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Property developer Ron Medich has denied bribing an Aboriginal land council to obtain prime real estate at less than market value, the Independent Commission Against Corruption hearing has been told.
The hearing is into the Wagonga Local Aboriginal Land Council on the NSW south coast.
He acknowledged he gave his associate Lucky Gattellari, $53,000 in cash and $20,000 in cheques in relation to the Narooma properties he intended to buy.
ABC reporter Sarah Gerathy described it has “a testy and combative appearance before the ICAC”.
Gattellari previously gave evidence that the $53,000 was to "butter up" executives on the land council.
Medich denied much of Gattellari's testimony.

"I've never heard those words used in my life," Medich said.
Medich acknowledged he signed a joint venture agreement with the land council to develop the four properties, but said he had always intended to buy them outright.
"I went into it to do a joint venture, but I never wanted to do a joint venture," he said.
He said Gattellari had handled any some dealings without his knowledge.
  
 
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Ron Medich denies bribery charges in failed Narooma property deal

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Portsea’s had its quietest summer selling season in recent memory. Few trophy listings, so even fewer actual sales.
From the officially known data, the highest publicly recorded sale was $2,375,000 on the golf course on Relph Avenue.
So summer’s done and dusted and Kay &amp; Burton Portsea agent Liz Jensen is now onto her Easter listings.
Dundonald, the five-bedroom, three-bathroom 1917 limestone residence opposite Fishermans Beach, has been with the Boykett  family since its construction.
Set on 1,724 square metres of level Point Nepean Road lawns, it’s only been recently refreshed.
More than $2.75 million is being sought.
Summer's shining moment was the delayed terms settlement in December of the landmark clifftop Ilyuka to John Higgins, who ran a family paint business in Brunswick before his windfall investment in Polish breweries.
Its sale - Victoria's record house sale - was officially recorded at $26 million after much speculation since its December 2010 exchange by the former Computershare director Michele O'Halloran.
The 1930s Spanish Mission house was marketed by Ross Savas and the veteran agent Gerald Delany, who has since departed Kay &amp; Burton, and despite much speculation has yet to take his open for inspection sign boards to any other agency.
Ilyuka, a sprawling house built for American oil tycoon Harry Cornforth in 1929-30, was marketed globally with a campaign that included a five-minute movie set in the mansion. O'Halloran bought the mansion in 1999 for $7.5 million and then secured $1.6 million for the 742-square-metre former vegie patch in a subsequent disposal.
 
 
 
 
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Portsea’s limestone charmer Dundonald on the market after quiet summer selling season

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Construction mogul Daniel Grollo has sold his Cape Schanck holiday house. Its sale price has not been disclosed, but the five-bedroom, four bathroom house, which offers sweeping views of Bass Strait, was listed pre-Christmas with $2 million-plus hopes.
Set on the doorstep of the exclusive National Golf Club, the house sits on 3,155 square metres.
It comes with three living areas, gourmet kitchen, wine cellar, theatre, bar, horizon pool and a double garage.
Kay &amp; Burton Flinders agent Andrew Hines had the listing.
Grollo bought the property for $2.45 million mid-2008 following several unsuccessful sales campaigns in which the house was quoted at prices from $2.7 million to $4 million.
It had been designed by Waterface Living Architecture for friends Dr Dick Merigan, a GP with a large practice in Rowville, and Paul Goss, owner of Modern Milk Supplies.
Entered via a monumental portico, it has polished spotted gum floors, floor-to-ceiling windows and an open fireplace. There's also a home theatre with built-in bar, a family room or gym with its own ensuite, swimming pool, wine cellar and double garage.
 
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Grocon boss Daniel Grollo sells Cape Schanck weekender: Title Tattle

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The former Ritz Carlton/Stamford Plaza hotel site in Double Bay is back on the block, with Kevin McCabe’s Scarborough Pacific Group listing the residential high-rise development prospect.
CBRE is marketing the Cross Street property following recent development approval for a complex with 78 apartments along with a 600-seat cinema complex with five screens.
<img src="/images/stories/cinemadoublebay2.jpg">
Architects PTW designed the eight-storey U-shaped building, which will feature views over Sydney Harbour. The hotel closed in 2009. 
Scarborough took over control of the project from the beleaguered Ashington group, which failed to get either Woollahra Council or state government approvals given heights concerns. The original proposal from Ashington was 14 storeys.
The last sale of the six-storey complex is unknown, but it has been reported the 2008 purchase by Ashington was $81.5 million.
It’s been reported that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/new-south-wales/double-bay-cinema-and-residential-project-approved-after-planning-panel-cuts-it-down-to-size/2011121552847">since its December 2011 development approval</a>, Scarborough has been approached by a number of parties looking to acquire a stake, despite the number of floors being trimmed back, along with the profit margins, from nine floors to eight to secure approval.
<img src="/images/stories/cinemadoublebay3.jpg">
The expressions-of-interest campaign could result in McCabe either selling the development or striking a partnership deal.
The development will reportedly have an end value of about $230 million.
<img src="/images/stories/cinemadoublebay.jpg">
McCabe has told Fairfax Media that demand for such a prized location, with full planning permission, was hardly surprising.
“Double Bay … is one of the jewels of Sydney’s exclusive eastern suburbs” and ranks as one of “Australia’s most densely populated areas”, he said.
 
 
 
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Controversial Double Bay high rise hits the market in new twist to four-year saga

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Total superannuation assets increased by 11.5% during the year to June 30, 2011 to $1.34 trillion, according to the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority.
Of this $810 billion is held by APRA-regulated superannuation entities and $407.6 billion are held by self-managed superannuation funds (SMSFs), which are regulated by the ATO.
The remaining $117 billion comprises exempt public sector superannuation schemes ($80 billion) and the balance of life office statutory funds ($36 billion).
The number of SMSFs grew by 7.2% to 442,528 funds during the 2011 financial year, according to the latest APRA report.
Of the total assets held by entities with more than four members, 42% of assets ($376 billion) were held in the default investment strategy.
Industry funds held 64% of assets in the default investment strategy, followed by corporate funds with 53%, public sector with 51% and retail funds with 20%.
At June 30, 2011, the majority of default strategy assets were held in equities: 28.8% in Australian shares and 23.5% in international shares.
A further 13.5% were held in other assets, 10% in Australian fixed interest, 9.5% in property, 8.4% in cash and 6.2% in international fixed interest.
Of entities with more than four members, 68% offered investment choice to their members.
Retail funds offered the greatest number of investment choices to members, with an average of 255 options per fund.
Industry funds offered an average of 10 investment options per fund, public sector funds offered an average of nine investment options per fund and corporate funds offered an average of six investment choices per fund.
It noted over the 15 years to June 2011, the average rate of return for the superannuation industry was 5.2% per annum and when adjusted for the 2.7% per annum inflation provided a real return of 2.5% a year.
 
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Self-managed super fund numbers jump 7% in a year

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The merchant bankers’ Mosman merry-go-round is still somewhat in motion despite the global financial crisis aftershocks.
Nigel Smyth, an executive director at Macquarie, and his wife, Diane, have upgraded from Clifton Gardens to Balmoral’s golden mile and its premium Sydney Head views, but pocketed $1.7 million in the process.
They have spent $4.8 million on a five-bedroom, three-bathroom Hopetoun Avenue house initially listed with $6 million hopes in early 2011 and more recently at $5.2 million through LJ Hooker Mosman agent Geoff Smith. The contemporary-style house built in 1994 comes with pool, four-car garaging and a 1,500-bottle temperature-controlled cellar.
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/august22kardinia]}
The Smyths sold at Clifton Gardens in Mosman for $6.5 million. The five-bedroom Kardinia Road property (pictured above), which sold through Richardson &amp; Wrench Mosman agent Richard Simeon, sits on an 823-square-metre block. It had views across the harbour to Rose Bay and Point Piper.
It was bought for $5.12 million in 2005.
Trading up in the 2088 postcode has been <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/mandalong-house-listing-set-to-test-mosman-market-after-banking-bonuses-dry-up/2012022753564">less frequent in recent years following the global financial crisis.</a>
The suburb’s latest <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/new-south-wales/former-st-george-boss-lists-alex-popov-designed-mosman-house/2012022753586">listing by the former boss of St George Bank</a> comes with $10 million hopes.
 
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Merchant bankers still riding Mosman merry-go-round, despite bonus reductions

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February 29s are a relatively unusual occurrence given the rules that decide leap years: every year divisible by four is a leap year, but every year divisible by 100 is not a leap year, unless the year is also divisible by 400, then it is still a leap year.
As amusing as they are, much can rest on the incidence of the leap year.
Indeed, bankruptcy notices have been set aside because banks didn’t correctly calculate the 366th day in their claims.
The much-feted Sydney developer Andrew Clubb avoided Westpac’s bankruptcy application in a fascinating 1990 Supreme Court ruling – the story still resonates around lower north shore drinking holes.
And a look at the judgement is quite colourful too … for a Federal Court ruling.
“When Julius Caesar decreed that from the year now known as 45 BC onwards there should be adopted the Julian calendar, with its provision for recurring bissextile or leap years, he not only set the scene for a well-known Gilbertian jest; he also set the scene for the problem posed by the present case,” his honour Justice James Burchett said in his 1990 judgement.
“For the basic question is whether, in calculating a proportionate amount of interest due at a yearly rate, the year in question being a leap year, is it permissible to convert the yearly sum to a daily rate by dividing by 365, or whether it is essential to include the intercalary day, thus making the divisor 366.”
Clubb’s bankruptcy notice claimed the sum of $427,938.29, together with $311,000 interest on the balance of the judgment with the obligation to pay interest at a rate, which is stated as a percentage "yearly". There were different daily rates of interest – ranging from 15% to 19.5% - relating to  particular time periods within the period of indebtedness.
The period included a leap year 1988, which had the extra day.
After doing his sums, his honour ruled the total error was $213.
And so given the long precedent that bankruptcy notices are invalid if the sum specified exceeds the amount for which the creditor was entitled, Clubb’s lawyer secured victory.
The bank failed in its contention that the word "yearly" had reference to a common year of 365 days after counsel for the bank cited Halsbury fourth edition volume 45 para.1102, where the expression "common year" referred to a year that consists of 365 days.
His honour suggested it would be a curious anomaly, if applied to a portion of a leap year consisting of 365 days, that the interest for that portion of the leap year would be identical to the interest that could lawfully be exacted for the full year.
“For these reasons, I have concluded that the bankruptcy notice is invalid and must be set aside,” he ruled.
There was another judgement in 1991 where a debt exceeding $100,000 was overstated by $33.19 and the bankruptcy application against the The New York Deli, Double Bay restaurateur Henry Saade was similarly invalid.
None since then that I am aware of, which suggests the banks are alert to the loophole. And there have been two cases – Shaddock and Hodgson – where it’s been ruled in the financier’s favour after the court calculator ran a check over the amounts claimed.
Oh and that bit of Gilbertian jest was The Pirates of Penzance and its character Frederic the pirate apprentice, who was indentured to remain with the pirates until his 21st birthday, but technically going by birthdays was only five, and so  must serve for another 63 years.
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Beating bankruptcy and one of those clumsy February leap years

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Former prime minister Paul Keating – and former chairman of the Barangaroo Design Excellence Review Panel – has told James Packer that his planned hotel and casino complex at Barangaroo should not be built on an area earmarked for public open space.
Keating met Packer yesterday to discuss the proposal for a new high-rise, six-star hotel in the middle of the 22-hectare harbourfront development site.
In a statement released last night, Keating said he had taken Packer through the history of the Barangaroo site and its important design principles.
''I told him that the principal civic dividend from the project was its near 60% public open space – and that I regarded the public amenity of these lands as inviolate,'' Keating said.
He said Packer ''respected that view but to the extent that Lend Lease failed to reach an agreement with him, he was commercially bound to press for an alternative hotel site which may devolve to those lands, or part of those lands, currently earmarked for theatres and entertainment within the Barangaroo Centre precinct''.
When contacted by the The Daily Telegraph, Packer said: "I was heartened by some of Mr Keating's comments.

"I always enjoy spending time with Mr Keating. He's an Australian who has made a huge contribution to the country."
Their meeting followed criticism of the Packer plan by Sydney lord mayor Clover Moore.
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/leisure/barry-ofarrell-endorses-barangaroo-casino-concept/2012022653561">Premier Barry O'Farrell is set to be further briefed</a> on Packer's proposal.
''Any premier would be a mug if people are saying we want to invest a billion dollars in NSW not to at least hear those proponents out,'' he told ABC radio.
''There are a whole range of regulatory hurdles that Mr Packer's company would have to go through that are decided at arm’s length from government before any of this comes to government for a decision.''
 
 
 
 
 
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Paul Keating urges James Packer to reconsider Barangaroo hotel and casino but definitely keep it off the grass

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The doyenne of Australian theatre Robyn Nevin has sold her much-loved Paddington terrace for $1,315,000.
The three-bedroom Windsor Street terrace had been bought in 1983 for $145,000. Title Tattle seems to recall it was bought through her mother's generosity in giving her a big deposit.
Nevin and her partner, actor Nicholas Hammond, who played Friedrich von Trapp in the film The Sound Of Music, met during a 1987 Sydney Theatre Company production.
Their  two-bedroom 1960s-built Pearl Beach, Central Coast cottage that cost $190,000 in 1993 was sold at its $675,000 asking price through Stuart Gan of PRDnationwide  several years ago, with the couple, who spend much of their time working in theatre and film in Melbourne, signalling plans to buy a similar cottage in Victoria.
The Paddington terrace has been recently listed at a $1,190 a week rental through Cantor Real Estate.
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Australian theatre doyenne Robyn Nevin sells Paddington terrace: Title Tattle

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“Tell a European you think there’s a housing bubble and you’ll have a reasonable discussion.
“Tell an Australian and you’ll have World War III.
“Been there, done that!” says the commentator Jeremy Grantham <a href="https://www.gmo.com/websitecontent/JGLetter_LongestLetterEver_4Q11.pdf" target="_blank">in his latest newsletter</a>.
<img src="/images/stories/granthamletter.jpg">
The bubble-watching investor Jeremy Grantham from US investment fund GMO almost appears to be weakening in his strident characterisation of Australia's property as the most overvalued bubble in the world. No concession on his past forecasts is offered, but there’s a hint of tired resignation.
The comments are offered in his 10-point investment advice tips where he urges investors to contain their natural optimism.
“Our species is optimistic, and successful people are probably more optimistic than average.
“Some societies are also more optimistic than others: the U.S. and Australia are my two picks.
“I’m sure (but I’m glad I don’t have to prove it) that it has a lot to do with their economic success.
“The U.S. in particular encourages risk-taking: failed entrepreneurs are valued, not shunned,” he writes.
“While 800 internet start-ups in the US rather than Germany’s more modest 80 are likely to lose a lot more money, a few of those 800 turn out to be today’s Amazons and Facebooks.
“You don’t have to be better; the laws of averages will look after it for you.
“But optimism comes with a downside, especially for investors: optimists don’t like to hear bad news,” he adds.
“And in a real stock bubble like that of 2000, bearish news in the US will be greeted like news of the bubonic plague; bearish professionals will be fired just to avoid the dissonance of hearing the bear case, and this is an example where the better the case is made, the more unpleasantness it will elicit.
“Here again it is easier for an individual to stay cool than it is for a professional who is surrounded by hot news all day long (and sometimes irate clients, too). Not easy, but easier.”
His top 10 investment advice slogans are:
1. Believe in history
2. Neither a lender nor a borrower be
3. Don’t put all of your treasure in one boat
4. Be patient and focus on the long term
5. Recognize your advantages over the professionals
6. Try to contain natural optimism
7. But on rare occasions, try hard to be brave
8. Resist the crowd: cherish numbers only
9. In the end it’s quite simple. Really
10. This above all: to thine own self be true
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US doomsayer Jeremy Grantham tiring of Australian housing price bubble argument

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."

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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.

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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."

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&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.

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Jonathan Chancellor

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