debate has been wasted on people advocating single-pronged solutions, usually based on their own vested interests or on politically-motivated opinions that lack any substance or a basis in research.
The Victorian Government has announced a series of measures which address some, but certainly not all, of the factors wrapped up in the contentious issue.
It has taken steps in increase supply, both in Melbourne and in regional Victoria.
It has sought to encourage people out of the Melbourne market and into regional areas.
And it has addressed the stamp duty cost burden on first-home buyers, while also introducing a joint-purchase scheme to further assist first-timers.
There are plenty of issues it hasn’t addressed, especially the way in which government policies, taxes and charges had enormously to the cost of producing new homes.
That’s because it wants to make a difference without taking too much of a hit to the Budget bottom line. Like all state governments, it’s addicted to all that lovely revenue it rips out of the housing industry in taxes, fees and charges of various kinds.
So it’s found a way to slug investors while helping first-home buyers, so that it recoups from the former some of the revenue it loses by helping the latter.
It’s introducing a tax on investor properties left vacant for six months of the year, equal to 1 percent of the property’s capital-improved value. The idea is to force to owners to sell them or rent them out, thereby adding to the supply of homes. This won’t apply, apparently, to holiday homes or homes owned by people who move overseas temporarily.
It’s claimed there are at least 24,000 homes sitting empty in Melbourne because their owners prefer to keep them vacant rather than put in tenants. There’s a fundamental issue here that needs to be debated, based on the individual’s right to make decisions about their assets. 
The Government is also increasing housing supply through plans for 17 new suburbs with 100,000 home sites around the Melbourne metropolitan area.
The Government is abolishing stamp duty for first-home buyers of properties up to $600,000, with stamp duty discounts for those between $600,000 and $750,000. It will pay for them by removing the stamp duty exemption for investors who buy off-the-plan apartments.
It’s also increasing grants for first-home buyers in regional Victoria (new homes only) from $10,000 to $20,000. There aren’t too many rural locations with pressing affordability issues so this, it seems, is more about encouraging people to move to regional centres, thereby easing demand-supply pressures in Melbourne.
There’s also a new plan called HomesVic, whereby the government will co-purchase homes jointly with first-home buyers.
Many people would applaud those measures or most of them. They’re designed to help first-time buyers in various ways while slugging people who buy homes as investments.
But it’s an approach that fails to recognise the part investors play in lifting housing supply, providing a necessary pool of homes for rent and creating wealth to provide for future retirement. 
It also ignores the most pressing issue of the affordability situation: the part state governments play in inflating the cost of new housing. This government is, essentially, giving with one hand and taking away with the other – it’s providing grants, stamp duty concessions and other assistance to first-time buyers of homes which are expensive in the first place because of governments imposts on the dwelling supply process. 
If they had the political will they could make new dwellings considerably cheaper - and then those grants and concessions wouldn’t be so necessary.
Terry Ryder is the founder of <a href="https://www.hotspotting.com.au/">hotspotting.com.au</a>. You can  <a href="mailto:%20%3Cscript%20type='text/javascript'%3E%20%3C!--%20var%20prefix%20=%20'ma'%20+%20'il'%20+%20'to';%20var%20path%20=%20'hr'%20+%20'ef'%20+%20'=';%20var%20addy38821%20=%20'ryder'%20+%20'@';%20addy38821%20=%20addy38821%20+%20'hotspotting'%20+%20'.'%20+%20'com'%20+%20'.'%20+%20'au';%20document.write('%3Ca%20'%20+%20path%20+%20'/''%20+%20prefix%20+%20':'%20+%20addy38821%20+%20'/'%3E');%20document.write(addy38821);%20document.write('%3C//a%3E');%20//--%3E/n%20%3C/script%3E%3Cscript%20type='text/javascript'%3E%20%3C!--%20document.write('%3Cspan%20style=/'display:%20none;/'%3E');%20//--%3E%20%3C/script%3EThis%20email%20address%20is%20being%20protected%20from%20spambots.%20You%20need%20JavaScript%20enabled%20to%20view%20it.%20%3Cscript%20type='text/javascript'%3E%20%3C!--%20document.write('%3C/');%20document.write('span%3E');%20//--%3E%20%3C/script%3E">email him</a> or follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/hotspotting">Twitter.</a>
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terryryder-YECXbqmri2

Victoria slugs investors, helps first-home buyers: Terry Ryder

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The Victorian government has come out with a package that encourages potential first home buyers to get into the market.
It has come up with a "HomesVic”, a pilot programme in which 400 people will get a chance to co-purchase a home with the government, which will take an equity share of up to 25 percent and get its money back (plus price growth) when the property is eventually sold. 
The programme is aimed at couples earning up to $95,000 a year and singles earning up to $75,000. 
The changes are likely to be welcomed given the growing number of people who are finding it more hard than ever to get into the housing market.
Treasurer Tim Pallas said that the changes are an "important step towards ensuring today's families and future generations will be able to afford somewhere to live".
The state government will also contribute $5 million to Buy Assist, a community-sector based shared equity scheme.
This is modelled, according to reports, on a scheme recommended to prime minister John Howard in 2003 but never adopted.
The $50 million pilot scheme, HomesVic, will target first home buyers who are able to meet regular mortgage repayments, but because of rising rental costs, haven’t been able to save a big enough deposit.
Under the scheme, to be introduced in January 2018, HomesVic will co-purchase up to 400 homes, taking an equity share of up to 25 percent in these properties.
It will be available for both new and existing homes.
By allowing homebuyers to purchase less than 100 percent of the property, they will require a smaller deposit and are able to enter the market sooner. 
Eligible applicants will include couples earning up to $95,000, and singles earning up to $75,000.  
Buyers will need to have a 5 percent deposit.
The pilot will be tested across the state, and when the properties are sold, HomesVic will recover its share of the equity.
To further improve buyers’ chances of owning their own home, the Labor Government will also contribute $5 million to a national, community sector, shared equity scheme, Buy Assist.
With similar goals to HomesVic, Buy Assist will help deliver an additional 100 shared equity homes and help low to medium income households get a foothold in the property market.
The Government is also set to give first home buyers priority in government-led urban renewal developments, with at least 10 percent of all properties allocated to first time buyers.
This approach will be used for the first time at the Arden development.
The plan to develop the 56 hectare site Arden, (pictured above) announced by the Labor Government last year, could be home to around 15,000 people. Under this policy 1,500 of those could be first home buyers.
The Government will also consult with first home buyers, industry and the community about the design and implementation of measures to support first home buyers in private developments, especially those close to jobs and transport.
Artist’s impression of Arden central above.
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Victoria government to co-own with first time home buyers in pilot project

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The Andrews government will double the first home owner grant to $20,000 from July 1 for buyers in regional Victoria, as it tries to battle the affordability crisis.
The FHB grant was $10,000 since July 2013. 
The government said the move would help about 6,000 first-home buyers. The grant is only for new homes, not established properties.
Treasurer Tim Pallas was cited by media reports as saying doubling of the grant would increase the appeal of living outside of Melbourne for young families.
Last month, the Andrews government said it was investing $16.4 million to accelerate planning and approval processes to ensure the supply of new housing in Victoria more than meets the annual demand.
Pallas had said that Victoria was taking the lead on improving housing affordability and would extend its Streamlining for Growth Program for three more years to reduce red tape and encourage housing development in key areas.
The state government also offers first-home buyers a 50% duty concession when they buy a new or established home for properties below $600,000 and where the settlement date is on or after July 1, 2011, according to the state revenue office.
But media reports cited the Opposition criticising the move because it is only going to push up property prices and not increase affordability.
"Property developers across regional Victoria will be rubbing their hands together. This is a terrific outcome for them," Shadow Treasurer Michael O'Brien said.
"Unfortunately it's not going to make property more affordable for first-home buyers because prices will simply increase."
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First home buyer grant doubled to $20,000 for buyers in regional Victoria 

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The Real Estate Institute of Queensland said it was disappointed by the State Treasurer’s announcement that the government would not broaden the first home buyer grant to include established homes. 
Queensland Treasurer Curtis Pitt was under pressure from the real estate industry to widen the scope of the $20,000 first home owner grant to established homes, but has ruled out any changes, the Courier Mail reported earlier.
In response, REIQ CEO Antonia Mercorella said the government was not listening to the needs of regional Queenslanders. 
“Our concern is for the long-term impact and the bigger picture in regional Queensland, where new construction is exacerbating the oversupply issues that these markets are facing,” she said. 
“House values are falling, with some markets as much as 30 per cent below levels five years ago. Continuously adding supply of housing to oversupplied markets is irresponsible and will slow down any future recovery.
“The Treasurer wants us to believe the only way to economic stability is through residential housing construction, but that’s simply not true.
She said real estate is one of the state’s largest employers, with some 50,000 people employed in the sector, which provides the government with the single largest source of revenue through stamp duty and associated taxes. 
“Regional Queensland is facing unique challenges and the government must tailor its response to those challenges. 
She cited a recent CoreLogic report into affordability that said regional Queensland’s housing affordability was nearing similar levels to Melbourne. Wages are flat or are going backwards, the cost of living is higher and it’s harder to save for a deposit. Bankruptcies in regional Queensland are rising, with more than 80 reported last quarter in Mackay alone, she added.
“First home buyers in regional Queensland need more help than their southeast Queensland counterparts – and letting them use the grant to buy an established home would be a good start.  And it would help the real estate sector in regional Queensland stabilise. It would help slow or stop the fall of median values and it would help first home buyers get a foot on the ladder,” she said.  
“The government should offer first-home buyers the choice between new builds or established homes. Bring buyers to the market where there is ample supply – don’t keep adding to the supply. 
“Real estate has long been this state’s golden goose, but this government is in danger of killing off the goose. 
“Twenty-five regional mayors have given us their full-throated support for broadening the grant to established homes and this state government simply isn’t listening.” 
But Treasurer Pitt has been quoted by the media as saying “the strategic purpose of our $20,000 initiative is as much about getting Queenslanders into the property market as it is getting Queensland tradies back on the tools”. 
He said the building and construction sector creates jobs, stimulates the wider economy and keeps locals employed in the construction sector. 
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REIQ says Queensland government needs to expand FHB grant to established homes

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As of 1 January 2017, the West Australian government’s FHOG was increased by $5000 to $15,000 for eligible buyers.
First-time home owners buying or building a new home may apply for a grant of up to $10,000.
Contracts signed between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2017 may be eligible for an additional boost payment of $5,000.
Buyers can receive up to $15,000 towards your first home, without having to pay stamp duty.
The FHOG only applies to new residential dwellings – not established homes.
For more information about the FHOG and your eligibility, download the <a href="https://www.finance.wa.gov.au/cms/uploadedFiles/_State_Revenue/FHOG/FHOG_Fact_Sheet.pdf" target="_blank">FHOG fact sheet</a>.
For a contract to build a home, construction must commence within 26 weeks of entering the building contract and be completed within 18 months after construction commences.
For owner-builders, construction must be completed by 30 June 2019.
The purchase of a new home ‘off-the-plan’ will be eligible if construction is completed by 30 June 2019.
As with the old grant, the boost will be paid for homes up to the value of $750,000 (or up to $1 million if the home is located north of the 26th parallel).
The <a href="https://www.housing.wa.gov.au/housingoptions/homeownershipoptions/KeyStart/Pages/default.aspxhttp:/www.keystart.com.au/" target="_blank">Keystart</a>, WA government initiative also provides first-time Western Australian investors.
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