Tareela Insights - 25 Feb 2026

Over the last 25 years, residential land prices have shot up three times faster than construction costs, according to the Housing Industry Association.

Here’s the thing some developers miss: it’s not just about how much it costs to build your townhouse or apartment block. It’s the land that sets the tone. And by “land”, I don’t mean just the plot itself. It’s everything that comes with it: planning approvals, infrastructure charges, taxes, and whether it’s even shovel-ready.

Each of these factors feeds into the project’s cost, timeline and feasibility. Grab a tricky site and suddenly your “doable project” turns into a juggling act: council conditions, utility connections, zoning rules, unexpected site complications…suddenly you’re wondering if you should have taken up origami instead.

Miss one, and costs blow out, schedules slip, and what looked straightforward on paper can quickly feel like trying to build a house of cards in a wind tunnel.