Property developer One Living, backed by former Macquarie banker turned investment manager Chris Green’s investment firm, has unveiled plans to bring more institutional capital into housing to help address the national supply crisis.

The New York-based investor has focused his firm, GreenPoint Partners, on addressing the supply shortage hitting middle market housing in Australia.

It is backing the new One Living business to develop more than 1000 units along the eastern seaboard. The new firm is starting with a development on Mona Vale Road, on the border of Mona Vale and Pymble, in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, with around 140 apartments planned. They are eyeing off more sites across the city.

With cost pressures rising in the industry, One Living’s model is to be a vertically integrated developer-builder, so it can respond directly to the housing gap by removing the cost inefficiencies embedded in traditional residential delivery.

“We are building a platform designed to operate at scale and starting in a market where there’s a clear need for quality, attainable housing,” One Living joint managing director Joseph Scuderi said.

“It’s that missing middle – it’s that attainable end of housing… that’s what most Australians invest into and what Australians can actually afford.”

<img alt="Mona Vale" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="798dfa93-4941-4db6-a696-31e9dc18e81c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%202.31.50%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=mKBqi5C_DmeiXS.AtJkcR8LQIxqCqmFi" />

GreenPoint Partners brings years of experience assembling and scaling real estate operating businesses across major markets. And Green sees a big opportunity in Australia.

“For its size, sophistication and importance to the community, Australia’s living sector has remained largely under-institutionalised, which represents significant opportunity,” Green said. “GreenPoint identified that gap, assembled the right team, and is backing One Living to build a platform that is aligned to market needs.”

Green said being a builder-developer would give the company the capacity and flexibility it required to deliver reasonably-priced homes.

“We want it to be at that attainable level; not super high end luxury but at that attainable level,” he said.

<img alt="Mona Vale" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="74a5344a-4b26-4d4a-ada3-056b1220be77" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%202.32.15%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=vY8hXHO4reBMdO8ZXMWCNtGZJofUPQ3j" />

&nbsp;

One Living will undertake a component of affordable housing in its schemes, which it will own and operate, and it could also run build-to-rent on some sites.

Green praised local policy settings.

“The NSW government is being very supportive, strategic and pragmatic in terms of how do we generate more supply of housing,” he said. “We think it’s actually positive for development and the bit that’s been lacking at that attainable level is that it’s lots of relatively small private developers, whereas we want to create an institutional platform.”

One Living is also&nbsp;looking at high-density projects and could take on more institutional funding in the future.

“The way we will be able to achieve economies of scale is through size,” Green added.

Joel Robinson

One Living enters Sydney's new apartment market with Northern Beaches site acquisition

It's been several years since there's been an opportunity to buy a brand new townhome in Melbourne's coastal suburb of Mordialloc. Even apartment developments in recent times have been few and far between in the area.

Local developer LDS Property identified the gap in new housing, securing a site on White Street, directly opposite&nbsp;Woodlands Golf Club Mordialloc. They've recently launched&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-townhouses/wm-residences-mordialloc-102-white-street-mordialloc-vic-3195">WM Residences</a>, just 13 townhouses which they have already started building.

Projects by Buxton Director Heath Thompson, who is selling WM Residences, says the townhouses x that perfect middle ground be

"Mordialloc residents have had limited options to downsize within the suburb, often forcing them to look elsewhere despite long-standing ties to the area," Thompson says.

"With very little comparable new supply coming to market, projects like WM Residences are well placed, particularly as buyers look to capitalise on current conditions amid constrained supply."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6109]

The development, designed by regarded architecture firm&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/ewert-leaf">Ewert Leaf</a>,&nbsp;adopts a deliberately restrained architectural approach, focusing on simplicity, durability and liveability rather than overt design gestures.

The boutique scale is central to the offering. With only 13 three-bedroom residences, each home is configured to prioritise functional layouts and everyday use, supported by private terraces and secure two-car garages.

Ewert Leaf’s design response leans into a calm, neutral material palette. Interiors are defined by oak flooring, white walls and soft finishes, creating a consistent and understated backdrop. The approach avoids trend-driven detailing in favour of longevity, with an emphasis on natural light and spatial clarity.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6110]

Beyond aesthetics, the homes are designed to meet contemporary performance expectations. Each residence targets a minimum 6-star energy rating, incorporating double glazing, comprehensive insulation and all-electric Bosch appliances.

The project’s location supports a walkable coastal lifestyle, sitting within close proximity to Mordialloc’s foreshore, Main Street retail strip and the train station. Local cafés and dining venues, including Suburbia Deli and Hendriks Café, are within a short walk, reinforcing the area’s established neighbourhood character.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6116]

While <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/mordialloc-vic-3195">Mordialloc</a> is often defined by its beach and pier, the project taps into other areas of day to day living, offering easy access to local food, casual dining and transport, rather than positioning itself purely as a lifestyle retreat.

WM Residences reflects a continued trend across Melbourne’s coastal suburbs towards smaller-scale, design-led townhouse developments, particularly on infill sites where proximity to amenity is already established.

With construction commenced prior to its market entry, the project aligns with a growing preference among buyers for developments with visible progress and defined delivery timeframes.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=134646]

WM Residences fills gap in Mordialloc townhouse market

&nbsp;

Developer GURNER™ Group has revealed $1.65 billion in residential sales nationally across the 12 months to December 2025, driven largely by the continued momentum of its Docklands wellness-focused precinct, Elysium Fields.

The sales result was generated across seven projects in Victoria and New South Wales, headlined by Elysium Fields, GURNER™’s $2.75 billion mixed-use precinct planned for Harbour Esplanade in Docklands.

The project has recorded more than $500 million in sales across the first three towers, equating to around 580 apartments sold.

The first tower, Helios, has now sold out of its 240 private residences, with GURNER™ preparing to release a premium penthouse collection comprising 15 three-bedroom penthouses in coming weeks.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370975]

Elysium Fields is being developed on the long-held 20,000 sqm Docklands site at 208-226 Harbour Esplanade, which had remained undeveloped for more than two decades prior to GURNER™ taking over the project around four years ago.

Construction has now commenced across four towers ranging between 18 and 30 storeys, with Hamilton Marino and Maxcon appointed as builders.

Once complete, the precinct is expected to comprise around 1,100 residences, alongside retail, hospitality and public realm uses integrated throughout the site.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370981]

Designed by Fraser &amp; Partners in collaboration with GURNER™ Design House, the project has been positioned around the developer’s broader focus on wellness-led residential living.

“We don’t sell apartments. We create a true luxury lifestyle that simply doesn’t exist elsewhere in the market today,” Founder and Executive Chairman Tim Gurner said.

“To deliver that requires an extraordinary level of detail, coordination and discipline across multiple verticals, from design and hospitality through to wellness and service.”

“We’ve always believed that living extends far beyond the physical residence. It’s about how you feel the moment you arrive, how you live day-to-day, and the ecosystem that supports that.” 
[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370977]

The project’s design places a heavy focus on landscaping, wellness amenities and biophilic design principles.

Plans include around 3,700 sqm of landscaped gardens and open space throughout the precinct, alongside a retail and dining offering spanning approximately 5,000 sqm.

The broader public realm strategy centres around what GURNER™ describes as the “Path of Life”, an urban forest and landscaped pedestrian environment intended to connect the various buildings and wellness spaces across the precinct.

The apartments themselves will incorporate a range of wellness-focused inclusions, including purified air and water systems, circadian lighting, antimicrobial surfaces, and optional in-home wellness upgrades.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370980]

Gurner said the company’s experience through its Saint Haven wellness clubs had directly informed the residential offering now being incorporated into Elysium Fields.

“We’re seeing a clear global shift toward longevity, performance and proactive health,” Gurner said.

“Our role is to deliver that in a way that feels seamless, highly private and beautifully resolved within the environments we create.”

A large component of the wellness offering is planned through the resident amenity and health facilities proposed within the precinct.

That includes plans for bathing and recovery facilities spread throughout the towers, incorporating mineral pools, saunas, steam rooms, flotation therapy, red light therapy and wellness lounges.

The developer is also seeking approvals for what it describes as a “reverse ageing medical clinic” within the precinct.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370978]

According to project information released by the group, the proposed facility would include cryotherapy, IV infusion therapy, infrared and dry saunas, PEMF beds, MRIs, DEXA scans, brain scans and blood analysis services.

Within the first tower, Helios, residents will also have access to a dedicated amenity offering known as the Sky Private Club.

The upper 15 levels of the building will include private lounges, dining spaces, rooftop amenities and optional private wellness studios integrated within residences.

The Helios tower itself comprises 260 apartments ranging between 60 sqm and 300 sqm, including a collection of penthouses.

That includes a planned two-storey penthouse spanning around 600 sqm with uninterrupted bay views.

The Elysium Fields precinct is being delivered in partnership with Digital Harbour Holdings, a consortium that includes the Liberman family, which controls the development rights across the Docklands site.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370979]

The sales result comes as GURNER™ continues expanding its national development pipeline beyond Victoria.

“We have a strong pipeline across Australia and are now focused on scaling into key markets including New South Wales and Queensland, while continuing to build on our Melbourne base,” Gurner said.

“We currently have more than $3 billion in the market, growing to over $5 billion by October, and expect to materially outperform last year in the 2026 calendar year.”

The result also reflects the continued strength of the upper-end apartment market in Melbourne, particularly for owner-occupier-focused product with large-scale amenity and lifestyle offerings.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=144441]

Record result anchored by the Group’s “utopian” Elysium Fields precinct – defying market headwinds in Docklands.

Elysium Fields drive Gurner to $1.65 billion in apartment sales over 2025

National Australia Bank (NAB) will fund <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/palmera-residences-gold-coast-18-garfield-terrace-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">Palmera</a>, a $1 billion, 52-level luxury residential tower being developed by Central Equity in one of the Gold Coast’s most tightly held coastal locations at Northcliffe.

The project, launched recently by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/central-equity">Central Equity</a>, one of Victoria’s largest private residential developers, comes at a time when construction funding for large residential developments has become increasingly competitive as lenders tighten exposure to the sector.

Multiplex has been appointed the builder, and construction is now underway.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365784]

Since its first project, Central Equity has delivered more than 85 residential developments with a combined end value exceeding $8 billion.

Palmera reflects Central Equity’s growing focus on the Gold Coast luxury apartment market and continues a relationship between Central Equity and NAB that dates back to the late 1980s, when the bank funded one of Melbourne’s earliest inner-city residential towers at a time when high-rise apartment living in the CBD was largely unproven.

“NAB’s funding of Central Equity’s $36 million CBD development in the late 1980’s to the financing of the billion-dollar tower today highlights the long-term relationship between the two organisations in delivering major residential projects” said Central Equity Founder and Chairman Eddie Kutner.

He said NAB’s early support was instrumental in helping establish the company’s development model.

“When we commenced our first residential tower in the late 1980s the concept of funding off-the-plan apartments was still largely untested in Australia,” Kutner said.

“NAB recognised the opportunity early and supported the project when others were uncertain. That relationship has now continued for more than 37 years across many developments.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365771]

Central Equity was established in 1987 when Melbourne’s CBD and Southbank precinct were still dominated by warehouses and commercial buildings. Fewer than 100 residents lived in Southbank at the time, and large-scale residential development in the inner city was not widely considered.

Recognising changing demographics and lifestyle preferences, the company began developing high-rise residential projects designed to bring permanent residents into the city centre.

Central Equity has provided accommodation for approximately 40,000 residents across Melbourne’s CBD and Southbank, while also incorporating supporting infrastructure including essential lifestyle facilities like retail spaces, childcare facilities and neighbourhood activity centres.

Central Equity has spent many years assembling the Palmera development site on the corner of Garfield Terrace and Frederick Street in Northcliffe, creating a supersite of around 3,300 sqm.

The developer said the Palmera apartment tower reflects its long-term view of the Gold Coast as a growing and increasingly diversified economy.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365768]

Supported by infrastructure including the light rail network, major road upgrades expanded education, hospital and medical facilities and continued expansion at the Gold Coast Airport with more international and domestic flights.

Positioned in the tightly held Northcliffe precinct, the 52-level tower will deliver 347 apartments, targeting buyers seeking a high-end coastal lifestyle, from downsizers to interstate investors.

Designed by Marchese Partners with interiors by DBI, Palmera has been conceived as a next-generation residential offering, featuring a collection of oversized apartments, with premium three-bedroom residences offering sweeping northern views stretching from Surfers Paradise through to Burleigh Heads.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=108274]

NAB funds $1 billion Surfers Paradise apartment development, Palmera

Two years after completing one of the newest developments in North Sydney, developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/aqualand-australia">Aqualand</a> is turning its attention to the rapidly evolving St Leonards apartment market.

The developer, which completed AURA by Aqualand on North Sydney's Walker Street, has lodged plans for a 5,918 sqm site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/33-37-herbert-street-st-leonards-nsw-2065">33-37 Herbert Street, St Leonards,</a> seeking approval for a pair of residential towers rising above a shared podium opposite Royal North Shore Hospital.

The proposal forms part of the broader transformation underway across the St Leonards-Crows Nest precinct, where former industrial and commercial sites are increasingly being redeveloped into high-density mixed-use projects tied to major transport infrastructure.

<img alt="Aqualand" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2cc428cf-fe70-4cac-9cd5-264ad53af62c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.51.56%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=otKSnHtbjAvAddOnovyXQMgcAwE6DMe1" />

According to the planning documents, the site sits “within the St Leonards–Crows Nest Strategic Centre, identified by the NSW Government as a key area for accommodating future jobs and housing across Sydney.”

The proposal has been designed by fjcstudio, formerly FJMT Studio, and is being progressed through the State Significant Development pathway due to its scale and affordable housing provision.

The scheme would comprise 413 apartments, including 46 affordable housing units, alongside retail and commercial uses fronting Herbert Street. The project would also include communal open space, landscaping, a swimming pool, gymnasium, children’s play areas and podium-level resident amenities.

Planning documents show the development would consist of a part-13, part-39 storey tower form positioned above a four-storey podium.

“The development comprises a unified podium that activates the street interface, and two setback towers to accommodate new housing supply while maintaining an appropriate human scale at ground level,” fjcstudio noted in its Design Report.

The northern and southern towers have been shaped to respond to the surrounding skyline while also limiting overshadowing impacts to nearby public open space, particularly Talus Reserve.

The design report said the differing tower heights were intended to “contribute to a varied skyline while responding to the surrounding built form context and solar access considerations.”

<img alt="Aqualand" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="36da62dc-ff9e-41f2-a7e3-7be38373751c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.51.45%E2%80%AFAM_0.png?VersionId=Mo6Rp2r.XRLTzIfg_PEEpw8NepDH8UBs" />

The site sits directly opposite Royal North Shore Hospital and within walking distance of both St Leonards Station and the new Crows Nest Metro station.

While the site itself sits just outside the formal Crows Nest Transport Oriented Development boundary, the planning documents repeatedly reference its alignment with the broader TOD objectives reshaping the Lower North Shore.

“The site is located adjacent to St Leonards Station and in close proximity to Crows Nest Metro which is within the Crows Nest Transit Orientated Development Accelerated Precinct which has been identified by the NSW Government to support housing delivery,” the Design Verification Statement noted.

According to fjcstudio, the project has been designed to respond to the broader transition occurring across St Leonards, where increasing residential density is being concentrated around transport infrastructure and employment hubs.

“The broader precinct is undergoing significant change, with a mix of existing mid-rise buildings and newer high-density developments,” the report stated.

“Recent and approved projects indicate a consistent shift toward taller built form, typically organised as tower-and-podium typologies with more active ground levels.”

The proposal includes close to 6,000 sqm of retail and commercial space across the ground floor and podium levels, designed to create a more activated street edge along Herbert Street.

Aqualand’s plans would also introduce a landscaped podium shared between the two towers, with communal open space in the form of a podium rooftop designed to support resident interaction and improve urban greening outcomes. The scheme would also introduce pocket parks at the northern and southern ends of the site, including a landscaped area at the corner of Herbert and Ella streets designed to improve pedestrian amenity and soften the streetscape.

&nbsp;

The proposal is being progressed through the NSW Government’s Housing Delivery Authority pathway, which was introduced to accelerate housing supply across the state. The application was declared State Significant Development in April 2025 following an expression of interest process.

<img alt="Aqualand" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="faf6d97d-2671-454f-b85a-fe1c6a7be608" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.51.49%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=diVd28OBVr5.YV.7prrOz.uAanwwwm7a" />

St Leonards has been particularly active with new developments in recent weeks. Developer SP Setia’s <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-sp-setia-targets-st-leonards-skyline-with-40-storey-tod-tower">plans for a new 42-storey tower</a> recently went on exhibition through the same pathway, while <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-stockland-plans-52-storey-538-apartment-st-leonards-tower">Stockland’s 52-storey tower proposal</a> was also recently unveiled.

Aside from the St Leonards project, which is expected to take around nine months to move through the approvals process ahead of a potential 2027 launch, Aqualand is also preparing to launch Boronia, a new apartment project in Roseville comprising around 111 apartments on Larkin Street.

The developer also has approvals in place for the next stage of the Barangaroo precinct, which will feature new residential, retail, hospitality and community uses, alongside a new metro entry across the five-hectare site.

More than 50 new retail destinations are planned for Central Barangaroo, alongside a 270-metre-long boulevard connecting Hickson Park to Nawi Cove. Together with Harbour Park, more than 50 per cent of the precinct will comprise public open space and parkland.

First look: Aqualand joins St Leonards apartment party

Victoria

<html><body>
Andrew Douglas McClure from Cheltehnham, Victoria, has received a five year ban after submitting falsified documents, including false accountant’s letters, as supporting evidence for home loan applications.
An ASIC investigation discovered that in 2010, McClure was referred applications from Money Choice Pty Ltd, which he processed. Money Choice’s credit licence was <a href="/news/property-investment-smsf-spruiker-matthew-george-director-of-money-choice-banned-by-asic-for-multiple-compliance-failures">banned in 2013, as well as director Matthew George given an eight year ban</a> for home loan related misconduct.
However, McClure was found by ASIC to have submitted false letters and unverified documentation in support of three loans that Money Choice referred to him. He had been a credit representative at RAMS Financial Group Pty Ltd from 1 July 2010 to 8 August 2011.
McClure admitted to creating and then submitting the false letters in relation to non-Money Choice customers as well, on four home loans in 2010 and early-2011, actions which deputy chairman Peter Kell said puts consumers in financial difficulty should they find they cannot afford them in the long run.
“We will act to ensure those who engage in this conduct are removed from the industry,” said Kell.
McClure does have right of appeal.
ASIC has been active in assisting in the conviction and banning of mortgage brokers who fraudulently submit loan documents, including a case in December of <a href="/expert-insights/mortgage-broker-convicted-of-providing-banks-false-info-to-secure-7-5m-of-loans-asic">Dural, New South Wales broker Hee Seng Lee, who secured $7.5 million of loans using falsified documents</a>.
</body></html>

jduke-EHk3XBmHkn

False accountant letters and loan documents sees ASIC dole out five year ban

<html><body>
The year-to-date Melbourne wide auction clearance rate is 71%, but many suburbs are recording weak auction results.
Property Observer lists 10 of the weakest suburbs with 20 plus auction offerings so far this year.
<ul>
<li>
<a href="/news">Dandenong</a> 36 offerings 50% sold 
</li>
<li>
<a href="/news">Frankston </a>26 offerings 50% sold 
</li>
<li>
<a href="/news">Mt Eliza</a> 20 offerings 50% sold 
</li>
<li>
<a href="/news">Rye</a> 46 offerings 48% sold 
</li>
<li>
<a href="/news">St Albans</a> 32 offerings 46% sold 
</li>
<li>
<a href="/news">Dandenong North</a> 31 offerings 45% sold 
</li>
<li>
<a href="/news">Maribyrnong</a> 55 offerings 40% sold 
</li>
<li>
<a href="/news">Portsea</a> 25 offering 36% sold 
</li>
<li>
<a href="/news">Greenvale</a> 20 offerings 30% sold 
</li>
<li>
<a href="/news">South Morang</a> 21 offerings 28% sold
</li>
</ul>
Source: <a href="https://www.reiv.com.au/en/Property-Research/Auctions/Clearance-rates" target="_blank">REIV</a>
It is not to say that auctions don't work as <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/penola-drive-south-morang/Property-Details-sold-residential-6600915" target="_blank">a seven year old South Morang house</a> (pictured above) was snapped up ahead of last weekend's auction. 
<a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/32-skyline-drive-south-morang/Property-Details-buy-residential-6656905" target="_blank">In May $410,000 plus buyers</a> are being sought for a four bedroom two bathroom house on Skyline Drive.
</body></html>

jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Melbourne's 10 weakest auction suburbs reveals tepid South Morang auction buyers

<html><body>
Cunana, the iconic property situated in Merricks, has been relisted but with subdued hopes reflecting the malaise which is the prestige Mornington Peninsula property market.
It came with $12 million plus hopes in late 2011, <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/3509-frankston-flinders-road-merricks/Property-Details-buy-residential-5537395" target="_blank">and now relisted through Jock Langley, of Abercromby's</a>, there's $6 million plus expectations for its 18 May auction.
It was completed in 2007, after four years of planning and construction, to a design by architect Alfred de Bruyne of SJB Architects, with SJB Interiors completing the interior design.
<a href="https://www.cunana-merricks.com" target="_blank">It got its own website</a> on its 2011 offering.
There are just the seven listings in Merricks, but RP Data notes 1,400 house listings currently for sale across the peninsula.
The house sits in 11 hectares of land on one of the highest points of the peninsula and includes two hectares of landscaped gardens, orchards and a vegetable garden. There is also croquet lawn and a boule court.
Its deluxe design was no doubt influenced by the vendor, Peter Edwards who held a senior position at a leading luxury hotel and resort group for many years.
Extensive use of glass had created an intimate relationship between the house and its surroundings. The three glass sides offer three different views of the ocean, vineyards and rolling hills.
Rammed earth bricks, which were made on site using Victorian earth and clay, have been juxtaposed with glass to create clean lines and an original design. Grey ironbark has been used throughout the house, including the flooring timber, bookshelves and pool surround.
The highly skilled art of Venetian stucco work has been applied to the internal walls to give the plaster a marble-like sheen. The property sleeps 14 people, including a master suite with dressing room and two self-contained apartments, which would be suitable for families, long-term guests or live-in staff.
Five kitchens and two large terraces offer entertaining opportunities. There’s an indoor pool, gym, and games room complete with arcade machines and a private cinema.
The district's last big sale was last year when <a href="/news/vic/jacks-ridge-the-merricks-north-vineyard-sells">Jacks Ridge</a>, the Merricks North house designed by Robert Boyle, was sold by the Jack family.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-merricks+north-112179975" target="_blank">The 18-hectare Junction Road property </a>has elegant parklands, along with extensive beds of roses and perennials, Manchurian pear avenue, a box-bordered English lavender parterre and croquet lawn and golf green.
The stone-and-timber four-bedroom house with wrap-around veranda overlooks vineyards and Port Phillip Bay in the distance.
There are vineyards of chardonnay on one side of the homestead and pinot noir on the other. The vines were planted around 1996. The Mornington Peninsula property comes with guest accomodation.
<a href="https://www.jacksridge.com.au/" target="_blank">Fletchers Canterbury agent Rob Fletcher </a>had $6 million hopes, with its sale price revealing $4.8 million to insurance broking veteran Brian Austin.
An earlier version of this article incorrectly gave a prior conjunctional agent.
</body></html>

Cunana, Merricks relisted with subdued hopes given Mornington Peninsula prestige malaise

<html><body>
No sale yet for Namatjira, former champion surfer Wayne Lynch's Victoria coastal family haven.
The surfing icon Wayne Lynch is selling the Great Ocean Road, which sits about halfway between Anglesea and Airey's Inlet at Urquhart Bluff.
Married to Lindy with two children, Jarrah and Merinda, <a href="https://www.hayden.com.au/view.cfm?OID=6486901&amp;tp=432_view" target="_blank">Namatjira</a>, has been in the family for 35 years. 
But Lynch, who works for surfwear brand Patagonia, is apparently considering a move to the NSW north coast of NSW.
The three-level house with expansive coastal views sits on 4.45 hectares of protected natural bush at 765 Great Ocean Road. There is a three bedroom house plus separate three-bedroom bungalow.
Marius Tekin, of Hayden Real Estate, has had it listed for $3,995,000 since January this year.
</body></html>

Surfing champion Wayne Lynch lists Angelsea and looks north

<html><body>
Permanent height restrictions have been introduced for buildings in areas to the west and southwest of Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance.
After introducing interim and discretionary controls for the area, the Victorian government has now permanently installed mandatory planning controls for the South Melbourne precinct.
Maximum heights for buildings will depend on their location, but will reportedly range from six to about 17 storeys, according to the Herald Sun.
The new restrictions introduced by Victorian Planning Minister Matthew Guy were developed in consultation with the Shrine Trustees and the cities of Melbourne, Port Phillip and Stonnington.
 “The Shrine of Remembrance is an incredibly important memorial to the servicemen and women who gave their lives for all of us, and is a special place for all Australians, young and old,” said Guy.
“The Shrine itself has a special location in Melbourne and it is vital to preserve the spectacular and uninterrupted views you get as you look up from Swanston Street or walk through the forecourt.”
One of Guy’s first acts in his role as Planning Minister was an intervention blocking the development of a proposed 88 metre tower on Albert Road.
“These new controls recognise and respect the significance of one of Australia’s most recognisable and lost loved structures and will protect its integrity from the possible impact of external development,” said Guy.
“By mandating limits on the height and location of nearby buildings, we are ensuring that the view and backdrop of the Shrine is preserved forever.”
Shrine Trustees chief executive Denis Baguley has welcomed the new restrictions, announced in time for Anzac Day.
“These new controls recognise and respect the significance of one of Australia’s most recognisable and most loved structures, and will protect its integrity from the possible impact of external development.”
Picture courtesy of Wikipedia/Creative Commons.
</body></html>

jrichardson-uRX5hFdKfN

The Shrine of Remembrance to be permanently protected under new planning controls

<html><body>
Australian investors have a rare opportunity to own their own golf course. 
Two of Australia’s most prominent coastal golf courses - Moonah Links and The Sands Torquay in Victoria - have just hit the market either individually or as a combined package.
Moonah Links, known in international golfing circles as the “Home of Australian Golf”, is less than one and a half hour’s drive from Melbourne on the Mornington Peninsula, near Gunnamatta Beach. 
The estate features two 18-hole championship golf courses. Prominent golfer Peter Thomson designed Open course that hosted both the 2003 and 2005 Australian Opens.
The adjoining elite golf academy has world-class training facilities and accommodation villas. The property also benefits from a Peppers-managed hotel with 36 suites and 52 rooms and includes a club house with restaurant and conference facilities. The site also includes additional development land with attendant permits.
Opened in 2004, the Sands Torquay, located on the northern headland of Torquay, features the only Stuart Appleby-designed championship 18-hole golf course, as well as a large modern club house.
An 112-suite Peppers-managed hotel is also on the site and includes restaurant and conference facilities. The property also benefits from a separately operated Health Club business with a 25-metre indoor pool, two tennis courts and gymnasium facilities. Included in the sale is the Englobo development site of about 4,000 square metres.
CBRE's Scott Callow and Rob Cross are marketing the property on behalf of  the Handbury Group. 
“Handbury Group has been approached on numerous occasions by prospective purchasers for both the golf and hotel assets", said Callow.
</body></html>

kjiminez-eaYKfU7qd2

Two of the country's most prominent golf courses up for sale

<html><body>
The Former State Bank of Seddon in Melbourne's Seddon will go under the hammer next month, with price expectations of more than $1 million.
The 30 Pentland Parade property is over 90 years old and is currently used as a meeting space, conference hall and residence. It has been owned by the Grand Lodge of Victoria for the past 25 years.
In the 70s the bank became famous in the national news when the branch was robbed by two armed bandits taking away a sum of $1,375 dollars.
The bank manager at the time was quick on his feet by dropping a dye capsule into the bag of money. The bandits then took a parting shot at the ceiling before fleeing. The original bank vault is still in the property.
The property is set on a large corner block of 470 square metres and includes a large front reception area, eight rooms including four bedrooms, two kitchens, one bathroom and three separate toilets. It also comprises parking for six cars.
The building goes to auction on 24 May through Hayden Kay of Barry Plant Yarraville.
</body></html>

The Former State Bank of Seddon to go under the hammer next month

<html><body>
The receivership sale of Heritage Golf and Country Club in the Yarra Valley’s Chirnside Park, north-east of Melbourne, has secured $17.8 million, just over half its over-inflated $30 million book value.
The two golf course, 230 hectare property has been bought by HGC Properties, a company directed by Melbourne accountant Sam Cimino, with its only shareholder being, Fly Group Limited, an entity without any directorial paperwork which is understood to have origins in China.
Scott Callow and Mark Wizel of CBRE Hotels negotiated the sale on behalf of the receivers PKF Lawler in conjunction with Michael Hede of Knight Frank. 
"We are certainly in a different cycle of commercial property when golf courses are quickly selling," Mark Wizel told Property Observer.
"Banks have an increased preparedness to lend on non-core assets.
"There is Chinese buying appetite for leisure property, not just the residential projects that have been the dominant desire to date," Mark Wizel said.
The Jack Nicklaus-designed St John golf course ranks among the best golf courses in Australia. The property is located on the Yarra River near Chirnside Park and has two 18 hole golf courses (the St John Course, south side designed by Jack Nicklaus in 1996) along with the Henley Course, on its north side designed by Tony Cashmore in 2002.
The property included townhouse development land and residential lots (STCA). 
Heritage Golf &amp; Country Club has a strong established membership base with 1,394 members. It hosted the Victorian PGA Tournament in February this year. 
There were about 47,500 golf rounds by played annually.
<a href="https://cbre.realcommercial.com.au/property-land+development-vic-chirnside+park-501095227" target="_blank">Heritage Golf and Country Club</a> was under the control of the Melbourne businessman and property developer Guo Zhao “Sunny” Sun.
Mr Sun acquired the golf estate around 2011 at just short of $15 million. But he subsequently became embroiled in a Victorian Supreme Court dispute with business partner Wang Hua, China’s 790th richest person, over control of the country club, as reported by Fairfax Media.
A court ordered followed that Heritage Golf and Country Club Pty Ltd be wound-up with the creditors owed $13.8 million, according to a News Ltd report which suggested one creditor, the Alter family, through its Austpac Funds Management, unsuccessfully proposed a deed of company arrangement.
Sun had purchased the property from receivers to the Letten Schemes, a series of property investment funds established by Mark Letten that fell apart during the global financial crisis.
Wang Hua and Mr Sun founded residential development company Kingsland Group, which has built small-scale townhouse and apartment developments in Melbourne since around 2003.
Wang Hua, from the Jeshing Group, was <a href="/news/offshore-buyer-secures-16-st-georges-road-toorak-from-peter-devitt-in-circa-20-million-sale">the mystery buyer who spent $18.58 million last year</a> on the Toorak estate of the director of construction company L.U. Simon Peter Devitt through Kay &amp; Burton agent Ross Savas (pictured below), in the name of his wife, Xiao "Kylie" Yan Bao, who received an Australian visa in 2001. She had bought a mansion on Irving Road, Toorak for $3,399,000 in 2003.
<img src="/images/stories/flexicontent/l_toorak-sept-23-breakout.jpg" alt="Offshore buyer secures 16 St Georges Road, Toorak from Peter Devitt in circa $20 million sale">
Private homes overlooking the course have been sold over the years, with Fletchers currently having a three bedroom townhouse offering on Turnberry Lane (pictured below). <a href="https://www.1turnberrylanechirnsidepark.com" target="_blank">It had $1.3 million hopes</a>, after being passed in at $1.05 million at auction last month. Its vendor is not connected to the golf course ownership.
<img src="/images/2014/04/23/chirnside%20april%2023%20one.jpg" alt="">
</body></html>

Jack Nicklaus-designed St John course at Heritage Golf and Country Club, Chirnside Park sold

<html><body>
Eight vacant waterfront building blocks at Paynesville were sold at weekend mortgagee auction.
Under instructions from Gippsland Secured Investments Ltd, <a href="https://www.castran.com.au/index.cfm?pagecall=property&amp;propertyID=2618010" target="_blank">the Driftwood Close properties</a> (pictured above) sold through John Castran at John H Castran. Three sold at undisclosed pre-auction prices, with the five under the hammer selling for between $230,000 and $308,000.  
There was an earlier mortgagee auction in January in the holiday town which attracted strong interest from Melbourne buyers which was tipped to spark a local building boom.
The holdings, about three hours drive from Melbourne, were part of Riviera Properties, which was placed in voluntary administration in September last year after principal lender Gippsland Secured Investments collapsed.
GSI had about $150 million under management and 3,500 investors, many of them from the eastern Victorian locality.   
There was a $517,500 sale at Rye when 57 Bimbiang Crescent sold through Craig Evans at Hockingstuart Blairgowrie. It previously traded at $580,000 in 2010 with the property recently been connected to the sewerage system.
Set a short walk to the Tyrone foreshore safe sandy beach, the elevated three bedroom, two storey beach house was on a 1,169 square metre block. 
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-mount+martha-116494971" target="_blank">There was a $1.32 million sale at Mount Martha of a contemporary home</a> (pictured below) through McEwing Partners.
<img src="/images/2014/04/22/mount%20martha%20april%2022%20one.jpg" alt="">
At Ocean Grove a three bedroom house on an 816 square metre Epworth Street block fetched $515,000 through RT Edgar. It had last sold about three decades ago for around $40,000.
There was a $3.5 million vendor bid when the landmark Point Lonsdale cottage, Samarai went to weekend Easter auction.
The Ramsay family's Edwardian home (pictured below) is set on 1,100 square metres, last sold in the mid-1980s when bought from the Wortley's for around $240,000. 
It's been offered <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/149-point-lonsdale-road-point-lonsdale/Property-Details-buy-residential-6827429" target="_blank">through Damian Cayzer at Kerleys Coastal Real Estate</a> who expected $3.5 million plus for the 149 Point Lonsdale Road offering with easterly view.
<img src="/images/2014/04/22/point%20lonsdale%20april%2022%20pne.jpg" alt="">
The 60 Frimmell Way, Portsea offering - marketed as an affordable charming cottage style offering through Little Residential - was passed in at $725,000.
Looking like a mountain hut, <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/31-seaview-street-blairgowrie/Property-Details-sold-residential-6820083" target="_blank">31 Seaview Street, Blairgowrie</a> (pictured below) fetched $502,500 through Hockingstuart Blairgowrie agent Michael Christodoulou. The four-bedroom timber home is spread over three levels on its 766 square metre block.
<img src="/images/2014/04/22/blairgowrie%20april%2022%20opne.jpg" alt="">
Sales were not just on the coast.
At Dinner Plains in the mountains, the<a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/3-5-burrinjuck-lane-dinner-plain/Property-Details-buy-residential-6849967" target="_blank"> mortgagee auction of a three level three bedroom two bathroom townhouse</a> (pictured below) secured $231,500.
<img src="/images/2014/04/17/dinner%20plain%20april%2017.jpg" alt="">
</body></html>

Paynesville leads Victorian Easter weekend coastal auctions with eight sales 

<html><body>
Land which was part of bushranger Ned Kelly's family farm has been listed for sale in Avenel, north-east of Melbourne.
Paul Bongiorno, of Mansfield Real Estate, is selling three blocks of land.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-residential+land-vic-avenel-200850143" target="_blank">They were part of a 40 acre dairy farm rented by the Kellys from 1864 to 1867</a> at £14 a year to the landlady Elisabeth Mutton.
Each of the three 2.02-hectare blocks - located at Lot 2, Lot 3 and Lot 4 Hovell Street - is listed with a $225,000 asking price.
<img src="/images/2014/04/22/avenel-april-22-two.jpg" alt="">
Town water and power is available on sites at the corner of Ewings Road.
Ned was born at his father's farm on the southern slopes of Mount Fraser at Beveridge before going to Avenel. 
<img src="/images/2014/04/22/avenel-april-22-one.jpg" alt="">
One of the strongest links with the Kelly clan is the Avenel pub, near Hughes Creek where the 11-year-old Ned jumped into a deep waterhole to save the life of young Richard Shelton.
Ned's father, John (Red) Kelly, is buried in Avenel cemetery after he was killed by an alcohol  at the age of 46, leaving his wife, Ellen with seven children under 13. His death, in December 1866, meant his widow then moved to Greta to be closer to her family. She married a second time and lived at Greta until when aged over ninety years she died at Wangaratta Hospital in 1923. 
"The deeds of the Kelly gang when they were outlawed in 1878, naturally caused great excitement at Avenel, especially among their old schoolmates and friends of the family.
"No one would hear a word against them, considered that the Kelly’s boys were victims of circumstances which drove them to desperate deeds," <a href="https://maps.bonzle.com/c/a?a=p&amp;p=176&amp;d=stories&amp;story=1967555288" target="_blank">one amateur historian noted</a>.
The former mayor of the Shire of Strathbogie, Robin Steers formerly owned 60 hectares with some of the land near Jessop's Bridge on the town boundary which was where the Kelly house used to stand.
William Henry Mutton and his wife, Elisabeth, were immigrants, who had arrived at Melbourne, in the ship, Lady Loch in 1846 from Cornwall. He was 24 when he arrived in Avenel with his bride Elizabeth Locke, of the Jersey Islands, who was of French descent.
They had initially settled in Seymour, soon after their arrival in the colony, but had suffered losses in disastrous floods, deciding to move further north along the Old Sydney Road to Hughes Creek, on the Avenel  Run, where the government was offering Crown land for sale in 1849.
Mutton also opened a blacksmith’s shop, the first business in the township, and later opened a general store.
</body></html>

Victoria

Editor's Picks

Have something to contribute?

Developments

New apartments

New townhouses

News

Victoria

Editor's Picks

Receive the latest news stories to your inbox

Have something to contribute?

Developments

New apartments

New townhouses

News