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Larry Kestelman, chairman of the Melbourne Tigers basketball team, has put his newly constructed Brighton mansion on the market for $12 million-plus.
Justin Follett of Kay &amp; Burton is handling the listing of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.domain.com.au/Property/For-Sale/House/VIC/Brighton/?adid=2010483254">10 Mulgoa Street home</a>, which was built by Mr Kestelman’s construction company, Shangri-La Construction.
The 1400-square-metre property boasts five bedrooms and eight bathrooms.
As well as having a 200-bottle wine cellar, 12-seat theatre, gym and six-car garage the house also features a central built-in aquarium, a billiard room with adjoining ‘vodka bar’ and swimming pool and spa.
Kestelman reportedly made about $150 million earlier this year after selling his telecommunications companies telcos Dodo and Eftel to M2 Telecommunications.
Brighton has recorded a few sales above $10 million. The suburb's last big property purchase was earlier this year when the retired Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting spent close to $10 million on an Edwardian mansion.
But many other key listings such as Kinane, sold in 2006 for a record $11.2 million, and put on the market in 2011 with $20 million hopes were not to find buyers at this level.
Retired cricketer Shane Warne was reputedly seeking $20 million for his Brighton home in spring 2012.
A Spanish-inspired property with a pool and tennis court directly opposite Dendy Beach scheduled with $8 million plus in late 2012 hopes didn't sell either.
<img height="57" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/05/trophyhomesstrapone.jpg" alt="trophyhomesstrapone">
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Dodo founder Larry Kestelman seeks to exhume Brighton trophy home market with $12 million-plus listing

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Grant Copley, managing director of footy card seller Select Australia, has put his South Yarra home up for auction.
It has been listed for June 22 auction by James McCormack and Dean Gilbert at Marshall White.
The house was bought from the current Sydney Swans coach John Longmire in 2001. 
The double-fronted Victorian on Argo Street had been pitched to potential buyers at $650,000-plus by Marshall White with Longmire securing $865,000.
It had traded at $410,000 in 1997.
Fairfax Media reported it was expected to fetch $1.1 million at its June 2013 auction.
The 291 square metre property features three bedrooms, a sitting room or study with open fireplace and one bathroom.  The house also has a paved courtyard with covered BBQ terrace and secure off street parking.
The former North Melbourne Roos stalwart John Longmire was a Kangaroos player of 12 years and 201 games between 1988 and 1999.
He then had two years off from football in the media before taking up an assistant coaching job at the Swans given his connection with Rodney Eade who was an assistant coach of North Melbourne during the early 1990s.
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Pick a South Yarra property: footy card seller Grant Copley lists

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Canberra’s heritage-listed Sydney Building on London Circuit, formerly a Fletcher Jones department store for 50 years, has been passed in at auction.
A spokesperson for CBRE, the selling agents, said negotiations were now underway with interested parties.
The two-storey corner building (pictured below) at 91-99 London Circuit in the Canberra CBD and Northbourne Avenue, was one of the first privately constructed properties in Canberra along with the Melbourne Building, characterised by Mediterranean influenced architecture with Roman motifs, round arch ways, arcade walkways and formal corner entrances with both buildings being situated prominently in the heart of the CBD.
<img alt="fletcherjonesmay29one" height="280" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/05/fletcherjonesmay29one.jpg">
It offers ground floor commercial space measuring around 300 square metres with 31 square metres of street frontage.
Australian clothing manufacturer and retailer Fletcher Jones formerly inhabited the ground floor for over 50 years, ending its half-century presence in the building after the 93-year-old company went into voluntary administration at the end of 2011.
The first floor comprises four office units accessed via a separate stairwell off London Circuit. Currently two of the four units are tenanted by a psychologist and skin treatment clinic
In November last year a Malaysian investor purchased the <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/developments/malaysia-based-mammoth-empire-the-latest-asian-developer-to-take-another-piece-of-melbourne-residential-development-pie/2012120658312" target="_blank">Melbourne CBD corner premises</a> occupied for 57 years by Fletcher Jones for $11 million.
The Canberra building has recently become the base of operations for Canberra’s You Are Here Festival which showcases the capital’s experimental arts and culture scene.
Ahead of the auction, CBBRE commercial property agent Patrick Sammon who along with colleague Mark Nicholls is marketing the building, said the property’s historical significance, iconic features and prominent location has sparked significant purchasing enquiries from a range of buyers.
“The property offers wide street frontage, great signage opportunity and the potential for a quality tenant providing further exposure and rental upside for the new owner,” Mr Sammon said.
The property was last sold in 1998 for $2,115,000.

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Fletcher Jones Canberra store passed in at auction

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Beech Forest, located 43 kilometres south of Colac on the northern edge of the scenic Otway Ranges and largely known for potato farming, offers green pastures for potential buyers looking for the ultimate experience in country and farm living.
A typical farm currently on the market is a five bedroom house with a mixed farm <a target="_blank" href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/245-phillips-track-beech-forest/Property-Details-buy-residential-3601221">property</a> covering 72 hectares with an asking price of $1.25 million.
The farm comes with 3 large machinery sheds, silon and unused dairy.
A second <a target="_blank" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-livestock-vic-beech+forest-7396421">farm</a> listed with an asking price of $900,000 is a 70 hectare property with a recently renovated three bedroom brick veneer home.
The farm comes with two large hay/machinery sheds including calf rearing sheds as well as a 20 unit swing over dairy with a 120 tonne silo capacity with backup generator. The dairy is fited with an Alfa Laval plant, cup removers, ‘Christopher’ stall gates, ‘Coweld’ feed system and a 12,500 litre vat.
The location was put on the map after the then resident Cliff Young, became the winner of the Westfield Sydney to Melbourne Ultra marathon in 1983 at the age of 61 years.
The Beech Forest potato farm formerly owned by the late ultra-marathon runner Cliff Young, was been put up for sale this month with an asking price of $395,000.
With over 100 fruit trees, plus raspberries and strawberries the property has been run as certified organic for the past 12 years.
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/gumboot-jogger-cliff-young-s-former-beech-forest-potato-farm-for-sale/2013052461624?utm_source=po&amp;utm_medium=aida&amp;utm_campaign=news">It was bought from Cliff Young in 2001, two years before his death in Queensland, for $84,000</a>.
The ABC will be <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-05-22/telemovie-pays-tribute-to-cliff-young/4705644">screening the telemovie this Sunday</a>, Cliffy on Young’s journey from potato farmer to a Sydney-Melbourne ultra-marathon runner at the age of 61.
  
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Beech Forest, the Colac district farming location, put on the map by the potato farmer Cliff Young

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The Beech Forest potato farm formerly owned by the late ultra-marathon runner Cliff Young, has been put up for sale this month with an asking price of $395,000.
Cliff Young (pictured below) owned the six hectare farm when he undertook his historic marathon race 30 years ago which was shortly followed by his five year marriage to Mary Howell.
<img height="481" width="350" src="/images/stories/2013/05/cliffyoungmay24one.jpg" alt="cliffyoungmay24one">
Its located 17 kms south of Colac in the northern Otway Ranges.
<img height="346" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/05/cliffyoungmay24two.jpg" alt="cliffyoungmay24two">
The state forest is on its eastern boundary known as The Beechy Rail Trail.
The 6.7 hectare farm comes with simple two bedroom cottage. Cliff Young lived with his brother Sid there before marrying Mary Howell in 1984, when he was 62 and she was 23.
With over 100 fruit trees, plus raspberries and strawberries the property has been run as certified organic for the past 12 years.
It was bought from Cliff Young in 2001, two years before his death in Queensland, for $84,000. The title transfer shows Mary Howell as the witness to the 2001 documentation.
It had been the home of his father before Cliff ran the farm which is at Kawarren near the township of Gellibrand.
In 1992 Cliff Young bought a two hectare property in Queensland's Barkers Creek near Nanango for $16,600. It was sold for $6,700 in 1998.
The ABC will be <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-05-22/telemovie-pays-tribute-to-cliff-young/4705644">screening the telemovie this Sunday</a>, Cliffy on Young’s journey from potato farmer to a Sydney-Melbourne ultra-marathon runner at the age of 61. Kevin Harrington, the actor plays Cliffy.
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-lifestyle-vic-kawarren-7532295">It has been listed by LJ Hooker Colac agent Wayne Mackrell.</a> It has also been listed on Gumtree by its Coburg owner Paul Simmons at a reduced rate of $375,000, the price lower presumably without any agent's commission fee.
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Gumboot jogger Cliff Young's former Beech Forest potato farm for sale - now producing raspberries and strawberries

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A former State Savings Bank which has been used as a set for the 2003 film Ned Kelly and featured in the Australian classic Mad Max was auctioned last weekend in the regional Victorian town of Clunes.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-clunes-113572131" target="_blank">The property</a>, which had been marketed by Jo Millar from AAG Property Consultants, was passed in at a bid of $550,000.
Constructed of rendered triple brick and built circa 1871, the building sits on a 794-square-metre block and has four bedrooms with a study, retail space with original cedar bank counter, cellar and bank vault.
Retaining its period style characteristics, the residence is a throwback to the past with its pressed metal ceilings, marble fireplaces, living area and maid’s room complete with bell and a cloak room. Downstairs the property has a kitchen, bank chambers, manager’s sitting room, the original steel plated walk in vault and a private backyard complemented by a 100-year-old pear tree.
Potential residents can also expect the stalwart security typical of banks with a monitored alarm system and CCTV cameras on the property.
Located 36 kilometres north of Ballarat, Clunes was home to Victoria’s first registered gold discovery by James Esmond which later paved the way for the establishment of the township and the first gold rush in Victoria.
Clunes is recognised as one of the most architecturally intact gold towns in the state, with the area producing up to 1.2 million ounces of gold from the 1850s through to 1893.
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Former bank used as a set for the film Ned Kelly, with a door signed by Heath Ledger, auctioned in Clunes

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Marina Adelaide, South Australia’s only fully integrated marine precinct, has hit the market offering a rare opportunity to invest in the rapidly growing area of Largs North.

Situated just 17 kilometres from the Adelaide CBD, the marina covers 133,610 square metres with a further 31,663 square metres available for development.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/05/marinamay20two.jpg" width="470" height="317" alt="marinamay20two">

CBRE’s Ben Younger and Philip Rundle are in charge of the sales campaign.

Mr Rundle said Marina Adelaide represented a significant investment opportunity which would appeal to both interstate and offshore investors.
The leasehold offers buyers the option to purchase as either a whole or partial sale with the added opportunity to acquire up to a 50% equity share in Marina Adelaide Pty Ltd.
The state-of-the-art ISO 14001 certified marina boasts refueling facilities, extensive boat storage, shipyard facilities and boat ramps, as well as commercial, retail and industrial precincts.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/05/marinamay20one.jpg" width="470" height="215" alt="marinamay20one">

While state government body Renewal SA own the freehold, Marina Adelaide Pty Ltd have negotiated a one-off upfront sum for a leasehold term in the land for a 75-year term, meaning no annual rental payments are required for the entire 75-year period since 2007.
Younger said the property still has development opportunities available with current approvals for the development of dry stack facilities, boat storage, office, retail, cafe and service buildings.
With Adelaide Marina’s close proximity to the inner-harbour area of Port Adelaide, currently undergoing a major makeover in the $1.5 billion Newport Quays project, the area is expected to become home to nearly 4,000 new residents earmarking the marina precinct for significant future growth.
Expressions of interest close on May 23.
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Marina Adelaide hits the market

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The regional Queensland town Bundaberg has been recording lower vacancy rates thanks to its proximity to Gina Rinehart's mining activities.
According to the Real Estate Institute of Queensland, <a target="_blank" href="/news">Bundaberg</a> experienced a significant drop in vacancy rates, down to 0.8% from 2.4% last December and from 3.3% in March last year.
The shift was partly due to the floods caused by ex-tropical cyclone Oswald back in January 2013, although it's expected Bundaberg’s vacancy rates could be further impacted after a recently discovered coking coal deposit measuring 28.5 million tonnes was found earlier this year in Avalon, 25 kilometres northwest of Bundaberg. 

REIQ’s March residential rental vacancy rate survey showed the influence resource companies can have on regional rental markets.
“Mackay and Gladstone both recorded significant increases in vacancy rates as at the end of March due to less demand for rental properties from mining companies, and an element of increases in the supply of rental stock,” REIQ CEO Anton Kardash said.
With vacancy rates at 3% considered the general median for supply and demand, Queensland had four regional towns including Bundaberg that fell well below the average.
The rental market saw mixed results across Queensland for the first quarter of 2013.
The survey indicated Hervey Bay was down to 1.6% after a drastic drop from 4.3% and Gympie Regional saw a drop from 2.7% to 1.8% while the Toowoomba region retained its mantle as one of the tightest rental markets in the state at 0.8% down from 1.0% at the end of 2012.
A sample of the Bundaberg rental market from REIQ.com shows several affordable and family friendly houses including an 809-square-metre property on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reiq.com/House/for-rent/bundaberg/2487465.aspx">Barolin Street</a> with four bedrooms and one bathroom for $340 per week.
Also on the market is a 799-square-metre property at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reiq.com/House/for-rent/bundaberg/2475412.aspx">Griffith Street</a> with five bedrooms, two bathrooms and two car bays for $360 per week.
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Mining activity sees vacancy rate drop in Bundaberg

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For those who enjoy the odd drop and have a lazy million dollars at hand, there's six vineyards presently for sale which might fit the bill.
The sample of winery listings currently on sale at realestate.com.au with revealed prices range from the $480,000 mark up to $5.5 million-plus.
Two of the listings have been listed by the wine company, Brown Brothers. They come without price guides.
White Hills (pictured below), situated in the picturesque Tamar Valley in Tasmania just 15 kilometres from Launceston, headlines the available vineyards for sale.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/05/vineyardmay14two.jpg" width="470" height="173" alt="vineyardmay14two">
It is Tasmania’s third largest vineyard and was bought from the timber company Gunns in 2010.

The 82-hectare property currently produces Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Reisling, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer.

Also available through Brown Brothers is Whitlands (pictured below) in King Valley, Victoria.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/05/vineyardmay14one.jpg" width="470" height="174" alt="vineyardmay14one">
It is located 40 kilometres from Wangaratta. The vineyard already has 57 hectares planted and producing Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio and Meunier, with another 30 hectares of the property still available to develop.
Brown Brothers chief executive Ronald Wahlquist has commented that the sales are part of a company restructure after facing a shrinking export market in Europe caused by the high Australian dollar.
Offers are due on the Brown Brothers listings by May 10 with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wineryforsale.com.au/for-sale/brown-brothers-vineyards">Toby Langley and Stephen Strachan of Gaetjens Langley</a>.

Elsewhere, Colliers International is selling a number of premium vineyards in Krondorf, located in South Australia’s prominent wine region, the Barossa Valley.

<a target="_blank" href="https://rea.colliers.com.au/property-viticulture-sa-krondorf-7536015">The listing is comprised of four lots</a> (pictured below) which can be purchased separately or as a portfolio with offers due with its Colliers agents Tim Altschwager and Jesse Manuel by May 23.
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/2013/05/may14vineyards]}
The St Vincent vineyard is a 20.94 hectare property, with 14.3 hectares of vines, including 9.9 hectares of shiraz vines.

Tschirpig is an 8.67 hectare property with 2.5 hectares of vines, the Augusta Shiraz block is 2.364 hectares with 1.7 hectares of shiraz vines and the Augusta Grenache block has 6.216 hectares with 1.7 hectares of grenache vines.

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Six vineyards for sale that might tempt those fond of the odd drop

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Non-bank lender State Custodians has passed on Tuesday's Reserve Bank interest rate cut  in full across all its variable home loan products.

Its peak performance home loan will reduce to 4.74%, one of the lowest offerings in the market.
“The peak performance loan comes with a free 100% offset account – this helps our customers to further reduce the interest they pay," says CEO Heidi Armstrong.
"In addition we’re increasing the acceptable loan to value ratio (LVR) from 75% to 80% – and making the loan available for both refinances and purchases."
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State Custodians pass on full rate cut with 4.74% high deposit offering

Apartment buyers in New South Wales are set to gain a decade of insurance-backed protection against major building defects, after the NSW Parliament passed the Fair Trading and Building Legislation Amendment Bill 2026.&nbsp;

The Bill establishes decennial defect insurance, known in the market as Latent Defects Insurance (LDI), as an alternative to the existing two-year strata building bond. It cleared the Legislative Council with amendments on Tuesday evening (August 4, 2026), with the Legislative Assembly agreeing to those amendments shortly after.

Under the reform, eligible developers can satisfy their statutory bond obligation by taking out an approved decennial-style policy that gives owners 10 years of cover for major structural defects from completion, claimable directly, without first having to pursue developers or builders through costly legal action.&nbsp;

The change forms the final tranche of amendments arising from the 2021 statutory review of the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 and related legislation.

Resilience Insurance, which originated the cover in Australia and has delivered it in NSW since 2022, welcomed the passage and credited the NSW Government for delivering it.

“This is protection apartment buyers have needed for a long time, and the credit for delivering it belongs to the NSW Government,”&nbsp;said Corey Nugent, CEO of Resilience Insurance.

“Minister Chanthivong and his team have shown real leadership in replacing an outdated two-year bond with cover that matches the lifespan of the buildings people are buying into. Reform like this is what good, evidence-based regulation looks like.”

Resilience has delivered LDI in NSW since 2022, protecting thousands of apartments, giving the State, and now the country, real-world evidence of how decade-long, no-fault protection works in practice.

The reform also places NSW within a wider national shift.

NSW is the third jurisdiction to put decennial cover into law. The ACT legislated for it in 2024, with the scheme taking effect in late 2025, and Victoria passed its own framework on 17 June. Between them, the three cover the majority of Australia's apartment market.

The reform commences once the legislation is proclaimed, which is expected in the coming weeks. From that point, developers of Class 2 residential apartment buildings can meet their statutory obligation with an approved decennial policy in place of the bond.

Buyers who purchased into projects that took out the cover early are among the first in the country to take keys to apartments carrying decade-long structural protection.

“With the legislation passed, the focus now turns to making it work for buyers,”&nbsp;Nugent said.

“There are already thousands of apartments in NSW covered by this insurance, bought by developers who moved early. The question every buyer should be asking in a display suite is a simple one: does this building come with 10-year defect cover, and who stands behind it?&nbsp;

“We look forward to working with the Government and the Building Commission in coming weeks as the framework moves to implementation, and to sharing what we have learned over the past four years so the protection reaches owners as smoothly and quickly as possible.”

Other states are working through their own reform programs. Western Australia has indicated that decennial cover is within consideration a later stage of its reform sequence, and Queensland has been examining the settings as it looks at the development pipeline ahead of the 2032 Olympics.

Resilience Insurance acknowledges the NSW Government’s continued focus on strengthening consumer protection while supporting housing delivery across the State.

Fast Facts: What the reform means

<ul style="color:#222222; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:small; font-style:normal; font-variant-ligatures:normal; font-weight:400; text-align:start; white-space:normal; background-color:#ffffff; text-decoration-thickness:initial; text-decoration-style:initial; text-decoration-color:initial">
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">Proven at scale:&nbsp;Decennial cover has operated in NSW since 2022, protecting thousand of apartments.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">10 years of cover:&nbsp;Protection for major structural defects runs for a decade from completion, claimable directly and with no legal action required.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">An alternative to the bond:&nbsp;Eligible developers can meet their statutory obligation with an approved decennial-style policy in place of the 2% strata building bond.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">Part of a national shift:&nbsp;The ACT has had decennial provisions in force since 2025 and Victoria passed its framework in June. NSW now joins them.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">No-fault, first resort:&nbsp;Owners corporations claim directly from the insurer without first having to establish who is liable for the defect.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">Cost-competitive:&nbsp;At approximately 1.8% of build cost, LDI is typically priced below the 2% bond while offering broader, longer protection.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">Market position:&nbsp;Resilience originated LDI in Australia and has delivered it in NSW since 2022.</li>
</ul>

Fast Facts: What is Resilience LDI?

<ul style="color:#222222; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:small; font-style:normal; font-variant-ligatures:normal; font-weight:400; text-align:start; white-space:normal; background-color:#ffffff; text-decoration-thickness:initial; text-decoration-style:initial; text-decoration-color:initial">
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">Resilience Latent Defects Insurance (LDI):&nbsp;Covers major structural defects for 10 years from completion.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">Consumer-first:&nbsp;Direct claim access, no need for lengthy legal action.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">Cost advantage:&nbsp;At approximately 1.8% of build cost, LDI is typically priced below the traditional 2% Strata Bond while offering broader protection.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">Market leader:&nbsp;&nbsp;Resilience Insurance originated LDI in Australia and is the national market leader.</li>
</ul>

Joel Robinson

NSW parliament passes 10-year defect insurance laws for new apartment buyers

Developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/drew-group">Drew Group</a> is wasting little time following the completion of Lagoon Main Beach, lodging plans for another high-rise apartment development less than two kilometres away at the northern end of Surfers Paradise.

Drew Group, led by local developer Jon Drew, is pitching for a 32-storey residential tower at 180–184 Ferny Avenue, replacing three low-rise buildings on a prominent 1,055 sqm corner site just 150 metres from the beach.

Drew called on architecture firm&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/bda-architecture">BDA</a>&nbsp;to design the new slender tower, which will have 130 apartments. BDA drew on the inspiration of legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright's philosophy of organic architecture, which seeks "a superior sense of use and a finer sense of comfort, expressed in organic simplicity."

"The design creates a seamless dialogue between built form, natural elements, and the iconic Surfers Paradise context," BDA wrote in the application recently submitted to the Gold Coast City Council.<img alt="First look: Drew Group eyes next Gold Coast tower after completing Lagoon Main Beach" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5dcaa84d-67ba-4e22-b8f1-208ca5056b05" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/surfers%20paradise%20da.png?VersionId=Ah9oBOlL0ofC5eboXSI.dEq9VRfEnFaT" />

BDA also drew inspiration from New York's iconic Flatiron Building, with softened curved corners responding to the geometry of the triangular site. While referencing the 1902 Manhattan landmark, the design reinterprets its distinctive form through a contemporary coastal lens.

Drew is targeting the Gold Coast's "missing middle" market, a segment that has arguably been underserved in recent years. The project is weighted towards owner-occupiers, with 104 two-bedroom apartments complemented by a further 26 one-bedroom residences.

Resident amenity will be centred on the level five podium, featuring a resident lounge, gym, yoga room, steam room, sauna, lap pool with a lagoon area, spa, cold plunge and magnesium plunge.&nbsp;

Additional resident facilities will occupy the rooftop, including work-from-home spaces, a meeting room, resident lounge with a full kitchen, bar and dining area, as well as a dedicated wellness zone with additional plunge pools, steam rooms and saunas.

<img alt="First look: Drew Group eyes next Gold Coast tower after completing Lagoon Main Beach" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a1392ad9-620b-41f9-957d-b1fcec13613f" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/surfers%20da%20podium.png?VersionId=9kDudIwvCaZFW6F8IyXGP6wQg0B_VS3E" />

The application follows the completion of Drew Group's Lagoon Main Beach, which only has around four apartments left to sell after a successful sales and marketing campaign.

Built by Hutchinson Builders, Lagoon comprises 248 apartments and was popular with local owner-occupiers and interstate buyers.

First look: Drew Group eyes next Gold Coast tower after completing Lagoon Main Beach

Builder-developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/mcnab-developments">McNab</a> has wasted little time reshaping one of South Brisbane's most significant undeveloped apartment sites after acquiring the property earlier this year.&nbsp;

McNab has lodged plans to scrap an existing approval for two 30-storey towers and instead deliver a single 28-storey residential building, preserving part of the site for a future development opportunity.

The proposal, lodged over <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/64-peel-street-south-brisbane-qld-4101">64 Peel Street and 9 Cordelia Street</a>, is for a residential-led mixed-use development comprising 124 apartments above a landscaped podium, alongside a boundary realignment that preserves part of the land for a future residential project.

<img alt="First look: McNab resets decade-old South Brisbane approval with 124-apartment tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="743bf564-3f8f-45fc-b8d3-bbf18f5b628f" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/mcnab%20Peel%20st%20podium.png?VersionId=EhCxGrVn_VFH3qTbKnI4WppGwaMnOn0t" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/hayball">Hayball</a>, the development will deliver 119 two-bedroom and five three-bedroom apartments across 23 residential levels. A five-level podium will accommodate 135 car spaces, while the ground floor will include a 66 sqm commercial tenancy, an activated residential lobby with work-from-home spaces, and a publicly accessible landscaped plaza linking Cordelia and Peel streets.&nbsp;

Communal amenities will span Level 6 and the rooftop, including indoor and outdoor recreation spaces, a swimming pool, barbecue facilities, kitchen and dining areas, lawn space, sauna, steam room and yoga facilities.

The application also proposes a boundary realignment to create a standalone 1,290 sqm development lot while retaining an adjacent parcel for future redevelopment, allowing the balance of the site to contribute additional housing over time.

Hayball said the architecture has been shaped by the site's elevated corner position at the intersection of Peel and Cordelia streets and Brisbane's subtropical climate.

The design incorporates generous landscaped setbacks, a masonry podium wrapped with planting, large north-facing balconies, and a slender tower profile intended to maximise natural light, cross ventilation and long-range views. The rooftop has been conceived as a wellness-focused retreat overlooking Brisbane, with amenities positioned to capture views towards Mount Coot-tha and the CBD.

<img alt="First look: McNab resets decade-old South Brisbane approval with 124-apartment tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c5f99e84-6ad8-4a87-82d1-869685b754d2" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/mcnab%20tower%20perspective.png?VersionId=Gw0IuJaSAlk.tvGBxInhZOcQAdIB..2b" />

The planning submission positions the proposal as a response to both changing market conditions and Brisbane's Kurilpa Sustainable Growth Precinct planning reforms.

McNab acquired the site after the previous approval was granted, with the existing scheme no longer reflecting current residential market demands, economic conditions, construction challenges, construction efficiencies or the quality of development outcome now being pursued, the planning report noted.

McNab continues to expand its residential development pipeline across Brisbane and the Gold Coast. The developer recently launched The Tannery in West End, securing more than 60 per cent of apartments before the project's public release. It is also delivering Elements Budds Beach in Surfers Paradise and Lucia Highgate Hill, an eight-apartment boutique development overlooking the Brisbane River.

McNab resets decade-old South Brisbane approval with 124-apartment tower

A steeply sloping Bellevue Hill site is set to accommodate a new mid-rise apartment development, with plans lodged for 20 homes that respond to the site's dramatic topography.

The proposal for the consolidated land at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/138a-140-bellevue-road-bellevue-hill-nsw-2023">138A-140 Bellevue Road</a> has been designed by Sydney architecture practice Common Office, which has used the site’s substantial fall to distribute the building’s scale and unlock 20 apartments without presenting the full height to the street.&nbsp;

“The unique design strategy leverages the site’s substantial topographical fall to facilitate increased density, presenting a seven-storey profile to Bellevue Road while rising to 10 storeys at the rear,” Common Office said in its architectural design report.

The apartment mix spans one, two, three- and four-bedroom residences. Four two-bedroom apartments are designated as affordable housing, while the plans also include two adaptable dwellings. The mix is majority three-beds, with the typical three-bed apartment offering around 144 sqm internally, with balconies of around 15 sqm.

The affordable housing component represents 15 per cent of the residential floor area and allows the project to access additional height and floor space under the NSW Government’s in-fill affordable housing provisions. The site also falls within the inner area of the Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy because it is within 400 metres walking distance of Double Bay Town Centre.

<img alt="First Look: Plans lodged for topography-led affordable housing project in Bellevue Hill" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b1230d0f-3bfa-4a11-abaf-0928c66ef345" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Bellevue%20da.png?VersionId=dZeMK3P.OutGjN8ycjsxm8uNsj_QFWQv" />

Common Office has arranged the building around a masonry podium and a lighter upper volume, drawing on two recurring elements of Bellevue Hill’s established architecture: sandstone bases and the vertical proportions of local Inter-war Art Deco apartment buildings.

“The proposal is governed by a holistic design language that reconciles the solid horizontal masonry of the neighbourhood’s podiums with the elegant verticality of its Art Deco heritage,” the architect said.

“The building maintains a consistent rhythmic logic utilising deep recesses and a sophisticated material transition to break down the 10-storey scale into a series of articulated, human-scale volumes.”

<img alt="First Look: Plans lodged for topography-led affordable housing project in Bellevue Hill" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0147f503-1af1-4d51-97fb-c2f1cba63a9d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Bellevue%20bldg.png?VersionId=GoW7q3NlK67OpnePXhk7zvklrlKb72Qc" />

Large-format sandstone tiles will define the lower levels, establishing a robust base that negotiates the change in elevation from Bellevue Road. Above, red-tinted precast concrete frames, recessed balconies, anodised aluminium screens and expanded metal details will create a more vertically expressed façade. Integrated planter beds will introduce greenery across balcony edges and recessed sections of the building.

The elongated northern façade has been divided into three recessed vertical masses to reduce its perceived length. Triangular window elements and metal privacy screens reference the geometry of nearby Art Deco buildings while controlling overlooking toward surrounding homes. The southern elevation will incorporate further privacy screening, landscaped edges and deep balconies to maintain light and ventilation.

<img alt="First Look: Plans lodged for topography-led affordable housing project in Bellevue Hill" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e8679cf1-18bc-4447-8a0f-0052b94ab83c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Bellevue%20da%20rooftop.png?VersionId=5SQqQqRFf76rvE2p1TbxJSweMN70AIbc" />

Private and communal landscaping is distributed throughout the development. A landscaped garden apartment is positioned within the lower portion of the site, while a communal terrace on Level 5 will include a central timber deck, barbecue facilities, resident planting plots and areas for outdoor dining and informal gatherings.

Common Office described the terrace as an elevated sanctuary designed to capture district views and sunlight. Its planting strategy incorporates endemic species associated with the Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub, extending the landscape vertically through the building and providing habitat for local flora and fauna.

A second communal outdoor area is proposed at roof level, with built-in seating, paved gathering areas and perimeter planting.

Bellevue Hill is enjoying renewed momentum in the new apartment market, with several boutique developments recently launched and currently under construction. Positive Investment Enterprise is delivering the 16-apartment Kew Palm House on Birriga Road, while Chanine Developments is also under construction at Florian, a 36-apartment project on Banksia Road.

&nbsp;

Bellevue Hill is enjoying renewed momentum in the new apartment market, with several boutique developments recently launched and currently under construction.

First Look: Apartment development pitched for Bellevue Hill, Double Bay fringe

South Brisbane's apartment pipeline continues to build momentum, with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/trk-property-group">TRK Property Group</a> lodging plans for a 161-apartment tower on Montague Road as developers accelerate investment across the Kurilpa Sustainable Growth Precinct.

The proposal for 176–186 Montague Road would replace an existing office building with a 20-storey residential tower designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cox-architecture">COX Architecture</a>, adding to a growing pipeline of high-density projects reshaping one of Brisbane's fastest-evolving inner-city precincts.

The project has been conceived as a "living building", featuring a flowing tower form, extensive vertical landscaping, and generous communal spaces that respond to the evolving Kurilpa Sustainable Growth Precinct.

TRK Property Group Development Director Matt Kan said the project reflected the confidence developers have in South Brisbane's long-term future.

"South Brisbane is entering an incredibly exciting period, and we see Montague Road sitting right at the heart of that evolution," Kan said.

"With the former Visy site directly opposite us and significant investment planned throughout the broader Kurilpa precinct, there is a real sense of momentum around this part of the city and what it will become over the coming years.

"For TRK, this is an opportunity to be part of that next chapter and deliver a project that responds to where the precinct is heading, while contributing to the continued evolution of Brisbane's river edge."

<img alt="First look: TRK Property joins South Brisbane apartment surge with Montague Road tower plans" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="590fe1ad-f892-4446-a679-80e33a16d029" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/TRK%20tower%20facade.png?VersionId=uOJStrcKpyHFcPE1w6_9SMAFzVMCcZll" />

The scheme includes a mix of one, two, three and four-bedroom apartments, incorporating multi-purpose rooms in selected residences to provide additional flexibility for home offices or expanded living areas. The proposed mix comprises 15 one-bedroom, 13 one-bedroom plus MPR, 73 two-bedroom, 26 two-bedroom plus MPR, 30 three-bedroom, and four four-bedroom apartments.

Rather than adopting a conventional rectilinear tower, COX Architecture has developed a sculpted form inspired by the movement of the Brisbane River.

"The proposal has been designed by COX Architecture as a 'living building' that responds to the site's riverine setting, floodplain history and evolving urban context within the Kurilpa Sustainable Growth Precinct," the planning report states.

"The architectural form draws from the fluid nature of the Brisbane River, with a curved and undulating tower form that creates a varied architectural edge and avoids a conventional rectilinear tower expression."

The podium has also been designed as an architectural feature rather than a conventional parking structure, with cascading planting, screening and natural-toned materials softening its appearance. Resident parking is elevated above ground level to address the site's flood constraints, while habitable apartments sit above flood planning levels. Upper-level communal facilities are designed to accommodate shelter-in-place arrangements during major flood events.

<img alt="First look: TRK Property joins South Brisbane apartment surge with Montague Road tower plans" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="01fa15d0-90df-46c7-9555-7941fc45373c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/TRK%20podium.png?VersionId=mHyua.w1pHGBt9qEdWzrlsv.leztUCwO" />

Communal amenity is a major focus of the proposal. Around 1,815 sqm of shared resident space is proposed across the ground floor, level 19 and the rooftop, including co-working areas, indoor and outdoor recreation spaces, wellness facilities, dining and gathering areas, lawn spaces, a rooftop pool and spa, and extensive landscaping. At street level, a landscaped forecourt and approximately 345 sqm of publicly accessible open space along Montague Road are intended to improve the pedestrian experience while activating the building's frontage.

The development will provide 163 car spaces, including 152 resident bays and 11 visitor spaces, together with 144 bicycle spaces incorporating resident storage, visitor parking, bicycle maintenance facilities and e-mobility charging infrastructure.

The site sits within one of Brisbane's fastest-changing inner-city precincts, less than two kilometres from the CBD and within easy reach of South Bank, West End, the Queensland Cultural Centre and extensive public transport connections. The Kurilpa Sustainable Growth Precinct planning framework is encouraging higher-density residential development to help meet Brisbane's housing supply targets while supporting walkable, transit-oriented neighbourhoods.

Glenn Dwyer

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