The residential transformation of St Kilda Road is set to continue into with more new apartment plans for the sought-after boulevard.

Wing Tai Asia has lodged plans for a major residential tower at 464-466 St Kilda Road, replacing the former VACC House with an 18-storey mixed-use development designed around a retained heritage podium and a sculpted contemporary tower.

The proposal, prepared under Victoria’s Significant Residential Development with Affordable Housing pathway, would deliver 325 apartments and ground-floor retail across the prominent 4,653 sqm boulevard site in Melbourne’s St Kilda Road North Precinct.

The project centres on the adaptive reuse of the site’s heritage-listed VACC Building, an eight-storey office designed by Bernard Evans that has occupied the address for decades. Planning documents state the development would involve “carefully dismantling and conserving off-site the original metal fabric of the podium visible from St Kilda Road,” before reinstating it as the defining frontage of the new scheme.

Above the restored podium, Wing Tai is proposing a curvilinear residential tower. The scheme includes 172 one-bedroom apartments, 63 two-bedroom apartments, 66 three-bedroom apartments, and 24 four-bedroom apartments, alongside two ground-floor food and beverage tenancies fronting St Kilda Road.

The tower has been designed with substantial articulation and variable setbacks to minimise perceived bulk and maintain view corridors along the boulevard. Urbis, which prepared the planning report, said the design “has been significantly articulated through a curvilinear design” with “an interplay with materials, façade expression and depth” to create visual separation and visual interest.

The proposal also includes 254 basement car spaces, landscaped pedestrian links connecting St Kilda Road and Queens Lane, and a biophilic landscape strategy featuring canopy trees, raised planters, cascading greenery and a glass oculus pool overlooking the eastern frontage.

Planning documents confirm the $270.1 million development will contribute 3 per cent of project costs to the Social Housing Growth Fund as part of the application process.

Wing Tai acquired the St Kilda Road property in 2018 alongside Abacus Property Group for $95.38 million, before later consolidating ownership of the site. The property previously served as the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce headquarters for around 60 years.

The transformation of the St Kilda Rd boulevard is already beginning to materialise, with a number of high-profile projects recently completed, launched, or approaching launch as developers continue to back the long-term appeal of the precinct.

Among the most notable recent completions is Louise by Samuel Property Group, just off the strip on Queens Lane, the same pocket Hirsch &amp; Faigen recently launched The Queensbury. Mirvac is too on the same street with The Albertine, which is approaching completion.

Dexus recently secured approval for its slice of St Kilda Road, while Gurner also has approved plans for the precinct.

Joel Robinson

Wing Tai unveils 325-apartment St Kilda Road tower on former VACC House site

Malaysian developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/s-p-setia">SP Setia</a> is the latest to jump into St Leonards booming Transport Oriented Development precinct.

The developer, which has previously delivered Sapphire by the Gardens apartment development in Melbourne, identified the Atchison Street site in 2023. It filed a Scoping Report around 12 months ago, and now has revealed the designs for the new&nbsp;40-storey mixed-use tower.

The State Significant Development Application covers <a href="https://next-portal.urban.com.au/projects/14650/summary">20-22 Atchison Street</a>, a 1,374 sqm site positioned between St Leonards Station and the new Crows Nest Metro station.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cox-architecture">COX Architecture</a>, the project would deliver 181 apartments, above a four-storey commercial podium, five basement levels, and new public domain works along Mitchell Street. The apartment mix comprises 35 one-bedroom apartments, 39 one-bedroom-plus-study apartments, 85 two-bedroom apartments, and 22 three-bedroom residences.

The proposal has been lodged as a shop-top housing development under the NSW Government’s TOD planning pathway, which allows increased density around key transport infrastructure. The site sits within the recently rezoned Crows Nest Accelerated TOD Precinct.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b799673d-48e2-46b0-801a-0e33a9330100" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/atchinson%20site.png?VersionId=dPh0UfwfaHpbFL1R7H1cbZNbIW0CHbCC" />

SP Setia acquired the Atchison Street site as part of its continued expansion into the Australian apartment market. In comments made to City &amp; Country (The Edge Malaysia) in 2023, SP Setia President and CEO Datuk Choong Kai Wai described the acquisition as “a strategic move” aligned with the group’s post-pandemic market recovery strategy.

“Our target for this exceptional development is local and overseas buyers, including first-home buyers, downsizers and investors,” Choong said.

The tower has been designed as a slender vertical form rising from a mixed-use podium, with COX Architecture positioning the development as a response to the evolving St Leonards and Crows Nest skyline.

“The purpose of the project is to facilitate the delivery of high-quality housing at a strategically located site and deliver a built tower outcome that is consistent with the desired future character of St Leonards and aligns with the TOD controls,” the design report stated.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b1a85eee-76f7-436c-a6da-73ba827b9b13" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/atchinson%20entry.png?VersionId=dA9jHGPMcm.dDbwk4QfxqWiY5bfh3UVt" />

The podium would incorporate retail uses fronting Atchison Street, commercial tenancies, landscaped communal areas, and pedestrian improvements along Mitchell Street. Vehicle access and loading would be consolidated via Atchison Lane.

Residents would have access to more than 665 sqm of communal indoor and outdoor spaces, while the development proposes 96 parking spaces across five basement levels.

The proposal also includes a commitment for 10 per cent of residential floor space to be allocated toward affordable housing through a monetary contribution.

COX said the tower form responds directly to the emerging high-density character of the precinct while seeking to maximise solar access, cross ventilation, and outlook from apartments.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2163f85c-f63b-4be3-aafa-f8763976cec5" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Article%20Feature%20Image%20%28Grid%29_5.png?VersionId=WiAmtIKJ6.ZQ41EtYEQ1fol7AeorKBlL" />

“The building is orientated towards north,” the Apartment Design Guide compliance report noted, adding that the tower’s slim form was driven by the constrained inner-urban site dimensions.

The design also incorporates landscaped setbacks and communal open space at podium level, intended to soften the interface with surrounding streets and improve pedestrian amenity.

The project adds to a growing wave of redevelopment proposals reshaping St Leonards and Crows Nest following the opening of the Sydney Metro City line and the NSW Government’s push for higher-density housing around major transport nodes.

Last week Stockland filed plans just down the road. They want to build a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/601-pacific-highway-st-leonards-nsw-2065">52-storey tower on Pacific Highway</a>.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-stockland-plans-52-storey-538-apartment-st-leonards-tower">First look: Stockland plans 52-storey, 538-apartment St Leonards tower&nbsp;</a>

First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/urban-property-group">Urban Property Group</a> has revealed plans for a new mixed-use tower at 10 Dangar Street, Wickham, advancing a proposal that would reshape the southern gateway to Newcastle’s city centre with one of the city’s tallest residential buildings.

The State Significant Development proposal, now on exhibition, seeks approval for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/bowline-10-dangar-street-wickham-nsw-2293">43-storey tower</a> immediately adjacent to the Newcastle Interchange. The project would deliver around 200 apartments, including 42 affordable housing dwellings, alongside 99 co-living units, a 171-room hotel, retail space, and new public domain integrated through the site.

The scheme marks a significant escalation of plans previously approved for the site. Urban Property Group took over the prominent 2,904 sqm parcel, where excavation and demolition had already commenced under an earlier consent for a 14-storey mixed-use development.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="58a96dd9-407f-4d20-86b4-94e4bfeef74b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20podium.png?VersionId=LGlf08pdFGAZDzvx_CXC4XakHNZRuEE0" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/sjb-architects">SJB</a>, the tower has been conceived as a landmark transit-oriented development anchored to the Newcastle Interchange precinct. The proposal includes 245 build-to-sell apartments across a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom residences, as well as two penthouses. Fifteen apartments and one operational unit are earmarked for NDIS housing. The co-living component would add a further 99 units, while the podium would accommodate retail uses and hotel facilities.

SJB said the site presents “a valuable opportunity to anchor the precinct by setting the standard for design, active ground planes and character at the key southern gateway.”

The architecture responds directly to the site’s position beside major transport infrastructure and within one of Newcastle’s fastest-evolving urban renewal precincts. The tower form sits above a sculpted podium designed to frame new public spaces, including a through-site pedestrian link connecting Station Street to Hannell Street, landscaped plazas, and activated retail edges.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a7bd6ff0-f7db-4ce8-a6dc-ea56e72c6149" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20lanne.png?VersionId=xzf39VADyhj7zBQY2I9fx9vI62u2tuSb" />

The design report describes the project as part of the broader transition of Wickham into “a vibrant, high-quality mixed-use urban precinct” that leverages proximity to the station, open space, and regional connectivity.

A detailed public art strategy has also been prepared for the development. The strategy positions the project as “a transit-oriented development of state significance at the gateway to Newcastle’s city centre” and outlines a series of integrated artworks responding to Newcastle’s industrial and transport heritage.

Creative Road’s curatorial framework for the project, titled Unveil, draws on “stratified surfaces, carved volumes, and light-filled apertures” while referencing Newcastle’s transformation from an industrial city into a contemporary education and technology hub.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="77a882bb-14b1-4d28-99ff-9438e39508c0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20site.png?VersionId=cevgo_vN0eKPK78P8YcEu3mKPLkpFqE7" />

The proposal is being advanced through the NSW Housing Delivery Authority pathway after being declared State Significant Development in June 2025. The accompanying scoping report states the development aims to “maximise the site’s proximity to the Newcastle Interchange by delivering transit-oriented development” while increasing housing supply and affordable housing provision within the Newcastle LGA.

Urban Property Group’s plans align with the long-term strategic vision established under the Wickham Master Plan, which identified the interchange precinct as suitable for substantial uplift in height and density. The current proposal would significantly intensify that vision, positioning the tower among the tallest developments proposed for Newcastle.

The site sits immediately north of the Newcastle Interchange, bounded by Dangar Street, Hannell Street, and Charles Street. It is surrounded by a rapidly growing cluster of residential towers and mixed-use projects that have emerged following the completion of the light rail and transport interchange.

First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s latest tower at Wickham interchange

Bottega House has completed settlement of a landmark riverfront site in Macquarie Street, St Lucia, representing its first major Brisbane development.&nbsp;

Positioned on the banks of the Brisbane River, the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/180-macquarie-street-st-lucia-qld-4067">premium site at 180 Macquarie Street</a> features uninterrupted river frontage in one of Brisbane’s most tightly held residential precincts.&nbsp;

The proposed development, currently under assessment with Brisbane City Council, has been designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/plus-studio">Plus Studio</a> with interiors by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/mim-design">Mim Design</a> and will deliver a boutique collection of premium residences positioned specifically for owner occupiers and downsizers.&nbsp;

The residences are set to redefine luxury apartment living in the area, with a focus on architectural quality, refined finishes, landscape integration and elevated amenities including curated wellness facilities, resort-style pools and recreation spaces rarely seen in the local market.&nbsp;

Exclusive sales for the project will be led by Keenan &amp; Byrne, ahead of an anticipated launch later this year.&nbsp;

Bottega House Managing Director Nick Malloch said the project reflects the group’s ambition to deliver a highly curated residential offering within one of Brisbane’s most tightly held precincts.&nbsp;

“This is an incredibly rare riverfront opportunity and one we have approached with a long-term perspective,” Malloch said.&nbsp;

“Our vision from the outset was to create a boutique collection of residences that feel more like private homes than traditional apartments, with generous proportions, refined finishes and exceptional amenity throughout."

Malloch says there is a&nbsp;lack of premium owner-occupier stock of this quality in the market, particularly for downsizers wanting space, privacy and a true lifestyle offering without compromise.&nbsp;

"Demand is expected to be strong given the scarcity of premium riverfront opportunities of this nature within Brisbane’s inner-west."&nbsp;

Bottega House secures landmark riverfront site in St Lucia 

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The arrival of the first piling rig officially marks the commencement of construction at SIERA’s new beachside apartment development, Exhale, in Northcliffe.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/exhale-surfers-paradise-8-enderley-avenue-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">Exhale</a>, a glass-encased tower featuring 54 large-scale apartments at 8 Enderley Avenue, is SIERA’s third Gold Coast development. It follows the recently completed PIPIS Bilinga beachfront project, which achieved suburb-record prices, and the soon-to-be-completed Chevron Island development, Tapestry.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=359603]

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/siera">SIERA</a> Founder and Managing Director Brent Thompson said the arrival of the piling rig represented a significant milestone for the development, which is scheduled for completion in late 2028.

Over the next month, around 260 piles are expected to be installed as work progresses on the basement structure. The building is anticipated to rise above ground level early next year, before unveiling its sculptural glass curtain wall, developed in collaboration with specialist façade engineers.

“The façade was designed to maximise panoramic coastal views while creating a distinctive architectural identity,” Thompson said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=355935]

Designed by BDA Architecture, Exhale will comprise just 54 two- and three-bedroom residences across 26 levels, a level of low-density living rarely delivered in this beachside pocket between Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach.

The project has been conceived as a resident-only building, with no short-stay accommodation permitted. SIERA says the model is intended to appeal to long-term owner-occupiers rather than transient holiday demand.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=361052]

Residences have been designed with large-format layouts and expansive glazing, with most apartments featuring more than 30 metres of glass frontage to maximise natural light and ocean views.

The amenity offering spans two levels and centres on wellness and lifestyle, including a heated magnesium pool, sauna, yoga and Pilates studio, gymnasium, private dining facilities, cinema lounge, and dedicated surfcraft storage.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=359607]

More than half of the apartments have already sold. SIERA has also opened a sales gallery for Exhale at its Chevron Island commercial premises, near its Tapestry tower and the site of its second Chevron Island apartment development, which is slated to launch in early 2027.
</section>
</section>

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=112661]

SIERA kicks off construction at Northcliffe tower Exhale

Queensland

<html><body>
With yields dropping across Sydney and Melbourne due to the recent rise in prices, it comes as little surprise that those who chase strong cash flow may be considering other areas.
In fact, RP Data recently suggested that investors look to the “smaller” capital cities for future growth and sustainable yields as well, meaning that investors may just be right to look interstate.
Property Observer looked at RP Data’s latest statistics to find suburbs across Queensland with strong gross yields – considering anything at 7% and above. This returned 28 suburbs, from a flat 7% to 10.99%.
Some of the areas are mining oriented, while some are small regional towns and many come with a substantial degree of risk (Moranbah, for instance, is an area that <a href="/expert-insights/buying/busted-suburb-again-labeled-hotspot-the-moranbah-debate">regularly gets labelled a hotspot but has suffered a huge downturn</a>). Gladstone also makes the list, and has been under <a href="/news/qld/the-worst-is-yet-to-come-for-gladstone">Terry Ryder's microscope in August, where he said the worst is yet to come</a>.
Investors are encouraged to do their due diligence. We have listed the high yielding suburbs below, with their median prices.
Suburbs in and around Brisbane:
 <img src="/images/2014/09/04/brisbane%20sept%204%20one.jpg" alt="">
Source: Google Maps 2014
Suburbs in and around Cairns:
 <img src="/images/2014/09/04/cairns-sept-4-two.jpg" alt="">
Source: Google Maps 2014
Here are the top yielding suburbs: 
<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Booval</a></li>
</ul>
7%
$186,000
<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Coral Cove</a></li>
</ul>
7%
$260,000
<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Molendinar</a></li>
</ul>
7.08%
$272,000
<ul>
<li>Gladstone City</li>
</ul>
7.11%
$307,000
<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Jacobs Well</a></li>
</ul>
7.12%
$475,000
<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Edmonton</a></li>
</ul>
7.15%
$160,000
<ul>
<li><a href="/news">North Mackay</a></li>
</ul>
7.15%
<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Mooroobool</a></li>
</ul>
7.17%
$181,000
<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Brookwater</a></li>
</ul>
7.28%
$375,000
<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Chinchilla</a></li>
</ul>
7.28%
$357,000
<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Edens Landing</a></li>
</ul>
7.28%
$200,000
<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Edge Hill</a></li>
</ul>
7.29%
$164,000
<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Hermit Park</a></li>
</ul>
7.29%
$189,000
<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Mackay Harbour</a></li>
</ul>
7.42%
$498,000
<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Cairns North</a></li>
</ul>
7.5%
$215,000
<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Holloways Beach</a></li>
</ul>
7.56%
$172,000
<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Manunda</a></li>
</ul>
7.66%
$146,000
<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Slacks Creek</a></li>
</ul>
7.75%
$191,000
<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Beenleigh</a></li>
</ul>
7.87%
$175,000
<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Kingston</a></li>
</ul>
8.11%
$212,000
<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Hillcrest</a></li>
</ul>
8.12%
$218,000
<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Logan Central</a></li>
</ul>
8.14%
$166,000
<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Manoora</a></li>
</ul>
8.31%
$144,000
<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Garbutt</a></li>
</ul>
8.46%
$185,000
<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Bungalow</a></li>
</ul>
8.71%
$131,000
<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Moranbah</a></li>
</ul>
9.53%
$255,000
<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Peregian Springs</a></li>
</ul>
10.78%
$240,000
<ul>
<li><a href="/news">Smithfield</a></li>
</ul>
10.99%
$144,000
</body></html>

jduke-EHk3XBmHkn

Queensland’s highest yielding apartment suburbs

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Newland have launched two more stages of their masterplanned development Seabreeze, in New South Wales' Pottsville.
The latest stages, 15 and 16, have officially been launched after a sell out of the preceding stages. This will bring 24 new lots across the 97 hectare estate.
The 38 home sites range from 495 square metres to 900 square metres. Prices range from $240,000 to $330,000.
In total, there will be 600 homes in the development, located at Pottsville-Mooball Road, as well as parks and sports fields.
Around 500 homes have already been built on the estate, and general manager for Newland Developers, Stuart Campbell, said that it would meet the demand they’re seeing in the area.
“We are currently progressing with final planning and anticipate civil works will commence on both stages in coming months, subject to weather constraints,” said Campbell.
“Each land release has been really well-received and as a result, the estate is now home to over 1,000 people across 14 residential stages,” he said.
General manager for marketing agent Oliver Hume Jillian Sheridan said that it’s likely to appeal to the owner occupier market, in particular younger first home buyers.
“We anticipate Stage 15 and 16 will answer current demand for affordable, new coastal property located close to both the Gold Coast and Tweed Coast regions,” said Sheridan.
“We are beginning to see the property market shift, and buyers are currently able to take advantage of historically low interest rates,” she said.
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Two new stages launched at Newland’s Pottsville estate

<html><body>
Troubled businessman Nathan Tinkler has lost his chance to secure an $80 million purchase of Peabody Energy’s Wilkie Creek mine in Queensland, after he missed several payment deadlines.
<a href="https://www.smartcompany.com.au/growth/41939-tinkler-back-in-the-game-after-queensland-coal-mine-purchase">Touted as his comeback</a> into the coal game, Tinkler had paid a $5 million non-refundable payment on the mine through his company Bentley Resources.
The former billionaire, who is now based in Singapore, <a href="https://www.smartcompany.com.au/finance/42732-fears-over-tinkler-s-coal-comeback-as-a-key-payment-goes-up-in-smoke">missed a payment deadline in June</a> and a closing payment deadline of 31 July, which was further extended by Peabody.
But the energy giant is now fed up and moving on, releasing a statement last week saying it has terminated the sale and purchase agreement with Bentley Resources and is now looking at alternatives for the sale of the mine.
The Wilkie Creek mine closed last year, axing 120 jobs. Peabody blamed the carbon tax and other cost increases for making it unprofitable as coal prices fell last year.
Tinkler had originally said the sale was worth $150 million, but that is understood to have included the funds necessary to bring the mine back into operation.
Peabody revealed the transaction was worth $70 million, with the addition of about $10 million for a rail contract debt.
Tinkler, who had made and lost his fortune through speculative plays in the coal industry, previously told The Australian the Wilkie Creek deal would be funded via his own equity and with support from investment bank Jefferies and its associated private equity firm Leucadia.
The move is the latest twist in Tinkler’s run of bad luck, after retail magnate <a href="https://www.smartcompany.com.au/finance/43396-gerry-harvey-calls-in-the-farm-on-nathan-tinkler" target="_blank">Gerry Harvey called in his debt</a> on Tinkler’s beloved thoroughbred horse farm, <a href="https://www.smartcompany.com.au/finance/wealth-management/42041-tinkler-finally-forced-to-sell-his-horse-racing-empire" target="_blank">Patinack Farm</a>.
The former Hunter Valley electrician confirmed in <a href="https://www.smartcompany.com.au/finance/wealth-management/42041-tinkler-finally-forced-to-sell-his-horse-racing-empire" target="_blank">May he would let go of the farm</a>, announcing to the media he would sell the asset to a consortium of local and overseas parties from the Middle East on a “walk in, walk out” basis for an undisclosed sum.
However, in June, Harvey Norman’s top boss revealed to Fairfax Tinkler had borrowed money from him to establish his presence in the racing industry and thus he had a caveat over the sale.
Tinkler had suggested the sale of Patinack Farm would fund the acquisition of Wilkie Creek.
Tinkler declined to comment when contacted by SmartCompany.
This article first appeared on <a href="https://www.smartcompany.com.au/" target="_blank">SmartCompany</a>.
</body></html>

krobb-aCrRNnPq6D

Time’s up for Tinkler as Peabody pulls comeback mine deal after missed payments

<html><body>
Civil construction has begun on the sixth stage release of the $50 million My Home and the River estate in Queensland's Logan Village.
So far, the project has made about $25 million in sales, with most sales from locals who live within 30 kilometres of the Logan Village township. Three lots from the previous release are still unsold.
According to project co-developer and sales manager Geoff Kerkow, six contracts for lots in project's sixth stage have been issued.
<img src="/images/2014/09/01/Geoff%20Kerkow%20-%20My%20Home%20and%20the%20River%20project%20co-developer%20and%20sales%20manager.jpg" alt="">
Photo: Project co-developer and sales manager Geoff Kerkow. Source: Supplied.
“Our buyers are moving from more suburban areas to semi-rural Logan Village as the community has become more established,” said Kerkow.
“People recognise that they are not losing anything by moving here because they can still access quality education, medical and retail services while enjoying a better lifestyle.
“The various benefits of living in a smaller community continue to be the major drivers of sales for us.”
The My Home and the River estate project is located 41 kilometres south east of the Brisbane CBD, and about 16 minutes from Logan Central.
<img src="/images/2014/09/01/River%20view%20from%20estate%20press%20res.jpg" alt="">
Photo: River view from estate. Source: Supplied.
The home sites in the Stage 6 release are situated opposite established park lands and walking trails, with prices starting at $249,000 for an 840 square metre block.
My Home and the River was launched in 2011 by a local syndicate. Upon completion, the project will have 272 homes adjoining 30 hectares parkland.
Logan Village, one kilometre from the estate, is serviced by a Bendigo Bank branch, a Woolworths supermarket and a range of cafes, with medical and professional services. In 2011, Logan Village had a population of 3,586 people. 
</body></html>

jrichardson-uRX5hFdKfN

Sixth stage of Logan Village estate launches

<html><body>
An announcement this week gave hope to all those investors who own properties in mining centres.
Indian mining company Adani started advertising the thousands of jobs that will come with its $16 billion Carmichael coal mine in Central Queensland.
It’s a further indication that Adani is keen to move ahead quickly with its project, which will include the mine, plus rail links and export port facilities.
Every day I receive emails from people who own investment properties in places like <a href="/news">Moranbah</a>, <a href="/news">Emerald</a>, <a href="/news">Blackwater</a>, <a href="/news">Mudgee</a> and the towns of the Hunter Valley.
These places have lots in common. They’re all towns where property markets boomed when coal mining was thriving, with rents and property values rising strongly. Then two things happened: the coal sector turned south just as developers were heading north. Demand fell just as supply was rising.
Big vacancies caused rents to fall and property values followed. If you bought in any of these places two years ago, you will be feeling lots of financial pain.
Moranbah’s median price has dropped 40% in the past 12 months and rents are about one-third of their peak levels.
The common dilemma expressed in so many of those emails is this: should I cut my losses and sell, or should I hold on and hope it improves? One correspondent this week suggested things might be turning around in Moranbah but asked: “Is it just wishful thinking?”
The Adani announcement that expressions of interest are open for jobs on its Carmichael mine suggests that hope is not unreasonable.
Adani, which has state and federal approvals for its Galilee Basin mine, is planning to employ up to 5,000 people during the construction phase and 4,000 more during the mine's operation.
A key beneficiary will be Emerald, a regional centre which sits amid the Galilee Basin to the west and the Bowen Basin to the east. Lots of coal, lots of big plans, but not much action at present.
I’ve often said to people: it will only require one of the half dozen proposed mega projects in the Galilee Basin to go ahead, for Emerald’s market to come storming back. I’ve always thought the Carmichael mine was the most likely to go first, because Adani wants the coal to provide for its own needs (its Indian power stations) rather than to supply the depressed global market.
The problem for investors sitting on empty rental properties is that these huge projects are slow-moving events. You need lots of patience and nerves of steel.
But this is life in mining towns. It’s not a new phenomenon. This is not the first time Moranbah has fallen into a trough (althought this one is deeper than any of the previous). It’s not the first time a boom in Gladstone has been followed by a bust.
Gladstone’s market experienced a major peak in 2008, followed by a couple of years of declining values, before rising to another peak in 2012, followed the another period of decline.
Mudgee in New South Wales had a peak in 2007, falling prices in 2008 and 2009, another peak in 2010, decline in 2001, another peak in 2013 and now another decline. The price graph for Mudgee looks like a mountain range.
Ditto Muswellbrook: since 2006 it’s been minor peak, minor trough, minor peak, mknor trough, major peak (2012), major trough (now).
When prices rise strongly in markets like this, the market always “give some back” before moving into the next up-cycle. Usually the market gives back less than it gained earlier, so the overall trend is upwards.
If you don’t have the temperament to deal with this kind of volatility, it’s best to stay out of resources-related markets.
You can contact Terry via <a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au" target="_blank">email</a> or on <a href="https://www.twitter.com/hotspotting" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. 
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terryryder-YECXbqmri2

The announcement that gave hope to property investors in mining towns

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Vendor discounting, or the amount that a seller reduces their asking price by, is an interesting gauge of what is occurring in the markets across the country.
Property Observer casts our gaze at the latest Real Estate Institute of Queensland statistics, for the June 2014 quarter, and compared them to the June 2013 quarter to see which areas are worse off than 12 months ago.
Note: all figures represent a discount (that is, a negative percentage).
<ul>
<li>Brisbane SD</li>
</ul>
June 2014: 5.7% June 2013: 9.9% Decrease in discounting on last year
<ul>
<li>Brisbane</li>
</ul>
June 2014: 5.6% June 2013: 8.9% Decrease in discounting on last year
<ul>
<li>Gold Coast</li>
</ul>
June 2014: 6.1% June 2013: 12.9% Decrease in discounting on last year
<ul>
<li>Sunshine Coast (including Noosa)</li>
</ul>
June 2014: 6% June 2013: 13% Decrease in discounting on last year
<ul>
<li>Gladstone</li>
</ul>
June 2014: 9.8% June 2013: 9.1% Increase in discounting on last year
<ul>
<li>Fraser Coast</li>
</ul>
June 2014: 7.5% June 2013: 12.8% Decrease in discounting on last year
<ul>
<li>Cairns</li>
</ul>
June 2014: 6% June 2013: 11.6% Decrease in discounting on last year
<ul>
<li>Toowoomba</li>
</ul>
June 2014: 4.6% June 2013: 7.3% Decrease in discounting on last year
<ul>
<li>Mackay</li>
</ul>
June 2014: 8.5% June 2013: 7.5% Increase in discounting on last year
<ul>
<li>Bundaberg</li>
</ul>
June 2014: 7% June 2013: 9.7% Decrease in discounting on last year
<ul>
<li>Rockhampton</li>
</ul>
June 2014: 7.7% June 2013: 9.8% Decrease in discounting on last year
<ul>
<li>Townsville</li>
</ul>
June 2014: 7.4% June 2013: 9.7% Decrease in discounting on last year
Source: REIQ 
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Queensland’s vendor discounting: Which areas are worse than last year?

Terry Ryder's top 10 Queensland hotspots

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I’m seeing a rising tide of media talk that the Gladstone market has bottomed and now might be a wonderful time to buy there in readiness for the next up cycle.
This is very bad advice from people who will earn money if investors act on it and buy Gladstone real estate.
The worst is yet to come for Gladstone. The bottom won’t be reached until the three big gas projects finish construction and around 8,000 workers leave town. Only then will we see the how deep the Gladstone downturn can go.
The current situation is a vacancy rate of 6%, according to SQM Research. This is a lot better than the 10% vacancies at the start of the year and this, together with some mildly encouraging price statistics in a June Quarter report from the Real Estate Institute of Queensland, is seen by some as a sign that the market has turned the corner.
“Market stabilises in Gladstone,” said one newspaper headline, with market professionals quoted in the article claiming that Gladstone was “on track to bounce back amid growing confidence”.
Somewhat more realistic is the assessment from the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, which has forecast a “jobs crisis” in Gladstone. It says there is already a “massive contraction in jobs in Gladstone industry” and it will get worse because of the “soon-to-happen mass exodus of 8,000 workers on the Curtis Island projects”.
The Curtis Island projects are the three processing plants which will convert coal seam gas to Liquefied natural gas. They represent investment totalling about $60 billion and are all well advanced in their construction phases.
You’d think the Gladstone property market would be pumping with all that economic stimulus, wouldn’t you? I had an email recently from someone who had bought there a couple of years ago and was “not happy” because the porperty had lost $50,000 off its market value. “What happened to Gladstone?” was the plaintive cry.
I’ll tell you what happened to Gladstone. Idiot developers happened to Gladstone. The visited a construction blitzkrieg on the central Queensland city, without too much regard to what their competition was doing.
They build far too much new dwelling stock, even for the current construction phase of the major projects, without considering what would happen to market demand when the construction ended and all those thousands of building workers left town in search of the next boom.
So those who own Gladstone investment properties, and are feeling uncomfortable right now, have more pain to come.
But you don’t buy real estate in resources towns unless you have the temperament and financial resources to ride the peaks and troughs. Gladstone has had previous booms, and those booms were followed by busts. Such is life in mining towns and regional centres reliant on the resources sector. If you’re not willing to tolerate that volatility, you shouldn’t buy in these places.
Even with the decline in values in resources locations in the past 12-18 months, the fact remains that the highest capital growth rates in Australia – by far – are in mining towns and resources regional centres. The capital growth rates (average annual rise in median house prices over the past 10 years) in places like <a href="/news">Port Hedland</a> and <a href="/news">Newman </a>in Western Australia have dropped markedly in the past couple of years - but they remain the highest capital growth rates in the nation.
If you buy in these places (and I personally would not) you have to be patience, resilient and able to accept the volatility of markets in high-risk locations.
Gladstone has a huge future. I see it as Australia’s leading industrial city. Those who own property there will get growth in coming years. But before we get to that point, there will be more pain.
So, no, now is not the time to buy there. The market will fall further. Nor is it a good time to buy in places like Port Hedland or <a href="/news">Karratha</a>, because those markets are declining also and have not yet touched bottom.
You can contact Terry via <a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au" target="_blank">email</a> or on <a href="https://www.twitter.com/hotspotting" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. 
Picture courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. 
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The worst is yet to come for Gladstone

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The former Toll Holdings boss Paul Little, who now heads Little Property, has seemingly secured the sale of his trophy home on Noosa Sound.
His Witta Circle luxury house went on the market in 2011 with a price tag of $7.2 million having paid $7.6 million in the pre-global financial crisis year, 2007.
Title Tattle gleans the property - with five bedrooms, five bathrooms, a cinema and an office - fetched around $6.25 million.
No official sale price has been revealed with the sales website merely suggesting it was "<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-noosa+heads-107159294" target="_blank">under contract</a>".
Little is currently the chairman of the Essendon Football Club and has been a prominent public figure during the club's investigation by ASADA for alleged doping offenses.
<a href="/news/new-zealand-buyer-secures-bob-biddles-witta-circle-noosa-waterfront">Witta Circle's last prestige sale </a>was by the Biddle family.
Barry Andersen at Rymar Properties bought it for $2.6 million in 2005 selling it to Little in 2007.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Essendon chairman Paul Little's Witta Circle, Noosa offering under contract

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Renting can be an expensive business, depending on where you choose.
Looking at RP Data’s latest weekly median advertised rent for apartment suburbs across Queensland, we have compiled the top 10 most expensive places you can choose to rent in across Queensland, as well as their gross rental yields.
<ol>
<li>
<a href="/news">Tennyson </a>Weekly median advertised rent: $778 Gross rental yield: 4.39% The most expensive rental in Tennyson is a $1,500 per week three-bedroom, four-bathroom apartment with four car spaces. It’s a 10th floor penthouse in the Lushington complex. <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-qld-tennyson-413612499" target="_blank" style="line-height: 1.3em;">At 227/205 King Arthur Terrace</a> (pictured above), the property includes a private reading deck, balcony, butlers preparation area in the kitchen, walk-in pantry and a media room. 
</li>
<li>
<a href="/news">Jacobs Well </a>Weekly median advertised rent: $723 Gross rental yield:  7.91% 
</li>
<li>
<a href="/news">Mackay Harbour </a>Weekly median advertised rent: $720 Gross rental yield: 7.53% 
</li>
<li>
<a href="/news">Hollywell </a>Weekly median advertised rent: $650 Gross rental yield:  5.50% 
</li>
<li>
<a href="/news">Brisbane City </a>Weekly median advertised rent: $610 Gross rental yield: 6.47% 
</li>
<li>
<a href="/news">Hendra </a>Weekly median advertised rent: $570 Gross rental yield: 5.96% 
</li>
<li>
<a href="/news">Bulimba </a>Weekly median advertised rent: $560 Gross rental yield: 5.09% 
</li>
<li>
<a href="/news">Newstead </a>Weekly median advertised rent: $560 Gross rental yield: 3.82% 
</li>
<li>
<a href="/news">Rockhampton City </a>Weekly median advertised rent: $553 Gross rental yield:  6.54% 
</li>
<li>
<a href="/news">Windaroo </a>Weekly median advertised rent: $535 Gross rental yield: 4.92%
</li>
</ol>
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