Yabba Dabba Do! A rainforest retreat that gives off The Flintstones vibes is back on the market.

Located at Kuranda in the Cairns region, the two bedroom “off-grid glamping escape” at Lot 12 Oak Forest Road has rendered walls and concrete floors that conjure up memories of the 1960s Stone Age cartoon sitcom.

You can just about hear Fred Flinstone call out “Wilma” to his wife from the kitchen.

On the market with Ray White Cairns, Cairns Beaches and Palm Cove agent Sonia Poole, the retreat on a 2.1ha rainforest block is described as “wildly different”.

But Fred will have to give up his “hair-brained schemes” to afford this unique piece of real estate.

It is on the market for offers over $499,000.

“Looking for something wildly different? This 5.2-acre off-grid retreat is anything but ordinary,” the listing says.

“With established walking tracks winding through the property, it’s the perfect place to explore, unwind, and enjoy nature.”

Described as an “adventure-ready hideaway”, the property offers “a weekend campout with friends or your own peaceful escape, everything is in place to simply arrive and relax”.

There are two “unique” sleeping set-ups, and a bathroom with a view and a flushing toilet.

Other features include two small sheds, water tanks, laundry facilities, a cleared pad for those planning to build their dream home and an outdoor spa.

MORE: Biggest home loan boom since Covid

‘Convenient? Absolutely!’ Bizarre twist in 100 yo Aus home

Bankrupt property spruiker cops new $1m blow

“Whether you like it or love it, this one-of-a-kind retreat is hard to ignore,” the listing says. “It’s different, it’s ready, and it’s waiting for the next adventurer to make it theirs.”

Just don’t forget to invite Barney and Betty.

The post Yabba Dabba Do! Rainforest retreat has The Flintstones vibes appeared first on realestate.com.au.

It appears that the organisation responsible for managing Australia’s finances, and yours, isn’t so good at managing money themselves.

The Reserve Bank of Australia who apart from deciding what interest rate you pay on your mortgage, is also charged with “ensuring the economic prosperity and welfare of the Australian people”.

But they have just dug a $1 billion black hole for themselves.

The cost of renovating the RBA’s head office in Sydney’s Martin Place in the CBD has blown out from an initial figure of around $260m to one of around $1.2 billion of taxpayers’ money, according to the Australian Financial Review.

MORE: Locked in – these borrowers miss out on rate cut relief

That figures puts it at one of Australia’s most expensive renovations in history.

By comparison, the renovations costs of Menulog founder Leon Kamenev’s Sydney waterfront property, which combined three different sites and is one of Australia’s most expensive homes, was around $35m.

However, despite the huge new cost of the redevelopment amid calls to rein in out of control government spending, the RBA is going full steam ahead with its plans.

“After careful analysis of all available options, the RBA has determined that retaining ownership and undertaking a full remediation and refurbishment is the most responsible and cost-effective long-term solution,” the central bank said.

The 22-storey building at 65 Martin Place, Sydney dates back to 1962.

MORE: ‘Absolute chaos’: Rate cuts’ instant impact

When the refurb project was announced in 2019: the aim was to ensure the building would be “structurally, functionally and operationally viable over the long term”.

As for the building itself: “It is a unique building by virtue not only of its heritage value but also its highly secure function which is supported by an armed guard force, purpose built bank vaults, a data centre running national payments infrastructure, and valuable archives,” the bank said.

“The majority of the RBA’s staff (1,230 or 90 per cent of the RBA’s current 1,371 employees, including RBA Governor Michelle Bullock) and key functions operate out of the head office building.”

In applying for money from the government for the redevelopment, the RBA said the refurb was needed because the building has fallen behind in compliance and sustainability standards.

The decision was made to stay at Martin Places because of the claimed low costs and because “A number of the Bank’s highly specialised functions integrated into the building [mentioned above] would be cost prohibitive to relocate and replicate in another building”.

MORE: Aus banks’ hidden rate cut agendas

Other options that were decided against included, selling the building and leasing it back, selling the building and leasing elsewhere in the Sydney CBD and selling and buying another property in the Sydney CBD.

According to the RBA, the massive cost blow out is due to the amount of asbestos found in the building.

“Initial works revealed that the building contains four to five times more asbestos than typically found in buildings of its era,” the RBA said in a statement.

“The extent of this contamination, which was not fully appreciated until 2023, requires the building to be stripped back to its steel frame to ensure safe and complete removal.

MORE: Leave now: 6 Aus banks still refuse RBA cut

“In addition to the asbestos issue, the current building structure does not meet building codes, is energy inefficient, and no longer fit for purpose.”

Completion of the renovations were first estimated to be competed by October with a capital construction cost of $244.6m.

The building is now not scheduled to be finished until at least 2029.

MORE: How AI will help you sell your home for more

The post RBA’s horror $1bn black hole appeared first on realestate.com.au.

From freezing the National Construction Code to reforming environmental regulations, day two of the economic reform roundtable zeroed in on housing.  

Held from August 19 to August 21, the federal government’s economic reform roundtable has brought nearly 30 industry representatives across Australia’s economy together.  

Over the course of three days, the roundtable is tackling how the nation can improve across three topics of “productivity”, “resilience” and “budget sustainability and tax reform”.  

The first day focused on resilience with the roundtable discussing international risks, opportunities and trade, skills attraction and capital investment.  

The second day turned to productivity, with the three sessions discussing better regulation and approvals, competition and dynamism and AI and innovation.  

In the lead up to the roundtable, many housing industry bodies called for housing to be a priority, specifically around productivity and how the government can work to improve conditions for the industry to build more homes.  

Here are some takeaways from the discussion on day two around productivity and the challenges being encountered in construction.

Productivity roadblocks 

After treasurer Jim Chalmers gave his opening remarks, the agenda kicked off with Productivity Commission chair Danielle Wood leading a presentation about productivity and reform.  

In February 2025, the Commission released its own report “Housing construction productivity: Can we fix it?”, which found the nation is building half as many homes per hour worked as it did in 1995.  

The first session of the roundtable then focused on how regulations and approval systems slow home building down.  

Earlier in the day, opposition leader Sussan Ley, who spoke at a press conference in Croydon Park, addressed a potential solution in freezing updates to the National Construction Code (NCC).  

“What we heard today was that regulations including that code are adding 50% to the cost of a home. That is unacceptable,” Ms Ley said.  

“Remember that estimates of building a home and that cost, that 50% is not the building of the home itself. It’s not the construction that we see around us today. It’s rules, it’s regulation. It’s red tape.”  

Ms Ley said the government will have to do more than pause the NCC to get “housing supply back on track”.  

“We do know that supply is a huge problem, and we do know that the Labor government has provided funds to the states in order to help unblock that supply, but it hasn’t happened. This is a challenge for the federal government,” she said.  

“It is not good enough to say we’re giving the states money, we’re helping out state governments for whatever priorities they may have, but the end result is what counts.” 

During the first session, Business Council chief executive Bran Black said there was a lot of discussion, particularly around the NCC, but noted there was no concrete agreement among the attendees.  

“There isn’t agreement on that [pausing the NCC] within the room, but I think it’s really important to remember that our role is to put forward ideas, and hopefully we can achieve a level of consensus,” Mr Black said during a press conference after the first session.  

“We would continue to make the case that the evidence is very clear that with respect to the National Construction Code, we do need to give a bit of a pause for thought, if nothing else, so that home builders have the chance to catch up with the existing regulations and to try and get ahead in the critical task of delivering homes that ultimately support Australians into the great Australian dream.”   

Mr Black also noted environment approvals at the federal level were discussed with the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.  

This has often been looked at as a barrier to residential land release and housing development.  

Mr Black said there was a consensus that there needs to be a balance between “environmental outcomes and improving business processes”.  

“There is disagreement in terms of the role of environmental regulation, and we take the view that it’s really important to have a separation between the entity that is ultimately responsible for compliance and the entity that’s ultimately responsible for approvals,” he said.  

After the government’s federal election win this year, it promised to establish a national environment protection agency (EPA) to lead new EPBC Act reforms. 

This government says this will deliver stronger environmental protection while providing more efficient project assessments.  

“What we see is the importance of making sure that a federal EPA is effectively set up along the same lines as what you see with state-based EPAs, where they attend to compliance, but they do not attend to approval, and that’s important, because you don’t want the same entity doing both approvals and compliance,” Mr Black said.  

“And what we’re saying is not that we want, for example, the Treasury to be undertaking these types of assessments. We want a body that is charged with the responsibility of weighing up very carefully social, economic and environmental considerations and giving weight accordingly to all of them.” 

The final day of the economic reform roundtable will spotlight discussions on government services and spending, and tax reform.  

Are you interested in learning about the latest in buying and building new? Check out our New Homes section.

The post Housing takes centre stage at economic reform roundtable appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Parks and gardens are the green heart of many communities, shaping the identity of a neighbourhood, and they’re changing the sustainable future of the property market.

From the villa gardens of Ancient Rome to New York City’s iconic Central Park, green spaces have been part of the design of some of the world’s most famous cities for thousands of years.

Historically, Australia’s urban green spaces were reserved for the wealthy and were something to be looked at, rather than communal spaces that benefitted the wider community.

Our communities have evolved a lot since then, reflecting the changing ideas of what makes a neighbourhood accessible, liveable, and sustainable.

Green spaces: A secret price indicator?

As property seekers prioritise affordability over large backyards, green infrastructure and amenities are becoming increasingly more important, says RPS Senior Principal Landscape Architect Sasha Tieleman.

“Over the past 10 years, there has been a greater focus on delivering well-integrated and accessible play, sports, fitness, and kickabout areas across new communities,” she says.

For industry experts like Peet, a residential developer with a 130-year history of creating master-planned communities across Australia, green spaces are an important part of what makes their neighbourhoods come alive.

“At Peet, we believe green spaces are the heart of thriving communities,” says Peet’s Chief Operating Officer Tony Gallagher.

“They connect people to their environment, to each other, and to a more sustainable future. It’s about creating neighbourhoods that are not only liveable, but lasting.”

Ms Tieleman explains that developers like Peet work with a wide range of experts to make sure modern green spaces are fully integrated into their unique communities.

“Planners, urban designers, engineers and landscape architects collaborate on Peet’s new communities to ensure open spaces and recreation parks are well-planned from the outset,” she says.

“The location and positioning of these spaces are strategically located to maximise their value—whether through colocation with existing habitats or creek corridors, alignment along green spines or main avenues, or by making the most of the site’s natural assets.”

3 benefits of green spaces for a community

1. Health and wellbeing

2019 research from the Public Health Agency of Canada found that green spaces in urban areas can improve air quality, while a University of Western Sydney study found that residents living near green spaces were more likely to be active.

“Green spaces are essential not only for recreation and play, but also for supporting mental health, connecting with nature, your neighbours, and building important memories,” says Ms Tieleman.

“When well-integrated throughout a community, they offer comfortable, shaded, and connected networks of pedestrian and cycling paths and provide opportunities for a wide variety of activities that cater to all ages and abilities.”

2. Liveability

Green spaces also help make communities more comfortable and liveable, especially in our already hot climate.

They do this by reducing the ‘urban heat island effect’ where heat-absorbing surfaces like concrete and asphalt raise the ambient temperature of urban areas.

Research from the University of Melbourne shows that tree cover and city parks consistently lower average temperatures and make communities more comfortable for residents.

3. Sustainability

Integrated parks and green spaces can also improve the overall sustainability of a development and lessen its impact on the environment.

“Green spaces are essential to the sustainability of any master-planned community,” says Mr Gallagher, highlighting that green spaces can help support biodiversity by creating safe havens for native wildlife.

According to the NSW Department of Planning and the Environment, green spaces also act as buffer zones during periods of heavy rainfall as they are better able to flood and absorb stormwater than man-made materials like concrete or asphalt, limiting potential property damage.

Large open green spaces and fire-resistant trees and shrubs can also protect buildings and urban areas from fires.

The environmental benefits of green spaces in master-planned communities helps to futureproof the neighbourhoods and homes for years to come.

“It’s about creating neighbourhoods that are not only liveable, but lasting,” says Mr Gallagher.

Why great developers are making greener communities

Leading developers like Peet are playing their part in building the future-focused communities of tomorrow by making sustainability a priority.

In 2023, they were recognised as Capital Finance International’s Best Sustainable Community Developer (Australia) for their commitment to greener communities.

“Sustainability is embedded in Peet’s DNA,” Mr Gallagher says.

“Across our master-planned communities, we integrate a range of initiatives that reflect our commitment to environmentally conscious development.”

Water conservation, solar energy and land restoration are all core parts of their overall sustainable design philosophy, with individual communities having initiatives uniquely suited to their local areas.

“A standout example is Tonsley Village in South Australia, where over 500 dwellings have been connected to a District Energy Scheme,” explains Mr Gallagher.

“This innovative system features an embedded electrical network powered by 17,000 solar panels, supplying approximately 40% of the district’s annual energy needs.”

Peet champions many circular economy programs like the Repair Cafe initiative in many Western Australian projects, where residents can learn how to fix their possessions instead of throwing them away.

Along with plastic-free events, these are just some of the ways that Peet involves the community in sustainability efforts.

Green spaces in practice: Flagstone City, QLD

Less than an hour south of Brisbane’s CBD, Peet’s Flagstone City is a forward-focused community that incorporates green spaces and sustainable design.

“At Flagstone, green space is not just a feature—it’s the foundation of how we plan, design, and deliver,” Mr Gallagher says.

These green spaces build on and celebrate the area’s natural surroundings.

“Flagstone City is situated on a beautiful and unique site, where precincts are separated by natural creek corridors and ridgelines, creating distinctive opportunities for open space design,” says Ms Tieleman.

“This raw and natural landscape character is a key element of placemaking and identity at Flagstone.”

Ms Tieleman—who helped bring the green spaces to life as Flagstone City’s landscape architect—explains that parks were integrated into these creeks and hilltops, particularly where existing greenery could be retained.

“This approach not only provides a more immersive and authentic experience but also helps to restore the ecology, biodiversity and expand habitat corridors throughout the site,” she says.

With 330 hectares of green spaces, Flagstone City was designed with a comprehensive community development strategy that ensures the spaces are not only protected, but also meaningfully used.

The community will ultimately deliver 11,000 homes, each of which will be located within 400m of a park or playground.

“Flagstone City is one of Peet’s most ambitious master-planned communities shaped by a long-term vision for greenspace amenity and community wellbeing,” says Mr Gallagher.

“This is what it means to create a truly future-focused, sustainable city.”

The post How green spaces are shaping the future of Aussie communities appeared first on realestate.com.au.

A quarter of a century on from her iconic feat at the Sydney Olympic Games, Cathy Freeman is still harnessing lessons learnt in perseverance on the track to inform her social advocacy.

One of Australia’s celebrated athletes, Ms Freeman is an Olympic gold and silver medalist, two-time world champion and four-time Commonwealth Games gold medalist.

Speaking at the Ready25 conference in Sydney on Thursday, Ms Freeman reflected on her athletic career and its impact on her work to broaden opportunities for First Nations children.

It was Ms Freeman’s stepfather who first encouraged her running at the tender age of 10 at their home in Mackay, Queensland.

“My stepdad said I looked like a horse when I ran,” she said. “I think what he meant was that I had this fluidity to my stride and I was relaxed when I moved.

“He encouraged me and wrote a sign that read, ‘I am the world’s greatest athlete’. He was a first of many along the journey to believe in my potential to be to be a good runner.”

At age 16, Ms Freeman became the first female Indigenous Australian to win a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games. Her breakthrough season four years later propelled her to a further two gold medals before making her Olympic debut.

After placing second in her signature 400m sprint event at the 1996 Olympic Games, struggles off the track saw Ms Freeman come close to quitting her dream to be the world’s greatest.  

“We all had private moments where life gets a little bit wobbly and for me, one of those was this,” she said. “Coming off the back of the silver medal in Atlanta, things were starting to get really serious. People around me were starting to say I had a real shot, that Sydney was only four years away.

“In the private zone of my life though, I went through a personal crisis. We all have those days where we feel like giving up, and we have identity crisis days. I nearly gave up, nearly decided to not do the 1997 season.”

Thanks to her strong relationships with her core team of coaches, managers and teammates, Ms Freeman was convinced to carry on.

“I got up, kept going, and I won my first world title in 1997,” she said. “If I hadn’t have won that first world title – one of two – I may not have had that momentum and that confidence in myself when it came to lining up in Sydney.”

Learning how to infuse joy into everyday life is a lesson Ms Freeman says helps make the load lighter and allowed her to keep moving forward.

“I think you have two choices in life, and I’ve always been that sort of person who would rather just give it a go than not.”

Ms Freeman brought the same tenacity with her into her win at the 2000 Olympics and into perhaps her most notable action of her career immediately afterwards.

In an iconic decision, Ms Freeman carried both the Australian and the Aboriginal flags during her victory ceremony.

This powerful statement about identity, inclusion, and reconciliation set the foundation for the charity work that would follow.

Reflecting on her home Olympics win, Ms Freeman said she had fulfilled more than one dream.

“The Olympic gold medal was part of it, and doing the victory lap with both Australian flags was part of the dreaming,” she said. “I did everything in my power, with all my power, to ensure that it occurred.”

Early lessons from her family and community helped shape Ms Freeman for the moment.

“I was always encouraged to be authentic in my life, whatever shape that looks like,” she said. “Whatever that feels like to others, is of no consequence to me.

“It is really important to be true to who you are because from out of that self exploration, awareness of potential flourish.”

After retiring in 2003, reaching for new opportunities to learn and grow became the centre of Ms Freeman’s personal ethos.

In 2003, the Cathy Freeman Foundation was born. The Aboriginal community organisation supports First Nations children in their homes, in their neighbourhoods and in their school environments.

As of 2007, the organisation adopted the Wurunjeri word for ‘spirit’, becoming Murrup.

“I’m always interested in unforeseen potential and young people,” she said. “It’s the future, and I think we all should invest in young people, it’s only going to make this country a better one.”

“Indigenous youth are four times the rate of non-Indigenous folk in terms of youth suicide,” she added. “That is something I’m most interested in.”

Connecting back to her sporting roots, Ms Freeman says the increased focus on mental resilience and the importance of mental health among young athletes is vital.

“I’m a big believer in getting it out of your system and sharing your innermost fears, dreams, insecurities with those who you know are there right next to you to lean on,” she said.

“National teams are now addressing mental health issues, which is phenomenal, which is fantastic,” she said. “This whole idea of vulnerability that Simone Biles spoke so beautifully to, is really important to address those sorts of issues.

“At the end of the day, we’re all human beings trying to do the best we can.”

While 25 years has passed since Ms Freeman became Australia’s Olympic icon, she isn’t tired of reliving her experience.

“Sentimental folk often like to share the memories with me and it’s always lovely when you walk down memory lane,” she said. “As the years go by, the memory gets clearer, interestingly enough. At the time it occurred, it was all a total wave of everything and everyone.

“Now, 25 years later, I’m a lot gentler with myself in it all. I feel really honored to have been part of the history.”

The post Positive social impact is Cathy Freeman’s most important race appeared first on realestate.com.au.