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

Joel Robinson

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bottega House secures landmark riverfront site in St Lucia 

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

SIERA kicks off construction at Northcliffe tower Exhale

Victoria

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Victoria's state budget, announced yesterday, has moved to increase taxes on foreign buyers and foreign ownership.
The stamp duty has risen in Victoria for a foreign investor from seven percent to eight percent, which puts it at the same rate as in New South Wales.
The budget also focused past the purchase and have changed rules regarding the absentee land tax, where foreign investors leave land purchases empty.
The tax has increased from 1.5 percent to two percent, also in line with the figures in New South Wales.
It is estimated about 3000 foreign property investors will be hit by a boost to the absentee owner surcharge.
Victoria Treasurer Tim Pallas said the tax increases, which have been said to have been enforced to discourage landbanking, were targeted at people who could bear a greater tax burden.
He said that over the past year Victoria has seen its biggest 12 month decline in property prices in the state's history.
The Property Council have described the increased stamp duty for foreign investors as an "own goal"
Carrie Law, the CEO of Juwai, a Chinese website for buyers of overseas property, said the decision to hike taxes for foreigners were "<a href="/news/chinese-website-reaction-to-victorian-state-budget-s-new-taxes-on-foreign-buyers">dispiriting but not too damaging.</a>"
"Will the higher taxes announced this week make a tremendous difference on the market? The answer is no," Law said.
 
 
 
 
 
 
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jrobinson-rf4aSBido9

Foreign property buyers and ownership hit in Victoria state budget

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EXPERT OBSERVER
The Victorian Budget 19/20 has been adjusted to deal with the biggest write down in revenue in Victoria’s history. 
This is due to the challenging headwinds for Victoria’s property market with sales volumes down 24 per cent and cooling values as we have seen over the past year. 
Victoria’s property industry remains the cornerstone of the Victorian Budget, continuing to contribute 46 per cent of revenue and $10.5 billion in land tax and stamp duty alone in the next financial year.
The Budget delivers on the Government’s bold and ambitious infrastructure investment plan and has addressed many of the priorities outlined in the REIV’s Election Platform and Budget Submission. 
In particular, the REIV welcomes the payroll tax relief for small business and commends the Government for adjusting the rates in Regional Victoria so that by 2022/23 regional businesses will pay the lowest payroll tax in the nation.
The Victorian Government will invest $2.6b to support jobs, economies and communities in Regional Victoria and an additional $150m in the next financial year to establish the Victorian Jobs and Investment Fund. 
The REIV is also pleased with the investment in new urban growth corridors and precinct plans which we have consistently advocated for.
Included in this is $173m for the Geelong City Deal and an additional $18.8m for services.
We welcome the Fishermen’s Bend Framework which includes homes for 80,000 people and the investment in the innovation and employment clusters in Sunshine, Monash, Dandenong, LaTrobe and Werribee.
The Government has also committed $50m for the Growing Suburbs Fund to build and upgrade new community facilities in Melbourne’s 10 rapidly-developing interface municipalities. 
The REIV commends the Government for its commitment to education and training with historic expenditure in the sector.
We will work with the relevant bodies to ensure the ongoing professionalism and upskilling of our industry which was a fundamental tenet of the REIV’s Budget Submission. 
We also welcome the $2.5m support for mentoring for small business.
Other noteworthy initiatives include the extension of the Better Apartments program to the suburbs, the expansion of solar homes and the 50 per cent discount on land transfer duty for commercial and industrial properties in Regional Victoria in four year’s time.
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The Budget is still heavily reliant on property taxes. 
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While we congratulate the Victorian Government on many positive initiatives, the reliance on property taxes is of great concern to our industry.
We appreciate the government has a big infrastructure agenda, but they can’t keep dipping into the same revenue pot to fund their promises. 
The REIV and the industry predicted the property market correction and planned accordingly, but it seems the government did not. 
Robyn Waters is the president of the REIV.
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Victorian Budget delivers infrastructure and incentives

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EXPERT OBSERVER
The latest ABS figures estimate that the total number of dwelling units that commenced construction fell 9.5% in the December quarter. The current decline in Victoria’s residential property development is pushing many developers to look at diversifying.
Restrictions on foreign investment, changes in statutory fees and investment incentives, lending becoming tighter and policy uncertainty with the looming federal election have all contributed to a decline in the Victorian residential property market. As a result, developers are struggling to pre-sell a sufficient number of properties to fund residential development projects in the current environment. 
However, with Australia’s rapidly growing population, the need for new housing will persist and lead to a bounce back in the market in time.
Until then, more and more developers are looking at repurposing their existing residential development sites and transitioning them into commercial sites. Some are looking to capitalise on growing sectors of the market by turning to opportunities in the aged care and retirement living and the up and coming ‘build-to-rent’ sector. Build-to-rent developments are purposely built for rental, rather than sale. This benefits people who want or need to rent for longer periods of time. 
Residential developers frequently discuss rezoning and repurposing sites to a commercial development.
Commercial properties are vastly different from residential property developments in terms of size, function, characteristics and most importantly financial risk. 
While residential developments involve selling off the asset once complete, commercial developments usually involve retaining and maintaining the asset, which is a much longer-term financial model.
The biggest challenge for residential developers who adopt any of these alternatives is understanding market expectations and changing their feasibility from a short-term to a longer-term return with a different model and risk profile.
However, with the right team of consultants leading the transition of a development, traditionally residential developers are presented with the potential to thrive under the current housing climate in Victoria.
Opportunities in the growing aged care and retirement living market
The aged care sector is expected to boom over the next few years as our population ages and continues to live longer. 
Aged care and retirement expectations and offerings have completely changed over the last few years in Melbourne due to our society becoming accustomed to an amenities-rich way of living.
New aged care and retirement living sites are no longer sprawling developments on the suburban fringes. They are now situated in inner city areas and have become high-rise modern developments with the same premium finishes as a luxury apartment development.
Traditional residential property developers are seeing the growing ageing and downsizer population as an opportunity to take advantage of in the current market. In particular, an originally proposed high-density residential apartment site can now present an ideal transition for a modern inner city vertical aged care and retirement living development.
Earlier this year, Lendlease submitted an updated proposal for the redevelopment of the historic Channel Nine studio site in Richmond to include aged care and retirement living precincts.
One caveat is that aged care and retirement living sites have a different set of regulations and requirements which developers will need to consider in terms of feasibility and buildability.
Making moves in the new build-to-rent sector
Some developers are also considering repurposing their residential sites into a ‘build-to-rent-model’. 
While this model is still largely untested in the Australian market, there’s a growing demand for this alternative development scheme, particularly as the issue of housing affordability continues across Melbourne. 
In terms of transitioning residential development sites into a build-to-rent model, the design and construction remains largely the same, but the financial model is completely different. 
Developers will be keenly observing how ‘build-to-rent’ sites, such as UBS Asset Management, Grocon and JLL’s Gold Coast ‘built-to-rent’ site which opened early this year, will perform to see if they should transition their developments over to this model.
The reality is, the Victorian residential property development market as we know it is changing. For developers to stay afloat, they may need to explore different types of developments and repurpose their existing residential development sites. 
James Ford is the National Director at WT Partnership
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Residential developers are repurposing sites to capitalise on growing market sectors 

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The shortlist for the 2019 Victorian Architecture Awards has been announced. The list includes Melbourne Jetbase, nominated for Commercial Architecture award, after its design by Cox Architecture. (Photographed above)
It features 89 projects across 14 categories celebrating public, residential, heritage and regional architecture.
Victorian Chapter President Amy Muir says that building sustainable communities is important for the state’s long-term panning needs.
“At a time where we are acutely aware of the issues that our industry is facing due to increased procurement and economic pressures, the awards provide an opportunity to acknowledge the significant efforts made by architects, clients, consultants and contractors to provide quality built outcomes,” said Muir.
Muir said that the number of heritage projects that made the shortlist doubled over the past year.
“Most importantly, sustainability in design needs to be understood through the lens of longevity, going beyond short-term gains and visions. This is a prevailing message highlighted in our shortlisted projects this year.
“All good buildings require a considered and collaborative design process. It is these projects that provide the best outcomes for delivering permanent benefits to communities at large.”
Public architecture also saw a rise in recognition – 11 projects listed this year compared to the prior year’s four.
“The design outcomes achieved via the shortlisted public architecture projects define the important role that the public realm plays in providing exemplar-built outcomes that support our growing communities and provide a legacy for future generations,” adds Muir.
“With population density rising across our cities, public space becomes an incredibly valuable commodity – not only from an economic perspective, but more importantly for the wellbeing of our communities.”
The winners of the 2019 Victorian Architecture Awards will be announced at the official awards dinner on 28 June.
Winners of each category will then be eligible for the National Architecture Awards program.
The shortlisted projects for the 2019 Victorian Architecture Awards are:
Public Architecture
Buxton Contemporary – Fender Katsalidis
Caulfield to Dandenong Level Crossing Removal – Cox Architecture
Frankston Station – Genton
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre Expansion – NH Architecture and Woods Bagot
Melbourne Jetbase – Cox Architecture
Parliament of Victoria Members’ Annexe – Peter Elliott Architecture and Urban Design
Port of Sale – FJMT
Rosanna Station – MGS Architects and Jacobs Architects
St Albans Station – Hassell
The Club Stand – Bates Smart
West Gippsland Arts Centre – Williams Ross Architects
Public Architecture jury: Rosemary Burne (Chair, Conrad Gargett) Simon Knott (BKK Architects) and Anne Clisby (Denton Corker Marshall)
 
Urban Design
Caulfield to Dandenong Level Crossing Removal – Cox Architecture with Aspect Studios
Parliament of Victoria Members’ Annexe – Peter Elliott Architecture and Urban Design
Rosanna Station – MGS Architects and Jacobs Architects
South Melbourne Primary School – Hayball
Swan Street Bridge Upgrade – BKK Architects with McGregor Coxall and Relume
Urban Design yury: Adam Pustola (Chair, Lyons) Veryan Curnow (Jackson Clements Burrows Architects), Jocelyn Chiew (Monash University)
 
Educational Architecture
Albert Park College Liberal Arts Centre – Jackson Clements Burrows Architects
Biomedical Learning and Teaching Building, Monash University – Denton Corker Marshall
Braemar College Stage 1, Middle School – Hayball
Christ Church Grammar School Main Campus Redevelopment – Sally Draper Architects in association with Mcldowie Partners
Monash University Caulfield Library Refurbishment – John Wardle Architects
Moot Court Learning Precinct for the Monash Faculty of Law – Jackson Clements Burrows Architects
Northcote High School Performing Arts and VCE Centre – Kerstin Thompson Architects
Prahran High School – Gray Puksand
South Melbourne Primary School – Hayball
Educational Architecture jury: Michael McKenna (Chair, Michael McKenna), Emily Chalk (Kosloff Architecture) and Sean van der Velden (Peter Elliott Architecture and Urban Design)
 
Commercial Architecture
ArtBank – Edition Office
Melbourne Central Arcade – Kennedy Nolan
Melbourne Jetbase – Cox Architecture
Private Women’s Club – Kerstin Thompson Architects
Pt Leo Estate – Jolson
RACV Cape Schanck Resort – Wood Marsh Architecture
United Places Botanic Gardens South Yarra – Carr
Commercial Architecture jury: Tim Leslie (Chair, Bates Smart), Anna Maskiell (Public Realm Lab), Domenic Cerantonio (Cera Stribley Architects)
 
Heritage
Albert Park College Liberal Arts Centre – Jackson Clements Burrows Architects
Bendigo Soldiers’ Memorial Institute – Lovell Chen
Classical Gas - Original Stereo Version – Multiplicity with Mel Ogden Landscapes
Flinders Street Station Façade Strengthening and Conservation – Lovell Chen
Kagan House – Kennedy Nolan
Loch Street House – Donald Gallagher and Shelley Penn Architect
Monash Caulfield, Buildings D, E and G – NMBW Architecture Studio
Parliament of Victoria Members’ Annexe – Peter Elliott Architecture and Urban Design
Royal Mint Wall Remediation – HLCD with Ingegnaria and Oculus
Sacred Heart Building Abbotsford Convent Foundation – Kerstin Thompson Architects
The Bank, Vaughan – Maria Danos Architecture
Heritage jury: Matt Gibson (Chair, Matt Gibson Architecture and Design), Janet Beeston (Frontier Heritage), adn Vicki McLean (Heritage Victoria).
 
Interior Architecture
2 Southbank – BVN
Denton Corker Marshall Studio – Denton Corker Marshall
Kia Ora Apartment – Baracco and Wright Architects
Melbourne Central Arcade – Kennedy Nolan
Parliament of Victoria Members’ Annexe – Peter Elliott Architecture and Urban Design
Powell Street House – Robert Simeoni Architects
Private Women’s Club – Kerstin Thompson Architects
The Club Stand – Bates Smart
United Places Botanic Gardens South Yarra – Carr
Whitlam Place – Freadman White in collaboration with Anon Studio
Interior Architecture jury: Karen Alcock (Chair, MAA), Eugene Cheah (Cheah Saw Architecture), and Oliver Duff (Clare Cousins Architects).
 
Residential Architecture – Houses (New)
Ballarat House – Eldridge Anderson
Bluff House – Rob Kennon Architects
Canopy House – Leeton Pointon Architects and Interiors
Cornerstone House – Splinter Society Architecture
Daylesford Longhouse – Partners Hill
Fitzroy Lane – Kennedy Nolan
Hawthorn House – Edition Office
House in the Hills – Sean Godsell Architects
North Melbourne House – NMBW Architecture Studio
Point Lonsdale House – Edition Office
Sandy Point House – Kennedy Nolan
Springhill House – Lovell Burton Architecture
St Andrews Beach House – Austin Maynard Architects
Residential Architecture – Houses (New) jury: Rodney Eggleston (Chair, March Studio), Andrew Simpson (Andrew Simpson Architects), and Claire Humphreys (Kerstin Thompson Architects).
 
Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions)
182 Rose – Fieldwork
Acheson Place – Workshop Architecture
Brick and Gable House – Breathe Architecture
Caroline House – Kennedy Nolan
Cascade House – Atelier Red and Black
Edsall Street – Ritz and Ghougassian
Fitzroy Terrace – Taylor Knights
Garden Wall House – Make Architecture
Grant House – Austin Maynard Architects
Light Corridor House – Figr
Oak House – Kennedy Nolan
Powell Street House – Robert Simeoni Architects
South Yarra House – AM Architecture
Storybook House – Folk Architects
York St Residence – Jackson Clements Burrows Architects
Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions) jury: Jane Caught (Chair, Sibling Architecture), Antony Martin (MRTN Architects), and Michael Roper (Architecture Architecture)
 
Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing
Clyde Mews – Six Degrees Architects
Farmer Street – MA Architects
Hawke and King – Six Degrees Architects
Iglu Franklin Street – Bates Smart
Little Oxford – Kennedy Nolan
Nth Fitzroy Apartments – Fieldwork
Scarborough and Welkin – Justin Mallia Architecture
Whitlam Place – Freadman White in collaboration with Anon Studio
Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing jury: Richard Middleton (Chair, Hassell), Bonnie Herring (Breathe Architecture), and Jesse Linardi (DKO Architecture).
 
Small Project Architecture
Doubleground – Muir and Openwork
Jock Comini Reserve Amenities – Kerstin Thompson Architects
New Agency – Sibling Architecture
Smiths Beach Surf Life Saving Tower – MRTN Architects
Sunda Bar and Restaurant – Kerstin Thompson Architects
Super Field – Baracco and Wright Architects
Tiny Home – Maddison Architects
Together Apart – Architecture Architecture
Small Project Architecture jury: Keith Streames (Chair, Streames Architects), Natalie Miles (Austin Maynard Architects), and Jamie Sormann (Foomann Architects).
 
Sustainable Architecture
Bendigo Soldiers’ Memorial Institute – Lovell Chen
Eltham North Adventure Playground – Gardiner Architects with Jeavons Landscape Architects
Hawke and King – Six Degrees Architects
Loch Street House – Donald Gallagher and Shelley Penn Architect
MPavilion – Estudio Carme Pinos and Zilka Studio
Parliament of Victoria Members’ Annexe – Peter Elliott Architecture and Urban Design
Rivergum Residential Treatment Centre – Guymer Bailey Architects
Scarborough and Welkin – Justin Mallia Architecture
Tiny Home – Maddison Architects
Sustainable Architecture jury: Marika Neustupny (Chair, NMBW), Emma Gauder (Architects EAT), and Andrew Walter (Woods Bagot).
 
Melbourne Prize
Caulfield to Dandenong Level Crossing Removal – Cox Architecture with Aspect Studios
Parliament of Victoria Members’ Annexe – Peter Elliott Architecture and Urban Design
Private Women’s Club – Kerstin Thompson Architects
South Melbourne Primary School – Hayball
The Club Stand – Bates Smart
Melbourne Prize jury: Jane Williams (Chair, John Wardle Architects), Alix Smith (Hassell), and Stefano Scalzo (Victorian Health and Human Services Building Authority).
 
Regional Prize
Cobram Library and Learning Centre – Cohen Leigh Architects
Jock Comini Reserve Amenities – Kerstin Thompson Architects
Port of Sale – FJMT
Pt Leo Estate – Jolson
Regional Prize jury: Kim Irons (Chair, Irons McDuff Architecture), Sarah Zahradnik (NH Architecture), and Kim Bridgland (Edition Office).
 
Colorbond Award for Steel Architecture
House in the Hills – Sean Godsell Architects
Peter Mathieson Pavilion – CO-OP Studio
Rosanna Station – MGS Architects and Jacobs Architects
Springhill House – Lovell Burton Architecture
The Cinema Complex at the District Docklands – NH Architecture
Colorbond Award for Steel Architecture jury: Dr Leanne Zilka (Chair, Zilka Studio), Aimee Goodwin (Project 12 Architecture), and Tim Wilson (Folk Architects).
Main photo: Melbourne Jetbase, nominated for Commercial Architecture award. Cox Architecture. Photographer: Peter Clarke.
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Victorian Architecture Awards 2019 shortlist revealed

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Legislation introduced to the Victorian Parliament will see real estate agents prevented from concealing known facts about a property’s past, including if it had been used as a clandestine drug laboratory.
The new rules include if the property was the site of a murder.
Agents will have to disclose unfavourable facts about a property upfront without being asked by potential buyers.
Current rules require agents and vendors to make those disclosures when asked for that information.
The tougher laws introduced to the Victorian Parliament on Wednesday.
The Sale of Land Amendment Bill 2019 will strengthens the existing requirement for vendors or real estate agents to disclose material facts about a property, and enable guidelines to detail what a material fact is likely to be (for example, a property’s past history as a clandestine drug laboratory or the site of a homicide).
“Families looking to buy also deserve to know whether a property was previously the site of a drug lab or a murder scene, and we’re ensuring that vendors and real estate agents disclose these important facts," Consumer Affairs minister Marlene Kairouz said.
“This is about improving consumer protections and restoring balance so that hard-working families can enter the property market with confidence.”
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Clandestine drug laboratory details need to be revealed to Victorian property buyers

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Victorians buying off-the-plan properties will get greater protection under new laws on termination sunset clauses.
The legislation was presented to state parliament on Wednesday, but backdated to August 23 last year when the legislation was first announced.
“We’re taking action to make sure that Victorians aren’t being ripped off by dodgy developers – the days of misusing sunset clauses to make super profits are over," Consumer Affairs Marlene Kairouz said.
<div>Changes to legislation will make it tougher for developers to deliberately delay projects to take advantage of a return to rising land prices across Melbourne.</div>
There have been concerns of developers returning deposits and on-selling it for a much higher price for house and land packages and off the plan apartments.
The flexibility in residential developments will be significantly reduced as while the purchaser retains the right to unilaterally terminate residential off the plan contracts of sale under a sunset clause, developers will no longer be able to do so.
To minimise the need to rely on a sunset clause, developers may opt for a longer period between the day of sale and the sunset date, to allow sufficient time for obtaining all approvals from the relevant authorities and completing all works required for registration of the plan of subdivision.
Developers will be wary about going to market too early. Consumer Affairs Victoria received 64 complaints in 2018 about sunset clauses.
The new bill had consumer advocates also praising planned curbs on rent-to-buy schemes.
Under changes to the Sale of Land Act, off-the-plan developers of housing estates and apartment blocks will need the permission of buyers, or the Supreme Court, to enact the sunset clause.
Consumer Affairs minister Marlene Kairouz introduced the changes saying the changes would ensure developers were unable to take advantage of those buying off-the-plan. 
The NSW government introduced legislation in November 2015 that requires the vendor to obtain the purchaser’s consent or an order from the Supreme Court before the vendor can terminate an off the plan contract of sale under a sunset clause.
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Victorian off the plan buyers to get boosted contract termination sunset clause rights

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Rent-to-buy schemes aimed at low-income Victorians will be banned under new laws introduced to the State Parliament which have potential jail time for vendors and third-party intermediaries.
The schemes - typically offered on properties on Melbourne's outskirts - are marketed as offering a pathway to home ownership for people unable to get a mortgage, by paying rent for a few years and then refinancing on their own. 
But there are typically exorbitant rents and legal fees.
The victims lose their first-home buyers grant.
It is often followed by moving out of their home after being unable to afford the payments.
Developers and financial services groups face fines ranging from $19,000 to $190,000 and or jail time for vendors and third-party intermediaries. 
Under the proposed laws, those who buy residential land under a dodgy rent-to-buy arrangement would be able to get a refund, excluding money paid that represents fair market rent.
Consumer Affairs minister Marlene Kairouz said the new laws would stamp out unscrupulous businesses taking advantage of people who can least afford it.
“Whether it’s putting a stop to so-called rent-to-buy schemes or restricting the terms of contracts for residential property, we’re stamping out the ripping off and exploitation of families by greedy parts of the financial services sector and dodgy developers,” Kairouz said.
The government does recognise that rent-to-buy schemes may emerge in the future, but the arrangement would need to involve the Director of Housing, a registered housing association or a similar organisation as determined by the government.
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Rent to buy schemes to be banned in Victoria unless officially approved

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Victoria is set to create 12 new suburbs across greater Melbourne, in a state bid to lower house prices.
State treasurer Tim Pallas will announce today the rezoning of the land over the next few years, according to The Australian Financial Review.
The new suburbs will include Beveridge North West, Wallan South and Wallan East, Merrifield North/Kalkallo Basin, Shenstone Park, Lindum Vale, Craigieburn West, Pakenham East, Officer South Employment precinct, Croskell, Kororoit Part 2 and Aviators Field.
The new suburbs will create around 50,000 new homes.
"The Andrews Labor government is planning for 12 new communities to sustain Melbourne's 15-year land supply, which is critical for keeping house and land packages affordable," Pallas told the AFR.
It is expected to be a challenge for the government to ensure that the newly rezoned housing areas have access to basic services such as public transport.
A study by Infrastructure Australia in October revealed that around 1.4m people residing in Melbourne's outer suburbs do not have immediate access to public transport services.
 
 
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Victoria to create 12 new suburbs by rezoning land

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EXPERT OBSERVATION
The Victorian election victory by Labor demonstrates that championing growth with infrastructure provision succeeds over scare tactics on immigration.
In the lead up to last weekend’s Victorian election the state opposition proposed immigration cuts to relieve overcrowding in a similar approach to that promoted by the NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian.
But the voters rejected the negative spin put on growth and preferred the more positive approach of Premier Daniel Andrews to build more infrastructure to manage the growth.
There is clearly an important lesson for political parties in New South Wales from the Victorian election results.
 It appears that voters prefer the positive approach to managing growth to build a better future city with new infrastructure rather than an approach that halves immigration and slows down growth. 
Many voters are positive about the booming economy that comes with growth and the swing to a more urban city that is occurring in Melbourne and Sydney.
The Urban Taskforce believes that NSW politicians need to champion positive ways to manage growth rather than the recent examples of the government backing down on its own plans in Ryde, the Sydenham to Bankstown corridor and the back down on the code for terrace houses.
It is also important that the NSW Opposition does not exploit fears about the changing nature of Sydney and focus on development as being a problem when it is clearly responding to community needs.
The anti-development rhetoric that many politicians are using in the lead up to the state election next March is generating a negative environment in the planning system at state government and council levels which is reducing confidence in the development sector.
The result is a big slow-down in housing approvals which will inevitably lead to less new homes being built over future years and therefore housing prices going up.
Both the NSW government and the opposition need to develop better messaging about the benefits to the economy of growth and immigration and how this can lead to an even better built environment.
Sydney is going through its biggest restructure in a hundred years as it swings from a low rise suburban city to a city that becomes much more urban with more apartment dwellers. 
The 2016 census demonstrated that 30 percent of Sydney’s homes are now apartments located in more urban areas. 
The politicians must take this 30 percent of voters into account in their messaging as they are likely to become half of all voters within the next 40 years.
CHRIS JOHNSON is the CEO of Urban Taskforce Australia
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Victorian election result demonstrates championing growth can be a winner: Urban Taskforce's Chris Johnson

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The Mill House, one of regional Victoria's finest country homes, has hit the market.
The four bedroom Newham home, which was built in the 1860s, has been restored, merging mid-Victorian architecture with modern living.
It sits in 9,600 square metre structured gardens from landscaper Paul Bangay that are divided into 'rooms'.
There are open grassed areas, manicured plantings, a walled herb garden and an orchard, creek and pond.
Adjacent to the main home are the originally three bay stables now with self-contained quarters, a two storey barn, pavilion and pond house.
Jellis Craig Mount Macedon agents Dominic Romeo and Tom May have a $3 million to $3.3 million guide for its December 8 auction.
This article was first published in the Weekend Australian. 
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