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<p>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”.</p><p>Hutchinson first flew to the week-long desert festival in 2010.&nbsp;&nbsp;He hasn’t missed one since.</p><p>“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.”</p><p>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;</p><p>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.</p><p>And was pleased to learn upon his return that Australia, and particularly the eastern seaboard, is officially in for a long, hot summer.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>Gloomy as that prediction is, Hutchinson welcomes it—in February this year he called for just that.</p><p>“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"><em>The Urban Developer’s </em>Phil Bartsch.</a></p><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><span style="opacity: 0.8;" data-mce-style="opacity: 0.8;">▲ The rain of La Nina had a greater impact than Covid, says Scott Hutchinson. <br><br></span></div></div><p>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.</p><p>“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.”</p><p>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.</p><p>“That’s something that really impacted the market through the Covid delay times,” he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“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.</p><p>“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.”</p><p>One of those problems will be rising temperatures.</p><p>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.</p><p>In Queensland and the Northern Territory, construction workers can also leave a site if the temperature reaches 29C alongside humidity of 75 per cent.</p><p>The CFMEU says the temperature should be measured at the BoM weather station nearest the work site.</p><p>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.”</p><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><span style="opacity: 0.8;" data-mce-style="opacity: 0.8;">▲ Slattery director Barry Laycock says dry weather is no bad thing.<br><br></span></div></div><p>“In theory you won't get as many lost days from wet weather,” Laycock says.</p><p>“So as long as it stays below that threshold, but we get dry weather, then it should assist builders’ program.”</p><p>Hutchinson agrees.</p><p>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.</p><p>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;</p><p>“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.</p><p>“All our subcontractors have gone broke, so we’ve gone down into the trades doing them.”</p><h2>Homeowner warranty insurance skyrockets</h2><p>Insolvencies in the sector, for whatever reason, are creating their own problems.</p><p>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.</p><p>“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.</p><p>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.”</p><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><span style="opacity: 0.8;" data-mce-style="opacity: 0.8;">▲ Resilient Building Council chief executive Kate Cotter.<br><br></span></div></div><p>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.</p><p>But in a report titled&nbsp;<em><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></em>, 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.</p><p>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.</p><p>“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;<em>The Urban Developer</em>.</p><p>“The reality is we need to build better, and we can.”&nbsp;</p><p>For now, Australia’s construction industry is looking forward to drier conditions, with Hutchinson warning it will mean construction times are likely to tighten.</p><p>“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.</p><p>“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.</p><p>“But that’s human nature and has nothing to do with El Nino.”</p><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;"><br></p><hr><p><strong><br>You are currently experiencing <em>The Urban Developer</em> Plus (TUD+), our premium membership for property professionals. </strong><a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/membership-plans" data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/membership-plans"><strong>Click here to learn more.</strong></a></p><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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<p>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.</p><p>The beachfront proposal is earmarked for a 4742sq m site across eight amalgamated lots fronting Pacific Parade, Golden Four Drive and Musgrave Street.</p><p>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.</p><p>The scheme designed by architecture firm MAS Studio features two, three and four-bedroom residences, many with multipurpose rooms.</p><p>Resort-style amenities include a private pool area with sunken lounge, sauna, spa, yoga lawn, barbecue as well as a lounge, bar and cinema.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>As well, he said the apartments had been designed to meet demand from global travellers and people who work remotely.</p><p>“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.</p><p>&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.”</p><p>The site has a 90m beach frontage and a short walk to local restaurants, cafes and shops.</p><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><p><br>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.</p><p>“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.</p><p>“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.</p><p>“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.”</p><p>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.</p><p>It is also along the proposed final stage of the Gold Coast light rail section, which is currently progressing from Broadbeach South to Burleigh.</p>

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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<p>Plans for West Australia’s first proposed carbon-negative $350-million hybrid timber tower may be headed for the spike file.</p><p>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;</p><p>But Grange Development managing director James Dibble said they were facing “unprecedented resistance” from West Australian planning, which he said was “fundamentally broken”.</p><p>“Western Australia has the longest and most tedious planning process in the country and the fewest project starts of scale,” Dibble said.</p><p>“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.”</p><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><span style="opacity: 0.8;" data-mce-style="opacity: 0.8;">▲ Grange Developments managing director James Dibble.<br><br></span></div></div><p>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;</p><p>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;</p><p><em>The Urban Developer </em>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;</p><p>This policy relates to context and character, landscaping, built form and scale, functionality and build quality, sustainability, legibility, amenity, safety community and aesthetics.&nbsp;</p><p>Agenda documents for the upcoming meeting demonstrate the lack of support for the project in its current form.&nbsp;</p><p>“The design approach is not supported and requires further development to achieve design excellence,” the executive summary said.&nbsp;</p><p>“The project being reviewed proposes comprehensive development above the Tier 1 limits and therefore is required to achieve design excellence.&nbsp;</p><p>“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.”</p><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><span style="opacity: 0.8;" data-mce-style="opacity: 0.8;">▲ The design review panel made recommendations regarding building sway, apartment amenity, security and legibility.<br><br></span></div></div><p>The report outlines recommendations including height reduction, consideration of building sway, solar protection, crime prevention, improving residential amenity, and revisiting planting strategy.&nbsp;</p><p>The Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage was contacted for comment.</p><p>Dibble said the tower’s design was compliant with the state’s planning framework but had hit roadblocks in the “planning system labyrinth”.</p><p>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.</p><p>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;</p><p>“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;</p><p>"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’.”</p><p>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;</p><p>An urban farm was planned for the rooftop.&nbsp;</p>

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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<p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>The other is at Dubbo, about 400km west of the NSW capital. They are being offered as in-one-line or individually.</p><p>Iris Capital who acquired the hotels as part of the 17-asset AccorInvest Portfolio in 2021. </p><p>“Our group has evolved considerably in the past couple of years headlined by major development projects in Newcastle and the Gold Coast,” Arnaout said. </p><p>“It made sense to capitalise on investor interest and re-direct the proceeds into the core focus and future of our business.”</p><p>JLL Hotels &amp; Hospitality’s Andrew Langsford, Nick Roche and Taylor O’Brien are marketing the properties via an expressions-of-interest campaign.</p><p>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.</p><p>The property has a development application before the Coffs Harbour City Council to redevelop the 3205sqm freehold site.</p><p>Proposed is a mixed-use development comprising 98 apartments in one, two and three bedrooms, 137 carparking spaces and one commercial unit.</p><p>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;</p><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><span style="opacity: 0.8;" data-mce-style="opacity: 0.8;">▲ Iris Capital head Sam Arnaout and the Coffs Harbour Ibis hotel.<br><br></span></div></div><p>The Ibis Budget Dubbo comprises 65 guest rooms, reception, restaurant, swimming pool and onsite parking.</p><p>Both properties are managed by Accor, however, vacant possession is available upon sale.</p><p>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.</p><p>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>.</p>

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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<p>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;</p><p>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;</p><p>The aquatic centre was forecast to attract up to a million swimmers each year ahead of its opening this week.&nbsp;</p><p>The circular structure is at Mays Hills in Parramatta Park.&nbsp;</p><p>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;</p><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><span style="opacity: 0.8;" data-mce-style="opacity: 0.8;">▲ The circular design of the aquatic centre was designed to limit its intrusion into the surrounding Parramatta Park.<br><br></span></div></div><p>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.</p><p>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;</p><p>Grimshaw Ppoject director Josh Henderson said it was a much-needed piece of infrastructure for western Sydney.&nbsp;</p><p>“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;</p><p>“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.”</p><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><span style="opacity: 0.8;" data-mce-style="opacity: 0.8;">▲ The aquatic centre is forecast to attract a million visitors each year.<br><br></span></div></div><p>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”.</p><p>&nbsp;“Our goal was to provide a completely new vision of what an Aquatic Centre could be,” Burges said. &nbsp;</p><p>“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.”</p><p>The Parramatta pool is one of a long list of pool redevelopments that are happening across Sydney.&nbsp;</p><p>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;</p><p>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;</p><p><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;</p>

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

<p>What’s ahead for our industry? Have your say and you’ll have the chance to win a package valued at $3500.</p><p><em>The Urban Developer</em>, 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.</p><p>In just 10 minutes, you can provide critical perspectives on a range of aspects of the property industry, including:</p><ul type="disc"><li><p>General sentiment</p></li><li><p>Project feasibilities</p></li><li><p>Site and asset values</p></li><li><p>Planning approvals</p></li><li><p>Construction costs</p></li><li><p>Project funding</p></li><li><p>Market demand</p></li></ul><p><br>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.</p><p>We will share the findings of our independent survey with the industry through a series of articles, reports, webinars and industry roundtables.</p><p>By contributing, you are helping the industry to understand the complexities of today and of the future.&nbsp;</p><p>Your input is invaluable, so complete the survey before the deadline of October 2, 2023, and be in the running for our great prize.</p><p style="text-align: center;" data-mce-style="text-align: center;"><strong><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></strong></p><p>Thank you for being a part of <em>The Urban Developer</em> community. We look forward to hearing your insights and wish you the best of luck in the prize draw.</p><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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Hip V Hype Data BTR HERO.jpg

<p>Build-to-rent and student accommodation asset owners could create step-change in apartment sustainability but it all comes down to data.</p><p>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;</p><p>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;</p><p>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;</p><h2>The numbers game</h2><p><br>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;</p><p>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;</p><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><span style="opacity: 0.8;" data-mce-style="opacity: 0.8;">▲ 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<br><br></span></div></div><p>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).</p><p>“The industry in Australia typically has a poor understanding of how apartments perform when complete,” Wallis says.&nbsp;</p><p>“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.”</p><p>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;</p><h2>Broader applications for BtR and PBSA</h2><p><br>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.</p><p>For a 2500 apartment build-to-rent asset it could represent a $7-million saving over a 10-year period, he explains.&nbsp;</p><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><span style="opacity: 0.8;" data-mce-style="opacity: 0.8;">▲ HESTA and Super Housing Partnerships have now joined Assemble and Housing Choices Australia to develop high-sustainability build-to-rent apartments at Kensington.<br><br></span></div></div><p>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;</p><p>Mahony says the building’s high performance was down to the selection of building fabric and energy recovery ventilation (ERV) system.&nbsp;</p><p>“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;</p><p>Hip V. Hype founder Liam Wallis agrees.&nbsp;</p><p>“Assets with better indoor environment quality can reasonably expect to see lower churn, lower vacancy and higher rental rates over time,” he says.&nbsp;</p><h2>The bottom line</h2><p><br>Building efficiency is key to operational expenditure management for long-hold assets such as build-to-rent and purpose built student accommodation.</p><p>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;</p><p>“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;</p><p>“Other upsides, such as lower maintenance and system upgrade costs due to systems working less hard, are also worthy of consideration.</p><p>“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.”</p><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><span style="opacity: 0.8;" data-mce-style="opacity: 0.8;">▲ Hip V. Hype’s Liam Wallis acknowledges the initial outlay for strong sustainable outcomes is significant. Image: Tess Kelly<br><br></span></div></div><p>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;</p><p>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”.</p><p>Hip V. Hype’s advisory services provide sustainable design advice to some of Melbourne’s biggest developers.&nbsp;</p><h2>Only 5pc exceed minimum standards</h2><p><br>Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) data shows that demand for sustainable apartments is not being met.</p><p>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;</p><p>And the ones that are achieving strong sustainability results are primarily concentrated in premium suburbs.&nbsp;</p><p>The report says there is a disconnect in the speculative build-to-sell developments between what consumers want, and what is built.&nbsp;</p><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><span style="opacity: 0.8;" data-mce-style="opacity: 0.8;">▲ Gamuda Land has embedded strong green credentials in the design of its Canopy build-to-sell development at Fishermans Bend.<br><br></span></div></div><p>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;</p><p>“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;</p><p>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;</p><p>“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.<br>&nbsp;</p><hr><p><strong><br>You are currently experiencing&nbsp;<em>The Urban Developer</em>&nbsp;Plus (TUD+), our premium membership for property professionals.&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/membership-plans" data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/membership-plans"><strong>Click here to learn more.</strong></a></p><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><br></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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<p>Constrained supply and long-term leases are proving appetising for investors looking for yield diversification in the life sciences market.&nbsp;</p><p>The life sciences asset class has suffered a bit of an identity crisis, straddling office, healthcare and industrial.&nbsp;</p><p>But the specialised market segment, driven by the ongoing demand for purpose-built facilities that serve <a data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/life-science-investors-boom-1bn" href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/life-science-investors-boom-1bn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">life sciences industry participants, is maturing</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>Colliers associate director for healthcare and retirement living valuation and advisory services David Mugenyi said there had been a notable surge in occupier demand.&nbsp;</p><p>“There has also been increased interest from institutional funds looking to invest in Life Sciences property assets, thanks to state and federal govenrment policies, which aim to reduce Australia’s reliance on the global supply chain for pharmaceuticals and vaccines,” Mugenyi said.</p><p>“The availability of purpose-built life science facilities in the market remains limited, creating a gap between demand from occupiers and the ability of landlords to provide suitable space.&nbsp;</p><p>“Given constrained supply and attractive long-term leases typically exceeding 10 years, life science assets come with an appealing yield profile ranging from 4.75 per cent to 5.5 per cent.”</p><div id="1sa7l2K3L5fnQuuk7B98DQ"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/1JR4awtn7jz9LU99mSYj6U/8490e2525e6bdf7f48b1cb7f4f44ed98/Gold_Coast_Life_Sciences_Centre__1_.jpg" alt="Outside the proposed Gold Coast Life Sciences Centre at Southport." data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/1JR4awtn7jz9LU99mSYj6U/8490e2525e6bdf7f48b1cb7f4f44ed98/Gold_Coast_Life_Sciences_Centre__1_.jpg"></picture><div><span style="opacity: 0.8;" data-mce-style="opacity: 0.8;">▲ Lumina at the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct at Southport. </span></div></div><p><br>Colliers director Ash Dean said Melbourne’s Ferntree Business Park at Notting Hill and near the Monash Business Park precinct continued to lure the biomedical industry.&nbsp;</p><p>“Over the last few years we have seen a significant rise in enquiry from biomedical and life sciences occupiers seeking space in the Monash precinct,” Dean said. &nbsp;</p><p>The Gray Puksand-designed Ferntree Business Park is a new-generation business park that has created a lifestyle precinct through clever planning and design.</p><p>According AusBiotech, the number of life sciences organisations has increased 60 per cent from 2017 to 2022 and significant government investment has accelerated this further.&nbsp;</p><p>And a recent Knight Frank report has ranked the life sciences asset class fourth for capital allocation in the next 18 months.&nbsp;</p><p>Life sciences continues to boom as the industry’s revenue is forecast to grow to $10 billion in the next five years and it’s all green lights for property investors.</p><p><a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/life-sciences-lure-investors-to-35bn-market" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/life-sciences-lure-investors-to-35bn-market">Superannuation funds and offshore capital are diving into the life sciences property sector,</a> according to a report commissioned by Colliers and Harrison Street this year, while developers compete for prized land close to medical precincts.&nbsp;</p>

Constrained supply and long-term leases are proving to be appetising for investors looking for yield diversification in the life sciences market.

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<p>The City of Port Phillip says the Victorian planning department is snubbing it over Fishermans Bend.</p><p>The council has told the community the state department has repeatedly not responded to requests for meetings and consultation over developments in the sector.</p><p>It is now asking for support for a campaign to get the state government to open up lines of communication over the development hotspot.</p><p>Fishermans Bend has five precincts across two local government areas—the City of Melbourne and the City of Port Phillip.&nbsp;</p><p>With current zoning conditions in place, it has become an attractive spot for development as a key part of the city fringe.&nbsp;</p><p>Australia’s largest urban renewal project of 480ha, by 2050 it is expected to be home to 80,000 people and with employment for up to 80,000.&nbsp;</p><p>Planning and development for the area is handled by the Fishermans Bend Development Board with support from the state planning department’s Fishermans Bend Taskforce.&nbsp;</p><p>The department’s website said that $15 million has been invested to push planning forward for long-term transport links with another $179.4 million already invested to develop the former General Motors Holden site into an innovation hub.&nbsp;</p><p>A masterplan, the Fishermans Bend Framework 2018, was created through collaboration among the City of Port Phillip, the Victorian government, community, key developers and other stakeholders.</p><p>It was meant to deliver open space, transport and infrastructure but council states that neither the open space nor infrastructure projects including Light Rail, Metro Rail and the Fishermans Bend community hospital have been delivered.&nbsp;</p><p>“Despite the framework being released five years ago, there has been minimal progress achieved on any of the key initiatives,” City of Port Phillip’s acting mayor Andrew Bond said.</p><p>“Any planned changes to the framework should involve consultation with the same partners who developed it.</p><p>“This is crucial as there are limited opportunities to provide open space in Fishermans Bend due to a scarcity of suitable land and North Port Oval is already bursting at the seams.”</p><p>Both Bond and Port Phillip mayor Heather Consulo said that much of the promised infrastructure is needed now as more people move into the area.</p><p>A spokesperson for the Victorian government said there were plans to continue engaging with the council and other stakeholders.</p><p>“As Australia’s largest urban renewal precinct, Fishermans Bend is targeted to accommodate 80,000 residents, 80,000 jobs and deliver 37,000 homes by 2050 and we’re working with the community and industry to activate the precinct,” the spokesperson said.</p><p>“We will be opening a new primary school in Fishermans Bend in 2026 - building on our existing investments to deliver great local services for the growing population in the Fishermans Bend precinct.</p><p>“We are continuing to work closely with stakeholders including the City of Port Phillip as we refine plans for Fishermans Bend, including infrastructure, to ensure we can meet the needs of the community for decades to come.”</p><p>Commitments to open space and community hub infrastructure were to be achieved by 2025.&nbsp;</p><p>The Victorian planning department did not respond to <em>The Urban Developer’s</em> question on the issue of it failing to respond to the council requests.</p><p>Recent development in the area includes <a data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/fishermans-bend-planning-scheme-port-melbourne-amendment-project-approved" href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/fishermans-bend-planning-scheme-port-melbourne-amendment-project-approved" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a planning scheme amendment being approved to allow FR Investments Group’s tower project</a> on Ingles Street to go ahead.&nbsp;</p>

Australia’s largest urban renewal project is now the focus of a City of Port Phillip campaign to be consulted by the state planning department…


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<p>It’s official—Sydney’s property market is overvalued.&nbsp;</p><p>According to the UBS Global Real Estate Bubble Index of 2023, the housing bubbles are deflating—real house prices fell by 5 per cent on average.</p><p>But the NSW capital remains far too expensive compared to its inhabitants’ incomes. The city chalked up 16th in the ranking of residential property markets across 25 cities around the world.&nbsp;</p><p>The reality for aspiring homeowners now is that affordability is at its worst.&nbsp;</p><p>AMP chief economist Shane Oliver said the widening gap between house prices and incomes was to blame.&nbsp;</p><p>“At its core, housing affordability is determined by home prices, income levels and interest rates,” Oliver said.&nbsp;</p><p>“Whichever way you cut it, housing affordability has deteriorated massively in recent decades.”</p><p>According to the 2023 Demographia Affordability Survey, the median multiple of house prices to income for major cities is 8.2 times in Australia, compared to 5 times in the UK.</p><p>In Sydney it’s 13.3 times the income.&nbsp;</p><p>And there is more pain in the wings, according to Oliver, who said that mortgage interest payments as a share of household income would rise to record levels once the current interest rates fully washed through.&nbsp;</p><p>The UBS analysis found that a skilled service worker had to work seven years in order to <a data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/sydney-luxury-market-heats-up-double-bay-ode" href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/sydney-luxury-market-heats-up-double-bay-ode" target="_blank" rel="noopener">be able to afford to buy a 60sq m apartment near Sydney’s city centre</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>According to UBS, bubbles are linked to decoupling of prices from local incomes and rents, and imbalances in the real economy, including excessive lending and construction activity.&nbsp;</p><p>Two cities, Zurich and Tokyo, remain in the bubble-risk category, down from nine cities in the previous year’s results.&nbsp;</p><p>UBS reports that the Sydney housing market has been “very volatile” in recent years, moving in and out of the bubble risk category.&nbsp;</p><p>The Reserve Bank of Australia’s aggressive rate hikes have more recently triggered a new sharp price correction. Inflation-adjusted prices are back to 2018 levels, according to UBS.</p><p>Sydney is ranked 16th in the Global Real Estate Bubble Index for this year, with about a third of global cities falling in the fair-value category, with the remainder either overvalued or within the risk zone.&nbsp;</p><p>“After a brief period of weakness between 2018 and 2019, prices surged by almost 25 per cent cumulatively across 2020 and 2021,” the report said.&nbsp;</p><p>“Amid robust rental growth and lower household leverage, imbalances have declined sharply. The market is classified at the lower end of the overvalued territory.”</p>

Sydney's overheated market continues to run out of step with its inhabitants' incomes who are paying 13.3 times their income to afford a median-priced home...

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<p><em><br>The Urban Developer</em> is excited to invite you to an exclusive networking lunch in Melbourne,where you can connect with more than 300 property professionals and gain valuable insights from industry leaders.</p><p>This event, hosted by <em>The Urban Developer,</em> promises a three-hour, all-inclusive dining experience paired with exclusive perspectives from three prominent Melbourne developers: Time &amp; Place, Hamton, and Salta Properties.</p><p><br></p><p style="text-align: center;" data-mce-style="text-align: center;"><a data-mce-href="https://cvent.me/7Drn2L?rt=X_aufiJPxEeHOTaMYZfoiQ&amp;RefId=General+Admission+%7C+Editorial" href="https://cvent.me/7Drn2L?rt=X_aufiJPxEeHOTaMYZfoiQ&amp;RefId=General+Admission+%7C+Editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to register</a></p><p style="text-align: center;" data-mce-style="text-align: center;"><br></p><hr><p><br></p><h2>Event details</h2><ul><li><p><strong>Date</strong>: Friday, October 20, 2023</p></li><li><p><strong>Time</strong>: 11:30 am - 3:00 pm AEST</p></li><li><p><strong>Venue</strong>: Metropolis Southbank, Melbourne</p></li></ul><p><br></p><h2>Ticket options</h2><ul><li><p><strong>Single Ticket:</strong> $250 + GST</p></li><li><p><strong>TUD+ Members</strong>: $200 + GST (20% off)</p></li><li><p><strong>Tables (10)</strong>: $2,250 + GST</p></li></ul><p><br></p><h2>Inclusions</h2><ul><li><p>Networking drinks upon arrival</p></li><li><p>Entree and main meal</p></li><li><p>Engaging developer panel discussion</p></li><li><p>Exciting lucky door prizes (valued at over $1000)</p></li><li><p>3.5-hour drink package</p></li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>With only 150 tickets available for sale, act swiftly to secure your spot at this must-attend event!</strong></p><p><br></p><hr><p><br></p><h2>Meet the Developers</h2><p><br></p><div><div id="2c5ATv4ujmbtVdgBoAz0Qo"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/1IUeuLp3hVgINbyVeGbGye/42f9d6bb8ff55ae2d85868b946176b7b/3.png" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/1IUeuLp3hVgINbyVeGbGye/42f9d6bb8ff55ae2d85868b946176b7b/3.png"></picture><div><br></div></div></div><p id="4fmEuehGaYS6Y8pzbb7MWm"><strong>Emma Woodhouse, chief operating officer,&nbsp; Salta Properties<br></strong>Emma Woodhouse brings her extensive 19-year career experience, spanning construction and development, to oversee development, project management, asset management, sustainability, and marketing. Her remarkable journey began at Lendlease before joining Salta in November, 2019.<span style="font-family: 'Droid Regular'; font-size: 18px;" data-mce-style="font-family: 'Droid Regular'; font-size: 18px;"><br></span><br></p><div id="1ZHHYwxcCKvaMX4daMZVgG"><div><div id="1uSYswoGisqIYEnBXpiIQv"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/6A3D4M4IHC0wgjCeq8VfdX/82c0d023f0775c89892c1360fc49ac63/1.png" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/6A3D4M4IHC0wgjCeq8VfdX/82c0d023f0775c89892c1360fc49ac63/1.png"></picture><div><br></div></div></div></div><p><strong>Paul Hameister, co-founder, Hamton Property Group</strong><br>Paul combines legal and finance expertise with a prolific real estate development career. Under his leadership, Hamton has excelled in creating sustainable, community-centered spaces across residential, commercial, and mixed-use projects. Beyond property development, Paul is a seasoned mountaineer and polar explorer.<br><br></p><div id="6uYJlNTdhIcuYR6YpCEZkq"><div><div id="6nPnEhHAFh6tKHqFMlOYUx"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/5DWvgK14HHQLlrt1NGKRHn/a21be646118898fb21dc99fc18b93425/2.png" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/5DWvgK14HHQLlrt1NGKRHn/a21be646118898fb21dc99fc18b93425/2.png"></picture><div><br></div></div></div></div><p><strong>Tim Price, founder, Time &amp; Place</strong><br>Tim has more than 20 years of property industry experience, and his design-driven passion has fueled significant developments in Melbourne and Sydney, with projects valued at $4.1 billion, emphasising Time &amp; Place’s commitment to transformative spaces.<br><br></p><hr><p><strong><br>Don’t miss this exceptional opportunity to network with industry professionals and gain insights from these distinguished developers. </strong></p><p>Reserve your seat today for <em>The Urban Developer </em>Long Lunch and be part of the conversation shaping the future of property development. <a data-mce-href="https://cvent.me/7Drn2L?rt=X_aufiJPxEeHOTaMYZfoiQ&amp;RefId=General+Admission+%7C+Editorial" href="https://cvent.me/7Drn2L?rt=X_aufiJPxEeHOTaMYZfoiQ&amp;RefId=General+Admission+%7C+Editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to find out more.</a></p>

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<p>Tower plans have been toned down for a waterfront former pub site north of Brisbane where chartbusting brotherly trio The Bee Gees played their first paid gig.</p><p>Sydney-based developer Traders In Purple’s revised proposal reduces the height of its approved 15-storey development at Woody Point—about 30km from Brisbane's CBD—by five levels.</p><p>The new scheme designed by Ellivo Architects splits the previous greenlit single tower proposal into two scaled-down buildings of 9 and 10 storeys with a slight increase in yield from 158 to 175 apartments.</p><p>It would be developed in two stages—the first tower comprising 104 two, three and four-bedroom apartments and the second tower 71 one, two and three-bedroom apartments.</p><p>The 6917sq m site spanning three lots at 2 and 8 Gayundah Esplanade was partially occupied by the landmark Filmer’s Palace Hotel until it was demolished in 2014 after a fire caused structural damage to the building.</p><p>Built in 1909, the pub—owned and operated by Harold and Lillian Filmer and later managed by their son Ken and his wife Mavis—earned a place in musical history as the venue where three young local lads performed their first paid gig in 1959 before becoming recording superstars as The Bee Gees.</p><p>The brothers Gibb—Barry, Robin and Maurice—reputedly each received a bottle of Coca-Cola for their singing efforts and their parents, Hugh and Barbara, were poured a beer.</p><div id="VlfUIb8brjKE8mQmfUO5m"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/5XWCjjBxCBEPe2dc9SmIV6/fb381112357f18e24a47f93e95a70ca0/Mid_article_resizes__75_.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/5XWCjjBxCBEPe2dc9SmIV6/fb381112357f18e24a47f93e95a70ca0/Mid_article_resizes__75_.jpg"></picture><div><span style="opacity: 0.8;" data-mce-style="opacity: 0.8;">▲ The Bee Gees in the 1950s.<br><br></span></div></div><p>Traders In Purple’s original plans for the Woody Point site were given the nod in 2020 after the Planning and Environment Court upheld the council’s decision to approve its tower proposal despite community backlash and receiving more than 100 objections.</p><p>The change application filed with the Moreton Bay Regional Council is aimed at delivering a project with improved housing diversity that is more in harmony with community expectations and post pandemic lifestyle changes</p><p>“Everywhere we work, we always try to do the right thing by the community,” Traders In Purple director Charlie Daoud told <em>The Urban Developer</em>.</p><div id="unG9HdYiy7xHXw0JY2e1H"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/3hG9kLhdHtGHjy7N3jB0Tn/b017d75f961a1fce31fd2add8b220788/Untitled_design_-_2023-09-20T161838.752.jpg" alt="Renders of the revised plans (left) for the Woody Point site and the previously approved proposal." data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/3hG9kLhdHtGHjy7N3jB0Tn/b017d75f961a1fce31fd2add8b220788/Untitled_design_-_2023-09-20T161838.752.jpg"></picture><div><span style="opacity: 0.8;" data-mce-style="opacity: 0.8;">▲ Renders of the revised plans (left) for the Woody Point site and the previously approved proposal.<br><br></span></div></div><p>“Even though it didn’t impact them from a privacy and overshadowing point of view, the problem the community had by and large was the quantum of storeys or the overall height.</p><p>“And they were afraid what it would do was set a precedent in the precinct.”</p><p>Daoud said the redesign was initially prompted by Covid construction cost escalations and the desire to introduce more product diversity into the project due to lifestyle changes.</p><p>“It was kind of responding to accommodate for people who are now working from home as well as the need for diversity—not everybody wants or can afford a three-bedroom apartment,” he said.</p><p>“And as part of that process, we’ve also taken on board the community commentary and used that to inform the design … the height, bulk, density and scale of the project moving forward.</p><p>“We believe the revised design will not only produce a superior outcome for our future residents but also the broader community.”</p><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="Untitled design - 2023-09-20T161930.440.jpg" src="http://images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/ovdJNzzGABahmg8Wi88gU/2240ab6fbd9e872db0e52c36a80cbd54/Untitled_design_-_2023-09-20T161930.440.jpg" data-mce-src="http://images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/ovdJNzzGABahmg8Wi88gU/2240ab6fbd9e872db0e52c36a80cbd54/Untitled_design_-_2023-09-20T161930.440.jpg" data-mce-style="height: 100%;"></div><div class="slider-el"><img style="height: 100%;" title="Untitled design - 2023-09-20T162102.158.jpg" src="http://images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/Uo5nNF2DE3ZvOBmtYeuVI/19a1257549fbaea14285871032b9c2e8/Untitled_design_-_2023-09-20T162102.158.jpg" data-mce-src="http://images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/Uo5nNF2DE3ZvOBmtYeuVI/19a1257549fbaea14285871032b9c2e8/Untitled_design_-_2023-09-20T162102.158.jpg" data-mce-style="height: 100%;"></div><div class="slider-el"><img style="height: 100%;" title="Untitled design - 2023-09-20T163200.296.jpg" src="http://images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/3Zy4ZUk6z6xNTGt3rJvnrc/efdd3fbdc657450e7a290c2df5f4a4b4/Untitled_design_-_2023-09-20T163200.296.jpg" data-mce-src="http://images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/3Zy4ZUk6z6xNTGt3rJvnrc/efdd3fbdc657450e7a290c2df5f4a4b4/Untitled_design_-_2023-09-20T163200.296.jpg" data-mce-style="height: 100%;"></div><div class="slider-el"><img style="height: 100%;" title="Untitled design - 2023-09-20T163227.836.jpg" src="http://images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/5nXXGgkJv0yIWpxxyom5zz/e5f164d4770fdddb39d793fbf5ebdacc/Untitled_design_-_2023-09-20T163227.836.jpg" data-mce-src="http://images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/5nXXGgkJv0yIWpxxyom5zz/e5f164d4770fdddb39d793fbf5ebdacc/Untitled_design_-_2023-09-20T163227.836.jpg" data-mce-style="height: 100%;"></div><div class="slider-el"><img style="height: 100%;" title="Untitled design - 2023-09-20T163257.186.jpg" src="http://images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/2b5NRbg4YSqLOCowPrJERm/ef7a0b9317b228db05c0728f166a4172/Untitled_design_-_2023-09-20T163257.186.jpg" data-mce-src="http://images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/2b5NRbg4YSqLOCowPrJERm/ef7a0b9317b228db05c0728f166a4172/Untitled_design_-_2023-09-20T163257.186.jpg" data-mce-style="height: 100%;"></div></image-carousel></div></div><p><br>The new two-tower plan includes a 20m separation between the two buildings to provide a view corridor through the site as well as allowing improved natural light into both the apartments and ground-level communal recreation space featuring swimming pools and landscaped gardens.</p><p>Each of the buildings would have two basement levels accommodating a combined 325 carparking spaces.</p><p>“The development is architecturally designed to respond to the high scenic amenity values associated with the local coastal setting … [providing] housing that meets the market demands for a wide group of buyers/tenants, to help improve the housing supply shortfalls currently experienced in south-east Queensland,” a planning report said.</p><p>“The built form at the proposed height of nine and 10 storeys contributes positively to the unique coastal landscape character of Woody Point, at a scale which is generally consistent with the established character of the locality.”</p><p>Development activity has ramped up in the waterside precinct in recent years.&nbsp;</p><p>Traders In Purple has undertaken several other developments on the Redcliffe Peninsula and, if its revised plans are approved, the Gayundah Esplanade proposal would be its third at Woody Point.</p><p>Meanwhile, Lewis Land Group has poured millions of dollars into the renovation and expansion of the century-old Belvedere Hotel—affectionately known locally as “The Bel”—as well as Redcliffe's Mon Komo Hotel.</p>

A 15-storey project approved for the former site of a Queensland hotel where The Bee Gees played their first paid gig has been reworked…

PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT