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

Joel Robinson

The Eveleigh brings house-like apartments to Broadbeach

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

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

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

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

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

<main data-perf-region="main">
Castle Hill, the longtime hub of the Hills District, has been one of the major beneficiaries of Sydney's Metro expansion, with improved connectivity helping drive continued population growth, development and buyer demand across the Hills District.

But despite that growth, the suburb has seen relatively few major new apartment projects brought to market over the past 18 months.

Hills District developer Reve Group is looking to fill that gap with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/nova-r-ve-castle-hill-2-garthowen-crescent-castle-hill-nsw-2154">Nova Rêve</a>, a major new mixed-use precinct on the corner of Garthowen Crescent and Old Castle Hill Road, a short walk from Castle Hill Metro Station and Castle Towers.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377679]

The project will comprise three residential towers alongside a hotel, restaurants, cafes and a skybar, more than 1,600 sqm of ground-floor retail and almost an acre of landscaped gardens.

It represents the largest project undertaken by Reve Group, the development arm of the Kassis family, which has been building across the Hills District for more than 30 years through Kassis Homes.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377675]

Nova Rêve also represents a significant step up from the family's first apartment development, Grand Rêve, which was delivered nearby on Garthowen Crescent.

Grand Rêve introduced larger, house-like apartment layouts and premium inclusions including Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances to the Castle Hill market.

Nova Rêve takes that approach to a precinct scale, combining the residential component with hospitality, retail and substantial public and resident landscaping.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377685]

Reve Group Managing Director Sam Kassis said the project reflected the family's three decades of building in the Hills, which has evolved from trophy homes on quarter-acre blocks to larger-scale apartment development.

"Grand Rêve was our first apartment project here and it showed us what this pocket of Castle Hill could be. Nova Rêve is the refinement of that idea: not just apartments, but a place the whole suburb can use," Kassis said.

A key part of that approach is the hotel, which has been designed to operate as an amenity for the wider Castle Hill community rather than solely hotel guests.

It will include restaurants, cafes, skybars and all-day dining, alongside conference and event facilities catering to business functions, community groups and private events.

At ground level, more than 1,600 sqm of shops and cafes will open onto the surrounding streets and landscaped areas.

Almost an acre of gardens designed by Land and Form Studios will run through the precinct, incorporating pathways, seating, barbecue areas and children's play spaces.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377680]

Reve Group's Romio Georges said creating an active ground plane had been central to the planning of Nova Rêve.

"There are gardens with pathways, barbecues, seating and play areas, shops and cafes opening onto the street, and a hotel with restaurants and a skybar that anyone in Castle Hill can walk into," Georges said.

The project's elevated position on one of Sydney's highest ridgelines will also provide apartments with outlooks toward the Sydney skyline, surrounding parkland and the Blue Mountains.

More than 80 per cent of the apartments will occupy corner positions, with Turner responsible for both the architecture and interiors.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152737]

<h3 data-end="3697" data-section-id="q3n5ak" data-start="3672">&nbsp;</h3>
</main>

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

The Conversation

<html><body>
<h1>
	By <a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/peter-newman-1858" style="font-size: 12px;">Peter Newman</a>, Curtin University
</h1>
Sydney’s West Connex Motorway, one of Australia’s biggest infrastructure projects, is <a href="https://theconversation.com/abbotts-transport-priorities-drive-australia-into-the-past-17988">not without its downsides</a> but may provide a potential model on how future urban public transport projects can be financed.
The first phase of the $11 billion project has been funded by the NSW government with <a href="https://theconversation.com/are-we-selling-off-the-family-silver-by-privatising-australias-ports-13824">the sale of Port Botany</a>. The failure to properly predict vehicle patronage in the past decade has resulted in a series of <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-14/cross-city-tunnel-owners-blame-government-for-debt-woes/4958084">tollway business failures</a>. So by opting to build the first phase itself, the government can accurately assess patronage estimates and hence toll income, then sell it off to private owners and operators, using the resulting funds to begin the next stage of the system.
Across Australia there is a backlog of urban rail projects that are now not in the <a href="https://theconversation.com/its-not-in-the-knitting-urban-rails-growing-significance-13754">Federal knitting</a>. Perhaps the West Connex model provides a way forward on urban public transport – with some advantages over motorways.
I’ve argued before about the <a href="https://theconversation.com/its-not-in-the-knitting-urban-rails-growing-significance-13754">dramatic shift</a> in urban rail patronage, with rail transit in particular becoming more market-based due to its ability to by-pass traffic. Economically it has an important role in making urban centres viable and attractive to global capital in the knowledge economy.
We know the arguments around it: reducing carbon and sprawl, improving air quality and health; but the new factor is its importance in improving urban productivity. <a href="http://glossary.econguru.com/economic-term/agglomeration+economies">Agglomeration economies</a> occur around urban rail stations due to the extra synergies between different parts of the workforce; international examples such as <a href="http://www.crossrail.co.uk/route/">London’s Cross Rail</a> have delivered a cost-benefit ratio of between 1.5 and 3.0.
While European and Asian cities traditionally show a strong market case for urban rail, now the car-dependent cities of America and Australia are demonstrating through patronage demand that there is a market for urban rail.
Figure 1 shows the recent growth in urban public transport in in Australian cities. The major growth has been driven by new infrastructure, so new rail projects in Adelaide and Sydney are likely to affect their trajectories to resemble the remarkable growth in Perth, Melbourne and SE Queensland.
<figure class="align-centre zoomable"><a href="https://c479107.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/31827/area14mp/rz78sff7-1379989372.jpg"><img src="https://c479107.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/31827/width668/rz78sff7-1379989372.jpg"></a>
	<figcaption> Author's own.</figcaption></figure>The data indicates substantial growth in public transport; patronage averaged out at 65% higher than was being attracted just over a decade ago – nearly 100% growth in Perth. All Australian cities now have large scale plans to complete their urban public transport systems.
Perhaps the West Connex model could be adapted to help cash-strapped states fund and construct this type of rail infrastructure, in the following way:
<ul>
<li>
		Build the first phase of urban rail projects based on private sector consortia bids that include the development of land around stations.
	</li>
	<li>
		Prove up the patronage income from fares and alternative funding sources like parking levies and especially <a href="http://www.committeeforperth.com.au/images/stories/NewsMedia/Publications/16-Discussion%20Paper-%20Alternative%20Funding%20Mechanisms%20for%20Public%20Transport%20in%20Perth,%202011.pdf">land value capture</a>. Put this in a special Transit Fund.
	</li>
	<li>
		Place the newly operating first phase urban rail project onto the market as a privately owned and operated rail service. Use the capital raised as the basis for the next stage of the urban rail project and repeat the process until the full network is created.
	</li>
</ul>
The key advantage in this process over the West Connex and other road projects is that rail can produce land value capture revenue. Motorways do change the value of land but it is highly dispersed and residents are not keen to live near them due to traffic and noise.
However modern electric rail focuses land value increases near to rail stations due to their market attractions. There is a willingness to pay for accessibility that translates into higher real estate values. Perth’s new Southern Rail has <a href="http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=31822">attracted 78,000 users a day</a> due to its significant speed advantages over traffic; as a result there has been a 42% growth in land values near stations over five years.
This translates into higher land-based tax revenues such as council rates, state land taxes and stamp duty, Federal capital gains and GST on land sales. These can be hypothecated into a fund along with fares and relevant other funds like parking levies.
Across the world, a range of cities have used this Tax Increment Financing method for urban rail; Delhi is looking at more than half of the potential income for their new regional rail from this source.
Australian state governments are looking at this possibility but the West Connex model suggests that instead of leaping into private rail they could test the real size of the revenue that could potentially be created by the new rail project.
Apart from lobbies that do not want to see urban public transport at any cost, there are <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/lifematters/our-22infrastructure22-prime-minister3a-the-future-of-transp/4946194">some prevailing views</a> that transit is not a 21st century economic instrument. This is because it is not seen to have a true market that could stand on its own without government.
Like toll-ways.
Peter Newman does not work for, consult to, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has no relevant affiliations.
<img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/18506/count.gif" width="1">
This article was originally published at <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="http://theconversation.com/a-road-less-travelled-funding-australias-urban-rail-18506">original article</a>.
Lead image credit: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Metro_Trains_Melbourne_Hitachi.jpg" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>
</body></html>

theconversation

A road less travelled - funding Australia's urban rail

<html><body>
By <a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/jane-frances-kelly-2567" style="font-size: 12px;">Jane-Frances Kelly</a>, Grattan Institute and <a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/paul-donegan-102513" style="font-size: 12px;">Paul Donegan</a>, Grattan Institute
The strength of Australia’s economy depends on how well our cities function – yet right now, it’s as if we’re driving with the handbrake on.
Cities are crucial to productivity. When they work well, they offer businesses the chance to bring together the biggest and best pool of available skilled employees.
As the Business Council of Australia recently stated in its <a href="http://www.bca.com.au/Content/102223.aspx">Action Plan for Enduring Prosperity</a>: “cities play a significant role in supporting economic growth… [they] are very much engines of commerce, science, innovation and progress.”
But the reported dismantling of the <a href="http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/commonwealth-agencies-to-be-cut-by-abbott-government/story-fni0xqrc-1226724733088?utm_source=The%20Australian&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=editorial&amp;net_sub_uid=58372232">Major Cities Unit</a> – which provided advice on developing Australia’s 18 biggest cities to the federal government – suggests that the new government may not understand how urgently reform is needed.
<h2>
	More time in traffic, less time with family</h2>
In our biggest cities, our transport infrastructure is too often holding us back. In many areas, particularly outer suburbs, <a href="http://grattan.edu.au/publications/reports/post/productive-cities-opportunity-in-a-changing-economy/">residents can reach fewer that 10%</a> of all metropolitan jobs within a reasonable commuting time.
Indeed, the OECD’s Head of Regional Economics Dr Rudiger Ahrend recently described Sydney as being so badly connected that its economy functions more like a city of 1 million people, rather than the 4.5 million people who call it home. Opportunities are similarly limited in some outer suburbs of Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.
Increasing congestion makes it harder and more time-consuming for businesses to connect with customers, potential employees and each other. It is perhaps even more important that time spent in traffic is also a drain on people’s family and leisure time.
<a href="http://www.melbourneinstitute.com/downloads/hilda/Bibliography/Working+Discussion+Research_Papers/2005/Flood_etal_Commuting_in_Australia.pdf">A 2005 study</a> found that more than 10% of parents in paid work spent more time commuting than they did with their children, travelling for between ten and 15 hours weekly to and from work. Eight years on from that study, as our cities continue to grow, the situation for families is getting no better.
Meanwhile public transport is stretched to the limit at peak times and many people living further from the city have little access to it at all.
<h2>
	Unleashing frustrated commuters</h2>
Poor transport links, which cut many employers off from potential employees, are a big drag on our economy, especially when employers frequently cite a lack of skilled workers as a barrier to growing their business. People poorly served by transport are likewise cut off from better job opportunities.
Many parents – particularly women – caring for younger children are especially disadvantaged. Childcare and school hours limit the time parents can spend commuting, putting them on a “spatial leash”, limiting how far they can live from their work, and in the process often drastically reducing what work they can do.
Tony Abbott was right to recognise the need when he said that he wanted to be known as an <a href="https://www.liberal.org.au/latest-news/2013/09/05/only-coalition-will-deliver-infrastructure-future">“infrastructure Prime Minister”</a>. This would be a valuable legacy.
But the Prime Minister’s view that federal government should not fund urban rail projects is troubling. Roads alone will not overcome the costs of congestion and poor access to transport.
There is limited space to expand road access to the inner suburbs and CBDs of cities like Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth – areas with the highest concentrations of the knowledge-intensive jobs that are central to strong productivity growth. Demand for public transport is growing in all these cities, but existing infrastructure can only do so much.
<h2>
	Federal funding and tax fixes</h2>
National funding of major public transport projects will be central to enabling our cities to work well and therefore to productivity growth. State governments have an important role to play in building and funding transport infrastructure. But the funding need and importance to the national economy are too great for them to do this alone.
The federal government collects most of our taxes. It must do its share of the work to help businesses to connect with more of the employees they need, and help people to spend more of their time working or with their family, rather than stuck in traffic or on overcrowded public transport.
Enabling more people to live closer to where they work can also help slow growth in congestion. Our homes are our castles, but housing is also economic infrastructure – where people live is critically important to the strength of a city’s economy.
The federal government has an indirect but substantial influence on the housing market. Buyers, builders and developers' decisions are shaped by the taxes levied by local, state and national governments.
Taxes affecting the housing market include municipal rates, stamp duty and capital gains tax, as well as settings such as negative gearing rules. Examining how these taxes shape our $1.6 trillion housing market – and how they could be improved – could make a big difference to ensuring that the housing Australians say they want is built closer to job opportunities.
There is room for improvement. Taxes and charges on buyers and sellers of housing in Australia are some of the highest in the world. The Coalition’s commitment to a tax white paper is a great first step.
Let’s hope the critical economic impact of where we live and how we get around is at the centre of reforming our tax system. If not, we can expect economic decline as our cities buckle under the weight of neglect.
The Grattan Institute’s Productive Cities report is <a href="http://grattan.edu.au/publications/reports/post/productive-cities-opportunity-in-a-changing-economy/">available here</a>, along with detailed reports on Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.
Paul Donegan has previously worked in public strategy and policy roles for the Commonwealth and Victorian governments, including as the disability reform adviser to the Commonwealth Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs Jenny Macklin at the introduction of DisabilityCare Australia.
Jane-Frances Kelly does not work for, consult to, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has no relevant affiliations.
<img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="//counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/18446/count.gif" width="1">
This article was originally published at <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="http://theconversation.com/stuck-in-traffic-how-to-get-our-cities-and-economy-moving-18446">original article</a>.
Lead image credit: UM Forum member Glenn Wilson.
</body></html>

Stuck in traffic: how to get our cities and economy moving

<html><body>
By <a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/leonhard-bernold-9320" target="_blank">Leonhard Bernold</a>.

According to <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/boost-for-rail-tunnel-20130404-2h9wq">a report</a> in Fairfax media on the 5th of April, the Labor government is set to announce funding for Melbourne’s A$9 billion <a href="http://www.railpage.com.au/news/article-7974/">metro rail tunnel</a>, in addition to the A$40 million it has already contributed towards getting the project “shovel-ready”. Sounds good? Well, let’s see …

Before any shovels have broken earth, the rail tunnel is facing a <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/major-engineering-hurdles-remain-for-new-rail-tunnel-beneath-city-20130227-2f6dd" target="_blank">series of engineering challenges</a>.

These reportedly include deciding if to run the new tunnel below or above the existing <a href="http://corp.ptv.vic.gov.au/managing-victoria-s-public-transport-network/history-and-heritage/city-loop-history/">City Loop</a>, the start of construction work on the <a href="http://www.vcccproject.vic.gov.au/" target="_blank">Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre</a>, and the existence of the aquifers beneath and beside the Yarra River, where the proposed tunnel will run.

The project, <a href="http://www.realestatesource.com.au/melbourne-metro-train-tunnel-and-new-parkville-station-announced-by-government" target="_blank">announced in 2009</a> by the former Brumby Victorian state government, involves <a href="http://corp.ptv.vic.gov.au/projects/rail-projects/melbourne-metro/" target="_blank">a nine-kilometre tunnel</a> between South Kensington and South Yarra, with five new Metro stations, that will eventually carry up to 60,000 passengers an hour.

Previous tunnelling projects in the Melbourne area have taught us that none of the options for constructing the proposed tunnel will be a cakewalk.

But it should be reassuring to note that there are many global examples that provide evidence that this type of construction can be done safely.

While not wishing to get involved in proposing one tunnelling technique over another, it might be worthwhile to look at some of the technical issues, and the state of best practice, for tunnelling underneath a city such as Melbourne.

<h2>Going down</h2>

Any deep excavation study starts by establishing a clear understanding of the geology that has to be “broken through” and of the water level connected to the site. Adjacent water sources, such as rivers or aquifers, that are fed by a well that may be tens of kilometres away, need to be accounted for.

A detailed soil profile, based on soil samples along and next to the future tunnel line, is essential for the final design. Before those are established, geological maps and reports from previous projects in the area are extremely valuable.

For the Melbourne Metro Tunnel project, the initial source of information would be the <a href="http://dpistore.efirst.com.au/product.asp?pID=145&amp;cID=32" target="_blank">Geological Map of Melbourne</a>, SJ 55-5, published by the Victorian Department of Primary Industries.

As might be expected, the map matches the observations by the engineers involved in <a href="http://books.google.com.au/books?id=KuUtzTWzN-8C&amp;pg=PA158&amp;lpg=PA158&amp;dq=about+burnley+tunnel&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=pZFNO8xw6b&amp;sig=0LUsSSjdZD8VSZPtz7a_3rJwa2Y&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ei=jJg-UZ_sI8rLmgXi6IDYBA&amp;ved=0CC0Q6AEwADgU#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false" target="_blank">constructing the Burnley Tunnel</a> between 1996 and 2000. They reported a weathered basalt layer sitting on top of a thick band of silt and clay.

A vertical shaft to the tunnel had to dig through a 20m layer of sand and gravel aquifer referred to as the <a href="http://dbforms.ga.gov.au/pls/www/geodx.strat_units.sch_full?wher=stratno=12317" target="_blank">Moray Street Gravels</a>. At the bottom of the aquifer starts bedrock moulded like a flat bowl and made of the <a href="http://dbforms.ga.gov.au/pls/www/geodx.strat_units.sch_full?wher=stratno=5213" target="_blank">dargile</a> marine deposits, called <a href="http://ascelibrary.org/action/showAbstract?page=875&amp;volume=110&amp;issue=7&amp;journalCode=jgendz" target="_blank">Melbourne mudstone</a> (made of silt and sand).

As the mudstone is porous, the water from the aquifer was able to leak deeper and engulf the Burnley Tunnel tube, which had to be made waterproof as a result. In addition, the tunnel walls needed to be designed to be strong enough to sustain the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluid_statics#Hydrostatic_pressure" target="_blank">hydrostatic pressure</a> (the pressure exerted by a liquid at rest) from all sides.

Of course, these different soil types are not nicely lined up: they are folded and intertwined like a squeezed tablecloth, mixed with small-to-large stones. Finally, the top layer usually consists of a surface soil that could be from previous man-made fills.

Based on the information from these two collaborating sources we can conclude that the proposed Melbourne Metro tunnel will have to be dug below the water table through varying amounts of alluvial, marine and some weathered volcanic material that is considered “soft” ground.

<h2>Going soft</h2>

The emergence of <a href="http://www.mindfully.org/Technology/2004/Underground-Boring-Machines1sep04.htm" target="_blank">tunnel boring machines</a> (TBMs) – built by the American engineer James Robbins in the 1950s – were designed to drill through hard rock made of granite, and were ten times faster than using <a href="http://www.miningaustralia.com.au/features/the-days-of-drill-and-blast-are-over-anglogold" target="_blank">drill-and-blast method</a>. This record has since been broken many times over, while the number of accidents has decreased.

The new <a href="http://news.discovery.com/tech/worlds-largest-tunnel-drilled-under-swiss-alps.htm" target="_blank">57km tunnel through the Swiss Alps</a> – the world’s longest tunnel – for instance required four 5 megawatt TBMs with drill diameters of 8.2m.

Because soft ground TBMs can’t utilise the “squashy” tunnel walls to push themselves forward, a different “footing” was needed. A simple solution was provided by the constructed tunnel wall – made of strong pre-cast concrete elements – being installed in the back of the tunnel.

Most large cities around the world are built on top of soft soil as they have evolved from ancient trading villages near lakes or major rivers.

Increasing population sizes demanded larger sewer and drainage pipes and – more recently – subways and motorways to be built underground. The softness of the soil gave rise to a special kind of TBM called <a href="http://www.ita-aites.org/index.php?id=152" target="_blank">Earth Pressure Balance</a> (EPB) shields or machines.

We shouldn’t be surprised to learn 50% of all EPB tunnels are built below the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_table" target="_blank">water table</a>. Some of the major cities in which EPB shields <a href="https://www.herrenknecht.com/products/tunnel-boring-machines/traffic-tunnelling/epb-shield" target="_blank">have been used</a> include Shanghai, Bangkok, Rome, Naples, Barcelona, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, Los Angeles and London.

<figure><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="260" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/z38JIqGDZVU?wmode=transparent" width="440"></iframe>

<figcaption>How TBM technology is working to build tunnels beneath London.</figcaption></figure>The key risk of any work in soft underground is the potential of soil settlements right above the tunnel caused by the re-arrangement of the soil by the tunnelling work.

Unsurprisingly, the key objective of a geotechnical engineer is to ensure that the equilibrium is preserved in such a way that no damages to surface structures occur.

This job has been made easier by recent advancements: in fact, during the past 10-15 years, EPB shield technology has added important capabilities.

Contributing to these very important enhancements are better computer models predicting the behaviour of soil under buildings; pre-tunnelling in-situ tests; grout pre-treatment or grouting of difficult sub-surface areas; new materials; and, of course, the large amount of knowledge gained from successful projects worldwide.

<h2>A perfect bore</h2>

Older metros in <a href="http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/en/explore/online/subway/construction.aspx" target="_blank">Toronto</a>, <a href="http://theboweryboys.blogspot.com.au/2010/08/new-york-city-subway-and-creation-of" target="_blank">New York</a> and <a href="http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/gallery/first_big_dig/" target="_blank">Boston</a> were commonly built underneath the pavement of major thoroughfares, applying what is referred to the <a href="http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/tunnel/pubs/nhi09010/05.cfm" target="_blank">“cut-and-cover” method</a>.

As the term implies, the construction starts by cutting out an initial space, possibly covering the large opening with beams and steel plates. Excavation advances downwards while the traffic is directed around the necessary openings to lower or raise material.

Of course, trucks, cranes and concrete mixers associated with construction disrupt the pedestrian and vehicular traffic along the tunnel route. Community and business pressures have resulted in the usually-cheaper cut-and-cover option being eliminated in favour of a “<a href="http://www.damninteresting.com/the-deepest-hole/" target="_blank">deep bore</a>”, using boring machines.

<h2>Station to station</h2>

As mentioned, five new stations will be built as part of Melbourne’s Metro project, and these present challenges independent of the tunnels. Stations not only require additional space: they also need to connect to the surface. Underground access to adjacent shopping malls or office buildings is also a very attractive addition.

Circular boring machines are not designed to construct stations. While the cut-and-cover method is used, stations can also be built from the bottom up using the <a href="http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=9&amp;cad=rja&amp;sqi=2&amp;ved=0CF0QFjAI&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fweb.inonu.edu.tr%2F~mkarakus%2Fpdf%2FInsight%2520into%2520the%2520New%2520Austrian%2520Tunnelling%2520Method.pdf&amp;ei=jqQ-Ueu6MoT8iAeDuYDwAQ&amp;usg=AFQjCNGK9BhoFsqQoCxSRLC83PGSsZpUaw" target="_blank">New Austrian Tunnelling Method</a> (NATM).

The basic premise of the NATM is to create a solid roof and side walls before digging underneath the shell with large equipment.

<figure><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="260" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/LxdWlSCVqdQ?wmode=transparent" width="440"></iframe>

<figcaption>How NATM works.</figcaption></figure>Not only viable for stations and cross-cuts between two tunnels, NATM could be combined with a “cousin” of cut-and-cover to create a <a href="http://www.cif.org/noms/2002/06_-_Up-Down_Construction.pdf" target="_blank">up-down construction approach</a> where bearing walls and columns are drilled first from the top.

This is followed by constructing the visible part of the station upwards while concurrently digging underneath (upwards from the tunnel using NATM, or downwards) with the removal of the large amount of excavated material through the already existing tunnel sections previously drilled by the EPB-shields.

This would not only eliminate the need for large dump trucks on the surface but it would also speed up construction.

<h2>Light at the end of the tunnel</h2>

<figure><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="260" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/U6p8YuyVir4?wmode=transparent" width="440"></iframe>

<figcaption>Melbourne Metro – ‘Transforming Melbourne’s Rail Network’</figcaption></figure>Finding the best solution for Melbourne’s Metro tunnel will require a close collaboration of all stakeholders advised by tunnel engineers and contractors with expertise in state-of-the-art tunnelling techniques.

Regardless of which route is finally chosen, EPB shield technology appears to present the safest, most productive and economical alternative for building the tubes through Melbourne’s soft, “water-filled” underground.

With an eye to minimising the effect of large truck traffic in the city for excavating the stations, it seems combining “up-down” construction with NATM, protected by advanced grouting – and the removal of the muck through the tunnels – will provide the most desirable solution.

The politics of the project (which is now nudging for top spot in Infrastructure Australia’s <a href="https://www.nics.gov.au/Home/PriorityProjects" target="_blank">National Priority List</a>) will continue to be fascinating; but so will the technical challenges, and solutions to those challenges, going forwards.

Should you be counting on jumping aboard a train on one of the new Melbourne Metro lines any time soon? Probably not. As on so many occasions when it comes to building such large projects underground, we have to expect delays mainly caused by geology.<img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="//counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/12588/count.gif" width="1">

Leonhard Bernold does not work for, consult to, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has no relevant affiliations.

This article was originally published at <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="http://theconversation.com/dig-this-how-to-construct-melbournes-metro-tunnel-safely-12588" target="_blank">original article</a>.
</body></html>

The Conversation

Editor's Picks

Have something to contribute?

Developments

New apartments

New townhouses

News

The Conversation

Editor's Picks

Receive the latest news stories to your inbox

Have something to contribute?

Developments

New apartments

New townhouses

News