<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

<main data-perf-region="main">
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]

<h3 data-end="3697" data-section-id="q3n5ak" data-start="3672">&nbsp;</h3>
</main>

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

Politics

<html><body>
Got a bee in your bonnet about an issue and want some national attention? Go harass the federal government and they’ll create an inquiry.
It’s not hard to achieve. The ruling junta will believe almost anything, particularly if there’s been a bit of media hysteria to put the issue front and centre.
Certainly the property industry is having no trouble getting federal politicians to waste time and taxpayers money on talkfests about some of their pet topics.
Last week there was a housing affordability roundtable. According to the “communiqué” issued from Parliament House in Canberra, this was prompted by the belief first home buyers can’t afford to get into the market. It also stated that: “a major driver of increasing house prices and declining affordability is the under-supply of housing.”
In other words, a major talkfest involving government and industry leaders was based on real estate’s biggest furphies.
These are (a) that the only explanation for the low levels of first home buyers is a lack of affordability, (b) that affordability is declining, and (c) that there’s a housing shortage and that’s been forcing up prices.
All are red herrings which have been dragged around by some of the industry’s representative bodies for the past several years. (The true reason for lower first home buyer numbers is a major demographic shift that everyone seems to be missing).
<blockquote>
It’s a stunt to talk politicians into making decisions favourable to the industry, such as reduced taxes, faster approvals and favourable development policies.
</blockquote>
The prime mover behind this monumental waste of time was the Real Estate Institute of Australia, which is determined to oust the Housing Industry Association as the voice of insanity in the residential property industry.
The REIA has a serious obsession with first home buyer numbers. The reasons for that are obscure, given that major markets around the nation are rising and the institute’s members are having their best time of it in several years.
The institute hasn’t bothered to do any research into why first home buyer numbers are lower than normal. It has simply assumed that the only explanation is that they can’t afford to buy. This is surprising because the REIA is joint-publisher of a quarterly index that shows affordability has improved markedly over the past five years and is currently as good as it’s been any time in the past decade.
Why do they bother producing the report if they’re going to ignore its findings? Especially as the findings (that affordability is particularly strong at the moment) is supported by a host of other research reports, including those by the Housing Industry Association, the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canstar and CommSec.
Apparently federal politicians don’t read because, despite the weight of evidence that we don’t have an affordability problem, they’ve accepted the industry line that young buyers “are finding it increasingly difficult to enter the housing market”.
They’ve also swallowed real estate’s biggest lie – that we have a serious housing shortage.
Given that price growth over the past decade has been lower than wages growth and not much bigger than inflation, and that there has been negligible rental growth in most of our major cities in the past couple of years, it’s clear we do not have the much-touted housing shortage.
Indeed, the most serious current issue is oversupply in some of our major markets.
Unless the forces of supply and demand no longer apply to real estate, how can the REIA and other industry bodies explain the lack of price and rental growth (keeping in mind that only Sydney had major growth last year, its first growth year in a decade) when they’ve been claiming a “chronic housing shortage crisis” for the past five years or so?
It’s a stunt to talk politicians into making decisions favourable to the industry, such as reduced taxes, faster approvals and favourable development policies.
The housing affordability roundtable follows the recent announcement that elements in the industry have managed to talk federal politicians into an inquiry to examine how foreign investors (read Chinese) are forcing up Australian property prices and dooming a whole generation of young Australians to a lifetime of renting.
If the inquiry is genuine, it will discover that the impact of foreign investors on the mainstream market populated by Aussie home buyers is zero and that they’ve wasted a lot of time and money.
<a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au" target="_blank" style="line-height: 1.3em;">ryder@hotspotting.com.au</a>
<a href="https://www.twitter.com/hotspotting" target="_blank">twitter.com/hotspotting</a>
</body></html>

terryryder-YECXbqmri2

Major talkfests based on nothing but industry's biggest furphies

<html><body>
I am fast coming to the conclusion that despite having a total value of $5.02 trillion, real estate in Australia is one of the least understood industries.
During the global financial crisis (GFC) where property prices dropped on average by approximately 30% despite some market choruses calling for 50% plus price corrections. When we had clear evidence that the markets had bottomed we were then accused of falsely talking the markets up even though there was anecdotal evidence that this was in fact the case. So based on these observations with the markets now buoyant we constantly hear of the markets now being over – inflated and on the precipice of an almighty implosion.
To balance the argument I would make a few insider observations:
<ul>
<li>Historically real estate markets have always been valued from the top end down, so when the GFC arrived this actually skewed the valuation process as the top end markets experienced the greatest valuation decreases. The demise of the merchant bankers and their annual bonuses further stymied price growth as this once dominant market aggressor dissipated at a rate never seen before.</li>
<li>Post GFC we saw the markets bounce back from the bottom – end as against the previous top – end in the shape of investors. The Bureau of Statistics housing finance figures for December show investors now account for 39.8% of the value of home loans issued in December. That is the highest proportion of loans going to investors since October 2003, during the height of Australia’s largest recent housing boom.</li>
<li>What we are clearly seeing here is investors moving funds from the stock market back into bricks and mortar given the added attraction of negative gearing and self-managed superannuation funds is far too alluring to pass-up. Hedge funds and stock market manipulations have played a major role in this investor decision.</li>
<li>
Australia does not have, yet urgently needs, a housing strategy that would enable local, state and federal governments to work together on this blueprint over pork-barreling strategies every time an election comes around. Infrastructure Australia should be handed this responsibility especially in light of <a href="/expert-insights/buying/significant-dwelling-supply-problems-across-country-udia-report">significant dwelling supply problems across country.</a>
</li>
<li>
MP Kelly O’Dwyer is heading up the inquiry into Australia’s foreign investment policy in the context of residential real estate. Ms O’Dwyer wrote a vague insight the Australian Financial Review this week – <a href="https://www.afr.com/p/opinion/foreigners_and_real_estate_XzWUwJcAuIKXv0TRV7QdUP" target="_blank" title="Foreigners and real estate" style="line-height: 1.3em;">Foreigners and real estate</a> - where the focus is clearly on Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) data – which is about as useful as an ashtray on a motor bike. Real estate agents (the ones actually at the coal face) keep discussing the unprecedented explosion of online inquiries by Asian families from within Australia, I might add. So what percentage of acquisitions by overseas purchasers do not get processed, when they should, by the FIRB?
</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://www.rwm.com.au/files/2014/03/13-03-2014-12-00-27-PM.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-8482" src="https://www.rwm.com.au/files/2014/03/13-03-2014-12-00-27-PM.jpg" alt="13-03-2014 12-00-27 PM" width="682" height="369"></a>
Source: Digital Finance Analytics
<ul>
<li>Temporary residents in Australia are permitted to purchase an established dwelling although they are legally required to sell this property when they depart Australia. As if they are going to sell – it is much easier to simply transfer the name on the deed into another name so technically the property has been sold. What is the data from the relevant Stamp Duty offices on property transfers?</li>
<li>The latest figures from the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) reveal overseas buyers purchased a record 5,091 established homes worth $5.4 billion last financial year, compared with 647 properties to a value of $810 million in 2009-10. Next year’s figures will in all probability be much higher again as there is a clear movement of new residents to Australia because they want to get their fortunes out of China.</li>
<li>Another great Litmus test will be this week’s Mosman trophy listing with price expectations around $40 million plus which would smash the previous record set at $22.500 million by double – <a href="https://smh.domain.com.au/real-estate-news/mosmans-top-price-to-shift-next-door-20140327-35jf5" target="_blank" title="Hopetoun Avenue">Hopetoun Avenue</a>.</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://www.rwm.com.au/files/2014/03/13-03-2014-11-58-11-AM1.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-8483" src="https://www.rwm.com.au/files/2014/03/13-03-2014-11-58-11-AM1.jpg" alt="13-03-2014 11-58-11 AM" width="711" height="361"></a>
Source: Digital Finance Analytics
So I expect the Inquiry into Australia’s foreign investment policy which will not be released until later in 2014 to unveil nothing sinister simply because the terms of reference are not specifically examined to explore the current loopholes that can be easily manipulated without our federal government even knowing.
The state governments like it as they are receiving a double whammy in stamp duty, but I guess we are not supposed to be saying that as the evidence is inconclusive given there are no terms of reference to explore such ridiculous assertions.
Which brings me to where I started, why is Australian real estate one of the least understood industries despite having a conservative total value of $5.02 trillion? There are a lot of question that could be asked to better understand its make-up and composure; it's just that nobody in the government is really concerned about providing those answers at the moment.
</body></html>

robertsimeon-hRNTwJyXkQ

Australian real estate has plenty of questions with fewer answers

<html><body>
Fun [sarcasm] times this week in politics.  If you were like me, glued to ABC News 24 on Wednesday afternoon and night, you might have felt the same revulsion as the Federal Government gave itself another public lobotomy.  

I suppose it's futile to expect the Liberal and Labor parties to have any real pro-urban policies going into the next election - Federal politics has traditionally stayed out of city development in most respects.  However we can't gloss over how much the Federal Government has a firm grasp on the nation's, and therefore the state's, purse strings.  They own the largest public purse, and it's the purse which is best equipped to invest in our cities, our core centres of productivity across the nation.

In the last <a href="/news/federal-budget-2013-the-urban-versus-suburban-battlelines-are-drawn" target="_blank">Federal budget</a>, the now former Treasurer announced Canberra's intention to help fund the Metro Tunnel project over the next decade (that's the realistic timeframe should the project start today) and Tony Abbott has already committed $1.5billion of public money to the East-West tunnel should he his coalition win government - a project the public has not seen the business case for (a project which really only rubs the collective tummies of the industry and road lobby groups) and will simply shift congestion from Collingwood/Clifton Hill to Parkville/Ascott Vale.  No prizes for guessing which policy I and other UrbanMelbourne.info contributors thinks is the clear winner.

Infrastructure Australia - a Federal body set up to assess infrastructure projects on merit and advise the Federal Government what to allocate funds to - looked to be the beginning of the end for infrastructure paralysis for cities.  The future of this agency isn't all that certain with a potential Abbot-led Liberal Government coming to power in the next couple of months given the aforementioned commitment to a dubious road lobby gravy train project.

Is it furthermore futile to hope for an NDIS-like rare show of bipartisanism on how to raise capital for new infrastructure through some kind of levy increase like the NDIS will have through the Medicare Levy?  If history is any guide, then yes it is futile.  We need to think out of the box with regards to new capital raising - and no I'm not proposing a further increase to the Medicare levy - for infrastructure, but increases in the GST and the carve up of the extra income derived from it must be on the table.  Likewise property value taxes which capture the increasing value of a property through local council rates when new public transport infrastructure is built should also be explored.

We don't need to have an infrastructure debate: we need to have a Federal Government-led future city debate because it will include anything and everything that a city is comprised of, naturally including infrastructure.  The Federal Government shouldn't pick winners and State Governments should steer away from complacency and ensure their cities, no matter how big or small, <a href="/news/the-melbourne-versus-sydney-debate-isnt-boring-its-useful" target="_blank">remain competitive</a> on a national and global level, but the Federal Government must get involved with supporting cities more than ever before.

Will the party of urbanism please stand up?

 

Indulging for a moment: best cartoon I saw this week - the ever hilarious First Dog on the Moon over at Crikey, <a href="http://www.crikey.com.au/2013/06/21/hey-kids-lets-play-leadership-speculationopoly/" target="_blank">Leadership of the Federal Parliamentary Labor Partyopoly!</a>

Photo credit: UM user Glennwilson.
</body></html>

Politics

Editor's Picks

Have something to contribute?

Developments

New apartments

New townhouses

News

Politics

Editor's Picks

Receive the latest news stories to your inbox

Have something to contribute?

Developments

New apartments

New townhouses

News