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>.

Joel Robinson

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

IN BRIEF

<ul>
	<li>
	Just three double-storey Sky Homes sit at the top of The Waterline, each with its own private marina berth and rooftop terrace.
	</li>
	<li>
	Construction on The Waterline is complete, with the first residents expected to move in from mid-October.
	</li>
	<li>
	Sky Homes range from 282 sqm to 367 sqm and are priced from $3.65 million.
	</li>
</ul>

<hr />
Lewis Land has opened the first completed sky home for inspection at Harbour Shores, giving buyers their first opportunity to step inside one of just three double-storey residences crowning The Waterline.

Each sky home comes with its own private marina berth, rooftop terrace and Broadwater views, combining the scale of a larger home with direct access to the boating lifestyle that underpins the wider <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/harbour-shores-biggera-waters-564-oxley-drive-biggera-waters-qld-4216">Harbour Shores</a> masterplan.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=113271 project_image_fid=366708]

Lewis Land Head of Development Michael Long said the inclusion of a berth with every Sky Home had become increasingly valuable as marina access across the Gold Coast tightened.

“Marina berths are becoming increasingly difficult to secure across the Gold Coast, so including one with every Sky Home makes this a genuinely rare offering,” Long said.

“The private 70-berth marina will accommodate boats up to 12 metres in length and is positioned just 2.5 kilometres from the Broadwater, placing the open ocean only 15 minutes away.

“Being able to step out of your home onto your boat is a rare luxury, and it’s something residents here can look forward to when it opens later this year.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=113271 project_image_fid=366709]

The display opening comes as construction completes on The Waterline, with the first residents expected to move in from mid-October.

The three Sky Homes range from 282 sqm to 367 sqm and each feature three bedrooms, three bathrooms, multiple living zones, expansive kitchens with butler's pantries and large balconies taking in the Broadwater outlook.

Each residence also has three secure basement car spaces and additional storage.

“This is the first opportunity the Gold Coast has had to step into Harbour Shores and see, touch and feel what we’re bringing to life here,” Long said.

“There are only three Sky Homes within The Waterline, ranging in size from 282sqm to 367sqm, with each residence featuring three large bedrooms, three bathrooms, multiple living zones, expansive custom-built kitchens with butler’s pantry, and large balconies capturing Broadwater views.”

<img alt="Harbour Shores" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="bab65e10-4fab-45e1-92d8-fc56e2ab98ff" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-25%20at%202.00.16%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=XT8q76LsPkw3cYTsvN3JfFDaPLud90PN" />

Residents of The Waterline will have access to a private pool, along with Harbour Shores' wider collection of amenity including a lagoon pool, social clubhouse, tennis court, gym, yoga facilities and sauna.

Lewis Land partnered with Studio Collective to furnish the completed display, with the interiors designed to demonstrate how the residences could function as permanent homes rather than simply as show apartments.

Studio Collective Director Melissa Park said the surrounding waterways informed the interiors, but in a more restrained way than a traditional coastal scheme.

“We drew inspiration from the canals and coastal surrounds, but our approach was to interpret that subtly through layered materials and a grounded palette of earthy tones, rather than literal coastal references,” Park said.

“We introduced hero moments of green and teal to reference the surrounding waterways, while mirrored elements help reflect natural light.

“The result is a residence that feels elevated yet comfortable, somewhere buyers can genuinely imagine themselves living, entertaining and unwinding.”

Sky Homes are priced from $3.65 million.

Lewis Land is also offering private marina berths with The Residences, its limited collection of three and four-bedroom villas positioned directly along the Harbour Shores waterfront boardwalk.

Three-bedroom villas are priced from $2.99 million, while four-bedroom residences start from $3.19 million.

Harbour Shores is being marketed by Colliers International.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=113271]

Lewis Land opens sky home display as The Waterline completes at Harbour Shores

St Vincent de Paul Society Housing Australia has filed plans for a major mixed-use housing precinct on the southern edge of the North Sydney CBD, adding another significant proposal to a pocket around North Sydn​ey Station that is quickly becoming one of the LGA's busiest development zones.

The State Significant Development Application covers a 5,990 sqm site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/1-19-mackenzie-street-lavender-bay-nsw-2060">1-19 MacKenzie Street and 211 Blues Point Road in Lavender Bay</a>, immediately south of Nor​th Sydney Station and between the commercial core and the lower-rise Lavender Bay Heritage Conservation Area.

Designed by Wardle, the proposal would deliver a new residential tower comprising 88 build-to-sell apartments and 19 affordable apartments, alongside a separate co-living building with 57 rooms and a building manager's studio.

It would also see the significant restoration and upgrade of St Francis Xavier Catholic Church, the adaptive reuse of the former school building, new parish facilities, retail, a new public square and around 1,000 sqm of publicly accessible open space.

<img alt="Vinnies North Sydney" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d5dd7f87-a617-463e-b577-17541e01f0e9" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%209.10.13%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=4R8TsFN3P_LrrXO2HswTOIrx2blil8lh" />

The project is seeking a concurrent rezoning of the site to R4 High Density Residential and an increase in the maximum building height to allow a tower reaching RL120, or up to 20 storeys. The proposal was progressed through the NSW Government's Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

The build-to-sell component will be weighted toward larger apartments, with just six one-bedroom apartments compared with 31 two-beds, 43 three-beds and eight four-bedroom residences.

The 19 affordable apartments will comprise two studios, 15 one-bedroom apartments and two two-bedroom apartments, taking the total apartment component to 107 residences before the 58 co-living rooms are included.

<img alt="Vnnies" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7d568ca5-cb90-4e18-96c6-d9795dba0c56" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%209.10.05%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=GY2R5M9VtQh0EKy1vajaea19PSLOPuRD" />

Wardle's design for the Vinnies site has sought to negotiate that emerging high-rise context while retaining the lower-scale character of MacKenzie Street and the adjoining heritage conservation area.

The main building adopts a three-storey podium and tower arrangement, with the podium aligned to the ridgeline and front setback of St Francis Xavier Church.&nbsp;Wardle has designed the podium with colonnades, seating, recessed entries and active ground-floor frontages, with sandstone-toned precast concrete and face brick referencing the materiality of the existing church.

The tower then steps back eight metres to the south and six metres to the north before rising in a sculpted form comprising four interlocking quadrants. Wardle has also introduced rounded forms and chamfered corners to reduce the tower's perceived bulk and improve view sharing with neighbouring development sites.

Resident facilities and outdoor areas are planned at the separation between the podium and tower at Level 3, oriented toward Sydney Harbour and the CBD skyline.

The tower itself will feature a glass reinforced concrete facade, with recessed balconies and deep reveals used both to provide shading and privacy and frame views toward the harbour and city. The lower levels take a different architectural approach, using brick and sandstone-toned finishes intended to establish a stronger relationship with St Francis Xavier Church. The Church itself will be conserved and upgraded for its continued use, while the former school building will be adaptively reused as part of the co-living component.

<img alt="Lavendar Bay" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2d4418ad-90aa-4d49-af93-c80b140aea80" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%209.09.47%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=Kv4gzbsACaGvZSRuaqcfGC54jEJRXIDJ" />

&nbsp;

The proposal adds to an increasingly concentrated pipeline of residential development around Blue Street, MacKenzie Street and Lavender Bay.

Just west of the site, Central Element lodged plans earlier this year for one of the most significant residential developments proposed in Lavender Bay in recent years.

Central Element's SJB-designed scheme at 64-66 Lavender Street and 3-7 Middlemiss Street would deliver 163 apartments across two towers rising 23 and 32 storeys, replacing five existing apartment buildings containing 32 homes. The project also forms part of the Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-central-element-reveals-lavender-bay-apartment-plans?utm_source=chatgpt.com" rel="noopener" target="_blank">First look: Central Element reveals Lavender Bay apartment plans</a>

Immediately around North Sy​dney Station, another two significant proposals have emerged at 5 and 15 Blue Street.

Zurich Australian Insurance Properties is seeking to adaptively reuse its longstanding commercial building at 5 Blue Street, directly above North Sydney Station, rather than demolishing the structure.

Its SSDA proposes converting the building into a 14-storey mixed-use development with 62 apartments and 86 co-living rooms, together with ground-floor retail and a major refurbishment of Blue Street Plaza. The application is currently at the Response to Submissions stage.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-zurich-targets-north-sydney-office-conversion-with-148-unit-proposal-above-metro-station">First look: Zurich targets North Sydney office conversion with 148-unit proposal above Metro station</a>

&nbsp;

First look: Vinnies files for 20-storey Lavender Bay apartment tower as North Sydney housing pocket heats up

When the opportunity arose for South Australian developer Palumbo to return to Kent Town, where it had previously delivered East Park Apartments and the East 
Rundle Apartments, it wasn't one the longstanding developer-builder was going to pass up.

The decision was quickly vindicated, with more than 30 apartments sold within the first month of launching <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/royal-apartments-kent-town-2-8-north-terrace-kent-town-sa-5067">Royal Apartments</a> to the market.

The 206-apartment development, which will bring significant new supply to Adelaide's tightly held eastern city fringe, also gives <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/palumbo">Palumbo</a> the opportunity to bring new life to one of Kent Town's most recognisable watering holes.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376073]

Royal Apartments incorporates the historic Royal Hotel, a venue Palumbo Managing Director Daniel Palumbo said has a longstanding connection with the local community.

"Everyone in the area has history with the Royal Hotel," Palumbo told Apartments.com.au.

"It was quite an active pub and social gathering place for locals. We want to bring it back to its former glory."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376072]

The wider development will comprise two residential towers alongside the restored hotel, sitting on North Terrace opposite the Adelaide Park Lands.

For Palumbo, the project also marks a return to familiar territory.

The developer completed East Park Apartments next door more than a decade ago and jumped at the opportunity to develop in Kent Town again when the Royal Hotel site became available.

"The opportunity emerged, and we moved to secure the site," Palumbo said.

"We were approached by the previous landowner, who said they had extensive commitments in Sydney and weren't in a position to deliver the project.

"We took over the site and within six months recut the design scheme to be more in keeping with the type of development we want to bring to Adelaide.

"Now we're on the market and those changes have really resonated with local buyers."

That has translated into a strong start to sales, with 33 apartments transacting in the project's first 35 days.

Palumbo said the early purchaser profile had been consistent with the group's traditional focus on owner-occupiers rather than investor-led apartment stock.

"Local owner-occupiers have always been our market," he said.

"There are always some investors, but we've never developed what would be called traditional development stock. Owner-occupiers are very much our market."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376068]

The buyer mix has been diverse so far, with downsizers and younger professionals both accounting for a significant portion of early sales.

South Australia's current stamp duty settings, which allow&nbsp;eligible homeowners in South Australia aged 60 savings of up to $103,830 on stamp duty when they downsize to a new property valued at up to $2 million,&nbsp;have helped encourage downsizer activity, while younger buyers in their late 20s and early 30s have been attracted to the opportunity to live immediately outside the CBD while still being able to walk into the city.



Location has been a major part of the proposition for both buyer cohorts.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376075]

Royal Apartments sits on North Terrace directly opposite the Adelaide Park Lands, with residents able to walk through the parklands toward the East End, Rundle Street and Rundle Mall.

Apartments have been positioned to capture views across the parklands, Adelaide skyline, Botanic Gardens and Adelaide Hills.

Palumbo believes the scarcity of developable land along this section of the Park Lands makes the site particularly difficult to replicate.

"There's very few allotments on that side that can be developed," he said.

"If this location was in New York and you were sitting on Central Park, you'd be talking about a $60 million apartments."

Royal Apartments will offer a broad mix of residences, ranging from one-bedroom apartments through to four-bedroom sub-penthouses and penthouses.

Current listings include one-bedroom apartments from $680,000, while larger three and four-bedroom residences are priced around $2.5 million.

Residents will have access to a swimming pool, gym, barbecue and recreation areas, residents' lounge and dining space, and a communal deck.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376067]

The apartments will feature generous balconies, while secure parking, bicycle storage and storage cages will also be provided.

A porte-cochère-style arrival and drop-off area has also resonated with buyers, particularly those attracted to being able to walk into the CBD during the day while retaining secure vehicle access at home.

Palumbo is acting as developer, architect and builder on Royal Apartments, continuing the vertically integrated model it has used across its South Australian portfolio.

The group was also behind the $150 million Sofitel Adelaide, the 251-room five-star hotel and residential tower which opened in 2021.

Palumbo said Royal's launch had come at an interesting time for the broader Adelaide apartment market.

Buyer confidence had initially been impacted by uncertainty surrounding the Federal Budget and broader economic conditions, but Palumbo believes sentiment is beginning to improve against a backdrop of significant investment flowing into South Australia.

He pointed to increased activity across defence and resources, including Olympic Dam, as potential long-term drivers of the state's economy and housing market.

"Money is starting to flow into Adeliade, significant amounts as Adelaide bucks the trend of the rest of the country.," Palumbo said.

"There's a lot of activity in the economy over the next decade. I think more investment will come into this market."

Early works on Royal Apartments are expected to commence this year, with major construction activity and cranes anticipated on site from early next year.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=6109]

Palumbo's return to Kent Town strikes early chord with buyers

Go-to builder-developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/graya">GRAYA</a> is continuing to bulk out its already impressive and diverse apartment portfolio across South East Queensland. Their latest milestone is securing development approval for Silk, its boutique riverfront apartment development in St Lucia.

The approval clears&nbsp;the way for the team to begin construction planning for the 22-residence project.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/silk-st-lucia-16-18-sandford-street-st-lucia-qld-4067">Silk</a> will rise 15 levels from an 810 sqm site at 16-18 Sandford Street, occupying a prominent bend of the Brisbane River with a prized northern aspect across Orleigh Park toward the Brisbane CBD.

The approved scheme will comprise 16 split-floor and six full-floor residences, continuing GRAYA's move into larger-format apartment developments targeting Brisbane's prestige owner-occupier market.

The project has been designed around the site's broad river frontage and dual-direction views, with GRAYA prioritising larger residences, privacy and outlook over apartment yield.

<img alt="Silk St Lucia" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="aa5c2349-f96c-4914-a812-1f2cd6827af8" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%208.25.44%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=WY0vEU_7vYjeRJKQHiCwFdMxu8PvFh52" />

GRAYA Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Rob Gray said the project had been shaped around local homeowners wanting to remain in St Lucia without maintaining a traditional family home.

"St Lucia is one of those suburbs people do not want to leave," Gray said.

"They know the river, the trees, UQ, the golf course, Toowong and Indooroopilly, and that familiarity is hard to replace.

"True riverfront opportunities here are exceptionally scarce. What we have designed at Silk is a way to stay in the suburb people love, with the scale and privacy of a private home and far less to maintain.

"This is not typical apartment product. It is a proper home on the river, and that is exactly what this market has been missing."

The approval comes as new apartment development continues to increase across the St Lucia and neighbouring Toowong corridor, although direct riverfront sites remain considerably more tightly held.

GRAYA Co-founder and Managing Director Andrew Gray said securing the approval had removed a significant element of development risk from Silk.

"Genuine riverfront sites of this quality in St Lucia are not something that comes up regularly," Gray said.

"The approval removes a substantial layer of execution risk, and the location underwrites demand in a way very few inner-city sites can.

"The fundamentals here are as strong as anything we have assessed in Brisbane."

<img alt="Silk St Lucia" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d0f3d734-65e1-48e8-8ed3-2e0715ffcdd9" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%208.25.56%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=sOLSs_jdHkXLWbBKzRyayf5BfTb2vPsD" />

Silk will see GRAYA return to a stretch of the Brisbane River where it already has recent construction experience. The vertically integrated group recently completed ARC in neighbouring Toowong as builder for developer Spyre, delivering the riverfront project on a constrained site.

GRAYA will take a different role at Silk, controlling the project from design and development through construction and aftercare under its vertically integrated model.

The development will include a gym and resident leisure areas at ground level, integrated with the river's edge.

Silk joins a growing pipeline for GRAYA across Brisbane and the Gold Coast, which includes Enclave, The Gallery, Coral and Ripple.

The developer-builder has also recently lodged plans for its largest project to date, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-silo-19-chester-street-newstead-qld-4006">The Silo</a>, a proposed <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/graya-buys-frasers-newstead-site-plans-the-silo-between-james-street-and-gasworks-precincts">$700 million mixed-use development</a> in Brisbane's James Street precinct.

Silk is expected to predominantly target local owner-occupiers and prestige buyers seeking a permanent riverfront home in Brisbane's inner west.

Registrations of interest are now open, with further details on the project and construction program to be released as it progresses.

<hr />
<h2>SILK PROJECT FACTS</h2>

Developer-builder: GRAYA

Project: Silk

Location: 16-18 Sandford Street, St Lucia

Apartments: 22

Built form: 15 levels

Site: 810 sqm riverfront holding

Mix: 16 split-floor and six full-floor residences

Status: Development approved

Next step: Construction planning underway

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152168]

GRAYA greenlit for riverfront St Lucia apartment development, Silk

Regional Markets

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The NSW Government is introducing new measures to crack down on anti-competitive behaviour and expose speculation in the water market, to address concerns raised by regional communities.
Minister for Water, Property and Housing Melinda Pavey said the NSW Government would begin public consultation in November to determine what improvements should be made to our existing water registers.
“Water Transparency is currently front of mind in our communities and we have created multiple platforms to improve it in NSW,” Mrs Pavey said.
“We need to ensure that the details captured on our water register are strong enough to ensure transparency, but don’t go too far by putting farmer’s details at risk."
“The interim ACCC report highlighted the potential dangers to farmers of having too much information on the register and indicated a number of unintended negative consequences of such an approach"
Mrs Pavey said she looks forward to the final Australian Competition and Consumer Commission report to be handed down in February 2021, addressing foreign ownership and water speculation. 
Minister Pavey is also now calling on the ACCC to look at overseas ownership, monopoly ownership and unhelpful speculation, along with registration of brokers across state borders.
</body></html>

j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

NSW cracking down on water market speculators

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EXPERT OBSERVER
Aussie home prices continued to ease in July with the CoreLogic Daily Home Value index of five capital cities down by 2.3 per cent after peaking on April 22. In July, broader national dwelling prices fell by 0.6 per cent, capital city home prices were down 0.8 per cent, but regional home prices were broadly flat.
Attention will focus on the property downturn in Australia’s two most populous cities – Sydney and Melbourne – with virus lockdowns and outbreaks weighing on sentiment and activity. While price declines are broadening across capital cities, regional dwelling prices held up in July, led by gains in regional South Australia (up 1 per cent), Northern Territory (up 0.7 per cent) and New South Wales (up 0.5 per cent). Of course, regional home prices may continue to outperform capital cities in the near-to-medium term as Aussies work remotely and seek lifestyle locations in rural and beachside towns during the pandemic.
And Canberra’s property market appears to be benefiting from the prominent role of the Federal Government and growing public service policy response to the economic downturn. In fact, home prices rose by 0.6 per cent in the nation’s capital in July – the seventh successive month of price increases. REA Group recently reported, “Buyer search activity has more than doubled compared to last year and has seen the biggest increase in search since the first COVID-19 lockdown in March. Rent search activity is up 75 per cent compared to last year, and first home buyer enquiry has tripled compared to the same time last year.”
The Melbourne virus lockdown - with property sales and auctions now being conducted online – had a notable impact on home prices, which fell by 1.2 per cent in July –the biggest decline since January 2019. Melbourne home prices are down by 3.7 per cent since recent peaks on April 6, weighing on national home prices.
With the Victorian Government declaring a ‘state of disaster’ – including the imposition of curfews limiting movements for a further six weeks – it is likely that Melbourne auction clearance rates could return to levels seen in April of around 20 per cent or lower. Data from Domain already shows that just 285 Melbourne homes were listed for sale last week, down 46 per cent from the previous week, with a preliminary auction clearance rate of 58 per cent.
What do the figures show?
Home prices - July
The CoreLogic Home Value Index of national home prices fell by 0.6 per cent in July. But home prices were still 7.1 per cent higher over the year.
In capital cities, prices fell by 0.8 per cent, but prices were still up 7.9 per cent over the year. House prices also fell by 0.8 per cent in July and apartment prices eased by 0.6 per cent. House prices were still up 8.1 per cent on a year ago and prices of apartments increased by 7.5 per cent.
In regional areas, home prices were flat in July with house prices unchanged, but apartment prices rose by 0.1 per cent. Regional home prices were up 3.9 per cent on the year to July.
The average Australian capital city house price (median price) in July was $673,072 and the average unit price was $570,862.
Home prices were lower in six of the eight capital cities in July. Home prices fell by the most in Melbourne (down 1.2 per cent), followed by Sydney (down 0.9 per cent), Perth (down 0.6 per cent), Brisbane (down 0.4 per cent), Darwin (down 0.3 per cent) and Hobart (down 0.2 per cent). But prices rose in Canberra (up 0.6 per cent) and Adelaide (up 0.1 per cent).
Home prices were higher than a year ago in six of the eight capital cities in July. Prices rose the most in Sydney (up 12.1 per cent), followed by Melbourne (up 8.7 per cent), Canberra (up 7.2 per cent), Hobart (up 5.9 per cent), Brisbane (up 3.8 per cent) and Adelaide (up 2.4 per cent). But prices were down in Perth (down 2.5 per cent) and Darwin (down 2.2 per cent).
Total returns on national dwellings rose by 10.9 per cent in the year to July with houses up by 10.7 per cent on a year earlier and units up by 11.4 per cent. In contrast, the S&amp;P/ASX All Ordinaries Accumulation Index fell by 8.4 per cent over the year to July.
Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ indexes - July
The AiGroup’s Performance of Manufacturing Index rose by 2 points to 53.5 in July. Any reading above 50 indicates an expansion in activity.
The improvement in factory activity was broad-based, including production (up 4.1 points to 56.4), employment (up 3.8 to 53.4 points), supplier deliveries (up 4.2 to 51.8), and finished stocks (up 5.3 to 51.8). But new orders (down 3 points to 52.7), exports (down 5.8 points to 41.4) and sales (down 3.9 points to 52.2) all eased.
The AiGroup said, “There was a further stabilisation in manufacturing conditions in July. Food &amp; beverage manufacturers noted stabilising demand after months of volatility, while the instant asset tax write-off increased sales for many machinery &amp; equipment manufacturers. Other respondents in this sector noted an increase in demand from the transport and agricultural machinery &amp; equipment. Respondents across all manufacturing sectors noted increased interest in locally made manufactured goods.”
And, “The improvement in manufacturing conditions in July was driven by only two sectors: food &amp; beverages and machinery &amp; equipment. Metal products; chemicals; building materials, wood, furniture &amp; other manufacturing remained firmly in contraction in July. Manufacturers in these sectors reported a lack of sales from customers due to COVID-19. Some respondents noted that they have completed previous orders but had few new orders coming in.”
The ‘final’ CBA/IHS Markit Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index rose from 51.2 in June to 54 in July. Any reading above 50 indicates an expansion in activity.
According to CBA/IHS Markit, “The recovery in the Australian manufacturing sector gathered pace in July, according to the latest PMI data, with output and new orders both returning to growth. Survey data also showed that firms stepped up their purchasing activity and business confidence remained positive. However, employment continued to be reduced despite a rise in backlogs of work. Prices meanwhile signalled weakened inflationary pressures, with input prices and output charges increasing at slower rates.”
What are the implications for interest rates and investors?
While CoreLogic’s national home value index is heavily skewed towards to the two big cities, the resilience displayed so far by regional property markets serves to highlight the nationwide variances in performances across capital cities and regional towns. The ACT, in particular, appears set to benefit from rising government employment as services are increasingly rolled out to assist Aussie households and businesses during the pandemic.
The pandemic also appears to be resulting in a change of mindset for some big city urban dwellers. In July, home prices in the Blue Mountains and Central Coast were up modestly. The allure of more affordable housing, remote working arrangements and superior lifestyle choices are already showing up in relatively stable home prices and lower rental vacancies in both regions of New South Wales.
Record low interest rates and mortgage relief from the banks have provided support to the property market. But virus uncertainty, less appetite to take on more mortgage debt, rising unemployment, lower household incomes, lower inbound migration, elevated rental vacancies and the eventual removal of policy support could weigh on property prices over coming months. That said, governments have rolled out a variety of measures, including stamp duty and land tax concessions, along with new residential homebuilding grants to stimulate the market.
The expansion in Aussie manufacturing activity continued into July in a pleasing development for policymakers. Importantly, the improvement in the AiGroup gauge was driven by higher production and employment, but an easing in new orders and falling exports will need to be closely monitored.
Commonwealth Bank Group economists also noted that, “Business expectations remained positive as firms look towards the economy returning to normality in the coming months. Policy stimulus and increased infrastructure work were also factors behind the optimism.” But given Melbourne’s importance as a manufacturing hub, the tightening of restrictions are likely to weigh on demand and confidence in August.
RYAN FELSMAN is a Senior Economist at CommSec
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Regional home prices have remained resilient: CommSec's Ryan Felsman

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EXPERT OBSERVER
An emerging narrative around regional dwelling markets is that they may see increased demand as a result of COVID-19.
This is thought to be driven by the way the pandemic has forcibly introduced remote work for knowledge-based or clerical workers. As employers and employees adapt to remote working conditions, physical proximity to a workplace may become a less important factor in home purchases.
In the June 2020 quarter, about 3 months into the engineered economic slowdown, CoreLogic data showed regional centres have seen higher capital growth than the capital city regions.
The charts below show the rolling quarterly growth of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, alongside quarterly growth of nearby major regional centres.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2020/7/16/Owen%201.JPG" target="_blank">Click to enlarge:</a>
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2020/7/16/Owen%201.JPG" alt="">
This more positive outcome is short term, and is more likely tied to cyclical patterns than changes in demographic trends, which are typically a gradual phenomenon. The charts demonstrate that even though regional centres have not seen price falls in the June quarter, growth rates have seen a slowdown in momentum.
Regional growth rates peaked around late 2019, and could nudge into negative territory later this year without significant improvement to economic conditions or a demonstrated shift in demand side factors like population growth.
Illawarra and Newcastle, and Geelong and Ballarat, also saw a relatively weak upswing compared with the Sydney and Melbourne markets over the second half of 2019.
The relative stability of growth rates mean that these regional centres may not see as deep a downswing in the coming months.
COVID-19 and long term demographic trends
Regional Australia is considered appealing for relatively low levels of density, less congestion, and typically lower price points for property. The median dwelling value for combined regional areas of Australia was $394,570 at June 2020, 38.5% lower than the combined capital city median of $641,671.
One way to assess whether COVID-19 could exacerbate a tree-change or sea-change trend, is to examine population movements before the onset of the pandemic.
ABS internal migration data at the SA4 level sheds some light on this. Areas with the highest levels of net internal migration over 2018-19 (where more people moved to an area from another part of Australia than departed it) are shown below. These include the Capital Region of regional NSW, the Sunshine Coast, Melbourne – West, the Gold Coast and Ipswich.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2020/7/16/Owen%202.JPG" alt="">
From these examples, there was already a trend of movement from more suburban or metropolitan areas to regional areas. But two of the highest levels of net internal migration are actually still within capital city bounds. Melbourne – West and Ipswich are technically in greater capital city regions, but see a large number of migrants from the inner city.
This may reflect both availability of developable land transitioning to large greenfield housing estates as well as cohorts such as inner-city renters and first home buyers making the transition to buy in more affordable areas that are still commutable to the CBD.
That is an important trend to consider, because it is a scenario where past migration may have been driven by affordability instead of preference for a regional lifestyle.
If that is the case, a mitigating factor to the draw of regional areas during COVID-19, is that dwellings closer to the city are also becoming cheaper, which may slow migration to the city fringe. But affordability is not the only drawcard of regional Australia. Parts of regional Australia may offer lower levels of population density, which is arguably desirable in the wake of a pandemic.
There have also been recent examples of people departing from higher socio-economic areas to parts of regional Australia.
Over 2018-19, an estimated 1,453 residents form the Sydney - Eastern Suburbs region departed for areas such as the Central Coast, Richmond-Tweed and the Gold Coast.
The normalisation of remote work amid COVID-19 is more likely to bolster regional migration than slow it. But in the wake of the pandemic, the return to an office environment may still be desirable for some employees and employers.
Furthermore, it is important to note that the broad-based impact to housing demand from the pandemic could see prices fall in regional centres over the second half of 2020.
Price falls are unlikely to be as sharp as what will be observed in capital city markets, where more expensive, capital city markets have historically shown more volatility than regional Australia.
ELIZA OWEN is the Head of Research Australia at CoreLogic 
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Can regional housing markets benefit from COVID-19? CoreLogic's Eliza Owen

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EXPERT OBSERVER
Search activity on realestate.com.au has seen a bigger jump in views per listing for regional parts of Australia than for capital cities. This is likely to be explained by COVID-19 as people are perhaps looking for bigger places to live and aren’t currently tied to a central workplace. Longer term, acceptance of flexible working does mean that living in a capital city may no longer be necessary. 
<img class="sc-qYHHM dyhwPj size-full wp-image-594332" src="https://www.realestate.com.au/blog/images/800x500-fit,progressive/2020/06/27164223/dural-property.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="500">
<div class="sc-pTFCl bXqHjO">
It appears that during COVID-19, affordability may be of less importance to property buyers in regional areas and that lifestyle factors are becoming more important. To this point, the most viewed property listing on realestate.com.au in Australia this week is a <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-acreage+semi-rural-nsw-dural-132147574" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">property in Dural</a> (pictured above), which has received almost 300,000 views. 
</div>
While broadly, regional Australia has seen an uplift, what is also interesting is the regions that have jumped up in popularity. We tend to see certain areas always being far more popular. Mornington Peninsula, while not technically regional, tops the list, which is driven by a great lifestyle and easy access to Melbourne. Central Coast and Illawarra are consistently in the top three. Both are similarly close to Sydney, have nice beaches and are relatively affordable.
The biggest change has been the two areas that have dropped off the list – Ballarat and south-east Tasmania – and the two that have pushed up – Richmond-Tweed and Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven. The two new additions offer some of the most expensive regional properties in Australia while the ones that have dropped off were affordable.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2020/7/5/REA%20MAY%202020.JPG" alt="">
NERIDA CONISBEE is the Chief Economist at the REA
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Flexible working leading to demand for property in regional Australia

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Regional property markets tend to be more resilient compared to their capital city counterparts due to being slightly more insulated from economic shocks, and many Local/State Governments prioritising regional areas growth over the past five years.
For first home buyers and investors, finding an affordable option in capital cities can be challenging. This is especially true as the state average loan only makes up between 51.9% (Sydney) to 76.1% (Brisbane) of the median house price in the capital cities.
The PRD Resilient Regional Areas report highlights affordable regional areas in QLD, VIC, NSW and TAS. These areas not only have median price affordability, but also provide strong indicators for property investment, local employment growth, and a sustainable economic future.
5 selection criteria were used to select the top 12 regional areas:
Affordability – the Local Government Area (LGA) has a median price below the maximum affordable property sale price (average state loan + 20% deposit). Property trends – to ensure statistical reliability, the LGA will have 20 transactions or more in 2018 and 2019, with positive price growth within that time period. Investment – to ensure solid investment opportunities, the LGA will have an on-par or higher rental yield than its capital city, as well as an on-par or lower vacancy rate compared to its capital city. Project development – the LGA will have a high estimated value of future project development, with a higher concentration of commercial and infrastructure projects to ensure a positive economic outlook. Unemployment rate – as of the December Quarter 2019, the LGA will have an on-par or lower unemployment rate than the state average, to ensure there is local job growth.
<div>Based on the above methodology and selection criteria, the following 12 regional locations were deemed to be ‘resilient regions’ with solid fundamentals for sustainable future growth.</div>
<ol>
<li>Douglas Shire (QLD)</li>
<li>Cairns Region (QLD)</li>
<li>Tablelands Region (QLD)</li>
<li>Livingstone Shire (QLD)</li>
<li>Upper Hunter Shire (NSW)</li>
<li>Singleton Area (NSW)</li>
<li>Greater Hume Region (NSW)</li>
<li>Greater Bendigo City (VIC)</li>
<li>Moyne Shire (VIC)</li>
<li>Bass Coast Shire (VIC)</li>
<li>South Gippsland Shire (VIC)</li>
<li>Kentish Municipality (TAS)</li>
</ol>
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Where are the most resilient regional areas in Australia? PRD Real Estate

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EXPERT OBSERVER
I’ve been telling our customers for the past two years that the outstanding property market in Australia is Regional Victoria.
And multiple data sources continue to support the view that anyone seeking affordable property, good rental yields and in particular great capital growth would be wise to consider Regional Victoria.
There is no other market jurisdiction in Australia that has delivered so many locations with double-digit growth in their median prices in the past 12 months. Equally, Regional Victoria is a national leader on locations with strong long-term capital growth rates.
The regional areas of Victoria were also prominent in the latest Pain and Gain Report from CoreLogic which highlights the number of properties sold for a profit in the September 2019 Quarter.
Why is Regional Victoria doing so well? Partly it’s because Victoria is the No.1 economy in the nation. The latest State of the States report from CommSec confirms Victoria as the leading economic performer in the nation, with New South Wales slipping down the rankings to third.
And partly it’s because Victoria continues to be the No.1 state for population growth, gaining significantly from both overseas and interstate migration.
Victoria’s ranking as the No.1 economy and population growth state isn’t just about Melbourne – the regions have been major contributors to the state’s success.
Recent data on unemployment showed that Regional Victoria leads the states in jobs growth and has the lowest unemployment rate. ABS data shows that 20,000 people found work in regional Victoria in the three months to November.
Regional Victoria’s jobless rate is 3.7% – the lowest in the nation and well below the average regional rate of 5.1%. In the past five years, regional Victoria’s unemployment rate has decreased by 2.9 percentage points.
This is translating into exceptional performance in real estate.
CoreLogic’s quarterly Pain and Gain report (which compares the prices of properties sold in the September Quarter with their previous sale) found that Hobart was the national leader – 98% of houses sold made a profit.
But close behind in second place was Regional Victoria, where 97% of houses sold for a price higher than the vendors paid previously (ahead of Melbourne’s 96% and Sydney’s 92% - and the national average of 90%).
In terms of apartments, Regional Victoria ranked third in the national (94%), well above the national average of 80%, Sydney’s 87% and Melbourne’s 85%.
The out-performance of Regional Victoria locations shows up in price growth data for the past year and also for the past decade.
Dozens of Regional Victorian locations have recorded double-digit growth in their median house prices in the past 12 months.
Ballarat has been particularly outstanding, with Ballarat Central (13%), Brown Hill (20%), Golden Point (18%), Lake Wendouree (11%), Mt Pleasant (21%) and Wendouree (10%) all producing strong price growth.
The City of Greater Geelong also produced multiple growth leaders, including Barwon Heads (12%), Bell Park (12%) and Drysdale (20%).
Other high-growth locations were spread around the state, including Newborough (16%), Wonthaggi (14%), Heathcote in Bendigo (17%), Maldon (17%), Irymple near Mildura (23%), Daylesford (13%) and Mansfield (13%).
This kind of growth in not a one-off event – many Regional Victorian locations have long-term capital growth rates above 7% per year, with some nudging 9% per year – which puts them alongside the best in the nation.
The City of Greater Geelong, Ballarat and the Macedon Ranges LGA all have multiple locations with capital growth rates between 7% and 9% per year.
Lake Wendouree in Ballarat has averaged 8.9%, while Woodend (Macedon Ranges) and Norlane (Geelong) have both averaged 8.7% per year.
Others with capital growth rates above 8% per year include Beveridge, Daylesford, Maldon, Geelong (the suburb), Kyneton and Herne Hill (Geelong).
TERRY RYDER is the founder of hotspotting.com.au ryder@hotspotting.com.au twitter.com/hotspotting
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terryryder-YECXbqmri2

Regional Victoria is Australia's most outstanding property market: Hotspotting's Terry Ryder

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Distilleries are giving a spirited boost to the property markets in Regional Victorian towns according to an analysis by the Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV).
REIV President Robyn Waters said the study showed that median house prices have soared over recent years in regional towns where distilleries have been established.
“Victorians’ love affair with all things artisanal has seen gin joints, whiskey dens and vodka purveyors popping up all over the state,” Waters said
“We love our culinary culture and appreciate fine craftmanship in all its forms, including spirits
“Tourists and locals are flocking to these distilleries to sample their wares which has created jobs, vibrancy and new economies for these regional towns.
Waters said that, in some cases, distilleries have become the social and leisure hub of the town and have become the anchor for other complimentary business such as restaurants and clothing shops
“Of course all of this combines to have a positive impact on real estate in these areas,” Waters said
“Take Healesville for example, the home of Four Pillars Gin, where the median house price has increased 37.54% in the past four years, going from $435,500 in the 12 months to 31 March 2015 to $599,000 in the 12 months to 31 March 2019.
“There has also been strong median growth in Bright, where the Reed and Co Distillery opened in 2016, and Kyneton where Animus Distillery was founded in 2015.”
<table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody>
<tr>
<td>
Distillery
</td>
<td>
Town
</td>
<td>
2019
</td>
<td>
2018
</td>
<td>
2017
</td>
<td>
2016
</td>
<td>
2015
</td>
<td>
Increase
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<a href="https://www.fourpillarsgin.com.au/">Four pillars Gin</a>
</td>
<td>
Healesville
</td>
<td>
$599,000
</td>
<td>
$600,000
</td>
<td>
$482,000
</td>
<td>
$475,000
</td>
<td>
$435,500
</td>
<td>
37.5%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Bass and Flinders Distillery
</td>
<td>
Dromana
</td>
<td>
$791,500
</td>
<td>
$740,000
</td>
<td>
$615,000
</td>
<td>
$623,500
</td>
<td>
$488,500
</td>
<td>
62%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<a href="https://kilderkindistillery.com.au/">Kilderkin Distillery</a>
</td>
<td>
Alfredton
</td>
<td>
$440,000
</td>
<td>
$420,000
</td>
<td>
$402,500
</td>
<td>
$380,000
</td>
<td>
$370,000
</td>
<td>
18.9%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<a href="https://www.bellarinedistillery.com.au/">The Whiskery</a>
</td>
<td>
Drysdale
</td>
<td>
$562,750
</td>
<td>
$435,000
</td>
<td>
$432,000
</td>
<td>
$455,000
</td>
<td>
$432,000
</td>
<td>
30.3%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<a href="https://www.reedandcodistillery.com/">Reed &amp; Co Distillery</a>
</td>
<td>
Bright
</td>
<td>
$571,000
</td>
<td>
$530,000
</td>
<td>
$445,000
</td>
<td>
$385,000
</td>
<td>
$397,500
</td>
<td>
43.6%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<a href="https://animusdistillery.com/">Animus Distillery</a>
</td>
<td>
Kyneton
</td>
<td>
$585,000
</td>
<td>
$539,000
</td>
<td>
$485,000
</td>
<td>
$472,250
</td>
<td>
$465,000
</td>
<td>
25.8%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<a href="https://www.queenscliffbrewhouse.com.au/">Queenscliff Distillery</a>
</td>
<td>
Queenscliff
</td>
<td>
$875,000
</td>
<td>
$962,500
</td>
<td>
$752,500
</td>
<td>
$750,000
</td>
<td>
$740,000
</td>
<td>
18.2%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<a href="https://www.fosseysgin.com.au/">Fossey’s Gin</a>
</td>
<td>
Mildura
</td>
<td>
$307,700
</td>
<td>
$270,500
</td>
<td>
$257,000
</td>
<td>
$255,050
</td>
<td>
$253,000
</td>
<td>
21.6%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<a href="http://suterandsons.com/thespirit/">Suter &amp; Sons</a>
</td>
<td>
Curlewis
</td>
<td>
$500,000
</td>
<td>
$430,000
</td>
<td>
$407,500
</td>
<td>
$390,000
</td>
<td>
*
</td>
<td>
28.2%
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
*Figure not available due to insufficient sales.
Image courtesy of Visit Melbourne.
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House prices soar in Victorian regional towns where distilleries have been established

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EXPERT OBSERVER
Anyone who reads my reports will know I’m finding many of the best markets across the nation in Regional Australia.
Most of the strongest markets for sales activity and price growth in the past two years have been found outside the capital cities and the regional areas of Victoria, NSW, Tasmania and Queensland continue to present large numbers of growth numbers.
I tell seminar audiences around Australia this is a good thing for investors, because the regions have lower prices and higher rental yields. And, if you choose your locations well, you’re well-placed for good capital growth as well.
It’s a message that most Australians haven’t been getting, because the major research firms focus primarily on the capital cities and major media obsesses over the markets in Melbourne and Sydney.
As I told seminar audiences in Mackay recently, Central Queensland cities will never feature in national media unless there’s a cyclone or flood. Mackay, in fact, is a growth market with low vacancies, strong rentals and rising prices, boosted by positive events in the local economy.
But gradually, it seems, Australia is waking up to the opportunities presented by markets in Regional Australia. 
Agency network PRDnationwide published an August report which predicted that regional centres are set to outperform capital cities over the next six months as affordable prices and higher returns lure buyers.
It said regional areas generally had fared better than metropolitan markets recently and that performance would continue over the second half of the year.
PRDnationwide’s national research manager Asti Mardiasmo said: “Regional areas are more insulated than bigger cities due to the increased infrastructure developments, cheaper house prices and big businesses moving their head offices to regional areas,” Mardiasmo said.
This correlates with Hotspotting research which has identified rising sales activity and good price growth in many of the regional markets in the major eastern states, as well as Tasmania and Western Australia.
The monthly reports of national valuation firm Herron Todd White have also recorded uplift in many of the nation’s regional markets. 
Its latest National Property Clock suggests that markets are rising or recovering in regional centres such as Tamworth, Dubbo, Albury and Bathurst in NSW; Townsville, Mackay, Cairns, Gladstone, the Sunshine Coast, Hervey Bay and Emerald in Queensland; Karratha and Port Hedland in WA; Shepparton and Wodonga in Victoria; and Launceston in Tasmania.
Markets at the bottom of the cycle ahead of recovery include Alice Springs, Rockhampton and Toowoomba.
Hotspotting would add a number of key regional cities to the list of strong markets, including Ballarat and Bendigo in Victoria, and Orange, Wagga Wagga, Goulburn, Queanbeyan, the Hunter Valley and the Tweed region in NSW.
In the Winter edition of the Price Predictor Index, 30 of the National Top 50 Super-charged Suburbs list were regional locations.
Brisbane-based researcher Propertyology published an analysis of population trends across the nation and suggested the areas where property markets benefited the most from interstate and intrastate migration were regional cities like the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast and Geelong.
A recent report by the Regional Australia Institute, based on a research project by the University of South Australia and Southern Cross University, urged Australians to consider the regions as an alternative to the major cities - it says many regional towns offer jobs, affordable housing, lifestyle and scope for economic growth, as well as less congestion and a lower cost of living.
The university research project compared wages, employment, congestion and house prices among outer suburban and metropolitan areas, and the regions.
The study found that while wages might be less in the regions compared to cities, job prospects are often at least as good and the cost of living is lower than the big cities. 
Terry Ryder is the founder of hotspotting.com.au
<a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au">ryder@hotspotting.com.au</a>
twitter.com/hotspotting
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Australian investors waking up to regional property market opportunities: Hotspotting's Terry Ryder

<html><body>
EXPERT OBSERVER
Australia is strongly tilted towards the capital cities. That’s where the bulk of the population lives, where economies are strongest (generally speaking) and where the greatest share of property sales take place. So, usually, the quarterly editions of The Price Predictor Index published by Hotspotting feature more city locations with growing sales momentum than regional ones. 
But the Winter 2019 edition has the regions are out-performing the capital cities. Regional NSW has far more rising markets than Sydney, Regional Victoria has way more growth than Melbourne and Regional Queensland is outdoing Brisbane. 
Nationally, it’s line ball: we have identified 137 growth markets in the capital cities and 137 in the regional areas. This is a very strong performance by regional Australia and explains why so many of the nation’s growth markets are found in the regions - places like Ballarat, Bendigo, Wagga Wagga, Orange, Mackay and the Sunshine Coast.
Most of the outstanding individual locations currently are in regional areas. They dominate our National Top 50 list of Supercharged Suburbs. Thirty of the featured locations are in regional areas and only 20 are in capital cities. 
Regional NSW provides 13 of the Top 50 locations and Regional Queensland provides 10. There are no contenders from Melbourne and only two from Sydney (but Adelaide provides eight suburbs to the list and Perth six). 
Examples of country NSW centres that have strong growth momentum include the Port Stephens area, Wagga Wagga and Ballina. Regional Queensland areas to feature include Rockhampton and Toowoomba, as well as the buoyant Sunshine Coast market. 
As I observed in this column last week, Regional NSW is not following Sydney’s trend. While most sectors (but not all) of the Sydney market have been in decline, the cities and towns of Regional NSW have delivered many growth markets in the past two years.
The Winter edition of the Price Predictor Index also builds on previous versions in providing hints of recovery in Regional Queensland markets. When the resources boom was raging, investors piled into markets like Gladstone, Moranbah, Emerald, Mackay and Rockhampton - and enjoyed big growth for a short period, before the bubble burst. Now many of these locations are rising again. 
Our National Top 50 list includes Mackay, Rockhampton, Emerald and Toowoomba - indeed, the list has three locations from the Rockhampton LGA. This report also contains further evidence of recovery in Gladstone. (but I continue to urge caution about investing in places where the local economy is largely driven by the mining sector).
Regional Australia also contributes strongly to our National Top 50 list of most consistent markets: half of the locations featured for the steady demand they attract are in the regions outside the capital cities.
They include places like Mildura, a regional centre in rural Victoria that you would seldom hear about: in most quarters in the past three years, Mildura has delivered between 200 and 220 house sales – occasionally slightly fewer and sometimes a little more. Its median house price rose 11% in the past year.
The Raymond Terrace market in the Port Stephens LGA in NSW has recorded between 60 and 76 sales in every quarter for the five years – and its long-term capital growth average is 5% per year, confirming that consistent markets deliver steady growth.
Regional markets also stand out in our analysis of price data. Australian consumers seldom hear about it because media focuses so much on the biggest cities and because most of the data published is generalised in nature: a single growth/decline figure to describe the entire nation or a single figure which purports to depict the market in massive cities like Sydney and Melbourne. 
Behind those sweeping generalisations lie the real stories about markets - and in many cases there’s a lot more real estate growth going on than anyone realises. 
Nine out of ten locations in Tasmania have median prices higher than last year. It’s similar for 60% of Regional NSW, 61% of Regional Queensland and 80% of Regional Victoria.
Terry Ryder is the founder of hotspotting.com.au
<a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au">ryder@hotspotting.com.au</a>
twitter.com/hotspotting
 
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Regional Australian property outperforming capital cities: Hotspotting's Terry Ryder

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Sales activity across the Newcastle &amp; Lake Macquarie region has fallen by 15 per cent for houses and 27 per cent for units over the year to February 2019, with current sales activity 15 per cent below the five year average for the region, according to the recent CoreLogic Regional Market Update Report for March.
The report focuses on some of the larger regions outside of the Australian capitals.
Of the 6,921 dwelling sales that took place across the region, 5,525 were houses (80 per cent), while 1,396 were units (20 per cent).
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2019/6/4/newcastle%20a%20.jpg" target="_blank">Click here </a>to enlarge:
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/6/4/newcastle%20a%20.jpg" alt="">
Source: CoreLogic
Newcastle &amp; Lake Macquarie saw home values fall over the 12 months to March 2019, with house values down -7.5 per cent and unit values down -9.4 per cent.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2019/6/4/newcastle%20b.jpg" target="_blank">Click here</a> to enlarge:
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/6/4/newcastle%20b.jpg" alt="">
 
Source: CoreLogic
CoreLogic suggests that the largest fall in unit values year-on-year was seen across Newcastle and Lake Macquarie.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2019/6/4/newcastle%20c.jpg" target="_blank">Click here</a> to enlarge:
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/6/4/newcastle%20c.jpg" alt="">
Source: CoreLogic
The average time on market for homes in the region has increased by 11 days for houses and 3 days for units over the past year, with the average vendor offering more of a discount to secure a sale when compared to February 2018.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2019/6/4/newcastle%20d.jpg" target="_blank">Click here</a> to enlarge:
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/6/4/newcastle%20d.jpg" alt="">
Source: CoreLogic
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