One of North Sydney's best-known commercial buildings could become hundreds of new homes, with insurance giant Zurich Australia lodging a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) to transform 5 Blue Street into a mixed-use residential development above North Sydney Station.

Rather than demolishing the existing building and starting again, Zurich is proposing an adaptive reuse project that would convert the landmark office building into a 15-level residential development delivering 62 apartments, 86 affordable co-living dwellings, activated retail and significant upgrades to the Blue Street Plaza.

The proposal reflects a growing trend of commercial property owners repositioning ageing office assets into residential housing as Sydney grapples with housing supply shortages and changing workplace demand.

<img alt="Zurich" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0bba7d12-06dc-4375-aad7-238c94b21ac5" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%2010.42.05%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=NJl5oLAEBDGuPmY3RnyliKODjMc8lvRh" />

Located directly above North Sydney Metro and train station, the 3,051 sqm site occupies one of the most strategically positioned parcels of land on Sydney's Lower North Shore.

Designed by fjcstudio, the proposal seeks to retain and adapt much of the existing structure while creating a contemporary residential address that better connects with the public domain surrounding North Sydney Station.

The application proposes two basement levels, ground floor retail, affordable co-living accommodation across the podium levels, and apartments above, while preserving and enhancing the publicly accessible Blue Street Plaza.

Rather than pursuing maximum apartment numbers, Zurich has opted for a housing mix heavily weighted towards larger owner-occupier residences.

The proposal includes 62 build-to-sell apartments comprising 12 one-bedroom, 19 two-bedroom, 29 three-bedroom apartments and two premium penthouses. It also incorporates 86 affordable co-living dwellings, which would be managed in perpetuity by a Community Housing Provider.

That balance between traditional apartments and affordable housing reflects the NSW Government's push to increase housing diversity around major transport infrastructure.

The proposal has been lodged concurrently with a rezoning application, with Zurich arguing the site is ideally positioned to support additional housing given its immediate proximity to public transport, employment and services.

"The proposal aims to respond to the housing challenges facing Sydney through the delivery of diverse housing types in a highly accessible location," the design report by fjcstudio states. It also seeks to improve pedestrian amenity through upgrades to Blue Street Plaza while creating a high-performing residential building that responds to the surrounding context.

<img alt="Zurich" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="36082e15-c636-4481-bb68-5a5f6443fe39" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%2010.41.36%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=5P6VD.fvmqjQfIG3TWWMRXxQWiQBjeFB" />

Rather than replacing the commercial building, fjcstudio has developed a design that works with the existing structural framework above the rail corridor, an approach that significantly reduces demolition while allowing the site to be repositioned as a mixed-use residential precinct.

The existing structural constraints have informed much of the building's design, including its relationship with Blue Street and surrounding public spaces.

The building has been designed as a slender tower rising above a clearly defined podium, with vertically expressed façades intended to reduce the perceived bulk while reinforcing North Sydney's emerging skyline.

According to fjcstudio, the architectural language responds directly to the surrounding commercial towers while maintaining a finer grain expression more closely aligned with the neighbouring Lavender Bay streetscape.

The tower incorporates articulated façade elements, landscaped podium edges and recessed upper levels to soften its appearance and improve pedestrian amenity below.

A significant component of the proposal is the revitalisation of Blue Street Plaza.

The existing public space has long served as one of the primary pedestrian connections between North Sydney Station, Greenwood Plaza and Blue Street, yet its role is expected to become even more important following the opening of Sydney Metro.

Zurich's proposal seeks to strengthen that role by improving landscaping, introducing new retail frontages, enhancing pedestrian permeability and creating more active edges throughout the day and evening.

Ground floor retail would wrap the plaza, while separate residential and co-living entries have been designed to improve wayfinding without reducing street activation.

Landscape design has been integrated throughout the podium and public realm, softening what is currently one of the most heavily urbanised parts of North Sydney.

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fjcstudio has carefully oriented apartments towards Sydney Harbour and the CBD while using privacy blades and articulated façades to minimise overlooking between neighbouring buildings.

Large framed openings along the western elevation maximise harbour outlooks, while the eastern apartments have been angled towards the south-east to improve privacy from neighbouring development.

The project forms part of the continuing transformation of North Sydney from a predominantly commercial CBD into a genuine mixed-use city centre.

Since the completion of Victoria Cross Metro Station, developers have increasingly shifted their attention towards residential projects capable of leveraging the area's unparalleled transport connectivity.

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FiveX recently lodged plans for a 61-storey, 490-apartment tower that would become one of the tallest residential buildings in North Sydney if approved.

Aqualand continues to expand its Lower North Shore presence following the completion of AURA on Walker Street and its recent St Leonards and Roseville proposals.

Developers are also progressing projects throughout Walker Street, Miller Street and the Victoria Cross precinct as demand for well-located owner-occupier apartments continues to strengthen.

Joel Robinson

First look: Zurich targets North Sydney office conversion with 148-unit proposal above Metro station

Busy developer Aqualand Prestige has formally taken the next step in its expansion across Sydney's Lower North Shore, lodging a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for its long-held Archer Street site in Chatswood.

The application covers <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/51-55-archer-street-chatswood-nsw-2067">51-55 Archer Street</a>, a 1,767 sqm amalgamated site on the eastern edge of the Chatswood CBD, where the developer is seeking approval for a 45-level mixed-use tower delivering 114 apartments, including a significant affordable housing component, alongside retail, commercial space and six basement levels of parking.

The SSDA marks the latest milestone for a project Aqualand has been quietly progressing over the past two years. The developer first secured the site for its Aqualand Prestige platform before undertaking an alternative design excellence process with PTW Architects, ultimately avoiding a formal design competition through the Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

The proposal has evolved considerably from Aqualand's original concept. The revised scheme has been designed around larger owner-occupier product, with an unusually high proportion of three and four-bedroom apartments, targeting the more affluent buyer profile, and downsizer, emerging across the North Shore.

<img alt="Archer St" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0171204c-5811-41b5-9b09-2335d1b7c3d0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%208.52.48%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=6YTuxfq.puZo7k2wbfgemcO5K3QfXYGQ" />

The 114-apartment mix comprises six studios, 27 one-bedroom apartments, 18 two-bedroom apartments, 50 three-bedroom residences and 13 four-bedroom homes. A quarter of the building will be dedicated to affordable housing, well above the mandated 15 per cent&nbsp;

PTW has structured the building vertically, with affordable housing across levels one to six, premium apartments through levels seven to 31, duplex skyhomes on klevels 32 to 43, a penthouse on level 44, and a rooftop plant level above. Six basement levels will provide resident parking and servicing.

The tower is proposed to reach approximately 154 metres, placing it among a growing collection of residential high-rises transforming Chatswood's skyline.

Rather than competing purely on height, PTW says the design has been driven by creating a slimmer tower capable of delivering significantly larger apartments.

"The primary objective of this project was to create a distinctive building that stands out from the recently approved or built structures in the Chatswood area," the design report states, noting the structural efficiency allows greater investment into apartment quality and resident amenity.

Residents would have access to more than 450 sqm of communal open space including landscaped gardens, swimming pool, rooftop entertaining areas, fitness spaces, community gardens, children's play areas and barbecue facilities.

A major focus of the design has been the public domain.

The ground plane has been opened up through landscaped terraces inspired by Willoughby's sandstone ridges, with native planting, public seating, artwork, retail activation and a series of gathering spaces intended to soften what has traditionally been a hard commercial streetscape.

The landscape strategy references Blue Gum forests once common throughout the area, while incorporating Indigenous storytelling, public art and lighting installations to strengthen the connection to Country.

Chatswood has been one of Sydney's busiest apartment markets over the past 12 months, with a steady pipeline of both new project launches and fresh development applications.

Hyecorp recently launched Celine, a 122-apartment development just along Archer Street, while Changfa and Huirong Group are progressing The Anderson, an 84-apartment project on Anderson Street.

Develotek recently secured approval for a 101-apartment tower on Pacific Highway, while Tian An LFD received the green light for Hammond Greens, its apartment development on the edge of the Chatswood Bowling Club.

Commercial property developer FiveX is also making its move into the residential market. Last month it lodged plans for a 61-storey tower with 490 apartments, which, if approved, would become one of the tallest residential buildings in Chatswood.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-fivex-targets-chatswood-skyline-with-61-storey-tower-after-north-sydney-plans">First look: FiveX targets Chatswood skyline with 61-storey tower after North Sydney plans</a>

Aqualand is also expanding its development pipeline following the launch of its luxury residential brand, Aqualand Prestige. The developer has delivered a string of high-end apartment projects across Sydney's affluent suburbs over the past decade, most recently AURA by Aqualand on Walker Street in North Sydney.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=30959 project_image_fid=292863]

It has since quietly assembled its next wave of projects.

Earlier this year Aqualand launched Boronia in Roseville, a boutique 111-apartment development on Larkin Street. The project is one of the first significant apartment developments to launch in the suburb ahead of what is expected to become one of Sydney's most active new housing precincts under the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing reforms, which allow greater density around train stations.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152095 project_image_fid=373685]

The developer has also lodged plans for a two-tower, 413-apartment development on Herbert Street in nearby St Leonards, further strengthening its presence across the Lower North Shore.

Beyond that, Aqualand remains behind the final stage of Barangaroo, where plans will deliver a five-hectare mixed-use precinct comprising new homes, retail, hospitality and community facilities, alongside a new Metro entrance and more than two hectares of public open space, completing the Barangaroo precinct.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/central-barangaroo-development-takes-big-step-with-concept-proposal-approval">Central Barangaroo development takes big step with concept proposal approval</a>

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-aqualand-joins-st-leonards-apartment-party">First look: Aqualand joins St Leonards apartment party</a> 
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First look: Aqualand pushes ahead with Chatswood apartment tower as SSDA lodged for Archer Street

Mass timber is becoming an increasingly popular construction material in apartment developments, but Adelaide developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/otello">Otello</a> is taking the approach a step further.

At its new <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/flowe-bowden-18-gibson-street-bowden-sa-5007">Flowe Bowden</a> development, the exposed cross-laminated timber (CLT) structure isn't just about reducing the building's environmental footprint. It also forms the foundation of a broader wellness strategy, influencing everything from indoor air quality and natural materials to the way residents move through and experience the building.

The 115-apartment mixed-use development, designed by Melbourne-based architecture practice Fieldwork, will occupy a prominent island site opposite Bowden Village Reserve, combining one, two and three-bedroom apartments with retail and a dedicated wellness destination.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375528]

Wellness isn't confined to a gym or shared resident facility at Flowe. Instead, Fieldwork embedded the concept into the building itself.

The development has been split into two residential wings connected by a naturally ventilated central breezeway, replacing traditional enclosed corridors with open-air walkways that improve natural light, encourage cross ventilation and create more opportunities for neighbourly interaction.

"Rather than treating wellness as something that only happens on the ground floor, our response integrates it throughout the building, which led us to ask what it really means to design a healthy building," Fieldwork Director Quino Holland said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375531]

The building's architecture also reflects Bowden's industrial heritage. The lower podium references the area's historic brick and sandstone buildings, while the upper levels transition to exposed CLT, allowing the timber structure to become a defining feature throughout the apartments and shared spaces.

The use of mass timber sits alongside a range of sustainability initiatives, including a fully electric, gas-free design, rooftop solar and a targeted 5 Star Green Star rating.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375524]

Inside the residences, the focus remains on natural, durable materials. Blackbutt engineered timber flooring, exposed CLT ceilings, porcelain surfaces and warm timber joinery create a calming interior palette, while low-VOC finishes and responsibly sourced materials have been selected to improve indoor air quality.

Kitchens have been designed as the centrepiece of each apartment, featuring porcelain island benchtops, timber-look cabinetry and brushed steel tapware, with layouts that maximise natural light and ventilation.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375530]

The more traditional interpretation of wellness comes in the form of Level Eleven, a two-storey wellness club spanning the ground floor, mezzanine and first floor.

The facility will include a gym, yoga and reformer Pilates studios, Finnish and infrared saunas, magnesium hot and cold plunge pools, and dedicated recovery spaces. Unlike many residential wellness facilities, Level Eleven will also operate commercially, allowing the broader Bowden community to access the venue while giving residents exclusive membership benefits.

The ground floor has also been designed around everyday living. A café overlooking Bowden Village Reserve will activate the street frontage, while a bike workshop with tool storage, co-working space and dog wash has been incorporated to support daily routines and encourage interaction between residents.

"Flowe brings together my two biggest passions, creating places and creating healthier lives," Otello founder Daniel Harris said.

"We wanted to create something Adelaide hasn't seen before, a genuinely healthy building, where the way you live is lifted without even trying."

Flowe is positioned directly opposite Bowden Village Reserve and within walking distance of Bowden Railway Station and the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, placing future residents just minutes from the Adelaide CBD while remaining connected to one of the city's most established urban renewal precincts.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152022]

Otello launches wellness-focused Flowe Bowden with Adelaide-first mass timber apartment design

Not all apartment amenities are immediately visible.

Swimming pools, gyms, rooftop terraces and residents' lounges have long featured on buyers' wishlists, but as the way Australians live has changed, so too have the features that make apartment living more convenient.

Increasingly, buyers are placing value on the practical aspects of day-to-day life. Fast internet, EV charging, secure bike storage, flexible workspaces and parcel management are becoming just as relevant as lifestyle amenities, reflecting changing habits and expectations.

Online shopping has been one of the biggest drivers of that shift.

Australians spent a record $82.6 billion shopping online in 2025, with almost one in every four retail dollars now spent digitally, making parcel deliveries a routine part of everyday life rather than an occasional convenience.

For apartment residents, however, receiving those deliveries isn't always straightforward.

Without someone home to accept a parcel, deliveries can be redirected to a nearby Post Office, left in building foyers or common areas, or require building management to temporarily store packages. As apartment living continues to grow across Australia's cities, parcel management has become an increasingly important consideration for both residents and developers.

Australia Post's Parcel Locker network is one response to that shift.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KPZ9j5FRdsQ?si=Qztc1dNP3ZvEIUhb" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

Rather than relying on home delivery, eligible parcels can be directed to a nominated Parcel Locker, where they're securely stored until collected. Once a parcel arrives, residents receive a notification through the AusPost app or SMS and can retrieve it using a one-time code or QR code at a time that suits them.

The network has expanded to more than 1,500 locations nationwide, with Parcel Lockers positioned at Post Offices, shopping centres, supermarkets, transport hubs and, increasingly, within or alongside residential developments.

That growing presence reflects a broader change in how apartment buildings are being planned.

Developers are increasingly considering the operational side of apartment living alongside traditional lifestyle amenities. Just as secure mailrooms, bicycle storage and EV charging have become more common inclusions, parcel management is emerging as another feature that supports everyday convenience.

It also helps preserve the arrival experience within a building. Carefully designed lobbies and communal spaces can quickly become cluttered when deliveries accumulate, while secure parcel solutions reduce the likelihood of missed deliveries or parcels being left unattended.

For buyers comparing apartments, these everyday details are becoming part of the decision-making process.

Location, floorplans and finishes remain fundamental, but the features that simplify daily life are carrying greater weight than they once did. As online shopping continues to shape consumer behaviour, secure parcel delivery is increasingly becoming another amenity worth looking for.

Parcel delivery is joining the apartment amenity checklist

Inca Property Group has lodged a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for Dawn, a 53-apartment oceanfront development overlooking Mona Vale Beach.

The proposal, at 35-39 Darley Street East, would replace an existing 18-apartment strata building with a new owner-occupier-focused development comprising 53 two and three-bedroom apartments, including nine affordable built-to-rent residences delivered under the State's infill affordable housing scheme.

Positioned on a 2,679 sqm elevated site around 280 metres from Mona Vale Beach, the development has been designed to maximise panoramic ocean views while responding to the site's sloping topography.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/inca-property-group">Inca Property Group</a> Managing Director Josh Thompson said the State Significant pathway provided greater certainty for projects of this scale.

"This State Significant pathway gives the team real certainty to progress <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/dawn-35-39-darley-street-east-mona-vale-nsw-2103">Dawn</a> through to completion," Thompson said.

"It allows us to acquire a one-off site, design it carefully and deliver the right offering for the suburb, assessed by the NSW Government's planning department."

The project is one of the first developments in the area to be assessed under the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy, with the site sitting on the edge of the policy's designated inner area.

The proposal includes three basement levels providing 124 car spaces, alongside a range of resident amenities including a swimming pool, gym, sauna, wellness facilities and private plunge pools for selected ground-floor and penthouse apartments.

<img alt="Dawn" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fc1a1daf-0ce4-4f12-9076-b1fa553c7a91" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-21%20at%208.42.11%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=4GZ9h.gpNkTljbxyAET8Jfhv51XUamDm" />

Thompson said Dawn had been designed specifically for owner-occupiers and downsizers, a buyer profile that has driven demand across Inca's recent Upper North Shore developments.

"The majority of buyers in our recent North Shore projects have been downsizers, and we are learning exactly what this market is looking for. Beyond the location itself, we have included resort-style amenities to deliver a genuine lifestyle offering," Thompson said.

Located within walking distance of Mona Vale Beach, the town centre, Mona Vale Golf Club and the Royal Motor Yacht Club, Dawn represents Inca's first Northern Beaches project following the sell-out of Tara on Park in Waitara and Ellis Residences, currently under construction in St Ives.

Construction will be undertaken by Inca's in-house construction arm, GOP Constructions.

Dawn is the latest major apartment proposal for Mona Vale, with the suburb emerging as one of the key beneficiaries of the NSW Government's new Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy.

New developer One Living, led by industry veteran Joseph Scuderi, recently secured a site on Mona Vale Road, on the border of Mona Vale and Pymble, where it is planning around 140 apartments.

IPM is also planning its third project in Mona Vale, significantly increasing the scale of its previous developments with an 82-apartment proposal at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/159-167-darley-street-west-mona-vale-nsw-2103">159-167 Darley Street West</a>, opposite Bayview Golf Course and less than 800 metres from Mona Vale town centre.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/one-living-enters-sydneys-new-apartment-market-with-northern-beaches-site-acquisition">One Living enters Sydney's new apartment market with Northern Beaches site acquisition</a>

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-ipm-plans-third-mona-vale-project">First look: IPM plans third Mona Vale project</a>

First look: Inca eyes Mona Vale with State Significant DA for Dawn apartments

Data Analysis

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A new digital data service will record information relating to rough sleepers in real-time to better facilitate collaboration between service providers for those experiencing homelessness in NSW.  
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said global tech giant Microsoft has partnered with the NSW Government and the Act to End Street Sleeping Collaboration to bring the project to fruition. 
“Every day more than 37,000 people in NSW experience homelessness and this new initiative will provide us with a more accurate understanding of the challenges they face,” Berejiklian said.
“By using technology to collect a range of social and demographic data on rough sleepers, we can improve the way we respond to homelessness.”
Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services Gareth Ward said the launch of the initiative comes during the inaugural Connections Week, which aims to create a by-name list of people sleeping rough in Sydney’s CBD.
“The homelessness targets our Government has set require an innovative approach as well as collaboration with our non-government partners,” Ward said. 
“By compiling a database of rough sleepers, our assertive outreach teams and NGOs will be able to better collaborate towards a common goal.”
Minister for Customer Service Victor Dominello said the data will be captured using a mobile device and include geolocation technology.
“We are using digital technology to make life easier for some of the most vulnerable people in the community.”
Act to End Street Sleeping Convener Graham West said the aim is to create a vulnerability index of rough sleepers across the state, to determine risk and help prioritise specialist services. 
Data collected this week will be used to inform potential expansion of the program across the state.
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Microsoft partners with NSW Government and the Act to End Street Sleeping

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The Australian nut industry reached a record high $1,045,000,000 in exports for the 2018/19 year, according to the recently released ABS report.
Property valuation firm Herron Todd White (HTW) found that the industry is currently experiencing its largest expansion in a decade, with industry value is split almost equally between domestic and imported product.
The most prominent nut products produced in the country are almonds, macadamia, walnuts, pecans, chestnuts, pistachio, and hazelnuts..
Australia currently exports nuts to around 55 countries, but a range of new free trade agreements currently in negotiation are bringing further optimism to all facets of the industry. 
Almonds
Australia is the second largest producer of almonds in the world behind the USA, where Californian agriculture is dominated by the production. 
HTW found that Australian almonds are set to have a farmgate value of over $1billion dollars by 2025. 
There are five major growing regions in Australia encompassing: Adelaide and the Riverland (South Australia); Sunraysia (Victoria); Riverina (New South Wales); Swan Region (Western Australia). 
In 2018 the total area planted to commercial almond orchards was 42,000 hectares. 
Production in 2018 was 80,374 tonnes of kernel. 
The industry is currently in a period of significant expansion estimated to increase orchard area to 50,000 hectares by 2025 before plateauing due to constraints of water and suitable land.
The firm concluded that production is estimated to rise to 140,000 tonnes by 2025 and 155,000 tonnes by 2030. 
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Australian almond industry rockets towards $1 billion farmgate value: HTW

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The Australian nut industry reached a record high $1,045,000,000 in exports for the 2018/19 year, according to the recently released ABS report.
Property valuation firm Herron Todd White (HTW) found that the industry is currently experiencing its largest expansion in a decade, with industry value is split almost equally between domestic and imported product.
The most prominent nut products produced in the country are almonds, macadamia, walnuts, pecans, chestnuts, pistachio, and hazelnuts..
Australia currently exports nuts to around 55 countries, but a range of new free trade agreements currently in negotiation are bringing further optimism to all facets of the industry. 
Chestnuts
The Australian chestnut industry operates principally in the southern regions of Australia - NSW (around Orange, Southern Tablelands, Blue Mountains and Batlow), Tasmania (Northern and Central), Victoria (North-East and Central-East of Melbourne) South Australia (Adelaide Hills), and Western Australia (South-west).
HTW found that approximately 70% of the national crop is grown in northeast Victoria.
Chestnut production in 2018 was valued (farm gate) at $9.4 million, based on a production of 1,100 tonnes and comprised around 250,000 chestnut trees grown on approximately 1,500 hectares.
The industry estimates that with more trees being planted, farm gate value will increase to approximately $12 million by 2021.
The industry is dominated by the domestic market with approximately 2% exported, mainly to Asia.
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Australian chestnut industry struggling to break into new markets: HTW

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The Australian nut industry reached a record high $1,045,000,000 in exports for the 2018/19 year, according to the recently released ABS report.
Property valuation firm Herron Todd White (HTW) found that the industry is currently experiencing its largest expansion in a decade, with industry value is split almost equally between domestic and imported product.
The most prominent nut products produced in the country are almonds, macadamia, walnuts, pecans, chestnuts, pistachio, and hazelnuts.
Australia currently exports nuts to around 55 countries, but a range of new free trade agreements currently in negotiation are bringing further optimism to all facets of the industry. 
Walnuts
Major production areas for walnuts are on the east coast of Tasmania, the Goulburn Valley near Shepparton and the Murray Irrigation area near Kerang and Swan Hill in Victoria and in the Riverina (near Griffith and Leeton) in New South Wales.
Small scale orchards are scattered in the Ovens Valley, Gippsland and Central region of Victoria, Southern Highlands and Central Tablelands of New South Wales, the Adelaide Hills and Riverland regions of South Australia, and in south-west Western Australia.
HTW found that the Australian walnut industry has grown significantly in recent years due to growth in the establishment of large-scale commercial plantings.
The production of Australian walnuts in 2018 was in excess of 11,700 tonnes in-shell. Farm-gate value was $55 million and the export value approximately $25 million. 
Close to 3,600 ha of mature and developing walnut trees were under cultivation in 2018. 
HTW noted that this number is expected to rise to 4,300 ha by 2021, as existing growers expand their orchards and new growers enter the industry.
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Australian walnut industry experiences growth: HTW 

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The Australian nut industry reached a record high $1,045,000,000 in exports for the 2018/19 year according to the recently released ABS report.
Property valuation firm Herron Todd White (HTW) found that the industry is currently experiencing its largest expansion in a decade, with industry value is split almost equally between domestic and imported product.
The most prominent nut products produced in the country are almonds, macadamia, walnuts, pecans, chestnuts, pistachio, and hazelnuts..
Australia currently exports nuts to around 55 countries, but a range of new free trade agreements currently in negotiation are bringing further optimism to all facets of the industry. 
Pistachio
The major pistachio production areas are along the Murray River Valley between Swan Hill in Victoria and Waikerie in South Australia. Further plantings are in central west Victoria and Pinnaroo in South Australia.
There are a small number of growers in central New South Wales, southern Victoria and Western Australia though these only currently produce small yields. A central commercial processing facility is located at Robinvale in Victoria.
HTW found that the pistachio industry includes a mix of medium-sized and smaller operations. The bulk of the crop is produced on medium-sized orchards.
The total area under pistachio production in 2018 was 1,300 hectares.
Australian pistachio production averages 1,800 tonnes in-shell per year (2-year average 2017/18).
The industry is expanding, with new plantings of about 150 to 200 hectares per annum occurring over the last few years.
HTW noted that, by 2021, the area under pistachio production is expected to increase to 1,900 hectares, producing a crop of 4,000 tonnes for a farm gate value of $45 million.
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Australian pistachio production expected to more-than-double by 2021: HTW

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The Australian nut industry reached a record high $1,045,000,000 in exports for the 2018/19 year, according to the recently released ABS report.
Property valuation firm Herron Todd White (HTW) found that the industry is currently experiencing its largest expansion in a decade, with industry value is split almost equally between domestic and imported product.
The most prominent nut products produced in the country are almonds, macadamia, walnuts, pecans, chestnuts, pistachio, and hazelnuts..
Australia currently exports nuts to around 55 countries, but a range of new free trade agreements currently in negotiation are bringing further optimism to all facets of the industry. 
Pecans
Most of the Australian pecan crop is produced under irrigation in the Gwydir Valley, east of Moree in northern inland New South Wales.
Smaller scale production extends from the Hunter Valley and Nelson Bay on the NSW Central Coast to the Mid North Coast near Kempsey, and the North Coast around Lismore. Pecans are also grown in Central Queensland around Mundubbera and Eidsvold and in the South East in the Lockyer Valley and south to the NSW border.
HTW found that the area under pecan orchards nationally is currently 1,800 ha, producing approximately 3,000 tonnes in-shell (1,650 tonnes of kernel).
Pecan trees take 10 years or more to reach full production there is a substantial lag time before new plantings impact crop size.
After a long period of stagnation production increases are now being observed, according to the property valuation firm.
Global production remains concentrated in US and Mexico which together account for 90% or more of the world crop.
South Africa continues to expand production with small but significant crops also to be found in Central and South America, HTW noted.
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Australian pecan industry finally reaping rewards: HTW

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The Australian nut industry reached a record high $1,045,000,000 in exports for the 2018/19 year, according to the recently released ABS report.
Property valuation firm Herron Todd White (HTW) found that the industry is currently experiencing its largest expansion in a decade, with industry value is split almost equally between domestic and imported product.
The most prominent nut products produced in the country are almonds, macadamia, walnuts, pecans, chestnuts, pistachio, and hazelnuts..
Australia currently exports nuts to around 55 countries, but a range of new free trade agreements currently in negotiation are bringing further optimism to all facets of the industry. 
Macadamias
Macadamias are grown along the eastern seaboard of New South Wales and Queensland, from Port Macquarie in the south, through to the Atherton Tablelands in the north - About half of the Australian crop is produced in NSW and half in QLD.
HTW found that production is expanding most rapidly in Bundaberg (QLD), and the Clarence Valley (NSW).
New plantings are also being developed in Mackay, Maryborough and Emerald in Queensland and in the Richmond Valley in NSW.
The industry is in the middle of its fastest growth since the early 1990s. Bundaberg became the single largest growing region in 2016.
The recent resurgence in new plantings has seen almost 1.5 million trees or 5,000 ha established in the last five years. 
There are currently around 8 million macadamia trees under cultivation. Of these, about one third are yet to reach full production. 
By 2025 about 30,000 ha will be planted to macadamias with kernel production of over 22,000 tonnes, or 70,000 tonnes inshell. Export value is expected to exceed $400 million.
Global demand currently exceeds supply however the property valuation firm estimates that global supply may triple in the next 7 years.
The biggest growth in demand is currently coming from Asia, where urban consumers are focussed on health, convenience and new products.
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Australian macadamia industry sees fastest growth since the 1990's: HTW

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The Australian nut industry reached a record high $1,045,000,000 in exports for the 2018/19 year according to the recently released ABS report.
Property valuation firm Herron Todd White (HTW) found that the industry is currently experiencing its largest expansion in a decade, with industry value is split almost equally between domestic and imported product.
The most prominent nut products produced in the country are almonds, macadamia, walnuts, pecans, chestnuts, pistachio, and hazelnuts..
Australia currently exports nuts to around 55 countries, but a range of new free trade agreements currently in negotiation are bringing further optimism to all facets of the industry. 
Hazelnuts 
Hazelnuts are grown in the temperate areas of south-eastern Australia. The main production regions are the Central Tablelands of New South Wales around Orange, Narrandera, and northeast Victoria around Myrtleford. They are also grown in central and eastern Victoria and increasingly in northern Tasmania. There are small levels of production in South Australia and Western Australia.
HTW found that many hazelnut operations are small orchards of up to 6,000 trees, although this is slowly changing with the average size of new hazelnut orchards increasing and more productive varieties being planted.
Hazelnuts generally take seven to 10 years to come into commercial production.
Australia has recently seen a major on-farm investment in hazelnuts by Ferrero, one of the world’s largest confectionery manufacturers.
Its wholly owned subsidiary, Agri Australis, has planted 1 million trees across 1,900 hectares near Narrandera.
This confirms that the opportunities for Australian hazelnuts are large, giving renewed confidence to Australian growers.
Ferrero’s first small harvest occurred in 2018.
The property valuation firm concluded that the industry is set for rapid expansion - as young orchards come into commercial bearing the industry estimates hazelnut production by 2021 will be 5,500 tonnes in-shell with a value of $40 million.
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Australian hazelnut industry shifting to a larger scale: HTW

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GUEST OBSERVATION
While drought policy raises many complex emotional, political and policy issues, it can be helpful to think of it as an insurance problem: how can we best help farmers manage climate risk?
Drought insurance has been a long-standing goal and it’s easy to understand why. If viable, drought insurance markets could help farmers manage climate risk without the costs and potential side effects of government drought support.
Unfortunately, technical problems have hampered the development of drought insurance markets in Australia to date. However, there is hope that with improvements in technology and better data these problems could be solved, paving the way for a new generation of weather-based insurance products.
The missing market for drought insurance
Australia has well-functioning but limited markets for crop insurance. If hail or fire destroys a paddock, for example, an insured farmer will receive a payout for the value of the crop.
But multi-peril crop insurance – which covers a wide range of adverse events including drought – has failed to thrive in Australia. The international experience has been similarly uninspiring.
Many reviews have attributed these failures to information and participation problems.
Firstly, only the riskiest or most drought-prone farms may sign up for insurance (the adverse selection problem). Second, farms with insurance may put less effort into preparing for and managing drought (the moral hazard problem). Both these problems make insurance more costly to provide, resulting in higher premiums and lower uptake.
While these problems apply to all forms of insurance, they are particularly acute in agriculture, given the effects of drought will vary widely depending on farm-management decisions and detailed – and difficult to observe – farm characteristics such as the quality of land and livestock.
Subsidies are not the answer
Recently, farmers groups have called for tax breaks to promote multi-peril crop insurance.
Unfortunately, while tax incentives and other subsidies may increase uptake, there is no coherent case for providing more than normal tax deductibility. In fact, such subsidies could actually cause economic harm.
Insurance premiums provide important signals to farmers, promoting preparedness and adaptation. This includes promoting careful crop-planting decisions when drought risk is high. The inglorious record of farm crop insurance in the United States shows how things can go very wrong when insurance is subsidised.
It is not surprising that previous reviews have consistently recommended against insurance subsidies, while just last year the New South Wales government rejected a similar proposal.
Index-based insurance could be a way forward
One alternative, which has been receiving increased attention in recent years, is index-based insurance. Here payouts are based on weather data rather than an assessment of actual farm damages. For example, a farmer might receive a payout if rainfall falls below an agreed threshold.
Index-based products are largely immune to the information problems that plague standard insurance: insurers don’t need to spend time and money assessing each application, or monitoring farmers’ behaviour. Instead, insurers must solve the technical problem of designing an accurate index.
This index needs to be sensitive to the complex effects of weather on farms. In practice, the effect of a drought depends on many things. The amount of rainfall, its timing, the temperature and many other factors all interplay. If these factors are not taken into account, drought insurance runs into a “basis risk” problem: payouts don’t align with the climate risks faced by individual farms.
This basis risk problem is largely why index-based weather insurance products have struggled in Australia to date.
Drought insurance could be public or private
In recent years, governments have focused on promoting private drought insurance markets. However, public schemes are also possible and exist in many other countries.
A well-designed public drought insurance scheme – with premiums to cover costs – might have some advantages over private insurance. For example, governments may be better placed to absorb losses in years of severe widespread drought (although re-insurance markets might provide a way for the private sector to manage such risks).
However, public drought insurance schemes could, depending on their design, reduce demand for private insurance. This problem also extends to other forms of government drought relief: farmers may be less likely to pay for insurance if they suspect ad hoc drought assistance will be available.
Better data is essential
Ultimately, public and private insurance schemes face similar technical challenges. Solving these technical issues requires detailed data both on weather and farm outcomes.
Numerous reviews have cited data limitations as a key constraint on the Australian farm insurance sector. A recent review by ABS and ABARES highlighted the patchy and fragmented nature of existing government and industry agricultural data.
There is a good case for government to support the supply of this data, similar to the National Flood Risk Information Project established following the Australian 2011 floods. Investments in data are likely to have many applications beyond insurance, including the development of improved tools to support farm decision-making.
While drought insurance schemes have had mixed success to date, there remains some hope for the future. The emergence of “big data” collected from satellites and internet-enabled devices promises to revolutionise both farm production and risk management. In time, smart products underpinned by better data might finally help us solve the challenge of drought policy.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/106154/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;">
Neal Hughes, Senior Economist, Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES)
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/better-data-would-help-crack-the-drought-insurance-problem-106154" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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