Holiday home buyers who have long gravitated to Queenstown’s alpine setting are increasingly looking for low-maintenance apartments that allow them to lock up and leave, while still generating income when they’re away.

For Wendy, who had spent years visiting the Queenstown and Arrowtown region, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/safari-group">Safari Group</a>’s Mountain Oak Apartments provided the opportunity to formalise what had previously been a recurring holiday pattern.

“We always had Queenstown in the back of our minds to buy something there as a holiday home,” she says. “We love the Queenstown and Arrowtown area.”

<img alt="From slopes to markets: Mountain Oak connects residents to the best of Queenstown" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/f_auto,c_limit,w_1440,q_auto/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/field/image/658d4f_48c3ec1ae5df4a2cab7d23c07c7f51b3~mv2.jpg?VersionId=27K8oQ4ExDN8Yu70VHDa9Olq59XU36m3" />

Time spent visiting her sister-in-law, who owns in Arrowtown, along with regular stays at Millbrook Resort, had already shaped a strong personal connection to the region.&nbsp;

Rather than approaching the purchase purely as an investment play, Wendy’s starting point was lifestyle.

“We were more thinking about ourselves and where we could stay, and then the rental aspect was second.”

Mountain Oak Apartments, located within the masterplanned Remarkables Park precinct in Frankton, aligned with that thinking. The ability to secure the apartment with a deposit and settle on completion made the timing work.

“The fact that we could put a deposit down with the balance on completion was a bonus for us,” she explains.

<img alt="Safari Group’s Mountain Oak Apartments brings new investment potential to Queenstown" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/f_auto,c_limit,w_1440,q_auto/https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,dpr_2.0,q_auto:good/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/313_Livingv2_WEB.jpg?VersionId=nV229fM0ZeYpoxOrX372HyGjfwY_LR8c" />

Wendy selected a two-bedroom, two-bathroom penthouse, a configuration that supports both private use and guest flexibility.

“The two-bedroom, two-bathroom configuration appealed from both a rental viewpoint and for the ability to have friends stay while we are there,” she says.

Across the development, two-bedroom apartments range from 64sqm to 78sqm, with two-bedroom plus flexi options from 71sqm to 75sqm, each with an allocated car park. The flexi layouts introduce an additional space suited to work or hobbies, reflecting demand from buyers who split their time between leisure and remote work.

Apartments include underfloor heating in bathrooms, heat pumps to living areas, and joinery positioned to maximise natural light and mountain outlooks. The Remarkables Park precinct is known for its extended winter sunshine hours, water frontage and open views toward The Remarkables.&nbsp;

Units come in light and dark interior colour schemes.

<img alt="Mountain Oak Apartments draws holiday home buyers to Queenstown" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fd685a22-3b95-43a1-87cb-48fdd42bb4ba" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/658d4f_f9f89107c2704ebbbe5a6b36da508cb3~mv2.jpg?VersionId=MigFIEm6b.mrANANwxSmwHvC4RdJUuyR" />

While lifestyle was the primary driver, the fundamentals of the Queenstown market added reassurance.&nbsp;

“Proximity to the airport and tourism being the main attraction all year round,” Wendy says, when asked what stood out from an investment perspective.

Mountain Oak sits just eight kilometres from Queenstown’s CBD and around a two-minute drive from Queenstown Airport.&nbsp;

For Wendy, that airport proximity carries practical value.

“The airport proximity is a bonus, we think that being so close will be an attraction for the convenience side.”

Residents are also a short drive from Coronet Peak, Jack’s Point Golf Course, New World Supermarket, Five Mile Shopping Centre, and the dining, medical, gym, cinema and library amenities within the town centre, as well as the seasonal Remarkables Market.

Importantly, the purchase does not lock owners into a single use. Mountain Oak offers the flexibility to opt for short-term visitor accommodation or longer-term residential rental management, with 365-day visitor accommodation consent in place. Owners can utilise Safari Group’s 24/7 on-site management service or appoint their own provider, and do not need to decide on a strategy immediately.

“It was a bonus that we can rent it out as well as use it for ourselves,” she says.

Additional buying options, including furniture packages and storage units available for purchase within the building, further support a lock-and-leave model suited to interstate and overseas owners.

<img alt="Safari Group’s Mountain Oak Apartments brings new investment potential to Queenstown" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/f_auto,c_limit,w_1440,q_auto/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/field/image/Ext_Cam15_Sunny.jpg?VersionId=SJAROUM_1s.Tr5ciMk4EEj5oAt_Vewmv" />

Mountain Oak Apartments comprises 141 residences, ranging from one-bedroom configurations through to larger apartments and penthouses. One-bedroom apartments are currently priced from NZ$639,000, with three-bedroom options from NZ$1,299,000.

With 365-day visitor accommodation consent, the development is structured to respond to Queenstown’s established four-season tourism economy, spanning winter ski traffic and summer hiking, cycling, golf and lake-based activity.

Although Wendy acknowledges the strength of rental demand, her approach remains long term.

“We’re not planning to sell it anytime soon, so we are keen to hang on to it, but the passive income will be a bonus.”

Confidence in the developer also influenced her decision. Before proceeding, Wendy sought feedback within the local building community.

“We asked around and Safari Group had a good reputation,” she says.

Safari Group has delivered more than 2,000 hotel units and residential apartments across over 18 developments nationwide, with more than 25 years’ experience in the sector.

With completion anticipated by mid-2027, Mountain Oak is attracting a cross-section of buyers, from yield-focused investors to lifestyle purchasers seeking a foothold in one of New Zealand’s most tightly held alpine markets.

For Wendy, it represents both a future holiday base and a long-term asset within Queenstown’s year-round tourism economy.

Joel Robinson

How Mountain Oak Apartments draws holiday home buyers to Queenstown

Eduard Litver's Capitel Group is seeking to redevelop Chatswood's Mandarin Centre in the heart of the burgeoning suburb.

Capitel Group, in a joint venture with Metis Group, has filed a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) to demolish the Mandarin Centre and construct a 32-storey tower designed by Skidmore, Owings &amp; Merrill (SOM) with 325 apartments.

The 3,524 sqm site at 61A-65 Albert Avenue will also home extensive retail amenity, both at street-level and across a four-level podium.

<img alt="First look: Metis and Capitel unveil $1.2bn+ plan to redevelop Chatswood’s Mandarin Centre" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="905976ea-08cd-409f-8a4c-33a3fb8bf351" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/1771923441002.png?VersionId=f_xI2ejpxQvEm4fPqGji01RY9_AWVY6O" />

In its early stage Design Report submitted to the NSW Government's Housing Delivery Authority, SOM describes the ambition for the project as one that “aims to revitalise and reactivate an important corner of the Chatswood CBD.”

The architects note that the existing shopping centre “has a lack of vertical connection between its five levels of retail and a cumbersome pedestrian access from the street to the second-level transit connection,” framing the redevelopment as an opportunity to reconfigure circulation and better integrate with surrounding transport infrastructure.

The design adopts a single tower configuration, shaped through early testing to respond to neighbouring buildings and key public spaces.

Retail activation is concentrated at ground and lower podium levels, with a focus on food and beverage, lifestyle and wellness tenancies. The intent is to create a more permeable ground plane and improve connections between Albert Avenue, Victor Street and the Chatswood transport interchange, located within walking distance of the site.

<img alt="First look: Metis and Capitel unveil $1.2bn+ plan to redevelop Chatswood’s Mandarin Centre" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b1e0c8cb-ee9b-41c1-97ac-0455c043b9e7" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/1771923442914.png?VersionId=y.Kbo.9bzLIbOabeygYts8Uf9imI.Dqh" />

The site occupies a prominent position on the southern edge of the Chatswood CBD core, bounded by Albert Avenue and Victor Street. It sits near the rail and metro interchange and within close proximity to Chatswood Chase, Westfield Chatswood, Chatswood Oval and a range of commercial office towers and residential buildings.

Chatswood has been one, and continues to be, of the most popular suburbs for developers in recent years. The most recent tower to launch is Hyecorp's Celine on Archer Street, which followed The Anderson by Changfa and Huirong.

Soon to launch is Coronation's Archer &amp; Albert nearby the new proposal.

Chatswood boom continues with Capitel and Metis’s $1.2 billion Mandarin Centre redevelopment

Apartment development applications continue to tally up in Rose Bay following the NSW Gov's 2025 update to the Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy.

&nbsp;

Some $200 million worth of developments were filed in the space of four weeks at the back end of last year, with the likes of Fyve, HSN, Luxcon and Fortis all seeking to creating new apartment buildings.

The latest plans are for an amalgamated 3,105 sqm site across Conway Avenue, Fernleigh Avenue, and Carlisle Street. Developer Mathieson Property is planning <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/dian-2-6-conway-avenue-rose-bay-nsw-2029">Dian</a>, 70 apartments across a new eight-storey building, perched on a ridgeline within walking distance of Rose Bay Town Centre.

The State Significant Development Application (SSDA), includes one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom configurations. Over 15 per cent will be dedicated as affordable, as per the NSW Government's push for affordable housing. The 17 apartments will be managed by a community housing provider for 15 years following completion of the building.

<img alt="First Look: Mathieson Property unveils eight-storey infill housing proposal ‘Dian’ in Rose Bay" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f99c21d9-e69d-4a23-ae35-3244cfa0b4ae" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Rose%20Bay%20site_0.png?VersionId=67KSZfecJ3fvn1ewo9xxKrneRT.Nsjwd" />

MHNDU has designed the building around three central cores, with lower-level apartments arranged to maximise corner balconies and cross-ventilation. Upper levels are configured with dual north–south aspects to capture harbour views and solar access.

Private open space is a key feature of the scheme, with generous balconies and terraces throughout. Five ground-floor apartments would include private pools, while one upper-level residence will feature a rooftop terrace and pool. A communal room and adjoining landscaped outdoor terraces provide shared open space for residents.

<img alt="First Look: Mathieson Property unveils eight-storey infill housing proposal ‘Dian’ in Rose Bay" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="dd2e275f-c270-4eb1-9a02-2b573b8eb540" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Rose%20Bay%20front_0.png?VersionId=Us5jNEG6iLFLLMfQSzVBVdILYobBj.g9" />

The site sits around 365 metres walking distance of Rose Bay Town Centre and around 312 metres from regular bus services on New South Head Road, meeting the accessible area criteria under the Housing SEPP.

In early 2025, the NSW Government implemented significant changes to its Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy, altering planning controls to allow greater density for new apartment projects within an 800-metre walking distance of stations and town centres in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/woollahra-nsw-2025">Woollahra</a>&nbsp;Local Government Area, overriding existing local controls. Buildings are now permitted to rise up to six storeys within 400 metres of a station or centre, or eight storeys where affordable housing is incorporated, and up to four storeys within the 401 to 800 metre radius, which can increase to six storeys with affordable housing.

Mathieson Property unveils Dian Rose Bay apartment development

Lower North Shore developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/hyecorp-property-group">Hyecorp</a> is preparing to launch <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/celine-chatswood-37-archer-street-chatswood-nsw-2067">Celine</a>, its new apartment development in Chatswood.

Set within a blue ribbon location on Archer Street, Celine will rise on a quiet, tree-lined enclave on the edge of the South Chatswood Heritage Conservation Area, a short walk from the connectivity which Chatswood is famous for.

Celine will deliver 122 one, two, three, and four-bedroom residences, designed to accommodate a broad range of buyers, from owner-occupiers to investors.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149594 project_image_fid=362610]

Designed by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/fuse-architecture-0">Fuse Architects</a>, the 29-storey tower has been shaped to respond to its Archer Street setting, with a defined podium and slender upper levels.&nbsp;

The building incorporates a two-storey residential lobby at the corner, double-height retail fronting Bertram Street, food and beverage tenancies along a through-site link, and two levels of commercial office space.&nbsp;

A landscaped pedestrian connection between Archer and Bertram streets will provide a publicly accessible link through the site, extending activity at ground level beyond the building footprint.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149594 project_image_fid=362606]

Inside, Hyecorp is emphasising scale and flexibility. Most residences will incorporate multipurpose rooms, allowing buyers to configure additional living, study or guest space within their floorplan.&nbsp;

Kitchens have been designed with proportions more commonly associated with standalone homes, complemented by Gaggenau and Miele appliances, integrated refrigeration, Miele laundry appliances, Taj Mahal stone and bronze tapware.&nbsp;

Buyers will also have the option to tailor aspects of their home through the developer’s “Live Your Way” personalisation service.

Resident amenity will include an outdoor pool, gym and sauna, as well as barbecue and lounge areas designed for shared use. Upper levels are oriented to capture eastern outlooks towards the Sydney CBD and surrounding greenery.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149594 project_image_fid=362633]

The location places future residents within 800 metres of Chatswood Interchange, providing access to metro and rail services, and within walking distance of Westfield, Chatswood Chase and the Chatswood Concourse. Parks including Chatswood Park and Beauchamp Park are nearby, along with a cluster of schools and private hospitals.

Celine continues Hyecorp’s focus on the Lower North Shore. The Australian, family-owned developer has been operating locally for more than 30 years, with recent projects including Audrey in St Leonards, now nearing completion, and Juliet in Roseville. With registrations expected to open soon, Celine represents the group’s latest addition to the Chatswood apartment market.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=149594]

Hyecorp unveils Celine, a striking new apartment tower in the heart of Chatswood

International development company <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/spg-land">SPG Land</a> has kicked off construction of the $1.5 billion <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/paradiso-place-surfers-paradise-103-ferny-avenue-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">Paradiso Place</a>, one of the highest value developments to get underway on the Gold Coast in more than a decade.

Located on a 1.15ha site stretching from Surfers Paradise Boulevard to Ferny Avenue, Paradiso Place, when completed, will deliver 845 residences across three residential towers. &nbsp;

Paradiso Place has been several years in planning by SPG, which has now pushed the green light on construction to meet pent-up demand from investors and owner occupiers.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=106566 project_image_fid=185858]

The move follows minor amendments to the original design to cater to buyer demand, including the provision of more premium residential amenity, including private dining, lounge and events spaces for residents to entertain guests.

The three towers, comprising 41, 40 and 44 levels, will bring to the market 845 apartments with each tower boasting its own podium level interconnected skybridge to create a unique elevated ‘beachside village’ for residents.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=106566 project_image_fid=362500]

The <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a>-designed development will bring a broad range of residences to the market, most offering ocean views and all enjoying five-star hotel amenities with world-class facilities and the convenience ground level retail precinct.

&nbsp;

Construction of Paradiso Place has been made possible by SPG’s newly established SPG Built division partnered with experienced project management group Eastview Australia, a company that has supported the development of a raft of major projects on the Gold Coast over the past two decades.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=106566 project_image_fid=362499]

“It’s a very exciting time for Paradiso Place as we start construction,” said SPG Land Chairman David Wang.

“We have spent our energy refreshing design and assembling the best team and waiting for what we believe is the right time to start construction on one of the most exciting mixed-use developments to proceed on the Gold Coast since Oracle in Broadbeach and Circle on Cavill in Surfers Paradise. &nbsp;

“The local and interstate downsizer market is getting stronger, and we see Paradiso Place as the right project for our times right now. Our company has the capacity to deliver large-scale projects, and we are thrilled to be bringing this vision to reality.”

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=106566 project_image_fid=185861]

SPG Invest, a company founded in Australia in 1998 with a focus on high-end real estate and premium hospitality assets, has delivered 56 projects in the Asia-Pacific region over the past twenty-five years, including The Peninsula Hotel Shanghai and the Global 188 twin-tower project in Suzhou and Cambridge Residences at Robina.

Paradiso Place will deliver a range of new apartments with two-, three- and four-bedroom layouts, as well as a collection of sub-penthouse and penthouse apartments across three levels. Prices start from $950,000.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=106566 project_image_fid=185852]

“We have a very strong vision for Paradiso Place – we are creating a unique beachside residential community where contemporary design &amp; architecture and luxury materials combine with five star residents’ amenities and the convenience of a premium retail precinct on the ground floor”, said SPG Land CEO Dr Ying Rao&nbsp;

“We are confident that the community will recognise that this is more than just another development. Paradiso Place will bring a much-needed retail precinct and lifestyle hub to northern Surfers Paradise with premium retail, lifestyle and food and beverage options,” Said Dr Rao&nbsp;

“The retail precinct is critical to enhancing the lifestyle amenity for residents and guests, so SPG will retain control of this precinct to curate a premium retail offering that will support this thriving new community.

“SPG will also retain short-term holiday letting to control premium and luxury outcomes in line with our vision.”

Construction of Stage 1 Paradiso Place is expected to be completed by end of 2029.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=106566]

Construction commences on $1.5 billion Paradiso Place development in Surfers Paradise

Growth Rate

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Expert Observer

There were two pieces of positive news in the past week which demonstrate the value to the nation and its citizens of growth in the property market.

One came from research from the Real Estate Institute of Australia which shows that the median house price for the Australian capital cities has risen from $160,000 in 1996 to $825,000 today.

The Real Estate Institute of Australia says the median house price has risen more than 400% in the past 25 years. 

It sounds extraordinary – but, to put it in perspective, it equates to an average annual increase of 6.6% per year. Healthy, and certainly ahead of inflation and wages growth, but not monumental.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=89516]

This is despite fairly muted growth since 2016. The data shows that over the past five years, the median house price in the capital cities grew 25%, from $683,000 to $825,000, while “other dwellings” rose by 10% to $600,000.

The other item of note came from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. It says that a booming property market helped add half a trillion dollars to Australia’s household wealth in the December Quarter, taking the total to just over $12 trillion.

The nation recorded its biggest gain in quarterly wealth since 2009 despite COVID-19 concerns and employment fears over the end to JobKeeper.

According to the ABS, total household wealth increased 4.3%, or $502 billion, in the last three months of 2020, marking the highest quarterly growth rate since the December Quarter of 2009.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=27427]

The property market was the key driver. During the December Quarter, residential assets grew by $246 billion, or 3.5%, the biggest rise since the December Quarter of 2016. That came on top of a $200 billion rise in house values for the September Quarter.

ABS head of finance and wealth Katherine Keenan says: “The growth in residential assets was seen across both owner-occupier and investor housing in the December Quarter. Owner-occupier housing loans grew 1.9%, the strongest growth in four years, while investor housing loans grew 0.4%, which was the first positive growth in the past two years.”

The housing debt to income ratio decreased from 139.2 to 139 over the quarter, as growth in income exceeded growth in housing debt. The ratio has fallen for the past four quarters.

This is mostly good news for nation. I’m telling you this because you won’t hear it from mainstream media. What you will hear is that it’s a crisis. Indeed, several crises. An affordability crisis, a debt crisis and a social crisis. 

[smartcode_project:default project_id=25382]

But I see mostly positives. The key factors here are that this gives confidence to most Australians, encouraging them to spend, which benefits the economy and creates jobs, and it helps people establish the financial base to fund their retirement.

Successive federal governments for the past 20 years or so have encouraged Australians to invest to provide for their retirement years, placing less reliance on the public purse. 

For many Australians, real estate is the option of choice because they feel they understand it and they see it as a safe and solid option for growth.

The current national property boom is a big step down that path.

Terry Ryder is the founder of hotspotting.com.au

ryder@hotspotting.com.au

twitter.com/hotspotting
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The Real Estate Institute of Australia says the median house price has risen more than 400% in the past 25 years

terryryder

Why the growth in the property market is important to Australia: Hotspotting's Terry Ryder

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EXPERT OBSERVER
Real estate consumers often fixate on the idea that individual suburbs will do better than their neighbours. I’m constantly asked for my opinion of one suburb or another, on the basis that the target location has special qualities and it will out-perform others.
The reality is that it’s rare for one suburb to star while its neighbours under-perform. Market performance tends to happen in clusters, with a group of suburbs with similar qualities being influenced by the same factors, such as a major new piece of infrastructure.
So at Hotspotting we tend to think in terms of Local Government Areas. Our quarterly editions of The Price Predictor Index focus primarily on municipalities, looking for patterns of growth within clusters of suburbs.
The list below, my estimation of the leading LGAs in the nation for rising buyer demand, may surprise because of the number of precincts within Adelaide that feature – but if you study the numbers and the trends, it’s evident that Adelaide is the most consistent of markets and has more momentum that other capital cities.
It has a number of precincts with above-average price growth and the potential for future strong performance.
Here, then, is my national top 10 municipalities in terms of growth momentum (listed in alphabetical order):-
Belconnen ACT 
I regard Canberra as the strongest real estate economy in Australia, with the nation’s highest average incomes and the lowest unemployment. It is challenging Victoria for the No.1 ranking on population growth, it has low vacancies and it often leads on rental growth. The Belconnen District is Canberra’s No.1 jurisdiction for suburbs with rising sales activity. This precinct has a number of affordable suburbs, vacancies are well below 1%, rental yields are solid and some suburbs have grown their median prices 6-7% in the past 12 months. 
Bendigo VIC 
Bendigo is now the leading market in Victoria in terms of the number of suburbs with rising demand, having overtaken other strong markets like Geelong and Ballarat. It’s attracting both home-buyers and investors out of Melbourne, chasing affordability and/or better rental yields in a growth centre. Many Bendigo suburbs have median prices in the $300,000s, emphasising the city’s affordability. Bendigo is rising because of its own inherent strengths - including a strong and diverse economy - and its strong links to Melbourne. 
Brisbane North QLD 
The Brisbane North precinct (the northern suburbs of the Brisbane City Council area) is the most active part of the Brisbane market, which is poised for stronger growth. This middle-ring area has 10 suburbs with rising sales demand, including Alderley where quarterly sales have been 28-37-48-50-52 in the past year or so: its median prices have risen 5% for houses and 22% for units. Other growth suburbs include Boondall, Chermside West, Everton Park, Kedron, McDowall, Sandgate, Stafford, Stafford Heights and Wavell Heights. These are all middle-market areas with median prices in the $600,000s and $700,000s. 
Charles Sturt SA 
The Charles Sturt LGA extends north-west from central Adelaide out to the beaches and includes a range of good suburbs, including eight where sales activity is rising steadily. They include inner-city Brompton (where quarterly sales have been 23, 32, 38 and 50) as well as middle-market suburbs like Findon, Seaton, Flinders Park (quarterly sales 22, 25, 25, 32, 35 and 38), Woodville South and Fulham Gardens. Henley Beach and West Beach also have growth momentum. Good price growth is happening in this area, including Henley Beach South (median house price up 15% to $985,000). 
Joondalup WA 
The Joondalup LGA continues to be a stand-out for its steadiness and resilience against the Perth downturn and is poised to lead the city’s market recovery. It now has eight suburbs with rising sales momentum, which makes it No.1 in Perth and among the best of the nation’s LGAs. The suburbs of this LGA are based around the Joondalup CBD, which is a centre for infrastructure and services for Perth’s north. Growth markets include Burns Beach, Duncraig, Edgewater, Greenwood, Joondalup, Mullaloo and Padbury, many of which offer good affordability. 
Marion SA 
The Marion LGA, a middle-market area in the south-west of Adelaide which has been a market leader for the past 18 months, is once again a standout market. It has nine suburbs with rising sales patterns, including Ascot Park, Edwardstown, Glengowrie, Hallett Cove, Marion, O’Halloran Hill and Seacombe Gardens. Warradale makes our National Top 50 list of rising suburbs, with quarterly sales of 30-36-41: its median house price of $595,000 is typical of the Marion LGA’s middle-ring affordability. 
Melville WA 
The City of Melville in Perth’s inner south is one of the precincts leading the market fightback in the WA capital. It has seven growth markets and seven consistent performers. Suburbs with rising sales demand include Attadale, Bull Creek, Kardinya, Leeming, Mt Pleasant and Palmyra - some of which are million-dollar suburbs but most are middle-market areas. The star is Willagee, which makes our National Top 50 list with quarterly sales of 25-39-46-51 - and the latest quarter also shows sign of growth in the median house price ($520,000). 
Port Adelaide Enfield SA 
The Port Adelaide Enfield LGA emerged in 2018 as an up-and-coming market in the SA capital - and continues to be one of the busiest precincts in Adelaide. Our latest survey reveals seven suburbs with rising activity, including Croydon Park, Dernancourt, Greenacres, North Haven, Rosewater and Royal Park. Dernancourt features in our National Top 50 list. This precinct is being boosted by major local events, including the massive program of building vessels for the Australian Navy and ongoing development around the port. The Osborne Naval Shipyard is undergoing a $535 million upgrade to accommodate the building of 40 new Defence craft; 500 public servants are being moved here; and a new rail spur is proposed to link the Port’s commercial centre and the Dock One residential precinct to the Adelaide CBD. 
Onkaparinga SA 
As we have observed many times, Onkaparinga always features prominently in our analysis of the Adelaide market. It currently has seven suburbs with growth momentum – including Aldinga Beach (where quarterly sales have been 54-63-67-70), which features in our National Top 50 list of supercharged suburbs. Other growth markets include Christies Beach, Hackham, Happy Valley, Old Reynella and Seaford. This LGA ticks a lot of boxes for investors: it has lifestyle, affordability, improved transport links, economic growth drivers, population growth and proximity to major jobs nodes. 
Sunshine Coast QLD 
The Sunshine Coast continues to be the strongest of the Queensland markets, both in terms of rising sales activity and price growth. It’s rising while the more high-profile Gold Coast market is falling. The Sunshine Coast has 10 suburbs with rising buyer demand and another 13 have consistent sales activity. Landsborough and Little Mountain feature on our National Top 50 list. Over 60% of Regional Queensland markets have median prices higher than a year ago. Of the higher growth markets, 21 have increased by more than 10%, and 10 of those 21 locations are Sunshine Coast suburbs, led by Eumundi (28%), Sunshine Beach (15%), Twin Waters (15%) and Wurtulla (15%). 
Terry Ryder is the founder of hotspotting.com.au
<a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au">ryder@hotspotting.com.au</a>
twitter.com/hotspotting
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terryryder-YECXbqmri2

Australia's top 10 property price growth areas in 2019: Hotspotting's Terry Ryder

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Earlier this week the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released their Residential Property Price Indexes for the June 2017 quarter.  
The data confirmed what the CoreLogic Home Value Index has already told us, the rate of growth in the housing market is slowing, particularly so in Sydney.
Click to enlarge
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/09/29/2017-09-21-blogimage1.png" alt="">
  Over the June 2017 quarter, the ABS Index shows combined capital city dwelling prices increased by 1.9% while the CoreLogic Home Value Index showed an increase of a lower 1.6%.  
As the above graph shows, the results of both indices are closely aligned.  The CoreLogic data is already available to August and shows a further cooling in the rate of growth over the three months.  
Given this we can expect the trend towards slower growth to hold over the September 2017 quarter.  In fact, the daily movements in the CoreLogic series is suggesting Sydney values trended slightly lower over the first 20 days of September.
Click to enlarge
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/09/29/2017-09-21-blogimage2.png" alt="">
  On an annual change basis both indices also indicate a slowing of the rate of growth.  Over the 12 months to June 2017, the ABS reports combined capital city dwelling prices rose by 10.2% while CoreLogic data shows capital city dwelling values increasing by 11.1%.  Over the 12 months to August 2017, CoreLogic data shows that dwelling value growth has slowed to 9.7% and it is expected that the ABS data once available will also show a similar slowing.
Click to enlarge
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/09/29/2017-09-21-blogimage3.png" alt="">
  Sydney is showing clearer signs of a slowdown than other capital cities and that is evident in the above chart.  Over the June quarter, the ABS showed a change of 2.3% compared to the CoreLogic series which showed a lower 1.6% change.  The CoreLogic data to August shows increasing evidence of the Sydney market cooling with values having increased by a much lower 0.3%.
Click to enlarge
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/09/29/2017-09-21-blogimage4.png" alt="">
 
 The annual series also show signs of softer growth in Sydney with ABS data recording a change of 13.8%, over the 12 months to June down from 14.4% in March.  While the CoreLogic series recorded an annual change to June of 16.4% compared to 15.5% in March. Meanwhile, the latest data for August shows that annual growth in Sydney dwelling values has slowed to 13.0%.
Click to enlarge
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/09/29/2017-09-21-blogimage5.png" alt="">
  The above chart shows the annual change in values across each index over the 12 months to June 2017.  Despite being two different methodologies you can see that the rates of change across both metrics are quite similar.  They show strong growth in Sydney, Melbourne and Hobart, reasonably strong growth in Canberra, moderate growth in Brisbane and Adelaide and ongoing declines in Perth and Darwin.
Click to enlarge 
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/09/29/2017-09-21-blogimage6.png" alt="">
 The CoreLogic Hedonic Index provides a much more timely and granular view of housing market conditions (both geographically and across product types) and the trends are interesting.  It shows a substantial slowdown in growth in Sydney and a more moderate slowing in Melbourne.  It indicates that growth has accelerated in Hobart and has accelerated marginally in Canberra and Brisbane.  
Adelaide values are increasing at pretty much the same rate as they were in June while the declines in Perth and Darwin are greater, quite significantly so in Darwin.
Overall the data highlights the value of having a selection of indices with which to analyse the market.  
It also shows how valuable more timely measures are.  
When you are analysing Australia’s single largest asset class, timely insights are extremely important to allow those participants in the housing market to be able to make accurate decisions in as close to real time as possible.
It’s also a timely reminder that there is no single ‘Australian’ housing market.  
While headline growth rates provide a macro-view on the market, each capital city and region of the country is showing its own unique housing market dynamic which is influenced by local demographic and economic trends as well as supply factors.
Cameron Kusher is head of research for CoreLogic. You can contact him <a href="https://blog.corelogic.com.au/about/" target="_blank">here</a>.
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Rate of growth in the housing market is slowing

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GUEST OBSERVER
The economy grew by 0.3 percent in the March quarter after rising 1.1 percent in the December quarter.
Annual economic growth eased from 2.4 percent to 1.7 percent. The economy has not experienced a recession for more than 25 years. Four years ago Australia passed the Netherlands to secure the title of longest economic expansion by an advanced nation in the modern era. 
Contribution to growth: The biggest contribution to growth came from inventories (+0.4 percentage points) from household consumption (+0.3pp), government consumption and non-residential building (+0.2pp). The biggest drag on growth was from net exports (down 0.7pp), dwelling construction (down 0.3pp) and equipment investment (down 0.1pp).
Income: Real gross national income rose by 1.1 percent in the March quarter to be up 5.2 percent on the year. In nominal terms GDP lifted 2.3 percent in the quarter and rose by 7.7 percent over the year.
Productivity: Gross value added per hours worked in the market sector grew by 0.2 percent in the March quarter after rising 0.9 percent in the December quarter. Annual growth was 2.1 percent.
Industry sectors: Fifteen of the 19 industry sectors expanded in the March quarter. Seven sectors added 0.1 percentage points to growth. Three sectors each reduced growth by 0.1pp. Agriculture, forestry and fishing production fell 5.6 percent in the quarter.
What does it all mean?
The Australian economy has had to contend with a lot of factors in the past year – geopolitics, weather events, the on-going unwinding of the mining construction boom and variable housing markets. So economic growth has trekked a zig-zag path. But importantly the record expansion remains on track. Especially positive is the health of the business sector with business conditions the best in nine years. The hope is that employment and investment will continue to lift, maintaining economic momentum. 
The March quarter growth rate may seem modest at 0.3 percent but this followed the strongest growth in five years. The bottom-line is that the doomsayers will need to find another target. The record expansion continues and the outlook remains positive. Particularly encouraging is the fact that annual income growth is the fastest in six years and productivity growth is still above 2 percent. 
Ahead of today’s data there was much focus on Australia possessing the longest economic expansion of any major economy in the modern era. OECD data shows we actually passed the Netherlands to secure this record four years ago. But the positive focus on the achievement is well deserved. 
The outlook for the economy is encouraging. Strong spending on infrastructure as well as keen demand for our exports will support economic growth. And add into the mix the on-going lift in home building – especially on the east coast. Consumers are drawing down saving to spend but in part this reflects an adjustment to the new ‘normal’ wage growth of 2 percent, rather than 3-4 percent. 
The Reserve Bank is always looking ahead and so must we. The outlook for the economy remains bright.
The Reserve Bank expects the economy to grow near its ‘potential’ rate of 3 percent by the end of 2017. That is our expectation also. We continue to believe that interest rates will remain on hold over the rest of 2017.
Craig James is the chief economist at <a href="https://www.comsec.com.au/default.aspx" target="_blank">CommSec</a>.
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