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{yoogallery src=[images/stories/october3lieshout]}
The Queensland billionaire John Van Lieshout and wife Linda have spent $3.68?million expanding their Noosa Heads retreat. The Van Lieshouts bought the neighbouring property in 1989 for $430,000.
The Witta Circle acquisition comes with the precinct’s widest water views and privacy given its outlook is across to tree-lined riverbanks opposite. It sits on a 968-square-metre block, which selling agents Tom and Rebekah Offermann suggest is 50% bigger than average, with its river frontage some 70% wider than usual.
“The super-sized jetty is a feature that just cannot be duplicated with current laws, and comes with its own boat ramp, sandy beach, and drive-through boat garage,” Tom Offermann says.
The recently purchased property had been last traded in 1989 at $300,000. The Van Lieshouts own the property on the left hand side of the one pictured.
It takes the holding to 1,622 square metres.
It was the first recorded sale on Witta Circle since mid-2010, when prices of $3.51 million and $4.01 million were notched up.
John Van Lieshout, who three decades ago started discount furniture store Super Amart in Brisbane's outer suburbs, only made his debut on the BRW Rich List in 2005 with an estimated personal fortune of $1 billion.
Now living at Indooroopilly, the billionaire's first home in Australia was the Wacol Immigration Centre between Brisbane and Ipswich.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Billionaire John Van Lieshout expands Noosa Heads retreat

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More than $100 million worth of blue-ribbon southern NSW properties is currently listed for sale.
Twynam Agriculture's 14,928-hectare holding, Gundaline at Carrathool, and its 17,201-hectare Hay holding, Cobran, headline the listings. The Twynam Agricultural Group was commenced in the early 1970s by John Dieter Kahlbetzer.
They are to be auctioned on October 14, with about 2,000 hectares of cotton – with a $1 million-plus estimate – included with each property. The properties are expected to attract international buying interest.
They with 30,000-megalitre irrigation entitlements. The two stations are expected to fetch more than $50 million through Ray White Rural Sydney principal Bruce Gunning.
The Eulandool aggregation at Condobolin (pictured), in southwest NSW, also comes with $1 million in crop income and has been scheduled for October 13 auction. It is one of NSW's largest broad-acre cropping farms – a 14,569-hectare dryland property.
Its Meares &amp; Associates marketing says 23,508 tonnes of grain was harvested in 2010. This year there are 7,568 hectares of standing crops “with the prospects looking bright,” according to listing agent Chris Meares.
The 4,106-hectare Bobbara Station at Harden is expected to fetch more than $13 million at its October 27 auction.
In the eastern Riverina, Sydney businessman <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/rural/billabong-station-at-wagga-wagga-listed-for-october-auction/2011090551419">David Baffsky is offering Billabong Station after 31 years of ownership</a>. Billabong Station is expected to fetch more than $9 million.
The recent private treaty market listings include Uardry, with about $40 million being sought for the 35000-hectare sheep farm.
The Paraway Pastoral Company has been among the district’s more active buyers, with the Macquarie Group's rural arm owning Pooginook at Jerilderie, Steam Plains at Conargo, Mungadal at Hay, and Cooinbil at Carrathool.
Its most recent purchase was reputedly part of Pevensey at Hay in the western Riverina.
According to the Weekly Times, Paraway purchased between 16,000 and 18,000 hectares of TA Field Estates' Pevensey Station, with the Field family reported to have retained Pevensey's farming land.
The sold country is adjacent to the 42,750-hectare Mungadal Station, which Paraway purchased last year.
The sale would bring Paraway's land total in the western Riverina to more than 170,000 hectares.
It purchased the 19,656-hectare Pooginook Merino stud at Jerilderie in 2007, the 46,351-hectare Steam Plains Station at Conargo in 2008 and the 90,655-hectare Cooinbil Station at Carrathool last year.
TA Field Estates last year sold Hunthawang Station at Hillston.
Hunthawang Station, the Field family’s 20,000-hectare Lachlan River property, sold for $5,639,177 to the NSW Parks and Wildlife Service.
The T. A. Field dynasty had bought it from A.B. Triggs 90 years ago.
The historic farm, on the Lachlan River, east of Hillston, was reputedly sold without water entitlements.
It was passed in at 2001 auction for $7.7 million when the rural holding comprised 18,948 hectares of dry land grazing country and 1,557 hectares of irrigation.
The NSW government has purchased other western Riverina properties to convert to national parks, including the 20,000-hectare Oolambeyan Station, at Carrathool, Yanga Station at Balranald, Booligal Station, at Booligal, and Mulawa, Darcoola and Norwood stations west of Hay.
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Riverina rural offerings top $100 million

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{yoogallery src=[images/stories/october3palmer]}
Golf champion Michael Campbell and his wife, Julie, have sold their Vaucluse abode for about $6.5 million, with the couple deciding to move to Switzerland so as to educate their two boys at an international school.
The New Zealand-born Campbell has also recently been mostly playing on the European circuit, with earnings in eight of his 22 appearances totalling €77,000 so far this year.
With beach, reserve and harbour views, the Polynesian-inspired pavilion house was designed by architect Peter Muller in the late 1960s for the Schwartz family.
Its interiors were designed by Garth Barnett.
Spanning three levels, the Palmerston Street house comes with four bedrooms and three bathrooms.
The renovated 525-square-metre holding, which sits on the Watsons Bay border, was bought for $6.5 million in September last year, following the $9.4 million sale of the Campbells’ previous home, Kinnelar, at nearby Parsley Bay during the same month. It last traded for $2.9 million in 2001.
Over the years the Campbells have lived the tournament circuit staying variously at homes in Britain, the Bahamas and Sydney.
His first career major was the 2005 US Open with $1.17 million prize money. The then 36-year-old Campbell, four off the pace overnight, collected four birdies and three bogeys to win by two from Tiger Woods, who had been chasing his 10th career major. He also won the richest prize in golf, the £1,000,000 HSBC World Match Play Championship, in the same year.
The Vaucluse house was sold through Laing+Simmons Double Bay's Bart Doff.
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Golf champion Michael Campbell sells in Vaucluse, lured by greens of Europe

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As we look to what's ahead for 2012, Property Observer is republishing some of our most noteworthy stories of 2011.
 
The six houses in the Channel 10 series The Renovators have all been sold under the hammer – and the overall results weren’t pretty.
Only one of the six sales did really well. It was an auction where there were dozens of competitive bids. The least enthusiastic offering attracted just the one offer, which was accepted.
The reserve prices are undisclosed, so even the most ardent auction attendee won’t necessarily know the winner until the series finale scheduled to air around October 9.
Property Observer was not a signatory to keeping secrets for the next fortnight, as some media organisations have agreed.
And we don’t wish to spoil the enjoyment of laboured countdown to the finale for the viewers.
We did report the<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/auctions/channel-10-s-renovators-meet-reality-and-foolishly-seek-silence-on-sydney-auction-results/2011092851718" target="_blank"> initial two results of the public auctions </a>(spoiler alert) – but not the contestant details – as the prices gave a terrific indication of the state of the Sydney property market.
It’s unquestionably a buyers’ market.
Based on the costs of purchase and renovation – on which there was welcome disclosure – some of the six offerings only just broke even, and in one case fell well short.
This presumably means the collective prize money pool will be less than anticipated, if the reserve prices match the expenditure cost.
Of course the series is much about entertainment – highs and lows in what’s almost a game – and sadly so this aim even spilled to the listing agents, <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/renovating/diy-price-estimates-for-the-renovators-six-offerings/2011091351521" target="_blank">who when asked for indicative pre-auction price guides gave none under instructions from Channel 10</a>.
While many were turned off by the hours spent watching varnish dry, there are valuable property lessons in the outcomes, just like The Block 2011 in Melbourne. 
Just one of the four Block cottages sold under the hammer, and <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/victoria/take-two-auction-frenzy-as-only-one-offering-left-on-the-block/2011082351266" target="_blank">all in quick time afterwards</a>, and now they are <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/landlords/block-richmond-properties-hit-the-rental-market-with-yields-of-up-to-6.3/2011092851717" target="_blank">possibly rented at terrific gross yields</a>.
For expert commentary and analysis on lessons to be learnt from property reality TV, <a href="https://register.propertyobserver.com.au/lights-camera-auction/" target="_blank">download our e-book Lights, Camera, Auction!</a>
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Entertainment the winner in The Renovators as some of the six struggle

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Google has spent some more of its profits on low-income US housing.
Google has invested $28 million to build 240 housing units at the Charlesview Residences in Allston, a Boston neighbourhood.
Speaking to the Boston Globe, Axel Martinez, Google's assistant treasurer, said that the search engine company’s decision to invest in the units has the twin aims of helping the community and receiving a financial benefit.
"We want to be responsible corporate citizens, and that's what drove us to invest, but the returns are also quite good considering the risk," Martinez told the Globe.
Google first turned to low-income housing developments to invest its cash in January, when The New York Times reported it invested in the Melbourne Apartments complex in Des Moines, Iowa.
One of the key drivers for doing so was to reduce its corporate tax liability as every year, the U.S. government gives out billions of dollars in low-income tax credits to investors that put up the funds to build projects for low-income housing.
Google did not immediately respond to CNET News' request for comment.
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Google invests in low-income housing

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Days on market is a strong indicator of how the private treaty sales market is performing.
And the most recent statistics certainly show how the capital city markets are performing away from the auction rooms.
Things have slowed down as the details for the August month show.
The data has been provided by Australian Property Monitors.
Property Observer has put sunshine over the best-performing August of the past nine years… and clouds over the slowest performing August.
<img src="/images/stories/sunnytimeonmarket.jpg">
Source: APM
There are four capitals currently in the doldrums – Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.
And the last ray of sunshine was Canberra in August 2007.
Perth’s August 2006 – when houses were walking out the door in real quick time, within 28 days of listing – was by far the quickest August of any of the capitals over the past nine years.
Interestingly August 2003 was Sydney’s halcyon era, getting nowhere near it ever since.
Melbourne too had its best August in 2003, but in August 2010 its private treaty listings sold in pretty quick time.
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Clouds over most capitals as property slow to sell: APM

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<img src="/images/stories/coolong.jpg">
<img style="float: left; margin: 5px;" src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg">With a non-descript name like Green Gables, the latest Vaucluse harbourfront listing doesn’t stand out from the crowd. But Title Tattle recognises the house (pictured above), which the Mayo family has listed. It’s the home that was bought for $1.15 million in 1981 from the late banker Frank Nugan of Nugan Hand Bank fame, who had bought it in 1976 for $450,000. It had previously been in the Sayers family for at least five decades.
Nugan reputedly shot himself in the head in the front seat of his Mercedes in Lithgow in January 1980, and the bank collapsed. Its links with money laundering and drugs were to feature in the Costigan and Woodward royal commissions. Nugan was buried in Northern Suburbs Cemetery, but a subsequent reported sighting of Frank in a bistro at Atlanta, Georgia, US., led to speculation that a drug dealer was buried in his grave. Nugan's body was exhumed, and a second inquest, held in March 1981, confirmed the earlier findings on the basis of dental evidence, according to the Australian Dictionary of Biography.
Green Gables is being marketed through James McCowan from Richardson &amp; Wrench Double Bay in conjunction with Bill Malouf of LJ Hooker. The five-bedroom house on 1659 square metres includes a jetty, sandy beach, park-like level gardens and sunny pool at the harbour's edge.  More than $20 million is expected.
<img src="/images/stories/whalebeach.jpg">
<img style="float: left; margin: 5px;" src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg">The television executive David Lyle – who was appointed last month as chief executive officer of the Washington-based National Geographic Channels within News Corporation’s Fox group – has finally sold both his redundant Whale Beach holdings (one pictured above and below), having previously spent $5.02 million on a house at Palm Beach. He and his wife, writer Janne Dennehy, bought their hillside Palm Beach acquisition from the McConochie family after being listed through Glenn Lee at Raine &amp; Horne Palm Beach.
<img src="/images/stories/whalebeach2.jpg">
Lyle, whose first job was as an exploration geologist, started work at the Nine Network on The Mike Walsh Show in the 1980s. It was then off to London for Pearson Television and then as president of entertainment at Fremantle Media North America. The couple’s first redundant house to sell fetched $2.2 million in August last year and then more recently they couple secured $2 million for the house that cost $190,000 in 1987.
<img src="/images/stories/kooyongrd.jpg">
<img style="float: left; margin: 5px;" src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg">The grand Toorak mansion built for but never occupied by Jeans West non-executive director Mark Stevens has returned to the market. The four-bedroom house (pictured above and below) with study was last listed for private sale at $8 million in May 2010 after being was passed in at $7.5 million by the Pearce family. 
<img src="/images/stories/kooyongrd2.jpg">
Stevens had sold the new Kooyong Road house for $7.75 million in August 2009 after deciding not to relocate from Park Orchards. Its design was by Christopher Doyle, with interiors by Stuart Rattle and set in gardens by Paul Bangay set on about 939 square metres. It’s been listed through Matt David and Ross Savas at Kay &amp; Burton South Yarra with offers due by October 28.
<img src="/images/stories/centennialpark.jpg">
<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 5px;">About $4.5 million had been expected for the 1933 Elouera (pictured above), set at the western end of Martin Road, Centennial Park, one of Sydney's most prestigious non-waterfront addresses. While the front section of the house retains its art deco architecture, the back section is modern and bold designed by architect Michael Heenan of Allen Jack + Cottier.  It was renovated in 2005. It sold for $4,815,000 through Louise Snowden and Catherine Dixon from Di Jones Real Estate. It last traded at $1,445,000 in 1998 when bought by engineer Paul Philips and his wife, Kay, a director of online sleepwear shop Silk and Cookies. There had been $5.5 million hopes on its initial earlier this year.
<img src="/images/stories/kirribilliave.jpg">
<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 5px;">Clutha, a landmark Kirribilli estate (pictured above), was passed in at $4 million at auction last weekend through Belle Property Neutral Bay agents Mark Jackson and Jessica Wolodkowicz. Listed for sale by the Cox family, the 1,116-square-metre Elamang Avenue property is one of the suburb's largest landholdings. It was initially expected to sell for more than $4.5 million, and then this was revised to more than $4.25 million in the days leading up to the auction. The grand five-bedroom 1901 Queen Anne residence has a stately central staircase, soaring patterned ceilings and harbour views. Set on the high side of the street, it last traded in 1961 for $24,000 when it was bought by the late Dr Neville Cox and his wife, Alison. Cox was one of the first orthodontists in Australia.
<img src="/images/stories/ellesmererd.jpg">
<img style="float: left; margin: 5px;" src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg">Stylist Kate Hopkins, who hosts the weekly Steal Her Style segment on Channel Ten's The Circle, secured $566,000 for her naturally stylish Art Deco apartment in Prahran (pictured above). The ground-floor two-bedroom unit, which Hopkins and her sister have renovated, is in a block of six. Its Bennison Mackinnon selling agent Carla Fetter had been quoting $500,000 to $550,000. In Steal Her Style, Hopkins gives viewers a surprise makeover in the style of their favourite celebrity.
<img src="/images/stories/milsonrd.jpg">
<img style="float: left; margin: 5px;" src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg">The waterfront Cremorne Point apartment (pictured above and below) of former Colonial First State chief Chris Cuffe has sold for about $6.7 million. The Milson Road triplex apartment cost $6.05 million in 2003, and more than $7 million had been sought through Belle Property Mosman agents Tim Foote and Adrian Bridges.
<img src="/images/stories/milsonrd2.jpg">
The three-bedroom apartment had been on the market since January, when it was listed with hopes of $8.75 million. The 375-square-metre apartment, the home of Cuffe's mother, has harbour views to the Opera House and Harbour Bridge.
<img src="/images/stories/nevillest.jpg">
<img style="float: left; margin: 5px;" src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg">Fashion designer Arabella Ramsay has her Albert Park warehouse conversion (pictured above) listed for October 8 auction with $1.25 million plus through Marshall White agent Oliver Bruce. It’s been her base since 2009.
 
<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 5px;">Title Tattle aims to tell you as soon as we know – often before it happens –so the word is that Jennifer Hawkins has vacated her Coogee pad. The removalists were spotted mid-week. It will be listed for sale soon. The model and her fiancé, Jake Wall, are building on Sydney’s northern beaches, and apparently are going to rent nearby while their finish the project. The 2003 built Coogee property has three bedrooms and three bathrooms. It cost $2.27 million in late 2008.
<img src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 5px;">And don’t say that Title Tattle told you but Kevin Rudd and Therese Rein spent $1.4 million on their near-riverfront 510-square-metre vacant block of land in Brissie, on which they plan to build their empty nest down the track. It will likely have space for plenty of visitors.  The block has great views. Its official recent valuation was $1.25 million. Their existing Norman Park house cost $384,000 in 1994. Land title records now show the price, since <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/queensland/kevin-rudd-and-therese-rein-buy-brisbane-block/2011080951087" target="_blank">it was reported in August without a price</a>.
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Kevin Rudd and Therese Rein spend $1.4 million on Brissie block: Title Tattle

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It’s almost a weekend off for estate agents, according to Australian Property Monitors.
There are just the 50 or so auctions in Melbourne and some 160 in Sydney, where the Sunday NRL grand final doesn’t clash as directly with the traditional Saturday street theatre.
On the comparable weekend last year there were about 50 auctions in Melbourne.
And the 200 in Sydney in 2010 was Sydney’s recent peak as there had been 180 in 2009 and 128 in 2008.
Melbourne’s grand final day peak was about 135 in 2009, a big jump on the 22 in 2008, and up also on the 120 Melbourne homes for auction in 2007.
In 2009 some estate agents suggested selling a house in Melbourne amid grand final hype was almost sacrilegious.
In 2009 overseas buyers with no interest in the premiership were highly active and vendors sought auction-day bids.
At the time the CBD agent Robert Wright noted Chinese money had been pouring into blue-ribbon Melbourne real estate since the change in ownership laws in early 2009 and demand was running hot.
"Asian buyers do not stop for local football," Wright of Elite Real Estate told The Age.
Anthony Toop at the Adelaide agency Toop &amp; Toop says the 2011 football finals have had “less impact on the local market” than usual due to the ordinary season by the two South Australian teams.
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Agents taking the weekend off and hope for property bounce next month

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Esslemont, a 1916 Californian bungalow in Cremorne, has been sold by Kimberley McGurk.
McGurk's property developer husband, Michael McGurk, was murdered outside the Cranbrook Avenue property in September 2009.
The house last traded in 2000 for $1.65 million. More than $4.75 million had been expected when the heritage four-bedroom lower north shore Sydney house was listed earlier this year through Robert Simeon at Richardson &amp; Wrench Mosman.
The Esplin and Mould-designed house comes with a grass tennis court and pool on its 1,640-square-metre holding. It has a pitched roof, heavy timber beams, leadlight windows, sandstone foundations and an impressive veranda.
Clayton Utz, solicitor for the purchases, has lodged preliminary paperwork  before its upcoming settlement.
The price is yet to be revealed.
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Cremorne house of the murdered Michael McGurk sold

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{yoogallery src=[images/stories/september29murdoch]}
Rupert Murdoch, the head of News Corp, has sold his Long Island mansion for about $9 million, a discounted 40% from the initial $14.8 million asking price in 2007.
Rosehearty, the 11-bedroom Federal-style residence that’s been on and off the market since 2007, has been posted as sold on the website of Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty.
Rosehearty, which was built in 1885, sits on 1.8 hectares with tennis court, eight-car garage, pool house and 79 metres of beachfront.
The property cost a record-setting $7.78 million in 2003. There was a $10.5 million asking price in late 2010. Its most recent asking price was $9.1 million.
One of the listing agents on the property is none other than Murdoch’s sister-in-law, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.danielgale.com/IDXDetail.aspx?mlsnum=P1108689&amp;city=Centre-Island&amp;address=Centre-Island-Rd&amp;page=1&amp;mlstableid=LIBORMLSDGALEOFFICESOLDRES&amp;sp=y&amp;segmentid=3224287&amp;uid=65331&amp;htmlfile=property_recently-sold-properties_shell&amp;revisable=n">Huailing Deng, in conjunction with Debra Quinn Petkanas</a>, says Newsday. Deng is the sister of Murdoch’s wife, Wendi Deng.
The home overlooking Oyster Bay was taken off the market a few times, most notably when it was rented out to celebrity couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in 2008. The Jolie-Pitts reportedly paid $100,000 to lease it for a month while Jolie filmed scenes for the movie Salt nearby.
The editorial advertisement on the property on The New York Times website described Rosehearty as “defining the quintessential Gold Coast estate with its elegant structure and graceful lawns that roll down to Oyster Bay Harbor.”
“Built in 1885 in the Federal style, it has been updated with sophistication and style respectfully preserving the architectural integrity of this grand home.
“Fine craftsmanship, soaring 12' ceilings, refined moldings and woodwork are found throughout Rosehearty’s approximate 10,000 square feet. Modern amenities subtly dovetail with the well-groomed interiors cloaked in a soothing color palette.
“Pristine millwork in the palatial rooms is illuminated by a myriad of tall windows.
“Breathtaking vistas of water or gardens are captured throughout this waterfront haven and the rear terrace overlooks spectacular century old oaks that shade the grassy lawns.
“A superb sanctuary with 260 feet of shoreline, pool, spa and tennis, Rosehearty is a rare and exceptional property,” <a target="_blank" href="https://realestate.nytimes.com/sales/detail/46-DE07043/Centre-Island-NY-OYSTER-BAY-NY-11771">The New York Times ad</a> suggests.
Centre Island on Long Island Sound became a popular summer destination in the late 1800s with yachtsmen joining the newly established Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club. The village, set within 64 kilometres of Manhattan, quickly became an enclave of the very wealthy.
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Rupert Murdoch sells Long Island mansion through sister-in-law listing agent

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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