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The tussle over the national licensing of real estate agents shows no signs of abatement with an escalation in press release issuance.
Milton Cockburn at The Shopping Centre Council recently told the association's members that commercial real estate agents will be licensed except for those managing on behalf of related entities, like Westfield Group’s leasing agents, and those acting for “sophisticated property owners.”
It's what the council wanted. 
Cockburn advised that a special committee established by the National Occupational Licensing Authority (NOLA), representing all stakeholders, unanimously agreed that commercial agency work will be included in the new national licence for real estate agents, subject to two exceptions.
"The first exception is that agents managing on behalf of ‘related entities’ would not require a licence; the second exception is that ‘sophisticated property owners’, that is those large owners who fully understand the risks involved in commercial property transactions, would also not be required to use a licensed agent.
"This means only a very small fraction of commercial transactions could be undertaken by unlicensed agents, and all transactions involving ‘small’ commercial property owners would involve licensed agents.
"The committee also resolved concerns about personal probity requirements for licensees.
"There should therefore now be no obstacles to introducing the national real estate licence," Cockburn wrote on <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/industry-news/commercial-agent-licensing-resolution-a-sensible-compromise-milton-cockburn/2012111857941" target="_blank">Property Observer</a>.
But the Real Estate Institute of Australia president Pam Bennett says some areas remain to be negotiated, with the REIA unwilling to "lower standards".
The REIA suggested contrary to recent reports, the National licensing debate is not resolved.
But some industry analsyts say some 80% of agents currently just have the so-called "lower" standard.
"There are a number of areas still to be negotiated, and REIA will not be pushed into a lowering of standards that will have a negative affect on Australian consumers. Full stop,” Bennett says.
"Stunningly poor analysis of our profession was undertaken before COAG made these proposals and the Occupational Licensing Advisory Committee (OLAC) was a flawed process."
"There’s clearly been a pre-ordained conclusion from the start. When the regulation impact statement (RIS) was released, OLAC was scheduled to meet the very next business day and did not even read REIA’s RIS response, which stated our numerous concerns."
"The RIS made no attempt to quantify the cost to consumers flowing from the proposed removal of commercial property licensing and the abolition of continued professional development (CPD)," Ms Bennett added.
"There is a variety of roles that must be undertaken by real estate agents and the RIS set the education bar far too low. We want to see agents with diploma level qualifications as is the case in four States and Territories – not a dumbed down compromise."
"We refuse to be pushed into a position that would be detrimental to consumers, in order to suit arbitrary timelines."
"REIA wants the status quo option for property industry licensing to allow a revision of the RIS and because REIA supports national licensing, subsequent reconsideration through the second tranche, which contains other property related professions such as valuation, conveyancing, building and surveying."
 
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

National licensing of estate agents debate flares again within industry

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Fernhill, the former Georgian-era estate of the now bankrupted property tycoon Warren Anderson at Mulgoa, is reportedly set for a transformation into an equestrian centre following its sale last week to wealthy businessman Simon Tripp and his wife, Brenda.
<img src="/images/stories/andersonhouse.jpg">
The undisclosed price has been put at around $50 million. In September Property Observer noted Simon Tripp had been identified as offering $45 million for Fernhill (pictured above) and shortly after <a href="/news">Jabulisa, his impressive 6.9-hectare Sydney northern beaches acreage</a>, was listed for sale with $20 million hopes.
The 654-hectare property at Fernhill comes with an 1843 homestead on Sydney’s western outskirts.
It's been suggsteded the Tripps intend to revive a disused racecourse on the estate as well as construct a showjumping school, which would be run by their daughter.
There are also plans to build around 90 houses on the estate’s western perimeter, as Anderson secured preliminary permission for a subdivision.
The listing followed a matrimonial Anderson family dispute. 
Warren Anderson was ordered to vacate the colonial Greek revival-style mansion last November.
The prized estate last traded when it was bought from the founder of the Darling and Co merchant bank, John Darling, in 1980 for $2.8 million.
It was built for Edward Cox, the sixth and youngest son of pioneer William Cox, in the Greek Revival temple style, possibly designed by architect Mortimer Lewis, with amended plans dropping the second storey due to the 1840s agricultural recession.
Fernhill remained in the ownership of the Cox family until 1896, when it sold to the Wright family, of Wright, Heaton and Co, who billed their firm as the most extensive carrying firm in the colony.
The stone house and outbuildings were constructed over four years by 20 stonemasons who were brought in from Ireland.
The buildings are now surrounded by gardens modified in the 1970s by landscape architect Paul Sorensen, during which time the swimming pool was added.
Fernhill has 15 lots totalling 653 hectares, of which 404 hectares form part of the historic Fernhill estate that contains the original 1810 Cox family Crown land grant.
Anderson, the property tycoon whose collection of Regency antiques, old master paintings, French Empire clocks and stuffed animals raised $12 million in 2010 after matrimonial disputation, was made bankrupt in June 2011.
The six-bedroom mansion is widely regarded as one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture in the country.
No confirmation of the Australian Financial Review report has been forthcoming from Colliers International, the listing agency. 
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Fernhill sells to Simon Tripp for equestrian enterprise

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Lend Lease has unveiled two harbourfront apartments in its Barangaroo south precinct.
Lend Lease's Barangaroo South managing director Andrew Wilson lodged the plans yesterday with the NSW government for the initial 159 apartments with the hope the first residents will move in mid-2015.
With every apartment having water views, around $20,000 a square metre is set to be the starting price of the 47 one-bedroom apartments, which will range from about $1 million.
The 100 two- bedroom units will be priced from $2 million. There will be just the 12 three-bedroom apartments.
Barangaroo South will eventually have about 700 apartments, and planning of apartments in the northern part is in flux <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/paul-keating-suggests-barangaroo-s-new-hotel-casino-be-built-over-the-harbour/2012102457427">as the Crown casino hotel plans get resolved</a>.
The apartments are the work of Richard Francis-Jones of FJMT and Andrew Andersons of PTW.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/11/barang2.jpg">
The 10-storey building designed by Francis-Jones (pictured above) includes a striking cloud-shaped design for the apartments and balconies at the north of the 82 apartment building overlooking the new public square and harbour cove.
“Our building was inspired by the character of Sydney Harbour, for example, the expressive, organic form of the northern apartments celebrates and defines the adjacent public square and is reminiscent of the free-forms of clouds and waves that complement our sandstone harbour headlands,” Francis-Jones says. 
The 77-apartment, eight-storey building designed by Andrew Andersons (pictured below) includes substantial rooftop gardens and green plantings.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/11/barang1.jpg">
“The human scale of the building, together with its green roof, solar collectors and dynamic facades create an aesthetic of informality and sustainability. The style is site-specific to create a strong ‘sense of place’,” Andersons says.
"Both buildings draw inspiration from the wharves, which originally jutted out into East Darling Harbour and Walsh Bay,” Wilson says.
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Every apartments has harbour views as Lend Lease unveils two Barangaroo apartment blocks

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The Gold Coast waterfront home of Gary Diamond has been listed for mortgagee auction after his Pets Paradise businesses went into receivership in July.
The Paradise Waters property, with 20 metres of water frontage and its own beach, has reportedly been empty since its completion four years ago.
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.michaelwillems.com.au/pol/property/search.asp?f_propertyID=1949432&amp;xsl=2611&amp;f_st=1&amp;f_ct=1,2,3,4&amp;f_ps=2">Ray White Prestige Gold Coast </a>agent Robert Graham and Michael Willems have scheduled the four-bedroom Admiralty Drive mansion for November 29 auction. It had been briefly listed last year and for an extended period in 2009 through the Lucy Cole agency. It had $3.75 million expectations on its initial 2008 listing. 
PPB Advisory's David Leigh and Grant Sparks, the receivers, are selling the house to recoup some of the estimated $11 million owed to Bank of Queensland.
Diamond bought the 733-square-metre block for $2 million in 2006 before commissioning the house, which was finished two years later.
Other properties Diamond owned, mostly warehouses in Victoria used by the Pets Paradise businesses, are also being sold off by PPB Advisory.
It was also reported by Fairfax Media that Diamond's Melbourne home in Harkaway was subject to a high-interest second mortgage taken out by his lawyers.
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Gold Coast waterfront home of collapsed Pets Paradise group founder Gary Diamond listed

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<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="margin: 5px; float: left;">
The fate of historic Bronte House is being resolved by Waverley Council after the tenants, magazine publisher Matt Handbury and his wife, Clare Strang, have decided to relinquish their lease.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/11/brontehouse.jpg">
Keeping the home in public hands has become a priority for the council, which doesn't wish to oversee any sale.
Bronte House’s story begins in 1836 when William Mortimer Lewis, colonial architect, bought 42 acres of land. He began a house on his land, but the 1843 depression hit so  he was forced to sell the property before its completion.
Robert Lowe, an English barrister and later NSW parliamentarian, bought the property as a country residence for himself and his wife, Georgiana, who finished the house in 1845.
The Ebsworth family, who bought the property in 1882, were the longest private owners of Bronte House, occupying the property over three generations.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/11/brontehouse1.jpg">
In 1948 the Ebsworths sold the house and its grounds to Waverley Council, which leased it to the Red Cross until 1969. A weekly evening card party was held to raise money for the rent.
Most notable among recent lessees was Leo Schofield, whose love of the gardens is explored in his book The Garden at Bronte. He was in residence from 1994 to 2004.
The <a href="/news">house was built of sandstone with a slate roof</a> in the Gothick picturesque style featuring romantic circular and hexagonal corner turrets, deep bay windows, and pierced wooden tracery. A second story was added to the house in the 1880s.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/11/brontehouse3.jpg" style="margin: 5px; float: left;">
The future of the 19th-century building was discussed at Waverley Council earlier this month following the decision of tenants Matt Handbury and Clare Strang not to sign a new lease when the current one expires in January.
A report to the council listed several options for consideration, including selling the property for an estimated $5 million or more.
But most councillors, led by mayor Sally Betts, expressed the desire to preserve and protect this type of property, which was listed on the Australian Heritage Commission’s Register of the National Estate in 1978, and made the subject of a permanent conservation order under the Heritage Act in 1981.
Betts told the local paper she disagreed with the report's suggestion that suitable tenants would be hard to find.
"I'm not sure that's a correct statement because we haven't tried. We didn't look for the Handburys, [former tenant] Leo Schofield found them," she said.
The current tenants are required to spend $200,000 per year on the upkeep of Bronte House and its gardens as part of their repairing lease.
The grounds of the house is to be open to the public several times a year.
It will be open for those who want  a sneak peak <a href="https://www.brontehouse.com/opendays/open_days" target="_blank">this weekend</a>, November 24/25.
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Bronte House up for grabs as Matt Handbury hands back the lease: Title Tattle

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The mother of the Gold Coast entrepreneur Mark McIvor has sold Brisbane Supreme Court she had no idea her son convinced her to sign $22 million in mortgages. Janice McIvor said when she found out she could lose her home and asked her son Mark for her home back, he told her she would be "effing lucky". Janice McIvor has brought a case against Westpac seeking the bank be refrained from enforcing a mortgage and guarantees over her Currumbin home.
Janice McIvor' son Mark McIvor founded the Chevron Island merchant banking business that had $550 million in funds under management for about 1,400 clients, many of them locals, before receivers stepped in last year. The former fashion boutique owner claims her son, who had a "very bad temper", asked her to sign many documents over the years and she never investigated what they were. "God, I was scared. I was shocked ... I owed the bank $22 million," she told the court according to News Ltd papers.
Janice McIvor said she now had no relationship with her son after the two argued when she discovered the situation and she obtained her own legal advice and refused to hand over the property. When asked why she signed documents without reading thoroughly, she said it was because she trusted her son. "I am not that stupid because if I had read that, I would have thought how could I mortgage anything," she said. "I had nothing to pay anything back with for that amount. I couldn't even have mortgaged a push bike. "I didn't read anything. I just signed because I trusted Mark and I thought he's doing well and I must be helping him with whatever it was. "On reflection now, after having been cost a lot of heartache, I can see all that but at the time it was simply doing something for my son." 
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Mark McIvor's mother says she couldn't have even mortgaged a push bike

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The Mackay property market was regional Queensland's top performer during the September quarter, according to the Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ) September quarter median house price report.
Next was Redland City, which recorded a median house price increase of 2.7% to $450,000.
But the mining areas of Queensland appeared to have come off the boil a little.
"Its perhaps due to sharp property price increases over the past 12 months in Gladstone and Mackay in particular; however, sales in these regions remain strong," REIQ chief executive officer Anton Kardash says.
<table style="width: 470px;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<colgroup>
<col width="291">
<col width="73">
<col width="73">
<col width="73">
<col width="73" span="2">
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr height="68">
<td height="68" width="291">Region</td>
<td width="73">Median Sale Sep12</td>
<td width="73">Qtrly change</td>
<td width="73">Median Sale 12mths Sep12</td>
<td width="73">1yr change</td>
<td width="73">5yr change</td>
</tr>
<tr height="16">
<td height="16">SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr height="16">
<td height="16">BRISBANE CITY (LGA)</td>
<td>$     508,000</td>
<td>1.6%</td>
<td>$     509,999</td>
<td>-1.9%</td>
<td>17.5%</td>
</tr>
<tr height="16">
<td height="16" width="291">BRISBANE (SD)</td>
<td>$     430,000</td>
<td>-0.7%</td>
<td>$     430,000</td>
<td>-2.3%</td>
<td>17.2%</td>
</tr>
<tr height="16">
<td height="16">IPSWICH CITY (LGA)</td>
<td>$     290,000</td>
<td>0.0%</td>
<td>$     296,250</td>
<td>-4.4%</td>
<td>9.7%</td>
</tr>
<tr height="16">
<td height="16">LOGAN CITY (LGA)</td>
<td>$     337,850</td>
<td>2.4%</td>
<td>$     335,509</td>
<td>-4.1%</td>
<td>12.2%</td>
</tr>
<tr height="16">
<td height="16">MORETON BAY (LGA)</td>
<td>$     369,000</td>
<td>-2.6%</td>
<td>$     370,000</td>
<td>-3.1%</td>
<td>12.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr height="16">
<td height="16">REDLAND CITY (LGA)</td>
<td>$     450,000</td>
<td>2.7%</td>
<td>$     435,000</td>
<td>-2.6%</td>
<td>11.5%</td>
</tr>
<tr height="16">
<td height="16">GOLD COAST CITY (LGA) +</td>
<td>$     460,000</td>
<td>-1.5%</td>
<td>$     462,750</td>
<td>-4.0%</td>
<td>1.2%</td>
</tr>
<tr height="16">
<td height="16">TOOWOOMBA (LGA)</td>
<td>$     290,000</td>
<td>-3.0%</td>
<td>$     290,000</td>
<td>-1.7%</td>
<td>15.5%</td>
</tr>
<tr height="16">
<td height="16">SUNSHINE COAST (LGA) +</td>
<td>$     430,000</td>
<td>-0.9%</td>
<td>$     430,000</td>
<td>-4.4%</td>
<td>1.2%</td>
</tr>
<tr height="16">
<td height="16">MAJOR REGIONS</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr height="16">
<td height="16">FRASER COAST (LGA)</td>
<td>$     280,000</td>
<td>-0.7%</td>
<td>$     285,000</td>
<td>-1.7%</td>
<td>0.7%</td>
</tr>
<tr height="16">
<td height="16">BUNDABERG (LGA)</td>
<td>$     290,000</td>
<td>0.9%</td>
<td>$     282,000</td>
<td>0.7%</td>
<td>9.7%</td>
</tr>
<tr height="16">
<td height="16">GLADSTONE (LGA)</td>
<td>$     455,000</td>
<td>-4.2%</td>
<td>$     475,000</td>
<td>13.1%</td>
<td>40.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr height="16">
<td height="16">ROCKHAMPTON (LGA)</td>
<td>$     318,000</td>
<td>1.0%</td>
<td>$     317,378</td>
<td>0.0%</td>
<td>6.6%</td>
</tr>
<tr height="16">
<td height="16">MACKAY (LGA)</td>
<td>$     445,000</td>
<td>4.7%</td>
<td>$     430,000</td>
<td>4.9%</td>
<td>13.8%</td>
</tr>
<tr height="16">
<td height="16">TOWNSVILLE CITY (LGA)</td>
<td>$     355,000</td>
<td>-5.3%</td>
<td>$     362,000</td>
<td>-2.8%</td>
<td>6.8%</td>
</tr>
<tr height="16">
<td height="16">CAIRNS (LGA)</td>
<td>$     350,000</td>
<td>1.0%</td>
<td>$     349,250</td>
<td>-3.0%</td>
<td>-0.9%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
 
<a target="_blank" href="/news">Mackay </a>posted a median house price increase of 4.7% to $445,000. Over the year its median house price increased 4.9%.
REIQ Mackay zone chairwoman Sally Richards said there has been increased interest in the higher-priced homes such as the $400,000 to $600,000 price range.
She says there has been a significant amount of increased development and building activity in the region.
Gladstone's market slowed down after the sharp property price increases over the past year.
The median house price decreased 4.2% over the September quarter to $455,000.
REIQ Gladstone zone chairman Mark Spearing described the market as well-balanced over the past quarter.
In Brisbane, the median house price increased 1.6% to $508,000. The numbers of house sales was also up more than 3% compared to the June quarter.
For more on investing in property in mining areas like Gladstone, <a href="http://propertyobserver.com.au/ebooks/free-ebook-gladstone-investment-keys-to-one-of-the-nations-most-talked-about-hotspots" target="_blank">download our free eBook.</a>
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Queensland mining region prices come off the boil a little

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The Newman government has approved what it calls Queensland’s “biggest ever” tourism development, the Ella Bay resort.
The $1.4 billion project, adjacent to a World Heritage Area, will now need approval of the Federal Minister for Environment Tony Burke. 
The Queensland Coordinator-General granted approval of the project earlier this week, subject to Satori Resorts Ella Bay Pty Ltd needing to secured further statutory state approvals.
Work to develop the property into a master planned tourism/residential community is scheduled to occur over a 15-year period.
It's expected to have short-term tourist accommodation including resort hotels and holiday villas for 2,000 tourists at full capacity.
There are also plans to have 540 permanent residences, housing 1,400 people.
The Ella Bay development is expected to inject over $256 million per annum in tourism expenditure into the Queensland economy when fully operational.
The development is also expected to generate a peak construction workforce of just over 400 people around year eight of the development schedule.
Once fully operational, just over 800 full-time jobs are expected to be created for the operation of the new resorts, golf course, retail and associated facilities.
The development is also expected to provide other jobs including 240 part time peak season jobs.
The development north east of Innisfail in far north Queensland is on a 470-hectare site with a designated 132 hectare development precinct.
The remainder of the site will consist of 61 hectares of open space, golf course and parkland; 155 hectares of conservation covenant and 62.8 hectares of land to be transferred to National Park.
The federal government has knocked back developments in environmentally sensitive areas including refusal for the Hatsatouris family proposed $950 million development at Hummock Hill Island, south-east of Gladstone which was within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and which had been approved by the previous state Labor government.
The Ella Bay project is controlled by Rod Lamb, a former executive director of the listed Sedgman mining company.
The site was previously owned by construction group John Holland.
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Far north Queensland's Ella Bay clears initial long-standing statutory planning hurdle

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A $3.2 million Millers Point penthouse weekend sale reflected a 13% decline on its previous $3.7 million sale in 2006.
It first sold off the plan in 2001 at $3.65 million. It's in a Pottinger Street block of 33 apartments, the Parbury, a Mirvac-Transfield-built residential complex in the Walsh Bay Sydney Theatre precinct.
Spanning two levels and 338 square metres, it came with three bedrooms, with large terrace with views across the rooftops of terraces in The Rocks. Its quarterly strata levy was around $7900.
It had been listed for August mortgagee auction with $3.5 million hopes.
It was the week's second highest sale, according to the RP Data top 10 sales list.
The list was topped by a near new Vaucluse clifftop duplex that fetched $3,275,000.
Melbourne sales dominated the list with six sale, the priciest being $2.8 million in Hawthorn.
1. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.myrp.com.au/property-overview/5_marne_street_vaucluse_nsw_2030/7142466">5 MARNE Street, Vaucluse, NSW, 2030</a>, five-bedroom house, sold at auction on November 17 by Mcgrath Estate Agents for $3.275 million
2.  <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.myrp.com.au/property-overview/901/1_pottinger_street_dawes_point_nsw_2000/2077596">901/1 POTTINGER Street, Millers Point, NSW, 2000</a>, three-bedroom unit, sold at auction on November 17 by Morton And Morton Real Estate for $3.2 million
3. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.myrp.com.au/property-overview/12_new_beach_road_darling_point_nsw_2027/2063968">12 NEW BEACH Road, Darling Point, NSW, 2027</a>, three-bedroom house, sold on November 16 by Cb Richard Ellis -  Residential Projects for $3 million
4. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.myrp.com.au/property-overview/12_lennox_street_hawthorn_vic_3122/11192004">12 LENNOX Street, Hawthorn, VIC, 3122</a>, five-bedroom house, sold at auction on November 17 by Kay &amp; Burton Hawthorn for $2.8 million
5. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.myrp.com.au/property-overview/18_john_street_kew_vic_3101/11353753">18 JOHN Street, Kew, VIC, 3101</a>, four-bedroom house, sold at auction on November 17 by Jellis Craig Real Estate Hawthorn for $2.6 million
6. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.myrp.com.au/property-overview/12_stewart_street_brighton_vic_3186/10023547">12 STEWART Street, Brighton, VIC, 3186</a>, four-bedroom house, sold at auction on November 17 by Marshall White Real Estate Armadale for $2.52 million
7. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.myrp.com.au/property-overview/59_power_street_hawthorn_vic_3122/11193916">59 POWER Street, Hawthorn, VIC, 3122</a>, four-bedroom house, sold at auction on November 17 by Marshall White Real Estate Armadale for $1.95 million
8. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.myrp.com.au/property-overview/73_graham_street_albert_park_vic_3206/9179369">73 GRAHAM Street, Albert Park, VIC, 3206</a>, four-bedroom house, sold at auction on November 17 by Hocking Stuart Real Estate Albert Park for $1.88 million
9. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.myrp.com.au/property-overview/5_denning_street_south_coogee_nsw_2034/6254591">5 DENNING Street, Coogee, NSW, 2034</a>, four-bedroom house, sold on November 14 by Park Beachside - Coogee for $1.87 million
10. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.myrp.com.au/property-overview/7_creswick_street_brighton_east_vic_3187/10031343">7 CRESWICK Street, Brighton East, VIC, 3187</a>, five-bedroom house, sold at auction on November 17 by Marshall White Real Estate Armadale for $1.81 million
 
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Parbury penthouse on Pottinger Street runs out of puff with 13% decline: RP Data's top 10 sales

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The decluttering of the Princeton, Double Bay penthouse of the late interior design doyen Leslie Walford has perhaps given price clarity.
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/2012/09/oct3penthouse]}
It was listed for sale last month with $4.5 million-plus hopes through Christies International agent Ken Jacobs, but now the apartment comes with a $4.95 million asking price.
The contents of the Walford apartment were sold at weekend auction through Mossgreen. The sales tally suggest around $540,000 was grossed, including the buyer's premium, from about 400 household items.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/11/walford1.jpg">
The items represented five decades of accumulation by the noteworthy decorator to old Sydney money – and some later arrivistes.
They were listed by Walford's partner, Colin Davies.
<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.kenjacobs.com.au/570519/">The penthouse </a>with 279-square-metre garden terracing sits atop the 1939 Art Deco building with northerly views across the harbour to Manly.
The interiors showcased the tastes of Walford, who retired just five years ago after an international career spanning five decades.
It was built with polished timber floorboards, high vaulted ceilings, ornate cornices, curved bay windows and french doors.
The initial Double Bay purchase cost $125,000 in 1975 from Sabrina Van der Linden.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/11/walford4.jpg">
The apartment, which comes with 500 square metres of space, was consolidated with another purchase in 1978 from the photographer Ann Riddell.
More Princeton penthouse photos on page 2
 
<hr class="system-pagebreak">
Born to parents who celebrated with two bottles of 1918 Bollinger, after his 1927 birth, Walford was sent off at the age of 11 to England. (The champers bottles, below, remain unsold with a $100-150 estimate.)  
<img src="/images/stories/2012/11/walford3.jpg">
After time in the British Army, he studied interior design in Paris. He had self-deprecating pretensions, often joking he was conceived at the Ritz. Then hastening to add it was the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.photosau.com.au/BlueMountains/scripts/ExtSearch.asp?SearchTerm=004039">Ritz Leura, Blue Mountains guesthouse </a> rather than the Paris hotel one he loved so much.
His penthouse apartment ceiling was painted with a bamboo and foliage pattern and suspended from this was a large Fortuny silk lantern from Venice.
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/2012/09/oct3penthouse2]}
"This traditional Chinoiserie effect is rather lovely in European decorating," Walford once told then SMH Sydney Magazine home decor columnist Margie Blok.
She was among the auction crowd that watched the Fortuny fabric tiered ceiling light (below) fetch $3,172. 
<img src="/images/stories/2012/11/walford2.jpg">
Among the dearest items was a pair of Louis XV carved walnut fauteuil, signed Blanchard, French 18th-century armchairs that fetched $26,840.
A pair of Italian Blackamoor figures of two Nubian men, 19th-century, sold for $23,180.
A 19th-century French white porcelain and gilt bronze mounted elephant and pagoda form clock century fetched $7,320.
One of the cheapies appeared to be the Ross Watson painting, James II and youth, 1986 oil on canvas which fetched $3,416. His works are in significant private collections including Sir Elton John, James Wolfensohn and the British peer Lord Cholmondeley. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.rosswatson.com/index">Watson</a> was a 1990 Moet &amp; Chandon finalist.
The Historic Houses Trust (HHT) has become the home of some papers from the archive of the late Leslie Walford.
</body></html>

Interior designer Leslie Walford penthouse contents gross about $540,000 

ASX-listed developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/stockland">Stockland</a>&nbsp;is continuing its push back into the new apartment market, filing plans for a prominent gateway site between Collingwood and East Melbourne.

The development giant, which moved back into the new apartment space when it announced Stanton Place in Sydney's Rosebery and have since filed plans for a 50-storey tower, are jumping into the off the plan Melbourne market.

They are hoping to create a mixed-use neighbourhood precinct for <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/79-81-victoria-parade-collingwood-vic-3066">79-81 Victoria Parade</a>, replacing an existing commercial building with a scheme by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/john-wardle-architects">Wardle</a>&nbsp;for 478 apartments,&nbsp;ground-floor retail, new public open spaces and a publicly accessible pedestrian laneway.

<img alt="First look: Stockland plans new mixed-use neighbourhood precinct for Collingwood gateway site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="72dbbca9-3918-4073-afad-a0c0c35be8e7" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/stockland%20pers.png?VersionId=bzMVUKKxvwuNK1m0v_td126Rgct32uk_" />

The design report identifies the public realm as a central driver of the proposal.

"Collingwood has limited access to high-quality parks and public open space, and the proposal delivers valuable new areas for respite, social interaction and fine-grain retail activity."

The development would deliver a diverse mix of housing, including studio, one, two and three-bedroom apartments alongside townhouse-style residences. Two basement levels are proposed beneath the development, providing resident and retail parking as well as extensive bicycle facilities.

Wardle's design draws heavily on Collingwood's industrial character, using articulated building forms, brickwork and robust materials inspired by the suburb's warehouse and manufacturing heritage. The built form has been broken into a series of smaller volumes to better respond to the surrounding streetscape while extensive communal gardens, rooftop amenities and shared resident spaces are integrated throughout the project.

<img alt="First look: Stockland plans new mixed-use neighbourhood precinct for Collingwood gateway site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7b2135ed-65df-4253-ad53-f216f06bd467" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/stockland%20podium.png?VersionId=l1B6Hqn8zs772VxH6L1fDPg0KHshan9v" />

The planning documents describe the existing office building as offering little engagement with the public realm, with the redevelopment intended to create a more permeable and active neighbourhood destination.

"The proposed scheme presents a significant opportunity to deliver a vibrant retail plaza and a local neighbourhood hub serving both existing and future Collingwood residents."

The 79–81 Victoria Parade site occupies a strategic location about 1.5 kilometres east of Melbourne's CBD, at the threshold between Collingwood and East Melbourne. It is well served by tram services along Victoria Parade and sits within walking distance of St Vincent's Hospital, Fitzroy Gardens, the Fitzroy activity centre and a broad range of employment, retail and hospitality destinations.

Joel Robinson

Stockland plans new mixed-use neighbourhood precinct for Collingwood gateway site

An 1880s timber cottage that has survived Kangaroo Point's transformation from riverside suburb to high-density apartment precinct is set to become the centrepiece of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/zephyr">Zephyr Group</a>'s proposed Banksia development.

Rather than see the locally heritage-listed Alpha Cottage as an obstacle to navigate, plans integrate the landmark home into a new 18-storey residential tower, giving one of the suburb's oldest surviving residences a new role as the project's communal hub.

The development application covers a 1,177 sqm amalgamated site at 127-133 Lambert Street and 30 Shafston Avenue, where Zephyr Group plans to deliver 64 apartments above three basement levels. Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/joe-adsett-architects">Joe Adsett Architects</a>, the proposal carefully weaves the retained heritage cottage into a contemporary residential scheme, with the tower elevated above the historic building to preserve its presence within the Lambert Street streetscape.

<img alt="First look: Zephyr Group's Banksia to wrap new Kangaroo Point tower around 1880s Alpha Cottage" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f9dc5bdb-d691-4c60-bf2b-c3ed405a3e75" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Banksia.png?VersionId=Jh4bjlewU.o8HXWt0V4KaFA_lPcF7KWM" />

Named after the native Australian Banksia flower, the project draws inspiration from its distinctive form through curved balconies, sculpted planter boxes and cascading subtropical landscaping that soften the building's profile.

As the design report explains: "The tower's identity is defined by its feature facade, drawing direct inspiration from the Banksia wildflower. The building departs from traditional rigidity through the use of elegant, GRC-moulded planter boxes that appear as if shaped by the breeze."

Plans propose 64 apartments, comprising 32 two-bedroom and 32 three-bedroom residences, across an 18-storey tower. Residents would have access to rooftop amenities including a swimming pool, spa, gym, sauna, private cinema, dining spaces and landscaped recreation areas, while more than half the site is dedicated to planting and open space.

<img alt="First look: Zephyr Group's Banksia to wrap new Kangaroo Point tower around 1880s Alpha Cottage" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="16041b5f-033e-47fa-8fbe-9886e072c1f2" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/pool.png?VersionId=kpx5w4EbLx0_TdWfDoD1vrSs0_cZ5Ao1" />

The heritage component is the defining feature of the proposal. Constructed in the early 1880s and occupied from at least 1883, Alpha Cottage is recognised by Brisbane City Council as an important surviving example of Kangaroo Point's nineteenth-century residential development and as a representative transverse-gable timber cottage. Despite extensive redevelopment across the peninsula, the building has retained a high degree of its original form and internal fabric.

As part of the redevelopment, the cottage will be carefully relocated a short distance within its original allotment to facilitate construction before being returned to a prominent position along Lambert Street. Original verandah elements will be dismantled, catalogued and reinstated, while significant internal features, including timber flooring, wall linings, joinery, doors, windows and hardware, will be retained. Later additions, including the enclosed rear verandah, will be removed to better reveal the building's original form.

Once restored, Alpha Cottage will accommodate the building manager's office, mail room and parcel facilities, providing an active everyday use that supports its long-term conservation rather than preserving it as a static display. The heritage strategy also maintains landscaped space around the building, allowing it to remain visually distinct beneath the new tower.

<img alt="First look: Zephyr Group's Banksia to wrap new Kangaroo Point tower around 1880s Alpha Cottage" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="43b027e1-576e-4624-a66c-7cc54ea8b7be" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/banksia%20tower.png?VersionId=2W6E2yfkj2AQlWlLeV986grA5zB9f817" />

The Heritage Impact Assessment concludes that "the proposal secures the ongoing occupation, maintenance and conservation of Alpha Cottage," finding the development would result in "no more than a minor impact on the cultural heritage significance" of the building while ensuring its long-term future.

Joe Adsett Architects have designed the tower to sit above the heritage building rather than overwhelm it, creating a clear visual separation between old and new. The development's flowing balconies, integrated planting and organic façade respond to Brisbane's subtropical climate while complementing the restored cottage below.

Banksia occupies a prominent corner in Kangaroo Point within walking distance of the Kangaroo Point Bridge, Brisbane River, ferry services, QUT, the CBD and the Woolloongabba precinct. The site also benefits from direct access to active transport infrastructure and sits within an area earmarked for continued higher-density residential growth.

Zephyr Group's Banksia to wrap new Kangaroo Point tower around 1880s Alpha Cottage

Buying into a masterplanned community often means committing to a vision still years from taking shape. At <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a>, that vision is already visible.

Residents have moved into the completed first stage, landscaped spaces are established, and the next chapter is now underway. Stage 1 has been completed and settled, with Stage 2 now selling off-the-plan.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/pbd-architects">PBD Architects</a>, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a> combines attainable apartment living with sustainability initiatives rarely seen at this price point, including rooftop solar, battery storage and a resident EV-sharing program.

<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/6RNt3AvtBpI?si=JUhuCV2ZRXsYaoJZ" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

Located on Schofi​elds Road, just moments from Tal​lawong Metro Station and Schof​ields Train Station, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a> has been designed to appeal to a broad mix of buyers, from first-home purchasers looking for a foothold in Sy​dney's property market to downsizers seeking a connected, low-maintenance lifestyle.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a> has been conceived as a thoughtfully planned masterplanned community that will evolve over multiple stages, with buyers now able to secure one, two and three-bedroom apartments within a neighbourhood that is already beginning to establish its identity.

One of the project's defining features is its focus on sustainability. Solar energy systems, battery storage and future EV charging infrastructure have been incorporated throughout the development, reflecting a long-term approach to both environmental performance and everyday convenience.

Sustainability sits at the centre of the development's vision, with solar energy systems, battery storage and future EV charging infrastructure integrated throughout the community.

That emphasis on future-ready living extends beyond the technology. Landscaped communal gardens, outdoor gathering spaces and plans for a future retail precinct aim to create a neighbourhood where residents can access daily conveniences without travelling far from home.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149637 project_image_fid=351027]

The apartments themselves have been designed with liveability front of mind. Rather than chasing maximum density, the focus has been placed on creating practical homes with generous natural light, usable layouts and strong connections to outdoor space.

Importantly, these design principles have been applied consistently across the one, two and three-bedroom apartment offerings.

The appeal of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a> is also closely linked to its location within Syd​ney's rapidly evolving north-west growth corridor. Over the past decade, major infrastructure investment has transformed the area, with new transport links, business precincts and community facilities reshaping suburbs like Talla​wong and Schofiel​ds.

The agent says buyers are increasingly recognising the area's long-term potential.

"Typical buyers that we're finding across <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a> especially are your first-home buyers, your investors, your upsizers as well as your downsizers," Hawes says.

Connectivity remains one of the project's strongest drawcards. Residents have access to both Tallaw​ong Metro Station and Schofi​elds Train Station, providing links to the Sydn​ey CBD, Norw​est Business Park, Macquari​e Park and other major employment hubs. Retail centres including Rous​e Hill Town Centre and Sch​ofields Village are also nearby, alongside schools, parks and future healthcare infrastructure.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149637 project_image_fid=351031]

For Stage 1 resident Roji, it is the balance between convenience and comfort that has defined the experience of living at Kew.

"For me, it's a balance of quality and convenience," she says. "Everything I need is right here."

"If I wanted to catch the train, Scho​fields Station is just around the corner. Tallaw​ong Metro connects me to the city."

More importantly, she says, the development has delivered something that cannot be measured in floorplans or specifications.

"<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a> feels like home."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149637 project_image_fid=351024]

As Stage 2 enters the market, that lived experience may be one of the project's strongest selling points. Buyers are not purchasing into an untested concept or a future promise. They are joining a community that is already taking shape.

Ongoing investment in transport, retail, healthcare and public open space continues to strengthen the appeal of Syd​ney's north-west growth corridor, while <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a>'s established first stage provides buyers with a tangible sense of the community's future direction.

For a limited time, buyer can secure a new home at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a> with just a $10,000.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=149637]

Kew Tallawong: A growing community taking shape in Sydney's north-west

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/freecity">Freecity</a> has received development approval for its 51-storey mixed-use tower at 153-157 Walker Street, North Sydney, set to be one of the tallest mixed-use residential-led buildings in one of Sydney’s most sought-after commercial and residential addresses.

Lodged as a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) through the Housing Delivery Authority (HDA) pathway and approved by the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure following a comprehensive public exhibition and submissions process, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/153-walker-street-north-sydney-nsw-2060">the project</a> will deliver 296 apartments, alongside a 170-room, luxury hotel, activated retail and significant public domain improvements.

Situated just 200 metres from Victoria Cross Metro Station, on one of the largest developable sites in North Sydney, the development will rise to 234 metres, making it one of the tallest buildings in the suburb. With an end value of approximately $1.5 billion, the project responds directly to the NSW Government’s mandate to accelerate housing delivery in well-located, transit-connected areas.

<img alt="Freecity gets green light for mixed-use residential and hotel tower in North Sydney" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="192ec455-94bf-4e01-83ef-922b1b269d67" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Freecity%20-%20Walker%20Street%20North%20Sydney%201%20RESIZED%20.jpg?VersionId=Bzqp0SBHCDvLAHjA4QXkjuGoOEIh73Jl" />

The apartment mix will cater to a broad range of buyers, with 65 studio and one-bedroom apartments, 139 two-bedroom residences, 35 three-bedroom apartments, 48 four-bedroom homes, and nine penthouses. Residents will have access to a dedicated amenity level on Level 33, featuring a swimming pool with views towards the Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House and North Sydney CBD, as well as a gym, library, shared kitchen, lounge and outdoor entertaining areas.

The hotel will occupy the lower six levels of the building and include meeting and function spaces, a wellness centre with gym, yoga studio, swimming pool and sauna, further strengthening North Sydney's growing hospitality offering.

At ground level, the development has been designed to improve pedestrian connections through the precinct. More than 700 sqm of retail space will activate the street frontage, while a landscaped through-site link connecting Walker Street, Little Walker Street and Doris Fitton Park will provide new public open space with seating, paving and extensive native landscaping.

Freecity Group Co-Founder and Joint CEO Tony Sun said the project represents one of the most significant development opportunities currently available in North Sydney.

"This is one of the most significant development sites in North Sydney and it comes at a pivotal moment for the precinct," Sun said.

"North Sydney is undergoing a genuine transformation, and this project will contribute housing the city urgently needs while creating a landmark destination."

Executive Director of Development Michael Romano said demand for both residential and hotel accommodation would continue to strengthen as the Metro precinct matures.

"The structural demand for high-quality housing and hotel accommodation in North Sydney is compelling, and will only grow as the precinct continues to evolve around the new Metro station," Romano said.

Architectus has designed the tower, orientating the apartments to maximise views towards Sydney Harbour while introducing a sculpted façade intended to respond to light, wind and the surrounding skyline.

Architectus Principal Marko Damic said the design sought to create a tower that contributes to the public realm as much as the skyline.

"We wanted to design a tower that doesn't just sit in the skyline but actively participates and contributes to city life," Damic said.

First look: Freecity gets green light for mixed-use apartment and hotel tower in North Sydney

<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]

Jonathan Chancellor

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