<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/broadbeach-qld-4218">Broadbeach</a> offers plenty of reasons to live vertically, but moving from a substantial family home into an apartment can expose the compromises of high-density living. Privacy, room for guests and usable living space tend to matter more when an apartment is intended as a permanent home rather than an occasional coastal base.

A typical residential floor at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-eveleigh-broadbeach-7-9-surf-parade-broadbeach-qld-4218">The Eveleigh</a>, on Surf Parade,&nbsp;contains just four apartments. The 94-residence development by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/hirsch-faigen">Hirsch &amp; Faigen</a> is predominantly made up of expansive three-bedroom homes, with a limited collection of half-floor penthouses above.

Across the apartment floors, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a> has used the relatively limited number of residences to give each home greater access to natural light and outlook. Living spaces extend towards full-height glazing, while a series of bay windows frame selected views across the Pacific Ocean, city and hinterland rather than treating the building edge as a continuous wall of glass.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360965]

“The apartment floors deliver a collection of homes that embrace controlled outlook via a series of bay windows deliberately framing moments of view,” Rothelowman Director Kim Lowman said.

From outside, those projecting forms contribute to the tower’s faceted profile. Strong horizontal and vertical elements establish its proportions, while the changing position of the sun alters the light, shadow and reflection across the façade throughout the day.

The same attention moves inside the apartments, where the material palette combines warm timber, natural stone, metallic detailing and softer curved forms. Kitchens sit within the main living zone, with stone island benches, integrated joinery and European appliances, before the living areas extend towards the glazing and the outlook.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360981]

Three genuine bedrooms provide room to accommodate family and guests, while two secure car spaces and storage address some of the practical considerations that can become more noticeable when moving from a larger home. Feedback from the display suite has centred on the warmth and restraint of the interiors, with buyers commenting that the residences feel like homes rather than conventional coastal apartments.

A limited collection of half-floor penthouses occupies the upper levels, increasing the scale of the living spaces and adding private balconies and elevated finishes. From this position, the outlook extends between the ocean and hinterland.

Outside the private residences, The Eveleigh separates its shared spaces between the podium and rooftop. The podium is centred on wellness, with subtropical landscaping surrounding a swimming pool and pool terrace, yoga garden, private gymnasium, sauna and hot and cold plunge facilities. Landscaped retreats and pavilions provide additional places to sit away from the main recreation areas.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360966]

Higher in the building, a rooftop pavilion and private dining suite sit alongside resident lounge, barbecue and outdoor dining areas, opening towards panoramic views across the ocean, city and hinterland.

“Buyers are no longer just looking for an apartment, but a lifestyle where they can relax, reset, and enjoy a balanced way of living,” Hirsch &amp; Faigen Director of Sales Matt George said.

Interest to date has come from established owner-occupiers and interstate lifestyle purchasers, including buyers planning a future move to the Gold Coast. Many are coming from larger homes and want to reduce ongoing maintenance without giving up space for family and guests, privacy, two car spaces or the ability to entertain at home.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360969]

Much of that daily life can also take place beyond the building without requiring a drive. Kurrawa Beach and Pratten Park are an easy walk from Surf Parade, while Pacific Fair, Oracle Boulevard, The Oasis, restaurants, cafés, entertainment and public transport are also within walking distance.

The Eveleigh is Hirsch &amp; Faigen's fourth Gold Coast development since entering the market in 2021, following The Hemingway at Palm Beach, The Emerson at Kirra and Yves at Mermaid Beach. Each of the preceding projects sold out before completion.

“Broadbeach had been on our radar throughout our time operating on the Gold Coast,” the developer said. “Following our projects in Palm Beach, Kirra and Mermaid Beach, Broadbeach represented the natural next step for the business.”

The Surf Parade site brought together proximity to the beach, protected coastal outlooks and walkability to dining, shopping and recreation. Hirsch &amp; Faigen also identified the street as an emerging premium residential address, with enough separation from Broadbeach's busier destinations to retain a quieter environment at home.

The Eveleigh is now under construction by Maxcon, with completion forecast for mid-2028. Three-bedroom residences are currently available from $2.87 million.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=149670]

Joel Robinson

The Eveleigh brings house-like apartments to Broadbeach

A long-stalled Campbelltown development site is back in play, with new plans for 139 apartments set to supersede a mixed-use scheme approved almost a decade ago but never built.

The new proposal for 28 Cordeaux Street would deliver 116 market and 23 affordable apartments in a part 14-storey building, bringing a substantial new project into a Campbelltown market where new apartment supply remains limited.

Plans have been filed over the 3,092 sqm corner site at Moore-Oxley Street, around 600 metres from Campbelltown Railway Station and the city-centre retail core.

The site already carries a mixed-use residential approval dating to 2016. Doroch Architects has now been engaged on a larger replacement scheme, which is progressing as a State Significant Development Application following a Housing Delivery Authority determination in August 2025.

The apartment mix comprises 39 one-bedroom, 72 two-bedroom and 28 three-bedroom residences. Two-bedroom apartments make up just over half of the project, while three-bedroom homes account for 20 per cent.

<img alt="First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="136dd5b9-3791-4da6-9e31-76f533f5b4de" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Campbelltown%20da2.png?VersionId=LgOSy9nwf5u.MGswBBwaGGxuX8QpHSl_" />

Of the 139 apartments, 23 will be delivered as affordable housing under the in-fill affordable housing provisions of the Housing SEPP. The affordable component represents 15 per cent of the residential gross floor area and will be managed by a registered Community Housing Provider.

Doroch has sought to break the scale of the building into two distinct elements, with a masonry podium of around four storeys establishing the street edge before the residential tower steps back above.

The corner position has shaped that approach. Cordeaux Street faces toward the commercial and civic centre, while Moore-Oxley Street leads into the lower-scale residential neighbourhood to the south, and the design verification report describes the site as "bridging the commercial core to the north and established residential areas to the south."

The podium will be expressed predominantly in face brick, while the upper levels shift to brushed and grooved concrete cladding with darker metal detailing. Recessed sections, deep balcony edges and landscaping break down the upper form, with an approximately 11.8-metre setback to the northern boundary addressing the adjoining St Peters Anglican School.

<img alt="First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c8b3d2d3-c561-4bfc-a5d9-a68c0c10dac1" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Campbelltown%20da1.png?VersionId=AeAEyJU02Gk2k5noUj2StziCvdQ7fW4B" />

Campbelltown has been starved of new residential developments in the last decade.

The only other notable development set to come to market this year is ALAND's Queen Square, a mixed-use precinct on over two hectares that will comprise apartments above a vibrant ground-level retail and hospitality dining precinct.

First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site

First Look: Sherlock Construction pitches apartments for low-rise Deception Bay

Queensland builder-developer MAYD has revealed the first look at its major North Kirra beachfront development, lodging amended plans that reduce the number of apartments and increase the proportion of larger residences.

The project is planned across a substantial 4,742 sqm amalgamated site spanning seven lots at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/2-6-pacific-parade-bilinga-qld-4225">2-6 Pacific Parade</a> and 27-33 Golden Four Drive in Bilin​ga, directly opposite Nor​th Kirra Beach.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/mayd-group">MAYD</a> secured the site for $32.5 million in 2025, in what was one of the Gold Coast's largest property transactions of the year.

The development will be delivered across two stages, with the first stage carrying an estimated gross realisation value of around $360 million.

The latest amendments seek to reduce the overall apartment count and shift the project further toward the owner-occupier market, with larger residences designed for buyers wanting considerably more space than traditionally offered in a beachfront apartment.

The residential mix will include townhomes, oversized two-bedroom apartments, substantial three-bedroom residences and four-bedroom homes.

MAYD has appointed Cera Stribley to lead the architecture and interiors, with the Melbourne-based design practice drawing on the beachfront setting through a series of ocean-facing terraces and heavily landscaped balconies.

Strong horizontal forms and curved balconies will define the exterior, with subtropical landscaping integrated throughout the building to soften the built form and increase the connection between the residences and the beachfront.

The project will also include an extensive collection of resident wellness and lifestyle facilities, continuing the broader shift across the Gold Coast's luxury apartment market toward larger homes supported by resort-style amenity.

<img alt="MAYD" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d1bcbb05-e659-4b47-8bd4-1e595315e2ad" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-27%20at%202.05.03%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=jj0XEud1X1DuLt7_KyElhjMdZGOXmLHP" />

MAYD Founder Todd Mould said North Kirra was increasingly appealing to buyers attracted to the more established, lower-density character of the southern Gold Coast.

"North Kirra presents one of the most compelling luxury residential opportunities currently emerging in Australia, combining absolute beachfront with the character and authenticity that buyers are increasingly seeking, and the same sense of tight-knit community that defined Burleigh and Currumbin perhaps 10 or 15 years ago," Mould said.

"With Gold Coast Airport on its doorstep, it also offers a level of accessibility that broadens its appeal across almost every market demographic."

The project comes as the southern Gold Coast continues to attract an increasing share of high-end apartment development and buyer activity.

Kirra in particular has emerged as one of the region's more tightly held beachfront markets, with its relatively low-density character, established surf and hospitality scene and proximity to Gold Coast Airport differentiating it from the higher-density markets further north.

Mould said those characteristics had informed the approach MAYD and Cera Stribley had taken to the project.

"We've worked closely with Cera Stribley to create a vision that is deeply connected to its surroundings," he said.

"Inspired by the coastline itself, the architecture has been shaped around space, privacy and resort-style living, creating a collection of homes that reflects the next generation of luxury on the southern Gold Coast."

MOTIV Managing Director Carly Cottam, who has been appointed to market the project, said buyer attention had continued to move south along the Gold Coast.

"Purchasers who may once have defaulted to Broadbeach, Main Beach or Surfers Paradise are increasingly recognising the value of a genuine beachfront location that offers lower density, strong amenity and a more established sense of community," Cottam said.

"Kirra has a powerful combination of growing demand and genuine scarcity. Beachfront supply is inherently constrained, the area remains relatively low density, and buyers are increasingly placing a premium on locations that feel established, uncrowded and authentic rather than heavily developed."

Cottam said the proximity to Gold Coast Airport was also proving increasingly important for interstate and second-home buyers.

"Being minutes from Gold Coast Airport makes it particularly compelling for interstate buyers, frequent travellers and second-home purchasers who can access an authentic coastal lifestyle almost immediately after stepping off a flight."

The acquisition takes MAYD's active development portfolio to more than $500 million, with the North Kirra project representing one of its largest undertakings to date.

MAYD is targeting an early 2027 launch.

First look at MAYD's North Kirra mixed-use precinct

<main data-perf-region="main">
Castle Hill, the longtime hub of the Hills District, has been one of the major beneficiaries of Sydney's Metro expansion, with improved connectivity helping drive continued population growth, development and buyer demand across the Hills District.

But despite that growth, the suburb has seen relatively few major new apartment projects brought to market over the past 18 months.

Hills District developer Reve Group is looking to fill that gap with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/nova-r-ve-castle-hill-2-garthowen-crescent-castle-hill-nsw-2154">Nova Rêve</a>, a major new mixed-use precinct on the corner of Garthowen Crescent and Old Castle Hill Road, a short walk from Castle Hill Metro Station and Castle Towers.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377679]

The project will comprise three residential towers alongside a hotel, restaurants, cafes and a skybar, more than 1,600 sqm of ground-floor retail and almost an acre of landscaped gardens.

It represents the largest project undertaken by Reve Group, the development arm of the Kassis family, which has been building across the Hills District for more than 30 years through Kassis Homes.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377675]

Nova Rêve also represents a significant step up from the family's first apartment development, Grand Rêve, which was delivered nearby on Garthowen Crescent.

Grand Rêve introduced larger, house-like apartment layouts and premium inclusions including Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances to the Castle Hill market.

Nova Rêve takes that approach to a precinct scale, combining the residential component with hospitality, retail and substantial public and resident landscaping.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377685]

Reve Group Managing Director Sam Kassis said the project reflected the family's three decades of building in the Hills, which has evolved from trophy homes on quarter-acre blocks to larger-scale apartment development.

"Grand Rêve was our first apartment project here and it showed us what this pocket of Castle Hill could be. Nova Rêve is the refinement of that idea: not just apartments, but a place the whole suburb can use," Kassis said.

A key part of that approach is the hotel, which has been designed to operate as an amenity for the wider Castle Hill community rather than solely hotel guests.

It will include restaurants, cafes, skybars and all-day dining, alongside conference and event facilities catering to business functions, community groups and private events.

At ground level, more than 1,600 sqm of shops and cafes will open onto the surrounding streets and landscaped areas.

Almost an acre of gardens designed by Land and Form Studios will run through the precinct, incorporating pathways, seating, barbecue areas and children's play spaces.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377680]

Reve Group's Romio Georges said creating an active ground plane had been central to the planning of Nova Rêve.

"There are gardens with pathways, barbecues, seating and play areas, shops and cafes opening onto the street, and a hotel with restaurants and a skybar that anyone in Castle Hill can walk into," Georges said.

The project's elevated position on one of Sydney's highest ridgelines will also provide apartments with outlooks toward the Sydney skyline, surrounding parkland and the Blue Mountains.

More than 80 per cent of the apartments will occupy corner positions, with Turner responsible for both the architecture and interiors.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152737]

<h3 data-end="3697" data-section-id="q3n5ak" data-start="3672">&nbsp;</h3>
</main>

Nova Rêve arrives as Reve Group bets on Castle Hill's next growth phase

<html><body>
Probuild has been revealed as the nation’s most active construction company during 2016/17 in the HIA-CoreLogic Construction 100 Report 2016/17.
The report presents in-depth analysis of the engineering construction, non-residential building, and apartment sectors and ranks the largest 100 companies operating in these sectors.
Victoria-based Probuild has made the most of the apartment boom in Melbourne and Sydney as well as the demand for construction of mixed-used developments including luxury hotels to jump from fifth on the list last year to the top spot amongst Australia’s Construction 100.
The scale of the mining project downturn on the engineering construction side means that levels of expenditure have slowed for three consecutive years between 2014/15 and 2016/17.
The big news in the engineering sector is that in the second half of 2016/17 activity rose by 3.3 per cent compared with the first half of the year.
This is the most encouraging news from this sector for a number of years.
Lendlease held second spot on the Construction 100 for the second year in a row with contracts totalling $5.3 billion awarded during the 2016/17 year, predominantly for civil engineering work, community construction projects and commercial construction.
Multiplex ranked third with $5.14 billion worth of new contracts awarded.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/09/21/1505955060914.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2017/09/21/1505955060914.jpg" alt="">
John Holland and CPB Contractors benefited from the boost in public sector investment in transport infrastructure in the major capital cities and ranked fourth and fifth on the Construction 100 respectively.
The changing mix of work within the construction sector is clearly evident amongst the activity of firms in the Construction 100.
The nation’s largest construction firms have proven highly capable of adapting their services to meet the demands of current economic conditions and deliver the projects that the market has required.
Looking ahead we expect that the impending slowdown in apartment building will be offset by further growth in public sector investment in infrastructure.
Business confidence is also showing signs of improvement which is a signal that demand for construction from the private sector could also strengthen.
This investment profile should ensure that the construction sector continues to be a significant driver of economic growth.
</body></html>

j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Australia’s top construction companies revealed

<html><body>
For the second year in a row, Metricon Homes was revealed as the nation’s number one residential builder, at the launch of the HIA-COLORBOND® steel Housing 100 Report in Melbourne this morning.
<a href="https://www.metricon.com.au" target="_blank">Metricon Homes</a> reported a total of 4,367 starts - just two more than last year - across Victoria, Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia.
Of these starts, 3,876 were detached houses and 491 were semi-detached dwellings.
The number of new houses commenced in Australia has fallen over the last year, but the bar for entry into the HIA–COLORBOND® steel Housing 100 Report continues to rise.
The number of starts required to make the list has increased from 96 to 108 – the highest entry hurdle on record.
The HIA–COLORBOND® steel Housing 100 Report shows that:
<ul>
<li>Australia’s 100 largest builders increased their starts by 8.5 per cent to 74,572 during 2016/17, the highest number of starts on record for the Housing 100 group;</li>
<li>The Housing 100 accounted for 45 per cent of all new dwellings started in 2016/17;</li>
<li>Revenue earned from home construction by the Housing 100 increased by 22 per cent to $22.61 billion in 2016/17.</li>
</ul>
The number of new dwellings commenced in Australia declined by 6.9 per cent in 2016/17 but the number of housing starts by the largest 100 Builders in Australia actually increased by 8.5 per cent.
These results show that even in a shrinking market, there are a smaller number of builders that are still growing their business.
The boom in apartments - particularly in Sydney and Melbourne - has been a major factor in this year’s results.
Multi-unit starts have declined this year compared to the previous year, but they still remain at very elevated levels.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/09/20/Screen%20Shot%202017-09-20%20at%2010.48.02%20am.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2017/09/20/Screen%20Shot%202017-09-20%20at%2010.48.02%20am.jpg" alt="">
<a href="https://www.dyldam.com.au" target="_blank">Dyldam Developments</a> is Australia’s second-largest homebuilder with 3,605 starts during 2016/17. All of Dyldam Developments’ starts relate to apartment construction in Sydney.
<a href="https://www.abngroup.com.au" target="_blank">ABN Group</a> defied a slow market in Western Australia to achieve third place on the list.
The biggest mover for a second year in a row was the <a href="https://www.mjhgroup.net.au" target="_blank">MJH Group</a> with an increase of 517 starts in 2016/17.
This is in addition to their growth of 1,034 starts during the previous year escalating them to sixth place on the list of largest builders in Australia.
ACT-based <a href="https://www.geocon.com.au" target="_blank">GEOCON</a> more than doubled its number of starts – with an increase of 492 starts - in 2016/17. This makes them the second biggest mover in the year.
The NSW <a href="https://rilowgroup.com.au" target="_blank">RILOW Group</a> jumped 26 spots on the list to be the 58th largest builder in the country.
There are 17 builders appearing on the list for the first time, which are predominantly from NSW and Queensland.
The prior HIA-COLORBOND® steel Housing 100 Report 2015/16 revealed a fourth consecutive increase in new dwelling commencements for Australia’s largest volume builders, with Metricon topping the latest list.
The total number of HOUSING 100 starts was 69,161 in 2015/16, compared to the previous record of 69,100 in 2003/04 and the ten year high of 68,621 reached in 2014/15.
The report, that ranks Australia’s largest 100 residential builders based on the number of homes commenced each year, found that Metricon Homes was the nation’s number one home builder in 2015/16.
</body></html>

Metricon tops HIA’s Top Homebuilders again

<html><body>
Based on performance during 2015/16, a total of 22 Hotspots have been identified in NSW this year – an increase of one compared with a year ago.
These are ranked in order of their respective population growth rate during 2015/16.
The strength of new residential building activity in the state – particularly on the apartment side – means that NSW accounts for a disproportionately large share of the national total.
The bar is higher for areas in NSW to qualify as a Hotspot with approval required for at least $150 million worth of residential building work during 2015/16.
This threshold was increased in last year’s report from $100 million previously.
As discussed above, NSW accounts for nine of the national Top Twenty Hotspots.
The Greater Sydney market completely dominates the state’s haul of Hotspots – none of them are located in regional NSW.
Cobbitty-Leppington remained in pole position this year having increased the amount of building work approved from $363.8 million to $506.5 million.
The rate of population growth also accelerated slightly, from 26.1 percent to 27.6 percent.
Riverstone-Marsden Park jumped two places in the rankings to second this year - Riverstone-Marsden Park received more residential building approvals than Cobbitty-Leppington during 2015/16 ($598.6 million) but was ranked lower due to a slightly weaker rate of population growth (+23.6 per cent).
As a result of Riverstone-Marsden Park’s ascent, Homebush Bay-Silverwater slipped into third spot from second last year.
The value of residential building work approved fell from $505.6 million in 2014/15 to $365.0 million in 2015/16 and the rate of population growth slowed to a still-creditable 11.5 percent.
In terms of approvals for alterations and additions, the strongest area of NSW was again Mosman where a total of $94.4 million worth of approvals were recorded in 2015/16.
This was followed by Newcastle-Cooks Hill ($63.3 million), Double Bay- Bellevue Hill ($53.1 million) and Willoughby-Castle Cove-Northbridge ($41.3 million).
The NSW renovations market is benefitting from the substantial rise in dwelling prices over the past five years which has pumped up home equity levels, a situation made all the more favourable by the environment of very low interest rates.
There is also evidence that Sydney homeowners are refraining from moving house in the current environment due to the high costs and instead are engaging in major renovations work on their existing homes.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/05/29/Screen%20Shot%202017-05-29%20at%2011.46.42%20AM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/05/29/Screen%20Shot%202017-05-29%20at%2011.46.42%20AM.png" alt="">
A three bedroom house at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-cobbitty-125349790" target="_blank">29/665 Cobbitty Road</a>, Cobbitty (above) has been listed with an asking price of $525,000.
Similarly a four bedroom house at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-leppington-125408050" target="_blank">41 Jamboree Avenue</a>, Leppington (below) has been listed for between $929,000 to $989,000.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2017/06/08/41%20Jamboree%20Avenue.jpg" alt="">
</body></html>

jonathanchancellor-7SQnKwU6yx

Cobbitty-Leppington ranked first for Sydney hotspots: HIA

<html><body>
Lending to owner occupiers to build or buy a new home increased by 4.3 percent in March 2017 after month on month declines in January and February, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Loans to buy a new dwelling were up by 1.9 percent on the previous month.
Lending during the full March 2017 quarter was down by 0.4 percent on the level a year earlier.
Geordan Murray, economist, HIA, said after the housing finance figures showed a relatively soft start to the year, a jump in March saw the number of loans to owner-occupiers building or buying new homes increase by 4.3 percent.
“The increase in new home lending during the month was primarily driven by an increase in the number of loans to those purchasing new homes, which were up by 9.5 percent in the month," he said.
"Furthermore, during the full March 2017 quarter lending activity in this part of the market was 8.1 percent higher than a year earlier.
"The number of loans to owner-occupiers constructing or purchasing new homes during the March 2017 quarter was stronger than a year earlier in five of the eight states and territories.
The largest increase was recorded in Queensland (+10.9 percent), followed by Tasmania (+10.1 percent), Victoria (+9.2 percent), South Australia (+6.5 percent), and New South Wales (+3.8 percent).
The largest fall was recorded in the Northern Territory (-35.5 percent), followed by Western Australia (-7.6 percent) and the ACT (-2.4 percent).
"A growing number of apartment projects that have been under construction over the last couple of years are now reaching completion.
"This means that buyers who purchased off the plan are now reaching the settlement stage.
"We expect to see lending in this part of the market continue to rise over the year ahead as more apartment projects reach completion."
</body></html>

Lending to owner occupiers to build or buy up in March

<html><body>
The housing focus in the 2017 Budget sends an important signal to the community the Government is serious about delivering more affordable housing, according to the Housing Industry Association.
Graham Wolfe, deputy managing director, HIA said there are no simple solutions but providing well targeted assistance to help first home buyers save for their first home and to providers of community housing through the ‘National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation’ will make a difference.
“Although not an affordability measure, the incentives for ‘downsizers’ will also help stimulate the supply of new housing more appropriate to the needs of our seniors," he said.
“Much of the work to improve housing affordability rests with state and local governments and the Budget has made significant commitments to encourage action.
"The National Housing Infrastructure Facility has $1billion behind it is more than just window dressing.
“Linking the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement’s $1.8 billion to the states and local governments delivering improved housing supply and better planning systems is a significant and welcome reform.
“The ‘city deals’ expansion into smaller scale projects is also a welcome development: the big ticket projects are important but much can be achieved by removing obstacles to more efficient delivery of homes.
“However HIA is concerned about the negative impacts on residential building from the Budget’s measures on foreign investment.
“Plans to tax vacant homes, limit the share of foreign investment in new projects and increase foreign investor duties all send exactly the wrong signal to potential investors in Australia.
“HIA would urge the Government to build on the Budget’s initial steps towards more affordable housing by making this a standing item on the COAG agenda.
“In the meantime HIA will continue to urge the Government to undertake a thorough national inquiry into housing affordability and establish a mechanism for the regular monitoring of the crucial supply of land for the residential building industry."
</body></html>

2017 Budget is a step towards housing affordability: HIA

<html><body>
Australia needs supply not demand focused solutions to address our national affordability challenges, said the Housing Industry Association.
“Attempts to remove demand for new housing will reduce supply, affordability and jobs,” said HIA’s Deputy Managing Director, Graham Wolfe.
“While several measures announced today by Labor to address Australia’s housing affordability challenges provide a sensible approach to increasing supply of new homes, others targeting demand will have an adverse impact on affordability now and into the future,” said Mr Wolfe.
“We can’t address housing affordability nationally with both eyes solely on Sydney and Melbourne,” said Mr Wolfe.
“Sydney house price increases have been driven by many factors, including significant population growth, a ten-year supply recession, low interest rates and the impact of extremely high stamp duty costs on sales in the established housing market.”
The dynamics in Perth, Adelaide, Northern Queensland and Darwin are very different.
Foreign investors and self-managed superannuation fund investors cannot be blamed for the recent fall in house prices in Perth and Darwin, or the slower level of new housing activity in Adelaide.
Inflicting demand side measures on these capital cities ignores the significant negative impact on housing supply, jobs and economic growth in these economies.
Right now, if foreign capital investment in Australia helped bring significant residential development projects to commencement in Perth, creating jobs and production, the Western Australian economy would be much better for it.
Australia needs a credible land planning body to provide national monitoring and forecasting of future land release and housing requirements.
The body would help to inform government policy on financing, infrastructure and demographics.
Other policies to address housing affordability must include a reduction in the imbedded taxation on new housing, government funding to support infrastructure and reforms to address unnecessary planning delays in bringing new residential developments to market.
Our national housing affordability challenge is complex, and necessitates a national ‘cost of housing’ inquiry to identify impediments to the supply of new housing.
Such an inquiry would bring together the overlapping impact of regulations, taxes and barriers imposed by all three levels of government, and importantly, inform governments in developing cohesive, integrated and responsible housing reforms, measures and programs,” concluded Mr Wolfe.
</body></html>

The answer to our housing affordability challenge is housing supply: HIA

<html><body>
GUEST OBSERVER
The Housing Industry Association, the voice of Australia’s residential building industry supports the Turnbull Government’s focus on first home buyer access and reducing the costs of new housing supply.
Housing affordability is a dominant policy issue in 2017, but it is also a complex one.
A suite of policies to address low housing affordability is required and these policies need to come from the Federal government, state governments, and from cooperation between the two levels.
Changes to negative gearing (and capital gains tax) are not the appropriate policy focus to addressing Australia’s housing affordability challenge. Reducing the cost of new housing supply and tackling the deposit gap faced by aspiring first home buyers is the appropriate core focus.
In this regard a ‘bond aggregator’ model to increase public and social housing supply is a good start. Consideration of allowing first home buyers to access super savings to support a housing deposit is another policy worthy of debate.
A well-designed housing infrastructure fund must also be part of the Federal government’s consideration. A Federal government-backed policy to reduce the price of non-essential infrastructure currently being paid for by new home buyers would play a crucial role in reducing the cost of new housing supply. 
Independent research conducted for HIA by Independent Economics, using the same model as that used by Commonwealth Treasury, provides compelling evidence that amending negative gearing provisions would be a retrograde step as it would reduce both Australian living standards and housing affordability.
In an ‘ideal’ world the two keys to fully addressing Australia’s housing affordability challenge are boosting residential land supply and eliminating stamp duty on residential property conveyances.
Both represent large policy challenges, and can be achieved with cooperation between state governments and the Federal government.
The Henry Tax Review ‘blueprint’ correctly recognised that reforms to housing supply and housing assistance need to come before everything else. Consideration of any policies to amend negative gearing or capital gains tax concessions forget this important finding, provide false hope to aspiring home buyers, and will lead to a deterioration in housing affordability. 
Kristin Brookfield is the Chief Executive Industry Policy at the Housing Industry Association (HIA). You can contact her <a href="https://hia.com.au/IndustryPolicy/PolicyTeam.aspx" target="_blank">here</a>.
</body></html>

jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

HIA supports housing policy focus from federal government: Kristin Brookfield

<html><body>
New home building activity in Australia is forecast to move back a gear in 2017, from the record highs seen during the previous 12 months, according to the latest forecasts presented in the Housing Industry Association National Outlook.
“2016 will long occupy a special place in the history of Australia’s residential building industry.
"New dwelling starts hit an all-time high of 228,230 during the year – the culmination of the longest housing upturn since the end of WWII,” said HIA senior economist, Shane Garrett.
“Even though we saw new dwelling starts reach record levels during 2016 on a national basis, the geographic pattern of activity is still strikingly uneven.
Four of the eight states actually experienced falls in new home starts last year.”
With taxation accounting for over 40 per cent of the price of a new house in several key markets, the long-term solution to the affordability challenge has to involve root and branch changes to the way is which new housing is taxed.”
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/03/08/Screen%20Shot%202017-03-08%20at%205.11.28%20pm.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2017/03/08/Screen%20Shot%202017-03-08%20at%205.11.28%20pm.jpg" alt="">
“Even though new dwelling starts will decline over the next couple of years, the annual volume of new home starts is not likely to fall below 173,000 at any stage.
By any standard, this is still a very robust level of activity,” concluded Shane Garrett.
The Summer 2017 edition of the Housing Industry Association National Outlook report discusses how the number of new dwelling commencements nationally is likely to have peaked at 231,803 during 2015/16.
New dwelling starts are projected to decline by 6.9 per cent during 2016/17 with a further fall of 15.3 per cent anticipated to take place the following year.
A smaller reduction of 5.2 percent is expected to bring new dwelling starts to a cyclical low point of 173,169 in the 2018/19 financial year before growth resumes in 2019/20.
According to the HIA National Outlook report, the volume of renovations work is anticipated to grow by 1.6 percent during 2016/17 and by 2.0 percent in 2017/18.
The pace of growth is expected to pick up the following year (+2.7 percent) bringing the value of the Australian renovations market to $34.65 billion during 2018/19.
</body></html>

Home building forecasted to decline with further reduction next year: HIA

<html><body>
GUEST OBSERVER
<div class="WordSection1">
NSW First Home Buyer (FHB) assistance measures have not kept pace with the market.
First home buyers represent only 8 percent of owner- occupier home loans in NSW, compared to 15 percent in Victoria and 16 percent in Queensland.
The overall package for first home buyers in NSW has had a consistent and critical flaw for some time. That is that the stamp duty exemptions for FHB’s (via the First Home - New Home package) have not worked in tandem with the First Home Owners Grant.
A full stamp duty exemption should be offered for new properties up to the same monetary cap as the First Home Owners Grant of $750,000 and on vacant land up to $450,000. Currently, a full stamp duty exemption is only available on new properties up to $550,000 and vacant land up to $ 350,000.
I doubt any first home buyers are able to meet the criteria for a stamp duty concession virtually anywhere in Sydney. The stamp duty price caps were put in place in 2012 and prices in Sydney have increased by more than 50 percent in that time.
This is way out of touch with the reality of today’s market.
The overall support to first home buyers would be far more successful if these simple changes were made as soon as possible.
First Home Buyers in NSW are struggling to get a foothold in the market and reinstating the $15,000 grant for new dwellings up to $750,000 and providing a stamp duty exemption to the same amount could provide a saving of up to $34,000 up front.
Whilst longer term structural change is needed to deal with inefficient taxes like stamp duty, such change is unlikely to come anytime soon. That’s why we need to support those struggling to enter the market in the near to medium term.
David Bare is HIA executive director, NSW, and can be contacted <a href="https://hia.com.au/about/Contact.aspx?contactustab=Media" target="_blank">here</a>.
</div>
</body></html>

NSW government needs to make first home buyers assistance effective: David Bare

<html><body>
The first key new housing update for 2017 provides a softer update, says the Housing Industry Association.
“The HIA New Homes Sales Report – a survey of Australia’s largest home builders showed a moderate decline of 2.2 percent in January 2017,” said HIA Chief Economist, Dr Harley Dale.
“This weaker update does follow a relatively decent run home for new home sales in late 2016.
Given that Australia is tailing off from the largest and longest new home building cycle in history, both the total and sub-component profiles for new home sales are still in very good shape,” said Harley Dale.
“There aren’t many sectors punching above their weight in the nation’s economy right now, so the profile for new home sales is also good news for Australia as a whole.
HIA’s latest forecasts for new dwelling commencements will be released on Thursday and they will paint a healthy short term picture for residential construction.
There is nothing to be seen in this latest update for new home sales or from any other recent leading indicator results to deter us from this outlook,” concluded Harley Dale.
The January 2017 update for the HIA’s monthly New Home Sales survey reveals a decline of 1.5 percent in detached house sales following a similar fall of 1.6 percent in December last year.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/02/28/Screen%20Shot%202017-02-28%20at%201.05.50%20pm.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2017/02/28/Screen%20Shot%202017-02-28%20at%201.05.50%20pm.jpg" alt="">
Detached house sales fell by a very modest 1.1 percent over the three months to January 2017 to be down by 4.0 percent when compared to the same period 12 months previously.
The sale of ‘multi-units’ dropped by 4.3 percent in January following an increase of 6.4 percent in December 2016.
Over the three months to January 2017 multi-unit sales increased by 4.8 percent to a level 9.0 percent higher than the comparable period a year earlier.
Seasonally adjusted new detached house sales increased by 12.1 percent in Western Australia in January 2017 following a sharp dip of 9.1 percent last December.
In the month of January 2017 detached house sales fell by 6.8 percent in New South Wales, 4.1 percent in Victoria, 2.0 percent in Queensland, and 1.4 percent in South Australia.
</body></html>

Hia

Editor's Picks

Have something to contribute?

Developments

New apartments

New townhouses

News

Hia