A long-awaited transformation of a former industrial site in Holroyd has been given the green light, with the NSW Government approving the $1.2 billion Crescent Parklands masterplan that will deliver more than 1,200 new homes just south of Parramatta.

The State Significant Development approval clears the way for a large-scale mixed-use precinct at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/1-crescent-street-holroyd-nsw-2142">1 Crescent Street</a>, replacing an underutilised site with a coordinated residential community anchored by new open space, retail, and commercial uses.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/woods-bagot">Woods Bagot</a> for WA-based developer Tiberius, the approved scheme comprises seven buildings arranged across two precincts. In total, the development will deliver 1,227 apartments, including 201 allocated as affordable housing, alongside approximately 2,500 sqm of retail and 5,000 sqm of commercial space within a mixed-use podium.

<img alt="Tiberius’ Crescent Parklands to deliver 1,200+ homes in major Holroyd transformation" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1cc82dd2-8184-4b86-8665-90653147820d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Crescent%20buildings.png?VersionId=2ZmVDc_Rfc4AzQ6ShzZJlvdZnACLerVM" />

The project is structured as a masterplanned precinct rather than a standalone tower. Buildings 1 to 4 will rise from a shared podium with shop-top housing, while Buildings 5 to 7 are positioned closer to the northern park interface as residential flat buildings. The built form has been carefully modulated to balance density with amenity, with the design resolving building separation, solar access, and wind impacts at a precinct scale.

A significant focus of the design is the activation of Crescent Street and the integration of public domain. The submission notes that “individual townhouses [were] removed for community based functions to Crescent Street to increase activation and surveillance,” reinforcing a more urban and publicly engaged street edge. Retail, commercial tenancies, and resident amenity spaces are concentrated along this frontage and within the podium to support day-to-day activity.

The landscape strategy underpins the project’s identity, with a network of pedestrian connections, landscaped corridors, and open spaces linking the site internally and to its surroundings. The design prioritises permeability, delivering “increased uninterrupted flow between spaces for pedestrian access” and improved connections through to the adjoining parklands.

<img alt="Tiberius’ Crescent Parklands to deliver 1,200+ homes in major Holroyd transformation" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="19282454-ab2f-4e2c-866f-4b35cf4283d4" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Crescent%20masterplan.png?VersionId=JQdWGYI5B5R1lzmK4omYOp_8KLPkT4Bv" />

Buildings within the western precinct are oriented toward the park, shaping a residential offering defined by proximity to open space. The design describes this approach as creating apartments “immersed in nature with apartments facing the park,” positioning the landscape as a central organising element of the masterplan.

The broader architectural response addresses both infrastructure and context, with taller elements capturing long-range views toward Parramatta while setbacks and separation distances mitigate impacts on surrounding residential areas. Sustainability initiatives, including solar optimisation, cross-ventilation, and integrated landscape systems, are embedded across the scheme.

Located approximately one kilometre south of Parramatta CBD, the 3.6-hectare site is bounded by Crescent Street, Woodville Road, and Holroyd Sportsground. It benefits from strong access to public transport, including nearby bus routes and train stations, and sits within a rapidly evolving corridor earmarked for increased residential density. The design also strengthens connections between surrounding green spaces, including Holroyd Sportsground and Parramatta Parklands.

The approval follows several years of planning, including a rezoning process that enabled significant uplift in height and density across the site. With determination now secured, Crescent Parklands is positioned to play a major role in delivering new housing supply within Greater Parramatta’s growth area.

Joel Robinson

Tiberius’ Crescent Parklands to deliver over 1,200 homes in major Holroyd transformation

A new State Significant Development application has been lodged over land at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/33-43-marion-street-parramatta-nsw-2150">33–43 Marion Street</a>, Parramatta, proposing a high-rise mixed-use tower that leverages planning incentives to deliver a substantial pipeline of new housing, including a dedicated affordable component.

The scheme, currently on exhibition, combines a shop-top housing development with a concurrent rezoning, positioning the site for a significant uplift in density within Parramatta’s evolving southern CBD fringe.

The proposal, designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/fuse-architecture-0">Fuse Architects</a> for CN Marion, would replace the existing buildings with a 37-storey mixed-use tower, delivering 296 apartments above a retail podium with six basement levels on the 2,376 sqm site.

The residential mix comprises 58 one-bedroom, 207 two-bedroom, and 31 three-bedroom apartments, with communal facilities located on the second level and the rooftop. Ground-level activation is driven by retail and food and beverage tenancies, alongside a publicly accessible through-site link designed to improve pedestrian permeability.

The project includes 194 car spaces, five motorcycle spaces, and 348 bicycle spaces, reflecting a transit-oriented approach in a location directly adjacent to the rail corridor and within walking distance of Harris Park Station.

<img alt="First Look: Plans lodged for 37-storey mixed-use tower with affordable housing at 33–43 Marion Street, Parramatta" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3db873ea-62f0-437b-8a6a-eeda154d2dee" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Marion%20building.png?VersionId=YwzBv8OVHwyRnMLGX4slU7QyhTyMZeOX" />

The design adopts a podium-and-tower composition, with a three-storey street wall addressing Marion Street and a reduced two-storey interface responding to adjoining heritage cottages.

A key component of the proposal is the integration of affordable housing under the NSW Government’s in-fill affordable housing pathway, with units to be retained for a minimum of 15 years. This is paired with a broader public domain strategy that emphasises permeability, deep soil planting, and a landscaped through-site link.

“The strategy prioritises a permeable, well-activated public realm and supports a compact tower form to minimise the building’s footprint while enhancing the quality of the ground-level experience,” the design report states.

The proposal includes a central landscaped courtyard, rooftop communal areas, and planting strategies aligned with local environmental conditions and cultural narratives.

<img alt="First Look: Plans lodged for 37-storey mixed-use tower with affordable housing at 33–43 Marion Street, Parramatta" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f0e6c165-9967-4d20-9216-e5b8357c85ba" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Marion%20site.png?VersionId=SRod222LwgDmGZJmJY0wTbK39UrWZLSD" />

The site occupies a prominent corner of Marion and Station streets, roughly 100 metres from Harris Park Station, within a precinct earmarked for significant intensification. While the immediate context is characterised by low- to mid-rise buildings and heritage dwellings, planning controls and recent proposals point to a transition toward high-density development.

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Parramatta has been starved of new apartment supply in recent years. Builder-developers Deicorp and Coronation are the only two currently progressing projects in the suburb. Coronation is nearing completion of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/8-phillip-street-2-10-phillip-street-parramatta">8 Phillip Street</a>, which will be the tallest building in Western Sydney once finished, while Deicorp is delivering <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/cosmopolitan-by-deicorp-parramatta-34-hassall-street-parramatta-nsw-2150">Cosmopolitan</a>, a development comprising over 600 apartments.
</section>

First Look: Plans lodged for 37-storey mixed-use tower in Parramatta

A substantial uplift in height and density is being tested in Lane Cove, with a 225-apartment scheme at 300 Burns Bay Road now on public exhibition as a State Significant Development alongside a concurrent rezoning.

The proposal by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/level-33">Level 33</a> would see the demolition of an existing commercial building and associated structures, replaced by a residential development ranging from seven to 15 storeys.&nbsp;

The scheme delivers 225 apartments, including 34 designated as affordable housing, positioning it within the NSW Government’s accelerated Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

The development is arranged as three interconnected residential flat buildings, a response to the site’s long, narrow configuration and sloping topography.&nbsp;

<img alt="First look: 225-apartment Lane Cove tower proposal enters exhibition under State Significant pathway" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c325d40c-ead5-45f4-9d77-5a446b23acc0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Lane%20Cove%20pers.png?VersionId=hsCJxT5hj.5kzA6AMInyan1x8mcHeRez" />

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/pbd-architects">PBD Architects</a>, the project’s designer, describe a built form that is “divided into three sections, each connected by intermediate infill slots which are recessed to establish greater setbacks and further articulate the development.”

Across the scheme, apartments are supported by communal amenity at ground and rooftop levels, including landscaped open space and a rooftop pool. Basement and lower ground levels accommodate parking, storage, and building services, while a new public park is proposed along the eastern edge of the site, replacing part of the existing built form.

The architectural response has been shaped by the site’s pronounced fall towards the Lane Cove River, with building heights stepping down from west to east to reduce visual bulk and respond to adjoining bushland.&nbsp;

The design report notes that “the development has been carefully designed to integrate with the existing topography with the placement of massing and floor levels adjusted respecting the site’s inherent characteristics.”

<img alt="First look: 225-apartment Lane Cove tower proposal enters exhibition under State Significant pathway" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="31cc13a5-bc8b-4dc3-b9b1-07c6ec33a82b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Lane%20cove%20site.png?VersionId=NiyH3LimQwiHsE6Q7I5g4Grpr5fRdZaX" />

The project is being advanced through a concurrent rezoning process, seeking to increase the permissible height and floor space ratio beyond current Lane Cove LEP controls of 21 metres. Under the proposal, height would reach up to 54.5 metres, reflecting a shift toward higher-density outcomes in well-located urban areas.

Located on a 7,595 sqm site, the development sits within an established high-density residential pocket characterised by mid-rise apartment buildings set within a bushland setting. The site is within close proximity to Burns Bay Reserve, the Lane Cove River, and an extensive network of open space, reinforcing its strategic positioning for increased housing supply.

Level 33 is doing through the Housing Delivery Authority to try and get its Homebush project of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/level-33-adds-to-2-000-unit-pipeline-with-new-two-tower-homebush-plans">more than 300 apartments approved</a>.

The developer has over 2,000 apartments in the pipeline, predominantly in Wollongong.

First look: Level 33 proposes 225-apartment Lane Cove tower

Following the completion of its debut Palm Beach apartment development EVA on Tenth, local Gold Coast developer Chippendale Group has launched its latest project in the in demand area.

Chippendale Group, led by fifth-generation Palm Beach local Daniel Chippendale, has kicked off sales at&nbsp;<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/elise-palm-beach-3-twenty-fifth-avenue-palm-beach-qld-4221&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1775884443343000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2GyxnGQKU2XXwTzQ8_VHgi" href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/elise-palm-beach-3-twenty-fifth-avenue-palm-beach-qld-4221" target="_blank">ELISE</a>, 68 coastal-infused apartments just 40 metres from the sand on Twenty Fifth Avenue.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150992 project_image_fid=366023]

Construction is already well underway, a signal of confidence to buyers, following the demolition of the two-storey walk-up and 1990s built house that sat on two sites that have been amalgamated to create a prime corner block.

There are a mix of two- and three-bedroom apartments on offer, starting from $1.4 million.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150992 project_image_fid=366024]

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/bda-architecture">BDA Architecture</a>, Elise responds to its coastal setting through a horizontal architectural form with recessed glazing and layered landscaping. The design aims to balance light, shade and sea breezes while creating a defined presence along the streetscape.&nbsp;

Residences have been planned with an emphasis on outdoor living suited to the Gold Coast climate, including large balconies designed as usable outdoor rooms. Interiors will feature a selection of European appliances and natural materials, including New Zealand wool carpets.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150992 project_image_fid=366033]

Resident amenities are centred around a wellness-focused ground-level precinct. There will be private access to a heated swimming pool, sauna, cold plunge and gym, alongside a residents’ lounge with dining and entertaining space.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/elise-palm-beach-3-twenty-fifth-avenue-palm-beach-qld-4221">ELISE</a> is located towards the northern end of Palm Beach, which puts it just a short walk to Tallebudgera and Currumbin Creeks. At the end of the street is the newly extended Oceanway, a 36-kilometre pathway that runs up and down the Gold Coast.

Chippendale is targeting a late 2027 completion date for <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/elise-palm-beach-3-twenty-fifth-avenue-palm-beach-qld-4221">ELISE</a>.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150992]

Chippendale Group launches Elise, 40 metres from the Palm Beach sand

Sydney developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/31-41-o-hara-street-marrickville-nsw-2204">Third.i</a>&nbsp;has announced a new transport-oriented development in one of Sydney Inner West’s most sought-after metropolitan locations, delivering much needed housing within steps of world-class public transport and vibrant village life.

Located at&nbsp;31-41 O’Hara St,&nbsp;Marrickville, the proposed mixed-use development will include around 300 apartments, with up to 17 per cent dedicated to affordable housing, reinforcing Third.i’s commitment to creating inclusive, well-connected communities that support a diverse mix of residents who keep Sydney’s neighbourhoods thriving.

Located just 100 metres from the new Metro station, the development places residents within minutes of the CBD while offering seamless access to the Inner West’s cafés, retail, and local services. Anchored within a thriving local centre, the project supports everyday living without reliance on cars, while also delivering new public open space for the local community, including a new park and landscaped green areas, alongside high-quality private resident amenities.

Florian Caillon, Head of Acquisitions for Third.i Group, said the project builds on the company’s ongoing work alongside the NSW Government to deliver housing and amenity alongside major transport infrastructure. Amenity includes an activated pedestrianise retail strip that connects Illawarra Road down to the pocket park, and health and wellness facilities.&nbsp;

“Delivering housing of this scale within an established village is a rare opportunity, and few companies have achieved residential outcomes of this size at a village centre," Caillon said.

"We are excited to set a new standard for urban living in the heart of Marrickville,” he said.&nbsp;

The inclusion of affordable housing has been welcomed by frontline workers.

“We are supportive of developments which will allow essential workers like nurses, midwives and carers, the opportunity to live in the communities they care for," said&nbsp;Michael Whaites, General Secretary of the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association..

“Many healthcare workers tell us they would like to live closer to where they work, but are being priced out of the market, forcing them to move further away.&nbsp;

“Dedicated apartments for essential workers will support recruitment and retention in local hospitals and aged care facilities, helping to strengthen our health system.”

The project has been declared State Significant Development (SSD) by the Housing Delivery Authority (HDA).

Third.i to deliver 300 apartments in Marrickville TOD precinct

Hospital

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While the full effect of COVID-19 on the property market will take months to become clear, Herron Todd White's latest report found current evidence is showing that the predicted deterioration has just not occurred within the Newcastle area.
HTW valuer Liz McAllister said local builders are confirming that their work pipelines are remaining strong after a dip at the beginning of the pandemic. This has largely been due to to government support in the form of the HomeBuilder Grant.
"We have seen an increase in the price of vacant land within larger land developments with developers looking to capitalise on the grants," she said.
Despite some of the grants being also available for apartments, HTW is not as positive about the apartment market.
It warns owner occupiers and investors that new properties are very frequently being sold at prices exceeding their resale value.
It suggests there is an oversupply in the rental vacancy situation with overall demand for units deemed "soft."
These investment opportunities are the 41 ongoing or new residential developments on Apartments.com.au. 
In their August report HTW noted that whilst buyer uncertainty has not stopped investors purchasing property, the volume of quality houses on the market has not fully recovered but was on its way up.
"Property prices in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie rose ever so slightly in the last three month period even with the region shedding 24,000 jobs," the HTW valuer's said.
It was highlighted that agents have noted that investors from outside of the region are showing interest in purchasing investments. 
Major investment in infrastructure is under way including the newly revealed concept design for the seven-storey Acute Services Building for John Hunter and John Hunter’s Children’s hospitals.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the $780 million John Hunter Health and Innovation Precinct would drive significant economic growth in the Greater Newcastle region.
“John Hunter hospital is one of the busiest hospitals in NSW and this investment will provide enhanced health facilities ensuring the region has a world-class hospital to cater to its growing population,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“Construction of the precinct will support more than 3,000 jobs over the life of the project helping stimulate the economy, a key component of the NSW Government’s COVID-19 recovery plan.”
Early works on the new Acute Services Building are expected to commence in 2021 with main works construction scheduled to commence in 2022.
Observing the Newcastle commercial market, the workplace is described as pivoting as business leaders are seeing a reduction in business costs with staff working from home and for many this arrangement has become permanent.
Herron Todd White noted that companies are utilising less office space and using only meeting rooms and boardrooms, while hot desking and part time office use is becoming the norm.
However it did note this trend had yet to fully take hold in Newcastle.
"We see vacancy rates in some sectors rising in coming years as leases expire," Director Ed Thwaites said.
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$780 million John Hunter hospital plans revealed amid continuing Newcastle construction

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Lendlease has been awarded the building contract for the new acute services building at the Prince of Wales Hospital.
The building is scheduled to open in 2022.
It is part of the NSW Government’s $720 million Randwick campus redevelopment.
The announcement follows more than 18 months of successful collaboration between Lendlease, NSW government and other key stakeholders.
Lendlease will be required to facilitate a ‘skills legacy pilot program’, in partnership with TAFE NSW, as part of the agreement.
It requires them to provide education, employment and training for women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the long term unemployed, and apprentices.
Lendlease will have 600 construction workers on the site at the peak period.
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wdavis-8cCN98p7xp

Lendlease secures Prince of Wales Randwick redevelopment contract win 

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GUEST OBSERVATION
The federal government has just promised to increase spending on public hospitals from A$21.7 billion in 2018 to A$26.2 billion by 2023. Expect more hospital promises in coming weeks. There is a long history of parties at both state and federal level pledging new hospitals during election campaigns.
Building new hospitals may at first seem sensible, especially as the population grows. But it will not cure the health system’s most pressing ailment. Instead, <a href="https://bcec.edu.au/assets/2018/12/BCEC-To-Health-and-Happiness-Report.pdf" target="_blank">our research</a> shows it’s more effective to focus health policy on people and prevention.
A problem of demand
It is true that hospitals in Australia aren’t keeping up with demand. Though supply of beds has increased, the population is growing while also ageing. This is increasing demand for all health-care services, including hospital beds.
The following graph shows the change in the number of beds per 1,000 people in all states and territories since 2006. Only in the Australian Capital Territory has the ratio improved.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/264557/original/file-20190319-28496-ii13jb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/264557/original/file-20190319-28496-ii13jb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
Available hospital beds per 1000 population, by region, public hospitals (including psychiatric). <a class="source" href="https://bcec.edu.au/assets/2018/12/BCEC-To-Health-and-Happiness-Report.pdf" target="_blank">Bankwest Curtin Economic Centre | AIHA (various years), Australian hospital statistics, Health Services Series; AIHW (various years), hospital resources' Australian hospital statistics, Health services series.</a>
State and federal governments thus feel a lot of pressure to spend more on hospitals. In 2016-2017 it was <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/health-welfare-expenditure/health-expenditure-australia-2016-17/contents/summary" target="_blank">$69 billion</a> Australia-wide – $2 billion more than the previous year. The following graph shows expenditure on public hospitals by state over the past two decades.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/264579/original/file-20190319-60956-6i0qhw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/264579/original/file-20190319-60956-6i0qhw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
Public hospital spending in each state since 1996. <a class="source" href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/health-welfare-expenditure/health-expenditure-australia-2016-17/contents/data-visualisation" target="_blank">Australian Institute of Health and Welfare</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">CC BY</a>
Queensland shows the greatest growth over the past two decades. In Western Australia, where we did our research, the proportion of government health budgets spent on public hospitals rose from 26% to 31%.
Preventive measures
We looked at why the hospital care is growing faster than the overall health sector, and what can be done about this.
Our conclusion: there needs to be more focus on the “unsexy” parts of the health-care system that treat people before they get sick enough to need a hospital. Prevention is cheaper and more effective than cure.
For example, it is estimated that A$9 million invested in <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18719075" target="_blank">anti-smoking campaigns</a> between 1997 and 2007 saved A$740 million on smoking-related illnesses like lung cancer.
Yet our breakdown of health spending in Western Australia shows just 1.7% is spent on preventive measures – called “public health spending”. Australia-wide the average percentage is even less, according to <a href="http://fare.org.au/wp-content/uploads/Preventive-health-How-much-does-Australia-spend-and-is-it-enough_FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">research</a> from La Trobe University and the Australian Preventative Partnership Centre.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/264563/original/file-20190319-28468-c37pcs.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/264563/original/file-20190319-28468-c37pcs.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
Breakdown of health care spending in WA. <a class="source" href="https://bcec.edu.au/assets/2018/12/BCEC-To-Health-and-Happiness-Report.pdf" target="_blank">Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre | Authors’ calculations from AIHW health expenditure database.</a>
Early medical attention is another way to reduce the need for hospitals. In analysing data from around Western Australia between 2009 and 2016, we generally found that increasing visits to general practitioners reduced the incidence of avoidable deaths (deaths that could have been avoided with better treatment or prevention).
People-centred approach
Limited prevention and early detection comes back to the way we fund health care. Australia’s health system is funded using a “<a href="https://beta.health.gov.au/resources/publications/australias-health-landscape-infographic" target="_blank">hospital-centred</a>” rather than “people-centred” approach.
This means hospitals are funded by the number of patients cared for and the type of procedures done. Hospital and GPs are funded separately. There is no incentive to cooperate and keep people out of hospitals.
A people-centred approach, on the other hand, would give funds based on patients’ health outcomes, rather than their particular treatments. GPs would be paid to manage patients, with the goal of keeping them out of hospital.
This system would particularly help people living in remote and rural regions, including Indigenous Australians, who are disadvantaged by the relative lack of resources being spent on local and preventive health.
The Canterbury model
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/268298/original/file-20190409-2905-15ie8ak.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=237&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
The Canterbury region in New Zealand. <a class="source" href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Position_of_Canterbury_Region.png" target="_blank">English Wiki</a>
The best example of such a people-centred system is New Zealand’s <a href="https://www.cdhb.health.nz/about-us/key-projects-and-initiatives/international-report-encourages-health-systems-to-learn-from-canterbury-dhb/" target="_blank">Canterbury model</a> – named after the Canterbury region on New Zealand’s South Island (which includes Christchurch).
Instead of separate budgets for GPs and hospitals, Canterbury created a “one system, one budget” approach. This led to new programs that weren’t possible under the old system. An example is <a href="https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/publications/quest-integrated-health-and-social-care" target="_blank">Healthpathways</a>, which brought together GPs and specialists to decide on treatement programs for individual patients.
In working to make hospitals the last resort, more time and resources have gone to GPs. There are now more 24-hour clinics, for example, making it easier to get treated by a local doctor when needed.
A <a href="https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/6/5/e010709" target="_blank">study of the Canterbury system</a> showed that between 2007 and 2014 the number of people being hospitalised declined from 6.59 to 5.83 per 1,000. While an 11% decline may not seem huge, it represents a significant financial saving, given the high cost of hospitalisation.
Canterbury shows what can be achieved by rethinking how health care funding works. Australia has the opportunity to reimagine its health care system in a similar way.
New hospitals get a lot of attention. Politicians can point to them as concrete evidence they’re doing something to help. But emphasising hospitals as the most important part of the health system comes at a cost, and will only get more so as the population ages.
It’s time to discuss alternatives. Putting more resources into prevention and people is the right medicine for our future health needs.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/111084/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;">
Steven Bond-Smith, Research Fellow, Bankwest-Curtin Economics Centre, Curtin University
Alan Duncan, Director, Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre and Bankwest Research Chair in Economic Policy, Curtin University
Astghik Mavisakalyan, Associate professor, Curtin University
Yashar Tarverdi, Research fellow, Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre, Curtin University
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/more-hospitals-will-not-cure-australias-ailing-health-care-system-theres-a-more-efficient-way-111084">original article</a>.
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More hospitals will not cure Australia’s ailing health-care system. There’s a more efficient way

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The NSW Liberals &amp; Nationals Government said they are investing $750 million for the redevelopment of the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
It is the largest investment in the hopsital's 137-year history.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said, "this $750 million commitment for the Stage 1 redevelopment of RPA is a game changer for medical staff and patients."
The Stage 1 redevelopment will include expansion of the Emergency and Imaging departments, reconfiguration and expansion of operating theatres and integration of ambulatory care services.
Mr Hazzard said the Liberals &amp; Nationals Government is investing more than $8 billion in health infrastructure over the next four years, and has invested nearly $10 billion since 2011.
“The NSW Liberals &amp; Nationals Government has already built or upgraded more than 100 hospitals and other health facilities across the State and now RPA is getting its turn"
Redevelopment commenced with the transformation of the Professor Marie Bashir Centre opened in 2014, and the $34.6 million staff car park opened in 2018, in addition to its ongoing support of Chris O’Brien Lifehouse.
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Royal Prince Alfred Hospital set for $750 Million redevelopment

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GUEST OBSERVER
When even teachers and police workers need to travel to the city fringes to find an affordable home that strikes us as a sign of a deeply dysfunctional housing system. Our research shows key workers are being squeezed out of Sydney by a housing market which has left them behind. Yet Sydney stands out among global cities, like New York, London and San Francisco, for having neglected the housing needs of its essential workforce.
In our study, we identify five strategies to tackle the problem. These could make a real difference for key workers and other moderate income earners.
Forced out to the fringes
Unaffordable housing is creating a growing spatial mismatch between where teachers, police, health and emergency workers live and work. Although their jobs are spread throughout the metropolitan region, a majority of Sydney’s 156,000 teachers, nurses, police, firefighters, ambulance and emergency workers now live in outer ring areas.
Our study shows key workers are more concentrated on the metropolitan fringe compared to the labour force generally. And this trend is intensifying.
Over the decade 2006-2016, we found that inner areas of Sydney as well as middle ring areas, including Ryde and Parramatta, lost up to 21.4% of their key worker populations. The largest influxes of key workers were in far-flung Illawarra (a net gain of 10.5%), Hunter Valley (13.6%) and Southern Highlands (17%).
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205868/original/file-20180212-31377-178trgy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
Some areas of Sydney have lost many of their key workers. Key Worker Housing Affordability in Sydney, Author provided
Barriers to buying a home
Professionally qualified and often with a university degree, key workers typically earn moderate, rather than high incomes.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205869/original/file-20180212-31355-p7z1f2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
Key workers are on moderate salaries. Key Worker Housing Affordability in Sydney, Author provided
They’re not getting rich while teaching our children or caring for our sick, but the stability of their service-oriented professions usually meant home ownership was a realistic expectation. However, over the past decade, younger key workers have faced new barriers to home ownership.
One of these is the deposit gap. This refers to the number of years it takes to save a deposit on a median-priced home. Most lenders now require a 20% deposit.
Single key workers now need nearly nine years to save a deposit for a dwelling in Sydney’s outer suburbs. Couples on two incomes need to save for more than five years.
Where can key workers afford to live?
To examine where key workers can afford to buy a house we used affordable price thresholds, based on bank lending criteria and assuming a 20% deposit. Again, this analysis showed key workers have very limited choices. Even a senior constable earning around A$98,000 a year is limited to outer Sydney, with the closest options being Penrith and Campbelltown.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205861/original/file-20180211-51727-pmhycu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
Key workers simply can’t afford to live close to the inner city. Key Worker Housing Affordability in Sydney, Author provided
Their limited housing choices are forcing many key worker households into long car-based commutes.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205870/original/file-20180212-31359-365gu1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
Key workers face longer-than-average commutes. Key Worker Housing Affordability in Sydney, Author provided
These long commutes take a toll on their families and finances. Sydney high school teacher Kim Timmins explained in a recent opinion piece:
"We made the difficult decision last year to leave our network of family and friends and make the move to the uppermost parts of the Central Coast, the closest place we could afford to buy a home big enough for our growing family. … Our commute is a mix of car and train throughout the week … a complete drain before the day at school and hospital begin, and an economic disadvantage in terms of car travel costs."
What should be done
Several local councils are pursuing important initiatives to provide more affordable rental housing. In our study, we also propose five ideas to help key workers get into home ownership in Sydney.
In particular, the stable employment conditions and moderate incomes of key workers open new possibilities for improving their affordable housing options, without needing additional government subsidy or significant policy change.
Reduce the deposit gap
Key workers have traditionally aspired to, and achieved, home ownership. But those not already on the property ladder face a median house price of around A$900,000 in Sydney. An affordable price for most key workers would be around A$650,000.
To bring home ownership into reach, a shared equity model would allow key workers to buy up to 75% of the home’s value. This would reduce deposit requirements to between 5% and 10% and also make loan repayments more manageable.
Shared equity schemes are offered in South Australia under the government’s HomeStart finance organisation. This has helped many low and moderate income earners into their first home.
Collaborative development models
“Collaborative” development and financing models provide an alternative to conventional multi-unit housing developments. Under these models, individuals are supported in collectively developing a residential project.
The group members collaborate to acquire a site, appoint an architect and manage professionals through planning and construction. Groups are able to save on developer premiums. They can also customise their building and apartments in ways that save on both capital and recurrent costs.
The Nightingale projects in Victoria are an example of this approach. Participants in these schemes can save around 10-12% on prices for comparable apartments.
Alternative tenure arrangements
Alternative tenure arrangements, such as community land trusts, can separate the cost of a dwelling from the cost of land (retained by government or the trust). Under this model, homes are purchased with a conventional mortgage and/or the land component is rented at a marginal rate. Community land trusts are well established in the UK and US, but yet to attract serious policy support in Australia.
Save on construction
Savings in housing design and construction could help increase the supply of affordable homes, provided these savings are passed on to eligible buyers. Innovations in design and construction, as well as reduced requirements for facilities such as car parking (in accessible locations) could reduce costs by up to 25-35%. That equates to savings of A$75,000 to A$100,000 for two-to-three-bedroom units or townhouses.
Increase inclusionary planning targets
Inclusionary planning requires that a proportion of new housing development be affordable for moderate or low income groups. This approach can support various combinations of affordable housing, to be made available as permanent rental housing or sold on the market. Mandating that 20% of dwellings in all major new housing developments are affordable for moderate income earners, including key workers, could deliver 6,000 to 7,000 affordable “start-up” homes per year in Sydney.
Housing slowdown won’t solve key worker exodus
Governments seem to be hoping that slowdowns in Sydney and Melbourne prices, combined with first home buyer stamp duty concessions, have fixed the housing affordability problem. It’s true that regulatory intervention to restrict interest-only loans to 30% of new residential mortgage loans has cooled some investor demand.
However, the housing boom added 70% to Sydney prices from the trough to the peak. This disrupted the home-ownership trajectory of key workers, and in turn added to pressure on the operation of our essential services.
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/91476/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">Key workers who don’t own homes may increasingly opt to leave Sydney’s unaffordable housing market. Ultimately, they may seek work in regional New South Wales or elsewhere in Australia. Sydney can ill afford to lose them.
Nicole Gurran, Professor of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Sydney
Catherine Gilbert, Research Assistant and PhD Candidate, Urban Housing Lab, University of Sydney
Peter Phibbs, Director, Henry Halloran Trust, University of Sydney
Yuting Zhang, Research Associate, Urban Housing Lab, University of Sydney
This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/key-workers-like-nurses-and-teachers-are-being-squeezed-out-of-sydney-this-is-what-we-can-do-about-it-91476" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Key workers like nurses and teachers are being squeezed out of Sydney: Academics

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Real estate firm Laing+Simmons Parramatta has raised some $3000 for medical research in the first month of its campaign as part of its 21st birthday celebrations. 
From every property sold from July to the end of the year, $300 will be donated to the Westmead Medical Research Foundation.
Ray Fayad, group principal said with five months to go he expects this amount will increase dramatically as sales are boosted by the recent interest rate cut combined with the seasonal spring increase in property market activity.
“Buyer demand for western Sydney property remains strong and our vendors are taking their properties to market with confidence, while also helping us to do our bit for an important cause,” he said.
“They make a real difference to people in need of care and their families, and we’re delighted to be able to support their work as our way of acknowledging our 21 year association with the area.”
The money raised will go towards critical care and research. 
 
For more information, click <a href="https://www.wmrf.org.au%20" target="_blank">here</a>.
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