<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/collingwood-vic-3066">Collingwood</a>’s northern edge continues to sharpen its reputation as one of Melbourne’s most compelling cultural precincts, where established creative institutions, leading hospitality, and independent fashion converge within a tightly held inner-city neighbourhood.

Set within this evolving pocket, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/derby-street-by-milieu-collingwood-4-derby-street-collingwood-vic-3066">Derby Street by Milieu</a> draws on a location that balances proximity to some of the inner north’s most influential destinations with the quieter, tree-lined character that defines the streets edging East Melbourne. Positioned just moments from both Smith and Gertrude Streets, the address sits on the periphery of Collingwood’s cultural core, offering immediate access without the intensity of its busiest frontages.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=145576 project_image_fid=355945]

Gertrude Street, in particular, anchors the area’s identity as a destination for Melbourne’s leading food, art and fashion. Within a short walk, venues such as Marion, Cutler &amp; Co, IDES and the Builders Arms Hotel define a tightly curated dining scene with enduring citywide appeal, complemented by a strong fashion and retail presence including Havn, Le Labo and a selection of independent boutiques.

Nearby, institutions such as the Australian Print Workshop and Collingwood Yards sustain a constant rhythm of exhibitions, performances and creative output, embedding art and culture into the everyday fabric of the neighbourhood.

Smith Street, running parallel, extends this offering with a broader mix of hospitality and nightlife, maintaining its status as one of Melbourne’s most active inner-urban strips.

Beyond these high-energy streets, the immediate surrounds shift in tone. Derby Street and its neighbouring blocks are defined by low-rise heritage terraces, mature trees and a settled residential character. Fitzroy Gardens and Carlton Gardens are both within walking distance, alongside the Royal Exhibition Building and Melbourne Museum, bringing together green space and cultural landmarks within minutes of home.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=145576 project_image_fid=355985]

Connectivity remains a key advantage. The CBD sits within easy reach, accessible by tram along Smith Street in around 20 minutes, while also remaining close enough to walk or cycle, supported by the inner north’s established bike network.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/milieu-property">Milieu</a>’s long-standing connection to Collingwood underpins the project’s approach. With a portfolio that includes multiple nearby developments across Bedford, Peel and Napier Streets, the developer brings a sustained understanding of the area’s character and evolution. Derby Street continues this trajectory as a collaboration with award-winning Melbourne-based <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/studio-bright">Studio Bright</a>, marking the practice’s first multi-residential project in the inner north and reflecting a shared focus on design integrity and contextual response.&nbsp;

Balancing connection to the neighbourhood with a sense of seclusion and refuge, Derby Street by Milieu embodies a level of care and craft typically reserved for single residential projects. Comprising 22 residences across six storeys, with two to four-bedroom configurations priced from $1.15 million, the project is currently under construction with completion expected in late 2027.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=145576]

Joel Robinson

Derby Street by Milieu, at the top end of Collingwood

A rare new apartment development in the Blue Mountains is the latest in a string of State Significant Development Applications submitted through the New South Wales Government's Housing Delivery Authority.

A total of 270 apartments are being proposed for the 1.16-hectare site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/blue-mountains-alpine-retreat-142-150-narrow-neck-road-katoomba-nsw-2780">142–150 Narrow Neck Road in Katoomba</a>, a parcel of land adjoining the former Katoomba Golf Course. The site was acquired for $3.85 million in 2021 by private developer VDM Prime.

The apartments, comprising a mix of serviced apartments, affordable housing, and traditional build-to-sell product, will be spread across eight low-rise buildings, along with a separate building for a new restaurant, arranged around a green spine that leads to a central park.

<img alt="Katoomba" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ee9a2072-f465-44f1-9076-80c9c8ecca02" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-04-22%20at%209.20.21%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=4bT0vQ7j_syl65wcrJmHGm3m5pTvwrY_" />

The Urban Design Report by Atlas Urban says the vision is to create a "contemporary mountain precinct that is responsive to its escarpment landscape, heritage character, and community context."

"The development responds to the current housing supply and affordability challenges identified under the NSW Housing Delivery Authority (HDA), providing a balanced mix of standard, affordable, and short-stay accommodation," the report noted.

"By introducing a variety of dwelling types and tenures, the proposal supports intergenerational living, local workforce retention, and greater housing choice within an area constrained by topography, heritage, and environmental protections."

Of the 270 units proposed, 52 will be serviced apartments. The remainder will comprise 54 studios, 121 one-bedroom units, 39 two-bedroom apartments, and four three- to four-bedroom residences.

<img alt="Katoomba" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f704508d-1bdf-4170-955d-0256652402a7" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-04-22%20at%209.56.49%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=TzarHMO4gTOsblCqsbJQkvMqWj9nu2Au" />

The Design Report, by VDM Prime and appointed architect Antoniades Architects, noted that the design seeks to "provide a built form outcome that is highly considered, respectful and contextually fitting, whilst contributing positively to an evolving precinct."

"The site offers three frontages and the opportunity to provide a meaningful interface with the public domain environment. the design has a sympathetic response to streetscape and the green open space that surrounds the site."

The report states that the buildings are broken up to establish an appropriate bulk and scale, emphasised through height and setback strategies and defined through articulation that supports the transition of precinct granularity. It also notes that a central communal open space is established through the site to enhance the social dynamic and access to amenity, including natural ventilation and light to the apartments. The east and west frontages receive solar access during the morning and afternoon, whilst maximising views to the green open space.

The site adjoins the recently completed Yarrabee Katoomba development, comprising 24 duplexes that were completed last year and sold through McGrath Projects.

The relatively new Housing Delivery Authority pathway established by the NSW Government allows developers to submit State Significant Development Applications through a fast-tracked state process, effectively reducing reliance on local council approval pathways and aiming to accelerate housing delivery across New South Wales.

First look: Nearly 300 apartments pitched on former Katoomba golf course site

In Melbourne’s established inner east, the qualities that define a traditional house, width, height, and access to open ground, are increasingly difficult to replicate in new residential developments. Larger landholdings are scarce, and with them, the ability to create apartments that extend beyond compact, internalised layouts.&nbsp;

In <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/kew-vic-3101">Kew</a>, where the residential fabric is shaped by generous setbacks and mature tree canopies, that tension is especially visible.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/ricdanic-investments-pty-ltd">Ricdanic</a>&nbsp;is bringing forward a boutique collection of just 13 residences across two buildings at 9–11 Wimba Avenue, Kew. Comprising six homes at No.9 and seven at No.11, the project sits on a quiet, tree-lined street just off Cotham Road.&nbsp;

Each apartment has been planned with a level of independence more commonly associated with standalone dwellings, balancing privacy with the efficiencies of apartment living.

Architect Chris Idle, who has been practising for over two decades, says projects like this don’t come along often.

“There are very few opportunities to do these kinds of developments in leafy, established suburbs,” he explains. “To get this level of amenity, natural light, and architectural freedom in such a setting is extremely rare.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=140755 project_image_fid=366267]

The internal planning begins with width. Living areas extend beyond five metres, allowing furniture, circulation, and glazing to sit comfortably within the same zone without compression. Ceiling heights shift from three metres through to five metres in select areas, changing the sense of scale as you move through the apartment. These proportions are paired with double-glazed windows and fully electric systems, balancing volume with performance, supported by a 7.2 NatHERS energy rating.&nbsp;

From the main living space, the apartments open directly outward. Large sliding doors connect to private gardens averaging 125 square metres, with some residences also incorporating balconies of around 60 square metres. Rather than acting as secondary outdoor zones, these areas sit flush with the internal floor level, extending the usable footprint of the home and allowing for multiple modes of use, whether for quiet daily routines or larger gatherings.&nbsp;

The landscape, led by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/landscape-architect/john-patrick-landscape-architects">John Patrick</a>, reinforces this relationship. Across the site, 23 different plant species have been introduced, including a mix of native and established varieties, arranged to maintain privacy while preserving sightlines and light access. Gardens are not treated as decorative buffers but as functional extensions of the apartments, shaped to accommodate movement, seating, and informal use over time.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=140755 project_image_fid=366265]

Architecturally, the project draws from Kew’s historic residential language. Handmade bricks by Krause define the exterior, grounding the buildings within the material palette of the suburb, while interior finishes, stone, timber flooring, and restrained detailing, continue this approach internally. Architect Chris Idle describes the intent as long-term rather than stylistic: “We wanted it to feel timeless.”&nbsp;

This emphasis on durability extends to how the buildings are accessed and secured. Entry is managed through keyless systems, with a double-gated basement incorporating number plate recognition for vehicle access. Each residence is paired with a private lock-up garage accommodating two to three cars, alongside storage, while all entry points are monitored continuously. These measures sit alongside EV readiness and fully electric infrastructure, aligning the project’s operational systems with its long-term design outlook.&nbsp;

The setting remains central to how the development is experienced. Located within walking distance of Kew Junction and close to established schools including Carey Grammar and Xavier College, the address benefits from existing infrastructure while maintaining a residential quietness that is increasingly difficult to find at this scale.&nbsp;

Construction is being delivered by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/builders/sinjen">Sinjen</a>, with a 10-year structural guarantee, with completion targeted for mid-2027.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=140755]

Inside Wimba Ave, Kew’s garden-scale residences designed for space and permanence

High-end Sydney developer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/abadeen-group">Abadeen</a> has secured approval for one of its latest Mosman projects, one of the first developments approved by Mosman Council under the NSW Government’s Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy.

The approval represents an important step in delivering well-considered housing next to established village locations on Sydney’s Lower North Shore, in line with the intent of the Low and Mid-Rise zoning framework. 
&nbsp; 
There are currently 13 other sites lodged within Mosman Council under the policy, with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/27-29-heydon-street-mosman-nsw-2088">Heydon Street</a> among the first to receive development consent. 
&nbsp; 
Abadeen Founder and Executive Chairman Justin Brown said the project reflects a considered and appropriate response to its planning context. 
&nbsp; 
“This approval demonstrates how carefully considered, design-led development can align with the objectives of the Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy," Brown said.

"The scheme has been designed to respond sensitively to its village setting, with a built form, scale and level of amenity appropriate to its local context. The determination reflects a balanced and considered planning outcome, with Council recognising the capacity for this site to accommodate additional housing within a well-located and established precinct.”

<img alt="Abadeen secures first approval under low and mid-rise housing policy for Heydon Street, Mosman" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="92811ce3-02e8-44fc-996e-c61ae039bd3e" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Heydon%20Street%20Aerial.jpg?VersionId=ZHJVuWQT64QcdrFJx963pFWFzTX7lI2I" />

The Heydon Street approval followed extensive consultation with Mosman Council, with Abadeen working closely with Council throughout the assessment process.

The approved scheme comprises 27 residences, with only four per floor, creating a low-density living environment. The building will include four half-floor penthouses designed to capture views across Middle Harbour, Sydney Harbour and the surrounding district.&nbsp;

The project is expected to appeal to downsizers and owner-occupiers seeking house-like proportions, privacy and local convenience. There will be north-facing Middle Harbour views from the second level upward. It is also just a flat 100-metre walk to Bridgepoint Shopping Centre, which will appeal to owner-occupiers and in particular downsizers.

Two-bedroom residences are expected to be priced from $1.99 million when sales launch later this year. 
&nbsp; 
Joe Tack, CEO at Abadeen, said the outcome reflects both the quality of the site and the broader need for well-located housing. 
&nbsp; 
“This is a highly considered site within a highly established local setting, offering elevated views and strong connectivity. The project has been designed to respond to that context, delivering a scale and quality of housing aligned with both the planning framework and evolving market demand.” 
&nbsp; 
“This approval is particularly significant in the context of Mosman, where new housing supply has historically been limited. While it represents the first approval of this scale in Mosman to be achieved in over 50 years, it is importantly located within a well-established residential location, in close proximity to the established commercial amenity of Spit Road and Mosman Village. It reflects strong confidence in Abadeen’s approach to design, delivery and community integration, while contributing to the delivery of much-needed housing in a highly constrained market.”

Abadeen has an established track record across Sydney’s Lower North Shore, with recent completions including KOYO in Crows Nest and ENSO in Neutral Bay.

In Mosman, Abadeen recently completed The Hampden, with Mosman Residences on the corner of Spit Road and Clifford Street scheduled for completion later this year. Construction has also commenced at Burran Residences, comprising three full-floor ultra-premium homes positioned just 50 metres from Balmoral Beach, with residences expected to achieve prices in excess of $20 million. Two further projects are also progressing through planning within the local government area.

Abadeen secures first approval under low and mid-rise housing policy for Heydon Street, Mosman apartment development

Apartment developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/martello">Martello™</a> is one of the latest entrants to the Gold Coast development market, with its debut project set to be one of the most boutique offerings on Chevron Island in recent years.

Martello has unveiled <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/aere-chevron-island-18-20-mawarra-street-chevron-island-qld-4217">Aere Chevron Island</a>, a collection of 33 large-scale two-, three-, and four-bedroom apartments across an 18-storey building on Mawarra Street.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=143932 project_image_fid=367517]

The developer has placed a strong emphasis on wellness, briefing architecture firm Raunik Design to embed this philosophy into the project. It is a direction <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/martello">Martello™</a> plans to carry through its future developments along the coast.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/martello">Martello™</a> has positioned Aere as a continuation of its human-centric development approach, with a focus extending beyond amenity to the fundamentals of layout, natural light, and spatial planning. Promax Construction has already been appointed to deliver the project, with construction expected to commence in the coming months as part of the group’s broader expansion into South East Queensland.

Rising above the low-rise fabric of Chevron Island, Aere’s design emphasises generous internal proportions and uninterrupted outlooks, with residences oriented to capture coastal, skyline, and waterway views. Interiors prioritise open-plan living, with large-format glazing and carefully considered transitions between indoor and outdoor spaces.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=143932 project_image_fid=367508]

The upper levels are dedicated to larger-format homes, including four-bedroom residences designed as half-floor offerings. These layouts prioritise separation between living and sleeping zones, along with increased privacy and storage, features more commonly associated with detached housing than traditional apartment product.

Aere’s private resident amenity spaces centre on wellness. A rooftop level will incorporate a heated swimming pool, sauna and spa, alongside a residents’ lounge, dining areas and barbecue spaces, while additional shared facilities throughout the building include a gym and yoga area.

The inclusion of both social and quieter retreat spaces reflects a broader shift in higher-end apartment design on the Gold Coast, where developers are increasingly responding to owner-occupier demand for buildings that support long-term living rather than short-stay use.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=143932 project_image_fid=367814]

Aere is positioned within walking distance of Chevron Island’s village centre along Thomas Drive, as well as the HOTA cultural precinct via the Green Bridge, connecting residents to parklands, galleries, and event spaces.

For <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/martello">Martello™</a>, Aere represents the first in a series of planned Gold Coast developments, with the group also exploring opportunities in other coastal precincts, including Kirra and Palm Beach.

The move north comes as sustained population growth and infrastructure investment continue to reshape South East Queensland, with developers increasingly targeting boutique, design-led projects in established lifestyle pockets. Aere’s relatively small scale and emphasis on spatial quality position it within this emerging segment of the market.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=143932]

Martello™ enters Gold Coast market with wellness-led Chevron Island development Aere

Resources

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Minister for Water, Property and Housing, Melinda Pavey, today announced that she would take the water resource plans for eight surface water areas back to the stakeholder advisory panels for comment prior to submitting to the Commonwealth for accreditation.
"In December last year I promised to complete the consultation, and not be rushed by deadlines that did not recognise the pressures put on our rural communities by what remains a significant drought in the NSW Murray-Darling Basin,” Mrs Pavey said.
“The community has made a huge effort to comment on the draft plans during the public exhibition phase last year. Now I want to go back to the stakeholder advisory panels with an analysis of key community concerns, and make sure these have been adequately considered in the latest draft."
“It is vital that we close the loop with stakeholders before the water resource plans are submitted to the Commonwealth for assessment and accreditation.”
Mrs Pavey said the Stakeholder Advisory Panels will be convened for the regulated river valleys and the Barwon-Darling during March.
"NSW water sharing plans form the engine room of water resource plans. I’ve asked the Department to put these on its website, showing the changes from the publicly exhibited versions, so that communities can see how their concerns have been addressed. This is part of my commitment to transparency in water management,” Mrs Pavey said.
“I have made it clear that these plans won’t be submitted until the community have had their say.”
The consultations will include:
· Murray Lower Darling – Deneliquin – March 18, 2020
· Murrumbidgee - Griffith -19 March
· Barwon Darling – Bouke - 24 March
· Namoi – Narrabri - 30 March
· Namoi – Tamworth - 31 March
· Gwydir - Moree - 1 April
· Border Rivers – Goondiwindi - 2 April
· Lachlan - Parkes - 7 April
· Macquarie – Dubbo - 8 April
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Minister Melinda Pavey gathers water resource plans for NSW

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From 1900 to 2010, the amount of materials accumulated in buildings and infrastructure across the world increased <a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/114/8/1880.full" target="_blank">23-fold</a>. We are depleting our resources at <a href="http://uneplive.unep.org/" target="_blank">unprecedented rates</a>. Instead of extracting dwindling raw materials from nature at ever-increasing cost, the time has come to start re-using materials from buildings and infrastructure in our cities.
We have been working on identifying the material resources in cities that could be “mined” for re-use. In a case study, we modelled more than 13,000 buildings in central Melbourne, Australia. We estimated the quantities of construction materials as well as the embodied energy, water and greenhouse gas emissions associated with constructing these buildings (if they were built today). We also modelled the replacement of materials over time and into the future.
The extraction and transformation of resources have broad environmental effects. These include resource depletion, loss of biodiversity, soil and water pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions, which drive climate change.
Adding to these challenges is the amount of waste generated, especially by the <a href="https://theconversation.com/cleaning-up-the-construction-industry-31" target="_blank">construction sector</a> due to construction, renovation and demolition activities. Every time a construction material is discarded, all the embodied energy, water and emissions that went into producing it also go to waste.
In our two <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2016.11.043" target="_blank">recent</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2017.09.022">studies</a>, we propose a model that can help us “mine” our cities and quantify the environmental benefits of this urban mining.
<h2>Modelling all buildings in a city</h2>
We used the City of Melbourne, representing the central business district and immediate surrounds, as a case study. This is because the City of Melbourne offers open-source and high-resolution data that allowed us to model the materials found in individual buildings.
By combining the <a href="http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/about-melbourne/research-and-statistics/city-economy/census-land-use-employment/Pages/clue.aspx" target="_blank">Census of Land Use and Employment database</a> with the <a href="https://data.melbourne.vic.gov.au/Property-Planning/Building-Footprints-2015/pv8y-ihee" target="_blank">Building Footprints database</a>, we had access to basic geometric and construction-related data for each of the 14,385 buildings in this area in 2015. Of these, we modelled 13,075, as some very small or unique buildings (stadiums, railway stations, etc.) had to be discarded. We used 48 building archetypes, based on the building type (e.g. office), construction year (e.g. 1987) and height (e.g. 25 metres), to represent the different buildings in the city.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/196841/original/file-20171129-28866-rzch9i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/196841/original/file-20171129-28866-rzch9i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
More than 13,000 buildings were modelled in the City of Melbourne. André Stephan &amp; Aristide Athanassiadis
Results show that the City of Melbourne has a stock of 1.5 million tonnes of materials in every square kilometre. Just replacing worn materials to maintain this built stock is estimated to require 26 thousand tonnes of materials every year.
Rebuilding the City of Melbourne today would use about 10 petajoules of energy and 17.7 million cubic metres of water. The construction would emit 605,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases per square kilometre.
These resource requirements are simply huge. For instance, the energy used for every square kilometre built is enough to drive 700,000 cars from Melbourne to Sydney. Picture all the urban development around the world, then just try to imagine <a href="https://theconversation.com/our-cities-need-to-go-on-a-resource-diet-68984" target="_blank">all the resources required</a>.
Aside from producing these overall estimates, the real value in our model lies in the detail it provides about the use of materials in the city. It can answer questions such as where and when construction materials are needed, and in what quantities. And what are the associated environmental effects?
<h2>Visualising material flows</h2>
For the 13,075 buildings modelled, we ended up with more than 500 million data points. We needed to come up with effective <a href="https://social.shorthand.com/SciDevNet/3geA2Kw4B5c/data-visualisation-contributions-to-evidence-based-decision-making" target="_blank">data visualisation</a> to inform decision-makers about how we can mine cities.
The most important result we found is depicted in a map showing the quantities of each material within each building. We are able to do that for any given year or period. This enables us to track which materials are expected to be replaced in what quantities and in what buildings.
These maps allow us to start thinking of cities as urban mines and places of material production (supply), rather than just consumption (demand).
We can imagine how a new construction project could survey what materials would be available at its start and how it can best re-use these and incorporate them into the design. This would save large amounts of energy and water, while avoiding greenhouse gas emissions and further ecosystem degradation from raw material extraction (usually far from the city).
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/195142/original/file-20171117-29111-aidrim.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/195142/original/file-20171117-29111-aidrim.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
Selected material stock (2015) and embodied energy of the City of Melbourne. André Stephan &amp; Aristide Athanassiadis
We borrowed the concept of the age pyramid from population studies to represent the material stock in the city’s buildings. This allows us to understand which materials stay in the stock and for how long.
It also helps us better anticipate when a significant amount of materials is expected to be replaced, resulting in construction waste and a demand for new materials. The maps show where this is going to take place.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/195143/original/file-20171117-15435-1knnu4b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/195143/original/file-20171117-15435-1knnu4b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
An age pyramid represents the age and quantities of construction materials in the building stock, and helps to better appreciate periods of expected replacement. André Stephan &amp; Aristide Athanassiadis
<h2>Long journey to a circular economy</h2>
While we have produced tools that can help with urban mining, we are still far from a truly <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-a-circular-economy-29666" target="_blank">circular economy</a> for the construction sector.
Firstly, our model suffers from a significant amount of uncertainty: it is only as good as the data we feed it. While the City of Melbourne has good-quality data for its buildings, we really struggle to estimate how long materials last, notably at the scale of a building. We need more research and data to better estimate the material composition of buildings, the periods of material replacements or building refurbishments, as well as the materials released and available for re-use.
Secondly, we need to better design our buildings for disassembly. A material that is being replaced is not directly re-usable in most cases due to wear or damage, possibly during demolition.
If we design and prefabricate modular buildings that can easily be disassembled, we can greatly improve the potential for re-use and recycling. This would help us move towards <a href="https://theconversation.com/for-a-truly-sustainable-world-we-need-zero-waste-cities-10552" target="_blank">zero-waste cities</a>.
A third way forward is to rethink how construction materials and systems are designed and for what purpose. Instead of buying carpet for an office, a company could pay for the service “floor area covered by carpet”. This would shift ownership of the carpet to <a href="http://www.desso.fr/globalaccounts/regus/take-back%E2%84%A2-programme/" target="_blank">the supplier</a>.
In turn, that would create an incentive to produce durable, high-quality materials that could be re-used and recycled, instead of programmed obsolescence. Such business models are already starting to emerge.
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/87672/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">With our growing global population, finite resources and climate change, we need to move fast towards a more circular construction sector to help ease the pressure on the Earth’s resources and ecosystems. Models such as the ones we are developing are a step forward on a long journey.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/andre-stephan-14991" target="_blank">André Stephan</a>, Lecturer in Architectural Engineering, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-melbourne-722" target="_blank">University of Melbourne</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/aristide-athanassiadis-423773" target="_blank">Aristide Athanassiadis</a>, Postdoctoral Researcher, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/universite-libre-de-bruxelles-1220" target="_blank">Université Libre de Bruxelles</a>
This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/with-the-right-tools-we-can-mine-cities-87672" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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as-hWJFCWwWMs

We can mine cities with the right tools

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/68984/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVERS
Cities are the epicentres of human activity. They cover less than 2 percent of the earth’s land surface but generate about 70 percent of GDP and house more than half the human population. The importance of cities is only going to increase in coming decades as another 2.5 billion people move to urban centres. 
This intense production and consumption requires huge quantities of natural resources. Cities account for more than 60 percent of global energy use, 70 percent of greenhouse gas emissions and 70 percent of global waste. Current practices are depleting the Earth’s finite resources, changing its climate and damaging its natural ecosystems. With our planetary life support system in the red, we need to put cities on a serious resource diet.
<h2>Resources efficiency in the New Urban Agenda</h2>
The New Urban Agenda adopted at the Habitat III conference outlines a vision for sustainable urban development. These global guidelines, along with the related UN Sustainable Development Goals, recognise the need to use resources more efficiently. 
Habitat III included a number of sessions on resource efficiency and associated tools and initiatives. Organisations such as UNEP, UN-Habitat and the European Commission and its research centres typically led these events. The New Urban Agenda includes many references to efficiency and reduced consumption in cities. 
We must now act urgently to translate words into actions. This will ease pressure on ecosystems and produce a range of co-benefits, including health, wellbeing and resilience. 
<h2>How do we create more resource-efficient cities?</h2>
Cities use resources directly, such as burning fossil fuels for electricity and transport. However, indirect uses, such as water for growing food crops, are much wider-reaching. 
It can be overwhelming to consider the resources used for all goods, processes and infrastructure in cities. Yet it is possible to measure this using a systems approach. Instead of considering components in isolation, the entire city is considered as an open system, connected to others. 
This perspective ensures a much broader understanding of complex relationships between scales, resource flows, the built environment, socio-economic factors and ecological outcomes.
There are tools that embrace a systems perspective. For example, the urban metabolism approach considers cities as ecosystems, across which flows of resources (such as energy or water) are measured. Life cycle assessment measures resource use through the entire production, consumption and degradation process of a good or service.
These approaches have been successfully applied at various scales such as cities, neighbourhoods and buildings. This reveals that we are using more resources than shown by traditional assessment techniques (see this example on building energy efficiency regulations). 
But measurement without action has no impact on the ground. How can these tools be used to transform our cities?
Many initiatives are targeting urban resource efficiency. The circular economy paradigm is a good example, where materials are reused, upcycled and recycled. It demonstrates that waste is a human concept and not an inherent property of cities. Waste does not exist in natural systems. 
A range of projects by UNEP, the European Commission and other organisations support local resource efficiency initiatives and encourage local governments to implement related regulations. Blogging, data visualisation and disseminating research all help promote the adoption of resource efficiency concepts. In addition to the pioneering work of groups such as metabolism of cities, the uptake of open data is helping with this.
<h2>Learning from those who already live on less</h2>
Informal settlements provide interesting lessons in resource efficiency. Construction materials in these settlements are typically not very durable. However, because they are in short supply, they are constantly reused or repurposed, almost never discarded. 
Other residents often reuse replaced materials, such as metal sheets, or store them for later use. This practice avoids additional resource use to produce new materials.
Although informal slum areas are often the focus of “upgrading” and improvement, lessons learnt in these settings can enhance material flow management and reduce waste elsewhere in cities.
<h2>Co-benefits of resource efficiency</h2>
More resource-efficient cities tend to result in better health outcomes. For instance, encouraging walking, cycling and public transport instead of car use can reduce fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, and improve population health through increased physical activity. 
Food systems that promote consumption of fresh, local produce can benefit both the environment and nutrition. Energy-efficient housing reduces energy and water use and can improve occupants’ health at the same time.
Resource efficiency can also contribute to urban resilience. Nature-based solutions use relatively few non-renewable materials to increase resilience to environmental change and natural disasters. For example, a park can be designed to be flooded during storms or a tsunami, reduce the urban heat island effect, support urban ecosystems and provide areas for community activities, recreation and urban agriculture.
Efficiency can also ensure that redundancy – a core principle of resilience – is built into urban systems. This means resources can be repurposed in the event of an unanticipated shock or stress. For example, during the recent blackout in South Australia, a household with solar battery storage was able to maintain power for 12 hours “off grid”. 
<h2>Working together for better solutions</h2>
Although these steps move cities in the right direction, more action from governments, the private sector and civil society is needed to transform our growing urban footprints.
Focusing solely on resource efficiency may neglect opportunities to generate co-benefits across sectors and will not provide robust solutions. We need to look at the entire city as a system and work together, across all disciplines, with effective and strong governance structures that support integrated policy definition and long-term implementation. If we don’t, we might simply shift a problem from one area to another, increase resource demand elsewhere, or create social divisions and tensions. 
Strong leadership, political stability, effective institutions and awareness-raising among citizens are vital factors for success. Urban resource efficiency is critical, but it should be considered along all other pressing issues highlighted in the New Urban Agenda.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/andre-stephan-14991" target="_blank">André Stephan </a>is postdoctoral research fellow, University of Melbourne.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alexei-trundle-11956" target="_blank">Alexei Trundle</a> is PhD candidate, Australian-German Climate &amp; Energy College, University of Melbourne.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dave-kendal-180942" rel="author">Dave Kendal</a> is researcher, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria (ARCUE), University of Melbourne.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hayley-henderson-288490" target="_blank">Hayley Henderson</a> is PhD candidate in Urban Planning, University of Melbourne
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hesam-kamalipour-288498" rel="author">Hesam Kamalipour</a> is PhD candidate and Research Assistant in Urban Design, University of Melbourne
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/melanie-lowe-288493" target="_blank">Melanie Lowe</a> is research fellow, McCaughey VicHealth Community Wellbeing Unit, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne.
All are authors for The Conversation.
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Our cities need to go on a resource diet

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New South Wales is poised to lead the country in growth in the next two years, topping Victoria, even as the overall economy remains weak and the pain continues for the resources-powered economies of Queensland, NT and Western Australia.
According to the latest Economic Outlook bulletin by leading industry analyst BIS Shrapnel, the Australian economy will remain weak for some years yet until the non-mining sectors start to drive growth. However, the boost due to investment in housing will decline as as state-by-state housing peaks, and then falls, it adds.
<a href="/images/BISShrapnel1.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
 <img src="/images/BISShrapnel1.png" alt="">
"The structural shift has begun – albeit with years to come," says the report.
A lower dollar has boosted the key tradeables sectors: tourism, education services, agriculture, manufacturing industries and some business services, which power the economies of NSW and Victoria, the report says. The trade-exposed states of NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania, which had suffered under the high dollar from 2007 to 2014 – are now strengthening because of the increased competitiveness from the lower dollar.
“This is a major reversal in interstate relativities from just four years ago,” said BIS Shrapnel senior economist and report author, Richard Robinson.
“For most of the decade to 2012, the mining investment boom saw Western Australia, Queensland and, more recently, the Northern Territory, record by far the strongest economic growth. Now, with the resources investment boom well into a substantial decline – and with more to come – they have been overtaken by NSW and Victoria. The pendulum is swinging away from the mining boom regions and states, and towards the states now being boosted by the lower dollar and their non-mining tradeables and services sectors.”
The peak in the mining boom and subsequent falls in both resources investment and commodity prices coincided with the 30 per cent decline in the Australian dollar (against the US dollar) to US72 cents in the March quarter 2016, although the dollar has since risen to US76 cents.
Among the states, there will continue to be marked differences in State Final Demand (SFD) according to the outlook for investment, which in turn will be a key influence on the prospects for employment and consumer spending in each state. Rising public investment in virtually all states will make a positive contribution to SFD growth.
This spending will also boost state output (Gross State Product) and employment, because public investment in infrastructure and buildings conveys significant multipliers through the economy via its high local content – except when governments don’t purchase local materials, such as steel.
<a href="/images/2016/11/14/BISShrapnel2.png" target="_blank"> Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2016/11/14/BISShrapnel2.png" alt="">
"Dwellings investment also has high local multipliers, but the boost from this upswing is now set to diminish and then decline, as state-by-state housing peaks, and then falls. But it is the wide differences in the cycles of business investment which will have the most impact in determining state outcomes – particularly with regard to mining investment versus non-mining business investment."
These differences in investment and growth outcomes are a reflection of the structural change process which started with the upswing of the mining investment boom. This structural adjustment still has a few years before it finishes and the Australian economy returns to the balanced economy enjoyed before the mining boom.
“The temptation is to use the last decade’s growth as a benchmark against which to measure current progress. But the last decade was abnormal. It involved significant structural change as non-mining industries and investment ‘made room’ for the mining boom,” said Robinson. “We won’t simply see a uniform recovery over the next decade across industries and the states, back to the peak levels of the last decade. There will again be significant structural changes affecting the performances of industries and regions, this time away from mining and back to the non-mining industries that made room.
“That process will continue for some years yet. The norm isn’t a return to the averages of last decade, but a return to the pre-mining boom growth of the decade before. The Australian economy will remain weak for some years yet until non-mining sectors take over as the engine of growth.
“And while we navigate this structural change and major cyclical shifts, we’ll also have to cope with any fall-out from President-elect Donald Trump’s more outlandish policies – should his campaign rhetoric be translated into actual policies. But we’re optimistic that little of the more dangerous policies will be enacted, and that the world economy will continue to limp along.”
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Years of structural shift to come for Australian economy: BIS Shrapnel 

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GUEST OBSERVER
The housing market is certainly patchy across the nation, however it was encouraging to see some of the resource states seeing a decent lift in prices over October.
In addition prices fell in just two of the eight capital cities. Policymakers would be encouraged about more balanced home price growth across the nation but it would take a few more months to feel comfortable, and they would need to see a lift in regional house prices. Annual growth in home prices across regional centres was just 1.1 percent over the past 12 months.
What is clear is that prices are still rising in the strong markets of Sydney and Melbourne. In fact annual growth in Sydney home prices remains just shy of 11 percent and growth remains close to 10 percent in Melbourne.
<a href="/images/2016/11/01/Screen%20Shot%202016-11-01%20at%201.14.17%20PM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2016/11/01/Screen%20Shot%202016-11-01%20at%201.14.17%20PM.png" alt="">
Still, given the amount of new homes being built at present in Sydney and Melbourne, national home prices may slow over the coming year.
The latest home price data doesn’t stand in the way of the Reserve Bank cutting rates over the next couple of months. The Reserve Bank has regularly noted that housing supply will lift over coming years as work is completed on the bevy of new homes – especially apartments. On balance inflation will be more of a deciding factor when it comes to debating the merits of another rate cut.
The latest Australian manufacturing data is encouraging, suggesting that the current levels of interest rates and the Australian dollar are working in favour of domestic producers. No doubt the sector is also benefitting from the stronger demand now that Brexit and the Federal Election are out of the way. 
What do the figures show?
Home prices
The CoreLogic Home Value Index of capital city home prices rose by 0.5 percent in October and was up 7.5 percent over the year.
In regional Australia, house prices rose by 0.9 percent in September and were just 1.1 percent higher than a year ago. (regional prices cover just houses and data is up to the end of September).
In capital cities, house prices rose by 0.5 percent in October while apartment prices rose by 0.6 percent. House prices were up 7.7 percent on a year ago and apartments were up by 6.3 percent.
The average Australian capital city house price (median price based on settled sales over quarter) was $615,000 and the average unit price was $520,000.
Dwelling prices rose in six of the eight capital cities in October: Darwin (up 2.2 percent) followed by Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane (all up 0.8 percent); Sydney (up 0.6 percent); and Canberra (up 0.4 percent). Prices fell most in Adelaide (down 2.4 percent), followed by Hobart (down 2.1 percent).
<a href="/images/2016/11/01/Screen%20Shot%202016-11-01%20at%201.14.24%20PM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2016/11/01/Screen%20Shot%202016-11-01%20at%201.14.24%20PM.png" alt="">
Home prices were higher than a year ago in six of the eight capital cities. Prices rose most in Sydney (up 10.6 percent); followed by Melbourne (up 9.1 percent), Canberra (up 7.9 percent); Hobart (up 5.0 percent); Brisbane (up 4.1 percent) and Adelaide (up 2.5 percent). Prices fell in Darwin (down 3.8 percent) and Perth (down by 3.7 percent).
Total returns on capital city dwellings in the year to October rose by 11.2 percent with houses up 11.3 percent on a year earlier and units up 10.9 percent.
Performance of Manufacturing
The Performance of Manufacturing index rose by 1.1 points to 50.9 in October. A reading above 50.0 indicates that the sector is expanding. The index had been above 50 for 13 months up until August 2016 – the longest period of expansion since September 2006.
AIG notes “The rise was driven by stronger growth in exports, sales and new orders, which highlights the growing importance of exports to manufacturers and suggests further growth ahead.”
What is the importance of the economic data?
The CoreLogic Hedonic Australian Home Value Index is based on Australia’s biggest property database. Unlike the ABS Index, which excludes terraces, semi-detached homes and apartments, the CoreLogic Hedonic Index includes all properties. Home prices are an important driver of wealth and spending.
The Australian Industry Group compiles the Performance of Manufacturing Index (PMI) each month. The Australian PMI is the Australian equivalent of the US ISM manufacturing gauge. The PMI is one of the timeliest economic indicators released in Australia. The PMI is useful not just in showing how the manufacturing sector is performing but in providing some sense about where it is heading. The key ‘forward looking’ components are orders and employment.
What are the implications for interest rates and investors?
Latest data shows that the Australian economy remains in good shape.  
The transition from manufacturing to services in China is proceeding well. The manufacturing sector is tracking sideways while the services sector is taking up the slack and expanding nicely. A case of so far, so good. 
Savanth Sebastian is an economist for <a href="https://www.commsec.com.au/" target="_blank">CommSec</a> </div>
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Resource states seeing healthier home prices: CommSec's Savanth Sebastian

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GUEST OBSERVER
Some well known resource stocks in Australia have reported major losses, including US$6.38 billion for BHP Billiton over the past year and US$1.1 billion for Santos over the past six months.
These losses have largely been driven by lower commodity prices, which in turn is the result of a slowing Chinese economy and weak global growth rates. But the bigger question is whether this most recent downturn is heralding a long term decline in mining activities.
Commentators throughout history have predicted that minerals and energy production would eventually decline because of resource depletion and rising costs. One of the most well-known theories is Peak Oil, originally developed by King Hubbert in the 1950s. This theory explained how many oil fields have a bell-shaped production function from discovery through to exhaustion.
This was used to predict the year and level of when the industry would hit maximum supply. Since then this same concept of an inevitable ‘peak’ has been widely applied to other commodities, to describe when global production might reach maximum levels.
However these predictions of maximum production outputs continue to be surpassed. Hubbert’s original projections were that global oil production would peak in 1995 when actual annual production has continued to grow steadily since then to be about 55% higher. In fact the slump in oil prices since 2014 have largely been caused by excess supply (together with the effects of lower growth in China and other economies).
<div id="responsive-iframe-0">Understanding why resource production continues to grow even when depletion must be occurring, provides some hints as to the future of commodities. The first is that mineral commodities tend to be driven by long term cyclical forces, particularly on the supply side.</div>
Higher resource prices, as seen in the 2003-2012 resources boom, drove huge investments into new production, both in Australia and overseas. That growth in supply is now maturing because of the long lead time to get new projects developed, with virtually no new projects approved since 2012.
Oversupply causes lower prices and shuts off new projects; there is often a long hiatus until the next boom because of an expanding supply base and the buffering effects of inventories.
The second pointer is that there are a variety of structural factors that shift both supply and demand. The key factors on the supply side are new discoveries and better technologies; these increase potential supply over time.
On the demand side, increased development of renewables and more efficient energy systems can systematically lower fossil fuel demand, while countries typically have lower metals requirements once industrialisation has been achieved. It was the combination of cyclical forces, such as lower economic growth, and structural changes in both supply and demand factors that led to the post-2012 slowdown in commodity prices.
Some analysts have focused on the structural changes, arguing for example that greater generation of renewable energy and improved productivity will lower fossil fuel demands permanently. However it is unlikely that structural changes have been enough to date to outweigh increases in demand when the economic cycle moves more strongly into a growth phase.
For example the International Energy Agency in 2015 predicted that world energy demand would grow by nearly one-third between 2013 and 2040, and even though renewables will be the fastest growing sector there is still likely to be some growth in coal and oil consumption to meet the balance of needs.
The third pointer is that the major slump in commodity prices over the past three years has focused the minerals sector on cost-cutting and efficiency. This has been more intense than in previous downturns, but the end result is that production costs are much lower than in 2012.
As a result, any rebound in resource prices, as has occurred across some commodities this year, will not have to be as large for operations to be profitable. In essence the cyclical downturn has forced a structural reduction in operating expenses that will make the industry more resilient to future commodity cycles.
This broad summary papers over a number of factors that influence individual commodities; these include government regulation, exploration policies, controls on supply, market access, taxation and support policies, infrastructure access and charges, labour markets and technology drivers. While those factors help to explain movements between sectors, it is the cyclical forces of global demand and global supply that drive prices and returns for Australian companies.
Analysts should also keep in mind that the company accounting systems do not fully reflect all environmental costs; for example responsibilities for mine rehabilitation tends to be underestimated and there is no current system to internalise the spillover costs of greenhouse emissions. Regulatory and accounting systems need to be improved so that all environmental impacts and liabilities are fully recorded, particularly if a cyclical upturn in the future stimulates growth again in the sector.
John Rolfe is professor of Regional Economic Development, School of Business and Law, CQUniversity Australia and author for The Conversation. He can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/john-rolfe-1894" target="_blank">here</a>.
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