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Scott Hutchinson has just returned to Australia from Burning Man—the annual event that brings tens of thousands of people to Nevada’s Black Rock Desert for a week of “community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance”.Hutchinson first flew to the week-long desert festival in 2010.&nbsp;&nbsp;He hasn’t missed one since.“Yeah, mate, it’s just my thing. I love it,” he said. “This year was too good to be true … don’t believe all that other stuff.”The “other stuff” to which he refers was the almost 13mm of rain which fell on the impromptu desert city in what is normally the driest of the United States.&nbsp;While thousands reportedly got stuck in mud as they tried to leave, like Hutchinson, most saw it as part of the experience. And in any case, as chairman of Queensland’s biggest building company, privately owned Hutchinson Builders, he is used to watching weather forecasts.And was pleased to learn upon his return that Australia, and particularly the eastern seaboard, is officially in for a long, hot summer.The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) had finally declared an El Nino event—one of two climate patterns that generally determine whether Australia will have a hot or a wet summer, and whether there’s more risk of bushfires, floods and droughts.El Nino, according to the BoM, is part of a natural cycle known as the El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and is associated with many months of sustained warming.Other than a shift in temperature extremes, El Nino brings less rain, an increased risk of frost, less tropical cyclones, decreased alpine snow depths, and an increased fire danger in south-east Australia.Gloomy as that prediction is, Hutchinson welcomes it—in February this year he called for just that.“We need a recession and a drought and things will get back to normal … and I reckon we might get both,” he told&nbsp; <a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/scott-hutchinson-builders-formworkers-2023-predictions" data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/scott-hutchinson-builders-formworkers-2023-predictions">The Urban Developer’s Phil Bartsch.</a><div id="3JkZvINeTDaB99fU2dLlRB"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/3rEB5u6Q4rVabGVJAiHn5B/4aa173ca6e615433a456a974f84d6fc8/1.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/3rEB5u6Q4rVabGVJAiHn5B/4aa173ca6e615433a456a974f84d6fc8/1.jpg"></picture><div>▲ The rain of La Nina had a greater impact than Covid, says Scott Hutchinson. </div></div>At that time he and other builders had just come out of the other ENSO weather event—La Nina—which brings cooler temperatures, more tropical cyclones and increased rainfall.“The rain in La Nina was actually worse than Covid,” says Hutchinson. “It was just crippling, we could never get a swing along. It was just horrible.”In fact, quantity surveyor Matt Hemming, of Mitchell Brandtman says he recalls one project where they lost 100 days due to La Nina’s wet weather.“That’s something that really impacted the market through the Covid delay times,” he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;“When we were going through all those issues and material price rises, to then get the weather delays … when a builder gets only time and no cost for that, so that’s a huge impact.“If they’re forecasting less rain in the foreseeable future, well, that can’t be a bad thing from a build point of view, but it obviously creates a lot of problems elsewhere.”One of those problems will be rising temperatures.Under Enterprise Bargaining Agreements (EBAs) struck by the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) its 100,000-plus members will stop work and leave a site when the temperature reaches 35C.In Queensland and the Northern Territory, construction workers can also leave a site if the temperature reaches 29C alongside humidity of 75 per cent.The CFMEU says the temperature should be measured at the BoM weather station nearest the work site.Barry Laycock, a director with cost management and quantity surveyors Slattery, says El Nino should improve productivity, as long as “we don't go over the CFMEU’s threshold for being heated off.”<div id="svVySMkbMb4htMGZF5r3i"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/4ezGiytRLhemvTEGqlE6CD/91efc91fbeb74507399908ce249b999d/3.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/4ezGiytRLhemvTEGqlE6CD/91efc91fbeb74507399908ce249b999d/3.jpg"></picture><div>▲ Slattery director Barry Laycock says dry weather is no bad thing. </div></div>“In theory you won't get as many lost days from wet weather,” Laycock says.“So as long as it stays below that threshold, but we get dry weather, then it should assist builders’ program.”Hutchinson agrees.While as chairman he no longer runs the company, the challenges of the past 30 months have meant he continues to work five days a week.&nbsp;&nbsp;And back from Burning Man, he’s been touring the company’s building sites.He reminded his staff El Nino was back, and dry weather was in their future. They reminded him he’d now have to watch the temperature.&nbsp;“The problem is, of course, it’s hard to get them back to work once you’ve stopped them, and we’ve got so much work at the moment, it’s crazy.“All our subcontractors have gone broke, so we’ve gone down into the trades doing them.”<h2>Homeowner warranty insurance skyrockets</h2>Insolvencies in the sector, for whatever reason, are creating their own problems.CoreLogic construction cost estimation manager John Bennett has watched the cost of homeowners’ warranty insurance policies—the type that protect consumers against a builder failing to complete a job—rise by up 40 per cent in the past 12 months.“It’s my opinion, what’s happened is because we’ve seen a lot of builders go under in the past six months, 12 months, etc, those flow-on costs will be hitting the insurance companies about now, and they’re setting themselves up for the next 12 months,” he said.This July was the world’s hottest month on record with wildfires raging throughout southern Europe and temperatures soaring globally, prompting UN secretary general António Guterres to declare: “The era of global warming has ended and the era of global boiling has arrived.”<div id="1DWwVdxkRRtaWf5zH5WEim"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/lflnBVyqPZgaVZgwlYu54/01d95c2d536deb56b070fdb3cd62c0f7/4.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/lflnBVyqPZgaVZgwlYu54/01d95c2d536deb56b070fdb3cd62c0f7/4.jpg"></picture><div>▲ Resilient Building Council chief executive Kate Cotter. </div></div>The Urban Land Institute (ULI)—a global organisation of 44,000 real estate and urban development professionals—says the modern built environment is a clear contributor to extreme heat.But in a report titled&nbsp;<a href="https://knowledge.uli.org/en/reports/research-reports/2019/scorched-extreme-heat-and-real-estate-in-asia-pacific-en" data-mce-href="https://knowledge.uli.org/en/reports/research-reports/2019/scorched-extreme-heat-and-real-estate-in-asia-pacific-en">Scorched: Extreme Heat and Real Estate in Asia Pacific</a>, ULI argues the sector can also be part of the solution, particularly in cities where there are opportunities to adopt mitigation strategies that directly reduce temperatures.Resilient Building Council chief executive Kate Cotter agrees, saying there is the potential to help improve&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/bushfires-climate-change-cities-planning" data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/bushfires-climate-change-cities-planning">the resilience of our communities</a>—and save lives and properties.“Australia is exposed to increasing extreme weather and disasters, yet less than 10 per cent of our houses are resilient to local risk,” Cotter told&nbsp;The Urban Developer.“The reality is we need to build better, and we can.”&nbsp;For now, Australia’s construction industry is looking forward to drier conditions, with Hutchinson warning it will mean construction times are likely to tighten.“At the moment because we’re all used to wet weather, and also post Covid and the boom, construction times have all blown out. But clients and everybody else understands that.“As soon it’s dry, and after about 12 months of everybody expecting it to be dry, you’ll find clients will demand tighter build times.“But that’s human nature and has nothing to do with El Nino.”<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-align: start;" data-mce-style="margin: 0cm; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-align: start;"> <hr> You are currently experiencing The Urban Developer Plus (TUD+), our premium membership for property professionals. <a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/membership-plans" data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/membership-plans">Click here to learn more.</a><div id="2GhuueZl01Zwo2aFfjNVi2"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/12UMq5eMSEOh0QxJVBYaDt/d7507cf4ceb1365cc9ce7eaff84d06cc/tud___banner.jpg" alt="TUD + Banner" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/12UMq5eMSEOh0QxJVBYaDt/d7507cf4ceb1365cc9ce7eaff84d06cc/tud___banner.jpg"></picture></div>

After epic rain delays to construction last summer, the industry says the big dry may be what it needs, but not everyone agrees…

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Developer-builder Mayd Group has filed plans for a $350-million five-star hotel and residential development at North Kirra on the southern end of the Gold Coast.The beachfront proposal is earmarked for a 4742sq m site across eight amalgamated lots fronting Pacific Parade, Golden Four Drive and Musgrave Street.It would comprise a 10-level tower with 60 apartments, including two penthouses, as well as five double-storey beach houses and a 160-key hotel.The scheme designed by architecture firm MAS Studio features two, three and four-bedroom residences, many with multipurpose rooms.Resort-style amenities include a private pool area with sunken lounge, sauna, spa, yoga lawn, barbecue as well as a lounge, bar and cinema.Targeting the high-end owner-occupier market, the apartments also will have access to the hotel’s five-star facilities including a port cochere, valet, room and laundry services as well as the hotel pool, lounges and restaurant.Gold Coast-based Mayd Group director Todd Mould said given the site’s position only 1km from the Gold Coast Airport, which has been undergoing an expansion to cater for additional international and domestic flight connections, there was a recognised need in the area for a five-star hotel.As well, he said the apartments had been designed to meet demand from global travellers and people who work remotely.“We were fortunate to have been able to acquire eight adjoining sites to create one large beachfront site for our signature masterplan at North Kirra,” Mayd Group director Todd Mould said.&nbsp;“The opportunity to develop such a large beachfront site in North Kirra is a rare one … [and] we have been working with Gold Coast City Council on lodging the development application to deliver a landmark building of high distinction for such a prominent site.”The site has a 90m beach frontage and a short walk to local restaurants, cafes and shops.<div id="carousel-root" data-reactroot=""><image-carousel-remove-button><div class="rm-carousel-wrapper"><button id="rm-carousel" class="rm-carousel-btn">Delete</button></div></image-carousel-remove-button><div class="slider-wrap"><image-carousel><div class="slider-el"><img style="height: 100%;" title="3 (3).jpg" src="http://images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/27GpkELYSqrNXnBXSEj5b6/f21f04338b25302b01bc677a967894f6/3__3_.jpg" data-mce-src="http://images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/27GpkELYSqrNXnBXSEj5b6/f21f04338b25302b01bc677a967894f6/3__3_.jpg" data-mce-style="height: 100%;"></div><div class="slider-el"><img style="height: 100%;" title="1 (5).jpg" src="http://images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/16wnqS6Jn1Rx7KtxURaqp6/28a9919ecb34bd793e6c97d3c21194af/1__5_.jpg" data-mce-src="http://images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/16wnqS6Jn1Rx7KtxURaqp6/28a9919ecb34bd793e6c97d3c21194af/1__5_.jpg" data-mce-style="height: 100%;"></div><div class="slider-el"><img style="height: 100%;" title="2 (4).jpg" src="http://images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/5CKpPOa8wicOqhPF3amEBw/124bd8ce98d2915e6ac723fa913eb712/2__4_.jpg" data-mce-src="http://images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/5CKpPOa8wicOqhPF3amEBw/124bd8ce98d2915e6ac723fa913eb712/2__4_.jpg" data-mce-style="height: 100%;"></div></image-carousel></div></div> MAS Studio director Nick Symonds said the prominent position at the gateway to Kirra—one of the Gold Coast’s famed surfing destinations—had inspired the masterplan design.“From the outset of our design process, we have been aware of the importance of this highly visible site and the obligation to create a statement entrance to Kirra, while at the same time blending in with the surrounding built forms,” he said.“The design is strongly influenced by local context, reflecting the unique beauty of North Kirra beach and relaxed beachside lifestyle, elevating it with luxury dwellings for those who share the passion of this unique lifestyle and location.“Abundant greenery on the podium will cool the street where a row of beach houses, complete with their own private green courtyards, will provide a residential scaled address to the street.”The Gold Coast Airport strip—including Tugun, Bilinga and North Kirra— has emerged as a development hostpot in recent times with a string of medium-sized residential towers going up and planned for the area.It is also along the proposed final stage of the Gold Coast light rail section, which is currently progressing from Broadbeach South to Burleigh.

Developer Mayd Group wants to build the southern Gold Coast’s first five-star hotel plus 60 units on its eight-lot amalgamated site…


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Plans for West Australia’s first proposed carbon-negative $350-million hybrid timber tower may be headed for the spike file.Grange Developments’ <a data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/worlds-tallest-timber-tower-grange-development-south-perth" href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/worlds-tallest-timber-tower-grange-development-south-perth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">C6 development </a>slated for 4-8 Charles Street, South Perth, which has won multiple awards, is due to be formally assessed at a Metro Inner-South Joint Development Assessment Panel meeting on September 28.&nbsp;But Grange Development managing director James Dibble said they were facing “unprecedented resistance” from West Australian planning, which he said was “fundamentally broken”.“Western Australia has the longest and most tedious planning process in the country and the fewest project starts of scale,” Dibble said.“Despite Grange Development’s commitment to best-in-class sustainability, engineering, architectural and community outcomes, and willingness to share intellectual property and knowledge freely, panel members persist in blocking progress, stalling projects, and hampering innovation not just in our case but across the state.”<div id="5MTuBRTYp7cweZWaiN8WBx"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/5FQsC8pGEGUTtFU5INaC5N/5c4ec778bdd0ff1833cc498b9da2a17a/4__1_.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/5FQsC8pGEGUTtFU5INaC5N/5c4ec778bdd0ff1833cc498b9da2a17a/4__1_.jpg"></picture><div>▲ Grange Developments managing director James Dibble. </div></div>The Fraser and Partners-designed C6 hybrid timber tower plan comprises 237 apartments, a 437sq m public park, fully electric building and a bank of 80 communal Teslas.&nbsp;The core building structure is forecast to sequester 10.5 million kg of carbon dioxide equivalent, compared to a traditional concrete structure of a similar scale, which Dibble says is enough to offset 4885 economy class seats on a Perth-to-London long-haul flight.&nbsp;The Urban Developer understands the planning panel is requiring key aspects of the proposal to be modified to reach the standards of “good design” as defined by State Planning Policy 7.0.&nbsp;This policy relates to context and character, landscaping, built form and scale, functionality and build quality, sustainability, legibility, amenity, safety community and aesthetics.&nbsp;Agenda documents for the upcoming meeting demonstrate the lack of support for the project in its current form.&nbsp;“The design approach is not supported and requires further development to achieve design excellence,” the executive summary said.&nbsp;“The project being reviewed proposes comprehensive development above the Tier 1 limits and therefore is required to achieve design excellence.&nbsp;“As the proposal is not yet considered to have achieved good design, as defined by SPP 7.0, it is clear that design excellence—which requires the proposal to demonstrably exceed these requirements—has not been met.”<div id="6eOPZil7pfAaUFN9AlmQcw"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/66zpMNpzb8CpGIQpN7sl23/ee2aab74a56c2ceacc8eea88b1c15652/5__1_.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/66zpMNpzb8CpGIQpN7sl23/ee2aab74a56c2ceacc8eea88b1c15652/5__1_.jpg"></picture><div>▲ The design review panel made recommendations regarding building sway, apartment amenity, security and legibility. </div></div>The report outlines recommendations including height reduction, consideration of building sway, solar protection, crime prevention, improving residential amenity, and revisiting planting strategy.&nbsp;The Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage was contacted for comment.Dibble said the tower’s design was compliant with the state’s planning framework but had hit roadblocks in the “planning system labyrinth”.He said the C6 project did not have the support of the city despite three State Review Panel meetings and “considerable co-operation” to redesign elements of the development.Perth, like most Australian capital cities, is facing a constrained housing supply, with South Perth’s vacancy rate at less than 1 per cent.&nbsp;“South Perth currently represents the highest plot ratio in the state and we are facing a national housing crisis, and yet the state’s planning system refuses to endorse a shovel-ready project that has been designed among the most progressive environmentally sustainable developments worldwide, and significantly, the first to emerge following the South Perth Activity Centre Plan's adoption,” Dibble said.&nbsp;"It’s utterly perplexing that the project can receive international design awards from well-regarded industry bodies around the world, yet the state's own design review panel will not recognise this project as achieving ‘good design’.”When plans were lodged last year the 50-storey tower was slated to be the world’s tallest hybrid timber tower at 183 metres.&nbsp;An urban farm was planned for the rooftop.&nbsp;

Grange Development’s award-winning C6 tower may be headed to the spike file due to “unprecedented resistance” from an assessment panel…

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One of billionaire hotelier Sam Arnaout’s regional NSW hotels, complete with an approved DA to develop the site into a residential tower, has come to market.The property at Coffs Harbour, about 500km north of Sydney, is one of two Ibis Budget hotels owned by Arnaout’s Iris Capital being sold.The other is at Dubbo, about 400km west of the NSW capital. They are being offered as in-one-line or individually.Iris Capital who acquired the hotels as part of the 17-asset AccorInvest Portfolio in 2021. “Our group has evolved considerably in the past couple of years headlined by major development projects in Newcastle and the Gold Coast,” Arnaout said. “It made sense to capitalise on investor interest and re-direct the proceeds into the core focus and future of our business.”JLL Hotels &amp; Hospitality’s Andrew Langsford, Nick Roche and Taylor O’Brien are marketing the properties via an expressions-of-interest campaign.The Ibis Budget Coffs Harbour features 70 guest rooms, reception, restaurant, outdoor swimming pool and onsite parking and is within the Coffs Harbour CBD and close to the Pacific Highway and Harbour Drive.The property has a development application before the Coffs Harbour City Council to redevelop the 3205sqm freehold site.Proposed is a mixed-use development comprising 98 apartments in one, two and three bedrooms, 137 carparking spaces and one commercial unit.The development application was lodged by Iris Hotels Coffs Harbour Property—its director is Sam Arnout, who has an estimated worth of $2.3 billion.&nbsp;<div id="6xOjIgfPJtFZOzUmhEbXKh"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/7mKmQ3NFUWsoHPKc487q5V/a863eb95aea230c5b48a65fa728fc49a/Mid_article_resizes__77_.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/7mKmQ3NFUWsoHPKc487q5V/a863eb95aea230c5b48a65fa728fc49a/Mid_article_resizes__77_.jpg"></picture><div>▲ Iris Capital head Sam Arnaout and the Coffs Harbour Ibis hotel. </div></div>The Ibis Budget Dubbo comprises 65 guest rooms, reception, restaurant, swimming pool and onsite parking.Both properties are managed by Accor, however, vacant possession is available upon sale.Begun in 1995, <a data-mce-href="https://cse.google.com/cse?cx=756112276a0564662" href="https://cse.google.com/cse?cx=756112276a0564662" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Iris Capital</a> had by 2006 acquired 13 hotels. Its holdings include Ibis hotels in NSW, Queensland and the ACT, including Canberra, Fawkner, Dandenong, Brisbane Airport, Newcastle, St Peters, Enfield, Wentworthville, Liverpool, and Campelltown.It also holds 35 pubs and two casinos, in Alice Springs and Canberra. Iris has residential developments in Queensland and NSW in its pipeline, including <a data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/iris-capital-queensgate-potts-point-amendments-filed" href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/iris-capital-queensgate-potts-point-amendments-filed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Potts Point</a>.

Two of Sam Aranout’s 17 Ibis hotels are being offered for sale in NSW, one with approval for a 98-apartment tower…

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Six years after its pool was bulldozed to make way for a stadium, Parramatta has flung the doors open on its architecturally-designed aquatic centre.&nbsp;The $88.6-million pool was co-funded by the NSW and local governments after a bun fight over who would foot the bill. &nbsp;&nbsp;The aquatic centre was forecast to attract up to a million swimmers each year ahead of its opening this week.&nbsp;The circular structure is at Mays Hills in Parramatta Park.&nbsp;The Grimshaw Architects-led design team, with Andrew Burges Architects and McGregor Coxall, was charged with creating something that blended into the landscape, despite its 40,000sq m footprint.&nbsp;<div id="7JwLTsBQVCTKC0IXoqaiAQ"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/7FRMe8f0I9QDt5o8VPqJib/56d6d55d48ba2afbe7b78ebf19b68b5f/Parra_Pool_MID2.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/7FRMe8f0I9QDt5o8VPqJib/56d6d55d48ba2afbe7b78ebf19b68b5f/Parra_Pool_MID2.jpg"></picture><div>▲ The circular design of the aquatic centre was designed to limit its intrusion into the surrounding Parramatta Park. </div></div>The Parramatta pool is a modern take on the traditional aquatic centre typology with a focus on outdoor landscaping and recreational space as a place of gathering, according to the architects.It is the second collaboration between Grimshaw and Andrew Burges Architects, who also delivered the award-winning Gunyama Park Aquatic and Recreation Centre at Sydney’s Green Square.&nbsp;Grimshaw Ppoject director Josh Henderson said it was a much-needed piece of infrastructure for western Sydney.&nbsp;“The design team, <a data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/parramatta-nsw-pedestrian-link-plan" href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/parramatta-nsw-pedestrian-link-plan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">City of Parramatta</a> and builder (Lipman) have all collaborated to create a valuable community asset that is enjoyable to experience, well made, highly functional and accessible,” Henderson said.&nbsp;“As a new home to many community groups, the opening of the facility will provide vibrant landscaped public spaces for fitness, sport, learn to swim classes and for time with friends and family.”<div id="47hW75bB7AK721qQugteFW"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/lLuZ4k8sDV79VtXiehEaz/7aa249129f384d36aeca62c65162e5a4/Parra_Pool_MID1.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/lLuZ4k8sDV79VtXiehEaz/7aa249129f384d36aeca62c65162e5a4/Parra_Pool_MID1.jpg"></picture><div>▲ The aquatic centre is forecast to attract a million visitors each year. </div></div>Andrew Burges Architects principal Andrew Burges said the design of the aquatic centre was about sensitively locating the relatively large scale of the development into its park setting with “minimal disruption”.&nbsp;“Our goal was to provide a completely new vision of what an Aquatic Centre could be,” Burges said. &nbsp;“We wanted to create a destination for the community, one that provides opportunity for many forms of recreation in a safe and inspiring facility that feels more like a landscape setting than a building.”The Parramatta pool is one of a long list of pool redevelopments that are happening across Sydney.&nbsp;The <a data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/multimillion-dollar-plans-for-sydney-olympic-pool-redevelopment" href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/multimillion-dollar-plans-for-sydney-olympic-pool-redevelopment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$89-million North Sydney Olympic pool</a> is due to reopen in 2024, as is the Willoughby Leisure Centre, while Canterbury’s aquatic centre rejuvenation is due for completion in 2025.&nbsp;The new Parramatta Aquatic Centre comprises a 50m outdoor pool, a 25m indoor pool, a learn-to-swim pool and indoor water playground, a health and wellness centre and gym, in addition to 360 solar panels.&nbsp;<a data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/urban-property-unveils-parramatta-btr-office" href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/urban-property-unveils-parramatta-btr-office" target="_blank" rel="noopener">City of Parramatta</a> Lord Mayor Sameer Pandey said the aquatic centre had been thoughtfully designed for future generations.&nbsp;

After six years with no pool, the lane ropes are out on Parramatta's $88-million architecturally designed aquatic centre. See inside...

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A billionaire mining heiress’s plans to develop a “live-work” residential and commercial development in a blue-ribbon Perth enclave have been approved.&nbsp;The Metro Inner-North Joint Development Assessment Panel approved the application for 126 Railway Street, Cottesloe, under which AMB Holdings staff would be able to live and work in a three-storey, mixed-use building.AMB Holdings is Angela Bennett’s private company—Bennett is the daughter of mining magnate Peter Wright, who was Lang Hancock’s business partner.Hancock, who passed away in 1992, was a WA iron ore magnate and is the father of Australia’s richest person, Gina Rinehart, who is reportedly worth about $40 billion.Documents show the office component of the plan would accommodate up to 80 employees while a four-bedroom apartment would be used to house country-based staff who needed to stay in Perth for an extended period.<div id="6Z20h269HxDBfoN6pWH1G4"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/1TucbTTouzFWuLawpCuZq3/d45a36448dc8ca1c75f3f3c600b38d0d/COTTESLOE_MID__2.png" alt="AMB Holdings would move their headquarters to the new offices at 126 Railway Street in Cottesloe." data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/1TucbTTouzFWuLawpCuZq3/d45a36448dc8ca1c75f3f3c600b38d0d/COTTESLOE_MID__2.png"></picture><div>▲ AMB Holdings would move its headquarters to the Cottesloe offices. </div></div>The development is aiming to achieve the “world’s greenest standard by receiving The Living Building Challenge certification which would be Australia’s first”, according to the company.“The residential component allows people to really live and immerse themselves in a building that has been designed to support the wellbeing of the planet, the community and the individual,” an AMB Holdings statement said.“The philosophy of the Living Building Challenge and how it informs the design is not a common submission but really important to be able to work through so we spent time to ensure this was understood in relation to the plans we proposed.”<div id="1AMV8FExDctyziDC7zL1zx"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/4ZnuAjzl5F91wJEGLo3FqW/3dfbb5552ac941f722d56ab924f34f41/COTTESLOE_MID.png" alt="A birds eye-view of the $20 million living-building for billionaire owned AMB holdings. " data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/4ZnuAjzl5F91wJEGLo3FqW/3dfbb5552ac941f722d56ab924f34f41/COTTESLOE_MID.png"></picture><div>▲ A render of the $20-million AMB Holdings complex. </div></div>The Living Building Challenge operated by The International Living Future Institute is a certification tool similar to the<a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/mirvac-brisbane-city-towers-six-star-green-star" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/mirvac-brisbane-city-towers-six-star-green-star"> 6 Star Green Star system,</a> measuring how sustainable and efficient a project is, and on what level.Living buildings such as 126 Railway Street aim to “give more than they take” by utilising space for residential use in the built environment.

A billionaire mining heiress has received the green light to develop a live-work residential and commercial development on a block in Cottesloe, Perth. 

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An $18.3-million affordable build-to-rent project has been completed in Melbourne’s north-east.The property, 260 Bell Street, was designed by Plus Architecture and built by Manresa Constructions for not-for-profit housing provider Unison Housing.The six-storey building comprises 42 apartments and is 9.5km from Melbourne’s CBD.The apartment designs incorporate practical kitchens, bedrooms with built-in robes and temperature control, alongside balconies and secure underground parking.Comprising mostly two-bedroom apartments, the development “will provide safe and secure homes for families who are on the highest priority category of the Victorian Housing Register,” a spokesperson said.Homes Victoria, in partnership with Unison Housing, funded the project as part of the $5.3-billion Big Housing Build, which aims to provide more social and affordable housing to people in need across metropolitan and regional Victoria.Unison will develop, manage and maintain the new building, with Unison’s Place Management team working with local services to ensure that residents are linked with support for a sustainable tenancy.<div id="5EvcjePXbPerGsEiEHCZPP"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/7sKiX4H64TQhENJvx2rv3l/b92586e5818ccbcac495795c2bf9ff28/1.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/7sKiX4H64TQhENJvx2rv3l/b92586e5818ccbcac495795c2bf9ff28/1.jpg"></picture><div>▲ The project was funded as part of the $5.3-billion Big Housing Build. </div></div>Located at the northern end of Bell Street at Heidelberg Heights, the development is in the heart of the Victorian government’s regeneration plans for the area, including completed upgrades to local infrastructure.Plus Architecture principal Jessica Liew said 260 Bell Street had been designed to reflect and complement the surrounding natural landscape.“Through incorporating large setbacks to the north and employing staggered terracing, the building’s curved sculptural form establishes an original and refined design language that creates a harmonious relationship with the neighbouring structures,” she said.“The elegant and organic shapes follow the natural flow of the land and the building nestles into the rich topography of the raised site. Curved lines, expressed edges and wide balconies contribute to its inviting atmosphere.”Unison Housing chief executive James King said increasing the provision of safe and affordable social housing such as the Bell Street property provided more families with housing options.“For 42 families, this development represents an opportunity for a new start to life. It is a place where people can be comfortable, live with dignity, stay well, raise their family, make memories and connect and support each other within a community,” he said.<div id="5ginCZRKQR1u4Xg5ipgl3V"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/5zwRZsjwHq7mSDhKdOkMta/ca91cc046e9b16fcbc2c880c6f82539f/2.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/5zwRZsjwHq7mSDhKdOkMta/ca91cc046e9b16fcbc2c880c6f82539f/2.jpg"></picture><div>▲ The Bell Street project is among a raft of affordable housing solutions rising in the city. </div></div>Affordable build-to-rent is on the rise and certain to be boosted by the <a data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/victoria-housing-statement-supply-planning-home-crisis" href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/victoria-housing-statement-supply-planning-home-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Victorian government roadmap</a> to end the housing crisis announced this week.A <a data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/affordable-build-to-rent-kensington-melbourne-assemble-construction-started" href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/affordable-build-to-rent-kensington-melbourne-assemble-construction-started" target="_blank" rel="noopener">build-to-rent project at Kensington</a> being developed by Assemble and Super Housing Partnerships is one of five projects in Melbourne to increase affordable housing in the city now under way.It is the first project in specialist affordable housing fund manager Super Housing Partnerships’ pipeline through the High Impact Fund I, which is worth $750 million.&nbsp;The Kensington project will comprise 362 mixed-tenure homes including affordable, social, market-rate and specialist disability housing, and the site at Kensington, 4km north-west of the CBD, is near public transport and major hospitals.<div><div data-zephrid="regular-article-main"><div id="normal-article">Other projects in the pipeline include a four-building, 446-apartment project at 30 St Georges Road, 32-36 Oakover Road and 17-49 Showers Street at Preston with office tenancies, a supermarket and retail outlets.&nbsp;There is also a nine-storey building with 180 apartments at 512A Sydney Road at Coburg that will be integrated with the existing Kevin Heinz Grow community garden and heritage buildings.&nbsp;A five-building, 332-apartment project at 209-211 Carinish Road, Clayton, and a 325-apartment project at 240-246 East Boundary Road, East Bentleigh, are the other two projects in the pipeline.&nbsp;</div></div></div>

An $18.3-million affordable build-to-rent has been completed in Melbourne’s north-east.

What’s ahead for our industry? Have your say and you’ll have the chance to win a package valued at $3500.The Urban Developer, in association with nbn co limited, is undertaking a comprehensive independent industry sentiment survey to identify the issues, perspectives and predictions of our audience of more than 65,000 property professionals.In just 10 minutes, you can provide critical perspectives on a range of aspects of the property industry, including:<ul type="disc"><li>General sentiment</li><li>Project feasibilities</li><li>Site and asset values</li><li>Planning approvals</li><li>Construction costs</li><li>Project funding</li><li>Market demand</li></ul> By doing so you will not only add insight to the industry but also go in the running for the prize package that includes an all-access ticket&nbsp;to Urbanity 2024 on the Gold Coast, a $1000 accommodation voucher and an annual&nbsp;TUD+ Professional membership.We will share the findings of our independent survey with the industry through a series of articles, reports, webinars and industry roundtables.By contributing, you are helping the industry to understand the complexities of today and of the future.&nbsp;Your input is invaluable, so complete the survey before the deadline of October 2, 2023, and be in the running for our great prize.<a data-mce-href="https://www.research.net/r/67235MY" href="https://www.research.net/r/67235MY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Take the survey now.</a>Thank you for being a part of The Urban Developer community. We look forward to hearing your insights and wish you the best of luck in the prize draw.<div id="21kPBY9zw6ydaHegVrDWVW"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/4tIqCKVF4sApArj3JouOs6/2e27d475b1cfb6f5b0ed39c166156258/SURVEY_-_Property_indus_mid.png" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/4tIqCKVF4sApArj3JouOs6/2e27d475b1cfb6f5b0ed39c166156258/SURVEY_-_Property_indus_mid.png"></picture></div>

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Build-to-rent and student accommodation asset owners could create step-change in apartment sustainability but it all comes down to data.It’s something that Hip V. Hype founder Liam Wallis is well across. Wallis and his family have been living by the numbers for the past 12 months as part of a live-in experiment.&nbsp;They were the guinea pigs in the year-long post-occupancy experiment dissecting the developer’s award-winning Ferrars &amp; York residential development’s building performance against sustainability goals.&nbsp;The 22 apartments in the all-electric building at South Melbourne were set up as embodied carbon neutral and operational carbon neutral, powered by 100 per cent green power.&nbsp;<h2>The numbers game</h2> The data reveals apartments in the six-storey residential building achieved an average 8.6 NatHERS rating (out of 10), while the highest rated apartment in the building achieved a 9.3 NatHERS rating.&nbsp;The self-funded 12-month research project has been driven by Hip V. Hype’s Better Buildings team, which specialises in green buildings and engineering.&nbsp;<div id="6f1stMBzRm8XJiZILcTDln"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/5CX0n0TLOBlRyVvgGI8yc9/824d85275c203515af1bcd399c415f6a/Hip_V_Hype_MID2.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/5CX0n0TLOBlRyVvgGI8yc9/824d85275c203515af1bcd399c415f6a/Hip_V_Hype_MID2.jpg"></picture><div>▲ Achieving good air quality was no easy feat for a development between a train line and a major road through South Melbourne. Image: Tess Kelly </div></div>The development was fitted with technology to monitor building performance as well as indoor air quality, carbon dioxide, humidity, temperature and volatile organic compounds, which are all key measures of Indoor Environment Quality (IEQ).“The industry in Australia typically has a poor understanding of how apartments perform when complete,” Wallis says.&nbsp;“Rating tools are not yet calibrated against performance in any meaningful way. It is in our DNA at Hip V. Hype to seek to improve design and performance outcomes with each successive project we undertake and to share learnings through our advisory and advocacy work to help raise the bar more broadly across industry.”Hip V. Hype’s head of better buildings, David Mahony, says the Ferrars &amp; York apartments had cut annual heating and cooling costs by 30 per cent, while reducing cooking-power costs 32 per cent, and water heating was down 21 per cent on average.&nbsp;<h2>Broader applications for BtR and PBSA</h2> Mahony says this is a cost saving of about $295 an apartment a year, which may seem like small change, but the ripple effect for high-density, long-hold assets is significant.For a 2500 apartment build-to-rent asset it could represent a $7-million saving over a 10-year period, he explains.&nbsp;<div id="6RJPeu6qhvrbEWJzN8lWTh"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/7cO3EgM1ryymLeTBkHcVaK/84de04a5f55c99bb7ca374ad28b3838a/hesta_super_housing_kensington_btr_edm_hero.jpg" alt="HESTA and Super Housing Partnerships have now joined Assemble and Housing Choices Australia as work gets underway with a build-to-rent project at Kensington in Melbourne." data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/7cO3EgM1ryymLeTBkHcVaK/84de04a5f55c99bb7ca374ad28b3838a/hesta_super_housing_kensington_btr_edm_hero.jpg"></picture><div>▲ HESTA and Super Housing Partnerships have now joined Assemble and Housing Choices Australia to develop high-sustainability build-to-rent apartments at Kensington. </div></div>During the coldest fortnight of the year a three-bedroom apartment at Ferrars &amp; York maintained a temperature of 19C to 25C with very little reliance on additional heating, at just 32c a day.&nbsp;Mahony says the building’s high performance was down to the selection of building fabric and energy recovery ventilation (ERV) system.&nbsp;“Occupants are likely to be healthier and happier in buildings that have higher performing building envelopes and systems, such as energy-recovery ventilation that promote healthy internal environments like consistent temperatures, cleaner air and significantly better acoustic performance,” he says.&nbsp;Hip V. Hype founder Liam Wallis agrees.&nbsp;“Assets with better indoor environment quality can reasonably expect to see lower churn, lower vacancy and higher rental rates over time,” he says.&nbsp;<h2>The bottom line</h2> Building efficiency is key to operational expenditure management for long-hold assets such as build-to-rent and purpose built student accommodation.Wallis says there is “immense potential” for the research to feed into all housing typologies but particularly build-to-rent, where performance is closely linked to asset value.&nbsp;“For build-to-rent asset owners in particular, a building built to the standard of Ferrars &amp; York would likely result in a lower operational cost base for energy, lower vacancy and higher rates in what promises to be a competitive market for tenants with flexibility,” he says.&nbsp;“Other upsides, such as lower maintenance and system upgrade costs due to systems working less hard, are also worthy of consideration.“For those seeking to develop, own and operate an asset for more than 10 years, an integrated design-optimised approach to sustainability and greenhouse gas emission reduction is likely to result in a positive return on investment.”<div id="4yWqsMYiHorO3MB4A8gc4b"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/1tFF11T8wxHtzfzbvGMSJm/a010c151fde15b343c7361627d7f29ea/Hip_v_hype_data_MID.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/1tFF11T8wxHtzfzbvGMSJm/a010c151fde15b343c7361627d7f29ea/Hip_v_hype_data_MID.jpg"></picture><div>▲ Hip V. Hype’s Liam Wallis acknowledges the initial outlay for strong sustainable outcomes is significant. Image: Tess Kelly </div></div>Wallis acknowledges the upfront costs of an optimised approach to sustainable building design but says the proof is in the pudding, so to speak.&nbsp;He says capital expenditure may be higher but this is counterweighted with reduced operational maintenance and replacement costs and the “asset value can be higher as a result of outgoing cashflows being lower and incoming cashflows being higher in aggregate”.Hip V. Hype’s advisory services provide sustainable design advice to some of Melbourne’s biggest developers.&nbsp;<h2>Only 5pc exceed minimum standards</h2> Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) data shows that demand for sustainable apartments is not being met.While Australians are increasingly moving into apartment living, a spatial analysis of sustainable apartment development and major retrofit projects in metropolitan and regional NSW and Victoria shows less than 5 per cent of building projects are exceeding minimum standards for sustainability.&nbsp;And the ones that are achieving strong sustainability results are primarily concentrated in premium suburbs.&nbsp;The report says there is a disconnect in the speculative build-to-sell developments between what consumers want, and what is built.&nbsp;<div id="7oddHRqkbxfc5rpEzkgYlj"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/5pghZX5w5cTjfhhBWYjNZ8/19ed3eba2f3d7ca3e0578c612d7bb7a9/Gamuda-Crema_Mid_2__Long_.jpg" alt="An artist's impression of the tower. Gamuda’s green credentials for the Fishermans Bend development are deep below the ground." data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/5pghZX5w5cTjfhhBWYjNZ8/19ed3eba2f3d7ca3e0578c612d7bb7a9/Gamuda-Crema_Mid_2__Long_.jpg"></picture><div>▲ Gamuda Land has embedded strong green credentials in the design of its Canopy build-to-sell development at Fishermans Bend. </div></div>While it may be a bottom-line decision for developers in a challenged feasibility environment, the build-to-rent sector has an opportunity to drive change.&nbsp;“Build-to-sell are often designed to only meet minimum standards, and the sector’s reliance on investor demand, which is especially vulnerable to economic cycles, works against developers delivering innovative, sustainable apartments,” the report says.&nbsp;But build-to-rent, community housing providers and student accommodation are less vulnerable to these market forces, explains UNSW City Futures Research Centre’s Dr Hazel Easthope.&nbsp;“During our research, a planning consultant suggested build-to-rent could become a major driver for sustainable apartments across all development models, as it could boost the scale of sustainable development and therefore could ‘push’ the whole apartment sector forward,” Easthope says. &nbsp;<hr> You are currently experiencing&nbsp;The Urban Developer&nbsp;Plus (TUD+), our premium membership for property professionals.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/membership-plans" data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/membership-plans">Click here to learn more.</a><div id="2GhuueZl01Zwo2aFfjNVi2"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/12UMq5eMSEOh0QxJVBYaDt/d7507cf4ceb1365cc9ce7eaff84d06cc/tud___banner.jpg" alt="TUD + Banner" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/12UMq5eMSEOh0QxJVBYaDt/d7507cf4ceb1365cc9ce7eaff84d06cc/tud___banner.jpg"></picture><div> </div></div>

A year-long experiment by Hip V. Hype’s Liam Wallis and his family has serious implications for property’s hottest sector: build-to-rent…

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It’s no secret that the industrial sector has been booming but problems with supply and planning constraints are stunting the growth of Covid’s real estate “golden child”.&nbsp;Ethos Urban planning director and national industrial sector specialist Angus Halligan, who will present at The Urban Developer <a data-mce-href="https://web.cvent.com/event/4bba1b94-b195-48e2-8a51-12b51636639b/summary?RefId=General%20Admission%20%7C%20Editorial&amp;rt=X_aufiJPxEeHOTaMYZfoiQ" href="https://web.cvent.com/event/4bba1b94-b195-48e2-8a51-12b51636639b/summary?RefId=General%20Admission%20%7C%20Editorial&amp;rt=X_aufiJPxEeHOTaMYZfoiQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Industrial Property vSummit on September 28</a>, said that industrial land supply issues were being compounded by state-specific complexities.&nbsp;“Sydney has unlocked a lot of industrial land such as that at Aerotropolis and Mamre Road Precinct (main images),” he.&nbsp;“But the headaches are in having to develop infrastructure in those areas which means that while there is land identified for release, we can’t unlock it and applications are not moving through fast enough.”&nbsp;Correctly zoned land might be available, he said, but that was only half the story when answering the supply question.&nbsp;“There is a burden on being the first developer in these newer precincts due to the associated costs with road and water infrastructure. You have a laundry list of development application inputs.&nbsp;“Oftentimes in Sydney you’re effectively developing State Significant Developments, so the requirements on the applicant to build a warehouse in Western Sydney are not much different from if they were building a tower in Sydney CBD.“You’re put through the ringer in terms of how to document it.“The answer to that which is coming through is working with adjoining land owners. This has been critical to unlocking these sites; collectively trying to understand and work together to prepare the necessary documentation.“Collectively you have greater power to work with Transport NSW and other stakeholders, so those landowner groups are becoming essential.”&nbsp;<div id="6AJIYWLGRSGpa1OEyXATJc"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/2YtptUcbTVWllhHa1Ukx9P/33aa3019d72dc3adc6af4a7e629215f4/Angus_Halligan_Ethos_Urban_mid.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/2YtptUcbTVWllhHa1Ukx9P/33aa3019d72dc3adc6af4a7e629215f4/Angus_Halligan_Ethos_Urban_mid.jpg"></picture><div>▲ Ethos Urban’s Angus Halligan will present at The Urban Developer Industrial Property vSummit on September 28. </div></div>Industrial sector developers are facing these planning issues in NSW in particular, while in Victoria a lack of earmarked land is causing problems.“In Victoria, there is a lack of clear guidance from the state for new tracts of industrial supply. The Dandenong South corridor is largely taken up and in the absence of corridors as identified by the state government, the market is turning to infill,” Halligan said.&nbsp;“As a result, while it is a few years behind Sydney when it comes to vertical warehousing, that product is starting to come into the market.”&nbsp;With a handful of vertical warehousing projects on the go in Sydney and one in Victoria, Ethos Urban and other planners and developers are facing increasing challenges with design and planning.&nbsp;“Everyone is interested in the challenges involved, as they certainly are taking on a new level of complexity, but the vertical model takes a step up in architectural offering compared to previous warehouses,” he said.“On the outskirts of the city you could construct a warehouse quickly, but with vertical offerings comes this need for visual impact assessment.“We’re seeing a need for early consideration of facade treatments and what is this going to look like, as lots of developments creep into areas that have mixed use rather than just outer periphery locations.”&nbsp;These complexities and the length of time it takes to get a development application has led developers to look to other markets.“In absence of an immediate answer to Sydney’s planning deadlock, our clients are looking at this issue and some are looking further to South-East Queensland and Victorian markets as being an answer to that problem.&nbsp;“Great outcomes can be achieved but they are slow to manifest.” <hr> The Urban Developer&nbsp;Industrial Development vSummit will take place on Thursday, September 28.&nbsp;<a data-mce-href="https://web.cvent.com/event/4bba1b94-b195-48e2-8a51-12b51636639b/summary?RefId=General%20Admission%20%7C%20Editorial&amp;rt=X_aufiJPxEeHOTaMYZfoiQ" href="https://web.cvent.com/event/4bba1b94-b195-48e2-8a51-12b51636639b/summary?RefId=General%20Admission%20%7C%20Editorial&amp;rt=X_aufiJPxEeHOTaMYZfoiQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to register and learn more.&nbsp;</a>

The sector’s evolving needs are creating challenges, says Ethos Urban’s Angus Halligan, ahead of The Urban Developer’s Industrial vSummit…

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The core of Cairns is about to undergo a major overhaul to welcome 70,000 residents and it could start with a new tower above The Cairns Post office.Sky Commercial Pty Ltd, led by Alex Seckler, is planning to redevelop four sites including the 1908-built office at 22-34 Abbott Street, in the Cairns CBD.Seckler bought the heritage-listed building in 2021 for nearly $4 million, and the adjoining strip of shops soon after, creating a 1.1ha amalgamated site.The proposed tower above the existing buildings, by Hunt Design, includes three levels of parking, a residents recreation area with a pool as well as eight levels of short-term accommodation with 75 units.“The overarching design concept is to create a poster child for tropical urbanism,” the application said, “to formulate a building that amplifies that Cairns is a city in a tropical garden.”Although The Cairns Post newspaper building is more than 100 years old, the council did not support its nomination to the Queensland Heritage Register last year. However, councillors confirmed their comittment to keeping its heritage facade and identified it as a Place of Local Significance.&nbsp;<div id="5O2QMOyctySX28NZ1iW9wD"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/6CsjtFtnqSKsXMNOE6cMDX/2b794f411f281c0bb7eba6df4e973ebf/800_by_600__2_.jpg" alt="A 12 storey hotel above Cairns Post, the tower has a tropical design with palm trees." data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/6CsjtFtnqSKsXMNOE6cMDX/2b794f411f281c0bb7eba6df4e973ebf/800_by_600__2_.jpg"></picture><div>▲ The tropical tower design retains existing buildings that house an opal and liquor store. </div></div>The application was submitted to the Cairns Regional Council which is in the process of planning its Towards 2050 Growth Strategy Framework.Deputy Mayor Terry James said they were looking at the city’s future needs in tems of infrastructure, services and amenities.“Cairns is one of the fastest-growing regions in Queensland with the city’s population expected to grow to more than 241,000 by 2050, according to revised figures released by the state government in June,” James said.“That is an increase of nearly 70,000 people, which will create the need for over 32,000 new homes during the next three decades.”<div id="14nY4fa6JNLUMMEhUqa0Ip"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/3jGaA4TmOzDu2Kzf31Jpgr/463776cfb0a29f0db53b12a4d1b63f9a/Untitled_design__28_.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/3jGaA4TmOzDu2Kzf31Jpgr/463776cfb0a29f0db53b12a4d1b63f9a/Untitled_design__28_.jpg"></picture><div>▲ The Academic Classical style building was designed by Harvey Draper and built in 1908. </div></div>Keeping the “Cairns-ness” was a core value of council in the plans adding gentle density options and increased housing diversity.Meanwhile, the Great Barrier Reef and resilience of cyclones were also unique considerations for future development in the city, 1700km north of Brisbane.

The core of Cairns is about to undergo a major overhaul starting with the century-old Cairns Post building...

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Sitting on internet servers somewhere are about 1400 planning permit applications for multi-unit housing that councils have not been able to assess for more than six months.Around 550 of those applications have been waiting for more than a year and among them are 78 projects costing more than $10 million each.&nbsp;That equates to 4900 new homes in Victoria yet to be considered let alone delivered.It’s the reason Victorian premier Daniel Andrews says the state needs new housing policies and planning systems.&nbsp;“Building, buying, renovating, renting—it just shouldn’t be this hard,” Andrews said.“We need to build more homes, with the best design standards, where people want to live.&nbsp;“And that means going up and out—not just out.”<div id="7zkUydgbcka7UqiVVlCGkM"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/3j3FSFZB8XHbnZ6dkA1GSM/38124fd7a90a3dd6ccd0c6bd98f38db6/Mid_article_resizes__36_.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/3j3FSFZB8XHbnZ6dkA1GSM/38124fd7a90a3dd6ccd0c6bd98f38db6/Mid_article_resizes__36_.jpg"></picture><div>▲ Victorian premier Daniel Andrews has announced new planning reforms. </div></div><a data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/victoria-housing-statement-supply-planning-home-crisis" href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/victoria-housing-statement-supply-planning-home-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">With a large list of changes announced earlier this week</a>, the Victorian government has now revealed exactly what it means by planning system reform and has used the backlog of applications at local government level as proof it is on the right track.&nbsp;Across the last year, according to the Victorian government, the number of approved homes in the state fell by 26.1 per cent.&nbsp;Much of the data is damning—for instance, Yarra council progressed just 38 per cent of applications within the required timeframe. That council’s average processing time is 188 days.&nbsp;The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal regularly handles applications that fall under the Stonnington City Council rmeit, a council that rejects almost one in five applications, citing ‘neighbourhood character’ as a key concern.&nbsp;Andrews has now promised a dedicated team to work with developers, councils and referral agencies to identify and resolve issues so that matters don’t need to go to VCAT.&nbsp;That team will be in place by November and based within the Department of Transport and Planning. It will review multi-unit projects costing more than $10 million.&nbsp;Planning minister Sonya Kilkenny will then be able to call in projects as they are reviewed.&nbsp;“Victorians deserve a planning system that works with them, not against them,” Kilkenny said.&nbsp;“It should be a clear, transparent and accountable system because Victorians deserve to know who is planning our city and state.” <div id="6ENrt1jalZ7B2p0OgvoNLq"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/3rsX8P8jWncQ3bMeLG215n/4c02aa7ccc8164e8accd8447ac58780c/city_of_stonnington_planning_overlay_edm_hero.jpg" alt="The City of Stonnington has received approval for an amendment to its planning scheme that introduces a development contributions overlay." data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/3rsX8P8jWncQ3bMeLG215n/4c02aa7ccc8164e8accd8447ac58780c/city_of_stonnington_planning_overlay_edm_hero.jpg"></picture><div>▲ The City of Stonnington was mentioned by the state government as having refused a myriad of applications due to neighbourhood character concerns. </div></div>A special government gazette was released right after the announcement that Amendment VC242 had been approved.&nbsp;The amendment made changes to the Victoria Planning Provisions and all planning schemes by adding two new pathways for significant residential and office development to be submitted, assessed and approved.&nbsp;It means expanding the Development Facilitation Program so that Kilkenny as minister becomes the decision-maker for significant residential developments that include affordable housing.These will be medium to high-density developments that cost at least $50 million in Melbourne or $15 million in regional Victoria with at least 10 per cent set aside for affordable housing.&nbsp;Build-to-rent projects will be included under this.Kilkenny will still be able to approve projects that don’t meet this criteria provided the affordable housing criterion is met or if it demonstrates best practice design and environmental standards.&nbsp;Around 13,200 homes are expected to be delivered that would otherwise be delayed without these changes, the government believes.&nbsp;It is also expected that application timeframes for these projects will be cut from more than a year to just four months.&nbsp;There will be new Deemed to Comply residential standards for different types of homes with 14 of the current standards codified, such as north-facing windows, overshadowing open space and street setback.Another 39 standards will be reviewed and finalised by September, 2024. All Deemed to Comply matters will not be heard by VCAT.It will allow planners to approve permits faster for houses with assessment only needed for what doesn’t comply.<div id="7InUBELLLX45OWHHp7FUhd"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/5hG6qJqwI9TiqwiAztKWnX/05ab84d67a7500f3c3c7ed5b46534462/frankston_view_mid_article_image.jpg" alt="Activity centres like Frankston will now have certain planning decisions made by the Victorian planning minister." data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/5hG6qJqwI9TiqwiAztKWnX/05ab84d67a7500f3c3c7ed5b46534462/frankston_view_mid_article_image.jpg"></picture><div>▲ Activity centres such Frankston will now have some planning decisions made by the Victorian planning minister. </div></div>The Future Homes program will also be expanded with more designs that developers can purchase and adapt to opt for a streamlined planning process.These Future Homes plans are only available in the City of Maribyrnong but there are plans to extend it to all general residential zones where development is occurring within 800m of an activity centre or train station.&nbsp;The types of homes that need planning permits will be changed as will getting approval for granny flats.Victoria’s design standards for apartments will also be strengthened.Activity centres will also be a focus with 60,000 homes around 10 centres being an objective for the government for the end of 2024.&nbsp;The 10 centres will be Broadmeadows, Camberwell Junction, Chadstone, Epping, Frankston, Moorabbin, Niddrie, North Essendon, Preston and Ringwood.&nbsp;<div id="7InUBELLLX45OWHHp7FUhd"></div>Legislation including the Planning and Environmental Act 1987 will be overhauled as well.&nbsp;A timeline for this change will be announced in the next few months.The department will also bring on 90 new planners over the next few months to help make the changes happen.

The Victorian government has detailed its revamps of the planning system as it works to speed up approvals and solve the housing crisis…

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