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The iconic Italianate trophy home Swinton in Kew, was reported by Fairfax Media to be under offer through listing agent Abercromby’s Jock Langley, but this weekend's open for inspection is still scheduled on websites.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-kew-119176835" target="_blank">The 1850s Swinton</a>, with its distinctive white tower, atop undulating lawns on 2103 sqm overlooking the Yarra River, could command about $10 million, Fairfax Media speculated.
There are pictures of the property held by the <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/65169" target="_blank">State Library</a>. 
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Swinton, Kew under offer?

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The second, and most expensive penthouse at new development ONE30 Hyde Park has sold off-the-plan for $9.72 million with selling agent Louie Bechare of Ecove saying the sale was to a local investor.
The two-storey penthouse comes with three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a family room.
Work on the 38-level building will commence in February, with part of the development including a new entry for Museum Railway Station.
Architecturally designed by Bates Smart, the building will seek to capture the elegance and sophistication of the grand London and New York buildings that front the city's major public park.
Sue Ballasty, the marketing manager of joint developers Ecove, said there will be a grand sandstone and marble foyer with concierge.
Ecove are developing ONE30 Hyde Park jointly with the Aoyuan Property Group of Hong Kong.
The apartments on offer are one bedrooms priced from $1,068,000, two bedrooms from $2,188,000 and three bedroom from $3,128,000.
The first penthouse sale sold for $38,000 psm whereas the most recent sale brought $43,200 psm.
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Off the plan Sydney penthouse sells for $9.72m

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The late decorator Frank Grill's Redfern city home has been sold.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.dijones.com.au/properties-sold/listings/1452" target="_blank">The Kepos Street terrace</a>, bought in 1995 for $455,000, sold through Jane Schumann and Gary Sands of Di Jones Real Estate who had $1.7 million price hopes.
Grill's last ongoing project was the Point Piper home for Paul Lederer, chairman of the Western Sydney Wanderers, and his wife Eve. Lyne Jervis has held the decor business together since his unexpected death in his sleep in September.
His most famous commission was Lady Mary Fairfax's Pierre penthouse in New York in the late 1980s.  
His former Circular Quay apartment featured in the international magazine, Architectural Digest.
This article was first published in the Saturday Daily Telegraph.
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Decorator Frank Grill's Redfern terrace sold

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Estate agency Knight Frank is to roll out Skype for Business in its Australian offices.
The Skype for Business platform is already used across Knight Frank’s international operations, so having its 800-plus Australian employees added to the platform will allow the firm a centralised global communications model.
Skype for Business has instant messaging that also allows Voice Over IP (VoIP) and video conferencing.
The new solution also includes Optus Business Voice over IP (VoIP) services that allows mobile devices and headsets to replace desk phones.
“The feedback from staff has been resoundingly positive,” said Kathleen Stubbs, Knight Frank group information technology director.
She suggested to the delimiter.com.au technology website that "IT had been the key enabler for an agile working model" at Knight Frank.
“Keen to attract the next generation of leaders by building a non-traditional office environment, it is important to adopt a new way of working that delivers choice, accessibility and freedom.” she said.
“The desk is no longer an anchor."
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Skype rollout for Knight Frank offices

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Prominent downsizing company directors, Origin Energy's Dr Helen Nugent and TransGrid Michael Nugent have finally secured a buyer for their Bellevue Hill trophy home.
The Michael Suttor-designed residence set in manicured Italianate gardens with a copper-domed Roman cupola next to the pool and tennis court had $15 million plus hopes. 
Their Victoria Road property with Michael Love interiors had been <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-bellevue+hill-119617975" target="_blank">listed by Alison Coopes’ Agency by Alison Coopes in April</a>.
The couple bought the property when they moved to Sydney from Melbourne 25 years ago paying $4.25 million in 1990 to the property developer Garry Rothwell's Winten Group who had outlaid $2.7 million less than a year earlier.
The Nugent's 1885 South Yarra abode, Raveloe had sold for $2.5 million in 1990 to the shelf company precurser to Starch Australasia.
In 1994 Michael Nugent entirely wiped his $2.4 million Bellevue Hill mortgage after Goodman Fielder's $5.4 million redundancy payout, but another mortgage was taken in 2000.
After stepping down last year from Macquarie Group, Helen's board duties include Australian credit reference agency Veda and Funds SA. Michael's were lightened this month after stepping down from Murrumbidgee Irrigation, one of the largest private irrigation companies in Australia serving over 3,200 landholdings owned by over 2,500 customers within an area of 660,000 hectares. 
This article was first published in the Saturday Daily Telegraph.
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Buyer found for Bellevue Hill trophy home 

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WBP Property Group has appointed Greg Wickham as its chief executive.
The former Opteon Property Group CE will assume the position of CEO of WBP Property Group, effective 1 February 2016, in what the company describes as an exciting new growth phase.
WBP Property Group is an independently owned and operated national valuation, buyer's advocacy and property services company established in 1992.
Greville Pabst, the current CEO will become the executive chairman.
"Australia’s residential mortgage valuation industry is worth an estimated $500 million per annum, of which the group conservatively boasts 6% market share," Greville Pabst said adding WBP Property Group’s market share will grow to 10% in the next 24 months, through combination of continued organic growth and strategic acquisition.
Its valuation business grew by a reported 31% last financial year, with more than half of the growth experienced in Sydney. 
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WBP Property Group appoint Greg Wickham as CEO 

<html><body><div class="cq-article-content-paras section">
Reserve Bank of Australia governor Glenn Stevens has joked the price of iron ore has even, on occasion, displaced from page one of newspapers the price on which Australians typically focus most intensely – that of a house.
He was speaking in Perth, with the RBA board meeting for the first time in Perth since September 2011. He noted the ‘super-cycle’ in commodity prices, and the associated surge in capital spending, had been of national and international significance.  
"I don't need to tell you that quite a lot has changed in the intervening period.
"At that time, the price of a tonne of iron ore was about US$170.
:A tonne of hard coking coal was bringing in about US$300.
"These were among the prices that saw Australia's terms of trade soar to a level some 75 per cent above their average for the preceding century.
"Few countries have seen such a windfall.
"These extraordinary prices had already, by that time, triggered a massive investment program, which was lifting capacity.
"Four years ago, Australia was shipping about a million tonnes of iron ore each day, which was already double the rate of 2004 - bit under a million tonnes of coal left our shores daily.
"By 2011, capital spending by the resources sector had already roughly trebled since 2005.
"It would peak the following year after rising by a further 50 per cent."
He said the results of that investment have come on stream, or soon will.
"Today, Australia ships around 2 million tonnes of iron ore and 1 million tonnes of coal per day.
"The investment was not just in iron ore and coal.
"On forecasts of strong demand from Asia – not just China but Korea and Japan as well – massive investments are under way in gas.
"LNG exports have begun from some of the Queensland projects and are expected to increase strongly over the coming years.
"As the WA projects come on line in the next few years, Australia's total LNG production capacity will reach over 80 million tonnes per year.
"This compares with a production capacity of around 10 million tonnes a decade ago."
As it happens, about the time the Board was meeting in 2011, resource prices and Australia's terms of trade were about at their peak.
"And what a peak it was.
"On a ten-year average basis, the terms of trade exceeded anything seen for at least a century.
"This was not just a very brief spike like some commodity price events have been (such as the early 1950s rise in the price of wool).
"It was quite persistent.
"Not permanent, but quite persistent.
"Nonetheless, the peak was four years ago.
"Today the price of iron ore is about US$40 per tonne, and coking coal around US$75.
"At a national level, Australia's terms of trade, having been through an extraordinary surge, have fallen by a third and are still declining."
But even at those reduced prices, iron ore is still bringing a price 60 per cent higher than it did in 2000.
Natural gas prices are 50 per cent or more above their 2000 level. 
"The spill-overs of these activities have been felt around the country.
"For the fifty years up to 2005, resources sector investment had averaged just over 1½ per cent of national GDP.
"Periodically, in a boom it tended to reach a peak of perhaps 3 per cent of GDP.
"While the episode is not yet over, at this point the economy overall has been recording growth."
Noting the RBA do not make detailed forecasts at state level, he noted previously, economic activity was very strong in the west and the north-east, driven by the investment boom, while in the south-east of the country it was somewhat subdued.
"Now, as the mining investment boom in the west is in the reversal phase, economic activity here in WA is more subdued, while in the south-east it is picking up.
"Consumer spending and employment growth in WA, which had outpaced the national average by a wide margin, have come back to be a bit below the national average.
"The rate of WA's population growth has slowed.
"Housing prices have declined a little, while those in Sydney and Melbourne have, at least until recently, risen at quite a clip.
"Measures of business conditions in WA are at about their long-run average, having been a long way above that for some years.
"So WA has ‘come back to the pack’, though the pack has actually picked up some speed in the meantime."
He concluded remembering the positive legacy of the events of the past decade.
Household net worth in WA in 2013/14 (the latest available data), at about $950 000 per household, was a good deal higher than in any other state.
"Since then, housing prices in WA have declined while those in some other places have risen, so this gap may have diminished.
"Nonetheless, my guess is that, among the Australian states, the citizens of Western Australia are on average, probably still among the richest.
"Even if the others gradually close the gap over time, as they well might, you are better off for having had the boom."
He said new opportunities for growth will emerge, resulting from things like the growth in the middle class of Asia, with all what that means for demand for services as well as for energy and agricultural production.
"The growth of India is surely also a potential opportunity for WA – facing as you do the Indian Ocean, and with the advantage of relative lesser distance.
"A mere eight hour flight time!" 
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RBA governor Glenn Stevens says WA has come back to the pack

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ASIC has slapped a permanent ban on Mark McIvor, the former Chief Executive Officer and founding director of Equititrust Limited (in liquidation), which collapsed in 2011.
Mr McIvor, of Labrador, Queensland, is banned from providing any financial services on the basis that he had contravened a financial services law and was not of good fame or character to provide financial services. 
His conduct involved breaches of the financial services legislation, which were considered to be very serious, repetitive, prolonged and dishonest.
An ASIC investigation found that between 1 January 2004 and 18 September 2008, whilst he was the director of the responsible entity of EIF, Mr. McIvor:
<ul>
<li>failed to take all the steps that a reasonable person would take, if they were in the officer's position, to ensure that the responsible entity complied with the EIF's compliance plan; and</li>
<li>signed 28 board meeting minutes, which falsely recorded a board meeting to approve a loan application had occurred, when no such board meetings had taken place.</li>
</ul>
ASIC Commissioner John Price said "ASIC expects high standards of honesty and integrity from anyone providing financial services. Anyone who fails to meet those standards must be excluded from providing such services."
Mr McIvor has 28 days in which to apply to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal to review the decision.
Equititrust was incorporated on 18 August 1993 and was placed into voluntary administration on 15 February 2012.  The creditors of Equititrust resolved that the company should be placed into liquidation on 20 April 2012.
Equititrust held an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL) and was the responsible entity of two registered schemes, the Equititrust Income Fund (EIF) and the Equititrust Priority Class Income Fund (EPCIF).  It was also trustee of an unregistered managed investment scheme, called the Equititrust Premium Fund (EPF). 
The voluntary administrators of Equititrust reported that as at the date of their appointment:
<ul>
<li>EIF had about 1620 unitholders who were owed approximately $203.6 mil.</li>
<li>EPF had about 38 unitholders who were owed approximately $56.7 mil; and</li>
<li>EPCIF had 5 unitholders and held no tangible assets.</li>
</ul>
Mr McIvor was made bankrupt on 28 November 2012.
On 19 December 2011, ASIC suspended the AFSL of Equititrust for 12 months, for failing to comply with a number of key obligations as a financial services licensee. (REF: 11-306MR)
On 22 August 2014, Mr McIvor was convicted and fined $10,000 in the Brisbane Magistrates Court of six charges of failing to provide a Report as to Affairs and to deliver books and records to the liquidators of Chevron Capital Pty Ltd, MHSM Holdings Pty Ltd and SM Capital Pty Ltd. (REF 14-223MR).
Property Observer last wrote on Mark McIvor back in 2012 following the sale of his two-storey riverfront home, designed by Sydney-based architect Alex Popov, that sits on Cronin Island with<a href="/news/nsw/alex-popov-designed-mcivor-home-on-cronin-island-house-finally-resells"> 50-metre frontage onto the Nerang River</a>.
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Mark McIvor has 28 days to challenge ASIC financial services ban

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The entrepreneurial Double Bay dental innovator David Penn and his wife, Linda, secured $1,452,500 when their Altair, Rushcutters Bay investment apartment sold last month.
Despite the Greg Natale decor styling, it was otherwise empty. 
The only thing in all the cupboards in the 8th floor apartment were some Hut and Manor soy wax candles which<a href="https://innercity.ljhooker.com.au/367HFP/809_3-kings-cross-road-darlinghurst" target="_blank"> LJ Hooker agent Dominic Kunerman</a> lit during his open for inspections.
It was bought in 2012 for $1,025,000 in partnership with their son Joshua who was a no-show at the laboured onsite auction in the Engelen Moore-designed complex.
The 117 sqm Walker Corp apartment first sold in 1999 at $651,000. 
This article was first published in the Saturday Daily Telegraph.
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Altair apartment sells at $1,452,500

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GDP grew by 0.9%qtr in Q3, broadly as anticipated (market median 0.8% and Westpac 0.9%).
Annual growth rebounded to 2.5%, which was a little firmer than expected (market 2.4% and Westpac 2.3%). 
Economic conditions remain uneven and choppy from quarter to quarter.
In Q3, exports (resources and services) were once again the key growth engine, business investment and public investment were major negatives, housing is responding to low interest rates and consumer spending strengthened a little on firmer wage income numbers. The global backdrop and the income environment remain challenging, with the terms of trade down a further -2.3%qtr, -10.4%yr in the quarter. 
The details
Net exports contributed 1.5ppts to Q3 growth, more than reversing a surprise 0.8ppts subtraction in Q2.
Exports are a key growth engine, +4.6%qtr, as the mining boom pays dividend and as service exports (education, travel and business services) advance, boosted by the lower AUD. 
Also, imports contracted in Q3, -2.4%qtr, including a sizeable fall in service imports as the lower AUD dollar bites, encouraging Australians to redirect spending from overseas to domestically – particularly travel, as well as retail. 
New business investment contracted by a sizeable -4.6%qtr, -11.0%yr.
The mining investment downturn is a sizeable headwind and will remain so into 2016. In addition, non-mining investment weakened in the quarter, with declines in equipment spending and non-residential building. 
Public demand, having surprised with a 2.2% jump in Q2, reversed, down 0.9% in Q3, including a hefty 8.2% drop in investment. 
Going forward, public demand is unlikely to be strong, but a rebound from this sizeable fall is in prospect. Of note, NSW and Victorian state governments are embarking on new transport infrastructure projects. 
Household consumption provided a positive surprise, strengthening a little to grow by 0.7% in Q3, following a 0.6% rise in Q2 (revised up from 0.5%). Annual growth grinded higher to 2.7%, up from 2.5%.
Wage incomes were a little more supportive in the quarter, up 1.1%qtr, reflective of stronger employment results. In addition, households allowed their saving rate to shift a little lower, to a still high 9.0% from 9.4%. 
Home building activity grew by 0.9%, with new dwelling construction up a solid 2.0%qtr and a strong 12.8%yr in response to record low interest rates and pent-up demand. However, renovation work slipped, down 0.9%qtr, following a 2.4% rise. 
Domestic demand contracted by a sizeable 0.5%qtr in Q3, the largest decline since early 2009, reflective of the weakness of business investment and public investment in the period. Over the year, domestic demand grew by 0.8%. 
Across the three estimates of GDP
The expenditure measure printed at 0.9%qtr, 1.9%yr
GDP Income was 1.1%qtr, 3.1%yr
GDP Production was 0.8%qtr, 2.6%yr  
Implications for Monetary Policy
The Reserve bank will be encouraged by this report. Recall that at this time last year the September 2014 report printed 0.3% compared to the current print of 0.9% with through the year growth slipping a little to 2.7%. 
This time through the year growth has lifted from 1.9% to 2.5%. In particular household spending has printed 0.7% compared with a disappointing 0.5% last year and growth in annual household spending has been boosted from 2.5% to 2.7%. A modest fall in the savings rate from 9.4% to 9.0% also points to consumers being prepared to supplement modest income growth to lift the pace of spending. 
The Bank will also find the large contribution to growth from net exports provides some encouragement from an employment perspective with net services exports playing a more prominent role than a year ago. 
While last year Westpac interpreted the September quarter national accounts as providing a key justification for its forecast of a February rate cut we see no comparable case here. While markets held a 25% chance of a move in February we expect that as they have time to digest this result those folks favouring another move will be forced to push the timing out to May. 
For our part we remain comfortable with our call that rates will remain on hold in 2016 with downside risks. 
<h2>Strategy</h2>
<h2>For the AUD</h2>
AUD/USD approached the GDP data at 0.7325, consolidating its gains in NY trade. The 0.9% headline was a touch above consensus, producing an AUD/USD bounce to a high of 0.7345. This was a fresh high since 15 October. However, within 20 minutes the Aussie was back to 0.7315/20. Given that the details of the report were mostly encouraging and that RBA governor Stevens (speaking in Perth) deemed the data “not a bad outcome” and a touch higher than the RBA had expected, the AUD pullback suggests some fatigue after its sharp rally.
Bill Evans is chief economist of <a href="https://www.westpac.com.au/" target="_blank">Westpac</a>.
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Economic conditions uneven and choppy from quarter to quarter: Westpac's Bill Evans

Design-led developer-builder Lowe Living has unveiled its latest residential development, Jardin House, marking its first foray into Melbourne's blue-chip City of Boroondara.

Located a short walk from Camberwell Junction, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/jardin-house-by-lowe-living-camberwell-335-camberwell-road-camberwell-vic-3124">Jardin House</a> has been designed to appeal to affluent local downsizers and established families seeking a low-maintenance alternative to the large homes that have long defined Camberwell and surrounding suburbs.

The project will comprise a collection of two and three-bedroom apartments ranging from 92 sqm to 280 sqm, alongside a limited number of penthouse residences featuring rooftop terraces spanning more than 100 sqm, with optional private pools.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=146717 project_image_fid=372212]

Lowe Living Co-Founder and Managing Director Tim Lowe said Camberwell represented a natural next step for the developer as it expands into some of Melbourne's most tightly held residential markets.

"Jardin House is an important project for our team as it marks the next evolution of our portfolio into different well-established blue-chip pockets of Melbourne," Lowe said.

"Camberwell, with its incredible walkability, family-led neighbourhood feel and superb access to education and transport, makes it a natural choice for us."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=146717 project_image_fid=372227]

Designed by Tristan Wong Architects, with interiors by Hecker Guthrie and landscaping by Acre, the development takes inspiration from the Art Deco architecture that remains a defining feature of many of Camberwell's established streets.

A curved facade, arched openings, textured brickwork and sculpted forms reference the suburb's architectural heritage, while extensive landscaping softens the building's presence and creates a strong connection to the surrounding tree-lined streetscape.

The project will be set behind a secure gated entrance, with residents arriving through landscaped gardens designed to create a transition between the public realm and private residences.

Inside, the residences feature natural stone and timber finishes, full-height glazing, Miele appliances and generous open-plan living areas designed for long-term owner occupation.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=146717 project_image_fid=372225]

While the apartments themselves have been designed to attract discerning owner-occupiers, it is the amenity offering that sets Jardin House apart from many other boutique projects currently launching across Melbourne.

The centrepiece is a 350 sqm private bathhouse curated in partnership with Aurora Spa &amp; Bathhouse founder Lyndall Mitchell.

The wellness precinct includes mineral pools, hydrotherapy experiences, a Himalayan salt room, sauna, steam room, cold plunge pools and dedicated relaxation spaces, creating what Lowe Living describes as a private wellness retreat exclusively for residents.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=146717 project_image_fid=372222]

The collaboration follows Lowe Living's recent partnership with Aurora at Maison Savoy in Brighton, although Jardin House is the first project to incorporate both indoor and outdoor wellness experiences.

Emma Lowe, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Lowe Living, said wellness was becoming an increasingly important consideration for apartment buyers.

"Collaborating with Lyndall Mitchell from Aurora Spa &amp; Bathhouse for a second time is an intentional nod to creating residences that are more than just homes, but a way to enrich the lives of our residents through wellness and longevity," Lowe said.

The amenity offering is complemented by a Technogym fitness studio, residents' lounge, private dining spaces and concierge services.

The launch comes as developers increasingly target Melbourne's established eastern suburbs, where rising land values, ageing housing stock and growing downsizer demand are creating opportunities for boutique apartment projects.

Lowe said the company expects significant generational wealth transfer across suburbs such as Camberwell in coming years, creating further demand for luxury apartment living.

"Camberwell is a blue-chip suburb where homes regularly transact for multiple millions of dollars," he said.

"The generational change of wealth in these locations expected in the coming years is significant, so we see an opportunity to create exclusive residences that appeal to older families and downsizers in order to meet this demand."

Apartments at Jardin house start from $1,195,000. The project forms part of Lowe Living's near-$1 billion portfolio of new developments across Melbourne.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=146717]

Joel Robinson

Lowe Living launches Jardin House in Camberwell

As <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/north-sydney-nsw-2060">North Sydney</a> continues its transition from a commercial centre into a more layered residential and lifestyle precinct, a new generation of apartment developments is reshaping expectations around scale, amenity, and long-term liveability.

Improved transport connections through the Victoria Cross Metro, continued investment in dining and public spaces, and a constrained supply of new luxury apartments have sharpened demand for homes that combine proximity to the CBD with the privacy and outlook traditionally associated with harbourside houses.

At 177 Walker Street, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/aland">ALAND</a>’s new apartment development <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-walden-north-sydney-177-walker-street-north-sydney-nsw-2060">The Walden</a> enters the market with a distinctly residential approach to high-rise living. The 30-level tower will deliver 161 residences, ranging from one-bedroom apartments through to sub-penthouses and a full-floor penthouse, all oriented to capture uninterrupted views across Sydney Harbour, the Opera House, and out toward the Pacific Ocean.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134323 project_image_fid=6395]

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a>, the project takes advantage of the site’s natural topography and elevated position above the harbour. Rather than relying on density alone, the architecture focuses on outlook, orientation, and spatial flow, with every apartment occupying a corner position to maximise natural light and cross ventilation.

Rothelowman says the site itself shaped much of the architectural response.

“The site has a long history in terms of its inevitable transformation and when we came in, we took inspiration from the idea of reestablishing a sense of the site’s natural terrain and fall. Our scheme aims to integrate with the terrain and the landscape, using the undulating site to slowly reveal glimpses and views of the harbour. The rotation of the tower off grid means every apartment has a view and is naturally cross ventilated. The building's colour palette is quintessentially Sydney, with bronze and sandstone and a luminescent green colour in the glass, making it very earthy and grounded in its location.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134323 project_image_fid=6399]

Inside the residences, the emphasis moves toward larger-format living typically associated with standalone homes. Kitchens sit at the centre of the apartments, connecting directly to open-plan dining and living areas before extending outward into expansive winter gardens and balconies. Calacatta marble, bespoke joinery, integrated appliances, and custom metal detailing are used throughout, while three distinct interior palettes, Terrace, Opera, and Harbour, allow buyers to personalise the spaces without compromising the architectural consistency of the project.

The larger residences place particular attention on separation between entertaining and private zones. In many apartments, master suites occupy the outer corners of the floorplates, allowing bedrooms to benefit from floor-to-ceiling glazing and harbour outlooks independent of the living spaces. Dressing rooms and ensuites continue the material palette through fluted detailing, freestanding baths, and layered stone finishes.

Rothelowman says the design intent centred on creating homes that feel enduring rather than transient.

“Our philosophy is all about the way people live in these spaces, and we wanted to create homes that reflect the quality of life in this unique Sydney location. The apartments showcase expansive living spaces that are generous, sophisticated, and bold, with the ability to connect with views throughout each apartment.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134323 project_image_fid=353235]

A separate four-storey amenity building known as The Pavilion expands the residential offering beyond the apartments themselves. Positioned alongside the tower, the building consolidates wellness, recreation, and social spaces into a dedicated resident retreat. Facilities include a 20-metre rooftop pool and sundeck, sauna, spa, ice bath, wellness studio, gymnasium, concierge service, wine cellar, residents’ lounge, private dining spaces, and dedicated co-working areas with meeting rooms and boardroom facilities.

The amenity mix reflects the buyer profile emerging in North Sydney, where owner-occupiers and downsizers are increasingly prioritising convenience, apartment scale, and long-term usability over purely investment-driven decisions.

The Walden also represents a significant milestone for ALAND, marking the company’s first major move into Sydney’s inner-city luxury apartment market after more than two decades delivering large-scale residential communities across Greater Sydney. Founder Andrew Hrsto says the Walker Street site stood apart because of both its positioning and its rarity.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134323 project_image_fid=6390]

“As a company, we had been searching for a site in one of Sydney’s blue-chip locations, spanning the Eastern Suburbs, the Sydney CBD and the North Shore, and when we had the opportunity to purchase this site, we immediately recognised that it could be something iconic.”

At launch, The Walden recorded more than $103 million in sales, with buyers drawn to the project’s harbour positioning, apartment scale, and proximity to the Metro, which now connects North Sydney to Barangaroo in three minutes and Martin Place in five.

ALAND has commenced construction, and is expecting a completion date in 2028.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=134323]

The Walden pairs house-scale living with North Sydney connectivity

The ACT will become the first jurisdiction in Australia to abolish stamp duty for all first home buyers, with no income caps and no property price thresholds from 1 July.

The move, announced as part of the ACT Budget, completes a key election commitment from the Barr Government and removes what Chief Minister Andrew Barr described as one of the biggest barriers to entering the housing market. The reform forms part of the ACT's long-running transition away from transaction taxes and towards a broader-based property tax system.

"This budget marks a major milestone in our long-term tax reform program," Barr said, adding that the government had maintained a sustained focus on removing barriers to home ownership. He said stamp duty had long been one of the largest upfront hurdles facing buyers and that from July, "that barrier is gone" for first home buyers in the Territory.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=139989 project_image_fid=350986]

The changes come alongside a range of measures designed to encourage new housing supply, including support for the delivery of so-called "missing middle" housing such as terraces, townhouses and low-rise multi-unit developments.

The announcement has renewed debate around whether the ACT's approach could provide a blueprint for improving housing affordability nationally.

New research from OurTop10.com.au, conducted by Primara Research, suggests the Territory's decade-long reform agenda has produced outcomes unmatched elsewhere in Australia.

While stamp duty costs have increased by an average 67 per cent nationally over the past decade, the ACT has recorded growth of just 15 per cent, the lowest increase of any jurisdiction.

The Territory has also emerged as one of the strongest performers on housing delivery. Based on population-weighted housing targets, the ACT is sitting less than one per cent behind its target. Victoria is the next closest at seven per cent behind, while the national average sits 25 per cent below target. New South Wales is tracking 39 per cent behind.

The latest reform removes one of the final barriers facing first home buyers in Canberra.

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The average Australian home buyer currently pays $61,714 in stamp duty. In the ACT, that figure is $38,399 despite the Territory having the third-highest median house price in the country.

Until now, the ACT's first home buyer concession scheme only applied to purchases up to $1.02 million, around $51,000 below Canberra's median house price of $1.071 million. In practical terms, many first home buyers were unable to access the median-priced home without losing the concession.

From July, those restrictions disappear.

Every first home buyer in the ACT will pay no stamp duty, regardless of income or purchase price.

Canberra remains one of Australia's most expensive housing markets, with dwelling values increasing 82 per cent over the past decade. However, that growth ranks only 11th among Australia's 15 major housing markets, suggesting affordability pressures have been less severe than in many other parts of the country.

Simon Ma, CEO of OurTop10.com.au, said the latest reforms recognise that many first home buyers have simply outgrown thresholds set years ago.

"Many first home buyers aren't just looking for a way onto the ladder, they want a home their family can actually live in," Ma said.

"In a market where the median house price is over a million dollars, a concession scheme that cuts out at $1.02 million was never going to get them there.

"Removing the ceiling entirely means ACT first home buyers can now pursue the home they actually want, rather than limiting themselves to a price point designed for a very different market."

Whether other states follow remains to be seen. But at a time when most jurisdictions are struggling to improve affordability while also increasing housing supply, the ACT has quietly become the national test case for both.

15% stamp duty growth. Just 1% off the national housing target. Zero stamp duty for FHBs. Is the ACT the blueprint for the great Australian dream?

ACT abolishes stamp duty for first home buyers

A rooftop pool and spa overlooking the Brisbane CBD, private dining spaces, expansive landscaped gardens and a residents' lounge are set to crown <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/callista-on-park-west-end-49-mollison-street-west-end-qld-4101">Callista on Park</a>, the final residential building within Brisbane's West Village precinct.

The rooftop amenity collection has been designed as an extension of the lifestyle already established throughout West Village, providing residents with a series of indoor and outdoor spaces that capitalise on the building's elevated position above West End.

A swimming pool and heated spa form the centrepiece of the rooftop offering, surrounded by landscaped gardens developed through a collaboration between developer Sekisui House and ASPECT Studios. The design incorporates expansive lawn areas surrounded by English garden-inspired planting.

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Residents will also have access to two barbecue and outdoor dining areas positioned to take advantage of views across Brisbane's skyline, neighbouring Mollison Park, and the surrounding inner-city landscape.

For larger gatherings, the rooftop includes a private dining room centred around a substantial stone island bench, complete with a full kitchen and a 10-seat dining table set beneath four-metre-high ceilings. The space has been designed to overlook both the rooftop gardens and the Brisbane CBD skyline.

A separate residents' lounge provides an additional indoor retreat connected to the broader rooftop amenity offering, creating another space for residents to work, relax or entertain guests.

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The attention to detail extends beyond the rooftop.

Upon arrival, residents will enter through a lobby featuring a bespoke ceiling light installation developed in collaboration between Sekisui House and Alcorn Middleton Architecture. The arrival experience is complemented by private resident mailboxes and carefully considered interior finishes designed to reflect the premium positioning of the building.

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The amenity offering forms part of Callista on Park, the final residential release within the decade-long transformation of the former Peters Ice Cream Factory site into West Village, one of Brisbane's most established mixed-use communities.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a> and being delivered by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/builders/hutchinson-builders">Hutchinson Builders</a>, Callista represents the most premium residential offering within the masterplanned precinct.

Construction is now entering its final stages, with scaffolding beginning to come down and completion expected in the first quarter of 2027.

Prices for the three-bedroom plus MPR apartments start from just over $2.6 million.

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Callista will mark the final opportunity to purchase within West Village, where residents have direct access to more than 35 retail, dining, wellness and medical operators including Harris Farm Markets, Woolworths, Function Well and Goodlife Health Clubs, Metro Arts, and a growing collection of restaurants and cafés.

Located just 800 metres from the Brisbane CBD, the precinct also places residents within walking distance of South Bank, West End's dining scene, riverfront parklands and major public transport connections.

For Sekisui House, which has delivered more than two million homes globally, Callista serves as the concluding piece of the West Village masterplan, bringing together the precinct's heritage character, parkland setting and emphasis on walkability in a final collection of larger-format residences.

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Rooftop pool, private dining and skyline gardens to crown West Village's final apartment release, Callista on Park

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/wahroonga-nsw-2076">Wahroonga</a>’s enduring appeal has long been tied to its balance of bushland, established amenity, and access to some of Sydney’s most respected education and healthcare institutions.

Along Fox Valley Road, that combination is becoming increasingly sought after by buyers looking to remain connected to the Upper North Shore lifestyle while prioritising walkability, wellbeing, and convenience.

Developer Capital Corporation's initial vision of a 62-hectare site on Fox Valley Road was that they could create their own walkable community, bordered by&nbsp;more than 25 hectares of bushland and adjoining Coups Creek.

<img alt="Wahroonga" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b84917a1-0d75-49b9-888c-ddf7ebfd6692" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/NEW2026_Wahroonga_Walkway.gif?VersionId=Gk3_xi5ssYfalmwuQQ5umQakddceC31j" />

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-residences-at-wahroonga-estate-169-fox-valley-road-wahroonga-nsw-2076">The Residences at Wahroonga Estate</a> draws directly on the area’s natural landscape, with walking trails and green corridors linking into sections of Lane Cove National Park. The surrounding network of bushwalks, cycling tracks, and reserves reinforces the suburb’s long-standing reputation as one of Sydney’s most nature-oriented residential pockets, while still maintaining close ties to village retail and transport infrastructure.

The address places residents within minutes of Wahroonga and Turramurra villages, where cafés, local grocers, boutiques, and everyday services support a highly localised lifestyle. Popular nearby venues including The Fox Café and Breeze Valley Café provide easy options for morning coffee or casual dining, while longstanding retailers such as IGA Wahroonga Fresh and Novella Fine Books continue to anchor the area’s village character.

&nbsp;

<img alt="Wahroonga" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c4a950f7-4f05-4370-b360-b106359788e5" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/2026_Wahroonga_Entry_Gates.gif?VersionId=7n5kh9ymu.azYEYDemJkPgiIAfSw44oj" />

Healthcare access remains one of the defining locational advantages of the estate. Sydney Adventist Hospital, known locally as The San, sits directly adjacent and is one of the largest and most respected private hospitals in New South Wales. The hospital precinct incorporates specialist medical services, radiology, physiotherapy, and outpatient care, contributing to growing buyer demand from downsizers and owner-occupiers seeking long-term convenience and peace of mind.

Research commissioned by Capital Corporation found that health and wellbeing considerations are increasingly influencing downsizing decisions, particularly among buyers wanting to remain within familiar neighbourhoods while accessing medical infrastructure more easily.

Education has also historically underpinned demand across Wahroonga and the broader Upper North Shore. The estate sits close to several of Sydney’s leading private and independent schools, including Knox Grammar, Abbotsleigh, Barker College, Pymble Ladies’ College, Ravenswood School for Girls, and Loreto Normanhurst. Co-educational options including Wahroonga Adventist School and Sydney Adventist School further strengthen the area’s appeal to established families looking for long-term schooling pathways within a tightly held catchment.

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Transport connectivity supports the suburb’s liveability without compromising its quieter residential character. Wahroonga and Turramurra train stations provide direct rail access into the Sydney CBD, while the nearby Pacific Highway and M1 motorway strengthen links across the North Shore and broader metropolitan area. At the same time, the heavily treed streetscape and low-density character continue to distinguish the precinct from more urbanised parts of Sydney.

The Residences at Wahroonga Estate forms the first stage of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/capital-corporation">Capital Corporation</a>’s broader masterplanned vision for the precinct, delivered alongside the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

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Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/group-gsa">GroupGSA</a> with interiors by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/coco-republic-interior-design">Coco Republic</a>, the development integrates landscaped communal spaces including a pet-friendly Green Spine, resident lounge, BBQ pavilion, and direct bushland access, reinforcing the project’s focus on outdoor connection and community-based living.

Now under construction by Gold Star iCIRT-rated builder <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/builders/dasco-australia">DASCO</a>, The Residences at Wahroonga Estate will deliver a collection of one, two, and three-bedroom apartments priced from $990,000, with completion anticipated in 2027.

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Jonathan Chancellor

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