Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time A major Sydney dam was found to be outside NSW safety thresholds during three separate audits with internal government documents warning a “sudden failure” of the levee could cause the deaths of almost 150 people But the Minns government has talked down any risk of the dam failing saying the safety classification was “theoretical” and nearby residents were not at any “elevated risk” The NSW government maintains the Thornleigh dam is safe and says sensors have been placed in the reservoir.Credit: Rhett Wyman Internal documents tabled during a parliamentary inquiry on Friday revealed an audit by engineering firm GHD on behalf of Sydney Water had found evidence of “slope displacement” and “leakage” at Thornleigh Reservoir Dam near Hornsby in Sydney’s north The document stated that investigations by GHD had noted a “possible indication of slope instability” at the southern embankment of the dam a “serious concern” due to residential homes located directly downstream The first and most dangerous was a sudden failure of the reservoir embankment which could result in the collapse of the dam wall It would lead to the “probable loss of life of up to 147 people” who live closest to the reservoir The second risk was a severe reduction in the water supply to the 834,000 residents who relied on the dam The NSW government maintains the dam is completely safe and confirmed sensors had been placed in the reservoir to track any movement that could pose a risk to surrounding communities Water Minister Rose Jackson said the independent safety assessment for the dam had identified a “gap in geotechnical information” and that its classification as outside the “tolerated” safety threshold was “theoretical” “Residents are not at any elevated risk associated with this change in status,” she said Jackson said Sydney Water was operating the dam at a lower level increasing inspections and conducting further geotechnical investigations “out of an abundance of caution” we expect the dam to be confirmed within safety tolerances,” she said our expectation is for these to be carried out thoroughly and promptly.” The dam audit was tabled in parliament by Greens MP Sue Higginson who raised concern a new road proposed by Hornsby Council could “compromise the integrity of the reservoir wall” The road forms part of the council’s beleaguered plans for a controversial multimillion-dollar redevelopment of 36 hectares of parkland at Westleigh which it wants to turn into a new sporting and recreation precinct Sydney Water raised concerns the road could “impact the integrity of the dam” The park’s redevelopment has stalled because of a fight over funding Sydney Water said it was in negotiations with the council over the road “The stalled and unfunded Westleigh Park development will rely on this additional road a road that will highly likely compromise the integrity of the reservoir wall,” Higginson said a Hornsby Council spokeswoman said the council was seeking discussions about the delivery of what she called a “crucial piece of infrastructure for our community” Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter with internal government documents warning a \\u201Csudden failure\\u201D of the levee could cause the deaths of almost 150 people saying the safety classification was \\u201Ctheoretical\\u201D and nearby residents were not at any \\u201Celevated risk\\u201D Internal documents tabled during a parliamentary inquiry on Friday revealed an audit by engineering firm GHD on behalf of Sydney Water had found evidence of \\u201Cslope displacement\\u201D and \\u201Cleakage\\u201D at Thornleigh Reservoir Dam near Hornsby in Sydney\\u2019s north The document stated that investigations by GHD had noted a \\u201Cpossible indication of slope instability\\u201D at the southern embankment of the dam a \\u201Cserious concern\\u201D due to residential homes located directly downstream It would lead to the \\u201Cprobable loss of life of up to 147 people\\u201D who live closest to the reservoir Water Minister Rose Jackson said the independent safety assessment for the dam had identified a \\u201Cgap in geotechnical information\\u201D and that its classification as outside the \\u201Ctolerated\\u201D safety threshold was \\u201Ctheoretical\\u201D \\u201CResidents are not at any elevated risk associated with this change in status,\\u201D she said increasing inspections and conducting further geotechnical investigations \\u201Cout of an abundance of caution\\u201D we expect the dam to be confirmed within safety tolerances,\\u201D she said our expectation is for these to be carried out thoroughly and promptly.\\u201D who raised concern a new road proposed by Hornsby Council could \\u201Ccompromise the integrity of the reservoir wall\\u201D The road forms part of the council\\u2019s beleaguered plans for a controversial multimillion-dollar redevelopment of 36 hectares of parkland at Westleigh Sydney Water raised concerns the road could \\u201Cimpact the integrity of the dam\\u201D The park\\u2019s redevelopment has stalled because of a fight over funding \\u201CThe stalled and unfunded Westleigh Park development will rely on this additional road a road that will highly likely compromise the integrity of the reservoir wall,\\u201D Higginson said a Hornsby Council spokeswoman said the council was seeking discussions about the delivery of what she called a \\u201Ccrucial piece of infrastructure for our community\\u201D Start the day with a summary of the day\\u2019s most important and interesting stories Sydney Water operational staff at the St Marys Water Recycling Plant To support its work in the North West Growth Area Sydney Water has today awarded of two major infrastructure contracts to Ironbark Joint Venture include the delivery of the North West Wastewater Connection and the Thornleigh Pipeline Duplication – key Sydney Water projects designed to enhance capacity in the region and ensure wastewater and drinking water systems meet the needs of customers now and in the future said it’s a significant partnership between Sydney Water and the Ironbark Joint Venture comprising Bouygues Construction Australia and Rob Carr Pty Ltd “Ironbark will manage the delivery of a new rising main and sewage pumping station upgrade as part of the North West Wastewater Connection which will bolster the network leading into the Rouse Hill Water Resource Recovery Facility with a new 800m-long underground pipeline,” Mr Wharton said “This includes an emergency generator for backup power supply for the pumping station to reduce the risk of wastewater overflows to the environment “Ironbark will also manage the duplication of a 1.4km drinking water pipeline between Thornleigh Reservoir and the Thornleigh-Wahroonga Water Pumping Station to increase its resilience by allowing water to be transferred between the two locations to cater for the growing population.”   The contracts represent Sydney Water’s commitment to investing in the North West Growth Area over the next decade where 85,000 new homes are expected to be built and around 68,000 new jobs will be created “Development in the Sydney Metro Northwest Urban Renewal Corridor and North West Growth Area is well underway so we’re delivering this project as part of a major pipeline of work to ensure the ongoing reliability and resilience of wastewater treatment in the region,” Mr Wharton said “This work will also ensure Sydney Water can continue to provide our customers clean and reliable water alongside this unprecedented growth.”   Major construction will start in early-2025 and is planned to be completed in 2026 utilities are facing increasing pressure to deliver larger projects more often Under a new Construction Services Panel Agreement (CSPA) Transgrid will invite energy provider Genus to tender for a pipeline of.. An Australian-first autonomous robotic piling system is being trialled during construction of ENGIE’s Goorambat East Solar Farm All content published on this site is the property of Prime Creative Media The agency has announced the formation of Belle Property Wahroonga following the merger of the network’s local Hornsby and Pymble offices and the acquisition of Soames Real Estate The new office will be led by Daniel Dennis If you check the box above before you log in you won’t have to log back into the website next time you return even if you close your browser and come back later As part of the recent merger and acquisition growth cycle one of Sydney’s oldest real estate businesses in the upper north shore Soames had offices in Wahroonga and Thornleigh It is expected that the acquisition will broaden Belle’s reach across the region Dennis brings over 20 years of real estate experience to the newly merged office with 10 years as principal of Belle Property Hornsby and has been principal of Belle Property Pymble since 2017 The integrated network is expected to enable the offices to better connect buyers and vendors “This strategic move strengthens our network of integrated offices allowing us to connect more buyers with prestigious property and expanding our premium real estate services across Sydney’s North Shore,” he said The acquisition of Soames is expected to complement Belle’s existing local expertise “We’re excited to welcome talented agents from the Soames team to our business whose expertise and knowledge about the Upper North Shore will complement our existing high-performing Belle Property agents.” The network hopes that the acquisition will help scale the brand improving systems and processes for clients and also better enabling staff to meet their objectives “Our hope is that our office environment will allow everyone to succeed and achieve their own personal financial and life goals,” Dennis added this merger means that we will be able to bring the largest connected database on the Upper North Shore which will result in a more premium buyer base and there will be more structured systems in place to better manage clients’ rental properties.” The Ironbark joint venture (JV) will deliver two projects as the demand grows on Sydney’s water infrastructure and as Greater Sydney’s population predicted to double in the next 40 years comprising Bouygues Construction Australia and Rob Carr will work on the Thornleigh Pipeline Duplication Project and the North West Wastewater Connection Project This significant urban growth requires upgrades to water storm water and recycled water infrastructure to support the increased pressure on these systems The Thornleigh Pipeline Duplication Project will duplicate the existing 1.4km drinking water pipeline between Thornleigh Reservoir and Thornleigh-Wahroonga Water Pumping Station “The Ironbark JV has extensive local and global experience in the design We look forward to working with Sydney Water to build new and upgrade existing infrastructure and make more efficient use of water resources for the people of Sydney,” Rob Carr General Manager Angelo Soumboulidis said The additional water main will support population growth in this region by expanding the capacity of Thornleigh Reservoir and maintaining the supply of water to residents The population in Sydney’s north west is expected to double by 2056 The North West Wastewater Connection Project is part of a suite of projects that will upgrade infrastructure and enhance the resilience of wastewater treatment in the region “This work is part of a transformative investment to ensure water wastewater and stormwater systems meet the need of Sydney Water’s customers now and into the future We are proud to play our part in delivering this vital infrastructure that will support Sydney’s growing population and ensure the overall liveability of our city,” CEO Bouygues Construction Australia Seved Robin said The project will involve the construction of a new underground pipeline connecting the pumping station in Rouse Hill to the Rouse Hill Water Resource Recovery Facility There will also be upgrades at the pumping station to increase capacity and provision for emergency power supply In addition to the improvements to Sydney’s water infrastructure the Ironbark JV has committed to implementing a range of sustainability initiatives and strategies on the project that will help deliver positive environmental social and economic outcomes for the broader community Subscribe to Trenchless Australasia for the latest project and industry news Sydney auctions continued to soar and surprise A savvy mother and son duo has broken a suburb record in Thornleigh as Winter continues to defy all odds in the auction scene The auction of 2/12 Handley Ave attracted 16 registered bidders with eight actively bidding for the three bedroom home for $1,542,000 which was $122,000 over reserve the previous highest sale for a townhouse was in Wild Ash Way for $1,526,000 in 2021 Agent Nathan Leuzzi from Ray White Upper North Shore was ecstatic with the result He said a property from the same complex sold for $1,270,000 at the end of March “Just goes to show the difference in market at the moment,” he said The sellers pictured with the mother and son that broke the townhouse record in Thornleigh “The same bidders came from the March auction to try to purchase this property and were unsuccessful.” while the buyers are a mother and son who are upgrading from their unit There was plenty of chatter ahead of a Queens Park auction giving buyers the option to get their foot into the eastern suburbs market A rare opportunity was up for grabs at 22 Rawson Ave a small three-bedroom home that had been expanded and modernised Around 60 people attended the auction in the tree-lined street with one bidder betting his companion a “lunch shout” that the property would sell for over $3.7m Auctioneer Damien Cooley dropped the hammer for $3.5m Auctioneer Damien Cooley led a fast and competitive bidding which started with an opening bid of $3m and grew quickly in increments of $25,000 followed by some big $50,000 hits It was a $50K bid of $3.5m that saw the hammer fall on the property said it was a strong result following a “seamless” campaign which saw 172 inspections and had a lot of interest from downsizers and young families The buyer (right) plans to rent out the house and eventually move in Mr Gillespie said there were 15 registrations for the auction and five active bidders “He’s planning to rent it out at first before eventually living in it,” he said “It was a great result … the old adage of supply and demand.” Meanwhile it was a tale of two investors at a Doonside auction A home at 23 Wangara St went under the hammer for $860,000 Ray White Quakers Hill agent Josh Tesolin said the sale was $160,000 above reserve with the home attracting 13 bidders including six walk-ins on the day 23 Wangara Street Doonside sold for $860,000 with the sellers wanting to take advantage of the equity in their investment property to buy their next family home,” he said a tightly held apartment in Sydney’s south sold well above reserve The unit at 11/14 Trafalgar St in Brighton-Le-Sands sold at auction for $900,000 said there were 13 bidders which was “unheard of” for an apartment with 38 bids made before the hammer dropped The auction of 11/14 Trafalgar St in Brighton-Le-Sands had a huge crowd The unit in Trafalgar St has been held for 50 years ‘Tears of joy’: Moment NRL star gifts parents first ever home It comes as auction numbers soar across Sydney defying the usual quiet period during winter Auctions were up 70 per this week compared to last year and are up a whopping 160 per cent next week Ray White chief economist Nerida Conisbee said there were more properties coming to market “It’s hard to know exactly what’s going on but it does seem to be high levels of investors selling which was what we thought at the start of the year,” she said “I think a lot of it has to do with high interest rates Cost of debt is expensive but also there’s just so many potential problems for landlords that is making it more and more difficult to own an investment property “There are a lot more restrictions and talk of rental caps which is a shame as there are likely to be fewer investment properties.” Ms Conisbee said the interest rate futures index was calculating a 92 per cent chance of a “hold” ahead of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s decision on interest rates on Tuesday third parties have written and supplied the content and we are not responsible for it completeness or reliability of the information nor do we accept any liability or responsibility arising in any way from omissions or errors contained in the content We do not recommend sponsored lenders or loan products and we cannot introduce you to sponsored lenders We strongly recommend that you obtain independent advice before you act on the content realestate.com.au is owned and operated by ASX-listed REA Group Ltd (REA:ASX) © REA Group Ltd. By accessing or using our platform, you agree to our Terms of Use. Plans for a sporting complex half-funded by a controversial NSW government grants program pose several structural security and access risks to a critical part of Sydney’s water supply has been accused by Sydney Water officials of being “pushy” misrepresenting facts and trying to exert political pressure over a proposed road extension through the secure and secluded Thornleigh Reservoir to funnel traffic to and from the new Westleigh Park sporting grounds which Sydney Water says could be put at risk by plans for a nearby sporting precinct.Credit: Rhett Wyman Half of the money for the $80 million project came from the $252 million tied-grants round of the NSW government’s Stronger Communities Fund, which an upper house inquiry found was used as a pork-barrelling scheme after 95 per cent went to Coalition seats in the lead-up to the 2019 state election The council released its master plan in April for the long-awaited recreation precinct on the former Sydney Water Board land which included plans to extend Sefton Road – currently a cul-de-sac – through Sydney Water land saying it had an “in principle” agreement from the authority in a letter to a concerned Westleigh resident Sydney Water managing director Roch Cheroux said Hornsby had not shown any plans to the authority demonstrating the road could be built “to our satisfaction” Mr Cheroux’s stance follows 2019 emails between Sydney Water officials – whose names have been redacted – complaining about the council’s approach An artist’s impression of Westleigh Park.Credit: Hornsby Shire Council one official said the proposed route went along the top of the dam’s outlet main and accused the council staff of “being a little pushy with their position” that the proposed road was the best option “without undertaking thorough investigation to this and other options” “Council has not clearly presented the facts and our opposition to the proposal and is trying to exert political pressure,” an official said in documents released under freedom-of-information laws there are many misleading statements in their letter,” another unnamed staff member said in response Sydney Water told the council the road was being proposed near or over critical water infrastructure had the potential to compromise its operations in the area and limit infrastructure and asset expansion The proposed Sefton Road extension in pink running through Sydney Water land.Credit: Hornsby Shire Council A May 2019 email sent by a Sydney Water property manager outlining the authority’s staunch opposition to the plans said the proposed access road “would impact the integrity of the dam” “Thornleigh Reservoir is one of the most critical reservoirs in our water network,” the letter says a Hornsby spokeswoman said a Public Works Advisory dam safety expert did not raise any issues regarding the safety integrity and classification of the dam in a report commissioned by the council and provided to Sydney Water in December 2019 along with providing limited access to the proposed recreation area is also proposed to provide alternate means of egress from Westleigh in the case of an emergency,” the spokeswoman said addressed security matters and provided a traffic report justifying the need for access Correspondence between Sydney Water and the council in early 2020 showed the authority gave Hornsby in-principal approval to progress its road proposal The Thornleigh Reservoir is a restricted area kept away from the general public.Credit: Rhett Wyman last month Mr Cheroux said this was contingent on the council demonstrating it could be built without impacting the reservoir’s dam wall The spokeswoman said the council was committed to addressing the concerns raised by Sydney Water and was looking at options to reduce the scale of the access road to minimise its impact “Council appreciates Sydney Water’s willingness to work with Council to ensure key infrastructure items are addressed in the design such as dam safety and the protection of existing and future infrastructure,” she said adding further discussions with the authority would be had in the electorate of Liberal cabinet minister Matt Kean received $90 million under the Stronger Communities Fund $50 million of which went to the redevelopment of the Hornsby quarry The fund was originally intended to aid merged councils however the rules were changed about the same time Hornsby – an unmerged council – was issued the grant which was offered and sent to them in a matter of days in mid-2018 In a submission to the inquiry, the council said the money was just a part-payment of almost $260 million owed to it as a result of the bungled amalgamation process in which its boundaries were redrawn The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here. Plans for a sporting complex half-funded by a controversial NSW government grants program pose several structural, security and access risks to a critical part of Sydney\\u2019s water supply. Hornsby Shire Council, in the city\\u2019s north, has been accused by Sydney Water officials of being \\u201Cpushy\\u201D, misrepresenting facts and trying to exert political pressure over a proposed road extension through the secure and secluded Thornleigh Reservoir to funnel traffic to and from the new Westleigh Park sporting grounds. Half of the money for the $80 million project came from the $252 million tied-grants round of the NSW government\\u2019s Stronger Communities Fund, which an upper house inquiry found was after 95 per cent went to Coalition seats in the lead-up to the 2019 state election. The council released its master plan in April for the long-awaited recreation precinct on the former Sydney Water Board land, which included plans to extend Sefton Road \\u2013 currently a cul-de-sac \\u2013 through Sydney Water land, saying it had an \\u201Cin principle\\u201D agreement from the authority. But weeks later, in a letter to a concerned Westleigh resident, Sydney Water managing director Roch Cheroux said Hornsby had not shown any plans to the authority demonstrating the road could be built \\u201Cto our satisfaction\\u201D. Mr Cheroux\\u2019s stance follows 2019 emails between Sydney Water officials \\u2013 whose names have been redacted \\u2013 complaining about the council\\u2019s approach. In correspondence with a colleague, one official said the proposed route went along the top of the dam\\u2019s outlet main and accused the council staff of \\u201Cbeing a little pushy with their position\\u201D that the proposed road was the best option \\u201Cwithout undertaking thorough investigation to this and other options\\u201D. \\u201CCouncil has not clearly presented the facts and our opposition to the proposal, and is trying to exert political pressure,\\u201D an official said in documents released under freedom-of-information laws. \\u201CYes, there are many misleading statements in their letter,\\u201D another unnamed staff member said in response. In an October 2019 letter, Sydney Water told the council the road was being proposed near or over critical water infrastructure, had the potential to compromise its operations in the area, expose security risks, and limit infrastructure and asset expansion, among other concerns. A May 2019 email sent by a Sydney Water property manager outlining the authority\\u2019s staunch opposition to the plans said the proposed access road \\u201Cwould impact the integrity of the dam\\u201D. \\u201CThornleigh Reservoir is one of the most critical reservoirs in our water network,\\u201D the letter says. In a statement to the Herald, a Hornsby spokeswoman said a Public Works Advisory dam safety expert did not raise any issues regarding the safety, integrity and classification of the dam in a report commissioned by the council and provided to Sydney Water in December 2019. \\u201CThis road, along with providing limited access to the proposed recreation area is also proposed to provide alternate means of egress from Westleigh in the case of an emergency,\\u201D the spokeswoman said, adding the council did a site survey, addressed security matters and provided a traffic report justifying the need for access. Correspondence between Sydney Water and the council in early 2020 showed the authority gave Hornsby in-principal approval to progress its road proposal. However, last month Mr Cheroux said this was contingent on the council demonstrating it could be built without impacting the reservoir\\u2019s dam wall, safety, security and existing assets. He said, to date, this had not yet happened. The spokeswoman said the council was committed to addressing the concerns raised by Sydney Water and was looking at options to reduce the scale of the access road to minimise its impact. \\u201CCouncil appreciates Sydney Water\\u2019s willingness to work with Council to ensure key infrastructure items are addressed in the design such as dam safety and the protection of existing and future infrastructure,\\u201D she said, adding further discussions with the authority would be had. Hornsby, in the electorate of Liberal cabinet minister Matt Kean, received $90 million under the Stronger Communities Fund, $50 million of which went to the redevelopment of the Hornsby quarry. The fund was originally intended to aid merged councils however the rules were changed about the same time Hornsby \\u2013 an unmerged council \\u2013 was issued the grant, which was offered and sent to them in a matter of days in mid-2018. In a submission to the inquiry, the council said the money was just a as a result of the bungled amalgamation process in which its boundaries were redrawn. The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day\\u2019s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Telstra Super and Charter Hall's listed retail real estate investment trust are selling the Thornleigh Marketplace on Sydney's upper North Shore with price expectations of more than $40 million They bought the site in 2010 from Woolworths as part of the supermarket group's $100 million property sale and leaseback program Charter Hall Retail REIT is selling the Thornleigh Marketplace on Sydney's North Shore The 8632 square metre centre is anchored by Woolworths and a Dan Murphy's bottle shop which together account for 73 per cent of the revenue James Wilson and Alex James-Elliott of Colliers International Retail Investment Services are marketing the asset neighbourhood shopping centres are in high demand as they are more resilient to online shopping Mr MacGillivray said investors globally are increasingly seeking high quality retail assets ''This trend has been witnessed in Australia with the long-term demand for non-discretionary based neighbourhood centres,'' Mr  MacGillivray said are particularly focused on opportunities that provide them exposure to Australia’s east seaboard economic centres which are benefiting from strong population growth and record levels of infrastructure expenditure.'' Mr Wilson said a lack of Sydney metropolitan neighbourhood shopping centre opportunities in 2017 resulted in yields compressing with freehold centre transactions ranging from 3.78 per cent to 5.57 per cent ''Thornleigh Marketplace offers investors exceptional supermarket performance and security of income given the 15 year weighted average lease expiry (WALE) and 80 per cent of income is secured by national and chain tenants,'' Mr Wilson said Telstra Super and Charter Hall's listed retail real estate investment trust are selling the Thornleigh Marketplace on Sydney's upper North Shore They bought the site in 2010 from Woolworths as part of the supermarket group's $100 million property sale and leaseback program The 8632 square metre centre is anchored by Woolworths and a Dan Murphy's bottle shop Mr\\u00A0MacGillivray said investors globally are increasingly seeking high quality retail assets ''This trend has been witnessed in Australia with the long-term demand for non-discretionary based neighbourhood centres,'' Mr\\u00A0 MacGillivray said are particularly focused on opportunities that provide them exposure to Australia\\u2019s east seaboard economic centres which are benefiting\\u00A0from strong population growth and record levels of infrastructure expenditure.'' Mr Wilson said a\\u00A0lack of Sydney metropolitan neighbourhood shopping centre opportunities in 2017 resulted in yields compressing ''Thornleigh Marketplace offers investors exceptional supermarket performance and security of income given the 15 year weighted average lease expiry (WALE) and 80 per cent of income is secured by national and chain tenants,'' Mr Wilson said The 2880-square-metre site at 192-198 Pennant Hills Road, Thornleigh, has about 78 metres of frontage on the highway. It has been leased to Caltex since the property was built in 1991. While its lease was due to expire in 2019, the ASX-listed fuel network last year requested to extend the term until 2034, with options until 2054. The net rental income from the service station is almost $550,000 a year plus GST, which is paid yearly. 1Shop & Retail View listing Michael Gilbert is selling the property with colleague Rhys Parker “The big thing obviously is that it’s such a rarity to have the rent paid annually in advance with all of the outgoings also paid by the tenant; it’s a very very high-profile location,” Mr Gilbert said adding that it was the last Caltex before drivers entered the M1 Pacific Motorway He noted that most of the more than 180 inquiries on the property had come “overwhelmingly” from high-net-worth private individuals and family offices “Sydney’s population is growing – the key arterial roads such as Pennant Hills Road despite all the bypasses that have been constructed are still going to remain the major thoroughfares in Sydney Well-located service stations on good leases are always going to sell well,” he said “There’s ever more land releases and medium-density housing to accommodate that growth in population and all of these people are going to have cars.” The service station is close to Thornleigh Marketplace Shopping Centre which Charter Hall Retail REIT offloaded for $43.1 million in May 2018 The Thornleigh service station is one of 21 commercial investments across NSW ACT and Queensland to go under the hammer at the Burgess Rawson auction with price expectations ranging from $500,000 to more than $12 million Four childcare properties will be on offer with prices between $1.8 million and $4.5 million earns more than $197,000 a year and has a new 15-year lease to the ASX-listed G8 Education with options to 2053 The portfolio auction will be held at Doltone House Hyde Park Go to Commercial Real Estate’s Facebook page to watch the first two properties being auctioned live Sydney commercial real estate Melbourne commercial real estate Brisbane commercial real estate Adelaide commercial real estate Perth commercial real estate Canberra commercial real estate Darwin commercial real estate Hobart commercial real estate NSW properties for sale VIC properties for sale QLD properties for sale SA properties for sale WA properties for sale ACT properties for sale NT properties for sale TAS properties for sale NSW properties for lease VIC properties for lease QLD properties for lease SA properties for lease WA properties for lease ACT properties for lease NT properties for lease TAS properties for lease Rural & Farming for sale in NSW Rural & Farming for sale in VIC Rural & Farming for sale in QLD Rural & Farming for sale in SA Rural & Farming for sale in WA Rural & Farming for sale in NT Rural & Farming for sale in TAS Rural & Farming for sale in ACT Sydney Toowoomba City Surry Hills Melbourne Dandenong Brisbane Morton Vale Noosaville looking fellow bidders in the eyes and firing straight back at an intense North Shore auction on Saturday There were 24 bidders registered for 34 Ellalong Rd North Turramurra with the home selling $620,000 over its reserve who have been renting a small apartment close by and house hunting for over a year emerged as the buyers with the hammer dropping at $2.82m They were one of many young families to successfully secure a home across Sydney this weekend as auction clearance rates continue to grow said the couple used the best method to secure the property There were 24 registered bidders at the hotly contested auction it’s good to see the aggression coming back to the market.” described the auction as “outstanding” despite a slow we had a $200,000 bid and $100,000 bid which often knocks other bidders out but it didn’t this time,” he said “We also had a new bidder at the $2.75m mark looking at the competition and bidding straight after The sale of 11 Glover St North Willoughby also smashed its reserve It comes as another determined young family pulled out all stops to secure 11 Glover St Ray White agent John McManus said the sellers couldn’t believe their luck watching the bidding war that drove their sale more than half a million dollars over the reserve “Auctions drive competition and the bidding just kept climbing from all involved parties,” he said He said the buyers mentioned before the auction that they “would get this one” Meanwhile in Thornleigh, two young families went head to head at the auction of 53 Beresford Rd with the couple currently renting securing the property said the auction came down to two young families battling it out Mr Verzeletti said the home had been in the same family for more than 60 years Celebrations as a young family buy the Thornleigh home which had previously been in the same family for 60 years “The owners had previously bought it off their parents and raised their children here and now it’s being passed onto the next family to raise theirs,” he said selling for $200,000 over the highest offer prior to auction which just goes to show the value of the area.” who had been on the hunt for just a few weeks secured a Roseville Chase property with just one bid The home at 41 Babbage Rd sold for $2.31m which was $160,000 over the reserve “The young family only started looking for a new home a few weeks ago but knew what they wanted and secured their home with one single bid,” Ray White agent Jessica Cao said “There are a lot of young families looking to buy in the North Shore market as it’s a great environment to raise your kids with the beach Sydney’s top 10 fastest selling suburbs revealed It comes as the lure of a granny flat saw a competitive auction in Padstow The home at 26 Rivenoak Ave sold for $1.53m Ave Auctions director Andrew Cooley said the drawcard of the granny flat brought in owner-occupiers as well as investors Ave Auctions director Andrew Cooley at the auction of 26 Rivenoak Ave in Padstow “The buyer is going to occupy the home and in time lease out the granny flat.” with a lot of people buying blocks to build granny flats There were celebrations from more than 15,000km away for a couple who sold their Balmain terrace for $150,000 over its reserve Selling agent from BresicWhitney, Andrew Liddell, said the owners of 23 Church St were on the phone from Copenhagen during the auction they got up at 1am their time for it,” he said and the terrace eventually sold for $2.15m to a young couple buying their first home Auctioneers were working hard early on, the day kicking off with a three bedroom home in southern Sydney, 8 Gnarbo Ave Carss Park It took 56 bids to get to that point with auctioneer Michael Garofolo describing it as an “epic battle” for home ownership Over at Middle Dural, an estate on five acres at 30 Cranstons Rd was also passed in after a vendor bid of $3.6m following a short auction with 11 bids Top 10 Australian holiday homes of 2023 revealed ‘Not far enough’: Experts warn Budget neglects renters There were 625 auctions held across Sydney this week which is double the number of auctions compared to this time last year Auctions are on the rise with 672 auctions scheduled next week “The number of homes going to auction has picked up in recent weeks despite the quieter winter period approaching,” PropTrack economist Anne Flaherty said “Supporting the uptick in scheduled auctions has been improved selling conditions which have resulted in four consecutive months of price growth improved clearance rates and a boost in vendor confidence.” Developers and occupiers showed strong interest in a new site in Sydney’s north that sold for $3.805m this week The site at 35D Sefton Rd, Thornleigh had received development approval to be transformed into a childcare centre. Sold via an expressions of interest campaign handled by Colliers agents Jordan McConnell and Paul McGlynn, the site was purchased by childcare provider Mini Masterminds. The commercial property sold for $3.805m via an Expressions of Interest campaign. Mr McConnell said the sale had also been conducted with numerous qualified and highly active operators and developers looking to secure opportunities in the Sydney Metro area. “In an evolving marketplace, Childcare and Social Infrastructure continue to be one of the most highly sought after asset classes,” Mr McConnell said. “For every one childcare centre that is listed on the market, at least three more are sold off-market – they’re very popular assets.” Mr McConnell said the successful buyer had secured the Thornleigh site as both an investment property and an owner-occupier site. Commercial childcare assets are highly sought after in the market. “It’s a very flexible site that can cater to occupiers, investors, and developers alike.” “The flexibility to provide space for both residential use and employment use was a major selling point for the commercial property.” The site had been presented as a short term holding income, with seven primary schools situated nearby in a six minute driving radius. It had received development approval for a childcare centre that would be able to cater to 71 children. realcommercial.com.au is owned and operated by ASX-listed REA Group Ltd (REA:ASX) © REA Group Ltd By accessing or using our platform, you agree to our Terms of Use. The site at 35D Sefton Rd, Thornleigh had received development approval to be transformed into a childcare centre Sold via an expressions of interest campaign handled by Colliers agents Jordan McConnell and Paul McGlynn the site was purchased by childcare provider Mini Masterminds The commercial property sold for $3.805m via an Expressions of Interest campaign Mr McConnell said the sale had also been conducted with numerous qualified and highly active operators and developers looking to secure opportunities in the Sydney Metro area Childcare and Social Infrastructure continue to be one of the most highly sought after asset classes,” Mr McConnell said “For every one childcare centre that is listed on the market at least three more are sold off-market – they’re very popular assets.” Mr McConnell said the successful buyer had secured the Thornleigh site as both an investment property and an owner-occupier site Commercial childcare assets are highly sought after in the market “It’s a very flexible site that can cater to occupiers The site had been presented as a short term holding income with seven primary schools situated nearby in a six minute driving radius It had received development approval for a childcare centre that would be able to cater to 71 children Radius Thornleigh Park residents Christine Reed and Ngaire Barry help with bake delicious treats for the cafe The cabinets at On The House’s free drop-in cafe are stocked with delicious baked goods thanks to two New Plymouth resthomes Radius Thornleigh Park and Radius Heatherlea care homes have partnered with charity On The House to support the Over 65′s Free cafe which runs every fortnight at the New Plymouth Methodist Church Radius Thornleigh Park and Radius Heatherlea residents and staff bake brownies using ingredients supplied by On The House They deliver them to the cafe each week and Radius Thornleigh Park resident Lisa Rowlands loves dropping off the baked goods “I love baking very much and I also love going to the cafe to meet new people and get out and about in the community.” Ngaire Barry said the initiative was a way they can give back to the community the partnership has helped her reconnect with old friends “I was at the cafe and I saw my old neighbour and stopped for a cup of tea.” Radius diversional therapist Helen Baverstock said as well as giving back the initiative keeps residents involved in the community “We are excited to be involved with this On The House initiative It provides our residents at Radius Thornleigh Park and Radius Heatherlea with something meaningful to do and maintain connectivity with the community “When residents get up in the morning and know they have a purpose including proven improvements in physical and mental health.” and Gabby’s Starlit Hope and conduct their own random acts of kindness “We’ve done random acts of kindness for the fire brigade give people candy canes around Christmas and create activity packs for the hospital We also create biscuits to deliver to retirement villages.” “People come to a rest home to live and we help facilitate to keep them active The community service is one of the ways we do that.” Stratford Press prints last issue as NZME closes 14 community papers nationwide You can now click/tap WATCH to start the live stream You can now click/tap LISTEN to start the live stream You can now click/tap LATEST NEWS to start the live stream A 69-year-old man who went missing from a Thornleigh aged care facility last night has been found Mr Thomas McDonald was last seen leaving a care facility on Hillmont Avenue about 8pm last night (Thursday 7 October 2021) A member of the public who received a geo-targeting SMS from police located Thomas on Woods Street in Thornleigh about 10.45am He has since been transferred to hospital for observation It’s 1998 and you’ve just sat down to dinner at a new place in Thornleigh You’re greeted by a waiter with a heavy accent and he hands you two menus: one with surf and turf This was Zac and Malalai Zikria’s first restaurant They came to Australia from Afghanistan as refugees Zac worked in factories and restaurants until he had enough bank to open his own venue Italian or pub recipes he’d learnt in Sydney no one in Thornleigh had any idea what that food was ‘If they want curry we'll make them green-curry chicken travel spots and more – curated by those who know Last year the Zikrias moved the restaurant to Bella Vista They still sell surf and turf and chicken parmigianas but hardly anyone orders that That side of the menu has been declining for years When they ask Zac what they should eat he tells them to order the same thing his Afghani customers order (he has a lot more of those now he’s in Bella Vista): the qabli pilaf a mound of aromatic rice spiced with cardamon sweetened with dried fruit and mixed with lamb It’s almost the equivalent of pho in Vietnam or hummus in the Levant that one dish everyone likes and every migrant misses Qabli pilaf is a good example of Afghani food a subtle cuisine that has been influenced by Persia The lamb and onion dumplings are reminiscent of Mongolian varieties but topped in yoghurt and spiced lentils When his Thornleigh customers ordered this “We use lots of yoghurt but it's Greek yoghurt and at that time people bought sweet yoghurt If you visit in the morning ask instead for karayee It’s curry-spiced chicken wok-fried with eggs “They cook it in three minutes and you eat it with bread.” That and a qaimaq chai a green tea mixed with clotted cream and sugar “We have this for breakfast or in the afternoon with a salted cookie.” Of course if you do want to try Zac’s non-Afghani food “The green curry still sells quite well,” Zac says I had customers following me from Thornleigh all the way here for that curry.” zacsgreatfood.com.au This is another edition of Broadsheet’s Local Knowledge weekly series, where Nick Jordan explores the eateries at the heart of Sydney’s different cultural communities. Read more here. This article first appeared on Broadsheet on June 26, 2019. Menu items may have changed since publication. Local Knowledge: Sun Ming’s “Chinese Soul Food” Has Brought Generations Together Since 1993 Local Knowledge: Strap In for “Super Lamb Soup” and Skewers at Hurstville’s Shang Lamb Soup Local Knowledge: Filipino Food’s Greatest Hits Come Supersized at This Western Sydney Spot Local Knowledge: At Sunshine, Riverwood’s Asian Supermarket, Queues Snake on Dim Sum Saturdays Photos: Lucy Kinbacher Commercial buyers looking to stock new properties and others rebuilding after drought weren't afraid to go toe-to-toe with leading Hereford studs trying to get their hands on the final offering of Thornleigh genetics from the Monie family All articles from our website & appThe digital version of This Week's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other agricultural news sites in your areaContinueIt took auctioneer Paul Dooley and Elders stud stock agents Brain Kennedy and Lincoln McKinlay just under three and a half hours to rattle through the draft of females and bulls at the Thornleigh Herefords Dispersal Sale at the Glen Innes saleyards on Thursday Early results had 232 of 258 females averaging $4176 while 16 of 26 bulls averaged $6750 37 Hereford PTIC P heifers averaged $3689 and 12 Hereford Q yearling heifers averaged $4208 New South Wales and Victoria were successful on the day with Jarimbee Pty Ltd accounting for 36 animals to stock a new property near Molong At least 25 lots were bound for Vern Robertson The cattle were trucked from the property at Little Plain Stud principal Ben Monie said the sale was solid all the way through and commercial producers could see the value in the cattle "I think the commercial base was outstanding today and then...a few guys wanted to add some stud cows into their herd and they bought well," he said the thing that pleased me most was the real solid base that we had in there "All day they were after the Battalion Black Hawk cattle "I don't think there was any great trend on the polled or horned cattle The horned cattle really sold well commercially and I think a few of the Allendale Anzacs sold very well and they were obviously after cows that had calves at foot." auctioneer Paul Dooley and Elders agent Dick Gleeson with one of the equal top price females that was sold to Franco Herefords Nevertire producer Peter Swatridge and his daughter Christine Rasmussan secured 24 lots ranging from $3000 to $4500 as part of their endeavours to rebuild from three years of drought Running commercial Hereford breeders alongside buy in cattle Mr Swatridge said they currently had about 50 per cent of their normal stock numbers "I was looking for cows with heifers calves to build numbers," he said "We did buy a couple of cows with bull calves mainly out of frustration when we couldn't get others "Buying quality cattle is never easy and there is an opportunity when someone has a total dispersal." Thornleigh Katherine M397 sold for $9000 to Franco Herefords A high of $9000 was reached twice in the female portion Thornleigh 232 Constance H186 was knocked down with a calf at foot to Rams Trust during the sale but was later declared a no sale The price was reached later by Franco Herefords a four-year-old daughter of Courallie J F181 JamiroQuai secured a yearling son of the $45,000 Battalion Black Hawk K7 named Thornleigh Black Hawk Q153 who boasted high index values with an intramuscular fat scan of five per cent this time the two-year-old Thornleigh H Blackhawk P183 also made the top money to a buyer on the grounds Notable stud support came from Curracabark Herefords Other studs who bought on the day included Battalion Not only was there a strong crowd in the grandstand but 173 bidders registered on AuctionsPlus and accounted for 45 animals with 20 of them going the way of Brian Unthank Rural Paul Dooley and Brian Kennedy shared the auctioneering duties The sale was conducted by Elders with agent Dick Gleeson getting a special shout out from those involved for his hard work in assisting with the sale Mr Monie also thanked his family for their support They will look towards a more flexible operation and dabble in trading cattle but did retain some embryos in their preferred females to keep a connection to the herd that began 88 years ago Read the full report in The Land next week Raised on a cattle property at Biggenden, Lucy Kinbacher has spent 10 years working across metropolitan, regional and rural publications in both Queensland and NSW. Lucy has been the editor of the Queensland Country Life and North Queensland Register since 2021. Today's top stories curated by our news team. Our twice weekly wrap of the latest in rural property sales. Our twice weekly wrap of the big news in the red meat sector. Industry news from Australia's dairy sector. The week's top stories curated by our news team. ABC News News HomePolice shoot man at centre of Sydney siegeShare Police shoot man at centre of Sydney siegeTopic:Police Sieges Link copiedShareShare articleA man allegedly armed with a crossbow was shot by police after he barricaded himself inside a home in Sydney's north-west yesterday. Officers were called to the home in Thornleigh about 9:30am following reports a man inside was armed with a crossbow. A perimeter was set up around the house and police negotiators were called in. Police forced their way into the house about 5:30pm. The 34-year-old man was shot in the hip as officers tried to arrest him. He was taken to the Royal North Shore Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. A 33-year-old woman was inside the house during the incident, but police say she was not being held hostage and was not injured during the arrest. The circumstances surrounding the shooting are being investigated by police. AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) 12.WALLENDBEEN is again at the forefront of the state with the champion wheat crop of 2019 grown by the McLeod family All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueThe award was made last Friday night at an awards dinner at Club Dubbo for the Agricultural Societies Council/ Suncorp Bank Dryland Field Wheat Competition It's argued Wallendbeen is premier NSW wheat growing area having won the ASC championship possibly more times than any other district But for Malcolm and Diana McLeod and their son Scott and daughter-in-law Julia and four grandchildren the family operation is devoted to their cropping enterprise as much as their self-replacing Merino sheep enterprise run on a 25 to 30 per cent cropping to 70pc to 75pc sheep ratio The big woolcutting Merinos were of Uardry blood for 50 years and then Wanganella with the flock average growing 19- to 20-micron wool and cutting an average six kilograms Scott McLeod said the rich red loamy basalt soils hold water and are behind the success of cropping on their Thornleigh property where the champion 51 hectares of Condo wheat was grown The success of the crop was a miracle to Mr McLeod who said the past three Springs had failed "We had some summer rain from December to March of 214 mm with in-crop falls totalling 181mm After a Roundup Ultra spray in December '18 and follow-up on May 15 Sakura at 118g/ha and Hammer at 35ml/ha the crop was direct-drilled at 68kg/ha of seed with 120kg/ha of MAP on 23cm spacings on May 18 A pass of urea at 100kg/ha was made on August 9 estimated a yield of 5.4t/ha while the whole farm yield averaged 4.6t/ha "The previous year we grew a 2.2t/ha canola crop a 6.1t/ha wheat crop the year before while in 2016 canola yielded 2.5t/ha after a pasture phase," Mr McLeod said Other regional winning families were the Woods I've had a long career in journalism and corporate communications, starting with country newspapers, radio and TV in northern NSW and including ABC News Sydney and the Melbourne Herald. I edited The University of Sydney News for 10 years, and was Media Officer for CSIRO in Canberra and BHP Steelworks in Port Kembla. No commentsGet the latest Cootamundra news in your inboxSign up for our newsletter to stay up to date We care about the protection of your data. Read our Privacy Policy It is the haunting conversation that will alarm every parent - the moment a stranger lured a 12-year-old Sydney girl alone from a park and into his car so he could drug and rape her Court documents have laid bare the evil tactics of predator Brett John Callaghan who faces 20 years behind bars over a nine-and-a-half hour ordeal he inflicted upon the child last April pleaded guilty to a series of charges this week admitting what he did to the girl after approaching her and offering to charge her phone at his house 'down the road' According to a statement of agreed facts obtained exclusively by Daily Mail Australia the child had been waiting for a friend to arrive at a Thornleigh park when Callaghan pulled up in a silver Mazda It was the school holidays and Callaghan's target had been in constant contact with her mum throughout the day She had been left alone for just a few moments - a friend she had spent most of the day with had just been called home by his mum the girl was sitting alone in a stairwell when Callaghan asked her: 'What are you doing here?' The victim replied that she was waiting for a friend and supplied his first name Callaghan told her he knew a person with a similar name leaving the victim with the impression he actually knew her mate During the conversation the girl told him she was 12-years-old He asked her if she used drugs and also for what the time was Callaghan said: 'If you want to charge your phone you can come for a ride with me The victim replied: 'Could I just wait here maybe?' Callaghan: 'Well I can't bring the charger with me.' The victim: 'Well OK it's only five minutes down the road.' The offender: 'We will just be there for like ten minutes and I can drop you back.' The offender told the victim he wouldn't hurt her as he had his daughter with him The victim agreed and got in the car about 3.43pm nine minutes after first meeting Callaghan what followed was an ordeal that didn't end until 1.15am the next morning many details of which are too distasteful to publish The girl's mother was alarmed when her daughter failed to show up at their meeting point at Hornsby as planned later that afternoon who quickly used CCTV footage to piece together whose car the girl had entered at Thornleigh Police attended Callaghan's home that evening The predator and his victim had already attended and left his granny flat located out the back of his parents' acreage who confirmed the missing child had traveled in the car with them revealed that the girl twice attempted to flee from her abuser Early in the afternoon she tried to run from Callaghan's granny flat I want my mother,' she said - but was unable to get past the property's front gate She was then picked up by Callaghan in his car instead saying that his friend was going to 'drop something off.'  Callaghan's car broke down in a remote area and the victim managed to run away for two minutes After a passing stranger jump-started their car - Callaghan referring to his victim as his 'sister' - he brought the girl back to his flat 'She felt that she was stuck at his house and gave up trying to get home,' the court facts said Callaghan hid the girl under a blanket when he heard footsteps coming down the driveway He initially denied knowing what police were talking about The girl was struggling to breathe when police found her and the court has previously heard she was traumatised by the ordeal 'I haven't hurt her,' Callaghan claimed to police But Callaghan on Thursday admitted to doing just that via Legal Aid lawyer Alexander Reetov He pleaded guilty to six charges of aggravated sexual assault sexual touching and supplying a prohibited drug to a teenager were withdrawn as part of a deal between prosecutors and his defence as did a senior police investigator who has worked with the girl to bring the predator to justice Magistrate Peter Feather committed Callaghan to the NSW District Court for sentencing He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years' imprisonment Callaghan will next appear in court on April 9 Major terror attack 'was just HOURS away' before it was foiled by the special forces and police:.. 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