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.

Joel Robinson

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

Seasoned Victorian apartment developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/central-equity">Central Equity</a> has logged more than $400 million in sales in its luxury apartment project Palmera Residences at Northcliffe on the Gold Coast.&nbsp;

Central Equity Director Karl Kutner said the sales result reflected a combination of location, product quality and delivery certainty with the project already under construction by building powerhouse Multiplex.&nbsp;

"Surpassing $400 million in sales since launch is a significant milestone and an outstanding endorsement of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/palmera-residences-gold-coast-18-garfield-terrace-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">Palmera Residences</a>,” he said.&nbsp;

"We believe one of the key reasons for this strong result is the confidence purchasers have in knowing the project is under construction with Multiplex. Buyers are increasingly looking for certainty. They want to know that the project they commit to today will be delivered by an experienced team with a proven track record."&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365782]

Kutner said it was clear there was still high demand for luxury projects that offered certainty of delivery.&nbsp;

“We are in a market where many residential developments have faced delays due to rising construction costs, labour shortages and financing challenges,” said Kutner.&nbsp;

"But having construction underway has provided our buyers with resounding confidence backed by more than 40 years of development delivery by Central Equity combined with construction by one of Australia's most respected construction companies."&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365785]

Central Equity is one of Australia's most experienced privately-owned property developers. Over more than four decades, the company has delivered in excess of 85 residential developments including 10,000 apartments and many thousands of stand alone homes.&nbsp;

Located on Garfield Terrace at Northcliffe, between Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach, Palmera Residences occupies one of the Gold Coast's most sought after beachside locations. The development has been designed to appeal to owner occupiers seeking premium residences that combine generous living spaces and resort style amenities.&nbsp;

Palmera Residences will feature an exceptional collection of resort style amenities, including two swimming pools: a generously sized family pool with safe shallow zones for relaxed recreation, and a 20 metre lap pool positioned to maximise all day sunlight.&nbsp;

Residents will also enjoy exclusive access to wellness and recreational facilities including a magnesium pool, sauna, yoga studio, expansive fitted gymnasium, resident lounge, outdoor BBQ’s&nbsp;and indoor and outdoor dining areas, together with a dedicated concierge and luxurious hotel inspired entrance foyer.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365767]

A unique feature at Palmera Residences has been designed to enhance the Gold Coast lifestyle which includes both indoor and outdoor gymnasium facilities, together with thoughtfully designed indoor and outdoor dining and entertaining areas. A corner café has also been incorporated to provide residents with a destination for their everyday needs.&nbsp;

Kutner said buyer demand had been broad based with purchasers attracted from interstate as well as throughout South East Queensland.&nbsp;

"We're seeing strong interest from owner occupiers, lifestyle buyers and people relocating to the Gold Coast. Many purchasers have been searching for a premium beachside residence where quality, design and delivery are equally important."&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365771]

Kutner said the sales milestone was an important achievement, but the focus remained firmly on delivering an exceptional development.&nbsp;

"While reaching $400 million in sales is an important milestone, our priority remains delivering a project that exceeds purchaser expectations,” he said.&nbsp;

"Palmera Residences has been designed to become one of the Gold Coast's landmark residential addresses, and we look forward to welcoming our purchasers to their new homes."&nbsp;

There are a limited number of residences remaining in selected configurations with pricing from $2,950,000 to $8,950,000. Palmera Residences is also crowned by expansive penthouses with wrap around views.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=108274]

Construction certainty and strong buyer demand drive major sales result for luxury Gold Coast development

Palmera Residences fly out the door as sales pass $400 million

National property developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/goldfields-group">Goldfields</a> has appointed BINAH as its construction partner for Quartet, its new Brisbane apartment development in the undersupplied suburb of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/milton-qld-4064">Milton</a>.

Located just two kilometres from the Brisbane CBD and moments from key 2032 Olympic precincts, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/quartet-milton-33-manning-street-milton-qld-4064">Quartet</a> will deliver 131 one, two, three, and four-bedroom apartments priced from $1 million to $4.2 million, combining elevated design with a wellness-focused lifestyle offering.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108736 project_image_fid=368000]

Goldfields’ Chief Executive Officer, Lachlan Thompson, said the appointment of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/builders/binah-constructions">BINAH</a> marked an important milestone for the project.&nbsp;

“Bringing BINAH on board as our construction partner will allow us to bring our vision for Quartet forward with a team that has a proven track record of delivering high-quality residential projects,” Thompson said.&nbsp;

“We’ve taken a considered approach to progressing the site because we wanted to deliver the whole package. Buyers ultimately back great developers, great projects and great builders, and with Quartet, we’ve made sure all three line up.

“People want certainty, they want to know the project will be built, that the homes will be delivered as promised, and that the developer stands behind the quality of what they create. That’s something Goldfields has built its reputation on over many years.”&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108736 project_image_fid=367993]

BINAH’s Managing Director, Khalil Hafza, said the company was proud to be partnering with Goldfields to deliver Quartet.&nbsp;

“Quartet is an exciting project to bring to life, particularly given the level of detail in the residences and the extensive rooftop amenity planned for the building,” Mr Hafza said.&nbsp;

“Our focus is on delivering a high-quality build that brings that design vision to life and creates homes residents will enjoy for many years.”&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108736 project_image_fid=367999]

The facilities at Quartet have been feared towards the roof, with a&nbsp;25 metre lap pool, spa, sauna and cold plunge, and a communal barbecue area and alfresco.

Town planning was designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a> and brought to life by Melbourne-based architecture firm Cera Stribley.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/cera-stribley">Cera Stribley</a> Co-Founder and Managing Principal, Dom Cerantonio, said the project responds to both its riverside setting and Brisbane’s evolving urban character.&nbsp;

“Quartet has been designed to sit comfortably within its riverside context, offering a refined take on urban living through well-planned, generously proportioned residences that will stand the test of time,” Mr Cerantonio said.&nbsp;

“An emphasis on natural light, natural textures and carefully selected finishes from timber and marble to premium appliances, creates calm, considered interiors designed for comfort and long-term liveability.”&nbsp;

Construction of Quartet will commence in July 2026, with completion anticipated in Q4 2028.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=108736]

Construction to commence on 131-residence tower designed around wellness-focused living

Goldfields appoints BINAH for Quartet apartments in Milton

The first partnership between national developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/fortis">Fortis</a> and Adelaide-based developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/otello">Otello</a> has made a strong start, with the pair securing $21 million in unconditional sales at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/one-four-four-hutt-adelaide-144-hutt-street-adelaide-sa-5000">One Four Four Hutt</a>&nbsp;on the edge of the Adelaide CBD.

Over a third of apartments have been snapped up in the boutique 44-apartment project on the corner of Hutt Stret and Wakefield Road. Local downsizers and owner-occupiers wanting to remain in Adelaide's tightly-held southeast quarter have been the most prominent purchasers.

The DKO-designed, mixed-use development is one of the few new apartment projects in the precinct, an area where new housing supply has remained limited despite continued demand from buyers wanting to stay close to the CBD, Victoria Park and Adelaide's established east-end amenities.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=151233 project_image_fid=375378]

Fortis Head of Development SA Arthur Dendrinos said the early sales reflected both the strength of the local owner-occupier market and confidence in the Hutt Street location.

"The level of early commitment reflects the confidence local buyers have in the Hutt Street precinct," Dendrinos said.

"Many purchasers are long-term east-end residents who love the area and want to stay connected to the neighbourhood. They recognise the value of a well-designed, well-located development.

"Our partnership with Otello has been central to this success, and the number of unconditional sales at this stage only strengthens our confidence in the South Australian market."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=151233 project_image_fid=375379]

Otello Director Daniel Harris said the sales result also highlighted the lack of new apartment opportunities within the Hutt Street precinct.

"One Four Four Hutt has clearly resonated with buyers, with strong early sales reflecting both the appeal of the Hutt Street corridor and the lifestyle on offer," Harris said.

"The activated ground-floor retail has also been a key drawcard, with purchasers responding to the vision of a more vibrant and connected streetscape, not just the residences themselves."

One Four Four Hutt will deliver 44 one, two and three-bedroom apartments, alongside a collection of penthouses, above a ground-floor retail offering designed to further activate the Hutt Street precinct.

Construction is scheduled to commence in the third quarter of this year, with completion anticipated in 2028.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=151233]

Fortis Head of Development SA Arthur Dendrinos said the early sales reflected both the strength of the local owner-occupier market and confidence in the Hutt Street location.

Fortis makes Adelaide debut with Otello as One Four Four Hutt records strong early sales

Health And Safety

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Minister for Better Regulation and Innovation, Kevin Anderson, has today announced the launch of SafeWork NSW’s new app, Speak Up, Save Lives which allows workers to anonymously report workplace health and safety issues.
Mr Anderson said the app will make it easier than ever to report workplace risks by sending photos of unsafe practices directly to SafeWork NSW.
Mr Anderson said the Speak Up, Save Lives app and web based tool was developed in consultation with the industry and the family of Christopher Cassaniti, an 18 year-old who lost his life in a tragic workplace incident last year.
“Since launching Speak Up, Save Lives as a web platform in October last year, SafeWork has received 1,647 reports from workers, handed out 472 improvement notices and $56,880 in penalties,” Mr Anderson said.
“Any number of terrible incidents could have happened as a result of these safety issues and Speak Up means that workers can report issues before these incidents occur, and prevent anyone from having to go through what the Cassaniti family have been through.”
Mr Anderson said the most important feature of Speak Up is confidentiality as workers who are casually employed, on temporary or labour hire contracts, or from a CALD community, are less likely to raise concerns about unsafe work.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

SafeWork NSW's new anonymous Speak  Up, Save Lives app

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The National Dust Disease Taskforce is preparing to read submissions next week on how best to handle the resurgence of the fatal lung disease silicosis. This can develop after breathing in silica dust when cutting artificial stone — also known as engineered, composite or manufactured stone — the type used for kitchen benchtops.
But this is not the first time we’ve been alerted to the long-term effects of exposure to hazardous dust. Think asbestos.
So what lessons can Australia learn from tackling asbestos to manage this latest preventable occupational hazard?
We’ve known about hazardous dust at work for centuries
Centuries ago, we recognised dust in mines badly damaged workers’ lungs. In 1713, Italian physician Bernardino Ramazzini <a href="https://www.ajconline.org/article/0002-9149(59)90174-2/pdf" target="_blank">wrote</a> how miners’ bodies:
[…] are badly affected, the lungs especially since they take in with the air mineral spirits.
<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ajim.22528" target="_blank">More evidence</a> led to a 1930 conference in South Africa agreeing the lung disease silicosis was caused by silica dust. A few years later, the International Labour Organisation included silicosis in a list of diseases workers could be compensated for.
Control measures to reduce the risk of silicosis were well-recognised even in the mid-1930s; <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.amazon.com/Hawks-Nest-Incident-Americas-Industrial/dp/0300035225" target="_blank">lawsuits were filed</a> against the Union Carbide company for not protecting construction workers.
At that time, breathing protection was fairly basic. But in the decades since then, <a href="https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/silica" target="_blank">we established</a> that any activity generating silica dust (such as cutting, blasting or grinding concrete or rock) needed water spray systems, extraction fans and respirators.
The dangers of cutting engineered stone
So how, in a country like Australia, do we suddenly see young workers dying of this completely preventable disease?
The cases seem to be arising from cutting artificial stone. This can contain up to 95% silica, <a href="https://www.worksafe.qld.gov.au/injury-prevention-safety/alerts/whsq/2018/prevent-exposure-to-silica-for-engineered-stone-benchtop-workers" target="_blank">compared with</a> less than 40% silica in natural stone.
Cutting artificial stone has emerged as a major hazard. <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-16/silicosis-surge-prompts-call-for-ban-on-engineered-stone-product/11516138" target="_blank">The ABC reports</a> there have been 260 cases of silicosis in Australia, mostly in Queensland.
And there are likely to be more cases developing. <a href="https://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/announcements/spotlight-silica-proactive-inspection-program" target="_blank">Regulators’</a> <a href="https://www.finance.nsw.gov.au/about-us/media-releases/nation-leading-program-fight-silicosis-0" target="_blank">responses</a> — proactively inspecting workplaces to see if they comply with safe work practices and issuing prohibition notices and fines to individual workplaces if not — are very welcome.
But these responses come too late for those hundreds of young workers who have lost their health, some of whom may die without a lung transplant.
What can we learn from asbestos?
We have been here before. Asbestos mining and manufacturing and the importation of asbestos products into Australia started in the 1880s. Over the next century, it developed into a major industry, peaking in the decades after the second world war.
Over the same time, medical knowledge about the diseases caused by asbestos was growing. The first recorded case of asbestosis (a progressive lung disease) was <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/100760626" target="_blank">described in London in 1906</a> (although, reports of ill health in asbestos workers had been reported <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/002130771" target="_blank">from as early as 1899</a>).
In 1928 the Journal of the American Medical Association <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/253232" target="_blank">published an editorial</a> on asbestosis. And, in Australia from 1945, standards for exposure to asbestos <a href="https://publishing.monash.edu/books/aa-9781925835618" target="_blank">were introduced</a> as controlling dust levels was thought the best way to prevent disease.
If Australia had stopped the use of asbestos in 1928, the ill health and death associated with asbestos would not be at levels we’ve seen since.
Instead, <a href="https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/system/files/documents/1702/literaturereview_airborneasbestosfibres_2008_pdf.pdf" target="_blank">Australia only stopped using</a> blue asbestos (the most carcinogenic form) in the late 1960s, brown asbestos (the next most carcinogenic) in the 1980s, and all asbestos in 2003.
By 2020, there will have been an estimated <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ajim.10047" target="_blank">18,000 cases of mesothelioma</a>, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/bjc2011563" target="_blank">108,000 cases of lung cancer</a> and <a href="https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/doc/asbestos-related-disease-indicators-2014" target="_blank">an unknown</a> but substantial number of cases of asbestosis in Australia.
How best to protect workers?
The standard response to the silicosis epidemic is that workers should use control measures and personal protection. However, there is <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://academic.oup.com/annweh/article/59/1/122/2464381" target="_blank">increasing</a> <a href="https://oeh.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15459624.2013.789706" target="_blank">evidence</a> dust control measures do not reduce the levels of silica to non-hazardous levels.
Many companies also use a mixture of dry and wet cutting, particularly when installing the products. As with asbestos, there simply is no way to safely use this material.
We need to go back to the basics of occupational health — <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hierarchy_of_hazard_controls" target="_blank">the hierarchy of control</a>. This means, if there is a hazard, we first see if we can eliminate it by banning the dangerous product.
This basic principle, taught to all occupational health and safety professionals, seems to have been forgotten for silica. For example, SafeWork Australia does not mention elimination in its online information on controlling <a href="https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/silica">silica</a>, although it does mention substitution with products containing lower levels of silica.
The <a href="https://www.breathefreelyaustralia.org.au/" target="_blank">Breathe Freely Australia</a> public health campaign, <a href="https://www.breathefreelyaustralia.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/bf-cmt-Hiearchy-of-Control.pdf" target="_blank">notes</a> elimination:
is the preferred method of control as it completely eliminates the hazard, but unfortunately it is not often feasible.
Yes, a ban is feasible
We argue it is feasible to ban artificial stone, which is not made in Australia but imported. There are many alternatives, such as natural stone, or <a href="https://www.bettastone.com.au/" target="_blank">Betta Stone</a> made from recycled glass.
The National Dust Disease Taskforce is <a href="https://consultations.health.gov.au/ohp-regulatory-policy-branch/national-dust-disease-taskforce/" target="_blank">taking submissions</a> until November 11, 2019.
We suggest:
1. A total ban on importing, making and using engineered stone with a crystalline silica content of more than 80%
2. Immediate regulation (in every jurisdiction) banning dry cutting, grinding or polishing of all artificial stone
3. A reduction of the workplace exposure standard for respiratory crystalline silica to half current levels by January 2020 (from 0.10mg/m³ to 0.05mg/m³). Disappointingly, a recent SafeWork Australia meeting rejected the opportunity to reduce the level to 0.02mg/m³.
It took 70 years for Australia to ban all forms of asbestos. We need to learn from that disaster and immediately ban artificial stone. We just can’t continue to let young Australian workers die just so we can have cheap, fashionable kitchens.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/126489/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lin-fritschi-7113" target="_blank">Lin Fritschi</a>, Professor of Epidemiology, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/curtin-university-873" target="_blank">Curtin University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alison-reid-344386" target="_blank">Alison Reid</a>, Associate Professor, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/curtin-university-873" target="_blank">Curtin University</a>
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/engineered-stone-benchtops-are-killing-our-tradies-heres-why-a-bans-the-only-answer-126489" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Engineered stone benchtops are killing our tradies. Here’s why a ban’s the only answer

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GUEST OBSERVER
People who have a financial shock are at greater risk of depression and a raft of other physical and mental health issues.
Public hearings for the <a href="https://financialservices.royalcommission.gov.au/Pages/default.aspx" target="_blank">Financial Services Royal Commission</a>, which resumed this week, are bringing to light some questionable practices in the sector – from lending beyond people’s means, to giving the <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-19/banking-royal-commission-live-blog-cba-westpac-anz/9674830" target="_blank">wrong financial advice</a> and <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-16/banking-royal-commission-financial-planners/9662166" target="_blank">charging for advice</a> that was never given.
Unaffordable home loans, poor financial advice and unmanageable consumer credit may have serious consequences for many Australians, beyond bankruptcy and debt. Financial loss can have catastrophic effects on mental health and relationships, and even physical health.
Spiraling down
Some of the most well-established consequences of major financial losses involve mental health. <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2230754" target="_blank">One study</a> of people who lost their retirement savings due to bank fraud found markedly elevated rates of depression and anxiety, and increased use of anti-anxiety medications.
Similar findings of high rates of depression and anxiety have been shown to follow <a href="http://npc.umich.edu/publications/u/2011-23-npc-working-paper-revised-dec-2011.pdf" target="_blank">mortgage foreclosure</a> and <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/hec.2983" target="_blank">rising unemployment</a>.
A more recent study of “<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3874451/" target="_blank">recession depression</a>” followed around 10,000 Americans over 50 years of age at the time of the 2008 stock market crash. During the last three months of that year, retirement accounts lost one-third of their value on average. Study respondents who were financially exposed to the crash reported substantially higher levels of depression and consumed more anti-depressants than their peers.
Financial and housing distress also increase the risk of suicide. Economic crises are associated with <a href="https://journals.lww.com/co-psychiatry/Abstract/2010/03000/Economic_crisis_and_mental_health_.9.aspx" target="_blank">increased suicide rates</a>, especially in countries with weaker labour market programs.
These rises are <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25054280" target="_blank">greater among men</a>, tied particularly to home repossession and debt for younger men and long-term unemployment for older ones. <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26082406" target="_blank">One study</a> attributed a 57% increase in men’s suicide in Ireland to recession and austerity between 2008 and 2012.
Economic crisis also has implications for behaviour towards loved ones. Although it may paradoxically <a href="https://theconversation.com/fewer-births-and-divorces-more-violence-how-the-recession-affected-the-american-family-34272" target="_blank">decrease rates of divorce</a>, research indicates it may <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10995-014-1469-0" target="_blank">increase child maltreatment</a> and intimate partner violence. One study revealed a link between foreclosure rates and <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://search.proquest.com/openview/538d3645dafadc71ce096aa98f44cf15/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&amp;cbl=18750&amp;diss=y" target="_blank">domestic violence calls to police</a>.
Crises may also ensure there are fewer loved ones to start with: <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21592423" target="_blank">birth rates decline during recessions</a>.
Shortening life
<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3874451/" target="_blank">Several studies</a> have noted a link between economic shocks such as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953616302957" target="_blank">foreclosure</a> and poor physical health. And a <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2677445" target="_blank">new paper</a>, published this month in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), shows that negative wealth shocks can endanger life itself.
The researchers examined mortality due to any cause in a sample of 8,714 adults who were representative of the US population. Study participants were aged 51 to 61 at the start of the 1994-2014 study period, and were followed every two years.
The sample was divided into three groups. One group, representing 67% of the sample, maintained continuous positive wealth over the 20-year period. A second, “asset poverty” group (7%), began the study with zero or negative net household wealth. The “negative wealth shock” group (26%) experienced at least one two-year period in which their household wealth dropped at least 75%.
People in the negative wealth shock group had a 50% higher death rate than those in the positive wealth group, after statistical controls were applied. By the end of the 20-year period, more than half of the former group had died, compared with less than 30% of the latter.
Death rates for people who underwent wealth shocks were comparable to those of people who began the study with nothing, or less than nothing.
Several other findings of the study stand out. First, women, ethnic minorities, and people who were divorced, widowed or never married at the start of the study period were especially vulnerable to negative wealth shocks.
Second, the risk of death due to negative wealth shocks was especially bad if it involved the loss of a primary residence.
Third, the risk was equally severe regardless of people’s initial net wealth: being richer before the shock was not protective.
How does it happen?
The JAMA study reveals the striking mental and physical health effects of negative wealth shocks, but it does not directly enlighten us as to their causes. Other research points to some answers.
As we have seen, one direct cause of elevated death rates among people who experience abrupt loss of wealth is suicide.
A less direct cause is a reduction in the use of health care. People who experience sudden loss of wealth <a href="http://www.nber.org/papers/w15843" target="_blank">visit doctors and dentists less</a> and reduce their adherence to treatment regimes, such as prescription medicines.
Relatedly, economic downturns in societies and households foster a variety of unhealthy behaviours and choices. <a href="http://www.nber.org/papers/w16638" target="_blank">Fruit and vegetable</a> consumption declines and fast food consumption rises. People may also <a href="http://www.nber.org/papers/w18660" target="_blank">increase alcohol use</a>.
In addition to health effects caused by unhealthy behaviour, economic losses can have adverse consequences via short-term and chronic stress on the body. Stress contributes to depression, which has downstream implications for physical ill-health and premature death. But it can also contribute to physical damage to the body.
One <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26773705" target="_blank">recent study</a> followed up older Americans over a five-year period from 2005-2006 to 2010-2011 that bridged the 2008 Great Recession. As part of the study, two biomarkers of stress response were assessed.
Systolic blood pressure is an indicator of heart function and predictive of chronic disease and premature death. C-reactive protein is a marker of inflammation, produced by the liver, that is associated with risk of coronary heart disease, cancer, diabetes, stroke and premature death.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/215545/original/file-20180419-164001-fw51vu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
High systolic blood pressure (the top number on the reading) indicates a greater risk of chronic disease.<a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/human-check-blood-pressure-monitor-heart-1065979691?src=pRbwE1cva97U5Kmv5Fsnxw-1-28"> </a>
The researchers found that both of these biomarkers rose among adults who suffered greater losses of wealth over the study period. They provide the best evidence to date of how major macro-level economic shocks have physiological effects on our bodies and “get under the skin” to impair health.
Positive wealth shocks?
Negative wealth shocks evidently have an assortment of dire consequences. But what about positive wealth shocks, where people receive sudden gains. Do these windfalls produce an equivalent assortment of positive effects on health?
Surprisingly, perhaps, the evidence for such effects is weak and inconsistent. <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24677260" target="_blank">Lottery winners</a> appear to reap modest increases in “subjective well-being” (formerly known as “happiness”) but little if any improvement in physical health.
 
However, recipients of bequests experience few psychological or physical benefits, perhaps because the windfall is often anticipated and tempered by a sense of loss.
Evidence that the psychological and physical benefits of windfalls are smaller than the costs of negative wealth shocks exemplifies a well known phenomenon. “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loss_aversion" target="_blank">Loss aversion</a>” refers to the principle that losses loom larger than gains in our minds. It has been used to explain the value we attach to things we own, and the emotional toll we suffer when a possession – such as a foreclosed home – is lost.
Where we sit relative to ownership appears to be critical in this regard. A <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953617305415?via%3Dihub" target="_blank">recent study</a> showed people who own their homes outright have seen health benefits from the wealth windfall due to rising house prices in Australia. These benefits spring from their investment of effort in exercise and weight loss.
However, rising house prices have had a negative effect on the physical and mental health of renters. For people who have won the generational lottery of home ownership there is some uplift, but for those who have lost there is a greater pain.
Nick Haslam, Professor of Psychology, University of Melbourne
This article was originally published on The Conversation.
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Losing wealth and losing health

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Damning new research has discovered how prevalent ice and methamphetamine residue is in Queensland rental homes.
In the past seven months, Meth Screen has conducted more than 400 tests, with 35% of Queensland properties testing positive for the illicit drug.
The frightening results found 36% of properties on the Gold Coast contain ice and methamphetamine residue.
In contrast 26% of properties in Brisbane recorded a positive reading.
Some six of the 14 properties (43%) tested on the Sunshine Coast discovered disturbing levels of ice and methamphetamine residue.
One Redland’s rental property recently tested positive for ice, with the methamphetamine readings three times above the Australian guideline levels.
“We’re hopeful landlord insurance will pay for the house to be decontaminated, but at the moment the house is unrentable and we’re losing thousands of dollars in potential rent,” the landlord said.
“Fortunately, we had the property tested for ice when our previous tenants broke their lease.
“I’d hate to think of the repercussions if I had leased the property to a family with young children, without getting the property tested. I’d be putting their health and welfare at risk.”
Crystal methamphetamine is costing Australia an estimated $4.4 billion a year, with Smoke Alarm Solutions launching its partnership with Meth Screen, so property owners and managers can undertake screening for ice and methamphetamine residue.
The partnership will see Smoke Alarm Solutions screen properties for residual meth contaminants, absorbed by floorings, walls, ducting and any furnishings or fixtures and determine if a previous tenant or occupant used or manufactured ice.
Smoke Alarm Solutions CEO Cameron Davis said landlords and real estate agents who value their tenants will adopt meth screening.
There are many short-term health effects associated with exposure to meth residue, including headaches, nausea, burning skin, dizziness, breathing difficulty, sleeplessness and behavioural issues.
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Many Queensland rental properties test positive for meth/ice 

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GUEST OBSERVER
Urban experts gathered at the ninth World Urban Forum in Kuala Lumpur over the past week to discuss progress on a global commitment to sustainable urban development. UN member states adopted the New Urban Agenda 15 months ago to guide the implementation in cities of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. And health is central to the New Urban Agenda – health is its “pulse”, as the World Health Organisation puts it.
Health must be at the heart of decisions about how to equitably house, feed, mobilise and economically support growing urban populations. Health is not just a desirable outcome but a fundamental driver of sustainable development.
Sustainable development and health are linked
Many sustainable development actions also have health benefits. The New Urban Agenda recognises that decent housing and access to health care, water and sanitation are the basic building blocks of health.
To add to the challenges of achieving these goals, the world’s cities are expected to gain 2.5 billion inhabitants by 2050. This reinforces the urgent need to provide equitable access to infrastructure and to upgrade informal settlements worldwide.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205632/original/file-20180209-180836-o0co5e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
 There is an urgent need to reduce inequities in access to decent housing, health care, water and sanitation worldwide. Hesam Kamalipour. Author provided.
The agenda has a focus on social inclusion and civic engagement in city planning. Such participation can improve mental well-being and empower communities to overcome urban health inequities. This is important for all urban residents, but particularly for disadvantaged communities.
The agenda proposes compact urban development which prioritises walking and cycling over private car use. Multiple health benefits flow from more physical activity and less air pollution.
Walking and cycling can also help mitigate climate change, which is predicted to contribute to an extra 250,000 deaths between 2030 and 2050 alone. Cycling, for example, can reduce an individual’s transportation carbon footprint by 58% compared to driving a car.
The natural environment is a vital health determinant, as it underpins all human life. The agenda promotes reducing cities’ environmental impact, building resilience to natural disasters, and preserving nature within cities.
Again, this has many implications for health. Greenery can reduce urban heat islands to protect against heat stress. Contact with nature improves mental health. Attractive green spaces encourage recreational physical activity.
The agenda emphasises the need to provide decent and productive work, end poverty and reduce income inequalities. This could minimise the social gradient in health – people with less income have poorer health.
Uncontrolled growth is unhealthy
Attaining these sustainability and health benefits will depend on how the New Urban Agenda is implemented. The World Urban Forum showcased many sustainable development achievements by governments and civil society. But we still have a long way to go to realise the NUA vision.
As the world urbanises and cities promote development and innovation, we must take care to balance economic growth with environmental preservation. Only then will we achieve truly sustainable health improvements.
Most countries have a bad track record of pursuing social and economic development at the expense of the natural environment. While the New Urban Agenda does recognise the need to balance environmental and health goals with economic development, it does not acknowledge the ecological limits to growth.
Currently, the top-ranked nations on the Sustainable Development Goal Index and the Human Development Index, such as Sweden and Denmark, have high ecological footprints per person. If everyone in the world lived like them, we would need more than three planets. This is clearly unsustainable.
As research by Wilkinson and Pickett shows, after a certain point, continued natural resource depletion for economic growth is not necessary to achieve good population health.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/206114/original/file-20180213-44654-g0k0sd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
After a certain point, higher emissions do not increase life expectancy, as Wilkinson and Pickett demonstrated. The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better, R. Wilkinson and K. Pickett
Agenda relies on inclusive, integrated planning
While the New Urban Agenda encourages consideration of health in urban policies, it does not detail the specific actions required.
Urban planning interventions must be consistent with the evidence on how to create healthy and less resource-intensive cities. A recent Australian study found that many urban policies are not evidence-based and are often not fully implemented.
Countries across the globe are looking at indicators to help monitor policy implementation. This includes spatial indicators that highlight inequities in access to infrastructure and amenities within and between cities.
It is widely recognised that implementing the New Urban Agenda will require the involvement of many sectors, including housing, transport, urban design, energy, employment and open space. National governments adopted the agenda, but city planning is often a responsibility of sub-national governments. The private sector and communities also have important contributions to make. 
In all cities, there is a need to clarify responsibilities and balance national government leadership with local government and community action. Integration between policy areas requires supportive legislative frameworks, political commitment, leadership, strong governance arrangements and personnel trained in collaboration.
Low- and middle-income countries are further behind on urban health, so have much to gain from implementing the agenda. Nevertheless, all countries, including Australia, have room for improvement. Australian cities continue to face issues with car dependence and inequities in access to public transport, jobs, services and amenities.
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/91009/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">All urban actors have a role to play in pursuing the New Urban Agenda’s vision of a sustainable and healthy urban future. As we hurtle towards doubling our population with rapid city growth, now is the time for action.
Melanie Lowe, Lecturer in Public Health, Australian Catholic University 
Alexei Trundle, PhD Candidate, Australian-German Climate &amp; Energy College, University of Melbourne 
André Stephan, Lecturer in Architectural Engineering, University of Melbourne 
Billie Giles-Corti, Director, Urban Futures Enabling Capability Platform and Director, Healthy Liveable Cities Group, RMIT University 
Hayley Henderson, PhD Candidate in Urban Planning, University of Melbourne 
Hesam Kamalipour, Research Fellow at Monash Art, Design and Architecture, Monash University
This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/this-is-why-health-has-to-be-at-the-heart-of-the-new-urban-agenda-91009" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Why health has to be at the heart of the New Urban Agenda

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Mirvac’s headquarters at EY Centre, 200 George Street, Sydney has just received a GOLD certification from the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), for the building’s features that takes into account the well-being of its occupants. 
The WELL Building Standard measures, certifying, and monitors the performance of a building’s features that focuses primarily on the health and well-being of occupants.
Mirvac’s headquarters has also achieved a 6 Star Green Star Interior rating, further contributing to the sustainable credentials of the building, according to a media release.
Mirvac’s CEO and managing director, Susan Lloyd-Hurwitz, said, "We are extremely proud to have achieved the first GOLD WELL Certification in Australia for our headquarters.
“We aspire to set the benchmark for innovative, healthy workplaces in Australia.”
Rick Fedrizzi, Chairman and CEO of IWBI, presented Mirvac with the certification recently.
“I could not be prouder to be in Australia this week and have the opportunity to personally present a WELL Gold plaque to Mirvac for its 200 George Street Project. 
“Mirvac has given architectural form to the health and well-being focus of WELL… putting humans at the centre of its design decisions, the Mirvac team has underscored how building science and bio science can work seamlessly together to deliver a higher level of health and well-being."
The certification is secured by achieving credits across seven categories including air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort and mind. 
Some of the features to achieve these credits within Mirvac’s workplace at 200 George Street include:
<ul>
<li>Fitness</li>
</ul>
A health and wellness educational seminar series is held in Mirvac’s headquarters in which health professionals educate staff on health and wellbeing;
Pilates classes are held in the office once a week; and
A wellness library with a range of health and wellbeing literature is hosted online for all employees.
<ul>
<li>Air</li>
</ul>
SAMBA sensors throughout the tenancy monitor air quality and create the optimal indoor air quality for employees; and
Air pollution removal, proper ventilation and air filtration are all important aspects Mirvac is implementing to maintain air quality.
<ul>
<li>Water</li>
</ul>
Safe and clean drinking water is provided through proper filtration methods. It is also accessible 30 meters from regularly occupied spaces to encourage hydration.
<ul>
<li>Nourishment</li>
</ul>
Mirvac’s internal café, The Song Kitchen, provides “healthy food” options 
<ul>
<li>Light</li>
</ul>
75 percent of workstations are located within 7.5 meters of a window, increasing access to natural light to provide physiological benefits; and
Lights are also programmed for varying brightness and darkness at appropriate points throughout the day to maintain optimal circadian rhythms.
<ul>
<li>Mind</li>
</ul>
In response to a physiological need to be around nature, Mirvac has developed a Biophilia plan that incorporates nature’s patterns throughout the tenancy design; and
Around 1,171 plants are in the tenancy, which is more than one plant per person.
Over the past few years, Mirvac conducted a series of internal Indoor Environmental Quality (“IEQ”) surveys utilising the Building Occupants Survey System Australia (“BOSSA”) methodology. 
BOSSA is a web-based survey tool designed to assess how satisfied building occupants are with the quality of their indoor environment.
The surveys were performed at Mirvac’s former tenancy at 60 Margaret Street, Sydney and then the new headquarters at 200 George Street, Sydney.
The BOSSA measurements for overall performance, health and productivity improved by 35 per cent since the previous survey. 
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Mirvac's headquarters in Sydney receives WELL certification for healthy workplace

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GUEST OBSERVER
What is an asbestos register?
An asbestos register is a record that must be maintained in the workplace. The register is considered an important part of maintaining a safe and healthy work environment, and must be available to review upon request. However, if it is known that works are to be carried out which involve a risk of exposure to airborne asbestos, including prior to any demolition or refurbishment works, then a copy of the register must be provided to the person conducting such work, whether or not it is requested.
Under the Work Health and Safety Act 2012 (SA) (Act), the register must include:
<ul>
<li>the location, type, and condition of any asbestos that is (or likely to be) present at the workplace; and</li>
<li>the date on which the asbestos was discovered.</li>
</ul>
You are required to maintain a register even if there is no asbestos identified in the workplace – the register must record that there is no asbestos identified, or is likely to be present from time to time at the workplace.
The register must be reviewed and as necessary revised if further asbestos is identified, removed, disturbed, sealed or enclosed at the workplace and prior to any demolition or refurbishment carried out at the workplace. There is no set time frame within which the register must be reviewed.
Does my building need to have one?
Under the Act, all places where a business is operated need to have an asbestos register, unless:
<ul>
<li>the building was built after the 31st of December 2003, and</li>
<li>no asbestos has been identified in that building, and</li>
<li>no asbestos is likely to be there from time to time.</li>
</ul>
Please note that the second and third exceptions above extend to anything that may be brought into the workplace. For example, some types of manufacturing plant or other machinery may contain asbestos. Working with or upon such plant and/or machinery would be sufficient to require a register.
Is it the responsibility of the tenant or the landlord to keep the register?
In accordance with the Act, the person conducting a business on the premises, and who has “management or control” of the workplace, is responsible for maintaining the register.
In practice it can be difficult to determine who has “management or control” of the workplace.  This will depend on the unique circumstances at each workplace. However, the following general guidelines may be of some assistance:
The tenant will generally be responsible for maintaining the register in instances where the landlord is not involved in the operation of the business. If you are a tenant operating a business in a self-contained building and you have control over the running of the workplace you will likely be responsible for maintaining the register.
The circumstances may differ with respect to shared premises, such as a shopping centre. These premises usually come with their own letting agent/management team, who may have a degree of control over the safety procedures of the workplace. In that situation, it may be the building manager’s responsibility to maintain the register solely or in conjunction with the tenant and/or landlord.
Geoff Forbes is partner, Piper Alderman and can be contacted <a href="https://www.piperalderman.com.au/index.php" target="_blank">here</a>.
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