It’s been 15 long years since the former Balmain Leagues Club was open to the public. The large 7,330 sqm Victoria Road site had grown progressively more derelict since the doors to the former club shut back in 2010.

Earlier this year, the vertically integrated developer PERIFA, part of the Versatile Group of companies, stepped in and acquired the site, quickly getting to work on construction through its building business Versatile Construction.

PERIFA teamed up with financier Mitsubishi Estate Asia to create <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/rozelle-village-rozelle-152-victoria-road-rozelle-nsw-2039">Rozelle Village</a>, a new community heart of the charming inner west suburb. The mixed-use precinct will not only be home to around 150 one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, but also feature a fully activated ground plane with extensive hospitality venues and retail spaces.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=8142 project_image_fid=338]

A new club will replace the old Balmain Leagues Club. The public plaza will include a range of new food and hospitality venues, a community art studio, and a retail precinct anchored by a full-line supermarket, a first for the peninsula.

The apartments will be spread across three interconnected buildings designed by Studio SC, with interiors by SJB.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=8142 project_image_fid=335]

Buyers weren’t prepared to wait any longer to purchase. When it was time to start selling the development, PERIFA and SRM Residential had buyers queuing out of the display suite door. They secured over 40 sales on launch, including several high-end three-bedroom apartments with sales reaching up to $6.9 million.

Demand has been driven largely by local owner-occupiers who have had <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/rozelle-nsw-2039">Rozelle</a><a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/rozelle-village-rozelle-152-victoria-road-rozelle-nsw-2039"> Village</a> on their radar for some time, many of them already living in apartments and looking to upgrade without giving up lifestyle, walkability, or views.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=8142 project_image_fid=325]

Perilli, Co-Founder and Managing Director of PERIFA and Versatile Group, said the community has had to put up with a derelict site on their doorstep for too long.

“The Balmain Leagues Club in Rozelle, which closed in 2010 to make way for the NSW Government Metro Transport Project, was once a hub for local families to come together and enjoy entertainment and hospitality. We’re delighted to embark on a new era for the site, together with our partners Mitsubishi Estate Asia,"&nbsp;Perilli said.

"Our shared vision for <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/rozelle-village-rozelle-152-victoria-road-rozelle-nsw-2039">Rozelle Village</a> is to create a mixed-use precinct that is thoughtfully designed and caters to new residents and the community alike. It will be a major meeting place for the community that embraces the unique character of the Balmain/Rozelle peninsula, while helping to shape its next chapter.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=8142 project_image_fid=326]

The residential offering will cater to downsizers, families, and local owner-occupiers, with an emphasis on larger floorplans, high-quality finishes, and expansive views across Iron Cove, Sydney Harbour, and the Parramatta River.

Residents will have private access to a rooftop pool, taking in the views, a rooftop yoga lawn, and podium level gardens.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=8142]

Joel Robinson

From leagues club to lifestyle precint: Inside Rozelle Village 

Roberts Co has entered a new phase of growth following its acquisition by Arada, one of the world’s fastest-growing property developers in Australia.

The acquisition is supported by a $50 million capital injection into Roberts Co’s Australian balance sheet, consisting of the previously announced $25 million recapitalisation and an additional $25 million in new funding from Arada.

This investment strengthens Roberts Co’s financial position, stabilises operations, and provides the foundation for strategic expansion beyond its New South Wales base, with a focus on new opportunities in Queensland, including the Brisbane and Gold Coast regions.

With Arada’s international resources and financial backing, Roberts Co will broaden its portfolio across residential, commercial, and infrastructure sectors, reinforcing its strong market position in New South Wales and setting itself to capture growth in one of Australia’s most dynamic construction markets.

Ahmed Alkhoshaibi, Group CEO of Arada, said Roberts Co has a proud Australian heritage, an outstanding delivery record, and a strong reputation for collaboration with clients and partners.

"By combining this expertise with Arada’s global scale and financial capacity, we are creating a platform for sustained growth in the Australian market,"&nbsp;Alkhoshaibi said.

“Our $50 million capital injection, including new funds from Arada, underlines our commitment to both stabilise and expand Roberts Co’s operations, particularly into the fast-growing Queensland market. We see significant potential in South-East Queensland’s pipeline and are confident Roberts Co is well placed to deliver lasting value for clients and communities.”

George Kostas, CEO of Roberts Co, said Queensland, and particularly South-East Queensland, is one of the most active and opportunity-rich regions in Australia right now.

"The lead-up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games will bring unprecedented investment across housing, transport, and infrastructure. Roberts Co is eager to play a major role in that transformation and secure a meaningful share of this fast-growing market.”

Arada pours more funds into Roberts Co, flags expansion into South East Queensland construction market

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/hurstville-nsw-2220">Hurstville</a> has quietly become one of Sydney’s most resilient property markets. Supported by strong transport links, infrastructure investment and a growing multicultural community, the St George hub continues to outperform much of the metropolitan market for both capital and rental returns.

According to Positus Property Investment, Hurstville now ranks among Sydney’s top performers for yield consistency, underpinned by population growth of nearly five per cent since 2021 and persistently low vacancy rates.&nbsp;

Limited new supply is tightening the market further - new dwelling approvals have fallen from close to 600 to under 200 in FY25, a structural shortfall that’s placing upward pressure on rents and resale values.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149850 project_image_fid=278]

As one of the final residential stages in the Kempt Field precinct anchored by Woolworths, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/the-one-collection">The One Collection</a>'s <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/horizon-hurstville-6-jack-brabham-drive-hurstville-nsw-2220">Horizon</a> represents a rare opportunity to buy into a location experiencing both infrastructure-led growth and constrained supply&nbsp;- now made even more compelling with a limited-time five per cent deposit and matching rebate incentive.

Positus notes that the suburb’s combination of “relative affordability, low vacancy, and rising population” is creating a recipe for continued rental growth and capital appreciation. Weekly rents are increasing faster than strata and outgoings, with two-bedroom apartments seeing the deepest tenant demand - supporting healthy yield margins even after costs.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149850 project_image_fid=281]

Horizon prices begin from $668,000, with one, two, and three-bedroom apartments offering flexible entry points for investors.&nbsp;

The project’s location, a short walk to Hurstville Station, Westfield, and an upcoming dining laneway, St Clair Lane, underscores its liquidity and day-to-day convenience.&nbsp;

A 19-minute express train connects residents to the Sydney CBD, while arterial upgrades such as the M6 and WestConnex further enhance connectivity.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149850 project_image_fid=275]

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/dko-architecture">DKO Architecture</a>, Horizon’s soft, organic façade mirrors the parkland of Kempt Field, while interiors prioritise light, durability, and smart functionality.&nbsp;

Each home features Smeg appliances, smart home automation, and generous balconies overlooking the bay and skyline.&nbsp;

Amenities include a gym, sauna, games room, meditation deck, and landscaped courtyards, with wellness and social spaces designed to foster community.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149850 project_image_fid=279]

From an investment perspective, Horizon offers what Positus describes as a “value and income sweet spot.” At an average entry price around $745,000 and yields near five per cent, Hurstville units remain roughly $200,000 below comparable inner-west suburbs, allowing investors to capture metro proximity without inner-city risk exposure.

Horizon will deliver 179 one, two, and three-bedroom apartments above St Clair Lane.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/builders/masscon">Masscon</a> is on site moving its way up the building, which is scheduled for completion in late 2026, with move-in expected shortly after.

One Collection is currently offering a five per cent deposit incentive for a limited time.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=149850]

Staff Writer

The One Collection opens new investment window at Horizon Hurstville with limited-time incentives

The Gold Coast has cemented its position as one of Australia's hottest construction markets, with crane numbers reaching a record 67 in Q3 2025, the highest count since tracking began.

The latest Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB) Crane Index shows the region at 447 points, also a record, with activity surging 110 per cent over the past three years as population growth and investor confidence drive unprecedented development activity.

Residential construction dominates the skyline almost entirely, accounting for 95.5 per cent of all cranes across the Gold Coast. Of the 67 cranes currently operating, 64 are dedicated to residential and mixed-use apartment projects. 21 new cranes were added in Q3 2025 alone, with major developments spanning Surfers Paradise, Main Beach, Broadbeach, Mermaid Beach and Southport reflecting sustained confidence across the coastal corridor.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108747 project_image_fid=318625]

The construction boom aligns with exceptional apartment market performance. Gold Coast unit prices reached $950,000 in September 2025 according to the latest Ray White Now Monthly, delivering robust 8.6 per cent annual growth and 0.6 per cent monthly appreciation.

This significantly outperforms the national apartment market average of 6.9 per cent and positions the Gold Coast as Australia's most expensive apartment market, trending ahead of Sydney. This highlights the premium investors and owner-occupiers place on the region's lifestyle amenity.

The scale of residential development reflects both build-to-sell apartment projects targeting owner-occupiers and investors, alongside emerging build-to-rent developments as institutional capital increasingly targets the Gold Coast. Population growth continues driving demand, with the region attracting interstate migrants seeking lifestyle amenity and professionals relocating from southern capitals to embrace coastal living while maintaining career opportunities.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112941 project_image_fid=216014]

Project activity spans multiple price points and buyer demographics. Premium waterfront developments in Main Beach and Broadbeach command the highest values and attract downsizers alongside investors, while projects in Varsity Lakes and growth suburbs target first home buyers seeking more affordable entry points into the Gold Coast market. The concentration of cranes along established precincts with beach access reflects where buyer demand remains strongest.

Notably absent from the Gold Coast's construction pipeline is commercial office development, with zero commercial cranes currently operating. The only non-residential activity comprises aged care and education. This underscores the Gold Coast's evolution as a residential growth market rather than a CBD destination, with the regional economy built around tourism, construction, lifestyle services and residential property rather than traditional office demand.

The sustained construction pipeline through Q3 2025 suggests apartment completions will remain elevated through 2026, providing necessary supply for the growing population. With development activity at record levels and strong price growth supporting feasibility, the Gold Coast apartment market continues delivering solid returns for developers and investors navigating Australia's shifting property landscape.

Gold Coast construction hits record high as apartment market delivers strong returns

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sherpa-property-group">Sherpa Group</a> is has officially launched its next residential project, the $240 million Symphony in South Brisbane. It marks&nbsp;the group’s entry into the Brisbane market as it expands the Flourish brand to deliver design-forward, fairly priced homes in an undersupplied market.&nbsp;

With 25 out of 138 apartments priced under $1 million, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/symphony-south-brisbane-21-23-cordelia-street-south-brisbane-qld-4101">Symphony</a> is expected to attract first home buyers, with Sherpa reserving all one-bedroom and two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartments under $1 million for owner-occupiers and first-home buyers.&nbsp;

Sherpa CEO Christie Leet, said the project is a strategic move to deliver attainable housing in connected, culturally vibrant neighbourhoods, with locals prioritised.&nbsp;

“Our aim with Flourish has always been to help the community,” said Leet.

“That’s why we have chosen to release Symphony to locals first, reserving a portion of apartments for owner-occupiers and first-home buyers to give them a genuine chance to get their foot in the door.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=7574 project_image_fid=3770]

Located at 21-23 Cordelia Street, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/south-brisbane-qld-4101">South Brisbane</a>, Symphony will feature a collection of 138 high-quality apartments, offering spacious one, two and three-bedroom layouts, with prices starting from $655,000.

“It’s no secret that affordability remains a huge issue in today’s market, and many people are simply being priced out,” Leet added.

“We at Sherpa see it as our responsibility to bring well-designed, fairly priced homes to market – that’s what we stand for.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=7574 project_image_fid=353548]

Residents will have access to a resident rooftop with offers over 1,400 sqm of premium resort-style amenities across two levels. These include a wellness centre with a steam room, sauna, hot and cold plunge pools, a heated pool, as well as pool deck cabanas, private outdoor barbecues, a private dining room, a fully equipped gym, and a yoga room, all with views of the Brisbane skyline and Mt Coot-tha.

Sherpa has also hired a full-time concierge service to assist buyers with the off the plan process, from construction updates, hard hat tours, to showing and helping residents use their appliances once they have moved in.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=7574 project_image_fid=5155]

“Every amenity at Flourish has been designed to help foster a sense of community,” said Danial Clarke, Development and Financial Manager of Sherpa Group.&nbsp;

“The rooftop will be a sanctuary from the city, a place where residents can connect, relax, and ultimately flourish.”

Positioned at the junction of South Bank, West End, and Fish Lane, Symphony offers exceptional walkability to QPAC, galleries, riverside parklands, the CBD, major universities, hospitals, and transport hubs.

Sherpa has already appointed LPS Group to build Symphony. The duo are working together on Sherpa's Palm Beach portfolio.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=7574]

Sherpa officially launches Symphony South Brisbane

Urban Growth

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<h2>Australian tech matters</h2>

Tech and innovation represents so much more than internet search engines, live streaming, and handheld electronic devices, spanning widely across manufacturing, energy, resources, agriculture, and much more besides.

For decades Australia has lagged far behind the U.S. and elsewhere in terms of its risk-taking, technological innovation, and entrepreneurship, but it’s crucial that Aussies now look to seize the initiative to move forward with confidence.

The sheer scale of the opportunities lying ahead in the sector shouldn’t be underestimated.

With tech employment growth comfortably outpacing that of the wider economy the number of technology workers in Australia looks set to increase from around 750,000 to more than 1 million by 2027, while the contribution to the Aussie economy has the potential to grow from a pre-COVID $122 billion (about 6½% of GDP) to more than $200 billion over the course of this critical decade.

<h2>Strawberry Hills, forever…</h2>

While tech centres could theoretically be located anywhere (I co-founded a PropTech startup wherefrom all three of the founders are now based at Gold Coast, for example), Sydney is forging ahead to become the beating heart of tech and innovation in Australia.

Although Google has taken up substantial commercial space at Pyrmont – and adjacent Ultimo also serves as a home for budding tech entrepreneurs – lately Surry Hills has become the base of many key players, from Blackbird Ventures and Startmate, to tech unicorns Canva and SafetyCulture, as well as Dovetail and numerous others.

There are more than 160,000 STEM graduates in New South Wales, and being a location both attractive to new migrant talent and in close proximity to several of Australia’s eminent Universities, Sydney’s Strawberry Hills district will continue to be a strong drawcard.

The NSW government’s announcement of the $2.5 billion ‘Tech Central’ in the Central Precinct at the southern end of Sydney’s CBD has effectively cemented the trend, at a stroke aiming to add 250,000 square metres of net lettable floor space and an estimated 25,000 tech, STEM, and innovation jobs, including across a hundred new scaleup companies.

Sydney’s tech giant Atlassian has been announced as an anchor tenant and will be headquartered at an environmentally friendly giant timber tower to be constructed at a Railway Square site, creating sustainable space for up to 4,000 employees.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/atlassian.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="World’s tallest hybrid timber tower design (Atlassian)"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="322" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/atlassian.jpg?itok=RcjMXULi" title="World’s tallest hybrid timber tower design (Atlassian)" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>World’s tallest hybrid timber tower design (Atlassian)</figcaption></figure><h2>Busting the bros club</h2>

The original Silicon Valley long held the reputation of being a ‘bros club’, but for Sydney’s tech centre cultural vibrancy, diversity, and inclusion will each be stated government benchmarks.

The consummate tech superstar Melanie Perkins, founder of the design unicorn Canva, has already amply demonstrated with her personable Perthite flair that the future for Sydney’s tech community needn’t be a male-dominated affair.

If Australia is to triumph in the forthcoming global war for talent, Sydney’s nascent tech precinct ideally needs an internationally recognisable moniker.

It could do worse than playfully channelling Jose Antonio Samaranch’s announcement of “Syddie” as the winning host of the 2000 Olympics, being one of the Emerald city’s most memorable modern moments.

‘Sydicon Valley’ – or perhaps a wittier variation thereof! – can be Australia’s major, world-class innovation hub, and should aim to position the harbour city as one of the world’s leading technology metropolises.

<h2>A vision for Sydney’s Silicon Valley</h2>

The NSW Government has already mapped out the State Significant Precinct (SSP) area running from Pitt Street at its north end, past Central Station, and down to Cleveland Street on the edge of Surry Hills and Redfern.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/ssp-area.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Central Precinct SSP Area (Planning NSW)"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="583" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/ssp-area.jpg?itok=BXLJhlAH" title="Central Precinct SSP Area (Planning NSW)" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Central Precinct SSP Area (Planning NSW)</figcaption></figure>For years it’s been debated how best to regenerate the tired tramsheds and redundant railyards of Central Sydney.

Behold, the birth of Sydney’s very own Silicon Valley!

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/urban-growth-nsw-artists-impression.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Artist’s impression (Urban Growth NSW)"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="378" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/urban-growth-nsw-artists-impression.jpg?itok=5m60CXJ4" title="Artist’s impression (Urban Growth NSW)" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Artist’s impression (Urban Growth NSW)</figcaption></figure>Suburbs set to directly benefit from this mega-project will include Chippendale and Camperdown to the inner west, Surry Hills and Redfern to the east, and Erskineville and Alexandria to the south.
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Behold, the birth of Sydney’s very own Silicon Valley!

max.kwok_55688

The road to ‘Syd-icon Valley’: Pete Wargent 

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/57114/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
In his 1972 election campaign, Gough Whitlam loudly proclaimed that in modern Australia an individual’s health, wellbeing and life chances were shaped more by where they lived than by the job they held, their religion, race or ethnicity.
It was a powerful statement that spoke to an Australian population scarred by decades of urban growth unsupported by the infrastructure needed to make places decent, worthwhile environments to raise children, live a productive life and contribute to society.
Fast-forward almost 50 years and urban issues are once again on the agenda. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s Smart Cities Plan would deliver new transport infrastructure, better urban planning, and the sort of “urban visioning” that earned Whitlam praise and damnation in equal measure.
But there is a big difference this time around. The Whitlam agenda was informed by a fundamental concern with social justice, a desire to improve the lot in life of the most deprived, and a belief in a fairer Australia.
The 2016 articulation of an urban agenda has no such commitment to social ideals. Instead, it assumes building more highways, railways and trams will produce better, more productive cities that somehow give everyone a job.
We know it doesn’t work that way. Our recent research has highlighted both the unequal nature of Australia’s cities and the processes that keep poor places poor.
<h2>Upwardly and downwardly mobile</h2>
On average, about 15 percent of Australians move house each year. Generally, when they move they shift to places that are a bit better than the places they left – that is, places with good access to employment, quality environments, and social settings.
Our research suggests, however, that this statistical average hides a very interesting two-speed process that is neglected by the Smart Cities Plan. The relatively well-off and the upwardly mobile improve the areas in which they live over an extended period. The more economically vulnerable tend to make more frequent, multiple moves – living in slightly less advantaged areas each time.
To put it in plain terms, the poor move to poor areas where they may become even more disadvantaged. Meanwhile, the middle classes move through our cities gradually climbing the housing ladder.
This process has immediate as well as intergenerational implications, gradually filtering some families into areas with fewer and fewer opportunities, poorer educational outcomes, higher transport costs and few resources to deal effectively with health conditions. In some cases, jobs can’t be found, or are simply too far away to be practical.
<h2>Housing affordability widens the gap</h2>
In the current climate of ongoing housing affordability “crisis<a href="https://theconversation.com/our-cities-will-stop-working-without-a-decent-national-housing-policy-60537">”</a> and highly localised house price differentiation, more and more Australians are forced to move through the market because of the (un)-affordability of their housing. Housing affordability should be a key question when we think about our cities.
In our new paper, we examine if housing affordability problems are concentrating some people into less advantaged areas. When we track the residential mobility of Australians, we find that housing affordability is “sorting” some people into more and less advantaged places.
Australia’s housing affordability problems are much more complex than simple supply problems. Cities are shaped by the people who live within them. Some people need affordable housing responses that are smarter than the market alone can supply.
Our work indicates that some people’s access to the good things smart cities have to offer is limited by the location of housing they can afford – be it ownership or rental.
Smart cities of the future will need to address the consequences of housing-generated social and economic inequalities in Australia.
 
Andrew Beer is dean, Research and Innovation, University of South Australia and author for The Conversation. He can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/andrew-beer-111469" target="_blank">here</a>.
Emma Baker is reader in Housing, University of Adelaide and author for The Conversation. She can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/emma-baker-172081" target="_blank">here</a>.
Rebecca Bentley is associate professor, Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne and author for The Conversation. She can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rebecca-bentley-173502" target="_blank">here</a>.
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