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For sale signs have again appeared at the record-setting Woolwich riverfront mansion which last sold for more than $11 million in 2007.
The five-bedroom, six-bathroom Italianate home with a pool, beach, jetty and pontoon has been listed for August 29 expressions of interest through David Ward at Ward Partners.
<img src="/images/stories/woolwich2.jpg">
It had previously been scheduled for May 7 auction by the National Australia Bank, which had repossessed the Angelo Street house. But it was pulled from auction after internal water damage.
In April police investigated a break-in at the property during which taps in the kitchen and several of the six bathrooms were left running for days, causing serious damage. Just before the first scheduled opening for inspection, the real estate agents arrived to find the house awash.
As a result, the five-bedroom mansion, with its manicured gardens, was withdrawn from its scheduled May auction.T he water damage was the latest development in the intriguing real estate saga, which has been the talk of the prestigious Hunters Hill peninsula.
Just before Christmas 2010 Judy Obeid, the wife of the recently retired NSW Labor powerbroker Eddie Obeid, entered into a contract to buy the property from the mobile phone seller Mick Hakim.
The off-market transaction was cloaked in secrecy with the Hunters Hill peninsula rife with whispers about the deal.
"My wife has exchanged on the property but it hasn't settled yet," Eddie Obeid told the SMH after being spotted overseeing the watering of the gardenias at the property.
But the sale at an unconfirmed $8.5 million price unravelled, as Hakim’s financiers sought to control the sale process.
<img src="/images/stories/woolwich3.jpg">
For much of 2010 the house had been on the market with a price tag of $13.5 million.
Some 14 groups attended the July 30 2011 open for inspection.
“We are under instructions from NAB to sell the property by expression of Interest closing 5pm on August 29, noting that the previous sale in 2007 was $11,005,000,” David Ward noted.
“The property is looking in good shape with full security in place and several good offers have already been submitted,” he says.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Record-setting Woolwich riverfront mansion back on the market as saga continues

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Melbourne General Cemetery has listed a cathedral-style burial vault with an asking price of $155,000 plus.
Built in 1866, the octagonal structure it is being offered as a burial site for the first time. It is one of the eight historic rotundas within the Carlton cemetery that provided visitors with shade during their visits.
The final pricing is currently with the Department of Health, and it is envisaged to be more than $155,000. The price was initially gazetted at $200,000 by the Department of Health but has since been reviewed. 
It has some 300,000 neighbours.
With the typical mausoleum crypts sale yielding about $33,000, the cemetery trustees acknowledged the decision to convert the rotunda followed “the virtually instantaneous sale of two cathedral-style vaults at St Kilda Cemetery".
Nicole Stow from Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust says nearby graves include one of the founders of Melbourne, John Pascoe Fawkner.
The ornate plot has enough space for two graves.
<img src="/images/stories/cemetery2.jpg">
The vault sits on 10th Avenue in the heart of the cemetery. A striking piece of granite now seals the vault and allows for commemoration.
"With the current construction of the Saint Mary of the Cross Mausoleum at Melbourne soon to be completed providing  a number of  new interment options, we have been going through a process of reviewing  all of our prices," Stow says.
"The price takes into account the cost to install the concrete lined burial vault which is finished off with a piece of granite, the cost to refurbish the Summer House rotunda and the cost to  maintain the structure and surrounding area in perpetuity.
"Given there are seven other summer houses within the grounds, if there was a demand in the future more could be converted into another vault.
"The two Cathedral Style vaults sold at St Kilda Cemetery in 2008 were slightly different  structures, but similar in that they were a pavilion-style building, which sold for approximately $156,000."
In 2009-2010, revenue from cemetery operations was $17.2 million ($24.8 million in 2008-09), with operating costs totalling $14.1 million, resulting in an operations surplus of $3.1 million.
Income from its investment portfolio generated $3.7 million compared with a 2008-09 loss of $19.1 million, reflecting the partial recovery of the equities market and the realisation of some investments.
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Cemetery offering for close to $200,000: Grave concerns over Melbourne affordability

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Some 25,000 plus people turned up to The Block’s initial weekend open for inspections, taking the opportunity to inspect the four listed Richmond properties.
The wait at the weekend open for sections was up to four hours.
And on Sunday night MasterChef only narrowly beat The Block for top spot in the ratings.
Channel Ten’s food show pipped Nine’s reality program by 7,000 viewers, winning the night with 1.731 million.
The four cottages have been listed for August 20 auction.
In 2003 fewer, but still thousands of people flocked to the open for inspections of the Bondi Beach units in the first series, with the estate agents challenged by sorting the genuine buyers from the show’s fans.
It’s the first of the four series to be held in Melbourne, with the fifth series of The Block also set for Melbourne, after the television show production company spending some $3,025,000 on four unrenovated Dorcas Street, South Melbourne terraces.
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Thousands flock to The Block opens

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Amelika, the bespoke Byron Bay hinterland property designed by architect Sharon Fraser in the white-box architectural style, has been sold. It was initially listed with $7 million-plus expectations in late 2009, and more recently marketed with a revised $4.95 million asking price.
It has been bought at an undisclosed price by Sydney businessman Tom Lane and his wife, Emma. Tom is from the Lane family, founders of the Oroton fashion empire, but left the family business about five years ago and runs Quicksmart Homes, which specialises in accommodation modules.
Byron Bay’s prestige market had been slow, with just one sale above $4.75 million in 2010, but in 2011 there have now been several sales including Sussan fashion chain executive chairwoman Naomi Milgrom expanding her holding with a $6.2 million acquisition. The 1,200-square-metre property was adjacent to her $4.75 million acquisition in 2007.
About the same time the 8.49-hectare Broken Head holding of the Smorgon family was sold for $6.3 million to the former WorleyParsons executive Russell Staley.
The Lanes’ acquisition, a single-level house, was built in 2006 on a flat block of land at Federal after the purchase by Fraser’s partner, Steve Esson, in 2005.
Only a 100-year-old cudgerie tree blocks any of the 360-degree views of the northern NSW coastline and surrounds.
The 10-hectare holding comes with two Minimalist sculptures by Melbourne artist Peter McLisky, a bore, windmill and dairy converted to an artist's studio.
There is also an 18-metre pool. It has been available at $7000 plus a week rental.
The building's green initiatives include solar-heated hydronic underfloor heating in its polished-cement floor and on-site waste management. It has retractable shading on external western walls that double as mosquito screens.
Amelika had been listed through Unique Estates agent Nicolette van Wijngaarden.
Melbourne's Smorgon family, who made their fortune in steel manufacturing, sold through Graham Dunn of Byron Bay Property Sales. Melbourne's Smorgon family secured approval for an eight-bedroom, Kerry Hill-designed house. With 460 metres of beachfront, the 8.49-hectare holding had been bought for $5.02 million in 2005 from actor Paul Hogan and long-time colleagues John Cornell and Allan Johnston, who had paid $265,000 in 1983.
It was 2006 when the publishing magnate Stephen Bush and his wife, Rachael, sold their Wategos Beach property for a record-breaking $15.68 million in 2006 to Sydney businessman Danny Goldberg. It then ranked as the best house on Wategos Beach, the small pocket beneath Cape Byron Lighthouse. Wategos House, a six-bedroom colonial-style property, had previously sold at $2.09 million in 2000 when bought by the Bushes. The 1500-square-metre Marine Parade property with a large front lawn overlooking the beach with landscaped tropical gardens had traded at $1770 in the late 1960s.
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Byron Bay prestige market shows signs of life

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Thologolong Homestead, the 1927 Upper Murray Valley holding that pioneered the Murray Grey breed of cattle, has been listed for August 11 auction by Elders.
It’s the homestead built for Keith Sutherland and his wife, Helen, who pioneered the Murray Grey breed of cattle.
Self-taught in genetics, Helen bred the strain of cattle in the 1930s.
The Thologolong property, near Wodonga, has remained in the Sutherland family long after Helen's death in 1986.
Set on Murray River Road, the heritage listed house sits on a 344-hectare property with 40 paddocks. It regularly carries 150 breeders.
The four-bedroom timber homestead was built beside the Murray River of hardwood felled and milled on the property.
It consists of a 10-roomed house, a stable and loft, and a worker's cottage.
The builder was Frank Turner of Albury.
In the 1930s Helen Sutherland developed the Murray Grey breed of cattle from mulberry-coloured animals that had appeared in the Aberdeen Angus herd belonging to her husband's cousin, Peter Sutherland, since before the First World War.
It is Australia's only internationally recognised breed.
The property has been listed by Elders Albury agent Reg Coulston.
More than $1 million is being sought.
The new buyer will likely to build a new residence, leaving the non-descript current heritage-listed residence as a possible museum.
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Birthplace of Murray Grey cattle breed for sale

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{yoogallery src=[images/stories/august1neerim]}
Neerim, the six-bedroom 1920s Bowral residence, has been listed with revised price hopes. Last year there were $4.5 million-plus hopes, now the four-hectare holding has been listed by the Welsh family at $3.5 million.
In Centennial Road on the outskirts of the Bowral township, Neerim has been the southern highlands retreat for the Welsh family since the Tudor homestead was built in the 1920s. Neerim is now owned by the fourth generation of the family, who hold extensive farming properties at Molong in the central-west of NSW. It was built as the southern retreat of their relative, Peter Tait, who owned sheep and cattle stations in Queensland in the 1920s.
The two-storey residence comes with grand staircase, timber panelling, fireplaces and wide verandas. There are staff quarters adjoining the homestead. It comes with approval for the subdivision of eight building lots. It has been listed by Chris Meares and Alex Hunter from Meares and Associates in conjunction with Michael Maloney from Richardson &amp; Wrench Bowral.
 
{module 238}
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Neerim listed with revised price hopes

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<img src="/images/stories/danieljones1.jpg">
<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 5px;">Expatriate songwriter Daniel Jones and his wife, the retired Hi-5 member Kathleen de Leon, have finally sold their <a target="_blank" title="Neutral Bay" href="/news">Neutral Bay</a> harbourfront house (pictured above and below), which comes with its own beach. The sale details are still under wraps, but over the past three years the couple have found it necessary to adjust their expectations lower than the $7.7 million purchase price in 2007.
The waterfront mansion failed to attract a single bid at its late 2008 auction when the couple sought $8 million. The Gundimaine Avenue house, which was then put into the prestige lower north shore rental pool, is set in a serenely private Neutral Bay location overlooking Kurraba Point. The contemporary house comes with terraced lawns that lead to the sandy beach.
<img src="/images/stories/danieljones2.jpg">
Jones, the former Savage Garden member, pretty much left Australia in 2008 sensing he needed to work in the United States to pursue his passion for songwriting. The keyboardist and guitarist formed Savage Garden in 1993 with Darren Hayes. Between 1996 and 2001, Savage Garden sold 25 million albums and 15 million singles, topping the charts in Europe and the US market.
There are six waterfront houses on the street. Jones was born at Southend-on-Sea in Britain, but his family moved to Australia when he was less than a year old. The couple, who are spending much of their time in LA, California, met at the Logie Awards in 2000.
<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 5px;">Cameron Day, managing director of rugby union player agency The Blaze, secured $760,000 for his <a target="_blank" title="Redfern" href="/news">Redfern </a>apartment, which sold last weekend through McGrath Edgecliff agent Andrew Toohey. The three-bedroom apartment in a boutique block on George Street had been expected to fetch more than $700,000. Since Day bought the property for $460,000 in May 2003, he has renovated the kitchen and installed floating timber floors. Initially, Day lived in the apartment, but for the past few years it has been his investment property. Day established The Blaze in 2007 with his clients including Wallabies Drew Mitchell, Rob Horne and Ben Alexander.
<img src="/images/stories/bradjohnson.jpg">
<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 5px;">Former Western Bulldogs captain Brad Johnson sold his classic Victorian house in <a target="_blank" title="Williamstown" href="/news">Williamstown </a>(pictured) post-auction at undisclosed record price. It was renovated and extended about five years ago after Johnson and his wife, Donna, bought in in 2002 for $897,500. The double-fronted weatherboard house has four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a pool, a large L-shaped veranda and a double garage on its 650-square-metre block. Rendina Real Estate selling agent Lou Rendina and Compton &amp; Green Real Estate had been quoting $2.2 million. There was a vendor bid of $1.9 million and then a bid at $1.95 million, with the sale negotiated afterwards.
 
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<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 5px;">Wine industry entrepreneur Russell Leslie, a former director of Macquarie Group, and his wife, Katrina, the executive chairman of recruitment company HRX, have sold their Longueville residence. The Arabella Street property had been tipped to fetch more than $7 million. It is understood to have fetched just above $6 million. It had been listed through McGrath agent Brent Courtney. The five-bedroom, four-bathroom house, renovated since it was built in 2004, sits on a 1500-square-metre block. It last traded for $6.4 million in 2006. The harbourfront house comes with a tennis court and indoor pool. It also has a 12-seat home cinema.
It’s been a busy month for Longueville, with the executive chairman of the Macquarie Radio Network, Russell Tate, and his wife, Carole, selling their waterfront mansion for just shy of $5.8 million. The Tates, who are downsizing, bought the three-level Mediterranean-style house in 1998 for $2,775,000. The Tates had the Amalfi Place property listed with Brent Courtney with $6.6 million hopes since November 2010.
<img src="/images/stories/francishall.jpg">
<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 5px;">The penthouse in Francis Hall (pictured above), the Kings Cross apartment block has been sold for $2.8 million. It last sold at $550,000 when bought by Allan Gill in 1993, thereby reflecting 10.8% annual price growth. During its ownership the three bedrooms were converted to two bedrooms. The whole-floor unit occupied the eighth floor of the art Deco Kings Cross Road block. It was sold through Jason Boon at Richardson &amp; Wrench <a target="_blank" title="Elizabeth Bay" href="/news">Elizabeth Bay</a> agent Jason Boon.
<img src="/images/stories/lockyerbbq.jpg">
<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 5px;">Darren Lockyer, the 36-time Queensland State of Origin team hero, has listed his Brisbane house for August 6 auction. The contemporary <a target="_blank" title="Paddington" href="/news">Paddington </a>property cost $1.49 million in 2004. The five-bedroom, three-bathroom place could be expected to fetch $2 million plus based on the standard growth and decline experienced in Brisbane over the past seven years. It has been listed through Tim Douglas and Gail Miller at Place Estate Agents. Naturally it comes with barbecue facilities (pictured above) that befit any Queenslander sportsman. It was 2007 when Lockyer married Loren Pollock, his girlfriend of three years, who gave birth to their first child, Sonny James, in April 2010.
<img src="/images/stories/oneoslow.jpg">
<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 5px;">Title Tattle aims to tell you as soon as we know – often before it happens – so the word from Elizabeth Bay is that John and Jo McNiven are the mystery $9.8 million buyers of the One Onslow penthouse (pictured above) through Jason Boon at R&amp;W and Ben Stewart at CBRE. The couple recently sold their Vaucluse hillside house for about $22 million to Chinese buyer Yang Yang, who currently gives an address as a 47th-floor rental in the multi-award-winning Lumiere Apartment complex on Bathurst Street. The McNivens bought a vast investment terrace on Challis Avenue, Potts Point which is set to be the Sydney base of Melbourne retailer Chiodo.
<img src="/images/stories/rickard1.jpg">
<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 5px;">And don’t say that Title Tattle told you, but apparently Michael Caton has spent about $1.8 million on his Bondi Beach upgrade – a contemporary four-bedroom semi (pictured above). Now he has all the time in the world to lounge on the back deck. The climate change activist, star of The Castle and sage of the TV reality show Hot Property and his wife, Helen, recently sold their top-floor Sunnyhurst apartment for $938,000 through Sandy Kogan at Richardson &amp; Wrench Bondi Junction. Apparently they had minor body corporate strata issues.
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Savage Garden's Daniel Jones sells Sydney harbourfront property at last: Title Tattle

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Memo Corp, backed by the Singapore billionaire Tay Tee Peng, has emerged as the $395 million purchaser of Suncorp Plaza in Sydney.
The 259 George Street building will be added to his portfolio, which includes the Wynyard Green tower at 11 York Street bought in 2000 from the State Rail Authority and the office block at 1 Oxford Street.
Industry sources suggested Memo Corporation Australia had previously been valued with about $600 million in property holdings.
Tay Tee Peng sold the former Telecom building in Melbourne’s William Street legal district earlier this year for $45 million. The 21-storey building, known as Communications House when Telecom moved out in 1994, has been bought in 1994 for $12 million. He spent $10 million refurbishing it, but it was vacant for all its ownership. It was bought by Hengyi Australia, a local subsidiary of a Chinese property developer.
CBRE senior director of institutional investment properties Josh Cullen says the $359 million transaction was a strong result and achieved the goals of both parties.
The combined wealth of Singapore's top 40 richest rose 19% or US$8.7 billion year-on-year to US$54.4 billion, according to the latest rich list published by Forbes Asia.
This year, a minimum net worth of US$210 million was needed to qualify for the list, up from $190 million previously.
This ranking, unlike the Forbes billionaires list, includes numerous family fortunes shared with children, grandchildren or siblings.
Memo Corp was established in 1991, and now has a diverse portfolio of 16 properties.
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Singaporean billionaire the buyer of Suncorp Plaza

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The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has reportedly struck a deal with shopping centre operator Westfield Group to develop shops and restaurants in and around the World Trade Center site, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The newspaper has suggested Westfield has agreed to the terms of a deal in which it would contribute $612.5 million toward construction costs of 365,000 square feet of retail space.
In return, Westfield will get a 50% stake in the development.
“We are excited to be moving forward in partnership for the World Trade Center retail,” Westfield CEO Peter Lowy says in a statement. “We look forward to creating a world-class shopping experience for lower Manhattan and the City of New York.”
The Port Authority will cover the rest of the cost, which is expected to be $1.55 billion, with the help of a $200 million insurance payment.
Westfield intends to bring a mix of retail, from high-end stores to restaurants geared towards the growing lower Manhattan population.
With a target opening date of 2015, it is envisaged that it would be reminiscent of the design of the Time Warner Center, with the retail spread among the lower floors of office towers along Greenwich Street and underground concourses that will connect with the Santiago Calatrava-designed transit hub.
It is also expected to feature some locations with views of the memorial planned for the site.
It would mark a major upgrade from the retail at the World Trade Center before the 2001 terrorist attacks, according to the <a href="https://asia.wsj.com/home-page" target="_blank" title="Wall Street Journal">WSJ</a>.
It notes that previously the stores and restaurants there generally catered mostly to office workers, instead of the affluent young families that are increasingly settling in the Financial District.
Westfield won the rights to redevelop that retail in mid-2001 but sold its stake in the property back to the Port Authority after the attacks.
The firm has long expected to return, and in late 2007 struck a similar agreement that ultimately was scuttled amid economic woes and construction changes at the site.
Since then, the amount of space to be developed has been reduced from the 42,500 square metres initially planned, in large part to because one of the buildings planned for the site, 2 World Trade Center, has since been shelved indefinitely.
The Port Authority and Westfield are still finalising the terms of the deal, but broad outlines have been agreed upon, people familiar with the matter say. The agreement is expected to be presented to the Authority’s board in the fall.
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Westfield to sign deal at rebuilt World Trade Center

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Darren Lockyer, the 36-time Queensland State of Origin team hero, has listed his Brisbane house for August 6 auction in a big test of the city’s seriously challenged auction market.
Brisbane’s auction clearance rates have hovered around 23% so far this year, according to Australian Property Monitors.
The property has also been scheduled for auction six days after the Queensland government’s unpopular stamp duty increases come into effect in Queensland.
The contemporary Paddington property cost Lockyer $1.49 million in 2004.
The five-bedroom, three-bathroom place might be expected to fetch around $2 million based on the standard growth (and then decline) experienced in Brisbane over the past seven years. A nearby $2.15 million will have given Lockyer some comfort.
No public price estimate has been given by its listing agents Tim Douglas and Gail Miller at Place Estate Agents.
Naturally it comes with barbecue facilities that befit any Queenslander sportsman.
In 2007 Lockyer married Loren Pollock, his girlfriend of three years, who gave birth to their first child, Sonny James, in early 2010.
In March the Broncos captain announced he will retire from all forms of rugby league at the end of the NRL season, his 17th season in first grade.
Tim Lawless at RP Data says real estate professionals had reported some improvements in buyer activity in the Brisbane market leading up to the end of July.
Although only anecdotal, early sales information collected by RP Data suggests a surge in transactions as buyers bring forward their purchase decisions in order to avoid the stamp duty changes announced in the June 14 budget, which are due to take effect on August 1.
“The surge in buying activity was to be expected, with owner-occupier buyers likely saving themselves around $7,000 in stamp duty expenses if they purchased prior to August 1,” Tim Lawless, the RP Data head of research says.
“The improvement in sales activity leading up to the end of July is likely to be temporary: the result of buyers rushing to avoid the higher stamp duty costs for owner occupiers from August 1,” Lawless says.
“The higher stamp duty rate for owner occupiers comes at a time when transaction volumes are running about 30% below the five year average across Queensland and the duty changes are likely to act as a further disincentive for buyers to become more active. 
“The dampening effect of the higher stamp duty rate for owner occupiers may be partially offset by the $10,000 builders boost, however the grant is only available until the end of the year whereas the stamp duty changes are permanent.”
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Darren Lockyer's Brisbane house for sale in tough selling season

Burgeoning South East Queensland developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/frank-developments">Frank Developments</a> is continuing to pad out its capital city development pipeline.

The developer, led by Frank Licastro, has its sights set on Kingsford Smith Drive in Hamilton, where it is planning <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/avela-60-kingsford-smith-drive-albion-qld-4010">AVELA</a>, a 166-apartment development across three towers that tier down from 28 storeys to 19 and 17.

The towers will rise above the iconic Breakfast Creek Hotel.

Frank has brought on Melbourne architecture practice <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rob-kennon-architects">Kennon</a> to design the building, conceived as a “defining architectural marker where the airport corridor meets the inner city.”

<img alt="First look: Frank Developments plans sculptural AVELA for Brisbane's Breakfast Creek gateway" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e787c64e-f0a4-4725-891e-e86b40ee5c5c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/AVELA.png?VersionId=1ulwuZ9w2vQ2td7v.J2zUI7Ih_DT4Kwz" />

Kennon describes the project as a once-in-a-generation opportunity.

"Positioned at the northern gateway of Brisbane's primary CBD corridor, this project represents a singular moment in the city's urban evolution, one that will not come again," the architecture practice said in the documents submitted to the Brisbane City Council.

"Where the airport and world beyond meets the city, the building will rise as a sculptural landmark, a defining piece of architecture that signals arrival into Brisbane and anchors the connection between the city and the communities to its north."

<img alt="First look: Frank Developments plans sculptural AVELA for Brisbane's Breakfast Creek gateway" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d572bf62-a98d-4847-95d0-889e3d3283e1" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/AVELA%20podium.png?VersionId=6.Ax4jBzTbY5ahm55iaMWNR03ODhDQSm" />

The development is centred around owner-occupier apartments, with a mix of two, three and four-bedroom residences designed to capitalise on city and river views.

Four basement levels accommodate resident parking, allowing the podium to prioritise pedestrian activity and public-facing uses like ground-floor retail, a cafe, a&nbsp;neighbourhood grocer, and a public accessible indoor pickleball court and event space.&nbsp;

There will be nearly 2,000 sqm of communal wellness and recreation facilities across three levels.

<img alt="First look: Frank Developments plans sculptural AVELA for Brisbane's Breakfast Creek gateway" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c5ac3cbf-3c11-4219-89f3-e12d9e0f9ffd" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/AVELA%20podium%20A.png?VersionId=_.4zd1HLCKa1s6I_oxkY4NNqX6o3Yevn" />

&nbsp;

Frank Developments has increasingly focused on design-led residential projects across South East Queensland.

AVELA is Licastro's second on Kingsford Smith Drive following <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/alba-92-kingsford-smith-drive-hamilton-qld-4007">Alba</a>, 85 apartments just down the road. The developer has <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/mira-61-garfield-terrace-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">MIRA</a> and <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/myst-burleigh-heads-270-the-esplanade-miami-qld-4220">MYST</a> on the Gold Coast, as well as <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/murano-teneriffe-37-wyandra-street-new-farm-qld-4005">Murano</a> coming up in Teneriffe and <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/bel-air-33-oxlade-drive-new-farm-qld-4005">Bel Air in New Farm</a>.

Joel Robinson

Frank Developments plans sculptural AVELA for Brisbane's Breakfast Creek gateway

ASX-listed developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/stockland">Stockland</a>&nbsp;is continuing its push back into the new apartment market, filing plans for a prominent gateway site between Collingwood and East Melbourne.

The development giant, which moved back into the new apartment space when it announced Stanton Place in Sydney's Rosebery and have since filed plans for a 50-storey tower, are jumping into the off the plan Melbourne market.

They are hoping to create a mixed-use neighbourhood precinct for <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/79-81-victoria-parade-collingwood-vic-3066">79-81 Victoria Parade</a>, replacing an existing commercial building with a scheme by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/john-wardle-architects">Wardle</a>&nbsp;for 478 apartments,&nbsp;ground-floor retail, new public open spaces and a publicly accessible pedestrian laneway.

<img alt="First look: Stockland plans new mixed-use neighbourhood precinct for Collingwood gateway site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="72dbbca9-3918-4073-afad-a0c0c35be8e7" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/stockland%20pers.png?VersionId=bzMVUKKxvwuNK1m0v_td126Rgct32uk_" />

The design report identifies the public realm as a central driver of the proposal.

"Collingwood has limited access to high-quality parks and public open space, and the proposal delivers valuable new areas for respite, social interaction and fine-grain retail activity."

The development would deliver a diverse mix of housing, including studio, one, two and three-bedroom apartments alongside townhouse-style residences. Two basement levels are proposed beneath the development, providing resident and retail parking as well as extensive bicycle facilities.

Wardle's design draws heavily on Collingwood's industrial character, using articulated building forms, brickwork and robust materials inspired by the suburb's warehouse and manufacturing heritage. The built form has been broken into a series of smaller volumes to better respond to the surrounding streetscape while extensive communal gardens, rooftop amenities and shared resident spaces are integrated throughout the project.

<img alt="First look: Stockland plans new mixed-use neighbourhood precinct for Collingwood gateway site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7b2135ed-65df-4253-ad53-f216f06bd467" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/stockland%20podium.png?VersionId=l1B6Hqn8zs772VxH6L1fDPg0KHshan9v" />

The planning documents describe the existing office building as offering little engagement with the public realm, with the redevelopment intended to create a more permeable and active neighbourhood destination.

"The proposed scheme presents a significant opportunity to deliver a vibrant retail plaza and a local neighbourhood hub serving both existing and future Collingwood residents."

The 79–81 Victoria Parade site occupies a strategic location about 1.5 kilometres east of Melbourne's CBD, at the threshold between Collingwood and East Melbourne. It is well served by tram services along Victoria Parade and sits within walking distance of St Vincent's Hospital, Fitzroy Gardens, the Fitzroy activity centre and a broad range of employment, retail and hospitality destinations.

Stockland plans new mixed-use neighbourhood precinct for Collingwood gateway site

An 1880s timber cottage that has survived Kangaroo Point's transformation from riverside suburb to high-density apartment precinct is set to become the centrepiece of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/zephyr">Zephyr Group</a>'s proposed Banksia development.

Rather than see the locally heritage-listed Alpha Cottage as an obstacle to navigate, plans integrate the landmark home into a new 18-storey residential tower, giving one of the suburb's oldest surviving residences a new role as the project's communal hub.

The development application covers a 1,177 sqm amalgamated site at 127-133 Lambert Street and 30 Shafston Avenue, where Zephyr Group plans to deliver 64 apartments above three basement levels. Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/joe-adsett-architects">Joe Adsett Architects</a>, the proposal carefully weaves the retained heritage cottage into a contemporary residential scheme, with the tower elevated above the historic building to preserve its presence within the Lambert Street streetscape.

<img alt="First look: Zephyr Group's Banksia to wrap new Kangaroo Point tower around 1880s Alpha Cottage" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f9dc5bdb-d691-4c60-bf2b-c3ed405a3e75" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Banksia.png?VersionId=Jh4bjlewU.o8HXWt0V4KaFA_lPcF7KWM" />

Named after the native Australian Banksia flower, the project draws inspiration from its distinctive form through curved balconies, sculpted planter boxes and cascading subtropical landscaping that soften the building's profile.

As the design report explains: "The tower's identity is defined by its feature facade, drawing direct inspiration from the Banksia wildflower. The building departs from traditional rigidity through the use of elegant, GRC-moulded planter boxes that appear as if shaped by the breeze."

Plans propose 64 apartments, comprising 32 two-bedroom and 32 three-bedroom residences, across an 18-storey tower. Residents would have access to rooftop amenities including a swimming pool, spa, gym, sauna, private cinema, dining spaces and landscaped recreation areas, while more than half the site is dedicated to planting and open space.

<img alt="First look: Zephyr Group's Banksia to wrap new Kangaroo Point tower around 1880s Alpha Cottage" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="16041b5f-033e-47fa-8fbe-9886e072c1f2" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/pool.png?VersionId=kpx5w4EbLx0_TdWfDoD1vrSs0_cZ5Ao1" />

The heritage component is the defining feature of the proposal. Constructed in the early 1880s and occupied from at least 1883, Alpha Cottage is recognised by Brisbane City Council as an important surviving example of Kangaroo Point's nineteenth-century residential development and as a representative transverse-gable timber cottage. Despite extensive redevelopment across the peninsula, the building has retained a high degree of its original form and internal fabric.

As part of the redevelopment, the cottage will be carefully relocated a short distance within its original allotment to facilitate construction before being returned to a prominent position along Lambert Street. Original verandah elements will be dismantled, catalogued and reinstated, while significant internal features, including timber flooring, wall linings, joinery, doors, windows and hardware, will be retained. Later additions, including the enclosed rear verandah, will be removed to better reveal the building's original form.

Once restored, Alpha Cottage will accommodate the building manager's office, mail room and parcel facilities, providing an active everyday use that supports its long-term conservation rather than preserving it as a static display. The heritage strategy also maintains landscaped space around the building, allowing it to remain visually distinct beneath the new tower.

<img alt="First look: Zephyr Group's Banksia to wrap new Kangaroo Point tower around 1880s Alpha Cottage" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="43b027e1-576e-4624-a66c-7cc54ea8b7be" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/banksia%20tower.png?VersionId=2W6E2yfkj2AQlWlLeV986grA5zB9f817" />

The Heritage Impact Assessment concludes that "the proposal secures the ongoing occupation, maintenance and conservation of Alpha Cottage," finding the development would result in "no more than a minor impact on the cultural heritage significance" of the building while ensuring its long-term future.

Joe Adsett Architects have designed the tower to sit above the heritage building rather than overwhelm it, creating a clear visual separation between old and new. The development's flowing balconies, integrated planting and organic façade respond to Brisbane's subtropical climate while complementing the restored cottage below.

Banksia occupies a prominent corner in Kangaroo Point within walking distance of the Kangaroo Point Bridge, Brisbane River, ferry services, QUT, the CBD and the Woolloongabba precinct. The site also benefits from direct access to active transport infrastructure and sits within an area earmarked for continued higher-density residential growth.

Zephyr Group's Banksia to wrap new Kangaroo Point tower around 1880s Alpha Cottage

Buying into a masterplanned community often means committing to a vision still years from taking shape. At <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a>, that vision is already visible.

Residents have moved into the completed first stage, landscaped spaces are established, and the next chapter is now underway. Stage 1 has been completed and settled, with Stage 2 now selling off-the-plan.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/pbd-architects">PBD Architects</a>, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a> combines attainable apartment living with sustainability initiatives rarely seen at this price point, including rooftop solar, battery storage and a resident EV-sharing program.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6RNt3AvtBpI?si=JUhuCV2ZRXsYaoJZ" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

Located on Schofi​elds Road, just moments from Tal​lawong Metro Station and Schof​ields Train Station, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a> has been designed to appeal to a broad mix of buyers, from first-home purchasers looking for a foothold in Sy​dney's property market to downsizers seeking a connected, low-maintenance lifestyle.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a> has been conceived as a thoughtfully planned masterplanned community that will evolve over multiple stages, with buyers now able to secure one, two and three-bedroom apartments within a neighbourhood that is already beginning to establish its identity.

One of the project's defining features is its focus on sustainability. Solar energy systems, battery storage and future EV charging infrastructure have been incorporated throughout the development, reflecting a long-term approach to both environmental performance and everyday convenience.

Sustainability sits at the centre of the development's vision, with solar energy systems, battery storage and future EV charging infrastructure integrated throughout the community.

That emphasis on future-ready living extends beyond the technology. Landscaped communal gardens, outdoor gathering spaces and plans for a future retail precinct aim to create a neighbourhood where residents can access daily conveniences without travelling far from home.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149637 project_image_fid=351027]

The apartments themselves have been designed with liveability front of mind. Rather than chasing maximum density, the focus has been placed on creating practical homes with generous natural light, usable layouts and strong connections to outdoor space.

Importantly, these design principles have been applied consistently across the one, two and three-bedroom apartment offerings.

The appeal of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a> is also closely linked to its location within Syd​ney's rapidly evolving north-west growth corridor. Over the past decade, major infrastructure investment has transformed the area, with new transport links, business precincts and community facilities reshaping suburbs like Talla​wong and Schofiel​ds.

The agent says buyers are increasingly recognising the area's long-term potential.

"Typical buyers that we're finding across <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a> especially are your first-home buyers, your investors, your upsizers as well as your downsizers," Hawes says.

Connectivity remains one of the project's strongest drawcards. Residents have access to both Tallaw​ong Metro Station and Schofi​elds Train Station, providing links to the Sydn​ey CBD, Norw​est Business Park, Macquari​e Park and other major employment hubs. Retail centres including Rous​e Hill Town Centre and Sch​ofields Village are also nearby, alongside schools, parks and future healthcare infrastructure.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149637 project_image_fid=351031]

For Stage 1 resident Roji, it is the balance between convenience and comfort that has defined the experience of living at Kew.

"For me, it's a balance of quality and convenience," she says. "Everything I need is right here."

"If I wanted to catch the train, Scho​fields Station is just around the corner. Tallaw​ong Metro connects me to the city."

More importantly, she says, the development has delivered something that cannot be measured in floorplans or specifications.

"<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a> feels like home."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149637 project_image_fid=351024]

As Stage 2 enters the market, that lived experience may be one of the project's strongest selling points. Buyers are not purchasing into an untested concept or a future promise. They are joining a community that is already taking shape.

Ongoing investment in transport, retail, healthcare and public open space continues to strengthen the appeal of Syd​ney's north-west growth corridor, while <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a>'s established first stage provides buyers with a tangible sense of the community's future direction.

For a limited time, buyer can secure a new home at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a> with just a $10,000.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=149637]

Kew Tallawong: A growing community taking shape in Sydney's north-west

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/freecity">Freecity</a> has received development approval for its 51-storey mixed-use tower at 153-157 Walker Street, North Sydney, set to be one of the tallest mixed-use residential-led buildings in one of Sydney’s most sought-after commercial and residential addresses.

Lodged as a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) through the Housing Delivery Authority (HDA) pathway and approved by the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure following a comprehensive public exhibition and submissions process, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/153-walker-street-north-sydney-nsw-2060">the project</a> will deliver 296 apartments, alongside a 170-room, luxury hotel, activated retail and significant public domain improvements.

Situated just 200 metres from Victoria Cross Metro Station, on one of the largest developable sites in North Sydney, the development will rise to 234 metres, making it one of the tallest buildings in the suburb. With an end value of approximately $1.5 billion, the project responds directly to the NSW Government’s mandate to accelerate housing delivery in well-located, transit-connected areas.

<img alt="Freecity gets green light for mixed-use residential and hotel tower in North Sydney" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="192ec455-94bf-4e01-83ef-922b1b269d67" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Freecity%20-%20Walker%20Street%20North%20Sydney%201%20RESIZED%20.jpg?VersionId=Bzqp0SBHCDvLAHjA4QXkjuGoOEIh73Jl" />

The apartment mix will cater to a broad range of buyers, with 65 studio and one-bedroom apartments, 139 two-bedroom residences, 35 three-bedroom apartments, 48 four-bedroom homes, and nine penthouses. Residents will have access to a dedicated amenity level on Level 33, featuring a swimming pool with views towards the Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House and North Sydney CBD, as well as a gym, library, shared kitchen, lounge and outdoor entertaining areas.

The hotel will occupy the lower six levels of the building and include meeting and function spaces, a wellness centre with gym, yoga studio, swimming pool and sauna, further strengthening North Sydney's growing hospitality offering.

At ground level, the development has been designed to improve pedestrian connections through the precinct. More than 700 sqm of retail space will activate the street frontage, while a landscaped through-site link connecting Walker Street, Little Walker Street and Doris Fitton Park will provide new public open space with seating, paving and extensive native landscaping.

Freecity Group Co-Founder and Joint CEO Tony Sun said the project represents one of the most significant development opportunities currently available in North Sydney.

"This is one of the most significant development sites in North Sydney and it comes at a pivotal moment for the precinct," Sun said.

"North Sydney is undergoing a genuine transformation, and this project will contribute housing the city urgently needs while creating a landmark destination."

Executive Director of Development Michael Romano said demand for both residential and hotel accommodation would continue to strengthen as the Metro precinct matures.

"The structural demand for high-quality housing and hotel accommodation in North Sydney is compelling, and will only grow as the precinct continues to evolve around the new Metro station," Romano said.

Architectus has designed the tower, orientating the apartments to maximise views towards Sydney Harbour while introducing a sculpted façade intended to respond to light, wind and the surrounding skyline.

Architectus Principal Marko Damic said the design sought to create a tower that contributes to the public realm as much as the skyline.

"We wanted to design a tower that doesn't just sit in the skyline but actively participates and contributes to city life," Damic said.

Jonathan Chancellor

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