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<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/doma-group">DOMA Group</a> has unveiled plans for Newcastle Quay, a major waterfront precinct set to reshape Newcastle’s harbourfront and further cement the city’s evolution into one of Australia’s fastest-growing urban destinations.

Positioned on a prominent site within the Honeysuckle Precinct, Newcastle Quay will span both sides of Honeysuckle Drive, connecting directly to the Foreshore Promenade and sitting within walking distance of Newcastle Interchange.

The mixed-use precinct is planned to include around 1,000 apartments, more than 28,000 sqm of commercial office space, 6,000 sqm of retail, and a 180-room hotel anchored by a 500-seat conference and exhibition centre, a move expected to significantly lift Newcastle’s ability to attract major business and tourism events.
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<img alt="DOMA Group unveil Newcastle’s future with transformative Newcastle Quay Precinct" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0642ca09-67cc-4920-8a7e-d18df9729b4e" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/%3D.png?VersionId=CnDmZxQnOV5LN0ePu7jaFBXC9tPGTrWm" />

The proposal builds on DOMA’s growing Newcastle pipeline, where the developer has already delivered 866 apartments and more than 19,000 sqm of commercial and retail space since entering the market in 2013. A further $2 billion pipeline is also in the works across the city.

The masterplan and executive architecture are led by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/sjb-architects">SJB</a>, with building concepts developed alongside Stewart Architecture, Architecture AND and Curious Practice, and landscape design by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/landscape-architect/turf-design">Turf Design Studio</a>. More than 11,000 sqm of open space is planned, including a new waterfront park known as Honeysuckle Green, upgrades to Tree of Knowledge Park, and new pedestrian and cycling links throughout the precinct.

At the centre of the development will be the heritage-listed Wickham School of Arts, which DOMA plans to reposition as the civic and cultural heart of the precinct through restaurants, bars, events and public gathering spaces.

The broader vision is to create a genuine day-to-night precinct, blending residential, hospitality, retail, commercial and cultural uses in a way Newcastle has yet to experience at this scale.

DOMA Group Managing Director Jure Domazet said the aim was to create a precinct that becomes synonymous with Newcastle itself.

“Our vision is to create a precinct that not only delivers high-quality commercial, residential, and cultural spaces, but also defines Newcastle’s waterfront for generations to come,” Domazet said.

DOMA’s Chris Farrington said the project would fundamentally change how Newcastle is perceived nationally.

“Newcastle Quay is more than a waterfront precinct, it is a national announcement for this city,” Farrington said.

“A world-class Conference and Exhibition Centre will open Newcastle and the Hunter Region to a national and international audience for the first time, delivering something this city has long deserved.”

The project is expected to generate more than 4,000 full-time equivalent jobs and act as a major economic driver for the Hunter region through tourism, business events, hospitality and commercial investment.

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Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said the final parcel of harbourfront land will be a "true mixed-use precinct destination that includes housing, hospitality and entertainment, commercial spaces, retail, economic and social outcomes."

Joel Robinson

DOMA Group unveils 1,000-apartment Newcastle Quay precinct

ASX-listed developer Stockland is continuing to ramp up its return to the apartment market.

In late 2024, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/stockland">Stockland</a> announced it would resume apartment development after a 13-year absence, launching with Stanton Place in Rosebery, a 144-apartment project now under construction.

Last week, the developer unveiled plans alongside the NSW Government for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-stockland-nsw-gov-unveils-plans-for-3-300-home-waterloo-south-renewal">3,300-home precinct in Waterloo</a>.

Now, Stockland has shifted its focus in St Leonards, lodging a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) to replace an approved 42-storey office tower with a 52-storey residential development comprising more than 500 apartments.

<img alt="Stockland" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8979095e-9072-432b-a7da-58b180cf994d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-20%20at%204.27.36%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=_jbRXYOafCSHjwsz.yQCNIymMyCj8zkF" />

An existing 14-storey commercial office building would make way for a 264.5-metre tower designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/bates-smart">Bates Smart</a>. The project would deliver 538 apartments, including 30 affordable housing units, alongside retail and commercial uses at the podium and ground plane.

It will rise from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/601-pacific-highway-st-leonards-nsw-2065">601 Pacific Highway</a>, a prominent 2,844 sqm triangular site adjoining Mitchell Plaza and fronting Pacific Highway.

The development is being pursued under the Housing Delivery Authority pathway after Stockland’s proposal was declared State Significant Development earlier this year.

<img alt="First look: Stockland plans 52-storey mixed-use tower with 538 apartments in St Leonards" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="67f40f35-0458-47ab-80c0-a4e98a31838a" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/stockland%201.png?VersionId=rxXe3njr.auuGDuiR0k42uI8Zr4K.gZA" />

The apartment mix includes 217 one-bedroom apartments, 191 two-bedroom apartments, 122 three-bedroom apartments, and eight four-bedroom residences. Six basement levels would accommodate 300 car spaces, bicycle parking, loading areas, and building services.

Bates Smart said the project has been shaped around a series of urban design principles intended to improve the pedestrian experience and respond to the evolving character of St Leonards.

“With a boundary length of almost 75m along Pacific Highway and 70m along Atchison Street to the north, complying simply with the LEP envelope and required setbacks would result in a very wide tower form on the skyline,” the architects noted in the Design Report.

“We propose breaking the tower form into two defined volumes rather than a singular form.”

The podium has similarly been articulated into separate forms to reduce perceived bulk and create a finer-grain response to Mitchell Plaza and Atchison Street. Retail tenancies would activate the lower levels, while commercial space is proposed across the podium floors.

<img alt="First look: Stockland plans 52-storey mixed-use tower with 538 apartments in St Leonards" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="90149990-0551-40d2-bd48-14b69a015d12" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/stockland%202.png?VersionId=MJC2KIIWFvU9FPGr3IVq09gkRN_gX3m8" />

The design also places a significant emphasis on communal amenity and environmental performance. Residents would have access to landscaped terraces, wellness areas, flexible workspaces, and rooftop communal facilities, while the all-electric building is targeting an average 7-star NatHERS rating. Bates Smart said the project incorporates passive design measures including natural ventilation, integrated shading, and lightweight façade systems.

Planning documents note the site is around 350 metres from St Leonards Station and 400 metres from the metro entrance, placing it within one of Sydney’s most connected emerging residential precincts.

The project arrives amid a wave of large-scale redevelopment proposals reshaping the St Leonards and Crows Nest skyline. Several nearby sites have recently been approved, lodged, or declared under the Housing Delivery Authority pathway as the precinct absorbs significant residential density uplift tied to transit-oriented development policies.

<img alt="Stockland" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7805bd7c-dfd7-4b35-8e15-ec4a8bf8e61b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-20%20at%204.27.26%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=iY12K2m2bQ6EeDnshqfZC9rbLx_oEugP" />

Bates Smart’s report describes St Leonards as transitioning away from its historical commercial identity toward a more mixed-use urban environment.

“In recent years, the character of St Leonards has started to evolve, driven by new development trends along the Pacific Highway corridor,” the report said.

“These projects have increasingly focused on residential accommodation, marking a shift from its purely commercial roots.”

Sekisui House Australia is currently selling Waterstone down near Newlands Park, in a pocket being branded "St Leonards South." Hyecorp recently completed Audrey in the same pocket.

First look: Stockland plans 52-storey, 538-apartment St Leonards tower

ANZ believes the Reserve Bank is in no rush to move again.

Following the release of the May Monetary Policy Board Minutes, ANZ has taken the view that the RBA is now firmly in a holding pattern, with the cumulative impact of previous rate hikes giving the Board scope to assess how the economy evolves from here.

That positioning, in ANZ’s view, makes a June rate hike unlikely.

The bank continues to expect the cash rate to remain unchanged at 4.35 per cent for an extended period, with the RBA adopting what is effectively a wait-and-see approach.

The Minutes point to a Board that sees financial conditions as already restrictive, but without a clear read on just how restrictive they are. That uncertainty has shifted the focus away from immediate policy action and toward monitoring both domestic conditions and global developments, particularly the conflict in the Middle East.

As ANZ interprets it, the Board is deliberately avoiding strong forward guidance.

Instead, it is allowing itself flexibility, acknowledging that monetary policy has limited ability to influence the near-term trajectory of inflation, while also recognising that economic growth is likely to remain below potential for some time.

Despite that pause in momentum, ANZ notes that the Board still carries a tightening bias.

The Minutes reveal that, in weighing up its decision, the Board seriously considered another 25 basis point increase. The key debate centred on the trade-off between inflation and activity, particularly in the context of global uncertainty.

Ultimately, most members leaned toward the inflation side of that equation.

Underlying inflation is still expected to remain above target for an extended period, regardless of how external risks evolve. That has led to a view within the Board that the risks to its inflation objective have increased, and that the current cash rate may not be sufficiently restrictive to fully contain those pressures.

That’s important.

While the decision, for now, is to hold, the underlying tone of the Minutes suggests the door to further tightening has not been closed.

ANZ also points to commentary from Assistant Governor (Economic) Sarah Hunter, who highlighted the risk that inflation could pass through the economy more quickly and broadly than in previous cycles. Both Hunter and a majority of the Board expressed concern that inflation expectations could become less anchored after such a prolonged period above target.

That combination, persistent inflation and the risk of expectations shifting, is what continues to underpin the RBA’s cautious stance.

However, where ANZ diverges from the RBA is on the outlook for activity.

The Board appears relatively comfortable with current spending patterns, effectively downplaying recent declines in business and consumer sentiment. It notes that sentiment has historically been only weakly correlated with actual spending, and that feedback from its liaison program has not yet pointed to a meaningful slowdown in consumption.

ANZ is less convinced.

The bank believes the link between household disposable income, sentiment and spending is more direct than the RBA is currently acknowledging. With inflation continuing to erode real incomes, ANZ expects household spending to soften more materially than the central bank is forecasting.

That divergence matters because it shifts the balance of risk.

If activity weakens more than expected, the trade-off between inflation and growth changes. In ANZ’s view, that would reduce the need for further tightening and reinforce the case for the RBA to remain on hold.

It also suggests that the current policy setting may already be doing more work than the Board fully appreciates.

The broader takeaway from ANZ’s interpretation is that the RBA is walking a narrow path.

On one side sits the risk of inflation remaining elevated for longer than expected. On the other is the growing pressure on households and the potential for a sharper slowdown in activity.

For now, the Board is choosing to wait.

But it is a pause that still carries an underlying tightening bias, rather than a clear pivot toward easing.

In practical terms, that leaves the cash rate anchored at 4.35 per cent for the foreseeable future, with the next move still uncertain.

For borrowers, it reinforces the reality that relief is not imminent.

And for the broader economy, it highlights the delicate balance the RBA is trying to strike, between bringing inflation back to target and avoiding an unnecessarily sharp slowdown in growth.

According to ANZ, it is a balance that is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain.

RBA to hold rates for "prolonged period" rather than hikes: ANZ

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/venturecrowd-property-projects">VentureCrowd</a> is down to the final Canopy Villa release at Cumulus Grand Villas in Carrara, as construction continues on the 59-residence gated community positioned above 100 hectares of natural savanna on the Gold Coast.

The remaining Canopy Villa forms part of one of four collections within the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/bda-architecture">BDA Architecture</a>-designed community and has attracted interest from buyers seeking larger-format homes that combine privacy, security and low-maintenance living. Positioned within a private cul-de-sac and facing a protected black she oak forest, the four-bedroom villa includes a large private outdoor area suited to pet owners and families wanting more flexible space.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-townhouses/cumulus-grand-villas-carrara-17-baltimore-court-carrara-qld-4211">Cumulus Grand Villas</a>, located at 17 Baltimore Court, comprises a mix of three and four-bedroom villas across the Skyline, Canopy, Savanna and Broadview collections. Prices currently range from $1.455 million to $1.895 million, with the final Canopy Villa priced from $1.825 million.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135663 project_image_fid=360477]

The Canopy Collection villas offer four bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms and approximately 245 sqm of internal space, alongside double garages and landscaped private areas. Expansive glazing, open-plan living spaces and private balconies have been designed to maximise natural light and outlooks toward the surrounding savanna landscape.

Construction is now underway across the fully funded development, which VentureCrowd says has become an increasingly important consideration for buyers assessing off-the-plan opportunities on the Gold Coast. The project is being delivered by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/builders/devcon">Devcon Property Group</a>, which has operated in South East Queensland since 1993 and delivered more than 1,000 homes across the region.

VentureCrowd Director of Property David Whitting previously said the project responds to changing buyer priorities in the prestige Gold Coast market.

“Flexible floorplans have proven particularly relevant for purchasers aged between 40 and 65, including next home buyers, downsizers and investors,” Whitting said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135663 project_image_fid=360505]

The buyer profile at Cumulus has reflected that shift toward owner-occupier-driven demand. Stuart Towns and Tracey Loynes recently purchased a Canopy Villa, drawn to both the lifestyle offering and the flexibility the home provided for their next stage of living together.

The couple, who met three years ago, sold their Robina home earlier this year after identifying what they saw as strong long-term investment potential at Cumulus while remaining within the same Gold Coast market. The villa’s private backyard was a major drawcard for their dog Luna, while proximity to golf courses including Emerald Lakes also aligned with their lifestyle interests.

Beyond the residences themselves, the community has been planned around shared lifestyle and recreation amenities. The Infinity Terrace will include a 20-metre heated pool, barbecue facilities, alfresco dining spaces and elevated retreat areas overlooking the surrounding landscape. Walking trails, a private nature reserve, orchard and herb garden are also integrated into the masterplan.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135663 project_image_fid=360473]

BDA Architecture Director Darren Greenaway said the design approach was heavily influenced by the site’s outlook and secluded setting.

The practice sought to create what Greenaway described as a “little piece of paradise,” drawing inspiration from the elevated views, surrounding greenery and quiet location.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/carrara-qld-4211">Carrara</a> continues to attract buyers seeking larger homes within proximity to the coast but without direct beachfront pricing. Cumulus sits within easy reach of Broadbeach, Pacific Fair, Robina Town Centre and the M1, providing connections north to Brisbane and south toward the Gold Coast Airport and northern New South Wales.

The first stage of Cumulus Grand Villas is targeting completion in 2026.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=135663]

VentureCrowd nears sell-out of Canopy Collection at Cumulus Grand Villas in Carrara

Waverley Council has made a call that many councils have been reluctant to make publicly. Growth is coming, regardless of who controls it.

The release of the Bondi Junction Vision and Master Plan is less about whether the Eastern Suburbs’ primary centre will change, and more about how that change is shaped, funded, and ultimately experienced on the ground. Waverley Council has released a 100-page plan which is effectively the first comprehensive blueprint for Bondi Junction in over two decades, and in doing so, signals a clear shift in how councils are positioning themselves in the current planning environment.

For the past 18 months, the conversation across New South Wales has been dominated by the State Government’s Low and Mid-Rise Housing reforms and the emergence of the Housing Delivery Authority pathway. Both have created faster, more centralised avenues for development approvals, particularly in well-located, infrastructure-rich areas like Bondi Junction.

Waverley Council’s response has been to move early, and decisively.

Rather than react to individual proposals as they come through the HDA or broader State-led reforms, Council has sought to establish a clear, place-based framework that sets the terms for how Bondi Junction evolves. The underlying position is relatively straightforward: if densification is inevitable, it should be tied to infrastructure, public domain improvements, and a cohesive vision for the centre, not delivered piecemeal through ad hoc applications.

<img alt="bondi junction" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7f1f729c-ed99-4c6c-bf87-ffbce6991941" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-19%20at%209.58.16%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=ULX4OlXKjeJ5BvNCNGL86evgXCjCfMih" />

At its core, the document is attempting to reposition Bondi Junction from what it largely functions as today, a transport interchange anchored by a major retail centre, into something far more layered. The ambition is to transform it into what the plan describes as the “civic and cultural heart of Sydney’s East,” a place that is active beyond commuting hours and capable of supporting a broader mix of uses, experiences and communities.

That repositioning is built around four key ambitions.

The first is to create a true destination. Bondi Junction already attracts significant foot traffic, with more than 86,000 daily transport users and millions of annual retail visits, but much of that activity is transient. People pass through, rather than stay.

The Master Plan seeks to change that dynamic. It leans heavily into the idea of an “18-hour economy,” extending activity well beyond traditional retail hours through dining, cultural programming, events, and a more active night-time offering. This is not just about adding more hospitality venues, but about fundamentally shifting how the centre operates, from a daytime shopping destination to a place that functions across the full span of the day and into the evening.

Oxford Street Mall sits at the centre of that shift.

Long seen as underperforming relative to its potential, the Mall is identified as one of the key catalyst projects in the plan. It is to be reimagined as a day-to-night spine, combining retail, dining, wellness and cultural uses in a way that creates a continuous flow of activity. Outdoor dining, rooftop venues, laneway activation and a curated events program are all part of the strategy, alongside significant public domain upgrades that aim to improve comfort, safety and usability.

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The second ambition is to transform Bondi Junction into a world-class interchange.

Despite being one of the most heavily used transport nodes in Sydney, the current experience is fragmented. Connections between the station, Westfield, Oxford Street Mall and surrounding streets are often unclear, and major roads create physical barriers that disrupt pedestrian movement.

The Master Plan proposes a more seamless, people-focused network. That includes clearer pedestrian links, improved wayfinding, better integration between transport modes, and a rethinking of how arrival into the centre is experienced. The aim is to shift the perception of Bondi Junction from a place people move through, to a place they arrive in.

The third ambition focuses on greening and open space.

One of the more consistent pieces of community feedback throughout the Vision phase was the need for more greenery, better public spaces, and a more comfortable urban environment. Despite being surrounded by major parks, Bondi Junction itself has relatively limited accessible open space, with much of the public realm dominated by hard surfaces and traffic infrastructure.

The plan responds with a network of new and upgraded public spaces, increased tree canopy, and what it terms the “Parkline,” a green link connecting Waverley Park through to Centennial Park. This is not just about aesthetics. It is about addressing heat, improving liveability, and ensuring that increased density is matched by access to high-quality outdoor space.

The fourth ambition is perhaps the most important from a development perspective: growth that gives back.

Bondi Junction is already the primary location for new housing supply in the Waverley LGA, and that is expected to continue. The area carries a target of 2,400 new dwellings by 2029, with further growth projected beyond that as demand for well-located housing continues to rise. The Master Plan does not seek to limit that growth. Instead, it attempts to shape it.

New housing is to be concentrated around transport, with stepped building heights designed to protect the character of surrounding neighbourhoods. At the same time, the plan introduces a more explicit link between development uplift and public benefit. This is where value capture becomes central.

The document outlines a framework where increased development potential is tied to contributions that fund public domain improvements, community infrastructure, open space, and affordable housing. It is an approach that recognises that much of the transformation of Bondi Junction will be delivered by the private sector, but seeks to ensure that the benefits of that growth are shared more broadly. The Civic Precinct is a key part of that equation.

Leveraging Council-owned land, the plan proposes a consolidated civic and cultural hub centred around Ebley Street. This would include new community facilities, cultural spaces, and potentially a new Council Chambers, creating a focal point for civic life that currently does not exist in Bondi Junction at scale.

It is one of several catalyst projects identified in the Master Plan, alongside the Oxford Street Mall transformation. These projects are intended to anchor change, acting as early interventions that unlock broader investment across the precinct.

Importantly, the Master Plan is not just a design document. It includes a delivery framework that sets out how these ambitions are intended to be realised.

Council is explicit in acknowledging that it cannot deliver the transformation alone. Implementation will require coordination between State agencies, private developers, landowners and the community, with a mix of planning agreements, infrastructure contributions and direct delivery mechanisms used to fund and stage improvements over time.

The plan outlines a mix of short-term, medium-term and long-term actions, from immediate public domain upgrades and planning controls, through to larger-scale projects that will unfold over the next decade or more. In practical terms, the next 12 to 24 months will be the most important.

This is when the Master Plan will move through exhibition, refinement and eventual adoption. It is also the period in which Council will seek to embed the framework into its planning controls, giving it weight in the assessment of future development applications.

Council officers have indicated that once the Master Plan is in place, it could be used as a benchmark when assessing Housing Delivery Authority proposals, and potentially reduce the need for further HDA declarations within Bondi Junction. In effect, it is an attempt to bring planning control back to the local level, while still aligning with State housing targets.

That tension between State-led reform and local planning control is not unique to Waverley. It is playing out across Sydney.

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If delivered as intended, Bondi Junction will become denser, more active, and more complex. It will support more residents, more workers, and a wider range of uses, extending beyond its current retail core into a more layered urban environment.

“The civic and cultural heart of Sydney’s East”: Bondi Junction masterplan revealed

Cricket

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Brisbane Heat wicket-keeper batsman Jimmy Peirson and wife Amy are selling their first home they bought together.

They’ve renovated the 1960s home during their three year ownership, having paid $524,000 in 2017.

Set on 560 sqm, the home has three bedrooms and one bathroom, which they’ve left the lower level gutted, described in the marketing as a blank canvas.

The home became a $500 a week rental in late 2019 when the couple traded up to Everton Park, where they spent $882,000 on a renovated four bedroom home.

Peirson has been with the Brisbane Heat since 2014.

In 2018 he became Queensland's youngest-ever Sheffield Shield winning captain when the Bulls won the competition in 2018.
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The home became a $500 a week rental in late 2019 when the couple traded up to Everton Park



Brisbane Heat wicket-keeper Jimmy Peirson lists former Stafford Heights home

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The Australian cricketer Ashton Agar has traded up handsomely in Perth.

The specialist ODI and T20 spin bowler has spent $2.25 million in the pricey waterfront suburb Dalkeith.

The three bedroom home, built in 1990, sits in 1,165 sqm grounds which feature a tennis court and resort-style swimming pool.

It had been for sale for a year and a half before Agar swooped.

Agar was trading up from the beachside Scarborough where he has owned a four bedroom townhouse since paying $660,000 in 2016, shortly after making his international T20 debut for Australia.

Agar, who plays for the Perth Scorchers in the BBL, has played four Tests for Australia, earning his baggy green in 2013.
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The specialist ODI and T20 spin bowler has spent $2.25 million in the pricey waterfront suburb Dalkeith.

Cricketer Ashton Agar trades up in Perth

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As a cricket tragic, I was thrilled a little over a year when we named our son Stanley, being in part a subtle or oblique reference to one end of the Gabba cricket ground in Brisbane (I felt a reference to the old Clem Jones stand - or even 'Sir Gordon Chalk'! - might have been pushing it...).  
There's been a tremendous amount of excitement in Brisbane this week as the English cricket team is in town to the play the first Test Match of the historic Ashes series.
The view of the Stanley Street End skyline today takes in many cranes, as well as the imposing $85 million Trafalgar Residences, a 20-storey apartment block at 855 Stanley Street (being a new development since the last time an Ashes test was played here). 
Looking back towards the opposite Vulture Street End of the ground, the television cameras picked up the apartments advertised for sale and for rent at 444 Vulture Street, where apartments are advertised for rent from $360/week for one bedroom units, and from $750/week and above for three bedders. 
At this stage of the construction cycle there's a risk of vacancy rates being understated as a single online advertisement can account for multiple new apartments.
The ubiquitous offers of rent-free periods for tenants, free internet (and so on) in Woolloongabba apartments reflect the clear weakness in the rental market. 
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-itoxPPGm1ZU/WhhpS_l1dYI/AAAAAAAAnKI/hBj0N50WViseRcD2sqxmCuyVuHD7le_gACLcBGAs/s1600/Gabba1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-itoxPPGm1ZU/WhhpS_l1dYI/AAAAAAAAnKI/hBj0N50WViseRcD2sqxmCuyVuHD7le_gACLcBGAs/s640/Gabba1.jpg" width="640" height="626" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="624"></a>
In a moment of wry amusement, even match commentator Damien 'Flemo' Fleming was moved to mention the glut of new building in the suburb, a rare yet curiously welcome departure from the discussion of Bowlology, the Fast Bowling Cartel, and heavy metal music!
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BwaK2bL-bhM/WhhpTYP9BVI/AAAAAAAAnKM/CXCbpcod3xwCNIMN83h-Q9pJqS4XiN2nwCLcBGAs/s1600/Gabba2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BwaK2bL-bhM/WhhpTYP9BVI/AAAAAAAAnKM/CXCbpcod3xwCNIMN83h-Q9pJqS4XiN2nwCLcBGAs/s320/Gabba2.jpg" width="640" height="318" data-original-height="658" data-original-width="1320"></a>
Avenue of apprehension
The new high-rise apartment market can be a risky one for buyers, in part because the apartments can lack uniqueness or scarcity value, and partly because the duration of projects can span several years from approval to completion, at which point the market can suddenly become swamped with new supply. 
This cycle has played host to Queensland's greatest ever apartment construction boom, eclipsing even the post-recession boom of the early 1990s, although far fewer houses have been built this time around.
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VjQ48qj4NHU/WhhqQDIpq8I/AAAAAAAAnKg/eyFCJfPOSPscNdjqj93ghMJRqPEMfBGNQCLcBGAs/s1600/A.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VjQ48qj4NHU/WhhqQDIpq8I/AAAAAAAAnKg/eyFCJfPOSPscNdjqj93ghMJRqPEMfBGNQCLcBGAs/s640/A.jpg" width="640" height="394" data-original-height="831" data-original-width="1347"></a>
As we have seen in Perth since 2014, the long lead times mean that by the time projects are completed demand may have slowed significantly.
In fact, until relatively recently Western Australia was seeing the number of new dwelling completions exceed the growth in headcount, as population growth had slowed so dramatically, resulting in a surge of rental vacancies and falling rents. The city of Darwin went down a similar path.
Queensland has suffered from this dynamic too, albeit to a lesser extent. The good news for Brisbane landlords is that the Queensland economy, employment growth, and thus the three components of demographic change (natural growth, net overseas migration, and net interstate migration) are now aligning to create faster population growth. 
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oqk7AYTwwy4/WhhqPgZCVuI/AAAAAAAAnKc/VKtFnrAI48s2-ZhHd6JsQEtpu2i0EQR_wCLcBGAs/s1600/A1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oqk7AYTwwy4/WhhqPgZCVuI/AAAAAAAAnKc/VKtFnrAI48s2-ZhHd6JsQEtpu2i0EQR_wCLcBGAs/s640/A1.jpg" width="640" height="388" data-original-height="829" data-original-width="1363"></a>
Meanwhile new apartment commencements are slowing to a crawl, helping to rebalance the market over time.
The Brisbane apartment market is heading back towards equilibrium eventually, then, but 2018 will nevertheless be a splendid year for renters, especially in some of these inner-city unit markets. 
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Apartment glut on the Gabba's skyline obvious even to the Channel 9 cricket commentary team: Pete Wargent

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Star Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan’s Clyde North family home was sold for $935,000 in post-auction negotiations after its Sunday auction. 
The opening batsman’s 2012-built house at 6 Forest Drive had been listed with an $850,000 to $935,000 price guide.
OBrien Keysborough agent Darren Hutchins said more than 200 groups had toured the ex-display home during its campaign.
The 446 sqm home had passed in at $911,000, the Herald Sun reported.
Its listing went viral on realestate.com.au, with more than 64,000 views, well above the suburb’s average of 83 visits per property.
The home had previously sold at $730,000 in 2015 and $789,000 in 2013.
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Indian batsman Shikhar Dhawan sells Melbourne home

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Cricketer Steve O’Keefe has sold both his residential new-build investment properties in Mudgee.
The Manly-based O’Keefe, who has a property portfolio across the country, bought the building-block opportunity in 2013 for $169,000.
He subdivided the 840 square metre corner plot, set south of the town, and built a home on each block.
He got $355,000 for the three-bedroom, two-bathroom home on 402 square metres, which has been a $360-a-week rental. The home next door on 435 square metres fetched $347,000.
McGrath Central Tablelands agent Lucas Sheppard secured the sale for the long-time Sydney Sixer.
O’Keefe, among the top wicket-takers over the summer, has owned a two-bedroom Manly apartment since paying $921,500 off the plan in 2011.
He also has four properties just outside of Brisbane, in Kingston, Marsden, Waverley and Raceview.
His portfolio is at the cheaper end of the market, unlike former Test teammates Steve Smith and David Warner, who have stuck to pricier Sydney.
This article was first published in the Sunday Telegraph.
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Cricketer Steve O'Keefe sells two Mudgee residential investment properties

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New South Wales cricket veteran Steve O'Keefe is selling another of his investment properties in Mudgee.
O'Keefe, who has built a vast property portfolio across the country, bought into the Mudgee market in 2013, spending $169,000 on an 840 square metres corner plot south-west of the main town.
The Manly-based spinner subdivided the parcel and built a home on each block.
He's now asking $355,000 for one of the three bedroom, two bathroom homes on 435 square metres that has been a $360 a week rental.
The home next door is also $360 a week rental.
McGrath Central Tablelands agent Lucas Sheppard has sold one of O'Keefe's investment homes, and is offering the other.
The long-time Sydney Sixer, who was among the top wicket takers in the competition over the summer where the Sixers made it to the semi finals, has also just finished building a four bedroom home in Lennox Head, having spent $270,000 in 2016.
He has owned a two bedroom apartment in Manly since paying $921,500 off the plan in 2011.
O'Keefe has an even stronger portfolio in Queensland where he has four investments.
He has investment properties in Kingston, Marsden, Wakerley and Raceview, all just outside of Brisbane. 
His portfolio is at the cheaper end of the market, unlike his former Test teammates Stephen Smith and David Warner.
This article was first published in the Saturday Telegraph. 
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Cricketer Steve O'Keefe lists another Mudgee investment property

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Cricketer Nathan Lyon, who holds the record for most Test wickets taken by an Australian off-spinner, has sold his matrimonial home at Port Hacking in the Sutherland Shire.
It comes just days after his triumphal selection in the 15-man squad ahead of the World Cup that begins in late May in the UK.
The four-bedroom, four-bathroom home with deep waterfront and boat ramp was bought in 2016, the year before his split with his longtime partner Mel Waring.
The then Perth-based estate agent Emma McCarthy has been his partner since 2017.
There’s been no sale price reveal by its Ray White selling agent Matthew Johnston.
Overlooking the Royal National Park, it was bought off market in 2016 for $3.8 million from Charlie and Jill Yankos.
Johnston had sold Lyon’s last home, in conjunction with Jill Yankos, when his Oyster Bay battle-axe fetched $2,070,000 in 2016.
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Lyon and Waring had paid $1.4 million for the home in 2014 and renovated the riverfront into a four-bedroom home.
In 2018 he sold his Vaucluse investment apartment for $1,085,000.
Having paid $1.1 million in 2015, the 1970s apartment was then leased for $800 a week.
Lyon made his debut in the Australia Test team in 2011.
The 31-year-old from Young, made an immediate impact on debut, taking a wicket with his first Test ball.
He went on to take 5-34 and became only the 15th Australian bowler to take five wickets in their debut innings.
The Test veteran, who was the first finger spinner to claim 200 Test wickets for Australia, now has taken 343 wickets. 
Lyon began his career as a member of the ground-staff team at the Adelaide Oval after finishing a four-year apprenticeship at the Manuka Oval in Canberra.
This article was first published in the Sunday Telegraph.
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Cricketer Nathan Lyon sells Sutherland Shire waterfront home

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The former Australian cricket captain turned commentator Ricky Ponting and his wife Rianna have bought in Portsea.
The couple paid $3.51 million for the home, close to Fishermans Beach which had a $775,000 build in 2009.
The four-bedroom, three-bathroom will be a weekender from their home on Brighton’s “golden mile”, which they bought for $10 million in 2013.
The two levels home has a resort style heated pool and spa along with in-ground trampoline and basketball practice area on its 1,068 square metres.
It was sold by Sothebys who struggled to find a buyer with the property listed for more than 300 days.
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Ricky and Rianna Ponting buy Portsea weekender

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Runout T20 cricket captain Aaron Finch, who had a big weekend leading his Big Bash team the Melbourne Renegades to final victory against the Melbourne stars, secured the sale of his Melbourne investment apartment just a few hours earlier.
The big hitter sold the two bedroom Kensington warehouse conversion apartment for $590,000, only just higher than the $579,000 paid off the plan in 2010.
Finch watched as two bidders competed when <a href="https://rendina.com.au/real-estate/1140706/303-18-bent-street-kensington-vic-3031" target="_blank">303/18 Bent Street</a> was offered on Saturday.
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Its Rendina agent Lou Rendina had marketed it with $550,000 to $600,000 hopes.
After a $550,000 opening bid, a local couple looking for a new home outbid the investor. 
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Melbourne Renegades cricket captain Aaron Finch sells investment apartment

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Axed Australian Test cricketer Mitchell Marsh has had to take a loss on his Perth home.
He found a quick buyer for the <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-wa-bicton-129689962" target="_blank">Bicton home</a> (above) that cost him $2.5 million in 2016, but sold recently for $2.38 million.
The 2013 built home on 1010 sqm has four bedrooms, a theatre room with 3D built in screen, a wine cellar and a custom built library.
A heated swimming pool and spa sit in the garden.
Marsh, who was dropped for the first Test against India, also owns at Fremantle.
Brother Shaun was also based in Bicton until recently. He did slightly better, but only made a $5,000 profit on his home that cost him and wife Rebecca $1,725,000 in 2014.
They've upgraded to a $2.1 million home in Applecross.
This article was first published in the Weekend Australian.
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