Around 400 additional homes could be built at Southwark Grounds on Port Road, lifting total site capacity from 1300 to around 1700 dwellings.

A recently approved code amendment would allow apartment towers of up to 14 storeys in some areas of Renewal SA’s redevelopment of the former West End Brewery.

Renewal SA Acting Chief Executive Shane Wingard said he welcomed the code amendment, with the increase in heights and homes making a positive impact on the supply of high-quality, well-connected housing close to the city.

“By going higher across some parts of Southwark Grounds, we are adding a substantial number of very well-located homes with little impact on project delivery time or planned open space,” Mr Wingard said.

Since the project officially launched in 2025, Mr Wingard said more than 12,000 enquiries had been received about living at Southwark Grounds.

“The very strong early interest we’ve seen since homes were first released in the precinct reinforces our plans to create more housing opportunities,” he said.

The Southwark Grounds code amendment was launched in December last year, with community engagement undertaken over five weeks from January.

It proposed increasing maximum building heights from eight to 14 storeys on the eastern section of Southwark Grounds, and to 12 storeys across the remainder of the site, with minimum building heights ranging from two to four storeys.

The code amendment was implemented through an Early Commencement policy in late January, allowing developers to quickly explore the viability of increased height and housing yield while other planning processes continue.

One of the first developers delivering apartment sites have already finalised redesigns to increase the number of apartments following the code amendment.

Samaras’ development adjacent to the future Colonel Light Park is now planning to deliver 125 apartments across 11 storeys, significantly greater than original plans of around 50 apartments across four storeys.

The developer is also exploring the potential for additional affordable housing outcomes.

Most of the apartments at Southwark Grounds will be delivered within a master-planned precinct on a large parcel of land on the eastern portion of the site, covering around two-thirds of its 8.4 hectares.

Wingard said detailed precinct planning over the coming months may identify further opportunities to increase yield further that could see total apartment numbers at Southwark Grounds, exceed this number.

Affordable homes at Southwark Grounds will also see a net increase, with Renewal SA maintaining its commitment to a minimum of 20 per cent affordable housing across the development.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Civil works have begun across the site, with construction under way on the first new roads surrounding a townhouse precinct in the south‑west corner of Southwark Grounds. This includes Renewal SA’s 17 Founder’s Row homes, which are on track for completion by Christmas.

“We expect to have people living at Southwark Grounds by the end of the year, so delivering roads and public spaces for those residents is among our highest priorities.”

Construction of 40 townhouses off Anderson Street, known as West Village and being delivered by Contour, is forecast to begin in mid‑2026. Kolabb’s Anderson Lane development will follow shortly after, delivering a further 26 townhouses.

Southwark Grounds is a state government‑led urban renewal project now set to deliver around 1,700 homes over the next decade.

Homes will be supported by a supermarket, a range of retail and hospitality offerings anchored by a revitalised Walkerville Brew Tower, a childcare centre, car parking and well‑connected public spaces.

Joel Robinson

400 new homes planned for Adelaide's former West End Brewery site

Brisbane developer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/cavcorp">Cavcorp</a> has lodged plans for a new mixed-use residential development at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/55-wyandra-street-teneriffe-qld-4005">55 Wyandra Street</a>, Teneriffe, anchored by an 85-metre public laneway designed to reconnect the suburb’s riverfront with the Gasworks precinct.

The buildings, known as Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane, would replace the existing Queensland Cotton head office site with a 15-storey residential tower transitioning to eight storeys toward Helen Street. The project has been designed by Plazibat Architects and lodged as a code assessable development application for 93 apartments across a 3,401 sqm mixed-use site within the Newstead and Teneriffe Waterfront neighbourhood plan.

Central to the scheme is the transformation of an existing service easement into a publicly accessible cross-block connection linking Wyandra and Helen Streets. Cavcorp says the new laneway will act as both a pedestrian shortcut and a landscaped civic space between the Teneriffe Riverwalk, ferry terminal, and Gasworks precinct.

<img alt="First Look: Cavcorp unveils Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane plans for landmark wellness tower in Teneriffe" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="26e7f058-b065-4de8-b13d-a2b8cb64dfcc" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/bldg.png?VersionId=sELS0ZKYi361oYipUa1BIKfe_.DLZoFV" />

“The revised proposal delivers a legacy public-realm cross-block link, permanently secured for community use, transforming an existing private easement into a safe, high-quality pedestrian connection between the Teneriffe heritage riverwalk and the Gasworks–Long Island precinct,” the planning report states.

The laneway will sit beneath a large subtropical loggia integrated into the podium levels of the development. The design incorporates deep landscaping, water gardens, lobby spaces, business lounges, and ground-floor apartments to create what Cavcorp describes as a climate-responsive “urban verandah.”

The tower itself has been designed as a slender form with recessed floorplates and curved translucent corners inspired by contemporary Japanese architecture. The building height aligns with the Commercial Road precinct controls, which permit towers up to 15 storeys within proximity to Longland Street.

<img alt="First Look: Cavcorp unveils Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane plans for landmark wellness tower in Teneriffe" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a8a17d40-43b6-4718-b3fd-67676fcbb485" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/pers%202_1.png?VersionId=i3VwDtp5AmL_8InW7w4qRbDFEpb744Jt" />

The project will comprise a mix of larger-format apartments aimed at owner-occupiers, downsizers, and families. The proposed apartment mix includes 11 loggia apartments across the lower levels, 50 four-bedroom Sky-Terrace apartments from levels three to seven, and 32 Sky-Pool Homes occupying the upper tower levels. The Sky-Pool Homes will feature private thermal plunge pools integrated into oversized balconies.

According to the application, the apartments are intended to reinterpret the scale and character of Teneriffe’s woolstore conversions and Queensland homes within a vertical residential format.

“The sky-pool homes build on Cavcorp’s previous projects and introduce a distinct apartment typology to Teneriffe, informed by both local and international precedent and responding to an identified market demand for enhanced safety, space and amenity,” the planning submission notes.

A major focus of the proposal is its five-level wellness and lifestyle offering, extending from the basement through to the rooftop.

Amenities proposed include a rooftop Swim &amp; Racquet Club with a 25-metre Olympic lap pool and tennis court, coworking spaces and libraries, golf simulators, wine storage, concierge facilities, business lounges, pet wash areas, and rooftop longevity-focused wellness spaces with spas, outdoor fitness zones, and landscaped terraces.

<img alt="First Look: Cavcorp unveils Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane plans for landmark wellness tower in Teneriffe" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="944b352c-49b9-4247-a4c6-5967b4b69fda" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/amenity.png?VersionId=Ed_qKjAtMwFT.5gfl3jiA9QwdWxSMsaX" />

All parking will be concealed within basement levels accessed from Wyandra and Helen Streets. Cavcorp says the deep-basement engineering approach allows the entire ground plane to prioritise landscaping, pedestrian movement, and active frontage rather than vehicle infrastructure.

The development continues Cavcorp’s concentration in Newstead and Teneriffe, where the Brisbane developer has delivered a number of apartment projects including Lucent, Le Bain, and Luminare, as well as the Long Island Wellness Precinct nearby. Several of those projects have received national design and architecture awards, including recognition under Brisbane’s “Buildings that Breathe” program.

Cavcorp unveils wellness-focused Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane apartment buildings

Focus Group Investments has lodged plans for a new apartment development at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/64-70-hanover-street-fitzroy-vic-3065">64–70 Hanover Street</a> in Fitzroy, seeking to utilise the Victorian Government’s recently introduced Great Design Fast Track pathway to accelerate approvals for the project.

The proposal is among the latest developments to emerge through the state-led initiative, which was established to fast-track well-designed residential projects in activity centres and transport-connected inner-city locations. The pathway allows qualifying developments that meet elevated design and housing benchmarks to bypass traditional council planning timeframes and instead be assessed directly by the Department of Transport and Planning.

Designed by SJB, the development will comprise a mix of apartments above activated lower levels, with a strong focus on architectural articulation, landscaping, and communal amenity. The design response seeks to balance the industrial character of Richmond’s former warehouse precincts with a more contemporary residential form.

<img alt="First look: Focus Group Investments taps Victoria’s Great Design Fast Track for Richmond apartments" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="abea51cc-d85b-479e-9aef-a589f3b37ca7" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/ground.png?VersionId=e1Kf8EyPWwyiVumtqQ4rM5S4GpOR3CCz" />

Proposed are 63 new dwellings, a wide ranging mix of studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, and townhouses and duplexes. They will be spread across a part-three, part-eight storey building.

The Planning and Urban Context Report by Tract says the development is of an "exemplary architectural standard" and has been carefully crafted by SJB Architects.

"Dwellings&nbsp;will benefit from excellent access to natural light, cross-ventilation opportunities and extensive communal space," the report noted.

The architectural material highlights the project’s integration of landscaped elements and communal spaces throughout the building. The proposal also incorporates sustainability initiatives aligned with the Victorian Government’s push for higher-performing apartment developments under the fast-track program.

The Great Design Fast Track was unveiled by the Victorian Government in 2024 as part of a broader housing supply strategy aimed at accelerating the delivery of new homes. Projects assessed through the pathway must demonstrate high-quality architecture, sustainability outcomes, and housing diversity while being located close to public transport and existing infrastructure.

<img alt="First look: Focus Group Investments taps Victoria’s Great Design Fast Track for Richmond apartments" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="afdbe834-8dc4-4a77-a943-ba07bc927348" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/site_11.png?VersionId=0J657j.TaChAZfp93wqJYBTqSsnREJx2" />

Focus Group, founder and led by Paul De Lutiis, is increasingly active across Melbourne’s inner suburbs, targeting well-connected urban renewal locations suited to medium and higher-density residential development. The Fitzroy proposal continues that strategy, leveraging the area’s strong transport links, established retail amenity, and proximity to the CBD.

Fitzroy has been one of the most popular spots for developers and buyers in recent years. The likes of PACE Development Group, SMA Projects, Crema Group and Chapter Group, currently selling projects in the suburb.

First look: Focus Group Investments taps Victoria’s Great Design Fast Track for Fitzroy apartments

The Gold Coast Planning Committee has supported the preliminary approval for the Benowa Gardens Urban Village project following an extensive community consultation and assessment process.

The proposal will now proceed to a full council vote on June 2.

The application sought approval for a masterplanned urban village on the existing Benowa Gardens Shopping Centre site, combining new housing, retail, dining, health and lifestyle amenities within a walkable, integrated precinct.&nbsp;

The proposed redevelopment includes around 413 apartments integrated above a revitalised mixed-use centre featuring a full-line supermarket of 4,000 sqm, 6,000 sqm of specialty retail and dining space across around 30 retailers, a 7,000 sqm health and wellness precinct, and roughly 9,630 sqm of office and medical suites.&nbsp;

<img alt="$1b Benowa Gardens Urban Village moves to Full Council following Planning Committee support" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fb36ae47-80bc-45f0-9914-31b0c7b6007d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/PR26576%20Ashmore%20Road%20C4%201121%20FI.jpg?VersionId=6mRKk2uU4r67TmTt39DKGUlvFRbTVqWa" />

The broader masterplan also includes very significant traffic and transport improvements, wide pedestrian walkways, upgraded pedestrian and cycle connections, and enhanced public areas designed to create a more connected and walkable community environment.&nbsp;

Centre owner Patrick Lu said the milestone reflected months of detailed planning, technical assessment and ongoing communication with local residents, businesses, schools and stakeholders.

“We appreciate the time, consideration and care Council officers and the Planning Committee have given this proposal throughout the assessment process,” Lu said.

“We also sincerely thank the local community for engaging with us, sharing feedback and participating in the consultation process over many months.

<img alt="$1b Benowa Gardens Urban Village moves to Full Council following Planning Committee support" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="32fd1fc3-d0e6-485f-ac57-9916c9bcb818" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/PR26576%20Ashmore%20Road%20C5%201121%20FI_2.jpg?VersionId=fz8qQKDBLQ7MyFRc856Zccfbh9nFwLOe" />

“We understand projects of this scale bring questions and concerns, which is why we have worked hard to listen carefully, provide information transparently and continue refining elements of the proposal where possible.

“Our vision has always been to create a well-designed, community-focused urban village that responds to the changing needs of the Gold Coast, while delivering improved amenity, housing diversity, healthcare access and local lifestyle benefits.

“This proposal is about creating a genuine live-work-play environment where residents can access everyday services, schools, healthcare, dining, shopping and green space within walking distance, while also supporting local jobs and economic activity.”

<img alt="$1b Benowa Gardens Urban Village moves to Full Council following Planning Committee support" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="50dfbd04-590e-4fc6-983b-766880947867" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Dining%20Day%20Time%20-%20High%20Resolution.jpg?VersionId=BP7ZoKJ0DdL_8iRkkC8VVx99moICV6kg" />

Lu said the proposal had evolved significantly through consultation and technical review, particularly around traffic, pedestrian and student safety and neighbourhood connectivity.&nbsp;

Melissa Griffin, Director at Urbis, said the recommendation recognised the strategic importance of delivering more housing and services within established urban areas already supported by infrastructure.

“This proposal represents the type of thoughtful, integrated growth that planning frameworks across South-East Queensland are encouraging,” Ms Griffin said.

“The project seeks to place housing, retail, healthcare and employment opportunities together in a highly accessible location close to schools, transport and existing services.

“Importantly, the process has involved significant technical assessment and community engagement to ensure local issues and feedback were properly considered throughout the planning pathway.”

$1 billion Benowa Gardens Urban Village heads to council vote following Planning Committee support

Surfers Paradise is officially set for its first new residential development with a 45-storey skybridge connecting the two towers.

John Camilleri’s Celestino Developments has been given the green light by the Gold Coast City Council to develop its major beachfront precinct across its huge 4,000 sqm oceanfront site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/63-79-garfield-terrace-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">63–79 Garfield Terrace</a>, just five months after its <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/first-look-exclusive-billionaire-winx-breeder-s-bold-two-tower-surfers-paradise-play-with-45th-storey-skybridge">submission in late 2025</a>.

The approved scheme will deliver two towers rising 55 and 48 storeys, connected by a skybridge positioned on level 45 that will house a range of resident-only wellness and entertainment spaces.

In its notice of approval, the Gold Coast City Council said the&nbsp;proposed overall built form has been designed to complement the scale, intensity and protect the adjacent amenity and surrounding streets through the use of varied setbacks, site cover and architectural elements.

<img alt="First look exclusive: Billionaire Winx breeder’s bold two-tower Surfers Paradise play with 45th-storey skybridge" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/f_auto,c_limit,w_1440,q_75/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/field/image/Screenshot%202025-12-30%20at%209.53.48%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=ADyPJ_TFbJvSU9wZFOiCBnlPtgF7VWqW" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/dbi">DBI</a>, the development will comprise 275 apartments across the two towers, including a mix of two-, three-, and four-bedroom residences, as well as several penthouses. The apartments will sit above a landscaped podium featuring more than 90 metres of beachfront pool frontage, private resident lawns, lounges, and wellness spaces.

DBI said the design draws heavily from the movement and form of the coastal environment, with curving balcony lines and sculpted façades intended to soften the scale of the towers while maximising ocean outlooks and passive shading outcomes.

“The project occupies a rare, uninterrupted oceanfront site and has been shaped by a design philosophy that merges architectural elegance with environmental responsiveness and a carefully curated lifestyle experience,” DBI said in planning documents submitted to the Gold Coast City Council.

The most distinctive element of the approved project is the skybridge linking the two towers at level 45. The elevated communal space is planned to include executive lounges, formal dining areas, wellness facilities, and panoramic ocean-facing outlooks.

“The skybridge enhances the identity of the development, promotes social interaction, and delivers a lifestyle experience not found elsewhere on the Gold Coast,” DBI said.

At podium level, residents will have access to a suite of resort-style amenities, including resident lounges, private dining rooms, a yoga lawn, gymnasium, plunge pools, and treatment spaces. The beachfront pool has been designed with separate lap, lounge, and children’s areas extending across the width of the site.

The project will also introduce new food and beverage offerings along the Enderley Avenue and Oceanway frontages, contributing additional activation to the beachfront precinct.

First look: Winx billionaire’s beachfront Surfers Paradise apartment development greenlit

Prominent New Zealand apartment and hotel operator, <a href="/developers/safari-group">Safari Group</a>, is offering up a prime investment opportunity for Australians to purchase off the plan in one of the world’s most popular ski destinations.

They recently took to market Mountain Oak Queenstown Apartments, in the growing precinct of Remarkables Park in Frankton, near the airport and at the foot of The Remarkables - the mountain range the locals like to call “The Remarks”.&nbsp;

Sydney investors have shown interest in the one, two and three-bedroom apartments that secure high-season occupancy six months over the year, primarily over summer and winter months.

They average 90 per cent occupancy across their portfolio over January, February, March, August, November and December, while shoulder season months of April, July, September and October are still occupied 70 per cent of the time, with the growing appeal of Queenstown becoming not just a hotspot for the snow, but a lifestyle destination.

Even in the low seasons of May and June, occupancy levels reach around 40 per cent.

<img alt="Safari Group’s Mountain Oak Apartments brings new investment potential to Queenstown" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/f_auto,c_limit,w_1440,q_auto/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/field/image/Ext_Cam15_Sunny.jpg?VersionId=SJAROUM_1s.Tr5ciMk4EEj5oAt_Vewmv" />

Safari’s Safari Hotels arm can also manage the holiday letting for an investor, from the listing on holiday accommodation websites such as Airbnb and Booking.com to the cleaning and maintenance of the investment. They’ve been in the short stay management business for 15 years and offer 24/7 support for investors, an important convenience benefit for any overseas investor

Another major drawcard for Australians is that New Zealand doesn’t have a stamp duty policy - so the entry price of NZ$639,000 (AU$586,000), is all that is payable on completion.

<img alt="Safari Group’s Mountain Oak Apartments brings new investment potential to Queenstown" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,dpr_2.0,q_auto:good/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/313_Livingv2_WEB.jpg?VersionId=nV229fM0ZeYpoxOrX372HyGjfwY_LR8c" />

Safari is starting construction of the 141 apartments in Q2 this year, with a two-year build estimated to complete in mid-to-late 2027.<img alt="" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="15" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXczFpFAb7WuA6f4f9TtKWcqXyNwR8qqtakWv352ERkpqNlP3KwIo8YKxw67jZNHfpjEGIZGv5MQTbnvLZwNt8iu9IVdOrswOjCvBZ4zhSoOOLrpt6etVEZTN1gkBho0r_R72zdHNA?key=yq3daOanqHSb88QFd8jGYKdb" title="Click and drag to move" width="15" />​

The apartments will feature modern amenities and contemporary designs with expansive windows capturing sweeping views of The Remarkables mountain range.&nbsp;

Interiors are equipped with modern finishes, premium appliances, and secure electronic key-locked doors, ensuring a comfortable living experience for residents and guests alike.

With its strategic location near Coronet Peak and Cardrona Alpine Resort, as well as key retail and dining precincts such as Market Street, Five Mile Shopping Centre, and Remarkables Market, Mountain Oak offers a strong proposition for investors seeking high rental yields and capital appreciation in one of New Zealand’s most sought-after locations.&nbsp;

Queenstown’s sustained demand for visitor accommodation and rental properties is underpinned by a shortage of housing options, attracting both local and international buyers.

Safari Group offers low-touch investment proposition in Queenstown’s popular ski fields district

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The Melbourne-based property developer Virtus Property Group has spent $2.4 million on a Clayton redevelopment site.
The south-east Melbourne sale was brokered by Savills Australia on behalf of a Melbourne-based private investor.
The property, on Audsley Street, is a 6,400 square metre site with Industrial 1 zoning. On the site there are circa 3,300 square metres of buildings, which Virtus is said to be planning to demolish.
The purchaser is expected to re-develop the property with a 24 unit office/factor estate, ranging from 120 to 150 square metres each, explained Savills associate director industrial, Daniel Kelly.
“The property is in an excellent location within a stone’s throw of Clayton shopping strip, train station and all major road networks,” he said.
Virtus Property Group is a relatively new developer, founded by Peter Fountas and Angelo Bruno, who have an industrial focus.
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Clayton industrial site snapped up for $2.4 million by developer

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With a positive outlook being seen in Australia’s agricultural commodities market, private investment syndicates are turning towards owning and developing broiler farms, according to Colliers International research.
The latest Rural and Agribusiness Research and Forecast Report 2014 from Colliers International has seen the best performing agribusiness sector in Australia being poultry, and indicates that the bottom of the market may have passed.
In fact, increased food demand and improved availability of finance, along with an improving global economy, could be behind the change, explained Tim Altschwager, national director of rural and agribusiness for Colliers.
“The poultry sector is arguably the best financially performing agribusiness enterprise in Australia, currently based on the projections which show that chicken meat is to remain Australia's most consumed meat in the medium term,” Altschwager said.
“This demand is creating passive investment opportunities for acquisition of assets on sale and leaseback models for long terms of 10 to 20 years with double digit yields,” he said.
“Syndicates of private investors are developing and owning the new-age broiler farms producing millions of chickens per annum. Sophisticated investors have the opportunity to take a larger share of the market, with 70 per cent currently owned by two processing companies Ingham and Baiada.”
The cotton industry is also of note, with property transactions high in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area.
“This region is experiencing demand for properties due to a lower capital cost of land when compared to cotton farms in northern regions, typically higher water security and similar yields. The MIA is also experiencing significant growth in ginning demand,” he said.
“China is stock piling cotton for future production, increasing the demand for cotton textiles which in turn makes them the largest importer of Australian cotton, accounting for 68% of our total production.”
Rural beef properties, however, has been tracking below average for the last five years due to drought, said director of research Mark Courtney.
“Although excess supply has been compounded by poor seasonal conditions leading to below pre-GFC levels and a number of distressed assets on the market, it is important to note that gains have been made in the first half of 2014,” he said.
“Furthermore, as most of the receiver stock is selling, the increase in transactional activity and competition in the market is leading to a slight rise in confidence.”
The wine industry’s assets are also still near the bottom of the cycle, however Courtney noted that this may provide an opportunity for cash-rich counter cyclical investors due to low entry costs.
“At current asset values Australia's wine industry sector represents the greatest potential for capital growth over the longer term,” he said.
“The most sought after assets are vertically integrated business in strategic locations, such as the Barossa Valley.”
In fact, Property Observer has only recently reported that a <a href="/news/chinese-snap-up-barossa-valley-chateau-yaldara-winery">Chinese-owned, South Australian-based company has paid about $15.5 million for the Yaldara Winery</a>, one of the most picturesque and attractive wine tourist destinations in South Australia.
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Private investment syndicates eye broiler farms, but wine the best opportunity

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Three Red Rooster sites in Brisbane have been sold to private investors for a total of more than $6.6 million, with the freestanding drive-through sites attracting interest in the formal tender process.
Savills Retail Investment Sales’ Peter Tyson and Michael Harcourt took the sites to market, located in Cannon Hill, Deagon and Kelvin Grove (pictured above), which have sold for $2.5 million, just under $2 million and $2.2 million respectively.
Deagon’s Red Rooster is under contract, although not yet settled. Yields are around 5%.
Tyson said interest in the sites was strong, with a total of 230 enquiries, 65 contracts distributed and 18 formal tenders received. They are cash deals.
“Auction clearance rates in Queensland are currently lower than in the southern states. The formal tender process requires buyers to submit unconditional bids within a private forum whilst maintaining the competitive tension of an auction,” he said.
Harcourt said that the security of prime retail investments, anchored by a well-known fast food brand, was attractive to investors.
He also said that the success comes from their high profile locations, and said that the freestanding retail food sector is strong.
“These are ideal investments for private investors and Self-Managed Superannuation Funds given their prominent locations and strong lease covenants to major national retail groups,” he said.
“Demand for these types of properties is running hot among private investors as they offer strong investment fundamentals at attractive entry level prices and ease of management.”
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Three Brisbane Red Rooster sites gobbled up for $6.6 million

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Charles Farru-Hill and Robert Lawson have been newly appointed to lead Raine &amp; Horne Commercial Western Australia's property management arm.
Farru-Hill has been appointed to the position of associate director of Facilities and Commercial Property Management. Lawson has been appointed associate director of Commercial Property Management.
Farru-Hill currently chairs the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia's Commercial Real Estate Committee. He has worked for Raine &amp; Horne Commercial for about four years. Of his appointment, Raine &amp; Horne Commercial WA director Terry Menage said:
“Charles has added depth and experience to our growing property management portfolio, as well as providing ancillary facilities management services to the organisation.
“He is one of the few commercial property managers in Perth with the Green Building Council of Australia’s ‘Green Star Professional’ Accreditation, and he consults to commercial building owners and managers Australia-wide.”
Lawson has been with Raine &amp; Horne Commercial WA for a year. According to Menage, he has experience in sales, leasing and management, and he said Lawson's appointment "will bring additional drive and focus to Raine &amp; Horne Commercial WA’s expanding commercial management portfolio.”
“Our two new appointments both have blue-chip commercial property experience that encompasses sales and leasing, as well as significant management expertise,” added Menage.
“Charles and Robert are the ideal candidates to lead our property management team effectively and their experience enables them to provide the very best advice and solutions to our investors and business owners.”
Menage said tenant retention was a priority for the division.
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Raine & Horne Commercial expands WA team

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Today, <a href="https://rawtrader.com.au" target="_blank">Raw Trader</a>, a vegan raw dessert café, opened its doors in Melbourne.
On 10 Sutherland Street, the address is conveniently near Melbourne Central Station.
They specialise in paleo, gluten free, raw, vegan desserts and use organic materials. All ingredients, including nut milks, are handmade on the premises.
They call their products “Decadence without the guilt”, and it would be most closely matched by Richmond, Melbourne’s Pana Chocolate store.
The store founder who is leasing the address as Raw Trader told Property Observer that she felt the store was the right size for her to commence her first independent business venture, being in a good location and accessible by public transport.
She had been looking for two months for a site before coming across it, and is proud of her fit out which combines rustic elements of the natural world with the urban contemporary elements of modernity.
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New raw vegan dessert outlet opens in Melbourne CBD

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Retail property sales are up 26% on the same period in 2013, even which yields are sub-7%, according to Savills Australia.
The Melbourne Retail Sales Summary data has found that bulky goods sales had doubled from $52 million in the 12 months to June 2013, to $106 million this year.
Meanwhile, shop transactions were up from $252 million to $261 million.
Regional retail centre sales were a stand out, accounting for 29% of the total retail activity in the state.
Glenn Lampard, Victorian head of research for Savills, said that the figures were boosted by some significant transactions, with prices up but number of sales down. There were 77 properties sold this year, compared to 106 last year.
“Sales are up on last year in dollar terms by more than a quarter and that reflects an investment market which recognises that retail property possesses sound fundamentals and presents well as a long term play,’’ Lampard explained.
Funds have been the most active – purchasing 47% of stock.
However, private investors purchased the most in terms of numbers of properties – with 52 sales.
Here are the standout enclosed centre sales from Savills:
<img src="/images/2014/07/30/chart%20of%20the%20week%20july%2030.jpg" alt="">
Source: Savills
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Victorian retail property sales up 26% over year

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Wingham Plaza Shopping Centre, on the NSW mid north coast, near Taree, has been sold for $10.8 million.
Peter Tyson and Jon Tyson of Savills Retail Sales secured the sale to an Australian-based Taiwanese investor.
Coles makes up close to 70 per cent of the centre's total income of the single-level neighbourhood shopping centre.
It included a freestanding Caltex fuel station. 
The complex was extensively redeveloped and extended in 2009 occupying a one hectare corner site at 113-123 Isabella Street bordering the main commercial precinct of Wingham.
It has a gross lettable floor area of approximately 4,366 square metre, grade level car parking for 137 vehicles.
The sale of Wingham Plaza is the latest in a number of shopping centre sales transacted by Savills on the NSW mid north coast, including the sale of Manning Mall sub-regional shopping centre in nearby Taree for $32.6 million in 2013.
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NSW mid north coast's Wingham Plaza sold for $10.8 million

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Raffles Assets Australia, a subsidiary of Singapore’s Raffles Education ­Corporation, has bought in Parramatta.
Their $29 million purchase which will assist the renaissance of the precinct, is a six-storey office building at 1-3 Fitzwilliam Street.
It sold vacant possession opposite Parramatta Train Station and the Westfield shopping centre through Arland Domingo and Peter Hanzis of Knight Frank.
It was last sold in late 2010 by Trinity Property at $28.3 million representing an initial yield of 9.15% when occupied by the NSW Office of Fair Trading on leases until May 2013, returning net income of $2,509,434 per annum.
Enterprise House was bought in 2010 by Action Office Pty Limited, of the Chandru Tolani property investment group, which paid $18 million in late 2012 for nearby 16-18 Wentworth Street property whose tenants included the Australian Vocational Learning Centre Pty Ltd.
Raffles Education Corporation is the largest private education group in Asia Pacific, according to its website.
The property will be redeveloped as a permanent campus for the company’s college in Sydney, the Raffles College of Design and Commerce – which currently operates out of leased premises.
The building with a net lettable area of 9,782 square metres has been occupied by the NSW Department of Fair Trading.
It has a land size of 2,049 square metres.
Photo courtesy of Google. 
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Raffles Education buys Enterprise House, Parramatta

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The property developer and investor Theo Onisforou has shown confidence in his Oxford Street, Paddington fashion precinct.
He had added a Glenmore Road corner terrace (pictured above) to his property portfolio.
Theo Onisforou is the founder of The Intersection, a vibrant shopping location at the junction of Glenmore Road and Oxford Street.
In 2011, the SMH fashion writer Georgina Safe wrote the intersection had blossomed into one of the country's premier destinations for local designers.
Onisforou says streets like Oxford Street, Paddington, King Street in Newtown, Campbell Parade at Bondi Beach and the Corso at Manly have the potential to benefit of having tourist traffic.
He suggests these streets benefit by having local, interstate and international tourists adding to their catchment market.
Visiting shopping celebrities have included Katy Perry and Reese Witherspoon.
He was inspired by Brompton Cross, an upmarket corner of Chelsea in London.
<img src="/images/2014/07/30/paddington%20july%2030%20one.jpg" alt="">
He says his Paddington retail strip provides cafe lifestyle, people watching and shopping as "entertainment."
Shopping centres do not provide this outdoor feeling, Onisforou says. His anchor tenant is Jackie's Cafe surrounded by a strong suite of fashion outlets.
<img src="/images/2014/07/30/paddington%20july%2030%20three.jpg" alt="">
List of tenants at  The Intersection, Paddington.
Onisforou's latest acquisition is being earmarked for cafe usage is on an expansive corner block at the corner of Glenmore Road and Hopewell Lane.
It is a four level terrace with 325 square metre space which sold through Bradfield Cleary this week zoned 3(c) business neighbourhood.
It will be the Intersection's 30th tenant.
<img src="/images/2014/07/30/paddington-july-30-floor-plan.gif" alt="">
Floor plan for 18 – 18a Glenmore Road, Paddington.
Onisforou's first fashion tenant, Scanlan &amp; Theodore, opened at the corner of Glenmore Road in early 2004.
At one point Onisforou proposed a change in council control over the nearby street's hardest-hit retail tenancy area from Woollahra Council to Sydney Council.
The call has prompted a joint effort between the two especially in regard to car parking clearway desires by Sydney Lord Mayor, Clover Moore and Woollahra Mayor Toni Zeltzer.
Moore has asked for the clearway to be removed completely in mayoral minute last Monday night.
The clearways operate from 6am to 10am in the westbound direction and 4pm to 7pm in the eastbound direction given bus lanes. 
City of Sydney Council also seeks to introduce a 40 kilometre an hour speed limit on the street.
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Theo Onisforou's The Intersection Paddington expands

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Forget sea-changers and tree-changers, more and more people are moving to the cities, attracted to their amenities and the sort of “creativity” social theorist Richard Florida identified in his books The Rise of the Creative Class and Cities and the Creative Class.
But as our cities fill with more residential apartments towers, their new inhabitants discover that the city “lifestyle” they were initially attracted to comes with a price: other towers sprouting and spoiling their view, the noise of 4am garbage trucks, drunken revellers, doof-doof from nightclubs.
Melbourne City Council, more than any other city in Australia, has encourged the growth of its CBD population and promoted converting its once grungy network of laneways into places of cool with street art, cafes, and clubs with a 24/7 appeal. It even named one of these laneways AC/DC Lane.
For 14 years a live music venue in that lane, Cherry Bar, has been pumping with music seven days a week, presenting 1,100 acts a year. Its owner, James Young, says in that time it has not had one noise complaint but now a 12-storey, 189-apartment residential development behind it at 108 Flinders Street towers directly over AC/DC Lane as its north-facing balconies overlook the lane.
The tower’s new resident are due to move in next month and Young fears that one complaint about noise could see Cherry Bar closed down. He says the law is on the side of any “pop-up” complaint maker so he is soundproofing the venue but has launched a crowd-funding campaign to pay for half the cost of the works.
The PledgeMusic direct-to-fan campaign, launched last week will, he says: “mean Cherry is compliant with noise restrictions related to its brand new residential neighbours … PledgeMusic are taking care of all transaction fees and donating back five per cent of the campaign income to help save Cherry.”
Yesterday, Young announced that his campaign to raise funds to soundproof Cheery Bar was a roaring success, with over $50,000 pledged for the works.
On the launch of the campaign last week, we asked Young to to tell us more about being at the coal face of the noise issue which he claims is “the biggest issue globally facing music today”.
How much money do you need to raise from the pledge?
$40,000, which is just under half of the cost of soundproofing works.
How much does it cost to soundproof the Cherry Bar?
$90,000.
How complicated is it to soundproof?
Not complex. Costly. Double glazing windows, double-bricking walls, special ‘box’ entries.
How long does it take to install?
Not long, two weeks.
What guarantee do you have that music inside the venue will not be heard from neighbours?
We paid an acoustics expert a fortune to recommend the soundproofing so that we are ‘compliant’.
Do you have any sympathy for people who buy apartments without knowing about the bar (or indeed any other entertainment venue in the area)?
Yes, but the developers should be protecting them by paying for our works.
Have any of the developers approached you about their plans before they start their marketing?
No, of course not.
Do you know if they tell prospective residents to expect noise in the area from venues?
Sincerely doubt this, why would they? They want to sell and move on.
Do you know if the apartments at 108 Flinders Street are fitted with soundproof windows?
They are double-glazed, yes. But EPA measurements are taken from outside the window so Cherry would be rooted without soundproofing.
Do you think it should be a requirement that new residential buildings in recognised entertainment precincts be soundproofed?
No, just soundproof the source.
Are any of your residential neighbours supportive of the bar and the use of that part of town for entertainment?
Yes, the guy who donated $5,000 anonymously lives 100 metres from Cherry!
But installing soundproofing will not prevent people complaining if they complain about noise from patrons arriving and leaving, will it?
Sadly not.
You say that residential development is the biggest issue globally facing music today. That’s a big statement. Can you explain it more?
Physical music sales are dead. Live music venues are the epicentre of income and learning for bands. And these venues are under threat and being closed by new residential developments.
How are other cities are handling the resident/venue conflict?
Brisbane declared Fortitude Valley a “cultural cluster” exempt from normal sound laws!
Do you feel that the legal and planning system puts all the onus on you to deal with the problem and not the apartment owners?
At the moment, yes, but hopefully this will change soon.
What would the loss of the Cherry bar mean to live music in Melbourne?
Over my dead body will Melbourne lose Cherry. Rock ‘n’ Roll ain’t noise pollution … in AC/DC lane.
This article first appeared on <a href="https://dailyreview.crikey.com.au/" target="_blank">The Daily Review</a>.
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