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Credit Union Australia (CUA), the nation’s biggest customer-owned lender, has dropped its one-, two- and three-year fixed rate home loans to 5.3% from October 26 – making them among the lowest offered in the market today.
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Jason Murray, CUA’s general manager for products and marketing, says for people wanting to take advantage of the current low market rates, CUA’s suite of fixed rates offer home buyers and existing borrowers a highly competitive option.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

CUA drops fixed rates to 5.3%

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Eskgrove, one of Brisbane’s oldest houses, has been listed for November 22 auction. The sandstone house was built for former Sydney bank manager Archibald Hutchinson, who purchased the land in 1853 for £88. When built it was one of only three river estates along the eastern Brisbane River neighborhood. When Hutchinson died at Eskgrove a year later his wife and children returned to Sydney and the house was rented out with its prominent tenants, including Brisbane Portmaster George Poynter Heath.

In 1880, Chief Engineer of Harbours and Rivers William David Nesbet purchased the house for £2,000. The <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-east+brisbane-111898279" target="_blank">56 Laidlaw Parade, East Brisbane</a> home remains intact with some damage from neglect over the years, with the only alterations being an extended veranda at the rear with laundry and bathrooms. It has exquisite sandstone walls, high ceilings with stencilled artwork and large purposeful rooms with grand fireplaces.
The original estate was five hectares, but after various subdivisions through the years, it is now set on 1,174 square metres.
The <a href="/news">East Brisbane</a> house has been known as Eskgrove Cottage, Scanland Estate and Grey Eagles at various times. Listed on the Queensland Heritage Register since 1992, the house was up for sale in early 2012, and recently relisted for November 22 auction. The house last traded for $1 million in 2010, having been listed with $1.2 million hopes. It had previously traded at $112,000 in 1985.
"With plenty of potential to develop further, this home needs only the right purchaser to transform it to a grand estate that makes the most of wide river and city views from multiple vantage points," listing agent Simon Caulfield of Place Estate Agents New Farm says.
"A current development approval to renovate the existing dwelling is in place," he says.
There are currently three bedrooms with proposed plans to make way for five bedrooms and three bathrooms.
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Eskgrove, 1850s Brisbane heritage home, listed

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Melbourne's super Saturday auction tally, albeit subject to revision from many unreported results, was a healthy 66%, and the fifth week the clearance rate sat at 60% or higher.
The preliminary result came from both the 986 results tabulated by the Real Estate Institute of Victoria on Saturday evening and the 1,053 results tabulated by Sunday evening. The final total will be closer to the 1,180 auctions that were scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.
Sydney didn't quite have the same activity by comparison with 524 listings, according to Australian Property Monitors, which reported a preminary 67% success rate from its initial 337 result tabulation.
Residex collected 88% of all auction results across Sydney and put the clearance rate result at 60%. The REINSW tabulation of the week's clearance rate, including Saturday, across NSW was  62%.
While the headline results in both capital city are hard to knock, the unreported results leave the door open for the sceptics of the rally. The extraordinary media attention - and subsequent buyer/seller sentiment - that follow the occasional super Saturday hoopla require estate agencies and data organisations to beef up their data collection beyond normal so the public's brief attention gets the truest of market indicators.   
Given typical weekly revisions, Property Observer expects the final results will dip, but still sit above the 60% rate, which is viewed as commendable especially given where clearance rates were last spring.
It was 50% in Melbourne on the same weekend last year and 55 % in Sydney.
Melbourne's sales included <a target="_blank" href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/13-wahroongaa-crescent-murrumbeena/Property-Details-buy-residential-4508009">13 Wahroongaa Crescent, Murrumbeena, </a>where 200 watched as competition among three bidders set a $2,115,500 suburb record through Hockingstuart.
Individual agency performances were strong across Melbourne, with Fletchers tweeting an 82% auction success rate. Marshall White tweeted its result as 80% with $70 million in sales.
One big result was at Brunswick West where 2 Duggan Street fetched $615,000 when four bidders went way beyond the $520,000 upper price guide estimate. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/at-%242514-per-square-metre-brunswick-east-has-cheapest-house-prices-in-inner-melbourne-paul-osborne/2012102157288">Brunswick ranks among the most economical inner-city suburbs according to a recent survey</a>.
Among listings passed in was the Montague Street, South Melbourne, ugly duckling challenge house featured in the recent television series of The Block.
Listed with $1.1 million-plus hopes, it was passed in on a $1,025,000 vendor bid after a $1 million opening offer when auctioned by Kent Morgan at<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.thehomepage.com.au/property/residential/246-montague-street-south-melbourne/612392"> Frank Gordon Port Melbourne </a>.
Melbourne's highest reported result was 24 Dean Street in Kew, which fetched $3.92 million with just the two bidders, with James Buyer Advocates suggesting a higher $4.1 million post-auction of a Port Melbourne townhouse.
Last weekend there was a 60% clearance rate from about 750 Melbourne auctions.
Despite the 60%-plus success pattern, Blackburn auctioneer Sam Inan warned "more than ever agents need to be salespeople."
"Vendor management is only one half of the equation," he said of the current rally.
The 1,180 auctions on one weekend ranks as Melbourne's highest since December 2010.
The record occured in March 2008 when 1,351 auctions were held.
Of the 22 weekends over the past decade with greater than 1,000 auctions, the clearance rate has varied from 85% in March 2010 to 45% in December 2003, according to the REIV.
 
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Sydney didn't quite have the same activity by comparison this weekend, with APM's senior economist Andrew Wilson suggesting the salient difference in the overall listing numbers between Melbourne and Sydney was Melbourne's upper end of the market was more inclined to go to auction.
Sydney's highest sale was $4,225,000 in Killara through McGrath.
Across Sydney Cooley Auctions clearance rate was 57% selling 33 of the 58 from different agencies.
The McGrath agency secured 80 sales from its 134 offerings, reflecting a 60% clearance rate. A very high occurance of pre-sales was evident at McGrath, with 48 of the 80 sales secured pre-auction. And of the 48 pre-sales some 20 price results were kept confidential.
Sydney auctioneer Tom Panos secured eight sales from his 10 auctions, with two exceding their reserves by over $200,000.
Panos tweeted there was a record price when a Californian bungalow on about 1,000 square metres at Marrickville at $1,775,000. The riverfront reserve property last sold at $1.35 million in 2009 and was listed with $1.4 million-plus hopes through <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.raineandhorne.com.au/properties/243902">Michael Harris at Raine &amp; Horne</a>. There were 12 registrations. Property Observer reckons the suburb record is higher at $2.25 million for a Spanish Mission house on Livingstone Road, but it was a Thornley Street riverfront record.
 
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APM is expecting one more big Saturday in Sydney this year, with 500-plus auctions scheduled for November 10.
The REIV Melbourne map (below) shows the clearance rate in suburbs that have had 20 or more 2012 auctions before this weekend.
There have been 20,431 Melbourne auctions this year, with a clearance rate of 61%, compared with 60% from 24,541 auctions last year.
Clearance rates above the Melbourne-wide clearance rate for 2012 are in blue, and in orange if they are below the Melbourne wide clearance rate.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/10/reivoct26.jpg">
Source <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reiv.com.au/">REIV</a>
According to the REIV, last year 24% of Melbourne sales were by auction down on the year before when it was 28% through auction sales.
Sydney vendors secured 14% of 2011 property sales through auction, according to APM.
RP Data says there have only been <a target="_blank" href="/news">six other occasions since early 2008 </a>where the number of scheduled auctions has been as high nationally.
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Sydney's 67% pips Melbourne's 66% super Saturday success, but tardy agents spoil the rally credibility

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Melbourne's central business district could have another 220,000 new residents within three decades, according to a new Victorian government planning report.
The residential expansion would be a 10-fold increase in the number of residents.
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Southbank and Fishermans Bend precincts are predicted to each 80,000 new residents.
Additionally, a city north growth corridor through Carlton, stretching from the Hoddle grid to Grattan Street, could add an estimated 10,000 new residents.
The Arden-Macaulay precinct in North Melbourne could add 18,000 residents.
Docklands could add 10,500 and the Hoddle grid itself 20,000.
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The state government report, Melbourne, let's talk about the future, predicts Melbourne will need an extra million homes in the next 30 to 40 years as the population increases to more than 6 million. The 109-page report has been prepared by Professor Roz Hansen, the chairwoman of the ministerial advisory committee, metropolitan planning strategy.
 
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Melbourne's CBD residential expansion prospects as at 2040

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Rae's on Wategos Beach at Byron Bay has been sold in the hour before its scheduled auction on Friday October 26. No official sale price or buyer details have been released, other than to say the accepted offer was consistent with the vendor expectations. Property Observer gathers it was snapped up by an off-shore non-expatriate buyer.
It was on the market for the first time in 20 years, having been listed by the entrepreneur Vincent Rae.
Located on a prized 1,049-square-metre beachfront Marine Parade block, the property was set for auction through Ray White Hotels agents Tony Bargwanna and Andrew Jolliffe in conjunction with Gerald Delany of Kay &amp; Burton in Melbourne.The auction was scheduled for 2pm but following last minute negotiations, the auctioneer Andrew Bell, of Ray White Surfers Paradise, announced that the property had sold. "It's a momentous day," he told the large waiting curious crowd.
The selling agents have declined to give any indicative pricing, although the local paper says it fetched more than $21 million.
The agents expected interest from hoteliers, but it would mostly likely attract considerable residential buyer interest. There is recent approval for a new underground car park, cocktail bar, lift, sub penthouse, spa area and a 200 square metre entertaining terrace.
It charges between $600 to $1380 a night.
The purchase has apparently no given any indication of intended usage.
Rae's is opposite the 1,406-square-metre record-setting holding bought by property developer Danny Goldberg for $15.68 million in boomtime 2006.
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/april26watermark]}
Marine Parade's most recent beachfront sale has been the<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/new-south-wales/watermark-at-wategos-beach-sells-five-years-after-initial-listing-for-just-shy-of-%2410-million/2012042654431"> Watermark at Wategos</a> (pictured above), a duplex apartment building on a 656-square-metre block, which sold quietly earlier this year for $9 million through Graham Dunn of Byron Bay Property Sales to David Knappick, who made his fortune from his shareholding in Felix Resources.
Rae's guesthouse was built by Ruth Harris who established a restaurant there called Argentine Ant Cantina and then La Belle Epoque, neither of which were especially successful although Liberace did play the piano at the then French medieval-styled mansion around which Salvador Dalí had a hand in its early 1970s tropical garden design, presumably a sketch or two done from afar.
Wanting $2 million at its June 1994 auction, Harris later sold for $1,375,000 in 1994 to Rae, who developed it into an iconic luxury retreat once rated by Conde Nast Traveler magazine in its "Top 25 Hotels in the World" in 1997.
Over the years its guests have included Richard Branson, Harvey Keitel, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Tom Cruise, Meg Ryan, Russell Crowe, Keith Richards, Pink, Elle Macpherson and Nicole Kidman.
Rae says that at 50 he's ready to move on - possibly moving to Barcelona while keeping his involvement in mining interests in Papua New Guinea and  a project in Bali.
"I've had a lot of interest over years but I've never wanted to sell," he told News Ltd in the lead up to the auction.
"I've had discussions with Richard Branson over the last year or two, he loves the place.
"You would love to think it will continue on. She is a great old dame, that building.
"But at the end of the day I'm looking for the best result, and if a Packer came in and wanted to pay top money and turn it into a house I could walk away with a smile on my face."
Property Observer gleans Richard Branson was not however its buyer.
Peter Metzner, the publicity spokesperson for Rae's, has said he didn't know whether the new owner would keep it as a hotel or convert it into a private residence.
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Rae's at Wategos sold in the hour before its auction

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The Sydney-bound former Queensland premier Anna Bligh didn't secure her desired sale when her south Brisbane home went to recent auction with reported $1 million-plus hopes.
There were five registered bidders, but not a single offer. 
Bligh co-owns her renovated <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.raywhitesouthbrisbane.com.au/property/STB4471003">1890 Highgate Hill </a>home with her husband, Greg Withers, having bought it in 1997 for $290,000.
After its $900,000 vendor bids, it remains listed through Ray White South Brisbane, which is marketing the four-bedroom, two-bathroom house as oozing "charm and character of a bygone era".
It has a land value of $710,000. A nearby three-bedroom house on a similar 827-square-metre block fetched $900,000 last year, and a four-bedroom house fetched $825,000 in 2010.
Bligh intends to rent in Sydney's inner east before buying. The listing followed Withers taking a job at Arts NSW.
The couple also own investment units in West End and Highgate Hill, which The Courier Mail reports they have not listed for sale.
The RP Data median house price for <a target="_blank" href="/news">Highgate Hill </a>is $755,000, with prices having dropped 2.6% in the past year.
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Anna Bligh's Highgate Hill abode still for sale 

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Southern Cross Constructions (NSW) has been placed in voluntary administration by its directors, owing money to around 600 creditors who are mostly subbies.
The value of the debts has been estimated at around $17 million or higher according to the CFMEU.
Southern Cross Constructions (NSW) joins a growing list of failed NSW construction companies which have left a trail of debt to subcontractors.
Bruno Secatore, Jason Tang and Ozem Kassem of Cor Cordis have been appointed as administrators.
Mr Kassem said most of the company’s four projects appeared to be near completion so the administrators’ role was to determine the best way to see them completed.
The company provides building and construction services to developers in New South Wales across residential, industrial and retail developments.
Southern Cross has more than $230 million worth of building projects in New South Wales, including a retail premises at Balgowlah, and a Hurstville housing development.
"Part of our role will be to determine the best way to deal with those projects so that the ultimate return to creditors is maximised.
"We will also need to establish what is owed to each of the contractors whose ongoing support is required to complete those projects and we will also consider the future of the 39 company employees and their employee entitlements.
"It appears Southern Cross has close to 600 creditors located primarily in New South Wales” Mr Kassem said.
The first creditors’ meeting is scheduled for Monday November 5.
Mr Kassem emphasized that at this stage it was only Southern Cross Constructions (NSW) Pty Limited which had been placed under an insolvency administration and the other members of the
Southern Cross Group will continue to trade as normal. 
On Tuesday demonstrations by the CFMEU construction union workers over unpaid wages took place at Balgowlah as between $4 million and $5 million was owed to sub-contractors employed on the site, according to the union.
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Southern Cross Constructions (NSW) in voluntary administration

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Images of the new Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music at Monash University have been released.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/10/zelman1.jpg">
The building will be the first project in the southern hemisphere of Moshe Safdie, director of international firm Safdie Architects, which has undertaken the massive Marina Bay Sands resort in Singapore.
The school of music will include teaching and practice spaces, an 800-seat concert hall, jazz club and a recording studio.
The exterior will be constructed of reinforced concrete with inlaid stone, contrasting with the concert hall enclosure which is stainless steel with "concrete ribs".
<img src="/images/stories/2012/10/zelman2.jpg">
Construction is due to start in 2014 and be completed by mid 2016.
He told The Australian his sculptural exterior may resemble the shells of the Sydney Opera House, but that Melbourne's latest concert venue will be its own building.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/10/kauffmanpic.jpg">
The Australian arts reporter Matthew Westwood noted its shell-like design resembled inpart Safdie's Kauffman arts centre in Kansas City, Missouri (pictured above), and the architect ackowledged some people think it recalls Joern Utzon's opera house, too.
"People have said it reminds them of it, but I think the geometries are quite different," he told Westwood.
"It's the reaching up to the sky that people associate with the two."
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Melbourne gets its orange segments inspiration at Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music at Monash University

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The last home to be designed by the Australian Modernist architect Guilford Bell has been listed for sale with $3.5 million-plus hopes.
It's a 1986 house on a 2.5-hectare block at <a href="/news">Officer</a>, minutes from Beaconsfield and Old Berwick, 50 kilometres south-east of Melbourne.
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/2012/10/oct26outwhiteside]}
The Grant House, also called Whiteside, was built in 1986 for Robert Grant and his partner who ran the popular City Gardener garden supplies business in Melbourne for many years. The property was previously an apple and pear orchard owned by Grant's family.
The sloping land framed by cypress hedges was the site for the home designed by Guilford Bell at the age of 74, and credited as his last major residential work.
The <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-officer-109981456" target="_blank">26-36 Whiteside Road </a>house is a snow-white pavillion style abode comes with its pyramidal, sky-pointing roof with Buddhist shrine or carnival marquee appearance.
The late respected architect Guilford Bell's status among well-to-do clients has triggered a National Trust-listing. Bell died in 1992. 
 
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The grounds have a pool and series of landscaped gardens – a cherry tree walk, a summer glade and sunken parterre, and terraces of white irises along with lawns and lotus-filled dam, towering cypress hedges, and white wisteria-covered arbour.
There are views to the Gippsland Ranges.
The house is clad in a corrugated Zincalume along with a second corrugated-steel structure to accommodate a three-car garage and a fully serviced cottage.
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/2012/10/oct26whitesidein]}
The other dominant feature is the use of 130,000 bricks within the house precinct and garden terraces, which took a local brickie almost two years to lay.
Its listing agent is Malcolm Graham of <a href="https://www.granthousewhiteside.com.au/history/" target="_blank">Alex Scott &amp; Staff Berwick</a>. 
It was briefly listed for sale in 2007 with $2 million-plus hopes when its zoning was yet to upgraded to its current Growth Corridor zoning for residential development.
"The privacy and peaceful surrounds of this site has a wow effect, which opens ones mind to the ongoing potential as only half the site is improved of this quality investment," its marketing material says.
The holding cost $36,000 in 1976. 
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Guilford Bell's last design, in outer Melbourne, listed

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Despite the prestige Palm Beach peninsula rumour mill's normal reliability, Title Tattle scoffs at the suggestion the hedge fund expatriate Greg Coffey bought himself an early retirement present – the neighbouring $13 million Whale Beach property known as The Wedge.
No word on the buyer's identity from the Raine &amp; Horne selling agent Glenn Lee, but almost everyone has assumed the speed of its acquisition, and the very bullish price, all had the modus operandi of the hedge fund trader, nicknamed the Wizard of Oz.
Of course last week Greg Coffey hit international headlines when he announced his retirement aged 41 from his London hedge fund, taking with him as estimated fortune of $400 million to enjoy.  
His resignation letter at Moore Capital Management even said he intended to spend more time in Australia with his wife, Ania, and their children.
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/2012/10/oct9whalebeach]}
But Title Tattle gleans the rumour that swept the peninsula over the weekend that Coffey was last Friday's $13 million-plus buyer of <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/geoff-cousins-snappily-secures-%2413-million-plus-whale-beach-buyers/2012101957317" target="_blank">adman Geoff Cousins' weekender</a> (pictured above) was way off.
Certainly buying the neighbouring property had been a habit of Coffey's, as earlier this year he spent $2.5 million to buy a property that adjoins Merdjayoun, the 1930s Balmoral hillside house he bought in 2005 for $11.8 million.
The Coffeys paid $7.75 million in 2006 for their Whale Beach property, which doesn't have as easy direct beach access that the Wedge enjoys and everyone thought any purchase would allow installation of a pool within the envisaged compound.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/10/jura.jpg">Perhaps Coffey's grand plans are being saved for his sprawling Ardfin estate (pictured above and below) in the Hebridean Island of Jura, Scotland, which was listed with a £3.5 million asking price when sold in 2010.
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/2012/10/oct22garden]}
The  11,595-acre (4,692-hectare) estate is situated at the southern tip of the Atlantic fringe island. It includes the <a href="https://www.jurainfo.com/blog/estates/jura-ardfin-estate-for-sale/" target="_blank">16-bedroom C-listed Jura House</a> and <a href="https://www.jurainfo.com/blog/jura-house-gardens-gallery/" target="_blank">renowned walled gardens</a> (pictured above), which, benefitting from a southerly aspect and the effects of the Gulf Stream, are home to exotic specimen plants from Australiasia. They'd been open to tourists, estimated at 2,500 annually, but closed since his 2010 purchase.
 
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<img src="/images/stories/2012/10/harrison1.jpg" width="470">Believed to have only visited the island twice since acquisition, Coffey has now commissioned <a href="https://www.harrisongolf.com.au/harrison-unveils-plans-for-a-new-golf-course-on-the-scottish-island-of-jura" target="_blank">architect Bob Harrison to undertake the design</a> of an 18-hole golf course (pictured above and below), along with renovating other properties with the likely aim of encouraging well-heeled tourists who'd like to combine a round of golf with the island's other major attrraction, red deer stalking.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/10/harrison2.jpg" width="470">The population of the island is a mere 183 people, making it the least populated area in Europe, based on a 2005 population survey. The island's top employer is the whisky distillery, so tourism is its mainstay, including the holiday rental cottage at Barnhill where <a href="https://www.jurainfo.com/blog/travel-reports/orwell-pilgrimage-to-barnhill-jura/" target="_blank">George Orwell wrote his famous novel 1984</a> between 1946 and 1948. Prime Minister David Cameron is a regular visitor as his wife Samantha's stepfather, Viscount Astor, owns a 20,000-acre estate on the island.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/10/harrison3.jpg" width="470">There's been a little online chatter against the golf course, although an island blogger has suggested the golf project was believed to have the support of the vast majority of Jura residents following consultation with planning consent from the Argyll and Bute district council tipped for later in the year.
Bob Harrison has said the site was "the most beautiful I have ever seen. Nothing I’ve seen anywhere in the world competes with the sheer beauty of the Jura site. I love Scotland in general and, by a pleasant coincidence, had been a devoted fan of the Machrie course on nearby Islay for many years. Jura has become my favourite place on earth.”
"After nearly 20 years in the financial markets I’ve decided to leave the industry," Coffey wrote last week on his retirement.
"The demands of my growing family mean that I am unable to commit to the market with the same intensity going forward.
"I plan on seeing much more of my wife and children and spending time in my home country, Australia."
Moore Capital Management is run by American billionaire industry pioneer Louis Bacon.
He reportedly averaged annual return to investors of 22%. Coffey was ranked the 11th-wealthiest hedge-fund manager in Britain, with an estimated net worth of £260 million pounds ($402 million), London's Sunday Times reported in April. The Australian BRW magazine Young Rich tallied his fortune at $665 million earlier this year. A spokesperson for Coffey has advised residents that the gardens at Ardfin House were being renovated adding:  "It is Greg's full intention that once all the renovation works are completed, which is probably going to be at the end of the year, Greg will look to re-open the gardens next year at some point."
And so who did buy the Wedge at Whale Beach?
Title Tattle would suggest it's been bought by someone whose fortune has stemmed from the mining services industry. No name yet, as Title Tattle drills a bit deeper. And those who missed out can bid for another offering two doors along which has been listed through Glenn Lee with $10 million plus hopes.
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Retired expatriate hedge fund trader Greg Coffey's Scottish island golf course designs creating a wedge: Title Tattle

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.

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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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