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Its spring’s only super Saturday this weekend, with close to 1,000 auctions in Melbourne and 650 in Sydney.
 
It looked like many vendors had been frightened off by the low 50% auction clearance rates and bearish headlines, and as a result that the benchmark would go wanting in 2011.
The Sydney total will be the seventh busiest weekend on record, according to Clinton McNabb at Australian Property Monitors.
Sydney's record 779-auction weekend was in November 2010, the biggest auction day in the state's history.
There are about 1,000 Melbourne auctions scheduled, according to Robert Larocca at the Real Estate Institute of Victoria.
It’s well short of Melbourne's biggest auction day, with a record 1,400 properties, which was in March 2008.
Melbourne’s last 1,000-plus flurry was the December 12 weekend last year, with 1,235 auctions and a clearance rate of 57%.
 
 
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Melbourne and Sydney ready for spring's only super Saturday

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A complaint to the Anti-Discrimination Board that a Lebanese home buyer had been discriminated against on the ground of her race by McGrath Real Estate Hunters Hill has been dismissed.
The property was sold to another purchaser prior to auction for $1.15 million, the same price as that offered by the complainant.
Helen Dahdal complained the estate agency did not submit her offers to purchase the property to the vendors in a timely manner due to her Lebanese background.
The real estate agency maintained that it had competently and correctly represented Dahdal's offers to purchase the property.
The ADB concluded it was the vendors who then made the decision to accept another purchaser's offer at the same price offer.
Dahdal applied to the tribunal for permission for her complaint of race discrimination to go ahead even though the president of the Anti-Discrimination Board declined the complaint as lacking substance.
The ADB president declined the complaint as “there is no evidence to support Ms Dahdal's allegations that the respondent's treatment of her (a) in the manner it in which it conducted itself and (b) in relation to the sale of the property to a buyer other than Ms Dahdal, was unlawful discrimination on the ground of race.”
She said the agent knew that she could afford to pay up to $1.4 million for the property, but the agent nevertheless allowed the vendor to accept an offer of $1.15 million.
The Administrative Decisions Tribunal found it was not in dispute that Dahdal had conveyed an offer of $1.15 million to the agent. The ultimate purchasers matched that offer and the vendors decided to sell to them.
Dahdal said she was prepared to offer $1.4 million at auction, she did not make any higher offer as the contracts were exchanged before she had the opportunity to do so.
The real estate agent says that all offers were communicated to the vendor.
There was a statement from the vendors saying that Dahdal's offer was conveyed to them prior to exchanging contracts but they had already decided to sell to another purchaser.
Dahdal connected the agents' alleged conduct with her race by referring to two incidents.
The tribunal was told the agent had asked her what her background was.
The agent was alleged to have described the other family who were also interested in purchasing the property as “a very nice family with four children.”
The second incident allegedly occurred when Dahdal was talking to another employee of the real estate agency.
She described the conversation: “I told him my brothers and other family members are buying and selling in this area so McGrath don't want to be in the bad books with our family.”
The tribunal was told he said, "Oh, I should now be scared walking in a dark alley from your family."
Dahdal said: “I was sooooo choked of his racial comment . . . and he was too. . . . as he must have realised what I meant was that McGraths would lose our business.
He said: “I misunderstood you . . . it's to do with the fact that English is my second language."
The tribunal suggested was not possible to predict whether these incidents, if proved, were sufficient to raise an inference that race was one of the reasons for the alleged treatment.
“Ms Dahdal's evidence about those remarks would have to be taken into account together with any other evidence from other witnesses,” the ADT equal opportunity division magistrate Nancy Hennessy ruled.
The real estate agency submitted that they took Dahdal's complaint seriously and investigated thoroughly.
The agency found no impropriety after Dahdal complained to McGrath head office.
She also complained to the Australian Human Rights Commission, to NSW Fair Trading and to the Anti-Discrimination Board.
According to the agency lawyer Greg Jemmeson, her complaint was mere speculation based on hearsay and casual conversations.
 
 
 
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McGrath Hunters Hill racial discrimination complaint dismissed

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{yoogallery src=[images/stories/august1neerim]}
Neerim, the six-bedroom 1920s Bowral residence, has been sold following revised price hopes, ending nine decades of Welsh family ownership. 

Last year there were $4.5 million-plus hopes, but more recently the four-hectare holding was listed by the Welsh family at $3.5 million. The price has not been disclosed.

Set in Centennial Road on the outskirts of the Bowral township, Neerim has been the Southern Highlands retreat for the family since the Tudor homestead was built in the 1920s. 

Neerim was sold by the fourth generation of the family, who hold extensive farming properties at Molong in the central-west of NSW. 

It was built as the southern retreat of their relative, Peter Tait, who owned sheep and cattle stations in Queensland in the 1920s. 

<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/new-south-wales/neerim-listed-with-revised-price-hopes/2011073150968" target="_blank">The two-storey residence comes with grand staircase, timber panelling, fireplaces and wide verandas. There are staff quarters adjoining the homestead.</a>

It comes with approval for the subdivision of eight building lots. 

It was listed by Duncan Hill and Michael Maloney from Richardson &amp; Wrench Bowral in conjunction with Chris Meares from Meares and Associates.
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Southern Highlands property Neerim sells after 90 years of family ownership

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A Sydney hotelier's licence has been listed for sale with 13 gaming machine entitlements.
The licence also includes a social impact assessment for 23 gaming machines, which Property Partnership Australia listing agent Craig Hibbard says is “extremely rare”.
He told The Shout newsletter the licence could be reactivated almost anywhere in the City of Sydney local government area without the scrutiny of having to do a new assessment as required under NSW gaming laws.
As well as appealing to existing hoteliers, Hibbard said the licence could provide value to a number of new developments in the city and fringe.
Hibbard pointed to the recent $1.3 million sale of the licence at Sydney's Trumps Tavern – which had entitlements for 15 machines – as a benchmark.
 
 
 
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Transient Sydney hotelier licence with 13 pokie entitlements up for sale

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House prices eased by 0.51% during October to a median of $432,000, taking the annual downturn to 3.43%, according to Residex.
Hobart, down 2.46%, and Sydney, down 1.65%, were the weakest October performers.
Over the year the weakest capital cities were Brisbane, down 5.51%, and Perth, down 4.93%
<table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2">
Area 
</td>
<td rowspan="2">
Median Value 
</td>
<td colspan="2">
Growth 
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Year Ending Oct 2011
</td>
<td>
Last Month
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
ACT 
</td>
<td>
$530,500
</td>
<td>
-0.68%
</td>
<td>
-1.15%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Adelaide 
</td>
<td>
$394,000
</td>
<td>
-3.61%
</td>
<td>
-0.83%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
SA Country 
</td>
<td>
$252,500
</td>
<td>
-2.12%
</td>
<td>
-1.36%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Brisbane 
</td>
<td>
$432,000
</td>
<td>
-5.51%
</td>
<td>
-1.46%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
QLD Country 
</td>
<td>
$366,500
</td>
<td>
-2.99%
</td>
<td>
-0.03%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Darwin 
</td>
<td>
$496,500
</td>
<td>
-4.03%
</td>
<td>
1.19%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Northern Territory 
</td>
<td>
$472,000
</td>
<td>
-2.89%
</td>
<td>
1.14%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Hobart 
</td>
<td>
$375,500
</td>
<td>
-2.53%
</td>
<td>
-2.30%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
TAS Country 
</td>
<td>
$269,500
</td>
<td>
-2.64%
</td>
<td>
-0.18%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Melbourne 
</td>
<td>
$574,500
</td>
<td>
-4.36%
</td>
<td>
-0.93%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
VIC Country 
</td>
<td>
$332,500
</td>
<td>
2.78%
</td>
<td>
1.81%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Perth 
</td>
<td>
$465,500
</td>
<td>
-4.93%
</td>
<td>
-0.36%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
WA Country 
</td>
<td>
$350,500
</td>
<td>
0.44%
</td>
<td>
1.95%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Sydney 
</td>
<td>
$657,000
</td>
<td>
-1.63%
</td>
<td>
-1.65%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
NSW Country 
</td>
<td>
$334,000
</td>
<td>
-3.11%
</td>
<td>
-1.19%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Australia 
</td>
<td>
$432,000
</td>
<td>
-3.43%
</td>
<td>
-0.51%
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
 
“The Residex latest figures on housing data do not point to a ‘bounce’ in housing demand and activity leading into the well-publicised rate cute decision,” Residex CEO John Edwards notes.
“Furthermore, auction clearance rates for Sydney seem to indicate that, even following the rate cut, there was little to no impact, which is a little unusual.
“The interest rate adjustment potentially was not enough to restore confidence in the community.
“The RBA will need to adjust rates a little further to stabilise, and I expect another rate cut will come in the near term, which could potentially be in the order of 0.5%.
“The volatility in our stock markets is going to continue but our housing markets, because of our high level of ownership and funding structure, will not present the same level of risk as other asset sectors,” Edwards notes.
“The press that flows from the European crisis causes uncertainty in all areas of our economy, in particular our housing markets,” says Edwards, who is currently overseas.
“We, as Australians, are ‘worlds apart’ from the crisis here in Europe and if it was not for this situation, considering the improving position of the United States (albeit slow), we would be rejoicing at our new found growth that has been driven by the demand for resources.”
“Yes, Europe is going to cause global problems, but Australia is not dependant on Europe; our economy will be balanced against our growing export resource market driven by developing Asia.”
 
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House prices continue to ease even after rate cut: Residex

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The Block 2012 filming is well underway on Dorcas Street, South Melbourne, but its key point of difference has yet to get through Port Phillip Council.
<img src="/images/stories/blocksouthmelb.jpg">
The Channel 9 reality television shows – which will headline the 2012 programing launch by the network after its stellar 2011 season – features the formulaic four adjoining properties.
It is Victorian terraces this time – unlike the Richmond cottages last year.
But plans to demolish an adjoining cottage on Montague Street to make way for rear four-car garaging with loft rooms has yet to get through the council.
<img src="/images/stories/da.jpg">
There are three objections to the plans, which are being considered by council staff. It is usually council policy that matters with fewer than 15 complaints are dealt with by delegated authority by council officers and needn't go before a council meeting for final approval.
<img src="/images/stories/blocksouthmelb3.jpg">
Filming began late last month, with the show expected to air in February, with Scott Cam back as the affable host.
Nine has been keeping details of the fifth series a big secret, having not provided any information yet on the contestants.
<img src="/images/stories/blocksouthmelb2.jpg">
But some details of the series are expected to be unveiled at today’s programming and sales launch.
The series – which aired in an expanded format last year – rated more than 1 million viewers daily, with the series finale in August pulling in 3.2 million viewers nationally. 
The production company <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/the-block-sticks-with-made-in-melbourne-formula/2011071150759" target="_blank">spent some some $3.8 million on four unrenovated terraces in Dorcas Street</a>.
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Sneak peek of The Block 2012 as small stumbling block delays South Melbourne reno

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The Bedarra Island Resort in Far North Queensland has been sold to the Charlton Hotel Group through CBRE Hotels agents Wayne Bunz and Paul Nyholt.
The family-owned hotel group will undertake repairs and refurbish the resort, which has been closed since February’s Cyclone Yasi.
<img src="/images/stories/beddara.jpg">
Just three months after Bedarra was put on the market it was sold in November to the Queensland-based family company with links to former Australian Olympic gold medallist swimmer Andrew "Boy" Charlton. The price has not been disclosed. 
Bedarra Island Resort occupies 44.96 hectares of land on the island and prior to the cyclone the resort offered secluded accommodation for just 32 guests in 16 luxury villas, which enjoyed a strong trading history in recent years.
The resort, which was named as Australasia’s Leading Boutique Resort at the World Travel Awards in 2007, is accessible via Mission Beach or direct helicopter flight from Cairns.
Refurbishment works will commence early in the new year, with reservation enquiries being taken from late 2012.
And it’s likely to have fewer villas and a shortened opening season.
Charlton Hotel Group general manager Sam Charlton says a sustainability analysis of Bedarra Island Resort would be undertaken in conjunction with the repairs to assess the population density the island could support, particularly in relation to waste, water and energy requirements.
“We recognise that Bedarra is a unique resort in a unique location,” says Charlton, who is considering swapping the diesel generators for solar power.
“The surrounding reef and rainforest ecosystems are of the utmost importance and we want to ensure these attributes which make the island attractive to today's guests are maintained and enhanced for future generations to enjoy.”
Charlton’s hotels include the Metropolitan Motor Inn, Toowong Villas and Mt Ommaney Hotel Apartments and the Kingsford Smith Motel, all in Brisbane.
Sam Charlton is the grandson of Olympic swimming legend Andrew "Boy" Charlton.
Bedarra Island is renowned for its unspoilt rainforests and palm-fringe beaches. It is the second largest in the “Family Group of Islands” that form part of the Great Barrier Reef.
Acting under instructions from the Swiss-based Pamoja Capital group owners, negotiations are continuing on the sale of the remaining asset in the Hideaway Resorts portfolio, the Dunk Island Resort.
Prior to Cyclone Yasi Dunk was an established and profitable family friendly resort offering accommodation across 160 rooms.
The significant undamaged infrastructure at Dunk Island Resort includes a sealed airstrip that caters for flights from Cairns International Airport, staff quarters, a nine-hole golf course (which could be extended to 18 holes), mains power, a freshwater dam and a sewerage treatment plant.
Both islands attracted <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/leisure/fnq-islands-overcrowded-with-100-strong-buyer-interest/2011102652078">significant investor interest </a>when they were <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/retail/not-so-perfect-islands-for-sale-in-fnq/2011090751465">put on the market</a>.
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Bedarra Island sells to Queensland's Charlton Hotel Group

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{yoogallery src=[images/stories/october31sunnyridge]}
The Sear family have listed their 80-hectare Mandurama farm, Sunny Ridge, which comes with an 1880s homestead built for Cobb &amp; Co coachman John Fagan and his publican wife, Annie, in the Central Tablelands in NSW on land between Bathurst and Orange. Fagan was on the coach robbed of £14,000 in gold by Frank Gardiner at Eugowra Rock in 1862, the largest bushranger robbery in history, with the loot never recovered.
The younger of Fagan's two sons, Reg, and his wife, Rita, commissioned architect James Peddle to extend the homestead in the 1920s to include a reception area, living room, dining room, library, sunroom, staff quarters, strongroom and six bedrooms. There's also an original 1930s radio room. The gardens, now with pool and tennis court, were overseen by landscape architect Max Shelley. It remained in the family until 1978.
The farm has 12 paddocks, with flat land rising to undulating slopes and low hills, mostly cleared and arable with productive soils suitable for grazing cattle, sheep and horses. It has town water and Mandurama Ponds Creek frontage with lagoon. The property, with a guest cottage and manager's residence, last traded in 2010 when bought from the accountant Adrian Scarra and his wife, Lorraine. It sold for $1.4 million early last year.
It’s now been listed through David Nolan at Webster Nolan with a $1.4 million asking price.
Orange acts as a major commercial service area for central and western New South Wales, with the local economy underpinned by the primary production of livestock, fruit, grapes, tourism and cereal crops. There are also several large manufacturing operations, including Electrolux Home Products Pty Limited and the head office of the NSW Department of Agriculture. Additional employment is through Newcrest Cadia Mining Operations.
Although primarily used as a private residence, the homestead has been used also as a four star guest house and function centre and is still licensed for those purposes. Currently, occupation is running very at close to full capacity.
“It should be noted Sunny Ridge is being offered for sale as a property and residence and not as an ongoing business,” Nolan says.
"If Australian history, a magnificent rural lifestyle and fertile agricultural country is on your bucket list, then Sunny Ridge has your name on it,” Nolan says.
The present owners have undertaken further extensive refurbishment and redecorating during 2010, which has included replacement of all carpet throughout the residence. All internal board floors have been professionally sanded and varnished with a high-gloss seal. The entire residence has also been repainted internally. The ducted gas central heating is zoned in three areas of the residence.</body></html>

Cobb & Co coachman's NSW farm on the market for more than £14,000 in stolen gold

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Developer Katie Page's proposed 10-storey high rise on Main Beach Parade will proceed, after Brisbane’s Court of Appeal yesterday dismissed an appeal from the council.
The wife of retail king Gerry Harvey got her 10-storey approval despite Gold Coast Council’s 1982 overlay map relevant to the Main Beach Parade beachfront site designating a maximum building height of three storeys.
The initial judge had concluded that the proposed development met the applicable performance criteria but this was appealed by the council, which considered the judge had misconstrued the planning scheme and thereby erred in law by approving a development with such height disparity.
The council must pay Page’s costs in the case, where she was represented by D. R. Gore QC, with B. D. Job briefed by Mallesons Stephen Jacques.
The appeals court ruled it was common ground that the overlay map’s reference to a maximum height was not prescriptive. The land to the immediate west of Main Beach Parade is within a 25-storey designation.
Page’s application proposed a seven-storey building with a partial eighth storey, but because of floor to ceiling heights, it amounted to a 10-storey building for the purposes of the relevant planning scheme.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/stories/mainbeach.jpg">
The proposal is considerably lower than the tall towers that visually dominate to the west of Main Beach Parade. It is also lower than three nearby beachfront high-rise developments, namely Golden Sands (18 storeys), Hibiscus (12 storeys) and Beachside (16 storeys), which are also to the east of Main Beach Parade.
The initial judgement by Judge Michael Rackemann in February 2011 noted it was set to have an architectural quality higher than “what applies to many other buildings in Main Beach.”
“Whilst aesthetics are necessarily somewhat subjective, the building incorporates a range of interesting design features including in respect of materials, patterns, textures and colours.
“It will, I find, be designed and constructed to a high aesthetic standard,” he ruled.
Page paid $15.5 million in 2007 for the 882-square-metre block. 
 
 
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Katie Page triumphs over Gold Coast Council for 10-storey building

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Four rural allotments located in the heart of the Joadja wine country in the Southern Highlands of NSW have been listed for November 25 auction under the instruction of receivers and managers PKF Chartered Accountants.
The vacant lots, some 28 kilometres from Bowral and within 1.5 hours’ drive of Sydney, range from 3.6 to 7.9 hectares.
Each lot has a building envelope of 2,500 square metres.
The sites are zoned E3 Environmental Management under the Wingecarribee Local Environmental Plan 2010.
They are listed through Simon Kersten and Amanda Buikstra at Colliers International in conjunction with Phillip Bassingthwaighte at PRD Mossvale.
The subject site is within the historic mining township of Joadja.
It has been 100 years since Joadja Creek village in the Southern Highlands was first sold. The mining town was abandoned in 1904 after shale-oil deposits dwindled, alongside growing competition from imports of cheap kerosene from the US.
The property was sold in 1911 by Raine &amp; Horne of Sydney, for £4,400, as grazing land.
The village had been home to up to 1,300 miners, mostly Scottish, and their families. It was almost self-sufficient: there was a post office; a community hall that was used by Presbyterians and Catholics; a school for up to 140 students; a pharmacist; a school of arts; a cemetery and a hotel. A railway built by the Australian Kerosene, Oil and Mineral Company transported products to Mittagong for shipment to John Fell's refinery near Sandown, on the Parramatta River.
The ghost town sold earlier this year to the Jimenez family under the mortgagees' instructions by receivers Trent Devine and John Lord of PKF.
The main 290-hectare village holding offered with expectations of $1.5 million plus by Colliers International agents Simon Kersten and John McCann fetched $1.71 million.
The village consists mostly of industrial ruins (chimney stacks and retort ovens) and workers' cottages. There is also a manager's homestead dating from the 1870s, which has been restored.
The current blocks on offer are expected to sell for $230,000 plus apiece.
The total holding last sold for $1.4 million in 2002 to a syndicate that built a whiskey distillery there. Before that the property was bought by a South Coast consortium for $1.45 million in 1993, after which most of the 1,000-hectare property was subdivided and sold as hobby farms.
The consortium had bought the estate off an Arkansas farmer, Patricia Lee, who owned the property for three decades after paying grazier Sam Stirling $44,040 in 1966 after a visit to Sydney on a world cruise stopover.
Wingecarribee Shire Council has approved plans for tourism development for the historic village.
Joadja Creek is the southernmost link in a chain of oil-shale mines that stretched along the western margin of the Sydney Basin.
Shale, the precursor of the modern petroleum industry, was pioneered in West Lothian, Scotland, near Edinburgh, in the 1860s, although nothing of the industry remains there today.
Joadja shale was exceptionally rich in oil, yielding about 590 litres per tonne.
"The refining and processing of the oil into kerosene and secondary products such as waxes and candles, and the subsequent distribution for export or local use, means that the Joadja plant is an important example of 19th-century industrial management keying Australia into the world system," NSW Heritage says.
"The isolation and beauty of Joadja Valley, the comprehensiveness of its physical testimony to a great Australian industry, a vigorous Scottish community and a vanished technology make Joadja an extremely important element in the heritage not just of Wingecarribee Shire but of Australia and the world."
 
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Building blocks adjoining historic NSW Southern Highlands shale village at Joadja up for sale

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.

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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.

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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.

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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."

[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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