Let’s start with Double Bay, where the direction is clear: fewer projects, but higher value and mixed-use intensity.
At 33 Cross Street, the former InterContinental Hotel site, a consortium paid $215 million for a 3,674sqm site and secured approval for an eight-storey mixed-use precinct. This is one of the most significant approvals in the suburb in over a decade.
At 38–41 Knox Street (Iluka Property), approval was granted for nine apartments above three retail tenancies at an FSR of 3.2:1 — notably above the local 2.5:1 control.
At 14 Manning Road, a residential flat building was approved in July 2024, replacing an existing house.
Further into the pipeline, 52–54 Manning Road (Orbit 8 Pty Ltd) proposes a nine-storey building with 18 apartments, including affordable housing, reaching 29.81 metres — one of the tallest proposals in the area.
However, council resistance remains strong.
Refused applications include:
- 426–440 New South Head Road — shop-top housing (July 2024)
- 17–19 Guilfoyle Avenue — residential flat building (September 2024)
- 49–53 Bay Street — commercial building (April 2023)
Key insight: Double Bay is not seeing volume growth — it’s seeing premium, mixed-use intensification, with council pushing back but unable to fully control outcomes.
Rose Bay — The Epicentre of Change
Rose Bay is where the real transformation is unfolding.
In December 2025 alone, seven apartment DAs were lodged under the LMR framework, proposing 86 apartments across six- to nine-storey buildings — an unprecedented surge for the suburb.
At the larger end, several State Significant Developments (SSDs) are bypassing council:
- 23–31 Dover Road (Fortis)
Five homes consolidated into a $75 million site, now proposed as an eight-storey, 49-apartment development with 11 affordable units. - 2–16 Spencer Street (HSN Property Group)
Nine storeys, 54 apartments, 14 affordable units, with resort-style amenities including a lap pool, gym, sauna, and wine lounge. - 36–56 Dover Road (Hewlett Property)
A 210-apartment proposal — the largest residential development ever put forward in Rose Bay. - Conway / Fernleigh / Carlisle Streets (Mathieson Property – “Dian”)
70 apartments across a 3,105sqm amalgamated site.
There is also a deep pipeline of boutique and mid-scale developments:
- 28–32 Dover Road (Fyve Developments) — 19 apartments, strong three-bedroom mix
- 13–15 Carlisle Street — 20 apartments, including affordable housing uplift
- 10 Wilberforce Avenue — 8 large apartments, including full-floor residences
- 2A Spencer Street — 7 apartments with height variation
- 41 Spencer Street — 8 apartments with height variation
- 1 Richmond Road — 6 apartments, owner-led development
Separately, the Land and Environment Court approved Orosi Developments’ project at 439–445 Old South Head Road — around 50 apartments with retail and wellness offerings — after a deemed refusal by council.
Key insight: Rose Bay has shifted from a low-change suburb to the most active development zone in the Eastern Suburbs. If current proposals proceed, the suburb could see 500+ new apartments — a structural shift, not incremental growth.
Edgecliff — Strategic Density and Transport-Led Growth
Edgecliff is evolving more quietly, but with long-term significance driven by transport and rezoning.
The key project is:
- 101–115 Edgecliff Road (Abadeen)
A six-storey, 29-apartment development replacing three interwar buildings. Designed by Squillace, it retains heritage elements while increasing bedroom density from 32 to 66, with a strong mix of larger apartments.
Additional activity includes:
- 370 Edgecliff Road (HSN Property Group) — seven-storey, 19 apartments
- 365 Edgecliff Road — refused redevelopment of a strata building
At a planning level, the most significant change is already locked in:
- 136–148 New South Head Road — rezoned for a 12-storey mixed-use precinct after state intervention
- Edgecliff-Woollahra Precinct (State Significant Rezoning) — proposed buildings up to 21 storeys within 400 metres of Edgecliff Station
Key insight: Edgecliff is not about scattered developments — it’s about long-term density transformation driven by transport and state planning policy.
The Bigger Picture — Control Is Shifting
Across all three suburbs, a consistent pattern is emerging:
- Councils are refusing projects
- Developers are appealing — and often winning
- The State Government is bypassing councils altogether
This is no longer a local planning story.
It’s a state-driven reshaping of the Eastern Suburbs.
Final Strategic Take
- Double Bay → Premium, controlled, mixed-use evolution
- Rose Bay → High-volume pipeline, largest transformation risk/opportunity
- Edgecliff → Long-term density anchored to transport and rezoning
By the end of this decade, these three suburbs will not just evolve —
they will be redefined.
