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It seems last Tuesday’s mild Reserve Bank interest rate cut has triggered the prospect of buyers with bigger pockets, but had no immediate impact on weekend auction buying numbers.
Melbourne’s weekend clearance rate stands at a provisional 53% with 72 of the 525 results yet to come. The previous weekend’s revised 50% was the poorest since 2004, according to the Real Estate Institute of Victoria.


Sydney’s weekend result was 55%, the same as the previous weekend, for which there is still an unknown 10% plus of results for both weekends.
But on the financing front Mortgage Choice’s website has experienced a 357% increase in unique page visits since Tuesday’s Reserve Bank’s decision to cut the cash rate.
Potential buyers’ interest in their borrowing capacity surged according to Australia’s largest independently owned mortgage broker, when compared with the preceding week in October.
The activity centred on Mortgage Choice’s <a href="https://www.mortgagechoice.com.au/calculators/how-much-can-i-borrow.aspx" target="_blank">‘How much can I afford to borrow’ website calculator</a>.
“The difference only one interest rate cut has made to our online calculator hits is impressive,” Mortgage Choice spokeswoman Kristy Sheppard says.
“It is terrific to see potential borrowers are on the ball with market condition improvements, already actively researching their new financial potential.
“It looks like the recent interest rate drop was the signal many buyers were waiting for to spur their property purchase plan into action.
“I’d say a number of them are especially eager to make a move now to take advantage of grants and concessions due to expire early in the new year.
“Lenders are poised to battle each other to attract and retain these market entrants, offering appealing interest rate discounts and other incentives.”
But Sheppard says borrowers may be surprised to hear that despite lenders’ willingness to loan money, the approval process involves much more than accepting a deposit from someone who can afford repayments.
“Applicants are required to have a healthy income and financial history, limited debt, a steady employment record and realistic expectations about their borrowing capacity.
“Attempting to cutting corners on these aspects of your property purchase will only hinder your hopes at loan approval,” Sheppard notes.
Wakelin Property Advisory director Richard Wakelin suggests the November rate cut was "too little too late" to rally this year's market.
"Buyer confidence has been severely dented. The cut is too little too late for this year, but buyers will be breathing easier going into next year," Wakelin adds.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Lacklustre weekend auctions, but clicks suggest buyers loom with bigger pockets after RBA rate cut

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NSW Fair Trading is investigating a Surry Hills real estate franchise following allegations of trust account deficiencies.
Fair Trading Commissioner Rod Stowe says his agency is investigating irregularities in the trust accounts operated by CBD Commercial Pty Ltd, trading as LJ Hooker Surry Hills.
The agency operates out of 437 Crown Street, Surry Hills.
Fair Trading has appointed an independent manager who went into operate the agency on Friday November 4.
Stowe says clients of the real estate agency should contact the independent manager as matter of urgency.
“In particular, this applies to anyone who has purchased a property or entered into a lease using this agency.”
Stowe says Fair Trading had responsibilities under the Property, Stock and Business Agents Act and associated legislation, such as the Residential Tenancies Act, to protect property buyers, sellers, tenants and landlords.
<img style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial;" src="/images/stories/ljsurry2.jpg">
The internet page of the office licensee is offline, although the agency office website is still operative.
For more information about Fair Trading visit the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au">department's website</a>.
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Office of Fair Trading investigating LJ Hooker Surry Hills over trust account deficiency allegations

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<img src="/images/stories/dutruc.jpg">
Silverton, fashion designer Lisa Ho’s 1890s Italianate residence at Randwick in Sydney’s east, was withdrawn from its weekend auction. The four-bedroom freestanding Dutruc Street property, with elegant French provincial adornments, cost $4 million when bought in early 2010 from the interior designer Ros Palmer. Palmer had paid $266,000 in 1985.
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/title-tattle-whispers-that-coal-miners-boring-into-nicole-kidman-s-nsw-rural-neighbourhood/2011102052022">Ho has undertaken some renovations to the house on a 630-square-metre holding.</a> It's one of three original homes known collectively as the judges' houses in Randwick's sought-after northern precinct. It includes a stately English oak-panelled living room. There is also a detached teenagers' retreat. It’s listed through Pauline Goodyer at GoodyerDonnelley in conjunction with Alain Waitsman from LJ Hooker Double Bay.
The street's last sale was when Earlswood, the 1890s residence, sold in September last year for $4.3 million. With the top-end market conditions being less robust than 18 months ago, Goodyer was suggesting to buyers that Silverton could sell for less than its last traded price.
But Ho’s week hit new international highs when Kim Kardashian wore a Lisa Ho cream Flying Arches Dress With Back Neck Tie at the Sydney launch of the Kardashian Handbag Collection last week.
Ho, who was born in Albury, on the New South Wales and Victorian border, began sewing at age four inspired by her grandmother, a tailor. She later trained in fashion design at East Sydney Technical College, graduating in 1981, soon after going out on her own.
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Lisa Ho's weekend auction disappointment following Kim Kardashian frock high

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The price difference between Brighton beachfront and the not so-back blocks works out to be about $6,000 a square metre, according to weekend auctions.
<img src="/images/stories/mytton.jpg">
Brighton notched up the weekend’s biggest sale when $6.05 million was paid on the beachfront property at 2 Mytton Grove, Brighton (pictured above), when two bidders competed after the $5.9 million reserve was met at its RT Edgar auction.
It worked out at $9,869 per square metre given it’s a 613-square-metre block.
Mal James from James Buyer Advocates suggests the price per square metre was “almost identical to previous absolute beachfront square metre rates over the past year.
“They have maintained themselves in the last year and increased on previous high water marks,” James adds.
<img src="/images/stories/mouleave2.jpg">
On nearby Moule Avenue, number 8 (pictured above), a classic Golden Mile address but not absolute beachfront, also sold at weekend Buxton auction.  It was originally designed and built as the home of mid-20th century architect, Ronald "Tiger" Lyon.
Its $2.31 million price reflected $3,510 per metre.
“Brighton golden mile beachfront – these are four words that mean money,” James notes.
“In recent times that has meant $8,000 to $10,000 per square metre – at least at the northern end.”
<img src="/images/stories/maljamesview.jpg">
Source: James Buyer Advocates
He suggests the $3,510 per square metre was not too far off previous Golden Mile square metre rates.
Of course, 2 Mytton Grove has three storeys, whereas 8 Moule Avenue has one.
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Beach frontage adds $6,000 per square metre in Brighton

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{yoogallery src=[images/stories/november7toni]}
Academy Award-nominated actor Toni Collette, the star of the TV series United States of Tara, and her musician husband, David Galafassi, are selling their hillside house at Bronte because the renovation rebuild costings defied property logic.
Their 1885 weatherboard cottage on a 750-square-metre block in Bronte Road cost $4.4 million in mid-2009. They’ve since obtaining rebuilding approval, but have opted not to proceed given the rebuild construction tender quotes are understood to have tallied about $4 million.  The official application with Waverley Council suggested its minimal revamp cost would be $2.5 million.
Set privately above the high side of the street, the four-bedroom house is one of the last remnants of the original Bronte Estate. Given the current top-end market conditions aren’t resplendent with sunshine, its McGrath Estate Agents listing agent Bethwyn Richards has given public estimates she expects the property to sell for about $3.5 million and that Collette and Galafassi are prepared to cop a $900,000 loss.
It’s one of three Bronte Road houses currently listed through McGrath. There are unconfirmed rumours the couple have bought elsewhere in Sydney.
The Bronte house was bought a month before the sale of their Bellevue Hill home for $6.35 million to Adelicia Dawson-Damer and her husband, Nick Harding through McGrath agents Ben Collier and James Dack. The bullish $6.34 million bucked the prestige property market's woes during 2009. The 1928 Spanish Mission-style cul-de-sac house, El Mio, cost $5 million in 2004 when sold by Patricia Power, who had expanded the house since she bought it in late 1998 from one-time Brambles director Emmett Hobbs and his wife, actor Sarah Pierce, for $2.655 million.
Before heading back to Los Angeles, Collette and Galafassi, parents of six-month-old son Arlo and three-year-old daughter Sage, recently stayed in Bronte but rented the redundant house of media tycoon Lachlan Murdoch and his wife, model Sarah, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/new-south-wales/lachlan-and-sarah-murdoch-re-list-their-bronte-house/2011092251653">which is currently for sale</a> through Christies International.
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Toni Collette set to cop $900,000 loss as Bronte cottage renovation plans shelved 

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{yoogallery src=[images/stories/november7kirribilli]}
Thoroughbred horse owner Tony Huang has listed his Greencliffe, Kirribilli, apartment, some 16 years after being introduced to the waterfront block by the horse trainer Gai Waterhouse.
With iconic views of the Opera House, it’s positioned on the Kirribilli foreshore comprising 262 square metres with a spacious free-flowing design. The living, dining and casual sitting/breakfast room open to the entertaining terrace.
It has level entry from Kirribilli Avenue and lift access to its double garaging.
All three bedrooms have en suites.
Greencliffe, a tightly held building at the Harbour Bridge end of Kirribilli Avenue, comes with common garden areas, a resort style indoor pool, gym and sauna.
Ben Stewart of CBRE is seeking offers over $5.5 million for the fifth-floor apartment with offers due by November 24.
Huang, who raced Magic of Sydney, paid $2.3 million off the plan in 1995. At the time, Huang, formerly an importer-exporter from Hong Kong, had about 25 horses with Waterhouse.
The first horse he co-owned in Australia was All Our Mob, who was sold to Huang and Waterhouse's late father, Tommy Smith, after his Stradbroke Handicap win in 1994.
The Waterhouse family still maintain ownership within the complex. The Waterhouse waterfront links stretch back to the First Fleet, with their forefathers operating the Milsons Point-to-Hornsby bus, the Kirribilli-to-Circular Quay ferry, then the nearby Imperial Hotel. In 1994 the racing family netted about $8.2 million after the sale of two properties, Craiglea and Greencliffe. The family simultaneously secured four of the 39 apartments constructed by Dr Stanley Quek’s Greencliffe Developments.
RP Data doesn’t show a sale on the block since 2007, when $8.25 million was paid for a 349-square-metre eighth-floor penthouse.
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Thoroughbred owner Tony Huang lists pedigree Kirribilli apartment that celebrates the Magic of Sydney

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New Zealand retirement village operator Ryman Healthcare has bought a site in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, starting its expansion into Australia.
Ryman told shareholders 15 months ago that it was looking for Australian acquisitions. Ryman owns 24 New Zealand retirement villages with 5,700 residents.
It plans for the Wheelers Hill site to be a medium-density village built along similar lines to the villages it has developed in Auckland and Wellington.
There will be a mix of independent apartments, serviced apartments, a village centre and an aged-care centre.
Ryman lifted underlying profit by 17% to a record $72 million for the March year.
The Melbourne land purchase will lift the company’s landbank to over 2,500 units and beds.
Statistics NZ has estimated the number of New Zealanders aged 75 and over will increase from 250,000 to 516,000 over the next 20 years. In Australia the number aged 75-plus is set to double to 2.8 million.
Existing aged-care facilities at Wheelers Hill include The Willows and Cumberland View.
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Kiwi retirement village operator expands into Melbourne

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Potentially opening up the world to the Geelong region, Avalon airport has launched a bid to have its status as an international airport fast-tracked.
Avalon Airport CEO Justin Giddings has met with key federal government figures this week to put Avalon's case.
The federal government has offered its support for an international terminal once an international carrier has agreed to use it.
But trying to sell the idea to a carrier before getting the necessary approvals has left the plan grounded on the tarmac.
”I just think it's a no-brainer," Giddings told The Geelong Advertiser.
To commence international services, Avalon will need to build a new terminal as well as customs and other facilities.
Giddings anticipates Avalon could make good use of the New Zealand market but would also seek to fly into Asia and even the United States.
The plan for Avalon to become Victoria's second international terminal has been touted for at least four years, especially after Linfox unveiled plans to build a $30 million facility in 2008, only to be knocked back by the federal government.
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Avalon airport tries to get Geelong economic benefits of international airport status

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<img src="/images/stories/thompsonst.jpg">
<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 5px;">Financial adviser Paul Clitheroe, the Ipac Securities director, and wife Vicki have relisted their impressive 1902 Clifton Gardens residence, Torrington (pictured above). The six-bedroom house, with harbour views, sits on a 1,730-square-metre block with tennis court and 15-metre pool. There's a full-size billiard room, wine cellar with tasting room and self-contained guest accommodation. More than $10 million had been tipped for the Thompson Street house by its LJ Hooker Mosman listing agents Geoff Smith and Richard Harding in March last year when it was withdrawn from auction. The listing duo are now suggesting $8 million plus given there have only been the 12 sales above $10 million since the September 2008 Lehmann Brothers collapse that accompanied the global financial crisis. In the three years prior there had been 20 sales above $10 million. Keen sailing enthusiast Paul Clitheroe, who is chairman of the Australian Government Financial Literacy Board, and his wife have moved to their lower north shore harbourfront property following extensive renovations. The couple paid $3.6 million for Torrington in 1997.
<img src="/images/stories/pendles.jpg">
<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; float: left; margin: 5px;">Collingwood’s 2011 Best and Fairest winner, Scott Pendlebury, is on the move. But not north to GWS in Sydney as some pundits speculated. Pendles is shifting house, listing his quaint Newport cottage (pictured above) through Barry Plant Yarraville agent Niels Geraerts. Apparently he’s upgrading the renovated Victorian house for something more luxurious in the posher bayside suburbs. The two-bedroom Douglas Parade property is just a stroll to Williamstown’s shops and cafes. It features a stone kitchen and open-plan entertaining area that opens onto a deep rear garden, perfect for entertaining, or kicking the football. The property will be auctioned on Saturday November 26 at 1.30pm and is expected to sell for more than $780,000. The early 2011 speculation faded but Pendlebury still looms on GWS radar for 2013 after signing just a one-year extension with the Magpies.
<img src="/images/stories/edwardst.jpg">
<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; float: left; margin: 5px;">Retired respected journalist Peter Luck, who hosted current affairs program Today Tonight in the late 1990s, and his wife, Penny Jane, have sold their Balmain terrace (pictured above) for $2,715,000 through Cobden and Hayson agent Danny Cobden. Best known for programs on our past, Luck presented Where Are They Now? and the 1970s ground-breaking 37-part series This Fabulous Century. Over the decades he also presented and produced most of Australia's other major current affairs programs, including This Day Tonight, Sunday, Four Corners and Inside Edition. Luck first came to Sydney in 1974 and wanting proximity to the harbour, he settled in the welcoming Balmain village before it got terribly trendy, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to afford it. Luck, who had a 358-square-metre holding, maintained Balmain was also the first real suburb in Australia, the first real subdivision.
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/october31samnewman]}
<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; float: left; margin: 5px;">The infamous ultra-modern “Pamela Anderson” house in St Kilda West (pictured above) that football commentator Sam Newman built has been listed with $1.5 million hopes. Its large glass mural façade on Canterbury Road has been a source of controversy since it was unveiled a decade ago. The three-storey, three-bedroom house comes with a gourmet kitchen, a north-facing terrace with lap pool, a private courtyard with pond and a two-car garage. James Scarff of Marshall White has listed the property with expressions of interest due November 15 on behalf of Ned Gestos and Nuria Ruiperez. Designed by architect Cassandra Fahey in 2000, it won a Royal Australian Institute of Architects award, making news around the world given the Baywatch beauty’s appearance on the facade.
The former Geelong footballer Newman built the house at the height of his playboy notoriety, but never lived in it before he sold for $1.1 million in mid-2002 to financial adviser Sean Patrick Taylor through a company called Canterbury Park Pty Ltd. It changed hands again at $1.5 million in November 2007 after a $1.4 million opening vendor's bid at its October 2007 auction. Newman paid $150,000 in 1995 for the 175-square-metre holding.
 
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<img src="/images/stories/walkerville.jpg">
<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; float: left; margin: 5px;">It’s an amazing piece of Victoria's pristine coastline with absolute beach frontage and views across Waratah Bay to Wilsons Promontory, surrounded by coastal reserve and farmland (pictured above). The four contemporary two-bedroom cottages, plus manager’s barn residence, are set on 1.5 hectares at Walkerville South. It’s been listed – as an income-producing package – by vendors Gary and Jill Butterfield, who bought the vacant lot with foreshore access in 1999. They quickly opened Bear Gully Coastal Cottages, which takes its name from nearby Bear Creek, in Easter 2000. They soon expanded to the current four cottages – Gull, Shearwater, Cuttlebone and Nautilus – within another seven months. The property has been a finalist in the 2002 and 2005 Victoria Tourism Awards, the 2003 winner of the Phillip Island and Gippsland Regional Tourism Awards, and 2011 finalist in the Bendigo Bank Business tourism awards. Its listing agent Scott Hughes of LJ Hooker Inverloch has it listed at $2 million. The couple have extensive travel plans.
<img src="/images/stories/macleayst.jpg">
<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; float: left; margin: 5px;">The Potts Point apartment (pictured above) owned by music industry manager Pete Lusty and his wife Georgia Day has been sold for $505,000 through Ray White Elizabeth Bay agent Nick Harrington. Set on the first floor of The Rex building on Macleay Street, the one-bedder had been tipped to sell for $450,000 plus. It last traded two years ago for $405,000. Lusty, who is a partner of Ivy League Records, which manages bands such as The Vines, Youth Group and Bridezilla, and his wife are upgrading to a $2,325,000 four-bedroom apartment in nearby Rockwall Crescent. There will be plenty of space to hang the rock memorabilia.
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/october31vizard]}
<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; float: left; margin: 5px;">Melbourne radio broadcaster and businessman Steve Vizard and wife Sarah have listed their St Kilda mansion, Clendore (pictured above), with $8 million-plus hopes. The three-storey Italianate Victorian terrace, with an infinity pool on the roof, was bought for $3.96 million in 2004 by Vizard's company, Fitzroy Holdings. There is a rooftop Paul Bangay-designed garden above the grand colonnaded building. Kay and Burton listing agent Alex Schiavo will take offers until November 24. It has seven bedrooms and 10 bathrooms. There is a 15-person Schindler commercial double-door lift that connects all four floors. One of the original three adjoining terraces was the home of Sir Graham Berry, the distinguished radical politician, for several years. The Vizard family sold their Orrong Road, Toorak, mansion for about $17.75 million in 2007 to The Good Guys boss Andrew Muir.
<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; float: left; margin: 5px;">Title Tattle aims to tell you as soon as we know – often before it happens – so the word from the Gold Coast is that there's been another Hedges Avenue Mermaid Beach price shocker. The bargain hunter apparently comes from Caulfield North.
 
<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; float: left; margin: 5px;">And don’t say that Title Tattle told you, but there's an interesting Toorak listing. It’s a newly built House and Garden magazine-featured home. But it’s being market by quite cocooned means. Of course inspections are strictly by appointment at pre-arranged times. Then the triple-storey house goes under the hammer at a private auction by invitation only by prior registration. Title Tattle sees that buyers’ agent Gina Kantzas from James Buyer Advocates has broken through the access barrier giving the Glyndebourne Avenue house a 734 rating out of 1,000 after her appraisal. However when it came to the all-important price guide, none had been forthcoming from the Marshall White agent.
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Magpie Scott Pendlebury on the move, but not to Greater Western Sydney: Title Tattle

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{yoogallery src=[images/stories/november4bonniedoon]}
Property investor Richard Moseley’s Bonnie Doon holiday shack near Lake Eildon in Victoria – which featured in the comedy The Castle as the serene holiday home of the Kerrigans – has become no laughing matter with another reduced price adjustment.
Moseley proudly secured the property for $169,950 in 2006 but has wanted out since early 2011.
The two-bedroom cottage – located 115 kilometres from Melbourne – was initially listed at $195,000. After a bit of feedback, the price eased to $188,000, then $182,000 by June.
Now its asking price is back almost bizarrely at $169,950.
Moseley, a Sydney telecommunications technician, bought it sight unseen – other than of course having viewed the movie.
Dean Shipley and Andrew Houghton at RT Edgar Yarra Valley have the listing, which has been a popular rental.
Shipley says it is a unique opportunity to purchase the original holiday home of the Kerrigans from Australia's favourite movie, The Castle. The home consists of two bedrooms, open-plan kitchen, dining and living area, bathroom and laundry.
“Outside we have the famous veranda – with the mozzie zapper included – situated on a good-sized block opposite the lake and approximately 500 metres from the boat ramp.
“The property would make a great holiday home-cum-accommodation business when you are not using it yourself, and creates a high level of interest with holiday makers stopping for photos and to experience the serenity.
“With the lake full, recent good snow seasons and high tourist numbers visiting the area, it is the ideal holiday rental.
“And the right marketing – perhaps a good website and some items like stubby holders, T-shirts and caps – could provide extra income as well,” Shipley says.
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Kerrigans’ Bonnie Doon holiday shack back to its old price as investor abandons profit dream

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."

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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."

[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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