It seems Sydney is not the only place where the Nimby-Yimby war is heating up, fuelled by the perfectly logical plan to concentrate new homes – meaning apartment blocks – near railway stations.

Maps showing where new unit blocks will be built in the Victorian capital have just been released and the predictable squeals of outrage almost drown out the rattle of the trams.

Of course, the Allan government hasn’t yet resorted to opening stations so that they can justify building apartment blocks near them, as in culture war-torn Woollahra.  Nimbys, Yimbys, MAGA, FOMO … I’m setting up my own pressure group. It’s called NABA – Not Another Bloody Acronym.

By the way, this week we are including all the paywalled apartment stories from LeftField, as well as links to free websites, and you can register for your own daily feed, including houses and commercial property, by clicking on the link at the bottom of this post.

Thursday 11

The Australian Financial Review

Sydney’s 55-storey timber Halo tower back on track
The Halo project in the heart of Sydney’s CBD has been given a fresh lease on life, as super fund developer Cbus Property joins a venture to develop the 55-storey hybrid timber tower.
Nick Lenaghan

The Australian

Greystar readies for rental alliances with listed giants
US rental housing giant Greystar has flagged a fresh push into both build-to-rent and student accommodation as works begin on its latest project in the inner-city Melbourne suburb of Kensington.
Ben Wilmot

Sydney Morning Herald

The 12 Mosman houses that are making way for up to 100 new apartments
It’s not every day that a stranger will come knocking on your door to convince you to sell your house so they can build a multi-storey $750 million apartment complex.
Cindy Yin

The Age

Height limits for contentious Bayside activity centres revealed
The burghers of Brighton were outraged a year ago when Premier Jacinta Allan came to the heart of their well-shaded suburb and announced plans to change the planning laws to allow high-rise apartment buildings to tower over Church Street.
Chip Le Grand and Kieran Rooney

The Brisbane Times

New Farm aged care facility to make way for luxury apartments
A New Farm aged care centre, which is set to make way for luxury apartments, has sold for more than $37 million.
William Davis

Domain – Free

The prestige squeeze: Downsizers drive luxury apartment prices across the country
An ageing population with a significant amount of equity in their family homes, eager to downsize and simplify their lifestyles, is now grappling with an acute scarcity of oversized, high-end apartments.
Sue Williams

Why The Eveline had everything these buyers wanted (and more)
The week before Amanda Edmiston and Nigel Thompson bought an apartment in The Eveline, the couple had been contemplating a move to a restored church on acreage in Bannockburn, some 87 kilometres from Melbourne’s CBD.
Kate Farrelly In partnership with The Eveline Moonee Valley Park

How the Gold Coast is levelling up its luxury apartment offering
A $1 billion residential project that fuses beachside and luxury living is set to rise skyward at Broadbeach on the Gold Coast.
Helen Hawkes In partnership with The Horizon Collection at V&A

Three developments building a new frontier in luxury living
Everyone loves a water view, but among buyers seeking residences in ultra-premium developments, there’s a tweak to that truism.
Jane Nicholls In partnership with Mirvac

The luxury apartments delivering a different type of tree change
An opportunity to enjoy a slower pace of life is on its way in Sydney’s upper north shore suburb of Wahroonga. The leafy area sits just 30 minutes from the CBD by car or train and offers all the convenience of the city while capturing the charm and tranquillity of a bushland retreat.
Janina Waldmann In partnership with The Residences at Wahroonga Estate

Why this is the must-know address for discerning downsizers
What does extraordinary living look like in retirement? On Sydney’s lower north shore, The Baytree is among the city’s most exclusive independent living resorts, where sophistication and luxury meet hotel-quality amenities.
Allison Worrall In partnership with Ardency

What the discreet elite are looking for when it comes to choosing the perfect residence
Penthouse buyers seeking a premium Sydney address want more than just a prime location. They want to wake up in a space that’s been purpose-built to their tastes, with panoramic views. Somewhere, they can luxuriate in large living spaces and entertain, all while knowing their home is concealed, secure and private.
Kate Jones In partnership with West Village – Sydney

These balcony backyards rival the garden courtyards of private homes
There’s a rare kind of privilege in stepping from a high-rise into a space that feels less like a balcony and more like an outdoor oasis suspended in the air.
Pauline Morrissey

ABC Online – Free

Home-buying dream of Australians pushed further away by RBA rate cuts, making life ‘more difficult’
Australians have $1.64 trillion saved in the bank, reaching a record high, according to official data. But many Australians are struggling to save due to interest rate cuts. The Reserve Bank began cutting interest rates in February, followed by further reductions in May and August.
Emily Stewart

Potential high-rise apartment locations in Melbourne’s suburbs mapped
Some Melbourne suburbs could see apartment buildings as tall as 16-storeys become exempt from VCAT review under new draft plans. The government is planning 50 zones known as activity centres around transport hubs across many Melbourne suburbs.

Abc.net.au

First home buyers’ options to almost double under expanded Home Guarantee Scheme
The federal government is removing income and place restrictions for first home buyers in an expansion of the Home Guarantee Scheme. The changes will see the number of eligible house and unit markets available to scheme participants almost double, data from Cotality has revealed.
Lexy Hamilton-Smith

Daily Telegraph

Wentworth Point: Bennelong Cove development could be fast-tracked with 1200 units
A contentious western Sydney development was originally slated for 300 apartments but now the state government could fast-track it to host a staggering 1200 units. Read who is for and against the bold project.
Joanne Vella

Gordon: Plans to build apartment buildings for retirees on McIntosh St, Werona Ave
A developer has flagged plans to build multiple apartment blocks in a north shore suburb with hopes of inspiring downsizers to sell and move in.
Tileah Dobson

Realestate.com.au – Free

Plans unveiled for $200m development in Mosman
A seven-storey, $200m development is coming to the heart of Mosman. Luxury developer Dare Property Group is set to launch Amara Mosman, which will include 26 bespoke residences complemented by a concierge and a 1,600 sqm wellness and retail precinct.
Kaylee Cranley – Sydney

Melbourne: three-bedroom units a surprise winner in building crisis
Melbourne’s family-sized apartment market has turned into a surprise winner of Australia’s home building crisis as the city starts to follow a trend started decades ago in Sydney.
Nathan Mawby – Melbourne

Spring shock: Once-modest beach town just hit record home sale
A once-laid-back beach town, now a booming coastal hotspot, has just had a shock wake-up call after a penthouse mortgagee sale shattered its home price records.
Sophie Foster – Queensland

The Herald Sun

Bayside locals hit back at Allan government’s high-rise tower plan
The Allan government’s new high-rise tower maps have sparked fierce backlash from councils, local residents and property figures who have accused the planning minister of ignoring locals and selling false hope to first home buyers.
Carly Douglas and Grace Frost

Maps reveal scale of Labor’s suburban high rise housing plans that will transform middle Melbourne
New planning rules will encourage high-rise towers near new train and tram zones across middle Melbourne. See the detailed maps for which suburbs and streets are in line for a radical reshaping.
Matt Johnston and Carly Douglas

The West Australian

Blackburne’s Eclipse South Perth: Luxury ‘ultra high-end’ apartments approved for foreshore
A new $70 million luxury housing tower has been approved on the foreshore of the Swan river in South Perth. Developed by Blackburne, the company also responsible for ONE in Subiaco, East Village in Karrinyup and The Grove residences in Claremont, Eclipse South Perth offers “ultra high-end, boutique apartments”.
Sophie Gannon

Urban Developer – Partly Free

Court Clears Way for 44-Unit Scheme in South-West Sydney
A 44-apartment project has won approval in the NSW Land and Environment Court after one of the state’s slowest councils failed to decide on the application.
Clare Burnett

Modernist Plans Up the Design Ante in Gold Coast Hotspot
Modernist midrise plans are among two new proposals upping the design ante in a seemingly unstoppable Gold Coast development hotspot.
Phil Bartsch

Melbourne Maps Reveal Govt Highrise Housing Solution
Towers up to 16 storeys could be coming to some of Melbourne’s most affluent suburbs according to draft maps detailing 25 new train and tram zone activity centres for the city.
Leon Della Bosca

BtR Concession Extension to Keep NSW Projects Flowing
Victoria may currently lead Australia’s build-to-rent sector, but New South Wales wants the crown and is changing laws to make it happen. The NSW Government has moved to extend the life of its current tax cuts for new build-to-rent projects in the state indefinitely.
Clare Burnett

Apartments.com.au

Honeycombes Property Group takes community-first approach at Songbird Terraces in Oxley
It has been well over two decades since Oxley Secondary College, south west of the Brisbane CBD, closed its doors. The vast block of land sat perfectly between Oxley Station and Canossa Private Hospital, which made it ripe for a new residential-led masterplan.
Joel Robinson

MRCB launches Southport Maris apartments
International developer MRCB has launched its $200 million Maris apartments in Southport, with 75 per cent of residences already sold ahead of launch, the strongest sales result of any new Gold Coast project.
Joel Robinson

First look: Carbone makes next Windsor play
Brisbane developer Carbone Developments has lodged plans for its sixth residential project in Windsor, on the city’s northside.
Joel Robinson

Fortis settles on record $37.5 million New Farm site
Strong demand for expansive Bowen Terrace site signals resurgence of Brisbane’s apartment market. Burgeoning national developer Fortis has spent $37.5 million on one New Farm’s most sought-after streets, the highest price ever paid for a development site in the affluent Brisbane suburb.
Joel Robinson

The St George & Sutherland Shire Leader

600 units in St George recommended by Housing Delivery Authority
Two St George projects are among 26 that this week were declared as State Significant Developments (SSD) following recommendations from the Housing Delivery Authority (HDA).
Jim Gainsford

Concept plan for 1,000 units on Westpac, Kogarah site declared State Significant
A concept plan for 1,000 units at the Westpac site at 4-16 Montgomery Street, Kogarah has been declared a State Significant Development by the Housing Delivery Authority.
Jim Gainsford

The Illawarra Mercury

Calling all nostalgia buyers: landmark Wollongong Art Deco apartment lists
An Art Deco-style apartment located in a recognisable Wollongong complex is on the market.
Brendan Crabb

Luxury North Wollongong development’s penthouse comes with a $6.93 million price tag
Two luxury North Wollongong projects have been launched, with a $6.93 million price tag for a full-floor penthouse apartment the biggest ticket item.
Brendan Crabb

Wednesday 10

The Australian Financial Review

Too costly to build, too pricey to buy: new apartment pipeline shrinks

Australia will deliver 30,000 fewer apartments this year than previously expected as developers hold off on projects they couldn’t sell profitably and weak presales and weather delay construction, CBRE says in a new report. Michael Bleby

Domain – Free

‘Sellers’ market’: Auction market hits the strongest point in two years

The auction market has reached its strongest point in two years as interest rate cuts prompt buyers to compete for homes. Potential sellers have been slower to react to falling interest rates, meaning there are fewer homes for sale than last year and making the imbalance between supply and demand even bigger. Elizabeth Redman

Daily Telegraph

NSW rooftop revival: Changes flagged for Sydney’s sky-high scene

Sydney’s skyline could transform into a vibrant rooftop scene as the NSW Productivity Commission urges the state government to slash red tape blocking venues from opening up their spaces. Elizabeth Pike

Realestate.com.au – Free

Record-breaking surge pushes Australian housing market value to $11.6 trillion

Australia’s housing market has become worth five times the annual output of the economy after total property values soared $213 billion I n the months following the first interest rate cut this year. Aidan Devine

Unveiling of last building in $400m Macquarie Rise development

The last apartments in a $400m development in Sydney’s northwest known as Macquarie Rise have been released following the sale of 125 units within the complex over the past two years. Mixed-use development Macquarise Rise was launched in late 2023 by developer Toga and includes multiple buildings. Kaylee Cranley – Sydney

The West Australian

Huge 36-storey South Perth development cost soars by $143 million in five years

A Mill Point Road development has been given more time after construction costs blew out following a cost blow-out of more than $140 million. Sophie Gannon

Urban Developer – Partly Free

Beyond the Aerotropolis: How Airports are Turning into Cities

Land-rich airport owners are becoming developers to capture the value of diversified revenue streams and landside projects. But it is “an evolution, not a revolution,” according to Mercurius founder Ivo Favotto. Taryn Paris

Pellicano Puts Forward 25-Storey BtR Plan for Spring Hill

Pellicano Projects is reworking approved plans for a Spring Hill tower, converting it to a build-to-rent and short-term accommodation project. Clare Burnett

Western Sydney Rail Corridor Targeted for $57m Tower

A $57-million mixed-use tower is on the table as Western Sydney continues to build up around transit. The 12-storey scheme would deliver 99 apartments—19 designated as affordable housing—a 96-place childcare centre and ground-floor retail opposite the railway line along Kerr Parade at Auburn. Vanessa Croll

Inside the Strategy Behind Australia’s Largest Direct Real Estate Deal

Brookfield’s $3.85-billion divestment of retirement living provider Aveo to The Living Co—the newly created parent company of student housing giant Scape—has brought to life a multi-platform development ecosystem. Phil Bartsch

View.com.au – Free

The economy’s rebounding – So why no rate relief?

For much of the past two years, Australia’s economy has been stuck in low gear. Growth has been sluggish, households have been cautious, and there has been constant debate about whether the country was flirting with a recession. Last week’s National Accounts from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) gave us the clearest signal yet that things may finally be turning around. Cameron Kusher

Tuesday 9

The Australian Financial Review

Yes, building luxury high-rise in Mosman will help the housing crisis
The economics of this are open and shut. More housing units means lower prices. Trying to focus on “more affordable” units is misguided.
Richard Holden

$9m apartment sells in area full of beach shacks 10 years ago
A four-bedroom, four-bathroom, four-car space, 572-square-metre top-floor apartment in the Lorient building at 801/88 Duporth Avenue, Maroochydore, Queensland. Sold by private treaty for $9 million.
Michael Bleby

Sydney Morning Herald

The master-planned Sydney suburb with a big car problem
Residents living next to Sydney Olympic Park say they’re at breaking point after years of being ignored over complaints about their streets being swamped by toll-dodging drivers using rat runs and event-goers searching for free parking.
Anthony Segaert

Realestate.com.au

First-home buyers: Where to buy with just 5 per cent deposit
Australia’s first-home buyers are about to get their biggest break in years, with the Federal Government’s expanded Home Guarantee Scheme set to open the door to property ownership for thousands.
Lydia Kellner

T

Monash Study reveals Sydney among the top cities operating over capacity
Sydney is officially operating over capacity. Inadequate housing supply, transport facilities and clogged infrastructure mean one of the nation’s most popular destinations is overpopulated, a new study has revealed.
George Al-Akiki – Sydney

St Kilda: Couple offers $1 lease to help homeless youth
An anonymous Melbourne couple have spent an extraordinary $3.2m buying an apartment complex that they’re now leasing to a youth homelessness charity for $1 a year.
Alesha Capone – Melbourne

Gold Coast Bulletin

Truth behind Jackie Chan’s ‘Surfers Paradise mansion’
A Gold Coast resident has shared the truth behind the famous Surfers Paradise home where Hollywood superstar Jackie Chan apparently resides … or so the rumours say.
Crystal Fox

Gold Coast real estate: The latest auction and sales results for week ending September 7
Southport proved to be a hot market last week with 13 properties selling for a total value of $12.9 million. See the latest auction and sales results.
Peter Farago and Sayee Shree Ravi Sankar

Urban Developer – Partly Free

Burbank’s Social Tower at Dandenong Waved Ahead
A decade-long project has finally been given the go-ahead in the south-east Melbourne suburb of Dandenong. Burbank Urban has won approval to develop 89 social housing apartments on the vacant Metro Village 3175 estate site.
Leon Della Bosca

Bid to Raise Heights to Pave Way for Parramatta Skyscraper
A planning proposal to increase building heights now on exhibition would pave the way for a skyscraper in Sydney’s “second CBD”.
Clare Burnett

Covers Come Off East Perth Hotel-to-Housing Scheme
The WA Government has revealed its plan to convert a 22-storey hotel in East Perth into more than 200 affordable homes.
Renee McKeown

Joe Adsett Wins Approval for Luxury Toowong Tower
South-East Queensland architect-developer Joe Adsett has won approval for his latest Brisbane luxury apartment tower at Toowong.
Taryn Paris

From Virtual to Reality, Habitat Digital Brings Online to Life
Bridging the gap between digital and physical is making all the difference when it comes to apartment sales.
Sponsored Content

Green Premium, Brown Discount: New ESG Regulations Drive Value
Once regarded as a cost forced onto the sector by regulators, or by market demand, ESG is increasingly being seen as a boost to the bottom line.
Patrick Lau

Apartments.com.au

New tower approved on Chevron Island
A new 23-level apartment tower has been greenlit on the burgeoning Chevron Island. The approval for the 76-apartment block on the corner of Kalyan and Parneno streets was secured by the landowner Ben Taylor rather than a large development company.
Urban Editorial

Cedar Woods upsizes Wooloowin apartment tower plans in Greville precinct
ASX-listed developer Cedar Woods has submitted a new application to Brisbane City Council for a two-tower residential development on its Wooloowin site north of Brisbane.
Joel Robinson

Sydney developer to offload $15 million Toorak apartment site
Sydney-based Sun Property Group is looking to divest a prime residential apartment site in Melbourne’s blue-chip Toorak.
Joel Robinson

Nine month build slated for new modular tower in Woolloongabba
A new modular apartment tower that promises rapid delivery in its construction that would occur off site and take just nine months to build, is being planned for Woolloongabba.
Joel Robinson

Devwest’s Olive St connects residents to Subiaco’s best amenities
Subiaco’s Hay Street corridor serves as a key link between Perth’s CBD and the western suburbs, offering seamless access to city amenities while retaining the intimacy of a residential precinct.
Joel Robinson

Is Melbourne the city of opportunity in the property market?
After several challenging years, Melbourne is once again a city on the rise. For the last three years, when anyone interstate asked about Melbourne’s off the plan apartment market, the answer was always difficult. The short version? Not great. The longer version only raised more questions than it answered.
Joel Robinson

Milieu welcomes buyers to Plant Street in Malvern as construction completes
Design-driven developer Milieu has completed its first project in Melbourne’s inner southeast, welcoming buyers to Plant Street by Milieu in Malvern.
Urban Editorial

View.com.au Free

“It was absolute mayhem!” Curtin-call for a Hollywood legend comes home with a $2.49 million finale
A beloved 1970s architectural gem in Nedlands Hollywood district drew more than 100 spectators and 37 bids in a high-stakes auction showdown, as a young couple claimed the retro-modern estate for $2.49 million, ending a 44-year family chapter and beginning a new legacy in one of Perth’s most prized pockets.
Tim McDonald

Monday 8

Domain – Free

Elizabeth Bay: art deco charm, harbour views and a community full of character

If variety is the spice of life, then the inner-city enclave of Elizabeth Bay is a surprisingly spicy suburb. Kate Farrelly

Found: A slice of slow-paced Mediterranean life on the Gold Coast

Main Beach, on Queensland’s sparkling Gold Coast, is home to a community of people accustomed to a backdrop of white sands, clear blue ocean and stunning sunrises and sunsets. Kate Jones In partnership with Bella Vie Main Beach

ABC Online – Free

The RBA has never known what to do about property prices, former deputy governor says

Have you wondered how the Reserve Bank of Australia came up with its “2-3 per cent” target for inflation? Do you like what’s happened to property prices in the inflation-targeting era? Gareth Hutchens

Burleigh Heads the ‘end of the line’ as Gold Coast light rail’s final stage canned

A long time ago, Sydney virtually stopped building public transport infrastructure. When it resumed, retrofitting the city was painful and expensive, according to Bond University urban planning researcher Daniel O’Hare. Nicholas McElroy

Realestate.com.au – Free

Revealed: How much more Aussie renters will pay in 2030

Apartment supply failing to keep up with population growth could see Aussies spending over $1000 per week on two-bedroom apartments by 2030, according to new data from CBRE’s Apartment Vacancy and Rent Outlook. Owen Raymond

Top buyer’s agent sells luxury Potts Point pad

Top buyer’s agent Simon Cohen has sold his luxury Potts Point apartment via fellow Luxe Listings star Gavin Rubinstein, for $7m. Stephen Nicholls – Sydney

Victorian rental crisis deepens as thousands of homes disappear

Victorian government policies and taxes have been blamed for a landlord exodus that state data released this week suggests could have wiped out almost 17,000 rental homes. Nathan Mawby – Melbourne

Urban Developer – Partly Free

Canberra ‘Tradies’ Club Puts Forward 645-Unit Precinct

The Canberra Tradesmen’s Union Club has filed plans for a major redevelopment that would deliver 645 apartments on its site in Canberra. Leon Della Bosca

What a 4.5-Star iCIRT Means for Modern Construction

Sydney-based builder Binah is pleased to announce it has successfully advanced its rating to 4.5-Star Gold Independent Construction Industry Rating Tool (iCIRT), up from 4-Stars in 2024. Partner Content

NZ’s Simplicity Plots $500m Queenstown BtR Scheme

A New Zealand non-profit fund manager is expanding its build-to-rent arm, planning 600 homes in Queenstown as green shoots appear for the NZ development industry. Renee McKeown

Apartments.com.au

Challenges and opportunities in Brisbane’s residential market as supply lags

Developer focus shifts to high-quality, well-located residential communities that can withstand market pressures and meet long-term demand, new CBRE analysis shows Joel Robinson

City Beat August 2025: Brisbane unit values surge again in August, as two new apartment developments launch to market

Not only is growth in Brisbane’s unit market lasting longer, it’s also getting stronger. In August, unit values climbed a further 1.3 per cent, one of the strongest monthly results the Queensland capital has recorded in 2025, pushing the median unit value beyond $740,000, according to Cotality’s latest Home Value Index. Joel Robinson

Owner occupiers drive $46.5 million launch success at Summit & Ridge, Wentworth Point

Summit & Ridge, the fourth stage of Sekisui House Australia’s Sanctuary in Wentworth Point, secured a flurry of sales at its recent launch. Joel Robinson

Developers shortlisted to deliver housing in Kew

Plans to transform the former VicRoads site in Kew are progressing with four shortlisted developers invited to submit their proposals for the site. Joel Robinson

The Illawarra Mercury

‘Nothing like it in Wollongong’: Luxury apartments hit the market

A Wollongong complex containing a dozen high-end apartments has hit the market as part of an off-the-plan campaign. Brendan Crabb

View.com.au – Free

Where prestige postcodes promise surprising value for units as auction volumes rise

Australia’s auction market is showing resilience this week, with 2,159 homes scheduled to go under the hammer nationally. Emily Rayner

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