Sydney developer Deicorp is set to officially open its <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/hills-showground-village-castle-hill-2-mandala-parade-castle-hill-nsw-2154">Showground Village</a> precinct in Castle Hill.

NSW Premier Chris Minns will attend the opening on Sunday August 31, alongside&nbsp;Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully, The Hills Shire Council Mayor Dr Michelle Byrne, Landcom CEO Alex Wendler, and Deicorp Founder Fouad Deiri.

Located just moments from Hills Showground Metro Station, the centre spans 9,500 sqm across four levels and features 26 specialty retailers as well as a 1,400 sqm public plaza, creating a new community meeting point for shopping, dining, fitness, and everyday convenience.&nbsp;

Showground Village forms part of the Hills Showground Station Precinct, an urban renewal initiative led by Landcom and Sydney Metro that will provide for around 2,300 new jobs over the next 20 years and around 9,000 new homes.&nbsp;

Deicorp was recently approved for another new development next door to Showground Village.

The new five residential buildings in the East Showgrounds Precinct, will see another 873 dwellings delivered, as well as&nbsp;3,500 sqm of open public space in the form of landscaped courtyards, a public park and communal outdoor recreational space including a playground, barbeque area, and outdoor seating.

“This approval will allow us to start construction on a range of beautifully designed, conveniently located apartments and create another vibrant, walkable and well-connected community,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/deicorp" target="">Deicorp</a>&nbsp;Founder Fouad Deiri.

“These new homes will provide their residents with a seamless connection to jobs and services along Metro North West, and the new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/hills-showground-village-castle-hill-2-mandala-parade-castle-hill" target="">Hills Showground Village</a>&nbsp;retail precinct currently under construction."

Deicorp has several thousand apartments in planning and under construction across Sydney, from Zetland and Five Dock to Crows Nest and Macquarie Park.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=133881]

Joel Robinson

Deicorp, NSW Premier officially open Showground Village, new retail and hospitality hub in Castle Hill

ASX-listed developer Cedar Woods is progressing its plans for its Southbank arts precinct site.&nbsp;

The developer has filed plans, which are now with the&nbsp;Department of Transport and Planning, for a new 20-level tower at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/141-151-sturt-street-southbank-vic-3006">141–151 Sturt Street</a>, a 2,718 sqm block opposite the Habitat Filter sculpture.

The proposal seeks to demolish the two-level&nbsp;commercial building, including a small supermarket and medical tenancies, and create a new building with 180 apartments and a focus on an&nbsp;active public realm and arts integration.

&nbsp;

<img alt="Southbank site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="76a72db6-91ef-43ae-827d-a9cfa72893d2" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Site.png?VersionId=DZgtB4K6BswVh0QtCs3iLjXaLp0CbcEb" />

&nbsp;

There will be a full mix of apartment configurations, including 28 studio apartments, 16 one-bedroom, 104 two-bedroom, and 32 three-bedroom units.

Retail, creative arts, and residential amenity functions are integrated across the lower levels. A food and drink tenancy is planned to front Dodds Street, while a retail tenancy fronting Sturt Street will be accessed via an elevated walkway. The first floor includes a substantial 734 sqm creative arts space, envisioned to support Melbourne’s growing cultural and digital industries.

Architecture firm <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a> has put together the plans. In their&nbsp;Urban Design Report they highlighted the project’s ambition to embed itself within Southbank’s evolving cultural fabric.

A central feature of the design is a through-block link connecting Sturt and Dodds Streets, landscaped with native plantings and embedded with universal access ramps.

“The ramp has been thoughtfully integrated as the primary access point, ensuring universal accessibility for all users,” the report noted, with the link offering “a direct response to the urban planning scheme of creating more green spaces within our communities”.

<img alt="Southbank podium" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="4d24b1b2-d69c-4a11-a11d-ec6df432221c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/podium.png?VersionId=geWoJyZDmPSLODZ_.PNJ0LvpOmyyCdpo" />

The building’s podium form responds to the mandatory height limits along Dodds Street and maintains a fine-grain interface to adjoining developments. Above the podium, the tower is articulated with recessed balconies and a focus on views toward the CBD and surrounding arts institutions. A communal rooftop recreation deck and indoor lounge are positioned on level four, adjoining seven apartments and providing over 900 sqm of resident amenity space.

Vehicle access and loading will be provided via Dodds Street, with 155 resident car spaces located across two basement levels and the first three above-ground floors. Bicycle storage is more generous, with 226 spaces distributed across resident, staff and visitor needs.

Rothelowman describes the architecture as “humanist,” with ground-level interfaces designed to encourage social interaction and provide a dignified entry for both residents and passers-by. “All street interfaces are crafted to invite and nurture human connections,” the design report states. “The façade transitions to a human scale, providing an approachable and engaging streetscape”.

Cedar Woods, while well-known for its large communities it develops outside of Australia's capital cities, they have recently developed in Melbourne's inner-ring before. They are approaching completion at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-townhouses/88-leveson-north-melbourne-88-leveson-street-north-melbourne-vic-3051">88 Leveson</a>, just 15 townhouses in the heart of North Melbourne.

Cedar Woods progresses with new apartment plans in Southbank arts precinct

Brisbane developers Core Property Partners and Vector Property Australia has teamed up for Brisbane's newest apartment development.

The duo identified <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/east-brisbane-qld-4169">East Brisbane</a> as their preferred suburb, on the fringe of the Gabba Precinct, where they've just revealed BANKSII, 72 apartments opposite Raymond Park.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=136432 project_image_fid=5481]

The one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments will sit in a glass-wrapped building that will also feature a rooftop with an&nbsp;infinity-edge pool, a BBQ area and alfresco dining spaces, sun lounges, and a sauna, as well as a resident-only gym and a ground-floor cafe.

Rhett Williams, Director of Vector Property Australia, said the project will lift the quality of the East Brisbane community and set a new benchmark.

"In Brisbane’s current property landscape, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/banksii-east-brisbane-169-wellington-road-east-brisbane-qld-4169">BANKSII</a> stands out through its emphasis on lifestyle-oriented living, connectivity and sophisticated design," Williams says.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=136432 project_image_fid=5479]

The 10-level building has been designed by MAS Architecture. Their designs were inspired by the native Banksia flower, with the architecture and interiors reflecting the organic symmetry of its namesake flora. MAS has interpreted this throughout the building’s curved form, façade detailing and interior palette.&nbsp;

The building’s flowing geometry and natural tones are complemented by large balconies and floor-to-ceiling glazing, maximising cross-breezes, daylight and views over the city, parklands and river.

“Having a strong narrative for a building helps us architecturally,” MAS noted. "We can choose colours that come off that species of flowers. The trunk and the trees and the flower elements all are now visible in our joinery on the inside and in our architectural finishes on the outside."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=136432 project_image_fid=5485]

Apartments will feature timber floors, soft porcelain tiles, brushed bronze fittings, and stone benchtops with warm veining.&nbsp;

Kitchens feature premium SMEG appliances and generous storage, while bathrooms have been designed as calming retreats with curved cabinetry and twin sinks in the master ensuites.

The building will feature a suite of rooftop and wellness amenities. Residents will have access to an infinity-edge pool, BBQ and alfresco dining areas, sun lounges and a rooftop sauna.&nbsp;

A residents-only gym will be located on the podium level, while a ground-floor café and landscaped laneway will further activate the site and improve neighbourhood connectivity.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=136432 project_image_fid=5488]

BANKSII will rise from a prime Wellington Road site, with the building oriented to overlook the adjacent Raymond Park and take in extensive city views. It is also on the doorstep of key&nbsp;lifestyle infrastructure, including the future Kangaroo Point Green Bridge, The Gabba stadium, and the planned Brisbane Live arena.&nbsp;

Public transport options, including ferry, bus and rail - including the future Cross River Rail Woolloongabba station - are all nearby, supporting a car-optional lifestyle just minutes from the CBD.

Williams said the team spent over a year searching for the ideal site before securing this location.

"We were attracted to <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/east-brisbane-qld-4169">East Brisbane</a> as it is a vibrant and growing community that offers a perfect balance of urban convenience and natural beauty with the parklands and river on our doorstep.”

The project is part of the broader Woolloongabba Games precinct, which is undergoing significant investment in the lead-up to the 2032 Brisbane Olympics. This urban renewal, coupled with infrastructure upgrades, is expected to enhance long-term liveability and capital growth in the area.

Given the wide max of configurations, BANKSII is expected to suit everyone from first home buyers and investors to families and downsizers.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=136432]

BANKSII sales launch in booming East Brisbane apartment market

The Minns Labor Government will deliver Sydney’s first new heavy rail station in more than a decade – enabling up to 10,000 new homes by rezoning land around Woollahra and Edgecliff stations, right next to the CBD, to tackle the housing crisis and rebalance growth across the city.

Recent reports by the NSW Productivity Commission have warned that Sydney is losing twice as many young people as it is gaining, while also finding that Woollahra is the most feasible Local Government Area (LGA) in New South Wales to build new housing.

Despite this, housing approvals in Woollahra consistently lag well behind other LGAs, and the population has declined by 11 per cent over the past 50 years while Greater Sydney as a whole has grown by 74 per cent.

The new station that will be an eight-minute trip from Sydney CBD, will be located on the Eastern Suburbs train line in Woollahra, where a station build was started in the 1970s but never completed.

To enable the delivery of new homes the NSW Government will lead a rezoning of Woollahra and Edgecliff stations similar to other state led rezonings to allow additional homes to be built around the stations.

Affordable housing will also make up a proportion of development on the site with the final amount of affordable housing required, to be determined as part of the rezoning process.

The area surrounding the new station is within walking distance of major green and recreational space including Cooper, Trumper, Rushcutters Bay and Centennial Parks.

The Eastern Suburbs train line between Bondi Junction and Sydney CBD also has the lowest passenger usage rates during the AM peak of any line on the Sydney network, with only 43 per cent of operating capacity during the AM peak currently being utilised by passengers.

Sydney Water and Infrastructure NSW have confirmed there is capacity in the water and wastewater systems to accommodate the proposed 10,000 dwellings without major upgrades.

The rezoning is expected to take around two years and will further support the Government’s housing targets that rebalance the delivery of new homes around existing infrastructure.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Next stop Woollahra train station - delivering up to 10,000 new homes in the heart of Sydney

<section data-element_type="section" data-id="b086848">
Fresh off completing its mixed-use Malvern project Malvern Collective, Kokoda Property Group has acquired a prime site on Richmond's Bridge Road.

They are planning a mid-rise residential development with&nbsp;integrated wellness amenities and a vibrant ground-floor retail and dining offering.

The site, at&nbsp;487–495 Bridge Road, spans&nbsp;1,650 sqm with 50 metres of dual frontage across Bridge Road and Palmer Street. It is currently leased to Adairs, and has a large retail building and 20 onsite car parks.
</section>

<section data-element_type="section" data-id="534a164">
Kokoda Property Group’s acquisition forms part of a broader phase of growth in Melbourne, building on momentum from the completion of Malvern Collective and the recent purchase of a Burnley Street site for the developer’s first commercial project.&nbsp;

Mark Stevens, Kokoda Property Group’s Founder and Managing Director, said that the company’s Bridge Road site acquisition signals confidence in a city that is re-accelerating.

“Melbourne is regaining momentum,"&nbsp;Stevens said.

"After a cautious period post-COVID, we’re seeing buyer sentiment stabilise and capital leaning back into well-located, quality projects. Victoria now benefits from deep builder capacity and competitive delivery pricing, creating a rare opportunity to bring design-led inner-city developments to market without compromising on craftsmanship.

“Richmond ticks all the boxes for us – connectivity, culture and everyday amenity – making Bridge Road the perfect address for an amenity-rich, multi-use development."

<img alt="Kokoda" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9a8de51d-8092-480a-8b7e-e081816692c2" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-08-29%20at%208.54.27%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=VRHpV5.6beOu2cieKHWrw3ErMPuVOAuj" />

Envisioned as an “urban lantern” the building will bring a distinctive new presence to Bridge Road with a sculptural retail frontage, designed to honour the street’s heritage character while contributing to its renewal.

Stevens said the acquisition reflects the developer’s commitment to design-led addresses in Melbourne’s inner city.

“Drawing on Richmond’s rich heritage and dynamic character, we’ve envisioned a contemporary building that respects the past while elevating the way people live today. With dual frontages, curated ground-floor spaces, and a focus on wellness, this project will contribute to the neighbourhood’s evolution, appealing to both downsizers and a new generation of professionals.”

Kokoda Property will now progress concept design ahead of a future planning process.
</section>

Mark Stevens, Kokoda Property Group’s Founder and Managing Director, said that the company’s Bridge Road site acquisition signals confidence in a city that is re-accelerating

First look: Kokoda secures Richmond site for new apartment development

Australian Super

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The nation’s largest super fund, the $140 billion AustralianSuper, has unveiled a contingency plan warning members it will freeze property funds for up to two years in the event of a crisis.
AustralianSuper will also prevent members from investing more than 70% of their savings in its property portfolio option, to which investors have flocked in recent years chasing high returns.
The fund has changed its rules, giving it the right to freeze any attempts at withdrawing savings from the $1.7 billion property ­option, prohibit the switching of funds out of the option, and stopping any new contributions into the option for a period of up to two years “in exceptional circumstances in response to a market stress event”.
The Australian reported the "surprise policy changes", which take effect from November 19, rank as the first sizeable industry fund to make the change.
It noted UK market panic triggered by the Brexit vote in 2016 saw a financial volatility, where UK property funds, such as those run by Aberdeen Asset Management, Aviva Investors and Standard Life Investments, were unable to sell the underlying commercial property assets quickly enough to meet demand for investors pulling their funds.
Then, when the funds were unfrozen, property values had fallen to such an extent that investor savings were in jeopardy.
AustralianSuper group executive Paul Schroder said the changes were being made to “manage risk and protect all members’ interests” after consulting members.
“This is a prudent step designed to ensure all members can continue to exercise investment choice over the long term and in all market conditions,” Schroder said.
“The fund is committed to the property option but these changes were necessary to ensure other members are not disadvantaged in the event of a significant ­property market correction in the future.”
AustralianSuper surveyed more than 1000 members who were invested in property about the types of rules they would be most willing to accept.
“Direct property assets can’t be easily bought and sold at short notice,” AustralianSuper told its members in policy update,” Schroder said. 
“If the market experiences a stress event which causes lots of investors to sell property assets at the same time, or makes it more difficult for investors to finance transactions, we may not be able to find willing buyers at reasonable prices.
“Having the ability to freeze the option provides a safeguard by allowing some time for the market to recover before selling property assets.”
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jonathanchancellor-7SQnKwU6yx

Property fund freezes part of AustralianSuper's crisis contingency plans

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APRA's MySuper heat map, released yesterday, has highlighted the best and worst super funds. People with less than $10,000 in their superannuation accounts are losing as much as 4.4 percent of their savings to annual fees charged by fund administrators, new data from the prudential regulator shows.
<a href="https://www.apra.gov.au/mysuper-product-heatmap" target="_blank">The heat map</a> also shows the large lead the large industry super funds have over their retail counterparts when it comes to outcomes.
AMIST, Energy Super, First State Super, HESTA, Media Super, MTAA Super, Super, Sunsuper, Equipsuper, UniSuper, Cbus and Vision Super were given strong ratings across all rating categories.
But the nation's largest fund, the $167 billion AustralianSuper copped a red mark, given its administration fees it charges to members with account balances of $10,000 or less.
Well ranked corporate superannuation products included Brookfield Australia MySuper, Macquarie Group MySuper and Woolworths Group MySuper.
The benchmarks judged investment performance, fees and costs and the sustainability of member outcomes.
The heatmap - which is colour coded so that red denotes lower performance and higher fees - provides an assessment of MySuper products, which are meant to be low cost and simple superannuation options.
Among the worst performers were BEST Superannuation at 3.79 per cent, First Super at 1.78 per cent, the Pitcher Retirement Plan at 1.73 per cent, IAG and NRMA at 1.59 per cent and the AMP Retirement Trust at 1.54 per cent.
Among the worst performers on five-year net investment returns per annum, were Pitcher Retirement at 5.85 per cent, Energy Industries Super with 6.19 per cent and Maritime Super at 6.23 per cent.
Two products offered by Mine Super, a fund run for miners by unions and employers, were among the worst performance.
The Financial Services Council warned that the MySuper heatmap should not be used to rank superannuation products.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

The best and worst super funds: APRA

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EXPERT OBSERVATION
The Grattan Institute has been caught out contradicting itself in its attempts to undermine the super guarantee.
Despite releasing research only a few weeks ago that claimed increasing the super guarantee to 12 per cent would not ease the burden on the age pension, today they are claiming that an increase will leave workers poorer, because it will reduce the amount they are entitled to through the pension.
Both can’t be true. Not only does one completely contradict the other and make a mockery of the claims, the modelling Grattan relies on to peddle these myths is deeply flawed.
Under their modelling, the effect of the superannuation guarantee on wages, pension indexation and taxation is incredibly overstated, and assumes women, low-income and self-employed workers don’t exist.
They double count salary sacrifice contributions, and overestimate voluntary contributions and the amount of age pension paid.
In short, they are wrong. Industry Super Australia analysis conducted by former senior Treasury official Phil Gallagher found the Grattan Institute’s modelling:
Overestimates the effect of a super guarantee increase on wages, pension indexation and taxation:
1. The Grattan analysis ignores the fact that only 57 per cent of people with employer contributions are likely to receive an increase in superannuation. A significant number of workers either receive contributions higher than 11 per cent, or lower than 7 per cent, meaning an increase from 9.5 per cent to 12 per cent will not affect them.
2. Of 12 million employed people, only 6.1 million are likely to get a rise in super contributions. Exclusions of self-employed, public servants, academics, politicians, people under 18, employees earning under $450 per month and people over 74 impact the population.  It also assumes the Government has taken action on unpaid super when it hasn’t.
Overstates the amount of age pension paid and average life expectancy:
3. The Grattan analysis only includes the single rate pension which is 25 per cent more than a married rate pension for one partner.  Since the majority of pensioners are married, this produces a massive uplift in pension paid and a false conclusion that retirement incomes are more than adequate.
4. Grattan assumes that everyone lives until they are 92, getting far more pension than occurs if there is a distribution of life expectancy.
Overestimates superannuation contributions:
5. The Grattan analysis assumes continuous careers from age 30 to age 67, ignoring the fact that people take time out of the workforce for a range of reasons, most notably for parental leave.
6. There are no women in the model and no-one becomes self-employed in the model. 
7. Grattan double count salary sacrifice contributions and do not represent underpayment of super which affects 30 per cent of employees.
The Grattan Institute had been caught out contradicting itself, making its argument obsolete.
One week they’re claiming an increase in super won’t reduce the age pension, the next they claim people will be worse off because they will miss out on the age pension if they retire with more money.
Both can’t be true. This proves their analysis simply doesn’t stack up. Despite this, they continue to use deeply flawed modelling to peddle incorrect and misleading claims about the superannuation guarantee.
Any attempt to wind back the proposed super increase or freeze it altogether would not only affect Australians’ quality of life at retirement, it would increase the burden of the age pension on the budget.
MATTHEW LINDEN is the Acting Chief Executive of Industry Super Australia
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Grattan Institute contradicts itself on super claims: Industry Super Australia's Matthew Linden

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A former AustralianSuper executive has accused the country's largest superannuation fund of pressuring him to direct investment into a union-linked property trust despite conflicts of interest.
The fund's former head of property Jack McGougan made the accusations in Federal Court action launched against AustralianSuper this week.
His lawyers are seeking damages of $2.17 million, based on $544,000 annual salary for his four years through to his intended retirement, as well as missed bonuses of 80 per cent of his salary and compensation for humiliation, pain and suffering. 
An AustralianSuper spokesman said in a statement to the Australian Financial Review that it denies the McGougan allegations, adding "AustralianSuper always invests in members' best interests".
It comes as the royal commission will shortly looks at super fund governance.
More than 30 super fund directors have been told that they must appear before the commission which will look at related-party dealings.
The two-week block of hearings on super funds in August comes after earlier sessions on consumer lending, financial advice, small business loans, farm finance and dealings with indigenous communities.
McGougan claims he was forced out of his job for opposing moves by chief investment officer Mark Delaney and director Brian Daley to invest in industry-fund controlled developer ISPT.
McGougan says that from 2012, that Delaney, the fund's deputy chief executive, and Daley, the AustralianSuper director and the capital stewardship officer for the Australian Council of Trade Unions, "pressured" him to invest in ISPT.
ISPT is an unlisted property fund and developer set up in 1994 by former ACTU assistant secretary Garry Weaven.
It was co-founded by AustralianSuper.
Its board includes current and former Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy officials.
It is alleged despite an alleged "standing conflict of interest declaration", neither Delany nor Daley absented themselves from AustralianSuper's investment committee decisions involving ISPT, according to court documents.
After McGougan raised concerns over governance issues at the investment committee, Delaney allegedly accused him of not being a "team player".
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AustralianSuper faces claims of conflict of interest following investments in union-linked property trusts 

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Superannuation funds posted double-digit gains in 2017 for the first time in five years, outperforming property returns.
But despite the residential market cooling expected to continue, experts in the Australian Financial Review have warned that the stellar super performance is unlikely to be repeated in 2018.
The average balanced super fund recorded a rise of 10.5 per cent in the 12 months to December, comfortably above the 9.1 per cent total average return from property across Australian capital cities.
The last time super funds had double-digit returns was in 2013, when the average balanced fund gained 16.3 per cent, data from research house SuperRatings shows.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2018/1/8/super2.jpg" alt="">
"It would be a huge mistake for people to believe these returns are sustainable. They are not sustainable," said Martin Fahy, chief executive of the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia.
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<div class="cq-article-content-paras section">
Fahy said the slowdown in property prices, which he attributed in part to tougher lending rules imposed on the banks by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, was evidence that asset classes could not outperform indefinitely.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2018/1/8/super1.jpg" alt="">
"The market reverts to the mean. Long-term outperformance is very difficult to achieve," he said.
CoreLogic data suggests the only property markets to outperform super were those in Melbourne and Hobart, while Canberra was in line with the average super fund return.
The total return includes house-price inflation plus the rental yield.
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<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2018/1/8/2017%20prices.jpg" alt="">
SuperRatings chief executive Kirby Rapell noted that the 10.5 per cent estimated super fund return for 2017 was well above the 5.6 per cent average annual return over the past decade, although the long-term performance was marred by the global financial crisis, which pummeled shares in 2008.
"Longer-term returns continue to sit close to funds' targets, with the seven-year return reaching a very healthy 8.4 per cent per annum," Mr Rapell said.
The average balanced fund has returned more than 120 per cent on a cumulative basis since the depths of the global financial crisis in February 2009, according to Chant West, another research firm.
The biggest contributor to last year's strong result was global equities, which rallied thanks to low interest rates, the expectation of tax cuts in the US and a global economic recovery. On a hedged basis, international shares surged more than 18 per cent, and on an unhedged basis more than 16 per cent.
Australian shares added more than 10 per cent and unlisted infrastructure and property are both expected to have returned at least 8 per cent, according to Chant West.
Debbie Alliston, head of multi-asset portfolio management at AMP Capital, said 2018 was likely to be more challenging, particularly towards the second half of the year.
"The tailwind that has supported yield-type assets is likely to become a headwind," she told Fairfax Media.
</div>
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Super returns in 2017 outperformed property

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Australia’s superannuation funds are on track to deliver double-digit returns for the 2017 calendar year, with share market gains through December for investors. 
According to SuperRatings, the SR Balanced (60-76) Index, used to measure balanced super fund returns, recorded a 1.3% rise in November, bringing the interim calendar year-to-date return to 9.9%. 
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2017/12/15/super.jpg" alt="" style="font-size: 12.16px;">
SuperRatings CEO Kirby Rappell said that in a year dominated by political uncertainty, nothing managed to deter the global rally we’ve seen since the start of the year. 
“Australia’s super funds are on track to deliver double-digit gains, providing there is no late sell-off before Christmas.” 
“Despite the mining boom fading from view, resources shares have delivered through 2017 and helped shield investors from an otherwise lacklustre year for earnings. Despite the benefits of a strengthening Australian dollar for imports, especially in the first half of the year, this will have detracted from returns, but investors have still enjoyed some remarkable gains from the US market, which pushed to record highs late this year.” 
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jrobinson-rf4aSBido9

Australia’s super funds on track to deliver double digit returns

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Concerns about returns from Australia's burgeoning rent-to-build sector have been put forward by the fund manager of the $120 billion AustralianSuper’s property division, according to reports in The Australian.
The Australian said the superannuation firm had some doubts about the potential performance of the assets.
AustralianSuper senior investment manager for property Christine Phillips was reported as saying demand for build-to-rent properties in Australia was clear, and their supply was under consideration by large developers, such as Lendlease and Mirvac, but returns were in question.
“I don’t dispute the demand side of it. I think that there is definitely a market for institutional owned rental — professionally run rental accommodation that treats its tenants with respect,” she said.
“They’re able to not take the development profit, they’ve probably got land that’s sitting there at a cost that makes the numbers stack up better, they’ve got the end operation that can operate it once it’s up.
“The question for everyone is what return do we need to invest in Australia, and that’s proving difficult.”
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Australian Super

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