<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sunland-group">Sunland Group</a> has officially lodged plans for its first Gold Coast apartment project since the departure of the Abedian family from the company three years ago, unveiling a new high-rise proposal for a prominent Broadbeach corner site on Old Burleigh Road.

The application was submitted by an entity directed by Tom Jamieson, stepson of longtime Sunland leader Soheil Abedian, and Riaz Rezvanipour, brother-in-law of Sahba Abedian, Soheil’s son.

Sunland acquired the 1,283 sqm site on the corner of Old Burleigh Road and Armrick Avenue for $9.5 million late last year and is now seeking approval for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/99-101-old-burleigh-road-broadbeach-qld-4218">42-storey tower with 81 apartments</a>.

<img alt="First look: Sunland Group returns to Broadbeach with new Old Burleigh Road tower plans" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fea2946d-90ee-4cfc-babe-2a8ad5db2cb6" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/pers.png?VersionId=BV0fihJw31nDIQ8ozY_h3GbS8mxDyhnm" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/contreras-earl-architecture">Contreras Earl Architecture</a>, the proposed tower at 99-101 Old Burleigh Road would deliver a predominantly larger-format apartment mix aimed at the owner-occupier market. Plans include 17 two-bedroom apartments, 55 three-bedroom apartments, and nine four-bedroom residences across 35 residential levels.

The development also incorporates three basement levels, four podium parking levels, two levels of communal recreation facilities, and rooftop plant and equipment. A total of 189 car spaces are proposed, significantly exceeding the 90 spaces required under the planning scheme.

The architecture adopts a sculpted, curvilinear form, with deep wraparound balconies and integrated landscaping intended to soften the tower’s vertical expression. The planning report states the building’s “slender footprint/form provides a complimentary yet varied built form within the local streetscape” and contributes to “a varied, yet ordered skyline.”

Contreras Earl noted in its Architectural Statement that from the early stages, the project addressed a fundamental challenge: how to accommodate the required residential yield while avoiding the conventional model of a tower sitting on a rigid, fully resolved parking podium.

“The most direct response would have been to consolidate parking into a singular, flat podium and extrude a repetitive tower above,” the statement said. “While efficient, this approach would result in a consolidated built form with limited engagement with the surrounding landscape and public realm.”

Instead, the conventional podium model was “deliberately rejected”. The architects described the base of the building as “a landscaped architectural condition where structure, planting and circulation are integrated”.

“Rather than presenting a continuous built mass, the base of the building is articulated through a series of concrete planter elements that organise the podium into a fragmented system,” the statement said. “This approach reduces the perceived bulk of the lower levels while establishing a more permeable interface with the streetscape and adjacent open space.”

<img alt="Sunland" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="923fad8d-c960-4527-8fbe-975cf1ddf88d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-25%20at%2010.32.03%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=pngwb0hYOIUpq9vDw6F2EsOiVuHF3DiX" />

&nbsp;

The site sits within the High Density Residential Zone and inside the City of Gold Coast’s unrestricted “HX” building height area, where the planning framework anticipates intensified residential development tied to the expanding light rail corridor. The planning report notes the area is undergoing “transition toward more intense development forms” given its proximity to Broadbeach, Surfers Paradise, and high-frequency public transport infrastructure.

Positioned directly opposite Broadbeach Park and within walking distance of Florida Gardens light rail station, the development would sit among a rapidly evolving stretch of Old Burleigh Road that has become one of the Gold Coast’s most active apartment development corridors.

The application joins a growing pipeline of luxury residential projects reshaping Broadbeach, including nearby developments by 5Point Projects, Polycell, and Graya.

The planning report argues the project contributes toward the Gold Coast’s long-term housing targets under the South East Queensland Regional Plan, which forecasts the need for more than 100,000 additional high-rise dwellings across the city by 2046.

<section data-scroll-anchor="false" data-testid="conversation-turn-4" data-turn="assistant" data-turn-id="request-WEB:84a2af5e-d7cf-4ddf-922a-f4d44d6c6caa-1" data-turn-id-container="request-WEB:84a2af5e-d7cf-4ddf-922a-f4d44d6c6caa-1" dir="auto">
The Abedian family departed Sunland Group in late 2023, ending a four-decade association with the company, and subsequently established the private development firm Abedian &amp; Co. The group is currently delivering <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/greenmount-residences-cnr-hill-street-and-marine-parade-coolangatta-qld-4225">Greenmount Residences</a> at Rainbow Bay and recently launched <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/18-mary-avenue-14-18-mary-avenue-broadbeach-qld-4218">18 Mary Avenue</a> in Broadbeach.
</section>

Joel Robinson

First look: Sunland Group returns to Broadbeach new apartment market with new Old Burleigh Road tower plans

The Minns Labor Government has established the new Bays West Delivery Authority to lead the development&nbsp;of the Bays West Precinct and Blackwattle Bay Precinct.&nbsp;

The Authority is charged with creating Sydney’s newest precinct, a thriving, connected, sustainable hub with White Bay Power Station as its cultural heart. Its vision is to build on the area’s natural, cultural and industrial history to shape a vibrant new neighbourhood.

The precinct will deliver up to 8,500 well-located homes, including a minimum of 10 per cent affordable and essential worker homes. Combine new housing with public open space, opening public access to the waterfront for the first time in more than 100 years, while retaining important deep-water facilities to support Sydney’s working harbour.

Located just minutes from the Sydney CBD and connected to a world-class metro, ferry, walking and cycling links, the Bays West precinct will rebalance housing growth towards well-serviced inner-city locations and help tackle the state’s housing crisis.

The Bays West Delivery Authority,&nbsp;an agency of the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, will report to the NSW Minister for Lands and Property who already has oversight of major precinct renewal projects including at Blackwattle Bay and Barangaroo.

As part of the broader Bays West transformation, the Minns Government recently announced that a proposal from Lendlease to redevelop part of the Bays West Precinct has progressed to Stage 2 of the NSW Government’s unsolicited proposals process.

<img alt="Sydney" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2ed71eb9-d8e8-4fa7-b9d1-de4531dcf2f3" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-25%20at%209.42.31%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=IDryFIbped9SNDg72LEN_EecvhUsOPvp" />

The Minns Labor Government has also confirmed the Bays West precinct will have a new suburb name. This will be the first major suburb built in close proximity to Sydney’s CBD in decades and will encompass the area currently being referred to as Bays West, including Glebe Island and the White Bay Power Station. Served by a new Metro station just five minutes from the CBD, it will become one of the most populous suburbs in the Inner West and one of Sydney’s premier cultural destinations.

An early works program is taking shape, which&nbsp;includes the first stages of an international design competition.&nbsp;

The aim of the Bays West&nbsp;International&nbsp;Design Competition is to&nbsp;ensure design excellence is embedded in the project from the start. The competition will deliver an&nbsp;urban framework that defines the character, ambition and long-term identity of&nbsp;this&nbsp;former industrial precinct as it transitions to a vibrant, inclusive and sustainable residential&nbsp;neighbourhood.

The competition will be led by the Bays West Delivery Authority in partnership with Government Architect NSW.&nbsp;

It will launch with an invitation for a global Expressions of Interest, before moving to an invitation-only stage that will be assessed by a panel that&nbsp;will provide advice to Cabinet who will select a winner.

Premier of NSW, Chris Minns said the establishment of the new Authority is the first step in transforming the Bays West precinct into a vibrant, livable suburb minutes from the Sydney CBD and two stops from Hunter St Station on the Metro West line.

“The Authority will deliver well-located homes close to the heart of the city and integrate the new precinct with Blackwattle Bay and the new Sydney Fish Market.

“This is a generational opportunity to build a new suburb on the city’s edge and open the harbour foreshore to the public for the first time in a century.”&nbsp;

Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper said the new Bays West Delivery Authority established by the Minns Government will turbocharge the development of Sydney’s newest suburb.

“The Authority is working at a record pace to deliver an international design competition, planning pathways and a financial model so that this development benefits Sydney with well-designed homes in a central location, close to public transport, jobs, entertainment and essential services.

“If we want Sydney to stay liveable and affordable, we need to be bold about using underutilised government-owned land to deliver homes for the future while making sure essential working harbour functions can be accommodated.”

Bays West Delivery Authority established to "turbocharge" Sydney’s newest suburb

Around 400 additional homes could be built at Southwark Grounds on Port Road, lifting total site capacity from 1300 to around 1700 dwellings.

A recently approved code amendment would allow apartment towers of up to 14 storeys in some areas of Renewal SA’s redevelopment of the former West End Brewery.

Renewal SA Acting Chief Executive Shane Wingard said he welcomed the code amendment, with the increase in heights and homes making a positive impact on the supply of high-quality, well-connected housing close to the city.

“By going higher across some parts of Southwark Grounds, we are adding a substantial number of very well-located homes with little impact on project delivery time or planned open space,” Mr Wingard said.

Since the project officially launched in 2025, Mr Wingard said more than 12,000 enquiries had been received about living at Southwark Grounds.

“The very strong early interest we’ve seen since homes were first released in the precinct reinforces our plans to create more housing opportunities,” he said.

The Southwark Grounds code amendment was launched in December last year, with community engagement undertaken over five weeks from January.

It proposed increasing maximum building heights from eight to 14 storeys on the eastern section of Southwark Grounds, and to 12 storeys across the remainder of the site, with minimum building heights ranging from two to four storeys.

The code amendment was implemented through an Early Commencement policy in late January, allowing developers to quickly explore the viability of increased height and housing yield while other planning processes continue.

One of the first developers delivering apartment sites have already finalised redesigns to increase the number of apartments following the code amendment.

Samaras’ development adjacent to the future Colonel Light Park is now planning to deliver 125 apartments across 11 storeys, significantly greater than original plans of around 50 apartments across four storeys.

The developer is also exploring the potential for additional affordable housing outcomes.

Most of the apartments at Southwark Grounds will be delivered within a master-planned precinct on a large parcel of land on the eastern portion of the site, covering around two-thirds of its 8.4 hectares.

Wingard said detailed precinct planning over the coming months may identify further opportunities to increase yield further that could see total apartment numbers at Southwark Grounds, exceed this number.

Affordable homes at Southwark Grounds will also see a net increase, with Renewal SA maintaining its commitment to a minimum of 20 per cent affordable housing across the development.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Civil works have begun across the site, with construction under way on the first new roads surrounding a townhouse precinct in the south‑west corner of Southwark Grounds. This includes Renewal SA’s 17 Founder’s Row homes, which are on track for completion by Christmas.

“We expect to have people living at Southwark Grounds by the end of the year, so delivering roads and public spaces for those residents is among our highest priorities.”

Construction of 40 townhouses off Anderson Street, known as West Village and being delivered by Contour, is forecast to begin in mid‑2026. Kolabb’s Anderson Lane development will follow shortly after, delivering a further 26 townhouses.

Southwark Grounds is a state government‑led urban renewal project now set to deliver around 1,700 homes over the next decade.

Homes will be supported by a supermarket, a range of retail and hospitality offerings anchored by a revitalised Walkerville Brew Tower, a childcare centre, car parking and well‑connected public spaces.

400 new homes planned for Adelaide's former West End Brewery site

Brisbane developer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/cavcorp">Cavcorp</a> has lodged plans for a new mixed-use residential development at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/55-wyandra-street-teneriffe-qld-4005">55 Wyandra Street</a>, Teneriffe, anchored by an 85-metre public laneway designed to reconnect the suburb’s riverfront with the Gasworks precinct.

The buildings, known as Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane, would replace the existing Queensland Cotton head office site with a 15-storey residential tower transitioning to eight storeys toward Helen Street. The project has been designed by Plazibat Architects and lodged as a code assessable development application for 93 apartments across a 3,401 sqm mixed-use site within the Newstead and Teneriffe Waterfront neighbourhood plan.

Central to the scheme is the transformation of an existing service easement into a publicly accessible cross-block connection linking Wyandra and Helen Streets. Cavcorp says the new laneway will act as both a pedestrian shortcut and a landscaped civic space between the Teneriffe Riverwalk, ferry terminal, and Gasworks precinct.

<img alt="First Look: Cavcorp unveils Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane plans for landmark wellness tower in Teneriffe" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="26e7f058-b065-4de8-b13d-a2b8cb64dfcc" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/bldg.png?VersionId=sELS0ZKYi361oYipUa1BIKfe_.DLZoFV" />

“The revised proposal delivers a legacy public-realm cross-block link, permanently secured for community use, transforming an existing private easement into a safe, high-quality pedestrian connection between the Teneriffe heritage riverwalk and the Gasworks–Long Island precinct,” the planning report states.

The laneway will sit beneath a large subtropical loggia integrated into the podium levels of the development. The design incorporates deep landscaping, water gardens, lobby spaces, business lounges, and ground-floor apartments to create what Cavcorp describes as a climate-responsive “urban verandah.”

The tower itself has been designed as a slender form with recessed floorplates and curved translucent corners inspired by contemporary Japanese architecture. The building height aligns with the Commercial Road precinct controls, which permit towers up to 15 storeys within proximity to Longland Street.

<img alt="First Look: Cavcorp unveils Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane plans for landmark wellness tower in Teneriffe" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a8a17d40-43b6-4718-b3fd-67676fcbb485" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/pers%202_1.png?VersionId=i3VwDtp5AmL_8InW7w4qRbDFEpb744Jt" />

The project will comprise a mix of larger-format apartments aimed at owner-occupiers, downsizers, and families. The proposed apartment mix includes 11 loggia apartments across the lower levels, 50 four-bedroom Sky-Terrace apartments from levels three to seven, and 32 Sky-Pool Homes occupying the upper tower levels. The Sky-Pool Homes will feature private thermal plunge pools integrated into oversized balconies.

According to the application, the apartments are intended to reinterpret the scale and character of Teneriffe’s woolstore conversions and Queensland homes within a vertical residential format.

“The sky-pool homes build on Cavcorp’s previous projects and introduce a distinct apartment typology to Teneriffe, informed by both local and international precedent and responding to an identified market demand for enhanced safety, space and amenity,” the planning submission notes.

A major focus of the proposal is its five-level wellness and lifestyle offering, extending from the basement through to the rooftop.

Amenities proposed include a rooftop Swim &amp; Racquet Club with a 25-metre Olympic lap pool and tennis court, coworking spaces and libraries, golf simulators, wine storage, concierge facilities, business lounges, pet wash areas, and rooftop longevity-focused wellness spaces with spas, outdoor fitness zones, and landscaped terraces.

<img alt="First Look: Cavcorp unveils Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane plans for landmark wellness tower in Teneriffe" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="944b352c-49b9-4247-a4c6-5967b4b69fda" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/amenity.png?VersionId=Ed_qKjAtMwFT.5gfl3jiA9QwdWxSMsaX" />

All parking will be concealed within basement levels accessed from Wyandra and Helen Streets. Cavcorp says the deep-basement engineering approach allows the entire ground plane to prioritise landscaping, pedestrian movement, and active frontage rather than vehicle infrastructure.

The development continues Cavcorp’s concentration in Newstead and Teneriffe, where the Brisbane developer has delivered a number of apartment projects including Lucent, Le Bain, and Luminare, as well as the Long Island Wellness Precinct nearby. Several of those projects have received national design and architecture awards, including recognition under Brisbane’s “Buildings that Breathe” program.

Cavcorp unveils wellness-focused Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane apartment buildings

Focus Group Investments has lodged plans for a new apartment development at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/64-70-hanover-street-fitzroy-vic-3065">64–70 Hanover Street</a> in Fitzroy, seeking to utilise the Victorian Government’s recently introduced Great Design Fast Track pathway to accelerate approvals for the project.

The proposal is among the latest developments to emerge through the state-led initiative, which was established to fast-track well-designed residential projects in activity centres and transport-connected inner-city locations. The pathway allows qualifying developments that meet elevated design and housing benchmarks to bypass traditional council planning timeframes and instead be assessed directly by the Department of Transport and Planning.

Designed by SJB, the development will comprise a mix of apartments above activated lower levels, with a strong focus on architectural articulation, landscaping, and communal amenity. The design response seeks to balance the industrial character of Richmond’s former warehouse precincts with a more contemporary residential form.

<img alt="First look: Focus Group Investments taps Victoria’s Great Design Fast Track for Richmond apartments" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="abea51cc-d85b-479e-9aef-a589f3b37ca7" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/ground.png?VersionId=e1Kf8EyPWwyiVumtqQ4rM5S4GpOR3CCz" />

Proposed are 63 new dwellings, a wide ranging mix of studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, and townhouses and duplexes. They will be spread across a part-three, part-eight storey building.

The Planning and Urban Context Report by Tract says the development is of an "exemplary architectural standard" and has been carefully crafted by SJB Architects.

"Dwellings&nbsp;will benefit from excellent access to natural light, cross-ventilation opportunities and extensive communal space," the report noted.

The architectural material highlights the project’s integration of landscaped elements and communal spaces throughout the building. The proposal also incorporates sustainability initiatives aligned with the Victorian Government’s push for higher-performing apartment developments under the fast-track program.

The Great Design Fast Track was unveiled by the Victorian Government in 2024 as part of a broader housing supply strategy aimed at accelerating the delivery of new homes. Projects assessed through the pathway must demonstrate high-quality architecture, sustainability outcomes, and housing diversity while being located close to public transport and existing infrastructure.

<img alt="First look: Focus Group Investments taps Victoria’s Great Design Fast Track for Richmond apartments" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="afdbe834-8dc4-4a77-a943-ba07bc927348" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/site_11.png?VersionId=0J657j.TaChAZfp93wqJYBTqSsnREJx2" />

Focus Group, founder and led by Paul De Lutiis, is increasingly active across Melbourne’s inner suburbs, targeting well-connected urban renewal locations suited to medium and higher-density residential development. The Fitzroy proposal continues that strategy, leveraging the area’s strong transport links, established retail amenity, and proximity to the CBD.

Fitzroy has been one of the most popular spots for developers and buyers in recent years. The likes of PACE Development Group, SMA Projects, Crema Group and Chapter Group, currently selling projects in the suburb.

First look: Focus Group Investments taps Victoria’s Great Design Fast Track for Fitzroy apartments

Gold Coast

With Apartments.com.au&#39;s Project Database now being expanded to encompass all of Australia, and more national content appearing on the site, it seemed like a good opportunity to highlight the country&#39;s future top 10 tallest skyscrapers on the horizon, not including those already completed.

<h2>#1. Southbank by Beulah (Residential Tower) I Melbourne&nbsp;I 356.2M</h2>

Green Spine, know known as Soutbank by Beulah having been taken over by the Melbourne developer Beulah, will be&nbsp;designed by&nbsp;<a href="/architects/cox-architecture">Cox Architecture</a>&nbsp;and is&nbsp;planned to be the tallest skyscraper in the Southern Hemisphere. The tower was the winner of <a href="/developers/beulah">Beulah International</a>&rsquo;s international competition for a $2 billion development in Melbourne&rsquo;s <a href="/new-apartments/southbank-vic-3006">Southbank</a>.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=8804]

&nbsp;

<h2>#2. Magic Tower&nbsp;I Melbourne&nbsp;I 60- storeys&nbsp;I 330M</h2>

The Magic Tower is a slender skyscraper designed by <a href="/architects/decibel-architecture">Decibel Architecture</a> in partnership with Royal Society of Victoria. The residential tower will be located in the north eastern corner of Hoddle Grid.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/magic_11.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="If to be built Magic Tower will be the tallest tower for it's width in Melbourne. Image: Decibel Architecture"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="714" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/magic_11.jpg?itok=__Rf7Zwf" title="If to be built Magic Tower will be the tallest tower for it's width in Melbourne. Image: Decibel Architecture" width="580" /></a>

<figcaption>If to be built Magic Tower will be the tallest tower for it&#39;s width in Melbourne. Image: Decibel Architecture</figcaption>
</figure>

&nbsp;

<h2>#3. Orion Towers (South Tower) |&nbsp;Gold Coast | 103-storeys | 328m</h2>

<figure>
<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/orion_towers.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Orion Towers' South Tower would become the tallest in Australia. Image: Woods Bagot"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/orion_towers.jpg?itok=rtzkSomr" style="width: 580px; height: 327px;" title="Orion Towers' South Tower would become the tallest in Australia. Image: Woods Bagot" /></a>

<figcaption>Orion Towers&#39; South Tower would become the tallest in Australia. Image: Woods Bagot</figcaption>
</figure>

The $1.2b twin-tower development in Surfers Paradise known as <a href="/new-apartments/south-beach-surfers-paradise-3006-surfers-paradise-boulevard-surfers-paradise">Orion Towers</a> will soar 103 storeys high for a total height of 328m, inching out Melbourne&#39;s One Queensbridge by 5m. The development will also feature Australia&rsquo;s highest observation restaurant on level 101 offering 360-degree views.

The tower is anticipated to be completed by 2027.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=8887]

&nbsp;

<h2>#4. One Queensbridge |&nbsp;Melbourne | 90-storeys | 323m</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/qbt.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="One Queensbridge should it proceed, would eclipse Australia 108. Image: Schiavello"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/qbt.jpg?itok=DqCq-D0j" style="width: 580px; height: 396px;" title="One Queensbridge should it proceed, would eclipse Australia 108. Image: Schiavello" /></a>

<figcaption>One Queensbridge should it proceed, would eclipse Australia 108. Image: Schiavello</figcaption>
</figure>

<a href="/new-apartments/one-queensbridge-street-1-23-queensbridge-street-southbank">One Queensbridge</a> should it proceed, would eclipse Australia 108. It will be a JV between Crown Resorts and <a href="/developers/schiavello">Schiavello</a>. <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/business/companies/packer-s-plans-uncertain-on-australia-s-tallest-building-20180525-p4zhhz">The Age reported</a>&nbsp;in May of last year that as part of the approval, a deadline for February 2019 had been set to commence construction of the project.

The Wilkinson Eyre designed goliath is yet to commence, as it is currently undergoing construction delays due to being unable to obtain government approval for alterations.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=245]

&nbsp;

<h2>#5. Australia 108 | Melbourne | 100-storeys | 317m</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/aus108_1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Australia 108 races along to its title of Melbourne's tallest. Images (L-R): FK | Mark Baljak"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="265" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/aus108_1.jpg?itok=diMxAs9s" title="Australia 108 races along to its title of Melbourne's tallest. Images (L-R): FK | Mark Baljak" width="580" /></a>

<figcaption>Australia 108 races along to its title of Melbourne&#39;s tallest. Images (L-R): FK | Mark Baljak</figcaption>
</figure>

<a href="/buildings/australia-108-southbank-70-southbank-boulevard-southbank">Australia 108</a> is to rise opposite it&rsquo;s sister tower, Eureka.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=582]

This time last year, Australia 108&#39;s core reached level 60 with the floorplates well over the halfway mark. This also coincided with the first residents beginning to move in on levels 14 and 30 as part of the completion of stage 1.

The tower is still presently undergoing construction, with more residents being able to move in from 2020.

&nbsp;

<h2>#6. Spirit | Gold Coast | 89-storeys | 298m</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/spirit_gc.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Spirit on the Gold Coast will launch to the market next month. Image: Forise Holdings"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="435" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/spirit_gc.jpg?itok=BpZZiGBR" title="Spirit on the Gold Coast will launch to the market next month. Image: Forise Holdings" width="580" /></a>

<figcaption>Spirit on the Gold Coast will launch to the market next month. Image: Forise Holdings</figcaption>
</figure>

Designed by <a href="/architects/dbi">DBI Design</a> who have previously designed other notable towers on the Gold Coast such as Oracle, <a href="/buildings/jewel-residences-surfers-paradise-36-old-burleigh-road-surfers-paradise">Jewel</a>, SOUL Tower and The Wave, Spirit was to have been the tallest building to roof in Surfers Paradise prior to Orion Towers&#39; entry onto the list.

The design features a dramatic wave across its facade similar to The Wave, but on a grander scale. The current proposal replaces an earlier scheme for Iluka Tower, following Forise Holdings purchase of the site in 2015.

This tower is in the early stages of construction.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=8128]

[smartcode_project:default project_id=93998]

[smartcode_project:default project_id=8843]

[smartcode_project:default project_id=8887]

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6207]

<h2>&nbsp;</h2>

<h2>#7. Cienna Square Tower II | Gold Coast | 88-storeys | 280m</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/cienna_square.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Cienna Square will be developed on the site of the former Regent Cinema. Image: DBI Design"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="580" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/cienna_square.jpg?itok=VhFJsHIh" title="Cienna Square will be developed on the site of the former Regent Cinema. Image: DBI Design" width="580" /></a>

<figcaption>Cienna Square will be developed on the site of the former Regent Cinema. Image: DBI Design</figcaption>
</figure>

Cienna Square will be developed on the site of the former Regent Cinema. DBI Design&#39;s second entry on the list is for a dual tower on the Southport site of the former Regent Cinema, which has remained empty since it was cleared to pave way for a now unbuilt scheme back in 1989.

Cienna Square received preliminary approval back in April 2016.

&nbsp;

<h2>#8. Crown Sydney Hotel &amp; Resort | Sydney | 75-storeys | 271m</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/crown_sydney.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Crown Sydney Hotel and Resort will be built within Barangaroo. Image: Wilkinson Eyre"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="395" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/crown_sydney.jpg?itok=rF1VRZYX" title="Crown Sydney Hotel and Resort will be built within Barangaroo. Image: Wilkinson Eyre" width="580" /></a>

<figcaption>Crown Sydney Hotel and Resort will be built within Barangaroo. Image: Wilkinson Eyre</figcaption>
</figure>

Crown Sydney Hotel and Resort will be built within Barangaroo.

Crown Resorts&#39; second tower on the list sees it once again collaborating with architects Wilkinson Eyre on what is set to become Sydney&#39;s tallest building, capping off the Barangaroo development.

The tower is expected to be completed in the first half of 2021.

&nbsp;

<h2>#9. Brisbane Skytower | Brisbane | 90-storeys | 270m</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/brisbane_skytower.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Brisbane's under construction Skytower. Image (L-R): Billbergia | Ozscrapers member fyturis "><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="304" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/brisbane_skytower.jpg?itok=dsSud53R" title="Brisbane's under construction Skytower. Image (L-R): Billbergia | Ozscrapers member fyturis " width="580" /></a>

<figcaption>Brisbane&#39;s under construction Skytower. Images (L-R): Billbergia | Ozscrapers member fyturis</figcaption>
</figure>

Brisbane&#39;s recently completed <a href="/buildings/brisbane-skytower-222-margaret-street-brisbane">Skytower</a>. <a href="/developers/billbergia">Billbergia</a> and <a href="/developers/amp-capital">AMP Capital&#39;s</a> joint venture project, Skytower is Brisbane&#39;s tallest tower and bookend the southern edge of the CBD, it is located directly opposite the Botanic Gardens.

New levels have just been completed on this tower and are now selling.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6199]

&nbsp;

<h2>#10. 240 Margaret Street |&nbsp;Brisbane | 87-storeys | 270m&nbsp;</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/240_margefrom-kp.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="240 Margaret with the neighouring U/C Skytower. Image: World Class Land"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="557" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/240_margefrom-kp.jpg?itok=bls0H2ab" title="240 Margaret with the neighouring U/C Skytower. Image: World Class Land" width="580" /></a>

<figcaption>240 Margaret with the neighouring U/C Skytower. Image: World Class Land</figcaption>
</figure>

<a href="/new-apartments/240-margaret-street-brisbane">240 Margaret</a> with the neighbouring U/C Skytower. World Class Land&#39;s second entry on the list following its Australia 108 project will reach the same height as the neighbouring Skytower development. This is the maximum height allowed in Brisbane as a result of Brisbane Airport radar shadowing issues.

The tower has been granted development approval.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6227]

Laurence Dragomir

Top 10 (Future) Tallest Buildings in Australia

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The Gold Coast is bright spot for apartment sales, with 33% increase in apartment sales compared to last quarter, according to Urbis’ latest Apartment Essentials report.   Research by the property consultants found that in Q1 2018 sales were buoyed by the recent Commonwealth Games excitement.
There have been nine new project launches, equating to over 1,000 new apartments.
Apartment approvals dropped in the quarter to 1,385, the third consecutive drop since mid-2017.
However, compared to Brisbane where only just over 300 apartments were approved in the quarter, the pipeline of supply continues to build, National Director of Property Economics and Research at Urbis, Clinton Ostwald noted.
Some 65 per cent of sales were the two-bedroom, two-bathroom product.
The weighted average sale price was recorded at $729,856.
In late 2017 the Gold Coast weighted average sale price across the four precincts registered $619,737 in the December quarter.
The Gold Coast Central Precinct recorded the highest weighted average sale price at $731,786, due to its higher level of high rise developments selling.
The most affordable precinct was the Coastal Fringe Precinct, which recorded a weighted average sale price of $537,013 in late 2017. The Coastal Fringe Precinct was also the top selling precinct during the quarter, registering 37% of total sales, and also the top selling precinct for 2017.
A recent Urbis advisory calculated owner occupier sales dominated in the Gold Coast, making up 54% of sales respectively.
The Gold Coast apartment market performance, with the recent Commonwealth Games stimulating project launches and the local apartment market, will be tested, Mr Ostwald said, adding it would be interesting to see how long the Commonwealth Games uplift would continue for as this market is likely to have benefited to the additional exposure. 
By contrast inner Brisbane apartments are still primarily a product aimed at investors, and this was represented in the data with 43% of sales being to foreign investor buyers.
Urbis senior Consultant Lynda Campbell said recently there are currently 22 projects yielding over 2,000 apartments which could potentially launch across the Gold Coast in the first half of 2018.
“A quarter of these are in the Southern Beaches Precinct, which has gone from being one of the most undersupplied markets to now having the second highest level of future supply and the highest level of active supply."
*Coastal Fringe suburbs include Arundel, Parkwood, Molendinar, Ashmore, Benowa, Bundall, Carrara, Robina, Clear Island Waters, Merrimac and Varsity Lakes. *North Shore suburbs include Biggera Waters, Coombabah, Helensvale, Hollywell, Hope Island, Paradise Point and Runaway Bay. *Gold Coast Central suburbs include Labrador, Southport, Main Beach, Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach and Broadbeach Waters. *Southern Beaches suburbs include Bilinga, Burleigh Heads, Burleigh Waters, Casuarina, Coolangatta, Currumbin, Kingscliff, Kirra, Mermaid Beach, Mermaid Waters, Miami, Palm Beach, Tugun and Tweed Heads.
 
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Gold Coast new apartment sales averaging $730,000

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A prime Red Rooster-anchored fast food complex centre located on one of the Gold Coast’s busiest intersections has been listed for sale.
The Red Rooster Centre Burleigh has been placed on the market through Savills agents Peter Tyson, Jon Tyson and Michael Harcourt.
The fully leased complex comprises a diverse and complimentary fast food mix, anchored by a Red Rooster Drive-Thru Restaurant, Subway and Zambrero’s outlets as well as award winning seafood, vegan and sushi traders.
The centre is situated adjacent to the Coles anchored Treetops Plaza centre and features exposure to over 70,000 cars per day on the junction of two major arterial traffic routes. 
Peter Tyson said the Red Rooster Centre Burleigh provides a tremendous opportunity for longer term investors underpinned by an annual income stream of over $470,000, a secure seven year lease profile and strong embedded real estate value.
It came with a flexible mixed use “Centre” zoning which allows development potential up to 30 metres or 10 stories in height.
Offers close June 21.
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Red Rooster Centre in Burleigh, Gold Coast listed

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The redundant Gold Coast riverfront home of the AFL star Gary Ablett is finally under contract, after spending well over a year on the market.
Although he seemingly bought well, it's expected to be a loss for the now Geelong midfielder, who played his first back game at the Cattery on the weekend.
He paid $1.8 million for the Ashmore home in 2011, just six kms from the AFL stadium when he signed for the Gold Coast Suns.
Ablett bought the four bedroom home after it had a $2,595,000 guide when offered a year earlier.
Set on 3342 sqm of landscaped grounds, it features Bali-style huts, lagoon style pool and full size floodlit tennis court.
The home offers 65 metres of river frontage with a floating pontoon.
Kollosche Prestige agent Danny Stanley initially sought $2,195,000 when he took over the listing last June which most recently had a $1,795,000 asking price.
Ablett left the Suns to return to his boyhood club Geelong when he began his career in 2002.
This article first appeared in The Weekend Australian.
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firstname1-iYD4UYzvBa

Gary Ablett's Gold Coast property has gone under contract

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A Queensland property, set between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, has been sold by mortgagees for $341,000.
The three bedroom house was sold by Glenn Batten from First National Upper Coomera &amp; Yarrabilba earlier this month.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-qld-jacobs+well-127815842" target="_blank">Located at 1134 Pimpama-Jacobs Well Road</a>, Jacobs Well, the house comes with three bedrooms, covered rear entertaining area, and side access. 
Nestled on a 779 square metre block, it is only 600 metres to Jacobs Well Boat Ramp and opposite Riesenweber Park.
It had last sold at $368,000 in 2007.
According to CoreLogic, the suburb's median house price sits on $467,000.
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Jacobs Well, Queensland home sold by mortgagee

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Arcadis, the global consultancy firm for natural and built assets, will provide cost and commercial management services on the 88 storey, $1.3 billion, super-apartment tower Spirit for Forise Investments Australia.
Spirit will be the tallest tower under construction on the Gold Coast, in terms of occupied apartment floors, with completion of the 470 luxury apartments scheduled for 2021.
Matthew Mackey, a director at Arcadis said landmark projects like Spirit that will "define the future of the Gold Coast.”
The 88 storey Spirit will have three floors of recreational areas as well as an infinity edge swimming pool.  
The tower will also house high-end retailers, providores and Michelin-star restaurants.
The $1.3 billion, 88-level Gold Coast tower, Spirit, was surrounded in doubt after arrangements on its local marketing collapsed late last year.
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Real estate agency The Agency is no longer working with Chinese conglomerate Forise Holdings to sell apartments at the Surfers Paradise project.
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Arcadis to help deliver $1.3bn Spirit tower on Gold Coast

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The Gold Coast prestige market sector was impacted heavily by the GFC in 2008.
It only started seeing signs of improvement in late 2014 and early 2015, the valuation firm HTW recently noted.
Improving rapidly during 2016 and throughout 2017 with a number of large prominent sales evident at strong prices (a number of which were in the range of $9 million to $25 million) there was then a staggering $16.5 million spent in May 2017 for a large, luxury dwelling on Virginia Drive at Hope Island on the northern Gold Coast.
More recently, HTW have noticed a slowing of market activity with local real estate agents reporting fewer sales, increased stock levels in some market segments and reduced buyer demand with fewer enquiries from overseas buyers over the past six months after a sustained run of strong transactions, particularly to Asian buyers.
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"This is, however, highly segmented and the level of improvement is very property and price speci c and properties that are selling are generally still achieving strong price levels," the HTW report noted.
The latest HTW report on prestige housing noted the most prestigious suburbs on the Gold Coast for housing are Hope Island, Paradise Point, Mermaid Beach, Main Beach, Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach Waters.
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The majority of the prestige townhouses or duplexes are located at Hope Island and have price points starting at around $2 million.
The vast majority of prestige units are located at Main Beach, Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach with a smaller amount found at Burleigh Heads and Coolangatta.
The more significant improvement has been evident for established, near new, luxury housing in the prime waterfront and coastal suburbs particularly Isle of Capri at Surfers Paradise which recorded an $8.8 million dollar sale of 31 The Corso in February 2018.
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The market segment for luxury apartments on the Gold Coast upward of $3 million saw improved buyer demand over the past 12 to 18 months, however remains very thinly traded and sales are few andfar between. There have only been seven sales to date during 2018 with a standout sale being the Chevron Renaissance penthouse which sold in January 2018 for $9.5 million to a local buyer.
The two-level penthouse, situated over the 39th and 40th floors was previously used as an of office space for the developer and after the company folded, it was sold off to HomeCorp CEO, Ron Bakir for $1.2 million, who together with Sunland Group chairman Soheil Abedian took the floor space back to its shell and spent $7 million transforming it into a luxury apartment and importing Italian furniture.
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Other standout sales of luxury apartments include the $5.3 million dollar sale of the Xanadu North penthouse sold by Robert Graham at Ray White. This two level penthouse unit is situated over the 23rd and 24th oors providing 4-bedroom, 5-bathroom accommodation with four basement car spaces, a private indoor plunge pool and panoramic 360 degree views incorporating distant hinterland views to the west, Broadwater and Southport skyline views to the north-west, coastal views up to the Spit to the north and unobstructed beach and ocean views to the east and north-east.
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Robert also sold the three level, XXV Breaker Street Residences penthouse in late February for $3.05 million which comprises 3-bedrooms, 5-bathrooms, a rooftop terrace featuring a private plunge pool and four basement car spaces situated on the 23rd, 24th and 25th floors.
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Buyers of prestige acreage property can be very discerning and hence, not all properties receive similar levels of demand or achieve similar sale prices. Consequently, sale prices (and selling periods) in this market segment can be heavily in uenced by individual buyer preferences and speci c property attributes that will appeal differently to individual buyers. These attributes include, but are not limited to, land size, topography, views, size and quality of improvements, level and quality of ancillary improvements, vegetation, creek or river frontage and dual living potential.
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HTW advised the Gold Coast’s rural residential market up to one hectare has had no sales over $3 million from 2016 to date.
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Further afield, there have been very few recent sales for larger sized properties over $3 million and have been for more rural or rural lifestyle properties in excess of five hectares being heavily improved with equine facilities.
One standout sale in particular was the 9.55 hectare property at Riverstone Crossing in Maudsland which provided a 4-bedroom, 4-bathroom dwelling constructed circa 2007 on a low lying and cleared river and creek front allotment.
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Another well located, rural residential property is currently under contract at 173 Stewart Road in Clagiraba.
The property is improved with two dwellings of good quality as well as a cottage. The 14.48 hectare parcel provides predominantly low lying cleared land with frontage to the Coomera River.
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"We note that bank lending policies have tightened and for larger rural holdings, require substantial deposits which in turn only enables potential purchasers with stronger nancial standing to complete the sale. This has resulted in limited transactional evidence from a small pool of buyers over the past 18 months in the Gold Coast and Scenic Rim localities."
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From 2017 to date there have been very few larger sized property transactions and all have been within the Scenic Rim locality.
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Less demand from overseas buyers in Gold Coast trophy home market

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The Gold Coast conveyed to the world its modernity during the recent Commonwealth Games, but traces of the old days are still found periodically in property offerings.
There's an intact 1978 Ron McMaster-designed apartment on Main Beach <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-qld-main+beach-126827702" target="_blank">listed for sale</a>.
It is dubbed penthouse on the ground floor, with then McMaster's business partner's wife having a fear of living up high so McMaster and Ernest (Ernie) Suares designed a penthouse sized ground floor apartment.
<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/2018/4/24/mcmaster1.jpg" alt="">
Spanning over 460 square metres across two levels, the apartment in the Yachting Towers complex has three bedrooms, three bathrooms and a Swedish sauna.
A rumpus room and a separate wet bar overlooks the private back garden with swimming pool, spa and cabana.
<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/2018/4/24/mcmaster2.jpg" alt="">
McMaster was known as the king of highrise.
The pool was a popular place for the Gold Coast's most notable residents some five decades ago.
Peter McManus Real Estate agent Peter McManus is asking $1.25 million. 
This article first appeared in The Weekend Australian. 
 
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jonathanchancellor-7SQnKwU6yx

Ron McMaster-designed Gold Coast trophy apartment listed

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The Commonwealth Games was brought to a close last weekend, and the Gold Coast property market has been buoyed by its host status. 
From house and land to the very top end, the Gold Coast has been securing an impressive sales run.
Ben Peasley, group marketing manager at Choice Homes, says the period prior to the games had seen strong market conditions over the past few months.
"The Games have coincided with our usual busy time of the year, so it was great news to see an even superior result than usual," Peasley noted this week.
"We achieved 22 sales this past week and similar numbers the week previous."
He said the most came from their developments in the far northern Gold Coast suburbs.
Choice Homes have two land developments, <a href="http://visitcamelot.com.au/" target="_blank">Camelot</a> in Coomera (below), and <a href="http://www.pimpamavillage.com.au/" target="_blank">Pimpama Village</a> at Pimpama, which are both in close proximity to the Coomera Indoor Sports Centre that opened two years ago.
It hosted the gymnastics competition and netball finals.
There's also the Westfield Coomera Town Centre that opens in September.
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Valuation firm Herron Todd White had houses in the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast as strong markets. 
"The buzz around the Gold Coast has been contagious," Peasley said.
"A collective sense of pride and excitement, all the while watching the weather to ensure the 300 days of sunshine we enjoy each year would welcome The Games."
It is said the Games was the turning point for the Federal Government to provide much needed funding for the M1 widening and upgrades. It is an issue still being negotiated by the Queensland government.
A strong case has also been made for a stage 3 light rail after the success of stages 1 and 2. The line would run from Broadbeach to Burleigh Heads and possibly even further to a Coolangatta airport link up.
There have been a number of high profile sales in the last few days.
Ray White Broadbeach agent Sam Guo sold a French chateau style home for a Buccaneer Court street record at Surfers Paradise.
The waterfront home scored just under $6 million.
Guo hinted the Games have certainly helped. 
“There is no doubt that the eyes of the world has been on the Gold Coast lately and people are loving everything that our lifestyle and market has on offer," he said. 
“The Gold Coast has well and truly come of age and it’s great to see such confidence in the luxury market.”
At Sanctuary Cove a home on the exclusive Arnold Palmer Drive sold for a golf course record $6.5 million.
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jrobinson-rf4aSBido9

From house and land to the very top end, Queensland's Gold Coast has secured an impressive sales run

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Hosting the Commonwealth Games is about more than just the two weeks of sport for the Gold Coast. Andrew Smith, author of the book Events and Urban Regeneration, observes: “In recent years, major sporting and cultural events such as the Olympic [and Commonwealth] Games have emerged as significant elements of public policy … As well as opportunities arising from new venues, these events are viewed as a way of stimulating investment, gaining civic engagement and publicising progress to assist the urban regeneration process more generally.”
The Gold Coast recently hosted the Commonwealth Games, a record fifth time for Australia. It’s the first time an Australian non-capital city hosted the event.
Another great distinction from past hosts is that the Gold Coast mostly relyied on its existing assets, and the community aspect has generally prevailed: most of the refurbishments and extensions took place one to three years before the start of the Games, meaning the community has already been able to use these facilities.
Not building just for the Games
Only two of the 13 Gold Coast venues are bright new buildings, the Carrara Sports and Leisure Centre and the Coomera Indoor Sports Centre. All the others are either already built or are great natural assets such as the Coolangatta and Currumbin beachfronts.
Even the new venues were completed some time ago. At the Coomera Sports Centre, early site works began in February 2015. Construction was completed in early August 2016, 20 months ahead of the Games.
Similarly, the Carrara Sports Centre was completed in early 2017. The nearly 20,000 square metre venue was available to Gold Coast residents to enjoy more than a year before the Games.
Refurbishment is costly, but looking at the bigger picture it might still be less expensive. A new building usually involves other costs such as building new road access, water and electrical connections, and so on.
The same strategy was implemented for all the refurbishment projects without exception. For example, the aquatic centre is a recycling and expansion of the original 1960s Southport pool. Finished in 2014, it hosted the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships the same year. Although at that time debate about the lack of a roof was raging, being able to test the facility in advance is a luxury that few host cities have had.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/213313/original/file-20180404-189830-s5fkzu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""> 
Few Games hosts have had the luxury of trialling venues like the aquatic centre, where refurbishment was finished in 2014. Karine Dupre, Author provided
What about the architectural legacy?
In designing venues, architecture plays a a critical role in delivering a premium experience for athletes and spectators, and thus ensuring the success of the Games.
It’s doubtful any of these buildings will enter into the history of architecture as references or models for future Games. They are not comparable to what has been done, for example, in Beijing in terms of structural innovation (such as the swimming pool or the stadium) or iconic status.
I am convinced, however, that all these buildings display a very good critical approach by their architects.
For example, for the Coomera centre, the choices made by Gold Coast-based BDA architects were fundamental to achieve the flexibility to accommodate up to 7,500 spectators when starting from 350 permanent seats. The truss structure, in allowing a very long span (82 metres by 168 metres for the roof), frees the indoor space from columns and increases flexibility of uses. In the same way, the 23 metres roof clearance frees the volume.
In terms of aesthetic, the choice not to enclose fully the centre at the entrance gives both a lighter perception of the building – despite the use of 600 tonnes of structural steel and 6,000 cubic metres of concrete – and a different look from the traditional box often found for gymnasiums.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/213373/original/file-20180405-95689-qop95o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
Commonwealth Games gymnastics competition is under way at the Coomera Indoor Sports Centre. Karine Dupre, Author provided
The key new facility at Carrara presents some similar characteristics. Because of its central location on the Gold Coast, the idea was that the new centre would contribute to the creation of a sport precinct and to economic development and sport advocacy programs. Knowing that Glasgow had a 17% increase in people doing sport after the Games, it was a reasonable vision to bet on long-term use by locals and not only on the visitors for the brief period of the Games.
Designed by BVN architects, the Carrara centre consists of a street space between two major halls. As the nominated venue for the badminton, wrestling and table tennis programs, it is quite an unexpected arrangement; it does not feel like the traditional sport hall, but more like a place to meet others. The colours and material palette have been used to symbolise the young and vibrant image of the Gold Coast. Again, all these architectural choices come together to provide a memorable experience for visitors and athletes alike.
Within the given budget, the balance between an appealing aesthetic and a long-term legacy has been achieved. Maybe none of these buildings will become international landmarks, but present uses have shown their functionality and benefits for the Gold Coast.
Even if we don’t all agree with the current politics, there is one thing we cannot deny about the Games: architecture has been a tool for enhancing public facilities thanks to a very long-term vision. The social, cultural and economic legacy is already there, since facilities are being used.
Finally, since the Games preparations began, major debates on the Gold Coast concerned new casinos, the Spit redevelopment and the light rail extension. None of these debates caused any real problems for the Games. It is quite an achievement, or the result of a very good communication strategy, but that might be another discussion…
Karine Dupré, Associate Professor in Architecture, Griffith University
This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/building-for-the-community-is-a-win-for-the-gold-coast-games-94413" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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