Haigh’s Chocolates $130m SA production hub

In an attempt to double production over the next 10 years, Haigh’s Chocolates has embarked on a $130m manufacturing facility at Adelaide’s Nexus North industrial estate (Salisbury South), home to other food and beverage manufacturers, including Bega, Bickford’s and Coca-Cola.

It’s understood the new production centre will house 9000 sqm of production facilities and 6000 sqm of warehousing.

As the largest single infrastructure investment the family-owned company had made in its 108-year history, Haigh’s Chocolates CEO Alister Haigh said it will allow production to meet increased demand and interstate growth opportunities.

“Not only will this project directly create new jobs and opportunities at this site, it will facilitate employment growth across our retail business Australia-wide, creating up to 250 new jobs in the medium and long term.”

Haigh’s currently produces 1000 tonnes of chocolate annually across manufacturing sites at Mile End, and at its Greenhill Rd site, which will continue as the head office, artisan chocolate production hub and visitor centre.

CIP Constructions will oversee the development of the company’s new manufacturing facility, while Bell Architects has been charged with the designed work.

More than 200 workers will be employed during construction.

The facility is expected to be fully operational in the second half of 2025.

Goodman Group files plans for Clayton Business Park

ASX-listed Goodman Group has filed plans with the Victorian Department of Transport and Planning to redevelop one of its own sites at Clayton South, south east of Melbourne.

The site at 1508 Centre Road has 145,883 sqm of warehousing and office space and is listed on Goodman Group’s list of properties for lease.

Goodman has filed plans by Group GSA to demolish warehouses on the site and redevelop it into a business park which offers easy access to the Eastlink, Monash Freeway, Princes Highway and the Westall Train Station.

Overall, four main precincts will have:

Precinct 1 30,167 sqm of office and industrial space, comprising three warehouse spaces.

Precinct 2 31,521 sqm, comprising five warehouse spaces.

Precinct 3  26,415 sqm, comprising five warehouse spaces and end-of-trip facilities.

Precinct 4 27,576 sqm, comprising eight warehouse spaces.

The total gross floor area would be 115,678 square metres.

Real Estate Institute of Victoria sells long-held Camberwell headquarters

The Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV) has successfully sold its suburban headquarters to high-end residential developer ANGLE.

The 335 Camberwell Road asset occupies a prominent 3,808 sqm site. It comprises an existing office building of 2,070sqm with 45 metres of Camberwell Road frontage and parking for 60 cars.

CBRE’s Tom Ryan, Scott Orchard, David Minty and Nathan Mufale negotiated the sale on behalf of the REIV.

REIV President Jacob Caine said, “The sale of 335 Camberwell Road is a great outcome for the REIV and our members, which will allow us to relocate our headquarters to a property which better suits our needs.”

ANGLE director Lachlan Gibson commented:

“We have a strong focus on delivering exceptional projects that complement their locations, and we are confident that Camberwell Road will be another great example of this.”

The sale price reflects a land rate approaching $7,000/sqm.

Toowong site amalgamation reaps value uplift for unitholders

Qld-based property developer Pradella has purchased a 1,083 sqm Toowong site for $6.1m.

Located at 70 Sylvan Road, the corner site is zoned for medium-density residential and has development potential for an eight-storey residential development.

The property is currently fully occupied by a mix of residential and office tenants on short-term leases.

CBRE’s Adelaide O’Brien and Will Carman brokered the deal which translates to a sale price of $5,633 per sqm.

“The parcel was sold at a significant premium to the individual lots’ value, due to the underlying land developability which was unlocked in the sale. O’Brien said.

“The property has the ability to generate a robust fully leased net annual income providing Pradella with secure earnings to strategise for future development.”

Toowong is located between Mount Coot-tha and the north bank of the Brisbane River and is surrounded by successful Brisbane developments by companies such as Mosaic, BPM and Consolidated Properties.

Seniors Living tees up plans for Brisbane Golf Course

Qld-based Aura Holdings has lodged plans to develop a 1.6ha wedge of McLeod Country Golf Club at Mount Ommaney in Brisbane’s western growth corridor.

The 18-hole course is understood to be one of only a few golf clubs in the world governed entirely by female members.

Under the proposal by Aura Holdings, four buildings, ranging from two to five stories and comprising 126 independent living apartments—will be developed over two stages.

The development site is in the north-western corner of the golf course with frontage to Tekapo Street.

According to a planning report, the proposal has been “strategically designed to integrate into the existing streetscape character and community, whilst ensuring minimal disruption to the existing club operations.”

Changes would be limited to two holes and relocation of the existing maintenance facility.

The 14th hole would be shortened and the 12th hole lengthened to accommodate the development and to maintain the club’s 71 par men’s and 74 par women’s championship course.

Occupier demand fuels speculative industrial development

Road transport and logistics specialist company Arva Freight has leased a 7,994 sqm warehouse in Melbourne’s Broadmeadows Logistics Estate as part of its continued national expansion.

Located at 44 William Barak Boulevard, Broadmeadows Logistics Estate was developed by institutional property developer LOGOS after it purchased the site in 2020 off CBRE.

The 25ha estate comprises up to 130,000 sqm of sustainable, high-quality warehouse space and existing tenants include Allied Express, Holman Industries and GPC.

Arva Freight has signed a five-year lease, for approximately $1,000,000 per annum, bringing its national space to over 30,000 sqm across Victoria, New South Wales and Qld.

CBRE’s Joe Brzezek and Daniel Eramo negotiated the lease on behalf of LOGOS.

“The rental rate per sqm is a 39% increase from the last industrial lease transaction secured within the estate, reflecting strong rental growth in the northern industrial market,” Brzezek said.

“Despite softening occupier enquiry, there is a continuing flight to quality ensuring continued speculative development success for premium offerings such as Broadmeadows Logistics Estate.”

Mawson Lakes office building transaction complete

A significant campus-style office asset fully leased to Lockheed Martin Australia has sold off-market for $28.2m in a show of confidence in the Adelaide market.

The three-level building at 5-10 Third Avenue in Mawson Lakes, within Technology Park, Adelaide, was purchased by the GDA Diversified Property Trust from a Melbourne-based private syndicate.

The asset provides a net lettable area of approximately 5,358 sqm on a 3.312ha site and is home to approximately 350 staff.
Knight Frank agent Max Frohlich introduced GDA to the vendor, with the sale transaction an off-market deal.

5-10 Third Avenue comprises a three-level office building positioned centrally on an ‘L’ shaped allotment with at-grade car parking provisions for around 550 vehicles positioned on both sides of the building.

The building has floorplates divided into two wings, with open plan office areas positioned to either end of the building with reception, common areas, lifts, amenities and plant rooms located centrally in the junction.

The asset, which was originally completed in 1998, was substantially upgraded by Lockheed Martin in 2018.

The facility has low site coverage of less than 10% with significant room for further expansion of the building if required. As a freestanding building, it offers Lockheed Martin the ability to secure the building from the public to a level required by the federal government.

Dexus unveils Velociti Industrial Estate in Sydney’s Southwest

Dexus is set to launch Velociti Industrial Estate, the pinnacle of super prime industrial facilities in Moorebank, located in Sydney’s Southwest.

Strategically positioned at 12 Church Road, Moorebank, Velociti stands out as an architecturally designed industrial estate, meticulously crafted for optimal connectivity to key roadways, railways, and airports.

This strategic positioning enables unprecedented super-fast, lower-cost deliveries, and 24/7 operational efficiencies.

At the heart of Velociti’s unique features is its expansive 45-metre super breezeway, setting it apart as the only estate in the Southwest to offer such an extensive operational space. This feature is designed to facilitate safe and efficient work operations under all weather conditions.

The estate boasts a 13.7-metre ridge height, allowing operators to stack 6-7 pallets high, coupled with an undercover breezeway featuring 45 metres of hardstand.

Additional features include 8-tonne post-load floors and dedicated car parking for 111 cars. With six tenancies offering warehouses ranging from 2,500 to 3,000 sqm, each equipped with inbuilt corporate mezzanine offices, Velociti has a total Gross Leasable Area (GLA) of 17,946 sqm.

Leasing opportunities for Velociti are available through Fab Dalfonso, Carl Pearce, and Kieran Tsipidis of Cushman & Wakefield, and Tom Rourke, George Holden, and Keegan Ridings of CBRE.

Fab Dalfonso of Cushman & Wakefield commented that Velociti’s strategic location ensures that 93% of Sydney’s population can be reached within 60 minutes, making it an attractive hub for the Sydney workforce.

“The focus on minimising total delivery costs through fuel, inventory and driver time efficiency further positions Velociti as a prime choice for businesses. Year to date, over 195,000sqm of space has been leased in the central southwest region (for 2000sqm and above) highlighting the demand for quality space in the area” he said.

Tom Rourke of CBRE emphasised the advantages of co-locating near Moorebank Intermodal, Australia’s largest intermodal logistics precinct.

“Velociti’s proximity provides tenants with access to the inland rail network, resulting in reductions in operational spend and net carbon emissions.”

Fawkner Property acquires Cairns Central 

Melbourne-based fund manager Fawkner Property has acquired Cairns Central, a dominant and highly successful regional shopping centre in Far North Qld, for $390m

CBRE’s Head of retail capital markets – Pacific, Simon Rooney, advised and represented the purchaser, Fawkner Property.

The Cairns acquisition closely follows Fawkner’s Midland Gate Shopping Centre acquisition in Perth with PAG, Australia’s largest retail transaction in 2023, which settled last month for $465m and that of Settlement City Shopping Centre in Port Macquarie for $107m, each transacted by CBRE.

The Cairns deal represents Qld’s largest regional shopping centre transaction since November 2017, when AMP took out a 50% stake in Indooroopilly Central for $800 million from CSC.

Rooney commented:

“As the fundamentals continue to reset for high-quality retail assets and the sector moves into a clear growth phase, domestic private capital and increasingly offshore institutional investors, are strategically teaming up with specialist domestic managers like Fawkner Property and are proactively engaging and seeking out high-quality regional shopping centre opportunities prior to this window closing.”

“Opportunities to acquire a 100% freehold interest in a market leading regional shopping centre with management rights are rarely presented. Fawkner Property securing two such opportunities at Midland Gate Perth and Cairns Central demonstrates their strategic and counter-cyclical investment approach,” Rooney added.

Cairns Central is strategically located within the Cairns city centre, is the only regional shopping centre within 350km and is the major shopping destination for the Far North Qld region.

It’s understood the centre is ranked first across all regional shopping centres within Qld for total MAT per square metre and ranked 11th nationally for all regional centres for total specialty productivity.

The centre occupies a substantial 94,290 sqm site, with unrivalled access to public transport and connectivity to the Cairns city centre via the inter-connected Cairns railway station and Shields Street.

Comprising a gross lettable area of 51,972sqm, the centre is securely anchored by a highly productive Myer department store, dual supermarket offer of Woolworths and Coles, in additional to discount department stores Kmart and Target and an Event Cinemas complex.