Coming up: Geraldine Brooks — Grief, a love story - ABC Religion & Ethics
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News.com.au
24 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Inside billionaire Annie Cannon-Brookes' revamp of trashed island
Billionaire Annie Cannon-Brookes has bought two more Qld properties since splitting with husband Mike, as she reveals the 'big task' of turning around her trashed Aussie island. Ms Cannon-Brookes – whose personal fortune is estimated in the region of $12billion, is one of the most prominent owners of a string of Australian islands that have been trashed and left to decay after being hit by cyclones and other tragedies – throwing millions more at the region by snapping up two more properties on the mainland. 'Super creepy': Mysterious Aus 'old haunted house' for sale She is four-deep into the Cassowary Coast, buying a $1,1m three bedroom beach house with views of Dunk Island in the months after her separation from her $29b husband, and then adding a massive 19.18ha spot with beach access last year for $4.5m. The second site contains another three bedroom house, with no publicly accessible plans available as yet for how Ms Cannon-Brookes sees those purchases tying in with each other. She said 'our goal is to be good custodians of the island, and we are pleased to be making progress'. Ms Cannon-Brookes bought the 132hectare freehold site on Dunk Island three years ago for $23.65m, at the same time as another 15ha beachfront segment that slotted into it for $3.85m. The purchases were just months before she and husband tech billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes separated in 2023, with the richlister then also signing a 30-year lease with the Cassowary Coast Regional Council for the public access area at Dunk Island Spit – which is the first area she has revealed to the public just last week in stage 1 of bringing the island back to life. How NRL stars are banking an off-field fortune She has opened a new beachfront restaurant on Dunk Island for public access at the Spit, celebrated by visitors and locals alike. Ms Cannon-Brookes said 'we are working hard to create a family-friendly destination that underpins the local tourism sector, preserves the natural environment and celebrates the island's cultural significance'. 'It's a big task and wouldn't be possible without the tremendous support we've received from the local community.' The restaurant opening is phase one of a broader redevelopment plan she has for the island, with consultation underway for the rest of the mammoth task, including necessary rehabilitation work around the devastation caused by Cyclone Yasi 14 years ago in 2011. Her Dunk Island Spit general manager, Jason Blackburn said 'revitalising a cyclone-devastated island in such a delicate ecosystem is no small undertaking, but milestones like this remind us why it's all worthwhile'. He said 'it's been fantastic to see families, campers and day-trippers embracing the new dining experience and the feedback so far has been excellent.' 'For locals and visitors who haven't made the trip, we encourage you to come and enjoy our relaxed island hospitality and create some special memories.' 'Importantly, this is just the beginning of broader revitalisation plans. Our priority has been restoring The Spit so locals and visitors alike can enjoy it safely and sustainably, while we continue to work through plans for other sections of the island.' The council has heralded the restaurant opening as a significant first step in the revitalisation of Dunk Island. Cash-strap student turns $40k to 38 homes Cassowary Coast Mayor Teresa Millwood is pleased to see progress on the island itself, labelling it a positive outcome for the region. 'Dunk Island is a treasured part of our coastal identity, and it's wonderful to see this first stage come to life,' she said. 'Council is proud to have partnered with Dunk Island Group to activate The Spit, and we look forward to continuing to work together to preserve and celebrate this beautiful island for future generations.' Cassowary Coast Tourism's Patrick Bluett was thrilled, saying 'it's wonderful to see this iconic location being revitalised in such a considered way'. 'The collaboration with Dunk Island Group has been great and the quality of the restaurant as well as the public campgrounds and amenities is excellent,' he said. 'We look forward to further product development on the island that will only enhance the visitor experience.' The Dunk Island Spit restaurant currently operates Thursday to Sunday, from 11am to 4pm.
News.com.au
24 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Mid-century Jack Clarke design in Drysdale lives to see another day
Offering sweeping views of Corio Bay, this mid-century home in Bellarine's Drysdale township leaves a lasting impression. Initially planning to buy the home, demolish it, and subdivide the land, the vendor, James Chivers, immediately changed his mind after seeing 18-22 Regency Drive first-hand. 'From the moment we saw the house, it was clear this home was something truly special — both architecturally and in terms of its position and outlook,' he says. Quarterly price growth for Geelong suburbs revealed 'The light, the views, the design — it all stopped us in our tracks. We quickly realised our plans needed to change. 'The entire estate was reworked to preserve and celebrate this home, making it the statement piece of the street.' The home was originally designed by former Essendon footballer, Jack Clarke, who, along with David Hopkins and Les Clarke (all three RMIT Architecture graduates), created the renowned architecture firm, ClarkeHopkinsClarke. After this, the house underwent a renovation with a second owner, a local architect from Jan Juc, who extended the home to create what is now the large main bedroom and also added the light-filled dining area. 'This all keeps with the original mid-century design,' explains Chivers. Most recently, Chivers says that 'new travertine flooring has been added to enhance the natural elements in the original design.' Comprising clinker brick construction, the architectural appeal of the home is woven into the practical floor plan with its soaring floor-to-ceiling windows, generous room proportions, and raised ceilings, which all allow stunning natural light and water views. 'We've always loved sitting in the dining room — the light just pours in, and you can see right out over Swan Bay to the You Yangs. It's one of those spots where you just naturally slow down and take it all in,' says Chivers. 'In winter, the in-floor heating and the wood fire made the whole house feel so cosy. We'd often spend nights curled up by the fire with a glass of wine — it just has that warm, homely feel.' Another standout feature of the home, Chivers says, is the main bedroom. 'This was a real sanctuary for us — it's huge, and those big windows mean you wake up to that beautiful light and view every morning,' he says. Decking runs the full length of the northern side of the house, with direct access from two bedrooms, as well as the main living area. Additionally, the established Japanese gardens at the 1516sq m property have proven to be a peaceful sanctuary. 'One of our favourite places has to be the back garden,' Chivers says. 'It's private, peaceful, and feels like a little escape. We'd often sit out there by the fire pit in the evenings — it's a great spot to unwind.' Wilsons, Geelong agent James Wilson has scheduled the auction of 18-22 Regency Drive, Drysdale, for August 23 at noon. Price hopes are $1.15m to $1.25m.
ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Comedian Mark Humphries tackles housing crisis in documentary Sold! Who Broke the Australian Dream?
"If a D-grade celebrity like me can't afford to buy a home, who can?" It's a cracking first line from satirical wit and sometime ABC star Mark Humphries in his surprisingly jolly rage against the housing crisis, SOLD! Who Broke the Australian Dream? Fast Facts about Sold! Who Broke the Australian Dream What: A tragicomic documentary about the housing crisis Directed by: Mark Humphries Starring: Humphries, Alan Kohler, Purple Pingers and more When: Streaming on Binge now Likely to make you feel: Mad as hell, unless you already own ten houses Not that the Binge documentary, directed by Bill Code, is all about him. A huge swath of Australians, young and old, believe they'll be forever renters. Many who have managed to claw their way onto the lowest rungs of the property ladder are struggling to pay their mortgage. But it wasn't always this way. As bubble-bath-bound financial journalist Alan Kohler (they couldn't afford Margot Robbie) explains in the doco, everything changed in 1999. That's when former prime minister John Howard heavily discounted capital gains tax and ramped up negative gearing, with house prices spiralling ever upwards since. "Howard once said, 'No-one ever complained to me about the value of their house going up,' and that's the issue," Humphries says. "Owners outnumber renters two-to-one. And if you're a politician, you're obviously going to appeal to the majority." Especially when that majority includes roughly 65 per cent of our elected politicians who own at least two properties, with both Labor's Michelle Ananda-Rajah and the LNP's Karen Andrews having seven each. "You want to believe that those people are still capable of recognising the problem and seeing what they have to do," Humphries says. "But it's very hard to imagine change occurring when it's in so many people's best interests to keep things as they are. "But what sort of a system is that? It's grotesque." From The Feed on SBS to The Chaser's War on the ABC and The Project on Network 10, Humphries and regular co-writer Evan Williams have carved sterling careers out of channelling their indignance at injustice into snort-inducing comedy. "The reality is, people don't want to hear you ranting for over 52 minutes," Humphries says. "It's not appealing, so you try to help the medicine go down. But it's coming from a true place of anger." So, what does he believe is the cure for the housing crisis? It's complicated, but Humphries says course-correcting on capital gains and negative gearing is key. Former Labor leader Bill Shorten pops up in Sold! to defend his election-losing policies on that front (plus his democracy sausage-eating skills). "He was a good sport," Humphries says. As is Humphries' dad, former weatherman Allan. "My love of TV was probably a result of going and seeing him at the ABC studios when I was seven," Humphries says. "He did a great job considering he's used to adlibbing, rather than sticking to a script. Sold! also features Jordan van den Lamb — AKA Purple Pingers — the prominent (especially on social media) housing rights activist who also ran on a senate ticket for the Socialist Party in Victoria. "One of the things I really admire about him is that, although there is clearly seething rage underneath what he does, he has this ironic delivery that's so dry." Van den Lamb gleefully takes pot shots at greedy landlords and homes left purposefully vacant. "That really opened my eyes," Humphries says. "It's easy to be critical of someone because they're living in someone else's space. But isn't it more grotesque to have a house that's designed to house people and choose not to and just let it increase in value?" In Melbourne alone, 97,000 properties are vacant, with around 37,000 people homeless. Vast stocks of public housing were sold off in a fire sale lit by former PM Robert Menzies in 1956. And then there's the bogeyman finger-wagging at foreign buyers, who only account for 1 per cent of property purchases, according to the AFR. "The political answer is always, 'Supply, supply, supply,' but we might actually have a good chunk of that supply already there. We're just not using it," says Humphries. "The other thing is, if you're going to increase supply but still have these tax incentives in place, a big chunk will just be eaten up by investors. So how much do you really achieve?" There seems to be little political will to do what must be done to restore faith in the Australian dream. "It's been 25 years since those tax changes came in and this attitude of housing as something that increases in value, of investments and property portfolios," Humphries says. "People have forgotten that it's weird. That this wasn't how it used to be." Maybe things will change again. "I'm choosing to be hopeful because it's unsustainable," Humphries says. "Maybe it has to get worse before it gets better, but when we start seeing issues with social cohesion, and have situations where companies are under-staffed because no-one can live close enough to work, then the shit really hits the fan." Essential workers like nurses deserve to be able to afford a home of their own that's close to their work, Humphries says. Then, just as we're wrapping up, he confesses, full disclosure, that he has, in fact, managed to buy a home since filming Sold! "Don't hate me," he whelps. "I've just crossed the threshold, anxiously observing interest rate levels, but at what cost? I've completely wiped myself out, signing up for a 30-year mortgage at 39." He insists he's keeping it real (estate). "I want people like me not to forget that it's still f***ing shit and it shouldn't be this f***ing hard," he insists. "You should easily be able to afford a home and have money spare to buy an almond latte a day and dumb stuff like a Labubu."
