<html><body>
The semi-retired rugby league legend Brad Fittler and his partner Marie Liarris have sold their Rose Bay investment semi.
The McGrath selling James Dack hasn't revealed the price, but Title Tattle gleans around $1.925 million as having sealed the bullish sale.
The television commentator paid $1.67 million last year for Salisbury Cottage, and after sprucing it up, secured a 14% gain.
The four bedroom, three bathroom semi with two car spaces had reputed $1.7 million expectations for its <a href="https://www.mcgrath.com.au/buy/house-rose-bay-nsw-2029/222433/?searchID=38696325" target="_blank">17 May McGrath auction</a>.
The Channel 9 commentator bought the 1920s Salisbury Road semi in May 2013 <a href="https://www.raywhite.com/nsw/rose-bay/961246/" target="_blank">through Annette Pollak at Ray White Double Bay</a> when offered to the market for the first time in more than 20 years.
Reflecting 4% yield, it was leased after becoming available with an initial weekly $1300 asking rent through Andrew Anastassiou at <a href="https://www.homeestateagents.com.au/" target="_blank" style="line-height: 1.3em;">Home</a> Estate Agents Bronte. 
It sits on a 304 square metre holding.
</body></html>

jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Brad Fittler sells Rose Bay investment with 14% annual gain

<html><body>
The ANZ intends to close seven more branches, which will take the total closures to 19 over recent months.
Most of the latest seven are in regional centres, such a Healesville in Victoria and Tamour in New South Wales.
<ul>
<li>Victoria: Burwood and Healesville</li>
<li>Queensland: Pomona</li>
<li>New South Wales: West Ryde and Tamour</li>
<li>South Australia: Brighton</li>
<li>Western Australia: Gosnells</li>
</ul>
Ian Roger's banking website, Banking Day reported a bank spokesperson suggested customer inconvenience would be limited as the average distance to a nearby branch, for those affected by the latest closures, was 7.5 kilometres.
The branches were ones where "there had been a significant decrease in customer use".
Staff in the affected branches will not necessarily be made redundant, but the landlords will be forced to find new tenants.
Late last year the bank signalled closures at 12 locations:
<ul>
<li>Victoria : 222 Exhibition St, Melbourne; 27 Commercial St, Korumburra, 3950; 67 Main Hurstbridge Road, Diamond Creek;</li>
<li>Queensland: 2 Corporate Court, Bundall; 9 King St, Caboolture; 102 Brisbane Street, Ipswich; 401 Upper Edward Street, Wickam Terrace;</li>
<li>New South Wales: ANZ Toukley - Cnr Main Rd &amp; Canton Beach Rd; Lismore Square Shopping Centre, Lismore; 343/345 Barrenjoey Road, Newport Beach;</li>
<li>South Australia: Bowman Street, Crystal Brook;</li>
<li>Tasmania: 50 High Street, Oatlands;</li>
</ul>
</body></html>

ANZ Bank landlords anxious as retail branch closures escalate

<html><body><div class="page" title="Page 1">
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
<div class="page" title="Page 1">
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
The Urban Taskforce has said the federal government's review of foreign investment in residential real estate must be blind to the nationality of the foreign investor.
"While this review is said to consider foreign investment in residential real estate, we fear that the review will focus on Chinese investment. 
"Focusing on a particular country’s investment is counterproductive and dare we say, xenophobic," Urban Taskforce Australia chief, Chris Johnson warned.
He said the Urban Taskforce urges the standing committee to consider foreign investment generally.
"It must resist pressure from those who would have us believe that it is simply Chinese investment in real estate that is driving increases in the cost of housing.
"Media coverage on this matter has been one- sided, suggesting that there is a flood of unregulated money from China causing real estate prices, especially in Sydney, to soar. 
"The claims are that foreign investment, in residential real estate, particularly from China is on the increase," he said.
Their submission said foreign investment in residential real estate was on the decline.
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="page" title="Page 2">
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
"The evidence provided in the recent Foreign Investment Review Board Annual Report 2012-13 does not support claims of ever increasing foreign investment.
"For instance, total foreign investment in residential property in Australia has actually been falling from a high of $20.92 billion in 2010-11 to $19.7 billion in 2011-12 to $17.2 billion in 2012-131.
"Reports based on the Foreign Investment Board and Australian Bureau of Statistics data suggest that the Chinese contribution of the total foreign investment in residential real estate to be approximately $5 billion per annum.
"However this is in a market that saw $250 billion in residential property being sold.
"While 2% of the market is a worthy contribution to new housing, it is not considered to be at a level to warrant the community concerns and intense media scrutiny of late.
"There is no doubt that residential property investment from China is the highest with Chinese investors purchasing $5.9 billion in all real estate, which includes commercial real estate.
"It should be noted that commercial real estate is almost twice that of foreign investment in residential real estate.
"Other countries invest in Australian real estate.
"Canada invested just under $5 billion in Australian real estate and the Americans invested $4.4 billion.
"Based on these figures alone, the focus on Chinese investment is not warranted," Chris Johnson suggested.
"Notwithstanding any of the above, the overarching principle of Australia's foreign investment policy, as it applies to residential property, is that the investment should increase Australia's housing stock.
"We support such a policy and agree that it brings benefits to the local building industry and its suppliers.
"The data provided in the Foreign Investment Review Board Annual Report 2012-13 shows this. 
"In the 2010-11 reporting period only $3.77 billion of foreign investment went to existing housing while $12.54 billion went to new developments."
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div></body></html>

Urban Taskforce warns against xenophobic review of Chinese investment by federal government

<html><body><div class="page" title="Page 1">
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
Title Tattle noticed the Joseph Lycett water-colour that shows Point Piper in the 1820s sold last week at Sotheby's auction for $219,600.
The colonial Point Piper ­landscape, Eliza Point showing Captain Piper’s Naval Villa and Garden (picture above against a black background), was painted by the convict artist who lived between 1755 and 1828.
It is a watercolour and gouache on paper 40.6 x 54.7 cm
It had been listed with an estimate $100,000 to $150,000 ranged, knocked down at $180,000 totalling $219,600 with buyer's premium.
The watercolour, with eucalypt framing, was acquired by the present owner at auction in 1973.
Its provenance was given as Sir Reginald Marcus Clark whose estate sold it in 1954.
Before Clark it was owned by Dr. W. Gerald Holt of Melbourne.
It was exhibited in the Joseph Lycett: Convict Artist, Museum of Sydney, 2006; and National Library of Australia, Canberra, 2007.
It was the last known watercolour of Sydney Harbour remaining in private ownership by the renowned colonial artist Joseph Lycett.
Listed by <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.sothebysaustralia.com.au/list/AU0787/93" target="_blank">Sotheby’s Australia</a>, the scene captures the essence of early settler colonial Australia with the burgeoning township of Sydney visible in the middle distance. The vista is westward from the North Shore, near present day Hermit Point between Rose Bay and Vaucluse. Shark Island is in the foreground and the double
On the left rocky promontory of Eliza Point (now Point Piper) sits John Piper’s naval villa shown nestling below its curious cruciform fenced garden.
The spirit of Captain John Piper, the pioneer spendthrift, is still prevalent on the Point Piper peninsula.
Just as Captain Piper's Henrietta Villa was the colony's showpiece - costing 10,000 pounds and taking four years to build in the 1810s - there have been plenty of big spenders of recent times.
Title Tattle recalls the contemporary boom began when Brian Johnson's high-tech "Bang and Olufsen" house - taking two and a half years to build and possibly $10 million to complete - became Sydney's then most noteworthy mansion in the mid-1980s.
But Point Piper's spendthrifts have not always led charmed financial lives.
The ominous portent was set by Captain Piper. Henrietta Villa was sold in 1827 in a mortagee sale to distiller Daniel Cooper for 5,000 pounds shortly after he resigned in fiscal controversy from his Bank of NSW chairmanship. It has long since been demolished.
</div>
</div>
</div></body></html>

Precious 1820s Point Piper watercolour of John Piper naval villa sells

<html><body>
One of the oddest highlights of Sydney's late autumn has been the sight of Jacarandas now in flower in Rushcutters Bay, some months before the traditional spring bloom to early summer blooming.
And veteran weatherman Dick Whittaker says his Manchurian pear trees are blossoming too. There are blue berries flowering on the coastal farms.
Sydney secured its 13th straight day above 22 degrees, and 22nd above 20 degrees, to exceed the record of nine for any time in May – set in 1978 and 2007.
The city has another week perhaps at these temperatures.
Melbourne has also been in the midst of a record May warm spell forecast having at least 10 days of 20-degree days.
Auction numbers surge over the next two weekends leading up to the Queen’s Birthday holiday break with over 1,600 properties scheduled to go under the hammer across Sydney, along with record May levels over the next two weekends in Melbourne with over 2000 properties scheduled to go under the hammer, according to Australian Property Monitors.
So our property contrarians Jonathan Chancellor and Margie Blok say take the opportunity of the delightful late autumn garden to take some photos this weekend especially if you are thinking of selling early spring.
HE SAID:<img src="/images/stories/2013/09/06/jc-silhouette-5.jpg" alt="jc-silhouette-5" width="150" height="225" style="float: right;">
Quite a few of the gardens in homes I've inspected recently are having their second spurt of gardenias. 
So take a break from raking the autumn leaves and photograph your house and garden for any future listing. Any pictures taken now can be stored ready for future marketing campaigns. 
<img src="/images/stories/2013/09/06/mb-silhouette-4.jpg" alt="mb-silhouette-4" width="150" height="225" style="float: left;">SHE SAID:
Jonathan might have spotted the confused jacaranda (pictured above) flowering in Rushcutters Bay, but it's way too premature for a jacaranda cruise on the Lane Cove River. 
Not a hint of the purple canopies which of course look superb against the November sky. Plenty of late season hydrangeas (pictured above) and other garden delights.
I did think that a tulip manolia (Magnolia x soulangeana) in a Hunters Hill backyard I saw this week was unusual at this time of year.
The jacaranda flowering - in something like 49 variations including white - produce such a beautiful uplifting effect across Sydney they are forgiven for making a mess during the spring open for inspections.
But now is the time to get some great extra listing imagery - especially if the garden is full of camellia. Rather than delay any auction listing until the garden looks right, these photos can be used to ensure buyers see the place in full bloom, even if it's not the same season. 
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE TO READ:
<a href="/expert-insights/building/blooming-jacarandas-set-late-spring-property-market-ablaze">Blooming jacarandas set late spring property market ablaze</a>
<a href="/news/trophy-home-listings-and-sales-on-the-jacaranda-lined-avenues-of-grafton">Trophy home listings and sales on the jacaranda lined avenues of Grafton</a>
Gallery photos: Jonathan Chancellor. 
</body></html>

Blooming jacarandas accompany unusually late Autumn property sales burst: He Said/She Said

<html><body>
It was 2007 when the wandering NRL player Willie Mason bought a home at Clovelly for $2.3 million. His contract at the Bulldogs and endorsement deals earnt him at least $600,000 a year on the back of winning the Clive Churchill Medal in the 2004 premiership victory.
Mason, whose mates dubbed him "the king of the eastern suburbs" during his subsequent stint with the Sydney Roosters, then headed briefly to the Cowboys in far north Queensland.
He certainly missed the lifestyle around Clovelly, during his 2011 stint in France playing rugby union for Toulon.
Title Tattle recalls longtime Channel 9/Fairfax rugby league reporter Danny Weidler writing that Mason had renovated the property and was relying on his French deal, and $1,500 weekly rental, to keep the mortgage under control.
It was then off to the Newcastle Knights where he currently flats with a teammate. Title Tattle presumes Mason is among the unpaid players at the club where Nathan Tinkler's ownership is unravelling. The Hunter Sports Group released a statement today confirming they have handed over ownership.
Title Tattle undertook a review this week of the team's property portfolio only to spot the Clovelly property of Mason (pictured above) has been <a href="https://www.belleproperty.com/40P0815" target="_blank">listed for June 21 auction through Belle agent Daniel Gillespie</a>.
It is set directly opposite Clovelly Beach, with ocean and coastal views to Wedding Cake Island and is a coveted oceanfront reserve setting with freshly schemed interiors.
There are two double bedrooms and two distinct living areas, including one opening to a glass-framed entertaining terrace with views. It is freestanding to the east side.
Willie Mason was born in Auckland in 1980, moving to Australia as a five-year-old growing up at Toronto. He was recently praised for visiting children in hospital, then later while shopping at Westfield Kotara, much to his credit, remembering a patient and pausing to encourage his recovery. 
A $2.5 million plus price is its unconfirmed price guidance.
</body></html>

Newcastle Knights prop Willie Mason lists Clovelly property: Title Tattle

<html><body>
The six bedroom Brighton home which has accommodated the latest batch of Masterchef contestants on the Channel Ten competition, has been listed for sale.
<a href="https://www.marshallwhite.com.au/323-st-kilda-street-brighton-7027769/" target="_blank">It was designed at 323 St Kilda Street</a> by Peter Carmichael, and then constructed by Everclear.
"Un-paralleled luxury levels make their presence immediately apparent throughout dramatic, dynamic spaces for living, dining and entertaining that are matched by equally memorable alfresco areas while a Miele equipped kitchen, filled with northern light, meets contemporary needs with evident elegance and efficiency," the Marshall White marketing suggests on the Brighton offering.
"It is a home of substance and status," Marshall White agent Michael Paproth said.
It comes with home cinema, play room, cellar, swimming pool, spa and gymnasium, security surveillance and garaging for six cars on an allotment measuring some 1883 square metres.
The beach and the bay are at the end of the street.
It has been listed with $5 million plus expectations.
Thousands auditioned, with judges Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris and Matt Preston scouring the country to handpick Australia’s best home cooks, selecting the Top 24 to join them in Melbourne’s MasterChef Australia kitchen in the sixth series, and second in Melbourne.  <a href="https://tenplay.com.au/channel-ten/masterchef/photos/selfies-gallery#17" target="_blank"></a>
<a href="https://tenplay.com.au/channel-ten/masterchef/photos/selfies-gallery#17" target="_blank">The 24 contestants who share a passion for food, while bunking down in Brighton</a>, are competing for $250,000 cash, a Hardie Grant cookbook publishing deal, work experience in some of Australia’s best kitchens and an Alfa Romeo Giulietta.  
Close to 70% of MasterChef Australia alumni now work in the food industry.
This week Property Observer revealed <a href="/news/channel-tens-the-bachelor-heads-to-hunters-hill-leaving-la-joie-de-vivre-behind">Clifton, the heritage listed Hunters Hill mansion, is the home of the next series of The Bachelor</a>, replacing La Joie de Vivre at Bayview.
The reality television show on the struggling Network Ten is currently being filmed in the stunning Sydney mansion.
It last sold in 1993 for $2.75 million.
The 5,124 square metre near-riverfront estate with a lawn tennis court was recently vacated by the McCaffrey family.
</body></html>

MasterChef Australia home in Brighton for sale

<html><body>
Dunsinea, the 40 hectare Mittagong, Southern Highlands NSW trophy property has been sold for $4.94 million to Robbie Waterhouse, the bookmaker husband of champion horse trainer Gai Waterhouse. The house warming party is being held this weekend.
Property Observer wrote that Dunsinea, which had views over the bushland of the Nepean State Conservation Forest, had been sold for an estimated $4.95 million <a href="/news/gai-and-robbie-waterhouse-tipped-as-dunsinea-mittagong-cattle-farm-buyers">back in late January</a>, a fortnight after its mid-January exchange.  
It was secured unencumbered by any registered mortgage after being given a $5.25 million asking price following its November 2013 auction through Sam Triggs from Meares and Associates and Michael Maloney from Richardson and Wrench Bowral.
It was sold by Mark and Rosie Mitchell who developed the holding from the ground up after returning from the UK in 2002. They first tried to sell in late 2008 with $7 million plus hopes.
Set on the northern fringes of the Southern Highlands, Dunsinea comes with modern ‘rammed earth’ five bedroom sandstone home.
<a href="https://www.randw.com.au/1066175/" target="_blank">Dunsinea</a> is surrounded by 100 acres of rolling grazing land, some 15 kilometres from Bowral.
The house is srrounded by its green and white garden, complete with 10 metre heated pool and all weather tennis court. There is also a guest cottage.
The main residence boasts 300mm - 450mm thick walls and 10 foot high ceilings.
Title Tattle recalls property reporter Margie Blok, after inspecting the home in 2008, noted it had been meticulously built with classic architecture.
"The house has superb proportions, solid sandstone walls, stone verandas and custom-made Georgian-style windows with double glazing. Inside, the rooms have 3.6-metre-high ceilings and polished stone floors, which are heated for winter warmth," she wrote.
The pasture was marketed as ideal for cattle grazing with the property fattening 40 to 50 steers year round. Title Tattle gathers that would translate accomodating around 20 horses, as is.
It had been for sale on and off for several years, even attracting the fleeting attention of the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and his wife, Therese. 
</body></html>

Robbie Waterhouse the $4.94 million Dunsinea, Mittagong buyer

<html><body><div class="page" title="Page 1">
<div class="section">
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
Consumer attitudes towards the housing market took a tumble in the latest Westpac Melbourne Institute Index of Consumer Sentiment.
The index tracking assessments of ‘whether now is a good time to buy a dwelling' fell by 6% to its lowest level since November 2010, when the Reserve Bank had been lifting interest rates.
It is now 25% off its highs of September last year. 
Westpac chief economist Bill Evans says it was unlikely to be solely a response driven by the recent federal budget. 
"Respondents have been lowering their confidence levels for some months. 
"Between September last year and April the Index had already fallen by 20%.
The confidence around housing is particularly fragile in the major states with the index being down by around 30% from September’s highs in both NSW and Victoria. 
"Concerns over high prices and limited affordability are likely to be the key reasons behind these trend," the report said.
The overall Westpac Australian consumer sentiment fell sharply in May, posting its lowest level since August 2011 following the government's budget.
The survey of 1,200 people showed the pessimists exceed optimists.
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div></body></html>

Now is not a good time to buy a Sydney or Melbourne home: Westpac confidence index

<html><body>
Clifton, the heritage listed Hunters Hill mansion, is the home of the next series of The Bachelor, replacing La Joie de Vivre at Bayview.
The reality television show on the struggling Network Ten is currently being filmed in the stunning mansion where the bachelor, Perth estate agent and property auctioneer Blake Garvey will hand out his roses.
“When you first meet Blake you’ll be struck by his height (6’5”) and his deep baritone voice (he’s been likened to Barry White),” <a href="https://www.acton.com.au/CarineGlades/?pagecall=staffMember&amp;staffID=105150" target="_blank">the Acton Real Estate Carine Glades’ website suggests</a>. Before the sometime model headed west to Sydney, he had two listings in the 6065 postcode from the office that services Carine, Duncraig, Padbury and Hillarys.
Clifton last sold in 1993 for $2.75 million to a investment syndicate which soon had the 5,124 square metre near-waterfront estate with a lawn tennis court available for $1,500 a week rental. It is not known officially what The Bachelor 's production company, Shine Australia, are paying the very large McCaffrey family who have been in residence, but $25,000 a week has been speculated.
Security plus Fresh Catering trucks were on the Woolwich Road driveway yesterday.
<img src="/images/2014/05/22/hunters-hill-may-22-three.jpg" alt="">
The 120-year-old Hunters Hill property, listed by the National Trust, was previously the matrimonial home of the late Michael Grace and his wife Carol, of the Grace retail family.
It is on a battle-axe Woolwich Road block with its privacy even from the riverfront protected by the 140-year-old Port Jackson fig trees.
The mansion was built by a former Sydney Stock Exchange chairman, John Ryder Jones in the 1890s.
<img src="/images/2014/05/22/hunters-hill-may-22-twenty-five-million.jpg" alt="">
It was purchased by the Howie family - pre-eminent Sydney builders - on Jones's death in 1919 and they remained for two generations.
Sir Archibald Howie carried out extensive works in the 1930s, leaving an art deco legacy which included a Philippine mahogany-panelled dining room and an Egyptian bathroom.
The Grace family purchased Clifton in 1974 for $500,000.
Following Clifton's sale, the 7,000 square metre property was subdivided, with two of Clifton's five blocks sold to the Tieck family for $180,000 in early 1975.
La Joie de Vivre has been sitting unloved by buyers above Sydney’s northern beaches since 2010. The first Australian season of The Bachelor was filmed at the stunning mansion last July. 
It's the home of the former freight tycoon Gregory Poche and wife Kayvan Norton at 68 Minkara Road, Bayview.
The lavish French provincial mansion sits among spotted gum trees, with views from its floor to ceiling windows. The residence was built for Beirut industrialist Agob Dellalian who sold it for $7 million in 2003.
Gregory Poche and wife Kay van Norton bought the property for $10 million in 2003 through Claudio Marcolongo of LJ Hooker Avalon, and Christie's agent Ken Jacobs. La Joie de Vivre, meaning the ‘joy of living’ in French, catches impressive 180-degree view of Pittwater.
The couple have relocated to Little Manly Cove.
 
</body></html>

Channel Ten's The Bachelor heads to Hunters Hill, leaving La Joie de Vivre behind

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/abadeen">Abadeen</a> and <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/perifa">PERIFA</a> have celebrated the topping out of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/putney-wharf-harbourfront-precinct-20-waterview-street-putney-nsw-2112">Putney Wharf,</a> marking a significant milestone in the delivery of one of Syd​ney's most anticipated waterfront communities.

Located on Sydney's harbourfront at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/putney-nsw-2112">Putney</a>, the project has now reached its highest structural point, with construction progressing strongly towards completion in 2027. 
&nbsp; 
The milestone was celebrated on-site with project partners Phoenix Property Investors, Mitsubishi Estate Asia, Versatile Construction, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/sjb-architects">SJB</a>, consultants and stakeholders, to recognise the collective effort behind the transformation of the historic waterfront site into a vibrant new residential, marina and lifestyle destination.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=13962 project_image_fid=362240] 
&nbsp; 
<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/putney-wharf-harbourfront-precinct-20-waterview-street-putney-nsw-2112">Putney Wharf</a> will deliver a mix of waterfront residences and terraces, complemented by a private 36-berth marina, waterfront dining opportunities and a revitalised foreshore designed to reconnect the community with the river's edge. 
&nbsp; 
Abadeen Executive Chairman and Founder Justin Brown said the project represented a rare opportunity to create the next chapter in Sydn​ey's long history of successful waterfront precincts. 
&nbsp; 
"Throughout Sydney, some of the city's most sought-after addresses have emerged from carefully considered waterfront precincts such as Woolloom​ooloo Wharf, Walsh Bay and Breakfast Point," Brown said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=13962 project_image_fid=362566] 
&nbsp; 
"What makes these places so successful is that they become much more than residential developments," Brown said.

"They bring together homes, hospitality, marina facilities, public spaces and a strong sense of community in locations where future supply is incredibly limited."

Brown has long described absolute waterfront land in Sy​dney as "finite."

"Once these opportunities are developed, they are rarely replicated. That's why Syd​ney's waterfront precincts have consistently demonstrated strong demand and long-term value growth over many decades. 
&nbsp; 
"<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/putney-wharf-harbourfront-precinct-20-waterview-street-putney-nsw-2112">Putney Wharf</a> is one of the few remaining opportunities to secure a residence within a masterplanned waterfront community that combines direct water access, marina ownership opportunities and a genuine village lifestyle just moments from the Sy​dney CBD."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=13962 project_image_fid=362564] 
&nbsp; 
PERIFA Founder and Managing Director Fabrizio Perilli said the project reflected a shared commitment to delivering exceptional places that create long-term value for residents and the broader community. 
&nbsp; 
"The topping out milestone is a significant achievement for the Versatile Group and a testament to the collaboration between all project partners, consultants and contractors involved," Perilli said. 
&nbsp; 
"Beyond the residences themselves, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/putney-wharf-harbourfront-precinct-20-waterview-street-putney-nsw-2112">Putney Wharf</a> will establish a new waterfront destination that celebrates the history, character and lifestyle of this unique location while creating a lasting legacy for future generations."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=13962 project_image_fid=291195] 
&nbsp; 
Construction is being delivered by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/builders/versatile">Versatile Construction</a>, with structural works now substantially complete across the precinct. Attention will progressively shift to the construction of the waterview terraces, apartment façades, services and interior fit-out works over the coming months. 
&nbsp; 
With limited residences and marina berths remaining, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/putney-wharf-harbourfront-precinct-20-waterview-street-putney-nsw-2112">Putney Wharf</a> continues to attract strong interest from owner occupiers and downsizers seeking a premium waterfront lifestyle within close proximity to Putne​y Village, Rh​odes, Top Ry​de and the Syd​ney CBD. 
&nbsp; 
As one of the last opportunities to secure a residence within a new masterplanned waterfront community on Sy​dney Harbour, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/putney-wharf-harbourfront-precinct-20-waterview-street-putney-nsw-2112">Putney Wharf</a> is expected to remain a highly sought-after address for years to come.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=13962]

Joel Robinson

Abadeen, PERIFA, top out Putney Wharf harbourfront precinct

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.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=140755 project_image_fid=354809]

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."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=140755 project_image_fid=366267]

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.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=140755]

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.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=342 project_image_fid=364553]

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.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=342 project_image_fid=357510]

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."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=342 project_image_fid=336455]

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.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=342]

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.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=151921 project_image_fid=370263]

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.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=151921 project_image_fid=367468]

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.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=151921 project_image_fid=367810]

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.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=151921 project_image_fid=367796]

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.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=151921 project_image_fid=370253]

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.

Jonathan Chancellor

Editor's Picks

Have something to contribute?

Developments

New apartments

New townhouses

News