<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/broadbeach-qld-4218">Broadbeach</a> offers plenty of reasons to live vertically, but moving from a substantial family home into an apartment can expose the compromises of high-density living. Privacy, room for guests and usable living space tend to matter more when an apartment is intended as a permanent home rather than an occasional coastal base.

A typical residential floor at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-eveleigh-broadbeach-7-9-surf-parade-broadbeach-qld-4218">The Eveleigh</a>, on Surf Parade,&nbsp;contains just four apartments. The 94-residence development by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/hirsch-faigen">Hirsch &amp; Faigen</a> is predominantly made up of expansive three-bedroom homes, with a limited collection of half-floor penthouses above.

Across the apartment floors, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a> has used the relatively limited number of residences to give each home greater access to natural light and outlook. Living spaces extend towards full-height glazing, while a series of bay windows frame selected views across the Pacific Ocean, city and hinterland rather than treating the building edge as a continuous wall of glass.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360965]

“The apartment floors deliver a collection of homes that embrace controlled outlook via a series of bay windows deliberately framing moments of view,” Rothelowman Director Kim Lowman said.

From outside, those projecting forms contribute to the tower’s faceted profile. Strong horizontal and vertical elements establish its proportions, while the changing position of the sun alters the light, shadow and reflection across the façade throughout the day.

The same attention moves inside the apartments, where the material palette combines warm timber, natural stone, metallic detailing and softer curved forms. Kitchens sit within the main living zone, with stone island benches, integrated joinery and European appliances, before the living areas extend towards the glazing and the outlook.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360981]

Three genuine bedrooms provide room to accommodate family and guests, while two secure car spaces and storage address some of the practical considerations that can become more noticeable when moving from a larger home. Feedback from the display suite has centred on the warmth and restraint of the interiors, with buyers commenting that the residences feel like homes rather than conventional coastal apartments.

A limited collection of half-floor penthouses occupies the upper levels, increasing the scale of the living spaces and adding private balconies and elevated finishes. From this position, the outlook extends between the ocean and hinterland.

Outside the private residences, The Eveleigh separates its shared spaces between the podium and rooftop. The podium is centred on wellness, with subtropical landscaping surrounding a swimming pool and pool terrace, yoga garden, private gymnasium, sauna and hot and cold plunge facilities. Landscaped retreats and pavilions provide additional places to sit away from the main recreation areas.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360966]

Higher in the building, a rooftop pavilion and private dining suite sit alongside resident lounge, barbecue and outdoor dining areas, opening towards panoramic views across the ocean, city and hinterland.

“Buyers are no longer just looking for an apartment, but a lifestyle where they can relax, reset, and enjoy a balanced way of living,” Hirsch &amp; Faigen Director of Sales Matt George said.

Interest to date has come from established owner-occupiers and interstate lifestyle purchasers, including buyers planning a future move to the Gold Coast. Many are coming from larger homes and want to reduce ongoing maintenance without giving up space for family and guests, privacy, two car spaces or the ability to entertain at home.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360969]

Much of that daily life can also take place beyond the building without requiring a drive. Kurrawa Beach and Pratten Park are an easy walk from Surf Parade, while Pacific Fair, Oracle Boulevard, The Oasis, restaurants, cafés, entertainment and public transport are also within walking distance.

The Eveleigh is Hirsch &amp; Faigen's fourth Gold Coast development since entering the market in 2021, following The Hemingway at Palm Beach, The Emerson at Kirra and Yves at Mermaid Beach. Each of the preceding projects sold out before completion.

“Broadbeach had been on our radar throughout our time operating on the Gold Coast,” the developer said. “Following our projects in Palm Beach, Kirra and Mermaid Beach, Broadbeach represented the natural next step for the business.”

The Surf Parade site brought together proximity to the beach, protected coastal outlooks and walkability to dining, shopping and recreation. Hirsch &amp; Faigen also identified the street as an emerging premium residential address, with enough separation from Broadbeach's busier destinations to retain a quieter environment at home.

The Eveleigh is now under construction by Maxcon, with completion forecast for mid-2028. Three-bedroom residences are currently available from $2.87 million.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=149670]

Joel Robinson

The Eveleigh brings house-like apartments to Broadbeach

A long-stalled Campbelltown development site is back in play, with new plans for 139 apartments set to supersede a mixed-use scheme approved almost a decade ago but never built.

The new proposal for 28 Cordeaux Street would deliver 116 market and 23 affordable apartments in a part 14-storey building, bringing a substantial new project into a Campbelltown market where new apartment supply remains limited.

Plans have been filed over the 3,092 sqm corner site at Moore-Oxley Street, around 600 metres from Campbelltown Railway Station and the city-centre retail core.

The site already carries a mixed-use residential approval dating to 2016. Doroch Architects has now been engaged on a larger replacement scheme, which is progressing as a State Significant Development Application following a Housing Delivery Authority determination in August 2025.

The apartment mix comprises 39 one-bedroom, 72 two-bedroom and 28 three-bedroom residences. Two-bedroom apartments make up just over half of the project, while three-bedroom homes account for 20 per cent.

<img alt="First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="136dd5b9-3791-4da6-9e31-76f533f5b4de" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Campbelltown%20da2.png?VersionId=LgOSy9nwf5u.MGswBBwaGGxuX8QpHSl_" />

Of the 139 apartments, 23 will be delivered as affordable housing under the in-fill affordable housing provisions of the Housing SEPP. The affordable component represents 15 per cent of the residential gross floor area and will be managed by a registered Community Housing Provider.

Doroch has sought to break the scale of the building into two distinct elements, with a masonry podium of around four storeys establishing the street edge before the residential tower steps back above.

The corner position has shaped that approach. Cordeaux Street faces toward the commercial and civic centre, while Moore-Oxley Street leads into the lower-scale residential neighbourhood to the south, and the design verification report describes the site as "bridging the commercial core to the north and established residential areas to the south."

The podium will be expressed predominantly in face brick, while the upper levels shift to brushed and grooved concrete cladding with darker metal detailing. Recessed sections, deep balcony edges and landscaping break down the upper form, with an approximately 11.8-metre setback to the northern boundary addressing the adjoining St Peters Anglican School.

<img alt="First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c8b3d2d3-c561-4bfc-a5d9-a68c0c10dac1" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Campbelltown%20da1.png?VersionId=AeAEyJU02Gk2k5noUj2StziCvdQ7fW4B" />

Campbelltown has been starved of new residential developments in the last decade.

The only other notable development set to come to market this year is ALAND's Queen Square, a mixed-use precinct on over two hectares that will comprise apartments above a vibrant ground-level retail and hospitality dining precinct.

First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site

First Look: Sherlock Construction pitches apartments for low-rise Deception Bay

Queensland builder-developer MAYD has revealed the first look at its major North Kirra beachfront development, lodging amended plans that reduce the number of apartments and increase the proportion of larger residences.

The project is planned across a substantial 4,742 sqm amalgamated site spanning seven lots at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/2-6-pacific-parade-bilinga-qld-4225">2-6 Pacific Parade</a> and 27-33 Golden Four Drive in Bilin​ga, directly opposite Nor​th Kirra Beach.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/mayd-group">MAYD</a> secured the site for $32.5 million in 2025, in what was one of the Gold Coast's largest property transactions of the year.

The development will be delivered across two stages, with the first stage carrying an estimated gross realisation value of around $360 million.

The latest amendments seek to reduce the overall apartment count and shift the project further toward the owner-occupier market, with larger residences designed for buyers wanting considerably more space than traditionally offered in a beachfront apartment.

The residential mix will include townhomes, oversized two-bedroom apartments, substantial three-bedroom residences and four-bedroom homes.

MAYD has appointed Cera Stribley to lead the architecture and interiors, with the Melbourne-based design practice drawing on the beachfront setting through a series of ocean-facing terraces and heavily landscaped balconies.

Strong horizontal forms and curved balconies will define the exterior, with subtropical landscaping integrated throughout the building to soften the built form and increase the connection between the residences and the beachfront.

The project will also include an extensive collection of resident wellness and lifestyle facilities, continuing the broader shift across the Gold Coast's luxury apartment market toward larger homes supported by resort-style amenity.

<img alt="MAYD" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d1bcbb05-e659-4b47-8bd4-1e595315e2ad" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-27%20at%202.05.03%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=jj0XEud1X1DuLt7_KyElhjMdZGOXmLHP" />

MAYD Founder Todd Mould said North Kirra was increasingly appealing to buyers attracted to the more established, lower-density character of the southern Gold Coast.

"North Kirra presents one of the most compelling luxury residential opportunities currently emerging in Australia, combining absolute beachfront with the character and authenticity that buyers are increasingly seeking, and the same sense of tight-knit community that defined Burleigh and Currumbin perhaps 10 or 15 years ago," Mould said.

"With Gold Coast Airport on its doorstep, it also offers a level of accessibility that broadens its appeal across almost every market demographic."

The project comes as the southern Gold Coast continues to attract an increasing share of high-end apartment development and buyer activity.

Kirra in particular has emerged as one of the region's more tightly held beachfront markets, with its relatively low-density character, established surf and hospitality scene and proximity to Gold Coast Airport differentiating it from the higher-density markets further north.

Mould said those characteristics had informed the approach MAYD and Cera Stribley had taken to the project.

"We've worked closely with Cera Stribley to create a vision that is deeply connected to its surroundings," he said.

"Inspired by the coastline itself, the architecture has been shaped around space, privacy and resort-style living, creating a collection of homes that reflects the next generation of luxury on the southern Gold Coast."

MOTIV Managing Director Carly Cottam, who has been appointed to market the project, said buyer attention had continued to move south along the Gold Coast.

"Purchasers who may once have defaulted to Broadbeach, Main Beach or Surfers Paradise are increasingly recognising the value of a genuine beachfront location that offers lower density, strong amenity and a more established sense of community," Cottam said.

"Kirra has a powerful combination of growing demand and genuine scarcity. Beachfront supply is inherently constrained, the area remains relatively low density, and buyers are increasingly placing a premium on locations that feel established, uncrowded and authentic rather than heavily developed."

Cottam said the proximity to Gold Coast Airport was also proving increasingly important for interstate and second-home buyers.

"Being minutes from Gold Coast Airport makes it particularly compelling for interstate buyers, frequent travellers and second-home purchasers who can access an authentic coastal lifestyle almost immediately after stepping off a flight."

The acquisition takes MAYD's active development portfolio to more than $500 million, with the North Kirra project representing one of its largest undertakings to date.

MAYD is targeting an early 2027 launch.

First look at MAYD's North Kirra mixed-use precinct

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Castle Hill, the longtime hub of the Hills District, has been one of the major beneficiaries of Sydney's Metro expansion, with improved connectivity helping drive continued population growth, development and buyer demand across the Hills District.

But despite that growth, the suburb has seen relatively few major new apartment projects brought to market over the past 18 months.

Hills District developer Reve Group is looking to fill that gap with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/nova-r-ve-castle-hill-2-garthowen-crescent-castle-hill-nsw-2154">Nova Rêve</a>, a major new mixed-use precinct on the corner of Garthowen Crescent and Old Castle Hill Road, a short walk from Castle Hill Metro Station and Castle Towers.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377679]

The project will comprise three residential towers alongside a hotel, restaurants, cafes and a skybar, more than 1,600 sqm of ground-floor retail and almost an acre of landscaped gardens.

It represents the largest project undertaken by Reve Group, the development arm of the Kassis family, which has been building across the Hills District for more than 30 years through Kassis Homes.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377675]

Nova Rêve also represents a significant step up from the family's first apartment development, Grand Rêve, which was delivered nearby on Garthowen Crescent.

Grand Rêve introduced larger, house-like apartment layouts and premium inclusions including Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances to the Castle Hill market.

Nova Rêve takes that approach to a precinct scale, combining the residential component with hospitality, retail and substantial public and resident landscaping.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377685]

Reve Group Managing Director Sam Kassis said the project reflected the family's three decades of building in the Hills, which has evolved from trophy homes on quarter-acre blocks to larger-scale apartment development.

"Grand Rêve was our first apartment project here and it showed us what this pocket of Castle Hill could be. Nova Rêve is the refinement of that idea: not just apartments, but a place the whole suburb can use," Kassis said.

A key part of that approach is the hotel, which has been designed to operate as an amenity for the wider Castle Hill community rather than solely hotel guests.

It will include restaurants, cafes, skybars and all-day dining, alongside conference and event facilities catering to business functions, community groups and private events.

At ground level, more than 1,600 sqm of shops and cafes will open onto the surrounding streets and landscaped areas.

Almost an acre of gardens designed by Land and Form Studios will run through the precinct, incorporating pathways, seating, barbecue areas and children's play spaces.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377680]

Reve Group's Romio Georges said creating an active ground plane had been central to the planning of Nova Rêve.

"There are gardens with pathways, barbecues, seating and play areas, shops and cafes opening onto the street, and a hotel with restaurants and a skybar that anyone in Castle Hill can walk into," Georges said.

The project's elevated position on one of Sydney's highest ridgelines will also provide apartments with outlooks toward the Sydney skyline, surrounding parkland and the Blue Mountains.

More than 80 per cent of the apartments will occupy corner positions, with Turner responsible for both the architecture and interiors.

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Nova Rêve arrives as Reve Group bets on Castle Hill's next growth phase

Consumer Affairs

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The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) have suspended a Langwarrin real estate agent for failing to exert adequate control over her agency.
Gayle Stewart’s real estate licence has been suspended until January 2015 after she failed in a number of her duties as officer in effective control of 11th Empire Pty Ltd, trading as LJ Hooker Langwarrin.
The company traded from mid-2012 to February 2014.
Consumer Affairs Victoria suspended Stewart and 11th Empire in July 2013, before filing VCAT proceedings.
VCAT suspended Stewart for a further nine months. In total, Stewart's licence will was suspended for a total of 18 months.
The company went into liquidation after their licences were suspended.
Stewart was found to have failed to supervise the agency business, which she was responsible for, as well as failed to establish procedures to ensure that business was done legally and with good practice and to monitor the business to ensure compliance.
Stewart did not make proper enquiries. For instance, when co-signing cheques to a value of more than $100,000 from the agency’s general account, even when she doubted the honesty of the person receiving the funds.
She had also signed cheques after funds were incorrectly put into the general account, rather than the agency’s trust account. While she did not know this at the time, she was told she should have conducted further enquiries. Stewart was also reprimanded for failing to control the real estate agency.
VCAT warned that the officer in effective control’s role is pivotal to protect the public. Those in this role who are not in effective control should resign, even when acting honestly.
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Victorian agent suspended for failing to control agency

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Kostantinos Balasis, a former Craigieburn real estate agent, has been sentenced to a 12 month jail term with six months non-parole after his appeal was rejected by the Victorian County Court.
Balasis had admitted to trust account offences that totalled deficiencies of $438,395.
Not only was his appeal recently rejected, but his previous compensation order of $203,992 was hiked up to $305,092. He is also liable to pay costs.
Had Balasis not plead guilty, Magistrate Patrick Sothey warned he would have imposed a 20 month prison sentence with 10 month non-parole period.
His sentence was ruled appropriate by the Court on appeal due to the large sum of money involved, breach of trust, breach of statutory duty and breach of fiduciary obligations to his consumers.
Balasis’ company Victorian Realty Group Pty Ltd operated as Century 21 Complete Properties Craigieburn from 2009 to 2012.
Between January 2011 and August 2011, he converted $346,900 worth of deposits from 12 Craigieburn townhouses for his personal use, without returning it. He also did not pay two sellers of a property in Roxburgh Park the $25,000 he was holding for them in April 2012. First, he gave them a cheque that bounced before providing a second cheque, which also bounced.
In May 2012, Balasis failed to provide two home buyers a deposit of $35,995 after they rescinded from buying a Craigieburn home. The cheque also bounced in this instance.
In July 2012, Balasis neglected to pay a seller the $30,500 deposit that she was entitled to after selling her home.
Consumer Affairs Victoria began an investigation of Century 21 Craigieburn in April of that year, seizing documents that lead to criminal prosecution.
The affected consumers have made claims against the Victorian Property Fund.
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Former Craigieburn agent loses appeal against 12 month jail sentence

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Former real estate agent representative Dennis Ong, full name Kian Meng Ong, pleaded guilty in Moorabbin Magistrates Court to four counts of fraudulently converting funds received by his employer, totalling some $52,024.90.
Ong was sentenced to a four month jail term, wholly suspended for 18 months, due to the misappropriation of trust account money. He was also fined $2,500 and ordered to pay $114 in costs.
Ong, who managed a portfolio of 150 rental properties at Ray White Oakleigh, changed the account details in the ‘payee’ field on the agency’s computer system to his own private bank account, rather than into the landlord’s account, on four occasions between September 2012 and February 2013.
In February 2013, a landlord complained to the agency about not receiving funds, at which point Ong confessed to his employer.
Ray White Oakleigh contacted Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) to notify them of Ong’s actions. Ong admitted his conduct to CAV and arranged to repay the stolen money.
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Trust account misappropriation lands former agent jail sentence

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Consumer Affairs or the department of Fair Trading is the governing body in most states that is there to protect the consumer across a variety of industries and transactions.
In Victoria, Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) are the ‘leading’ consumer affairs protection agency and regulator. Their purpose is to help the public be responsible and informed businesses and consumers.
<ul>
<li>They review and advise the state government on consumer legislation and industry codes</li>
<li>They advise and educate consumers, tenants, businesses and landlords on their rights, responsibilities and changes to the law</li>
<li>They register and license businesses and occupations </li>
<li>They conciliate disputes between consumers and traders, and tenants and landlords </li>
<li>They enforce and ensure compliance with consumer laws</li>
</ul>
This is all wonderful for the consumer, however what is most disturbing is that like many government run organisations, they aren’t in any way accountable to the consumer.
Let’s look at the process of a consumer lodging a complaint against a real estate agent or agency and then compare it to what happens if that same consumer were to lodge a complaint against a financial planner with the financial ombudsman service (FOS).
The CAV website explains when to lodge a complaint, what conciliation is and the forms to use when lodging a complaint. There is nothing, however, that identifies the steps CAV will take or how your complaint will be handled or resolved.
In Victoria, most consumers make a phone call to CAV and the complaint is discussed. When personally testing the process and after discussing the matter, I have been required to hang up and lodge a written complaint, addressed to Consumer Affairs and to no one in particular. Having followed that process, nothing was ever sent to me to confirm that they had received my complaint, no complaint number was issued and no contact from CAV was ever made in relation to what was going to happen re the matter I reported. It actually so happened that I reported a financial planner who I knew had obtained his real estate licence fraudulently.  Apparently CAV didn’t deem that worthy of investigation as 18 months later, the financial planner still holds his real estate licence.
Recently, while testing the process again regarding a different matter, I was able to give the details of an unlicensed and active real estate agent and when I requested a case number or to be kept notified of the outcome, I was told no case number would be provided and that due to ‘privacy reasons’, the only way to check the progress of the matter, if in fact there was to be any investigation or action taken at all, was to check the public updates on the CAV website. In other words: "Thanks, but we will tell you nothing from here, we may not even pursue the matter if we deem it not worthwhile or sufficient enough of a breach to worry about."
Scary, isn’t it?  Even worse, CAV are quick to tell the consumer they are in the marketplace investigating and keeping an eye on things. For example, in the lead up to the Easter 2014 auction season, director of CAV Claire Noone announced they would be “watching for any misconduct during the buying and selling process - from the moment a property is advertised to when deposits are paid and held in trust accounts. Our staff will also attend auctions to make sure they are conducted according to auction rules.”  
Announcing this type of crackdown publicly is the equivalent of the police announcing they are about to raid active bikie gangs in the state in the coming weeks, thereby giving them plenty of notice to hide any illegal activity. Other than pre-warning agents to prepare for a raid, CAV accomplished nothing other than trying to highlight they are doing the job (poorly, it seems) that is expected of them.
Not surprisingly, as a result of this ‘early warning’ announcement to the industry, the crackdown on underquoting revealed a "close to 100%" pass rate for agents of what was a biased investigation ( only property with prices disclosed on advertising were investigate). This was despite a new poll suggesting more than half of agents admit the practice is a problem for the industry.
In the latest <a href="https://bit.ly/1hAWhQ7" target="_blank">Real Estate Business </a>straw poll, it appears the industry believes things are much worse than they are. Of the 368 respondents, 47.6% said underquoting was a major problem in the industry, while 17.9% said it was an issue but wasn’t too bad. A total of 19.6% said it was not a problem, but admitted it happens, while just 10.6% of agents believe there is no active underquoting in the industry. 
Victoria needs to follow the lead of South Australia and introduce regulations to stop underquoting. 
Back to Consumer Affairs accountability to the consumer.
My initial investigations with CAV and the media manager at the Department of Justice as to how many staff monitored compliance of section 18 of the ACL or section 131 of the CCA yielded the following statement:
“Australian Consumer Law is such a major part of Consumer Affairs work and has been integrated across the business - policy, inspection, legal, customer service and so on - a head count would not be … meaningful.”
My research since has gleaned that there are approximately 30 investigators working in CAV with approximately 6 dedicated to investigating the real estate industry.  For the year 2013, there were 82,981 Melbourne metro sales, with 30% (24,895) <a href="https://bit.ly/1r4KnSb" target="_blank">sold by auction</a> and only 6 possible dedicated investigators! 
The CAV 2012 – 2013 annual report shows 9609 calls were made regarding estate agents and the fifth highest number of complaints were about ‘misleading and deceptive conduct’. They did however “attend 15 property auctions in St Kilda and South Yarra in April. A similar compliance exercise was completed in December in the Bentleigh area.”  Disappointingly in this report, there is no reference to how many investigations were made further to these calls, but 309 estate agent disputes were ‘finalised’.
Now let’s compare the complaints process at FOS.
Firstly, when you go to their website, they have a dispute handling process clearly identified. They don’t just tell you how to lodge a complaint or when to, but the steps and process along the way.
"Step 1: Contact your financial services provider Step 2: Lodge a dispute with us (complainants will be issued with a case number and case manager to liaise with throughout the course of the complaint process. Timeframes to handle the dispute are identified upfront). Step 3: Our review of the dispute begins Step 4: How your dispute will be handled Step 5: How your dispute will be resolved" 
Source: <a href="https://bit.ly/1nxB0JX" target="_blank">FOS</a>
The process of protecting the consumer and regulating the industry cannot be left to CAV. They are patently understaffed and under skilled to be monitoring matters that involve consumers spending hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars of their hard earned income.  
We shouldn’t trust that Consumer Affairs is looking after our interests in property matters.
It’s time to remove this sector of governance from CAV and to set up an independent board of consumer and real estate industry representatives that prides itself on objectivity, integrity and transparency in all aspects of its operations, like FOS.
<a href="https://www.miriamsandkuhler.com.au/">Miriam Sandkuhler</a> is the founder of <a href="https://www.propertymavens.com.au/">Property Mavens</a> - a specialist property advisory firm based in Melbourne. You can support the introduction of new legislation around underquoting by signing her Victorian petition <a href="https://chn.ge/1unh4yw" target="_blank">here</a>.
 
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MiriamSandkuhler-brdvzrAYV2

Can we really trust Consumer Affairs to look after our interests?

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Reliable Renovations &amp; Construction, the trading name of unregistered York builder Bruce Alistair Beaton, has been ordered to pay $5,500 in fines and $900 of costs after being prosecuted by the Building Commissioner.
At the Northam Magistrates Court, Beaton pleaded guilty to three charges relating to residential building work undertaken at a Northam property between April and July 2011 to the total value of $90,000. The property was storm-damaged.
He did not have registration, as required for most building works over $20,000 in many parts of Western Australia.
He also did not ensure the home building work contract was signed by both parties or contained the specific amount payable by the owner. He also did not obtain a home indemnity insurance policy.
The Western Australian Building Commissioner recently<a href="/expert-insights/building/unregistered-perth-home-renovation-company-and-directors-ordered-to-pay-41-200"> prosecuted another unregistered Perth building company</a>. Finishmyhome.com.au's directors Paul Edward Ovens and Allesandro Giuseppe Iovene were ordered to pay $41,200 of fines and costs.over registration and contractual offences. 
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Western Australian Building Commissioner fines another unregistered builder

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Finishmyhome.com.au, an unregistered home renovation company, and directors Paul Edward Ovens and Allesandro Giuseppe Iovene, were successfully prosecuted by the Building Commissioner over registration and contractual offences. They were ordered to pay $41,200 of fines and costs.
The proceedings were finalised in the Perth Magistrates Court earlier this month. Both directors plead guilty to five charges about renovating a Roleystone property between May and August 2011 and a Maylands home between September 2012 and April 2013. The work totalled $296,000.
They did not have the necessary registration or home indemnity insurance.
Building Commissioner Peter Gow said that the actions were plain irresponsible.
“For instance, the absence of home indemnity insurance puts the consumer at significant risk of financial loss if the builder cannot complete the building work or meet a valid claim for faulty or unsatisfactory building work because of death, disappearance or insolvency,” he said.
“Consumers should protect themselves by checking their building service provider holds the required registration or licence before engaging them to carry out work.”
Investors can check the licensing of their builder <a href="https://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/buildingcommission" target="_blank">via an online database</a>.
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Unregistered Perth home renovation company and directors ordered to pay $41,200

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A former Sydney real estate agent has plead guilty to stealing over $1 million from her strata clients.
Rachael Jena Kwawegen headed a strata management company that collected levies from about 5,500 property owners in 240 Sydney apartment and commercial buildings.
Fairfax Media Domain revealed last year that the boutique strata company, The Strata Agency, was being investigated by NSW Fair Trading over alleged irregularities in its business dealings.
On 29 January 2014, the NSW Fair Trading cancelled the licence and disqualified Kwawegen from holding a licence or certificate for a period of 15 years and disqualified from being involved in the direction, management and conduct of the business of a licensee for a period of 15 years. 
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<div class="column">
NSW Fair Trading  released a statement saying that: "Licensee Rachael Kwawegen pleaded guilty to breaching section 211 of the Property Stock &amp; Business Agents Act for misappropriating in excess of $1 million of trust fund monies."
</div>
</div>
</div>
She will be sentenced at Parramatta Local Court next month.
But there have been no policy changes from NSW Fair Trading, which operates a property compensation fund to cover any shortfalls in trust funds.
Strata manager David Ferguson, and former president of Strata Community Australia, said the state government should have more controls in place to regulate new strata management companies given new strata management companies are popping up every day at the moment.
“The are new strata management companies popping up every day at the moment,” Ferguson told the Sydney Morning Herald. 
“And there’s nothing to stop another The Strata Agency happening again. The money may have been safe but the disruption to people’s lives and chaos this caused was just terrible.”
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Former agent pleads guilty to $1 million misappropriation as NSW Fair Trading told to better regulate strata management

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A Western Australian agent has been fined $3,500 by Consumer Protection after failing to present the highest offer for a Warnbo, Perth property to the vendor.
As the sales representative for a property in Warnbro in November 2012, Dane Stephen Rawlings received two offers on the property. One was $410,000, the other for $400,000, both subject to finance. He did not present the highest offer to the seller.
If the seller had accepted the higher price it would have resulted in Rawlings sharing the commission with the sales representative for the prospective buyers who made the offer on a ‘conjunctional’ basis.
The lower offer would see him receiving the full sales commission. He presented the $400,000 offer to the seller, which was accepted.
Rawlings told the sales representative that the higher offer was rejected as the other offer was a full price cash offer. This was not correct.
Consumer Protection took action against Rawlings after an investigation into the sale. It was found he had breached the Code of Conduct for Agents and Sales Representatives.
Real estate agents and sales representatives should always be acting in the best interest of their clients, said Commissioner for Consumer Protection, Anne Driscoll.
“Honesty and integrity is at the heart of the Code of Conduct and those in the real estate industry who do not adhere to the rules may be subject to disciplinary action and ultimately could lose their licence to operate,” she said.
Rawlings faced two charges, fined $1,500 and $2,000 on each on 30 July 2014. He was also ordered to pay costs of $1,000.
That he did not communicate the higher offer to the seller was considered a serious matter by the State Administrative Tribunal. They noted that it involved concealment that was very difficult to detect, undermines the sales process as well as undermines the trust the public has in the real estate industry.
Rawlings assured that in future he would improve his practice by being present at every viewing to meet with potential buyers and agents – particularly for conjunctional arrangements. He would take precise diary entries and notes in regards to phone calls and meetings, and he would be more accountable in forwarding offers to the seller and principal.
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Western Australian agent fined $3,500 for not presenting highest offer to vendor

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South Australians who are hoping to buy or sell property have been warned against dealing with unlicensed agent Shane Snellgrove.
According to South Australian Commissioner for Consumer Affairs Dini Soulio, Snellgrove's registration was cancelled in September last year and he is no longer licensed as a land agent.
“Mr Snellgrove is ineligible to be licensed because he was recently declared bankrupt  by order of the Federal Circuit Court of Australia," said Soulio.
He urges consumers who have outstanding dealings with Snellgrove as a land agent to contact Consumer and Business Services (CBS).
“CBS has identified that despite warnings, Mr Snellgrove has continued to operate as a land agent unlicensed and has advertised properties on his website shanesnellgrove.com.au.
“CBS is investigating the conduct of Mr Snellgrove, and speaking to witnesses.  The maximum penalty for acting as a real estate agent while unlicensed is $20,000.
“I would warn consumers not to engage Mr Snellgrove as there is a risk that if they suffer detriment, they may not be afforded the protections provided by the Land Agents Act.
 
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jrichardson-uRX5hFdKfN

Unlicensed agent alert: warning for South Australians

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The current higher levels of property spruiking activity was a sign that the Australian property was becoming overly exuberant, Paul Bloxham, HSBC Australia's chief economist has warned.
“Some of the tell-tale signs are there,” he told Fairfax Media on Friday.
“A pick-up in the property spruiking business is a signal things may be getting a little too exuberant,” said Paul Bloxham.
The former Reserve Bank official co-wrote a 2010 study into the causes of the 2003 Sydney housing boom and bust, noting it was accompanied by housing seminars in hotel conference rooms, along with direct telephone marketing.
Last month it emerged that state consumer watchdogs were <a href="/news/property-spruikers-receive-warning-letters-from-states">closely monitoring 37 property investment spruikers</a>.
The NSW Fair Trading, Consumer Affairs Victoria and Consumer ­Protection WA warned spruikers that “regulators across Australia are currently monitoring the information, advice and products that are being ­provided in the marketplace”.
Spruikers may be breaking the law for the unsolicited selling of property or education services at free-advice events, the consumer agencies suggested in letters sent to them. 
They note the “many instances” where they hadn’t complied with the requirement that they tell people about the right to terminate contracts during a <a href="/expert-insights/buying/what-is-the-cooling-off-period-investment-terms-explained">cooling off period</a>.
Making false or misleading representations about property investment carries the possibility of criminal and civil action and all claims made at seminars must be substantiated, advised the letters, obtained by the Australian Financial Review.
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