<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/broadbeach-qld-4218">Broadbeach</a> offers plenty of reasons to live vertically, but moving from a substantial family home into an apartment can expose the compromises of high-density living. Privacy, room for guests and usable living space tend to matter more when an apartment is intended as a permanent home rather than an occasional coastal base.

A typical residential floor at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-eveleigh-broadbeach-7-9-surf-parade-broadbeach-qld-4218">The Eveleigh</a>, on Surf Parade,&nbsp;contains just four apartments. The 94-residence development by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/hirsch-faigen">Hirsch &amp; Faigen</a> is predominantly made up of expansive three-bedroom homes, with a limited collection of half-floor penthouses above.

Across the apartment floors, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a> has used the relatively limited number of residences to give each home greater access to natural light and outlook. Living spaces extend towards full-height glazing, while a series of bay windows frame selected views across the Pacific Ocean, city and hinterland rather than treating the building edge as a continuous wall of glass.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360965]

“The apartment floors deliver a collection of homes that embrace controlled outlook via a series of bay windows deliberately framing moments of view,” Rothelowman Director Kim Lowman said.

From outside, those projecting forms contribute to the tower’s faceted profile. Strong horizontal and vertical elements establish its proportions, while the changing position of the sun alters the light, shadow and reflection across the façade throughout the day.

The same attention moves inside the apartments, where the material palette combines warm timber, natural stone, metallic detailing and softer curved forms. Kitchens sit within the main living zone, with stone island benches, integrated joinery and European appliances, before the living areas extend towards the glazing and the outlook.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360981]

Three genuine bedrooms provide room to accommodate family and guests, while two secure car spaces and storage address some of the practical considerations that can become more noticeable when moving from a larger home. Feedback from the display suite has centred on the warmth and restraint of the interiors, with buyers commenting that the residences feel like homes rather than conventional coastal apartments.

A limited collection of half-floor penthouses occupies the upper levels, increasing the scale of the living spaces and adding private balconies and elevated finishes. From this position, the outlook extends between the ocean and hinterland.

Outside the private residences, The Eveleigh separates its shared spaces between the podium and rooftop. The podium is centred on wellness, with subtropical landscaping surrounding a swimming pool and pool terrace, yoga garden, private gymnasium, sauna and hot and cold plunge facilities. Landscaped retreats and pavilions provide additional places to sit away from the main recreation areas.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360966]

Higher in the building, a rooftop pavilion and private dining suite sit alongside resident lounge, barbecue and outdoor dining areas, opening towards panoramic views across the ocean, city and hinterland.

“Buyers are no longer just looking for an apartment, but a lifestyle where they can relax, reset, and enjoy a balanced way of living,” Hirsch &amp; Faigen Director of Sales Matt George said.

Interest to date has come from established owner-occupiers and interstate lifestyle purchasers, including buyers planning a future move to the Gold Coast. Many are coming from larger homes and want to reduce ongoing maintenance without giving up space for family and guests, privacy, two car spaces or the ability to entertain at home.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360969]

Much of that daily life can also take place beyond the building without requiring a drive. Kurrawa Beach and Pratten Park are an easy walk from Surf Parade, while Pacific Fair, Oracle Boulevard, The Oasis, restaurants, cafés, entertainment and public transport are also within walking distance.

The Eveleigh is Hirsch &amp; Faigen's fourth Gold Coast development since entering the market in 2021, following The Hemingway at Palm Beach, The Emerson at Kirra and Yves at Mermaid Beach. Each of the preceding projects sold out before completion.

“Broadbeach had been on our radar throughout our time operating on the Gold Coast,” the developer said. “Following our projects in Palm Beach, Kirra and Mermaid Beach, Broadbeach represented the natural next step for the business.”

The Surf Parade site brought together proximity to the beach, protected coastal outlooks and walkability to dining, shopping and recreation. Hirsch &amp; Faigen also identified the street as an emerging premium residential address, with enough separation from Broadbeach's busier destinations to retain a quieter environment at home.

The Eveleigh is now under construction by Maxcon, with completion forecast for mid-2028. Three-bedroom residences are currently available from $2.87 million.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=149670]

Joel Robinson

The Eveleigh brings house-like apartments to Broadbeach

A long-stalled Campbelltown development site is back in play, with new plans for 139 apartments set to supersede a mixed-use scheme approved almost a decade ago but never built.

The new proposal for 28 Cordeaux Street would deliver 116 market and 23 affordable apartments in a part 14-storey building, bringing a substantial new project into a Campbelltown market where new apartment supply remains limited.

Plans have been filed over the 3,092 sqm corner site at Moore-Oxley Street, around 600 metres from Campbelltown Railway Station and the city-centre retail core.

The site already carries a mixed-use residential approval dating to 2016. Doroch Architects has now been engaged on a larger replacement scheme, which is progressing as a State Significant Development Application following a Housing Delivery Authority determination in August 2025.

The apartment mix comprises 39 one-bedroom, 72 two-bedroom and 28 three-bedroom residences. Two-bedroom apartments make up just over half of the project, while three-bedroom homes account for 20 per cent.

<img alt="First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="136dd5b9-3791-4da6-9e31-76f533f5b4de" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Campbelltown%20da2.png?VersionId=LgOSy9nwf5u.MGswBBwaGGxuX8QpHSl_" />

Of the 139 apartments, 23 will be delivered as affordable housing under the in-fill affordable housing provisions of the Housing SEPP. The affordable component represents 15 per cent of the residential gross floor area and will be managed by a registered Community Housing Provider.

Doroch has sought to break the scale of the building into two distinct elements, with a masonry podium of around four storeys establishing the street edge before the residential tower steps back above.

The corner position has shaped that approach. Cordeaux Street faces toward the commercial and civic centre, while Moore-Oxley Street leads into the lower-scale residential neighbourhood to the south, and the design verification report describes the site as "bridging the commercial core to the north and established residential areas to the south."

The podium will be expressed predominantly in face brick, while the upper levels shift to brushed and grooved concrete cladding with darker metal detailing. Recessed sections, deep balcony edges and landscaping break down the upper form, with an approximately 11.8-metre setback to the northern boundary addressing the adjoining St Peters Anglican School.

<img alt="First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c8b3d2d3-c561-4bfc-a5d9-a68c0c10dac1" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Campbelltown%20da1.png?VersionId=AeAEyJU02Gk2k5noUj2StziCvdQ7fW4B" />

Campbelltown has been starved of new residential developments in the last decade.

The only other notable development set to come to market this year is ALAND's Queen Square, a mixed-use precinct on over two hectares that will comprise apartments above a vibrant ground-level retail and hospitality dining precinct.

First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site

First Look: Sherlock Construction pitches apartments for low-rise Deception Bay

Queensland builder-developer MAYD has revealed the first look at its major North Kirra beachfront development, lodging amended plans that reduce the number of apartments and increase the proportion of larger residences.

The project is planned across a substantial 4,742 sqm amalgamated site spanning seven lots at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/2-6-pacific-parade-bilinga-qld-4225">2-6 Pacific Parade</a> and 27-33 Golden Four Drive in Bilin​ga, directly opposite Nor​th Kirra Beach.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/mayd-group">MAYD</a> secured the site for $32.5 million in 2025, in what was one of the Gold Coast's largest property transactions of the year.

The development will be delivered across two stages, with the first stage carrying an estimated gross realisation value of around $360 million.

The latest amendments seek to reduce the overall apartment count and shift the project further toward the owner-occupier market, with larger residences designed for buyers wanting considerably more space than traditionally offered in a beachfront apartment.

The residential mix will include townhomes, oversized two-bedroom apartments, substantial three-bedroom residences and four-bedroom homes.

MAYD has appointed Cera Stribley to lead the architecture and interiors, with the Melbourne-based design practice drawing on the beachfront setting through a series of ocean-facing terraces and heavily landscaped balconies.

Strong horizontal forms and curved balconies will define the exterior, with subtropical landscaping integrated throughout the building to soften the built form and increase the connection between the residences and the beachfront.

The project will also include an extensive collection of resident wellness and lifestyle facilities, continuing the broader shift across the Gold Coast's luxury apartment market toward larger homes supported by resort-style amenity.

<img alt="MAYD" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d1bcbb05-e659-4b47-8bd4-1e595315e2ad" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-27%20at%202.05.03%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=jj0XEud1X1DuLt7_KyElhjMdZGOXmLHP" />

MAYD Founder Todd Mould said North Kirra was increasingly appealing to buyers attracted to the more established, lower-density character of the southern Gold Coast.

"North Kirra presents one of the most compelling luxury residential opportunities currently emerging in Australia, combining absolute beachfront with the character and authenticity that buyers are increasingly seeking, and the same sense of tight-knit community that defined Burleigh and Currumbin perhaps 10 or 15 years ago," Mould said.

"With Gold Coast Airport on its doorstep, it also offers a level of accessibility that broadens its appeal across almost every market demographic."

The project comes as the southern Gold Coast continues to attract an increasing share of high-end apartment development and buyer activity.

Kirra in particular has emerged as one of the region's more tightly held beachfront markets, with its relatively low-density character, established surf and hospitality scene and proximity to Gold Coast Airport differentiating it from the higher-density markets further north.

Mould said those characteristics had informed the approach MAYD and Cera Stribley had taken to the project.

"We've worked closely with Cera Stribley to create a vision that is deeply connected to its surroundings," he said.

"Inspired by the coastline itself, the architecture has been shaped around space, privacy and resort-style living, creating a collection of homes that reflects the next generation of luxury on the southern Gold Coast."

MOTIV Managing Director Carly Cottam, who has been appointed to market the project, said buyer attention had continued to move south along the Gold Coast.

"Purchasers who may once have defaulted to Broadbeach, Main Beach or Surfers Paradise are increasingly recognising the value of a genuine beachfront location that offers lower density, strong amenity and a more established sense of community," Cottam said.

"Kirra has a powerful combination of growing demand and genuine scarcity. Beachfront supply is inherently constrained, the area remains relatively low density, and buyers are increasingly placing a premium on locations that feel established, uncrowded and authentic rather than heavily developed."

Cottam said the proximity to Gold Coast Airport was also proving increasingly important for interstate and second-home buyers.

"Being minutes from Gold Coast Airport makes it particularly compelling for interstate buyers, frequent travellers and second-home purchasers who can access an authentic coastal lifestyle almost immediately after stepping off a flight."

The acquisition takes MAYD's active development portfolio to more than $500 million, with the North Kirra project representing one of its largest undertakings to date.

MAYD is targeting an early 2027 launch.

First look at MAYD's North Kirra mixed-use precinct

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Castle Hill, the longtime hub of the Hills District, has been one of the major beneficiaries of Sydney's Metro expansion, with improved connectivity helping drive continued population growth, development and buyer demand across the Hills District.

But despite that growth, the suburb has seen relatively few major new apartment projects brought to market over the past 18 months.

Hills District developer Reve Group is looking to fill that gap with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/nova-r-ve-castle-hill-2-garthowen-crescent-castle-hill-nsw-2154">Nova Rêve</a>, a major new mixed-use precinct on the corner of Garthowen Crescent and Old Castle Hill Road, a short walk from Castle Hill Metro Station and Castle Towers.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377679]

The project will comprise three residential towers alongside a hotel, restaurants, cafes and a skybar, more than 1,600 sqm of ground-floor retail and almost an acre of landscaped gardens.

It represents the largest project undertaken by Reve Group, the development arm of the Kassis family, which has been building across the Hills District for more than 30 years through Kassis Homes.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377675]

Nova Rêve also represents a significant step up from the family's first apartment development, Grand Rêve, which was delivered nearby on Garthowen Crescent.

Grand Rêve introduced larger, house-like apartment layouts and premium inclusions including Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances to the Castle Hill market.

Nova Rêve takes that approach to a precinct scale, combining the residential component with hospitality, retail and substantial public and resident landscaping.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377685]

Reve Group Managing Director Sam Kassis said the project reflected the family's three decades of building in the Hills, which has evolved from trophy homes on quarter-acre blocks to larger-scale apartment development.

"Grand Rêve was our first apartment project here and it showed us what this pocket of Castle Hill could be. Nova Rêve is the refinement of that idea: not just apartments, but a place the whole suburb can use," Kassis said.

A key part of that approach is the hotel, which has been designed to operate as an amenity for the wider Castle Hill community rather than solely hotel guests.

It will include restaurants, cafes, skybars and all-day dining, alongside conference and event facilities catering to business functions, community groups and private events.

At ground level, more than 1,600 sqm of shops and cafes will open onto the surrounding streets and landscaped areas.

Almost an acre of gardens designed by Land and Form Studios will run through the precinct, incorporating pathways, seating, barbecue areas and children's play spaces.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377680]

Reve Group's Romio Georges said creating an active ground plane had been central to the planning of Nova Rêve.

"There are gardens with pathways, barbecues, seating and play areas, shops and cafes opening onto the street, and a hotel with restaurants and a skybar that anyone in Castle Hill can walk into," Georges said.

The project's elevated position on one of Sydney's highest ridgelines will also provide apartments with outlooks toward the Sydney skyline, surrounding parkland and the Blue Mountains.

More than 80 per cent of the apartments will occupy corner positions, with Turner responsible for both the architecture and interiors.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152737]

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</main>

Nova Rêve arrives as Reve Group bets on Castle Hill's next growth phase

Northern Territory

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The bulky goods entrepreneur Brett Blundy has expanded his beef operations buying another cattle station in the Northern Territory.
The $6.5 million acquisition of Amungee Mungee Station near Katherine will increase the herd capacity to 150,000.
BBRC diversified into beef in 2010 with a stake in Barkly Pastoral Company.
Until the latest purchase it had 85,000 head of cattle at three other beef stations in the Northern Territory's Barkly Tableland. 
BBRC exports most of its live cattle to Indonesia with some to Vietnam, a BBRC spokesman told Fairfax Media.
BBRC has bought Amungee Mungee in partnership with Bullwaddy, which has a minority stake in the station. Bullwaddy owners Adrian and Emma Brown will oversee the daily operations at the 316,900-hectare station.
BBRC now have an interest in 1.4 million hectares.
The Beef Central website recently wrote that Amungee Mungee's new owners planned to increase the number of watering points from 20 to 160 over the next three years.
Located east of Daly Waters, Amungee Mungee was recently sold bare of stock by the Zlotowski family.
The Browns are also owners of Katherine-based business Northern Stock Water, which is the only manufacturer of polyethylene (PE) pipe products in the Northern Territory.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Brett Blundy expands Northern Territory cattle station holdings

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The last parcel of Crown land for the 2013/2014 financial year has been sold by the Northern Territory government at public auction, with the aim of improving housing affordability.
The sale, <a href="https://palmerston.ljhooker.com.au/1P8QF2X" target="_blank">organised by LJ Hooker at the Darwin Convention Centre</a>, included two residential lots in Moulden with multiple dwelling potential, as well as two lots in Yarrawonga with Light Industrial zoning.
The two residential lots are able to yield up to 27 dwellings together, according to Minister for Lands, Planning and the Environment, Peter Chandler.
“Interest in the light industrial sites was strong and the auction of these two lots was successful on the night,” said Chandler.
“Several parties were also bidding on the smaller of the two residential sites and this lot is also successfully under contract.”
The larger residential site failed to meet reserve, which is now up for sale “over the counter”.
This site could see up to 19 dwellings developed. It’s a 5,790 square metre offering and is across the road from Moulden Middle School.
 “The aim of these auctions is to boost investment and housing stocks. To avoid land banking, all Crown land sold at auction has a legal requirement to be developed,” he said.
“More public auctions of Crown land will happen throughout the upcoming financial year and I encourage individuals and businesses to get along and see what is on offer.”
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jduke-EHk3XBmHkn

Northern Territory government sells Palmerston land for development

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Northern Australia has vast potential for development. Just one proposed agriculture project of the many that I’m currently aware of would cover an area as big as metropolitan Brisbane, Australia’s third largest city.
Other single farms could be as large or larger than the entire <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ord_River" target="_blank">Ord River scheme</a> in Western Australia, home to mainland Australia’s biggest freshwater dam at Lake Argyle, which can store roughly <a href="https://media.bom.gov.au/social/blog/39/when-dam-size-matters/" target="_blank">20 times the water in Sydney Harbour</a>.
Those are just some of the major projects on the drawing board for northern Australia, which have attracted the interest not only of Australian investors, but also investors from the US and China. Such foreign investment will be crucial to what happens over the next few decades in places such as the <a href="https://www.daff.qld.gov.au/business-trade/development/industry-development/flinders-gilbert-agricultural-zone" target="_blank">Flinders and Gilbert river catchments</a> in north Queensland.
But with vast potential also comes vast, and as yet not entirely well-understood, challenges. For instance, how do we fund the infrastructure to capture, store and distribute the water from the wet season to support agriculture all year round? And where are the most appropriate places to <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/csiros-dam-hunt-helps-plan-for-north/story-fn59niix-1226948824851" target="_blank">build proposed new water storages</a>?
Those are some of the questions being asked again, with the federal government this week asking for public comment on its new <a href="https://northernaustralia.dpmc.gov.au/sites/default/files/papers/green_paper.pdf" target="_blank">Green Paper on Developing Northern Australia</a>. The paper is a precursor to a new national policy for our north.
<a href="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/50889/area14mp/9gvrmhs8-1402536073.jpg"><img src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/50889/width668/9gvrmhs8-1402536073.jpg" alt=""></a>
Northern Australia — particularly the Ord, Flinders and Gilbert river regions — have long been talked up as having potential for greatly increased agriculture, close to Asia. However, as the 2012 Feeding the Future paper noted, there are sensitive issues including indigenous land-use rights and environmental management. Source: <a class="source" href="https://www.dfat.gov.au/publications/feeding-the-future/feeding-the-future" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Feeding the Future, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 2012</a>, <a class="license" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">CC BY</a>
Released this week by Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss, the green paper is a good start in the process of developing a plan for the north.
The risk to successful development in the north is in underestimating both the scale of the opportunity and the scale and complexity of the challenges. Many past attempts at development have failed on both these counts.
So there is much work still to be done before being able to predict if this new push to develop northern Australia will succeed where past plans have failed.
Economies of scale
If Australia’s new national policy for developing northern Australia is to get anywhere, one of the most important issues for it to address is the huge scale of investment required to get major new projects off the ground.
We also need to define the paths to winning a significant share of high-value Asian markets.
The green paper suggests the northern economy should be diversified into areas other than mining and energy. Tourism and agriculture — and I’ll largely focus on agriculture, as it’s my area of expertise — are the two main options identified.
<a href="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/50876/area14mp/cz3mkfgr-1402534545.jpg"><img src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/50876/width237/cz3mkfgr-1402534545.jpg" alt=""></a>
The six possible policy directions to develop northern Australia covered in the new Green Paper. <a class="source" href="https://northernaustralia.dpmc.gov.au/sites/default/files/papers/green_paper.pdf" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Green Paper on Developing Northern Australia</a>, <a class="license" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">CC BY</a>
Some past failures in agriculture in the north can be attributed in transplanting agricultural technology from the south, rather than re-inventing it for the new northern environment.
Globally we have had much more research and development delivering technology into temperate agriculture rather than tropical agriculture, where we now have the greatest need in Australia and globally.
Australian research and development capability in this area is strong, and should provide a competitive advantage in developing our north, one of the few remaining areas in the world with potential for agricultural expansion.
Article continues on next page. Please click below.
<hr class="system-pagebreak">
Working with local conditions
The green paper cautiously does not attempt to pick winners in backing specific industries.
Agriculture in the north may continue to depend upon the established industries <a href="https://www.qaafi.uq.edu.au/nbra" target="_blank">such as beef</a> for some time, but new agricultural ventures will have a wide range of options, requiring careful evaluation. Agricultural and food products that can thrive in northern Australian conditions need to be identified.
The scale of investment is a big challenge. For example, establishing new farms in remote northern locations could require new roads and rail to get the products to a port or market.
As the <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-06-10/coalition-launches-green-paper-nothern-australia/5512456" target="_blank">Deputy Prime Minister noted this week, water storage and distribution systems</a> may need to be constructed. But new dams aren’t cheap, meaning large-scale investments would be needed.
<a href="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/50870/area14mp/jn726d7k-1402529974.jpg"><img src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/50870/width237/jn726d7k-1402529974.jpg" alt=""></a>
Despite covering almost half of Australia’s mainland, northern Australia has a relatively small population of just over one million people, or 5% of all Australians. <a class="source" href="https://northernaustralia.dpmc.gov.au/sites/default/files/papers/green_paper.pdf" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Green Paper on Developing Northern Australia p.3 (a higher resolution image was not available)</a>, <a class="license" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">CC BY</a>
Single farms as big as the entire Ord River scheme or possibly even larger are now being considered. That has major implications for the policies that need to be developed by government to attract large-scale investment.
Businesses of this type might resort to a fly-in, fly-out workforce, following the mining industry’s example. But the social implications of fly-in, fly out farming need to be better understood.
Investing in success
Development of the north will require that governments at all levels create an investment environment that will attract the significant capital essential for new ventures in the north. That means getting the balance right between removing red tape and ensuring investment in sustainable industries.
A key to success for Australian agriculture will be in successfully targeting high-value niche markets for food products in Asia.
These Asian markets are large and — despite the niche label — are able to take all that Australia can produce of most foods, as I’ve written about <a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-trade-beats-aid-in-boosting-global-food-security-22546" target="_blank">for The Conversation before</a>. Niche markets tend to pay higher prices, but they may also be highly competitive and require sophisticated marketing and quality control.
But rather than just producing food and then exporting it for others to process further, on-farm processing in northern Australia is likely to be essential to many businesses.
We’re not talking about small, family-run farms, but big businesses, covering bigger areas and able to capture greater economies of scale.
Alongside business, Australian scientists will have a key role in delivering the appropriate new crops, new animals and new farming systems that will be necessary for agriculture to succeed in the north.
Developing more remote areas of northern Australia comes with bigger challenges than setting up new ventures in established areas like the Murray-Darling region.
But the opportunities are there. Now we need to ensure that government policy settings and business plans are well-targeted, so that developing northern Australia finally moves on from being a long-held dream to becoming a reality.
Robert Henry is director, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation at University of Queensland.
Robert Henry receives funding from University of Queensland, Queensland Government, Australian Research Council and Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation.
This article was originally published on <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.
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po-LsXgBTHBmX

Giant steps needed to build up northern Australia’s potential

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The Northern Territory are rolling out their first government-subsidised rentals, with a tender now issued on the property management for the apartments.
Properties across Darwin, Palmerston and Katherine will be available under the Real Housing for Growth head-leasing initiative.
Minister for Housing Matt Conlan said that the selected firm will be responsible for 200 new affordable rental dwellings that are currently in the pipeline for construction. Tenants are expected to move in over the 2014/2015 financial year.
“The property manager will manage these properties like any regular private rental and will screen all tenants to ensure they meet the eligibility requirements, have a sound rental history and are able to afford the subsidised market rents,” said Conlan.
The first 50 units, in <a href="/news">Karama</a>, are nearing completion and will be offered to specific tenants – eligible key service industry workers – at 30% below market rate.
“Eligible child care workers, hospitality staff, nurses, tradespeople and retail workers will soon be able to apply to rent the units at the subsidised rate of around $365 for the two-bedroom and $295 for the one-bedroom units,” he said.
“The head-leasing initiative will increase the supply of affordable rental properties across the Territory to help attract and retain the key service industry workers that are vital to our plans to develop Northern Australia.”
The Territory government will head lease the privately owned dwellings for a 10 year period, with the investor guaranteed 52 weeks market rent per year.
Property managers – if you’re keen, the <a href="https://tendersonline2.nt.gov.au/Tender/ListCurrent" target="_blank">tender documents are online</a>, and a briefing is to be held today from 5pm to 6pm at the RCG Centre. It notes the property management services should be provided for 36 months.
Prospective tenderers include Walters Property Group Pty Ltd, Compass Housing Services Ltd, Mission Australia and Landdeal Pty Ltd among others.
YOU MIGHT ALSO WANT TO READ
<a href="/expert-insights/investing/no-future-for-nras-as-fifth-round-is-scrapped-in-2014-budget">No future for NRAS as fifth round is scrapped in 2014 budget</a>
<a href="/expert-insights/scrapping-nras-should-the-affordability-scheme-continue">Scrapping NRAS: Should the affordability scheme continue?</a>
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Northern Territory roll out first subsidised rental properties

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Darwin’s median house price sat at $585,000 for the quarter to April, according to RP Data. 
Sitting just above the median price for all eight capital cities, the Northern Territory's capital was up 0.9% on RP Data-Rismark's Daily Home Value Index, and up 11.7% on a year to year basis. 
Property Observer looks at Darwin sales for the April quarter to see just what $585,000 will buy you in the city.
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<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nt-moil-115444931" target="_blank">3 TERMANSEN STREET, MOIL</a>  <img src="/images/2014/05/26/main%207.jpg" alt=""> Marketed as an “entertainer’s paradise” by Active Reality, this three bedroom home sold for $575,000 earlier this month. The 1977 build is tiled throughout. Set on 742 square metres, the property features multiple outdoor entertaining areas including a large veranda and undercover spa. The buyers can expect to pay $350 per year in council rates. Price: $575,000 Bedrooms: Three Drive to CBD: 16 minutes
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<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nt-anula-115343803" target="_blank">12 DRIFFIELD STREET, ANULA <img src="/images/2014/05/26/2.jpg" alt=""> </a>
This four bedroom home was sold for $560,000, after the former owner went bankrupt. The property is located in the Northern Territory suburb of Anula, about 13 kilometres out from the CBD. The air conditioned home has floating timber boards through most of the house and a renovated bathroom. Council rates will set the new owners back $1,380 a year. 
Price: $560,000 Bedrooms: Four Drive to CBD: 15 minutes<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nt-anula-115343803" target="_blank" style="line-height: 1.3em;"> </a>
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<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nt-malak-115938615" target="_blank">5 NEATE COURT, MALAK <img src="/images/2014/05/26/3.jpg" alt=""></a> A house with a downstairs granny flat in Malak sold for $580,000 after a little over three months on the market. Situated on the end of a cul-de-sac, the two level house includes a granny flat on the lower level, with its own separate split level living space. The 819 square metres of land also includes an in ground swimming pool. Price: $580,000 Bedrooms: Four Drive to CBD: 17 minutes
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<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nt-leanyer-116036127" target="_blank">11 DOTTEREL COURT, LEANYER <img src="/images/2014/05/26/4.jpg" alt=""> </a>
This brick three bedder sold for $580,000. Set on 802 square metres, there is an in ground pool and covered outdoor entertaining area. Inside, the house is tiled throughout. Vendors purchased the home for $540,000 in 2010.
Price: $580,000 Bedrooms: Three Drive to CBD: 20 minutes
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<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nt-jingili-115875451" target="_blank">4 SANDERS STREET, JINGILI  <img src="/images/2014/05/26/5.jpg" alt=""></a> 
Going for $575,000, this home was sold by Simon Watts of Central Real Estate Darwin, who also sold 11 Dotterrel Court. This raised home is unrenovated, with original tiles, carpeted floorings and light fittings throughout. The three bedroom house was built in 1977 and held by the vendors for almost 30 years. Set on an 817 square metre block, buyers will be paying approximately $1,600 per year in council rates.
Price: $575,000 Bedrooms: Three Drive to CBD: 15 minutes
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What can you buy for Darwin’s median house price?

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The Northern Territory’s Ilpeye Ilpeye is seeing the territory and federal governments working to deliver the subdivision normalisation that will see services provided to residents.
Receiving $10.6 million of government funding, including a $6.2 million tender awarded to Probuilt NT Pty Ltd, a formal bus area, postal services and street names will be delivered.
Minister for Community Services Bess Price said that this subdivision will help improve the lifestyle of a number of Indigenous Territorians.
Works on the town camp will included 800 metres of underground power mains, 1,200 metres of new water mains, 700 metres of new sewer mains, 650 metres of new open unlined drains and one kilometre of new roads.
“The improved standard of infrastructure will also mean that services that you and I take for granted such as rubbish collection and running water, can be delivered in Ilpeye Ilpeye like in the rest of Alice Springs,” said Price.
“Once subdivision works are complete, the Ilpeye Ilpeye Aboriginal Corporation will have the option of freehold titles to the serviced lots of land, which will be individually titled and available for either private construction or sale.”
The private home ownership opportunities in the area have the potential to provide economic benefits, including an increase in housing supply, she said.
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Subdivision normalisation undertaken in Ilpeye Ilepye by Northern Territory and federal governments

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With demolition work currently underway at 1 Runge Street, Coconut Grove, a former public housing site, the Northern Territory have planned for a new apartment development to boost housing supply.
Noting that the property being demolished is more than 40 years old and beyond economically appropriate repair, Minister for Housing Matt Conland said that the area had been an eyesore and a headache for locals.
“The proposed development will dramatically improve the area with 59 new two-bedroom, two-bathroom dwellings set to be constructed on the site,” said Conlan.
“The proposed development will be a mix of affordable and private dwellings and will help ease the cost of housing for Territorians so families and key workers can continue to live here and contribute to our plans to develop Northern Australia,” he said. Part of the plan is to reduce high concentration of public housing.
The 5,460 square metre site will, upon completion, include 15 affordable rental properties kept 30% below market rates for key workers, 10 units for affordable home ownership through HomeBuild Access loan products and 34 units sold to the general public.
They will include a swimming pool, multi-purpose rooms, car parking and landscaping in the final package.
The building should be completely gone within the next few weeks, with Reday Joint Venture to redevelop the site, along with architect Bell Gabbert Associates and RUB Earthmoving. Construction of the new build will begin mid this year, pending development approvals.
Plans for this development were described in the Northern Territory’s Real Housing for Growth plan.
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Coconut Grove development brings 59 new apartments to Northern Territory

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The Northern Territory government has <a href="/expert-insights/investing/northern-territory-s-fhog-directed-to-new-builds-only-from-2015">abolished its first home owners grant for established homes</a>, extending the grant only to new dwellings from January 2015.
While announcing the changes, Treasurer David Tollner acknowledged that first home owners grants have added upwards pressure on housing prices. The government cited economist Saul Eslake’s <a href="/news/the-senates-inquiry-into-affordable-housing-six-submissions">submission to a Senate inquiry into affordable housing</a>. Eslake criticised the grant, saying that when applied to established homes, it "served to simply to exacerbate the already substantial imbalance between the underlying demand for housing and the supply of it."
According to Tollner, the unintended inflationary effects of the first home owners grant were a factor in the government’s decision to abolish the grant for established homes.
"That’s why the Territory government will direct the first home owners grant solely towards the construction or purchase of new homes from next year," said Tollner.
"By targeting the first home owners grant towards the purchase of newly built homes, the grant is more likely to contribute to growth in housing supply and employment in the construction sector."
The Territory government will maintain the payment for first home owners of established homes for eight months.
"...ultimately, we want this grant to encourage the construction of new homes, create more jobs in the residential construction sector and improving housing affordability by increasing housing stock." Tollner said.
"This is a far better result than merely creating a churn in existing dwellings that is widely accepted as having an inflationary effect on the cost of housing."
Eslake is not the first industry figure to criticise the first home owners grant. Writing on the grant last year, <a href="/expert-insights/investing/slow-demise-of-first-home-owner-grant-schemes-monique-sasson-wakelin">observer Monique Sasson commented</a>:
"The scheme is meant to make property more affordable for first home buyers. Unfortunately, experience shows that the grants don’t achieve this end.  Instead, the nominal increase in purchasing power it delivers to first home buyers transmits directly into higher prices for the properties they hope to buy.
"The real beneficiaries are the vendors of properties that first timers buy."
The Northern Territory follows Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory in its removal of the first home owners grant for established properties.
 
 
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Northern Territory government acknowledges that FHOGs for established houses have "inflationary effect"

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As of 1 January 2015, Northern Territorians looking to buy their first home will only be able to get the First Home Owners Grant if they buy new, under recently announced changed.
The current property value limit of $600,000 will be removed, and the value of the grant for building or buying new homes has increased $1,000 to $26,000.
These changes are in effect as of tomorrow.
Dave Tollner, treasurer, said that the removal of the value limit will remove the requirement that the buyer pay for a valuation of the property.
“These are practical changes that will make the grant more appealing and flexible to first home buyers that are buying or building new homes,” Tollner said.
At the moment, a $12,000 grant can be obtained for established dwellings in an urban area, or in Darwin, Palmerston and Litchfield. A $25,000 grant is available for those outside of the urban area.
These grants for established homes will be gone from next year, with hopes of stimulating new home construction and to encourage a take up of the accelerated land releases.
“By targeting the first home owners grant towards the purchase of newly built homes, the grant is more likely to contribute to growth in housing supply and employment in the construction sector,” said Tollner.
Those looking to buy an existing dwelling have an opportunity for the next eight months to take advantage of the existing grant.
“This will ensure an orderly transition and allows buyers who are currently in the process of buying a home, or intending to do so in the near future, with sufficient opportunity to take advantage of the FHOG as part of that purchase until the end of the year,” he said.
“But ultimately, we want this grant to encourage the construction of new homes, create more jobs in the residential construction sector and improving housing affordability by increasing housing stock.”
In announcing this decision, the government acknowledged that providing a grant for existing property is <a href="/expert-insights/investing/northern-territory-government-acknowledges-that-fhogs-for-established-houses-have-inflationary-effect">“widely regarded” as contributing to higher property prices</a>, noting economist Saul Eslake’s comments.
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Northern Territory’s FHOG directed to new builds only from 2015

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A 15 level apartment building planned for the Northern Territory’s Palmerston has been making news recently, with three levels of carparking, three levels of commercial/office use and eight levels of one and two bedroom units suggested.
The recent artist’s impressions and details, released through NT News, included a blank carpark wall for potential public artwork, a rooftop garden, some balconies and native plants for ‘green walls’ on the bottom section of the building.
They are expected to be between the library and Quest Apartments, on The Boulevard.
One bedroom apartments in Quest next door are renting for around $360 a night this time of year.
This development appears to fit very nicely with the requirements noted in the Palmerston City Centre 2030 Masterplan developed in 2012, that suggested an increase of residential density is part of the plan, as well as providing off-street parking and other uses such as retail, restaurants and community facilities.
Looking at The Boulevard specifically, the report noted that the City of Palmerston owns land within the City Centre, particularly along this street. This area was flagged as an ‘inactive/dysfunctional’ street.
Demand for office space, higher residential areas and retail use was noted to be strong, with the potential for some rezoning to allow for the masterplan, particularly looking to mixed-use developments, with each to provide a car parking solution on site.
It also noted that “Green roofs could become part of Palmerston’s City Centre new expression.”
In the first five years of the plan, the Council noted its focus would be to develop land on The Boulevard, to realign it to be a “civic way” and for the NT Government to commission development on its centrally located land.
“Incorporating a greater diversity of housing types, including mixed use developments in the City Centre, medium density residences along the urban fringes, housing developments above retail ground floor uses and affordable housing opportunities in new surrounding developments,” was noted as the theme of the plan.
Map courtesy of Google.
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