Buying homes is still a case of winners and losers as first-timers snap up the government’s five per cent deposit option, to the tune of one-tenth of recent sales while others on the margins miss out

Booming Brisbane’s housing market is rapidly proving to be almost as difficult to crack as Sydney’s. And cat lovers will soon be taking over apartments as local councils crack down on felines being able to roam freely from houses.

That’s all in this week’s feed from Left Field Communications.

ABC Online – Free

One in 10 homes bought using first home buyers guarantee in October
A tenth of homes purchased last month were bought using the government’s first home buyer incentive. October was the first month the expanded first home buyers guarantee was in effect. Clare Armstrong

A month into the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme, some homebuyers feel left behind
A month after the federal government launched an expanded first homebuyers scheme, some households fear it won’t help their chances of owning a home. Among them is Peter Njoroge, who earns $130,000 a year but can’t secure a home loan because he is a casual worker. Kate Ashton

O’Neil welcomes housing progress despite price surge, while Bragg says no to ‘NIMBYs’
Labor has seized on an uplift in new home approvals as a sign its efforts to boost housing supply are gathering steam, even as house prices surge. Liberal housing spokesperson Andrew Bragg admitted his party’s own agenda may have pushed up prices if it had been elected, saying he would not adopt the same super for housing policy. Tom Crowley

Melbourne’s delayed Fishermans Bend redevelopment labelled ‘biggest planning failure in Australia’s history’
Victoria’s government never seems to miss a chance to spruik the potential of Fishermans Bend, a vast expanse of mostly industrial land next to Melbourne’s CBD. “Australia’s largest urban renewal project” is the description used again and again. Norman Hermant

Apartments.com.au – Free

LAS Group to build 700 apartments across two towers on Crown Casino’s former Southbank sites
Melbourne-based developer LAS Group has this month received planning approval for two adjoining sites, 101 Clarendon Street and 38 Clarke Street in Southbank, that will add around $700 million to the developer’s pipeline on completion. Joel Robinson

Inside the final apartments at Elevaire Palm Beach
As Elevaire Palm Beach moves swiftly toward completion, the final two- and three-bedroom residences offer a rare chance to secure a North Palm Beach home just moments from the shoreline. Urban Editorial

Local owner-occupiers drive sales at Zeste, Norwest
The introduction of a new apartment style by Sekisui House Australia at Zeste, the final stage of its $1 billion Norwest masterplan The Orchards, has fuelled buyer demand, particularly from the local downsizer. Joel Robinson

Buyers jump at The Rushcutters launch
Within a few weeks of unveiling its newest Sydney apartment development The Rushcutters, developer Third.i, and joint venture partner NPACT, have sold out all of the two-bedroom apartments in the boutique building. Joel Robinson

Edge Visionary Living completes Broadway on the Bay apartments in Crawley
Edge Visionary Living has completed Broadway on the Bay in Crawley, a boutique riverfront development delivered by Edge’s in-house construction team. Joel Robinson

Time & Place completes stage one of The Queensbridge Building, unveiling Melbourne’s newest lifestyle precinct
Leading developer Time & Place, alongside joint venture partners MaxCap Group and Hickory, have marked a major milestone across Southbank’s newest hospitality and residential tower. Joel Robinson

Deicorp greenlit for new Macquarie Park apartment project
The transformation of one of Sydney’s key innovation and employment hubs has taken a major step forward, with Deicorp securing development approval for its new residential project in Macquarie Park. Joel Robinson

Gamuda Land unveils display apartment at new Fareham development in St Kilda
Buying off the plan doesn’t mean buying blind. There are several new innovations that allow prospective purchasers to get a true feel for how the apartments are going to look once completed. Joel Robinson

Sekisui House Australia breaks ground at Waterstone St Leonards following positive sales results
Brett Talbot, Sales Manager for Waterstone, said the early market response within the first 12 weeks had exceeded expectations. Joel Robinson

Domain – Free

Brisbane now as difficult as Sydney for buyers to crack the market
Brisbane’s property market is now every bit as difficult as Sydney’s for first-home buyers to break into, despite a $650,000 difference in the median house price. Sarah Webb

A landmark in the making: 81 Yarranabbe, Darling Point
Construction will soon begin on a collection of just eight, large-scale apartments on what could arguably be described as a unicorn Sydney Harbour site. The consolidation of three historic, waterfront parcels into a single waterfront estate positioned at the northern tip of Darling Point, the 81 Yarranabbe development represents a level of rarity almost unheard of in the eastern suburbs. Kate Farrelly — Special Feature

The best luxury properties for sale in Australia this week
Take a tour around the country to survey this week’s most outstanding prestige properties. Mary O’Brien and Kate Farrelly

Luxury, privacy and a view to end all views — this house-size apartment has all the penthouse perks
There are certain boxes to tick when wooing a multimillion-dollar penthouse buyer. Luxury comes first, followed closely by privacy, with security a close third. Kate Jones

Realestate.com.au – Free

The Eaton: $36m in luxury Glenelg apartments snapped up fast
Apartments in the luxury Glenelg apartment complex The Eaton are flying off the shelves, reflecting South Australians’ ongoing love affair with the coast. Tom Bowden – Adelaide

Buyers, borrowers and sellers face tough property year after RBA holds
The RBA left the cash rate on hold as expected today. It had no choice. A cut would have been very out of character for the central bank, because its two favourite moves are a hold and a hike, followed by daylight in third and then a reduction. A hike would not have been a surprise. Tim McIntyre

Pet limits: How many cats you’re now allowed to have in your home
Australian local governments are cracking down on how many pets residents can keep in their home in a bid to save the environment. Taylor Troeth

Bank of mum and dad creating property market divide
Property experts warn parental help for first home buyers is creating a ‘two-tier market’ as nearly 20,000 Australians rely on the bank of mum and dad annually. Aleisha Dawson

Top 25 Aus investment hotspots revealed: Where to buy now
Australia’s top investment goldmines have been revealed, as rental markets continue to remain tight across the nation. The new national research has identified 25 house markets where investors are finding rare alignment between affordability, yield, and growth, according to the latest Pulse report by Washington Brown and Hotspotting. Samantha Healy

Shock data: Queenslanders turn to credit cards in ‘fear of losing homes’
Queenslanders living in fear of losing their homes are racking up credit card debt to the highest level since Covid in order to meet mortgage repayments as the cost-of-living crisis worsens. Elizabeth Tilley – Brisbane

Gold Coast home values soar past 10pc growth in one year
Gold Coast property prices have soared 10.06 per cent over the year to a hit a new high of $1.107m, with experts predicting further gains ahead. PropTrack’s latest Home Price Index, out today, revealed the Glitter Strip recorded the second highest median in the country, only behind Sydney at $1.228m. Aleisha Dawson — Gold Coast

Data shows alarming household power surge as EV uptake grows
Australia’s electric vehicle dream is rapidly turning into a nightmare for thousands of households. Lydia Kellner

Revealed: Australia’s best and worst cities for pet owners in 2025
Aussies go to great lengths for their pets, with a deep love for their animal companions as members of the family, but not all cities make life easy for ownership. Kaylee Cranley

Tiny Ben Buckler flat with no parking sells for $2.8m
A tiny apartment with no parking on North Bondi’s Ben Buckler has sold for an incredible price. Stephen Nicholls – Sydney

Dina Broadhurst apartment back on the market
An apartment sold earlier this year that was owned by ‘nude model’ Dina Broadhurst is going back up for sale. Stephen Nicholls – Sydney

Preston unit sells for $475k to lone bidder after passing-in
A Preston auction has proven it only takes one bidder to get a sale done. The two-bedroom unit at 8/383 Gilbert Rd, Preston, was sold in post-auction negotiations for $475,000 — above the home’s price guide, and $20,000 more than where it was passed in. Nathan Mawby – Melbourne

Sydney Morning Herald

Radical plan to revamp nation’s capital cities — and shave $100,000 off house prices
A radical plan to allow three-storey apartments and townhouses to be built anywhere in Australia’s capital cities would deliver 67,000 extra homes a year, slash rents and give young people a chance at living close to their local CBD. Shane Wright

The 11 suburbs that have fallen out of the ‘million dollar club’
Some suburbs have fallen out of the so-called “million dollar club” — where houses or units have a median value of more than $1 million — despite a recent uptick in prices across much of the country. Jim Malo

The eastern suburbs homes and the sinking feeling that has residents on edge
Car-parking requirements in new apartment developments would be slashed across Sydney’s east as part of a council plan to address major construction works in flood-prone suburbs causing neighbouring homes to “crack” and “sinkholes” to appear in low-lying land. David Barwell

The Adelaide Advertiser

Seaton housing development seeks 10-storey apartment buildings near Grange Golf Club
A series of 10- and eight-storey apartment buildings will replace ageing housing trust homes in a once-in-a-generation redevelopment west of Adelaide. Lynton Grace

First look: $35m luxury apartments planned for North Adelaide
A huge full floor penthouse with six car parks is on offer in a new $35m luxury apartment project at North Adelaide, spearheaded by one of Adelaide’s most prolific developers. Giuseppe Tauriello

The Age

‘The cheapest option’: Why Gen Z couples are moving in together sooner
With the cost-of-living crisis not showing any signs of slowing down, the way young people are dating is changing. Financial positions have quickly become a marker of compatibility, couples are moving in together faster, and creative, low-cost date ideas are keeping the spark alive. Nuria Olive

The Australian

Meriton’s apartment sales soar as major developments near completion
Harry Triguboff’s Meriton Apartments is already looking at a bumper 2026 financial year, with unit sales significantly up on the previous year. Referring to unreleased financial information, obtained exclusively by The Australian, Mr Triguboff said in the four months since June 30 Meriton settled $280m worth of apartments, compared to apartment settlements for the whole of financial year 2025 of $365m. Lisa Allen

Jacinta Allan builds pitch on housing but policy satisfaction is low in Victoria
Public confidence in Victoria’s housing system has slumped to the lowest levels in the country, with two-thirds of residents reporting they are unsatisfied with the state government’s engagement on planning and development, despite the state ranking among the highest performers on building new homes. Anthony Galloway

The Courier Mail

Public input on mega Brisbane high-rise pushed back until May, 2026
Public feedback on the tallest unit towers ever proposed for this up-market inner-Brisbane suburb has been pushed back until mid-2026. Brendan O’Malley

Developer proposes 126 unit Woolloongabba block to be built in nine months
A developer has outlined plans to build a revolutionary Woolloongabba development in just nine months, nearly four times faster than the average for similar projects. Paul Brescia

Suspected AI use slammed in Brisbane body corporate fight
A Queensland body corporate dispute has made legal history after an adjudicator called out apparent artificial intelligence use with warnings of “financially horrific” potential consequences. CITY BEAT Chris Herde

The Gold Coast Bulletin

One Park Lane: ‘Overwhelming’ sales for southern hemisphere’s tallest tower in Gold Coast’s Southport
Gold Coast buyers have rushed to snap up million-dollar apartments in Australia’s future tallest tower, with an astonishing number changing hands in just 24 hours. Andrew Potts

Ralan Group: Inside the rise and fall of developer behind Budds Beach Ruby towers
Ten years after promising 2600 new apartments in Budds Beach, only one tower stands completed while its developer serves jail time for defrauding lenders. Andrew Potts

The Herald Sun

Developers propose seven storey high apartment building in quiet Fitzroy North backstreet.
The billionaire property financiers behind a massive Fitzroy North apartment block wanted locals to like their plans so much they made it look like a pub. Craig Dunlop

The Illawarra Mercury

Kiama could soon see 8-storey apartments on council-owned land near main street
Eight-storey buildings could be built on land owned by Kiama Council just several blocks from the main street. Last year, the council voted to spend $6.3 million to acquire a parcel of land – known locally as the old Big River property – that backed onto its works depot site in Belvedere Street. Glen Humphries

The West Australian

Developer wins five-year battle for high-rise Floreat redevelopment despite locals’ concerns
A developer has come out victorious in the lengthy battle to secure planning rights for a multi-million dollar high-rise revitalisation of the land surrounding Floreat Forum. Harriet Flinn

John Carey acknowledges WA’s density woes but backs efforts after damning housing approval stats
Housing Minister John Carey has acknowledged WA has an issue with building density housing after figures revealed just 84 multi-unit dwellings had been approved in the September quarter. Oliver Lane

Westpac CEO says Australia needs more affordable homes at $500,000, with first-home buyer enquiries doubling
Australia needs more $500,000 homes because houses and apartments have become too expensive for average income earners, Westpac’s chief executive Anthony Miller says. Stephen Johnson

Urban Developer – Partly Free

Tower Planned for ‘Long-Time Vacant Southport Site
Tower plans have been filed for a “historically vacant” site in the Southport CBD on the Gold Coast amid renewed activity within its priority development area. The 19-storey proposal comprises 70 apartments and four levels of podium carparking. Phil Bartsch

Vasey RSL Care Lodges $321m Frankston South Village Plan
A $321-million redevelopment proposal to transform a Frankston South aged-care site into a 494-unit retirement village has been revealed. Leon Della Bosca

Fabcot Plots $175m Shoptop Tower at Gladesville
Woolworths’ development arm has filed plans for a 171-apartment project at Gladesville in Sydney. Fabcot’s plans for 363-373 Victoria Road and 44-48 Eltham Street in the Lower North Shore suburb have gone on exhibition as a state significant development, after the Housing Delivery Authority recommended the project for fast-tracking this year. Clare Burnett

Tower Redesign Greenlit for Brisbane Riverside Gateway
One of the Brisbane River’s most affluent reaches is on the rise with developer duo and cousins Frank and Joe Licastro winning the green light for a 15-storey residential tower at Hamilton. Phil Bartsch

Lendlease Completes 15-Year Barangaroo South Rebirth
The 15-year redevelopment of the landmark Barangaroo South precinct by Lendlease has completed. One of Australia’s largest redevelopment projects, Lendlease was awarded the contract in 2009, and work on the regeneration of Sydney’s Harbourfront began in 2011. Clare Burnett

Shellharbour, Gosford Rezonings Target 7600 Homes
Three rezonings with a combined yield of about 7600 homes are on the agenda for the NSW Government next year with exhibitions slated under the State Significant Rezoning Policy program. Patrick Lau

Church Reveals 91-Home Precinct for SA’s Everard Park
A South Australian faith community has revealed plans to unlock the development potential of its land portfolio. The Churches of Christ has proposed an $85-million, 91-home redevelopment of a lot at Everard Park, part of Adelaide’s City of Unley. Patrick Lau

Rebel Resets 227-Apartment Plans at Woolloomooloo
A developer has abandoned approved concept plans for a Woolloomooloo site, returning to the drawing board and adding a public park. Clare Burnett and Lindsay Saunders

LAS Group Wins Approvals for $700m Southbank Towers
Two separate proposals to build FK-designed apartment towers on former Crown Resorts land at Southbank have been approved. The towers of 52 and 25 storeys were proposed by Melbourne developer LAS Group. Leon Della Bosca

Developers Face Heat Over Misplaced Passivhaus Claims
The marketing brochure promised a building designed to “Passivhaus principles”. The contract specified “Passivhaus-aligned” outcomes. The project name itself invoked the prestigious German standard. Leon Della Bosca

QNY’s Towering Addition to Broadbeach Skyline Approved
The green light has been given to a towering addition to the Broadbeach skyline on the Gold Coast, with a bird’s-eye view of the local bowls club. Phil Bartsch

View.com.au – Free

15 months on, $3m-plus Wollongong apartment fetches nearly the same price again
An apartment on Wollongong’s sought-after Cliff Road has fetched more than $3 million in an off-market sale. The property was sold little more than a year after it had previously changed hands, and for $50,000 more. Brendan Crabb

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