Allan Carlsson
Development Manager of Underbank
“You have a situation where prices become unaffordable closer to the CBD which forces home buyers to search for properties further out thereby increasing demand and prices subsequently rise.”
Melbourne remains a hot spot for international tourists, migrants and even the growth of local – interstate migration.
It is dubbed as one of the most liveable cities in the world – a melting pot of cultures with a splendid variety of food, entertainment and even business opportunities.
These are some of the reasons many flock to this gem of Australia, according to Kataland development manager, Allan Carlsson.
“Victoria and more particularly Melbourne are going through a period of high population growth, both from interstate arrivals as well as overseas migration. Most of the interstate arrivals are from NSW and Queensland which is the complete opposite to when I arrived in Melbourne in 1998, when there was a net outflow from Victoria mainly to Queensland,” he said.
The rising cost of housing in Sydney and lack of job opportunities in Queensland have driven the move to Melbourne. On top of this, the increase in Melbourne’s property prices is related to supply and demand – it is evident in the creation of new land estates on the fringes where rezoning of land has not kept the pace with demand.
Underbank – A new home
Allan is currently working on a major development called Underbank in Bacchus Marsh, one of Victoria’s most picturesque and untouched landscapes. This development boasts bountiful greens, parks and natural waterways – the countryside for the new community way of living. As a result of high demand, the Phase 1 has been sold out, Phase 2 is almost sold out with Phase 3 on the way.
“At Bacchus Marsh we have a unique situation where there is an established township with all the amenities such as schools, hospitals, shops, cafes and transportation just outside the official metropolitan area. This allows us to deliver land at a lower price than a few kilometres away at Melton, because we are not subject to the additional government taxes that developers have to pay in the metro area.
“At about 50 kilometres from Melbourne’s CBD, Bacchus Marsh is actually closer than some suburbs within the metro area and with the V-Line train, you can now be in the centre of Melbourne in 45 minutes. This will home about 4000 people within the next 10 years,” said Allan.
A choice investment
Kataland chose to invest in Bacchus Marsh because of the beautiful valley where the former stud farm was situated. “There is not another site like Underbank anywhere around Melbourne that has a combination of elevated land with views, creek side land and higher density living next to the town centre, right alongside an existing village.”
The value of the developed land is estimated at around $250 million, and the cost of the houses to be built on the land could add another $300 million plus to this amount.
Currently, the average selling price is about $165,000 for a 600 square metre block in Stage 3.
“This compares to our initial selling prices of around $145,000 for a similar sized block in Stage 1 when we commenced selling in June last year. Compared to estates nearby in Bacchus Marsh and Melton, our land still represents very good value,” said Allan.
Expect the first round of developments including parks and landscaped creek corridors to be completed in August. A child care centre is currently in the planning stages and is scheduled to open in less than two years. After this, Underbank will see the opening of the resident’s clubhouse that comprise a swimming pool, tennis court, gym, coffee shop and meeting spaces for the community.
Other infrastructure to be delivered includes the town centre with shops and accommodation and a sports precinct where people can participate in AFL football, cricket, tennis and netball.
Kataland will also be involved in the external development of the public areas where it will contribute over $7 million to upgrade facilities such as roads, bridges, roundabouts/ intersections and an early child care centre in and around Bacchus Marsh.
“在墨尔本周边没有类似Underbank这样与高地的景观相结合，河畔土地和高密度生活区在城镇中心旁边，并与现存的村庄比邻。”
墨尔本-这个作为国际游客景点，同时也是海外移民、还有持续增长的当地州际移民热点。被誉为全球最宜居的城市之一，也是汇集丰盛多元化的美食、娱乐甚至商机的文化融炉。
著名房地产开发公司Kataland开发经理Allan Carlsson认为，以上这些都是大家涌向澳大利亚这颗宝石的因素。
“维多利亚州，正确来说是墨尔本正在经历人口高速增长时期，无论是来自州际移民及海外移民。”他说，现在大部分本地移民来自新南威尔士和昆士兰州，当他在1998年来到墨尔本时，情况正好相反，从维多利亚州出去的移民群主要流向昆士兰州。
由于悉尼住房成本高昂，而昆士兰州缺乏就业机会，从中推动了墨尔本的转机。另外，墨尔本房地产价格的上涨也与供求挂钩，很显然，在新土地的开发中，重新规划土地已经无法跟上需求的步伐。
“而在靠近中心商务区(CBD)的价格变得无法承受，这也迫使购房者向周边进一步搜寻房产，从而提高了需求和房价。”Allan解释。
Underbank – 一个全新优质家园
这项在巴克斯马什 (Bacchus Marsh) 进行的 Underbank重大发展计划，Allan Carlsson 作为项目的主要负责人。巴克斯马什以维多利亚州最秀丽优美的风景区闻名，这项发展计划具备充沛绿地，公园和自然水道–结合全新社区生活方式的乡镇。由于供不应求，项目计划第一阶段已售罄，第二阶段近乎售罄，而第三阶段即将到来。
“巴克斯马什具备独特状况，那里有一个早已建设完整的乡镇，所有的设施如学校、医院、商店，咖啡馆和公共交通都分布在城区外围。这使我们能够以更低价格交付土地，因为并非开发商必须支付额外政府税的地铁区域内，对比数公里处的Melton。”
“即使距离墨尔本CBD约50公里，巴克斯马什与具备地铁交通的其他郊区相比，实际上距离城区更近，因为乘搭V-Line列车可于45分钟内到达墨尔本市中心。预计未来10年内，这将是4000人的家园。”
精选投资
至于投资方Kataland瞄准投资巴克斯马什，因为这里拥有美丽山谷，以前种马场就坐落该处。“在墨尔本周边没有类似Underbank这样与高地的景观相结合，河畔土地和高密度生活区在城镇中心旁边，并与现存的村庄比邻。”
发展用地的估值是2.5亿澳元，在土地上建房成本可能再增加额外3亿澳元。目前，第三阶段的600平方米的平均售价约为16万5000澳元。
“我们在去年6月开始销售时，第一阶段类似规模的面积，初始售价大约14万5000澳元。所以，与巴克斯马什和Melton的周边房产相比，我们的土地仍然具备良好增值情况。”
预计8月份将完成的首期发展计划包含公园和景观河畔走道。幼儿保育中心目前正处于规划阶段，计划两年内开放使用。此后，Underbank将会陆续开放居民俱乐部，包括游泳池、网球场、健身房，咖啡店和社区会议室。至于到时要完工交付的其他基础设施包括具备商店和住宿的城镇中心，还有可以进行澳式足球、板球，网球和英式篮球活动的运动区。
Kataland还将出资逾700万澳元参与公共区域的外部发展计划，用于提升巴克斯马什周围的道路、桥梁，交通圈/交叉口等基设以及早期幼儿保育中心。
For more information on Underbank please visit: www.underbank.com.au
by Karina Foo
EZ AUSTRALIA.NEWS 