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Following its 12-year restoration, Mill Pond Farm at Braidwood in the NSW Southern Tablelands has been listed for sale by antique collectors Antony Davies and Andrew Gow.
The duo are looking for a property to become a sanctuary for their rescue animals, while also continuing with their collection of vintage cars and horse-drawn carriages.
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They’d previously restored the 1850s Braidwood inn Tidmarsh over 10 years.
Both restored properties have received heritage awards after becoming tourist attractions.
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Kelly Allen at Luton Properties has the listing of the Jembaicumbene property, located 280 kilometres south-west of Sydney.
The 40 hectare estate has fine wool alpacas, carriage horses, goats and sheep.
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This article first appeared in The Sunday Telegraph.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Restored Mill Pond Farm at Braidwood listed by antiques dealer

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Every living expense can play a potentially crucial role in whether Sydney home buyers get their loan.
Despite the recent credit loosening, home loan applications are a huge hurdle before getting approvals.
There are numerous questions about the home buyer's current situation and their plans with any purchase on past bank statements likely to trigger spending analysis by the bank. 
Their forensic line by line scrutiny on spending includes everything from UberEats, Netflix, betting, pets, and the ongoing financial impact of children or, as a recent Saturday Telegraph front page reported, even the pursuit of IVF treatment.
Lendi managing director David Hyman watches bank requests seeking more information from loan applications. Before the Royal Commission, on average 40% of loan applications came back from the lenders with more information required.
During the Royal Commission period, around 52% of all loans applications submitted were coming back seeking greater details.
 This peaked in April this year at 63%. 
Significantly since the election and APRA’s changes to serviceability guidance, the trend has settled. Data from Lendi applications submitted in July and August show the rate of more information required has dropped to 29%.
Even the boss of Mirvac, Susan Lloyd-Hurwitz, who earns over $4.5 million, has found the questioning "tortuous" when recently settling on a $770,500 investment apartment.
Lloyd-Hurwitz said the scrutiny was "painful" and could "get non-sensical".
Last week, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said that the bank's being too zealous in the wake of the Royal Commission.
Frydenberg warned it was beginning to penalise "hard-working families" trying".
"Common sense dictates that a sensible balance needs to be struck because an unduly restrictive application of these obligations can do as much harm as an overly lax one," Frydenberg said.
"Clearly, the risk that the provision of credit may cause substantial hardship to some should not result in a significantly reduced ability to access credit by the vast majority of borrowers," the Treasurer added.
The tighter lending restrictions is one of the reasons why listing volumes are at 20 year lows which the RBA governor Philip Lowe says is hurting the economy.
"With fewer of us moving homes, spending on new furniture and household appliances has been quite soft," Lowe said.
"So too has expenditure on moving costs and real estate fees. More broadly, the correction in the housing market has also affected the economy through its impact on residential construction activity.
Stung by the Royal Commission exposure of liar loan fraud, the banks moved to tighten their procedures and policies last year.
But last month the Supreme Court judge Nye Perram wisely noted that borrowers could always cut back on their spending after getting their new home.
"I may eat wagyu beef everyday washed down with the finest shiraz but, if I really want my new home, I can make do on much more modest fare," he colourfully noted while deciding for Westpac and against the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) on a legal question of what Westpac should consider before responsibly giving someone a loan.
The latest data from APRA shows that riskier lending including loans with a high LVR or interest-only, remain a low proportion of new mortgages.
Most loans are based on the banks making lender serviceability assessments that incorporate an interest rate buffer of 2.5% above the current lending norm, to take into account potential repayment increases in higher loan rates and the borrower capacity in the years ahead. 
This article first appeared in The Daily Telegraph. 
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Every living expense important in securing a home loan

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The former La Strada premises in Potts Point have been listed for sale by Giovanna Toppi, the restaurant family matriarch.

The listing comes as her neighbours pursue an <a href="/news/100-million-plus-macleay-street-potts-point-shop-top-residential-site-consolidation-put-to-market">apartment project for the Macleay St strip</a>.

The adjoining offering is four buildings combined to seek $100 million-plus for the 2170sqm holding.

Toppi’s <a href="https://www.raywhite.com/nsw/potts-point/2185560/" target="_blank">piggybacking 322sqm corner-site offering</a> last sold in 1979 for $348,000, with the elegant restaurant opening soon after with her late husband Walter.

La Strada took its name from the Fellini film released around the time Toppi arrived from Naples.

She came by herself with little money and no English, starting as a dishwasher but working her way up to head chef at Buona Sera, owned by Ettore Prossimo.

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She went on to own and run O Sole Mio, Giovannas, La Strada and then, of course, from 1988, Machiavelli with daughters Paola and Caterina. Until it closed in 1996 the restaurant, with its distinctive black and white marble flooring designed by Frank Grill, was the place to eat for any visiting star. Her black-vested waiters, the legendary Ricky Spinelli and Franco Perez, served countless steak dianes and crepe suzettes.

All the celebrity diner photos, including Elton John, Sylvester Stallone, Sammy Davis, Rod and Rachel Stewart and Shir­ley Bassey, were hung in the discreet entrance. Now operating as Spitroast, Ray White Randwick agent Sam Capra has the listing in conjunction with R&amp;W agent Jason Boon.

This article was first published in the Sunday Telegraph.
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Toppi's La Strada joins the $100 million plus Macleay Street, Potts Point shop top residential site consolidation put to market

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Environment Minister Matt Kean today announced that Radiata Plateau in the Blue Mountains will be incorporated into the State’s national park reserve system, ensuring its protection for future generations.
Mr Kean said the newest land purchase would protect <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-residential+land-nsw-katoomba-202438566" target="_blank">the last remaining undeveloped peninsula-plateau</a> on the upper Blue Mountains western escarpment. 
The 756 acres natural bush land which comes with approved building site last sold 45 years.
It was listed this time through Theo Poulos Real Estate. 
The 304 hectare sites is composed of five lots on one title and one separate title lot of 89 hectares.
“This site supports important wildlife corridors and nationally listed endangered ecological communities, including Blue Mountains swamps, and endangered species such as the Spotted-tailed Quoll, the Dwarf Mountain Pine and Greater Glider,” Mr Kean said.
“I am delighted to announce that we have just exchanged contracts for this important 300 hectare parcel of land, which will help secure this beautiful landscape forever. "
The NSW Government has been working towards acquiring this private property over recent months. 
“I would like to thank the community and the Blue Mountains Conservation Society for their three decade long campaign to ensure this land is protected.
“I know from the hundreds of letters I received that the plateau is widely loved by the community and its network of walking tracks are enjoyed regularly by local residents, bush walkers, climbers and bird watchers.
“The property holds significance to the Gundungurra and Dharug people and includes the state significant heritage site ‘Blacks Ladder’, which marks a traditional Aboriginal pathway into the Megalong Valley."
Once the purchase has settled, the National Parks and Wildlife Service will commence developing a plan of management to guide its protection, management and access for the public.
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State Government secures Radiate Plateau in the Blue Mountains

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Melbourne was host to 777 weekend auctions, with agents returning a preliminary clearance rate of 73.8 per cent.
It was the nation's second strongest capital city result, falling just short of Canberra's 73.9 per cent, according to CoreLogic.
Over the same weekend last year, Melbourne vendors secured a success rate of 51.8 per cent across 904 auctions.
Housing economist Dr Andrew Wilson noted Melbourne recorded a $790,000 median sale which was lower than the previous fortnight’s $812,000 but higher than the same weekend last year’s $738,750.
"With the spring holiday period now concluded, the Melbourne market will again be fully-focused over coming weekends until the Cup long-weekend holiday," Dr Wilson, from My Housing Market, said.
The top Melbourne sale was at Elwood. The modern home at <a href="https://www.marshallwhite.com.au/property/20-docker-street-elwood-830575/" target="_blank">20 Docker Street</a> (pictured top) fetched $3,075,000, up just $25,000 on the last sale price in 2016, according to CoreLogic.
The Marshall White price guidance had been $2.75 million to $2.9 million.
Melbourne's inner south was the strongest region with a 90 percent success rate.
A Wheelers Hill four bedroom, two bathroom home (below) sold for $1,247,000.   “The first bid was $1 million, and it shot up in $20,000 increments,” said the Ray White agent Crisitine Jones.
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"Three months ago this property would have struggled to reach $1.1 million.”   The <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://raywhitegw.com/properties/residential-for-sale/vic/wheelers-hill-3150/house/2175745" target="_blank">21 Heysham Drive home</a> saw six bidders taking part, with final bids between just two dropping as low as $500.
It last sold at $850,000 in 2009.
There were 1,324 homes taken to auction across the combined capital cities, slightly up on the prior week when 1,278 auctions were held.
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National preliminary results show a clearance rate of 71 per cent, similar to last week’s final clearance rate of 71 per cent, but down on the 79 percent achieved in late August. 
"As the remaining results are collected, it’s likely that the final clearance rate will revise below 70 per cent for the first time since mid-August," CoreLogic auction analyst Kevin Brogan said.
AMP Capital chief economist Shane Oliver suggested the recent "cooling" in clearance rates was expected due to the tight credit, the unit supply and soft economy that would "constrain prices after their initial bounce."
This time last year, 1,817 auctions were held across the combined capitals, while the clearance rate was significantly lower at 49.5 per cent.
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With the school holidays, the NRL grand final and Queens Birthday long weekend, auction volumes across Sydney dropped with just 316 homes across the city over the past week. 
Preliminary results show a clearance rate of 79.8 per cent.
There were 188 auctions in Sydney on Saturday, with just the 133 results captured and 110 sold so a preliminary clearance rate for Saturday of 82 percent.
Over the previous week, final results show 74.5 per cent of the 950 auctions were successful making it the busiest week the city has seen since November last year. 
One year ago, 611 auctions were held across Sydney returning a final clearance rate of 46.1 per cent.
For the second week in a row, Sydney's top sale was at Warrawee when a five bedroom house (below) fetched $4,525,000.
The <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.mcgrath.com.au/buy/house/nsw/upper-north-shore/warrawee/406155" target="_blank">21 Hastings Road home</a>, Kelvin Grove was a Federation home renovated by architect Harvey Little. Set on on 1,400 sqm, the home that sold through McGrath agent Alex Mintorn had a pool and court.
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It last sold in 1996 at $1.39 million.
Cooley Auctions reported a 58 percent clearance rate with 11 of 19 selling, which was the weakest clearance rate for nine weeks. 
Across the smaller auction markets, Adelaide and Canberra saw lower auction volumes week-on-week while Brisbane and Perth saw an increase in the number of homes taken to auction over the week.
Canberra was the strongest of all market at 73.9 percent from just 31 auctions, with the dearest being just $835,000 at Flynn.
The four bedroom house at <a href="https://www.irwinproperty.com.au/real-estate/1147527/11-tulloch-place-flynn-act-2615" target="_blank">11 Tulloch Place, Flynn</a> was sold prior to auction through Irwin Property. It last sold at $137,500 in 1998.
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The weakest market was Brisbane at 37 percent with 90 or so listings.
Brisbane had the nation's cheapest sale when <a href="https://www.raywhite.com/qld/kingston/2177746/?lang=en" target="_blank">10 Woody Avenue, Kingston</a> was sold at a big loss. Set within the Logan City region, the neglected three bedroom home fetched $226,000.
"Bring your tools and make this home shine again," the marketing advised.
It last sold at $315,000 in 2015 to Sydney investors who initially sought $460 a week tenants.
There were no auctions recorded in Tasmania this week.
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National auction clearance rates cooling

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Mawallok in Western Victoria has been listed for sale.
Price expectations are reported to be above $25 million.
With a carrying capacity for 30,000 dry-sheep equivalents (DSE), the 2349-hectare heritage-listed sheep station comes with a 10-bedroom homestead, built in 1908 in the Arts and Crafts architecture style.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-livestock-vic-stockyard+hill-700056514" target="_blank">Mawallok</a> has one of the most significant historic gardens in Australia.
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Owned by the Russell family since 1847, the property near Beaufort was bought by Jocelyn and Peter Mitchell in 1980.
Their son Stephen married Serena, whose grandmother was a Russell – so that when the couple took over in 2009, ownership came full circle.
Its William Guilfoyle-designed English gardens were designed in 1909 to complement the Arts and Crafts homestead.
Guilfoyle, arguably Australia greatest garden designer, laid out the Royal Botanic Gardens from 1873-1909.
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Mawallok is credited as his last known, and perhaps his grandest, homestead garden design.
In the 1920s, Sir John Monash designed the 9ha lake.
 In 1924 Major Alex Russell, a keen golfer, designed the six-hole golf course.
Elders Real Estate are taking expressions of interest until November 21.
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Mawallok in Western Victoria listed for sale

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Mawallok in Western Victoria has been sold to Australia's largest importer of wool into China, Lingnan Wen, subject to FIRB approval.
The sheep station near Beaufort in Western Victoria had price expectations above $25 million.
With a carrying capacity for 30,000 dry-sheep equivalents (DSE), the 2349-hectare heritage-listed sheep station comes with a 10-bedroom homestead, built in 1908 in the Arts and Crafts architecture style.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-livestock-vic-stockyard+hill-700056514" target="_blank">Mawallok</a> has one of the most significant historic gardens in Australia.
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Owned by the Russell family since 1847, the property near Beaufort was bought by Jocelyn and Peter Mitchell in 1980.
Their son Stephen married Serena, whose grandmother was a Russell – so that when the couple took over in 2009, ownership came full circle.
Its William Guilfoyle-designed English gardens were designed in 1909 to complement the Arts and Crafts homestead.
Guilfoyle, arguably Australia greatest garden designer, laid out the Royal Botanic Gardens from 1873-1909.
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Mawallok is credited as his last known, and perhaps his grandest, homestead garden design.
In the 1920s, Sir John Monash designed the 9ha lake.
 In 1924 Major Alex Russell, a keen golfer, designed the six-hole golf course.
The sale has yet to settle being subject to Foreign Investment Review Board approval processes.
<div class="in-content-ad">Wen already owns the 2000-hectare Lal Lal Estate near Ballarat, which cost $20 million in 2014.</div>
He owns one of the biggest buyers of Australian wool, the Jiangsu-based Tianyu Wool.
 
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Mawallok in Western Victoria sold subject to FIRB

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A log cabin on the water at Palm Beach fetched $8.25 million at auction yesterday.
The weekender was listed following the death last year of Lysle Roberts, who headed Australia’s oldest jeweller Fairfax and Roberts.
There had been $8 million hopes for the 640sqm <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-nsw-palm+beach-131837046" target="_blank">Snapperman Beach beachfront reserve holding</a>.
Just the two bidders participated at the Sunday morning onsite auction, with the auctioneer struggling to be heard over the noise of a stink-boat just offshore.
It was knocked down to a couple from Northbridge after being called on the market at $8.2 million.
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The Roberts family paid £825 in 1940.
They rebuilt it in log cabin-style in the ‘70s when they were all the rage.
Overlooking Pittwater, it is one of the priciest waterfront strips in Sydney with prices between $10.35 million to $21 million over the past year.
Mr Roberts’s 1920s city home, Sunnydale Cottage at Pymble, was sold on Saturday for $2,655,000.
This article was first published in the Daily Telegraph.
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Iluka Road, Palm Beach log cabin sells for $8.25 million at auction

Foxtel Lifestyle&rsquo;s Selling Houses Australia team is back on the Central Coast, seeking to transform an unsold Empire Bay home for the Gilbert family.

Designer Shaynna Blaze, gardening expert Charlie Albone&shy; and host Andrew Winter will be taking on the acreage from next week.

The 1980s-built home bordering&shy; the Bouddi Nat&shy;ional Park has been listed for 280&nbsp;days &mdash; initially seeking up to $960,000, but more recently&shy; $890,000.

It has its last pre-makeover open for inspection this weekend.

Last traded for $895,000 in 2017, it has three bedrooms, an open-plan living area and a rear deck with a pizza oven.

Albone will have a lot to work with. The home sits on an elevated&shy; 4485 square metres with views across Umina.

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Richardson &amp; Wrench Umina Beach agent Rachel Potter has taken over the listing.

Selling Houses Australia is filming its 13th season, having premiered in 2008.

They have been successful on the Central Coast recently &mdash; last season they secured the sale of a four-bedroom Bensville property post-makeover for $745,000, near the top of its $710,000 to $749,000 guide for down-&shy;sizing couple Margie and David Braunstein.

In the 2015 series, a nearby Bateau Bay makeover of a 1970s four-bedroom home with swimming pool sold for $540,000.

It had been initially priced at more than $600,000 before sitting on the market for six months.

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Last season&rsquo;s finale was at Dolphin Point in the Shoalhaven district, where a 1960s beach house was snapped up pre-auction for $1.2 million after the makeover.

The four-bedroom home had been for sale for more than a year, the price having dropped to $1.18 million before its makeover.

Andrew Winter has yet to sell his own Gold Coast home. The renovated Sanctuary Cove property went to auction earlier this month but was passed in on a $3 million vendor&shy; bid. It was initially listed at $3,995,000 in January.

This article first appeared in&nbsp;The Daily Telegraph.&nbsp;

Selling Houses Australia takes on Central Coast project

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Cricketer Nathan Lyon thought he’d offloaded his Sutherland Shire waterfront before he left for the World Cup back in May — but, with the buyer opting not to complete, it is back up for sale.
It might be a blessing in disguise for the spinner, given the property market turnaround. He had sold the Port Hacking home for about $3.85 million.
Buyers are being told it now it has a $3.8 million to $4.2 million guide.
The waterfront mansion had been his matrimonial home with Mel Waring, mother of his two children. Lyon is now with Emma McCarthy.
The four-bedroom, four-bathroom home with deep waterfront and boat ramp was bought in 2016, the year before his split from his Waring.
Overlooking the Royal National Park, it was bought off market for $3.8 million from Charlie and Jill Yankos.
Ray White agent Matthew Johnston is again marketing the property.
Johnston, in conjunction with Jill Yankos, sold Lyon’s last home, an Oyster Bay battle-axe that fetched $2,070,000 in 2016.
Lyon and Waring had paid $1.4 million in 2014 and renovated the riverfront property into a four-bedroom home. In 2018 Lyon sold his Vaucluse investment.
He had paid $1.1 million for the 1970s apartment in 2015, which became a rental at $800 a week before it sold for $1,085,000.
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Cricketer Nathan Lyon's Port Hacking buyer pulls out 

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

Joel Robinson

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

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

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

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

Parcel delivery is joining the apartment amenity checklist

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

Jonathan Chancellor

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