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{yoogallery src=[images/stories/september2ablett]}
Gold Coast AFL star Gary Ablett and his partner, Channel 9 presenter Lauren Phillips, have spent about $2 million on a Gold Coast residence.
The four-bedroom house is on a private 3,342-square-metre Nerang River block at Ashmore. It comes complete with a Balinese cabana, Japanese gardens with tiered waterfalls, a three-car garage and open fireplace in the living room. There’s also a requisite barbecue entertaining area.
It is 10 kilometres from the Gold Coast Suns’ oval, Metricon Stadium. 
It had been most recently listed at $2.35 million through Chateaux Realty Broadbeach agent Tony Baily. It last sold for $2 million in 2007 and had been for sale on and off since a scheduled April 2008 auction. Its initial price hopes were $3 million by its vendor, Mark Busher, a deep sea freight transportation company director.
Phillips confirmed the purchase to The Courier Mail and says it is the "dream home" they had been searching for.
"We're completely in love with it and it's perfect for us because it's away from the hustle of Surfers Paradise," she says.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Gary Ablett buys on Gold Coast

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<img src="/images/stories/cottles.jpg">
<img style="float: left; margin: 5px;" src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg">A Joe Chindarsi-designed house (pictured above) at Cottesloe Beach – which appeared in the book 100 More of the World’s Best Homes – has been listed for sale through Justin Davies at Space Real Estate. The WA property been listed by Robina Black and husband, Martin , the director of parenting support organisation Ngala Family Services. The four-bedroom house comes with wine cellar and swimming pool. When advertised as The Butterfly Residence by Mack Hall and Associates, it had a $3.55 million asking price in mid-2011. The book, by Robyn Beaver, was published in 2008.
<img src="/images/stories/earlwood.jpg">
<img style="float: left; margin: 5px;" src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg">The Michelin star-awarded Thai food chef David Thompson has sold his family home at Earlwood (pictured above), in Sydney’s inner west. He owns the renowned Nahm restaurants in Bangkok and London, which ranks as the only Thai restaurant ever to be awarded a Michelin star. Thompson grew up in the Homer Street house, which has views across Cooks River to the city skyline. Thompson is looking to buy something in Thailand. The recently renovated house sold with an undisclosed price through BresicWhitney Estate agent Darren Pearce and Daniella Sarkis, who were expecting more than $750,000. Thompson made his culinary mark at Darley Street Thai restaurant in Sydney with his business partner, the late Peter Bowyer, and then at Sailors Thai at The Rocks.
<img src="/images/stories/box40.jpg">
<img style="float: left; margin: 5px;" src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg">Box 40 (pictured above), one of the 85 Brighton bathing boxes, has been snapped up before this weekend’s scheduled auction for $210,000. It had been listed with $190,000-plus expectations having been last sold at $170,000 two years ago. Set on one of the most photographed locales in Australia, Box 40 comes with new weatherboards and a Balinese-style ceiling. It sold through Katie Reid at Nick Johnstone Real Estate. Bathing boxes existed in Brighton as far back as 1862. The record price for a newly built bathing box was set in June at $260,000.
<img src="/images/stories/dover3.jpg">
<img style="float: left; margin: 5px;" src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg">They must talk about nothing but real estate in the Channel Seven Sydney canteen at the moment. Not only has star Morning Show presenter Larry Emdur spent $6.8 million on a trophy home (pictured above) in Dover Heights, but its sports news presenter Tony Squires and his wife, Kate Pascoe, have been active in the Sydney market. But Squires and Pascoe are yet to sell their house at Clovelly (pictured below).
<img src="/images/stories/squires.jpg">
The large three-bedroom Federation semi overlooking the ocean in Sydney’s coastal eastern suburbs had been tipped to fetch more than $1.7 million when scheduled for auction last weekend. The Surfside Avenue property remains listed through Debbie Donnelley and Angus Gorrie at goodyerDonnelley Real Estate. Squires and Pascoe are upgrading to a larger $2.6 million three-level residence at Bondi Junction sold by the art gallery owner Richard Martin through Ben Collier at McGrath Eastern Suburbs.
<img src="/images/stories/brissenden.jpg">
<img style="float: left; margin: 5px;" src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg">The Buckle car dealership family are selling on of their Sydney northern beaches residences. Maemont, the five-bedroom Collaroy Basin extended bungalow (pictured above), is for sale at $2.95 million through Matt Morley at Doyle Spillane Real Estate.
<img style="float: left; margin: 5px;" src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg">Title Tattle aims to tell you as soon as we know – often before it happens – so the word from Rose Bay is that retired High Court justice Michael Kirby is set to sell his long-time home on Sydney Harbour. It’s been his home since 1976. Its listing presumably means Michael and his partner of 41 years, Johan van Vloten, will now be able to buy something in both their names.
<img src="/images/stories/gilb.jpg">
<img style="float: left; margin: 5px;" src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg">And don't say that Title Tattle told you, but Western Bulldogs defender Lindsay Gilbee is not likely to make much money on his 1955 Ashburton house (pictured above), which failed to sell at last weekend's auction. The renovated two-bedroom 1950s house, set on a 705-square-metre block, is listed through Marshall White agent Andrew Gibbons, who passed the property in at $880,000. Gilbee now has price hopes of $950,000 for it. The property last sold in October at $925,000 with the stamp duty costing $50,000.
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Chance to buy one of the 200 best homes in the world: Title Tattle

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{yoogallery src=[images/stories/september2dover]}
Channel 7 Morning Show co-host Larry Emdur and his wife, Sylvie, have spent $6.8 million upgrading to a mansion with dramatic oceanfront cliff-top views over the Pacific.
The breathtaking Dover Heights property presents coastal living on a grand scale with infinity pool.
It sold through Anthony Puntigan at Bradfield &amp; Prichard.
It has a glamorous double-height foyer with twin chandeliers and a sweeping staircase. The two-storey house has large living and dining areas, a state-of-the-art kitchen, home office, main bedroom with a marble en suite fitted with a steam room and spa overlooking the ocean. There are two more king-size bedrooms both with en suites, along with a gymnasium with a retractable roof. There is a self-contained apartment suitable for guests or staff.
It was sold by the veteran rag trader and Australian Horizons chief executive Jeff Moss and his wife, Lisa.
On 1,062-square-metre of cliff-top land, the recently renovated residence was bought through Puntigan by the Mosses in February 2007 for $7.1 million from the widow of medico Robert Diamond, Elaine Diamond.
In 1996, the Diamonds bought the Hunter Street property for $1.7 million and demolished an old house.
It was initially listed in 2010 with hopes it would sell for more than $8.5 million, but the price wasn't right.
The Emdurs have owned at Dover Heights since 1994 when they spent $770,000 on another cliff-top property, but it’s only 417 square metres.
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Larry Emdur says good morning to breathtaking cliff-top property

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The Brisbane home that no one will buy finally got an acceptable offer last month, but the purchaser’s finance hasn’t come through.
So the house that’s been Australia's most heavily discounted property – 1350 Wynnum Road, Tingalpa – is back on the market seeking $380,000 offers.
The modest post-war home on an 1,158-square-metre block started its listing last November with $700,000 hopes.
The deceased estate was recently under contract, but it fell over at 5pm on August 31 with the buyers unable to get finance, its LJ Hooker listing agent Janelle Randall advised.
The price discounting situation is now not unusual, as property analyst Louis Christopher of SQM Research says there’s a house in White Beach, Tasmania with an even bigger 49% discount to its initial $780,000 asking price.
Discounting remains rife across the country, many vendors being forced to accept offers far lower than they would have last year. The latest RP Data-Rismark data suggest sellers need 55 days and a 7.2% discount to find buyers.
“The owner has believed in me from day one,” Randall says.
Her sales situation was due to a combination of factors that start with it being on six-lane road.
“I could write a book about it,” she says, adding that she had been approached to have the property appear on Andrew Winter’s Selling Houses Australia Extreme.
“There have been multiple offers.
"But it's on a main road so it's always going to have its challenges and it was probably listed too high in the beginning,” Randall says.
“It’s perfect for exposure … it’s just getting the approvals for a business.
“Not everyone wants Wynnum Road.”
She didn’t mention it has a quarry behind it and an industrial estate across the road.
"Obviously it would have sold very quickly in 2009 if it had gone on at a more reasonable price.
"The current falling market has made things even worse,” Randall says.
“I know all the property in the suburb,” she says. “It’s not a premium price, but they would like to get what they want.
In June RP Data estimated the house’s value at about $394,000. RP Data says the median house price in Tingalpa was currently about $425,000
A nearby 1248 Wynnum Road two-bedroom cottage sold recently for $405,000.
The property has been a regular entrant in the <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/hotspots/sqm-s-top-10-discount-list-has-little-change/2011090151389" target="_blank">SQM top 10 most discounted lists.</a>
The original asking price was at the owner's directive.
The latest RP Data-Rismark Hedonic Home Value Index showed the value of dwellings in Brisbane dropped to a median price of $420,000, which reflects a 6.6% annual drop, the worst in the country.
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Bank stops overlooked ugly duckling from selling in deteriorating Brisbane market

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LJ Hooker has confirmed it has terminated the franchise agreement with its Pymble and Lindfield office franchisee, Johnson Prestige Realty Pty Ltd, due to a breach of the franchise agreement.
The office has secured the sale of many prestige upper north shore listings, including  a then-record of $5.4 million in Pymble in 2004.
A search of LJ Hooker's website for Pymble returns a "Page not found" message.
<img src="/images/stories/ljhookerpymble.jpg">
LJ Hooker’s other businesses on Sydney’s north shore are among the strongest and stable businesses within the network, an LJ Hooker spokesperson says.
“As one of the leading real estate network we will continue provide our customers and the residents of the north shore the same service as always.”
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LJ Hooker terminates Pymble franchise office

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The Phillip Island site of the fire-destroyed historic Isle of Wight Hotel has been listed for sale. It comes with approval for a nine-storey residential-resort development and has $9 million plus hopes.
The historic hotel played host to Fred Astaire, Ava Gardner and Gregory Peck during their filming of the 1959 movie On the Beach in 1958.
<img src="/images/stories/onthebeach.jpg">
The 1920s Cowes hotel was destroyed in May 2010, after which the hotel's owner, David Gearing, expressed his hope to rebuild.
Its redevelopment was first flagged in the early 1980s. The development application was first approved 2005, with subsequent amendments earlier this year.
There has been a hotel on the main street site since the 1870s.
<img src="/images/stories/philhotel.jpg">
The 9,197-square-metre site on The Esplanade has been listed through CB Richard Ellis agents Paul O’Connell and Scott Callow.
Offers are due October 11. The marketing says it is for outright sale or the vendor will consider a joint venture.
It has been in the Gearing family since 1982.
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Iconic Phillip Island resort development site for sale - and it's on the beach

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Global house prices rose 0.1% in the three months to June 2011, contributing to annual growth of 1.7%, according to Knight Frank’s latest global house price index, which concluded the global housing market was at its weakest since 2009.
Headed by the world’s hottest property market, Hong Kong, where prices grew 26.5% in the past year, Asia continues to outperform all other regions. With prices up 8% in the year, Asia has been the top-performing continent for seven consecutive quarters.
House prices declined in 23 of the 50 countries monitored by the index in the last three months, according to Liam Bailey, the head of Knight Frank Residential Research.
With a 1.9% decline over the year and 0.1% decline in the June quarter, Australia has slipped to 32nd position. <a target="_blank" title="Australia ranked 28th" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/australia-ranks-28th-on-house-price-index-list/2011062050537">During the March 2011 quarter Australia was ranked 28th.</a> Just a year ago in the March quarter 2010, Australia peaked as the fourth-fastest-growing property market in the world after a 20% price annual jump.
In the latest index both North America and Europe remain the weakest performing world regions, where prices declined by 0.9% and 0.1% respectively over the year.
“This weak performance shows the extent to which many of the world’s economies are struggling in the wake of the 2008-09 global crisis,” says Bailey.
Confidence remained low and households’ disposable income is waning, Bailey notes.
The slight overall fall in prices was partly attributed to the absence of double-digit annual price growth in China, Singapore and India.
“There are clear signs that Asian policy measures, aimed at cooling asset price growth are having some success,” Bailey says.
“Annual price growth in Singapore stood at 6.7% in quarter two in 2011, down from 37% a year earlier.
“Similar patterns are emerging in India and China, which both recorded quarterly price falls in the three months to June, of 1.7% and 0.1% respectively.”
Hong Kong also slowed during the second quarter of 2011, with its quarterly price growth of 3.5% down from 10.1% in the previous quarter. “Looking forward it is difficult to be positive about price prospects in the developed world’s mainstream housing markets.
“Ongoing low interest rates and other market support measures are likely to spur increased sales activity rather than price growth,” Bailey says.
The Knight Frank Global House Price Index was established in 2006.
<img src="/images/stories/knightfranksept1.gif">
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Australia slips to 32nd place while Asia remains strong in house price index: Knight Frank

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{yoogallery src=[images/stories/september1fitness]}
Tony De Leede, who recently featured at number 90 on the Queensland Top 100 Rich List, has listed his redundant Mermaid Beach retreat for sale.
The three-level, four-bedroom, four-bathroom Hedge Avenue house – with massive but empty walk-in master bedroom wardrobe – is being marketed by Kingfisher Realty agent Conal Martin.
“Properties of this calibre rarely become available on tightly held Hedges Avenue, and we expect the property to stir up a lot of interest within the prestige real estate market here on the Gold Coast,” Martin says.
De Leede was the founder and former managing director of Fitness First Australia. He paid $7.3 million in 2009 after the property downturn hit the Gold Coast in late 2008. It was $1.5 million less than the asking price of its vendor, Lisa Frawley, the wife of the former Roamfree executive director Mark Frawley. Leede has says he is willing to take a small loss on the property.
The 607-square-metre house was constructed four years ago.
“It’s been only sparingly used due to Tony De Leede’s heavy business schedule, so he has reluctantly decided to sell the home,” Martin says.
“At the time of purchase, I considered this property was the best value on Hedges Avenue and made the decision to buy it the moment I viewed the home with the intention of living in it.” De Leede says.
“Business commitments intervened with my plans, due mainly to guiding the explosive development of my new business venture, Fit ‘n’ Fast Fitness Clubs.
“This has constrained my presence on the Gold Coast to far less than originally planned, resulting in the property being under-utilised.
“With two other beachfront properties in Burleigh Heads and a love of spending time at my award-winning health retreat Gwinganna in the Tallebudgera Valley, I have reluctantly decided to sell my home on Hedges Avenue.” De Leede says.
The house has a four-car garage.
The top floor exclusive parents’ area also has a contemporary en suite with spa and a private balcony overlooking the beach.
The first floor has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchenette area and a casual lounge area plus an open balcony.
The ground floor living area has a kitchen with granite tops and Miele appliances and walk-in pantry. A dedicated office is located on the ground level.
The grounds have a lap pool and spa pool.
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Fitness First founder seeks to shed overweight Gold Coast property portfolio

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<img src="/images/stories/landsend.jpg">
Land’s End, the 1902 Colonial Revival mansion overlooking Long Island Sound at Sands Point, was demolished in April 2011.
Its five hectares are now being subdivided into a gated cul-de-sac, to be known as <a target="_blank" title="Seagate" href="https://seagateatsandspoint.com/">Seagate at Sands Point</a>.
As the New York Times recently wrote, the aura of The Great Gatsby only just lingers around the estate, which was thought to have inspired the setting for F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel about the Roaring ’20s. But there is no conclusive evidence that the 25-room Land’s End was the model for Tom and Daisy Buchanan's mansion in the 1925 novel.
Although its name has been changed to Seagate, Bert Brodsky, the owner, declared that it would “represent today’s Gatsby.”
<img src="/images/stories/seagate2.jpg">
With prices ranging from about $10 million to $17 million, it will have five new mansions (such as the one pictured) on lots of almost one hectare.
Brodsky reportedly bought Land’s End for $US17.5 million in 2004.
This week actor <a target="_blank" title="Leonardo DiCaprio" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/leonardo-dicaprio-gets-his-sydney-tennis-court-for-gatsby-shoot/2011083151370">Leonardo DiCaprio has secured a rental property in Vaucluse in which to live</a> while he films the titular role in Baz Luhrmann's version of The Great Gatsby.
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East Egg residents get new homes in Long Island development

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Actor Leonardo DiCaprio, who’s in Sydney to shoot the title role in The Great Gatsby film remake, did get his desired rental requirement of a harbourside Sydney bolthole with a tennis court.
DiCaprio, who topped the latest list of Hollywood's highest-earning actors according to Forbes.com,<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/new-south-wales/leonardo-dicaprio-struggles-to-find-sydney-s-west-egg-for-gatsby-filming/2011080451026" title="DiCaprio looking for Sydney bolthole" target="_blank"> had his scouts looking for luxury rental lodgings with a $30,000 a week limit.</a>
There are just 21 eastern suburb Sydney harbourfront homes with tennis courts, and eight have the tennis court directly on the water. He’s secured one of the ones with the tennis court on the non-harbourfront side in Vaucluse.
The Sydney Morning Herald's PS columnist Andrew Hornery reported that DiCaprio's $10,000-per-week rental digs are owned by businessman Alastair Walton and his wife, Gillian, who paid $14.275 million for the property in 2002. 
While spending much of his time in The Hamptons, New York, Walton has been periodically resident in the rear nanny flat during previous rentals to other lesser-known occupants of the Luigi Rosselli-designed mansion. Interestingly F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel is set in the New York enclave of the rich and richer.
Walton is a career investment banker who was briefly vice chairman and managing director of Goldman Sachs JBWere in Australia.
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Leonardo DiCaprio gets his Sydney tennis court for Gatsby shoot

ASX-listed developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/stockland">Stockland</a>&nbsp;is continuing its push back into the new apartment market, filing plans for a prominent gateway site between Collingwood and East Melbourne.

The development giant, which moved back into the new apartment space when it announced Stanton Place in Sydney's Rosebery and have since filed plans for a 50-storey tower, are jumping into the off the plan Melbourne market.

They are hoping to create a mixed-use neighbourhood precinct for <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/79-81-victoria-parade-collingwood-vic-3066">79-81 Victoria Parade</a>, replacing an existing commercial building with a scheme by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/john-wardle-architects">Wardle</a>&nbsp;for 478 apartments,&nbsp;ground-floor retail, new public open spaces and a publicly accessible pedestrian laneway.

<img alt="First look: Stockland plans new mixed-use neighbourhood precinct for Collingwood gateway site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="72dbbca9-3918-4073-afad-a0c0c35be8e7" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/stockland%20pers.png?VersionId=bzMVUKKxvwuNK1m0v_td126Rgct32uk_" />

The design report identifies the public realm as a central driver of the proposal.

"Collingwood has limited access to high-quality parks and public open space, and the proposal delivers valuable new areas for respite, social interaction and fine-grain retail activity."

The development would deliver a diverse mix of housing, including studio, one, two and three-bedroom apartments alongside townhouse-style residences. Two basement levels are proposed beneath the development, providing resident and retail parking as well as extensive bicycle facilities.

Wardle's design draws heavily on Collingwood's industrial character, using articulated building forms, brickwork and robust materials inspired by the suburb's warehouse and manufacturing heritage. The built form has been broken into a series of smaller volumes to better respond to the surrounding streetscape while extensive communal gardens, rooftop amenities and shared resident spaces are integrated throughout the project.

<img alt="First look: Stockland plans new mixed-use neighbourhood precinct for Collingwood gateway site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7b2135ed-65df-4253-ad53-f216f06bd467" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/stockland%20podium.png?VersionId=l1B6Hqn8zs772VxH6L1fDPg0KHshan9v" />

The planning documents describe the existing office building as offering little engagement with the public realm, with the redevelopment intended to create a more permeable and active neighbourhood destination.

"The proposed scheme presents a significant opportunity to deliver a vibrant retail plaza and a local neighbourhood hub serving both existing and future Collingwood residents."

The 79–81 Victoria Parade site occupies a strategic location about 1.5 kilometres east of Melbourne's CBD, at the threshold between Collingwood and East Melbourne. It is well served by tram services along Victoria Parade and sits within walking distance of St Vincent's Hospital, Fitzroy Gardens, the Fitzroy activity centre and a broad range of employment, retail and hospitality destinations.

Joel Robinson

Stockland plans new mixed-use neighbourhood precinct for Collingwood gateway site

An 1880s timber cottage that has survived Kangaroo Point's transformation from riverside suburb to high-density apartment precinct is set to become the centrepiece of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/zephyr">Zephyr Group</a>'s proposed Banksia development.

Rather than see the locally heritage-listed Alpha Cottage as an obstacle to navigate, plans integrate the landmark home into a new 18-storey residential tower, giving one of the suburb's oldest surviving residences a new role as the project's communal hub.

The development application covers a 1,177 sqm amalgamated site at 127-133 Lambert Street and 30 Shafston Avenue, where Zephyr Group plans to deliver 64 apartments above three basement levels. Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/joe-adsett-architects">Joe Adsett Architects</a>, the proposal carefully weaves the retained heritage cottage into a contemporary residential scheme, with the tower elevated above the historic building to preserve its presence within the Lambert Street streetscape.

<img alt="First look: Zephyr Group's Banksia to wrap new Kangaroo Point tower around 1880s Alpha Cottage" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f9dc5bdb-d691-4c60-bf2b-c3ed405a3e75" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Banksia.png?VersionId=Jh4bjlewU.o8HXWt0V4KaFA_lPcF7KWM" />

Named after the native Australian Banksia flower, the project draws inspiration from its distinctive form through curved balconies, sculpted planter boxes and cascading subtropical landscaping that soften the building's profile.

As the design report explains: "The tower's identity is defined by its feature facade, drawing direct inspiration from the Banksia wildflower. The building departs from traditional rigidity through the use of elegant, GRC-moulded planter boxes that appear as if shaped by the breeze."

Plans propose 64 apartments, comprising 32 two-bedroom and 32 three-bedroom residences, across an 18-storey tower. Residents would have access to rooftop amenities including a swimming pool, spa, gym, sauna, private cinema, dining spaces and landscaped recreation areas, while more than half the site is dedicated to planting and open space.

<img alt="First look: Zephyr Group's Banksia to wrap new Kangaroo Point tower around 1880s Alpha Cottage" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="16041b5f-033e-47fa-8fbe-9886e072c1f2" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/pool.png?VersionId=kpx5w4EbLx0_TdWfDoD1vrSs0_cZ5Ao1" />

The heritage component is the defining feature of the proposal. Constructed in the early 1880s and occupied from at least 1883, Alpha Cottage is recognised by Brisbane City Council as an important surviving example of Kangaroo Point's nineteenth-century residential development and as a representative transverse-gable timber cottage. Despite extensive redevelopment across the peninsula, the building has retained a high degree of its original form and internal fabric.

As part of the redevelopment, the cottage will be carefully relocated a short distance within its original allotment to facilitate construction before being returned to a prominent position along Lambert Street. Original verandah elements will be dismantled, catalogued and reinstated, while significant internal features, including timber flooring, wall linings, joinery, doors, windows and hardware, will be retained. Later additions, including the enclosed rear verandah, will be removed to better reveal the building's original form.

Once restored, Alpha Cottage will accommodate the building manager's office, mail room and parcel facilities, providing an active everyday use that supports its long-term conservation rather than preserving it as a static display. The heritage strategy also maintains landscaped space around the building, allowing it to remain visually distinct beneath the new tower.

<img alt="First look: Zephyr Group's Banksia to wrap new Kangaroo Point tower around 1880s Alpha Cottage" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="43b027e1-576e-4624-a66c-7cc54ea8b7be" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/banksia%20tower.png?VersionId=2W6E2yfkj2AQlWlLeV986grA5zB9f817" />

The Heritage Impact Assessment concludes that "the proposal secures the ongoing occupation, maintenance and conservation of Alpha Cottage," finding the development would result in "no more than a minor impact on the cultural heritage significance" of the building while ensuring its long-term future.

Joe Adsett Architects have designed the tower to sit above the heritage building rather than overwhelm it, creating a clear visual separation between old and new. The development's flowing balconies, integrated planting and organic façade respond to Brisbane's subtropical climate while complementing the restored cottage below.

Banksia occupies a prominent corner in Kangaroo Point within walking distance of the Kangaroo Point Bridge, Brisbane River, ferry services, QUT, the CBD and the Woolloongabba precinct. The site also benefits from direct access to active transport infrastructure and sits within an area earmarked for continued higher-density residential growth.

Zephyr Group's Banksia to wrap new Kangaroo Point tower around 1880s Alpha Cottage

Buying into a masterplanned community often means committing to a vision still years from taking shape. At <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a>, that vision is already visible.

Residents have moved into the completed first stage, landscaped spaces are established, and the next chapter is now underway. Stage 1 has been completed and settled, with Stage 2 now selling off-the-plan.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/pbd-architects">PBD Architects</a>, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a> combines attainable apartment living with sustainability initiatives rarely seen at this price point, including rooftop solar, battery storage and a resident EV-sharing program.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6RNt3AvtBpI?si=JUhuCV2ZRXsYaoJZ" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

Located on Schofi​elds Road, just moments from Tal​lawong Metro Station and Schof​ields Train Station, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a> has been designed to appeal to a broad mix of buyers, from first-home purchasers looking for a foothold in Sy​dney's property market to downsizers seeking a connected, low-maintenance lifestyle.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a> has been conceived as a thoughtfully planned masterplanned community that will evolve over multiple stages, with buyers now able to secure one, two and three-bedroom apartments within a neighbourhood that is already beginning to establish its identity.

One of the project's defining features is its focus on sustainability. Solar energy systems, battery storage and future EV charging infrastructure have been incorporated throughout the development, reflecting a long-term approach to both environmental performance and everyday convenience.

Sustainability sits at the centre of the development's vision, with solar energy systems, battery storage and future EV charging infrastructure integrated throughout the community.

That emphasis on future-ready living extends beyond the technology. Landscaped communal gardens, outdoor gathering spaces and plans for a future retail precinct aim to create a neighbourhood where residents can access daily conveniences without travelling far from home.

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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.

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&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."

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&nbsp; 
PERIFA Founder and Managing Director Fabrizio Perilli said the project reflected a shared commitment to delivering exceptional places that create long-term value for residents and the broader community. 
&nbsp; 
"The topping out milestone is a significant achievement for the Versatile Group and a testament to the collaboration between all project partners, consultants and contractors involved," Perilli said. 
&nbsp; 
"Beyond the residences themselves, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/putney-wharf-harbourfront-precinct-20-waterview-street-putney-nsw-2112">Putney Wharf</a> will establish a new waterfront destination that celebrates the history, character and lifestyle of this unique location while creating a lasting legacy for future generations."

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&nbsp; 
Construction is being delivered by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/builders/versatile">Versatile Construction</a>, with structural works now substantially complete across the precinct. Attention will progressively shift to the construction of the waterview terraces, apartment façades, services and interior fit-out works over the coming months. 
&nbsp; 
With limited residences and marina berths remaining, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/putney-wharf-harbourfront-precinct-20-waterview-street-putney-nsw-2112">Putney Wharf</a> continues to attract strong interest from owner occupiers and downsizers seeking a premium waterfront lifestyle within close proximity to Putne​y Village, Rh​odes, Top Ry​de and the Syd​ney CBD. 
&nbsp; 
As one of the last opportunities to secure a residence within a new masterplanned waterfront community on Sy​dney Harbour, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/putney-wharf-harbourfront-precinct-20-waterview-street-putney-nsw-2112">Putney Wharf</a> is expected to remain a highly sought-after address for years to come.

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Jonathan Chancellor

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