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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 

Perth’s new apartment market recorded its strongest quarter of sales since Q4 2021, with 412 apartments sold in Q1 2026 and a record quarterly sold value of $537 million, according to Urbis’ latest Apartment Essentials results.

Urbis said the March quarter result reflects strong, highly product‑specific demand across both ends of the market, from more attainable projects delivering at scale, through to premium stock being absorbed by equity‑rich downsizers.&nbsp;

David Cresp, Partner at Urbis, said the key story in Perth is not demand, it is the market’s ability to convert demand into delivered housing.&nbsp;

“This is the strongest sales quarter since Q4 2021, and it reinforces that demand in Perth is real and it’s local,” David Cresp said. “But the task now is delivery, turning that demand into projects that can actually be built and completed.”&nbsp;

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<h2>Affordable product leads, premium demand remains resilient</h2>

Sales in Q1 were led by more affordable projects, with The Boulevard (SKS Group) recording 115 sales in the quarter, the presentation noting this is only the second time a single project has surpassed 100 quarterly sales. The project was able to offer more affordable housing product right next to a train station.&nbsp;

Palmyra West (Finbar) also delivered strong results with 28 sales in Q1, following 84 sales in Q4, with an average price of under $800,000, underscoring depth of demand for well‑located, attainable new stock.&nbsp;

At the premium end, Urbis said downsizer demand is continuing, with the results highlighting Romeo (Applecross, Finbar) recording 75 sales and reaching almost 50% sold in one quarter.

Jual (Shenton Park, Celsius Property) also posted a strong quarter with 28 sales, reaching 39% sold in one quarter.

Urbis noted that Perth apartment demand is not speculative, not investor‑led, and not uniform, describing it as localised, often equity‑driven and highly product‑specific, a pattern reflected in the polarisation between strong “attainable” performers and premium downsizer product.&nbsp;

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<h2>Prices underpinned by costs, and the delivery risk is growing</h2>

Urbis said pricing pressure is cost not demand‑driven: construction costs and delivery risk are now a central constraint, with the results noting build costs remain elevated and volatile, and that energy, fuel and labour uncertainty weigh on feasibility.

David Cresp said a growing challenge for private Build‑to‑Sell developers is simply securing a builder in the current environment.

“Developers are really feeling the pressure from a building market that was operating at capacity and securing a builder is challenging,” David Cresp said, adding that even where a builder can be secured, “trying to get to the price that makes the development financially viable is incredibly challenging in the current market.”&nbsp;

Urbis’ broader WA commentary also notes that industry remains at or above capacity with lot and housing creation, and that many builders are limiting new sales to manage stretched workforces and fixed‑price contract pressures, conditions that flow directly into apartment feasibility and delivery timing.

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<h2>Supply: improving later, but still constrained, and Perth lags eastern benchmarks</h2>

While near‑term supply remains constrained, Urbis’ forecast shows completions lifting “Supply is forecast to be back above 1,500 apartments per annum for the first time since 2019”, with 1,775 completions forecast for 2026, and volumes remaining above that level over the following years.&nbsp;

Looking further ahead, completions are forecast to reach 2,500 in 2028, with the report noting 32% of that total is social/affordable, reflecting the role of government‑supported delivery in rebuilding the pipeline.&nbsp;

However, Urbis said Perth remains behind comparable markets on pipeline scale. In a national comparison of projects under construction, the report shows under construction Perth Build‑to‑Sell (BTS) at 3,446 apartments versus the Gold Coast at 7,922. Mr Cresp said “The challenge for Perth is how to we grow the delivery pipeline”.

Urbis’ conclusion is that Perth’s market is increasingly defined by product discipline and delivery certainty, with the research identifying “delivery certainty is key” and calling out builder risk and procurement models as core success factors, alongside “timing and staging”.&nbsp;

Joel Robinson

Perth apartment sales hit strongest pace since late 2021 as builder capacity tightens

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sammut-developments">Sammut Group</a> has secured development approval for its latest Brisbane apartment project, marking the Sydney developer’s next step in expanding its Queensland pipeline following the success of its debut Gold Coast development, Coast.

The approved project at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/44-glen-road-toowong-qld-4066">44 Glen Road, </a><a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/toowong-qld-4066">Toowong</a> will deliver a 15-storey riverfront apartment building with 42 residences, significantly increasing the scale of the site’s previous approval for a smaller luxury scheme. Designed by Bureau^proberts, the development will comprise a mix of predominantly four-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments positioned to maximise Brisbane River and city views.

Sammut Director Julian Sammut said the group had been actively searching Brisbane for several years before identifying Toowong as the right fit.

“Brisbane was the right step for Sammut,” Sammut said.

“With the success of Coast we thought we should definitely look to do more in Queensland alone. We then pushed up to look at Brisbane. We've been looking for I'd say two to three years actually and it was hard to find the right location.”

<img alt="Sammut makes Brisbane apartment play" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/f_auto,c_limit,w_1440,q_75/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/field/image/Screenshot%202025-12-23%20at%203.27.14%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=dYAVIL7qdcGA8ojvkslSrLjczXFejSSx" />

Sammut said suburbs including New Farm and Teneriffe were considered before the group ultimately focused on Toowong due to its strong downsizer demographic and limited supply of developable riverfront land.

The site was acquired off-market after what Sammut described as a lengthy negotiation and planning process, with the developer pursuing an uplift to the original approval.

“We are DA approved now which is very exciting,” Sammut said.

“We've had our change approval come through and we've obviously doubled the height, 15 storeys plus rooftop. We've got 42 amazing apartments that are going to be coming to market soon.”

<img alt="Sammut makes Brisbane apartment play" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,dpr_2.0,q_auto:good/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-12-23%20at%203.27.26%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=ohkRkY0dIZlqdfME2EZePsCQavRiBadE" />

Bureau^proberts said the design responds to Toowong’s evolving urban character, balancing contemporary apartment living with the area’s established residential identity.

“A place where traditional Queensland living has taken place for centuries; Toowong is seeing a shift of contemporary influence, commercial and retail hubs mixed with well-considered residential offerings – all the while maintaining its character and charm,” the architect noted in planning documents submitted to Brisbane City Council.

The architecture practice said the project’s form was shaped by its riverfront setting, flood considerations, neighbouring building scales, and view corridors.

“They said the mix of four and two-bedroom apartments capture the ‘fundamental qualities of Queenslander living,’ translated into the context of a contemporary subtropical building.”

The development sits just off Coronation Drive within walking distance of Toowong’s retail precinct and the upgraded Regatta ferry terminal, while also benefiting from proximity to the incoming green bridge connection to West End. Sammut said the accessibility and amenity offering were central to the site’s appeal.

The approval adds to growing residential activity along the Toowong riverfront, joining nearby projects including Consolidated Properties’ Monarch Residences and Spyre Group’s ARC Residences.

Sammut secures approval for debut Brisbane apartment development in Toowong

Developer Lanevick is heading back into Sydney’s apartment market after focusing more heavily on the luxury townhouse and terrace sector in recent years.

Lanevick, founded and directed by Steve Maroun, is expecting to receive approval in the coming months for a new apartment development in Gladesville, with the aim to launch it to the market later this year.

The 51-apartment project, designed by Studio Johnston, will comprise a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments positioned toward the Hunters Hill downsizer market.

“Traditionally it’s been difficult for people in that market to downsize because there just hasn’t been the right product available,” Maroun said.

“We’re targeting buyers who might have 30 to 40 per cent of their house value sitting in the bank after downsizing.

“They still want good spacious entertaining areas, they still want quality design, but they also want flexibility and the ability to enjoy life a bit more after working hard for a long time.”

The project sits near Boronia Park and within close proximity to the Parramatta River foreshore, an area Maroun says offers more of a Hunters Hill lifestyle than a traditional apartment precinct.

“From a lifestyle perspective, it’s really more Hunters Hill than Gladesville,” Maroun said. “You’re close to the foreshore, close to parklands, and still connected back into the village precinct.”

From level four and above, apartments will capture water views&nbsp;toward Sydney Harbour. Communal amenity will include rooftop entertaining areas, wellness spaces, and a gym tailored toward owner-occupier buyers.

“We’ve really designed these apartments around that buyer coming from the Hunters Hill LGA and what they’re actually looking for in their next chapter.”

The proposed development has also been designed to respond to the changing character of the broader Gladesville town centre, where a growing number of mixed-use and residential proposals are expected to emerge over the coming years.

“Gladesville presented a rare opportunity to deliver a genuinely design-led residential project within an evolving lifestyle precinct, just moments from the growing Gladesville town centre, and we’ve approached the project with a strong focus on architecture, liveability and long-term community value,” Maroun said.

Maroun said Lanevick saw a first-mover advantage within the precinct as planning controls continue to evolve to accommodate greater housing density.

“We think there’s a real opportunity there that hasn’t really been serviced properly yet,” he said.

“There’s going to be a broader evolution of the whole Gladesville village precinct over time, particularly with more activation and mixed-use outcomes.”

The Venus Street proposal will include a commercial and retail component at ground level designed to contribute to that evolving streetscape activation.

“A big part of the thinking was how do you activate that area properly and create more vibrancy and amenity, which is what Hunters Hill has been looking for,” Maroun said.

Lanevick’s focus since 2020 has largely been on smaller-scale luxury townhouse and terrace developments. The developer recently completed Royale Randwick, also designed by Studio Johnston, where prices reached $3.65 million. The project was featured in the UDIA NSW 2026 Professional Development Prospectus and was also named a finalist for Development of the Year.

&nbsp;

Lanevick to cater for Hunters Hill downsizers with new Gladesville apartment development

Property developer One Living, backed by former Macquarie banker turned investment manager Chris Green’s investment firm, has unveiled plans to bring more institutional capital into housing to help address the national supply crisis.

The New York-based investor has focused his firm, GreenPoint Partners, on addressing the supply shortage hitting middle market housing in Australia.

It is backing the new One Living business to develop more than 1000 units along the eastern seaboard. The new firm is starting with a development on Mona Vale Road, on the border of Mona Vale and Pymble, in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, with around 140 apartments planned. They are eyeing off more sites across the city.

With cost pressures rising in the industry, One Living’s model is to be a vertically integrated developer-builder, so it can respond directly to the housing gap by removing the cost inefficiencies embedded in traditional residential delivery.

“We are building a platform designed to operate at scale and starting in a market where there’s a clear need for quality, attainable housing,” One Living joint managing director Joseph Scuderi said.

“It’s that missing middle – it’s that attainable end of housing… that’s what most Australians invest into and what Australians can actually afford.”

<img alt="Mona Vale" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="798dfa93-4941-4db6-a696-31e9dc18e81c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%202.31.50%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=mKBqi5C_DmeiXS.AtJkcR8LQIxqCqmFi" />

GreenPoint Partners brings years of experience assembling and scaling real estate operating businesses across major markets. And Green sees a big opportunity in Australia.

“For its size, sophistication and importance to the community, Australia’s living sector has remained largely under-institutionalised, which represents significant opportunity,” Green said. “GreenPoint identified that gap, assembled the right team, and is backing One Living to build a platform that is aligned to market needs.”

Green said being a builder-developer would give the company the capacity and flexibility it required to deliver reasonably-priced homes.

“We want it to be at that attainable level; not super high end luxury but at that attainable level,” he said.

<img alt="Mona Vale" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="74a5344a-4b26-4d4a-ada3-056b1220be77" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%202.32.15%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=vY8hXHO4reBMdO8ZXMWCNtGZJofUPQ3j" />

&nbsp;

One Living will undertake a component of affordable housing in its schemes, which it will own and operate, and it could also run build-to-rent on some sites.

Green praised local policy settings.

“The NSW government is being very supportive, strategic and pragmatic in terms of how do we generate more supply of housing,” he said. “We think it’s actually positive for development and the bit that’s been lacking at that attainable level is that it’s lots of relatively small private developers, whereas we want to create an institutional platform.”

One Living is also&nbsp;looking at high-density projects and could take on more institutional funding in the future.

“The way we will be able to achieve economies of scale is through size,” Green added.

One Living enters Sydney's new apartment market with Northern Beaches site acquisition

It's been several years since there's been an opportunity to buy a brand new townhome in Melbourne's coastal suburb of Mordialloc. Even apartment developments in recent times have been few and far between in the area.

Local developer LDS Property identified the gap in new housing, securing a site on White Street, directly opposite&nbsp;Woodlands Golf Club Mordialloc. They've recently launched&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-townhouses/wm-residences-mordialloc-102-white-street-mordialloc-vic-3195">WM Residences</a>, just 13 townhouses which they have already started building.

Projects by Buxton Director Heath Thompson, who is selling WM Residences, says the townhouses x that perfect middle ground be

"Mordialloc residents have had limited options to downsize within the suburb, often forcing them to look elsewhere despite long-standing ties to the area," Thompson says.

"With very little comparable new supply coming to market, projects like WM Residences are well placed, particularly as buyers look to capitalise on current conditions amid constrained supply."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6109]

The development, designed by regarded architecture firm&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/ewert-leaf">Ewert Leaf</a>,&nbsp;adopts a deliberately restrained architectural approach, focusing on simplicity, durability and liveability rather than overt design gestures.

The boutique scale is central to the offering. With only 13 three-bedroom residences, each home is configured to prioritise functional layouts and everyday use, supported by private terraces and secure two-car garages.

Ewert Leaf’s design response leans into a calm, neutral material palette. Interiors are defined by oak flooring, white walls and soft finishes, creating a consistent and understated backdrop. The approach avoids trend-driven detailing in favour of longevity, with an emphasis on natural light and spatial clarity.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6110]

Beyond aesthetics, the homes are designed to meet contemporary performance expectations. Each residence targets a minimum 6-star energy rating, incorporating double glazing, comprehensive insulation and all-electric Bosch appliances.

The project’s location supports a walkable coastal lifestyle, sitting within close proximity to Mordialloc’s foreshore, Main Street retail strip and the train station. Local cafés and dining venues, including Suburbia Deli and Hendriks Café, are within a short walk, reinforcing the area’s established neighbourhood character.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6116]

While <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/mordialloc-vic-3195">Mordialloc</a> is often defined by its beach and pier, the project taps into other areas of day to day living, offering easy access to local food, casual dining and transport, rather than positioning itself purely as a lifestyle retreat.

WM Residences reflects a continued trend across Melbourne’s coastal suburbs towards smaller-scale, design-led townhouse developments, particularly on infill sites where proximity to amenity is already established.

With construction commenced prior to its market entry, the project aligns with a growing preference among buyers for developments with visible progress and defined delivery timeframes.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=134646]

Jonathan Chancellor

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