Goodman Group has withdrawn its proposed $1.2 billion Project Mars data centre in Lane Cove West, telling the NSW Department of Planning it would no longer proceed after considering an evolving regulatory environment and community feedback, ABC News reports. The proposed three-storey facility was about 20 metres from the nearest home and 160 metres from Lane Cove West Public School. For Lower North Shore owners, the decision is a reminder that major nearby infrastructure proposals can materially affect local amenity expectations and should be monitored as part of longer-term property decisions.
The Reserve Bank Board meets on 28–29 September, with economists and markets widely expecting a 25-basis-point increase from 4.35% to 4.60%. A higher cash rate would add further pressure to mortgage repayments and investment-property cash flow. For landlords, higher financing costs do not automatically determine an appropriate rent increase: any review should still reflect NSW timing rules, current local rental evidence and a property-specific Rental Appraisal.
Administrators of Sydney developer Bathla Group say the initial emergency funding that kept parts of the business operating has been exhausted, with construction work ceasing and most remaining staff stood down. ABC News reports the group entered administration with about $3.4 billion in debt and a large portfolio of projects and land holdings. For buyers and investors exposed to off-the-plan or incomplete developments, the practical priority is project-specific written information from administrators, lenders and conveyancing advisers rather than assumptions based on the wider market.
Sydney auction clearance rate revised to 50% for 26 September 2026
Domain’s later-reported Sydney auction results for the week ending 26 September 2026 show 1,033 auctions scheduled and 755 results reported. 380 properties sold, 227 were withdrawn and 148 passed in, producing a 50% clearance rate. Reported sales totalled $350,541,720, with a median sale price of $1,600,000. Domain last updated this historical weekly page on 29 September 2026 and describes the results as preliminary and current at the time of publication.
NSW has introduced new rental reforms aimed at limiting unnecessary collection of renters’ personal information and improving transparency in rental advertising. The changes include stronger privacy protections around rental applications and disclosure requirements where listing images have been materially altered or generated using AI or other digital tools. For landlords and property managers, the practical priority is to ensure application processes collect only appropriate information and that advertising accurately represents the property.
The NSW Government says 5,175 social, affordable, key-worker and restored homes have been delivered under its Building Homes for NSW program at the halfway point of the current investment plan. The update reflects continued public-sector housing delivery across the state as NSW works to expand long-term housing supply. For property owners and investors, the figures provide another measure of where government-backed housing supply is moving from planning and funding into completed homes.
Construction is underway on 220 Build-to-Rent apartments at The Joinery Annandale for health workers, teachers, police officers, firefighters and other essential workers. Landcom says the homes will be offered at discounted market rents, with the NSW Government retaining ownership and an experienced operator handling day-to-day management. Completion is expected in late 2028, weather permitting, with first residents from 2029. For Inner West owners and investors, the project adds a new stream of purpose-built rental supply targeted specifically at essential workers in a tightly held inner-city market.
NSW has expanded Smart Rental Bonds statewide after an initial rollout in Penrith, Parramatta and the Central Coast. Eligible renters moving between NSW properties can transfer an existing bond through Rental Bonds Online instead of funding a second full bond upfront, subject to eligibility rules and a $25 fee. NSW Fair Trading says the process for landlords and agents to lodge and claim bonds does not change, and agreed deductions are still paid to the landlord through the existing process. For property managers, the practical change is mainly supporting eligible tenants through the transfer option while continuing normal Rental Bonds Online procedures.
