A long-awaited transformation of a former industrial site in Holroyd has been given the green light, with the NSW Government approving the $1.2 billion Crescent Parklands masterplan that will deliver more than 1,200 new homes just south of Parramatta.

The State Significant Development approval clears the way for a large-scale mixed-use precinct at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/1-crescent-street-holroyd-nsw-2142">1 Crescent Street</a>, replacing an underutilised site with a coordinated residential community anchored by new open space, retail, and commercial uses.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/woods-bagot">Woods Bagot</a> for WA-based developer Tiberius, the approved scheme comprises seven buildings arranged across two precincts. In total, the development will deliver 1,227 apartments, including 201 allocated as affordable housing, alongside approximately 2,500 sqm of retail and 5,000 sqm of commercial space within a mixed-use podium.

<img alt="Tiberius’ Crescent Parklands to deliver 1,200+ homes in major Holroyd transformation" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1cc82dd2-8184-4b86-8665-90653147820d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Crescent%20buildings.png?VersionId=2ZmVDc_Rfc4AzQ6ShzZJlvdZnACLerVM" />

The project is structured as a masterplanned precinct rather than a standalone tower. Buildings 1 to 4 will rise from a shared podium with shop-top housing, while Buildings 5 to 7 are positioned closer to the northern park interface as residential flat buildings. The built form has been carefully modulated to balance density with amenity, with the design resolving building separation, solar access, and wind impacts at a precinct scale.

A significant focus of the design is the activation of Crescent Street and the integration of public domain. The submission notes that “individual townhouses [were] removed for community based functions to Crescent Street to increase activation and surveillance,” reinforcing a more urban and publicly engaged street edge. Retail, commercial tenancies, and resident amenity spaces are concentrated along this frontage and within the podium to support day-to-day activity.

The landscape strategy underpins the project’s identity, with a network of pedestrian connections, landscaped corridors, and open spaces linking the site internally and to its surroundings. The design prioritises permeability, delivering “increased uninterrupted flow between spaces for pedestrian access” and improved connections through to the adjoining parklands.

<img alt="Tiberius’ Crescent Parklands to deliver 1,200+ homes in major Holroyd transformation" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="19282454-ab2f-4e2c-866f-4b35cf4283d4" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Crescent%20masterplan.png?VersionId=JQdWGYI5B5R1lzmK4omYOp_8KLPkT4Bv" />

Buildings within the western precinct are oriented toward the park, shaping a residential offering defined by proximity to open space. The design describes this approach as creating apartments “immersed in nature with apartments facing the park,” positioning the landscape as a central organising element of the masterplan.

The broader architectural response addresses both infrastructure and context, with taller elements capturing long-range views toward Parramatta while setbacks and separation distances mitigate impacts on surrounding residential areas. Sustainability initiatives, including solar optimisation, cross-ventilation, and integrated landscape systems, are embedded across the scheme.

Located approximately one kilometre south of Parramatta CBD, the 3.6-hectare site is bounded by Crescent Street, Woodville Road, and Holroyd Sportsground. It benefits from strong access to public transport, including nearby bus routes and train stations, and sits within a rapidly evolving corridor earmarked for increased residential density. The design also strengthens connections between surrounding green spaces, including Holroyd Sportsground and Parramatta Parklands.

The approval follows several years of planning, including a rezoning process that enabled significant uplift in height and density across the site. With determination now secured, Crescent Parklands is positioned to play a major role in delivering new housing supply within Greater Parramatta’s growth area.

Joel Robinson

Tiberius’ Crescent Parklands to deliver over 1,200 homes in major Holroyd transformation

A new State Significant Development application has been lodged over land at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/33-43-marion-street-parramatta-nsw-2150">33–43 Marion Street</a>, Parramatta, proposing a high-rise mixed-use tower that leverages planning incentives to deliver a substantial pipeline of new housing, including a dedicated affordable component.

The scheme, currently on exhibition, combines a shop-top housing development with a concurrent rezoning, positioning the site for a significant uplift in density within Parramatta’s evolving southern CBD fringe.

The proposal, designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/fuse-architecture-0">Fuse Architects</a> for CN Marion, would replace the existing buildings with a 37-storey mixed-use tower, delivering 296 apartments above a retail podium with six basement levels on the 2,376 sqm site.

The residential mix comprises 58 one-bedroom, 207 two-bedroom, and 31 three-bedroom apartments, with communal facilities located on the second level and the rooftop. Ground-level activation is driven by retail and food and beverage tenancies, alongside a publicly accessible through-site link designed to improve pedestrian permeability.

The project includes 194 car spaces, five motorcycle spaces, and 348 bicycle spaces, reflecting a transit-oriented approach in a location directly adjacent to the rail corridor and within walking distance of Harris Park Station.

<img alt="First Look: Plans lodged for 37-storey mixed-use tower with affordable housing at 33–43 Marion Street, Parramatta" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3db873ea-62f0-437b-8a6a-eeda154d2dee" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Marion%20building.png?VersionId=YwzBv8OVHwyRnMLGX4slU7QyhTyMZeOX" />

The design adopts a podium-and-tower composition, with a three-storey street wall addressing Marion Street and a reduced two-storey interface responding to adjoining heritage cottages.

A key component of the proposal is the integration of affordable housing under the NSW Government’s in-fill affordable housing pathway, with units to be retained for a minimum of 15 years. This is paired with a broader public domain strategy that emphasises permeability, deep soil planting, and a landscaped through-site link.

“The strategy prioritises a permeable, well-activated public realm and supports a compact tower form to minimise the building’s footprint while enhancing the quality of the ground-level experience,” the design report states.

The proposal includes a central landscaped courtyard, rooftop communal areas, and planting strategies aligned with local environmental conditions and cultural narratives.

<img alt="First Look: Plans lodged for 37-storey mixed-use tower with affordable housing at 33–43 Marion Street, Parramatta" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f0e6c165-9967-4d20-9216-e5b8357c85ba" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Marion%20site.png?VersionId=SRod222LwgDmGZJmJY0wTbK39UrWZLSD" />

The site occupies a prominent corner of Marion and Station streets, roughly 100 metres from Harris Park Station, within a precinct earmarked for significant intensification. While the immediate context is characterised by low- to mid-rise buildings and heritage dwellings, planning controls and recent proposals point to a transition toward high-density development.

<section data-scroll-anchor="false" data-testid="conversation-turn-2" data-turn="assistant" data-turn-id="request-WEB:c78224e4-1dd1-48ac-afda-97fe23bac47e-0" dir="auto">
Parramatta has been starved of new apartment supply in recent years. Builder-developers Deicorp and Coronation are the only two currently progressing projects in the suburb. Coronation is nearing completion of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/8-phillip-street-2-10-phillip-street-parramatta">8 Phillip Street</a>, which will be the tallest building in Western Sydney once finished, while Deicorp is delivering <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/cosmopolitan-by-deicorp-parramatta-34-hassall-street-parramatta-nsw-2150">Cosmopolitan</a>, a development comprising over 600 apartments.
</section>

First Look: Plans lodged for 37-storey mixed-use tower in Parramatta

A substantial uplift in height and density is being tested in Lane Cove, with a 225-apartment scheme at 300 Burns Bay Road now on public exhibition as a State Significant Development alongside a concurrent rezoning.

The proposal by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/level-33">Level 33</a> would see the demolition of an existing commercial building and associated structures, replaced by a residential development ranging from seven to 15 storeys.&nbsp;

The scheme delivers 225 apartments, including 34 designated as affordable housing, positioning it within the NSW Government’s accelerated Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

The development is arranged as three interconnected residential flat buildings, a response to the site’s long, narrow configuration and sloping topography.&nbsp;

<img alt="First look: 225-apartment Lane Cove tower proposal enters exhibition under State Significant pathway" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c325d40c-ead5-45f4-9d77-5a446b23acc0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Lane%20Cove%20pers.png?VersionId=hsCJxT5hj.5kzA6AMInyan1x8mcHeRez" />

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/pbd-architects">PBD Architects</a>, the project’s designer, describe a built form that is “divided into three sections, each connected by intermediate infill slots which are recessed to establish greater setbacks and further articulate the development.”

Across the scheme, apartments are supported by communal amenity at ground and rooftop levels, including landscaped open space and a rooftop pool. Basement and lower ground levels accommodate parking, storage, and building services, while a new public park is proposed along the eastern edge of the site, replacing part of the existing built form.

The architectural response has been shaped by the site’s pronounced fall towards the Lane Cove River, with building heights stepping down from west to east to reduce visual bulk and respond to adjoining bushland.&nbsp;

The design report notes that “the development has been carefully designed to integrate with the existing topography with the placement of massing and floor levels adjusted respecting the site’s inherent characteristics.”

<img alt="First look: 225-apartment Lane Cove tower proposal enters exhibition under State Significant pathway" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="31cc13a5-bc8b-4dc3-b9b1-07c6ec33a82b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Lane%20cove%20site.png?VersionId=NiyH3LimQwiHsE6Q7I5g4Grpr5fRdZaX" />

The project is being advanced through a concurrent rezoning process, seeking to increase the permissible height and floor space ratio beyond current Lane Cove LEP controls of 21 metres. Under the proposal, height would reach up to 54.5 metres, reflecting a shift toward higher-density outcomes in well-located urban areas.

Located on a 7,595 sqm site, the development sits within an established high-density residential pocket characterised by mid-rise apartment buildings set within a bushland setting. The site is within close proximity to Burns Bay Reserve, the Lane Cove River, and an extensive network of open space, reinforcing its strategic positioning for increased housing supply.

Level 33 is doing through the Housing Delivery Authority to try and get its Homebush project of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/level-33-adds-to-2-000-unit-pipeline-with-new-two-tower-homebush-plans">more than 300 apartments approved</a>.

The developer has over 2,000 apartments in the pipeline, predominantly in Wollongong.

First look: Level 33 proposes 225-apartment Lane Cove tower

Following the completion of its debut Palm Beach apartment development EVA on Tenth, local Gold Coast developer Chippendale Group has launched its latest project in the in demand area.

Chippendale Group, led by fifth-generation Palm Beach local Daniel Chippendale, has kicked off sales at&nbsp;<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/elise-palm-beach-3-twenty-fifth-avenue-palm-beach-qld-4221&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1775884443343000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2GyxnGQKU2XXwTzQ8_VHgi" href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/elise-palm-beach-3-twenty-fifth-avenue-palm-beach-qld-4221" target="_blank">ELISE</a>, 68 coastal-infused apartments just 40 metres from the sand on Twenty Fifth Avenue.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150992 project_image_fid=366023]

Construction is already well underway, a signal of confidence to buyers, following the demolition of the two-storey walk-up and 1990s built house that sat on two sites that have been amalgamated to create a prime corner block.

There are a mix of two- and three-bedroom apartments on offer, starting from $1.4 million.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150992 project_image_fid=366024]

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/bda-architecture">BDA Architecture</a>, Elise responds to its coastal setting through a horizontal architectural form with recessed glazing and layered landscaping. The design aims to balance light, shade and sea breezes while creating a defined presence along the streetscape.&nbsp;

Residences have been planned with an emphasis on outdoor living suited to the Gold Coast climate, including large balconies designed as usable outdoor rooms. Interiors will feature a selection of European appliances and natural materials, including New Zealand wool carpets.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150992 project_image_fid=366033]

Resident amenities are centred around a wellness-focused ground-level precinct. There will be private access to a heated swimming pool, sauna, cold plunge and gym, alongside a residents’ lounge with dining and entertaining space.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/elise-palm-beach-3-twenty-fifth-avenue-palm-beach-qld-4221">ELISE</a> is located towards the northern end of Palm Beach, which puts it just a short walk to Tallebudgera and Currumbin Creeks. At the end of the street is the newly extended Oceanway, a 36-kilometre pathway that runs up and down the Gold Coast.

Chippendale is targeting a late 2027 completion date for <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/elise-palm-beach-3-twenty-fifth-avenue-palm-beach-qld-4221">ELISE</a>.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150992]

Chippendale Group launches Elise, 40 metres from the Palm Beach sand

Sydney developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/31-41-o-hara-street-marrickville-nsw-2204">Third.i</a>&nbsp;has announced a new transport-oriented development in one of Sydney Inner West’s most sought-after metropolitan locations, delivering much needed housing within steps of world-class public transport and vibrant village life.

Located at&nbsp;31-41 O’Hara St,&nbsp;Marrickville, the proposed mixed-use development will include around 300 apartments, with up to 17 per cent dedicated to affordable housing, reinforcing Third.i’s commitment to creating inclusive, well-connected communities that support a diverse mix of residents who keep Sydney’s neighbourhoods thriving.

Located just 100 metres from the new Metro station, the development places residents within minutes of the CBD while offering seamless access to the Inner West’s cafés, retail, and local services. Anchored within a thriving local centre, the project supports everyday living without reliance on cars, while also delivering new public open space for the local community, including a new park and landscaped green areas, alongside high-quality private resident amenities.

Florian Caillon, Head of Acquisitions for Third.i Group, said the project builds on the company’s ongoing work alongside the NSW Government to deliver housing and amenity alongside major transport infrastructure. Amenity includes an activated pedestrianise retail strip that connects Illawarra Road down to the pocket park, and health and wellness facilities.&nbsp;

“Delivering housing of this scale within an established village is a rare opportunity, and few companies have achieved residential outcomes of this size at a village centre," Caillon said.

"We are excited to set a new standard for urban living in the heart of Marrickville,” he said.&nbsp;

The inclusion of affordable housing has been welcomed by frontline workers.

“We are supportive of developments which will allow essential workers like nurses, midwives and carers, the opportunity to live in the communities they care for," said&nbsp;Michael Whaites, General Secretary of the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association..

“Many healthcare workers tell us they would like to live closer to where they work, but are being priced out of the market, forcing them to move further away.&nbsp;

“Dedicated apartments for essential workers will support recruitment and retention in local hospitals and aged care facilities, helping to strengthen our health system.”

The project has been declared State Significant Development (SSD) by the Housing Delivery Authority (HDA).

Third.i to deliver 300 apartments in Marrickville TOD precinct

Hotspots

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EXPERT OBSERVER
Most of the strongest markets in the nation are now in regional Australia. And regional NSW is the strongest market jurisdiction in the nation.
The key point is that regional New South Wales is moving in the opposite direction to Sydney. While there are now few rising markets in the state capital, there are growth locations spread across the regions of NSW.
Hotspotting’s Winter 2018 survey for The Price Predictor Index reveals that a record 38 local government areas have growth markets – a total of 60 suburbs or towns with rising sales activity.
1. Newcastle and the Hunter Region form a compelling growth precinct. Suburbs in the City of Newcastle have had very strong price growth (most have had double-digit growth and some have risen 20% or more) in the 12 months.
Now the momentum has shifted to neighbouring Lake Macquarie and locations in the nearby Hunter Region near Newcastle (including Maitland, Cessnock, Singleton and Muswellbrook).
Sales in the suburb of Rutherford in the Maitland LGA have been 64, 75, 70, 91, 86, 99 and 102 in the past seven quarters, while Medowie in the Port Stephens LGA have risen from around 40 a year ago to 55 in the latest quarter.
2. Muswellbrook and Singleton continue to improve after the previous downturn caused by over-development and a downturn in the coal industry.
Muswellbrook’s quarterly sales have risen from 41 to 52 to 57 to 75 over 12 months. Singleton and Singleton Heights combined previously had 35 to 45 sales per quarter but in the past 12 months quarterly sales have been 55, 58, 88 and 86.
Following the merger of the Wyong and Gosford LGAs to form the Central Coast LGA, this municipality is now a significant market in regional NSW. The sales patterns suggest this market has probably passed its peak – there are a large number of Plateau markets, places where sales activity has tapered off at levels below the peak.
But sales growth in the recent past has created strong growth in median house prices in the last 12 months, including in Narara (13%), North Gosford (16%), Terrigal (10%), Toukley (15%), Umina Beach (17%) and Wyoming (16%).
3. Queanbeyan on the ACT border continues to stand out as an affordable growth alternative to Canberra. The LGA of Queanbeyan-Palerang has multiple suburbs/towns with upwardly-mobile sales activity. Quarterly sales in Queanbeyan (the suburb) have been 38, 40, 50 and 59 in the past year.
Queanbeyan is closer to central Canberra than many parts of the ACT, has more affordable prices than most Canberra suburbs and benefits from first-home-buyer incentives available in NSW.
Other regional centres to stand out as above-average markets in regional NSW include Albury, Armidale, Bathurst, Dubbo, Grafton Gunnedah, Lismore, Orange, Parkes, Tamworth and Wagga Wagga.
A number of regional towns that would normally not attract much attention from investors are also rising, including Griffith, Inverell, Kempsey, Leeton and Tumut.
A standout is Merimbula on the far south coast of NSW. Quarterly sales have been 36, 46, 47, 56, 55 and 60 in the past 18 months and the median price has risen 18% in the past year.4
Terry Ryder is the founder of hotspotting.com.au
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terryryder-YECXbqmri2

The three strongest property markets in NSW: Terry Ryder

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After several years of investors achieving easy growth in our two biggest cities, the national real estate landscape has changed. 
Investors need to look elsewhere to find the upwardly-mobile markets, and it’s not so easy to find them because mainstream media is writing about the Sydney-Melbourne downturn and generally ignoring the rising markets in other parts of the nation.
Hotspotting’s new Top 10 Best Buys reports highlights the new growth markets, which are occurring in our smaller cities and the regions.
Here are five possibilities, many of them places you might not have thought of …
Belconnen District, ACT
I’ve often referred to Canberra as the Goldilocks of Australian real estate - not too hot, not too cold, just right. It continues to show a high level of consistency, especially with sales activity. 
But, amid that familiar consistency, there is evidence of recent uplift. The Winter 2018 survey for The Price Predictor Index identifies an increasing number of Canberra suburbs with growth trajectories. 
That quarterly survey also shows that the Belconnen District is the clear market leader in Canberra, by a considerable margin. It has seven rising suburbs – including Bruce, Florey, Flynn, Holt and Macgregor - and others with steady sales performance.
The strong sales data reflects other statistics depicting a strong Canberra market. Vacancies remain below 1 percent (only Hobart has lower vacancies among the capital cities), rents are rising strongly and there is evidence of solid price growth, notably in the Top End suburbs with median prices above $1 million.
Some forecasters predict Canberra will lead the capital cities on price increases in the next few years, with Belconnen suburbs likely to be at the forefront of the growth.
Port Adelaide precinct, South Australia
Port Adelaide may have missed out on the AFL finals, but its real estate market looks like a winner.
The Port Adelaide Enfield LGA is now one of the busiest markets in the SA capital, with a number of its suburbs attracting rising demand.
Defence Force contracts totalling $89 billion and other government initiatives are set to launch Port Adelaide into a new stratosphere.
The Osborne Naval Shipyard is undergoing a $535 million upgrade to accommodate the building of 40 new Defence craft; 500 public servants are being moved into the precinct; and a new rail spur will link the Port’s commercial centre and the Dock One residential precinct to the Adelaide CBD.
These and several smaller projects are creating much-needed jobs, turning historic Port Adelaide into a thriving residential, commercial and tourist destination.
Bendigo, Victoria
Bendigo (pictured top) has long been one of Victoria’s key regional centres, with growth thanks to its steady local economy, proximity to Melbourne and good transport links to the capital – especially now the $5 billion Regional Rail Link has been completed.
Its economic prospects have improved with the $630 million re-development of Bendigo’s hospital, private sector plans to develop the city’s first master-planned residential community, and the awarding of a $1.3 billion Defence contract to a Bendigo-based business. 
Bendigo benefits economically from a number of major companies which are based locally but perform nationally – including Thales, the company that received the Defence contract recently.
It has had steady long-term price growth (averaging around 5% per year) in its housing market but it remains affordable, with solid rental yields available for investors (most suburbs have median yields between 4.5 and 5.5 percent). 
And recently, sales activity has increased, boosted by both home-buyers and investors out of Melbourne seeking affordability and growth. Most of Bendigo’s suburbs have median house prices between $250,000 and $380,000 – and prices are now starting to rise.
Stirling LGA, WA
The Stirling LGA is one of four precincts in the Perth metropolitan area leading the recovery in the Perth property market, following the city’s four-year real estate downturn. 
Properties across this precinct maintained a steadier performance than most Perth locations throughout the recent economic downturn - and now 10 of its suburbs have rising markets, including Carine, Doubleview, Gwelup, Innaloo, Joondanna and Tuart Hill..
The City of Stirling offers a leisurely seaside lifestyle, being home to the internationally renowned Scarborough Beach. Trendy bars and cafes impart a youthful vibrancy, attracting a steady stream of 20–40-year-olds. 
Further adding to the region’s appeal are the shopping and education facilities, coupled with good transport links to the Perth CBD.
The Stirling LGA has some affordable suburbs with medians in the $300,000s, but most suburbs are middle-market areas with typical prices in the $600,000s and $700,000s.
Queanbeyan, NSW
The proximity of Queanbeyan (now part of the newly-formed Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council area) to the nation’s capital is paying dividends for local property markets. 
The region is experiencing strong population growth, unemployment is low, new housing estates are under construction and there are plans for the nearby Canberra International Airport to become a 24-hour freight hub.
But the most appealing aspect of Queanbeyan is its affordability relative to Canberra, with median prices for both houses and units below those in the national capital. It’s also helped by NSW incentives for first-home buyers.
Property sales activity in Queanbeyan increased in 2016, leading it to become a standout region for growth, and the uplift continued in 2017 and into 2018.
With Canberra forecast to be one of the nation’s leading cities for price growth in the next few years, Queanbeyan’s links to the capital are expected to boost the local market.
Good rental yields are another attraction, with several suburbs having median yields around 4–5% for houses and 5.5% for units.
 
Terry Ryder is the founder of hotspotting.com.au
<a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au">ryder@hotspotting.com.au</a>
twitter.com/hotspotting
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Five hotspots you may not think of: Hotspotting's Terry Ryder

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The key to prosperity in property investment is buying in the right places.
It's clear from the figures I presented in my previous column that capital city price growth has been ordinary at best in the past 10 years. Darwin (averaging 8% a year) and Perth (7%) have been okay, but five of the eight capitals have growth rates no better than wages growth or the rate of inflation.
Sydney has averaged just 3.8% per year in the past decade, despite the lift in the past 18 months.
Would you invest in real estate on those numbers? I would suggest no – not if those growth numbers applied everywhere.
The secret is finding places likely to deliver out-performance. To give you an idea of what's possible, here are some of the results of places we identified one to two years ago as good places to buy for future growth.
Toowoomba in regional Queensland is a standout example. In 2012, I started shouting about its prospects to rise from ordinary performance to out-performance. In the past 12 months, the potential has started to be realised.
Many Toowoomba suburbs, which have long-term growth averages of around 6% per year, have recorded double-digit growth in the past 12 months.
East Toowoomba, Harristown, Mount Lofty, Newtown, North Toowoomba, South Toowoomba and Toowoomba City have all registered growth ranging between 12% and 19% in 12 months.
You would not have poured money into Toowoomba based on its historic performance, but with real estate investment it's the future that matters.
Another Queensland regional city with a poor recent history but a glittering future is Cairns.
Some Cairns markets, particularly unit markets, still have pricing lower than five years ago. Others have averaged less than 1% per year in growth since 2009. That reflects weakness in the local economy and developer over-supply.
The future, however, looks very different. Cairns is rapidly transitioning from an economy overly reliant on tourism to a place where a massive infrastructure spend is broadening and strengthening the base.
That, plus previous price decline and the highest rental yields in Australia, has made Cairns an attractive proposition for investors.
In the past 12 months, Cairns has started to deliver. In terms of median price growth (based on Australian Property Monitors data), here are some of the results in Cairns suburban markets:
<ul>
<li>Bungalow houses up 18%</li>
<li>Edge Hill houses up 14%</li>
<li>Woree houses up 16%</li>
<li>Yorkey's Knob houses up 15%</li>
<li>Cairns City units up 19%</li>
<li>Earlville units up 19%</li>
<li>Edge Hill units up 12%</li>
<li>Holloways Beach units up 27%</li>
<li>Manunda units up 30%</li>
<li>Woree units up 27%</li>
<li>Yorkey's Knob units up 23%</li>
</ul>
In 2012 and 2013, I suggested the Swan City precinct of Perth as a place with appeal from the collective viewpoints of location, lifestyle, affordability and infrastructure spending. It's shown pretty solid growth in the years since - including, in the past 12 months, double-digit growth in Aveley (14%), Ballajura (11%), Caversham (15%), Lockridge (12%) and The Vines (13%), well ahead of city averages.
Monash City has appealed as a middle market location with growth prospects in Melbourne. About a year ago we included it in our Top 10 reports and since then multiple suburbs in this municipality have delivered double-digit growth in median prices, ranging from 12% in Clayton to 23% in Glen Waverley – well above the average (about 8%) for metropolitan Melbourne in the past 12 months.
There are many other examples, spread across the major cities and regional Australia.
It serves to highlight the shallowness of most commentary about Australian real estate, especially by economists who continue to speak in terms such as: "Australian house prices have risen 9% in the past year".
In most places, the growth has been less than that – but in select locations with the right growth drivers, the upside has been considerably more.
Finding them is the essence of good investing.
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Spotting an out-performer

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EXPERT OBSERVER
Real estate consumers would be better informed if media could let go of its obsession with median price movements and auction outcomes in the two biggest cities as the barometer of all things real estate.
The state of the nation, in terms of housing markets, is too often seen through the prism of the property price indexes and clearance rates for Sydney and Melbourne.
Not only does this ignore the different scenarios occurring in other important markets, but it tells us very little that’s useful.
Investors essentially want to know where prices are going to move before they move. A report telling consumers how much prices moved in the recent past simply tells consumers where they should  have bought a year ago.
Equally a report that Sydney’s clearance rate is regularly topping 70% doesn’t tell us where in Sydney people should be buying and it’s useless information if you’re interested in some other part of the country.
There are much more useful barometers that actually provide clues about where prices might rise before they do so. Sales volumes often provide evidence about where prices are likely to move, up or down, and that’s why I put so much time and effort into publishing my Price Predictor Index every quarter.
Trends in the rental market are also a useful indicator of what might happen with prices. There’s ample research that shows that rents often rise for a period before prices start to react. And rents rise because vacancies are low. We saw that scenario play out in Sydney (before the recent correction) and also in Hobart where prices remain strong, with vacancies the lowest in capital city Australia.
I note that Simon Pressley of Propertyology, a researcher whose work deserves respect and attention, has recently reported on the importance of vacancy rates as an indicator of future price trends. I certainly agree with Pressley that low vacancies and strong rentals can be a precursor to a period of price growth.
With that in mind, I’m always interested in precincts where vacancies are super tight, particularly when those places have other solid credentials.
And you have look beyond the generalised figures published in mainstream media. Sydney might have a vacancy rate around 3.5%, but there are local precincts with tight rental markets. Postcode 2168 in the Liverpool LGA has a vacancy rate of just 1.8% and includes a range of suburbs where affordable (by Sydney standards) suburbs are attracting first-home buyers and others. 
Melbourne, where markets are on the boil again, has many local precincts where rental markets are very tight. In the Moreland LGA, most postcodes have vacancy rates well under 2%. The Brunswick West postcode is currently 1.2%, according to SQM Research, while the postcode covering Coburg and Coburg North is 1.3%.
These are real estate locations with good bones and it’s worth noting that during the recent period when Melbourne prices generally were falling, many of the apartment markets throughout the Moreland LGA continued to achieve growth in their median prices – and the tight rental market has kept yields in the 4% to 4.5% range, which is above average for Melbourne.
Rental markets are even tighter in nearby Darebin – most postcodes have vacancy rates below 1.5%. The Northcote postcode is 1% and the Thornbury postcode is 0.9%. In Preston, the vacancy rate is 1.3%, the median price for apartments has risen in the past year, and the median rental yield is 4.6%.
As Melbourne generally recovers from the post-boom correction, locations like these are going to be strong performers.
One reason that Ballarat has been delivering such strong price growth in recent years is the strength of its rental market. Vacancies have been under 3% for the past five years and currently average around 1.5%. Many suburbs have had double-digit growth in their median house prices in the past 12 months.
The revival of many regional Queensland markets has been heralded by big improvements in their rental markets. Mackay provides a striking example. When the resources investment boom evaporated, vacancies rose in Mackay and prices inevitably fell. But now vacancies are around 1.5%, rental yields of 5.5%, 6% and higher are available, and prices are now responding.
There are numerous examples across the nation – but you’re not going to find out about them by reading our metropolitan newspapers.
Terry Ryder is the founder of hotspotting.com.au
<a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au">ryder@hotspotting.com.au</a>
twitter.com/hotspotting
 
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How to find real estate locations with good bones: Hotspotting's Terry Ryder

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The word “hotspot” has become one of the most over-used in Australian real estate.
Many times the word is mis-used and downright abused.
Last month I spoke at a seminar in Melbourne hosted by The Property Education Company, where Greville Pabst from WBP Property Group gave a well-informed presentation about identifying good investments. He commented that there is no such creature as a “hotspot” and that investors should not waste time searching for them.
And I would tend to agree with him, in terms of the definition many people apply to word – places that show short-term flash-in-the-pan spurts of price growth, such as mining towns which have been a recent graveyard for many investors.
The areas I identify as hotspots are places I believe will show superior growth over time, taking a long-term view.
In recent weeks there has been considerable publicity for a Housing Industry Association report which, according to media reports, identified the nation’s leading “housing hotspots”.
It’s importance for investors to understand what is really meant in this instance and the nature of these places. I would suggest that while these are hotspots according to the HIA definition, they are usually not good places to buy for capital growth. 
Darwin’s daily newspaper, the NT News, went overboard with parochial enthusiasm when it reported that “two housing markets in the Northern Territory rank among the strongest in the country”. Another media outlet reported that Pimpama on the northern fringe of the Gold Coast had been identified as “Australia’s top housing hotspot”.
It’s crucial to understand the nature of the HIA report, which is suggested by the report title – Population and Residential Building Hotspots 2017.
Essentially this report reveals the leading areas for new residential construction around the nation. These are places where there’s land available for new dwelling construction. You’re not going to find any middle-ring city suburbs in this report, because such places are built out and any new construction is likely to be apartments.
Locations make this report by virtue of high building approvals and high percentage population growth (usually from a very low base).
A “hotspot” is defined as a local area where population growth exceeds the national rate (which was 1.4 percent in the year to June 2016) and where the value of residential building approvals is more than $20 million.
The area in which Pimpama sits – the precinct between Brisbane and the Gold Coast – is always likely to feature in a report like this, because it has lots of largely empty land ripe for new development and it sits between two growing cities.
The two Darwin locations which the NT News claimed were among the nation’s leading housing markets are two new suburbs, Zuccoli and Lyons. The paper said Zuccoli was “the third strongest housing market in Australia” - which was seriously misleading.
The percentage growth rates for population in these places are high because they have been newly-created as suburbs only recently.
So are these good places to invest for capital growth? In most cases the answer is emphatically no. I would rate many of these locations as no go zones. The existence of ample land for ongoing new development means there’s no shortage of supply and often the capital growth rates are poor. Indeed developers often pile into these areas and create oversupply, which means prices fall.
The Gold Coast has been a national leader on population growth for decades but a poor performer on capital growth because developers periodically flood the market with new product. This is especially true in the high-rise unit market – the median apartment price in Surfers Paradise today is pretty much the same as it was 10 years ago – i.e. zero growth in the past decade.
Another example is provided by a new growth area which challenged the Gold Coast’s status as the leading LGA in the nation for population growth – Wyndham City in the south-west of the Melbourne metropolitan area. This happened because there’s lots of former rural land available for new suburbs there.
Six or so years ago widespread publicity about growth in Wyndham City caused the inevitable stampede by developers who quickly generated oversupply. Vacancies rose and prices fell. Developers employed marketeering companies to flog the unwanted product to distant investors, many of whom regretted believing the publicity about this being a national housing hotspot.
Zuccoli in the Darwin region is the opposite of a good place to buy. Darwin’s market has been in reverse for the past four years, with prices and rents falling, and the Zuccoli postcode currently has a 7 percent vacancy rate, according to SQM Research. CoreLogic data suggests the median price fell 17 percent in the past year.
The Pimpama postcode, ranked by the HIA report as the nation’s No.1 hotspot, has a vacancy rate around 5 percent. And the average annual growth rate for house prices over the past decade is less than 1 percent, similar to the performance of apartments in Surfers Paradise, for similar reasons – rampant supply has overpowered all the other positive growth drivers.
Construction hotspots, yes. Investment hotspots, no.
Terry Ryder is the founder of <a href="https://www.hotspotting.com.au/" target="_blank">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'" target="_blank">email him</a> or follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/hotspotting" target="_blank">Twitter.</a>
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Hotspot or no-go zone? Terry Ryder

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Tasmanian suburbs Glenorchy, Moonah and Kingston have been nominated as the three most affordable housing hotspots for the region in 2017, according to PRDnationwide’s Hobart Property Hotspots Second Half of 2016 report.
Glenorchy
Glenorchy is located 8km from the Hobart’s CBD and is one of the most affordable places to buy and rent, with a median house price of $269,500.
Recording strong annual median sale price growth of 10.5%, it boasts impressive investment figures with very low vacancy rates of 0.4%.
It is significantly lower than the Hobart average of 2.6%, and a strong rental yield of 5.9%.
A three bedroom house at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-tas-glenorchy-124448358">20 Lichan Place</a>, Glenorchy (above) has been listed for sale for $265,000.
Moonah
Moonah is located 5km from Hobart’s CBD. Its housing market has been gradually gaining momentum over the past few years.
Median prices in Moonah have grown a strong 12.0% in 2016, commanding an average of $310,125.
The extremely low vacancy rate of 0.4% and the rental yield of 5.7% are drawing the attention of buyers to it.
A three bedroom house at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-tas-moonah-124479046">27 Clifford Street</a>, Moonah (below) has been listed for sale for over $330,000.
<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/2017/02/02/27%20Clifford%20Street.jpg" alt="">
Kingston is located 12km south of Hobart’s CBD. The suburb has shown positive signs in 2016, earning it a place in both the house and unit hotspots for the second half of 2016.
New infrastructure projects commenced in 2016, valued at $1.7 million, will continue to further secure growth in the area and enhance its connectivity to wider Hobart. The area attracts a median house price of $399,475.
This growing suburb is home to a wide range of demographics with plenty to offer to families, couples and individuals.
A four bedroom house at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-tas-kingston-122540170">17 Lucas Street</a>, Kingston (below) has been listed for sale for between $380,000 to $400,000.<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/2017/02/02/17%20Lucas%20Street.jpg" alt="" style="font-size: 12.16px; line-height: 1.3em;">
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