One of North Sydney's best-known commercial buildings could become hundreds of new homes, with insurance giant Zurich Australia lodging a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) to transform 5 Blue Street into a mixed-use residential development above North Sydney Station.

Rather than demolishing the existing building and starting again, Zurich is proposing an adaptive reuse project that would convert the landmark office building into a 15-level residential development delivering 62 apartments, 86 affordable co-living dwellings, activated retail and significant upgrades to the Blue Street Plaza.

The proposal reflects a growing trend of commercial property owners repositioning ageing office assets into residential housing as Sydney grapples with housing supply shortages and changing workplace demand.

<img alt="Zurich" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0bba7d12-06dc-4375-aad7-238c94b21ac5" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%2010.42.05%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=NJl5oLAEBDGuPmY3RnyliKODjMc8lvRh" />

Located directly above North Sydney Metro and train station, the 3,051 sqm site occupies one of the most strategically positioned parcels of land on Sydney's Lower North Shore.

Designed by fjcstudio, the proposal seeks to retain and adapt much of the existing structure while creating a contemporary residential address that better connects with the public domain surrounding North Sydney Station.

The application proposes two basement levels, ground floor retail, affordable co-living accommodation across the podium levels, and apartments above, while preserving and enhancing the publicly accessible Blue Street Plaza.

Rather than pursuing maximum apartment numbers, Zurich has opted for a housing mix heavily weighted towards larger owner-occupier residences.

The proposal includes 62 build-to-sell apartments comprising 12 one-bedroom, 19 two-bedroom, 29 three-bedroom apartments and two premium penthouses. It also incorporates 86 affordable co-living dwellings, which would be managed in perpetuity by a Community Housing Provider.

That balance between traditional apartments and affordable housing reflects the NSW Government's push to increase housing diversity around major transport infrastructure.

The proposal has been lodged concurrently with a rezoning application, with Zurich arguing the site is ideally positioned to support additional housing given its immediate proximity to public transport, employment and services.

"The proposal aims to respond to the housing challenges facing Sydney through the delivery of diverse housing types in a highly accessible location," the design report by fjcstudio states. It also seeks to improve pedestrian amenity through upgrades to Blue Street Plaza while creating a high-performing residential building that responds to the surrounding context.

<img alt="Zurich" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="36082e15-c636-4481-bb68-5a5f6443fe39" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%2010.41.36%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=5P6VD.fvmqjQfIG3TWWMRXxQWiQBjeFB" />

Rather than replacing the commercial building, fjcstudio has developed a design that works with the existing structural framework above the rail corridor, an approach that significantly reduces demolition while allowing the site to be repositioned as a mixed-use residential precinct.

The existing structural constraints have informed much of the building's design, including its relationship with Blue Street and surrounding public spaces.

The building has been designed as a slender tower rising above a clearly defined podium, with vertically expressed façades intended to reduce the perceived bulk while reinforcing North Sydney's emerging skyline.

According to fjcstudio, the architectural language responds directly to the surrounding commercial towers while maintaining a finer grain expression more closely aligned with the neighbouring Lavender Bay streetscape.

The tower incorporates articulated façade elements, landscaped podium edges and recessed upper levels to soften its appearance and improve pedestrian amenity below.

A significant component of the proposal is the revitalisation of Blue Street Plaza.

The existing public space has long served as one of the primary pedestrian connections between North Sydney Station, Greenwood Plaza and Blue Street, yet its role is expected to become even more important following the opening of Sydney Metro.

Zurich's proposal seeks to strengthen that role by improving landscaping, introducing new retail frontages, enhancing pedestrian permeability and creating more active edges throughout the day and evening.

Ground floor retail would wrap the plaza, while separate residential and co-living entries have been designed to improve wayfinding without reducing street activation.

Landscape design has been integrated throughout the podium and public realm, softening what is currently one of the most heavily urbanised parts of North Sydney.

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fjcstudio has carefully oriented apartments towards Sydney Harbour and the CBD while using privacy blades and articulated façades to minimise overlooking between neighbouring buildings.

Large framed openings along the western elevation maximise harbour outlooks, while the eastern apartments have been angled towards the south-east to improve privacy from neighbouring development.

The project forms part of the continuing transformation of North Sydney from a predominantly commercial CBD into a genuine mixed-use city centre.

Since the completion of Victoria Cross Metro Station, developers have increasingly shifted their attention towards residential projects capable of leveraging the area's unparalleled transport connectivity.

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FiveX recently lodged plans for a 61-storey, 490-apartment tower that would become one of the tallest residential buildings in North Sydney if approved.

Aqualand continues to expand its Lower North Shore presence following the completion of AURA on Walker Street and its recent St Leonards and Roseville proposals.

Developers are also progressing projects throughout Walker Street, Miller Street and the Victoria Cross precinct as demand for well-located owner-occupier apartments continues to strengthen.

Joel Robinson

First look: Zurich targets North Sydney office conversion with 148-unit proposal above Metro station

Busy developer Aqualand Prestige has formally taken the next step in its expansion across Sydney's Lower North Shore, lodging a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for its long-held Archer Street site in Chatswood.

The application covers <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/51-55-archer-street-chatswood-nsw-2067">51-55 Archer Street</a>, a 1,767 sqm amalgamated site on the eastern edge of the Chatswood CBD, where the developer is seeking approval for a 45-level mixed-use tower delivering 114 apartments, including a significant affordable housing component, alongside retail, commercial space and six basement levels of parking.

The SSDA marks the latest milestone for a project Aqualand has been quietly progressing over the past two years. The developer first secured the site for its Aqualand Prestige platform before undertaking an alternative design excellence process with PTW Architects, ultimately avoiding a formal design competition through the Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

The proposal has evolved considerably from Aqualand's original concept. The revised scheme has been designed around larger owner-occupier product, with an unusually high proportion of three and four-bedroom apartments, targeting the more affluent buyer profile, and downsizer, emerging across the North Shore.

<img alt="Archer St" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0171204c-5811-41b5-9b09-2335d1b7c3d0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%208.52.48%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=6YTuxfq.puZo7k2wbfgemcO5K3QfXYGQ" />

The 114-apartment mix comprises six studios, 27 one-bedroom apartments, 18 two-bedroom apartments, 50 three-bedroom residences and 13 four-bedroom homes. A quarter of the building will be dedicated to affordable housing, well above the mandated 15 per cent&nbsp;

PTW has structured the building vertically, with affordable housing across levels one to six, premium apartments through levels seven to 31, duplex skyhomes on klevels 32 to 43, a penthouse on level 44, and a rooftop plant level above. Six basement levels will provide resident parking and servicing.

The tower is proposed to reach approximately 154 metres, placing it among a growing collection of residential high-rises transforming Chatswood's skyline.

Rather than competing purely on height, PTW says the design has been driven by creating a slimmer tower capable of delivering significantly larger apartments.

"The primary objective of this project was to create a distinctive building that stands out from the recently approved or built structures in the Chatswood area," the design report states, noting the structural efficiency allows greater investment into apartment quality and resident amenity.

Residents would have access to more than 450 sqm of communal open space including landscaped gardens, swimming pool, rooftop entertaining areas, fitness spaces, community gardens, children's play areas and barbecue facilities.

A major focus of the design has been the public domain.

The ground plane has been opened up through landscaped terraces inspired by Willoughby's sandstone ridges, with native planting, public seating, artwork, retail activation and a series of gathering spaces intended to soften what has traditionally been a hard commercial streetscape.

The landscape strategy references Blue Gum forests once common throughout the area, while incorporating Indigenous storytelling, public art and lighting installations to strengthen the connection to Country.

Chatswood has been one of Sydney's busiest apartment markets over the past 12 months, with a steady pipeline of both new project launches and fresh development applications.

Hyecorp recently launched Celine, a 122-apartment development just along Archer Street, while Changfa and Huirong Group are progressing The Anderson, an 84-apartment project on Anderson Street.

Develotek recently secured approval for a 101-apartment tower on Pacific Highway, while Tian An LFD received the green light for Hammond Greens, its apartment development on the edge of the Chatswood Bowling Club.

Commercial property developer FiveX is also making its move into the residential market. Last month it lodged plans for a 61-storey tower with 490 apartments, which, if approved, would become one of the tallest residential buildings in Chatswood.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-fivex-targets-chatswood-skyline-with-61-storey-tower-after-north-sydney-plans">First look: FiveX targets Chatswood skyline with 61-storey tower after North Sydney plans</a>

Aqualand is also expanding its development pipeline following the launch of its luxury residential brand, Aqualand Prestige. The developer has delivered a string of high-end apartment projects across Sydney's affluent suburbs over the past decade, most recently AURA by Aqualand on Walker Street in North Sydney.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=30959 project_image_fid=292863]

It has since quietly assembled its next wave of projects.

Earlier this year Aqualand launched Boronia in Roseville, a boutique 111-apartment development on Larkin Street. The project is one of the first significant apartment developments to launch in the suburb ahead of what is expected to become one of Sydney's most active new housing precincts under the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing reforms, which allow greater density around train stations.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152095 project_image_fid=373685]

The developer has also lodged plans for a two-tower, 413-apartment development on Herbert Street in nearby St Leonards, further strengthening its presence across the Lower North Shore.

Beyond that, Aqualand remains behind the final stage of Barangaroo, where plans will deliver a five-hectare mixed-use precinct comprising new homes, retail, hospitality and community facilities, alongside a new Metro entrance and more than two hectares of public open space, completing the Barangaroo precinct.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/central-barangaroo-development-takes-big-step-with-concept-proposal-approval">Central Barangaroo development takes big step with concept proposal approval</a>

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-aqualand-joins-st-leonards-apartment-party">First look: Aqualand joins St Leonards apartment party</a> 
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First look: Aqualand pushes ahead with Chatswood apartment tower as SSDA lodged for Archer Street

Mass timber is becoming an increasingly popular construction material in apartment developments, but Adelaide developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/otello">Otello</a> is taking the approach a step further.

At its new <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/flowe-bowden-18-gibson-street-bowden-sa-5007">Flowe Bowden</a> development, the exposed cross-laminated timber (CLT) structure isn't just about reducing the building's environmental footprint. It also forms the foundation of a broader wellness strategy, influencing everything from indoor air quality and natural materials to the way residents move through and experience the building.

The 115-apartment mixed-use development, designed by Melbourne-based architecture practice Fieldwork, will occupy a prominent island site opposite Bowden Village Reserve, combining one, two and three-bedroom apartments with retail and a dedicated wellness destination.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375528]

Wellness isn't confined to a gym or shared resident facility at Flowe. Instead, Fieldwork embedded the concept into the building itself.

The development has been split into two residential wings connected by a naturally ventilated central breezeway, replacing traditional enclosed corridors with open-air walkways that improve natural light, encourage cross ventilation and create more opportunities for neighbourly interaction.

"Rather than treating wellness as something that only happens on the ground floor, our response integrates it throughout the building, which led us to ask what it really means to design a healthy building," Fieldwork Director Quino Holland said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375531]

The building's architecture also reflects Bowden's industrial heritage. The lower podium references the area's historic brick and sandstone buildings, while the upper levels transition to exposed CLT, allowing the timber structure to become a defining feature throughout the apartments and shared spaces.

The use of mass timber sits alongside a range of sustainability initiatives, including a fully electric, gas-free design, rooftop solar and a targeted 5 Star Green Star rating.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375524]

Inside the residences, the focus remains on natural, durable materials. Blackbutt engineered timber flooring, exposed CLT ceilings, porcelain surfaces and warm timber joinery create a calming interior palette, while low-VOC finishes and responsibly sourced materials have been selected to improve indoor air quality.

Kitchens have been designed as the centrepiece of each apartment, featuring porcelain island benchtops, timber-look cabinetry and brushed steel tapware, with layouts that maximise natural light and ventilation.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375530]

The more traditional interpretation of wellness comes in the form of Level Eleven, a two-storey wellness club spanning the ground floor, mezzanine and first floor.

The facility will include a gym, yoga and reformer Pilates studios, Finnish and infrared saunas, magnesium hot and cold plunge pools, and dedicated recovery spaces. Unlike many residential wellness facilities, Level Eleven will also operate commercially, allowing the broader Bowden community to access the venue while giving residents exclusive membership benefits.

The ground floor has also been designed around everyday living. A café overlooking Bowden Village Reserve will activate the street frontage, while a bike workshop with tool storage, co-working space and dog wash has been incorporated to support daily routines and encourage interaction between residents.

"Flowe brings together my two biggest passions, creating places and creating healthier lives," Otello founder Daniel Harris said.

"We wanted to create something Adelaide hasn't seen before, a genuinely healthy building, where the way you live is lifted without even trying."

Flowe is positioned directly opposite Bowden Village Reserve and within walking distance of Bowden Railway Station and the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, placing future residents just minutes from the Adelaide CBD while remaining connected to one of the city's most established urban renewal precincts.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152022]

Otello launches wellness-focused Flowe Bowden with Adelaide-first mass timber apartment design

Not all apartment amenities are immediately visible.

Swimming pools, gyms, rooftop terraces and residents' lounges have long featured on buyers' wishlists, but as the way Australians live has changed, so too have the features that make apartment living more convenient.

Increasingly, buyers are placing value on the practical aspects of day-to-day life. Fast internet, EV charging, secure bike storage, flexible workspaces and parcel management are becoming just as relevant as lifestyle amenities, reflecting changing habits and expectations.

Online shopping has been one of the biggest drivers of that shift.

Australians spent a record $82.6 billion shopping online in 2025, with almost one in every four retail dollars now spent digitally, making parcel deliveries a routine part of everyday life rather than an occasional convenience.

For apartment residents, however, receiving those deliveries isn't always straightforward.

Without someone home to accept a parcel, deliveries can be redirected to a nearby Post Office, left in building foyers or common areas, or require building management to temporarily store packages. As apartment living continues to grow across Australia's cities, parcel management has become an increasingly important consideration for both residents and developers.

Australia Post's Parcel Locker network is one response to that shift.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KPZ9j5FRdsQ?si=Qztc1dNP3ZvEIUhb" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

Rather than relying on home delivery, eligible parcels can be directed to a nominated Parcel Locker, where they're securely stored until collected. Once a parcel arrives, residents receive a notification through the AusPost app or SMS and can retrieve it using a one-time code or QR code at a time that suits them.

The network has expanded to more than 1,500 locations nationwide, with Parcel Lockers positioned at Post Offices, shopping centres, supermarkets, transport hubs and, increasingly, within or alongside residential developments.

That growing presence reflects a broader change in how apartment buildings are being planned.

Developers are increasingly considering the operational side of apartment living alongside traditional lifestyle amenities. Just as secure mailrooms, bicycle storage and EV charging have become more common inclusions, parcel management is emerging as another feature that supports everyday convenience.

It also helps preserve the arrival experience within a building. Carefully designed lobbies and communal spaces can quickly become cluttered when deliveries accumulate, while secure parcel solutions reduce the likelihood of missed deliveries or parcels being left unattended.

For buyers comparing apartments, these everyday details are becoming part of the decision-making process.

Location, floorplans and finishes remain fundamental, but the features that simplify daily life are carrying greater weight than they once did. As online shopping continues to shape consumer behaviour, secure parcel delivery is increasingly becoming another amenity worth looking for.

Parcel delivery is joining the apartment amenity checklist

Inca Property Group has lodged a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for Dawn, a 53-apartment oceanfront development overlooking Mona Vale Beach.

The proposal, at 35-39 Darley Street East, would replace an existing 18-apartment strata building with a new owner-occupier-focused development comprising 53 two and three-bedroom apartments, including nine affordable built-to-rent residences delivered under the State's infill affordable housing scheme.

Positioned on a 2,679 sqm elevated site around 280 metres from Mona Vale Beach, the development has been designed to maximise panoramic ocean views while responding to the site's sloping topography.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/inca-property-group">Inca Property Group</a> Managing Director Josh Thompson said the State Significant pathway provided greater certainty for projects of this scale.

"This State Significant pathway gives the team real certainty to progress <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/dawn-35-39-darley-street-east-mona-vale-nsw-2103">Dawn</a> through to completion," Thompson said.

"It allows us to acquire a one-off site, design it carefully and deliver the right offering for the suburb, assessed by the NSW Government's planning department."

The project is one of the first developments in the area to be assessed under the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy, with the site sitting on the edge of the policy's designated inner area.

The proposal includes three basement levels providing 124 car spaces, alongside a range of resident amenities including a swimming pool, gym, sauna, wellness facilities and private plunge pools for selected ground-floor and penthouse apartments.

<img alt="Dawn" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fc1a1daf-0ce4-4f12-9076-b1fa553c7a91" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-21%20at%208.42.11%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=4GZ9h.gpNkTljbxyAET8Jfhv51XUamDm" />

Thompson said Dawn had been designed specifically for owner-occupiers and downsizers, a buyer profile that has driven demand across Inca's recent Upper North Shore developments.

"The majority of buyers in our recent North Shore projects have been downsizers, and we are learning exactly what this market is looking for. Beyond the location itself, we have included resort-style amenities to deliver a genuine lifestyle offering," Thompson said.

Located within walking distance of Mona Vale Beach, the town centre, Mona Vale Golf Club and the Royal Motor Yacht Club, Dawn represents Inca's first Northern Beaches project following the sell-out of Tara on Park in Waitara and Ellis Residences, currently under construction in St Ives.

Construction will be undertaken by Inca's in-house construction arm, GOP Constructions.

Dawn is the latest major apartment proposal for Mona Vale, with the suburb emerging as one of the key beneficiaries of the NSW Government's new Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy.

New developer One Living, led by industry veteran Joseph Scuderi, recently secured a site on Mona Vale Road, on the border of Mona Vale and Pymble, where it is planning around 140 apartments.

IPM is also planning its third project in Mona Vale, significantly increasing the scale of its previous developments with an 82-apartment proposal at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/159-167-darley-street-west-mona-vale-nsw-2103">159-167 Darley Street West</a>, opposite Bayview Golf Course and less than 800 metres from Mona Vale town centre.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/one-living-enters-sydneys-new-apartment-market-with-northern-beaches-site-acquisition">One Living enters Sydney's new apartment market with Northern Beaches site acquisition</a>

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-ipm-plans-third-mona-vale-project">First look: IPM plans third Mona Vale project</a>

First look: Inca eyes Mona Vale with State Significant DA for Dawn apartments

New South Wales

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The Baird NSW state government has been forced to tighten vegetation clearing rules in fire-prone areas.
Within four months of their introduction, NSW parliamentarians had been inundated with complaints about unnecessary culling of trees, with a campaign headlined by 2GB's gardening clinic broadcaster, Graham Ross.
Residents using the new 10/50 rule had been cutting down trees to improve their view or allow further development.
The laws introduced on 1 August allowed residents whose homes were in designated bushfire-prone areas to clear trees within 10 metres, and shrubs and vegetation within 50 metres of houses.
Residents will now be only permitted to clear trees within 30 metres and vegetation to 100 metres.
The NSW Rural Fire Service has been asked to further review the 10/50 Vegetation Clearing Entitlement policy with the Department of Planning and Environment.
The 10/50 code allowed the clearing of trees without council permission.
Heritage-listed trees in Blue Mountains villages have been felled.
Councils are concerned the 10/50 rule overrides the Threatened Species Conservation Act and tree preservation orders.
Some 20 rural and metropolitan councils had lodged submissions with the Rural Fire Service protesting environmental damage being done under cover of the new rule.
After a public outcry, the RFS agreed to review the laws, then receiving more than 1200 submissions. But with no moratorium on the laws until the review had finished, a protest outside Premier Mike Baird's office early last month secured the revised 30/100 rule.
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Tree felling NSW bushfire district laws tightened for property owners

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Police have warned would-be renters in the Lake Macquarie area of scammers copying genuine rental advertisements.
After finding rental listings on legitimate sites, the scammers reportedly copy the information and post it to a community and classifieds site.
Interested renters make contact, but are then told they must pay rent up-front before getting access to the property. The scammers cease contact as soon as the money is handed over.
According to NSW Police, there are a few common warning signs for this type of fraud.
They include landlords who mention money transfer services like Western Union or MoneyGram or claims the landlord is uncontactable or lives overseas. Scammers may also claim the renters aren't allowed to visit the property before delivering the money, or put the renter under a lot of pressure to pay the money.
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Scam alert: Lake Macquarie renters warned

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New home building in NSW is tipped to top the 50,000 in 2015, according to a report from the Housing Industry Association (HIA).
The predictions, in the spring 2014 edition of the HIA’s New South Wales Outlook, come off the back of a strong 2014, where dwelling commencements are expected to have increased by 9.5%, following a 31.7% rise in 2013. The HIA says a further growth of 4.5% is expected in 2015, bringing commencements up to 50,800.
“We have been pleasantly surprised by the performance of new home building in NSW, with activity on track to exceed initial expectation over the next 12 months,” said HIA executive director, NSW, David Bare.
“NSW’s $7.9 billion home renovations market is likely to reap the rewards of robust dwelling price growth and record low interest rates.
“Activity on this side of the market has fallen steadily over the past decade but the recovery currently underway is likely to lift activity by a cumulative 25 percent or so.”
Home renovations in the state are also expected to increase in 2014 and 2015 by 8% and 3.9%, respectively. In two years the HIA believes home renovation to reach $8.43 billion.
Bare says that despite the improved levels of new home building, the NSW government still needs to open up more land for residential use and create a simpler planning regime. 
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NSW tipped to top 50,000 new home starts in 2015

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The high-end, five suite Sangoma boutique resort in the Blue Mountains has been sold to the Turner family headed by Graham Turner, the boss of Flight Centre.
No price was disclosed but it is understood that the sale price would reflect $1 million plus per suite, being a record for retreat/resort style properties in the country, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
It sold through Paul Kapiris from CBRE Hotels. 
Sangoma Retreat which spans 10 acres of bushland at Bowen Mountain, has room rates of over $1,100 a night.
The private $70 million plus Spicers Group portfolio includes the Victoria Court Hotel in Potts Point and Spicers Vineyards Estate in the Hunter Valley. The group now owns nine high end boutique assets, with six in Queensland.
Turner and his wife, Jude, have said they are focussed on the niche weekend retreat and smaller hotel market.
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Graham Turner adds Blue Mountains Sangoma resort into Spicers Group

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Proposed changes to NSW's planning system are a step in the right direction, but there is still more to be done, according to the Urban Taskforce.
Urban Taskforce CEO Chris Johnson says: “Far more (improvement) is needed across the whole planning system.”
Johnson believes there are three major changes that can ideally improve the system.
“Firstly we need to have a much simpler planning system.
“Secondly we need to get rid of the street by street battles that are occurring in NSW by having code accessible projects. There is not nearly enough code accessible projects in NSW compared to Victoria and Queensland.
“The third thing is a revision of how approvals are occurring in NSW. There are 43 small councils in Sydney which think in very local ways and therefore are not supportive of change and new development.”
Johnson also said compared to other states, the NSW planning system is falling behind in promoting growth and dwelling approvals may be affected, with fears of the current high ratings declining.
“I detect that the planning systems in Queensland and Victoria are more supportive of growth but in NSW they are somewhat anti growth,” he said.
“While NSW is currently doing well in terms of dwelling approvals, this may not continue unless the planning system is made simpler.”
In the September 2014 quarter NSW approval ratings were down 6.7% on last year, according to ABS Building Approvals.
Pru Goward, NSW Minister of Planning believes these projects currently take too long to process.
“It is unreasonable for communities and industry to wait years for projects to be determined...we expect councils to assess development applications without delay, so we (the government) should hold ourselves to the same standards,” Goward said.
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Three changes that could improve NSW's planning system: Urban Taskforce

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Home owners won't lose protections and rights when new home building reforms come in, NSW Fair Trading Minister Matthew Mason-Cox has claimed.
His reassurance comes after a recent court decision in favour of Brookfield Multiplex in a case regarding commercial property. The High Court's ruled that Brookfield Mutliplex was not liable for alleged building defects in a commercial development was a complex and technical decision,
According to Mason-Cox, the owners corporation deemed not vulnerable in legal terms, with no duty of care from Brookfield Multiplex to a commercial property owners corporation.
"I have obtained legal advice from the Crown Solicitor's Office that confirms the decision does not affect the consumer protections offered by the state's home building legislation,'' Mason-Cox said.
"This case refers to the law of negligence and involved a commercial development.
"The case does not affect the separate NSW statutory scheme of a residential development.
"Consumers continue to enjoy all the protections afforded to them by home building laws, including the statutory warranty scheme. Any suggestions to the contrary are simply false.''
A number of reforms relating to home owner rights have been passed in the Home Building Amendment Act 2014.
Some claim the reforms will <a href="/expert-insights/investing/nsw-home-owners-dodgy-construction-claims-curbed-by-government">degrade consumers' rights</a> when their building is found to be defective, with a government-granted six-year warranty for "structural defects" now applicable only for "major defects".
However, Mason-Cox says the amendments "provide significant protection for consumers and offer clarity about rights and responsibilities of builder's liabilities, particularly in relation to defects".
"The Home Building Amendment Act 2014 was passed by Parliament in May and is expected to start in mid-January," said Mason-Cox.
"Under the new Act, if a strata scheme discovers a major defect up to six years after the building has been built, then they can pursue their builder under the statutory warranties in the Act to rectify that defect.
"In particular, our reforms ensure that all home owners continue to have the benefit of a six year warranty for major defects and two years for minor defects."
Fire safety and waterproofing will be considered "major elements" of a building under the changes.
"By clarifying the nature of major defects, this key reform will save owners, and owners corporations, tens of thousands of dollars in legal costs incurred in protracted litigation," claimed Mason-Cox.
"We are also introducing changes to the licensing system, making it harder for unscrupulous builders to illegally 'phoenix', which is where a failed company starts up under a new or similar name to avoid scrutiny by consumers or NSW Fair Trading."
Individuals who were once involved in companies closed by their directors to avoid their obligations will now risk having their licence applications denied or their licenses revoked.
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Home owner rights still strong, despite building reforms: NSW Fair Trading

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The emergence of markets in regional New South Wales ranks among the most noteworthy features of Australian real estate in 2014.
Partly for local reasons and partly through the ripple effect from Sydney’s buoyant market, there are growing numbers of regional NSW cities and towns with growth property markets.
This started earlier in the year in locations close to Sydney, including Gosford, Newcastle, the Blue Mountains and Wollongong.
The research conducted for the latest edition of The Price Predictor Index, which charts sales activity for every suburb and town across Australia, shows that more distant markets are now stirring to life. They include <a href="/news">Tamworth</a>, <a href="/news">Port Macquarie</a>, <a href="/news">Albury</a>, <a href="/news">Orange </a>and <a href="/news">Dubbo</a>.
Some are locations which have been dismal performers on capital growth over the past 10 years, but are now recording significant upturns in market activity, with prices starting to follow. Port Macquarie and Gosford are examples.
One of the strongest pockets of regional NSW growth is the Central Coast area focused on the Gosford and Wyong LGAs. They were among the first to rise and they continue to be strong precincts.
16 of the suburbs in the Gosford LGA are ranked markets - rated in the index as either ‘rising fast’, ‘rising steadily’ or ‘consistency’ markets. As one example, sales in <a href="/news">East Gosford</a> have risen from 29 to 36 to 55 in consecutive quarters this year.
The Wyong LGA has 15 ranked suburbs, including eight rated as ‘rising steadily’ and seven as ‘consistency’ markets.
The wider Newcastle area continues to deliver growth markets and others marked by admirable consistency. The LGAs of Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and <a href="/news">Port Stephens</a> all have ranked suburbs, including 11 in the Newcastle municipality.
There are also glimmers of life in some of the nearby Hunter Valley areas, which have been suppressed over the past two years by developer oversupply and a reduction in coal-related demand. The Maitland LGA in particular appears to be mounting a revival.
Further north, the Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie, Ballina and Tweed municipalities all have emerging markets.
House sales in Port Macquarie have risen from 200-220 per quarter in 2012-13 to 300-plus in 2013-14. In <a href="/news">Ballina</a>, sales in the past six consecutive quarters have been 18, 36, 42, 45, 43 and 51 – this is the kind of pattern that delivers price growth.
The Blue Mountains area is demonstrating the resilience in the face of natural disasters which is a characteristic of Australia. Devastated by bushfires a year ago, the region has bounced back strongly. <a href="/news">Blackheath</a>, <a href="/news">Katoomba </a>and <a href="/news">Lithgow </a>are among the growth markets in that region.
South of Sydney, the Wollongong and Shoalhaven area have numerous strong markets.
Inland regional centres with growth prospects include <a href="/news">Dubbo</a>, Albury, <a href="/news">Bathurst</a>, Orange, <a href="/news">Tamworth </a>and <a href="/news">Goulburn</a>.
In Goulburn, near Canberra, quarterly sales have risen from 116 to 120 to 134 to 155 since late last year.
The key thing to note is that it takes time before this kind of upturn in sales activity translates into price escalation. The locations which were first to spring to life, such as the suburbs of the Gosford LGA, have already had strong prices growth. Many of these suburbs have recorded median price growth above 12% in the past 12 months.
But most of the regional centres I’ve mentioned, the ones that have only recently lifted sales activity, are yet to record major price growth.
Places like Goulburn, Port Macquarie, Bathurst and Orange have recorded growth below 5% to date. Given the pattern of sales activity, more price growth is likely to follow.
You can contact Terry via  <a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au" target="_blank">email</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/hotspotting" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. 
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terryryder-YECXbqmri2

Gosford, Newcastle and Port Macquarie among NSW's top emerging regional markets

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New South Wales home owners' rights to claim compensation for structural defects in their home will be reduced after legislative changes that will soon take effect.
Currently, the NSW government grants a six-year warranty for "structural defects" made by developers or builders. The warranty now only covers "major defects", which the government defines as those that cause "the inability to inhabit or use the building (or part of the building) for its intended purpose," or "the destruction of the building or any part of the building" or "a threat of collapse" of the building or any of its parts.
Some speculate that the downgraded scope of the warranty will result in only a two year warranty being granted for many defects which were previously covered for six years.
According to David Bannerman of Bannerman Lawyers, the changes will mean home owners will no longer be compensated for issues such as external cracking, reducing costs for the government.
"The relief to the Government coffers should be immediate, because it has taken the extraordinary step of making many of the amendments, including the change from 'structural' to 'major' defects, retrospective," claimed Bannerman.
The changes introduced in the Home Building Amendment Act 2014 are likely to come into effect on 1 December.
For home owners who wish to make claims for building defects made within the past six years, Bannerman advised they take the following action before 1 December:
<ol>
<li>Commence legal proceedings against the builder or developer responsible for their home, where there is an available action for breach of the warranties (i.e. building defects), or</li>
<li>Where the circumstances and policy terms allow, lodge a claim with the home owner's warranty insurer.</li>
</ol>
Source: Bannerman Lawyers
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NSW home owners' dodgy construction claims curbed by government

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If there’s one thing every property investor should know it’s that cheap does not always equal good value; properties and areas are often cheap for a reason.

Previously, we looked at <a href="/expert-insights/buying/the-40-cheapest-property-markets-are-they-really-a-good-place-to-buy">the 40 cheapest property markets across the country</a>, according to RP Data. We warned that median prices in themselves are of limited usefulness. Be sure to <a href="/expert-insights/investing/how-to-determine-the-median-house-price">understand how this figure is put together</a> before reading median price lists like that in this article. Data like this can be very useful to those who know what they’re looking at. But if you misunderstand what the data is saying, then you can come to some very ill informed conclusions.

A quick gaze over this list proves that some areas may be worth further exploration – offering high rental yields along with their low entry points. However, as Property Observer has regularly <a href="/news/qld/can-you-really-get-a-double-digit-rental-return-in-queenslands-mount-morgan">explored in the past with cheapie suburbs and double digit yield promises</a>, these on-paper figures do not always stack up in real life.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=28100]

Some areas also appear to be recording strong dips in their median house prices. This may suggest the areas are in decline, but it may also suggest that the recorded median price is actually lower than the price you will need to put down to secure what you are after in the suburb.

Of the 22 New South Wales suburbs with a sub-$200,000 median price, according to RP Data, over the past three months 17 recorded a decline, no change or an “N/A” result.

A proportion of these areas have limited numbers of sales that their statistics are based on, which is why we have included that figure in brackets after each one. That can mean their prices are quickly skewed due to a few cheaper properties selling.

Six on the list, or more than 25%, recorded fewer than 25 sales, while half of the list (including these areas) recorded fewer than 50 sales. This may call into doubt the veracity of the statistics, or at the very least mean you need to look a little closer.

Our cheapest on the list is <a href="/news">Coonamble</a>, with a median price of $112,000. Taking this area on its own sheds some interesting light on why you can’t buy blindly on selected statistics. Situated 575 kilometres north-west of Sydney, the area had fewer than 3,000 people as of the 2011 Census.

An 860 square metre block of land in the area<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-residential+land-nsw-coonamble-201013843" target="_blank"> is currently available for $11,000</a>, “following a fire which raged through the weatherboard home on this block.” It is within a “couple of minutes walk to the main street.”

However, Coonamble Mayor and local business owner Allen Karanouh believes there is strength for investors and home buyers in the area. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaYqsqEYsFk" target="_blank">He recently starred in a video series</a> with Ray White Coonamble’s Don Schieb that has been advertised as a listing, sharing the opportunities for those wanting to do a change to a rural lifestyle.

“It has been one of the best performing towns in Australia, for instance in real estate in maintaining a very steady increase in prices, great return on investment and we don’t see many shops closing down,” says Karanouh.

{qtube vid:=YaYqsqEYsFk}

Schieb <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXI0HSi7KBE" target="_blank">explains in the series</a> that investors can buy a house for $60,000 or $70,000 and get $7,000 a year for it in rent – around a 10% return.

“Most of the investors are from Sydney. They look at properties on the internet and quite a number of these places have been sold without inspection,” he says.

He does mention there has been some pain for the region with an abattoir shut in 2001, losing 40 jobs. However, there have been renovations and it’s expected to open again this year.

{qtube vid:=CXI0HSi7KBE}

Each of these areas is substantially different from the next.

Picture of Coonamble main street courtesy of <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Cgoodwin" target="_blank" title="User:Cgoodwin">C. Goodwin</a>/<a class="mw-mmv-license cc-license" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0" target="_blank">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>.

See over page for the full list of areas. Please click below.

<hr class="system-pagebreak">
Click on the suburb name to go a more in-depth suburb data page.

<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Adelong</a></li>
</ul>
$187,000

Three month growth: -10.10%

12 month growth: 3.89%

Average annual growth: 6.99%

Gross rental yield: 5.56%

(Based on 17 sold)

 

<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Batlow</a></li>
</ul>
$122,000

Three month growth: -0.71%

12 month growth: -24.46%

Average annual growth: 5.27%

Gross rental yield: 7.46%

(Based on 29 sold)

 

<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Berrigan</a></li>
</ul>
$147,000

Three month growth: -18.19%

12 month growth: -1.83%

Average annual growth: 11.43%

Gross rental yield: 6.09%

(Based on 12 sold)

 

<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Broken Hill</a></li>
</ul>
$119,000

Three month growth: -0.83%

12 month growth: 0.00%

Average annual growth: 8.87%

Gross rental yield: 9.94%

(Based on 316 sold)

 

<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Coonamble</a></li>
</ul>
$112,000

Three month growth: 0.00%

12 month growth: -2.61%

Average annual growth: 6.22%

Gross rental yield: 9.29%

(Based on 72 sold)

 

<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Cowra</a></li>
</ul>
$185,000

Three month growth: 2.21%

12 month growth: -1.33%

Average annual growth: 2.05%

Gross rental yield: 6.46%

(Based on 209 sold)

 

<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Culcairn</a></li>
</ul>
$160,000

Three month growth: N/A

12 month growth: 18.52%

Average annual growth: 3.40%

Gross rental yield: 7.15%

(Based on 30 sold)

 

<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Deniliquin</a></li>
</ul>
$175,000

Three month growth: 0.00%

12 month growth: 0.14%

Average annual growth: 3.01%

Gross rental yield: 6.54%

(Based on 151 sold)

 

<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Finley</a></li>
</ul>
$132,000

Three month growth: -10.68%

12 month growth: -6.56%

Average annual growth: 4.31%

Gross rental yield: 7.50%

(Based on 63 sold)

 

<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Glen Innes</a></li>
</ul>
$178,000

Three month growth: -4.05%

12 month growth: -4.05%

Average annual growth: 5.48%

Gross rental yield: 6.74%

(Based on 101 sold)

 

<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Gundagai</a></li>
</ul>
$190,000

Three month growth: -3.80%

12 month growth: 5.56%

Average annual growth: 3.31%

Gross rental yield: 5.47%

(Based on 14 sold)

 

<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Hay</a></li>
</ul>
$149,000

Three month growth: 16.02%

12 month growth: N/A

Average annual growth: 7.11%

Gross rental yield: 5.78%

(Based on 68 sold)

 

<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Henty</a></li>
</ul>
$130,000

Three month growth: -7.14%

12 month growth: -15.58%

Average annual growth: 4.24%

Gross rental yield: 8.00%

(Based on 24 sold)

 

<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Kandos</a></li>
</ul>
$154,000

Three month growth: -4.04%

12 month growth: 4.58%

Average annual growth: 6.47%

Gross rental yield: 6.74%

(Based on 33 sold)

 

<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Kempsey</a></li>
</ul>
$153,000

Three month growth: N/A

12 month growth: N/A

Average annual growth: N/A

Gross rental yield: 8.52%

(Based on 10 sold)

 

<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Lockhart</a></li>
</ul>
$130,000

Three month growth: -7.14%

12 month growth: -16.38%

Average annual growth: 1.66%

Gross rental yield: 7.30%

(Based on 17 sold)

 

<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Manilla</a></li>
</ul>
$195,000

Three month growth: 11.43%

12 month growth: 21.88%

Average annual growth: 7.46%

Gross rental yield: 7.47%

(Based on 68 sold)

 

<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Murrurundi</a></li>
</ul>
$180,000

Three month growth: -18.18%

12 month growth: -18.18%

Average annual growth: 8.43%

Gross rental yield: 7.80%

(Based on 30 sold)

 

<ul>
<li><a href="/news">South Grafton</a></li>
</ul>
$195,000

Three month growth: -2.99%

12 month growth: -4.88%

Average annual growth: 2.85%

Gross rental yield: 7.07%

(Based on 130 sold)

 

<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Tumbarumba</a></li>
</ul>
$171,000

Three month growth: 1.49%

12 month growth: -7.84%

Average annual growth: 6.51%

Gross rental yield: 5.72%

(Based on 33 sold)

 

<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Wellington</a></li>
</ul>
$120,000

Three month growth: -7.69%

12 month growth: -11.11%

Average annual growth: 3.36%

Gross rental yield: 8.67%

(Based on 100 sold)

 

<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Werris Creek</a></li>
</ul>
$130,000

Three month growth: -6.47%

12 month growth: -1.89%

Average annual growth: 7.26%

Gross rental yield: 8.00%

(Based on 112 sold)
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jduke-EHk3XBmHkn

Should you buy a New South Wales cheapie? 22 suburbs under $200,000

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Sydney should take a more regional approach to planning, according to the Urban Taskforce’s CEO Chris Johnson, who says that the capital should learn from the Hunter and Illawarra’s models.
With a recent announcement by NSW Minister for Local Government Paul Toole relating to five joint organisation pilots, Johnson has expressed their support of the approach, which will see the many individual councils in Sydney centralised.
“The two urban groups of the Hunter and the Illawarra can demonstrate a successful model that could be applied to Sydney councils if amalgamations do not occur in all areas,” said Johnson.
The current Hunter model is for 11 councils to share services, which Johnson notes is a good beginning, but the big issue of a single ‘centre of excellence for planning’ needs to be part of the pilot.
“A central planning office can develop specialist skills in strategic planning, assessments and infrastructure planning while increasing career prospects for young planners. The planners will also take a more independent position in the assessment of projects,” he said
Johnson said that the future of urban areas must be a partnership between the local government and the private sector development industry.
“It is encouraging to see that the Minister for Local Government has identified planning as a key community priority that cuts across traditional local government boundaries along with jobs and infrastructure.”
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