THE construction of Dairy Farmers Towers is edging one step closer to its completion date of mid-2025.
Project developer Thirdi Group announced on Wednesday that it had appointed Sydney- based construction company Decode to lead the $110 million build.

The development includes 180 luxury one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments built across two towers at the former Dairy Farmers site at 924 Hunter Street, Newcastle West.

Tower one is the highest at 30 storeys and tower two spans 25 storeys. A separate commercial space is five storeys high.

“Today’s announcement marks the start of an exciting partnership that will see Dairy Farmers Towers brought to life for residents and the wider Newcastle community, “Thirdi Group co-founder Luke Berry said.

Mr Berry said Decode would be on-site in the coming weeks upon completion of early works for the project.

The residential and retail development will retain the heritage-listed milk bottle and clock towers synonymous with the site of the former Dairy Farmers building which was established in 1939 and used for receiving, bottling and distributing milk until 1991.

Mr Berry said Decode was chosen for the build due to its experience inconstruction and its history of transforming and restoring historical sites.

Other projects completed by Decode include the Grande Pyrmont Bay Estate in Sydney which comprised 1 luxury terrace homes surrounded by heritage-listed buildings.

“We were thoroughly impressed with the quality of the build at Grande Pyrmont, and we have wanted to work with Decode ever since,” he said.

“After reviewing Decode’s projects within Sydney and the surrounding areas, we gained an understanding of the team’s ability to deliver a quality product that all stakeholders were proud of.”

As well as the 180 apartments, Dairy Farmers Towers will include communal green spaces, a state-of-the-art gym, an elevated outdoor swimming pool and sundeck, a wine bar and cellar, as well as a residents’ only shared work hub.

In addition, the project will also re- imagine the site’s glass milk bottle and clock towers as part of a broader public art installation.

According to Third Group, Dairy Farmers Towers has seen strong interest since its launch in late 2021, with 75 per cent of the apartments already sold. This includes the $6.5 million sale of a penthouse spanning 325 square metres.

“Despite tough economic conditions over the past 12 to 18 months, we haven’t seen a decline in activity throughout the region with demand remaining steady for the relaxed, more affordable lifestyle Newcastle has to offer, ” Mr Berry said.

The project is the latest in the city for Sydney-based Thirdi Group which has already completed seven other developments in Newcastle including WEST Apartments, Eaton On Union and Stella on Hannell.

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Australian developer Third.i has opened its first international head office in London with plans to “tap into local demand” and expand its presence in the UK market.

The firm’s new offices are located at 22 Albert Embankment between Lambeth Bridge and Vauxhall Station, and the news comes three weeks after it acquired the former Royal Doulton site, now a 14-storey office block, for a luxury residential development.

Third.i said it had been active in the London market for almost five years, and had already built up a £185m pipeline of new-build homes in the city, alongside an additional £130m planned following the Royal Doulton acquisition.

The company is set to build a billion-pound pipeline over the next five years, including the acquisition of three additional sites in the UK by the end of 2024, adding more than £500m in GDV.

Two prime sites, Graphite Square in Vauxhall and the Doulton in Lambeth, will launch in September.

The firm wants to build its own UK-based team, headed up by co-founder Ron Dadd who’s transfered from Australia along with others from the Sydney team.

“We are very excited to be opening our first international office in London and to expand the Third.i presence to the UK,” said Luke Berry, co-founder and director of Third.i.

“This is the strategic next step following our growth in Australia. We want to let our buyers know that we are here to stay through not only investing in a full-time office but by relocating some of our Australian team too.”

Berry continued: “There are significant opportunities to be had in the UK from student accommodation to retirement living, so London is an appealing base to operate from.”

Dadd said the company’s expansion into the UK five years ago came at the right time for the company to build on its Australian success.

He added: “I am very excited to be given the opportunity to head up Third.i’s UK team.

“Working with the head of our UK business, Gareth Hardy, we identified the opportunity to replicate what we were doing in Australia in London, and the strength of our results to date demonstrate the demand in London for residences in desirable locations that have a focus on design and architecture.

“We work with world-class architects, interior designers and placemakers around the world to create vibrant places for people to live, work and play, and have a strong track record of selling out projects and breaking suburb records.”

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Australian property developer Third.i has opened its first overseas office in London as it seeks to expand its pipeline to £1bn over the next five years.

The developer, which has been active in the London market for almost five years, has a £185m pipeline of new-build homes in the capital and has a further £130m planned once it completes an acquisition later this month.

Third.i is in the process of buying a circa 52,000 sq ft site in central London, which will feature luxury apartments.

It is also planning to purchase three additional sites by the end of 2024, which will add a combined GDV in excess of £500m.

The firm took up around 1,600 sq ft of office space in April at 22 Albert Embankment, SE1, for its six employees, including co-founder Ron Dadd and director of development Gareth Hardy.

Third.i acquired its first scheme in London in 2018 when it bought 58-70 York Road, SW11, followed by Graphite Square, SE11, (pictured) in 2020. In Australia the company has delivered more than $4bn (£2bn) of commercial and residential properties.

Later this year the developer will launch its Graphite Square scheme, which comprises 160 homes, 80,000 sq ft of co-working office space and communal gardens. A third of the flats were sold in less than three months during the initial marketing campaign, which made it the fastest selling scheme in Zone 1.

Co-founder and director Luke Berry said: “This is the strategic next step following our growth in Australia. We want to let our buyers know that we are here to stay, through not only investing in a full-time office but by relocating some of our Australian team too.

“There are significant opportunities to be had in the UK, from student accommodation to retirement living, so London is an appealing base to operate from.”

He added: “Gareth went to school with one of our founders and has followed us on our Third.i journey ever since. He saw an opportunity in London and asked if he could produce a fully secured deal to us, would we consider it. We agreed and that was our flagship project in Battersea. We have continued to grow the UK business ever since and it was important for us to have an office in the area we are focusing on, which is close to both Graphite Square and another site we are about to acquire.”

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The builder for Thirdi’s Dairy Farmers Towers in Newcastle has been announced.

Multi-award-winning construction company Decode will lead the build of the project, which will comprise 180 luxury one, two and three-bedroom apartments in the NSW city’s West End.

An iCIRT-rated and multi-accredited builder, Sydney-based Decode’s projects include the Grande Pyrmont Bay Estate, comprising 11 high-end terrace homes surrounded by some of Sydney’s oldest heritage-listed buildings, including the Terminus Hotel.

It was also responsible for the $500-million Burwood Grand—the transformation of 10,000sq m of the Sydney suburb’s commercial centre into 498 apartments, 16 retail spaces and 4000sq m of council chambers across three buildings and a total of 54 storeys.

Thirdi said it had appointed Decode due to its “extensive experience in delivering excellence in construction and history of transforming and restoring historical sites into quality-built environments”.

Thirdi co-founder Luke Berry said Decode’s Grande Pyrmont  had drawn their attention to the builder.

“We were thoroughly impressed with the quality of the build at Grande Pyrmont and we have wanted to work with Decode ever since.

“After reviewing Decode’s projects within Sydney and the surrounding areas, we gained an understanding of the team’s ability to deliver a quality product that all stakeholders were proud of.”

Dairy Farmers Towers was approved in June last year and will include communal green spaces, a state-of-the-art gym, an elevated north-facing outdoor swimming pool and sundeck, a wine bar and cellar, as well as an exclusive residents-only shared work hub.

In an nod to Newcastle’s history, according to the developers, the project will also reimagine the heritage-listed glass milk bottle and clock towers as part of a pedestrianised, broader public art installation.

Dairy Farmers Towers’ apartments were 75 per cent sold, Berry said.

Thirdi is one of the largest providers of Specialist Disability Accommodation apartments along the East Coast of Australia, partnering with numerous Specialist Independent Living Advisors to provide suitable accommodation in their large-scale developments, including Dairy Farmers Towers, which will deliver 10 SDA apartments.

Decode will be onsite in the coming weeks upon completion of early works at Dairy Farmers Towers.

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Having been active in the London market for almost five years, Australian property developer, Third.i, has now opened its first international head office here, in order to tap into local demand having already built up a £185m pipeline of new build homes in the city, with a further £130m planned following the recent acquisition of Westminster Tower in Lambeth which has been renamed ‘The Doulton’ and launches in September 2023.

As part of its ongoing investment into London’s property market, the 156 sq m office at 22 Albert Embankment – which is located on the river between Lambeth Bridge and Vauxhall station – is strategically situated to enable the firm to build its own UK based team which is being headed up by co-founder, Ron Dadd, who has transferred from Third.i’s base in Sydney.

As part of their ongoing investment into London, Third.i’s new office is also home to the marketing suite of another residential scheme, Graphite Square in Vauxhall, in preparation for its official UK launch later this summer.

Founded in Sydney over twenty years ago, Third.i have become a global leader in property development and investment, collaborating with the world’s leading architects, designers and place makers to create vibrant places for people to live, work and play in – from cradle to grave.

Having successfully delivered over AUD$4bn pipeline of commercial and residential properties in Australia, the firm brought their innovative model and expertise to the London market in 2018 with the acquisition of their flagship scheme, 58-70 York Road in Battersea, followed by Graphite Square in 2020, where over 60 per cent of homes have since sold off market prior to its official UK launch later this year.

“We are very excited to be opening our first international office in London and expand the Third.i presence to the UK,” said Luke Berry, co-founder & director of Third.i. “This is the strategic next step following our growth in Australia. We want to let our buyers know that we are here to stay through not only investing in a full-time office but by relocating some of our Australian team too.”

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Third.i recently picked up a landmark site on the Thames for a luxury resi project, and has a raft of other major developments in the works. 

After five years operating in the London market, Australian developer Third.i has decided to put down some roots in the capital.

The 20-year-old firm, founded in Sydney, has chosen the UK capital for its first international outpost as it looks to “tap into local demand”. The team will be based at 22 Albert Embankment – on the river between Lambeth Bridge and Vauxhall station – and headed up by co-founder, Ron Dadd, who has transferred from the Sydney HQ.

Also on the team are former Australia and UK professional rugby player, Gareth Hardy (director of development), Steven Dunn (general manager), Guy Emmerson (director of acquisitions), and Jacinta Mendes (marketing manager). Their brief is to pursue land and development opps throughout Greater London, support new development launches and promote the existing London portfolio.

This is far from a cold start, though. The firm has already built up a £185mn pipeline of new-build projects in the city, and has further £130mn in the works following its acquisition of Westminster Tower (just along from the new office) a few weeks ago. “The Doulton”, as the scheme has been rebranded, is due to deliver 28 “world-class” apartments with interiors by Banda.

The new office will also serve as the marketing suite for Graphite Square, a forthcoming mixed-use scheme in Vauxhall. The development, almost at practical completion stage and soon to have its official UK launch, is delivering 160 new homes, 80,000 sq ft of co-working office space and landscaped communal gardens. The overseas sales campaign for this one saw a third of apartments snapped up in less than three months, generating over £40mn in sales, and making it “the fastest selling scheme in Zone One” according to the firm.

Globally, the company says it is on track to build a billion pound pipeline over the next five years.

Luke Berry, Co-Founder & Director of Third.i: “We are very excited to be opening our first international office in London and expand the Third.i presence to the UK. This is the strategic next step following our growth in Australia. We want to let our buyers know that we are here to stay through not only investing in a full-time office but by relocating some of our Australian team too. There are significant opportunities to be had in the UK from student accommodation to retirement living, so London is an appealing base to operate from. Gareth went to school with Rob, one of our Founders, and has followed us on our Third.i journey ever since. He saw an opportunity in London and asked if he could produce a fully secured deal to us, would we consider it? We agreed and that was our flagship project in Battersea. We have continued to grow the UK business ever since and it was important for us to therefore have an office in the area we are focusing on, which is close to both Graphite Square and another site we have recently acquired.”

Ron Dadd: “I am very excited to be given the opportunity to head up Third.i’s UK team. As one of the Co-Founders, I have been with the company for over 20 years based in Sydney, and so have already been a part of the company’s substantial investment into the London market. Working with the head of our UK business, Gareth Hardy, we identified the opportunity to replicate what we were doing in Australia in London, and the strength of our results to date demonstrates the demand in London for residences in desirable locations that have a focus on design and architecture. We work with world-class architects, interior designers and place makers around the world to create vibrant places for people to live, work and place, and have a strong track record of selling out projects and breaking suburb records.”

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Taking the plunge with your own business is a daunting prospect but two former Ing- ham sisters are thriving in the Townsville CBD, encouraging others to do the same.

Trained as a nurse, Carly Chiesa and her sister Megan Artis, who worked as a beauty therapist, stepped out of their comfort zones to open the popular The Beet Bar cafe on Flinders Street in 2015.

When their lease ended, the sisters closed the cafe and began a search for a suitable space to take their business to the next level.

Ms Chiesa said they began talks with the owners of the Precinct 21 building on the corner of Stokes and Sturt streets and were offered a great deal to become the anchor tenant.

They signed a 10-year lease on a 130sqm space, and officially reopened in August 2021.

“We designed the tenancy from scratch and fitted it out, and there has been a great response from our customers.

“We’ve had our ups and downs but because we’ve been willing to change and grow, it’s kept us relevant.”

“We now have a bigger menu and a fresher layout with different types of seating available, including outdoor pet- friendly dining,” she said.

While the sisters hadn’t en- joyed a positive experience with landlords and real estate agents in the past, Ms Chiesa was full of praise for Third.i, the owner and property developer for Precinct 21.

“It was really refreshing that the owners helped us run with our ideas, gave us the space, and believed in our vision,” she said.

Inspired by the Google and WeWork workspaces, the five- storey Precinct 21 boasts an industrial style fit-out with abundance of natural light following a $10m transformation.

Mr Berry said there were a limited number of 100sqm to 479sq m office spaces still available on levels one to five.

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Newcastle has been earmarked as a location for more accessible housing, after the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) released a new pricing guide expected to encourage greater investment in Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) in key regional areas.

The changes, introduced on 1 July, weremade in an attempt toadequately reflect economic inflationary pressures adversely impacting the market.Growing demand for specialised disability accommodation in urban areas reflect a need for greater access to central amenities that make independent living as easy as possible for those with high supportneeds.

INSITU chief housing officer Rosie Trantham says the newpricing guide should open doors to affordable homes for those in greater need.

“In parallel, we have seen an escalation in land values, building costs and interest rates all impacting where SDA housing has been built, leaving a void in the market for fit-for-purpose NDIS housing” she said.

“This latest NDIS pricing framework will reshape D A on-demand housing, encouraging the development of more innovative and individually tailored disabilitaccommodation in urban
locations along the eastern seaboard, and opening up more opportunities for NDIS participants looking for purpose-built homes of all configurations.”

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A prominent Newcastle developer says he is reviewing all of his projects in light of new planning rules allowing greater height and density in exchange for affordable housing.

the NSW government on June 15 released a plan to address the housing supply shortage, by offering incentives for developers to include affordable housing in their projects.

Housing developments valued at more than $75 million which allocate a minimum of 15 percent gross floor area to affordable housing can have 30 percent more floor space per ratio and 30 percent more height than local environment plans.

The developments will also gain access to the State Significant Development planning approval pathway, which often results in faster planning decisions.

Affordable housing is open to people on a wider range of incomes than social housing and is for people whose income isn’t high enough to pay rent where they live or work.

Projects including the store appartments, Dairy Farmers Corner and the West Village development on the former spotlight site are valued at more than $75 million.

Dairy Farmers is being developed by Third.i Group. Director Luke Berry said Third.i would all of their projects to see if they are eligible for the proposal.

“This will include our current and future pipeline of apartment developments as well as our large scale house and land communities,” Mr Berry said.

We want to give everyone an opportunity to live in accessible locations full of amenity so watch this space if we get government support on our projects there will be some really big announcements coming soon from our world.”

Mr Berry said the change was needed to mitigate the housing crisis and would make affordable housing “more accessible to those people in need of it”.

“If we don’t do something drastic today and maximise the sites that can support increases in density without over developing them, its the future generations that will suffer because of it,” he said.

Newcastle lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the announcement was “a great step”towards ensuring more affordable housing was included in new developments.

“City of Newcastle is in a position as the only metropolitan council to retain planning powers in the state,” she said.

“It’s my view that while Newcastle has a great track record of high-quality and sensible development from a planning perspective, we’ve needed leadership from the NSW government to ensure adequate social and affordable housing is contained within new large-scale developments, particularly in the emerging CBD in Newcastle West.

“The premiers announcement is a great step in that direction.

“i’ve written to the premier to advise that City of Newcastle is willing to work closely with the NSW government to explore opportunities to fast-track and streamline construction of more social and affordable housing throughout Newcastle, and i look forward to continuing to work with the government to continue to deliver more housing for Novocastrians in need.”

The changes are set to come into effect later in 2023.

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One of the city’s older and most prominent office buildings is being repurposed to include a state of the art office precinct inspired by Google workspaces.

The five-level building on the corner of stokes and Sturt St, is also set to house state government offices with a heads of agreement signed to negotiate terms.

But initial plans to convert at least part of the building into specialist disability accommodation have been ditched after it was found the potential change of use would have triggered fire compliance requirements which would have made the redevelopment unviable.

The 40-year-old building with more than 5700sq m of net lettable area was previously the home of the region’s electricity authority and more recently infrastructure group AECOM.

But it has been mostly vacant in recent years and in need of a makeover.

Acquired by Sydney developer Thirdi, with the backing of Singaporean funds, in 2019, they have completed a $10m transformation, rebranding the property as Precinct 21.

Popular food and beverage cafe The Beet Bar took s prominent ground floor tenancy in 2021 and women’s fashion boutique Hazel mai also recently moved in.

Thirdi founder Luke Berry said they were well advanced in negotiation with a statutory state government body to lease 1500sq m on the ground floor and first level.

While plans for apartments as specialist disability accomodation proved unfeasible, Mr Berry said he was thrilled to have refurbished the building, including level 4 as a co-working space.

He said the project was inspired by Google workspaces with each floor boasting a modern, industrial style fit-out with an abundance of natural light and views across the city.

On Level 4, suites of between 100sq m and 479sq m are available, although the group says it has flexible floorplan options which can be customised to suit a business’s needs.

The building comes with 24/7 access, on-site basement parking, dual lifts and flat floor plans.

inquiries on the office space can be made to E-Property Consulting NQ.

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