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The top sale at weekend auctions was a North Bondi penthouse within the former site of Blue Water Grill restaurant.
It sold under the hammer for $4.02 million.
It last sold for $5.75 million in 2006 when bought by the horse breeder Dean Fleming's family. The $1.73 million loss equated to 5% decline annually during its six-year ownership. 
The <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.mcgrath.com.au/buy/apartment-bondi-nsw-2026/163214" target="_blank">three-bedroom apartment </a>is one of six in the Ramsgate Avenue block.
The block's last ominous sale was $1,785,000 for a three bedroom 189 square metre apartment that fetched $2.15 million in 2007.
The <a target="_blank" href="/news">North Bondi</a> penthouse offering had about 110 square metres of internal space plus 164 square metres of outdoor decking.
It was listed as now with a family of five, the Flemings are moving to something bigger.
Pre-auction he suggested he was realistic when it came to price with the McGrath agents Di Baker and James Dack giving the price guide as "between $4 million and $6 million".
"That's the market. You've got to meet it," Fleming told Fairfax Media after the weekend auction.
"It's disappointing, but it's time to move on."
A buyer from Melbourne secured the property with just one bid over the telephone.
Sydney recorded a 60.3% weekend clearance rate, according to Australian Property Monitors.
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In Melbourne there was a clearance rate of 60% compared with 59% last weekend and 51% for the same weekend last year, according to Enzo Raimondo at the Real Estate Institute of Vicoria.
 
 
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North Bondi wipeout at weekend auction

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The southern hemisphere's tallest hotel/apartment building – with its mooted mammoth 388-metre skyscraper high above Melbourne's Yarra River – is actually a development site that's up for sale. Its a tad premature to suggest the touted 108-storey development will radically alter the city skyline.
The 2,642-square-metre site has been for sale since July through <a target="_blank" href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-land+development-vic-southbank-500322779">CBRE agents Mark Wizel and Josh Rutman</a>.
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The site is set on the corner of City Road and Southbank Boulevard, and the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) gave approval for a 72-storey, 226-metre, 532-unit skyscraper in September 2010 after a battle with Melbourne City Council.
Designs for the huge Australia 108 are being reportedly finalised and, if approved, will feature 600 apartments, the nation's highest hotel and restaurants seemingly floating 84 stories above the city.
The 108-storey tower, which will be the 18th-tallest building in the world, is planned to rise near the 297-metre Eureka Tower, with 91 storeys.
Architects Fender Katsalidis, who also built Eureka, gained planning approval for a 228 metre apartment building on the 70 Southbank Boulevard site in 2010, despite objections from Melbourne City Council that it was "excessive in both height and bulk".
But architect Nonda Katsalidis has super-sized his plans, by adding a 288-room hotel and sky deck on top, saying the economy has strengthened and Melbourne is more confident and ready for an iconic centrepiece.
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"Buildings like this change cities, they make the city more dynamic, more interesting, more exciting," he told the News Ltd papers today.
The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=97223192">skyscrapercity.com website </a>shows both visions for the development site.
One of Australia 108's most striking features will be a two-storey sky lobby, which is set to house two restaurants and two bars, extending nine metres out of the building, 84-storeys above Melbourne. The hotel check-in and swimming pool will also appear to hang over the city, with sections of glass floor enabling visitors to see all the way to the ground in a much larger version of Eureka's Sky Deck. Although the skyscraper is intended to dominate Melbourne's skyline, Katsalidis says it would form a pair with Eureka. The site was listed with a $25 million price tag via an international public expressions of interest campaign closing in August.
In July Property Observer<a target="_blank" href="/news"> reported the site was listed by Katsalidis and property developer Adrian Valmorbida </a>from the Valmorbida family, who had decided to go in different directions.
The site is the former head office of international explosives and fertilising giant Incitec Pivot and is currently in use as office accommodation.
Although in its preliminary design stage, and will be subjected to a fresh planning application process, Victorian Planning Minister Matthew Guy has already commented that such a project being proposed underlined the confidence in Melbourne. "Australia is coming of age and our cities are growing upwards," Guy says. "Taller buildings ... are a symbol of a growing nation, a strong economy, and they do have the ability to define a city," he told News Ltd.
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Australia 108 has a few hurdles to overcome before it's the southern hemisphere's highest  

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The former Victorian rural beef cattle retreat of actor Mel Gibson has been listed for sale.
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Springbank, a 390-hectare farm in the Kiewa Valley near Albury/Wodonga with views of the Australian Alps, was bought by Mel Gibson in the late 1980s as a retreat to run Angus cattle.
A four-title holding was sold  in 2004 by Gibson for $1.825 million to the current vendor, Albert Park racehorse owner David Trevethan and wife, Christine, who have $5.5 million-plus hopes for the <a target="_blank" href="/news">Gundowring </a>farm.
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/1651-gundowring-road-gundowring/Property-Details-buy-residential-4528987">It's been marketed</a> as recreated since it was Mad Max's playground, with the original homestead replaced by a four-bedroom, four-bathroom homestead with designer kitchen, library, formal lounge and dining rooms, and a glass-roofed conservatory. The 620-square-metre stone home was designed by Peter Barton and features ironbark hardwood floors, rosewood doors, and wide, grey box verandas.
The barn has been converted into an entertainment area with open fireplace and a bar, as well as self-contained accommodation with a bedroom with ensuite.
The property, which has been used to run cattle and train horses, also offers cattle yards, machinery sheds, paddocks and 17 dams.
Offers are due with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.prh.com.au/pol/property/search.asp?f_propertyID=1943355&amp;xsl=2146&amp;f_st=1&amp;f_ct=1,3&amp;f_ps=2">Peter Hawkins of Pat Rice &amp; Hawkins </a>by November 23.
Last year a 60-hectare holding sold by Gibson to Trevethan was listed for sale with a $750,000 asking price.
Involved in the racing industry as an<a target="_blank" href="https://springbankthoroughbredagistment.com.au/testimonials"> owner and breeder </a>for almost 40 years, David Trevethan's notable success came from part ownership of Better Loosen Up, who went on to win the Cox Plate and the Japan Cup.
At one staged Gibson owned two ranches Beartooth Ranch near Columbus, Montana, and his home ranch in Victoria. 
The two beef operations, which comprised Beartooth International, shared a common seedstock genetic base as well as marketing strategies.
The 20,000- acre (8,094-hectare) Montana ranch, named after the Beartooth Mountain range bordering it on the west, ran 1,200 cows.
“I preferred the natural existence and open space of a ranch over claustrophobic city life,” Gibson once said, so he went looking for something that would "soothe me between making films".
Springbank internal pictures on page 2
 
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After he and his family found the perfect remedy in north-east Victoria, Gibson realised that the land was no good unless he put something on it.
He soon put together a small commercial beef herd.
“Basically, I started from scratch,” Gibson told The Angus Journal in 1991.
“I ended up with everyone else’s culled cows and made lots of mistakes during those first few years.”
Gibson tended the cow herd, dug post holes, built fences and drove a tractor but all the time struggled to make it work.
Then one day a neighbour’s bull got through a downed fence and visited Gibson’s cow herd, and the next spring Gibson discovered a couple of nice calves on the ground that he knew weren’t sired by his “average” bull.
His neighboring cattleman advised that his bull’s genetics traced back to the United States and a property called Beartooth Ranch, which at that time raised Polled Herefords.
Then in 1988, while making a film in the United States, he went to Montana to see Beartooth Ranch firsthand.
Gibson, his then wife, Robyn, and their six children lived in the Kiewa Valley during the late 1980s, and he became a well-liked identity in the Tangambalanga area.
For much of its ownership the property was home to his father, Hutton Gibson, who lived a mud brick home on the holding that Mel Gibson bought for $237,500.
Beartooth in Montana was sold in 2005 to the neighbours.
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Former Mel Gibson Springbank Angus cattle retreat listed

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The Darling Point apartment of Gough Whitlam, Australia's 21st prime minister, and his late wife, Margaret, has been sold.
The three-bedroom apartment in the Marathon Place complex sold for $1.35 million 10 days before its scheduled auction through McGrath agents Ben Collier and Bernadette Berlyn.
The second-floor late 1960s Marathon Road apartment had been the Whitlams' home since December 1975. It had cost $65,000 when bought in July 1975 from the Peken pastoralist family from Nocoleche Station, <a href="/news">Wanaaring</a>, who had first sought to offload it at a November 1974 auction.
The Pekens had paid $65,000 15 months earlier, shortly before Australia entered into recession when growth contracted by 1.2% in the year to the December quarter of 1974 and continued into the March quarter 1975, when it contracted by 1.1% through the year.
The Facer Watts agency had marketed the <a href="/news">Darling Point</a> block's 10 three-bedroom units, with Frank O'Neil-designed swimming pool,with prices starting from $39,500 in late 1968.
With views across Double Bay <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/former-prime-minister-gough-whitlam-lists-his-darling-point-sydney-apartment/2012102457398">around $1.2 million </a>had been expected for the 104 square metre apartment. Gough Whitlam secured 8.46% annual price appreciation.
The Whitlams moved there from The Lodge in Canberra after Gough's government was dismissed by the Governor-General Sir John Kerr on November 11, 1975.
The former prime minister now resides at Lulworth, the St Luke's aged care facility in<a href="/news"> Elizabeth Bay</a>.
Margaret Whitlam died in March.
"They dearly loved the apartment and enjoyed their time living there,'' McGrath agent Ben Collier told the local paper.
"Aside from its lovely views, the apartment is private and close to all the cafes and village life of Double Bay – an area they loved.''
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Gough Whitlam sells Darling Point pocketing 8.46% annual property price inflation

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The Vaucluse harbourfront reserve home of Prudence MacLeod, the oldest child of Rupert Murdoch, and her husband, Alasdair, has been reportedly sold.
The quaint Carrara Road property sold quietly last week through McGrath Estate Agents for about $13.25 million in an off-market deal.
The three-storey residence, which sits on a 1,060 square metre holding, last traded in 2002 for $7.5 million. Its price growth over the decade reflected a mild 5.6% annual growth rate. Its growth in the immediately prior five-year sales period had reflected 10.6% annual growth.
Prudence MacLeod's mother, Patricia, was Rupert Murdoch's first wife, whose marriage to him ran from 1956 to 1966.
Another <a target="_blank" href="/news">Vaucluse </a>sale was secured for the <a target="_blank" href="/news">more glamorous offering </a>of the globetrotting interior designer Serena Crawford and her husband, Murray, whose Hopetoun Avenue residence sold through Alison Coopes for about $5.5 million.
The architect Bruce Stafford remodelled the three-level house after it cost $4.29 million in 2009.
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Half-hearted 5.6% annual price growth on the Vaucluse harbourfront

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Fairfax Media has announced the closure of its Sydney mini-Domain division, which publishes Domain Inner West, Domain East and Domain North &amp; Beaches.
The poor-yielding, but bulky mid-week regional supplements will have their last editions in mid-December. Domain East dates back to October 2004 and 2005 for the Inner West and North editions. Fairfax had previously advised advertisers Domain East, et al, coupled with Saturday Domain, maximised their readership reach.
 Their bundled advertising rates were priced from:
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In a strategic simultaneous decision the Saturday metropolitan Domain print supplements from both Sydney and Melbourne will also be included within The Australian Financial Review on Fridays from next year.
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By adding Saturday Domain to the AFR, Fairfax aims to capture the corporate market. It also suggests it will give "buyers a jump start on the weekend's inspections".
Saturday Domain run-ons of the printed edition will be distributed free to metropolitan cafes, transport hubs and real estate agencies.
Estate agents have been told property editorial content will endeavour to increase the "synergy" between its Sydney and Melbourne editions.
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Fairfax announce closure of Sydney Domain Inner West, Domain East and Domain North & Beaches

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Restaurateurs Matthew And Irene Sen have listed their recently built North Bondi home designed by Luigi Rosselli. Its <a target="_blank" href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/192-hastings-parade-north-bondi/Property-Details-buy-residential-4663007">the 2011-built house </a>that's also been available at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/192-hastings-parade-bondi/Property-Details-rent-residential-4622845">$4,000 a week </a> rental.
The original intent of the home was even far grander, with initial approval for a three storey house with pool, however, according to the Luigi Rosselli website, the project was a child of the global financial crisis when <a target="_blank" href="https://luigirosselli.com/Hastings-Parade/">scaled back to two storeys to meet the changing expectations of the clients</a>.
The 420-square-metre Hasting Parade block on the clifftop Ben Buckler peninsula cost $915,000 in 1998.
The four-bedroom, two-bathroom house was built with an "experimental attitude" to materials with its design intended to last in the extreme coastal environment.
It comes with a custom corrugated concrete façade.
The architects note their experimental attention to craft was also explored inside through the hand-woven cane screen surrounding the stair that enlivens the large family room and kitchen.
It's listed through Ric Serrao at Raine &amp; Horne Double Bay for December 12 auction.
Another Raine &amp; Horne listing on the clifftop is the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.raineandhorne.com.au/doublebaybondibeach/properties/249134">the unrenovated 172 Hastings Parade</a> with approval for a second floor, which has been scheduled for November 29 auction.
The last luxury Hastings Parade sale was sold through Ric Serrao for $8.2 million in 2010 of a 2007-built house designed by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.grantamon.com/index.php?section=47">Grant Amon Architects</a> with inspiration from early modernists, Neutra and Schindler.
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Slightly scaled-down North Bondi Luigi Rosselli-designed trophy home listing

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Corio Villa, the landmark 14-room Geelong home, has now been listed with a declared asking price of $5.85 million.
It's been unsold since initially listed in August with vague $5 million-plus hopes through Wilsons listing agent Guyon Wilson.
Set above Corio Bay at <a href="https://www.wilsonsre.com.au/property/geelong/889/">56 Eastern Beach Road</a>, its one of Australia's only surviving buildings to be made from pre-fabricated cast iron.
Manufactured in Scotland, the home was shipped to <a target="_blank" href="/news">Geelong</a> in boxes. Corio Villa was manufactured in Edinborough in 1855 by iron founder Charles D Young and Co. from designs by Bell and Miller, architects and engineers.
William Gray, colonial land commissioner, ordered the villa, but he died in 1854 prior to arrival of the portable house shipment.
Instead wool washing merchant Alfred Douglas acquired the crates for a small sum and erected the villa in 1856 overlooking Corio Bay.
Most of the decorative work echoes the pattern of the rose, and the thistle of Scotland.
Corio Villa is considered by heritage authorities as of paramount international significance not just in Geelong but to the history of industrial technology and the 19th-century British aesthetic movement.
Prefabricated residences were often imported in the 1850s to satisfy housing demand during the gold rush boom, Heritage Victoria notes.
It has its many original character features including intricate leadlight windows, plaster roses and cornices, detailed timber ceiling and wall panelling, plus ornate marble fire places.
It's been listed for the first time since 1945 by the McAllister family, who've owned it for three generations. They have hired out the property for occasional weddings and functions.  The house sits on 375 square metres of the 2,885-square-metre block.
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Geelong's Corio Villa listed with $5.85 million asking price

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The Point Piper peninsula finally has a fresh prestige property listing, albeit being offered distinctly off market.
It's the Edwardian-era harbourfront house of John Piven-Large, which last traded in 1991 when it was a duplex. It's now a restored four-bedroom house with one-bedroom self-contained apartment with a 30-metre private tidal beach.
The low-key liquor industry entrepreneur owns the Centennial Vineyard at Bowral, having made his fortune when Fosters bought Cellarmasters for $160 million in 1997, with Piven-Large having an estimated 45% stake in the pioneering  wine direct marketing company.
It's been listed by Ray White Double Bay agent Elliott Placks, who's apparently been telling interested parties that it could be expected to sell for somewhere between its near neighbour benchmarks.
Just two doors along sits Routala, which was bought for a then record $28.7 million in 2007 by the hedge fund director Gordon Fell and his wife, Pip, and two doors the other way is the long-listed <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/altona-the-point-piper-harboufront-officially-listed-at-%24us569-million/2012091156517" target="_blank">Altona, which comes with $55 million-plus hopes </a>and record-setting pedigree.
But with Sydney's priciest property market, <a href="/news">Point Piper, </a>having been paralysed since even before the global financial crisis, finding comparable prestige sale pricing is difficult for sellers and buyers alike.
And the peninsula is overflowing with very dated, overpriced unsold offerings.
Altona has been for sale, on and off, for five years, the closest to sale at $56 million when the Lowy family bid was rejected by Deke and Eve Miskin in 2007. Title Tattle well recalls the Lowys first inspected the property just after the actor Russell Crowe looked, but decided it was not right.
What's affectionately known as the HPM house has been for sale on Wolseley Road for three years or so. It was in 2009 when it was listed with $60 million hopes. Its the six-bedroom waterfront residence of the late Peter and Ruth Simon, who established the electrical switch manufacturers HPM Industries. The Simons bought the property from the late FAI chairman Larry Adler for $12 million in 1996. The vast five-level concrete house stands in the most verdant patch of Wolseley Road, neighbouring Duff Reserve.
The <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/new-south-wales/ron-medich-seeks-%2440-million-plus-for-harbourfront-point-piper-home/2012050754580" target="_blank">Ron and Odetta Medich house</a> remains listed currently with a renewed marketing campaign through LJ Hooker Double Bay agent Bill Malouf.
Headhunter Julia Ross has had several attempts to sell her Point Piper hillside offering, <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/artists-patricia-piccinini-and-peter-hennessey-get-sweet-deal-selling-in-fitzroy-title-tattle/2011112552545" target="_blank">Villa del Mare</a>. The Wolseley Road offering was discreetly put on the market in 2011. The trophy residence has $40 million-plus hopes through Ken Jacobs of Christie's Great Estates and LJ Hooker Double Bay's Bill Malouf. The limestone palazzo sits on a 1,508-square-metre block. The house was designed by architect Chris Tsioulos when built in the late 1990s by the developer Nati Stoliar. It’s almost certain to sell to Chinese buyers.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/new-south-wales/point-pipers-most-prized-leslie-wilkinson-home-listed-for-about-%2430-million/2012030153649" target="_blank">One of Professor Leslie Wilkinson’s most prized Point Piper houses </a>remains listed for sale by the retired shirt maker-cum-property developer Charles Scarf and his wife, Maria. The 1959 Wentworth Street property was the second-last of Wilkinson’s house designs. It was listed in March 2012. It last traded when bought from the then low-profile expatriate businessman Richard Wiesener for $8.25 million – which was 1992's highest sale. The neighbouring property had been bought for $6.5 million for its tennis court in 1989, and it took the estate to 2,717 square metres. The original house reportedly cost $350,000 in the 1970s. 
Point Piper's most recent house sale was in June when <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/new-south-wales/george-snow-sets-sail-from-deauville-point-piper-after-19-years/2012060454985" target="_blank">Deauville, the 1935 five-bedroom harbourfront residence</a> with direct frontage to Lady Martins Beach, reputedly fetching about $13.6 million when bought by the Haifer family. The Longworth Avenue house went to June 2011 auction when it was passed in at $16.1 million through Ben Collier and James Dack at McGrath, in conjunction with Bart Doff of Laing + Simmons Double Bay, who were seeking $17 million plus. It was finally sold through Double Bay agents Brad Pillinger and Elliott Placks by the property developer and yacht racing identity George Snow and his wife, Sabrina, who bought it 19 years ago for $3 million.
The developers Bob and Margaret Rose sold their Point Piper villa on extended settlement terms last November through Christies International agent Ken Jacobs and LJ Hooker agent Bill Malouf for $15 million. It was bought from Andrew Potter, who owns one of the pricey Sienna, Point Piper apartments.
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John Piven-Large seeks to push through Point Piper prestige property sales paralysis: Title Tattle

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Lawyers for Academy Award-nominated actor Toni Collette and her musician husband, David Galafassi, are due in court today given the couple are being sued over their failure to settle on an alleged $6.35 million Paddington terrace purchase.
The further directions hearing into the matter has been scheduled in the NSW Supreme Court equity division.
Last October the couple reputedly signed a contract to buy a double-fronted Paddington terrace from Susie Kelly, the co-founder and owner of Industrie clothing with her husband, Nick.
The Stewart Street house <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/actor-toni-collette-and-muso-david-galafassi-fall-for-the-charms-of-contemporary-inner-city-paddington/2011110752250">was snapped at an undisclosed price </a>– but understood to be slightly more than $6 million quite early in its October marketing campaign by McGrath agent Ben Collier.
The Paddington terrace over has since been been resold for $5.5 million, so the entertainment industry couple now know the $850,000 quantum of the claim against them, having been sued over their alleged failure to settle on their once intended $6.35 million purchase.
Designed by architect Anthony Gill and completed in 2009, the five-bedroom, four-bathroom house on a 360-square-metre block sold to the couple for a record for the southern side of Oxford Street, <a target="_blank" href="/news">Paddington</a>.
Consisting of two classic Victorian terraces combined into a palatial single residence, the contemporary tri-level family retreat had been reinvented after the merger of two terraces costing $2.15 million in 2003 and $1.865 million in 2005.
The entertainment industry couple's plans went awry after they struggled to find a buyer of their <a target="_blank" href="/news">Bronte </a>house.
Their 1885 Bronte weatherboard cottage that cost $4.4 million in mid-2009 had been tipped to sell for around $3.5 million through its McGrath Estate Agents listing agent Bethwyn Richards, but struggled to find a buyer.
Collette and Galafassi changed their minds on the Paddington purchase when they instead bought back at Bronte <a rel="nofollow" href="/news">reputedly from the buyer of their own house</a>.
The Kellys bought on Kutti Beach at <a target="_blank" href="/news">Vaucluse </a>last March for $15.5 million.
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Toni Collette and David Galafassi back in court over failure to settle on $6 million Paddington terrace purchase

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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