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.

Joel Robinson

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

The Gold Coast Planning Committee has supported the preliminary approval for the Benowa Gardens Urban Village project following an extensive community consultation and assessment process.

The proposal will now proceed to a full council vote on June 2.

The application sought approval for a masterplanned urban village on the existing Benowa Gardens Shopping Centre site, combining new housing, retail, dining, health and lifestyle amenities within a walkable, integrated precinct.&nbsp;

The proposed redevelopment includes around 413 apartments integrated above a revitalised mixed-use centre featuring a full-line supermarket of 4,000 sqm, 6,000 sqm of specialty retail and dining space across around 30 retailers, a 7,000 sqm health and wellness precinct, and roughly 9,630 sqm of office and medical suites.&nbsp;

<img alt="$1b Benowa Gardens Urban Village moves to Full Council following Planning Committee support" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fb36ae47-80bc-45f0-9914-31b0c7b6007d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/PR26576%20Ashmore%20Road%20C4%201121%20FI.jpg?VersionId=6mRKk2uU4r67TmTt39DKGUlvFRbTVqWa" />

The broader masterplan also includes very significant traffic and transport improvements, wide pedestrian walkways, upgraded pedestrian and cycle connections, and enhanced public areas designed to create a more connected and walkable community environment.&nbsp;

Centre owner Patrick Lu said the milestone reflected months of detailed planning, technical assessment and ongoing communication with local residents, businesses, schools and stakeholders.

“We appreciate the time, consideration and care Council officers and the Planning Committee have given this proposal throughout the assessment process,” Lu said.

“We also sincerely thank the local community for engaging with us, sharing feedback and participating in the consultation process over many months.

<img alt="$1b Benowa Gardens Urban Village moves to Full Council following Planning Committee support" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="32fd1fc3-d0e6-485f-ac57-9916c9bcb818" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/PR26576%20Ashmore%20Road%20C5%201121%20FI_2.jpg?VersionId=fz8qQKDBLQ7MyFRc856Zccfbh9nFwLOe" />

“We understand projects of this scale bring questions and concerns, which is why we have worked hard to listen carefully, provide information transparently and continue refining elements of the proposal where possible.

“Our vision has always been to create a well-designed, community-focused urban village that responds to the changing needs of the Gold Coast, while delivering improved amenity, housing diversity, healthcare access and local lifestyle benefits.

“This proposal is about creating a genuine live-work-play environment where residents can access everyday services, schools, healthcare, dining, shopping and green space within walking distance, while also supporting local jobs and economic activity.”

<img alt="$1b Benowa Gardens Urban Village moves to Full Council following Planning Committee support" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="50dfbd04-590e-4fc6-983b-766880947867" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Dining%20Day%20Time%20-%20High%20Resolution.jpg?VersionId=BP7ZoKJ0DdL_8iRkkC8VVx99moICV6kg" />

Lu said the proposal had evolved significantly through consultation and technical review, particularly around traffic, pedestrian and student safety and neighbourhood connectivity.&nbsp;

Melissa Griffin, Director at Urbis, said the recommendation recognised the strategic importance of delivering more housing and services within established urban areas already supported by infrastructure.

“This proposal represents the type of thoughtful, integrated growth that planning frameworks across South-East Queensland are encouraging,” Ms Griffin said.

“The project seeks to place housing, retail, healthcare and employment opportunities together in a highly accessible location close to schools, transport and existing services.

“Importantly, the process has involved significant technical assessment and community engagement to ensure local issues and feedback were properly considered throughout the planning pathway.”

$1 billion Benowa Gardens Urban Village heads to council vote following Planning Committee support

Surfers Paradise is officially set for its first new residential development with a 45-storey skybridge connecting the two towers.

John Camilleri’s Celestino Developments has been given the green light by the Gold Coast City Council to develop its major beachfront precinct across its huge 4,000 sqm oceanfront site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/63-79-garfield-terrace-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">63–79 Garfield Terrace</a>, just five months after its <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/first-look-exclusive-billionaire-winx-breeder-s-bold-two-tower-surfers-paradise-play-with-45th-storey-skybridge">submission in late 2025</a>.

The approved scheme will deliver two towers rising 55 and 48 storeys, connected by a skybridge positioned on level 45 that will house a range of resident-only wellness and entertainment spaces.

In its notice of approval, the Gold Coast City Council said the&nbsp;proposed overall built form has been designed to complement the scale, intensity and protect the adjacent amenity and surrounding streets through the use of varied setbacks, site cover and architectural elements.

<img alt="First look exclusive: Billionaire Winx breeder’s bold two-tower Surfers Paradise play with 45th-storey skybridge" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/f_auto,c_limit,w_1440,q_75/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/field/image/Screenshot%202025-12-30%20at%209.53.48%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=ADyPJ_TFbJvSU9wZFOiCBnlPtgF7VWqW" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/dbi">DBI</a>, the development will comprise 275 apartments across the two towers, including a mix of two-, three-, and four-bedroom residences, as well as several penthouses. The apartments will sit above a landscaped podium featuring more than 90 metres of beachfront pool frontage, private resident lawns, lounges, and wellness spaces.

DBI said the design draws heavily from the movement and form of the coastal environment, with curving balcony lines and sculpted façades intended to soften the scale of the towers while maximising ocean outlooks and passive shading outcomes.

“The project occupies a rare, uninterrupted oceanfront site and has been shaped by a design philosophy that merges architectural elegance with environmental responsiveness and a carefully curated lifestyle experience,” DBI said in planning documents submitted to the Gold Coast City Council.

The most distinctive element of the approved project is the skybridge linking the two towers at level 45. The elevated communal space is planned to include executive lounges, formal dining areas, wellness facilities, and panoramic ocean-facing outlooks.

“The skybridge enhances the identity of the development, promotes social interaction, and delivers a lifestyle experience not found elsewhere on the Gold Coast,” DBI said.

At podium level, residents will have access to a suite of resort-style amenities, including resident lounges, private dining rooms, a yoga lawn, gymnasium, plunge pools, and treatment spaces. The beachfront pool has been designed with separate lap, lounge, and children’s areas extending across the width of the site.

The project will also introduce new food and beverage offerings along the Enderley Avenue and Oceanway frontages, contributing additional activation to the beachfront precinct.

First look: Winx billionaire’s beachfront Surfers Paradise apartment development greenlit

Melbourne

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A Melbourne based investor has paid $745,000 on a 5.4 per cent yield for a securely leased strata retail property at Hampton in Melbourne’s south-eastern bayside suburbs.
Teska Carson’s George Takis held the auction before the lockdown.
It attracted a strong contingent of local and off-shore investors with competition among several bidders from a lively crowd. 
"This was a great result for the vendor, exceeding expectations based on the very good lease profile and location, along with the strata nature of the property which may deliver lower associated costs including the land tax component,’’ Mr Takis said. 
Located at 515 Hampton Street, the 125 square metre ground floor property forms part of a residential development and benefits from rear storage space, five metres street frontage and on-site parking.
The property was sold subject to a four year lease with options to O’Brien Real Estate, at $40,365 per annum net.
 
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Hampton strata retail sold to local investor

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Melbourne laneways are famous for its cobbled bluestone laneways. 
If we think of the bluestone in Melbourne, we may first think of the famous cobbled laneways intersecting the urban grid.
Initially, these laneways were used for the collection of night soil – human excrement collected at night from buckets or privies – and they are still useful routes for collecting rubbish and recycling bins. But laneways are increasingly being reclaimed as lively strips for cafes, bars, restaurants and galleries in the city, or re-made as <a href="https://www.ausleisure.com.au/news/city-of-melbourne-unveils-first-green-laneway/" target="_blank">gardens</a> in the suburbs.
Laneways are an important part of Melbourne’s heritage infrastructure, protected by legislation and design guides. And they are often defended by enthusiasts whenever a local council threatens to remove the bluestones or pave them over with asphalt.
The other thing we might think of when it comes to bluestone in Melbourne are landmark buildings such as Pentridge Prison (still known affectionately as the “bluestone college”) and the Old Melbourne Gaol in Russell St.
Then there is the more elegant gothic style of St Patrick’s Cathedral, or the brutal modernism of the National Gallery of Victoria. Several blocks further down St Kilda Road are the grand Victoria Barracks, festooned with gorgeous crimson Boston Ivy in autumn.
Deep bluestone foundations also underpin some of the city’s most famous sandstone buildings: the Victorian Parliament, the Treasury, the Town Hall and the Supreme Court.
These dark grey stones that line and frame its streets and buildings are an important feature of Melbourne’s urban identity. Here’s how it began.
From furious beginnings
The formations of bluestone are paradoxically both fast and slow, and begin with explosions of fire and rock.
In successive periods of <a href="https://museumsvictoria.com.au/website/melbournemuseum/discoverycentre/600-million-years/timeline/quaternary/western-district-volcanoes/index" target="_blank">volcanic activity</a> to the north and south-west of Melbourne (some from 4.5 million years ago, some as recent as 10,000 years ago), rocks and boulders were thrown up as flaming projectiles or poured out of volcanoes as molten lava.
From these furious beginnings, basalt settles into the heavy dark stones we now associate with stability and endurance.
But the consistency of bluestone varies widely, depending on how it was formed. When it cools slowly, it’s hard and smooth, with barely a flaw, or at most a delicate thread of tiny bubbles. This is the highest grade stone, used for smooth surfaces such as hearthstones and front-facing walls.
But if a flying boulder lands in water, it cools more rapidly, so pockets of gas produce bubbles, even sometimes a honey-comb effect.
The quality, colour and consistency of bluestone used in Melbourne also varies according to the quarries from which it’s sourced; or whether it comes from Australia or overseas.
Uses in Indigenous culture
Geological time is almost beyond our reckoning, though Indigenous culture and history helps us read these formations on a human scale. A stone axe-head, found deep beneath layers of volcanic ash at <a href="http://www.worngundidj.org.au/?q=tower-hill/about-reserve">Tower Hill</a>, suggests Indigenous people would have witnessed some of the volcanic activity on this site.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/281499/original/file-20190627-76705-1etkjff.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/281499/original/file-20190627-76705-1etkjff.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
A sketch from 1837 showing The Falls, a stretch of bluestone crossing the Yarra that acted as a natural bridge. (Source: State Library of Victoria)<a class="source" href="http://digital.slv.vic.gov.au/view/action/nmets.do?DOCCHOICE=295764.xml&amp;dvs=1561599813270~465&amp;locale=en_US&amp;search_terms=&amp;adjacency=&amp;VIEWER_URL=/view/action/nmets.do?&amp;DELIVERY_RULE_ID=4&amp;divType=&amp;usePid1=true&amp;usePid2=true"> </a>
Important traces of Indigenous knowledge and use of bluestone have also been discovered throughout Melbourne and elsewhere in Victoria.
For instance, bluestone was used for an eel trap system carbon-dated to 6,600 years old, developed near Lake Condah in the sacred <a href="https://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/national/budj-bim" target="_blank">Budj Bim</a> landscape.
There’s also the natural basalt-bluestone ledge across the Yarra river — known as “<a href="https://overland.org.au/2012/07/melbourne-from-the-falls/" target="_blank">The Falls</a>” — which separated fresh and salt water. It was used as a meeting place for different tribal groups, but was removed in the 1880s.
And there are basalt stones arranged as astronomical markers at <a href="https://www3.astronomicalheritage.net/index.php/show-entity?identity=15&amp;idsubentity=1" target="_blank">Wurdi Youang</a>, near Lara.
Settler buildings
Bluestone was the obvious choice <a href="https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/SiteCollectionDocuments/operating-procedure-bluestone.pdf" target="_blank">for construction</a> when Melbourne was a booming gold-rush city in the 1850s. It was cheap and plentiful, and there was convict labor to cut and haul its heavy weight.
But as early as the 1880s, bluestone had become unfashionable, perceived as too dark, somber and forbidding.
Bluestone has a somber, dark appearance – an appropriate material for the Old Melbourne Gaol.
Bluestone buildings were increasingly lightened with sandstone or white stucco edges and borders, while granite and sandstone became the stones of choice for grand public buildings.
Now, bluestone is prized again for its heritage value. But “heritage” is always a movable category, susceptible to changes in both fashion and feeling about the past.
There is something compelling about the way stone helps us think about time, history and change. As Jeffrey Jerome Cohen <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5749/j.ctt155jmth" target="_blank">observes</a>:
<blockquote>
to lay hand upon stone is to press against time in material form.
</blockquote>
Bluestone is prized today for its markers of history
In my own work <a href="https://minerva-access.unimelb.edu.au/bitstream/handle/11343/129561/Bluestone.pdf?sequence=1&amp;isAllowed=y" target="_blank">researching bluestone</a>, I’m collecting more recent personal narratives about this stone.
Many Melburnians have powerful stories about the way its characteristic square “pitchers” and long rectangular building blocks are bought and sold, collected and dispersed, recycled or moved from one site to another, from public buildings to suburban gardens and makeshift walls. It’s as if the citizens were playing a mysterious, long-range collective game of Lego.
 
Some of the most prized stones are those that seem to bear the ancient marks of wheels, or of convict labor, whether in the form of initials and arrows chiselled into the stone, or the more mundane markers of manual work.
Gardeners, builders and diggers of cellars struggle with the large “floaters” under old houses and in the gardens in the north and western suburbs, straining to lever them from the black sticky clay of the <a href="http://vro.agriculture.vic.gov.au/dpi/vro/vrosite.nsf/pages/soil_vic_contenders_black_vertosol">Merri Creek soil</a>, famously used as the basis of the MCG cricket pitch.
Melbourne’s bluestone history is not just geological and cultural: it is also an emotional one, as we constantly redefine our relationship with this distinctive stone.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/118755/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;">
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/stephanie-trigg-142520" target="_blank">Stephanie Trigg</a>, Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor of English Literature, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-melbourne-722" target="_blank">University of Melbourne</a>
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/from-molten-lava-to-cobbled-laneways-how-bluestone-shaped-melbournes-identity-118755" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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From molten lava to cobbled laneways, how bluestone shaped Melbourne: Stephanie Trigg

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The median Melbourne rental yield has fallen moderately, according to the CoreLogic June 2020 quarterly rental review.
House yields in the Victorian capital sit at 2.8% (down from 3.3% 12 months ago), and unit yields sit at 3.9% (down from 4.5% 12 months ago).
The current combined median yield (for all property types) is 3.2%, down from 3.7% 12 months ago.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2020/7/29/cap%20cities%20yield.png" alt="">
This reflects a downturn of 0.6% month-on-month and 1.0% over the quarter.
For renters, this translates to a median rental price of $453 ($460 for houses and $446 for units).
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2020/7/29/cap%202.png" alt="">
In the 12 months to June, rental yields fell across seven of the eight capital city markets. Perth was the only exception.
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Melbourne rental yields take hit in June: CoreLogic Quarterly Rental Review

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A 27-level high state-of-the-art commercial office building on Little Collins Street has been approved by the City of Melbourne.
It is set to redefine the traditional office space by creating a vertical community with a strong emphasis on sustainability, technology, health and well-being.
Developed by Golden Age Group and featuring an all-star design team by Cox Architecture, Hecker Guthrie and Jack Merlo, 130 Little Collins Street will combine retail and office spaces, including state-of-the-art amenities, private end of trip facilities and sustainable garden terraces throughout.
Golden Age purchased the site in 2019 from the Uniting Church, where it served as the Uniting Church’s Victorian and Tasmanian headquarters for the last 52 years since the building was built in 1967.
Golden Age Group Founder and Managing Director Jeff Xu said 130 Little Collins Street reimagines the typical commercial office building and in a post-COVID world, is more relevant than ever before.
“The typical commercial building has been turned on its head as a result of COVID; businesses have realised they can work efficiently outside of the corporate environment and they no longer want to share with hundreds of other tenants.
“Instead, we’re foreseeing a preference towards more boutique floorplans as a result of businesses scaling down their requirements for an office, coupled with something that greater emphasises lifestyle, which we’ve achieved through sustainable design, state of the art amenities and new-age technology.
“!30 Little Collins Street is more akin to a lifestyle hotel design than a typical commercial office tower,” he said.
On offer will be food and beverage offerings; a business centre; office spaces throughout; garden terraces; an airline lounge and a communal garden rooftop terrace.
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With an emphasis on sustainability and wellbeing, 130 Little Collins Street will look to target 5-Star NABERS, 5-Star Green Star Design &amp; As-Built, in addition to WELL Certification.
The project is set to launch to market in the coming months.
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Golden Age Group receives green light for new state-of-the-art commercial office building

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EXPERT OBSERVER
The six-month annualised growth rate in the Westpac-Melbourne Institute Leading Index, which indicates the likely pace of economic activity relative to trend three to nine months into the future, rose from –4.43% in June to –4.37% in July.
The Index growth rate remains in deep negative territory consistent with recession. However, it appears to have bottomed out in April at -5.61% and, without the recent disaster in Victoria, it seemed certain that the June quarter would have marked the low point in the growth cycle.
Victoria represents around 25% of national output. We expect the hard lockdown following the renewed virus outbreak to see the Victorian economy contract by 9% in the September quarter. That will offset the ongoing recovery we expect to be unfolding in other states as they continue to reopen, albeit at varying speeds.
For Australia overall, we expect growth in the economy to be flat in the September quarter before lifting by 2.8% in the December quarter on the assumption that Victoria moves through Stage 4 to Stage 2 and the other states avoid ‘second wave’ outbreaks.
The Leading Index growth rate has now lifted 1.24ppts out of what was a deep hole in April (growth relative to trend bottoming at –5.61%). That has been led by strong initial rebounds in two components: US industrial production (adding +1.75ppts) and hours worked (adding 0.78ppts). However, these gains have been materially offset by deteriorations in several other components, including: dwelling approvals (–0.47ppts); the Westpac-Melbourne Institute Unemployment Expectations Index (–0.43ppts); and the Westpac-Melbourne Institute Consumer Expectations Index (–0.31ppts).
Indeed, the three-monthly improvement would have been about double the size, and much more convincing, if it had not been for the renewed weakening in these other components. In the case of sentiment-based components, the weakness since April clearly captures the initial impact of the Stage 4 lockdown in Victoria – which saw a particularly disturbing nationwide drag on confidence in the August month.
Looking over the six months since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Index still shows a large, broad-based weakening. July’s growth rate is 3.26ppts below its February pace. Six of the eight components have driven the fall: US industrial production (–1.52ppts); aggregate monthly hours worked (–0.78ppts); the S&amp;P/ASX200 (–0.45ppts); dwelling approvals (–0.40ppts); and the two consumer sentiment based components (a combined–0.48ppts). Commodity prices (+0.14ppts) and the yield spread (+0.23ppts) have provided some slight offsets.
While we always provide this standard six month comparison the key in these extraordinary times is the lift we have seen since April, which is signalling some improvement, while noting the recent impact on confidence components in response to the Stage 4 lockdown in Victoria.
The Reserve Bank Board next meets on September 1 and we can expect the Board to maintain current policies.
From a policy perspective the next major event will be the Commonwealth Budget which will be announced on October 6. Westpac expects the government will be committed to providing generous ongoing support to the economy. However, most of this support is likely to be of a non-recurring form including bringing forward the July 2022 tax cuts; one off payments; and infrastructure spending.
BILL EVANS is the <a href="https://www.westpac.com.au/news/authors/bill-evans/" target="_blank">chief economist at Westpac</a>.
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Westpac's Melbourne leading index has bottomed out: Bill Evans

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The total vacant space available for occupancy in Melbourne's CBD office market will be nearly 235,000 square metres over the next three years, however only 32,551 square metres is expected to be available in 2020.
That is according to the Melbourne CBD Office Market 2020 and Beyond report from M3 Property.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2020/8/5/M3%201.png" alt="">
The bulk – more than 91,000 square metres - will hit the market in 2021, and a further 66,350 square metres will become available in 2022.
The report found that while the market has already been hit hard by the Coronavirus, with many tenants delaying new requirements, it is new development space already under construction that will be the key upward driver of vacancy over the next six months.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2020/8/5/M3%202.png" alt="">
The good news, according to Director Commercial, Gary Longden, is that a potential blowout in backfill space, which may have dramatically amplified the vacancy carnage, now seems likely to have been averted by the extension of the JobKeeper program.
"There seems little doubt that employers would have faced the unenviable task of letting staff go without JobKeeper support and so the decision to prolong the package is pretty much a game changer, you might say, at least in the short term."
"In terms of vacancy it now seems more likely that we will see a much sharper upward trend over the next two years than we will see this year,'' Mr Longden added.
National Director Research, Amita Mehra, said tenants requiring space in the sub 3000 square metre range looked likely to punch above their weight in terms of their impact on the market's fortunes with the cohort responsible for the majority of tenant enquiries that had been put on hold indefinitely.
"This cohort contributed to a little more than 22 per cent of the total area required, but the indecision in that sector of the market may have a more profound short-term impact than those tenants with larger leasing requirements who, of necessity, need to plan much farther ahead"
"We expect requirements for space less than 3000sqm to be on hold for as much as 12-18 months with a potential increase in the probability of tenants exercising options over their existing leases,'' Ms Mehra said.
The report further found that the Business Services employment category - the second largest occupier of office space in the CBD - had the highest percentage of total jobs lost (7292) and that with current workspace space ratios in that sector at 17.36 square metres, the loss may result in 126,570 square metres of sublease or backfill space.
On the other hand the Finance &amp; Insurance sector has been least affected with no jobs lost for the same March 14 to May 2 period.
Mr Longden said trend unemployment rates across employment categories and their impact on a building's tenancy profile may well have a negative result on building values.
Ms Mehra said m3property's analysis of the Coronavirus's potential impact on the Melbourne CBD vacancy rate had raised three forecast scenarios according to potential variations in tenant demand, net absorption and potential backfill space availability.
"With Scenario 1 - based on current economic and employment forecasts - vacancy would first peak at 6.51% by the end of 2021 and reach a second peak by the end of 2024 at 6.90%."
"Under Scenario 2 – based on the long-term average net absorption – we expect vacancy will rise to 6.73% by the end of 2020 and reach a second peak by the end of 2024 at 7.83%, and under Scenario 3 – based on the previous downturn net absorption averages – we see vacancy continuing to rise from the end of 2020 (7.33%) and reach a peak of 9.50% by the end of 2024,'' she concluded.
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Melbourne CBD office market faces uncertain road ahead: M3 Property report

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There was a 60 percent clearance rate from the 103 reported weekend auction results in Melbourne.
With many homes selling prior and 39 properties withdrawn, agents in Melbourne had 124 scheduled auctions.
Auctions and inspections can be held only online.
There were 545 auctions on the same August weekend last year, according to Domain.
More than 520 properties were scheduled for auction in Sydney on Saturday, with agents securing a preliminary clearance rate of 65.9 per cent from 330 reported results.
There were 83 properties withdrawn from auction.
Pre-auction Friday night buyer competition saw a northern beaches property sell at $7.05 million.
It was a five-bedroom home at 3 Wood Street. 
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2020/8/14/CL%20AUG%2016.JPG" alt="">
There were 1,042 homes up for auction across the combined capital cities this week, down from 1,150 over the previous week and 1,228 this time last year.
Preliminary results show that of the 810 results collected so far, 64.3 per cent have recorded a successful result, down slightly from last week’s preliminary clearance rate of 65.9 per cent, which revised down to 58.4 per cent on final numbers. This time last year, the combined capital cities recorded a final clearance rate of 73.0 per cent.
The number of auctions held across Melbourne was averaging around 530 each week prior to the implementation of new restrictions. 
There were 668 homes scheduled for auction in Sydney this week, up from 640 over the previous week and 446 this time last year. Sydney hasn’t recorded this many auctions over a week since the first week of April.
Preliminary results show the city recorded a clearance rate of 67.8 per cent this week, slightly higher than last week’s preliminary result of 65.8 per cent, which later revised down to 58.8 per cent. This time last year, a final clearance rate of 76.2 per cent was recorded across the city.
Across the smaller cities, Canberra came in with the highest preliminary clearance rate over the week (75.9 per cent), followed by Adelaide (60.0 per cent).
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60 percent Melbourne clearance rate from 103 auctions

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The REIV is expecting about 150 auctions in 102 suburbs this week. 
Down on 188 auctions held last week, excluding the 24 that were postponed and the 66 that were withdrawn.
This week last year saw 529 auctions.
The top auction suburb in Melbourne this week are Northcote with 7 auctions. South Morang, Craigieburn, Preston and Pascoe Vale follow, each with 4 listings.
In contrast, Sydney auctions volumes are trending higher. 713 auctions are scheduled across the city this week, a 11% rise on last week’s volumes (640) and 59% higher than scheduled volumes from one year ago (446). This week’s auction volume is set to be the highest for Sydney since the first week of April.
Across the smaller auction markets, Adelaide is the only market expected to see a rise in auctions held over the week, with Brisbane and Canberra set to host fewer auctions and Perth volumes are to remain steady. Tasmania has one scheduled auction this week.
There are 1,085 homes scheduled for auction across the combined capital cities this week, down slightly on the 1,150 auctions last week and lower than the 1,228 last year.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2020/8/13/CL%20AUG%209.JPG" alt="">
Despite restrictions in Victoria, August’s auction results have remained steady after a record July Ray White.
This week Victorians face the first full week of Stage Four restrictions in which online auctions from anywhere but the auctioneers’ homes have been banned.
However, Ray White Victoria offices have entered the week on a high after recording an 80 per cent auction day clearance rate last weekend. Ray White auctions in Melbourne also attracted an average of 4.5 registered bidders, proving that buyer confidence is hard to rattle.
Ray White Cheltenham Director Kevin Chokshi is set to auction off 5 Gilford Grove (pictured in title).
Mr Chokshi said houses in the tightly-held Pennydale Estate of Cheltenham have always done well with buyers.
“It’s a really highly sought after pocket of Cheltenham and the sellers have maintained the house really well including repainting, refurbishment and styling for sale,” Mr Chokshi said.
Meanwhile, 7 Bishop Avenue, Diamond Creek is also set to sell successfully under the hammer through Ray White Diamond Creek Director Narelle King. The auction will be called by Ray White Victoria Chief Auctioneer Matthew Condon.
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Northcote is Melbourne's busiest auction suburb this weekend

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Melbourne’s preliminary auction clearance rate sat at 60.3 per cent from 123 reported results, when Melbourne faced its first auction day under stage 4 restrictions at the weekend,
After the tough restrictions, buyers were unable to inspect homes in person on auction day, but there were 218 properties still scheduled to go under the hammer.
Some 56 were withdrawn from auction.
Buyers had previously about two weeks to view the properties in person at a private inspections before Melbourne’s stage 4 COVID-19 restrictions came into effect.
The top sale was $2.76 million at 12 Glenmore Crescent, Black Rock (pictured in title).
It was $360,000 more than the top end of its asking price range with just the two bidders.
There was a $1,751,000 sale of a four bedroom house, a likely redevelopment, at 8 Kangerong Rd, Box Hill.
There had been $1,500,000 to $1,650,000 price guidance.
REALas had $1,609,000 value guidance.
A three-bedroom house at 39 Iffla Street, South Melbourne, sold under the virtual hammer for $1,732,500 which was $157,500 above reserve.
Melbourne auctions must now be held at an auctioneer’s home, rather than at agency offices, which have been closed under the new rules.
With five weeks of the lockdown to go, agents are expecting a very quiet month.
Sydney’s preliminary auction clearance rate sat at 61.5 per cent from 328 reported results, Domain reported.
There were 577 properties scheduled to go under the hammer which was the busiest Saturday since mid-April.
Some 103 offerings were withdrawn from auction.
An six-bedroom, eight-bathroom house at 22 Llandillo Avenue, Strathfield fetched $6,305,000, the highest advised price.
The two-storey home attracted seven registered bidders, with six getting to bid during the auction. 
The 765 sqm building block last sold for $2.41 million in 2015. 
There was an unreported sale of the three-level house in Drummoyne at a private auction for an undisclosed price believed to be over $8.5 million.
The Burnell Street house was expected to sell for $7 million.
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Melbourne weekend auction vendors secure lockdown sales

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Rental homes are now more accessible in Melbourne as vacancy rates relaxed slightly in June, while the rental market tightened further in Regional Victoria.
The REIV recorded a healthy 3.0 per cent vacancy rate in Melbourne while Regional Victoria recorded a further tightening of the rental market with 1.8 per cent.
The slight increase in vacancy rate did not impact the median rents with Melbourne median rental prices for houses now at $473 per week, $13 more than the previous month.
Median rents for Metropolitan units have also increased, from $410 per week in May to $420 per week for June.
Rental prices in regional Victoria are holding firm, with median house rents remaining unchanged on $350 per week for the past six consecutive months, regional units are sitting at $300 per week, a $5 increase on May.
The relaxation of vacancy rates could be largely attributed to inner city areas as smaller properties move from short term rentals like Airbnb. Fall in visitors, international students has meant that more property owners are returning to the traditional rental market.
REIV President Leah Calnan Melbourne’s rental market continues to grow.
“Melbourne’s rental market is holding firm in the face of the Coronavirus pandemic creating unique conditions.” Ms Calnan said.
“The relaxing of vacancy rates means there are more homes available for people to rent, and there has never been a more important time to have a roof over your head.”
“This rental data, combined with the annual growth shown in the June Quarterly Medians, demonstrates the strength and resilience of the Victorian property market.”
<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/2020/7/31/1_REIV%20MELBOURNE.jpg" alt="">
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Source: REIV 
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