Just a few months after acquiring a prime Broadbeach site on the corner of First Avenue and Surf Parade, family-run developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/raptis">Raptis</a> has filed fresh plans for a new apartment development.

Raptis is seeking to deliver a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/17-19-first-avenue-broadbeach-qld-4217">29-storey tower with 73 apartments</a> on the 818 sqm site. It will be the developer's seventh project in the suburb, as they are approaching completion of The Sterling on George Avenue.

There will be a pool, barbecue and outdoor dining area, residents lounge and dining, sauna and steam room, gym, and a Yoga and Pilates studio.

<img alt="Raptis" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b554da3f-7344-49aa-b1c9-44cf459af0d7" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-06-05%20at%2010.41.45%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=zzjWu1iO1wnuYv4EV4fyOyf5nSXjGYut" />

Raptis Joint Managing Director, Evan Raptis, says they remain&nbsp;committed to developing quality infill sites across the Gold Coast in the lead-up to the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.

"This project continues our long track record of delivery in Broadbeach, and we look forward to bringing another premium development to this thriving precinct."

The announcement follows strong delivery momentum for Raptis, with The Sterling Broadbeach nearing completion and construction well underway on the final stage of the Waterpoint community adjacent to Harbour Town. The developer's continued investment in the Gold Coast reflects confidence in the region's apartment market fundamentals, underpinned by sustained Southeast Queensland population growth.&nbsp;

The outlook for the region is further bolstered by infrastructure investment tied to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games, which is expected to drive continued economic and population growth across the SEQ corridor.&nbsp;

Subject to a favourable response from Gold Coast City Council, construction on the new First Avenue tower is targeted to commence before the end of 2026.&nbsp;

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/it-s-all-in-the-family-four-decades-later-raptis-continues-to-shape-the-gold-coast-skyline">It’s all in the family: Four decades later, Raptis continues to shape the Gold Coast skyline</a>

Read more: <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/raptis-secures-prime-surf-parade-site-for-next-broadbeach-apartment-development">Raptis secures prime Surf Parade site for next Broadbeach apartment development</a> 
&nbsp;

Gold Coast developer brings seventh Broadbeach project to market, targeting construction commencement before year end

Joel Robinson

First look: Raptis lodges plans for new 29-storey Broadbeach tower 

Brisbane development veteran Kevin Seymour's Seymour Group is set to deepen its presence on one of Brisbane's most tightly held riverfront addresses, lodging revised plans for a luxury apartment development on Oxlade, just a few doors down from The Oxlade, which it completed in 2024.

The <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/70-72-oxlade-drive-new-farm-qld-4005">new project at 70-72 Oxlade Drive</a>, directly north of The Oxlade, will have 27 apartments across a seven-storey building&nbsp;overlooking the Brisbane River and Merthyr Park. It's a revision from a 2021-approved design.

Designed by bureau^proberts, the project has evolved from the previously approved 26-apartment scheme, introducing an additional penthouse level while maintaining a low-density, boutique character. The development will comprise 26 three-bedroom apartments and a single four-bedroom penthouse, supported by two basement levels with 86 car spaces and 34 bicycle spaces.

The architectural response is centred around two distinct building forms separated by a landscaped open-air atrium.&nbsp;"This dual composition captures and embraces Brisbane’s subtropical environment whilst breaking down built form and scale," the submission to the Brisbane City Council noted.

<img alt="First look: Seymour Group returns to Oxlade Drive with revised riverfront apartment plans in New Farm" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c12d84d0-bc11-4067-b46f-5bd2d786a34d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/new%20farm%20landscape.png?VersionId=YEPc2k5CAdh6aAPlu4uVpgZadh4MEfRd" />

A defining feature of the design is a deep landscaped void running through the centre of the building, creating what bureau^proberts describes as a "natural ravine" that enhances airflow, daylight penetration and resident amenity. The design report notes that the separation of the two building volumes is intended to maximise natural light, cross-ventilation and outlook while strengthening connections to the surrounding riverfront setting.

Curved balcony edges, integrated planting and extensive landscaping throughout the façade reinforce the subtropical design approach. The building's façade is softened by elevated gardens and planter beds, creating a green edge that complements the established landscape character of Oxlade Drive and neighbouring Merthyr Park.

New Farm has become one of Brisbane's most sought-after suburbs for developers delivering premium downsizer-focused apartments.

GRAYA has been particularly active in the precinct, completing both Chalk and York in recent years, while construction of Moray House, being delivered for Spyre, is now nearing completion. Architect-turned-developer Joe Adsett recently launched <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/arcilla-new-farm-by-joe-adsett-28-maxwell-street-new-farm-qld-4005">Arcilla on Maxwell Street</a>, an exclusive collection of just nine apartments.

First look: Seymour Group returns to New Farm's Oxlade Drive with riverfront apartment plans

A new residential tower will be the first piece of a broader mixed-use precinct set to reshape a prominent Newcastle West site, with local developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/gwh">GWH</a> bringing its <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/cambridge-quarter-newcastle-west-12-denison-street-newcastle-west-nsw-2302">Cambridge Quarter</a> vision to market.

The first release, Tempo, will introduce 87 apartments across a 24-storey tower, marking Stage 1 of the residential component of a larger urban regeneration project planned for the western end of Newcastle's city centre, encompassing the former Cambridge Hotel site.

Positioned on Denison Street, Tempo has been designed as the inaugural building within Cambridge Quarter, a precinct that will ultimately combine apartments, retail activation and revitalised public spaces including the revamping of the Cambridge Hotel.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135876 project_image_fid=368856]

The tower will comprise a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments, including layouts with multipurpose rooms, catering to a broad cross-section of owner-occupiers. Apartment sizes range from around 60 sqm to 192 sqm, with a number of residences oriented to capture views across Newcastle Harbour, the city skyline and coastline.

GWH has emphasised liveability in the design, with open-plan layouts extending to generous balconies and terraces. Residents will have a choice of two interior palettes, while specifications include engineered stone benchtops, SMEG appliances, full-height bathroom tiling and secure building access. Premium upgrade packages will also be available

Multiple rooftop resident retreats will provide communal outdoor space overlooking the harbour and city, offering an elevated amenity layer above the activity of the precinct below.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135876 project_image_fid=368851]

The broader Cambridge Quarter vision extends beyond the residential tower itself. Ground-level retail activation and landscaped public areas are planned throughout the precinct, creating a walkable neighbourhood environment connected to the surrounding renewal of Newcastle West. The Cambridge Hotel is also earmarked for future redevelopment into a family-friendly hospitality venue integrated with the new precinct.

The project is strategically positioned within walking distance of Newcastle Interchange, providing access to light rail, regional rail services and direct connections to Sydney. Residents will also be close to Honeysuckle, Newcastle Harbour and the city's beaches and coastal walkways.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135876 project_image_fid=368852]

For GWH, Cambridge Quarter represents one of its most significant Newcastle developments to date. The locally based developer, which has operated in the Hunter region since 1995, describes the project as a new chapter in the ongoing transformation of Newcastle West.

GWH Executive Director Jonathan Craig said the project had been shaped by a focus on creating lasting community connections.

"We take pride in creating places that last. Spaces where people feel connected, comfortable and a genuine sense of belonging," Craig said.

"Cambridge Quarter is something we are truly proud of, a place shaped by local knowledge, built with care and designed to be part of Newcastle's next chapter."

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=135876]

GWH unveils first release at landmark Cambridge Quarter precinct in Newcastle West

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/ss-projects">S&amp;S Projects</a>,&nbsp;Rainbow Bay's busiest developer,&nbsp;has officially lodged plans for the largest development in its booming local portfolio, seeking approval for a further 88 apartments on Boundary Street.

The proposal&nbsp;at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/209-213-boundary-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">209–213 Boundary Street, Coolangatta</a>,&nbsp;marks the next chapter in the developer's transformation of the southern Gold Coast beachside precinct. It will be its fifth in the area, having already delivered Flow, Awaken and Esprit, while construction continues on the 38-apartment Radia. The new project would rise 57 metres above a consolidated 1,518 sqm site, on the same street as Radia and Esprit.

&nbsp;

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cottee-parker-architects">Cottee Parker</a>, the proposed development comprises 88 two and three-bedroom apartments across a contemporary podium-and-tower form that integrates extensive landscaping from street level through to the rooftop.

The tower would be delivered above a basement and multi-level podium accommodating resident and visitor parking, with the residential component commencing from level three. The design incorporates cascading planting throughout the façade, landscaped podium edges, and deep planting zones along the Boundary Street frontage.

<img alt="First look: S&amp;S Projects lodges plans for 88-apartment wellness tower at Coolangatta's Boundary Street" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="677e6615-b5c0-4b6c-b4f9-efb14fcde1a6" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/ss%20da%20pers.png?VersionId=YOnPKQm7IFXv0M5H326djEpxk80500Hi" />

A key feature of the development is its expansive rooftop wellness and recreation precinct. Plans reveal a resort-style pool deck, gymnasium, sauna, steam room, hot and cold plunge pools, rooftop terraces, barbecue areas and landscaped relaxation spaces positioned to capture views across the southern Gold Coast coastline.

The rooftop wellness focus builds on the vision S&amp;S Projects first outlined when it acquired the site for $20.25 million last year.

"We are taking every advantage to create a truly unique rooftop wellness experience with a natural feel for residents, offering stone features throughout and an underlying theme that emulates a botanical garden," S&amp;S Projects founder and director Paul Gedoun said at the time.

The proposal seeks a 57-metre building height, representing a 50 per cent uplift on the site's mapped 38-metre height limit. Planning documents argue the additional height is consistent with recently approved and emerging towers in the immediate Boundary Street and Rainbow Bay precinct.

Urbis, acting as planning consultant, said the development would provide "88 dwellings, comprising a mix of two and three-bedroom apartments, contributing to housing choice and supply within an established medium to high-rise coastal urban neighbourhood."

The scheme has undergone extensive pre-lodgement consultation with the City of Gold Coast, with the design refined following feedback relating to architectural expression, landscaping, traffic access and podium treatment.

<img alt="S&amp;S" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0a2d70fd-62ac-4b83-97c6-b798fc1243dd" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-06-05%20at%209.16.31%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=yHmghUwKM3IVGpBktQU1mE.0Lpf3WimG" />

The architectural team is led by Brisbane-based Cottee Parker, one of Australia's most active residential design studios, with landscape architecture by Dunn + Moran. The consultant team also includes ADG Engineers, Windtech and Acoustic Works.

S&amp;S Projects has become one of the most influential private developers operating on the southern Gold Coast. Since entering Rainbow Bay in 2022, the company has assembled a portfolio exceeding $1 billion in end value, establishing itself as a key player in the area's evolution into a premium apartment destination. Pezet Matheson will again handle the sales for S&amp;S.

Coolangatta is entering another wave of apartment development, following the delivery of several prominent residential projects in recent years.

John Kearney's Immerse Projects will launch&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kaiya-kirra-beach-5-haig-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Kaiya on Haig Street</a>&nbsp;soon, meanwhile, Palm Beach-based Sherpa Property Group is preparing to bring its debut Coolangatta development, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/flourish-viver-87-griffith-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Flourish Viveré</a>, to market later this year, subject to approvals.

First look: S&S Projects proposes 88-apartment wellness tower at Coolangatta's Boundary Street

A landmark former orphanage site in Surrey Hills could be transformed into a new residential community under plans lodged by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/antipodean-land-developments">Antipodean Land Developments</a> that would deliver 76 apartments and townhouses while restoring some of the suburb's most significant heritage buildings.

The burgeoninng Melbourne-based developer has submitted plans for the 9,158 sqm site at 1 Kent Road and 24 Durham Road, home to the former St Joseph's Home for Destitute Children, a historic institutional complex dating back to the late 19th century. The proposal seeks to adaptively reuse several heritage buildings while introducing two new four-storey residential buildings set within extensive landscaped grounds.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/woods-bagot">Woods Bagot</a> and Kerstin Thompson Architects, the project has been conceived as a contemporary residential village embedded within a restored heritage precinct. The development team describes the design approach as "The Village in the Garden," with new buildings positioned among mature landscaping by OCULUS and significant heritage structures.

<img alt="First look: Antipodean Land Developments plans heritage-led apartment community in Surrey Hills" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="44ec8c1b-c0b6-44ae-859e-5811b3e6a023" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%281%29.png?VersionId=p.p1_KFh4iQoV4nisdnPfQBAsWNi7m79" />

The proposal would deliver 76 dwellings comprising a mix of apartments and duplex-style residences, significantly increasing housing supply on one of the largest privately held residential landholdings in Surrey Hills. The development includes 127 car spaces, 24 bicycle spaces and more than 1,000 sqm of communal amenity, with the existing chapel building earmarked for conversion into resident facilities.

According to the planning submission, the project centres on the restoration and adaptive reuse of the site's most significant heritage assets, including the original c.1889 St Joseph's building, the chapel designed by architect Augustus Andrew Fritsch, and the historic brick perimeter walls and entry gates. The proposal also incorporates the retention of other contributory buildings including the former infirmary and school building.

Tract Consultants, in the planning report accompanying the application, said the scheme had been shaped through extensive heritage analysis and design development.

"The shared vision for the Site by the project team has culminated in a scheme which successfully breathes life back into a historic site while delivering upon the objectives of Victoria's Housing Statement in a carefully curated and contextually responsive manner."

<img alt="First look: Antipodean Land Developments plans heritage-led apartment community in Surrey Hills" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7263b7d8-95ea-400f-9531-6ca7d22c3c33" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%282%29.png?VersionId=4cR1tiWOsDpgxEOwZi5vVFcyvvOsYkIE" />

The proposal is being assessed under Victoria's Significant Residential Development with Affordable Housing pathway. As part of the application, three per cent of the project's residential development cost would be contributed to the Social Housing Growth Fund. The development would also provide a diverse mix of one, two and three-bedroom residences targeting a broader range of buyers than typically found in Surrey Hills' detached housing market.

Sustainability initiatives include an anticipated 66 per cent BESS score, natural cross-ventilation to 80 per cent of apartments, 28 per cent deep soil landscaping and a canopy cover outcome exceeding local planning requirements. The proposal also sets aside more than 1,083 sqm for communal indoor and outdoor resident amenity spaces.

<img alt="First look: Antipodean Land Developments plans heritage-led apartment community in Surrey Hills" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="33fad46f-fe26-4d0a-acfd-6b776e1c6a3d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Untitled%20design.png?VersionId=D9F6WVSyYCtGvSUmith35LRp6R7PQkw_" />

Planning documents describe the property as one of the largest underutilised residential sites in Surrey Hills, arguing it presents a rare opportunity to introduce "missing middle" housing in an established inner-eastern suburb while preserving and revitalising a significant heritage precinct.

Antipodean Land Developments has built a reputation for design-focused residential projects across Melbourne, particularly in the medium-density sector. Previous developments include Neighbourhood in Brunswick East, delivered with Breathe Architecture, and Balfe Park Lane, designed by Kerstin Thompson Architects.

They've been very active in site acquisition as they build out their future development pipeline. They recently launched Thornubury House, 45 apartments above a mix of commercial, retail, and food and beverage tenancies, and have plans for a boutique project in Fitzroy and another <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/vic/antipodean-plan-apartments-for-deepdenes-missing-middle-on-whitehorse-road">"missing middle" project</a> on Deepdene's Whitehorse Road.

First look: Antipodean Land Developments plans heritage-led apartment community in Surrey Hills

Home Heating

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Telstra is pouring money into making homes smarter and in turn, growing its business.
That means the telecom company is trying to transform into a tech company through smart devices that talk to each other and control the heating, cooling, and lighting etc in your homes, according to a recent report in The Australian Financial Review.
Telstra is not alone. Tech giants Apple, Amazon, Samsung and Google have all been vying to control the emerging $US121 billion market.
As an example of how Telstra envisions its future, Telstra executive John Chambers uses his Smart Home app to check the liquor cabinet usage of his children.
“I now have a much deeper understanding of my home,” Chalmers told the AFR.
Eighty percent of Australians worry about leaving a light or appliance on when they go away, surveys show. It is this opportunity that Telstra is trying to cash in, with a $25-a-month Smart Home plan when its customers bundle up their mobile and broadband services.
 It could also become a boon for the elderly and disabled.
“You’ll be able to see when your mum is opening the fridge and how is she moving around the house, a whole variety of very simple non-invasive techniques just to keep an eye on your ageing parents,” Chambers says.
“We’re working on solutions to adapt it to the 500,000 homes of Australians with a disability.” 
He said existing smart devices are not cost-effective. Telstra is working on a single, intuitive platform which can integrate with Apple, Google or Samsung devices on one app.
Telstra’s new ventures are a response to the threat to its traditional business. The company has been pivoting hard and investing heavily in new businesses. 
Telstra Ventures – the company’s venture capital fund – has spent more than $240 million on 18 digital health businesses, with the aim of reaping $1 billion in annual revenues by 2020. It is still not profitable yet.
Whelan said Telstra Ventures aims to invest in  companies that are already generating revenue. 
“We have a process internally called the conveyor belt,” Whelan says. “We formulate ideas, we incubate them, we scale them and then transition them. We have businesses at all those stages of the life cycle.”
Chambers expects the number of devices in a people’s home will go up significantly in a few years.
“The potential to service a few million homes is very real,” he concludes.
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jonathanchancellor-7SQnKwU6yx

Telstra bets big on making homes smarter

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/57114/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
Another hot and humid day in Sydney tomorrow with a maximum of 32 degrees in the city and 38 in the western suburbs.
How many times have we heard that on TV or radio weather reports?
But what would you think about the following forecast?
Temperatures in Wattle Street, Ultimo, will spike at 37 degrees around 10 am. Further up the hill at Point Street we can expect a top of 40 degrees shortly after 1 pm. Meanwhile, at the Observatory Hill weather station the 3 pm maximum will struggle to pass 32 degrees.
We are unlikely ever to be able to forecast temperatures to such pinpoint accuracy. Still, the above exercise reflects the very real differences in temperature – and thermal comfort – at the scale of the individual street, indeed individual block, within our cities.
The driver of this surprising variability is the interaction between urban form and the heat energy of the sun. Building heights and materials, width and orientation of streets, and presence or absence of vegetation all affect local temperatures across the city. And if we drive to work, the heat from our vehicle’s engine and exhaust might be adding a degree or two.
Recent media reports have highlighted the bizarre weather patterns in Sydney over January, February and March 2016. Some reports have linked evidence of temperature extremes to urbanisation and the loss of shading and moisture that vegetation provides. This is known as the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect.
A research collaboration between the UNSW Faculty of Built Environment and the Universities of South Australia and Melbourne has collected further evidence for the highly localised effects of building form, surface materials and street orientation on outdoor microclimate and pedestrian thermal comfort. The aim is to build a solid evidence base to inform design, planning and policy across Australian cities.
Meteorological data collected during the 2015-16 summer in Sydney reveals that air temperatures in the street “canyon” may vary by up to 5℃ from those the Bureau of Meteorology records at Observatory Hill.
<h4>
<img src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/119034/width754/image-20160418-23606-mjsnwt.png" alt=""><a class="license" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a>
</h4>
Even more worrying are the surface temperatures measured on building facades. These may exceed 70℃ in the sun.
The vertical surfaces of multi-storey buildings account for much of the urban surface in contact with the surrounding air. Hotter surface temperatures elevate nearby air temperatures during the day.
Then, due to the thermal mass of typically dense and dark building materials, building facades continue to emit radiant heat well after sunset. This slows the cooling of local outdoor air temperature.
Without night-time cooling, human thermal discomfort is prolonged. Consecutive nights of elevated air temperatures have severe impacts on human health. This includes increasing heat-related mortality and morbidity.
More extreme heat days projected from climate change on top of localised heating due to urban design elevates the health risks from future heatwaves.
<h4>
<img src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/119033/width754/image-20160418-23629-4gkckn.png" alt=""><a class="license" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a>
</h4>
<h2>Urban temperatures vary with design</h2>
Our research sought to quantify the effects of typical urban form and materials on street microclimate and outdoor thermal comfort. We recorded building surface temperatures and ambient air temperatures using a thermal camera and mobile weather station in various locations in metropolitan Sydney.
Preliminary results suggest that business-as-usual architectural and urban design are exacerbating urban heat and creating hotter cities. This is alarming when considering the current and projected population of Australia’s major cities, particularly the growing proportion of vulnerable elderly.
On January 14, 2016 – Sydney’s hottest day that month – the 9AM and 3PM air temperatures recorded at Observatory Hill were 30.8℃ and 32.4℃ respectively.
On the same day, pedestrian-height air temperatures were recorded mid-morning in Wattle Street, Ultimo – 32.34℃ at 9am – and mid-afternoon in Point Street, Pyrmont – 36.34℃ around 3pm. These temperatures in Wattle and Point streets were 1.54℃ and 3.94℃ higher – or up to 12.2 percent greater – than the maximums at Observatory Hill.
Prior studies have reported a significant increase in mortality for every 1℃ rise in air temperatures above a mortality-temperature threshold (typically around 32℃ for Australian cities). This applies particularly for the population aged 65 years and older. Conversely, every degree of cooling has health and economic benefits for urban residents.
The surface temperatures of nearby building facades confirm a potential source of localised heating. The seven-storey, northeast-facing Wattle Street facade recorded a maximum spot temperature of 65℃ and a mean surface temperature of 46℃ around 9AM. The eight-storey, northwest-facing Point Street facade recorded an average surface temperature of 42.4℃ and a spot maximum of 54℃ mid-afternoon.
Notwithstanding measurement uncertainty due to emissivity (how well a material emits heat energy), the higher daytime building facade temperatures suggest an influential relationship with observed near-facade air temperatures.
By taking into account the design drivers – including orientation and solar exposure, material albedo (reflectance) and emissivity, and views of opposite buildings and the sky – building designers can help cool our cities through “cool facades”.
<h2>Buildings hold key to outdoor comfort</h2>
We also calculated the effects of material properties on outdoor air temperatures and thermal comfort for January 14.
Footpath albedos (reflectance) in Wattle Street and Point Street ranged from 0.033 to 0.050 for rough weathered bitumen and smoother grey stone pavers respectively. Superficially the footpath materials appear to be the same colour. However, the rougher bitumen has a lower reflectance and therefore absorbs more solar radiation (and becomes hotter) than the smoother stone tile.
Prior studies have linked surface roughness to reflectance characteristics. The potentially contradictory effects of footpath surface reflectance on air temperatures and thermal comfort are evident in the grey globe thermometer (GGT) measurements.
The GGT measures only radiant heating to which humans are particularly sensitive. Cooler air temperatures are often correlated with higher albedo surfaces, but greater reflectance may increase the radiant load on pedestrians, increasing thermal discomfort.
The GGT 10-minute mean between 8.30AM and 10.30AM in Wattle Street was 36.95℃ and the ten-minute mean air temperature for the same period was 33.70℃. Between 1PM and 2.30PM in Point Street, the GGT ten-minute mean was 43.0℃ and the ten-minute mean air temperature was 38.57℃.
The relative differences between ambient and GGT temperatures are 4.87℃ and 6.05℃. This greater GGT temperature difference confirms the additional radiant heating from the more reflective footpath surface and nearby hot facade.
The conclusion? Weather is not simply what the bureau tells us. As higher urban temperatures occur at the scale in which people actually live – the building, the street, the block – the implications for our health and well-being are profound.
By informing those involved in city planning, management and design about the implications of their design decisions on urban microclimate, this research provides the evidence base for a “cool” urban future.
Paul Osmond is senior lecturer, Sustainable Built Environment, UNSW Australia and can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/paul-osmond-205774" target="_blank">here</a>.
Jonathan Fox PhD Research Candidate, Urban Climates Research, UNSW Australia and can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jonathan-fox-250999" target="_blank">here</a>.
Both are authors for The Conversation.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Building cool cities for a hot future

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GUEST OBSERVER
A few years ago, similar to views about future electricity demand, forecasters thought gas demand in Australia would keep rising. As it turns out, gas demand peaked in 2012 and may halve by 2025 - as we showed in our recently published University of Melbourne Energy Institute (MEI) report.
Step by step, householders are making economic decisions that will eventually lead to many completely disconnecting from the gas grid, as they find gas to be an increasingly costly secondary source of home energy.
This is particularly true when it comes to space-heating. When the cost of operating a modern reverse cycle air conditioner (known in Tasmania and elsewhere around the world as a heat pump) can be one-third the cost of heating with gas, why wouldn’t a householder have a look at the possibilities?
Another attraction is that heating with a reverse cycle air conditioner is largely renewable. Our research has quantified that reverse cycle air conditioners in Australia recover more renewable energy than do all of the millions of rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) installations. Who knew?
Gas demand declining
The following chart illustrates how gas demand will decline in eastern Australia in all sectors: in the electricity generation sector, in industry and also in buildings as householders and building managers switch to efficient electric heating devices.
<a href="/images/2015/09/07/image-20150904-28914-1x3dun3.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2015/09/07/image-20150904-28914-1x3dun3.jpg" alt="">
Previously we qualitatively described how in this “second electrification” of the Australian home, people will economically fuel-switch to induction cooktops, hot water heat pumps and reverse cycle air conditioners, resulting in their homes becoming gas-free.
As shown in the following chart, the money that householders can save when economically fuel-switching from gas to electricity can amount to hundreds and even over a thousand dollars per year.
Some of this change will occur very rapidly. In up to one million homes in eastern Australia, householders have already installed reverse cycle air conditioners for summer cooling but have never attempted to use them for heating. Why not? Time and time again I have been told by friends, acquaintances and those writing on social media, “Oh, I have always thought that gas must be cheaper.”
As shown in the following chart, analysis done by the Alternative Technology Association (ATA) indicates that using reverse cycle air conditioners to heat a large Melbourne home can amount to A$658 per year. But how is this possible?
<a href="/images/2015/09/07/Screen%20Shot%202015-09-07%20at%209.18.23%20AM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2015/09/07/Screen%20Shot%202015-09-07%20at%209.18.23%20AM.png" alt="" width="782" height="491">
<h2>Heat pumps: global renewable energy giants</h2>
The biggest reason behind these new home economics is that reverse cycle air conditioners produce far more energy than they consume. Operating at efficiencies of up to 600%, they use a small amount of purchased electricity to capture free renewable heat from the outside air. For ducted gas heating, which can operate at efficiencies of less than 50%, the opposite is true.
The following diagram shows that a ducted gas system will consume 34.02 megajoules of energy (including gas and electricity for the air blower: the sum of the two blue figures on the left) in order to produce just 10 megajoules of useful delivered heat. The rest of the gas energy purchased is immediately, in a sense, thrown away.
<a href="/images/2015/09/07/image-20150904-28894-9yjaso.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2015/09/07/image-20150904-28894-9yjaso.jpg" alt="">
This compares to an efficient reverse cycle air conditioner that requires only 2.55 megajoules of purchased electricity (the sum of the blue figures on the right) to extract an additional 9.53 megajoules of free, renewable, ambient heat from the air outside your house, and then produce the same 10 megajoules of useful delivered heat.
In other words, in this comparison, in order to get the same amount of heat from a reverse cycle air conditioner, the householder must purchase only 1/13th of the energy needed to operate ducted gas. This efficiency advantage wipes out the traditionally lower cost of gas energy versus electrical energy when those commodities are compared on a dollar-per-megajoule or per-kilowatt-hour basis.
In 2014, reverse cycle air conditioners were such significant harvesters of renewable energy in Australia that our research found they recovered twice as much renewable energy as did rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV). The following chart compares these 2014 figures and also shows the future potential of reverse cycle air conditioners as more people learn of their capabilities.
In the United Kingdom, the renewable-energy-harvesting power of reverse cycle air conditioners is recognised and they are even eligible for renewable energy certificates in that jurisdiction.
In Australia, where governments have not been interested in rewarding people for buying air conditioners, no similar scheme exists. However, in an application of the same technology, hot water heat pumps do receive renewable energy credits here.
<h2>Gas stays in the ground – for longer</h2>
One consequence of falling gas demand in eastern Australia is that it will take longer to deplete already-developed conventional gas resources. As shown in the following figure, the Australian Energy Market Operator’s recent gas demand forecast results in the depletion of 10,000 petajoules of gas by 2032. In the Melbourne Energy Institute scenario (also plotted below), which projects that less gas is used in buildings, the same volume of gas lasts for more than an extra decade.
<a href="/images/2015/09/07/image-20150904-28914-alh1ow.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2015/09/07/image-20150904-28914-alh1ow.jpg" alt="">
Using less gas in buildings, thanks to economic fuel-switching, energy efficiency measures (such as insulation, draught-proofing and improved window treatments) and other factors, means that a significant volume of gas can be freed up for higher-value industrial uses, as illustrated in the following chart.
<a href="/images/2015/09/07/image-20150904-28878-nvgpub.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2015/09/07/image-20150904-28878-nvgpub.jpg" alt="">
 
Plenty of people in Australia are talking about disconnecting from the electricity grid. However, the costs and technicalities of battery storage and the possibility of needing to resort to a back-up petrol generator will convince many to stay connected to that often-reliable electricity grid.
On the other hand, we’ve shown the gas network is different. Households are making, and will continue to make, economics-based decisions to reduce gas use.
When planning the future of our energy grids, we think it is time that energy planners move away from decades of focusing strictly on supply-side options, and now consider gas and electricity demand-management options as well.
 
Tim Forcey is energy advisor, Melbourne Energy Institute at University of Melbourne and author for The Conversation. He can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tim-forcey-104740" target="_blank">here</a>.
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