The new <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/yarraville-green-42-stephen-street-yarraville-vic-3013">Yarraville Green</a> development in Melbourne's inner west is showing that landscaping can be just as influential as architecture, with buyers responding strongly to the garden-first approach adopted from the outset by developer Excelon Projects and the project's design team.

Excelon appointed Six Degrees Architects and landscape architects SBLA to work collaboratively on the development, with a brief to create "a sustainable, design-led building with a focus on community."

That approach has resonated with buyers. According to Next Chapter Director Tom Hirini, who is leading the sales campaign, the landscaped communal garden has become one of the project's defining features, alongside its boutique scale and European-inspired cluster housing concept.

Local downsizers, right-sizers and established families already living in Yarraville and surrounding suburbs have accounted for the majority of purchasers.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144913 project_image_fid=297740]

Yarraville Green will comprise 53 homes, including apartments and townhomes, arranged around the shared central garden to maximise connections to the landscaped open space. Parking has been moved underground, allowing the ground plane to be dedicated to greenery, pedestrian movement and communal spaces.

The landscape extends well beyond passive planting. Productive garden beds, a pergola, communal gathering spaces, garden sheds and a pet wash have all been integrated into the masterplan, creating spaces designed to encourage everyday interaction between residents.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144913 project_image_fid=297741]

The interiors continue Excelon's focus on craftsmanship, incorporating bespoke elements by Melbourne artisans including leadlight detailing by Adadaz, hand-turned timber hardware by Auburn Woodturning and blown-glass lighting by Ruth Allen.

Sustainability has also been embedded throughout the project, with Yarraville Green targeting an average 7-star NatHERS energy rating through passive design principles, rooftop solar servicing common areas and rainwater harvesting for landscape irrigation.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144913 project_image_fid=297735]

Construction continues to progress at Yarraville Green, with structural works well underway and framing works approaching completion under builder Balmain &amp; Co. The project remains on track for completion in mid-2027.

Apartments at Yarraville Green are currently priced from $625,000, while townhomes start from $1.4 million.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=144913]

Joel Robinson

Garden-led design drives buyer demand at Yarraville Green

National diversified developer Fortis has officially launched Crest &amp; Walker, its latest Brisbane apartment development, with construction now underway on the 20-storey Newstead project.

Award-winning builder BINAH has commenced construction on the Bureau^Proberts-designed building, which will deliver a limited collection of 65 two and three-bedroom apartments on Kyabra Street.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=145922 project_image_fid=373556]

The project marks Fortis' fourth active residential development in Brisbane, following River House, which is nearing completion, alongside projects in New Farm and Hamilton as the national developer continues to expand its South East Queensland pipeline.

Fortis General Manager – Development Queensland Dan Boman said Crest &amp; Walker reflects the developer's long-term commitment to delivering design-led residential projects in Brisbane's established inner-city suburbs.

"We're proud to be strengthening our presence in Brisbane with Crest &amp; Walker, particularly in such a sought-after lifestyle destination as Newstead," Boman said.

"Every Fortis project is shaped by its context, and we approach each one with the respect and care it deserves.

"Our focus is always on creating places that feel connected to their neighbourhood and elevate the everyday experience for residents. Newstead continues to evolve as one of Brisbane's most sought-after urban communities, and Crest &amp; Walker reflects our ambition to contribute meaningfully to that story."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=145922 project_image_fid=373559]

Positioned between Gasworks Plaza and James Street, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/crest-walker-newstead-12-kyabra-street-newstead-qld-4006">Crest &amp; Walker</a> has been designed as a boutique residential address offering privacy and generous living spaces within one of Brisbane's most established lifestyle precincts.

The building features a contemporary brick podium softened by integrated landscaping, while the upper levels are characterised by restrained architecture and enduring materiality. Interiors have been designed to maximise natural light, acoustic performance and long-term liveability.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=145922 project_image_fid=373583]

Residences comprise spacious two and three-bedroom floorplans, with two-bedroom apartments priced from $1.55 million and three-bedroom, half-floor residences from $3.95 million.

Residents will have access to a wellness-focused rooftop featuring a swimming pool, sauna, steam room, landscaped dining spaces and outdoor lounge areas overlooking Newstead and the Brisbane CBD.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=145922 project_image_fid=373571]

Sales are being managed by Slaite Projects, with Fortis expecting strong demand from owner-occupiers seeking a high-quality, design-focused apartment in one of Brisbane's most tightly held inner-city suburbs.

Completion of Crest &amp; Walker is slated for late 2028.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=145922]

Fortis expands Brisbane pipeline with launch of Crest & Walker in Newstead

The enormity of delivering a true skyscraper in Australia's new development market is often overlooked.

It has taken the best part of a decade since plans for Chevron One were first unveiled, but the 41-storey tower is now complete, with residents collecting their keys and moving into what has become one of the Gold Coast's most recognisable new landmarks.

Rising 127 metres above Chevron Island, Chevron One stands almost twice as high as any other building on the island. Its scale places it alongside the trio of towers at Jewel, arguably the last truly significant addition to the central Gold Coast skyline when they were completed around six years ago.

While there are several developments underway around a similar height to Chevron One, they are more concentrated within clusters of the highest towers in the city. The fact Chevron One sits within a developing precinct, looking back at the other high-rise developments in Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach, makes it a different proposition altogether. It will certainly become a reference point on the Gold Coast skyline.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6515 project_image_fid=68833]

Developer Bensons Property Group is behind the 41-storey tower, which has 229 apartments, along with an exhaustive list of resident amenity spread across what is the largest development site ever assembled on Chevron Island.

The tower has been the talk of the town for years, says Ray White Projects Gold Coast agent Caitlin Rosenboom, who is selling the remaining apartments.

"People have been watching Chevron One go up for years," Rosenboom says, adding that many prospective buyers have been surprised by the scale of the views once they step inside.

"It's only when they walk through a completed apartment that they truly understand the position of the building," Rosenboom says.

"The views are jaw-dropping. Whether you're looking east over the ocean, across Surfers Paradise, along the river systems or out to the hinterland, every level offers something different but equally impressive."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6515 project_image_fid=360215]

One of Chevron One's defining advantages is its location on the eastern side of Chevron Island on Stanhill Drive, a position which protects the views forever.

"There's only one row of houses between Chevron One and the water, and the height restrictions along the river means views from Chevron One can never be built out,"&nbsp;Rosenboom says.

While new apartment developments continue to emerge across the Gold Coast, Rosenboom says opportunities to secure a completed apartment with this level of outlook are becoming increasingly rare.

"The size of the site is something that would be incredibly difficult to replicate today," she says.

"That's allowed Chevron One to deliver the sort of amenity, open space and resident facilities that very few projects can offer. There are not many completed apartment buildings on the Gold Coast right now that can compete with the combination of scale, quality and amenity."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6515 project_image_fid=68839]

There's around 2,000 sqm of amenity solely for the use of residents of Chevron One. Club One features a uniquely shaped swimming pool that mirrors the footprint of the building itself, set within a extensively landscaped gardens. There's also an indoor pool and spa, a fully equipped gym with a Pilates room, a yoga garden, a bookable private dining area and lounge that can host up to 30 people, and a 24-hour concierge service.

As for the buyers, Rosenboom is fielding enquiry from everywhere: Sydneysiders and Melburnians looking at the new and off-the-plan market following the changes in the Federal Budget, as well as those looking to relocate, through to South East Queenslanders seeking either a permanent home or a weekender bolthole.

"The Gold Coast lifestyle continues to resonate with people relocating from the southern states, and when they see the views and the quality of what's been delivered at Chevron One, it becomes very easy for them to understand the appeal," Rosenboom says.

A diverse mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments remain available, with each offering "something a little different", be it the orientation and views, configuration, or level, to suit a wide variety of buyers.

The remaining apartments are ready to inspect in person, by appointment.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=6515]

A decade in the making: Residents to move into Chevron One as construction wraps up

A general rule of thumb in new apartment developments is that the penthouses get the rooftop.

It's a formula that's become commonplace across Australia's apartment market. Residents might have access to a pool, gym or barbecue facilities on a dedicated lower level, but the most desirable outdoor spaces are typically reserved for the highest-priced homes at the top of the building.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sherpa-property-group">Sherpa Property Group</a> has taken the opposite approach.

Rather than dedicating the rooftop to a handful of buyers, the Gold Coast developer has made it the centrepiece of its Flourish collection, creating expansive shared spaces from the best vantage point in the building.

The philosophy has reached its most ambitious expression at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/flourish-soleira-palm-beach-1150-1160-gold-coast-highway-palm-beach-qld-4221">Flourish Soleira</a> in Palm Beach, where two rooftop precincts connected by a skybridge will deliver one of the most extensive lifestyle offerings seen in a residential apartment project on the Gold Coast.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=374053]

"We're seeing a clear move toward developments that offer more than just an apartment," Sherpa Group founder Christie Leet said.

"People want spaces that support how they actually live, whether that's working from home, staying active, or spending time with family and friends.

"That's where amenity becomes critical. It's not just about what's included, but how those spaces are designed to be used every day."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=374052]

The breadth of amenity has already attracted buyers across multiple demographics. Younger first home buyers have been drawn to Soleira's one-bedroom apartments, a product rarely delivered in Palm Beach, while families have responded to practical inclusions such as the shallow children's pool adjoining the main lap pool and the extensive communal recreation areas.

Instead of a single rooftop, Soleira delivers two distinct lifestyle zones.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=372547]

The southern rooftop has been dedicated to wellness, featuring a gym, yoga and Pilates studio, work-from-home facilities, a wellness centre, spa, and hot and cold plunge pools.

The northern rooftop focuses on recreation and entertaining, incorporating a heated resort-style pool, private dining rooms, pizza ovens, barbecues, a golf simulator, children's recreation areas, and what is expected to be the Gold Coast's first rooftop basketball court, which will also double as a squash court.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=374054]

Beyond the rooftops, Soleira will introduce 1,500 sqm of curated retail beneath the towers, creating one of Palm Beach's first genuinely mixed-use lifestyle precincts where cafés, restaurants and convenience retail become part of residents' everyday lives.

Sherpa has also retained management rights across the development, allowing it to oversee the long-term operation of the building through a 24-hour concierge model. The developer is also exploring additional revenue streams within the precinct aimed at helping offset ongoing body corporate costs for residents.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=370962]

While Soleira is the largest project Sherpa has delivered, the rooftop-first philosophy has been evolving for several years.

It began with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/amargo-6-12-sixth-avenue-palm-beach-qld-4221">Flourish Amargo</a>, the first project released under the Flourish brand. Rather than competing at the ultra-luxury end of the market with oversized half-floor and full-floor residences, Sherpa focused on creating lifestyle-driven apartments supported by resort-style shared spaces.

Amargo introduced more than 800 sqm of rooftop amenity, combining wellness facilities, heated pools, entertaining areas, cabanas, pizza ovens and private dining spaces into what was designed as an extension of residents' homes rather than a facility used only occasionally.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=146527 project_image_fid=366550]

That approach continued with Flourish Oasis, where the same amenity-led philosophy was refined into a more boutique development. Strong demand from Sherpa's growing VIP database saw much of the project sold before it reached the broader market, reinforcing buyer appetite for apartment communities centred around shared lifestyle experiences.

Flourish Amargo is slated for completion mid-way-through next year, with Oasis to be delivered by late 2027. Flourish Soleira is expected to complete in 2030.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150017]

Sherpa takes amenity to the sky as Flourish Soleira captures booming Palm Beach demand

As apartment living continues to evolve across Sydney's growth corridors, the quality and distribution of shared spaces is increasingly shaping how residents experience home. Rather than functioning as add-ons, amenities are being embedded into the daily rhythm of a building, supporting everything from quiet retreat to social interaction, often within a single vertical community.

At <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/aeris-melrose-park-nursery-street-melrose-park-nsw-2114">Aeris</a> in Melrose Park, this approach is resolved through a layered amenity offering that unfolds from ground level through to its upper podium. Developed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sekisui-house-australia">Sekisui House Australia</a> in partnership with Hankyu Hanshin Properties, the project introduces 468 apartments across two towers and a mid-rise building, positioned at the highest point of the broader masterplan.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=426 project_image_fid=359199]

The amenity experience begins at street level, where two courtyards sit within a landscaped setting that connects residents to the wider network of parks and green spaces. These green spaces are not isolated pockets but part of a wider pedestrian network that links Aeris to the surrounding <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/melrose-park-nsw-2114">Melrose Park</a> precinct, including Central Park, future schools, and the Town Centre opening in July 2026. The result is a transition that moves from public to private without abrupt boundaries, allowing residents to pass through shaded, tree-lined environments before reaching the building itself.

Moving upward, the focus shifts to the level five podium, where the primary communal facilities are concentrated. This space brings together a 16-metre swimming pool, outdoor seating areas, and a communal BBQ zone arranged to take advantage of elevated outlooks. Seating is positioned beneath pergolas, creating pockets of shade that extend the usability of the space throughout the day. The pool edge aligns with views toward the wider district, reinforcing the sense of elevation that defines the project’s positioning.

In the adjacent building, this is complemented by quieter, more contemplative spaces, including an outdoor cinema set within the same level. Positioned to operate primarily in the evening, it introduces a different tempo to the shared environment, shifting from daytime activity to after-hours use without requiring separate zones.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=426 project_image_fid=360299]

The podium also accommodates an intimate private resident gym. Located on the lower levels, it gives residents convenient access to fitness facilities without leaving the building.

Above, the elevated podium sky deck extends the amenity offering, providing additional open-air spaces with elevated outlooks across the surrounding landscape. While more restrained in program, this upper level reinforces the project’s vertical progression, from ground-level greenery to elevated outlook, allowing residents to move between distinct spatial conditions within a single address.

This distribution of amenities reflects a deliberate response to how residents use space across the day. Sekisui House Australia Sales and Marketing Director Peter Kalaf points to the role these shared areas play in shaping buyer demand. Aeris has been conceived as more than a collection of apartments, with the podium pool, gym and outdoor cinema forming part of a broader lifestyle offering that extends the home beyond each individual residence.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=426 project_image_fid=360300]

What distinguishes Aeris is not the inclusion of these elements individually, but how they are arranged in relation to one another. Active, social, and passive spaces are layered vertically rather than separated, allowing residents to choose between them without leaving the building or moving far from their apartment. This proximity supports both routine use, such as a morning swim or evening workout, and more occasional gatherings, whether around the BBQ area or within the cinema setting.

The amenity design also sits within a broader framework of connectivity across Melrose Park. The Melrose Park Town Centre, anchored by Coles and Dan Murphys, features a mix of retail, dining, health and lifestyle offerings, bringing everyday convenience closer to residents. By the end of the year, more than five hectares of parks and open space, equivalent to around seven football fields of green space on residents' doorstep, will further enhance the precinct, allowing the internal facilities at Aeris to operate as an extension of the wider neighbourhood rather than a substitute for it.

Construction at Aeris continues to gather momentum, with ground floor slabs expected to be completed in late 2026 before the first sections of the buildings begin to rise above ground.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=426]

Elevated amenity anchors daily life at Aeris, Melrose Park

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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.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Australia’s top construction companies revealed

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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.
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Metricon tops HIA’s Top Homebuilders again

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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="">
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jonathanchancellor-7SQnKwU6yx

Cobbitty-Leppington ranked first for Sydney hotspots: HIA

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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."
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Lending to owner occupiers to build or buy up in March

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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."
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2017 Budget is a step towards housing affordability: HIA

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

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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>.
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HIA supports housing policy focus from federal government: Kristin Brookfield

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

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GUEST OBSERVER
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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>.
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NSW government needs to make first home buyers assistance effective: David Bare

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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.
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