Queensland builder-developer MAYD has revealed the first look at its major North Kirra beachfront development, lodging amended plans that reduce the number of apartments and increase the proportion of larger residences.

The project is planned across a substantial 4,742 sqm amalgamated site spanning seven lots at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/2-6-pacific-parade-bilinga-qld-4225">2-6 Pacific Parade</a> and 27-33 Golden Four Drive in Bilin​ga, directly opposite Nor​th Kirra Beach.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/mayd-group">MAYD</a> secured the site for $32.5 million in 2025, in what was one of the Gold Coast's largest property transactions of the year.

The development will be delivered across two stages, with the first stage carrying an estimated gross realisation value of around $360 million.

The latest amendments seek to reduce the overall apartment count and shift the project further toward the owner-occupier market, with larger residences designed for buyers wanting considerably more space than traditionally offered in a beachfront apartment.

The residential mix will include townhomes, oversized two-bedroom apartments, substantial three-bedroom residences and four-bedroom homes.

MAYD has appointed Cera Stribley to lead the architecture and interiors, with the Melbourne-based design practice drawing on the beachfront setting through a series of ocean-facing terraces and heavily landscaped balconies.

Strong horizontal forms and curved balconies will define the exterior, with subtropical landscaping integrated throughout the building to soften the built form and increase the connection between the residences and the beachfront.

The project will also include an extensive collection of resident wellness and lifestyle facilities, continuing the broader shift across the Gold Coast's luxury apartment market toward larger homes supported by resort-style amenity.

<img alt="MAYD" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d1bcbb05-e659-4b47-8bd4-1e595315e2ad" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-27%20at%202.05.03%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=jj0XEud1X1DuLt7_KyElhjMdZGOXmLHP" />

MAYD Founder Todd Mould said North Kirra was increasingly appealing to buyers attracted to the more established, lower-density character of the southern Gold Coast.

"North Kirra presents one of the most compelling luxury residential opportunities currently emerging in Australia, combining absolute beachfront with the character and authenticity that buyers are increasingly seeking, and the same sense of tight-knit community that defined Burleigh and Currumbin perhaps 10 or 15 years ago," Mould said.

"With Gold Coast Airport on its doorstep, it also offers a level of accessibility that broadens its appeal across almost every market demographic."

The project comes as the southern Gold Coast continues to attract an increasing share of high-end apartment development and buyer activity.

Kirra in particular has emerged as one of the region's more tightly held beachfront markets, with its relatively low-density character, established surf and hospitality scene and proximity to Gold Coast Airport differentiating it from the higher-density markets further north.

Mould said those characteristics had informed the approach MAYD and Cera Stribley had taken to the project.

"We've worked closely with Cera Stribley to create a vision that is deeply connected to its surroundings," he said.

"Inspired by the coastline itself, the architecture has been shaped around space, privacy and resort-style living, creating a collection of homes that reflects the next generation of luxury on the southern Gold Coast."

MOTIV Managing Director Carly Cottam, who has been appointed to market the project, said buyer attention had continued to move south along the Gold Coast.

"Purchasers who may once have defaulted to Broadbeach, Main Beach or Surfers Paradise are increasingly recognising the value of a genuine beachfront location that offers lower density, strong amenity and a more established sense of community," Cottam said.

"Kirra has a powerful combination of growing demand and genuine scarcity. Beachfront supply is inherently constrained, the area remains relatively low density, and buyers are increasingly placing a premium on locations that feel established, uncrowded and authentic rather than heavily developed."

Cottam said the proximity to Gold Coast Airport was also proving increasingly important for interstate and second-home buyers.

"Being minutes from Gold Coast Airport makes it particularly compelling for interstate buyers, frequent travellers and second-home purchasers who can access an authentic coastal lifestyle almost immediately after stepping off a flight."

The acquisition takes MAYD's active development portfolio to more than $500 million, with the North Kirra project representing one of its largest undertakings to date.

MAYD is targeting an early 2027 launch.

Joel Robinson

First look at MAYD's North Kirra mixed-use precinct

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Castle Hill, the longtime hub of the Hills District, has been one of the major beneficiaries of Sydney's Metro expansion, with improved connectivity helping drive continued population growth, development and buyer demand across the Hills District.

But despite that growth, the suburb has seen relatively few major new apartment projects brought to market over the past 18 months.

Hills District developer Reve Group is looking to fill that gap with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/nova-r-ve-castle-hill-2-garthowen-crescent-castle-hill-nsw-2154">Nova Rêve</a>, a major new mixed-use precinct on the corner of Garthowen Crescent and Old Castle Hill Road, a short walk from Castle Hill Metro Station and Castle Towers.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377679]

The project will comprise three residential towers alongside a hotel, restaurants, cafes and a skybar, more than 1,600 sqm of ground-floor retail and almost an acre of landscaped gardens.

It represents the largest project undertaken by Reve Group, the development arm of the Kassis family, which has been building across the Hills District for more than 30 years through Kassis Homes.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377675]

Nova Rêve also represents a significant step up from the family's first apartment development, Grand Rêve, which was delivered nearby on Garthowen Crescent.

Grand Rêve introduced larger, house-like apartment layouts and premium inclusions including Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances to the Castle Hill market.

Nova Rêve takes that approach to a precinct scale, combining the residential component with hospitality, retail and substantial public and resident landscaping.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377685]

Reve Group Managing Director Sam Kassis said the project reflected the family's three decades of building in the Hills, which has evolved from trophy homes on quarter-acre blocks to larger-scale apartment development.

"Grand Rêve was our first apartment project here and it showed us what this pocket of Castle Hill could be. Nova Rêve is the refinement of that idea: not just apartments, but a place the whole suburb can use," Kassis said.

A key part of that approach is the hotel, which has been designed to operate as an amenity for the wider Castle Hill community rather than solely hotel guests.

It will include restaurants, cafes, skybars and all-day dining, alongside conference and event facilities catering to business functions, community groups and private events.

At ground level, more than 1,600 sqm of shops and cafes will open onto the surrounding streets and landscaped areas.

Almost an acre of gardens designed by Land and Form Studios will run through the precinct, incorporating pathways, seating, barbecue areas and children's play spaces.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377680]

Reve Group's Romio Georges said creating an active ground plane had been central to the planning of Nova Rêve.

"There are gardens with pathways, barbecues, seating and play areas, shops and cafes opening onto the street, and a hotel with restaurants and a skybar that anyone in Castle Hill can walk into," Georges said.

The project's elevated position on one of Sydney's highest ridgelines will also provide apartments with outlooks toward the Sydney skyline, surrounding parkland and the Blue Mountains.

More than 80 per cent of the apartments will occupy corner positions, with Turner responsible for both the architecture and interiors.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152737]

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Nova Rêve arrives as Reve Group bets on Castle Hill's next growth phase

A collection of just 25 large-format apartments and penthouses overlooking Goodwin Park is entering the Coolangatta market, with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/marea-residences-coolangatta-27-27a-dixon-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Maréa Residences</a> combining a low-density, residential-only approach with uninterrupted park and Pacific Ocean outlooks.

Located at 27 Dixon Street, Maréa comprises three and four-bedroom residences alongside a limited number of dual-level penthouses, with the project positioned between Goodwin Park and <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/coolangatta-qld-4225">Coolangatta</a>’s coastal precinct.

Construction has commenced, with completion currently estimated for late 2027. Three-bedroom residences are priced from $1.8 million.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150999 project_image_fid=374005]

The project has been designed around its northern outlook across the park, with the building’s architecture, landscaping and material palette intended to establish a connection with the neighbouring green space. The residences have been configured to maximise natural light and views across Goodwin Park towards the ocean.

Inside, the material palette incorporates timber, stone and brushed brass, complemented by curved detailing and ambient lighting. Kitchens and bathrooms carry the same natural material approach, while residences also include basement parking, storage and lift access.

Maréa’s penthouses are arranged over two levels and include private pools, adding another layer to the project’s focus on larger-format apartment living. Across the development, residences are configured with three or four bedrooms rather than the broader mix of smaller apartment types commonly found in larger projects.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150999 project_image_fid=374010]

Resident amenity is concentrated at rooftop level, where landscaped entertaining terraces and pools take advantage of elevated views across Coolangatta and the Pacific Ocean.

The project has so far been particularly well received by local owner-occupiers and downsizers, according to Urban Activation Property Sales and Marketing Director Matt George, with the residential-only format, construction quality and northern park outlook among the features resonating with purchasers.

“The uninterrupted northern aspect overlooking Goodwin Park has been a key point of difference, with buyers attracted to the sense of serenity and open space the park provides, while still enjoying easy access to the ocean and being within walking distance of the lifestyle and amenities Coolangatta has to offer,” George said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150999 project_image_fid=374002]

“The combination of high-quality construction, a residential-only building, park outlook and proximity to the beach has resonated strongly with the local downsizer market.”

The Dixon Street address is within walking distance of Coolangatta Beach and the broader southern Gold Coast coastline, including the surf breaks at Snapper Rocks and Kirra. Coolangatta’s cafés, restaurants and retail are nearby, while Gold Coast Airport is also within close proximity.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150999]

Maréa Residences brings parkside apartments to Coolangatta

Melbourne developer PDG has secured Victorian Government approval for its $1.5 billion Southbank development <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-one-1-queens-bridge-street-southbank-vic-3006">The One</a>, clearing the way for the long-dormant riverfront site opposite Crown to finally be developed.

The Minister for Planning has approved the project at 1-29 Queens Bridge Street, with the Department of Transport and Planning issuing the planning permit following its assessment.

The approval will allow PDG to develop the prominent 5,059 sqm site with a major mixed-use tower comprising premium apartments, including branded residences, a luxury hotel and boutique office space.

PDG acquired the site in late 2024, with its position directly opposite Crown's main entrance and near Melbourne's Arts Precinct making it one of Southbank's most significant remaining development opportunities.

<img alt="PDG" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3933013e-6332-4386-b9be-089df05caf17" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-27%20at%209.29.22%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=sITIgBqDL0N3VNSMwWEmF5UA.uvcsRyu" />

Designed by COX in collaboration with ODO and PDG, the tower's architecture draws on the movement of the Yarra River, with six vertical pleats running the height of the sculpted facade.

The project will also see the heritage-listed Queens Bridge Hotel restored and incorporated into the development&nbsp;with new hospitality and public uses, including a rooftop venue.

A significant component of The One will be its residential amenity.

More than 5,000 sqm of resident facilities will be delivered across a single level, making it one of the largest consolidated residential amenity offerings proposed in an Australian apartment development.

The planning approval also incorporates a major upgrade of Queensbridge Square, which PDG will deliver in partnership with the City of Melbourne.

<img alt="PDG" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="73167fcd-1031-4b6f-a408-a064cfe45ed1" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-27%20at%209.29.17%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=Pf1AEWxw6SNmBqR0zQW5lyEze.MtxgFp" />

The existing square will be revitalised as a new civic and pedestrian space along the Yarra River, strengthening the connection between the project, Southbank and the riverfront.

PDG Founder and Managing Director Vince Giuliano said the approval represented a major milestone for a site which has remained largely underutilised for more than 15 years.

“This is the most significant Planning Permit approval Melbourne has seen in recent years,” Giuliano said.

“For more than 15 years, this site has remained underutilised. This approval enables us to deliver a project that will contribute meaningfully to the revitalisation of Southbank, restore and reactivate an important heritage building, and create a new civic and hospitality destination for Melbourne.”

The latest approval follows an earlier planning permit issued by the City of Melbourne covering demolition works across part of the site at 9-29 Queens Bridge Street. Those demolition and early works are already underway.

PDG has also started generating early interest in the residential component from owner-occupiers ahead of a planned public launch in early 2027.

PDG secures approval for $1.5bn Southbank apartment development, The One

Local developer Harridan is seeking to turn its Woolloongabba apartment project into the first stage of a broader transformation of Burke Street, using a new 16-storey mixed-use building to establish a greener pedestrian connection toward the rapidly evolving Boggo Road transport and knowledge precinct.

The South East Queensland developer has filed plans for 154 apartments on the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/4-burke-street-woolloongabba-qld-4102">southern side of Burke Street</a>, where its proposal has been designed alongside a wider vision by LatStudios for the street.

That vision positions the southern side of Burke Street for buildings of 15 storeys and above, while envisaging lower-rise development of up to five storeys on the northern side to transition into Woolloongabba's existing character housing. It also proposes wider pedestrian verges, deep planting, new street trees and upgrades to the pedestrian approach to Boggo Road Station.

The Harridan development itself has been designed by Brisbane-based Arqus Design and will comprise 154 apartments across 16 storeys. The mix is weighted heavily toward two-bedroom apartments, with 121 proposed alongside 10 one-bedroom and 23 three-bedroom residences. There will typically be around 14 units per floor.

A lower-ground car park and three podium levels will accommodate 156 resident parking spaces, along with visitor and commercial parking. There will also be 154 resident bicycle spaces and 40 visitor bicycle parks.

&nbsp;

Harridan is a family-owned developer and part of the Holmwood Highgate Group, with more than three decades of development activity across South East Queensland. Its portfolio spans residential, commercial and industrial property, with current residential projects including Riverbank on Byron in Bulimba, Esperance Residences in Carina and The Precinct at Kinross Road in Thornlands.

Wooloongabba has been popular for apartment developers, particularly since the announcement of the 2032 Summer Olympics games in Brisbane.

While there have been a lot of development applications, it has failed to materialize into real supply.&nbsp;

Sarazin has been the major player in the area. They are under construction at Murcia Residences, on the fringe of East Brisbane and Woolloongabba. They have just launched <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-stanley-residences-woolloongabba-8-trafalgar-street-woolloongabba-qld-4102">The Stanley Residences</a>, in Woolloongabba on Trafalagar Street. They also have Nuage coming soon on the nearby <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/nuage-woolloongabba-14-wellington-road-woolloongabba-qld-4102">Wellington Road</a>.

First look: Harridan plans Burke Street transformation beside Boggo Road transport hub

Rba Rate Decision

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At its meeting today, the Board decided to leave the cash rate unchanged at 2.25 per cent.
Growth in the global economy continued at a moderate pace in 2014. A similar performance is expected by most observers in 2015, with the US economy continuing to strengthen, even as China's growth slows a little from last year's outcome.
Commodity prices have declined over the past year, in some cases sharply. The price of oil in particular has fallen significantly. These trends appear to reflect a combination of lower growth in demand and, more importantly, significant increases in supply. The much lower levels of energy prices will act to strengthen global output and temporarily to lower CPI inflation rates.
Financial conditions are very accommodative globally, with long-term borrowing rates for several major sovereigns at all-time lows over recent months. Some risk spreads have widened a little but overall financing costs for creditworthy borrowers remain remarkably low.
In Australia the available information suggests that growth is continuing at a below-trend pace, with domestic demand growth overall quite weak. As a result, the unemployment rate has gradually moved higher over the past year. The economy is likely to be operating with a degree of spare capacity for some time yet. With growth in labour costs subdued, it appears likely that inflation will remain consistent with the target over the next one to two years, even with a lower exchange rate.
Credit is recording moderate growth overall, with stronger growth in lending to investors in housing assets. Dwelling prices continue to rise strongly in Sydney, though trends have been more varied in a number of other cities over recent months. The Bank is working with other regulators to assess and contain risks that may arise from the housing market. In other asset markets, prices for equities and commercial property have risen, in part as a result of declining long-term interest rates.
The Australian dollar has declined noticeably against a rising US dollar, though less so against a basket of currencies. It remains above most estimates of its fundamental value, particularly given the significant declines in key commodity prices. A lower exchange rate is likely to be needed to achieve balanced growth in the economy.
At today's meeting the Board judged that, having eased monetary policy at the previous meeting, it was appropriate to hold interest rates steady for the time being. Further easing of policy may be appropriate over the period ahead, in order to foster sustainable growth in demand and inflation consistent with the target. The Board will further assess the case for such action at forthcoming meetings.
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Strong growth in property investor lending: RBA governor Glenn Stevens' March 2015 statement

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Reserve Bank Governor Glenn Stevens has acknowledged concerns that the Reserve Bank's influence on demand may be limited, given the official cash rate's record low level.
Speaking at the House of Representatives Economic Committee in Sydney, the Governor noted that the Reserve Bank (RBA) board is "very conscious of the possibility that monetary policy's power to summon up additional growth in demand could, at these levels of interest rates, be less than it was in the past".
"A decade ago, when there was, it seems, an underlying latent desire among households to borrow and spend, it was perhaps easier for a reduction in interest rates to spark additional demand in the economy," said Stevens.
"Today, such a channel may be less effective."
Stevens does, however, believe that cash rate adjustments still have some effect on growth.
"Nonetheless we do not think that monetary policy has reached the point where it has no ability at all to give additional support to demand. Our judgement is that it still has some ability to assist the transition the economy is making, and we regarded it as appropriate to provide that support."
In his speech on Australia's economic outlook, he noted that strong housing price growth was a factor of consideration in the RBA's decision to cut the cash rate by 25 basis points to 2.25%.
"Another factor in our consideration was dwelling prices, which have continued to increase. Price rises in Sydney are very strong, and they are pretty solid in Melbourne," he said.
However, Stevens noted that the performance of property markets Australia wide are "much more mixed".
"Excluding Sydney, the rise for Australia as a whole over the past year was about 5%.
"That is a healthy pace but not alarming, and some cities have seen price falls. Developments in the Sydney market remain concerning, but in the end we did not see these trends as overwhelming a case for a further easing in monetary policy that was made on more general grounds."
Following Stevens' remarks, the Commonwealth Bank commented: "The Governor sounds reasonably relaxed about house price trends and that any stimulus from rate cuts to housing activity can be contained.
"This is clearly an area that needs to be watched closely, particularly given the Governor’s comments about the changing effectiveness of interest rate changes. It probably also underlies remarks about the need to reload the fiscal cannon.
"The Governor believes that we should be on a better fiscal trajectory than we currently are." During his speech, Stevens reiterated the importance of supporting the non-mining economy, saying that "at this point non-mining business investment spending is still very subdued".
"While several key fundamentals are in place for stronger performance, clear signs of a near-term strengthening remain unconvincing at this stage. This is a weaker outcome than we had expected six months ago," he said.
Stevens noted that although growth in non-mining sectors had occurred, it remained below average.
"Our expectation had been that a further pick-up would occur in 2015," said Stevens.
"When we reviewed our forecasts in late January, we didn't feel that growth in the recent past had been materially different from what we had estimated a few months ago. But when we tried to look ahead, we concluded that there were fewer signs of a further pick-up in non-mining activity than we had hoped to see by now.
"As a result, the revised forecasts we took to the February Board meeting embodied a longer period of below-trend growth, and a higher peak in the rate of unemployment, than earlier forecasts."
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Is the Reserve Bank losing its influence? Governor Glenn Stevens' admission during economic outlook update

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Prospective home owners and investors should be careful not to go overboard with the current low interest rate.
Last week the Reserve Bank cut interest rates to a historic low of 2.25% after weeks of speculation.
I encourage home owners to continue to pay off their mortgage with the same or higher repayments in order to build up a buffer to be used in tough times.
Prospective home buyers often get so excited about buying their own place that they forget about evaluating the future.
They base their home loan on their current financial circumstances and don’t take into account their future plans like starting a family or allowing for the fact that rates will rise at some time in the future.
While rates are at historic lows now, it’s important to keep in mind that they won’t stay at these levels for the long term.
There’s no downside to making repayments above your required level as it gives you a safety net in case of difficult financial times or allows you to pay off your mortgage sooner.
In contrast, borrowing to your maximum at this, or any, time is a recipe for disaster.
I recommend people follow my 20-25-20 rule if they want to avoid financial stress where you put down a 20% deposit, ensure no more than 25% of your income is required for repayments and have a term of no longer than 20 years.
Patrick Bright is the founder of Sydney-based buyer’s agency <a href="https://%20www.epspropertysearch.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">EPS Property Search</a>.
Patrick is the author of four best-selling real estate books known as “The Insider’s Guide to Buying Real Estate Series”.
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Buyers beware the lure of low interest rates: Patrick Bright

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GUEST OBSERVATION
The move by the RBA to a<a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/statistics/cash-rate/" target="_blank"> record-low 2.25% cash rate </a>at its first meeting for 2015 has unsurprisingly reignited speculation of a <a href="https://news.domain.com.au/domain/interest-rate-cut-likely-to-turbocharge-sydney-houseprice-growth-20150203-134qd6" target="_blank">“turbo-charged” bubble</a> in Sydney’s house prices.
In actuality, the rate cut will not ignite a housing bubble and is the right policy given broader macroeconomic conditions.
While prospective property buyers in Sydney may feel the central bank has snubbed them, monetary policy is about a lot more than Sydney’s house prices. While pockets of Sydney have experienced high price appreciation in the past 12 months, this growth has not been experienced evenly across the city and certainly not across the country. <a href="https://www.corelogic.com.au/research/monthly-indices" target="_blank">Latest data from CoreLogic RP Data</a>, for example, show that while property prices in Sydney are up 13% over the past year, prices in Perth (2.56%), Darwin (1.40%) and Canberra (-0.34%) have barely kept pace with inflation in the 12 months to 31 Jan 2015.
This high variation in property prices across the country is a recurring theme in Australia. The figure below shows the average annual housing market returns to the east coast cities (SMB: Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane) against non-east coast cities (APD: Adelaide, Perth and Darwin). For comparison, housing market returns in Sydney alone are also charted.
<a href="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/71256/area14mp/image-20150205-28589-fn4ndj.JPG"><img src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/71256/width668/image-20150205-28589-fn4ndj.JPG" alt=""></a>
Several facts become apparent in this analysis. Firstly, while price growth in Sydney has been high and increasing in the past year, it is not a bubble and is showing signs of cooling off. It also shows how the two-speed economy extends to housing markets.
Monetary Policy Is About More Than Sydney’s House Prices
The RBA cash rate is a blunt policy tool. The same rate applies to the housing market in Sydney as much as Perth, and to homeowners as much as small business owners, farmers and stock market investors. Adjusting the cash rate in order to target something as specific as house prices in Sydney is certainly not the appropriate response.
Rather the RBA has used the cash rate to target inflation. In the broader economy, there has been a significant easing in inflationary pressures. Commodity prices are falling, unemployment is creeping up and, most importantly from the RBA’s perspective, the consumer price index grew at its slowest rate since mid-2012 last year, slipping below the 2-3% target range.
Another common argument you will hear from the bubble-spruikers is that property investors are going to fuel price increases with lower borrowing rates. Over the past year credit growth to housing investors has grown relative to homeowners (<a href="https://www.afr.com/p/national/abs_admits_big_error_on_first_home_ucmamlfo725pG6fBM9JgKL" target="_blank">although subsequent data revisions indicate this difference was initially exaggerated</a>). However, this trend is unlikely to continue with rents steady and yields falling markedly in the past year. Where the average rental yield in Sydney in 2013 was over 4.25% it has fallen to under 3.9% in 2014.
Sydney rental yield:
<a href="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/71257/area14mp/image-20150206-28594-1wn5gq7.JPG"><img src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/71257/width668/image-20150206-28594-1wn5gq7.JPG" alt=""></a> 
It is the role of regulators and government, not the RBA, to consider issues such as housing affordability and equitable access. We are seeing other regulators, such as the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA), actively monitoring lending practices as a targeted response to risks in the housing market. Earlier this week, the Prime Minister also signalled that <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/latest-news/foreign-investment-rules-set-for-overhaul/story-fn3dxiwe-1227205321823">issues around foreign investment would be considered by the government and Foreign Investment Review Board</a> in coming weeks.
Keep these facts in mind as the tea leaves of the RBA’s February Statement on Monetary Policy are read and you hear about the impending property bubble.
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/37269/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">Danika Wright is a lecturer in finance at University of Sydney.
This article was originally published on <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.
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Hot air but no bubble following RBA rate cut: Danika Wright

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GUEST OBSERVATION
This week’s Reserve Bank interest rate move surprised virtually everyone, bringing the cash rate to 2.25%, yet another historic low.
Despite Australian Treasurer Joe Hockey suggesting the rate cut means “the shackles are off the Australian economy,” the cut is unlikely on its own to kick Australia’s GDP growth rate back to trend level. But with a little help from friends offshore and a light touch from APRA, the rate cut just might work.
Let us review for a moment how a lower cash rate can boost the economy – the so-called “transmission channels” for monetary policy. There are three. First, rate cuts change asset prices, including foreign exchange rates. Second, rate cuts should reduce the cost of capital, all else being equal. Third, rate cuts should increase the availability of credit from banks’ balance sheets. All three elements are important considerations in yesterday’s move.
Asset prices moved according to expectations, with the ASX rallying 1.4% on the news. The main game, however, was the exchange rate.
Pushing the dollar down
Many commentators have focused their attention on the AUD-USD exchange rate, which fell by 1.5 cents immediately after the rate cut. Was this the RBA’s main target? The AUD had already depreciated significantly against the US dollar, with the AUD-USD as of 2 February already 15% below its average over the first half of 2014. At AUD/USD0.7769 as of 2 February, the benchmark rate of exchange was very near the level that RBA Governor Glenn Stevens had indicated was desirable.
What had not moved perhaps as much as the RBA might have liked was the trade-weighted index, which measures the AUD against a basket of the exchange rates of our major trading partners. The TWI had declined only 10% relative to its average rate across the first half of 2014, making the AUD the unwilling strong man in a world of “currency wars” depreciation. The ECB’s decision in late January to engage in its own version of quantitative easing - which sent the AUD back up above the AUD-EUR0.70 level, may have been one of the straws that broke the camel’s back and contributed to this early rate decision.
As of Tuesday, the TWI had dropped to below 63 for the first time since July 2009. This is welcome relief. But it can only last so long as other major central banks outside the US co-operate by avoiding further easing of their own.
What is likely to prove more important - and more durable - is a lower cost of capital and the potential to spur investment through greater availability of banking credit to the economy. Here, too, the RBA needs help – from the Abbott government and APRA.
Getting credit flowing to business
There is not a great deal of evidence to date that a lower cost of capital – with a historically low 2.5% cash rate already in place for a year – has induced an increase in investment in the Australian economy outside the property sector. Capital expenditure by firms has been largely limited to the resources sector, and is now petering out.
The household savings rate remains high, while the debt-to-asset ratio has fallen. This suggests households are electing to increase their equity in current investments rather than using leverage to expand their investment portfolios.
<img src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/71164/area14mp/image-20150205-28601-3e6u3t.png">
Within the property sector, credit continues to grow at a relatively rapid pace, with <a href="https://theconversation.com/infographic-how-exposed-are-australian-banks-30272" target="_blank">credit growth</a> for investment properties far outpacing the expansion of credit for other purposes - whether household or business. In 2014, credit to purchase investment properties appears to have accounted for about 35% of all new credit creation in the economy. No wonder critics worry that the RBA’s rate cut has the potential to stoke excessive leverage in the property market.
The question becomes whether there are other triggers that can be pulled to encourage more credit to flow into other types of investment in the Australian economy. Ideally, that would be a renewed expansion of business credit to support increased capital expenditure, and eventually business activity and employment.
<img src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/71165/area14mp/image-20150205-28578-egik59.png">
The RBA cannot dictate that looser monetary policy be directed toward the business sector. But the Abbott government and APRA have in hand the tool to provide a not-so-gentle nudge.
Will the government act on Murray’s advice?
We are merely weeks away from the deadline for final feedback to the <a href="https://fsi.gov.au/" target="_blank">Financial System Inquiry</a>, led by David Murray. A key recommendation of the inquiry was to raise banks’ average internal ratings-based risk weights on mortgages to narrow the difference between the mortgage risk weights used by authorised deposit-taking institutions and the “standard” risk weights used by other institutions.
In shorthand, this recommendation would force the Big 4 banks to hold more capital against their mortgage books, making the mortgage-writing business relatively more expensive (and less attractive) from a capital perspective.
This recommendation makes sense. The post-2008 boom in investment property has been driven in part by investor demand – but also in part by the Big 4 banks being willing underwriters of residential real estate. This willingness has in turn been driven, at least in part, by the regulatory setting that makes mortgages one of the least capital-intensive – and therefore cheapest to produce – lending products in the Australian market.
Reducing this regulatory incentive to lend into the property market holds the potential to increase the appetite among the Big 4 for other types of lending, including business credit. It is a reform that the Abbott government and APRA can hang their hat on in 2015.
Amy Auster is deputy director at Australian Centre for Financial Studies.
This article was originally published on <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. 
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AmyAuster-LX8uHdhTjE

How to multiply the rate cut impact and unshackle the economy: Amy Auster

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Back in November a little-noticed graph in Westpac’s 2014 profit result told an important story: the proportion of bad or worrisome loans on the banks books — in the jargon, stressed exposures as a percentage of TCE or total committed exposures — had dropped below 2008 levels, to 1.24%.
That is to say, Westpac had weathered the storm, the crisis was over. Rounding out the picture of a healthy bank were lower wholesale funding costs, higher net interest margins and record profits. And of course, Westpac and the other big banks had emerged from the crisis with much less competition from smaller and non-bank lenders.
<img src="https://media.crikey.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/tce.png" width="430" height="505">
Which is a roundabout way of saying the big banks did not have a leg to stand on when it came to passing on Tuesday’s 0.25 percentage point cut to the official cash rate by the Reserve Bank.
As though his life depended on it, Treasurer Joe Hockey made that crystal clear in his press conference yesterday afternoon, and you could hear the urgency in his voice on ABC Radio yesterday:
“The flow-through to the Australian economy is significant. And importantly, it must be immediate. And I say again to the Australian banks, pass it on in full now, not just to home owners, but importantly small business and credit cards as well.”
The Commonwealth Bank was the first of the Big Four to move, cutting standard variable home loan rates by 0.25 percentage points (and, interestingly, five-year fixed rates by 0.3 percentage points). Westpac quickly cut by an even higher 0.28 percentage points, and NAB, which has its rates under review, is certain to follow. ANZ customers will have to hold their breath since chief Mike Smith announced a year ago a stand-offish, stick-in-the-mud policy of waiting until Fridays (three days after the RBA meets each month) to announce any changes to interest rates, to stop bank-bashing treasurers, shadow treasurers and journalists berating the bank within seconds of any official rates move.
As they cut rates more or less in lockstep, however, the banks might be permitted a private grumble about mixed signals coming from the federal government and regulators. On one hand, David Murray’s Financial System Inquiry has just recommended the banks tighten home loan risk weights and retain higher levels of capital, to prevent another “too big to fail” moment requiring the kind of public bailout we saw in Australia with the bank deposit and wholesale funding guarantees or (much worse) in the United States, where the government spent trillions buying troubled assets and the Fed took equity stakes in the likes of Citigroup and Goldman Sachs to recapitalise them. The same pressure is felt internationally from the Financial Stability Board for example, and Australia’s big four — still among the world’s biggest banks — are key players in the debate.
Furthermore, the banks are being asked by Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) —  quite rightly, <a href="https://www.crikey.com.au/2014/11/03/bullying-banks-threaten-govt-over-price-signalling/?wpmp_switcher=mobile" target="_blank">as Crikey has argued</a>  — to toughen lending standards, particularly for those low- or no-deposit home loans originated by mortgage brokers on sales commission incentivised to maximise volume. As house prices surge — entering “new paradigm” territory with the likes of real estate agent John McGrath tipping that inner-Sydney suburbs will be “hot forever” — and self-managed super funds pile in, reducing housing affordability, right when income and jobs growth are receding, the systemic risk represented by some kind of house price slump increases. Tighter “macro-prudential” controls will hurt first home buyers struggling to get into the market, but they are necessary to stop borrowers over-committing on the false premise that prices only move in one direction.
On the other hand, despite this hawkish regulatory tendency, the second the RBA loosens monetary policy, we find ourselves screaming at the banks to “pass it on this instant!”. When it comes to the crunch, we all want easier money.
This story originally appeared on <a href="https://www.crikey.com.au/2015/02/04/hockey-bets-it-all-on-a-rate-cut-but-will-the-banks-save-his-bacon/">Crikey</a>.
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Hockey bets it all on a rate cut, but will the banks save his bacon?

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Though markets had somewhat priced in an Australian interest rate cut yesterday, many analysts and commentators were still left surprised.
The rate had not been cut for 18 months. Over that period commentary varied over the entire gamut of the need for both increased and decreased rates. But the markets have until this point been largely satisfied with the expectation of little change.
This time the markets were concerned. The falling value of the Australian dollar showed their uncertainty about the likelihood of a move (although the direction was fairly well expected).
What can we learn from the market reactions and the extent of the cut?
Norwegian economist Tore Ellingsen and Swedish central banker Ulf Söderström <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/2677943?sid=21105778703003&amp;uid=2&amp;uid=3737536&amp;uid=4">have argued</a> that the behaviour of the <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/y/yieldcurve.asp">yield curve</a> following a rate cut clearly indicates the nature of the surprise experienced by the market. To sum up, if the yield curve simply shifts this represents the extent to which the change in the interest rate reflects changes in the economic environment as assessed by the central bank. On the other hand, if the yield curve rotates this represents communication of changing preferences over the economic aims of the central bank.
This simplification of their theoretical model is useful in the current context. First of all, it is very evident that the Australian yield curve did not rotate in reaction to the news yesterday. There is no evidence the central bank has changed its preferences in relation to its economic aims. The rhetoric in the bank’s statement and the market actions as a result do not show any inconsistency with the policy concerns that all players in the market are familiar with. This should be comforting.
The fact that the yield curve shifted means the markets were surprised by the action to some extent. One mechanism of surprise can be that the markets are waiting for validation of the expert view in the market from the central bank in the face of considerable uncertainty – and this may well be the most compelling argument for the current action.
Many academic economists (myself included) <a href="https://cama.crawford.anu.edu.au/rba-shadow-board/outcome/2015-02">supported</a> a continuation of the 2.50% rate as the most appropriate path last week. However markets were unsure; in this case the cut seems to have served to increase transparency about policy and the economic situation, helping to anchor expectations. Taken to its extreme the transparency argument suggests that a central bank with strong rhetoric will almost never surprise financial markets, as expectations will be managed via other communication means.
So how does the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) perform in communicating its policy intentions in general?
New research in collaboration with former Treasury economist Edda Claus (based on a <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1538-4616.2012.00539.x/abstract;jsessionid=5A56AE7055E885361CBBEAEDA6877597.f03t01?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=&amp;userIsAuthenticated=false">methodology we developed</a>), compared the policy surprises generated at the RBA, Bank of Canada and the US Federal Reserve over the last two decades, and found the RBA is less likely to surprise.
The RBA appears to be particularly good by international standards in providing clear policy guidance to markets and sticking with a consistent policy agenda. Even during periods of significant market stress, the changes in policy preferences and direction do not surprise the market to the extent evident in Canada and the US.
The global leadership of the US markets may explain some of the greater evidence of surprise in Fed actions, but the comparison between Canada and Australia is of considerable interest. Studies that use institutional factors to measure transparency clearly favour the Bank of Canada as more transparent than the RBA. Yet, the market evidence, which directly addresses the question of “do the markets understand the actions?”, clearly favours the strategies of the RBA.
The actions of the RBA in reducing the cash rate, accompanied by the rhetoric in the press release, seem to be part of the RBA’s consistent moves to clarify its current assessment of the economic situation for the market. This has reassured the market that there is no departure from its policy aims and agenda.
The reassurance that monetary policy is well in hand is likely to be a calming influence in what are unsettled international conditions over which Australia has no control. This has to be a good thing.
Mardi Dungey is professor of Economics and Finance, Associate Dean of Research, Tasmanian School of Business and Economics at University of Tasmania
This article was originally published on <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.
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Why it's good for markets to second-guess the RBA: Mardi Dungey

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Heading into 2015, I think we can expect to see a steady increase in the level of refinancing.
The Reserve Bank’s decision to cut the cash rate in February will no doubt encourage more home owners to review their current mortgage, which may prompt them to take the plunge and refinance into a more competitively priced home loan.
But while an increasing number of home owners could potentially be inspired to refinance their mortgage as a result of the rate cut, I do not expect to see a dramatic increase in the number of new home buyers entering the market.
Given how low interest rates already are, the February rate cut is unlikely to persuade potential home buyers to bring their property purchase plans forward. Instead, potential buyers will continue to take their time and enter the market at a point that is convenient for them.
That said, the Reserve Bank of Australia together with other industry regulators, including the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA), will still keep a close eye on what is happening in the property market as they will want to make sure the rate cut doesn’t artificially inflate the property market – especially in Sydney.
As part of the Reserve Bank’s February cash rate decision, governor Glenn Stevens said the Bank would work closely with “other regulators to assess and contain economic risks that may arise from the housing market”. 
This statement strongly suggests industry regulators won’t hesitate to implement certain lending restrictions if the latest rate cut results in a sudden and dramatic increase in demand for property.
Jessica Darnbrough is head of corporate affairs with <a href="https://www.mortgagechoice.com.au/" target="_blank">Mortgage Choice</a>.
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JessicaDarnbrough-syp4rPD4iy

RBA's rate cut will trigger rise in refinancing: Jessica Darnbrough

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Here are eight recent quotes from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) made in reference to the Australian property market:
<ol>
<li>"Prices have risen faster than consumer prices, but they have not risen materially faster than household incomes… This is not a country where we haven't experienced house price falls; we have experienced house price falls. There is risk in the system that people have already experienced. It's simply incorrect to treat the Australian history as if there had never been any kind of downturn." October, RBA head of financial stability, Luci Ellis, at the AHURI panel roundtable 
</li>
<li>"Australia is not one of the boomier places over the last 10 years. Prices have risen faster than consumer prices, but they have not risen materially faster than household incomes in Australia… Mortgage repayments are lower than the average of the past 10 or 15 years, so again thinking about what it means to have affordability and unaffordability – the affordability of a current mortgage is not unusually high at present." October, RBA head of financial stability, Luci Ellis, at the AHURI panel roundtable 
</li>
<li>"Apartment construction in the inner city [in particular Melbourne, Sydney] has been at high levels for some time and, given the time lags in completing higher density constructions, is expected to remain elevated for the next few years. That said, liaison suggests that construction in Melbourne continues to be driven by strong demand, including from foreign investors, with pre-sale levels remaining high." September, RBA Financial Stability Review 
</li>
<li>"A related risk, which is likely to be currently most pronounced in Melbourne, is that some new developments may appeal to a relatively narrow segment of tenant or owner demand. For example, some new developments involve smaller-sized apartments that are targeted at international students, which could be harder to sell in the secondary market than more traditional-sized apartments. This could place downward pressure on apartment prices if student demand weakens or if there are other shocks that reduce foreign investors’ appetite for these apartments." September, RBA Financial Stability Review 
</li>
<li>"Dwelling investment had increased by more than 8% over the year to the June quarter, and continued strength in building approvals and other indicators pointed to further growth in coming quarters. House price growth had been a little slower, on average, over 2014 than in late 2013, but remained consistent with strong conditions in the established housing market." October RBA board minutes 
</li>
<li>"What matters is how much speculation there is in the market and what that might mean for a subsequent price cycle, and at the moment there is more speculative activity than we are comfortable with." October, RBA head of financial stability, Luci Ellis, Senate Inquiry into housing affordability 
</li>
<li>"Some of this [growth seen in the property markets, such as Sydney] perhaps represented an element of catch up after some earlier weakness. Nonetheless, prices have continued to rise significantly faster than incomes, and this has been associated with strong growth in investor activity." October, RBA assistant governor Malcolm Edey, Senate Inquiry into housing affordability 
</li>
<li>"The general point I would make is that we can't improve housing affordability simply by adding to demand. Targeted assistance can certainly help particular groups such as first home buyers, but without a supply-side response, any generalised increase in demand will just be capitalised into prices." October, RBA assistant governor Malcolm Edey, Senate Inquiry into housing affordability
</li>
</ol>
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jduke-EHk3XBmHkn

Eight quotes from the RBA about Australia’s property market

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Yesterday’s announcement from the Reserve Bank (RBA) that the overnight cash rate will remain at 2.5% for October came amid speculation that interest rates are likely to increase in mid-2015. Housing Institute of Australia (HIA) senior economist Shane Garrett said the decision was widely expected, and stable interest rates will be seen for a while. “This will provide a welcome degree of certainty to those engaged in the housing industry, as well as other areas of the economy,” said Garrett.   “The era of very low interest rates has provided a welcome boost to new home building, and is doing something to alleviate the shortage of dwelling accommodation suffered by Australia,” he said.
With all the factors the RBA has been considering, ANZ’s summary included the following important points of note:
<ul>
<li>The Bank remains concerned about the outlook for China, however noted it had been slowing in recent months. 
</li>
<li>Acknowledgement of the recent volatility in the labour market data. 
</li>
<li>They remain relaxed about inflation due to subdued wages growth, which will help to offset upside influence from the weaker currency. 
</li>
<li>The rhetoric on domestic housing has been lifted slightly, noting a “further pick-up in recent months in lending to investors in housing assets”. 
</li>
<li>A further decline in the Australian Dollar will be watched for. Although it remains high by historical standards it is offering “less assistance than would normally be expected in achieving balanced growth in the economy”. 
</li>
<li>The comment about a period of stability was repeated verbatim from last month.</li>
</ul>
Loan Market chairman Sam White said that in recent weeks there has been talk of macro prudential measures to be introduced to slow down the real estate market without raising rates. "Broadly we support this way forward. However, we'd urge the RBA not to penalise first home buyers from entering the market, as has happened recently in New Zealand," White said.
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