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.

Joel Robinson

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

A collection of just 25 large-format apartments and penthouses overlooking Goodwin Park is entering the Coolangatta market, with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/marea-residences-coolangatta-27-27a-dixon-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Maréa Residences</a> combining a low-density, residential-only approach with uninterrupted park and Pacific Ocean outlooks.

Located at 27 Dixon Street, Maréa comprises three and four-bedroom residences alongside a limited number of dual-level penthouses, with the project positioned between Goodwin Park and <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/coolangatta-qld-4225">Coolangatta</a>’s coastal precinct.

Construction has commenced, with completion currently estimated for late 2027. Three-bedroom residences are priced from $1.8 million.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150999 project_image_fid=374005]

The project has been designed around its northern outlook across the park, with the building’s architecture, landscaping and material palette intended to establish a connection with the neighbouring green space. The residences have been configured to maximise natural light and views across Goodwin Park towards the ocean.

Inside, the material palette incorporates timber, stone and brushed brass, complemented by curved detailing and ambient lighting. Kitchens and bathrooms carry the same natural material approach, while residences also include basement parking, storage and lift access.

Maréa’s penthouses are arranged over two levels and include private pools, adding another layer to the project’s focus on larger-format apartment living. Across the development, residences are configured with three or four bedrooms rather than the broader mix of smaller apartment types commonly found in larger projects.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150999 project_image_fid=374010]

Resident amenity is concentrated at rooftop level, where landscaped entertaining terraces and pools take advantage of elevated views across Coolangatta and the Pacific Ocean.

The project has so far been particularly well received by local owner-occupiers and downsizers, according to Urban Activation Property Sales and Marketing Director Matt George, with the residential-only format, construction quality and northern park outlook among the features resonating with purchasers.

“The uninterrupted northern aspect overlooking Goodwin Park has been a key point of difference, with buyers attracted to the sense of serenity and open space the park provides, while still enjoying easy access to the ocean and being within walking distance of the lifestyle and amenities Coolangatta has to offer,” George said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150999 project_image_fid=374002]

“The combination of high-quality construction, a residential-only building, park outlook and proximity to the beach has resonated strongly with the local downsizer market.”

The Dixon Street address is within walking distance of Coolangatta Beach and the broader southern Gold Coast coastline, including the surf breaks at Snapper Rocks and Kirra. Coolangatta’s cafés, restaurants and retail are nearby, while Gold Coast Airport is also within close proximity.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150999]

Maréa Residences brings parkside apartments to Coolangatta

Sydney

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The great Australian dream of a home on a quarter-acre block has taken a hit in Sydney due to the affordability crisis and need for low maintenance living. 
Small-lot housing, identified as the “missing middle” amid the affordability crisis, is gaining popularity with buyers leaning towards a minimalist trend.
Developer Creation Homes (the home building arm of Metro Property Development), says it is witnessing a rapid uptake of its smaller size lots in Southwest Sydney projects. 
Fifty small lots of the 250 between Creation Homes’s Catherine Field and Spring Farm projects have been snapped up in the past four months, it said.
Two-bedroom homes starting at $480,000 and spanning 120 sqm are the most popular along with the three-bedroom designs priced from $565,000 for 225 sqm. 
“We are seeing a lot of people opting for smaller blocks which suggests a trend towards minimalist living in the house and land sector,” said David Mann of Metro Property and Creation Homes. 
“Obviously the smaller price tags are a big draw card but people also have the opportunity to declutter and make better use of their space with the added bonuses of spending less time maintaining the property, cleaning and mowing huge lawns are rarely used.” 
Some small lots are available at its recently released Orchard Heights estate in Spring Farm, with land sizes starting from 300 square metres. 
The first release of the smaller models at the site includes six lots under 350 square metres and prices range from $627,100 to $677,900. 
“Since it proved to be so successful we’ll definitely continue to roll-out the smaller lot model, initially focusing on our projects in North-West and South-West Sydney and eventually to other areas across Sydney as well,” said Phil Leahy. 
According to Creation Homes, another emerging trend for buyers is to forgo the traditional full model home inspection before purchasing, an approach similar to off-the-plan apartment sales. 
“We’re noticing that people are now more than happy to commit to buying after seeing finishes boards and part-models of kitchens and bathrooms like you’d most commonly see with off-the-plan apartment sales,” said Phil Leahy. 
The Melbourne developer started building homes in 2010 and has delivered more than 1,000 dwellings in the last 12 months. It was recognised in 2013 with a BRW Australia’s 7th Fastest Growing Business award. 
Metro Property Development is a wholesale homebuilder and has delivered more than 5,000 homes and apartments across Australia and has a future development pipeline valued at more than $3.1 billion. 
The NSW business is opening a display office at the new location of Brookhollow Avenue in Baulkham Hills later this month. 
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Small lots growing in popularity with Sydney buyers: Creation Homes

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/77701/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
The global tropical climate zone is expanding. At the current rate, by 2100 its edge will stretch from Sydney to Perth.
The Tropics are defined as the area of Earth where the Sun is directly overhead at least once a year — the zone between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.
However, tropical climates occur within a larger area about 30 degrees either side of the Equator. Earth’s dry subtropical zones lie adjacent to this broad region. It is here that we find the great warm deserts of the world.
Earth’s bulging waistline
Earth’s tropical atmosphere is growing in all directions, leading one commentator to cleverly call this Earth’s “bulging waistline”.
Since 1979, the planet’s waistline been expanding poleward by 56km to 111km per decade in both hemispheres. Future climate projections suggest this expansion is likely to continue, driven largely by human activities – most notably emissions of greenhouse gases and black carbon, as well as warming in the lower atmosphere and the oceans.
If the current rate continues, by 2100 the edge of the new dry subtropical zone would extend from roughly Sydney to Perth.
As these dry subtropical zones shift, droughts will worsen and overall less rain will fall in most warm temperate regions.
Poleward shifts in the average tracks of tropical and extratropicalcyclones are already happening. This is likely to continue as the tropics expand further. As extratropical cyclones move, they shift rain away from temperate regions that historically rely upon winter rainfalls for their agriculture and water security.
Researchers have observed that, as climate zones change, animals and plants migrate to keep up. But as biodiversity and ecosystem services are threatened, species that can’t adjust to rapidly changing conditions face extinction.
In some biodiversity hotspots – such as the far southwest of Australia – there are no suitable land areas (only oceans) for ecosystems and species to move into to keep pace with warming and drying trends.
We are already witnessing an expansion of pests and diseases into regions that were previously climatically unsuitable. This suggests that they will attempt to follow any future poleward shifts in climate zones.
I recently drew attention to the anticipated impacts of an expanding tropics for Africa. So what might this might mean for Australia?
Australia is vulnerable
Australia’s geographical location makes it highly vulnerable to an expanding tropics. About 60% of the continent lies north of 30°S.
As the edge of the dry subtropical zone continues to creep south, more of southern Australia will be subject to its drying effects.
Meanwhile, the fringes of the north of the continent may experience rainfall and temperature conditions that are more typical of our northern neighbours.
The effects of the expanding tropics are already being felt in southern Australia in the form of declining winter rainfall. This is especially the case in the southwest and — to a lesser extent — the continental southeast.
Future climate change projections for Australia include increasing air and ocean temperatures, rising sea levels, more hot days (over 35℃), declining rainfall in the southern continental areas, and more extreme fire weather events.
For northern Australia, changes in annual rainfall remain uncertain. However, there is a high expectation of more extreme rainfall events, many more hot days and more severe (but less frequent) tropical cyclones and associated storm surges in coastal areas.
Dealing with climate change
Adaptation to climate change will be required across all of Australia. In the south the focus will have to be on adapting to projected drying trends. Other challenges include more frequent droughts, more warm spells and hot days, higher fire weather risk and rising sea levels in coastal areas.
The future growth of the north remains debatable. I have already pointed out the lack of consideration of climate change in the White Paper for the Development of Northern Australia.
The white paper neglects to explain how planned agricultural, mining, tourism and community development will adapt to projected changes in climate over coming decades — particularly, the anticipated very high number of hot days.
For example, Darwin currently averages 47 hot days a year, but under a high carbon emission scenario, the number of hot days could approach 320 per year by 2090. If the north is to survive and thrive as a significant economic region of Australia, it will need effective climate adaptation strategies. This must happen now — not at some distant time in the future.
This requires bipartisan support from all levels of government, and a pan-northern approach to climate adaptation. It will be important to work closely with industry and affected local and Indigenous communities across the north.
These sectors must have access to information and solutions drawn from interdisciplinary, “public good” research. In the face of this urgent need, CSIRO cuts to such research and the defunding of the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility should be ringing alarm bells.
As we enter uncharted climate territory, never before has public-good research been more important and relevant.
Steve Turton is an Adjunct Professor of Environmental Geography at CQUniversity Australia and author for The Conversation. He can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/steve-turton-15660" target="_blank">here</a>.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

The world’s tropical zone is expanding, and Australia should be worried: Steve Turton

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Buyers are snapping up the apartments in Modulus, located at 1 Birriga Lane, Bellevue Hill, with 60% sold and only two five-bedroom penthouses remaining.
The property will seek to achieve the Green Building Council of Australia’s 6 Star Green Star rating upon completion – the first multi-residential building in the country to attempt to do so in combination with a PassivHaus rating.
The super-eco-friendly property features next-level technological advancements with a boutique, luxury feel, and has a hugely futuristic appeal for environmentally-friendly and health-conscious buyers who are looking to achieve that next level of holistic yet luxurious living in one of the most sought-after locations in Australia.
Modulus is surrounded by sustainable, edible gardens with rainforest species framing outdoor terraces and palms filtering neighbours’ views.
Only the penthouses remain available, priced at between $6.6 million and $6.8 million.
The two bedrooms were offered between $2.3 million and $2.4 million and the three bedrooms were priced between $3.85 million and $4.5 million.
Knight Frank’s head of prestige residential sales, Australia Deborah Cullen and sales executive, prestige residential sales, Australia Richard Sholl are marketing the property on behalf of behalf of Modulus Luxury.
According to Cullen, this type of property is becoming increasingly sought-after in the luxury market, with sustainability one of the foremost topics in buyers’ minds.
“Modulus offers the trifecta for purchasers – location, technology and sustainability, and luxury.
“It is positioned in Sydney’s highly sought-after Eastern Suburbs, close to Bondi Beach and the CBD; features superior technology and sustainability features; and is beautifully, architecturally designed to improve health and wellbeing.”
According to Rajesh Nellore, Modulus luxury managing director, Modulus is designed with next-level technology from the clean tech industry.
“We support research, development and investment into sustainable living,” said Nellore.
“Today, buildings account for 40 per cent of global resource use.
“To make matters worse, building developers often tap forests and other resources in a way that depletes them, harms biodiversity, and generates pollution.
“Modulus is designed with ultimate eco-friendly waste and energy management in mind, and is part of a new generation of ‘smart homes’.
“Even the materials used to build the property were developed using materials that aim to minimise environmental impact, including the depletion of resources, impacts on bio diversity, greenhouse emissions and toxic waste.
“Modulus has an intelligent control system that directs the electricity produced by solar energy.
“To sustain residents’ good health, the apartments facilitate excellent natural ventilation and can also pump additional oxygen into homes while occupants are sleeping.
“Building materials are also selected to maintain healthy indoor air quality.”
Modulus features PassivHaus, a high-performance building design, with high levels of sustainable infrastructure and insulation – creating consistent internal thermal comfort without input from active heating or cooling systems.
It has sophisticated active and passive air conditioning systems, allowing the house to operate in three different modes of comfort conditioning.
Modulus features a ‘green roof’ partially covered with plants, offering numerous advantages, including a natural habitat for birds; storm water runoff reduction; and a filtration system for rainwater.
The ’green roof’ also serves as a meditation centre with meditation pods, decreasing stress through tranquillity.
For more information, visit <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/modulusluxury.com" target="_blank">modulusluxury.com</a>.
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Bellevue Hill apartment development Modulus quickly snapped up by buyers

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A business park penthouse in Sydney’s Macquarie Park has sold for a record $5.6 million.
The apartment atop Romeciti's latest residential project, Natura, was snapped up by a foreign buyer, according to The Australian Financial Review.
The buyer, a downsizer from Dural,  exchanged the contract for the 173 square metre apartment last week before the project's launch on June 24.
At the selling price, the land rate works out to be $32,000 a sqm.
Romeciti’s 357-apartment Natura project in Macquarie Park saw 88 percent of its first stage launch of 210 apartments sold. The total sales valued at $210 million.
Business parks such as Macquarie Park and Norwest have changed from staid suburbs to lifestyle precincts, helped by Sydney's population boom and urban renewal.
But with their popularity, prices have surged, such as another recent sale of  a “business park apartment" — the $3.1 million penthouse at church group Hillsong and Capital Corporation's Esplanade project, 40 kilometres north-west of Sydney CBD.
Romeciti's "grand penthouse" record price is being attributed to its panoramic views and high end finishes.
The three-bedroom three-bathroom apartment will be laid over two levels and has six-metre living room ceiling heights as well as two car spaces.
All six Grand Penthouses have been sold prior to launch, Property Observer noted.
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Business park penthouse in Macquarie Park snapped up for $5.6 million

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Since the start of 2017, the Sydney retail market has continued its upward movement with increases in both average market rental rates and capital values, say valuation firm Herron Todd White in their June 2017 Month in Review.
Increased demand from investors has continued to drive the market, it says.
The demand for CBD assets remains strong, particularly as infrastructure improvements continue. Across the board, Sydney is continuing to experience yield compression in the commercial domain. A heated residential market along with an inherently low cost of borrowing have seen yield compression across all sectors over the past 12 to 24 months. There is strong appetite for retail properties with long term lease covenants. 
"We consider this trend will continue while supply remains relatively low. Entry level opportunities in the retail market are constrained to strata lots in the outer and middle ring suburbs of Sydney," say HTW.
This market has had an increase in supply due to the increase in mixed use developments coming onto the market. Typically, these assets are in fringe retail locations prone to longer vacancy periods and are often best suited to owner-occupiers.
There are very few mixed use retail opportunities below $1 million. Recent sales indicate that some suburbs such as Beverly Hills, Haberfield, Chester Hill and Leichhardt still have some limited mixed use options below $1 million. Many of these assets are purchased based on the future redevelopment potential.
Strata lots presently represent the main opportunity for entry-level buyers. The inner west, south Sydney and central west areas all have options priced below $1 million. Typically, these assets are strata lots less than 100 square metres. If they have secure long term tenancies, these assets represent an investment option for entry level buyers. Supply of this stock has significantly increased due to the redevelopment of many parts of Sydney.
In terms of current yields, these assets are trading below 6 percent with some recent examples showing yields below 4.5%, particularly where the asset has a good lease covenant. Examples include leases to medical centres, cafes and dry cleaners.
The outlook for retail in Sydney remains positive for 2017. Prime locations continue to perform well.
"That said we are of the opinion that the market is reaching the peak of the cycle and any tightening of monetary policy or increase in the cost of debt will result in the prevailing investment yields not being sustainable. For the time being though, all signs are that 2017 will be a good year for retail assets," according to HTW.  
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Sydney retail market seeing yield compression: HTW

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The Sydney auction market is cooling as finance is harder to come by, especially for investors and those wanting to use interest-only loans.
The preliminary clearance rate reported by Domain was a shade under 70 percent - now tracking well below the frenzied peak - while CoreLogic put the preliminary figure a but higher at 73 percent.
The median auction price for houses was $1,515,500, some $142,500 or 10.4 percent higher than on the same weekend last year.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/06/26/SYDNEY.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2017/06/26/SYDNEY.jpg" alt="">
Similarly the median auction price for units was up by $76,000 or 8.6 percent from the same weekend last year to $955,000. 
Overall the median price of $1,335,000 was the third highest on record. 
Return of the first homebuyer
A factor skewing the median price higher was that some first homebuyers are reportedly sitting on the sidelines until next weekend when the new incentives will have kicked in post-July 1.
From next week, therefore, there may be some renewed upwards pressure on entry level stock priced up to around $800,000. 
Overall, though, the credit squeeze has changed the dynamic of the market considerably, and price pressure is easing. 
In some inner suburbs such as Erskineville, Glebe, Enmore, Newtown, Haberfield, Darlinghurst, Surry Hills, Redfern, and Pyrmont I've already noted a looming shortage of rentals, with vacancy rates sinking to as close to zero as you'll ever see.
Sydney is having an absolute shocker at the moment with its traffic congestion, partly due to the disruption caused by the light rail construction. 
Therefore it's no surprise that areas experiencing a rental shortage are those with great city access.
It's a different story for some of the suburbs where commuters need to drive into the city for work.
Over the next year as investors are increasingly squeezed out of the market there will likely be an increasing number of news stories reporting a Sydney rental crisis, at least for certain locations and sought-after property types. 
Contrast these tight rental markets with the overbuilding and homogeneous glut of rentals on Sydney's city fringe, 60 kilometres to the south west. 
PETE WARGENT is the co-founder of <a href="https://allenwargent.com/">AllenWargent</a> property buyers (London, Sydney) and a best-selling author and <a href="https://petewargent.blogspot.com/">blogger</a>.
His latest book is <a href="https://www.bigskypublishing.com.au/Books/General-Interest/Four-Green-Houses--and-a-Red-Hotel/1015/productview.aspx">Four Green Houses and a Red Hotel</a>.
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Sydney auction market cooling as finance harder to come by

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The winter season and record June listings are impacting the Sydney auction market according to Domain's Andrew Wilson.
He said nearly 750 homes are set to go under the hammer this Saturday which although lower than last weekend’s 787 auctions it will be significantly higher than the 631 listed over the same weekend last year.
"Sydney’s strong inner west market will again host the most number of regional auctions this weekend with 130 listed," he said.
"The next highest is the south with 96 closely followed by the upper north shore 95, the city and east 88, the lower north 74, the west 54, the northern beaches  51, the south west 50, the north west 43, Canterbury Bankstown 35, the central coast 13 and the Blue Mountains with 2 auctions scheduled on Saturday.
"Mosman and Ashfield are the most popular suburbs in Sydney this weekend with 11 auctions each followed by St Ives and Earlwood each with 10, Epping , Cremorne and Castle Hill each with 9 and Marrickville and Maroubra with 8 auctions each listed on Saturday."
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Sydney auction market feels winter season, record June listings

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Architecture firm HDR Rice Daubney has dropped "Rice Daubney'' from its name, a plan in the works since co-founder John Daubney’s retirement last year.
The firm, which Sunshine Coast hospital, was acquired by US giant HDR in 2013 in a deal that was expected to give healthcare and defence-facility specialist HDR a toehold into the Australian market.
Stephen Auld was announced as the new managing director earlier this year, as part of the leadership transition, after John Daubney stepped down.  
Auld said the name change took the geography out of the equation, reported The Australian Financial Review.
"We're part of a global business. It allows our team to work internationally with a lot more ease. It's a very well-known brand,” he said.
The increasing use of technology has impressed upon the need for firms to have links with larger practices to spread the cost of research and development, Auld was cited as saying by the AFR.
"The access we have now within HDR to things like computational design, data analytics and data-driven design is just unbelievable," he said. "That gives us a competitive advantage and enables us to bring to our clients huge opportunities that we wouldn't have been able to before."
Omaha, Nebraska-based HDR, which also offers engineering services, ranked fifth in the latest WA100 global ranking of architecture firms, with 1072 architect employees, the AFR said. 
It was founded by H.H. Henningson as Henningson Engineering Company in Nebraska in 1917.
The architecture and design world has seen a wave of consolidation, with firms such as PTW and Rice Daubney being bought by larger foreign players. 
In April, design firm Suters was acquired by Bangkok-based DWP and took on the branding and identity of its new south-east Asian parent. 
In February, Sydney and Melbourne-based architecture firm Billard Leece Partnership acquired interior design firm THID. 
Omaha, Nebraska-based HDR, which also offers engineering services, ranked fifth in the latest WA100 global ranking of architecture firms, with 1072 architect employees.  
The local arm of the business that turned 40 last year specialises in health, which last year accounted for about 40 per cent of revenue – which Auld declined to disclose – retail (30 per cent) and defence and education, science and technology design (about 15 per cent each). 
HDR Rice Daubney is currently project architect for the NSW government on the $900 million Westmead Hospital redevelopment project.
Property Observer reported sometime back that HDR Rice Daubney designed the buildings at Royal Shores, a $450 million estate being developed by PAYCE and Sekisui House on a portion of the former Defence Housing Australia (DHA) site at Ermington.
It designed the buildings with pitched sawtooth roofs and white-painted brick facades, drawing on the site’s rich maritime history.  
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Architecture firm HDR drops 'Rice Daubney' from Australian arm's name 

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Sydney’s median house price is expected to decline in the next three years.
Figures from BIS Oxford Economics has predicted that in 2020 Sydney’s median price will fall by 4% to $1.15 million compared to this year’s median price of $1.2 million.
This is compared to Canberra where it has an expected rise the highest of all, at 16% from $665,000 in 2017 to $770,000 in 2020.
The only other locality with a predicted drop in median price is Darwin where BIS Oxford Economics has predicted that there will be a fall of 1% from $525,000 to $520,000.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/06/22/Screen%20Shot%202017-06-22%20at%2011.45.13%20am.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2017/06/22/Screen%20Shot%202017-06-22%20at%2011.45.13%20am.jpg" alt="">
Similarly for units all locality except Adelaide, Canberra and Hobart are predicted to experience a decline in median unit prices.
The biggest is Brisbane with a predicted drop of 7% from $425,000 to $395,000.
Sydney, Melbourne and Darwin follow soon after with a predicted drop of 4%.
In contrast to this Hobart’s unit median price is expected to increase by 6% from $315,000 to $335,000.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/06/22/Screen%20Shot%202017-06-22%20at%2011.45.22%20am.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2017/06/22/Screen%20Shot%202017-06-22%20at%2011.45.22%20am.jpg" alt="">
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Median house price for Sydney expected to fall in next three years

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Art auction house Deutscher and Hackett are relocating from Sydney’s Oxford Street, their home for 10 years, to Paddington.
D+H will operate from 16 Goodhope Street from July 10, it said in an announcement.
Formerly the Sherman Galleries and operating as the Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation [SCAF] since 2008, 16 Goodhope Street is considered one of the most prestigious gallery spaces in Australia, it said.
The gallery has hosted major solo exhibitions by leading Australian artists, as well as large scale installations by international luminaries such as Ai Wei Wei.
D+H to move on and the perfect timing to move into Goodhope Street.   Dr Sherman is now changing SCAF into an event-based cultural enterprise, Sherman Centre for Culture &amp; Ideas [SCCI], which will partner with major institutions to hold projects, seminars and exhibitions. The gallery space at Goodhope street will now be occupied by D+H while the SCCI headquarters will remain in the adjoining property. 
With the final SCAF exhibition concluding at the end of June, the gallery space will also begin a new chapter in its history.
Deutscher and Hackett said their inaugural auction preview exhibition at Goodhope Street will be Important Australian Works of Art from the estate of the late James O. Fairfax AC from 24 – 30 August.
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