<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" />

&nbsp;

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.

<section data-scroll-anchor="false" data-testid="conversation-turn-4" data-turn="assistant" data-turn-id="request-WEB:84a2af5e-d7cf-4ddf-922a-f4d44d6c6caa-1" data-turn-id-container="request-WEB:84a2af5e-d7cf-4ddf-922a-f4d44d6c6caa-1" dir="auto">
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;

&nbsp;

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

<html><body>
The final level of Array, Mirvac’s Yarra’s Edge development, has been poured. It’s 40 metres high, and will see a crown mounted on the top, intending to become a Flinders Street skyline icon.
Residents’ settlement in the Yarra’s Edge development is currently expected for early-2015, with Mirvac group executive, residential John Carfi noting that this is a construction milestone for <a href="https://www.arraybymirvac.com/arrays-waterfront-homes" target="_blank">Array</a>.
<img src="/images/2014/08/08/Array_V20_Penthouse_360View.jpg" alt="">
“It has been encouraging to see such strong interest from purchasers, especially from our repeat purchasers at Yarra’s Edge. This is a real vote of confidence in the product and what Array stands for – luxury waterfront living,” Carfi said.
Array includes one, two, three and four bedroom offerings, and includes twin multi-level penthouses. It is eight metres from the water.
Another stage is also expected at Yarra’s Edge with the launch of 18 new strata-free homes, and a new residential tower that Carfi calls flexible and innovative.
By February last year, <a href="/expert-insights/buying/half-of-apartments-in-mirvac-s-array-development-in-docklands-sold">over half of the 205 apartments in the development had been sold</a>. Prices spanned $520,000 for a one-bedroom apartment to $7 million for a penthouse.
</body></html>

jduke-EHk3XBmHkn

Mirvac’s Array, Yarra’s Edge final level under construction

<html><body>
The former Parker Furniture warehouse in Sydney's Rosebery is set to become 31 one, two and three bedroom apartments.
All 31 of the apartments have been sold.
Construction has commenced on the site at 755-759 Botany Road, which Knight Frank NSW project marketing director Craig Moore says is due for completion in early 2015.
<img src="/images/2014/08/06/roseberry-aug-6-breakout-2.jpg" alt="">
"This stunning complex is rich with history, being on the former site of the original Parker Furniture Warehouse, a renowned Australian furniture designer with a flawless reputation for design, manufacturing and retail," says Moore.
“With this in mind, the Parker Residence has been superbly developed by LivStyle Group and designed by award winning architect, Environ Studio.
“Each apartment encourages open-plan living with stylishly appointed interiors, showcasing attention to detail alongside premium finishes which have been handpicked to create a contemporary and sophisticated space."
The first level of apartments feature private courtyards, while the top floor residences have private rooftop terraces and gardens. Most of the Parker Residence units have north-west facing balconies.
Parker Residence is located within walking distance of the Green Square railway station, with nearby schools, restaurants and pubs.
The development will include two retailers with a courtyard, elevated parking for cars and bicycles and is situated six kilometres from the Sydney CBD.
</body></html>

jrichardson-uRX5hFdKfN

Construction begins on sold out Parker Furniture warehouse conversion in Rosebery

<html><body>
GUEST OBSERVATION
Not so long ago it was considered a wise investment to buy an off the plan property.
I’m not sure if this premise stacks up now. As shared in a previous article, overseas investors (OI) are paying premium prices for property and the notion of “buying at a cheaper price point” to assist the builder/developer no longer exists. With the new trend of having guaranteed purchasers predominantly from Asia, purchasers pay future prices for property thus allowing for add-hock construction and for builders to push property out quicker than ever.
This new trend of quick development and guaranteed sales is fuelled by the high commissions payed to real estate marketers and agents that have a reach into the off shore investor markets. Investors that by nature I have come to identify as highly speculative risks takers. Why not, when the current market conditions in Sydney is hot and Sydney is seeing as a safe haven politically and with respect to property?
Ove the last 18 months I have been a witness to properties sold to OI with commissions as high as 8-10% and with these attractive rewards, the agents have made sure the projects are sold in record time. With the high returns developers and builders are achieving, comes (in some but not all cases) the temptation to lodge what is known as a Section 96.
A Section 96 is a variation to the building, primarily to increase the unit lots in the project. With the current property climate, the temptation is for developers and builders to cut corners in the construction phase.
Is it any wonder that when builders lodge the section 96s for variations, major changes to the unit complex come to the point where there are reports of units disappearing to make room for more car spaces, as commented on Radio 2UE a few weeks back.
However, this discussion fails to consider the real estate agent’s duty of care to the purchaser, as well as his client, the vendor.
The key to this is the solicitors acting for the purchasers. They have a duty to be on side of the purchaser and to be thorough and act swiftly when required. Once again in some cases but not all, the solicitors acting for the OI purchasers have the same unique relationships with the agents and developers.
Five tips on how to protect yourself when purchasing off the plan properties:
<ol>
<li>Insist all variation clauses in off the plan purchasing contract are looked at methodically. 
</li>
<li>Check proposed location of unit and car space and storage on proposed strata plan. Have these identified and signed off by vendor. 
</li>
<li>Carefully check that list of inclusions is detailed and very descriptive and not vague; 
</li>
<li>Discuss in detail what the tolerance percentage allowable for variations to unit size will be. Keep it as minimal as possible. Developers typically want a 5% variation. This could be the loss of a laundry or a linen cupboard, or even a bathroom.  
</li>
<li>Don’t accept the unit before completing an independent building inspection, done at your cost. Make the vendor aware this will take place as a condition of purchase. Builders will rely on their own reports and their foremen will not have the eye for detail, particularly when inspecting a hundred units or so. </li>
</ol>
{qtube vid:=m6E1os9ubA0}
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE TO READ:
<a href="/news/what-are-sydney-s-million-dollar-ghettos-and-where-are-they">What are Sydney’s “million dollar ghettos” and where are they?</a>
EDWIN ALMEIDA is managing partner and licensee-in-charge of <a href="https://www.just-think.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Just Think Real Estate</a>.
</body></html>

ealmedia-arK4DBYLjS

Five tips for protecting yourself when buying an off the plan property

<html><body>
It does appear that most, if not all of us, crave some time outdoors.
Each year more than 20 million people visit Sydney’s Centennial Park, 36 million visit our National Parks and Sydney’s Botanic Gardens attract almost 4 million visitors.
Much of our recreation is associated with the outdoors and this naturally includes time in our own backyards. But the traditional backyard is changing, for many it is being replaced with a balcony. And so from a design and marketing perspective the move from backyard to balcony is now a core part of the apartment market, and the same can be said for shared or common space outdoor areas.
Balconies, terraces, roof decks and verandahs are not the invention of modern living or recent architecture. There were examples in ancient Mesopotamia, in Roman villas, and many Egyptian homes and palaces had roof gardens. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet first performed around 1595 made one balcony very famous, in the 17th Century the word became common in the language of Italians, while much closer to home from the 1850s the verandah started to become an essential on many Australian homesteads.
That love affair with an outdoor space, so commonly attached to our homes, clearly stays with us today.
From Quarter Acre to 10 square metres Plus
In 1962, just as the birth of the last baby boomers was in sight, the social impact of more crowded cities was starting to impact and be seen in popular culture. ‘Up on the Roof’, a song by The Drifters, lists many of the cares we are very familiar with today.
{qtube vid:=7F_opWg9_qI}
When the world starts to wear us down and the ‘rat-race noise down in the street’, means that we all need a place to escape and relax. It’s easy to identify why in a modern setting that the balcony has become such a central part of apartment living.
Today approximately one in four Australians live in apartments and in some cities that will soon be 50% of the population, in selected inner-city locations much more.
From the visitor figures I outlined earlier it is clear that we all need outdoor space, for many this space is now a balcony and these can range from seven to 10 square metres on a one bedroom apartment to a bigger space of 30-40 square metres or more and this can include several balconies. And while there may not be an upper limit as such, there is, as would be expected some general ratio between indoor and outdoor spaces, and without access to exact figures, that appears to sit around a ratio of between 12% and 30/40%.
Anyone marketing apartments today knows that buyers also pay great attention to the balcony area when looking at an off the plan purchase or when they inspect a finished product. Clearly this space is an essential part of their list of desirable or must have features, and what buyers look for in a balcony is now much more exacting. It is an extension of their living space and for many buyers this directly impacts the quality of life they are looking for.
The Ideal Balcony
Balconies, which are also greatly influenced by Australia’s climate, can be a difficult area of planning and design because the space is both private and public. This can create some areas of conflict, but first lets look at a balcony from a simple check list of the three ‘P’ – people, pets and plants.
The balcony needs to accommodate all three functions, the varied needs of people to have a place to relax in the sun, dine outdoors etc, and with pets being common place in most buildings they need to be considered, pet owners may want a safe spot for pets to spend their days. Many people like to have potted plants, or balcony gardens be that one or two plants or a productive ‘veggie patch’. This is not a definitive list but it does go some of the way to explaining why balcony design is so important, because buyer expectations of the balcony space have shifted and our climate dictates the space must be useable all year round.
Balcony space needs to address many issues such as access, climate, privacy, environmental concerns, storage, services and circulation, in fact the space could really be seen as a facsimile of the wider design and function of the apartment interior itself. This reinforces the central importance and value of the balcony in the eyes of today’s modern apartment buyer.
</body></html>

pchittenden-eLqUUC8TWW

Balconies are the new backyards

<html><body>
The Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) recognised projects in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory in Friday's Australia Bricks Awards for Excellence.
Held at Sydney's Star Casino, this year's award ceremony and gala dinner saw a record 90 entries.
Winners in the 15 categories included One Central Park (pictured above) by Frasers Property Australia and Sekisui House Australia, which won the awards for Design and innovation and High-Density Development, and Liberty Place by Grocon, which won the award for Sustainable Development.
According to chief executive Stephen Albin, tickets for the event, hosted by UDIA-NSW, sold out shortly after they were released.
“At the moment there’s a real buzz in the industry as companies are continuously finding new ways to raise the bar in terms of sustainability, affordability and aesthetic design,” said Albin.
“Each year the UDIA NSW Austral Bricks Awards for Excellence go from strength to strength and this year our entrants just knocked it out of the park.”
This year, three specialist judges joined four industry experts to judge the entrants.
Laurie Rose, chief judge and urban engineer, travelled throughout the region to inspect the projects.
“While judging can be time consuming, it’s also very rewarding to be shown such wonderful projects by their creators,” said Rose. “The toughest job, however, came when we sat down to determine the winners.”
The UDIA Awards for Excellence first began in 1994, with just 20 entrants.
Full list of winners on the next page. Please click below.
<hr class="system-pagebreak">
The full list of winners:
Concept design: 301-303 Botany Road, Zetland by Crown GRoup
Government Leadership for Urban Development: Bungarribee Community Resource Hub by UrbanGrowth NSW
Design and Innovation: One Central Park by Frasers Property Australia and Sekisui House Australia
Retail/Commercial Development: 8 Chiffley by Mirvac
Affordable Development: Ocean Club Resort by King and Campbell Pty Ltd for Gwynvill Trading Pty Ltd
Sustainable Development: Liberty Place by Grocon
Urban Renewal: The Gantry by Parkview Constructions Pty Ltd
Seniors' Living: The Gracewood Kellyville by McFadyen Architects Pty Ltd for BaptistCare NSW &amp; ACT
Medium Density Development: ESQUE Mosman by HELM Pty Ltd
High-Density Development: One Central Park by Frasers Property Australia and Sekisui House Australia
Residential Development: Heritage Parc by McCloy Group
Masterplanned Development: Jordan Springs by Lend Lease Jordan Springs Project Team
Marketing Apartment Communities: Woolooware Bay - Stage 1 Residential Development by Bluestone Capital Ventures No 1 Pty Ltd for Cronulla Sutherland Leagues Club
Marketing Residential Estates: Dual winners - Crimson Hill by Defence Housing Australia and Spring Cove by Our Agency on behalf of Oakstand &amp; Denwol
NSW Regions and ACT: Sorrell Apartments by Antoniades Architects for Hindmarsh Development Australia 
</body></html>

One Central Park and Liberty Place among those recognised in UDIA ACT and NSW awards

<html><body>
<div>
The University of Western Sydney is to lease the new tower One Parramatta Square, aka 1PSQ.
The proposed new campus will have over 10,000 students.
The highrise campus will include 26,000 square metre space over 14 levels with UWS vice-chancellor Professor Barney Glover saying it chose the development due to the building’s design, flexibility and prominence.
</div>
The tower will sit within the envisaged $2 billion urban renewal project, Parramatta Square, a six-stage, three hectare masterplan development by Parramatta City Council.
<a href="https://www.uws.edu.au/newscentre/news_centre/more_news_stories/new_uws_campus_to_drive_parramatta_square_vision" target="_blank">The $200 million A-Grade tower</a> is being developed by Leighton Properties which purchased the 4,132 square metre site at 169 Macquarie Street, after being announced as the preferred buyer by the Parramatta City Council last year.
"This project forms a vital part of the University's strategy to significantly expand its international student population, and will be a focal point for our postgraduate programs. The prime CBD location will embed UWS in the social, economic and civic life of Parramatta and Greater Western Sydney," Professor Glover said.
Students will benefit from existing public transport links plus the planned Western Sydney Light Rail Network, although construction work beginning in early 2015 and completed for the first university semester in 2017, will beat any light rail.
Last week Raffles Assets Australia, a subsidiary of Singapore’s Raffles Education ­Corporation, bought in Parramatta.
<a href="/expert-insights/investing/raffles-education-buys-enterprise-house-parramatta">Their $29 million purchase</a> which will assist the renaissance of the precinct, is a six-storey office building at 1-3 Fitzwilliam Street.
</body></html>

jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

UWS takes 1PSQ as Parramatta becomes an education hub

<html><body>
Developer Sunland Group has purchased a 4.7 hectare urban renewal site at Palm Beach on the Gold Coast for $18.4 million.
Sunland managing director Sahba Abedian said it would start on medium rise construction in early 2015 at the Palm Beach Mobile and Tourist Park on the Gold Coast Highway.
The Palm Beach development will comprise 162 luxury apartments in buildings under nine stories and 86 town homes.
Mostly targeting owner-occupiers, the town homes will be priced from around $600,000 and the apartments from around $500,000. 
It was sold by the Pryke family for the past four decades since costing $300,000 in 1973. 
It will close in August following the sale through Darrell Irwin of Colliers International.
The Palm Beach project follows a strong sales by Sunland at its latest medium-rise Gold Coast project, the Marina Residences at Royal Pines.
Sunland, developer of the Q1 superpower, had its last foray in the southern Gold Coast at The Parc residential community adjacent to John Flynn hospital, which was completed about four years ago.
The Palm Beach project brings to about $1 billion the value of new development projects planned by Sunland for the Gold Coast, including a major $350 million redevelopment planned for Mariners Cove at the Southport Spit that has yet to be revealed.
</body></html>

Palm Beach, Gold Coast mobile home site sells to rejuvenated Sunland

<html><body>
Crown Resort executives have refuted silly Fairfax Media speculation that the billionaire James Packer was intent on selling the Barangaroo casino resort penthouse for a windfall $100 million plus.
The project’s award-winning architect Chris Wilkinson from <a href="https://www.wilkinsoneyre.com/projects/crown-sydney.aspx?category=asia-and-pacific" target="_blank">Wilkinson Eyre</a> told a business breakfast only last week that the top three floors of the proposed 270 metre tower would be an integral part of the six-star hotel.
Crown Resorts subsequently confirmed the top three floors would be reserved for the hotel’s “most prized international VIP customers".
News Ltd's John Lehmann noted this week that Fairfax were long-time critics of Barangaroo, although Property Observer would suggest perhaps less so since the effective abandonment of the urban affairs reporting unit formerly headed by the enthusiast Matthew Moore. Records show fewer than 25 urban affairs bylined articles this year in the SMH, compared to the same period in 2011 having close to 150 articles. 
This week Fairfax Media mischievously speculated a $100 million plus sale price would: "mean Mr Packer's company could recoup the entire $100 million licence fee it has paid the NSW government for the right to operate a VIP-only casino in the facility with a single apartment sale."
The resort is scheduled for a 2019 completion.
 
</body></html>

Barangaroo casino penthouse not for sale: Crown Resorts

<html><body>
<div>
Meriton Apartments boss Harry Tribuboff says he's only interested in an outright sale of the entire group, not part of the business.
</div>
“It’s everything or nothing,” the veteran negotiator Harry Triguboff told News Ltd.
“I’m only talking with one person, not running around selling to many because it will take too much of my time.”
Meriton’s construction pipeline of 4,000 apartments is mostly in Sydney.
He said Australian apartment prices had plateaued. 
Recently ranked by BRW as Australia’s eighth richest person with an estimated $5.5 billion wealth, Triguboff revealed that a Chinese developer had made an offer to buy part of the Meriton group that he valued at more than $6 billion.
"I will not sell part and I still have to understand how he proposes to buy,” Triguboff said.
Picture of Harry Triguboff courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
</body></html>

Meriton's Harry Triguboff says it's all or nothing

<html><body>
Despite off the plan apartments increasingly attracting investor attention, from both Australian and offshore buyers, Parramatta’s Promenade has seen 74% of its current early buyers identify as owner occupiers.
The five-hectare waterfront development is on Parramatta’s northern bank, and of those providing a registration of interest deposit - $3,000 – the majority are looking to live in the <a href="https://www.promenadeliving.com.au" target="_blank">Promenade</a> development.
Irene Lau, a director of Savills Residential project marketing, said that it’s due to the focus on lifestyle from Starryland Australia developers.
“People appreciate that Promenade will provide a healthy lifestyle in which to raise their family, especially given its close proximity to quality schools, universities and hospitals,” she said.
“Promenade will also have expansive lush landscaping, tree-lined streets and a central square.”
It will include 1.2 hectares of landscaped foreshore open space.
The 12-storey building three hits the market on 2 August, offering 153 apartments.
Starryland Australia was established by the 23rd largest publicly-listed company in China, Fuxing Huiyu Real Estate Co Ltd. Promenade will be across 11 towers and 774 apartments in a $550 million project, and <a href="/expert-insights/buying/chinese-developer-taking-550-million-step-into-sydney-with-11-towers-in-parramatta">Starryland’s first foray into Australia</a>.
</body></html>

New Developments

Editor's Picks

Have something to contribute?

Developments

New apartments

New townhouses

News

New Developments

Editor's Picks

Receive the latest news stories to your inbox

Have something to contribute?

Developments

New apartments

New townhouses

News