One of North Sydney's best-known commercial buildings could become hundreds of new homes, with insurance giant Zurich Australia lodging a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) to transform 5 Blue Street into a mixed-use residential development above North Sydney Station.

Rather than demolishing the existing building and starting again, Zurich is proposing an adaptive reuse project that would convert the landmark office building into a 15-level residential development delivering 62 apartments, 86 affordable co-living dwellings, activated retail and significant upgrades to the Blue Street Plaza.

The proposal reflects a growing trend of commercial property owners repositioning ageing office assets into residential housing as Sydney grapples with housing supply shortages and changing workplace demand.

<img alt="Zurich" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0bba7d12-06dc-4375-aad7-238c94b21ac5" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%2010.42.05%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=NJl5oLAEBDGuPmY3RnyliKODjMc8lvRh" />

Located directly above North Sydney Metro and train station, the 3,051 sqm site occupies one of the most strategically positioned parcels of land on Sydney's Lower North Shore.

Designed by fjcstudio, the proposal seeks to retain and adapt much of the existing structure while creating a contemporary residential address that better connects with the public domain surrounding North Sydney Station.

The application proposes two basement levels, ground floor retail, affordable co-living accommodation across the podium levels, and apartments above, while preserving and enhancing the publicly accessible Blue Street Plaza.

Rather than pursuing maximum apartment numbers, Zurich has opted for a housing mix heavily weighted towards larger owner-occupier residences.

The proposal includes 62 build-to-sell apartments comprising 12 one-bedroom, 19 two-bedroom, 29 three-bedroom apartments and two premium penthouses. It also incorporates 86 affordable co-living dwellings, which would be managed in perpetuity by a Community Housing Provider.

That balance between traditional apartments and affordable housing reflects the NSW Government's push to increase housing diversity around major transport infrastructure.

The proposal has been lodged concurrently with a rezoning application, with Zurich arguing the site is ideally positioned to support additional housing given its immediate proximity to public transport, employment and services.

"The proposal aims to respond to the housing challenges facing Sydney through the delivery of diverse housing types in a highly accessible location," the design report by fjcstudio states. It also seeks to improve pedestrian amenity through upgrades to Blue Street Plaza while creating a high-performing residential building that responds to the surrounding context.

<img alt="Zurich" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="36082e15-c636-4481-bb68-5a5f6443fe39" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%2010.41.36%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=5P6VD.fvmqjQfIG3TWWMRXxQWiQBjeFB" />

Rather than replacing the commercial building, fjcstudio has developed a design that works with the existing structural framework above the rail corridor, an approach that significantly reduces demolition while allowing the site to be repositioned as a mixed-use residential precinct.

The existing structural constraints have informed much of the building's design, including its relationship with Blue Street and surrounding public spaces.

The building has been designed as a slender tower rising above a clearly defined podium, with vertically expressed façades intended to reduce the perceived bulk while reinforcing North Sydney's emerging skyline.

According to fjcstudio, the architectural language responds directly to the surrounding commercial towers while maintaining a finer grain expression more closely aligned with the neighbouring Lavender Bay streetscape.

The tower incorporates articulated façade elements, landscaped podium edges and recessed upper levels to soften its appearance and improve pedestrian amenity below.

A significant component of the proposal is the revitalisation of Blue Street Plaza.

The existing public space has long served as one of the primary pedestrian connections between North Sydney Station, Greenwood Plaza and Blue Street, yet its role is expected to become even more important following the opening of Sydney Metro.

Zurich's proposal seeks to strengthen that role by improving landscaping, introducing new retail frontages, enhancing pedestrian permeability and creating more active edges throughout the day and evening.

Ground floor retail would wrap the plaza, while separate residential and co-living entries have been designed to improve wayfinding without reducing street activation.

Landscape design has been integrated throughout the podium and public realm, softening what is currently one of the most heavily urbanised parts of North Sydney.

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fjcstudio has carefully oriented apartments towards Sydney Harbour and the CBD while using privacy blades and articulated façades to minimise overlooking between neighbouring buildings.

Large framed openings along the western elevation maximise harbour outlooks, while the eastern apartments have been angled towards the south-east to improve privacy from neighbouring development.

The project forms part of the continuing transformation of North Sydney from a predominantly commercial CBD into a genuine mixed-use city centre.

Since the completion of Victoria Cross Metro Station, developers have increasingly shifted their attention towards residential projects capable of leveraging the area's unparalleled transport connectivity.

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FiveX recently lodged plans for a 61-storey, 490-apartment tower that would become one of the tallest residential buildings in North Sydney if approved.

Aqualand continues to expand its Lower North Shore presence following the completion of AURA on Walker Street and its recent St Leonards and Roseville proposals.

Developers are also progressing projects throughout Walker Street, Miller Street and the Victoria Cross precinct as demand for well-located owner-occupier apartments continues to strengthen.

Joel Robinson

First look: Zurich targets North Sydney office conversion with 148-unit proposal above Metro station

Busy developer Aqualand Prestige has formally taken the next step in its expansion across Sydney's Lower North Shore, lodging a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for its long-held Archer Street site in Chatswood.

The application covers <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/51-55-archer-street-chatswood-nsw-2067">51-55 Archer Street</a>, a 1,767 sqm amalgamated site on the eastern edge of the Chatswood CBD, where the developer is seeking approval for a 45-level mixed-use tower delivering 114 apartments, including a significant affordable housing component, alongside retail, commercial space and six basement levels of parking.

The SSDA marks the latest milestone for a project Aqualand has been quietly progressing over the past two years. The developer first secured the site for its Aqualand Prestige platform before undertaking an alternative design excellence process with PTW Architects, ultimately avoiding a formal design competition through the Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

The proposal has evolved considerably from Aqualand's original concept. The revised scheme has been designed around larger owner-occupier product, with an unusually high proportion of three and four-bedroom apartments, targeting the more affluent buyer profile, and downsizer, emerging across the North Shore.

<img alt="Archer St" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0171204c-5811-41b5-9b09-2335d1b7c3d0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%208.52.48%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=6YTuxfq.puZo7k2wbfgemcO5K3QfXYGQ" />

The 114-apartment mix comprises six studios, 27 one-bedroom apartments, 18 two-bedroom apartments, 50 three-bedroom residences and 13 four-bedroom homes. A quarter of the building will be dedicated to affordable housing, well above the mandated 15 per cent&nbsp;

PTW has structured the building vertically, with affordable housing across levels one to six, premium apartments through levels seven to 31, duplex skyhomes on klevels 32 to 43, a penthouse on level 44, and a rooftop plant level above. Six basement levels will provide resident parking and servicing.

The tower is proposed to reach approximately 154 metres, placing it among a growing collection of residential high-rises transforming Chatswood's skyline.

Rather than competing purely on height, PTW says the design has been driven by creating a slimmer tower capable of delivering significantly larger apartments.

"The primary objective of this project was to create a distinctive building that stands out from the recently approved or built structures in the Chatswood area," the design report states, noting the structural efficiency allows greater investment into apartment quality and resident amenity.

Residents would have access to more than 450 sqm of communal open space including landscaped gardens, swimming pool, rooftop entertaining areas, fitness spaces, community gardens, children's play areas and barbecue facilities.

A major focus of the design has been the public domain.

The ground plane has been opened up through landscaped terraces inspired by Willoughby's sandstone ridges, with native planting, public seating, artwork, retail activation and a series of gathering spaces intended to soften what has traditionally been a hard commercial streetscape.

The landscape strategy references Blue Gum forests once common throughout the area, while incorporating Indigenous storytelling, public art and lighting installations to strengthen the connection to Country.

Chatswood has been one of Sydney's busiest apartment markets over the past 12 months, with a steady pipeline of both new project launches and fresh development applications.

Hyecorp recently launched Celine, a 122-apartment development just along Archer Street, while Changfa and Huirong Group are progressing The Anderson, an 84-apartment project on Anderson Street.

Develotek recently secured approval for a 101-apartment tower on Pacific Highway, while Tian An LFD received the green light for Hammond Greens, its apartment development on the edge of the Chatswood Bowling Club.

Commercial property developer FiveX is also making its move into the residential market. Last month it lodged plans for a 61-storey tower with 490 apartments, which, if approved, would become one of the tallest residential buildings in Chatswood.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-fivex-targets-chatswood-skyline-with-61-storey-tower-after-north-sydney-plans">First look: FiveX targets Chatswood skyline with 61-storey tower after North Sydney plans</a>

Aqualand is also expanding its development pipeline following the launch of its luxury residential brand, Aqualand Prestige. The developer has delivered a string of high-end apartment projects across Sydney's affluent suburbs over the past decade, most recently AURA by Aqualand on Walker Street in North Sydney.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=30959 project_image_fid=292863]

It has since quietly assembled its next wave of projects.

Earlier this year Aqualand launched Boronia in Roseville, a boutique 111-apartment development on Larkin Street. The project is one of the first significant apartment developments to launch in the suburb ahead of what is expected to become one of Sydney's most active new housing precincts under the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing reforms, which allow greater density around train stations.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152095 project_image_fid=373685]

The developer has also lodged plans for a two-tower, 413-apartment development on Herbert Street in nearby St Leonards, further strengthening its presence across the Lower North Shore.

Beyond that, Aqualand remains behind the final stage of Barangaroo, where plans will deliver a five-hectare mixed-use precinct comprising new homes, retail, hospitality and community facilities, alongside a new Metro entrance and more than two hectares of public open space, completing the Barangaroo precinct.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/central-barangaroo-development-takes-big-step-with-concept-proposal-approval">Central Barangaroo development takes big step with concept proposal approval</a>

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-aqualand-joins-st-leonards-apartment-party">First look: Aqualand joins St Leonards apartment party</a> 
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First look: Aqualand pushes ahead with Chatswood apartment tower as SSDA lodged for Archer Street

Mass timber is becoming an increasingly popular construction material in apartment developments, but Adelaide developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/otello">Otello</a> is taking the approach a step further.

At its new <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/flowe-bowden-18-gibson-street-bowden-sa-5007">Flowe Bowden</a> development, the exposed cross-laminated timber (CLT) structure isn't just about reducing the building's environmental footprint. It also forms the foundation of a broader wellness strategy, influencing everything from indoor air quality and natural materials to the way residents move through and experience the building.

The 115-apartment mixed-use development, designed by Melbourne-based architecture practice Fieldwork, will occupy a prominent island site opposite Bowden Village Reserve, combining one, two and three-bedroom apartments with retail and a dedicated wellness destination.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375528]

Wellness isn't confined to a gym or shared resident facility at Flowe. Instead, Fieldwork embedded the concept into the building itself.

The development has been split into two residential wings connected by a naturally ventilated central breezeway, replacing traditional enclosed corridors with open-air walkways that improve natural light, encourage cross ventilation and create more opportunities for neighbourly interaction.

"Rather than treating wellness as something that only happens on the ground floor, our response integrates it throughout the building, which led us to ask what it really means to design a healthy building," Fieldwork Director Quino Holland said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375531]

The building's architecture also reflects Bowden's industrial heritage. The lower podium references the area's historic brick and sandstone buildings, while the upper levels transition to exposed CLT, allowing the timber structure to become a defining feature throughout the apartments and shared spaces.

The use of mass timber sits alongside a range of sustainability initiatives, including a fully electric, gas-free design, rooftop solar and a targeted 5 Star Green Star rating.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375524]

Inside the residences, the focus remains on natural, durable materials. Blackbutt engineered timber flooring, exposed CLT ceilings, porcelain surfaces and warm timber joinery create a calming interior palette, while low-VOC finishes and responsibly sourced materials have been selected to improve indoor air quality.

Kitchens have been designed as the centrepiece of each apartment, featuring porcelain island benchtops, timber-look cabinetry and brushed steel tapware, with layouts that maximise natural light and ventilation.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375530]

The more traditional interpretation of wellness comes in the form of Level Eleven, a two-storey wellness club spanning the ground floor, mezzanine and first floor.

The facility will include a gym, yoga and reformer Pilates studios, Finnish and infrared saunas, magnesium hot and cold plunge pools, and dedicated recovery spaces. Unlike many residential wellness facilities, Level Eleven will also operate commercially, allowing the broader Bowden community to access the venue while giving residents exclusive membership benefits.

The ground floor has also been designed around everyday living. A café overlooking Bowden Village Reserve will activate the street frontage, while a bike workshop with tool storage, co-working space and dog wash has been incorporated to support daily routines and encourage interaction between residents.

"Flowe brings together my two biggest passions, creating places and creating healthier lives," Otello founder Daniel Harris said.

"We wanted to create something Adelaide hasn't seen before, a genuinely healthy building, where the way you live is lifted without even trying."

Flowe is positioned directly opposite Bowden Village Reserve and within walking distance of Bowden Railway Station and the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, placing future residents just minutes from the Adelaide CBD while remaining connected to one of the city's most established urban renewal precincts.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152022]

Otello launches wellness-focused Flowe Bowden with Adelaide-first mass timber apartment design

Not all apartment amenities are immediately visible.

Swimming pools, gyms, rooftop terraces and residents' lounges have long featured on buyers' wishlists, but as the way Australians live has changed, so too have the features that make apartment living more convenient.

Increasingly, buyers are placing value on the practical aspects of day-to-day life. Fast internet, EV charging, secure bike storage, flexible workspaces and parcel management are becoming just as relevant as lifestyle amenities, reflecting changing habits and expectations.

Online shopping has been one of the biggest drivers of that shift.

Australians spent a record $82.6 billion shopping online in 2025, with almost one in every four retail dollars now spent digitally, making parcel deliveries a routine part of everyday life rather than an occasional convenience.

For apartment residents, however, receiving those deliveries isn't always straightforward.

Without someone home to accept a parcel, deliveries can be redirected to a nearby Post Office, left in building foyers or common areas, or require building management to temporarily store packages. As apartment living continues to grow across Australia's cities, parcel management has become an increasingly important consideration for both residents and developers.

Australia Post's Parcel Locker network is one response to that shift.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KPZ9j5FRdsQ?si=Qztc1dNP3ZvEIUhb" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

Rather than relying on home delivery, eligible parcels can be directed to a nominated Parcel Locker, where they're securely stored until collected. Once a parcel arrives, residents receive a notification through the AusPost app or SMS and can retrieve it using a one-time code or QR code at a time that suits them.

The network has expanded to more than 1,500 locations nationwide, with Parcel Lockers positioned at Post Offices, shopping centres, supermarkets, transport hubs and, increasingly, within or alongside residential developments.

That growing presence reflects a broader change in how apartment buildings are being planned.

Developers are increasingly considering the operational side of apartment living alongside traditional lifestyle amenities. Just as secure mailrooms, bicycle storage and EV charging have become more common inclusions, parcel management is emerging as another feature that supports everyday convenience.

It also helps preserve the arrival experience within a building. Carefully designed lobbies and communal spaces can quickly become cluttered when deliveries accumulate, while secure parcel solutions reduce the likelihood of missed deliveries or parcels being left unattended.

For buyers comparing apartments, these everyday details are becoming part of the decision-making process.

Location, floorplans and finishes remain fundamental, but the features that simplify daily life are carrying greater weight than they once did. As online shopping continues to shape consumer behaviour, secure parcel delivery is increasingly becoming another amenity worth looking for.

Parcel delivery is joining the apartment amenity checklist

Inca Property Group has lodged a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for Dawn, a 53-apartment oceanfront development overlooking Mona Vale Beach.

The proposal, at 35-39 Darley Street East, would replace an existing 18-apartment strata building with a new owner-occupier-focused development comprising 53 two and three-bedroom apartments, including nine affordable built-to-rent residences delivered under the State's infill affordable housing scheme.

Positioned on a 2,679 sqm elevated site around 280 metres from Mona Vale Beach, the development has been designed to maximise panoramic ocean views while responding to the site's sloping topography.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/inca-property-group">Inca Property Group</a> Managing Director Josh Thompson said the State Significant pathway provided greater certainty for projects of this scale.

"This State Significant pathway gives the team real certainty to progress <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/dawn-35-39-darley-street-east-mona-vale-nsw-2103">Dawn</a> through to completion," Thompson said.

"It allows us to acquire a one-off site, design it carefully and deliver the right offering for the suburb, assessed by the NSW Government's planning department."

The project is one of the first developments in the area to be assessed under the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy, with the site sitting on the edge of the policy's designated inner area.

The proposal includes three basement levels providing 124 car spaces, alongside a range of resident amenities including a swimming pool, gym, sauna, wellness facilities and private plunge pools for selected ground-floor and penthouse apartments.

<img alt="Dawn" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fc1a1daf-0ce4-4f12-9076-b1fa553c7a91" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-21%20at%208.42.11%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=4GZ9h.gpNkTljbxyAET8Jfhv51XUamDm" />

Thompson said Dawn had been designed specifically for owner-occupiers and downsizers, a buyer profile that has driven demand across Inca's recent Upper North Shore developments.

"The majority of buyers in our recent North Shore projects have been downsizers, and we are learning exactly what this market is looking for. Beyond the location itself, we have included resort-style amenities to deliver a genuine lifestyle offering," Thompson said.

Located within walking distance of Mona Vale Beach, the town centre, Mona Vale Golf Club and the Royal Motor Yacht Club, Dawn represents Inca's first Northern Beaches project following the sell-out of Tara on Park in Waitara and Ellis Residences, currently under construction in St Ives.

Construction will be undertaken by Inca's in-house construction arm, GOP Constructions.

Dawn is the latest major apartment proposal for Mona Vale, with the suburb emerging as one of the key beneficiaries of the NSW Government's new Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy.

New developer One Living, led by industry veteran Joseph Scuderi, recently secured a site on Mona Vale Road, on the border of Mona Vale and Pymble, where it is planning around 140 apartments.

IPM is also planning its third project in Mona Vale, significantly increasing the scale of its previous developments with an 82-apartment proposal at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/159-167-darley-street-west-mona-vale-nsw-2103">159-167 Darley Street West</a>, opposite Bayview Golf Course and less than 800 metres from Mona Vale town centre.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/one-living-enters-sydneys-new-apartment-market-with-northern-beaches-site-acquisition">One Living enters Sydney's new apartment market with Northern Beaches site acquisition</a>

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-ipm-plans-third-mona-vale-project">First look: IPM plans third Mona Vale project</a>

First look: Inca eyes Mona Vale with State Significant DA for Dawn apartments

Winery

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Victoria's Del Rios, one of Australia's largest vineyards, has been sold for between $22 million and $25 million.
There was strong interest from a range of local, national and international buyers.
Colliers International's Tim Altschwager and Nick Dean brokered the sale to Melbourne-based GoFarm Australia on behalf of Belvino Investments.
Tim Altschwager said the vineyard, located on the Murray River in Kenley, 77km north of Swan Hill, was one of most significant vineyards in Australia.
“With a vineyard area of nearly 900ha and high security water entitlements of 5,476.2 megalitres, the well-established Del Rios property generated interest from a range of local, national and international groups, before ultimately being acquired by Melbourne-based agricultural developer/manager GoFarm," he said.
“Many parties were interested in the large water entitlement alone.
“The solid enquiry we received is representative of increased interest in Australian wine industry assets, which is largely due to more favourable fundamentals, a lower Australian dollar, free trade agreements and the return of the US and UK to the market. 
He said with bulk wine stocks currently low.
"We are receiving increased levels of enquiry for wine industry assets and, in particular, large scale warm climate vineyards that can produce high volumes of fruit to take advantage of increased overseas demand for fruit and wine.”
Located within the Murray Darling Wine Region, the second largest wine region in Australia, has about 1,300 growers and 23,000 hectares of vineyards producing around 400,000 tonnes annually.
The vineyard was established from 1998 to 2003 and is predominantly planted to Chardonnay (39%), Sauvignon Blanc (20%), Merlot (14%) and Shiraz (8.5%). 
Extensive infrastructure servicing this large scale irrigated vineyard includes office, housing, sheds and staff amenities. 
In last 12 months, four of the five largest vineyards in Australia have changed hands, with Duxton Group acquiring the Littore Vineyards and Macquarie Bank’s Chalmers Vineyard, in addition to the sale of Del Rios and rumours of the Dunvar vineyard at Darlinton Point recently selling. 
 “This vineyard movement has wine companies hungrily seeking grapes for 2017 and investors seeking warm climate vineyards to purchase,” he said.
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Local buyer snaps up one of Australia's largest vineyards in Victoria

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The Conte family have sold their long-held vineyards in South Australia's McLaren Vale to local wine producer Dowie Doole.
The three Conte Estate Wines vineyards near Aldinga were planted by the family in 1965.
Since last year the 53 hectares came with a $2.5 million price tag.
Some 35 hectares are planted to shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, gewurztraminer and chardonnay varietals. 
Antonino and Giulia Conte came to McLaren Vale from Italy in the 1950s.
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Conte family sell McLaren Vale vineyards

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Interactive China Cultural Technology Investments has spent around $29 million on Victoria’s Balgownie Estate winery, according to the Weekend Australian.
Balgownie Estate has been producing wines since 1969, mostly known for its reds, at its Bendigo property.
Established by the legendary winemaker Stuart Anderson in 1969, Balgownie Estate was the first vineyard planted in the Bendigo district in more than 80 years.
The 33 hectare vineyard is situated on a gentle slope overlooking Myer's Creek at Maiden Gully.
In 1999 brothers and passionate wine lovers Des and Rod Forrester heard the rumour that Balgownie Estate was to be offered for sale. Digging out a couple of prized bottles of Balgownie Estate Cabernet Sauvignon from Rod's cellar, they found themselves hatching a plan to buy the vineyard and the winery in Bendigo. The Forrester brothers and their long term family friend Bill Freeman submitted a tender that same day, and with little to-ing and fro-ing the vineyard was theirs, according to the winery website history.
In 2002 the Forresters expanded to their Yarra Valley site and started building what is now the cellar door, restaurant, conference centre and 70 spa suite apartments and a state of the art day spa.
The winemakers at Balgownie have been notably long standing as in over 40 years, there have been just five: founder Stuart Anderson was succeeded by Mildara Blass winemaker Lindsay Ross. Tobias Ansted was the first winemaker under current ownership, starting in 1999 and leaving just before his 10 years were due in late 2008. In January 2009 winemaker Mark Lane joined the team and he was suceeded by the assistant winemaker Tony Winspear for the 2014 vintage.
The 110 ha combined holding represents the group’s third investment in the sector after spending more than $17 million last year acquiring Lancefield Estate and Hepburn Springs, near Daylesford, with winery accommodation, conference centres and land for development.
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Interactive China Cultural Technology buys Victoria’s Balgownie Estate winery

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Jack Ma, China's second richest person and founder of multi-billion dollar online retailer Alibaba, has become the latest Chinese investor to buy a Bordeaux wine estate with Château de Sours.
The Decanter website reported Château de Sours in Bordeaux is a prodcuer of red, white and rosé wines.
A price was not disclosed.
Ma joins a growing list of Chinese investors in Bordeaux and becomes one of the highest profile château buyers in the French wine region. 
Dating back to 1785, it seems Ma wishes to create ‘a mini Versailles in Entre deux Mers’.
Ma, who is good friends with fellow Chinese owner Zhao Wei, is reportedly planning a central administration centre for their Bordeaux assets.
This will run their individually-owned properties together so as to leverage economies of scale. The group are also reportedly planning to buy estates in California, Italy, New Zealand and Australia, Decanter report.
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Australia on shopping list as Bordeaux winery bought by Alibaba's Jack Mar

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The pioneering winemaking family Kim and Frances Moginie are retiring some three decades after establishing Joadja Winery in the NSW Southern Highlands.
They will shortly be handing over the reigns of the vineyard and boutique winery to young wine enthusiasts Matt Toomey and Siobhan Maloy and the extended Maloy family. 
Joadja Winery, which was the first grape grower and wine producer in the cool climate wine region of the Southern Highlands, sold last week
On offer was the 8.5 hectares property which has produced wines awarded 4.5 stars by wine expert James Halliday. 
It has 50 tonne crush capacity winery and modern laboratory and barrel storage equipment along with a lovely stone, timber and glass cellar door with wood fire.
With regional characteristics of cool climate, 900 mm rainfall and high altitude, both white and red wines have been produced. Some 15 acres of the 21 acres are under vine.
The white varieties; Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris (Pinot Grigio) and Chardonnay, and the red varieties grown included Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. 
Marketed by Colliers International with potential for further development (STCA) through tourism and agriculture, it is located on the door step to the village of Berrima.
This article was first published in the Sunday Telegraph.
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Oldest Joadja vineyard sold in NSW Southern Highlands 

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The Malaysian horse racing tycoon, and architect, Teo Ah Khing and his wife Ivy are expanding their Southern Highlands farm.
They already own The Chase, the historic trophy homestead on 40 hectares at Sutton Forest, which was bought for $5.8 million last year.
Now they have paid $4.85 million for the adjoining 32 hectare property which is a tourism vineyard.
It was bought through Ray White Rural agent George Southwell from Southern Highland Wines which has been owned and operated by three families: Rossi, Corradi and Colloridi for almost two decades.
Around 10 hectares of vines are planted producing wines under the SHW Estate and Oldbury Reserve labels. The vineyards are producing sauvignon blanc, shiraz and pinot noir.
Across Oldbury Road, and surrounded by sweeping lawns, hedged and walled gardens and exotic trees, <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-other-nsw-sutton+forest-7594107" target="_blank">The Chase</a> homestead comes with a cottage, stables, barn and cattle yards as well as a pool and tennis court.
The restored and extended house comes with 3.35-metre-high Wunderlich ceilings.
Teo Ah Khing's China Horse Club has been a big new comer at recent Inglis yearling sales.
Teo heads Desert Star, the parent company of the China Horse Club which has re-introduced the sport of horseracing in China. 
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Malaysian horse racing tycoon, Teo Ah Khing expand Southern Highlands farm into neighbouring vineyard

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Western Australia's Salitage Estate winery is on the market through an expression of interest campaign, closing Wednesday 23 September. 
The award winning winery and vineyard is based in Pemberton, south of Perth and is 51 hectares with a 22.86 hectare vineyard planted for Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc wines. The property also includes a custom-built three level winery and cellar door, main residence, manager’s residence, staff accommodation and four accommodation suites.  
The property is being sold through CBRE’s Phil Melville and David Kennedy with VNW Independent’s Steve Vaughan and Hugh Ness.  
 
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WA's Salitage Estate winery on the market

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La Campagna Winery, on 28 hectares at 176 Rogers Road at Cape Schanck, remains <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-cape+schanck-119733155" target="_blank">listed with $4 million plus hopes</a>. 
The Tuscan-style Mornington Peninsula estate has grapevines, a trattoria with pizza oven, seating for 70 patrons and space for larger functions. There are also 2500 olive trees. 
The 176 Rogers Road property comes with eatery management at the ready, should the new owner desire, according to Kay &amp; Burton’s David Heathcote. 
There are nine acres of grapevines in full production.
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La Campagna Winery remains listed on Mornington Peninsula

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The Red Hill residence of Claire Vickery sits on a 3.78 hectare vineyard holding with views towards Port Phillip.  
The Mornington Peninsula property is under vine with Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris grapes. There are vines on either side of the five bedroom, six bathroom house.
The 160 Harrisons Road property vineyard has lease arrangements until April 2017 to Martha Cove Vineyards. It last traded at $2.35 million in 2003. 
Claire Vickery is the philanthropist founder of The Butterfly Foundation, the daughter of renowned winemaker Dr John Middleton of Mount Mary Vineyard.
The residence has a front wall of windows enhanced by the rustic fusion of aged timber pylons from Manly Pier.
It has been listed <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/160-harrisons-road-red-hill/Property-Details-buy-residential-8972278" target="_blank">through Holly Longmuir at RT Edgar Flinders</a>. 
A nearby one hectare holding with a housing compound built in 2000 sold last month at $1.55 million having traded in 2012 for $1,475,000.
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Butterfly Foundation's Claire Vickery lists Red Hill vineyard home

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Sweetwater, a world class winery located in the rolling hills of the Hunter Valley, has been listed for sale.
<a href="https://jurds.com.au/listings/rural_sale-319321-pokolbin/" target="_blank">The 48 hectare Pokolbin property</a> is being marketed by Jurds Real Estate as the most significant country vineyard estate in Australia.
Inspired by southern European vineyard estates, in it is a planned hamlet with a series of interlocking properties of differing eras.
Producing Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz on 16 hectares, there is also a cellar door.
<img src="/images/2015/02/18/sweetwater-feb-17-three.jpg" alt="">
There is private owners and guest wing accommodations, entertaining loggia and plunge pool. There is also an olive grove.
Sweetwater Wines, part of the Hardie Holdings group, purchased the land in 1997 in Belford from Belford Pastoral Company, which was originally granted to the pioneering Richard Jones, a merchant and pastoralist.
In 1829 Jones had received 10,000 acres at Singleton in the Hunter Valley from where he established one of his finest vineyards in the Patrick Plains Shore at Sweetwater Creek off Old North Road. 
In 1844 from Jones’s first plantings, his vineyard produced a total of 2,000 gallons of wine. 
<img src="/images/2015/02/18/sweetwater-feb-17-one.jpg" alt="">
When Sweetwater Wines purchased the property, there was clear evidence of several vineyards, which at that stage consisted of rows of mainly dead, but in some cases struggling vines with huge old knarled bases and the odd spindly vine struggling to survive. These were being grazed by cattle, and on advice from our viticulturist, dozed and burnt, as a precaution against plant disease.
Sweetwater Wines had Brian McGuigan give early advice on the layout and planting, having worked on the vineyard when he was about 18 years old.
Alan Jurd at Jurds Real Estate has Sweetwater for sale with $30 million plus expectations. "The enquiry levels of 2007 have started to return given the current exchange rate," he said.
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