The news this week has again been dominated by our politicians’ war on opponents of apartment developments with NSW Premier Chris Minns attacking “toxic Nimbyism” and Federal Housing Minister Clare O’Neil claiming the no-rise movement would leave a whole generation of Australians with no hope of ever owning a home.

Also in our weekly feed of apartment stories from LeftField Communications, property prices are booming which means, surprise, surprise, affordability is cratering. Meanwhile, everyone is looking for the next hot suburb before prices take off.

THURSDAY

Domain

NIMBYs holding young Australians back from owning homes, says housing minister
The country’s NIMBYs could leave a whole generation of Australians without hope of ever owning their own home, Housing Minister Clare O’Neil declared in a withering attack on those trying to stop medium-density new housing in their suburbs. Sue Williams

Melanie found the loophole to the perfect three-bedroom family home
After years of renting, Melanie Watkins and her young family were ready to buy a property of their own, and along the way discovered a loophole to securing the perfect three-bedroom family home: the art deco apartment. Lisa Marie Corso

The secret to affordable Sydney water views? It’s hiding above a corner shop.
One of Sydney’s best-kept secrets is hiding above a fruit and veg shop on a quiet suburban street. Orana Durney-Benson

First-home buyers to compete with investors in tough spring selling season
First-home buyers will face their toughest time this spring with a surge in investors competing against them for homes and forcing prices of the most affordable properties to rise fast. Sue Williams

Why Glen Iris is Melbourne’s leafy suburb to watch, from wine bars to luxury living
It’s fitting that Glen Iris, a suburb with a distinctively botanical name, sits within Melbourne’s leafy east. Larissa Dubecki

‘Unrealistic expectations’: More home owners are failing to sell
Optimistic home sellers are hoping for more money than buyers are willing to pay, and their properties end up languishing on the market for months. Elizabeth Redman

‘Unacceptable’: Aussie renters facing delays up to a year for urgent repairs
Renters in Australia are facing lengthy delays, sometimes up to a year, for their landlords to address urgent repairs in their homes, new research has found. Kate Kachor

ABC Online

First home buyers still in the market despite record-low housing affordability
A typical first home buying household could only afford to purchase 17 per cent of properties sold last year, according to an REA Group and Commonwealth Bank report. Yiying Li

Melbourne ‘affordable’ housing tenants face 17 per cent rent increase
The operator of a new public-private affordable housing complex in Melbourne has hit residents with a rent increase of 17 per cent less than a year after they moved in. The Flemington development is the first example of the “Ground Lease Model” the Victorian government plans to roll out as part of its redevelopment of Melbourne’s 44 public housing towers. Pat McGrath and Kirsten Robb

Nine Sydney suburbs identified as priority areas for social housing, as west does ‘heavy lifting’
For the first time, researchers from the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) have mapped neighbourhoods where social housing has been built and compared access to amenities such as healthcare, schools, public transport and jobs. Miriah Davis

Realestate.com.au

25 affordable hotspots where home prices are leading the charge
Affordability and attractive investment returns have been driving home buyers and property investors to the regions or outer city fringes, with 25 outperforming hotspots emerging across the country. Benn Dorrington

The in-demand suburbs about to be unlocked for a new wave of buyers
Hundreds more suburbs will become available for first-home buyers thanks to a major change designed to help people get into the market. Daniel Butkovich

How Australia’s holiday playground became its most overpopulated city
It’s official — traffic gridlock and a housing crisis have dulled the Glitter Strip’s sparkle, with the Gold Coast named the nation’s most over-populated city. Viva Hyde

Should you pay off your mortgage or invest in property?
If achieving homeownership is a financial milestone, then reaching mortgage-free status is the real estate holy grail. Kirsten Craze

How much you’ll need for a five per cent deposit in every Australian suburb and town
The Government’s recent proposed changes to the First Home Guarantee have opened the door to a huge number of suburbs for first homebuyers by launching five per cent deposits from October 1, instead of next year as it had originally planned. Tom Bowden

The little-known Sydney suburb that’s surprised even agents
Many locals haven’t even heard of this tightly held harbourside suburb. But as it finally pops onto buyers’ radars, many are discovering they’re already priced out. Caroline Riches – Sydney

Plans unveiled for $1.2 billion community in Western Sydney
A new landmark community is coming to the heart of Western Sydney valued at $1.2 billion. Kaylee Cranley – Sydney

Urban Developer – Partly Free

Local Partners MONNO for $350m Docklands BtR Tower
Local Residential has secured a partnership with developer MONNO to deliver a $350-million build-to-rent tower in Melbourne’s Docklands, marking one of the first major metropolitan construction commencements for 2025. Leon Della Bosca

Qld Unveils Affordable Housing Supercharge Strategy
Queensland is moving to supercharge its critically low social and affordable housing stock with a nation-leading “always-open” procurement process, backed by record budgeted funding of $5.6 billion. Phil Bartsch

South-East Queensland Ripe for Investment, Challenges Remain: Don O’Rorke
Thirty years ago, Consolidated Properties Group decided to throw an end-of-financial-year party to thank its collaborators, contractors and team. Taryn Paris

Japanese Giant Strengthens $18bn Hold on Australian Property
Mitsubishi Estate Co is expanding its Australian footprint, adding Sydney’s $2.3-billion Harbourside redevelopment to a portfolio approaching $18 billion. Vanessa Croll

NSW Unveils $200m Infrastructure ‘Carrot’ for Councils
The NSW Government has offered councils a suite of “carrot and stick” measures, with new infrastructure funding delivered alongside a bundle of reforms to improve transparency and conduct. Patrick Lau

Bid to Downsize Norwood Shoptop Apartment Scheme
Plans for a former service station site in Adelaide’s inner east have been scaled back, reducing storeys but retaining the same number of apartments. Renee McKeown

No Cookie Cutters: Finding Feasibility in HAFF Projects
The pace of affordable housing development is about to go up a gear and the time to prepare is now, the sector has been told. Patrick Lau

WEDNESDAY

Domain

How to win an auction, even if you don’t have the most money
With the arrival of the spring property selling season, an ongoing shortage of homes for sale, falling interest rates, rising buyer optimism and more government help for purchasers, the nation’s auctions are set to be competitive. Sue Williams

ABC Online

The revamped Queen Victoria Market will deliver thousands of homes but how affordable will they be?
Approval has been granted for the redevelopment of Queen Victoria Market, which will deliver more than 2,000 new homes. Developer Lendlease will include 134 affordable apartments with rent capped at no more than 30 per cent of household income. Norman Hermant

Realestate.com.au

Housing crisis: The alarming gap in Australia’s building targets
Australia is still 40,000 new home approvals short of annual federal government targets intended to tackle the nation’s housing crisis 13 months after they were implemented. Nathan Mawby

How Aussies can unlock $20k property hack
Australians struggling with the cost of living are being told there’s a way to give themselves a $20,000 pay rise without asking their boss. David Bonaddio

‘Impossible gamble’: Hidden nightmare of Aus home renos
Aussie families are facing renovation hell, with delays so severe some could be without a home for a year — the time it takes to build a whole new house. Nicholas Finch

Big Brother in the sky: Drones are quietly rewriting Aussie property prices
Forget the traditional home inspection; a new era of property surveillance is unfolding above Australian suburbs, with significant implications for homeowners and prospective buyers. Insurance companies are increasingly deploying drones and other aerial technologies to scrutinise properties from above, assessing everything from roof integrity to proximity to bushfire risks. Lydia Kellner

Sydney’s richest, poorest suburbs lead emerging property boom
Sydney’s property market is back in overdrive — and it’s the city’s wealthiest enclaves and its most budget-friendly heartlands that are fuelling the rebound. Aidan Devine – Sydney

Surprise Sydney area’s shock property price fall amid growth in rest of city
Sydney’s housing market is flying — but one major region has been left in the dust. The Central Coast has emerged as Greater Sydney’s shock property weak spot, with values slipping into reverse even as the rest of the city powers ahead. Aidan Devine – Sydney

Point Cook investor reveals why he regrets Vic property portfolio
Arut and Uma Jothi are among the investors living in Melbourne’s 3030 postcode. And their reason for becoming landlords was simple: their kids Midhurna, 14, and Athma, 13. Nathan Mawby – Melbourne

Why Geelong is back on the radar among nation’s best spots to buy
Geelong is back on the national radar for homebuyers amid new figures revealing home prices are accelerating again. Peter Farago – Geelong

Urban Developer – Partly Free

City Backs Second Stage of Gurner’s Elysium Fields
The second stage of high-profile developer Gurner’s $1.7-billion Elysium Fields development has won conditional backing from the City of Melbourne. Leon Della Bosca

Nine Month Build: Modular Highrise Pitched for Gabba
The future of high-speed highrise construction may well already be here for Brisbane’s skyline. Plans for a modular 18-storey residential tower that could be built within just nine months have been revealed for inner-city Woolloongabba. Phil Bartsch

Brisbane Transaction Activity Steams Ahead for A-Grade Residential
The River City is awash with development site sales as demand for inner-city homes runs hot. South-East Queensland developers are opening their purses to buy up A-grade residential sites across Brisbane’s inner city, while their southern counterparts are also hunting upside in the Sunshine State. Taryn Paris

Approvals Slip as Supply Push Falters Under Housing Accord
Australia’s housing pipeline took a hit in July as approvals fell after two months of growth. Fresh figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show total home approvals fell 8.2 per cent to 15,769, seasonally adjusted. Vanessa Croll

Apartments.com.au

Buyers set for first chance at Sydney House, Sydney CBD’s newest landmark tower development
Set to bring next level luxury to Sydney CBD’s prestige property market. Sydney House, the residential redevelopment of the landmark City Tattersall building on Pitt Street in the Sydney CBD, will officially launch to the market this month. Joel Robinson

Amalgamated Property Group and Base kick off construction at Affinity Broadbeach
Joint venture partners Amalgamated Property Group (APG) and Base Developments have kicked off construction on its second Gold Coast apartment tower, Affinity Broadbeach, which is due for completion in early 2028. Joel Robinson

TUESDAY

Domain

Upsizer splashes $3.76m on inner-west duplex they only saw that day
A four-bedroom duplex in Dulwich Hill was snapped up by an inner-west buyer who saw it in person for the first time on the same day as the auction. Carmen Forward

She travelled in her 20s. He bought a house in his 20s. Who has regrets?
When Kate Heussler was 20, buying property was not on the cards, so she decided to save her money and travel instead. Maria Gil

ABC Online

Home prices keep rising in ‘seller’s market’ as new property listings below average
National home values rose 0.7 per cent in August, the seventh consecutive monthly rise, according to Cotality. Demand is outpacing tight supply with advertised listings down 20 per cent compared to the average for this time of year. Rhiana Whitson

Realestate.com.au

Home prices head north as Darwin heats up
The latest rate cut has spurred on a new phase of home price growth across Australia, with values climbing to record highs in August. Daniel Butkovich

A disappointing step back’: Mixed results for building approvals prompt calls for action
After a surge in June, the July 2025 building approval figures tell a different story — prompting industry bodies to call for urgent action. Vivien Topalovic

Revealed: The hidden cost crushing first-home buyer dreams
The Federal Government’s 5 per cent Deposit Scheme was sold as a game-changer for first-home buyers. Lydia Kellner

Sydney home prices surge again – here’s what buyers are now paying
Sydney home prices have shot up again over the past month in the latest sign that another city property frenzy is brewing. Aidan Devine – Sydney

Sydney auction clearance rates soar as buyers battle for limited homes
Sydney homes have attracted massive competition at auction over the past week, with low stock and high levels of buyer demand pushing prices well over reserve. Owen Raymond – Sydney

Melbourne’s surprise hotspot set to drive city’s next property boom
Melbourne is on track to regain its status as a $1m city by the end of spring, and a surprising hotspot has been tipped to help get it there: Frankston. News Corp Australia – Melbourne

New wave of Geelong tiny home builders offer young buyers hope
After years of travelling the globe, Ayla Rose sees a tiny home as her ticket to finally securing a place of her own. Nicole Mayne – Geelong

Brisbane home prices rise a shock $86,000 in one year
Brisbane home prices have surged $86,000 in the past year — the biggest single rise of all Aussie capitals — with Queensland also topping regional charts with an astonishing double digit pace. Sophie Foster – Brisbane

Jaw-dropping townhouse auction sees final sale price fly past $1 million
A two-bedroom, two-bathroom townhouse saw such competitive bidding that the price flew close to $300,000 past the same complex’s last sale. Nicholas Finch – Brisbane

Qld leads nation with next boom markets
Queensland hotspots dominate a new list revealing the next wave of high-growth property markets. Aleisha Dawson – Queensland

Townsville tops nation: Home prices surge 17.6pc in 12 months
Townsville has cemented its position as Australia’s strongest-performing housing market, with home values up an outstanding 17.6 per cent in the past year. Sophie Foster – Townsville

$1.32m and rising: Gold Coast home prices closing in on Sydney
Home prices on the Gold Coast are closing in on Sydney, with values surging almost 9 per cent in the past year — more than twice the pace of the market leader. Sophie Foster — Gold Coast

Regional SA leading home value growth with 95pc gain in five years
Home values in regional SA are surging at a faster rate than those in any other city or ­region across the country, both over the past 12 months and past five years. Jessica Brown – Adelaide

Urban Developer – Partly Free

Light Rail Axing Won’t Slow Southern Gold Coast Surge
The Gold Coast light rail project—considered by some as a “Trojan horse of development”—has been pulled up well short of its final run to the Queensland-New South Wales border. Phil Bartsch

SPG Founder Seeks Density Boost for Hawthorn Super Lot
The apartment count for a former railway station site in one of Melbourne’s most coveted suburbs would more than double under revised plans.

MONDAY

Domain

Canberra auctions: Clearance rates soar ahead of spring
Canberra’s final auction weekend before spring has delivered a wave of strong results, with motivated buyers and fresh incentives driving high clearance rates across the capital. Olwyn Conrau

Parramatta Road’s hidden world: The shop-top properties that locals call home
Brigit Karstrom and her husband, Matthew Smith, had always been curious about the three-storey property called Casa Del Disco, across the road from their unit on Sydney’s busy Parramatta Road. Kristy Johnson

ABC Online

West End tower development protest as experts warn ‘difficult choices’ ahead
Parents at West End State School are protesting a planned 16-storey development close to the school, citing concerns about the city’s character and lagging social infrastructure. The proposed 16-floor development would be “double” the zoned limit of eight storeys in the area. Will Murray

Realestate.com.au

Aussie design guru shares her must-dos before selling a home
Homeowners often weigh up a renovation before selling their home, but they tend to face a common issue, says interior design expert and Selling Houses Australia host Wendy Moore. Jane Rocca

Meet the apartment owners teaming up for a $100m+ sale
Owners of a 31-unit block with sweeping waterfront and harbour views have united to sell in hopes of a $100 million-plus windfall Melissa Iaria

Government move to fuel price ‘explosion’ in key western suburbs
Interest rate cuts combined with the newly announced expansion of first-home buyer incentives could ignite another round of runaway price growth in some of Sydney’s most affordable areas. Aidan Devine – Sydney

Up to three quarters of investors in parts of Sydney negatively geared
Landlords across Greater Sydney are shifting a significant share of the cost of their properties onto taxpayers, with new data revealing over half of city investors are using negative gearing to support their expenses. Aidan Devine – Sydney

Good deals: popular inner west suburb declared ‘undervalued’
Known for its eclectic and bohemian atmosphere, Newtown is an enclave of shopping, arts, dining and bars — it is also one of the most undervalued suburbs in NSW. Kaylee Cranley – Sydney

Priced out first-home buyers ‘postcode pivot’ to secure homes
With Greater Sydney’s median apartment price exceeding $860,000, many first-home buyers are being priced out of their preferred locations, leading to a trend for buyers to ‘postcode pivot’ to secure a home. Kaylee Cranley – Sydney

Meet the apartment owners teaming up for a $100m+ sale
Owners of a 31-unit block with sweeping waterfront and harbour views have united to sell in hopes of a $100 million-plus windfall Melissa Iaria – Sydney

St Kilda penthouse in Ritz Mansions seeks $4.6m
A landmark St Kilda penthouse with almost 500sq m of living space and some of Melbourne’s most spectacular views has hit the market with a $4.2m-$4.6m price tag. David Bonaddio – Melbourne

Melbourne property market: Major turnaround in new auction data
Victoria’s auction market is surging into its final week of winter, with the state’s clearance rate rising from 57 per cent to 71 per cent in the past 12 months. Nathan Mawby – Melbourne

Property crisis: Where Melbourne landlords are struggling to survive
Victorian tenants are being evicted from their homes as banks repossess properties from investor owners amid a surge in the share of the state’s landlords losing money. Nathan Mawby – Melbourne

Melb spring boom: what you can borrow, where to buy, how to win
Melbourne homebuyers are gearing up for spring in the biggest numbers since the city’s Covid boom amid a rate cut bonanza that’s added almost $100,000 to budgets. News Corp Australia – Melbourne

‘Momentum kicking through’: Housing confidence returns to Melbourne for spring
Melbourne real estate agents are preparing for a busy spring, as the prospect of further interest rate cuts this year fuels a burst of market confidence. Benn Dorrington – Melbourne

Love it or list it: The true cost of selling vs renovating your home
It’s the burning question homeowners of a certain age face — sell and upgrade or stay and renovate? Elizabeth Tilley – Brisbane

Inside the Gold Coast apartments prepared to skip the busy city traffic
Construction has commenced on two new apartment buildings overlooking a private Gold Coast lake, with easy future access between two of the city’s biggest hubs. Nicholas Finch — Gold Coast

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