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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

Residential Development

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The Singapore-listed developer Chiwayland has bought into Sydney's western suburbs to develop an 11-hectare development site in Caddens, Penrith for $40 million. 
It is planning 400 apartments and 364 townhouses for the site close to a proposed high-speed rail linking to the second Sydney Airport.
Chiwayland's project will be released over several stages before 2020. 
It is the group's seventh property development project in Australia. 
Chiwayland follows Chinese heavyweight Poly (Australia) Real Estate's purchase of a three-hectare site at Werrington, another greenfield land prospect under the Western Sydney Priority Growth Area strategy. 
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Chiwayland buys at Caddens

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Two high density superlots in Sydney's northern suburb of Macquarie Park have been offered for sale as one package via an expressions of interest campaign through Colliers International.
UrbanGrowth NSW's  second stage land release at Lachlan’s Line also includes an affordable housing offering which must be purchased by a community housing provider, or a private developer in a joint venture or similar.
Bates Smart has prepared the concept design for around 172 apartments and the third site of 96 affordable housing apartments.
UrbanGrowth NSW head of Western Sydney Projects Matthew Beggs said the vision for Lachlan’s Line is to create a vibrant new residential neighbourhood and local destination with quality public domain and amenity. 
“Macquarie Park is considered one of the most sought after residential development locations in Sydney. Lachlan’s Line is ideally positioned to capitalise on opportunities such as transport, employment, education, and the high level of demand for quality residential apartments within the Macquarie Park area,” he said. 
“We are expecting strong interest from local and international developers who can demonstrate the capability to deliver outcomes in line with our vision for Lachlan’s Line.”
The Lachlan’s Line project was announced by the NSW Government in 2013 as part of the NSW Government’s North Ryde Station Precinct. The new contemporary urban village will provide approximately 2,700 homes for around 5,000 residents. 
For more information <a href="https://www.urbangrowth.nsw.gov.au/projects/lachlans-line-at-macquarie-park" target="_blank">click here</a>.
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UrbanGrowth NSW superlots on sale at Lachlan's Line

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Steve Wiltshire, executive chairman of HoldenCAPITAL, says the recent APRA bank regulatory balance sheet requirements will see the big banks lose interest in construction finance to most property developers.
"They will pick and chose who they deal with," he said.
"It will be less of a volume game," the experienced property investment banker said.
"This is a regulatory change that isn't going to go away.
"It is a bit of a game changer," he said.
"The banks will still continue to do construction finance.
"My own view on this is that they won't come back to dominate construction finance like they did following the gfc, where they were able to very much take the market over and really control where it was going," he said.
He said it was less profitable for the big banks compared to other products.
"The new requirements from a balance sheet prospective means property is no longer as attractive as it once was," he said.
It was suggested during episode one of <a href="https://www.holdencapital.com.au/podcast/" target="_blank">The Constructive Finance Podcast</a> when Dan Holden, at HoldenCAPITAL, spoke with Steve Wiltshire about his market views, opportunities and challenges he has faced and some advice/lessons learned thus far in his career.
The podcast will be released every fortnight on Tuesday and will feature an elite developer discussing these same topics.
The podcast will be available to stream from iTunes and via the HoldenCAPITAL website.
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Big banks will pick and choose property development financing: Steve Wiltshire

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A new shopping centre is slated to be built in Sydney's western suburb of Glenmore Park following the $7.22 million sale of a 2.11 hectare island site.
The property, 90-98 Glenmore Ridge Drive, Glenmore Park, is located in the heart of the Glenmore Ridge residential community development, is bound by Darug Avenue, Glenmore Ridge Drive, Glenholme Drive, and Deerubbin Drive. 
Mintus Properties Pty Ltd purchased the site from Lensworth Glenmore Park Limited, a subsidiary of Stockland Development Pty Limited.
NSW director of retail investment services at Colliers International, James Wilson, said the surrounding master planned community has undergone a transformation from a new suburb into a developing community with this neighbourhood development delivering the retail component of the original vision for the precinct.
“The increasing lack of supply for quality neighbourhood centre sites in greater Sydney shows no signs of slowing down, given the sharp yield compression experienced over the past two years for completed investments," he said.
 “The uplift in value for neighbourhood sites and shopping centres can also be attributed to the high levels of capital we are seeing from domestic and offshore investors combined with the low cost of debt in the current record low interest rate environment."
 
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Neighbourhood shopping centre site sells at Glenmore Park

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Tim Gurner's newly proposed apartment development at 156-162 Alfred Street, Brisbane, will now be developed in the next property boom.
The Melbourne developer had just received approval for a $140 million apartment project in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley, but says he will now wait for the next cycle to develop. 
"There is no doubt that the Brisbane market has slowed in recent months," he told the Australian Financial Review.
"Developer funding challenges and increasing construction costs have made the environment increasingly difficult to get new projects off the ground in Brisbane, but we are committed to Fortitude Valley and excited to launch this project in the next market cycle," Mr Gurner said.
His proposed 15-level building on Alfred Street, designed by Elenberg Fraser, would have provided 184 apartments.
Mr Gurner said that his financing was secure but he had known of several other projects where financing had been knocked back. 
"It is the escalation of construction prices in Brisbane in the past 12-18 months that will pose more of an issue," Mr Gurner said.
"Projects that weren't fully pre-sold last year are now not viable given the recent spike in construction costs, which is incredibly shortsighted as this will only hurt builders and trades in the following 12-36 months when there won't be any new projects to commence construction," he said.
Construction on his $600 million FV project proceeds elsewhere in Fortitude Valley, at Brunswick Street, Alfred Street and Barry Parade, in what was Gurner's first foray interstate.
The project, also been designed by architects Elenberg Fraser, secured strong sales after its late 2014 launch.
Dubbed by the Melbourne Age newspaper as "gym owner turned blue-collar then white-collar property developer," Gurner is speculated to have sold a major development site in Footscray.
The 1 Warde Street site covers 2170 sq m with a permit for towers rising 26 levels and containing 388 dwellings atop a commercial component.
Set within the state government's Joseph Road urban renewal precinct, The Age advised the recent sale price has not yet been disclosed by CBRE's Mark Wizel.
More than $10 million had been sought.
Tim Gurner was among a group of young property developers who burst onto the recent BRW Rich 200 list this year.
He was the list's youngest debutant, aged only 34 and with an estimated $460 million fortune. 
Gurner is concentrating mainly on Melbourne but has in the past month settled on two sites in Sydney. 
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Tim Gurner calls halt to new Fortitude Valley, Brisbane project

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Australia’s popularity among international students is here to stay, with enrolments in higher education courses with student visas growing by 9 .7 percent from 2014 to 2015, according to the 2016 Australian Student Accommodation Market Report from Savills international.
The undersupply of Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) in many capital cities, high occupancy levels for stabilised operational properties, robust revenue growth and attractive yield pricing in comparison to the globally established student accommodation markets, all contribute to student accommodation being an attractive investment, says the report.
There are currently 67,695 beds of PBSA in the eight Australian capital cities. All cities have an existing supply of less than 12 percent per full-time student with the exception of Canberra (27.8 percent), but compared to the existing supply and proposed pipeline in several UK cities, all of the Australian cities supply are at low levels.
Melbourne and Brisbane have the largest development pipelines of 9,651 beds (4 percent FT students) and 8,930 beds (6 percent FT students) respectively, but Sydney has a limited pipeline in place over the next four years with a total pipeline of 3,665 beds (2 percent FT students).
Also evident is the extent of pipeline supply across the UK cities, including substantial pipelines in Durham and Liverpool where the existing supply equates to over 40 percent of full-time students.
Savills research indicates that more than $2 billion has been invested into development projects across Australia since the start of 2015. The following chart provides a summary of the existing supply of PBSA and the proposed development pipeline in each of Australia’s capital cities and a selection of UK cities, with the cities sorted by the total provision of accommodation including pipeline.
<a href="/images/2016/06/22/Screen%20Shot%202016-06-23%20at%201.10.54%20PM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2016/06/22/Screen%20Shot%202016-06-23%20at%201.10.54%20PM.png" alt="">
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Australian pipeline for student housing development: Savills

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The South Australian state government's decision to extend stamp duty concessions for off the plan apartments in the 2016-2017 State Budget has been warmly welcomed by the local development sector.
Pat Gerace, executive director of the SA branch of the Urban Development Institute of Australia said the UDIA has been urging the Government to continue stamp duty concessions for off-the-plan apartments, which will now be extended by 12 months until June 30 next year and include off-the-plan apartment properties across the state.
“These stamp duty concessions will make apartment properties more affordable and help more homebuyers into the market. Importantly, it will also allow more choice for those who are downsizing or trying to get into the market but don’t want to live in the city,” he said.
"We also requested the Government remove land tax on undeveloped residential land, which would reduce the land tax impost that is ultimately applied to pricing when the land is eventually ready for purchase by homebuyers. 
"The Government also needs to provide funding to establish proposed infrastructure schemes and an e-planning system by mid-2018 – as outlined in the recently passed Planning, Development and Infrastructure Bill 2015. There’s been good progress in recent times to reform the state’s planning system, so it’s important the Government provides the necessary funding to establish new initiatives such as infrastructure schemes and an e-planning system to help unlock new investment and generate economic growth."
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SA extend tax concessions for off the plan apartment buyers

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EG Funds' residential development, The Flour Mill of Summer Hill is set for its next stage launch.
The Malthouse release in the new master-planned community located on the heritage Flour Mill industrial site in Summer Hill has its display suite officially opening this weekend. 
The earlier stages are now sold out primarily to local buyers.
The Flour Mill of Summer Hill development is a joint venture by EG and Daiwa House.
Dr Michael Easson, executive chairman of EG inspected the display suite ahead of the launch with Grant Flannigan, from EG, confirming settlement for stage 1 of the Flour Mill will occur in February 2017.
Designed by architects, HASSELL, Summer Hill’s newest residential community and retail hub began construction in early 2015.
The next stages will have 233 apartments - studios, one, two and three bedroom apartments located in the Flour Mill’s existing silos.
The prices and sizes of apartments (square metres internally) range from 1 bedroom 55 m2 internally $710,000 - $735,000; 2 bedroom 71-90 m2 internally $840,000 - $1,110,000 and the 3 bedrooms 89-125 m2 internally $1,120,000 - $1,635,000. 
HASSELL has taken its cues from the Flour Mill’s landmark silos to echo the site’s industrial proportions, retaining the remarkable heritage and form and redefining the structures to revitalise this beloved monument to the city’s rich industrial heritage.
The three vertical layers of the nine-storey Malthouse work in unison to celebrate the building’s industrial heritage. 
A central vertical cut-out creates a 20-metre high void in the lobby while horizontal cut outs on each level form a spinal corridor open at the northern and southern ends.
Each apartment has been cleverly designed to bring the outside in – balconies and windows have been carefully placed to provide an interesting outlook from every aspect while maximising natural light and airflow.
The four circular towers of the original wheat silos, dubbed the Durum Silos now form 56 contemporary apartments across 14 storeys, at the peak of which sit two penthouse apartments with roof terraces enjoying spectacular 360 degree views.
The Granary has been converted to one and two bedroom apartments that mimic the scale of the original buildings on this site.
Housing 27 two and three bedroom apartments, The Wheatstore’s triangular structure stands out as the only design within the Flour Mill that started from scratch.
EG’s Development Manager Raja Jamal says a key focus of the development was on community and connectivity.
“We have integrated a communal public park featuring existing mature avenues of brushbox and a new retail precinct which includes cafés, restaurants and retail offerings to complement Summer Hill’s existing village atmosphere,” said Mr Jamal.
Colliers agent Ian Bennett said the majority of initial buyers were locals looking to buy a piece of the area’s history, with investors and first home buyers looking at the 1 and 2 bedroom apartments due to the connectivity with the light rail, train station and bus services flanking the development. 
For more information, <a href="https://summerhillflourmill.com.au/" target="_blank">click here</a>.
 
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More Flour Mill, Summer Hill silo apartments for sale

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/57114/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
By itself, concrete is a very durable construction material. The magnificent Pantheon in Rome, the world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome, is in excellent condition after nearly 1,900 years. And yet many concrete structures from last century – bridges, highways and buildings – are crumbling. Many concrete structures built this century will be obsolete before its end.
Given the survival of ancient structures, this may seem curious. The critical difference is the modern use of steel reinforcement, known as rebar, concealed within the concrete. Steel is made mainly of iron, and one of iron’s unalterable properties is that it rusts. This ruins the durability of concrete structures in ways that are difficult to detect and costly to repair.
While repair may be justified to preserve the architectural legacy of iconic 20th-century buildings, such as those designed by reinforced concrete users like Frank Lloyd Wright, it is questionable whether this will be affordable or desirable for the vast majority of structures. The writer Robert Courland, in his book Concrete Planet, estimates that repair and rebuilding costs of concrete infrastructure, just in the United States, will be in the trillions of dollars – to be paid by future generations.
Steel reinforcement was a dramatic innovation of the 19th century. The steel bars add strength, allowing the creation of long, cantilevered structures and thinner, less-supported slabs. It speeds up construction times, because less concrete is required to pour such slabs.
These qualities, pushed by assertive and sometimes duplicitous promotion by the concrete industry in the early 20th century, led to its massive popularity.
Reinforced concrete competes against more durable building technologies, like steel frame or traditional bricks and mortar. Around the world, it has replaced environmentally sensitive, low-carbon options like mud brick and rammed earth – historical practices that may also be more durable.
Early 20th-century engineers thought reinforced concrete structures would last a very long time – perhaps 1,000 years. In reality, their life span is more like 50-100 years, and sometimes less. Building codes and policies generally require buildings to survive for several decades, but deterioration can begin in as little as 10 years.
Many engineers and architects point to the natural affinities between steel and concrete: they have similar thermal expansion characteristics, and concrete’s alkalinity can help to inhibit rust. But there is still a lack of knowledge about their composite qualities – for example, in regard to sun-exposure-related changes in temperature.
The many alternative materials for concrete reinforcement – such as stainless steel, aluminium bronze and fibre-polymer composites – are not yet widely used. The affordability of plain steel reinforcement is attractive to developers. But many planners and developers fail to consider the extended costs of maintenance, repair or replacement. 
There are technologies that can address the problem of steel corrosion, such as cathodic protection, in which the entire structure is connected to a rust-inhibiting electric current. There are also interesting new methods to monitor corrosion, by electrical or acoustic means.
Another option is to treat the concrete with a rust-inhibiting compound, although these can be toxic and inappropriate for buildings. There are several new non-toxic inhibitors, including compounds extracted from bamboo and bacterially derived “biomolecules”.
Fundamentally, however, none of these developments can resolve the inherent problem that putting steel inside concrete ruins its potentially great durability.
<h2>The environmental costs of rebuilding</h2>
This has serious repercussions for the planet. Concrete is the third-largest contributor to carbon dioxide emissions, after automobiles and coal-fuelled power plants. Cement manufacturing alone is responsible for roughly 5 percent of global CO₂ emissions. Concrete also makes up the largest proportion of construction and demolition waste, and represents about a third of all landfill waste.
Recycling concrete is difficult and expensive, reduces its strength and may catalyse chemical reactions that speed up decay. The world needs to reduce its concrete production, but this will not be possible without building longer-lasting structures.
In a recent paper, I suggest that the widespread acceptance of reinforced concrete may be the expression of a traditional, dominant and ultimately destructive view of matter as inert. But reinforced concrete is not really inert.
Concrete is commonly perceived as a stone-like, monolithic and homogeneous material. In fact, it is a complex mix of cooked limestone, clay-like materials and a wide variety of rock or sandy aggregates. Limestone itself is a sedimentary rock composed of shells and coral, whose formation is influenced by many biological, geological and climatological factors.
This means that concrete structures, for all their stone-like superficial qualities, are actually made of the skeletons of sea creatures ground up with rock. It takes millions upon millions of years for these sea creatures to live, die and form into limestone. This timescale contrasts starkly with the life spans of contemporary buildings.
Steel is often perceived to be inert and resilient too. Terms such as “Iron Age” suggest an ancient durability, although Iron Age artefacts are comparatively rare precisely because they rust. If construction steel is visible, it can be maintained – for instance, when the Sydney Harbour Bridge is repeatedly painted and repainted.
However, when embedded in concrete, steel is hidden but secretly active. Moisture entering through thousands of tiny cracks creates an electrochemical reaction. One end of the rebar becomes an anode and the other a cathode, forming a “battery” that powers the transformation of iron into rust. Rust can expand the rebar up to four times its size, enlarging cracks and forcing the concrete to fracture apart in a process called spalling, more widely known as “concrete cancer”. 
I suggest that we need to change our thinking, to recognise concrete and steel as vibrant and active materials. This is not a case of changing any facts, but rather of re-orientating how we understand and act on those facts. Avoiding waste, pollution and needless rebuilding will require thinking well beyond disciplinary conceptions of time, and this is especially true for the building and construction industries.
The collapsed civilisations of the past show us the consequences of short-term thinking. We should focus on building structures that stand the test of time – lest we end up with hulking, derelict artefacts that are no more fit for their original purpose than the statues of Easter Island.
Guy Ceulemans is associate lecturer, UNSW Australia and author for The Conversation. He can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/guy-keulemans-182421" target="_blank">here</a>.
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The rust problem with reinforced concrete

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The Gold Coast City development CityVillage has secured an $185 million sell-out.
Some 201 terrace homes have sold at CityVillage for an average of $550,000 since its launch to the market in late 2013.
The final terrace home sold off-the-plan last week for $569,000 to a local owner-occupier.
The dual tower Bohème Apartments, which is more than 80 per cent sold, now represents the final opportunity to secure a place in the sought-after CityVillage community.
The Robina Group sales manager Azura Griffen said CityVillage had been one of the developer's most successful projects in its 36-year history, with one stage of terrace homes selling out in just 48 hours.
CityVillage was recently recognised at the prestigious Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) awards as the top medium density development in Queensland and was a finalist nation-wide.
It offered terrace housing on individual titles.
Griffen advised low vacancy rates and high rental demand had made Robina one of the city's most in-demand suburbs.
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