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

Joel Robinson

The Eveleigh brings house-like apartments to Broadbeach

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sydney

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Major improvement works are planned for Victoria Park in inner Sydney next year.
The 9.2 hectare park, on the corner of Parramatta and City roads will receive an upgrade with more trees, plants, lighting and seating.
There will also be new table tennis tables and netball courts.
Northam Lake in the centre of the park will receive new stormwater filters and more wetland plants to improve water quality, while new paths will encourage more people to walk and spend time in the park.
“Victoria Park is an escape for more than 50,000 University of Sydney students – from my days going to the park after work at Fisher Library through to today’s students,” Lord Mayor Clover Moore said.
“It’s an important walking route for people who live in Camperdown, Glebe, Darlington and Chippendale and home to a mix of mature exotic and native trees.”
The improvement works, to start in January, include:
<ul>
<li>Path lighting to improve night-time safety and lighting for major events</li>
<li>New plants, paving and signs along City Road</li>
<li>New seats, bubblers and park signs</li>
<li>New table tennis tables and practice netball courts</li>
<li>Pollutant traps to filter stormwater flowing into Northam Lake</li>
<li>More wetland plants to improve water quality</li>
<li>A new perimeter loop path and an improved entry to Sydney University.</li>
</ul>
The park is a popular walking route and also hosts events, including the Mardi Gras Fair Day, Yabun Festival, Picnic in the Park and Soulfest.
<img src="/images/2016/11/22/Victoria%20Park%20artist%20impression%202.jpg" alt="">
Gazetted as a park in 1870, Victoria Park has a popular swimming pool and heritage items, including the Gardener’s Lodge, entry gates, piers, sandstone hob and palisade boundary fence.
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Major improvements planned for Victoria Park, Sydney 

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Registered overseas student training organization, City Institute, has secured office space in a heritage listed building in the Sydney CBD through Ray White Commercial.
City Institute has leased an approximately 236 sqm office tenancy at Level 2, 531 George Street, Sydney, the former Taito House building.
It was in an off market deal negotiated by Ray White Commercial South Sydney’s John Skufris on behalf of a private owner.
City Institute has previously occupied a tenancy on nearby Market St.
The Group also has other sites in the Sydney CBD and on the northern beaches.
531 George Street is a four level brick property constructed in Victorian free gothic style situated in the Southern CBD.
The building is now also occupied by the Albion Place Hotel.
Mr. Skufris said 531 George Street is situated about 100 metres from Town Hall station next to Meriton Tower "offering an existing fit out conducive to the tenant’s proposed use”.
City Institute has taken out a five-year lease at an initial gross rental of $120,360 per annum.
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City Institute secures office space in Taito House building in Sydney

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Sydney's Clarence Street is in high demand with the former AMPCo Housing building refurbishment nearing completion.
The five storey secure office building at <a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-offices-nsw-sydney-501938454" target="_blank">277 Clarence Street</a> provides whole floor tenancies from around 165 sqm.
Ray White Commercial South Sydney agent John Skufris is marketing the property.
"There are now just two whole floors remaining for lease at 277 Clarence Street offering good natural light from two sides and polished original timber floors throughout from $131,670 per annum," he said.
Laing &amp; Simmons CBD/Surry Hills are one of the latest to relocate to the building.
Principal Dean Applegate said that it was a good value opportunity.
"With current appetite for new super prime commercial floor space in the city, there has been some good value opportunities emerge such as 277 Clarence Street," Dean Applegate said.
"Accordingly, we have managed to secure the entire ground floor tenancy and injected a large amount of capital into the fit out which is fresh and also sympathetic to the character of the building.
"We have created a comfortable open plan environment from which we can provide the best possible level of service."
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Clarence Street suites in demand

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There is still strong support for Australian office markets with Sydney and Melbourne experiencing strong leasing and investment demands, says Australian Unity Office Fund fund manager Grant Nichols.
Nichols said Sydney and Melbourne's metropolitan markets are performing particularly well which has positive implications for AOF, as 56 per cent of their portfolio is weighted to those markets.
"More broadly, investment demand in Australia remains very strong and it appears that current pricing levels will be sustained for at least the short to medium term,” Nichols said.
"Canberra and Brisbane's vacancy rates look to have stabilised while tenant demand remains tepid in Adelaide."
Adelaide's market however remains comparatively attractive from a price point prospecting for both investment and accommodation. 
AOF has completed around 4,400 sqm of leasing since listing in June, with around 4,300 sqm subject to signed heads of agreement.
Combined, this equates to nearly nine per cent of the portfolio over the last five months.
“AOF is well positioned to deliver on its specified objectives, given the leasing completed to date, prevailing market conditions and its strong lease expiry profile.” Nichols said.
Peter Day, independent chairman of Australian Unity Investment Real Estate Limited, said their strategy is to maintain a portfolio diversified by geography, tenants and lease expiry profile through investment into existing property.
“The team has been actively seeking opportunities to help deliver sustainable and growing income returns for investors, by investing in quality Australian office assets in metropolitan and CBD markets."
Talking on the listing, Peter said they raised $152 million through an initial public offering of units and reduced gearing to approximately 30 percent.
The 2016 financial year delivered several highlights for AOF, including:
- Leasing approximately 30 percent of the portfolio
- Providing an average distribution yield of 8.6 percent for the year to 30 June 2016 based on AOF’s net asset value
- Achieving a $14.4 million valuation uplift compared to 30 June 2015
- Successfully refinancing the $140 million debt facility via three and five year tranches.
 
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Commercial property demand to remain strong in 2017

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<div>Sydney recorded a preliminary auction clearance rate of 82 percent (CoreLogic) on Super Saturday, with Domain reporting a figure of 79 percent. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>The median auction price, admittedly a crude market measure if ever there was one, came in at $1,270,000.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Smoothing the median auction prices of a 4pMA basis shows that over the past two months median auction prices have been tracking about 10 per cent or so higher than a year ago. </div>
<a href="/images/2016/11/28/SYDNEY.jpg" target="_blank"> Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2016/11/28/SYDNEY.jpg" alt="">
<div> </div>
<div>However, auctions only represent a part of the market, and in so,e secondary areas auctions have become less common as sentiment has tailed off, resulting in considerably lower volumes overall than a year ago.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>This is consistent with moderate year-on-year median price growth for Sydney as a whole, but with a number of prime location areas still firing, in particular on the lower north shore, northern beaches, and in parts of the eastern suburbs. An oversized 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom unit on <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-nsw-waverton-124009834" target="_blank">Crows Nest Road</a> close to Waverton station (above) sold for a thunderous $1.35 million at auction on Saturday. At the beginning of this cycle in 2012 roughly equivalent units sold for just under $800,000.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>
PETE WARGENT is the co-founder of <a href="https://allenwargent.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">AllenWargent</a> property buyers (London, Sydney) and a best-selling author and <a href="https://petewargent.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">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" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Four Green Houses and a Red Hotel</a>.
</div>
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pwargent-M4siyDbqQY

Sydney's North Shore market sizzling: Pete Wargent 

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Some 1,143 auctions are scheduled in Sydney for the weekend of 26 November according to CoreLogic with auction volumes set to be lower than a year ago.
Across the smaller cities, auction activity is set to fall in each city except for Adelaide where auction activity is set to remain steady.
Capital city auctions this week:
<ul>
<li>Sydney: 1,143</li>
<li>Melbourne: 1,508</li>
<li>Brisbane: 182</li>
<li>Adelaide: 135</li>
<li>Perth: 59</li>
<li>Canberra: 96</li>
</ul>
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jonathanchancellor-7SQnKwU6yx

Over 1,100 auctions scheduled for Sydney: CoreLogic

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The ASX listed Lantern Hotel Group is offering Botany’s Waterworks Hotel for sale.
Daniel Dragicevich and Sam Handy of CBRE Hotels have been appointed, timed to capitalise on the current bullish market conditions.
The Waterworks Hotel was ranked 198th for gaming revenue in OLGR’s recent September quarter TOP 200 report.
The hotel comes with rare 24-hour liquor licence with 3-hour gaming shutdown in one of Sydney’s strongest gaming LGA’s, with surrounding pubs ranked 54th, 70th and 87th in the TOP 200 report.
The hotel has been achieving an average weekly gaming turnover of $784,528 and a net profit of $65,658 over the past 19 weeks. 
Only six of its 26 gaming machines are currently outdoor and there has been recent DA approval for a new alfresco gaming room.
There is also scope to increase the number of machines to the full complement of 30.
The Waterworks Hotel is located on a prominent 902sqm site within the main retail and commercial heart of Botany.
The site offers future redevelopment potential for residential apartments and short term accommodation underpinned by its B2 – local centre zoning, 14m height approval and generous 2:1 FSR.
Offers are due by December 13.
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Lantern Group's Waterworks Botany hotel hits the market

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/69207/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
The release this week by the Greater Sydney Commission of city-wide draft plans mandating some measure of affordable housing in new developments is a step in the right direction. However, the target of 5-10 percent on rezoned land is too low to make a serious impact on the city’s affordable housing shortage. It must be more ambitious.
Research highlights the central importance of affordable, stable housing to economic and social wellbeing. Yet, in Sydney, the lack of affordable housing has reached crisis point. Everyone from community housing providers to Commonwealth Treasury secretary John Fraser is pointing out that rising house prices are creating massive social and economic problems.
Housing researchers and academic housing economists across Australia agree that an essential part of the policy mix is to mandate a significant percentage of affordable homes in all new housing developments. This is known as “inclusionary zoning”.
Other global cities such as New York and London have recognised the important role of housing in their economies and have inclusionary zoning policies. Other states in Australia have also set affordable housing targets. These have not had harmful impacts on housing investment.
<h2>Fighting to keep windfall profits</h2>
Predictably, parts of the property industry are already resisting any level of inclusionary zoning. Some developers claim that affordable housing targets will increase housing costs for the majority. They argue that profits lost on affordable housing will have to be recouped elsewhere. 
While we can expect this line of argument from those who profit from the status quo, it is fundamentally wrong for a simple reason. Housing developers will not bear the burden of these targets. Rather, it will be borne by land holders who currently make large windfall gains from selling land for development.
When land has been zoned to enable higher-density development, landholders reap these windfall profits without actually delivering any new housing or infrastructure.
For example, the site of a recently completed development in Sydney’s inner west was first purchased by a property company as industrial land for around A$8.5 million. Following a rezoning to higher-density residential, the site was sold again for A$48.5 million. In this case, the first buyer made a 471% windfall profit without building anything on the site.
<a href="/images/2016/11/24/image-20161123-19717-1cx9s5.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<h4><img src="/images/2016/11/24/image-20161123-19717-1cx9s5.png" alt=""></h4>
<h4>
The seller of the rezoned site of the Lewisham Estates development made a 471% windfall profit without building a thing. Inner West Council
</h4>
If a fixed percentage of affordable housing becomes a condition of rezoning such sites, this will only affect the size of the landholder’s windfall gain. Developers will offer lower prices for the land, based on the mandated requirements for affordable housing. 
Remember that the uplift in land value results from public policy changes that allow for housing development or higher-density housing. It is not unreasonable, then, that landowner windfalls should be limited to achieve the important public policy outcome of housing affordability.
This is why some property developers do not object to inclusionary zoning. Indeed, some have been part of the push for inclusionary zoning, through their membership of the Committee for Sydney. They recognise that so long as the “playing field” is level for all, mandatory targets for affordable housing can be achieved without making development unprofitable or housing more expensive.
<h2>Government is conflicted</h2>
The New South Wales government has been reluctant to set significant inclusionary zoning requirements for new developments in several important parts of the city. One possible reason is that the government itself stands to reap revenue from rezoning and/or redevelopment of government-owned land.
It is especially inappropriate that government-owned land should be exploited in this way. In big development schemes where government is the major landowner, such as Central-Eveleigh, the Bays Precinct and Olympic Park, public good should trump Treasury “profits” on land release. Government should not be in the business of extracting its own windfall at the cost of housing affordability.
Inclusionary zoning targets should therefore be much higher for housing developments on government-owned land, especially in major renewal precincts. Not only would developments on such sites still yield a “profit” for the taxpayer, they would deliver a social benefit to the wider community at no real cost and without impacting feasibility.
<h2>What targets should be set?</h2>
We join those in the housing sector who believe that at least 15% of housing in new private developments should be affordable. On publicly owned land, at least 30 percent of new housing developments should be affordable.
Of course, the details of land zoning matter. If targets are set, we must ensure the definition of “affordable” actually achieves the goal of reducing housing stress for people on low and moderate incomes while maintaining housing quality.
Substantial inclusionary zoning requirements will not make development more expensive. They will make it harder for land speculators to make large profits while making no contribution to the social and economic future of New South Wales.
It is high time the foxes in the henhouse were called to account.
 
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/laurence-troy-2403" target="_blank">Laurence Troy</a> is research associate - City Futures Research Centre, UNSW Australia
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dallas-rogers-5269" target="_blank">Dallas Rogers</a> is urban studies researcher: Institute for Culture and Society &amp; Urban Research Program, Western Sydney University
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/emma-power-250930" target="_blank">Emma Power</a> is senior research fellow, Geography and Urban Studies, Western Sydney University
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hal-pawson-147969" target="_blank">Hal Pawson</a> is associate director - City Futures - Urban Policy and Strategy, City Futures Research Centre, Housing Policy and Practice, UNSW Australia
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kurt-iveson-1223" target="_blank">Kurt Iveson</a> is associate professor of Urban Geography, University of Sydney
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/louise-crabtree-128457" target="_blank">Louise Crabtree</a> is senior research fellow, Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michael-darcy-119569" target="_blank">Michael Darcy</a> is professor, Urban Research Program, Western Sydney University
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/peter-phibbs-27130" target="_blank">Peter Phibbs </a>is chair of Urban Planning and Policy, University of Sydney.
All are authors for The Conversation.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Sydney needs higher affordable housing targets

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Real estate fund manager EG Funds Management (EG) has secured the $52 million sale of 92 Pitt St, Sydney.
The property was acquired by EG in 2015 for $30.6 million in the midst of the billion dollar revitalisation of Martin Place.
The commercial asset has a net leasing area of 4.642 square metres and, at sale, boasts 94% occupancy.
“The strong result from this sale provides confirmation of a robust and improving Sydney office market and further endorses the original strategy behind the inception of the fund,” says divisional director Daniel Farley.
The asset formed part of Core Plus No. 1, CPFI, a closed ended fund that is focused on providing superior risk adjusted returns for our investors through active management, capital works and refurbishment.
The fund recently divested of 223 Liverpool St, Darlinghurst.
The sale of 92 Pitt St was secured by Knight Frank to a private domestic investor.
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EG sells 92 Pitt Street, Sydney for $52.17 million

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Sydney has the highest increase in home values over the year to date, according to CoreLogic’s latest weekly report.
The property advisory firm says that Sydney’s home value over the year has increased by 14 percent.
<a href="/images/2016/11/21/Capital%20city%20home%20values.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2016/11/21/Capital%20city%20home%20values.jpg" alt="">
Sydney’s home value also has the highest increase in 12 months with a reported increase of 12 percent.
However Perth’s home values are declining by 4% in 12 months with a year to date decline of 5 percent.
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