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Des Hasler, head coach of the NRL Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, has spent $2.82 million to buy right on Collaroy Beach.

It is the circa 1905 cottage, Moana which sits on 967 square metres. 

The classic Australian beach cottage was last sold at $2.55 million when offloaded by the Minnett family in 2010.

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During the Minnett era, Moana was often the venue for beach side cricket for the Australian cricket team and visiting English cricket team.

The land was purchased in the 1890s by the Minnett family, of stockbroking fame, and the home was built around 1905 then later extended.

Three of the Minnett men were top cricketers, with Roy playing for Australia just after Federation and Les and Rupert representing New South Wales.

Hasler played in 309 matches in a first-grade career spanning 16 seasons, mostly spent with the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles with whom he won two premierships, 1987 and 1996 before finishing his playing career with the Western Suburbs Magpies. 

Hasler, who coached Manly from 2004 to 2011 winning premierships in 2008 and 2011, retains a hillside Collaroy house that cost $2.5 million in 2011 having sold elsewhere in the northern beaches suburb at $3.5 million.
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Bulldogs coach Des Hasler buys on Collaroy Beach

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Architect Martin Gehrckens secured the sale of his Kew arts-and-crafts-style home after last weekend's auction where it was passed in at $1.8 million.
<a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/25-willsmere-road-kew/Property-Details-sold-residential-7339898" target="_blank">The 1928 Boscawen</a>, set near Willsmere village, last traded 23 years ago when Gehrckens, a senior project architect at architecture firm Baldasso Cortese, and his wife Pamela, secured the Willsmere Road house.
The downsizing couple extended and refurbished the four-bedroom property, which comes with two upstairs studies as well as a ground-floor home office. 
Desiree Wakim of Marshall White secured the sale post-auction at an undisclosed price after auctioneer Hamish Tostevin took an opening $1.5 million bid from one of the two interested bidders.
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Boscawen, the 1928 arts and craft Kew house sold

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Melbourne Football Club coach Paul Roos and wife, Tami have spent $2,525,000 on their Melbourne abode.
The purchase by the longtime Sydney residents preceded his recently announced decision to extend his term as coach of the Melbourne AFL side.
Roos played 354 games for Fitzroy and Sydney, taking charge as coach of the Swans in 2002. He led the team to the 2005 premiership before handing the reigns over to John Longmire at the end of the 2010 season.
After months of speculation, he was announced as the new coach of Melbourne at the end of last year, taking charge for the 2014 season.
The Elwood property is a four bedroom contemporary home designed by Tim Spicer Architects.
It was built by the vendor, Peter Lewin of Construct Group with pool, spa and double lock up garage on the 411 square metre holding.
It's within walking distance to Elwood beach and the village, where Roos enjoys coffees at the Turtle Cafe.
Property Observer gleans the price guidance had been $2.4 million to $2.5 million.
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Melbourne coach Paul Roos spends $2.5 million in Elwood

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There's one less player on the Australian property scene with the Singapore-based Frasers Centrepoint tycoon Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi winning the $2.6 billion takeover battle for Australand Property Group.
Global hedge funds accepted Frasers $4.48 per security all-cash offer taking total acceptances to more than 50% some three hours before the 7pm cut off.
It was at 46% by 2.30pm and 56% at 5pm.
It is speculated that the rival bidder Stockland will now tender its 19.9% stake in Australand over the two week extension period 
Frasers, advised by Deutsche Bank and Standard Chartered Bank, made its all-cash $4.48 per security offer trumping a previous scrip bid by Stockland.
The offer period has automatically been extended until 7pm, 21 August.
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Frasers secures 50% Australand takeover acceptances 

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World-renowned classical ballerina Darcey Bussell surprised many when she and her family left London's Kensington to live in Sydney in 2008. 
But now the prima ballerina Darcey Bussell - who in 2012 started on the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/15jTyy0sGpP51n186NtxClj/darcey-bussell" target="_blank">BBC </a><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/15jTyy0sGpP51n186NtxClj/darcey-bussell" target="_blank">Strictly Come Dancing</a> judging panel - and her Australian fund manager husband Angus Forbes are back in London so their Vaucluse home has been listed for McGrath auction.
The Federation Arts and Crafts property was bought in 2005 for $4.15 million, 18 months before Darcey retired as principal ballerina with the Royal Ballet.
The five bedroom, three bathroom home <a href="https://www.mcgrath.com.au/buy/house-vaucluse-nsw-2030/225396/?searchID=41540890" target="_blank">is scheduled for 30 August auction with $4 million-plus expectations</a> through Ben Collier, who acknowledges that the views of the harbour from the house have been diminished since its purchase. It only has harbour views from upstairs.
Bussell had family connections in Australia. She is married to an Australian investment banker, Angus Forbes, with whom she has two young daughters. Her father, the late John Crittle, was an Australian.
But they retained a residence Chateau Soulac in Bordeaux and have now bought near Wimbledon in London.
Bussell, now the President of the Royal Academy of Dance, says Strictly has got the nation up on their feet.
Earlier this year she told The Telegraph in the UK that despite loving her new, laid-back life in Sydney, it wasn’t long before she became depressed. She tried writing children's books, including co-authoring of the <a href="https://marketingassets.harpercollins.co.uk/magicballerina/index" target="_blank">Magic Ballerina</a> series.
<a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/dance/10752772/Darcey-Bussell-interview-Ive-had-my-time.-They-dont-need-me-back" target="_blank">“I missed dancing big time</a>.
“I left thinking I’d never have to step into a studio again. I thought I could live one of those normal lives. There were lots of reasons for stopping: I had two kids and the discipline of working six days a week was hard to fit with being a mother.
"It took me a good year to realise that I needed dance.”
<a href="https://www.darceybusselldirect.com" target="_blank">She also sells dance wear</a>.
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Staying back in London, so Darcey Bussell lists Vaucluse home

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Property investors will be watching the fallout as the Australian unemployment rate increased 0.3 pts to 6.4% in July.
The unemployment level increased 43,700 to 789,000, <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/6202.0?OpenDocument" target="_blank">according to the ABS</a>.
Victoria's unemployment sits at 7%.
The number of unemployed persons looking for full-time work across Australia increased 21,900 to 566,400 and the number of unemployed persons only looking for part-time work increased 21,800 to 222,600.
The employment level decreased 300 to 11,576,600. Full-time employment increased 14,500 to 8,077,400 and part-time employment decreased 14,800 to 3,499,200.
With monthly volatility prevalent, economists often focus on the trend, which shows unemployment steady at 6.1%, and 0.4 of a percentage point higher than last July.
The ANZ senior economist Justin Fabo suggested the 6.4% was weaker than expected.
"But given the sample rotation effect on both employment and unemployment and the potential for some impact from the methodological change on measured unemployment it is very difficult to get a clear read.
"Moreover, most other labour market indicators are improving, at least slowly, so the jump in the unemployment rate does look odd in that regard.
"We’ll need the August report to confirm that view."
 
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July unemployment at 6.4% - highest for 12 years

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Investors secured two south east Queensland 7-Eleven service stations at auction yesterday, at an average 6.1% yield.
<a href="https://www.7eleveninvestments.com.au/queensland-properties/" target="_blank">JLL’s Sam Byrne and Sam Hatcher marketed the properties on behalf of the Withers Barlow Property Trust.</a>
The Robina store fetched $4.3 million and the Nerang store sold at $4.7 million.
The 15-year lease terms that commenced between 2010 and 2012, come with three five-year options; guaranteed fixed 4% annual rent increases, with the tenant responsible for all outgoing costs except land tax.
The 4,032 square metre Robina outlet (pictured above) at 48 - 56 Commerce Drive had a current rental of $291,340+gst.
The 4,100 square metre Nerang outlet at 70 Beaudesert-Nerang Road had a current rental of $321,149+gst.
One of the buyers had missed out on his selection at the <a href="/expert-insights/investing/yields-tighten-in-latest-7-eleven-sydney-service-station-offering">auction of seven offerings in Sydney on the day prior</a>.
Six more 7-Eleven service stations in Melbourne, will be auctioned today.
Russell Withers, worth an estimated $665 million according to the recent BRW Rich list, jointly owns the rights to 7-Eleven in Australia with his sister, Beverley Barlow.
Chairman Russell Withers introduced the 7-Eleven concept to Australia, opening the first store in Oakleigh in 1977.
His grandfather, George, had a grocery store in South Yarra, in 1912 which became a chain of grocery stores.
The 7-Eleven chain operates more than 600 outlets and has recently expanded into Western Australia
Jones Lang LaSalle has been selling the stores in tranches on behalf of 7-Eleven since early 2011.
The purchasers have been attracted by land rich investment properties in prime locations with secure long-term leases and fixed rental increases.
Many of the buyers were self-managed super fund retirees looking for passive cash flow investments, seeing the opportunity as ticking the box for a premium tenant on long-term lease, high underlying land value, rental growth guarantee, and high-profile exposure locations.
 
The franchisee occupies the site under licence meaning the landlord has no exposure to the franchisee, only to 7-Eleven directly.
 
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JLL secures 6% yields in SE Queensland 7-Eleven offerings

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The merchant banker Jim Dominguez and his wife Suzanne have downsized at Palm Beach, picking up a discounted apartment as their new weekender.
They have paid $3.2 million in <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-nsw-palm+beach-105254129" target="_blank">the Winten-designed Ocean Road complex</a>. It had previously sold at $3.4 million in early 2007. 
The couple bought the apartment after selling Mandalay, their Florida Road property, to the hedge fund trader Daniel Droga, founder of DCM Bluelake Partners, and his wife Lyndell.
The Florida Road offering through <a href="https://66-68floridaroad.com" target="_blank">LJ Hooker Palm Beach agent David Edwards and Peter Robinson secured $6.65 million</a>. The couple initially were seeking a reported $8 million plus when they listed their 25 year long weekender last year.
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Jim Dominguez secures discounted Palm Beach apartment

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Syd Fischer's has secured $8 million for his remaining whole floor Gazebo, Elizabeth Bay high-rise apartment.
<a href="https://www.ballardproperty.com.au/Renting/slideshow.aspx?id=BALLARD%20PROPERTY922&amp;wlid=6081b0de-67a5-4a16-a773-330c960d3be4" target="_blank">It's the 16th floor in the former 201-room 1970s hotel</a>. The apartment has been bought by the vice president of the Brewers for Europe, Anthony Froggatt, who previously served as chief at Heineken UK Limited.
The 18-storey Elizabeth Bay Road tower, nicknamed "the corncob", now has 61 apartments after a four-year conversion was completed in 2005.
The penthouse-style residence was meticulously crafted to create a state-of-the-art environment for living and entertaining with house-like proportions, high-end custom finishes, world-class facilities and triple parking. 
It had 350 square metres of living space with four bedrooms, three ensuites and a guest powder room.
Back in 2005 $8.25 million was spent on the 17th whole floor Gazebo apartment.
The 18th floor apartment, which is 296 square metres, sold at $7.75 million in 2006. It is currently available for lease at $4750 a week. 
Built in 1968 by Fischer's Australian Development Corporation Group, the round tower is recognised by the Australian Institute of Architects as a significant building of the 20th century.
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Syd Fischer sells $8 million Gazebo, Elizabeth Bay apartment

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Swinford, the renovated Toorak investment property of Tanya Hird, the wife of returning Essendon coach James Hird, remains listed for sale.
It was bought for $2.76 million at February 2011 auction through Carroll McKeddie South Yarra agent Fabrizio Cutrona.
The <a href="https://www.domain.com.au/property/for-sale/house/vic/toorak/?adid=2011289414" target="_blank" style="line-height: 1.3em;">837 square metre is </a>moments to Kooyong Village.
The Age yesterday speculated it came with $4.75 million plus hopes, but leading buyers' agent David Morrell told the Herald Sun it was actually quite the "doll's house."
It is marketed as a five-bedroom property at <a href="https://www.domain.com.au/property/for-sale/house/vic/toorak/?adid=2011289414" target="_blank">7 Toorak Avenue</a>, with French limestone fireplaces and Swarovski crystal chandeliers.
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<div class="media"><a class="more-photos size-lrg" href="https://www.theage.com.au/photogallery/domain/palatial-toorak-house-on-offer-20140806-3d883?aggregate=&amp;selectedImage=0"><img src="https://images.goodfood.com.au/2014/08/06/5656030/20112894141pio04150051-620x414.jpg" alt="7 Toorak Avenue, Toorak." width="619" height="414"></a></div>
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Property Observer gleans it has been for private sale through Kay &amp; Burton since February this year with expressions of interests initially due March 25.</div>
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<div class="cT-imageGallerySnapshot cfix">The Kay &amp; Burton agents Ross Savas and Michael Armstrong also held an unsuccessful May 2012 expressions of interest marketing campaign too.   <a href="/news/james-hird-toorak-mansion-the-home-of-1930s-high-society">Tania and James Hird reside at another, much photographed, Toorak property bought in 1998 for $2.4 million</a>.</div>
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<div class="cT-imageGallerySnapshot cfix">"They should get a hedge. Or move into this one as it has a better driveway and fence so they don't get terrorised by the media," 3MMM breakfast comedian Mick Malloy suggested this morning.</div>
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Meanwhile the opening submissions of James Hird, Essendon and the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority in their Federal Court case will be broadcast live on ABC24 television next Monday after Justice John Middleton confirmed viewers would be able to watch what is likely to be the opening two hours of presentations from 10.15am. 
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James Hird-linked Toorak investment mansion struggles to sell

Kew has long been regarded as one of Melbourne's premier residential suburbs. It's a location defined by its grand period homes, leafy streets and some of the city's most prestigious schools, yet it has often sat just outside the spotlight cast on neighbouring Hawthorn and Camberwell.

Increasingly, however, buyers are recognising that Kew offers much of what draws people to those suburbs, with a quieter residential setting, exceptional amenity and long-term owner-occupier appeal.

Within a few minutes' walk, residents can access Kew Junction, one of Melbourne's most established village centres. Cafés, bakeries, restaurants, supermarkets, boutique retailers and everyday services are all on the doorstep, with local favourites including Centonove, Adeney Milk Bar Cafe, and Frank &amp; Harri creating the type of walkable lifestyle that has become increasingly difficult to find in Melbourne's inner east. Beyond the immediate neighbourhood, Glenferrie Road's renowned shopping and dining precinct in Hawthorn and the retail, dining and entertainment offerings of Camberwell Junction are both just a short drive or tram ride away.

The suburb is equally well connected. Tram routes 48 and 109 provide direct access to the CBD, while High Street and Cotham Road connect residents to the wider inner east.&nbsp;Nearby access to the Eastern Freeway also places the Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula and Melbourne Airport within easy reach, adding another layer of convenience for weekend travel.&nbsp;It's a rare combination of connectivity and tranquillity, where quiet residential streets sit just moments from some of Melbourne's most established shopping and lifestyle precincts.

For families, Kew remains one of Melbourne's most tightly held addresses. Carey Baptist Grammar School, Xavier College, Methodist Ladies' College, Trinity Grammar, Ruyton Girls' School and Genazzano FCJ College are all nearby, while the Yarra River parklands, walking trails and sporting clubs provide another layer of lifestyle appeal.

It's within this established pocket that developer Ricdanic is delivering <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/wimba-ave-kew-9-11-wimba-avenue-kew-vic-3101">Wimba Ave</a>, a boutique collection of just 13 residences across two buildings named after its location on the tree-lined Wimba Avenue,&nbsp;within one of Kew's most prestigious pockets where homes have been known to sell up to and above $8 million.

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The residences prioritise the space that buyers are increasingly searching for but struggling to find in established suburbs. Living areas extend beyond five metres in width, ceiling heights range from three to five metres, and apartments open onto private gardens averaging around 125 sqm. Selected residences also feature balconies of approximately 60 sqm, while premium inclusions include Miele appliances, double-glazed windows, EV readiness, fully electric systems and a 7.2 NatHERS energy rating.

Architect Chris Idle says opportunities to deliver homes of this scale within established suburbs have become increasingly uncommon.

"There are very few opportunities to do these kinds of developments in leafy, established suburbs," he says. "To get this level of amenity, natural light, and architectural freedom in such a setting is extremely rare."

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The architecture draws on Kew's established character through the use of handmade Krause bricks, while landscaping by John Patrick introduces 23 plant species, including nine native varieties, creating an environment which focuses just as much on nature as it does the building.

Construction on Wimba Ave is well underway by renowned high-end builder Sinjen, with completion expected in late 2027. Prices start from $2.22 million.

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Joel Robinson

The enduring appeal of Kew's tree-lined streets and village lifestyle

"For me, it's the location." That was the first thing Chris pointed to when reflecting on why he and his wife Marita decided to purchase at Candela Ivanhoe, the under-construction new apartment development by Salter Brothers in the heart of the north-eastern M​elb​ourne​ suburb. ​

"We've lived here before… everything is here," Chris said.

"Our doctor is around the corner, there's dentists, pilates, everything we need, restaurants, fast food places, two train stations, Ivanhoe and Darebin, both in walking distance. You don't need anything else."

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X8K0Bozug7A?si=Puwc6vx_ZO0qQZF8" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

Just 10 kilometres from Melbo​urn​e's CBD, Ivanhoe combines direct city connectivity with the amenity of an established village community. Residents have access to highly regarded schools, expansive parklands, public transport, and a thriving retail and hospitality precinct centred around Upper Heidelberg Road, all within a neighbourhood that has retained its leafy character despite its proximity to the city.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/candela-ivanhoe-40-upper-heidelberg-road-ivanhoe-vic-3079">Candela Ivanhoe</a> sits within the heart of this established landscape, positioned just moments from Ivanhoe Village and within walking distance of many of the suburb's most sought-after amenities.

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From Candela, residents can access cafés, grocers, wine bars, restaurants and essential services on foot, while Ivanhoe Station and Darebin Station provide direct connectivity across Mel​bour​ne. The development is also surrounded by some of the suburb's best-known lifestyle destinations, including Pinkie, Laurent, Enni, Docasa and Woodfire Pizza e Cucina, alongside Ivanhoe Plaza, Woolworths, pharmacies and specialty retailers.

Green space is another defining feature of the suburb. Darebin Parklands, Ivanhoe Park, Nellie Ibbot Park and the Yarra River trail network provide extensive opportunities for recreation, while Ivanhoe Golf Course and Ivanhoe Tennis Club continue to underpin the area's long-established lifestyle appeal.

The suburb's education offering further strengthens demand. Ivanhoe Grammar School, Ivanhoe Girls' Grammar School, Mary Immaculate Primary School and Ivanhoe Primary School have helped establish the area as one of Melbou​​rne's most sought-after schooling precincts, attracting families and downsizers alike who want to remain connected to the area.

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While location was the priority for Marita and Chris, the project itself also needed to meet their expectations.

"Whilst location was paramount, I was also looking at design of the environment and Candela ticked every box," Marita said.

"We're just thrilled with our choice."

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Developed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/salter-brothers">Salter Brothers</a>, Candela Ivanhoe has been designed to complement its village setting, with an emphasis on generous floorplans, natural light and practical everyday living.

Residents will have access to a range of shared amenities, including a communal rooftop garden and dedicated residential lounge, complemented by a ground-floor café and lifestyle wellbeing centre, helping foster the sense of community already emerging among future owners.

That approach has resonated strongly with the market. More than 90 per cent of purchasers at Candela Ivanhoe are owner-occupiers, with buyers ranging from downsizers and second-home buyers to young families and first home buyers, creating a genuinely multi-generational community of grandparents, parents and children. It reflects a broader shift across Melbo​​urne's apartment market, where buyers are increasingly prioritising neighbourhood quality, lifestyle amenity and long-term liveability.

Currently under construction by Ironside, Candela Ivanhoe comprises 58 apartments. Candela Ivanhoe is scheduled for completion in the coming months, and residents can move in from September. One to four bedroom residences, prices from $649,000 and limited opportunities remaining.

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Location and lifestyle drive demand at Candela Ivanhoe

As apartment buyers increasingly look beyond the four walls of their residence, the quality and depth of shared amenity has become a defining factor in how developments are designed and experienced, particularly in the high-rise, new apartment development space.

In Southbank, where high-density living continues to evolve, developers are placing greater emphasis on creating environments that support wellbeing, connection, and convenience as part of everyday life.

That approach sits at the heart of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/aura-at-melbourne-square-7-hoff-boulevard-southbank-vic-3006">AURA</a>, the latest residential tower in <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/osk-property">OSK Property</a>’s $3.5 billion Melbourne Square precinct. Rising 67 storeys above Hoff Boulevard, the 673-apartment development has been conceived around what OSK describes as a “vertical wellness ecosystem”, a layered collection of amenities that extends throughout the building rather than being confined to a single podium level.

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The amenity offering begins on the seventh level within the AURA Club, a dedicated resident hub focused on health, relaxation, and daily convenience. Here, residents will have access to an indoor swimming pool, cold plunge, spa, sauna, and steam room, alongside a fully equipped gym, reformer Pilates studio, and yoga room.

The wellness facilities are complemented by a range of spaces that acknowledge the changing ways people live and work. Work-from-home lounges and co-working areas sit alongside a library, music room, games room, cinema facilities, and open-air terrace spaces, providing residents with flexible environments that can adapt throughout the day.

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Beyond the internal amenity, AURA introduces a series of Japanese-inspired gardens that form a quieter counterpoint to the tower’s social spaces.

Landscaped retreats feature curated outdoor dining, tranquil courtyard seating, fire pit, and a tea house pavilion. Rather than functioning as simple recreational areas, the gardens have been designed as places for reflection and informal gathering, drawing on principles of balance, nature, and calm that underpin the project's broader design philosophy.

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The social amenity continues to evolve as residents move higher through the building. Levels 49 and 50 house the Meridian Club, where a lounge bar, conservatory spaces, and private dining rooms take advantage of elevated city views. At the summit of the tower, the exclusive Cumulus Club spans Levels 66 and 67, offering additional lounges, private dining, and meditation and treatment rooms positioned above Melbourne’s skyline.

For OSK Property, the extensive amenity offering reflects a broader focus on wellbeing as a core component of apartment living rather than an added feature.

“Aura stands tall as an exemplar of holistic wellness – its focus on social, physical and mental health culminate in a building that is calming, restorative and relaxing, where residents will have their own sanctuary within the well-connected and sought-after Southbank,” says OSK Property CEO Chong Boon Woon.

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AURA’s amenity strategy extends beyond the tower itself through its integration with the wider Melbourne Square precinct.

Residents will have direct access to Kennedy Park, Southbank’s 3,745 sqm landscaped public park, alongside a full-line Woolworths supermarket, childcare centre, hospitality venues, and approximately 1,600 sqm of additional retail planned within AURA’s lower levels. Together, these elements create a highly connected residential environment where daily needs, recreation, and wellness are woven into the fabric of the community.

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As Melbourne’s apartment market continues to mature, developments are increasingly judged by the lifestyle they provide beyond individual residences.

Through its combination of wellness facilities, landscaped retreats, social clubs, and precinct-wide amenity, AURA represents a shift toward a more comprehensive model of vertical living, one where shared spaces play as significant a role as the homes themselves.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=151921]

AURA elevates amenity living at Melbourne Square

Builder-developer Scion is the latest to target Sydney's booming Hills Showground Metro precinct, filing plans for more than 100 apartments within walking distance of the station.

Scion has lodged a concurrent rezoning and State Significant Development Application for <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/27-33-middleton-avenue-castle-hill-nsw-2154">27–33 Middleton Avenue</a>, where it plans to replace four existing homes with an 11 and 14-storey mixed-use development comprising 109 apartments, six affordable housing dwellings, and a ground-floor café.

Designed by BHK Architects, the proposal includes three levels of basement parking with 174 spaces, more than 1,200 sqm of communal open space, and extensive landscaping across the 3,791 sqm site.

The development has been designed as two buildings connected by a recessed wintergarden spine, with the 14-storey building positioned to the south and the 11-storey building to the north.

<img alt="Scion" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="64dc359d-736b-43b8-87a8-70a8285cab47" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-06-25%20at%208.47.01%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=PXh.m8id_aevBPHEckPf88wQ2RQThPos" />

The apartment mix has been weighted towards owner-occupiers, with 13 one-bedroom apartments, 55 two-bedroom residences, 31 three-bedroom apartments, six three-bedroom lofts, and four four-bedroom homes. Six apartments will be dedicated as affordable housing in line with the NSW Housing SEPP.

According to the Architectural Design Report by BKH, the proposal seeks to create "a place-responsive architecture" inspired by the natural landscape surrounding Cattai Creek, while strengthening the public domain through landscaping, active frontages and a neighbourhood café.

Atlas Urban, in its Urban Design Report, says the proposal takes a different approach to increasing density around Hills Showground Station by favouring a more slender, vertically articulated built form over a conventional mid-rise outcome. The report argues this allows for greater deep soil planting, improved solar access and a better public domain outcome, while still delivering additional housing close to rapid public transport.

The site sits around 500 metres from Hills Showground Metro Station, within a precinct earmarked for significant residential intensification following the opening of the Sydney Metro Northwest line. Planning documents accompanying the application note that Greater Sydney's population has grown by more than one million people since planning for the precinct first began, reinforcing the need to accelerate housing delivery around existing transport infrastructure.

Scion is expanding its development pipeline which also includes <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/chatham-west-ryde-2-6-chatham-road-west-ryde-nsw-2114">Chatham in West Ryde</a>, 62 apartments which are approaching completion. They also have a State Significant Development Application with the NSW Government's Housing Delivery Authority for <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/96-anzac-avenue-west-ryde-nsw-2114">145 apartments on Anzac Avenue</a>, also in West Ryde.

First look: Scion plots Castle Hill apartment development near Hills Showground Metro Station

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/urban-property-group">Urban Property Group</a>&nbsp;has unveiled its scaled-back plans for a pair of towers rising up to 49 storeys directly opposite Bella Vista Metro Station.

The builder-developer will deliver 674 apartments and a new mixed-use hub at the gateway to the station precinct.

The State Significant Development Application has been lodged under the Housing Delivery Authority pathway for the 6,979 sqm site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/9-11-mawson-avenue-bella-vista-nsw-2153">9-11 Mawson Avenue</a>, with the apartments sitting above a mixed-use podium. Initial plans were for closer to 900 apartments across two 40-storey towers.

Located around 30 metres from the Bella Vista Metro Station entrance, the development is intended to act as a catalyst for the long-planned Bella Vista Station Precinct, transforming a vacant site into a transit-oriented residential and commercial destination.

Planning documents describe the project as delivering "a high-density mixed use destination that combines housing, retail and community-serving uses in a highly accessible setting."

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group plans 674-apartment Bella Vista towers opposite Metro station" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="21c08216-589e-490d-ad08-2d88b6fa62d9" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/bella%20vista%20podium.png?VersionId=3TnwjjQCNwTsmyQRaWnFrLTSAF0CJeka" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/turner-studio">Turner</a>, with landscape architecture by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/landscape-architect/arcadia-landscape-architecture">Arcadia</a>, the project comprises 674 apartments, including 102 affordable housing dwellings representing 15 per cent of the residential floor space. The housing mix spans studios, one, two and three-bedroom apartments, alongside a collection of townhouse-style residences integrated into the podium levels. The development also includes specialist disability accommodation and an elevated provision of adaptable and liveable housing.

The mixed-use podium has been designed to create an active urban centre around the Metro station, incorporating a 1,423 sqm supermarket, a 3,029 sqm gym, specialty retail spaces, a 100-place childcare centre and a publicly accessible "city room" community space. A secondary laneway, active frontages and landscaped public areas are intended to improve pedestrian connectivity through the site and strengthen links between the station precinct and surrounding neighbourhood.

In the project's design report, Turner said the proposal responds to Bella Vista's emerging role as a higher-density centre within Sydney's north-west growth corridor.

"The project transforms a strategically located site into a high-density mixed use destination that combines housing, retail and community-serving uses in a highly accessible setting," the report states.

"Active frontages, a publicly accessible city room, a secondary laneway and a mix of uses including a local supermarket, child care centre and gym create a more complete and socially useful urban environment for residents, workers and the wider community."

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group plans 674-apartment Bella Vista towers opposite Metro station" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0fde6220-82de-4f6a-9b63-d0fd8157acc9" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/bella%20vista%20da.png?VersionId=7hEmuSutH8plTd_RqqdmPu055F6qe554" />

Urban Property Group has been one of the busiest developers across Greater Sydney this year.

The developer is progressing around 1,000 apartments across <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-urban-property-group-plans-next-major-wollongong-tower">two projects in Wollongong</a>, with several thousand more homes in the pipeline across Newcastle, Castle Hill, Little Bay and Penrith.

Jonathan Chancellor

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