114 Tallawong Road Completion
Castle Group has successfully completed another project.
114 Tallawong Road, Rouse Hill
The closest residential block to the upcoming Tallawong Station.
My business partner and Castle Group co- founder Ritchie Perera and I would like to share with you some of challenges we faced with this site and provide a glimpse into issues that can impact development, and at times cause delays.
1. Council required us to get an “APZ” (Asset Protection Zone) from our neighbour to the rear. To do this, the neighbouring landowner agrees to provide access and rights to clear trees and shrubs for the purpose of avoiding potential bushfire damage to property.
This is usually easy enough however:
– Neighbour’s land is vacant with no house/tenant to ask for owner details
– Owners details on land title registry are the same as the property (which is vacant!)
– A further 6 months of investigating, we finally found the owners’ lawyer details, only to be told that they are elderly, live about 6 hours away in central NSW, with no access to phone or internet!
– 5 months more of liaising with owners via the postal system, we finally get the APZ!
2. State Government’s master plan for Rouse Hill featured a curved road that went across our site. This curved road would result in odd shaped and inefficient blocks and not yield the highest value for the Developer.
In order to change this road pattern, we needed to work together with 6 adjoining land owners/developers. After 6 months, 266 emails, 8 meetings (usually featuring around 15+ people) and $75,000+ in joint legal fees later, we changed the road pattern.
The result for Castle Group:
– $45,000 less in construction costs
– $150,000 increase in sales revenue (due to regular and efficient block sizes)
– $325,000 in extra revenue from the 174 sqm of extra saleable land
3. Due to council not completing their design levels for the upgrade of Tallawong Rd, once we received approval, we were unable to finalise the levels of our interior road which in turn delayed the commencement of civil/earth works by months.
Project Timeline
– 5 August 2016: Contracted purchase of property
– 20 July 2017: DA lodged
– 21 December 2017: DA Approved
– 18 January 2018: Settlement of site by Castle Group
– 13 August 2018: Commence Civil Works
– 11 March 2019: Complete Civil Works
– May 2019: Expected registration
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