<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sunland-group">Sunland Group</a> has officially lodged plans for its first Gold Coast apartment project since the departure of the Abedian family from the company three years ago, unveiling a new high-rise proposal for a prominent Broadbeach corner site on Old Burleigh Road.

The application was submitted by an entity directed by Tom Jamieson, stepson of longtime Sunland leader Soheil Abedian, and Riaz Rezvanipour, brother-in-law of Sahba Abedian, Soheil’s son.

Sunland acquired the 1,283 sqm site on the corner of Old Burleigh Road and Armrick Avenue for $9.5 million late last year and is now seeking approval for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/99-101-old-burleigh-road-broadbeach-qld-4218">42-storey tower with 81 apartments</a>.

<img alt="First look: Sunland Group returns to Broadbeach with new Old Burleigh Road tower plans" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fea2946d-90ee-4cfc-babe-2a8ad5db2cb6" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/pers.png?VersionId=BV0fihJw31nDIQ8ozY_h3GbS8mxDyhnm" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/contreras-earl-architecture">Contreras Earl Architecture</a>, the proposed tower at 99-101 Old Burleigh Road would deliver a predominantly larger-format apartment mix aimed at the owner-occupier market. Plans include 17 two-bedroom apartments, 55 three-bedroom apartments, and nine four-bedroom residences across 35 residential levels.

The development also incorporates three basement levels, four podium parking levels, two levels of communal recreation facilities, and rooftop plant and equipment. A total of 189 car spaces are proposed, significantly exceeding the 90 spaces required under the planning scheme.

The architecture adopts a sculpted, curvilinear form, with deep wraparound balconies and integrated landscaping intended to soften the tower’s vertical expression. The planning report states the building’s “slender footprint/form provides a complimentary yet varied built form within the local streetscape” and contributes to “a varied, yet ordered skyline.”

Contreras Earl noted in its Architectural Statement that from the early stages, the project addressed a fundamental challenge: how to accommodate the required residential yield while avoiding the conventional model of a tower sitting on a rigid, fully resolved parking podium.

“The most direct response would have been to consolidate parking into a singular, flat podium and extrude a repetitive tower above,” the statement said. “While efficient, this approach would result in a consolidated built form with limited engagement with the surrounding landscape and public realm.”

Instead, the conventional podium model was “deliberately rejected”. The architects described the base of the building as “a landscaped architectural condition where structure, planting and circulation are integrated”.

“Rather than presenting a continuous built mass, the base of the building is articulated through a series of concrete planter elements that organise the podium into a fragmented system,” the statement said. “This approach reduces the perceived bulk of the lower levels while establishing a more permeable interface with the streetscape and adjacent open space.”

<img alt="Sunland" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="923fad8d-c960-4527-8fbe-975cf1ddf88d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-25%20at%2010.32.03%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=pngwb0hYOIUpq9vDw6F2EsOiVuHF3DiX" />

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The site sits within the High Density Residential Zone and inside the City of Gold Coast’s unrestricted “HX” building height area, where the planning framework anticipates intensified residential development tied to the expanding light rail corridor. The planning report notes the area is undergoing “transition toward more intense development forms” given its proximity to Broadbeach, Surfers Paradise, and high-frequency public transport infrastructure.

Positioned directly opposite Broadbeach Park and within walking distance of Florida Gardens light rail station, the development would sit among a rapidly evolving stretch of Old Burleigh Road that has become one of the Gold Coast’s most active apartment development corridors.

The application joins a growing pipeline of luxury residential projects reshaping Broadbeach, including nearby developments by 5Point Projects, Polycell, and Graya.

The planning report argues the project contributes toward the Gold Coast’s long-term housing targets under the South East Queensland Regional Plan, which forecasts the need for more than 100,000 additional high-rise dwellings across the city by 2046.

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The Abedian family departed Sunland Group in late 2023, ending a four-decade association with the company, and subsequently established the private development firm Abedian &amp; Co. The group is currently delivering <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/greenmount-residences-cnr-hill-street-and-marine-parade-coolangatta-qld-4225">Greenmount Residences</a> at Rainbow Bay and recently launched <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/18-mary-avenue-14-18-mary-avenue-broadbeach-qld-4218">18 Mary Avenue</a> in Broadbeach.
</section>

Joel Robinson

First look: Sunland Group returns to Broadbeach new apartment market with new Old Burleigh Road tower plans

The Minns Labor Government has established the new Bays West Delivery Authority to lead the development&nbsp;of the Bays West Precinct and Blackwattle Bay Precinct.&nbsp;

The Authority is charged with creating Sydney’s newest precinct, a thriving, connected, sustainable hub with White Bay Power Station as its cultural heart. Its vision is to build on the area’s natural, cultural and industrial history to shape a vibrant new neighbourhood.

The precinct will deliver up to 8,500 well-located homes, including a minimum of 10 per cent affordable and essential worker homes. Combine new housing with public open space, opening public access to the waterfront for the first time in more than 100 years, while retaining important deep-water facilities to support Sydney’s working harbour.

Located just minutes from the Sydney CBD and connected to a world-class metro, ferry, walking and cycling links, the Bays West precinct will rebalance housing growth towards well-serviced inner-city locations and help tackle the state’s housing crisis.

The Bays West Delivery Authority,&nbsp;an agency of the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, will report to the NSW Minister for Lands and Property who already has oversight of major precinct renewal projects including at Blackwattle Bay and Barangaroo.

As part of the broader Bays West transformation, the Minns Government recently announced that a proposal from Lendlease to redevelop part of the Bays West Precinct has progressed to Stage 2 of the NSW Government’s unsolicited proposals process.

<img alt="Sydney" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2ed71eb9-d8e8-4fa7-b9d1-de4531dcf2f3" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-25%20at%209.42.31%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=IDryFIbped9SNDg72LEN_EecvhUsOPvp" />

The Minns Labor Government has also confirmed the Bays West precinct will have a new suburb name. This will be the first major suburb built in close proximity to Sydney’s CBD in decades and will encompass the area currently being referred to as Bays West, including Glebe Island and the White Bay Power Station. Served by a new Metro station just five minutes from the CBD, it will become one of the most populous suburbs in the Inner West and one of Sydney’s premier cultural destinations.

An early works program is taking shape, which&nbsp;includes the first stages of an international design competition.&nbsp;

The aim of the Bays West&nbsp;International&nbsp;Design Competition is to&nbsp;ensure design excellence is embedded in the project from the start. The competition will deliver an&nbsp;urban framework that defines the character, ambition and long-term identity of&nbsp;this&nbsp;former industrial precinct as it transitions to a vibrant, inclusive and sustainable residential&nbsp;neighbourhood.

The competition will be led by the Bays West Delivery Authority in partnership with Government Architect NSW.&nbsp;

It will launch with an invitation for a global Expressions of Interest, before moving to an invitation-only stage that will be assessed by a panel that&nbsp;will provide advice to Cabinet who will select a winner.

Premier of NSW, Chris Minns said the establishment of the new Authority is the first step in transforming the Bays West precinct into a vibrant, livable suburb minutes from the Sydney CBD and two stops from Hunter St Station on the Metro West line.

“The Authority will deliver well-located homes close to the heart of the city and integrate the new precinct with Blackwattle Bay and the new Sydney Fish Market.

“This is a generational opportunity to build a new suburb on the city’s edge and open the harbour foreshore to the public for the first time in a century.”&nbsp;

Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper said the new Bays West Delivery Authority established by the Minns Government will turbocharge the development of Sydney’s newest suburb.

“The Authority is working at a record pace to deliver an international design competition, planning pathways and a financial model so that this development benefits Sydney with well-designed homes in a central location, close to public transport, jobs, entertainment and essential services.

“If we want Sydney to stay liveable and affordable, we need to be bold about using underutilised government-owned land to deliver homes for the future while making sure essential working harbour functions can be accommodated.”

Bays West Delivery Authority established to "turbocharge" Sydney’s newest suburb

Around 400 additional homes could be built at Southwark Grounds on Port Road, lifting total site capacity from 1300 to around 1700 dwellings.

A recently approved code amendment would allow apartment towers of up to 14 storeys in some areas of Renewal SA’s redevelopment of the former West End Brewery.

Renewal SA Acting Chief Executive Shane Wingard said he welcomed the code amendment, with the increase in heights and homes making a positive impact on the supply of high-quality, well-connected housing close to the city.

“By going higher across some parts of Southwark Grounds, we are adding a substantial number of very well-located homes with little impact on project delivery time or planned open space,” Mr Wingard said.

Since the project officially launched in 2025, Mr Wingard said more than 12,000 enquiries had been received about living at Southwark Grounds.

“The very strong early interest we’ve seen since homes were first released in the precinct reinforces our plans to create more housing opportunities,” he said.

The Southwark Grounds code amendment was launched in December last year, with community engagement undertaken over five weeks from January.

It proposed increasing maximum building heights from eight to 14 storeys on the eastern section of Southwark Grounds, and to 12 storeys across the remainder of the site, with minimum building heights ranging from two to four storeys.

The code amendment was implemented through an Early Commencement policy in late January, allowing developers to quickly explore the viability of increased height and housing yield while other planning processes continue.

One of the first developers delivering apartment sites have already finalised redesigns to increase the number of apartments following the code amendment.

Samaras’ development adjacent to the future Colonel Light Park is now planning to deliver 125 apartments across 11 storeys, significantly greater than original plans of around 50 apartments across four storeys.

The developer is also exploring the potential for additional affordable housing outcomes.

Most of the apartments at Southwark Grounds will be delivered within a master-planned precinct on a large parcel of land on the eastern portion of the site, covering around two-thirds of its 8.4 hectares.

Wingard said detailed precinct planning over the coming months may identify further opportunities to increase yield further that could see total apartment numbers at Southwark Grounds, exceed this number.

Affordable homes at Southwark Grounds will also see a net increase, with Renewal SA maintaining its commitment to a minimum of 20 per cent affordable housing across the development.

&nbsp;

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Civil works have begun across the site, with construction under way on the first new roads surrounding a townhouse precinct in the south‑west corner of Southwark Grounds. This includes Renewal SA’s 17 Founder’s Row homes, which are on track for completion by Christmas.

“We expect to have people living at Southwark Grounds by the end of the year, so delivering roads and public spaces for those residents is among our highest priorities.”

Construction of 40 townhouses off Anderson Street, known as West Village and being delivered by Contour, is forecast to begin in mid‑2026. Kolabb’s Anderson Lane development will follow shortly after, delivering a further 26 townhouses.

Southwark Grounds is a state government‑led urban renewal project now set to deliver around 1,700 homes over the next decade.

Homes will be supported by a supermarket, a range of retail and hospitality offerings anchored by a revitalised Walkerville Brew Tower, a childcare centre, car parking and well‑connected public spaces.

400 new homes planned for Adelaide's former West End Brewery site

Brisbane developer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/cavcorp">Cavcorp</a> has lodged plans for a new mixed-use residential development at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/55-wyandra-street-teneriffe-qld-4005">55 Wyandra Street</a>, Teneriffe, anchored by an 85-metre public laneway designed to reconnect the suburb’s riverfront with the Gasworks precinct.

The buildings, known as Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane, would replace the existing Queensland Cotton head office site with a 15-storey residential tower transitioning to eight storeys toward Helen Street. The project has been designed by Plazibat Architects and lodged as a code assessable development application for 93 apartments across a 3,401 sqm mixed-use site within the Newstead and Teneriffe Waterfront neighbourhood plan.

Central to the scheme is the transformation of an existing service easement into a publicly accessible cross-block connection linking Wyandra and Helen Streets. Cavcorp says the new laneway will act as both a pedestrian shortcut and a landscaped civic space between the Teneriffe Riverwalk, ferry terminal, and Gasworks precinct.

<img alt="First Look: Cavcorp unveils Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane plans for landmark wellness tower in Teneriffe" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="26e7f058-b065-4de8-b13d-a2b8cb64dfcc" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/bldg.png?VersionId=sELS0ZKYi361oYipUa1BIKfe_.DLZoFV" />

“The revised proposal delivers a legacy public-realm cross-block link, permanently secured for community use, transforming an existing private easement into a safe, high-quality pedestrian connection between the Teneriffe heritage riverwalk and the Gasworks–Long Island precinct,” the planning report states.

The laneway will sit beneath a large subtropical loggia integrated into the podium levels of the development. The design incorporates deep landscaping, water gardens, lobby spaces, business lounges, and ground-floor apartments to create what Cavcorp describes as a climate-responsive “urban verandah.”

The tower itself has been designed as a slender form with recessed floorplates and curved translucent corners inspired by contemporary Japanese architecture. The building height aligns with the Commercial Road precinct controls, which permit towers up to 15 storeys within proximity to Longland Street.

<img alt="First Look: Cavcorp unveils Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane plans for landmark wellness tower in Teneriffe" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a8a17d40-43b6-4718-b3fd-67676fcbb485" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/pers%202_1.png?VersionId=i3VwDtp5AmL_8InW7w4qRbDFEpb744Jt" />

The project will comprise a mix of larger-format apartments aimed at owner-occupiers, downsizers, and families. The proposed apartment mix includes 11 loggia apartments across the lower levels, 50 four-bedroom Sky-Terrace apartments from levels three to seven, and 32 Sky-Pool Homes occupying the upper tower levels. The Sky-Pool Homes will feature private thermal plunge pools integrated into oversized balconies.

According to the application, the apartments are intended to reinterpret the scale and character of Teneriffe’s woolstore conversions and Queensland homes within a vertical residential format.

“The sky-pool homes build on Cavcorp’s previous projects and introduce a distinct apartment typology to Teneriffe, informed by both local and international precedent and responding to an identified market demand for enhanced safety, space and amenity,” the planning submission notes.

A major focus of the proposal is its five-level wellness and lifestyle offering, extending from the basement through to the rooftop.

Amenities proposed include a rooftop Swim &amp; Racquet Club with a 25-metre Olympic lap pool and tennis court, coworking spaces and libraries, golf simulators, wine storage, concierge facilities, business lounges, pet wash areas, and rooftop longevity-focused wellness spaces with spas, outdoor fitness zones, and landscaped terraces.

<img alt="First Look: Cavcorp unveils Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane plans for landmark wellness tower in Teneriffe" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="944b352c-49b9-4247-a4c6-5967b4b69fda" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/amenity.png?VersionId=Ed_qKjAtMwFT.5gfl3jiA9QwdWxSMsaX" />

All parking will be concealed within basement levels accessed from Wyandra and Helen Streets. Cavcorp says the deep-basement engineering approach allows the entire ground plane to prioritise landscaping, pedestrian movement, and active frontage rather than vehicle infrastructure.

The development continues Cavcorp’s concentration in Newstead and Teneriffe, where the Brisbane developer has delivered a number of apartment projects including Lucent, Le Bain, and Luminare, as well as the Long Island Wellness Precinct nearby. Several of those projects have received national design and architecture awards, including recognition under Brisbane’s “Buildings that Breathe” program.

Cavcorp unveils wellness-focused Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane apartment buildings

Focus Group Investments has lodged plans for a new apartment development at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/64-70-hanover-street-fitzroy-vic-3065">64–70 Hanover Street</a> in Fitzroy, seeking to utilise the Victorian Government’s recently introduced Great Design Fast Track pathway to accelerate approvals for the project.

The proposal is among the latest developments to emerge through the state-led initiative, which was established to fast-track well-designed residential projects in activity centres and transport-connected inner-city locations. The pathway allows qualifying developments that meet elevated design and housing benchmarks to bypass traditional council planning timeframes and instead be assessed directly by the Department of Transport and Planning.

Designed by SJB, the development will comprise a mix of apartments above activated lower levels, with a strong focus on architectural articulation, landscaping, and communal amenity. The design response seeks to balance the industrial character of Richmond’s former warehouse precincts with a more contemporary residential form.

<img alt="First look: Focus Group Investments taps Victoria’s Great Design Fast Track for Richmond apartments" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="abea51cc-d85b-479e-9aef-a589f3b37ca7" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/ground.png?VersionId=e1Kf8EyPWwyiVumtqQ4rM5S4GpOR3CCz" />

Proposed are 63 new dwellings, a wide ranging mix of studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, and townhouses and duplexes. They will be spread across a part-three, part-eight storey building.

The Planning and Urban Context Report by Tract says the development is of an "exemplary architectural standard" and has been carefully crafted by SJB Architects.

"Dwellings&nbsp;will benefit from excellent access to natural light, cross-ventilation opportunities and extensive communal space," the report noted.

The architectural material highlights the project’s integration of landscaped elements and communal spaces throughout the building. The proposal also incorporates sustainability initiatives aligned with the Victorian Government’s push for higher-performing apartment developments under the fast-track program.

The Great Design Fast Track was unveiled by the Victorian Government in 2024 as part of a broader housing supply strategy aimed at accelerating the delivery of new homes. Projects assessed through the pathway must demonstrate high-quality architecture, sustainability outcomes, and housing diversity while being located close to public transport and existing infrastructure.

<img alt="First look: Focus Group Investments taps Victoria’s Great Design Fast Track for Richmond apartments" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="afdbe834-8dc4-4a77-a943-ba07bc927348" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/site_11.png?VersionId=0J657j.TaChAZfp93wqJYBTqSsnREJx2" />

Focus Group, founder and led by Paul De Lutiis, is increasingly active across Melbourne’s inner suburbs, targeting well-connected urban renewal locations suited to medium and higher-density residential development. The Fitzroy proposal continues that strategy, leveraging the area’s strong transport links, established retail amenity, and proximity to the CBD.

Fitzroy has been one of the most popular spots for developers and buyers in recent years. The likes of PACE Development Group, SMA Projects, Crema Group and Chapter Group, currently selling projects in the suburb.

First look: Focus Group Investments taps Victoria’s Great Design Fast Track for Fitzroy apartments

New Developments

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An entire Castle Hill cul-de-sac is up for sale in one line, as The Hills comes alive with prospective apartment site amalgamations.
All eight neighbours on Poplar Court have united in the hope their early 1970s homes will be snapped up in one lot by a developer.
Totalling 6472sq m, the site is being marketed as a walk to the future Castle Hill train station of the North West Rail Link.
While Gwen Hughes has lived in her Poplar Court home for decades, others — including the development push co-ordinator Leah McGinley — bought just five years ago.
Castle Hill, 26 km northwest of Sydney CBD, has about 10 other known proposed development site offerings, all expecting approvals which will kick-start the likely dramatic change that will coincide with the train’s arrival.
“Own the Street!,” advertises LJ Hooker estate agent Brian Caba, who has the six Poplar Ave houses plus the two bordering Cecil St listed in conjunction with Harcourts agent Steve Cole.
“We want to be among the first out,” Ms McGinley said of the decision to list.
“We want to beat the rush as every man and his dog will be trying to sell sites.”
<img src="https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/c670bf61f190d5a3e6735f45e6e4d86b?width=650" width="650" height="366">
Mr Caba has led the marketing of the amalgamated sites including 20 neighbours on Middleton, Dawes and Hughes Aves.
They fall within the state government’s Urban Activation Precinct around the North West Rail Link, which is due to start running in 2019, or even possibly ahead of time in 2018.
“I’ve got four sites and am working on another 15,” Mr Caba said.
“Castle Hill is going to be like Chatswood.”
The aim of the state government’s program is to encourage developers to add to the city’s housing supply by building apartments near new and exisiting transport hubs.
While the value of the sites could depend on the details yet to be released by the Hills Shire Council, sellers and agents hope some developers are keen enough to take early positioning.
Castle Hill has been designated an urban activation precinct which will spark a rush of group sales.
Already five houses on Garthowen Cres netted $20 million for their owners last year.
<div class="w_ad_mbl_rectangle_article-middle">Castle Hill’s median house price is at a record $1.2 million, according to CoreLogic RP Data, with Mr Caba saying typically up to three times as much could be achieved from selling to developers.</div>
House prices across the suburb have increased from $780,000 in early 2013.
Late last year many Castle Hill residents attended meetings on potential prospecting by developers who advised 4000sq m plus was needed for highrise apartments, or about 1800sq m plus for townhouses.
It was after the meeting that Ms McGinley decided to make her neighbourhood’s first mover advantage.
“We are making owners into multi-millioniares,” Mr Caba said.
Despite the likely real estate windfall, the push is also causing fractured friendships between neighbours, even feuding over whether to participate and at what share of the windfall.
There is also concern at the construction turmoil that will beset the suburb in future years.
While Castle Hill is currently in early overdrive, the highrise trend is tipped for other areas such as Cherrybrook, Frenchs Forest, Glenhaven, Dural, Kellyville and Rouse Hill which could all face something of a lesser transformation.
This week 10 owners in St Leonards have put up their homes for sale after Lane Cove Council approved the South St Leonards masterplan to increase dwelling construction.
This article was first published in the Daily Telegraph.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Entire Castle Hill cul-de-sac up for sale in development precursor

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Mid-range three to four bedroom home builds around Melbourne's western fringe suburbs of Point Cook, Tarneit, Wyndham Vale and Williams Landing on 150sqm are going for around $1,000 to $1,250sqm, according to Herron Todd White.
In the August Month in Review, HTW gave the example of a home in Tarniet, built in 2008 on 162sqm, that sold in June for $365,000 as a recent example.
Construction rates for the high end prestige sector range from $3,500 to $5,500 per square metre and are "a significant rise from the 2009 report figures of $2,500 to $3,000, indicative of the labour intensity of such builds" the report states.
A recent high-end construction in <a href="/news">Balwyn North</a> with five bedrooms, European oak parquetry, and views on a land area of 828 square metres is worth approximately $4,132 per square metre. It sold recently for $4,428,000.
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mick.cee-iDmgDDAmu8

Balwyn North noted for new Victorian prestige builds: HTW

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Future new home development on the Gold Coast is ramping up in areas such as Hope Island, Beenleigh and the Scenic Rim (west), with building costs increasing at the lower end of the scale, but not greatly for the prestige and higher-end market when compared to 2009. 
Herron Todd White's August review noted builders and developers said the cost is higher due to raw materials costs and green compliance, adding to the cost per square metre. 
HTW said most of the remaining vacant sites in <a href="/news">Helensvale</a>, River Links and The Peninsula, will be developed in the next few years and warned that valuation of off the plan housing can be a minefield as rates for very similar products can range from $1,100 per square metre to over $1,600 per square metre. 
"These estates have building covenants which attract architecturally designed and quality project packages that range on a rate per square metre basis from $1,100 to $1,700 for living area," HTW noted. 
"These dwellings will mostly feature attractive mixed cladding, stone benchtops throughout, ducted air-conditioning and often leave landscaping and pool packages outside the building contract. These estates have smaller lot sizes ranging from roughly 300 square metres to 600 square metres and therefore attract investors, project builders and turnkey packages. 
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"These building contracts are typically $200,000 to $275,000. Floor plans are usually compact 3-bedroom plus study or 4-bedroom and the rates per square metre of living are generally $1,000 to $1,200 which has crept up from our previous review in 2009."
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On the North Western M1 corridor, Maudsland's, Riverstone Crossing, Highland Reserve and Coomera Springs are showing consistent land value increases, according to the report.
 
 
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Gold Coast's new home development hotspots: HTW

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A preliminary draft plan for a $160 million retail park in the Sydney suburb of Bankstown has been released, with the public invited to submit their ideas until October 21.
The Preliminary Draft Major Development Plan for the Bankstown Business Estate is designed to make best use of surplus aviation land around Bankstown Airport, some 41 hectares of Commonwealth-owned land.
LEDA Holdings managing director Robert Ell said the disused land is a perfect fit for such a proposal.
“The site has been earmarked for commercial use for a long time,” Mr Ell said.
“The project would also fill a commercial gap, attracting some of the world’s top retail names and providing affordable shopping opportunities for locals.
"The impact on local residents should be negligible because the site is buffered by Bankstown Airport’s runways, existing commercial operations, local golf courses and the Georges River."
$50 million of the proposed development has been slated for local infrastructure upgrades.
Potential retail development could include a discount factory outlet, bulky goods retail, warehousing, medical and fitness tenants and lifestyle and entertainment facilities such as alfresco cafes, restaurants, bowling lanes and play centres.
For more information, go to the Bankstown Business Estate website <a href="https://www.bankstownbusinessestate.com/the-site/" target="_blank">here</a>.
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po-LsXgBTHBmX

Preliminary Bankstown Business Estate project draft released

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Iris Property Group has bought another Kings Cross development site, next door to the Bourbon Hotel which they only recently bought.
Iris has paid around $18.75 million for the 61 room, 300 backpacker bed, former Kingsview Motel which comes with two retail stores at ground level.
The motel, at 30 Darlinghurst Road, Kings Cross, was first offered formally in the late 1980s with a rental income of $163,000 a year from Neptunes Restaurant, which was then part of the motel next to the former Club Swans. Its current operators have the premises trading as DLux furnished apartments.
<img src="https://res-2.cloudinary.com/cre/image/fetch/w_667,h_500,c_pad,f_auto,d_placeholder_viubzx.png/http%3A%2F%2Fcre.domainstatic.com.au%2Fw800-h600-2009859555_1_pi_150310_091531" alt="30 Darlinghurst Road POTTS POINT POTTS POINT NSW 2011" data-bind="attr: { src: fullSizeUrl, alt: '{0} {1} {2} {3}'.format($parent.displayableAddress(), $parent.suburb(), $parent.state(), $parent.postcode()) }">
It has been long held by Millie Phillips, better known for heading the Milstern Health Care retirement village and nursing home outfit.
Millie Phillips was often cited for many decades as among Australia's richest self-made businesswoman, after buying a small boarding house in Sydney's Ashfield in the early 1960s after she had just separated from her husband and had three children to support.
The space above the Bourbon Hotel is ear-marked for redevelopment into apartments after its recent sale to Iris.
The C.inc hotel group, headed by Christopher Cheung, secured about $28 million for the Kings Cross icon, The Bourbon Hotel earlier this year when bought by the apartment developer and hotel operator Iris Capital's Sam Arnaout.
The Bourbon was marketed last October with having capacity for around 80 apartments (artist's impression below) with bar facilities at street level.
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<div><a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/photogallery_new.ds;jsessionid=8BACA75B866AB8E413A411C2208B0A10?id=501351075&amp;theme=rca.buy" rel="photos" data-id="501351075"><img src="https://i1.au.reastatic.net/456x342-resize/df6906ae430714632f38eb3b97d89585b7b6116e2eb1c2d174f074ae855b67e8/main.jpg" alt="The Bourbon Hotel and former Sydney Swans Club, 22-28 Darlinghurst Road, Potts Point, NSW 2011" title="The Bourbon Hotel and former Sydney Swans Club, 22-28 Darlinghurst Road, Potts Point, NSW 2011" data-index="0" data-resizable="true"> </a></div>
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The Bourbon and the adjoining former Sydney Swans Club in Kings Cross had been listed after Cheung told the SMH the lockout laws in the inner city had influenced his decision to sell and focus on his other assets, including the Coogee Bay Hotel and Cruise Bar, Circular Quay.
They optimistically suggested the buyer would be "part of the area's Covent Garden/Soho transformation."
Cheung bought the Potts Point properties that sit on 6,300 square metres from the former ING Real Estate Entertainment Fund in 2010, after a hailstorm caused the roof of the Swans club to collapse. 
Cheung spent about $10 million upgrading the landmark Bourbon hotel, which boasts 30 gaming machines and hotel licence with a separate $4 million realisation value.
The site was being marketed as potentially accommodating apartments, with retail and or a wine bar at street level.
The Bourbon arose from the ashes of the famed Bourbon and Beefsteak in The Cross.
China’s largest developer Greenland Group has bought the Crest Hotel in Sydney’s Kings Cross from Sam Arnaout’s hospitality and development group Iris Capital.
Colliers International agent Miron Solomons handled the off-market transaction of the property on the Victoria Street and Darlinghurst Road corner.
Iris bought The Crest for about $65 million from Australand in 2012. 
The Crest Hotel has development ­approval for 139 apartments.
<img src="https://durbachblockjaggers.com/file/02-crest-hotel_550a6539cd7ae-projectImage.jpg">
Iris had plans to develop the 19-storey tower with an hourglass design by architects Durbach Block Jager.
Following a design competition held by the City of Sydney council, the concept for stage-one plans were approved.
Comparisons have been drawn between New York's Times Square and the new site for DBJ's The Crest.
Image of new Crest from Durbach Block Jaggers.
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Millie Phillips calls time as Kingsview Motel, Kings Cross sells to neighbour, Bourbon's Iris Capital

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Building products supplier CSR says its outlook is positive as housing starts look to climb to record levels.
With more than 200,000 starts expected in fiscal 2016, CSR hopes strong demand for products continues over the next few years.
CSR managing director Rob Sindel told shareholders at the company’s annual meeting an increasing number of people wanted to live closer to where they worked, which was fuelling demand for multi-residential housing closer to city centres.
The sector now represented around 45% of all Australia’s new dwellings.
AAP reported Rob Sindel saying CSR’s brick-making joint-venture with Boral expected to generate initial overhead savings of $7 million to $10 million a year once the two businesses were fully integrated.
Deutsche Bank upgraded CSR to a "buy" recommendation given housing start projections, even after adjusting for reduced multi-family product intensity.
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CSR sees housing construction uplift

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Nearly all apartments within Brisbane's final third stage Fortitude Valley development project FV have sold, with the only four newly-released luxury three bedroom $1.8 million penthouses now available.
266 apartments in No. 1 building, the final of three FV developments, were sold in six weeks for a total of $190 million. The first two developments, Flatiron and Valley House, house 651 apartments and sold over 12 weeks for a total of $350 million.
The No. 1 building features eight pools, a gym, VIP business club, moonlight cinema, private dining area as well as concierge, champagne bar, cold store area, lounge and a resort-style Platinum Club rooftop area overlooking Story bridge and the Brisbane River.
<img src="/images/2015/07/13/Screen%20Shot%202015-07-13%20at%2011.05.08%20PM.png" alt="">
Founder and director of developers Gurner, Tim Gurner, said in addition to the Platinum Club and the VIP Business Club, the project also includes 3,000sqm of luxury amenity servicing all three buildings, which includes a 50m long, ‘U-shaped’ sunken infinity pool and BBQ areas.
<img src="/images/2015/07/13/Screen%20Shot%202015-07-13%20at%2011.04.58%20PM.png" alt="">
 
For more information on the development, visit Gurner's website <a href="https://www.gurner.com.au" target="_blank">here</a>.
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Only penthouses remain in Brisbane's No. 1 sellout

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I received a call from a novice property developer the other day and thought I'd share his dilemma.
He'd purchased a duplex site and had just received a set of plans and had a builder quote on the plans. He couldn't understand why there was so much allowed for in "site works". 
I looked over his quote for him and could see that his builder hadn't itemised out many costs. Our builder's quote or tender has about 75 itemised inclusions.
I explained to the caller that there was probably a lot of items included in his "site costs".  
Site works cover a few different things. Some builder's refer to them a pre-construction works or simply excavation works.
After the site is pegged out by the surveyor, excavation will start. If the site is relatively flat, this may just involve a 'site scrape' which will remove the top layer of grass and bushes. If there are trees on the  site, the excavator can sometimes knock them down or you may need to have these cut down and removed before the excavator comes to site. If so, make sure you leave about a meter or so of the tree stump above the ground the excavator will be able to pull up the root systems. All this vegetation has to be disposed on, so land with a lot of bush and trees is more expensive to prepare as disposal of debris will depend on the dump truck's load size or weight.
If the site is sloping then there will be much more work required to cut the site. There will be excess soil to remove. This is included in "site works". Mostly there is a Provisional Allowance for this work which means you may pay more or less than the allowance, so it's important you have a builder who is experienced and accurate with their allowances. The builder Property Bloom uses is often giving credits for these works as I would rather have them over allow than under allow.
So back to my caller… I advised him to ask his builder to break down the costs for him that were included as "site costs" that way he could more clearly see what was included and understand the process.
This leads me to site selection and comparing development sites.
Last week we took a client with us to inspect two dual occupancy sites that we were told would be coming onto the market shortly. They were in the same suburb but different locations. The suburb profile really stacked up, a high proportion of owner occupiers, good sales references for comparable properties, lots of government and council spending on infrastructure and community services and high rental demand.
The two lots were pretty similar in size, both large enough for a dual occupancy development but there was one major difference. One lot had about a 3m fall from the rear to the front and the other lot had a very slight fall to the rear boundary.
The two lots were the same price. The lot with the 3m fall was in a slightly better location, closer to community facilities in the area and our client said our client liked that land better than the other.
However, after walking over both sites, I explained our choice was the other lot. This was because of the savings on site costs. The slight fall to the rear did not worry me as the sewer and drainage systems were already in place there. The fact that this land would need less cut, less spoil removed and most importantly very little retaining was why I liked it so much.
The land with a 3m fall to the street would require more cut and fill work, perhaps even the use of dropped edge beam slabs and also retaining walls. Unfortunately, these works add no intrinsic value to your development. You won't get any more rent or a better sales price if you have high retaining walls, in fact higher walls can detract from the appearance of the private open spaces.
So choose your site wisely and ensure your builder has a good track record with estimating the allowance required for site works.
Jo Chivers is Chief Executive Officer of property development project managers <a href="https://www.propertybloom.com.au/about" target="_blank">Property Bloom</a>.
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How site costs impact your development: Jo Chivers

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An unprecedented level of major projects in the pipeline has the potential to produce significant growth in Queensland property markets. Although, there are some unanswered questions with a new government coming to office.
According to our research, there are thirty seven major infrastructure projects with a combined project value of a staggering $123 billion. If they were all to proceed they would create 142,900 new direct jobs.
There’s been a lot of hype over the last couple of years about the end of the mining construction boom and very little else coming through Australia’s infrastructure pipeline. What has been unfolding behind the scenes in Queensland is quite exciting although few people realise it. I doubt whether any state at any time in Australia’s history has ever had such a big pipeline of projects.
Throughout 2014 there were a lot of approvals of major projects along with various new proposals. Queensland’s jobs growth trend began to show green shoots. By the back end of 2014, Propertyology had become quite bullish in regards to property market outlooks throughout parts of the state.
We place a heavy emphasis on job growth potential with our property market forecasting. Wherever there is a new job there is demand for accommodation.
<img src="/images/2015/05/25/QLD_Projects_Map1.jpg" alt="">
Official statistics from Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows that Queensland created a total of 11,048 new jobs over the entire last three full calendar years. This puts the 142,900 job potential from Queensland’s project pipeline in to perspective.
Jobs growth has been the biggest driver of Sydney’s remarkable property boom over the last two years. The evidence is in the ABS data.
Australia created an additional 134,408 jobs in 2014. 52,975 of these were in Sydney.
We flag Brisbane, Gold Coast, Toowoomba, and Cairns as property markets with very promising outlooks. 
 
<img src="/images/2015/05/25/QLD_Projects_Stats.jpg" alt="">
The Abbott Point expansion at Bowen and rail infrastructure must be built in order to open up the biggest coal province in the world, Galilee Basin. High rollers such as Indian billionaires Adani and GVK, Gina Rinehart, Clive Palmer, and Chinese miner Macmines collectively have projects in the pipeline worth $53 billion.
Over the last two years, the city of Mackay has struggled under falling coal prices and property over-supply. But Mackay was placed back on Propertyology’s radar due to the potential 31,500 direct jobs which would be created if the Galilee Basin was officially opened up. Brisbane will benefit from the thousands of CBD administration new jobs that will be created. To a lesser extent, Townsville’s property market would also benefit through the supply of goods and services at the coal face and at Abbott Point.
During the January state election campaign, the Queensland Labor government made it known that they were opposed to expanding port facilities, even though, under former Premier Anna Bligh, Labor had initially approved the port expansion before the Newman government scaled it back to a more sustainable size. Earlier this month, Labor flagged a new proposal for the port dredging.
The new government has officially scrapped the $5.2 billion BaT Brisbane transport infrastructure project and raised questions over the proposed Queens Wharf project – comparable in size and quality to the new Barangaroo precinct in Sydney and the Crown Casino precinct in Melbourne.
Propertyology is still investing in Brisbane however we now place a couple of other locations ahead of Brisbane. The 18,000 extra jobs from the BaT project would have been very positive for Brisbane so too would have been the Herston medical precinct proposed by the Newman government. We had also factored in 10,000 new jobs from Queens Wharf but we just don’t know what will happen there now.
The Gold Coast property market has been described by Propertyology as having potential to be the best performing market in Australia over the next two years. When the Gold Coast Mayor first made mention that the proposed $7.5 billion ASF Resort project had potential for as many as 35,000 new (direct and indirect) jobs our ears certainly pricked up. Since being elected in to office, the new state government has scrapped the project. There’s already a lot of job creating infrastructure projects under way on the Gold Coast. And our outlook for the Australian tourism industry is off the Richter scale.  
Despite several major projects being declared ‘dead’ or doubtful’ over recent months, the job creation potential from within the long list of ‘likely to proceed’ projects is still very exciting. 
Queensland property markets have suffered over recent times from low confidence after the infamous 2011 floods, falling coal prices, and cut backs in the public sector. Pre-GFC, Queensland had previously created around 60,000 new jobs each year however there was actually a net loss of jobs in 2012 and 2013.
 
<img src="/images/2015/05/25/QLD_Projects_JobsTrend-2.jpg" alt="">
Simon Pressley is Managing Director of <a href="https://www.propertyology.com.au" target="_blank">Propertyology</a>, REIA Hall of Fame Inductee, property market analyst, accredited property investment adviser, and Buyer’s Agent. Propertyology works exclusively with property investors to purchase properties in strategically chosen locations all over Australia.
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Queensland's unprecedented infrastructure pipeline: Simon Pressley

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Apartment construction tycoon Harry Triguboff expects offshore investors to pick up any slack caused by tighter lending criteria to local investors.
"If the banks tighten their lending, yes, that will stop investor demand," Mr Triguboff said.
"But I am not worried. Chinese investors will not stop. I will keep building. Don't worry, the Chinese will come."
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Triguboff's Meriton is Australia's largest serviced apartment builder, stepping up its expansion. 
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"They come here and they want an authentic Australian product and they don't require apartments to be traditionally styled."
Not building for just one tourist visitor group - drawing conclusions from the late 1980s Japanese tourism boom. 
"A lot of people built things for Japanese customers. What happens if they don't come any more and when you have built this thing for one customer?" he said. 
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<div>"They said they would never stop coming and of course they did." </div>
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Mr Triguboff said he enjoyed building serviced apartments because tourism was a big part of the Australian economy. 
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"Tourism is important because the mines are not going to be here forever."
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Macquarie Group joined other banks charging borrowing conditions for property investors with new interest rate changes that took effect on Friday meaning Macquarie customers taking out fixed-rate investor or interest-only loans will pay higher rates than owner occupiers.
Similar moves were made earlier last week by ANZ Bank, National Australia Bank and Commonwealth Bank, in response to pressure from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority to slow down rapid investor-lead house price growth, especially in Sydney and Melbourne.
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But it took just under five hours for 581 off-the-plan apartments in Sydney's Darling Harbour project, known as Darling Square, to secure more than $600 million worth of sales for Lend Lease. 
The Australian Financial Review was told the buyers were predominantly local with about a third coming from offshore.
More than half of the weekend buyer were owner-occupiers. 
One-bedroom units at Darling Square started at $800,000 while two top-floor penthouses sold for more than $10 million. 
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