📈 Today's Commercial Property & SMSF News
Vaucluse Home Renovation Fetches $9.25 Million
Katherine Tzakonas, founder of the online fashion brand Gingham & Heels, recently sold her Vaucluse home for $9.25 million. The five-bedroom property, purchased a decade ago for $3.7 million, was sold while undergoing renovations. The sale was handled by Ray White Double Bay.
Source: www.news.com.au
Bankrupt Property Spruiker Suffers $1 Million Setback
Dominique Grubisa, a bankrupt property spruiker, has faced a further financial blow with the withdrawal of a $1 million caveat on a Queensland property. The caveat, related to a Trinity Beach apartment, was removed despite Grubisa's claim of co-ownership through a family trust. This follows her recent bankruptcy filing.
Source: www.news.com.au
NSW: A Tough Market for First-Home Buyers
New research indicates that first-home buyers in New South Wales are facing significant challenges, accounting for only 8 percent of all loans settled in June. This is significantly lower than the investor share (nearly 40 percent), highlighting increased competition and rising prices.
Source: www.news.com.au
Litchfield Minerals Discovers Garnet-Rich Heavy Mineral Sands in NT
Litchfield Minerals' Oonagalabi project in the Northern Territory has revealed significant heavy mineral sands deposits, primarily garnet. This discovery adds a new industrial minerals dimension to the project, which is primarily focused on copper-zinc exploration. Further commercial assessment is planned.
Source: www.smh.com.au
Locksley Resources Expands US Rare Earths and Antimony Exploration
Locksley Resources is intensifying its exploration efforts at its Mojave critical minerals project in California. This expansion coincides with a US$1 billion government initiative to bolster domestic mineral supply chains. The company is conducting detailed mapping and sampling across four key zones to potentially increase the project's rare earth and antimony reserves, focusing particularly on the historic Desert antimony mine, known for its high-grade antimony and silver deposits.
Source: www.smh.com.au
Dateline Resources Discovers Six New Gold-Bearing Breccia Pipes
Dateline Resources has significantly boosted its Californian gold project, Colosseum, after geophysical surveys identified six new potential gold-rich breccia pipes. This discovery has propelled the company's share price to a record high, reflecting investor confidence in the project's growth potential. The new targets are based on a correlation between low-resistivity zones and existing gold resources, suggesting significant potential for further gold mineralization.
Source: www.smh.com.au
Star Minerals Unearths High-Grade Gold in Western Australia
Star Minerals has announced impressive results from its infill drilling program at the Tumblegum South gold project in Western Australia. The program yielded multiple high-grade gold intercepts, including a remarkable 5-meter interval grading 30.91 grams of gold per tonne. These results strengthen the company's plans to bring the project into production early next year, highlighting the significant gold potential of the region.
Source: www.smh.com.au
ClearVue Technologies Expands into Middle East Solar Market
ClearVue Technologies has secured a five-year agreement with Emirates Glass, a major Dubai-based glass manufacturer, to produce and distribute its solar façade technology in the Middle East. This partnership enables scalable production and market entry for ClearVue's innovative building-integrated photovoltaic technology, which transforms building materials into energy-generating components. The deal represents a significant step for ClearVue in expanding its global reach.
Source: www.smh.com.au
Litchfield Minerals Identifies Garnet-Rich Heavy Mineral Sands in NT
Litchfield Minerals has discovered significant garnet-rich heavy mineral sands at its Oonagalabi project in the Northern Territory. This discovery adds a new industrial minerals dimension to the project, which is primarily focused on copper-zinc exploration. The company is now evaluating the commercial potential of these heavy mineral sands, potentially creating a dual-commodity opportunity for the project.
Source: www.theage.com.au
Regional Bank Branch Closures Spark Outcry in Rural Australia
The closure of multiple Bendigo Bank branches, including the one in Yarram, Victoria, has caused significant distress among residents reliant on local banking services. Elderly customers now face lengthy journeys to access banking facilities, highlighting the challenges faced by regional communities with shrinking banking infrastructure. The bank attributes the closures to declining customer interactions and rising operational costs.
Source: www.abc.net.au
Real Estate Agency Avoids Fine for Rental Pricing Error
A Mildura real estate agency, PRD Mildura, initially faced a significant fine from Consumer Affairs Victoria for advertising a rental property without a fixed price, a violation of Victorian law aimed at preventing rental bidding wars. However, after contesting the fine in court, the agency avoided penalties, with the court accepting their claim that the pricing error was an honest mistake.
Source: www.abc.net.au
ACCC Investigates Energy Retailers for Misleading Savings Claims
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has launched an investigation into energy retailers' advertising practices, prompted by a complaint from CHOICE. The investigation focuses on whether energy plans marketed as offering savings actually provide the best value for consumers. This follows a new complaint framework allowing consumer advocacy groups to directly refer cases to the ACCC.
Source: www.abc.net.au
Competition Law Reform to Reshape Australian M&A Activity
A recent podcast discusses the significant impact of sweeping reforms to Australian competition law on mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity. The changes are expected to alter how companies approach and execute M&A deals within the country. The discussion also touches upon other business news, including updates on Pilbara mining, and financial reports from several companies.
Source: www.businessnews.com.au
Strike Energy Announces Significant Asset Write-Down
Strike Energy, chaired by John Poynton, anticipates a substantial write-down of up to $108 million on its oil and gas assets. This significant impairment is attributed to a considerable reduction in its reserve estimates. The announcement highlights the challenges faced by energy companies in adapting to shifting market conditions and resource valuations.
Source: www.businessnews.com.au
ESR Sells Kewdale Industrial Property for $9 Million
James Del Piano, a Perth-based dealmaker, has acquired an industrial property in Kewdale for $9 million. The seller is ESR, a large global institutional fund. The transaction underscores ongoing activity in the Perth industrial property market.
Source: www.businessnews.com.au
📊 Yesterday's Key Developments
Darwin Property Market: Listing Shortages Amidst High Demand
The Darwin real estate market is experiencing a significant drop in property listings, reaching a decade low according to one expert. This shortage is attributed to high buyer demand and a considerable number of off-market sales. While July saw a slight increase in new listings compared to the previous month, the overall number of available properties remains drastically lower than the previous year, indicating a highly competitive seller's market.
Source: www.realestate.com.au
Affordable Homes in Hobart's Premium Suburbs: Finding a Bargain
Despite high median house prices in Hobart's most expensive suburbs, such as Battery Point (currently $1.4 million), some relatively affordable properties are available. Recent data reveals that while supply remains limited, buyers can find homes priced below the median in these sought-after areas, representing potential opportunities for those seeking high-value locations.
Source: www.realestate.com.au
High-Yield Investment: Adelaide Apartment Block Offers $4,480 Weekly Rental Income
A 14-unit apartment complex in Davoren Park, Adelaide, is on the market with a price guide of $4 million to $4.1 million. The property offers potential buyers a substantial rental income exceeding $4,480 per week, representing a significant return on investment. The seller highlights the advantage of paying land tax only once on the entire complex, unlike purchasing multiple individual properties.
Source: www.realestate.com.au
Iconic Sydney 'Wedding Cake' House Listed for $9 Million
A distinctive, multi-tiered mansion in Sydney, known colloquially as the 'wedding cake house,' is on the market for the first time in 46 years, with a price guide of $9 million. The property sits on a large waterfront block and has garnered significant attention for its unique architectural style and prime location.
Source: www.realestate.com.au
Economic Roundtable to Tackle Home Building Delays
Australia's economic reform roundtable is addressing the slow pace of home construction. The Productivity Commission chair highlighted that red tape and lengthy approval processes, not the physical building itself, are the primary contributors to delays. Discussions aim to identify solutions to streamline approvals and accelerate housing supply.
Source: www.realestate.com.au
Hesperia's $500 Million Collie Battery Project Recommended for Approval
Hesperia's proposed $500 million battery storage and solar farm project in Collie is slated for a decision next week, with a recommendation for approval currently in place. Further details are unavailable due to paywalled content restrictions.
Source: www.businessnews.com.au
Published: Tuesday 19 August 2025 | Fresh Articles: 31 | Sections: 21 | RunID: 2025-08-19T18:33:07+10:00
Enjoyed this article?
Get weekly commercial property insights and market updates.
Join 450+ property investors • Unsubscribe anytime