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The County Court of Victoria judge Paul Higham, in sentencing estate agent Paul Pfeiffer to a two-year community corrections order on Friday, said the integrity of the entire real estate profession was “damaged by any rogue practitioner such as yourself”.
The Melbourne real estate agent who misappropriated client money avoided jail.
Paul Pfeiffer, 46, the sole director of Melbourne Deluxe Real Estate, withdrew client money and used it for the company’s purposes between April and June, 2016.
He and his company pleaded guilty to eight counts of fraudulent conversion and one count of fraudulently rendering an account.
The County Court of Victoria was told on Friday that Pfeiffer withdrew money - client deposits on home purchases - from the company’s trust account.
He then used the funds for his business and personal expenditure without  permission.
“The consequential shortfalls were made up from new deposits paid into the trust account. In essence ... you robbed Peter to pay Paul,” Judge Paul Higham said.
Then in July 2016, Pfeiffer told a “stream of untruths and misrepresentations” to the vendor of one of the houses he was selling in “an attempt to hold off the  inevitable day of discovery”.
The vendor then lodged a complaint with Consumer Affairs Victoria, who found deficiencies in his company’s trust account.
A shortfall of more than $69,000 still remains.
Judge Higham noted Pfeiffer had been a talented real estate agent but that “did not translate into a talent for managing a business”.
He said although Pfeiffer had netted more than $200,000 per annum in the two years before the offending, he had the pressure of maintaining an expensive  lifestyle.
“The victims of your offending are not only the vendors, whose deposits you dishonestly applied to your own purposes, but also your entire former profession, whose integrity is damaged by any rogue practitioner such as yourself.”
 
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Rogue deluxe estate agent Paul Pfeffer avoids jail but damages profession

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Kevin Sobels, the legendary Australian winemaker, and wife, Margaret are selling their Hunter Valley winery, as they look towards retiring.
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They hope to be staying around Pokolbin.
Sobels is a fifth generation descendant of German immigrant winemaker, Carl August Sobels.
The family name has been connected to Australian winemaking since the 1840s, beginning in South Australia’s Barossa and Clare Valley.
Kevin Sobels arrived in the Hunter in 1972 from the Barossa. 
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The current <a href="https://app.rexsoftware.com/public/ebrochure/?account_id=265&amp;listing_id=1388992&amp;listing_agent_id=1743" target="_blank">22ha Halls Road, Pokolbin offering</a>, Kevin Sobels Wines, was started in the early 1990s by Kevin and Margaret on acreage offered to them by the Ross Jones family.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2018/3/9/sobels1.jpg" alt="">
They formed a company with the help of a few friends with their sales door opening in 1994.
By 1996 the winemaking facility was complete so that wines could be made and bottled on-site. 
The long established brand has around 5ha of planted vines.
Its Jurds marketing agent Cain Beckett says the property would suit the establishment of a five-star country lodge with restaurant and function space.
Sobels was installed as the 2014 Hunter Valley Living Legend of Wine, joining other Hunter notables as Brian and Fay McGuigan, Bruce Tyrrell and  Don McWilliam.
The Sobels’ wine journey began with Carl August, who in 1847 quit his home in the Saxony-Anhalt town of Quedlinburg and migrated with his family to Australia. He had been trained in winemaking in Germany and in France’s Champagne region.
He made his first Australian wines for William Jacob, the government surveyor who mapped the Barossa.
This year will mark the 170th unbroken run of Australian vintages by Sobels, with their son, Jason continuing the traditional family craft.
This article was first published in the Sunday Telegraph.
 
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Kevin Sobels lists Hunter Valley winery

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The Independent Hall, a former church hall in Melbourne's Fitzroy, has hit the market as a home, listed by the Alexander family.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-fitzroy-127733910" target="_blank">The iconic 1880s property </a>has previously also been Aboriginal kindergarten. It has been the setting for several television productions such as Jack Irish, Ricky &amp; Pete and The Tenderhook.
It has been renovated for family and work-from-home living since it last traded for $563,000 in 2001.
Its previous owners include the late Australian composer Peter Tahourdin.
Comrpising two bedrooms and a home office, the eclectic property features an expansive living and dining room with beamed ceilings and French doors that open to a deep brick-paved courtyard.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2018/3/7/fitzroy%202.jpg" alt="">
Nelson Alexander agents Rick Daniel and Luke Chisholm have a $1.9 million to $2 million price guide for its March 24 auction.
This article first appeared in The Weekend Australian.
 
 
 
 
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Fitzroy's former Independent Hall converted and listed

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Many homes nowadays have a cinema room, but fresh on the market is an award-winning Canberra home complete with a fully fledged theatre.
It has been the passion of Steven Gerakedis.
The <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-act-reid-127739702" target="_blank">art deco Reid home </a> with classic cottage facade reflects 1920s heritage, all the way down to the sub-ground cinema. 
Bring the popcorn! The theatre has tiered leather recliner seating, a curved wide screen projector, dedicated projector room and a separate lounge area for pre and post-movie socializing.
The walls are filled with classic movie posters.
The home set in Dirrawan Gardens on 1,300 square metres was awarded the Master Builders Association House of the Year.
"You have to see it to believe it," the judges noted.
It has three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a glass reception gallery and a climate-controlled cellar.
Peter Blackshaw Manuka agents Alec Brown and Andrew Chamberlain are marketing the home until March 28.
This article first appeared in The Weekend Australian. 
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The award goes to... Canberra trophy home with full theatre listed

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From Bondi Junction to Broken Hill, NSW first home buyers are "back in the game," NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet exclaimed recently.
But first home buyers aren't there to play a game, and should pay very close attention to market conditions.
They ought not dive in simply because of the government incentives on offer.
The top location for stamp duty relief under the FHB grants scheme has been Liverpool where more than 400 buyers have taken up home ownership since last July.
It has been busy too in regional NSW with Gosford having 316 buyers, Wyong (224) and Wollongong (158). Also Wagga Wagga (251), Orange (230) and Dubbo (182).
The 222 Queanbeyan buyers suggests Canberrans are moving across the border. 
Since last July, the government grants have encouraged more than 19,000 home buyers to purchase their first home across NSW.
It was up from 5400 over the corresponding prior period in 2016.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has been "thrilled" that her tax changes have had such a big impact. 
She had made helping first home buyers one of her first priorities as Premier, when she took over from Mike Baird.
She concedes there is always more to do on tackling housing affordability. Indeed the Housing Industry Association executive director David Bare said the government's attempts were meagre considering that up to 40 per cent of new house purchases were made up of local, state and federal government taxes.
CoreLogic's head of research Cameron Kusher has recently warned first home buyers must be vigilant to avoid negative equity.
"Don't be lured into buying at the peak of the market because of attractive incentives," he advised.
From last July FHBs don’t have to pay stamp duty for new and existing homes for properties up to $650,000.
It represents a saving of maybe $26,000 to $34,000 depending on the purchase.
Stamp duty has also reduced for buyers paying between $650,000 and $800,000, along with incentives for new builds. 
The volume of new loans to FHBs has climbed substantially over recent months. But average loan sizes have only increased slightly which suggests FHBs are wisely not using the removal of the stamp duty barrier to borrow more. 
Kusher maintains first home buyers are the most sensitive to changes in interest rates. 
Although he expects the cash rate to be on hold until 2019, potentially higher mortgage rates should raise some alarm bells for potential buyers.
The removal of stamp duty has come at the same time as the APRA-induced decline in investor activity so the FHB fill a vital void.
Kusher maintains a better option may be for FHBs to remain on the sidelines somewhat longer "as values potentially continue to slide".
He adds it will allow more time to save an even larger deposit.
This article was first published in the Saturday Daily Telegraph.
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First home buyers back in the game - but need to know the rules

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A Potts Point penthouse is set to be traded for the first time in almost seven decades.
The penthouse that sits atop the 1948 Aaron M. Bolot-designed <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-nsw-potts+point-127681002" target="_blank">17 Wylde Street</a> had been owned by its developer John Davis since its completion in 1951.
Family have remained in occupancy since his death in 2008.
It spans 165 sqm and has 270 degree harbour views from its ninth floor position where inspectees last Saturday has to walk up with the lift out of order.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2018/2/28/wylde1.jpg" alt="">
The apartment has three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
Jane and Sam Schumann at Di Jones are asking for offers of $3 million for its March 21 auction.
Regarded as one of Bolot’s best pieces of work, 17 Wylde Street's creative curvilinear design was produced in response to the site’s unusual triangular shape, forming a prominent curve.
The internal floorplans for all apartments were designed to maximise aspect and spaciousness, with kitchens and bathrooms grouped on the southern side while living rooms and bedrooms faced the north side, almost entirely glazed to maximise the breathtaking 270 degree Harbour View.
17 Wylde Street was one of six apartment blocks developed by the Urban Cooperative Multi-Home Units building society and the building was awarded the 2017 NSW Enduring Architecture Award by the Australian Institute of Architects NSW Chapter.
This article was first published in the Sunday Telegraph.
 
 
 
  
  
 
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Landmark Potts Point penthouse for sale 

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The former Million Dollar Listing New York star, estate agent Luis Ortiz, who quit the Bravo show unexpectedly, is coming to speak to his Sydney devotees.
His will be on tour in early March with the Altman brothers, Josh and Matt who appear on the Los Angeles version of the top rating show.
Ortiz left the show abruptly in 2016, citing it no longer made him happy.
"I didn't time or plan an exit," he told me.
"My decision was based on impulse and was immediate.
"I thought planning a way out would get in the way of my gut reaction."
The Puerto Rico-born realtor suggested there's nothing he doesn't miss about New York real estate, well, apart from the cold weather.
<div>"New York has and will always have a very special place in my heart. It was the city where I created something for myself.</div>
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<div>"What I don’t miss about New York City real estate is making deals in the cold.</div>
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<div>"Not a fan of the cold anymore."</div>
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<div>"I miss the hustle. The constant need to re-invent yourself as a person and as a professional. I miss the competition and the players."</div>
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<div>Ortiz, who in 2013 was listed as number 19 on Us Weekly's Most Stylish New Yorker list, says he has had plenty of offers to work in LA, where he is currently spending much of his time.</div>
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<div>"They sound enticing on a financial level but until there's anything I fall in love with, I won’t move forward with it."</div>
Visiting Australia for the first time, Ortiz said the one thing he always looks forward to experiencing in every place he goes is the people and their culture.
The Altman brothers will be performing <a href="https://www.milliondollarevening.com.au" target="_blank">Million Dollar Evening stage shows in Sydney and Melbourne</a> having done so last year. 
The Altman Brothers are among the top producing real estate agents in the country.
The sell top tinsel town turf in what is known as the Platinum Triangle, Beverly Hills, Bel-Air, and Holmby Hills along with the famous Sunset Strip and Hollywood Hills. 
<div dir="ltr">During his time on Million Dollar Listing New York, Ortiz lived in Battery Park City near Goldman Sachs, where he had views of the Statue of Liberty and the Hudson River.</div>
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He later moved to Abington House in the northwestern corner of Chelsea and then moved to a new development in midtown Manhattan.
This article was first published in the Sunday Telegraph.
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Former Million Dollar Listing agent Luis Ortiz heads to Australia

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A record number of new apartments set to hit the market this year in capital cities was unlikely to trigger a property price collapse, Bank of America-Merill Lynch economists say.
The already moderating property market will instead lead to fewer housing starts which will mean there was a prospect of an undersupply by 2020.
"The stage is being set for the next property cycle," BAML economists Tony Morriss and Alexandra Veroude suggested in a recent research note.
"Forget oversupply," they write, urging their clients to look beyond this year's headlines.
There are "risks of undersupply brewing" with building approvals having peaked in 2015.
The current assumed abundance of new housing will flip to scarcity by 2020, the BAML economists advised according to a report in The Australian Financial Review.
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"With population growth expected to keep underlying housing demand robust, we see underlying demand outpacing supply in Australia's largest housing markets, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, from 2020," they wrote.
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"Laws of supply and demand suggest that house price pressures would be expected to build from this time."
"Our analysis supports our view that any oversupply now, with Brisbane of greatest concern, should not create large imbalances over an extended period and present as a risk to financial stability."
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"To date, settlement defaults remain low and, given our analysis, we do not expect settlement defaults to rise significantly - particularly in an environment where the economic outlook is strengthening and the labour market is tightening," they wrote.
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Assumed apartment abundance could turn to undersupply, but Brisbane a worry: BAML

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Adelaide was the best performing weekend auction capital with its affordable prices ranging between $330,000 and $1.45 million.
It scored a 75 per cent clearance rate from its 107 auctions.
Perth returned the lowest preliminary auction clearance rate of 52 per cent.
Auction volumes surge well past 3,000 for the first time this year returning a strong national preliminary auction clearance rate of 70 per cent.
There are two more so-called Super Saturdays squeezed in before the Easter break.
Click here <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2018/2/26/capitals.jpg" target="_blank">to enlarge.</a>
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2018/2/26/capitals.jpg" alt="">
Upcoming Melbourne sellers include AFL champion Bryce Gibbs.
His former Ascot Vale home (above) before moving interstate to join the Crows has been listed for March 17 auction. 
The former Carlton player bought the two-storey, three-bedroom townhouse at <a id="LPlnk679169" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-townhouse-vic-ascot+vale-127607706" target="_blank">67c St Leonards Rd </a>in 2008.
The cheapest weekend result across the capital cities was when a student studio apartment sold pre-auction in Footscray at $120,000.
The sale of <a id="LPlnk308525" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-studio-vic-footscray-127480502" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">224/133 Droop Street offering</a> was a $220 a week rental.
It was listed with a $105,000 to $110,000 price guidance.
The low rise apartment with around 40 sqm had previously traded at $122,000 in 2015. It sold at $127,000 in 2013. 
Across the combined capital cities there was a a total of 3,275 homes taken to auction, up from the prior week's 1,992 auctions when some 66.1 per cent were sold.
It remains down on the same week one year ago when agents secured a 78.4 per cent success rate across a slightly higher volume of 3,301 auctions. 
"Units outperformed the house market, with 72.9 per cent of units selling at auction, while 69.5 per cent of houses sold across the combined capitals," Kevin Brogan, auction analyst at CoreLogic said. 
The highest national sale was in Melbourne when <a id="LPlnk703549" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-vic-middle+park-127461722" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">33 Canterbury Road, Middle Park</a> (below) fetched $5.75 million shortly after its auction which had a $5.45 million top bid.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2018/2/26/middle.jpg" alt="">
It was Eumeralla, a five bedroom Victorian terrace home on a 50 metre deep allotment. It had soaring ornate ceilings, marble fireplaces, arched entrance hall, gracious sitting room and main bedroom with full width balcony.
Marshall White secured the sale of the home which last sold at $2.5 million in 2006.
There were two bidders.
The highest Sydney sale under the hammer was the five bedroom <a id="LPlnk905843" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-strathfield-127449738" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">29 Cotswold Road Strathfield</a> which sold for $4,810,000.
It last sold in 2003 at $2 million.
There was a pre-auction sale of <a id="LPlnk767615" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-nsw-bronte-127339282" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">4 Bayview Street, Bronte</a> for $7.5 million (below).
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2018/2/26/bronte.jpg" alt="">
Melbourne and Sydney both secured auction clearance rates of 71.7 per cent.
Melbourne's was up on the 69.8 per cent final result from the prior weekend.
Its volume jumped to 1,610 auctions held, up from 932 auctions.
In Sydney, 1,221 homes were taken to auction, up from the 737 offered over the prior week. 
Its preliminary result of 71.7 percent, was up on last week’s final clearance rate of 67.8 per cent.
Brisbane had a 53.3 percent clearance rate from 164 auctions listed. Its top sale was $5 million at Chelmer. <a id="LPlnk17197" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-chelmer-127332058" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The 127 Laurel Avenue sale</a> was a five bedroom Knowlman McDonald-built home on a 3122 sqm river frontage sold through Adcock Prestige. 
Adelaide's dearest was a tight finish between <a id="LPlnk946036" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-sa-henley+beach-127482362" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a four bedroom $1.42 million Henley Beach offering</a> and <a id="LPlnk429905" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-sa-glenelg+east-127505126" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a five bedroom $1.42 million Glenelg East house</a>. 
Adelaide's cheapest was <a id="LPlnk416596" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-sa-semaphore+park-127547786" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a $330,000 Semaphore Park two bedroom apartment</a> that looked over Point Malcolm Reserve to the sea.
The 12/403 Esplanade offering was a two storey 80 sqm late 1960s apartment with a rental estimate of $320 to $340 per week.
 
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National clearance rates heads above 70 percent on summer's last hurrah

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A Fitzroy residential conversion that was once home the Victorian Movie Makers' Society has been listed for sale.
The <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-fitzroy-127659062" target="_blank">clean-edged 1950s building</a> - where 8mm amateur film sessions was all the rage - has been converted into a contemporary three bedroom home.
Set near the Gertrude Street design precinct, there's a $3.5 million to $3.7 million price guide through Nelson Alexander Fitzroy agents Arch Staver and Luke Chisholm for its March 17 auction.
Centred around an open plan living room with soaring nine metre ceilings, the home features a master bedroom retreat with ensuite.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2018/2/26/film2.jpg" alt="">
The second living room flows to a landscaped alfresco entertaining terrace.
It last traded for $2.85 million in 2014.
The Victorian Movie Makers signage is still etched on to the facade, despite the group selling the property for $571,000 in 2002.
This article was first published in the Weekend Australian property section. 
 
 
 
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Former Fitzroy home of Victorian Movie Makers' Society listed

One of North Sydney's best-known commercial buildings could become hundreds of new homes, with insurance giant Zurich Australia lodging a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) to transform 5 Blue Street into a mixed-use residential development above North Sydney Station.

Rather than demolishing the existing building and starting again, Zurich is proposing an adaptive reuse project that would convert the landmark office building into a 15-level residential development delivering 62 apartments, 86 affordable co-living dwellings, activated retail and significant upgrades to the Blue Street Plaza.

The proposal reflects a growing trend of commercial property owners repositioning ageing office assets into residential housing as Sydney grapples with housing supply shortages and changing workplace demand.

<img alt="Zurich" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0bba7d12-06dc-4375-aad7-238c94b21ac5" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%2010.42.05%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=NJl5oLAEBDGuPmY3RnyliKODjMc8lvRh" />

Located directly above North Sydney Metro and train station, the 3,051 sqm site occupies one of the most strategically positioned parcels of land on Sydney's Lower North Shore.

Designed by fjcstudio, the proposal seeks to retain and adapt much of the existing structure while creating a contemporary residential address that better connects with the public domain surrounding North Sydney Station.

The application proposes two basement levels, ground floor retail, affordable co-living accommodation across the podium levels, and apartments above, while preserving and enhancing the publicly accessible Blue Street Plaza.

Rather than pursuing maximum apartment numbers, Zurich has opted for a housing mix heavily weighted towards larger owner-occupier residences.

The proposal includes 62 build-to-sell apartments comprising 12 one-bedroom, 19 two-bedroom, 29 three-bedroom apartments and two premium penthouses. It also incorporates 86 affordable co-living dwellings, which would be managed in perpetuity by a Community Housing Provider.

That balance between traditional apartments and affordable housing reflects the NSW Government's push to increase housing diversity around major transport infrastructure.

The proposal has been lodged concurrently with a rezoning application, with Zurich arguing the site is ideally positioned to support additional housing given its immediate proximity to public transport, employment and services.

"The proposal aims to respond to the housing challenges facing Sydney through the delivery of diverse housing types in a highly accessible location," the design report by fjcstudio states. It also seeks to improve pedestrian amenity through upgrades to Blue Street Plaza while creating a high-performing residential building that responds to the surrounding context.

<img alt="Zurich" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="36082e15-c636-4481-bb68-5a5f6443fe39" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%2010.41.36%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=5P6VD.fvmqjQfIG3TWWMRXxQWiQBjeFB" />

Rather than replacing the commercial building, fjcstudio has developed a design that works with the existing structural framework above the rail corridor, an approach that significantly reduces demolition while allowing the site to be repositioned as a mixed-use residential precinct.

The existing structural constraints have informed much of the building's design, including its relationship with Blue Street and surrounding public spaces.

The building has been designed as a slender tower rising above a clearly defined podium, with vertically expressed façades intended to reduce the perceived bulk while reinforcing North Sydney's emerging skyline.

According to fjcstudio, the architectural language responds directly to the surrounding commercial towers while maintaining a finer grain expression more closely aligned with the neighbouring Lavender Bay streetscape.

The tower incorporates articulated façade elements, landscaped podium edges and recessed upper levels to soften its appearance and improve pedestrian amenity below.

A significant component of the proposal is the revitalisation of Blue Street Plaza.

The existing public space has long served as one of the primary pedestrian connections between North Sydney Station, Greenwood Plaza and Blue Street, yet its role is expected to become even more important following the opening of Sydney Metro.

Zurich's proposal seeks to strengthen that role by improving landscaping, introducing new retail frontages, enhancing pedestrian permeability and creating more active edges throughout the day and evening.

Ground floor retail would wrap the plaza, while separate residential and co-living entries have been designed to improve wayfinding without reducing street activation.

Landscape design has been integrated throughout the podium and public realm, softening what is currently one of the most heavily urbanised parts of North Sydney.

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fjcstudio has carefully oriented apartments towards Sydney Harbour and the CBD while using privacy blades and articulated façades to minimise overlooking between neighbouring buildings.

Large framed openings along the western elevation maximise harbour outlooks, while the eastern apartments have been angled towards the south-east to improve privacy from neighbouring development.

The project forms part of the continuing transformation of North Sydney from a predominantly commercial CBD into a genuine mixed-use city centre.

Since the completion of Victoria Cross Metro Station, developers have increasingly shifted their attention towards residential projects capable of leveraging the area's unparalleled transport connectivity.

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FiveX recently lodged plans for a 61-storey, 490-apartment tower that would become one of the tallest residential buildings in North Sydney if approved.

Aqualand continues to expand its Lower North Shore presence following the completion of AURA on Walker Street and its recent St Leonards and Roseville proposals.

Developers are also progressing projects throughout Walker Street, Miller Street and the Victoria Cross precinct as demand for well-located owner-occupier apartments continues to strengthen.

Joel Robinson

First look: Zurich targets North Sydney office conversion with 148-unit proposal above Metro station

Busy developer Aqualand Prestige has formally taken the next step in its expansion across Sydney's Lower North Shore, lodging a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for its long-held Archer Street site in Chatswood.

The application covers <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/51-55-archer-street-chatswood-nsw-2067">51-55 Archer Street</a>, a 1,767 sqm amalgamated site on the eastern edge of the Chatswood CBD, where the developer is seeking approval for a 45-level mixed-use tower delivering 114 apartments, including a significant affordable housing component, alongside retail, commercial space and six basement levels of parking.

The SSDA marks the latest milestone for a project Aqualand has been quietly progressing over the past two years. The developer first secured the site for its Aqualand Prestige platform before undertaking an alternative design excellence process with PTW Architects, ultimately avoiding a formal design competition through the Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

The proposal has evolved considerably from Aqualand's original concept. The revised scheme has been designed around larger owner-occupier product, with an unusually high proportion of three and four-bedroom apartments, targeting the more affluent buyer profile, and downsizer, emerging across the North Shore.

<img alt="Archer St" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0171204c-5811-41b5-9b09-2335d1b7c3d0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%208.52.48%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=6YTuxfq.puZo7k2wbfgemcO5K3QfXYGQ" />

The 114-apartment mix comprises six studios, 27 one-bedroom apartments, 18 two-bedroom apartments, 50 three-bedroom residences and 13 four-bedroom homes. A quarter of the building will be dedicated to affordable housing, well above the mandated 15 per cent&nbsp;

PTW has structured the building vertically, with affordable housing across levels one to six, premium apartments through levels seven to 31, duplex skyhomes on klevels 32 to 43, a penthouse on level 44, and a rooftop plant level above. Six basement levels will provide resident parking and servicing.

The tower is proposed to reach approximately 154 metres, placing it among a growing collection of residential high-rises transforming Chatswood's skyline.

Rather than competing purely on height, PTW says the design has been driven by creating a slimmer tower capable of delivering significantly larger apartments.

"The primary objective of this project was to create a distinctive building that stands out from the recently approved or built structures in the Chatswood area," the design report states, noting the structural efficiency allows greater investment into apartment quality and resident amenity.

Residents would have access to more than 450 sqm of communal open space including landscaped gardens, swimming pool, rooftop entertaining areas, fitness spaces, community gardens, children's play areas and barbecue facilities.

A major focus of the design has been the public domain.

The ground plane has been opened up through landscaped terraces inspired by Willoughby's sandstone ridges, with native planting, public seating, artwork, retail activation and a series of gathering spaces intended to soften what has traditionally been a hard commercial streetscape.

The landscape strategy references Blue Gum forests once common throughout the area, while incorporating Indigenous storytelling, public art and lighting installations to strengthen the connection to Country.

Chatswood has been one of Sydney's busiest apartment markets over the past 12 months, with a steady pipeline of both new project launches and fresh development applications.

Hyecorp recently launched Celine, a 122-apartment development just along Archer Street, while Changfa and Huirong Group are progressing The Anderson, an 84-apartment project on Anderson Street.

Develotek recently secured approval for a 101-apartment tower on Pacific Highway, while Tian An LFD received the green light for Hammond Greens, its apartment development on the edge of the Chatswood Bowling Club.

Commercial property developer FiveX is also making its move into the residential market. Last month it lodged plans for a 61-storey tower with 490 apartments, which, if approved, would become one of the tallest residential buildings in Chatswood.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-fivex-targets-chatswood-skyline-with-61-storey-tower-after-north-sydney-plans">First look: FiveX targets Chatswood skyline with 61-storey tower after North Sydney plans</a>

Aqualand is also expanding its development pipeline following the launch of its luxury residential brand, Aqualand Prestige. The developer has delivered a string of high-end apartment projects across Sydney's affluent suburbs over the past decade, most recently AURA by Aqualand on Walker Street in North Sydney.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=30959 project_image_fid=292863]

It has since quietly assembled its next wave of projects.

Earlier this year Aqualand launched Boronia in Roseville, a boutique 111-apartment development on Larkin Street. The project is one of the first significant apartment developments to launch in the suburb ahead of what is expected to become one of Sydney's most active new housing precincts under the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing reforms, which allow greater density around train stations.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152095 project_image_fid=373685]

The developer has also lodged plans for a two-tower, 413-apartment development on Herbert Street in nearby St Leonards, further strengthening its presence across the Lower North Shore.

Beyond that, Aqualand remains behind the final stage of Barangaroo, where plans will deliver a five-hectare mixed-use precinct comprising new homes, retail, hospitality and community facilities, alongside a new Metro entrance and more than two hectares of public open space, completing the Barangaroo precinct.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/central-barangaroo-development-takes-big-step-with-concept-proposal-approval">Central Barangaroo development takes big step with concept proposal approval</a>

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-aqualand-joins-st-leonards-apartment-party">First look: Aqualand joins St Leonards apartment party</a> 
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First look: Aqualand pushes ahead with Chatswood apartment tower as SSDA lodged for Archer Street

Mass timber is becoming an increasingly popular construction material in apartment developments, but Adelaide developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/otello">Otello</a> is taking the approach a step further.

At its new <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/flowe-bowden-18-gibson-street-bowden-sa-5007">Flowe Bowden</a> development, the exposed cross-laminated timber (CLT) structure isn't just about reducing the building's environmental footprint. It also forms the foundation of a broader wellness strategy, influencing everything from indoor air quality and natural materials to the way residents move through and experience the building.

The 115-apartment mixed-use development, designed by Melbourne-based architecture practice Fieldwork, will occupy a prominent island site opposite Bowden Village Reserve, combining one, two and three-bedroom apartments with retail and a dedicated wellness destination.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375528]

Wellness isn't confined to a gym or shared resident facility at Flowe. Instead, Fieldwork embedded the concept into the building itself.

The development has been split into two residential wings connected by a naturally ventilated central breezeway, replacing traditional enclosed corridors with open-air walkways that improve natural light, encourage cross ventilation and create more opportunities for neighbourly interaction.

"Rather than treating wellness as something that only happens on the ground floor, our response integrates it throughout the building, which led us to ask what it really means to design a healthy building," Fieldwork Director Quino Holland said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375531]

The building's architecture also reflects Bowden's industrial heritage. The lower podium references the area's historic brick and sandstone buildings, while the upper levels transition to exposed CLT, allowing the timber structure to become a defining feature throughout the apartments and shared spaces.

The use of mass timber sits alongside a range of sustainability initiatives, including a fully electric, gas-free design, rooftop solar and a targeted 5 Star Green Star rating.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375524]

Inside the residences, the focus remains on natural, durable materials. Blackbutt engineered timber flooring, exposed CLT ceilings, porcelain surfaces and warm timber joinery create a calming interior palette, while low-VOC finishes and responsibly sourced materials have been selected to improve indoor air quality.

Kitchens have been designed as the centrepiece of each apartment, featuring porcelain island benchtops, timber-look cabinetry and brushed steel tapware, with layouts that maximise natural light and ventilation.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375530]

The more traditional interpretation of wellness comes in the form of Level Eleven, a two-storey wellness club spanning the ground floor, mezzanine and first floor.

The facility will include a gym, yoga and reformer Pilates studios, Finnish and infrared saunas, magnesium hot and cold plunge pools, and dedicated recovery spaces. Unlike many residential wellness facilities, Level Eleven will also operate commercially, allowing the broader Bowden community to access the venue while giving residents exclusive membership benefits.

The ground floor has also been designed around everyday living. A café overlooking Bowden Village Reserve will activate the street frontage, while a bike workshop with tool storage, co-working space and dog wash has been incorporated to support daily routines and encourage interaction between residents.

"Flowe brings together my two biggest passions, creating places and creating healthier lives," Otello founder Daniel Harris said.

"We wanted to create something Adelaide hasn't seen before, a genuinely healthy building, where the way you live is lifted without even trying."

Flowe is positioned directly opposite Bowden Village Reserve and within walking distance of Bowden Railway Station and the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, placing future residents just minutes from the Adelaide CBD while remaining connected to one of the city's most established urban renewal precincts.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152022]

Otello launches wellness-focused Flowe Bowden with Adelaide-first mass timber apartment design

Not all apartment amenities are immediately visible.

Swimming pools, gyms, rooftop terraces and residents' lounges have long featured on buyers' wishlists, but as the way Australians live has changed, so too have the features that make apartment living more convenient.

Increasingly, buyers are placing value on the practical aspects of day-to-day life. Fast internet, EV charging, secure bike storage, flexible workspaces and parcel management are becoming just as relevant as lifestyle amenities, reflecting changing habits and expectations.

Online shopping has been one of the biggest drivers of that shift.

Australians spent a record $82.6 billion shopping online in 2025, with almost one in every four retail dollars now spent digitally, making parcel deliveries a routine part of everyday life rather than an occasional convenience.

For apartment residents, however, receiving those deliveries isn't always straightforward.

Without someone home to accept a parcel, deliveries can be redirected to a nearby Post Office, left in building foyers or common areas, or require building management to temporarily store packages. As apartment living continues to grow across Australia's cities, parcel management has become an increasingly important consideration for both residents and developers.

Australia Post's Parcel Locker network is one response to that shift.

<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/KPZ9j5FRdsQ?si=Qztc1dNP3ZvEIUhb" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

Rather than relying on home delivery, eligible parcels can be directed to a nominated Parcel Locker, where they're securely stored until collected. Once a parcel arrives, residents receive a notification through the AusPost app or SMS and can retrieve it using a one-time code or QR code at a time that suits them.

The network has expanded to more than 1,500 locations nationwide, with Parcel Lockers positioned at Post Offices, shopping centres, supermarkets, transport hubs and, increasingly, within or alongside residential developments.

That growing presence reflects a broader change in how apartment buildings are being planned.

Developers are increasingly considering the operational side of apartment living alongside traditional lifestyle amenities. Just as secure mailrooms, bicycle storage and EV charging have become more common inclusions, parcel management is emerging as another feature that supports everyday convenience.

It also helps preserve the arrival experience within a building. Carefully designed lobbies and communal spaces can quickly become cluttered when deliveries accumulate, while secure parcel solutions reduce the likelihood of missed deliveries or parcels being left unattended.

For buyers comparing apartments, these everyday details are becoming part of the decision-making process.

Location, floorplans and finishes remain fundamental, but the features that simplify daily life are carrying greater weight than they once did. As online shopping continues to shape consumer behaviour, secure parcel delivery is increasingly becoming another amenity worth looking for.

Parcel delivery is joining the apartment amenity checklist

Inca Property Group has lodged a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for Dawn, a 53-apartment oceanfront development overlooking Mona Vale Beach.

The proposal, at 35-39 Darley Street East, would replace an existing 18-apartment strata building with a new owner-occupier-focused development comprising 53 two and three-bedroom apartments, including nine affordable built-to-rent residences delivered under the State's infill affordable housing scheme.

Positioned on a 2,679 sqm elevated site around 280 metres from Mona Vale Beach, the development has been designed to maximise panoramic ocean views while responding to the site's sloping topography.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/inca-property-group">Inca Property Group</a> Managing Director Josh Thompson said the State Significant pathway provided greater certainty for projects of this scale.

"This State Significant pathway gives the team real certainty to progress <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/dawn-35-39-darley-street-east-mona-vale-nsw-2103">Dawn</a> through to completion," Thompson said.

"It allows us to acquire a one-off site, design it carefully and deliver the right offering for the suburb, assessed by the NSW Government's planning department."

The project is one of the first developments in the area to be assessed under the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy, with the site sitting on the edge of the policy's designated inner area.

The proposal includes three basement levels providing 124 car spaces, alongside a range of resident amenities including a swimming pool, gym, sauna, wellness facilities and private plunge pools for selected ground-floor and penthouse apartments.

<img alt="Dawn" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fc1a1daf-0ce4-4f12-9076-b1fa553c7a91" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-21%20at%208.42.11%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=4GZ9h.gpNkTljbxyAET8Jfhv51XUamDm" />

Thompson said Dawn had been designed specifically for owner-occupiers and downsizers, a buyer profile that has driven demand across Inca's recent Upper North Shore developments.

"The majority of buyers in our recent North Shore projects have been downsizers, and we are learning exactly what this market is looking for. Beyond the location itself, we have included resort-style amenities to deliver a genuine lifestyle offering," Thompson said.

Located within walking distance of Mona Vale Beach, the town centre, Mona Vale Golf Club and the Royal Motor Yacht Club, Dawn represents Inca's first Northern Beaches project following the sell-out of Tara on Park in Waitara and Ellis Residences, currently under construction in St Ives.

Construction will be undertaken by Inca's in-house construction arm, GOP Constructions.

Dawn is the latest major apartment proposal for Mona Vale, with the suburb emerging as one of the key beneficiaries of the NSW Government's new Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy.

New developer One Living, led by industry veteran Joseph Scuderi, recently secured a site on Mona Vale Road, on the border of Mona Vale and Pymble, where it is planning around 140 apartments.

IPM is also planning its third project in Mona Vale, significantly increasing the scale of its previous developments with an 82-apartment proposal at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/159-167-darley-street-west-mona-vale-nsw-2103">159-167 Darley Street West</a>, opposite Bayview Golf Course and less than 800 metres from Mona Vale town centre.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/one-living-enters-sydneys-new-apartment-market-with-northern-beaches-site-acquisition">One Living enters Sydney's new apartment market with Northern Beaches site acquisition</a>

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-ipm-plans-third-mona-vale-project">First look: IPM plans third Mona Vale project</a>

Jonathan Chancellor

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