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

Joel Robinson

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Residential Market

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GUEST OBSERVER
Stamp duty concessions, including exemptions for downsizers and adjustments for off-the-plan buyers, should be incorporated in the WA state budget to tackle Perth’s failing housing targets. 
With the release of Perth’s long-term planning blueprint in 2011, there was a clear objective to reduce urban sprawl by driving higher-density housing options in established areas as the city’s population grows to over 3.5 million people.
Since then, we’ve seen changes in the types of housing being constructed in metropolitan Perth with an increase in multi-residential complexes, rather than the traditional trend of single dwellings.
This has been driven by a shift in buyer attitudes towards apartment living as well as many councils adopting planning schemes that are conducive to higher-density housing.
However, it’s clear that more needs to be done as Perth’s infill development continues to fall short of the state’s target of 47 percent.
Initiatives key to reaching housing goals
Two initiatives that are conducive to the state’s long-term planning targets are the exemption of transfer costs for downsizers and the modification of stamp duty for off-the-plan purchases.
These concessions should be included in the WA budget, scheduled for May 12, to incentivise buyers to continue to move into high density housing and, in turn, support the state reach its infill targets.
1. Exemption of transfer costs for downsizers
The introduction of a one-off stamp duty exemption for people over 65 who are selling their family home to downsize.  The exemption should be available in any cases where the family home sells for less than $1 million and the buyer purchases a property of a lesser value. Given that many retirees are hesitant to downsize because of the high stamp duty costs involved, a one-off exemption would provide a significant incentive to move to a smaller residence, possibly in a higher-density complex. It would also help free larger blocks in established areas for development of more higher-density housing options.
2. Modify how stamp duty is applied for off-the-plan purchases
Changing the way stamp duty is applied to off-the-plan purchases will drive more buyers to higher-density housing options. An effective method, which is utilised in other Australian states, is to charge stamp duty on the value of the land alone, rather than the combined value of the land and the dwelling. For example, take a developer who acquires a development site for $1 million and then seeks to build 30 apartments on the site. 
This would make the value of the land of each apartment worth approximately $33,000, which a potential buyer of one of the apartments would then pay stamp duty on. This should only be applied to off-the-plan purchases made prior to the start of construction. Any apartments purchased after the start of construction would have to pay stamp duty on the full price of the land and dwelling. 
Such an initiative would incentivise buyers to purchase high-density housing options during presales, because they save on the stamp duty. It would also assist developers attain finance for these projects, as lenders typically require about 60% of apartments sold as presales before approving funding.
Without further impetus for buyers to move to high-density housing, Western Australia, and more specifically Perth, risks falling significantly short of its key housing goals.  
Such stamp duty concessions are a swift and low-cost lever the Barnett government can pull in its forthcoming budget to help realise its long-term planning blueprint.
 
Damian Collins is the founder and managing director of Momentum Wealth and can be contacted <a href="https://www.momentumwealth.com.au/damian-collins/" target="_blank">here</a>.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Stamp duty concessions key to achieving housing goals: Damian Collins

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The 30 minute city is a worthy town planning concept of connectiveness but isn't ever going to happen in Sydney.
Buyers on the fringe must simply cop the consequences of distance.
The valuers Herron Todd White suggested recently just because fringe localities are cheap, doesn’t mean they can’t be savvy buys too.
They offer the chance of property at a fraction of the cost compared to city hub. Badlands no more.
The major worry from a price growth perspective is that supply can rise suddenly on the fringe.
Suburban addresses on the circumference of any city are abutted by greenfield sites.
"While you can see solid value performance, it doesn’t take much for competition to kick in," HTW noted.
If big parcels of housing land nearby gain development approval, there’s suddenly a whole new option for potential buyers.
Nowadays developers effectively create mega-suburbs through multi-stage projects extending over decades that include major community spaces, schools, universities, even hospitals as well as the mandatory shopping centre.
The aim is that families can effectively live within the boundary of these new communities and want for very little. 
The inner suburbs of Sydney hold most of the buyer attention, but the sought after cafe lifestyle pursuit exist beyond the hipster belt in suburbs 25 kilometres away the CBD. 
And also on the outskirts of NSW's major regional cities too.
Take the Illawarra, where fringe areas tend not to be too far from the main centres of Wollongong, Shellharbour and Kiama.
HTW suggests these include Cringila, Port Kembla, Unanderra, Dapto, Barrack Heights and Lake Illawarra.
Prices below $400,000 are now rare, generally for 1960s brick or fibro dwellings without major updates.
Cringila, close to the steelworks, is priced under $350,000, with capital growth pegged back due to location, HTW advise.
The Shoalhaven fringe are the small coastal towns based around Nowra, including Shoalhaven Heads, Culburra and Callala Beaches.
While all have local shops and services, they don't have departments stores and good public transport.
Most of all they lack a deep job pool, HTW warns.
Their real estate prices reflect this but can be buoyed by buyers seeking that holiday house dream.
Prices in Shoalhaven start around Nowra at $250,000 for a 50 year old three bedroom fibro.
As Australia’s seventh largest city, Newcastle has many fringe options including Fletcher and Cameron Park.
A contemporary four bedroom in Fletcher costs around $550,000, compared to $800,000 plus closer in.
Apparently traffic in Newcastle is rarely problematic, allowing fringe commuters 20 minute access to CBD based careers, services and social activities.
On the Central Coast, close to the Gosford CBD are the fringe options of Niagara Park, Narara and Wyoming.
Lacking the popularity enjoyed by the beachside suburbs, HTW suggests as gentrification occurs they may well prove a smart buy.
Further north, Chain Valley Bay, Gwandalan and Summerland Point have been popular with retirees and a constrained budget, but have seen a recent rising market.
The Southern Highlands has experienced increased investors in its fringe options, which are the villages away from the three major towns of Bowral, Mittagong and Moss Vale. Prices have increased 10 percent since 2014, but this is now expected to slow.
The Southern Tablelands region has been steady with HTW anticipating Goulburn to plateau or even soften.
Goulburn is sometimes viewed as a fringe suburb of Canberra, suggesting rather than the 30 minute city outcome, we rather might all merge into one huge metropolis.
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The 30 minute city isn't ever going to happen in Sydney

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/57114/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
Neighbourhoods as “battlefields”, “sardine city”, traditional suburbs as “threatened species” and urban hubs as the domain of “latte-sipping yuppies”. These are examples of the dramatic and negative imagery Queensland newspapers use to describe urban consolidation in Brisbane.
Our research identifies depictions of urban consolidation in Brisbane by five newspapers: The Courier Mail and Sunday Mail, Brisbane Times, Northside Chronicle and South-East Advertiser. Our examination of 456 articles from 2007 to 2014 reveals a glut of negative imagery.
Urban consolidation is predominantly depicted as dangerous and uncontrollable. Dire warnings abound of a city bursting at the seams and sustained assaults on the Australian suburban dream.
Newspapers remain powerful forces despite their declining fortunes in recent times. Their capacity to shape public opinion remains strong. So how do Queensland newspapers heighten the drama of consolidated urban development? And what imagery do they use to sustain the narrative?
<h2>Planning responses to growth</h2>
Cities are rapidly changing all over the world as urban populations grow. Urban consolidation has become a common planning response. It focuses on concentrating growth in existing urban areas. This involves the delivery of higher-density housing and mixed-use developments.
Urban consolidation is often advocated as a neat solution to increasing populations, decreasing housing affordability and unsustainable urban sprawl. It is now a key planning policy in many Australian cities, including all of the capitals.
Of the 156,000 additional dwellings forecast to be developed in Brisbane between 2006 and 2031, The South East Queensland Regional Plan has set the goal of delivering 88 percent in areas targeted for consolidation. The over-arching priority is to accommodate an ever-increasing urban population within existing boundaries.
Evidence of implementation in Brisbane can be seen all over the inner city and throughout inner and middle-ring suburbs. Apartment and unit development projects are proceeding at pace. This is leading to a huge upswing in approvals and new stock coming to market.
<h2>The drama of consolidated development</h2>
Media reports predominantly capture the drama of consolidated development with references to warfare or natural disasters. Articles commonly refer to floods of development or a city under siege.
Local politicians opposed to consolidation are characterised as saviours of the people. These white knights stand strong, benignly offering their constituents protection from the destruction of over-development.
Dramatic physiological language is used in articles discussing high-density apartment buildings. Such places are characterised as choking the city or ripping the heart out of its suburbs. Increasing urban densities are presented as threatening the overall health of the city.
Apartments are depicted as “shoeboxes”, “rabbit hutches” and “charmless chunks of brick”. The people who choose to live in them are routinely portrayed as outsiders. They are the unwelcome intruders who are taking over the city and corrupting traditional suburban values.
By contrast, articles featuring direct quotes from developers and planners tend to use more moderate imagery. Consolidation is portrayed more commonly as a means to create quality places to “live, work and play”. Associated images are usually consumption-based and focus on the benefits of access to inner-city employment and amenities.
While some imagery depicting cosmopolitan lifestyles finds traction, it is regularly offset by images of the declining suburban dream.
Usually this involves images of the “real Australians” whose happy suburban lives are threatened by over-development. These rarefied beings live on a median wage and host friendly barbecues in a suburb near you. Their depiction is far removed from that of their inner-city counterparts sipping lattes and swirling expensive wine.
<h2>(Mis)representing urban realities</h2>
Our research suggests Queensland newspapers create a sense of danger around urban consolidation in Brisbane. They perpetuate mostly negative imagery, referencing war, death and disease. Increased urban density becomes associated with towering buildings, faceless residents and unhealthy places.
Yet this isn’t necessarily the reality. Urban consolidation in Brisbane occurs as a result of managed planning processes. It is designed to meet the city’s current and future development needs. Developments generally occur in accordance with zoning regulations and development plans.
Newspapers have a tradition of sensationalising and simplifying news stories. And depictions of urban consolidation in Brisbane do tend towards sensationalism. The drama of consolidated development appears to work well to fill column inches and sell papers.
We argue that the use of negative imagery in Queensland newspapers relies more on subjective judgements than facts. Visions of unplanned, laissez-faire urban consolidation subsuming Brisbane are generally at odds with reality. Is the adage of not letting facts get in the way of a good story ringing true once more?
 
Katrina Raynor is PhD candidate in Urban Studies, Queensland University of Technology and can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/katrina-raynor-255374" target="_blank">here</a>. Tony Matthews is lecturer in Urban &amp; Environmental Planning, Griffith University and can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tony-matthews-234160" target="_blank">here</a>. Both are authors for The Conversation.
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Media picture of urban consolidation focuses more on a good scare story than the facts

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Victoria's Horsham city has been perched at the peak of the property cycle for both houses and units for April and May, according to valuation firm Herron Todd White's latest property clock -- a simple broad brush means to suggest where property markets are and what direction prices are moving in.
<a href="/images/2016/05/11/Screen%20Shot%202016-05-11%20at%208.38.42%20AM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
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Horsham’s residential real estate market continues to provide a stable investment for both owner-occupiers and investors. The urbanisation of today’s population is bringing senior members of the community to central service hubs such as Horsham and generally increasing the larger centre’s ability to attract and retain the younger generation and continuing its population growth. In turn this brings about expanding outer built up fringe areas and increased prices for inner city property located in close proximity to shops and services.
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As real estate in inner city Horsham continues to appreciate, more and more buyers are looking for cheaper alternatives. In larger centres such as Ballarat or Melbourne, this would see buyers moving further out of town into the suburbs and becoming more reliant on the local neighbourhood shopping centre. In Horsham, this phenomenon is generally different and sees families moving to smaller nearby town such as Murtoa and Dimboola that are located within a 30-minute drive of Horsham but maintain schools and local shops.
House prices in these smaller towns are significantly lower than Horsham. As an example, Horsham’s current median house price sits at $290,000, while Dimboola’s median house price is a far more affordable $120,000. When weighing up size and affordability, regional towns are definitely an option. 
Property Observer looked up a few recent sales around the median prices for Dimboola and came up with these from www.realestate.com.au:
 <img src="/images/2016/05/11/main.jpg" alt="" width="672" height="504">
 A three-bedroom house at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-dimboola-119628011" target="_blank">14 Denham Street Dimboola Vic 3414</a> (above) fetched $132,000. </div>
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A two-bedroom house at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-dimboola-120385073" target="_blank">3 Acacia Street Dimboola Vic 3414</a> (above) sold for $107,000.
 
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As Horsham's prices rise, buyers turn to cheaper fringe towns: HTW

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It is tempting to think that life becomes idealic once you've made the sea or tree change, but the reality is often far from that.
And possibly a decision you and the family will regret.
It was recently suggested the once popular sea and tree change relocation phenomenon - which was lead by retirees over a decade ago - is showing signs of a return.
The sea and tree change represents a major life change which has often been based on a long held dream about retirement.
But the data suggests it is now being led by young families rather than retirees.
The population data shows that the shift is being fuelled by those aged 0-14 years and those between 25 and 64 years.
"This would seemingly indicate that migration within these coastal and lifestyle markets is being driven by young families," Cameron Kusher said.
For these young families it could be seeking life out of the fast lane or maybe tired of all the time spent in the traffic. 
“Sea and tree change have been the long forgotten buzzwords for the migration of people to coastal and lifestyle markets," CoreLogic RP Data analyst Cameron Kusher recently said.
"This trend was particularly strong before the financial crisis hit in 2008," he said, noting many lifestyle markets had since underperformed when compared to the capital cities.
The regions now attracting migration attention in New South Wales included the Shoalhaven, the mid North Cost, Central Coast, the Southern Highlands, Shoalhaven, the Blue Mountains and Illawarra.
"Recently we’ve started to see values rise in many of these regions.
"This supports the increased demand for housing (with migration as a source) which in turn, often leads to increases in home values.
“Another factor contributing to this migration is likely to be the recent home values increases in capital cities which has resulted in a deterioration of affordability and forced many younger families to look for alternatives to living in the capital cities," he said.
The need for employment is the key aspect to consider as even affordable housing needs income to pay off the mortgage.
According to the ABS, the rate of unemployment in most regional and coastal locations is significantly higher than in Sydney. It is crucial to put together a financial plan, remembering that wages may be lower and some costs will be higher.
The need for proximity to educational facilities is crucial too, from kindergarten to university.
For retirees access to health care is crucial, along with the issue of finding new friends and keeping intouch with old friends and the family.
Kusher analysed the top 25 national statistical area regions for internal migration over the 2008-09 and the 2014-15 financial years from the latest ABS Migration Statistics.
Outside of NSW, the busy lifestyle regions included the Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Geelong, Mornington Peninsula, Bunbury and Mandurah.
Don’t think it silly to rent and try before you buy, suggests buyers agent Veronica Morgan from the television series Relocation Relocation.
"It seems like a massive upheaval to do this but it’s nothing compared to the stress associated with having to sell a short time after buying if it doesn’t work out.
"No amount of research and planning will prepare you better than actually living the dream," she suggests.
Morgan also warns not to overpay through having a city mentality.
The good news for potential changers is growth in city house prices has significantly outperformed regional prices, so there will be a tidy kitty.
But be warned buying back in Sydney might be an issue once you've departed the big smoke for a few years.
This article was first published in the Saturday Daily Telegraph. 
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Sea change tide coming back in after GFC wipeout

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The decision by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to pull the trigger on a rare July Federal Election will provide the Australian property market with a significant shot in the arm.
Australians were generally wary of buying or selling a residential property during the lead-up to a federal election.
Generally, whether we’re buying or selling, we tend to wait until the election is decided just in case there are any unforeseen surprises.
Now that the election has been called for July 2, this represents the perfect timing from our point of view, as winter is typically a quieter time for property sales.
A July poll will enable vendors to list their properties in July and August, and it won’t affect their buying plans through the traditional spring selling season.
This decision, while it mightn’t help real estate activity during the two month election campaign, it will put vendors in an excellent position to meet their property goals by the time the traditional selling season begins in early September. 
Changes to negative gearing or the capital gains tax discount could potentially fall under the label of ‘unforeseen changes’. 
Real estate investment is a favoured asset class by millions of Australian voters because it is deemed safer than shares and easier to understand than bonds.
Making changes to negative gearing or capital gains would be a brave decision, especially as Australians don’t have a particularly strong record when it comes to savings and investing.
Therefore removing a strategy that is encouraging investment seems ill-conceived to me.
Governments would be better off considering ways to encourage more owner-occupiers to buy into new properties than attempting to stymie the investor market.
With some checks and balances, providing some limited stamp duty tax breaks, for example, for those upgraders buying into new properties, might be worth considering.
Good government is about creating some new policy ideas rather than just raking over old coals.
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Angus Raine is executive chairman, <a href="https://www.raineandhorne.com.au/" target="_blank">Raine &amp; Horne</a>.
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July Federal Election could create 'spring boom' for property market: Angus Raine

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The value of residential property in Sydney has risen 137 percent over the last 10 years to rank fourth behind Mumbai (184 pe cent) in a list of world cities, according to new research by Savills.
The Irish capital Dublin was at the other end of the scale, with capital value declining 26 percent over the same period.
Ten-year residential capital value growth in all global cities surveyed averaged 73 percent to the end of 2015, with Asian cities, including Shanghai (173 percent), Hong Kong (167 percent) and Mumbai, occupying the top three positions.
Savills Australia’s national Head of Research, Tony Crabb, said while it was unlikely the high level of growth these key cities had achieved in recent years was sustainable in the long term, Australia’s strong property fundamentals, including robust population growth, would nevertheless underpin a continued high level of performance, particularly along the eastern seaboard.
"Australia’s population growth is amongst the strongest in the world and is the strongest in its history. This creates ongoing demand for residential property as well as retail goods and services which feeds into logistics, warehousing and manufacturing and ultimately demand for office property and the two cities which will benefit the most from this trend are Sydney and Melbourne.
"As the population of these two cities is set to double over the next 35 years, the key driver of long-term growth is in place, and that should see Sydney remain near the head of the table in the medium term,’’ Crabb said.
Head of Savills World Research, Yolande Barnes, said the roller-coaster ride of the global financial crisis had presented an opportunity for real estate in new and emerging markets, particularly Asia, to rival those in the West, with price growth in the new and emerging economies averaging 123 percent between December 2005 and mid-2011, compared with just 32 percent in the established cities of the old world - Paris, Tokyo, London, Sydney and New York. 
She said while capital growth fortunes reversed in the years since 2011 - old world markets grew by an average of 35 per cent and new world markets by just six per cent to December 2015 - the Asian cities remained at or near the top of the table.
However, the Asian cities at the top may now be more fully valued and therefore more exposed to price falls or stagnation, particularly during economic recession.
"Our analysis of occupier demands and rental growth across all sectors (residential and commercial) should prove a good guide to the fundamentals of different markets and would seem to point to the best prospects for capital growth lying among the cities at the foot of the table, which are enjoying population growth and occupier demand from burgeoning digital and creative industries,’’ Barnes said.
Those nearest the bottom of the table with the lowest rates of growth were in the high-supply US cities of Miami, LA  and Chicago, while Dublin’s residential values remain 26 percent below its 2005 levels, although this represents recovery after an incredible fall from its 2006 peak to its 2012 trough of -57 percent.
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Sydney residential values up 137 percent in 10 years, fourth behind Mumbai: Savills 

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The Queensland city of Gladstone is at 'approaching the bottom of the market' position for houses for the third month in a row, according to valuation firm Herron Todd White's property clock for May 2016, a simple broad brush means to suggest where property markets are and what direction they're headed.
Gladstone first slipped into this position in March from being a declining market in February, according to the HTW clock.
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The latest report from HTW also deals with heritage-listed property. There are no residential premises in Gladstone that are heritage listed. In saying this, suburbs closer to the city including Gladstone Central, West Gladstone and South Gladstone contain many older traditional Queenslander style homes. 
Many of these homes have been renovated to high standards and have some form of harbour or district view due to the hilly nature of central Gladstone. These types of homes are also generally on larger size allotments (typically around 1,000 square metres) which also adds to their appeal. Homes of this calibre are tightly held however can attract a fair level of interest when they become available, even in current market conditions.
Previously, HTW had said that Gladstone was not a large enough city to see different suburbs being subjected to gentrification. Most new development occurs in newer suburbs on the city fringe. In years gone by, parts of central suburbs such as South Gladstone and West Gladstone were popular with developers building townhouses on larger allotments closer to the city. Most of this redevelopment has ceased since the market peaked. 
On the commercial side, key areas in Gladstone that attract premium retail rentals are those located in prime positions along major transport routes and within modern centres anchored by a major supermarket. Despite weakened market conditions, these centres appear to be maintaining good occupancy levels with few vacancies. Retail tenancies that have been harder hit by local economic conditions are those within secondary locations, within an older style building, have poor access, have poor on site parking or have a combination of these. Within the Gladstone CBD, there are patches of these secondary tenancies generally within Goodoon Street, Tank Street and Toolooa Street. Demand for these tenancies has weakened significantly throughout the recent downturn, with increased vacancies and reduced rental levels.
For residential property, others in the approaching the bottom of market cycle for houses were Darwin, Alice Springs, Bundaberg, Emerald, Mackay and Rockhampton, the HTW clock shows. Bundaberg in Queensland was the new entrant here, improving from its bottom of market status.
The bottom of the market cycle was completed by Mt Gambier and Townsville.
The peak of market remained more or less the same for houses, with NSW Central Coast, Dubbo, Horsham and Newcastle maintaining their positions, while Coffs Harbour shifted to the starting to decline phase. 
 
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Gladstone approaching bottom of market for houses: HTW property clock

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Most properties in Western Australia are sold through an offer and acceptance process. 
A person makes a formal offer in writing to buy a property, and the seller, sometimes called the vendor, can either make a counter offer, reject the offer, or accept it and communicate that acceptance to the buyer.
Usually an offer to buy property is made using both the Contract for Sale of Land or Strata Title by Offer and Acceptance form, commonly called the O &amp; A; and the Joint Form of General Conditions for the Sale of Land, commonly referred to as the General Conditions. Together, the O &amp; A and the General Conditions constitute the standard contract for the sale of real estate in Western Australia.
The wording of the O &amp; A is owned by the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia (REIWA) which is the peak industry body representing the interests of real estate agents. The General Conditions document is owned jointly by REIWA and the Law Society of Western Australia. Although there are other versions of these two contractual documents, the versions produced by REIWA and the Law Society of Western Australia are the most widely used in this State.
In 2011, the General Conditions were amended to reflect changes to the Duties Act 2008. Buyers and sellers are advised to ensure that the latest version is used when a contract is being drawn up. Importantly, the O &amp; A form can be amended to include any agreed special conditions that meet the needs of the seller and/or the buyer. The General Conditions document is a standard set of contractual conditions that are not usually amended, although it is possible to ‘contract out’ some of these conditions.
For more information, <a href="https://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/consumer-protection/real-estate-contracts-sale-offer-and-acceptance" target="_blank">click here.</a>
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Property 101: WA sale, offer and acceptance process

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The residential property market in NSW's Southern Highlands has been increasing in both volume and price activity since late 2014, say valuation firm Herron Todd White in their April 2016 property clock.
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HTW says it saw a noticeable increase in activity by investors in 2015. The Highlands property market is heavily influenced by the Sydney property market, with many buyers relocating from Sydney to the region. Now that Sydney has slowed and softened, the Highlands is also anticipated to slow. 
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The fringe suburbs in the Southern Highlands are essentially the villages removed from the three major towns of Bowral, Mittagong and Moss Vale and include villages such as Robertson, Bundanoon, Colo Vale and Hill Top. Most of these fringe suburbs have local shops, parks and schools, but are lacking in the larger supermarkets that the three main Highlands towns feature. Residents of the fringe suburbs will drive to the larger towns for these services (usually a 10 to 20 minute drive). When compared to the main centres, the fringe suburbs offer better value for money. The market in the fringe suburbs has been strong. Prices have increased circa 10% to 15% over the past year and a half, which is in line with the growth of the majority of our regional market.
HTW noted have seen some new residential subdivisions emerge in Bundanoon and Colo Vale. Vacant land sales have been snapped up.
"Rent levels in the smaller villages have also increased.
"Our prediction for the medium to long term is for a steady to increasing trend overall, in line with the overall market movements for the region."
The Southern Tablelands region is steady. The Sydney investor activity evident over the past 18 months is reducing. We anticipate Goulburn to plateau or even soften slightly this year. There are similar trends evident in the Tablelands, with good land sales and new home construction activity in the new and modern residential estates on the fringe of Goulburn, including the Belmore, Merino Country and Mistful Park estates.
Goulburn can be viewed as a fringe suburb of Canberra, the report noted. Being more affordable, some Goulburn residents commute to Canberra. Goulburn also offers affordable investment properties for the Sydney investor. The smaller villages and townships of the Tablelands could also be viewed as fringe suburbs of the larger towns, Goulburn and Canberra. Villages like Crookwell are steady. The outlook is a steady to slightly increasing trend. 
Property Observer went looking for some recent sales in the fringes Bundanoon and Goulburn.
The median price for houses in Bundanoon is $536,500, according to CoreLogic RP Data. One recent sale around the median price was a three-bedroom house at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-bundanoon-122166550">3 Ellsmore Road Bundanoon NSW 2578</a>, which fetched $520,000, according to www.realestate.com.au.
<img src="/images/2016/05/09/main.jpg" alt="" width="644" height="483">
In Goulburn, the median house price was $335,000 while the unit price was $224,000, according to CoreLogic RP Data. A recent sold example was a two-bedroom apartment at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-townhouse-nsw-goulburn-121552626">1/87-91 Victoria Street Goulburn NSW 2580</a> for $210,000.
<img src="/images/2016/05/09/700_goulburn.jpg" alt="" width="519" height="315">
 
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