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Why Newcastle is the
IMAGES COURTESY OF DESTINATION NSW
Next Big Thing
CREDIT: DESTINATION NSW
WORDS QUENTIN VON ESSEN Newcastle is a city on the move, a city that’s changing in all that it offers. What was once considered an important industrial centre for the region is now rapidly transforming into one of the most vital culture, business and heritage hubs in New South Wales. With stunning city beaches, wineries on the doorstep, its own university, a major port and airport and a relaxed urban vibe, Newcastle offers an enviable lifestyle, and Australians are increasingly leaving the capital cities for a piece of it – assisted mainly by the COVID driven work 38 intouch • HUNTER HOMES SPECIAL FEATURE
from home trend inspired by lockdowns across the country. Changes to the rail corridor, the light rail and the increased investment and development along the harbour and inner-city, both in terms of residential and business dwellings and recreational spaces, make Newcastle a highly sought-after city in which to live and work and attractive for investors. Add to this a planned $66 million upgrade to the Newcastle Airport runway, which is expected to generate thousands of local jobs and create new travel and export destinations for the region; the development of a $200 million Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths and Medicine (STEMM) hub for industryengaged research and innovation at UON’s Callaghan campus; an expanded university campus at Honeysuckle; an upgraded John Hunter Hospital and the proposed development
of Hunter Park as a nationally significant sporting and entertainment destination. Yes, the future of this region is exciting. And while buyers’ hopes of buying into an out of control and inflated Sydney property market are heading even further south, savvy buyers and investors are heading north. With house prices in Sydney increasing by 30.4 per cent in the last 12 months to a median price of $1,499,126 compared to $818,000 in Newcastle (despite rising 31.3 per cent in the last year), it’s clear to see why there is so much interest in the Newcastle property market. So, while Sydney has been confirming its spot as one of the most expensive cities in the world, just a little further up the road, Newcastle, with its natural beauty, booming infrastructure, stable population growth and still relatively affordable housing, continues to tick all the boxes for lifestyle options and property investment to become the next big thing.
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The McCloy Philosophy… ENRICHING LIVES AND COMMUNITIES
JEFF MCCLOY
WORDS LIANE MORRIS YOU WOULD HAVE TO BE LIVING UNDER A ROCK IF YOU HAVEN'T HEARD OF JEFF MCCLOY AND HIS FAMILY BUSINESS, THE MCCLOY GROUP. AND WHILST CONTROVERSY HAS FOLLOWED HIM THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER, HIS PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY, GENEROSITY AND PASSIONATE DESIRE TO CREATE STRONG COMMUNITIES BENEFIT MANY THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE AND IS SOMETHING HE CAN JUSTIFIABLY BE PROUD OF. Life for Jeff McCloy began in a very humble way in a tiny cottage in Belmont. He still remembers using newspaper in the outside lavatory and the horse leading the bread van for bread deliveries. There was always food on the table, though, and young Jeff grew up wanting to be a dentist, which he laughs about now. His grandfather and father were both builders who rode the waves of boom and bust as they tried to provide for their families. When Jeff was still in primary school, his father experienced a significant downturn in his fortunes, and Jeff believes that this experience helped shape his life. "When your dad goes broke, and you're just a little kid, it shapes who you become. You never want to go through that if you can help it.
And you certainly don't want your family to go through it," says Jeff. There's a sense that the elder McCloy, Jeff's father Don, was keen to have Jeff join the family business right from the start, but the young man needed to go off and be his own person. His first year at the University of Newcastle was spent playing rugby and snooker. He did not apply himself to his studies in Civil Engineering until after he'd had "the talk" with his parents, after which he returned to university, put his head down and finished his degree successfully. There followed a series of jobs in Sydney, which he loved, including stints at Lend Lease and the Public Works Department and working on the MLC Centre. During this time, he developed his craft and his business acumen. His father, however, still had ideas for Jeff to join him, and in the late '70s, Jeff promised to give it a go for 12 months. This move proved to be highly successful and certainly went way beyond 12 months. They won the tender to build the John Hunter Hospital, and to this day, it is still one of the things that Jeff is most proud of. "Business-wise, the John Hunter Hospital construction was an amazing achievement," said Jeff. "We came in one year ahead of schedule, and I'm still proud of it."
The younger McCloy set about ensuring that the family business would never go broke. For a short while, the business moved into the Sydney market but sustained losses. This led to a return to the Hunter region and a pivot away from construction to property development and diversification. The Jewells Tavern and shopping centre was their first commercial development, followed quickly by the Belmont North subdivision. The future of the McCloy Group was set. Today, the business has three main areas of focus. First, there are over 25 residential communities under the McCloy name, six employment centres and four retirement living complexes. Jeff's core philosophy of living life well, being connected to the community and giving back to society is at the heart of each of these areas of focus. The residential communities are branded Masterplanned for Living and reflect Jeff's passion for creating communities that people love to live in, with uncompromising quality and environments that feature public art, landscaped parklands, playgrounds and open spaces. The employment centres are branded Designed for Productivity. They are all about Continued next page ▶ HUNTER HOMES SPECIAL FEATURE • intouch 43
MCCLOY GROUP TEAM
(Continued) maximising functionality and location for efficiency in output so that people can work well in spaces that complement their lives and provide balance. The retirement living complexes are branded Created for Lifestyle and are part of a new joint venture titled Principle Living to develop state-of-the-art retirement living facilities that offer the best lifestyle offerings for the later stages of life. The need to enrich other people's lives is at the heart of the business and is what drives Jeff. "It's exciting to be partly responsible for enriching other people's lives through the development of the communities that we build," said Jeff. "I get a great sense of satisfaction and pride knowing that I've left something better than it was before. We use public art in our communities to create a sense of belonging. As people drive through the entry of their community, which always feature an identifying sculptural art form, they get a real sense of coming home. The higher quality and standards of our communities raise the tempo of behaviour and have a calming effect on those that live there." Whether it's the public art, the landscaped parklands or the nature reserves that attract 44 intouch • HUNTER HOMES SPECIAL FEATURE
the buyers, the rate of sales for McCloy Group residential communities is very high, with people sometimes even camping out to purchase when land is released. Families return to McCloy Group estates too. Children who've grown up there are returning once they're ready to purchase their own home in a generational connection to place. As a result, resale value is also high. Communities are built along sustainable environmental principles and are primarily owner-occupied, with homeowners expressing confidence in the projects and the capital growth they provide. The industry has recognised the McCloy Group excellence, with many awards being won over the years. This year the McCloy Group has communities listed as finalists in the 2021 Urban Taskforce Awards and also has entries in the 2021 UDIA (Urban Development Institute of Australia) Development Excellence Awards. Personally, Jeff has been recognised by his peers and his community through several awards over the years and is known as an outspoken advocate for bringing development and prosperity to the City of Newcastle. He has been the Hunter Business Person of the Year, awarded the University of Newcastle Alumni Award for Leadership, he's been Chair of the University of Newcastle Foundation and
awarded the City of Newcastle Medal. The McCloy philosophy of enriching the lives of others is not only at the heart of the business but is also what has driven the development of the McCloy Family Foundation, which recently donated $1million to the Mark Hughes Foundation. It's a natural extension of Jeff's work over the years, supporting a vast number of causes and charities because he believes profoundly that it is essential to give back to the community that supports his business and his family. He's contributed to medical research, education, welfare groups and sporting teams and clubs. "Philanthropy is in my DNA," said Jeff. "I'd like the Foundation to continue long after I'm gone. It's a wonderful thing for the family to work on together, for everyone to be part of the decision-making process. We get so many requests, setting up the Foundation was a way to formalise the process and enable direct action for the causes that we believe in." The McCloy Family Foundation has been established to create better outcomes for the region, reflecting the family's innovative approach to communities and creating places and opportunities for all to live better lives. A noble ambition and one that is set to ensure the McCloy legacy for many decades to come.
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Resort-Style to Your Home this Summer SUMMER IS HERE, AND AT OZ DESIGN FURNITURE THIS SEASON, THEY’LL BE BRINGING THE RESORT TO YOU! Create a space where relaxation is a top priority, and all your stresses will be left at the door. By incorporating certain design elements, it can feel as though holiday mode will never end. This season, resort-inspired interiors are your passport for holidaying at home. Resorts are all about the romantics of the countless beaches, the lush forests and the lively colours of the places we wish we were in. Inspired by the beauty of nature, this style showcases an abundance of natural materials and earthy colours that are taken from the tropics. From introducing prints of palm trees
and tropical fruit to grace your walls to lush greenery and eye-catching brass décor, there are several ways to achieve this look this Summer. Sometimes the summer days get a bit too hot to spend outside, so why not bring the outdoors in? Decorating with tall, standing houseplants, like the banana tree garden pot, is a great way of adding a vibrant pop of colour to your room. Plants and flowers are like living art, creating a sense of calm while enhancing your interior. However, if you don’t have the best reputation for keeping plants alive, faux plants are a great alternative. That way, it still feels as though you have brought the outside in, but without the worry of having to water them every day.
Palm trees and botanical patterns should dominate your interior this Summer. From soft furnishings, such as cushions and throws to beautiful wall art. Prints with muted and rich greens work perfectly with brass and copper tones, so keep this in mind when choosing lamps and other pieces of décor to complete that sense of luxury. Ultimately, this Summer is about embracing the natural world and celebrating it in all of its forms. Furniture pieces constructed from rattan, like the Bungalow designer chair, or woven jute pieces provide natural texture and tone to really make your home feel like a resort. Check into OzDesign online at www.ozdesignfurniture.com.au and start creating your home resort today!
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Industrial Lifestyle Precincts Drive Demand resident-friendly operations such
LEAH JAY WINS TWO MAJOR AWARDS For over 27 years, Leah Jay has helped property investors and tenants move towards more in the Newcastle and Hunter region. Since founder Leah Jay transformed ‘rentals’ into Property Management back in 1994, Leah Jay has become an industry leader in this field and the most awarded property managers in NSW. Now into its 25th year, the Real Estate Institute of New South Wales (REINSW) Awards for Excellence recognises the best, bravest, and brightest work across the industry. The winners of the 2021 REINSW Awards for Excellence were revealed online again this year, and the Leah Jay team were awarded the coveted NSW Residential Property Management Team. In what was the most competitive category of the Awards, with nine finalists in the final round, Leah Jay is extremely proud to have taken out this title. This recognises the efforts of the entire team across all three Leah Jay offices.
The second award, Operational Support, was won by Leasing & Inspection Unit Manager Rebecca Eveleigh. Rebecca has been with Leah Jay for six years and is the highly valued leader of the Leasing team, a team that has gone through fundamental changes over the challenging COVID-19 period. “It’s wonderful to see Rebecca, a long-standing member of our team, recognised at these prestigious awards,” Cassandra Lantry, General Manager, said. “It is testament to Bec’s commitment to her professional development and her unwavering belief in the Leasing team and what they are trying to achieve.” “Our nominations in two categories, ‘Operational Support’ and ‘Residential Property Management Team’, demonstrate the work we do behind the scenes to stay at the forefront of property management,” Cassandra said. Leah Jay has an extraordinary history with the Awards, having consistently been nominated in multiple categories since 1994 with a total of 10 wins and 27 nominations.
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Stand aside school catchments and easy water access. According to experts at Australia's largest independent property valuation firm, the newest driver of residential demand is... industrial. Chris McKillop, a commercial director at Herron Todd White, said the emergence of 'Lifestyle Industrial' is changing the face of sought-after residential markets across the country, with the phenomenon creating a prime opportunity for homeowners and investors. "Lifestyle industrial sees sheds moving away from their traditional use for businesses like smash repair shops, spray painters and steel fabricators, and toward more
as microbreweries, high-quality restaurants, cafes, hairdressers and florists. Some have even become live music venues fronting retail clothing outlets, gyms and sporting venues," he said Mr McKillop said that lifestyle industrial had flipped the property game on its head for both homeowners and investors. Historically, being near industrial property was an absolute no-go for residents, with claims of noise, smell and heavy-use activity being a turn-off. "But these new precincts are now being embraced by residents, the flow on benefits for their property values – some are even choosing to live within the industrial hubs themselves."
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Creating your dream home couldn’t be easier when you build with Perry Homes. We have over 150 different floor plans to choose from, including single and two storey, granny flat and dual occupancy… there’s sure to be a design to suit your lifestyle. Whether you have a flat or a sloping block of any size, even knocking down your existing house to rebuild a new home, you can be sure we can bring your vision to life. If you can dream it, we can build it.
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