Inner city site with $150m tower proposal sells
Melbourne City Council greenlit the project that developer Claric Ninety-Nine proposed to replace existing buildings at 13-33 Hartley St in 2022.
Plans for the 6714sq m address near the Westgate Freeway included 400 apartments, 4580sq of retail and office space, basement parking for 173 cars and 492 bikes, a pool and library, across 50 levels.
Melbourne's biggest eyesore listed for sale by China's Wang Hua
It was slated to stand at 164m tall and also have a public park and new road built.
Commercial real estate Allard Shelton director Joseph Walton declined to comment on the sold price although the property was listed with circa-$20m price hopes.
Mr Walton said that the Fishermans Bend precinct lot had attracted strong interest, mostly from developers and a couple of potential owner-occupiers.
'We had buyers locally, interstate and internationally all look at the site,' Mr Walton said.
Out of multiple offers submitted for the listing, a local developer ended up being the successful buyer.
Mr Walton said the purchaser planned to 'spend some time repositioning the project'.
In 2022, a Melbourne City Council's officers' report stated that the proposed 50-storey tower
was 'not considered to introduce unreasonable amenity impacts to the public realm or adjoining sites'.
'The proposed materials and design of the development are generally supported based on best-practice urban-design principles, subject to a facade strategy to further refine the design,' the report read.
'The proposal includes the provision of a large portion of the site to be set aside for a public park and a new road, responding appropriately to the future vision of Fishermans Bend.'
The 480ha Fishermans Bend urban renewal project, stretching across the City of Melbourne and City of Port Phillip, is set to become home to approximately 80,000 residents by 2055.
In 2012, the Victorian government rezoned part of the area from urban industrial land to mixed use land.
Historically, the precinct was home to aircraft, aerospace engineering and car design and manufacturing companies.
Latest state government plans for Fishermans Bend include parks, schools, roads and community facilities along with the aim of providing employment for up to 80,000 people within the next three decades.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
29 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Australian passport losing its power compared to many other nations
Australia has fallen from sixth to seventh place in the latest Henley Passport Index, trailing countries such as Singapore, New Zealand and the UK. The Henley Passport Index ranks passports according to the number of places travellers can enter without a visa or with visa-on-arrival access. Australia now shares seventh place with Czechia, Hungary, Malta and Poland. Singapore is the world's most powerful passport, with visa-free access to 193 destinations out of 227. Japan and South Korea are in equal second place, each giving citizens access to 190 destinations visa-free. Seven countries are in third place including France, Germany, Ireland and Italy. They have access to 189 destinations. In fourth place there are also seven countries including Belgium, Sweden, Norway and Portugal. They have visa-free entry to 188 destinations. New Zealand is in fifth spot, along with Switzerland, while the UK is in sixth place. The US has slipped to 10th place and is close to falling out of the top 10 for the first time since the index began almost 20 years ago. Afghanistan remains at the bottom of the list, with its citizens able to access just 25 destinations without a prior visa. Australians are still able to enter many countries without needing a visa beforehand. The data shows a general global shift towards more openness, mobility and passport strength. Over the past decade, more than 80 passports have climbed at least 10 places, and the global average number of destinations travellers can access visa-free has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025. Notably, China has climbed 34 places from 94th to 60th since 2015. China has granted visa-free access to more than a dozen new passports since January, bringing its total to 75. These include Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Saudi Arabia. Henley and Partners chief executive Juerg Steffen said Americans were leading the demand worldwide for alternative residence and citizenship options, with British nationals also among the top five. 'As the US and UK adopt increasingly inward-looking policies, we're witnessing a marked rise in interest from their citizens seeking greater global access and security,' he said. 'Your passport is no longer just a travel document – it's a reflection of your country's diplomatic influence and international relationships.
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
New $800m payment for AUKUS was scheduled, Prime Minister says
Australia has sent another $800m to the US as part of the AUKUS deal, which the Trump administration has under review, but the Prime Minister says it was simply a part of the 'schedule'. Anthony Albanese was asked about the new payment that took the total to $1.6bn, which was reported in Nine newspapers on Wednesday. 'There is a schedule of payments to be made, we have an agreement with the United States as well as with the United Kingdom,' Mr Albanese told ABC's Afternoon Briefing. 'It is about increasing the capacity, their industrial capacity, and as part of that, we have Australians on the ground, learning the skills so that when it comes to the SSN-AUKUS, the submarines being built here in Australia, we have those skills.' Defence Minister Richard Marles earlier confirmed the report saying 'the payments are occurring in line with Australia's commitment to contribute US$2bn by the end of 2025, which underscores our commitment to the successful delivery of AUKUS Pillar I outcomes'. The US' review was announced in June and is being headed up by Elbridge Colby, the US undersecretary of defence. Mr Colby recently made headlines when it was revealed he was pressuring the Australian and Japanese governments to reveal what they would do if China invaded Taiwan. The AUKUS deal is a long-term arrangement that will cost upwards of $268bn, and as much as $368bn, over the next 30 years. Australia would buy nuclear submarines from the US, while developing our own capacity to build submarines in Adelaide. The new payment came as Opposition defence spokesman Angus Taylor said he was 'worried' about the government's position on defence. 'I worry that the government – I think it's not just me worried, I think every expert looking at this is making these comments – they're deeply worried that we're not on our way to having the defence force we need in such an uncertain time,' Mr Taylor said.
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Questions raised after ATO wiped $1m bill from Paul Keating's company
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is under pressure to explain why it wrote off almost $1 million in interest and late penalties owed by one of Paul Keating's companies. An ABC Four Corners investigation has revealed that over a decade ago the ATO wrote off the debt in 2015 after years of negotiations. The debt was owed by one of Paul Keating's companies but wiped after negotiations with the former prime minister and his financial advisers. There is no suggestion of wrongdoing by Mr Keating or his advisers. Instead, the focus of the investigation is on why the ATO took the steps it did, given the fact that for most taxpayers formally challenging such a decision would require them to contest the matter in the Federal Court. However, the ABC reports in this instance, a payment notice was cancelled after a negotiation, raising questions about how the ATO chose to handle the matter. At the time, the Liberal Government was led by Tony Abbott and the Treasurer was Joe Hockey. There's no suggestion however that the Abbott Government was briefed on the decision to wipe the tax cut given the sensitivities around privacy and the ATO. The ATO and Mr Keating's office have been contacted for comment. The ABC's report states that the investigation raises 'questions about a lack of transparency in how the tax office conducts confidential settlements.' According to the ABC, an interest and penalties bill was issued after the ATO discovered in 2012 that Mr Keating's company, Brenlex Pty Ltd, had not reported profits from an earlier share sale. After Mr Keating was audited by the ATO in 2010 an agreement was struck according to the ABC for Mr Keating to settle tax liabilities of more than $3 million involving another of his companies, Verenna Pty Ltd. According to the ABC, Mr Keating was questioned about his other companies, including Brenlex, and his advisers confirmed it had paid a significant amount of tax relating to the sale of shares and was up to date with its tax liabilities. However, two years later the ATO discovered in 2012 that Paul Keating's company had not reported profits from a 2004 share sale. While Brenlex agreed to pay the tax debt, the ATO demanded the company pay more than $600,000 in interest and penalties which had accrued in the years since Mr Keating sold the shares. Mr Keating's advisers asked the ATO to write off this debt entirely via an ATO rule known as a 'commissioner's discretion'. The ATO commissioner at the time was Chris Jordan AO, who was appointed as the 12th Commissioner of Taxation on 1 January 2013. Mr Jordan led the ATO during the tumultuous pandemic period and during scrutiny of the ATO's role in the PwC tax leak scandal. does not suggest he was involved or aware of the decision to cancel the debt. According to the ABC, the argument over the tax debt went back and forth until the debt had grown to $904,000, at which point the ATO sent a formal notice to not waive the interest and penalties charge. 'Your request has been fully considered and it has been decided that on this occasion the circumstances detailed do not warrant remission of the GIC,' the notice said according to the ABC. 'There is a clear acknowledgment that the Company should have accounted for the disposal of shares in the relevant financial years returns and did not.' In 2015, Mr Keating's advisers became involved in the correspondence arguing the ATO should waive the bill because it was an honest mistake. As a result, 'the lodgement and payment of the Company returns were overlooked' but the tax office said 'This is not a valid justification'. In July 2015, 'a last-ditch letter from Brenlex was sent to the ATO requesting a meeting' Ten days later, the tax office sent a four-line email writing off the almost $1 million debt. 'I am able to confirm that the GIC and Late Lodgement Penalties … have been remitted in full,' the email said. 'Consequently the balance of the account has been reduced to nil and the amount payable as stated in the Creditors Statutory Demand is no longer owed.' Accounting experts have told the ABC that such negotiations are unfair because the only recourse available to taxpayers to challenge this kind of decision was an appeal to the Federal Court. This is a 'lengthy and complex process that is out of reach of most taxpayers'. The ATO's own website states 'Taxpayers should be aware that remission requests are carefully assessed to ensure a level playing field for those taxpayers who pay on time.' In a statement, the ABC told Four Corners that 'inadvertently overlooking' the need to pay tax was generally not valid grounds on which to cancel GIC. 'However, there may be instances where GIC is remitted when a taxpayer inadvertently overlooks the requirement to lodge a form or make a payment, depending on the individual circumstances of the taxpayer,' the ATO said.
