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The interior designer Darren Palmer has snappily sold his home in Edgecliff, as the judge from the hit Channel 9 renovation show, The Block heads off to Bondi Beach.
Stylishly transformed since it was purchased for $1.35 million in mid-2013, the Walker Avenue property was tipped to fetch upwards of $2 million.
The three bedroom, two bathroom home secured a bullish $2.1 million on Friday evening through Pauline Goodyer of Goodyer Real Estate who had the listing inconjunction with David Malouf at LJ Hooker Double Bay.
It sold to a young couple who fancied the walk-in, do nothing design offering. 
The fully renovated Federation Edgecliff home had been scheduled for December 1 auction by Darren and his partner, the cosmetic industry CEO, Olivier Duvillard. 
The couple have decided to live the beach style with their son.
Spread across 470 sqm, it is a five bedroom, four bathroom Bondi Beach house with a detached self-contained studio surrounded by lush gardens for their three dogs and a cat to roam around. 
No doubt Darren, channelling classic Hamptons influences, will give it a soothing coastal palette.
It was bought from ABC’s Four Corners reporter Deb Whitmont and her partner, Q&amp;A executive producer Peter McEvoy.
The nice guy judge on The Block, who came to prominence in 2011 after he started filling in for estate agent John McGrath, runs his own successful interior design called Darren Palmer Design Studio.
Raised in central Queensland - which he once described as living in pretty much a design void - Palmer started out in graphic design. 
He turned to interior designing aged 27, with the work of Christian Liaigre an early inspiration.
This article was first published in the Sunday Telegraph.
 
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Block judge Darren Palmer secures quick Edgecliff sale

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The Quirindi property, Little Kickerbell with lavender field on the NSW Liverpool Plains, has been listed for December 5 onsite auction.
The historic homestead, originally built by the Australian pioneering Blaxland family in 1835, has been recently renovated by Sue Stone and John Cockburn.
<a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/2729-bundella-road-quirindi/Property-Details-buy-residential-9738197" target="_blank">The weatherboard and stone homestead</a> has six bedrooms with five fireplaces. There's a billiard room and large dining room which has the capacity to seat up to 40 people.
It has wrap around verandas overlooking gardens that come with an old meat house, ideal for a studio.
The home and infrastructure lend themselves to country home stay accommodation.
Little Kickerbell is a three hour drive from Newcastle and just under 4 hours' drive north-west of Sydney at 2729 Bundella Road.
The property consists of 13 ha highly suited to the equestrian enthusiast. The property has the capacity to carry about 15 head of cattle.
It has been listed through Adam O’Regan at Landmark Harcourts Scone.
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Little Kickerbell on the Liverpool Plains listed for auction

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GUEST OBSERVER
In the current review of Modern Awards before the Fair Work Commission, employers are challenging the level of penalty rates.
At the same time, the Productivity Commission says excessive penalty rates for Sundays reduce hours worked, mean unemployment is higher than it needs to be, and reduce options for businesses and consumers. It wants Sunday penalty rates in some sectors to be set at the Saturday rate.
A penalty rate for Sunday work was first implemented in Australia for working “unsocial” hours in 1919. The 1947 “Weekend Penalty Rates Case” expanded penalty rates to Saturdays, while Sundays were set at a rate of double time. Later decisions specified that workers would need to be compensated for the loss of opportunity for family life and social time resulting from weekend work.
More than 60 years on, employers argue the world has changed. It has, but many of the arguments employers make are not supported by the evidence.
Myth 1: Given extended trading hours, it’s no longer abnormal for people to work weekends. 
Most employees still do not work unsocial hours. According to the Australian Work and Life Index, 38% of workers work unsocial hours; only 32.2% of workers work weekends and 18.9% of workers work evenings after 9pm regularly. These figures include the 13.1% of workers who work both evenings and weekends regularly.
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Myth 2: It’s only young single people that work weekends.
While being single with no children is more common than other family types among these workers, they are not a majority: there are also many couples both with and without children, and sole parents.
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Women are also more likely than men to work weekends. HILDA data indicates that only 22% of male and 21% of female weekend workers were dependent students; in other words, 78% of all weekend workers were not dependent and pay their own bills.
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Myth 3: The disadvantages of working weekends are only bad for those who work very long hours.
Employers argue that the adverse effects associated with working weekends are only relevant to those who work very long hours, and that the days and times themselves are no longer relevant, either because people no longer engage in the activities which previous decisions attempted to protect, or because these activities can be made up on other days and at other times.
But those who work on weekends do so at the sacrifice of time with friends and family, time which cannot be simply made up through time spent at other times during the week. This is particularly acute on Sundays, which remain a time for spending time with family. In spite of claims to the contrary, the differentiation between Saturdays and Sundays remains relevant in modern Australian society.
In general, the recompense of penalty rates is the key reason for willingly working weekends; with far fewer doing so to meet their own flexibility needs. However, the experience of the Work Choices era, and the importance and power of employer expectation, does suggest that many employees would not, in the absence of penalty rates, be able to avoid weekend work due to fear of losing their jobs, and indeed employees being forced to work weekends for no extra pay seems the most likely consequence of removing penalty rates.
Myth 4: Those who work in industries that pay penalty rates are not low paid.
Many workers on penalty rates are among the low paid. According to the Australian Work and Life Index, 37.8% of workers who work weekends only and receive penalty rates rely on these to meet household expenses. This increases to 48.8% for those working both evenings and weekends, and 52.2% for Sundays only.
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Myth 5: Reducing or eliminating penalty rates would increase employment.
The empirical evidence for increased employment as a result of reducing penalty rates is non-existent. <a href="https://press.anu.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Paying-the-Penalty-The-High-Price-of-Penalty-Rates-in-Australian-Restaurants.pdf">Employer arguments</a> have been based essentially on economic theory, which is merely hypothesis in the absence of empirical confirmation. What may be relevant in terms of the impact of wages on employment is that none of the available empirical evidence suggests minimum wages have a significant effect on net employment, a point reiterated by the Productivity Commission.
While some studies do suggest a substitution effect, this would be a matter of balancing one set of employed workers against another – older workers versus youth. In the absence of minima the wages of those who are employed would be lower. However, a number of studies suggest no effect at all, and some suggest a positive effect.
Given the evidence, it is difficult to see any benefits likely to accrue from the abolition or reduction of penalty rates for employees, employment levels or greater availability of services to the public.
 
Ray Markey is director of the Centre for Workforce Futures, Macquarie University and author for The Conversation. He can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ray-markey-16292" target="_blank">here</a>.
 
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Myths about penalty rates and those who rely on them

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Fraser Properties and Sekisui House have combined for the launch of DUO, a 313 high-end apartment tower.
Duo is the fifth residential stage at the award-winning Central Park urban village in Chippendale.
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The building was designed by internationally acclaimed architects Foster + Partners - only their third residential design in Australia.
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The prices for the apartments start at $650,000 for a one bedroom suite, $850,000 for a one bedroom apartment and $1.2 million for the two bedroom apartments.
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Buyers will also have the opportunity to secure a three-bedroom dual key property, something Central Park has not previously offered.
These properties are priced at $1.78 million.
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These apartments will feature in the eastern tower of DUO, with the western playing host to a 300 room boutique hotel, ground floor retail and 5,500 sqm of commercial space.
Fraser Property Australia's sales and marketing director Paul Lowe said DUO gives buyers a chance to be a part of award-winning Central Park community.
<img src="/images/2015/11/13/duo3.jpg" alt="" width="409" height="295">
"DUO will undoubtably set a new bench mark for residential living in the Sydney property market."
The properties will be available on the market from November 28. For more information <a href="https://www.centralparksydney.com" target="_blank">click here</a>.
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Central Park's DUO to offer dual key apartment options

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A prized Blackwattle Bay development site, with jetty, near the Sydney Fish Markets has been scheduled for an online auction next Tuesday.
The 2988 sqm Bank Street holding, currently utilised for fish freezing storage, was recently bought off market by a private local investment syndicate. 
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The previous owner, the Chinese developer Dahua sold mid-year after its controversial mixed use development plans for the precinct drew a backlash from the NSW government.
"At 11am on Tuesday 17th, a reserve price will be uploaded and a starting bid logged," the <a href="https://auctionworks.net.au/" target="_blank">auctionworks.net.au</a> auctioneer David Scholes said.
The bidding will close at 1pm Wednesday, unless there is last minute further bidding.
"All interested parties will need to register with the agents and provide sufficient identification to allow them to select a bidder’s number and compete," Mr Scholes said.
Competitive bidding is expected as Blackwattle Bay is the crown jewel in the NSW Government’s Urban Growths renewal plans for a waterfront tourist precinct.
While Urban Growths' Bays Market masterplan has yet been released, work on the foreshore walk is scheduled to commence in early 2016.
The nearby Sydney Fish Market land will be up for tender in March next year. 
The site for auction, which sits between Poulos Bros and Hymix, has been listed as a place of state significant development under the State and Regional Development SEPP with the minister as the consent authority rather than City of Sydney Council.
The existing controls allow hotels but developers are likely to seek mixed residential usage.
"The short auction deadline is not ideal, but the option to purchase is a live prospect," the Deans Property listing agent, Robert Deans said.
"It is a great opportunity alone or as part of a broader scale redevelopment," he said. Any redevelopment of the nearby fish market must be approved by the SFM Merchants and Tenants.
The Labor State Government started the Bays Precinct consultation and the Liberal Government appointed Urban Growth as the coordinating agency. 
The sales brochure point to an Urban Growth document that indicates more density and higher planning controls was possible for the site.
"It appears from the captured image that it is proposed that the building on the subject land will be a 14 storey building," says the auction marketing.
"This is speculative and interested parties should make their own assessments," it said. 
Most of the Blackwattle Bay waterfront is government-owned, but Jin Huiming's Dahua Group paid $17.5 million to buy the site from Bidvest last year.
The Dahua Group on-sold the site to the current vendors, Fishbank Development Corporation in June this year, according to a caveat on the title, but the delayed settlement sale has not yet been finalised.
Mr Jin, 63, previously was ranked by Forbes as the 36th richest person in China a decade ago when Dahua was ranked in China's top 10 real estate companies.
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Strategic Blackwattle Bay site listed for online auction after Chinese developer sells

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GUEST OBSERVER
A decade or so ago a large Australian fund manager ran a campaign urging Australians to pay more attention to their superannuation (pension) savings. 
This initially struck me as good advice – after the family home for most of us it will end up being our biggest pot of savings so it makes sense to keep a close eye on it. And surely the closer we look at it the better the outcome? But over the years I have come to the view that we need to be careful here. 
In fact the avalanche of information around investing if not properly managed may be making us worse, not better, investors: more fearful, more jittery and more focussed on the short term than ever. I have looked at this theme before and the more I look into it the more convinced I have become that investors need to try and turn down the noise around investing. 
The permanent worry list 
The technology revolution has made it easier and easier to track our investments. And with this has come easier and easier access to information and views around the outlook for investment markets. Some of this is balanced, but a lot of it is not. 
For the last few years it seems there has been a constant worry list with a range of things about to drag us down into the next financial crisis: budget deficits, debt, money printing, the Euro, Greece (every six months!), hyperinflation, deflation, taxes, welfare spending, banks, retiring baby boomers, the government, peak oil, low oil, pollution, global warming, the Middle East, terrorism, Russia, a pandemic, China, the South China Sea, emerging markets and of course the current fascination being the Fed (will she or won't she?). And of course the perennial worry in Australia relates to the residential property market. 
Big picture macro concerns have always been around. And I find it very hard to believe that things are any worse today than they were 100 years ago (when Europe had entered World War 1, living standards and life expectancy were a fraction of today's and pandemics were a regular phenomenon). 
But the communication revolution means that such concerns are now regularly in our face. I cannot google something without links popping up to new disasters. The fascination with financial news has exploded – with several financial TV channels with 24/7 finance updates interspersed with constant debate about what it all means. And this is now all accessible via apps we can have at our fingertips on smart phones.
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Loss myopia 
In a way this is all fun. But there are several risks. Human nature is naturally cautious because our brains evolved at a time when we had to be on the lookout for physical threats. As a result bad news always attracts more interest and so "bad news sells". Of course, this also applies to financial news. 
But it also feeds into a common behavioural trait called "myopic loss aversion." And here lies the threat to our long term financial health. Oddly enough I was reminded of this by a great Wall Street Journal article I saw recently – "Keep Stock-Market Apps Off Your Phone", by Dr Shlomo Benartzi – that I actually found on a stock market app on my phone! It’s long been observed that a loss in financial wealth is felt much more distastefully by investors than the beneficial impact of the same sized gain and in the world of behavioural economists – who study how people behave in relation to economic and finance considerations – this has come to be known as "myopic loss aversion". 
When the value of an investment falls it makes sense that unless something has fundamentally gone wrong investors should be thinking about increasing their allocation to it to take advantage of it now being cheaper and better value and therefore offering better return prospects. 
The reality though is that many are motivated to do the opposite as the distaste for loss combines with another well-known behavioural trait called "recency bias" that causes investors to give more weight to recent events than they should so they project recent news of falls in their investment into the future. 
The information overload we are now seeing is likely to be reinforcing this because it is increasing our exposure to news about our investments. And this constant feedback is likely adding to "myopic loss aversion". (Hopefully this is not getting too technical!) 
The shorter the horizon the worse shares look 
In a family discussion about shares versus bank term deposits a relative once observed to me that there is no point investing in shares as they just go down about as much as they go up. I thought this odd as my experience has been a lot more positive. But then it occurred to me that for many people their perception of what shares do likely comes from daily updates – from the media or increasingly via an app. And this can lead to a very jaundiced experience.
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For example, if you track the daily movements in the Australian All Ordinaries share price index, measured over the last twenty years it has been down almost as much as it has been up with falls 47% of the time and gains 53% of the time. It’s little different for the US S&amp;P 500 share index which has seen falls 46% of the time on a daily basis versus gains 54% of the time. So from day to day it’s pretty much a coin toss with bad news nearly half the time. 
By contrast if you only look at how the share market has gone each month and allow for dividends the historical experience tells us you will only get bad news (ie a loss) 35% of the time in Australia and the US. Looking only on a calendar year basis, data back to 1900 indicates that the probability of bad news in the form of a loss slides further to just 19% for Australian shares and 27% for US shares. And if you can stretch it out to once a decade, again since 1900, positive returns have been seen 100% of the time for Australian shares and 82% of the time for US shares. See the next chart.  
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The point is that the less frequently you look the less you will be disappointed and so the lower the chance that a bout of "myopic loss aversion" will be triggered which causes you to adopt an investment strategy which is too cautious to meet your goals or leads you to sell at precisely the wrong time. 
But is there any evidence backing this up? Yes there is. As the Wall Street Journal article sited above noted, a 1997 study by US behavioural economists Richard Thaler, Amos Tversky, Daniel Kahneman and Alan Schwartz showed that providing investors in an experiment "with frequent feedback about their [investment] outcome is likely to encourage their worst tendencies...More is not always better. 
The subjects with the most data did the worst in terms of money earned." Basically what's happening here is that investors tend to go for the safer lower returning investment options when more frequent feedback on their investment performance is provided. 
Of course, the greater access to financial information we are now seeing in the media and via mobile devices is having the effect of encouraging us to look at our investments more frequently not less – via daily and even more frequent updates. And around this is an avalanche of news and other information that is often out of context, often irrelevant and often in the bad news category. 
This has the effect of exposing us to more frequent news of loss from our investments and reinforcing that news. Which in turn risks encouraging bad investment decisions. In particular a focus away from investments like shares that can grow wealth over time towards assets that may be safe in the short term but will lead to much lower wealth levels over the long term. 
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What can investors do to avoid this? 
The key I think is to find ways to turn down the volume on financial news because if you are exposed to it less frequently you are less likely to make decisions that are contrary to your long term investment goals. Try to avoid looking at market updates so regularly and even consider removing related apps from your smart phones, tablets and watches. Or at the very least find a way to filter such news in a way that it doesn't distort your investment decisions. 
The traditional approach of adopting a long term investment strategy and sticking to it is arguably now more important than ever. Yes we are now in an environment of more constrained and volatile investment returns which has increased the importance of active asset allocation – but this is best left to experts who can put the time in to filter the noise from fundamental signals and avoid allowing “myopic loss aversion” from getting control.
 
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://plus.google.com/110172465327488162875?rel=author" target="_blank">SHANE OLIVER</a> is head of investment strategy and economics and chief economist at <a href="https://www.ampcapital.com.au/home" target="_blank">AMP Capital</a> and is responsible for AMP Capital's diversified investment funds.
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The perils for investors of too much information in the app age: Shane Oliver

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Actor Fiona Spence, one of the most admired Australian television stars throughout the past three decades, has sold her Lewisham home.
She's looking to downsize, but staying in the inner west.
Her grand three bedroom, two storey <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-lewisham-120725877" target="_blank">Hunter St terrace</a> was restored and renovated while maintaining its classic Victorian period feel.
Exisitite pressed metal ceilings in several rooms along with original fireplaces.
Sally Hampshire at Laing + Simmons Double Bay had the offering with near $1.9 million hopes.
Leaving Melbourne for Sydney in 1996, Fiona Spence bought the home for $364,000. 
Born in Kent, England to an Irish mother and an Australian surgeon father, she first moved to Hong Kong and then aged six to Australia. 
The stage and television actor is best known as the unlucky in love spinster Celia Stewart in Home and Away - Alf's sister. Then there was her role as prison officer Vera Bennett in Prisoner series and she was also on Packed to the Rafters as Ted Taylor's ex-love interest, Eleanor McCormack. 
This article was first published in the Sunday Telegraph.
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Actor Fiona Spence sells Lewisham home

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<div>Business entrepreneur Louis Carroll has listed his spectacular estate on the escarpment in Bayview for $8.5 million.</div>
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<div>Carroll has been quiet on the property front in recent years since his record breaking $14.6 million waterfront sale at Newport in 2008.</div>
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<div>Before that was a pricey Killara property play.</div>
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<div>He has spent millions refurbishing and improving his latest ultra private property offering which comes with <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-bayview-121084002" target="_blank">views over Pittwater</a>.</div>
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<div>LJ Hooker Mona Vale agent Ryan Petrie has the 4600 sqm estate listing.</div>
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<div>"The view is arguably the best on the beaches, coupled with complete privacy and the highest quality accomodation," he said.</div>
<div>"It is in a league of its own."</div>
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<div>This article was first published in the Sunday Telegraph</div>
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Sydney Bayview mansion listed for $8.5 million 

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Today’s super‑sized 58.6k rise in jobs was well above market expectations which were centred on a rise of 15k (CBA f/c +20k). To keep it in perspective, there is a pattern that the last few episodes of monthly falls in jobs have been followed by very large rises. It is likely that the next few monthly outcomes are lowish and will bring the three month average back to 17k.
Full‑time jobs growth of 40k in October means that annual growth is 159k or 2%. Part‑time jobs rose by 18.6k to be 104k, or 2.9%, higher over the past year.
The unemployment rate fell to 5.9%, the lowest since May, from 6.2%. We expect to see the unemployment rate oscillate around the 6% level over the next 6 months.
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Forward indicators of the jobs market, such as job ads and employer intentions, indicate that monthly average jobs growth should be in the 17 to 20k range, or 200k annually. It implies that the national unemployment rate will stay around the 6% level, depending on the wobbles in the participation rate.
Over the past 3 years around 277k extra jobs have been added to the workforce, with about two thirds of those in part‑time positions. The new jobs are a net outcome of significantly higher job gains netted off against large job losses. The chart on the next page shows the restructuring across sectors.
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The extra jobs over the past 3 years are in health, construction, retail, education and transport. They can be generally grouped as services sector positions, which also tend to have a greater part‑time component. The lower AUD will hasten the jobs growth in sectors like tourism, accommodation and education over the coming year. It will more than offset the losses in the mining and related sectors.
There is also a clear economic growth transition going on in the States.  VIC and NSW recorded the largest increase in jobs growth (+26.1K and +18.7K respectively). 
The NSW unemployment rate, at 5.5% is now sitting at the lowest level across the States. It is followed closely by VIC at 5.6%. The residential construction boom, focussed in these two States, is one of the key drivers of employment growth.  The mining states also recorded good outcomes in October with QLD up 12.1K and WA up 14.8K.  SA jobs rose by 5.6K and jobs fell by 1.4K in TAS.
The next major economic release is the September quarter Capex which will be examined to see if there is any small improvement in the outlook for non‑mining investment. Next week’s RBA minutes are likely to show that the Board discussed a rate cut at the November meeting which could weaken the AUD.
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Michael Workman is senior economist, <a href="https://www.commbank.com.au/corporate/research?ei=mv_research" target="_blank">Commonwealth Bank</a>.
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Who needs a rate cut? CBA's Michael Workman

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Diplomat Alexander Downer and his wife, Nicky have listed their family's grand Georgian Martinsell estate in South Australia's Barossa.
It comes with $2 million hopes through Oren Klemich of Klemich Real Estate for Australia’s high commissioner to Britain, and former foreign minister.
It is regarded as one of the Barossa’s stately trophy homes, bought by Downers’ parents in 1974.
Following Sir Alick’s death in 1981, his widow Lady Mary stayed on at <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/55-wirra-wirra-road-pewsey-vale/Property-Details-buy-residential-9731896" target="_blank">the Pewsey Vale address</a> until her death in October last year.
Historic items have been recently donated to the University of South Australia’s Alexander Downer Collection.
The 77 acres have 12 acres of sav blanc vineyard contracted to Grant Burge wines.
The Downers last year sold their Mount George family home to make the move to London.
 
 
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Alexander Downer lists grand SA Martinsell estate 

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.

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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."

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.”

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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.”

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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.

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“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.

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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.

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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.

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<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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