Welcome Note 08 Contents 10 Pearls of Wisdom

Words James Hutton, Publisher

Welcome to the February 2023 edition of The Beast, the monthly magazine for Sydney’s festive beaches of the east. The Eastern Suburbs has been absolutely pumping lately, the sunny weather and general global re-opening has finally brought the beaches back to life - I wish I owned a pub right now!

A big thanks to Bondi artist Camille Fox for this edition’s cool cover painting, titled Together Again. I think this artwork has captured the current mood around here to a tee. You can see more of Camille’s work on her Instagram, @camillefoxart, by visiting her Facebook page, Camille Fox Art, or at her new website, www.camillefoxart.com.

Some of the more observant readers of this little publication would have noticed that Camille has had her work featured on the cover of The Beast once before, back in January 2021 (I can’t believe it’s been two years already) with her Bondi Beach summer scene, titled We're all in this Together. Not long after that edition of The Beast was distributed, a London-based reader purchased the original for a tidy sum and Camille donated every cent to the The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, where my brother Dan received amazing care during his cancer battle, and Dreams2Live4, a wonderful charity organisation that makes dreams come true for patients who are living with metastatic cancer (any cancer which has spread), relapsed lymphoma, relapsed leukaemia and high grade brain tumours, empowering these patients to dream and find purpose again, bringing joy, hope and dignity into their lives.

Dreams2Live4 is the only charity of its type in Australia for adult cancer patients and provided much appreciated support to Dan and his family in very tough times. You can learn more about Dreams2Live4 by visiting dreams2live4.org.au. If you’ve got some spare coin to donate to a good cause, please give it to them. I honestly can’t recommend this organisation enough.

Camille has also informed me that she’s got a big exhibition coming up later this year in São Paulo, Brazil - yes, she’s gone global - so I’ll keep you posted on that too. And thanks for reading the magazine, I’m still loving it after all these years.

Cheers, James

The Beast

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The engine of our economy.

How to Be a Property Developer

Words Pearl Bullivant Photo Bryan Burry

2023 is a time for renewal and spiritual growth, and Pearl intends to harness this cosmic energy through a series of columns designed to advise the people of the East how to live their best lives, taking advantage of everything on offer to achieve authenticity and self-fulfilment. This month, Pearl is going for the deep dive by advising readers on ‘how to be a property developer’, a ‘profession’ that truly takes advantage of everything on offer, achieving self-fulfilment through money, power and exploitation. And, if it’s not on offer, there is always coercion and ‘lobbying by donation’.

Profit Is Everything

Developers make their living from subdivisions and selling off-the-plan. By ‘making a living’, Pearl means one that maintains a lifestyle of helicopters, private schooling, numerous homes and luxury holidays. This lifestyle is not just taken for granted, it is a given, and when one’s lifestyle is impeded by NIMBYs, council regulations and building codes, a good developer knows how to achieve self-fulfilment of one’s profit goals while having governments eating out of their hands.

Profit Maximisation Means Cost Cutting

‘Finding’ crown land or compulsory acquired property is a boon to the developer but construction costs are the key. With 85 per cent of new developments containing faults, the masses have grown accustomed to defect-riddled buildings. And, with a reduction in the statutory warranty period and the NSW Building Commissioner now holding buyers responsible for dodgy work, the government has all but sanctioned defect-riddled homes.

Fight the Good Fight

As a developer, one must fight off any government initiative that impedes profit maximisation, and that includes housing affordability policies. Developers must be quick to remind governments that supply is the key to affordability and that the developer can remedy supply via government assistance and relaxation of regulations. It is also essential for the developer to have ‘mates’ installed in state and local government, allowing one to build whatever, wherever, with barely a nod to construction and environmental codes.

Good PR Is Everything

A smart developer will harness the media, ensuring their viewpoint is communicated with total bias. Nine Entertainment and News Corp are shareholders in real estate websites and Seven Group owns a tract of land that will benefit from the raising of the Warragamba Dam wall - these are the publicity whores used to quell dissent and they will always report on the woes of the developer and never the community. Developers will turn to the ‘big three’ when one needs to spread ‘Big Australia’ propaganda or communicate their disappointment with home buyers that shun apartments or demand fault-free homes.

Like a yummy mummy on her way to a 9am Pilates class, nothing will stop a property developer in their pursuit of wealth and power. According to Urban Taskforce, the think tank that represents Australia’s most prominent property developers, “Property developers are the engine of our economy,” and with Pearl’s words of wisdom you too can play your part in destroying the essence of our beautiful Eastern Suburbs.