National developer Time &amp; Place appears to have settled on a design for its long-anticipated Potts Point project.

After several years of back and forth with local council and the NSW Government, the developer, which has spent close to a decade targeting the former The Chimes site on Macleay Street, has now progressed its plans.

Following a concept design submission last year by SJB, Time &amp; Place has lodged a full State Significant Development Application with the NSW Government, this time for a scheme designed by Kerry Hill Architects.

<img alt="Time &amp; Place" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="504d2a27-d65f-4227-8189-1e35e3376e62" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-04-20%20at%209.38.24%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=_XqFKATYHF30KnVByPxhaI9UBzmkmfn7" />

The 16-storey proposal includes 44 apartments, 21 of which will be build-to-sell. These will comprise 19 three-bedroom apartments and two four-bedroom penthouses.

More than 50 per cent of the development will be dedicated to affordable housing, with 23 one- and two-bedroom apartments delivered in line with the NSW Government’s Housing SEPP.

Kerry Hill Architects said the proposal is driven by a strong response to place.

“Our proposal for a new residential building for Potts Point in Sydney is driven by a deep consideration of place,” the practice said in its submission.

“This operates on multiple levels, including a landscape approach that reinstates endemic flora of the Sydney peninsula and provides a ground-floor garden for residents, reconnecting the site to its pre-European history. A brick podium further strengthens this relationship to context, integrating planting and fine bronze detailing that references the predominant material language of Macleay Street.”

The three-level podium will be topped by a communal resident space, featuring a covered pool designed to receive direct afternoon sun in winter, a neighbouring reflection pool, dining and event areas oriented to maximise sunset views, and an outdoor exercise zone.

<img alt="Time &amp; Place" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8d3eedc1-babb-44a3-bd96-d8a42f3adf1f" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-04-20%20at%209.37.48%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=Ii7.4dvqNatu5GQi6bhqNjAswrMB998." />

The design also incorporates highly crafted shopfronts and a clearly defined residential entry to activate the street. Juliette balconies to the podium residences will provide passive surveillance and a strong sense of habitation.

Above, the larger apartments are housed within a light-coloured masonry and bronze tower.

“The tower steps back in a series of gently curved volumes that reference the rich Art Deco context of Macleay Street,” the architects said. “Carefully calibrated vertical fins frame the views while providing privacy and a sense of refuge.”

<img alt="Time &amp; Place" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="6fab60f4-3140-4469-b47a-48c781e0a30b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-04-20%20at%209.28.44%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=e5XxrM3kzdASdKlcIACHAHbOSZhSKC9O" />

Time &amp; Place has been one of the most active developers nationally in the last 12 to 24 months. Late last year they completed&nbsp;The Queensbridge in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/southbank-vic-3006">Southbank</a>, a mixed-use tower with 353 apartments and a hotel. They are currently selling Park Modern, 246 apartments near the famous Botanic Gardens in South Melbourne.

The developer has approval for The Burke, a mixed-use project in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/glen-iris-vic-3146">Glen Iris</a>&nbsp;being delivered in partnership with Woolworths. The 60 apartments, positioned above a new Woolworths supermarket, are expected to launch in the coming months. Time &amp; Place is also progressing plans for the redevelopment of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/northcote-vic-3070">Northcote</a>&nbsp;Plaza, and have recently submitted plans for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/vic/time-place-unveils-plans-22-storey-south-melbourne-tower">22-storey tower</a>, another in South Melbourne.

In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/sydney-nsw">Sydney</a>, the developer has two projects in Manly: Two Tides, which is currently under construction, and an ultra high-end building on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/shoreline-manly-beach-89-90-north-steyne-manly">North Steyne</a>, fronting the beach. It is also continuing to work through the redevelopment of The Chimes building on Macleay Street in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/potts-point-nsw-2011">Potts Point</a>, as well as Marlborough House, the redevelopment of the original David Jones warehouse building in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/surry-hills-nsw-2010">Surry Hills</a>.

Joel Robinson

First look: Time & Place settles on design for The Chimes, Potts Point redevelopment

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/develotek">Develotek</a> is joining the likes of TOGA, Deicorp, and One Global Capital, betting on a boom in Five Dock ahead of the 2032 mooted opening of the Five Dock Metro Station.

Develotek, which is currently developing Bianca on the Drummoyne waterfront and has plans approved for a tower in Chatswood, has filed a State Significant Development Application for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/79-81-queens-road-five-dock-nsw-2046">two-building project in the evolving Kings Bay precinct</a>.

The buildings, one more boutique just five storeys and the other 26 storeys, will rise from an 3,158 sqm site across&nbsp;79–81 Queens Road and 2–8 Spencer Street, will home 134 one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, above ground-floor retail and five basement levels of parking.

A key component of the proposal is the inclusion of 15 per cent of residential floor space as in-fill affordable housing, unlocking additional height and density under the Housing SEPP.

<img alt="First Look: Develotek lodges State Significant shop top housing project in Five Dock precinct" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3ee31bf7-75ba-4bc5-b190-49885193219f" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/podium_2.png?VersionId=730UbrduuwK3C1sO28RHjiLPUPqXqjkh" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/plus-studio">Plus Studio</a>, the scheme adopts a podium-and-tower configuration, with a five-storey street wall along Queens Road transitioning to a 26-storey tower set deeper into the site. The ground plane prioritises activation and permeability, with retail frontages and a new through-site link connecting Queens Road to Spencer Street.

At the upper levels, the tower façade has been conceived using a modular system to support prefabrication and reduce construction waste, while improving build efficiency. The splayed form draws on the geometry of surrounding industrial rooftops, reinterpreting the area’s heritage in a contemporary expression while also helping to reduce solar heat gain to east and west-facing apartments.

“This project aspires to transform a former industrial site into a connected, resilient and people-focused urban community, grounded in Country, shaped by history, and designed to enrich everyday life within the evolving Kings Bay Precinct,” said John Walsh, Principal at Plus Studio.

The proposal reflects the broader transformation of the Kings Bay Precinct under the Parramatta Road Corridor Urban Transformation Strategy, marking a shift from its industrial past to a higher-density, mixed-use urban neighbourhood.

<img alt="First Look: Develotek lodges State Significant shop top housing project in Five Dock precinct" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="abde734c-1e31-4a97-a1d2-fa9bcf31c380" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/building%20podium.png?VersionId=fNUupP6u146yEytQT31kKVRxwtACgPpP" />

Develotek is emerging as an active participant in the state’s affordable housing-led uplift pathway. The developer recently secured approval for a 34-storey mixed-use tower in Chatswood, where it similarly leveraged the in-fill affordable housing provisions to increase scale and deliver a 101-unit scheme with dedicated affordable apartments.

Their entry into Five Dock places them alongside a growing list of developers targeting the suburb ahead of its anticipated transport uplift, with Sydney Metro set to extend into the area. Major players including TOGA, Deicorp, and One Global Capital are all progressing large-scale precinct-style developments nearby, collectively reshaping the low-rise industrial fabric into a higher-density mixed-use corridor.

The Five Dock site sits within the Kings Bay Precinct, a key renewal area under the Parramatta Road Corridor Urban Transformation Strategy, where planning controls support significant uplift tied to affordable housing delivery. The consolidated 3,158 sqm site is currently occupied by low-rise industrial uses, including warehouses and vehicle workshops, earmarked for transition.

First Look: Develotek joins in Five Dock apartment boom

Ascot’s Racecourse Road continues to be a hive of activity for Brisbane developers.

Following Fortis and GRAYA, which are both preparing new projects along the key strip connecting Kingsford Smith Drive and Eagle Farm Racecourse, local developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/skyhold">Skyhold</a> is the latest to lodge plans for its own development.

The group is proposing One One Two Residences, a boutique project comprising just seven apartments, named after its address at 112 Racecourse Road.

The proposal outlines a five-storey building on an 810 sqm site. The built form slightly exceeds the four-storey expectation under the neighbourhood plan, aligning instead with the emerging character of the strip. As the planning report notes, “the locality is characterised by a transition toward medium-rise residential development, with a number of recent developments… above the stipulated height limits.”

<img alt="First Look: Skyhold lodges plans for boutique Ascot apartments as Racecourse Road revival gathers pace" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ec577631-8c51-4163-960e-e7b3a77d655b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Ascot.png?VersionId=iAzQ46D4Uu1UqiS0mVnlcy9jeFKBpJIj" />

Designed by 111 with landscape architecture by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/landscape-architect/paul-bangay-garden-design">Paul Bangay Studio</a>, the scheme adopts a layered architectural approach with strong articulation and a subtropical response. Deep balconies, integrated planters, and a mix of masonry and textured finishes define the façade, while upper-level setbacks reduce perceived bulk. The architectural statement describes “a series of horizontally expressed layers, defined by deep balconies and a consistent robust material palette,” aimed at delivering a refined streetscape presence.

Apartments are configured as large-format residences, including multiple three-bedroom layouts and a full-floor penthouse, supported by ground-level parking. A rooftop terrace will provide communal amenities including a pool and landscaped recreation areas. The design prioritises privacy, natural ventilation, and greenery, with planting integrated across all levels to soften the building form and contribute to the public realm.

<img alt="First Look: Skyhold lodges plans for boutique Ascot apartments as Racecourse Road revival gathers pace" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1e1219bd-b45a-4d7f-bbc7-7207d7b2fc94" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Ascot%20entry.png?VersionId=JIoUOLMgQ5xWpEF0etEI3ffIoIVjD7gO" />

The proposal sits within the Racecourse Road precinct, a key mixed-use spine in Ascot that continues to attract renewed development interest.

Later this year national developer Fortis will launch its own boutique development, which, pending council approvals, will be 16 apartments designed by Koichi Takada Architects, just down the street.

“Racecourse Road is going through a massive revitalisation and we’re proud to be a part of that transformation,” said Fortis's QLD General Manager, Dan Boman.

Nearby, GRAYA is advancing its larger-scale The Gallery, a mixed-use shop-top housing project designed to act as a “catalytic project for Racecourse Road.”

First Look: Racecourse Road, Hamilton revitalization to continue as Skyhold joins the party

Twenty-five years after launching one of Australia’s most visionary and successful masterplanned beach communities - Casuarina on the Northern NSW Tweed Coast - developer Consolidated Properties Group has unveiled plans for an $800 million sister project located 10 kilometres south, at Cudgera Creek near the coastal town of Pottsville.

CPG has taken the wraps off Caldera, a 78-hectare masterplanned village that builds on the legacy of Casuarina and aims to help address Northern NSW’s coastal housing shortage via the delivery of 550 homes built in a sustainable manner and addressing affordability and housing diversity, while also focusing on architectural and ecological merit.

Caldera is being brought to life by the same creative team that delivered Casuarina, led by Consolidated Properties CEO and chairman Don O’Rorke, Hutchinson Builders chairman Scott Hutchinson and renowned urban designer Brian Toyota, of architectural practice Bureau Proberts.

CPG has lodged a rezoning application with Tweed Shire Council for the Caldera site, which has been designated since 1991 as the Dunloe Park Urban Release Area, the final land release area within the Pottsville locality and one of only four remaining growth areas along the entire Tweed coastal strip. Preliminary plans for Caldera feature a 13-hectare retail and commercial precinct at the core of the village, surrounded by meticulously planned residential areas comprising around 550 homesites.

The retail hub will be anchored by a Coles Supermarket and will offer 7000 sqm of retail and 23 commercial lots designed to serve the local community and bring together curated shopping, dining, gym, wellness, childcare, medical and other essential services.

<img alt="Cons prop" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fca7dc71-4b71-45b1-bb04-5a60bd7158d0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-04-20%20at%208.34.04%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=vAKwIvLuwmTKj6blHJRYIEeXS_8lCgUx" />

The project will create more than 1500 jobs over its development cycle, according to its economic modelling, and significantly address the shortage of employment land in the Tweed.

The residential areas will encourage a sense of community via a cohesive urban design that encourages walking, cycling, enhanced resident connectivity and reduced reliance on cars via bike paths and pedestrian-friendly streets.

Homesites will include a range of options from premium ridge-top homes to affordable housing options, ensuring a community that is inclusive of different income levels and designed to appeal to a wide demographic from baby boomers to families, singles and professionals. Architectural and planting covenants on home building will support the village’s built form and protect its character.

O’Rorke says CPG intends Caldera to be a model project delivered efficiently in a dedicated urban release area and ‘very much for this region and for this time’.

“Our vision for Caldera is to create a modern coastal village with its own unique northern NSW identity,” he said.

“Building on our legacy of Casuarina, 25 years on, this new village is designed to stand apart, offering the future of modern living, balancing the natural beauty of the region with contemporary amenities and convenience.

“Caldera will be more than just a place to live - it will be a welcoming, inclusive coastal village neighbouring Pottsville that invites visitors and embraces new residents. With its strong ties to the land, vibrant lifestyle and sense of place, Caldera will set a new standard for village living in Northern NSW.”

<img alt="CPG" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9a5a7cf4-5f76-4ddf-bd05-c8fb77d0a787" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-04-20%20at%208.33.59%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=J1CzCGD7kE7fcAMd41V4pKAf_sI4L5Jv" />

The project’s centrepiece is environmental sustainability, with comprehensive wetlands protection measures and planting of native trees, parklands, village greens and communal grounds to enhance the natural beauty of the area.

CPG will also deliver a developer-funded wastewater treatment plant to ensure zero ocean outflows and provide high quality long-term infrastructure for Tweed Shire.

A key focus is wildlife management planning, including extensive conservation controls for the West Pottsville koala population, aligned with Tweed Shire Council’s Koala Plan of Management and designed to enhance koala habitat connectivity and future population growth.

Caldera will extend the existing koala corridor by connecting koala precincts west of the Pacific Highway with populations in the north and east precincts. A koala underpass will be created under Pottsville Road to complete the connection of this important corridor. Native tree plantings will expand essential koala food sources, while approximately eight kilometres of exclusion fencing will be constructed to safeguard the koalas from urban threats.

The Caldera site is nestled in the hills of Cudgera Creek and benefits from its rich natural surroundings including the Pottsville Wetland, Cudgera Creek Nature Reserve and nearby Pottsville Beach.

It takes its name from the surrounding Tweed Shield Volcano and Caldera, the vast bowl-shaped depression stretching from Byron Bay to the Queensland border that 20 million years ago was the world’s largest shield volcano and which has shaped the region’s striking landscape, with Mount Warning standing as one of its most iconic features.

The development is a joint venture between CPG and Pottsville Development Corporation, which made its first investment in Pottsville more than 45 years ago and is the developer of Black Rocks By the Sea, a masterplanned community now part of the fabric of Pottsville and which was the catalyst for the construction of a bridge across the Pottsville Estuary, providing direct access to the beach.

CPG’s $1.5 billion Casuarina Beach township, 10 kilometres to the north of Caldera, commenced construction in 2000 and has become the model for modern Australian, eco-sensitive beachside development.

Consolidated Properties unveils $800m coastal village Caldera in Casuarina

Growing national developer Time &amp; Place has announced its fifth new apartment development.

With two projects in Manly and two upcoming in Surry Hills and Potts Point, the developer, which expanded beyond Melbourne just a few years ago, is now heading to Mosman. It is planning 53 new apartments on Redan Street.

The 3,233 sqm site, spanning <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/40-48-redan-street-mosman-nsw-2088">40–48 Redan Street</a> with frontage to Redan Lane, is located just under 400 metres from Spit Junction Town Centre. It is reported the developer paid around $100 million for the five-site amalgamation.

Time &amp; Place, founded by Tim Price and backed by James Packer’s private investment firm NPACT, has submitted the project as a State Significant Development through the NSW Government’s Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

Of the 53 apartments, 42 will be released to the market, with the remaining 11 allocated as affordable housing in line with NSW Government requirements.

fjc Studio has designed the building. In its Design Report, the architect said the diverse mix of dwelling types and sizes, including 11 two-bedroom affordable housing units, 40 three-bedroom apartments, and two four-bedroom residences, will support a broad demographic, including families, downsizers, and key workers.

The development will rise to nine levels, a height encouraged by the NSW Government due to the site’s proximity to Spit Junction, which has been identified as a low- to mid-rise centre. Developments within a certain proximity to these centres are permitted increased height.

fjc said the project “achieves an appropriate density outcome for its setting by balancing increased housing supply with strong amenity performance,” adding that it “makes a measurable contribution to NSW housing supply targets through the delivery of additional dwellings and dedicated affordable housing.”

The new development will replace five existing two-storey homes.

“By aligning with the objectives of the Housing SEPP and applying careful architectural and urban design principles, the development provides high-quality residential accommodation that integrates sensitively within its established Mosman context and delivers enduring benefits to residents and the wider community.”

Mosman has become increasingly popular with developers in recent years.

Developer Abadeen has been particularly active, with Mosman Residences currently on the market and under construction on Clifford Street. It also has an upcoming Burran Avenue project, comprising just three apartments on the Balmoral Slopes, and recently secured the Midas and Honeysuckle nursery site on Military Road.

Prosker Property has a project on Redan Lane, just a few doors down from Time &amp; Place’s proposed development.

Developers including Toohey Miller, DARE Property Group, and WINIM also have projects underway in the area. In 2024, a five-year target was set for the Mosman LGA to increase housing supply by 500 dwellings by 2029.

Time &amp; Place entered the Sydney market with Two Tides, its under construction Manly development. Given its sales success, it has secured another development in the area, more boutique, facing the beach on North Steyne.

They are hoping to launch their redevelopment of The Chimes in Potts Point this year, and next year will look to take to market Marlborough House, an adaptive re-use of the landmark David Jones warehouse in Surry Hills.

Time & Place to take on Mosman apartment market

Gender Imbalance

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GUEST OBSERVATION
In 2019, <a href="https://www.communitycouncil.com.au/content/australia-we-want-media-release-7-may-2019" target="_blank">The Australia We Want</a> report noted that at least half of Australian women do not feel safe walking alone at night. This is unsurprising given the <a href="https://www.plan.org.au/freetobe" target="_blank">prevalence of sexual harassment</a> and gender violence women manage when moving through cities every day. Women’s avoidance of areas of the city creates a <a href="https://theconversation.com/no-harm-done-sexual-entertainment-districts-make-the-city-a-more-threatening-place-for-women-81091" target="_blank">complex internal geography of exclusion zones</a> and “take extreme care” zones – all in the hope that this vigilance will keep them out of harm’s way.
Protecting women from the violence committed by some men is a priority. So too is recognising that most <a href="https://theconversation.com/gender-makes-a-world-of-difference-for-safety-on-public-transport-80313" target="_blank">cities are gender-blind and disregard women’s needs and experiences</a>.
We need to understand the patterns that exclude women from areas of cities and not defer to the usual responses – brighter lighting, more CCTV cameras and more authority figures. In fact, <a href="http://planfreetobe.org/">our research</a> into unsafe “hotspots” has found young women’s perceptions of urban safety do not correlate with the most brightly lit spaces.
We know that creating safer cities for women requires one fundamental shift: that we <a href="https://theconversation.com/to-design-safer-parks-for-women-city-planners-must-listen-to-their-stories-98317" target="_blank">listen to women’s voices</a>. We need to develop urban strategies and planning policies that draw on women’s experience and expertise as users of city spaces.
What does the research tell us?
<a href="https://www.plan.org.au/" target="_blank">Plan International</a>, the <a href="https://www.monash.edu/mada/research/labs/xyx-lab-monash-space-gender-communication-lab" target="_blank">Monash University XYX Lab</a> and <a href="https://www.arup.com/" target="_blank">ARUP</a> lighting researchers have pooled their expertise to drill down into the stories of young women and analyse the relationship between urban lighting and women’s perceptions of safety.
<a href="https://research.arup.io/story/cities-for-girls">The research </a>struck on some compelling correlations between light levels and unsafe places. Analysing over 80 of the most unsafe “hotspots” identified by women in Melbourne, the research found that high illuminance – or very bright and overlit spaces – does not correlate with young women’s perceptions of urban safety.
This is important information as planners often light spaces to a high <a href="https://www.standards.org.au/standards-catalogue/sa-snz/electrotechnology/lg-002/as-slash-nzs--1158-dot-4-colon-2015" target="_blank">“P” Category</a> (a measure used in urban place-making guidelines) of lighting. It’s assumed this will reduce the risk of crime and increase the feeling of safety.
But our research shows that designing lighting that is positive for women’s urban experience requires more nuance. The findings show that sites with higher light levels are more likely to be perceived as unsafe sites – the average light level across these sites was twice what was measured across safe sites. This is a finding with the potential to radically change a city’s approach to lighting for safety.
The analysis showed that consistent and layered lighting – where there are multiple light sources and where surfaces with different reflective values are taken into consideration – makes women feel most safe. This kind of lighting reduces the “floodlit effect”, the sharp drop-off of light beyond the path, and the potential for glare and contrast to blind and disorientate.
The emphasis on LED lights for their energy efficiency is unquestioned. But in urban lighting they are mostly a higher colour temperature such as 4000K “cool white” and above. This new research challenges the effects of this approach.
Instead of yellowish sodium lighting, women prefer a high-quality LED light that enables them to distinguish shapes and colours. 
ARUP’s research shows the human visual spectrum reacts better to warm light, and the data from young women showed how sensitive they are to cool white light with regard to feeling safe in cities. Spaces with warmer colour temperatures are perceived as safer places.
Looking deeper into the quality of light in our cities, the majority of bad areas had a very large range of colour rendering. The lowest colour rendering came from sodium luminaires that make everything look overly yellow. Women preferred a high-quality LED light that enabled them to distinguish shapes and colour, helping to create a sense of safety.
What does this mean for urban design?
More broadly, the research challenged the assumptions that urban lighting design relies on in general, and the effect it has on the character of our cities at night.
At present, illuminance (the measure of light falling on a surface, or Lux) is the only unit of measurement required to comply with the P Categories of the Australian Standards. Based on the results, it appears other metrics such as luminance (light bouncing off a surface and hitting the observer’s eye) should be considered too. This will ensure the context of material finishes and surface intensity is taken into account for how the eye perceives space.
Through research such as this, we have the knowledge, data and technology to engage women in trialling new ways of co-designing better outcomes for cities after dark. We can use considered urban design as a tool for positive change.
Nicole Kalms, Director of XYX Lab + Associate Professor in the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture at Monash University, Monash University
This article was co-authored by ARUP VIC/SA lighting leader Tim Hunt. The site analysis was led by ARUP lighting designer Hoa Yang.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/113359/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
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/more-lighting-alone-does-not-create-safer-cities-look-at-what-research-with-young-women-tells-us-113359" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

More lighting alone does not create safer cities: Nicole Kalms

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GUEST OBSERVER
Thanks in part to the gender pay gap, the gender wealth gap more than doubled between 2002 and 2014. But our research shows Australian women don’t just trail men in total wealth, they also have less diverse asset portfolios. 
Women are more likely than men to have their assets tied up in a family home. This means their finances are more precarious, and they have less saved for retirement.
The latest data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey show the family home accounts for close to half of the total assets held by single women, and only 39% of the total assets held by single men. Other property, superannuation, business assets and financial investments, on average, play a much larger role in the asset portfolios of men than women.
Gender differences in the level and composition of wealth are especially important as society ages. Wealth has particular ramifications for the economic wellbeing of older people, given their limited access to other forms of income, such as wages.
This gender gap compounds over time, with many women facing a shortfall in savings by retirement age. And with the state shifting the responsibilities for retirement, aged care and health care onto individuals, the gender wealth gap will increasingly translate into a gap in the lifestyles that Australian men and women can achieve in old age. 
 
All of this is evidence of a “care penalty”, which means that taking paid leave or moving into part-time jobs to cater for the care needs of children or other family members has negative impacts on women’s retirement savings and career trajectories. But it is also the result of policy, such as the recent tax concessions for superannuation, which have done more for the wealth of men than women. 
Exacerbating this problem, women are dramatically over-represented in the oldest age groups. The over-65 age group has 14.5% more women than men, and the oldest population groups have three times as many women as men. 
Furthermore, women are less likely than men to have access to the support of a spouse in their old age. Only 15.2% of women, compared to 54.5% of men, have a surviving spouse when they die. This means they are more likely to need external aged care services.
<h2>The home takes centre stage</h2>
In the absence of significant savings, superannuation or other assets, the family home has become the key form of wealth for many Australian women.
In fact, without the home, the age pension and superannuation balances are unlikely to meet the day-to-day living needs of many retirees. 
The importance of the home has in part been driven by the family courts. Prior to 2000 superannuation was not treated as an asset for distribution in divorce proceedings. The family home also tends to be retained by the primary carers of the children after separation – women. 
But as an asset to build wealth around, the family home has some drawbacks. Housing assets are, by nature, both hard and costly to buy and sell. While the family home can be a key form of savings for many Australians, relying on this form of wealth comes with relatively high costs. 
Research also shows that older women are more prone to selling up their family home than older men, with these sales often triggered by the loss of a spouse or ill-health. 
The centrality of the family home in their portfolios also means women are particularly vulnerable to the way housing is treated in the age pension asset test. Including the family home in this test would force many retirees to draw down their home equity to fund their retirement at earlier life stages. 
This creates a range of risks, given the fundamental uncertainty of future price and interest rate movements, and because the risks associated with future house price movements cannot be defended against. 
The gender impacts of policies are commonly overlooked but should never be neglected. This is especially true in an ageing society where the majority of older people are women and gender gaps in economic status are large.
Gender statements in federal and state budgets, as well as a fully resourced Office for Women with full ministerial backing, are needed to ensure the level of commitment and accountability to older women that they deserve.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rachel-ong-113482" target="_blank">Rachel Ong</a> is deputy director, Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre, Curtin University.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/siobhan-austen-106020" target="_blank">Siobhan Austen</a> is associate professor, School of Economics &amp; Finance, Curtin University.
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Gender Imbalance

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