In Brighton, where detached homes and long-settled streetscapes remain the norm,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-townhouses/elema-brighton-155-157-north-road-brighton-vic-3186">ELEMA</a> introduces a different model for high-quality housing.&nbsp;

Developed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/kervale">Kervale</a>, this new collection of 12 townhomes is underpinned by the four classical elements, earth, water, air, and light, not as styling cues, but as structural and spatial drivers across architecture, interiors, and landscape.

Designed by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/martinoleah">Martino Leah</a>&nbsp;with interiors by Brahman Perera and landscaping by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/landscape-architect/acre">Acre</a>, the project responds to what Kervale identifies as a gap in the local Brighton housing market: mid-sized homes with character, amenity, and a genuine sense of community.&nbsp;

ELEMA’s configuration reflects this intent, with a horseshoe-shaped layout wrapped around a central garden, promoting passive ventilation and privacy without isolating residents.

Each home spans three levels and includes three bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, a study, and two car spaces, with internal areas up to 182 sqm and external zones up to 95 sqm.

Two of the twelve townhomes include private plunge pools with heated spa functionality in addition to pre-provisioning for internal passenger lifts. Prices start from $1.7 million, targeting aspirational Bayside owner-occupiers in their mid-30s to 60s seeking entry into Brighton’s tightly held upper market.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=145418 project_image_fid=300804]

‘Earth’ is expressed in the project’s grounded material palette and connection to site. Natural stone, granites and timber finishes in earthy hues are used consistently throughout, anchoring the homes in their context while supporting thermal mass.&nbsp;

Landscaped courtyards and native planting schemes featuring predominantly Australian Native species, developed by Acre, extend the concept beyond built form, using layered, low-maintenance vegetation to root the development in <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/brighton-vic-3186">Brighton</a>’s coastal ecology.

The site layout follows a horseshoe configuration, creating a central communal courtyard that provides both visual outlook and passive environmental benefits. This arrangement improves daylight access, facilitates cross-ventilation, and introduces a shared green space without compromising individual privacy.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=145418 project_image_fid=300809]

‘Water’ is introduced subtly but purposefully. Select townhomes include private plunge pools, integrated into rear terraces without visual dominance. These pools are designed for quiet retreat, and their placement reinforces the project’s broader focus on functional outdoor spaces that support private use rather than spectacle.

‘Air’ is enabled through architectural planning. The horseshoe site layout creates generous setbacks and enables cross-ventilation through each residence.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=145418 project_image_fid=300803]

‘Light’ is a defining component of both the architecture and interiors. Large-format glazing opens living areas to courtyards and terraces, while the façade screening filters daylight to reduce glare and soften internal environments.&nbsp;

Internally, Perera’s palette of muted tones and tactile finishes is designed to respond to natural light conditions, shifting in tone and texture throughout the day.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=145418 project_image_fid=300810]

ELEMA reflects a broader shift in how high-value suburbs are adapting to changing housing needs - away from uniformity, toward diversity in form, scale and function.

Rather than replicate detached housing models, ELEMA proposes an alternative built around balance, between public and private, built form and natural, permanence and flexibility. In doing so, it reframes the townhome as a highly resolved housing type capable of responding to both environmental and lifestyle needs.

ELEMA also targets an average 7-star NatHERS energy rating, supported by solar panels, drought-tolerant landscaping and high-spec energy-efficient appliances.

Three-bedroom townhomes at ELEMA Brighton are priced from $1,700,000.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=145418]

Urban Editorial

Inside ELEMA Brighton: Designing with the elements

A new 23-level apartment tower has been greenlit on the burgeoning Chevron Island.

The approval for the 76-apartment block on the corner of Kalyan and Parneno streets&nbsp;was secured by the landowner Ben Taylor rather than a large development company.

The 1,012 sqm block, which is currently occupied by a brick home and an original building of four units, is located towards the north end of the island which has become a development hotspot in recent years.

<img alt="8-10 Kalyan Street, Surfers Paradise" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a486127c-05f9-4101-80eb-ce3e267246ce" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Kalyan.png?VersionId=GFsm_rYahqK0aqKDjtMXe2EqG5uLuZ_I" />

The tower has been designed to “complement and enhance the existing and emerging urban forms” of Chevron Island, which has seen a marked shift toward high-density living in recent years.&nbsp;

The design, by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/raunik-design">Raunik Architects</a>, features a slender tower form above a two-storey podium, integrated landscaping on lower levels, and varied orientations to capture views of the hinterland, skyline, and coastline

<img alt="8-10 Kalyan Street, Surfers Paradise" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7fd854ec-8060-4179-9684-029ef88674ca" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Kalyan%20st.png?VersionId=Afm4wMcz4UDQWfpH4EB8Xj5fkUSKmR90" />

Bensons kicked off a wave of new development on the under-developed suburb when they signalled plans to build the tallest tower the island will likely ever see, Chevron One. Since Siera Group has jumped in and is well under-construction of Tapestry, while South East Queenslander developer Gardner Vaughan Group will debut their brand in the Gold Coast on the small island.

The new approved plans will see a mix of one-, two-, three-, and four-bedroom apartments on offer, as well as a rooftop pool, lounge, gym, barbecue areas, and a landscaped podium level lawn.

Vehicle access will be via Kalyan Street, with 98 resident and nine visitor car spaces provided across four basement levels and the ground floor, alongside 83 bicycle parking spaces

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150933]

New tower approved on Chevron Island

ASX-listed developer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/cedar-woods">Cedar Woods</a> has submitted a new application to Brisbane City Council for a two-tower residential development on its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/wooloowin-qld-4030">Wooloowin</a>&nbsp;site north of Brisbane.

The <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/12-chalk-street-wooloowin-qld-4030">4,178 sqm Chalk Street block</a> sits in the developer's wider near 2.5-hectare masterplanned Greville community, where they are currently building the final 47 townhouses and Vera, the first apartment building in the precinct.

The upscaled plans will now see two 12 and 14-level buildings delivered with 232 apartments, a significant jump in both height and density from the approved eight-level buildings.

<img alt="12 Chalk Street" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="bfa28de7-f15b-4007-a128-f040f27320b9" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/12%20chalk%20st%20building.png?VersionId=qLYXo5_n7426yg_K26PKD0tGCtNvy17P" />

According to the Design Report by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/ellivo-architects">Ellivo Architects</a>, the buildings will comprise a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom apartments set above a shared two-level podium.&nbsp;

A key design consideration is the site’s transitional setting between suburban low-rise residences and the higher-density urban context emerging along the adjacent railway corridor.

“Built form is located predominantly to the west of the site to create a strong street address and to maximise solar access and natural surveillance across the park interface,” Ellivo noted in the report.&nbsp;

“The proposed built form provides a transition in scale from existing and emerging low-to-medium density development to the east, towards the established and emerging medium-to-high density residential typologies to the west.”

<img alt="12 Chalk Street" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="841047c6-d7e7-47a9-867a-b460f16abddf" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/12%20chalk%20st%20podium.png?VersionId=fNNvnHCS0vdJMc0Q5Uku28wQwyZoG6Sq" />

Both buildings will feature communal rooftop spaces, deep balconies, and integrated landscaping. The podium will accommodate resident amenities and basement car parking. Materials and finishes include face brickwork, precast concrete, and powder-coated metal cladding, intended to reflect the character of surrounding developments while offering long-term durability.

The Design Report also outlines sustainability measures aligned with Brisbane City Council’s Buildings that Breathe principles. Passive ventilation, northern solar access, and deep soil planting zones have been prioritised throughout the design, alongside active transport facilities and EV charging readiness.

Ellivo noted that “the project has been carefully composed to engage with all edges of the site, with landscaped setbacks and podium expression used to reduce bulk and enhance interface with the existing neighbourhood context.”

<img alt="12 chalk st site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="bd7ced3b-8cb1-4f5a-aa1e-8d0a101af02b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/12%20chalk%20st%20site.png?VersionId=vt1k4hfwLg1_fzPTs04VyCzG455kZh3G" />

Cedar Woods has been active in southeast Queensland for over a decade, with recent projects including Ariella in Ripley and Ellendale in Upper Kedron. The Greville precinct at Wooloowin has been years in the making, transforming a former school site into a new community of apartments, townhomes, and parkland.

The Chalk Street site is positioned adjacent to Wooloowin train station, providing direct access to the Brisbane CBD, and sits close to local schools, parks, and retail centres including Lutwyche and Albion.

Joel Robinson

Cedar Woods upsizes Wooloowin apartment tower plans in Greville precinct

Sydney-based Sun Property Group is looking to divest a prime residential apartment site in Melbourne's blue-chip Toorak.

They are hoping for around $15 million for the 1,774 sqm site at&nbsp;226–228 Williams Road, with three street frontages to William Road, Tashinny Road, and Gordon Street.

&nbsp;

The sale comes with a permit-approved scheme for a&nbsp;three-level building with 18 high-end apartments designed by Cera Stribley, a mix of&nbsp;10 two-bedroom apartments, four three-beds, and four penthouses.

Cushman &amp; Wakefield’s Hamish Burgess, Leon Ma, and Daniel Wolman said this is not just another development opportunity, it’s a rare convergence of scale, location, and perfect timing in the market as Melbourne’s development landscape shifts in lieu of three rate reductions so far in 2025.

<img alt="226–228 Williams Road, Toorak" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="875d85f7-ade6-4035-a181-5731e3c85253" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/226%E2%80%93228%20Williams%20Road%2C%20Toorak-%20current%20aerial.jpg?VersionId=YPtGUtFjvd6OIetFZfaYyOugMi_wOSN1" />

&nbsp;

With an existing permit in place and strong potential for further uplift under innovative new planning initiatives such as the expanded Activity Centre Program or Great Design Fast Track, the site offers a blueprint for high-end living in one of Melbourne’s most affluent enclaves.

Surrounded by elite amenities, from Hawksburn Village and Toorak Village to Como Park, Royal South Yarra Tennis Club, and Saint Haven Wellness, the location is a magnet for lifestyle-focused buyers. The success of nearby projects like Hawksburn Place by Gurner and Tintern by Prime Edition underscores the appetite for luxury apartment living in this tightly held pocket.

<img alt="226–228 Williams Road, Toorak" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2cd00bc1-ad8c-4514-97fc-4e94f6b30f8c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/226%E2%80%93228%20Williams%20Road%2C%20Toorak%20artist%20impression2.jpg?VersionId=Gefxpx5RxJKTf0Qv7TBAwayz3fz5sbuW" />

“We’re seeing strong interest from boutique developers and private family offices who understand the value of delivering timeless, high-end residences in blue-chip locations," Hamish Burgess of Cushman &amp; Wakefield said.

"This site ticks every box; scale, frontage, planning, and prestige.”

Sun Property Group has previously delivered The Brookville in Toorak.

Sydney developer to offload $15 million Toorak apartment site

A new modular apartment tower that promises rapid delivery in its construction that would occur off site and take just nine months to build, is being planned for Woolloongabba.

The Carl Street building will span 18 levels and home 126 apartments, an upsize from a previous proposal by Brisbane Modular Manufacturing.

<img alt="First look: 18-storey modular tower for Woolloongabba" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="dcc8b704-5b3c-44cb-b6de-4d64c96a84ce" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/carl%20park%20perspective.png?VersionId=ig4mYSx.q_ttqOQLwEFpTKR8FTlFEAmR" />

The revised plans, prepared by architecture and design studio SheltaCo, outline 48 studio apartments, 50 two-bedroom apartments, and 28 three-bedroom apartments.

Located within the Eastern Corridor Neighbourhood Plan area, the 1,517 sqm site is zoned High Density Residential and sits adjacent to parkland to the south.&nbsp;

The build will take substantially less time because the basement car parking levels have been removed. Cars will now park in the striking three-level podium. The change enables the use of off-site prefabricated construction techniques, central to the modular strategy.&nbsp;

There will be 500 sqm of communal space, including a 250 sqm rooftop terrace with a pool and lounge areas.

&nbsp;

<img alt="First look: 18-storey modular tower for Woolloongabba" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3c31ac1d-3c42-48c9-927b-980b7e0ed767" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/terrace.png?VersionId=ZI1vAUIbk04ERHH54REfoPKn1BTPbBfK" />

The Assessment Report by Blume Planning’s suggested the "accelerated timeline offers a compelling incentive for Brisbane City Council to support the proposed development,” citing the proponent’s “expertise and innovative business model” as a contributing factor in addressing Brisbane’s current housing pressures.

SheltaCo’s design seeks to balance density and amenity, with generous apartment layouts and elevated views over Carl Street Park. Site coverage at the tower level is limited to 51 per cent, allowing for landscaping and deep planting at ground level. The scheme also proposes 110 car parks, 72 secure bicycle spaces, and capacity for service vehicles.

<img alt="First look: 18-storey modular tower for Woolloongabba" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="36ecf843-025b-4b5b-a986-8ccc692f4a69" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/carl%20entry.png?VersionId=7gsAhw7BN9vuDOpFKQFjivOk.WVo7Oz7" />

The site is well-serviced by public transport and lies within walking distance of the Buranda transport hub, making it a strategic location for higher-density residential infill. The proposal aligns with the zoning provisions but exceeds the mapped height limit of 12 storeys under the Buranda Residential Sub-Precinct.

Council previously approved a development on the site in 2016 for 89 apartments across 11 level with basement parking. That approval was extended in 2024 and remains valid until early 2026. The new proposal seeks to supersede that scheme while retaining the site’s residential focus.

Nine month build slated for new modular tower in Woolloongabba

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Expert Observation
The COVID-19 pandemic is a double crisis affecting public health and the economy. And both aspects are playing out in our housing system – in our homes.
More and more of us are being directed to stay home, to work from home, or to socially isolate at home. Our homes are the “first line of defence against the COVID-19 outbreak”, as the UN’s Special Rapporteur on Housing <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=25727&amp;LangID=E" target="_blank">puts it</a>. But, depending on how our housing system responds, it could make the double crisis worse.
More and more workers are <a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-puts-casual-workers-at-risk-of-homelessness-unless-they-get-more-support-133782" target="_blank">losing shifts</a>, or <a href="https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6687586/coronavirus-australia-preparing-for-significant-rise-in-unemployment/" target="_blank">losing jobs</a> altogether, as well as the incomes they use to pay for their homes – whether it’s the rent or the mortgage. On Friday, the prime minister announced that states would work on model rules to provide relief to tenants in “hardship conditions”. On Sunday, the federal government moved to replace some of the income households have lost, <a href="https://www.pm.gov.au/media/supporting-australian-workers-and-business" target="_blank">temporarily doubling some social security payments and making cash grants to businesses</a>.
The risk of people becoming homeless during the pandemic is still high. Some more specific actions are needed to shore up our first line of defence. Governments must implement a moratorium on evictions as long as the crisis lasts. Similar changes have already been made overseas.
<h2>Evictions can happen quickly</h2>
A sudden loss of wages puts renters at risk of arrears and owner-occupiers at risk of mortgage default. This may result in legal proceedings to terminate the tenancy or give possession to the bank or other lender, and ultimately eviction. Tenants are vulnerable to termination and eviction for a host of other reasons, too.
Renters are at particular risk because rent arrears termination proceedings are quick. You can go from a missed payment to termination orders in about eight weeks in New South Wales. Other states and territories are similar.
Many renters’ finances are <a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-puts-casual-workers-at-risk-of-homelessness-unless-they-get-more-support-133782" target="_blank">already precarious</a>. About <a href="https://www.afr.com/companies/financial-services/one-in-five-households-facing-mortgage-stress-despite-low-rates-20191223-p53mfn" target="_blank">one-third</a> of private renters are low-income households in housing stress (in the bottom 40% of household incomes paying more than 30% of income in rent). And 30% <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/research/completed/renters" target="_blank">don’t have $500 saved</a> for an emergency.
Homeowners with a mortgage are also at risk of default due to loss of income. About <a href="https://digitalfinanceanalytics.com/blog/mortgage-stress-still-climbed-in-february" target="_blank">20% of mortgagees</a> are already in mortgage stress. This rate has <a href="https://digitalfinanceanalytics.com/blog/mortgage-stress-still-climbed-in-february" target="_blank">grown over the last year</a> despite rate cuts.
Now workers are facing sudden income and job losses. We see widespread evidence of an economic downturn across many sectors, including <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-end-of-global-travel-as-we-know-it-an-opportunity-for-sustainable-tourism-133783" target="_blank">tourism</a>, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/18/theyre-going-to-go-under-australias-coronavirus-hit-restaurants-bars-and-caterers-seek-bailout" target="_blank">hospitality</a> and the <a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-australian-arts-need-a-stimulus-package-here-is-what-it-should-look-like-133803" target="_blank">arts</a>. Casual workers are at particular risk of reduced income if required to <a href="https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/factsheets/Pages/contacts-and-travellers.aspx" target="_blank">self-isolate</a> for long periods or care for unwell family members.
<h2>A breach of our defences</h2>
An eviction is a breach in the first line of defence that housing provides against COVID-19. In fact, the risk of arrears and eviction might drive an infected person to keep working and transmitting the virus.
An evicted household might pile in with family or friends, disrupting social isolation and contributing to unsanitary overcrowding. It’s a challenge people already living in share housing will have to manage. Across Australia, 81,000 dwellings are already overcrowded, <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/2049.0Main+Features12016?OpenDocument" target="_blank">51,000 of these “severely overcrowded”</a>.
People who have been evicted might move through temporary accommodation, and through real estate offices, social services and doctors’ rooms making urgent applications. Or they may be shut out of assistance, and sleeping rough. With limited space and facilities to wash hands and personal effects, the risk of transmission will grow.
<h2>How would a moratorium work?</h2>
These risks justify a government-imposed moratorium on evictions for the duration of the crisis. This could be done through legislation, or through an emergency executive direction to authorised officers to stop evictions. Other countries have already taken such steps.
In the United States, many states and cities have <a href="https://www.antievictionmap.com/blog/2020/3/19/covid-19-emergency-tenant-protections-map" target="_blank">suspended eviction proceedings against tenants</a>. Federal housing finance agencies have implemented <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/03/18/hud-orders-60-day-foreclosure-moratorium-homeowners-affected-by-coronavirus/" target="_blank">a 60-day moratorium to protect some families from mortgage default</a>.
Ireland has also suspended evictions and <a href="https://www.rte.ie/news/coronavirus/2020/0319/1124168-evictions-ban-coronavirus/" target="_blank">temporarily frozen rent increases</a>. In the United Kingdom, renters in the private or social sector are <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/complete-ban-on-evictions-and-additional-protection-for-renters" target="_blank">to be protected from eviction</a>.
A moratorium on evictions is an obvious triage measure. That’s why in Australia a <a href="https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/protect-our-communities-no-evictions-during-a-health-crisis" target="_blank">community coalition</a> has come together to advocate for no evictions during this crisis. You can show your support by <a href="https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/protect-our-communities-no-evictions-during-a-health-crisis" target="_blank">signing the petition</a>.
The <a href="https://www.smartpropertyinvestment.com.au/management/20864-federal-opposition-leads-eviction-moratorium-call" target="_blank">federal opposition is urging</a> the government and financial institutions to consider similar measures.
<h2>What about the mounting debts?</h2>
By itself, an eviction moratorium doesn’t affect the legal liability to pay rent or mortgage instalments. Without anything more, those liabilities would continue.
The federal government’s increased social security payments and business grants will go some way to replacing the income households are losing. But even as the government tips money into households, money is drained away by rents and mortgage payments.
About A$40 billion is due to flow out of Australia’s 2.5 million private renter households and into 1.3 million landlord households. Landlord households have, on average, much <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02673037.2019.1644297" target="_blank">higher incomes and wealth</a> than other households.
Billions more are due to flow, as principal and interest payments, from 3.4 million owner-occupier mortgagees to the banks. Australia’s big four banks last week announced borrowers could <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-21/mortgage-pause-coronavirus-nab-commonwealth-anz-westpac/12076690" target="_blank">“pause” their payments</a> as a pandemic hardship measure. But mortgagees should be aware interest not paid is capitalised into the debt, so they will have more to pay off after the “pause” ends.
Both to prevent the accumulation of arrears, and to make the government’s income-replacement measures more effective, governments should consider implementing reductions or waivers of rent and interest liabilities for as long as the crisis lasts.
The double crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic needs a dual response that aims to keep households in their homes and to keep income in households.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/134148/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;">
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/sophia-maalsen-376520" target="_blank">Sophia Maalsen</a>, ARC DECRA Fellow and Lecturer in Urbanism, School of Architecture, Design and Planning, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841" target="_blank">University of Sydney</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/chris-martin-203935" target="_blank">Chris Martin</a>, Senior Research Fellow, City Futures Research Centre, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-1414" target="_blank">UNSW</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dallas-rogers-5269" target="_blank">Dallas Rogers</a>, Program Director, Master of Urbanism, School of Architecture, Design and Planning, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841" target="_blank">University of Sydney</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/emma-power-250930" target="_blank">Emma Power</a>, Senior Research Fellow, Geography and Urban Studies, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092" target="_blank">Western Sydney University</a>
This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-housing-evictions-must-be-suspended-to-defend-us-against-coronavirus-134148" target="_blank">original article</a>.
Main Photo by Antonio Guillem/Shutterstock.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Why housing evictions must be suspended to defend us against coronavirus

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Melbourne estate agency director Frank Valentic has just one week more to serve his six month licence suspension for contraventions of professional conduct regulations relating to the sale of a four-unit development in Malvern.
Mr Valentic, 46, of Elwood, and his company, Advantage Property Consulting Pty Ltd (ACN: 100 010 179), were penalised a total of $7,000 at a hearing at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
The tribunal ordered the licence suspension to take effect from 1 April 2016. 
Advantage Property was ordered to begin a three-year compliance, education and training program to ensure it complies with the Estate Agents Act 1980 and the Estate Agents (Professional Conduct) Regulations 2008.
Consumer Affairs Victoria took action against Mr Valentic and Advantage Property following a complaint from a purchaser of one of the units. 
The tribunal found Mr Valentic and Advantage Property had breached their legal duties, in that:
<ul>
<li>Mr Valentic appointed Advantage Property as owners corporation manager even though he had no authority to do so</li>
<li>Advantage Property instructed purchasers to backdate legal documents</li>
<li>Advantage Property required purchasers to use a particular solicitor to undertake conveyancing work</li>
<li>Mr Valentic twice entered a unit to conduct an inspection, without the tenant’s knowledge or consent</li>
<li>Advantage Property charged two purchasers a ‘consulting fee’ of $13,750 for services that should have been better described to them</li>
<li>purchasers were assured they would have exclusive access to part of a courtyard that was actually common property. Advantage Property was not in a position to make such an assurance, as such an arrangement required agreement by the owners corporation after settlement.</li>
</ul>
You can check a licencee’s current status on <a href="https://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/businesses/search-public-registers" target="_blank">Search public registers page</a>. 
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