Property

Plans for what would become Perth’s tallest building have been lodged for approval, with Singapore’s Fragrance Group seeking to build a 62-level, 485-room hotel at St Andrew’s Church on St Georges Terrace.

A South Perth resident group claims a Court of Appeals decision to uphold the quashing of a development approval on Mill Point Road confirms the original intent of the suburb’s town planning scheme, but the developer behind the proposal says the judgement only highlights problems with development guidelines in the area.

Perth is now the only capital to record a year-on-year fall in house prices, and was the weakest-performing city in the three months to November, according to new data.

Unions have been put on notice with the revival of the Australian Building and Construction Commission, as the building sector celebrates the what it says is the return of law to the industry.

A new gloomy forecast has emerged for Perth house prices, with global economic research firm Moody’s predicting further declines in 2017.

Experienced Perth business executive Dario Amaria has spoken to Business News about his plans to revive one of Western Australia’s oldest building companies. 

Western Australians have dominated the Master Builders Association’s national awards, with the top prize of residential builder of the year going to local Adrian Zorzi, and Built Holdings and Doric

Real Estate Institute of Western Australia boss Hayden Groves says residential leasing activity continues to improve across the Perth metro area, as the central sub-region’s median rent falls to $380 per week.

Australian architects and engineers are lagging behind global counterparts in the adoption of new technology, resulting in errors, delays and lost productivity at development sites.

Sales activity was up over the week, with Reiwa members reporting an increase in weekly sales to 659. The overall 17 per cent increase in weekly sales is attributed to a 15 per cent increase in sales for houses, 11 per cent for units and 49 per cent for vacant land.

Prices in one of Perth’s newest residential enclaves, The Springs at Rivervale, are holding value better than apartments across the wider Perth metropolitan area, despite concerns of excess supply restraining capital growth.

Hotel and resorts operator Mantra Group has been confirmed as the partner for a new property at 900 Hay Street by local developer George Atzemis, following the opening earlier this month of Mantra's new Peppers Hotel opposite Kings Square.

Interior design firm Habitat1 has secured a Supreme Court injunction against its founder, Christian Formby, after he sought to transfer its domain name to a new company and set up a business called Habitat Interiors.

Western Australia's declining residential building sector will bottom out by next year, however the state government's official forecaster says the speed of any potential recovery beyond 2016-17 would be difficult to predict.

China-backed developer Zone Q Investments’ plans for a South Perth apartment tower on MIll Point Road have been rejected for a second time by planning authorities, as uncertainty over the suburb’s town planning scheme puts a cloud over future development.

Local developer Australian Development Capital is taking on one of the industry’s biggest challenges – redeveloping a historically significant property in Fremantle’s West End.

Fresh initiatives are emerging in the world of online property advertising, as the sector embraces technology to effectively market residential real estate.

The state government has used its latest cabinet meeting in Midland today to announce four deals worth $67 million to support future medical, university and residential projects in the former railway workshops area.

Building materials supplier Boral has agreed to buy US firm Headwaters Incorporated for around $US2.6 billion ($A3.5 billion), which Boral says will more than double its US business and help accelerate development of its light building products platform.

Law firm Gilbert + Tobin is the latest company in Perth to shift address, as firms with expiring leases take advantage of the most tenant-friendly market in 25 years.

Members reported a decrease in weekly sales to 564 this week. The overall 16 per cent decrease in sales over the week is attributed to a 17 per cent decrease in sales for both houses and units.

Investa Property Group has inked Perth’s largest office leasing deal for 2016, one of three new leases totalling 13,639 square metres.

Long-running homebuilding brand Collier Homes will continue to operate in Western Australia, after the business was sold to local entrepreneur Dario Amara.

Plans for a $27.3 million, three-storey preparatory school at Christ Church Grammar School in Claremont have received provisional approval.

Rural house prices in Western Australia were stable in the three months to September, however Karratha and Broome had little to celebrate.

Developer Sirona Capital says it is keen to build on and enhance the fabric of Fremantle, after the state government confirmed it would shift three agencies to the port city today, paving the way for a $250 million-plus redevelopment of King’s Square.

Construction has started on the University of Western Australia’s Forrest Hall, a $16 million accommodation facility designed to attract the world’s best researchers to the state.

A community-first focus is paying dividends for shopping centre owner GPA, with its Empire Village Shopping Centre becoming a new focal point in City Beach. 

One of Australia’s best known winemaking families, the Oatley Wine Group, will open a cellar door in the Margaret River region, part of what’s believed to be the largest value sale ever for a winery in Western Australia.

Business News sat down to lunch at Julio’s with one of WA’s most successful homebuilders, Dale Alcock, who says a bipartisan political commitment is needed to drive investment and growth in the state.

Plans for an eight-storey apartment development at one of Fremantle's biggest eyesores have been knocked back because the proposal was considered too tall, despite a nine-storey building being located directly across the road.

Cockram Construction has been awarded a $23.5 million contract for the redevelopment of the Onslow Health Service.