Latest news with #Meriton
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
‘Nightmare': Meriton resident faces ‘unrelenting' noise from Woolworths loading dock metres away
A Sydney apartment owner says he is at his wits' end after enduring months of 'deafening' and 'unrelenting' noise coming from a Woolworths loading dock located just metres away on the other side of his bedroom wall. Yang Yuan, 32, has questioned how building standards allowed the unusual layout of Mascot Central, where he claims his family is exposed to 'severe industrial noise', including reversing trucks, heavy metal impacts and rolling pallet jacks, from 7am to 11.40pm every day. 'It's a nightmare,' he told 'The noise is very intermittent, very random and very loud. The workers on the loading dock work on shifts — we are there, we don't have shifts. When they're working, I put my hand against the bedroom ceiling and I can literally feel it shaking. It feels as if we're living inside the loading dock.' The software engineer purchased the $750,000 one-bedroom unit in November last year and moved in with his wife and two cats straight away. The mixed-use Meriton development, located in Sydney's inner-south, was completed in 2016, and the developer says it has never received any noise complaints until now. But Mr Yuan, who has recorded multiple videos of the loud banging and industrial noise reverberating through his bedroom, says he feels abandoned by Meriton, Woolworths and Bayside Council, accusing them of repeatedly 'deflecting or denying responsibility' despite repeated complaints. 'They have put a lot of effort into denying the problem but if they had put the same amount of effort into investigating the issue it might already have been solved,' he said. Mr Yuan said the noise made it 'impossible' to work from home, 'rest or live comfortably', and left the couple's mental health in tatters. 'I've previously lived in some of the noisiest environments imaginable — next to highways, above bus stops, near construction sites, even beside neighbours playing instruments,' he said. 'None of that ever bothered me. When I say this loading dock noise is unbearable, it's not about sensitivity, it's genuinely extreme.' He and his wife, who works as a freelance digital artist, are now 'suffering from chronic sleep deprivation, heightened anxiety and constant anger'. 'Most of our free time is now spent fighting this — countless hours filming, recording, investigating and contacting different parties for help,' he said. Mr Yuan and his wife have now moved their bed into the downstairs living room to escape the worst of the noise. 'In the living room we can also hear the noise but it's like 10 per cent better,' he said. He added that he felt the build quality contributed to the noise penetration. He said the building materials were 'definitely not good for isolating the noise considering you're building next to the loading dock.' After his initial complaints to Meriton, the developer obtained a noise testing report in April, which found no issues. In May, Mr Yuan hired a professional acoustic engineer at his own cost. Over a two-day period, KR Acoustic recorded more than two dozen instances at nearly double the limits prescribed by the Association of Australasian Acoustical Consultants (AAAC) for 'impulsive' noises such those as generated by weight dropping in gyms. The sample identified 10 noise events measuring 61dBA during the day, versus the 35dBA limit, nine measuring 58dBA during the evening, when the limit is 30dBA, and six at night measuring 50dBA, double the 25dBA limit. The noise events were 'both loud and frequent, regularly exceeding allowable limits at all hours of the day', the report said. KR Acoustic concluded that noise was 'structure-borne, originating from activities at the Woolworths loading dock, and it consistently exceeds the impulsive noise limits set by the AAAC, particularly in relation to gym weight drops but also relevant for similar structure borne impulsive noise in general'. 'The measurement results substantiate residents' concerns, providing sufficient grounds for authorised officers or enforcement personnel to further investigate and to classify the noise as offensive,' it said. 'It is very likely that the noise contributes to elevated stress levels of the residents.' Mr Yuan provided the report both to Meriton and Bayside Council in June. The council said it was investigating the noise complaint, but in July informed Mr Yuan that Meriton had provided its own acoustic report which countered his, and declined to pursue the matter. Mr Yuan said he had only been provided a summary of the conflicting report. 'No one is trying to help us,' he said. A Woolworths spokesman said the Mascot Central store was operated 'like any one of our supermarkets'. 'The store is open between 7am and 10pm, and receives deliveries throughout the day,' he said. 'We've been operating in the community for close to 10 years. If there's any further questions about the operation of the shopping centre, they're best directed to Meriton.' A Meriton spokesman said Mascot Central was a 'well established development now over 10 years old, and to date, this is the only complaint Meriton has received regarding noise from the loading dock'. 'The concern was raised by a new owner who has only recently moved in,' he said. 'It's important to note that the previous owner of the same apartment did not report any noise issues over a nine-year period, nor have we received similar concerns from other residents within Mascot Central, which comprises 1200 apartments. Nonetheless, Meriton took the matter seriously and engaged an independent acoustic engineer to conduct a thorough assessment. Noise monitors were installed over a period of time. The investigation confirmed that noise levels were well within the acceptable range and did not exceed any regulatory thresholds.' Bayside Council said in a statement it was 'working with Woolworths and Meriton to identify any additional noise mitigation measures that could be implemented, while still supporting the approved use of the site'. 'Under the current development consent, Woolworths is permitted to operate until midnight, with loading dock use allowed until 10pm,' a spokesperson said. 'An acoustic report was submitted by one resident in early June 2025. Meriton, who manage the retail complex, provided an acoustic report in response and their findings conflict with the resident's report. Council will continue to work to find a suitable resolution for all parties.'
New York Times
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
For a Unique Venue, Look No Further Than Your Childhood Home
Alma Carolina de Leon and David Gonzalez got engaged in May 2023, but it took them about a year to figure out how they would celebrate their nuptials. Finances were a primary concern. 'Weddings are very expensive nowadays,' said Ms. de Leon, a brand manager at Meriton, a network of HVAC companies. Ms. de Leon, 29, and Mr. Gonzalez, 31, a project manager for CORE Construction in Frisco, Texas, ultimately decided on a private elopement ceremony on June 5 in Santorini, Greece, followed by a honeymoon. But before that trip, the couple, both from Dallas, hosted a 70-person celebration for family and friends on May 17 in the backyard of Mr. Gonzalez's childhood home in Fort Worth, Texas. The couple incorporated several traditional wedding elements into the gathering, including bridesmaids and groomsmen dressed in coordinated attire. They even hired a mariachi band in a nod to their shared Mexican heritage. 'We couldn't stop talking on our honeymoon about how much we loved what we did,' Ms. de Leon said. Home weddings and celebrations have a long history in the United States, dating back to colonial days, when they were the most practical option. 'People were very spread out,' said Nick Leighton, a creator of the weekly etiquette podcast 'Were You Raised by Wolves?' 'There wasn't a church in your town necessarily. There weren't catering halls.' By the turn of the last century, couples began to have weddings elsewhere, Mr. Leighton said, though at-home receptions were still taking place. He noted that home weddings rose in popularity during World War II, as well as during cultural shifts in the late 1960s and into the '70s and, most recently, during the Covid-19 pandemic. Besides the ability to save money, one perk of marrying at home, or at your childhood home, is that the venue is unique. No one else, except for maybe other family members, will be able to say they were married there, said Hovik Harutyunyan, the founder of Harutyunyan Events in Beverly Hills, Calif. Hailey Hanks, 30, wanted to prioritize individuality when she married Drew Hanks, 31, a filmmaker and television writer, in her childhood backyard in Richland, Wash., on Sept. 14, 2024. 'There's so much sameness within the wedding industry,' said Ms. Hanks, a Los Angeles-based postproduction coordinator for the sitcom 'Bob's Burgers.' 'This memory is for our family and our friends and for my husband and I, and it will never be replicated,' she added. Sydney Stephens and Giovanni Lagnerini, both 25 and from Charleston, S.C., hosted a 150-person wedding on June 28 at Ms. Stephens's childhood home, a working farm in Wytheville, Va. 'When it came down to it, I was like, 'I can't imagine doing it anywhere else,'' said Ms. Stephens, the senior social media coordinator for Beyond Yoga, which is based in Los Angeles. 'It just has so much sentimental value.' Like many parents preparing to host a child's wedding at home, Ms. Stephens's mother and father used the celebration as an opportunity to check off household projects from their to-do list. 'They really put in so much effort and energy,' Ms. Stephens said. Being able to easily go back to visit the site where your celebration took place is another benefit of taking the at-home approach. 'We'll be able to bring our kids and be like, 'Hey, look, this is actually where we got married —in this backyard,' Mr. Gonzalez said of their wedding there. 'And so it allows it to be a lot more intimate than your traditional wedding.' Hosting a wedding at home, however, will require significant organization, wedding planners say, and it may not always save couples money. 'You just need so much infrastructure that a traditional venue would've already provided you,' said Kate Reavey, the owner of Cygnet Events and Design in Chicago. She cited key factors to consider, including landscaping, neighborhood noise constraints, bathrooms, electricity, climate control, vendor vehicles and parking attendants. And then, of course, there are the tables and chairs to rent, along with food catering and other expenses. A tent with electricity, including an additional catering pop-up tent, might cost as much as $20,000 to rent, while a dance floor could run $4,000 and a restroom trailer could be $5,000, according to Ms. Reavey. Ms. de Leon and Mr. Gonzalez spent around $9,000 on their backyard reception, which included renting restroom trailers. Hosts must also establish backup plans in the event of bad weather. 'We are always going to require a tent if we're doing a wedding at home, even if they don't use it,' Ms. Reavey said of her Chicago-area celebrations. On the wedding day, it's important that guests treat the home with respect — ideally not entering it at all, given that it isn't a commercial space, she said. 'Even if you have a really close relationship to the property, making sure you know what the boundaries are for the event to help everything go smoothly is really crucial,' Ms. Reavey said. Couples whose families aren't up for the hosting challenge — or those who have already been eyeing an outside venue — can still find ways to integrate their childhood home into their wedding. Mary Kate Fallon and Sam Keenan, both 33, decided to marry on Nov. 2, 2024, at St. Gregory Parish in Boston. Ms. Fallon's parents and maternal grandparents, as well as Mr. Keenan's parents, had all wed there. The couple held their reception at a nearby restaurant, Venezia. To minimize logistical concerns, Ms. Fallon, a writer living in Washington, D.C., decided that she and her four bridesmaids would get ready at her parents' house in Braintree, Mass. 'We all slept over here the night before the wedding, which was so fun, like an old-school sleepover,' Ms. Fallon said. 'One of my bridesmaids was painting her toenails in my childhood bedroom.'
News.com.au
25-06-2025
- Climate
- News.com.au
Crews race to stabilise leaning crane in Sydney as hundreds evacuated, major road closed
Hundreds of residents have been evacuated and there are renewed fears of traffic chaos as crews race to stabilise a precariously leaning crane in Sydney's northwest. Pennant Hills Rd became blocked between Marsden and Jenkins Rds in Carlingford after a crane broke off its mounting support over the major arterial road on Wednesday afternoon. All 350 workers were ordered to evacuate the Meriton work site just after 3pm amid fears the crane could tip over. Fire and Rescue NSW has confirmed about 200 residents from nearby unit blocks have also been evacuated as a precaution. It is believed the emergency was triggered when two anchor pins failed, with strong winds that ripped through the city on Wednesday thought to have played a role. Images of the crane show its top half – or its 'arm' – hanging horizontally alongside other cranes, which have theirs pointed upwards. The situation caused widespread disruption on Wednesday, including bringing traffic to a standstill. Pennant Hills Road remains closed as of Thursday morning, with fears Sydneysiders are in for another nightmare commute. NSW Police said the ongoing closure was 'due to a hazard'. 'Local diversions are in place. Motorists should follow directions of police and traffic crews on site. Motorists should also allow extra travel time,' a spokesman said. 'Local buses are also diverting away from Pennant Hills Road, missing several stops.' Authorities have urged the public to stay away from the area, as more high winds are forecast on Thursday. Businesses near the site remain closed.
The Age
31-05-2025
- Business
- The Age
Manly Sea Eagles co-owner sells stylish Bellevue Hill home circa $17m
With gardens designed by renowned landscaper Jamie Durie, the home is fitted with state-of-the-art solar panels and a Tesla battery, which allows it to operate almost entirely off the grid. 'It's the best street in the world, especially for surfing families. It's pretty exceptional [place to live],' Trueman told this masthead. Loading A surfing enthusiast and engineer by trade, Trueman has had a long career in various roles, including the project directing Circular Quay's Overseas Passenger Terminal, and more recently NorthConnex. The former McKinsey consultant has turned his focus in recent years to the renewable energy transition, helping businesses and governments reduce pollution in construction and infrastructure projects in particular. The 60-year-old has channelled his passion for preserving the environment as the chief executive for Twiggy and Nicola Forrest's now-defunct Sea the Future, a not-for-profit plastic recycling enterprise. He now runs his boutique advisory firm Bluewater Impact Partners and is a director of not-for-profit Surfrider Foundation Australia, which protects Australia's ocean, beaches and waves. The home is being sold through Michael Clarke of Clarke & Humel Property. Watsons Bay blank canvas sells to real estate scion Meriton executive Ariel Hendler, grandson of Australia's second-richest person, billionaire real estate mogul Harry Triguboff, has emerged as the $15.7 million buyer of an unrenovated Watsons Bay home, settlement records reveal. The 32-year-old is the director of asset management of his grandfather's company, overseeing Meriton's built for rent portfolio, which is the largest of its kind in the country, so he may know a thing or two about renting. He is still based, according to corporate records, at the Vaucluse address of his parents Sharon Hendler, Triguboff's daughter, and her husband, Gary Hendler. His older brother Daniel was announced as Meriton's deputy managing director as part of Triguboff's succession plans. Ariel purchased the four-bedroom, two-bathroom blank canvas with secure access to Camp Cove Reserve in the exclusive harbour enclave from property investor Jason Camuglia, who made a paper profit of $3.32 million after holding it for just four years. Before Camuglia offloaded it, he was renting it out for $3000 a week since 2022. While the home was being offered to the market as a package deal of more than 1300 square metres with a combined asking price of $23 million to $25 million, the neighbouring property set on 441 square metres is still on the market with a $7 million to $7.5 million guide. The selling agent on both homes is Paul Biller of Biller Property, who declined to comment when contacted. Ex Rugby chief's holiday home Rugby Australia's former chief executive Bill Pulver and his landscape architect wife Belinda Gibson have sold their Central Coast weekender for $2.45 million. The sold sticker went up on the couple's Avoca Beach property, which they bought as land for $85,000 in 1988. They went on to rebuild the property in the 2000s, turning it into a contemporary coastal retreat. Billed as a lucrative holiday rental, idyllic weekender or permanent coastal home, the five-bedroom, two-bathroom house set on 885 square metres features floor-to-ceiling glass, bi-fold doors and Blackbutt timber flooring. Pulver was the Union's chief executive over a tumultuous period between 2013 and 2018, overseeing the prolonged decision to axe the Western Force from the Super Rugby competition. The 65-year-old went on to become a director at language data services company Appen, where he made a fortune to the tune of $9.6 million, according to The Australian Financial Review.
Sydney Morning Herald
29-05-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
The houses where Australia's billionaires live, and how much they cost
How much does it cost to live like a Rich Lister? Many of Australia's billionaires amassed their fortunes in the property industry, but even those who built wealth in other sectors such as mining or technology have then been keen purchasers of residential real estate. Australia is now home to 161 billionaires, up from 150 a year ago, the Financial Review Rich List for 2025, published in full on Friday, reveals. The top industry for wealth creation was mining, whose rich listers are worth a collective $141.3 billion, followed by property, worth $125.8 billion across 44 entrants. Australia's richest person is mining magnate Gina Rinehart, worth $38.1 billion. Rinehart's residence in Perth's Dalkeith consists of three blocks in a cluster, a strip of land next door and an adjacent empty block that has been for sale for several years and has a price guide of $9 million. Second on the list is property developer and Meriton founder Harry Triguboff, worth $29.7 billion, who owns an expansive waterfront block in Sydney's Vaucluse, purchased in 1983 for $4.1 million, and next door added in 1998 for $6 million. He was followed by cardboard box king Anthony Pratt and family, of Visy, valued at $25.9 billion. Pratt recently made a move to the US, but the family's historic Raheen mansion is in Kew in Melbourne's leafy east.
