It’s been a long time coming, and not without obstacles, but famed landscaper Jamie Durie has finally moved into his six-story mega-mansion.
Construction was completed at the stunning Avalon Beach location, two years after Durie got his construction proposal for a $2.7 million home approved.
talking to women’s dayDurie, 53, said the house had been a “lifelong dream” that took more than a decade to realize.
“It’s been a lifelong dream of mine to build an off-grid home,” he said.
‘Ten years ago I drew the house. We submitted the plans five years ago and for the last two years we have been under construction.’
But the dream was not without some nightmares for Durie along the way.
It’s been a long time coming, and not without obstacles, but famed landscaper Jamie Durie has finally moved into his six-story mega-mansion.
Construction was completed at the stunning Avalon Beach location, two years after Durie got his construction proposal for a $2.7 million home approved.
The landscaping guru won approval in April 2022 from Northern Beaches Council on his development application (DA) for the seafront property, despite receiving more than 50 objections from angry locals.
His plans to tear down a 1960s cottage and replace it with a massive six-story mansion for his family first met with opposition from neighbors who objected to the removal of 17 native trees.
Durie previously clarified that 1,518 native and endemic species will be planted in and around the property.
“We have rectified the problem and I have sent a letter to all the neighbors and the council explaining what is happening and I hope they see it with our new plans,” he said on Today Extra in 2021.
Neighbors then had questions about whether the construction of the house would affect the ecosystem of a local microbat colony.
Durie admitted on Woman’s Day that he was “sorry” for the stress the gigantic build had caused his fiancée Ameka Jane and their children, daughter Beau, three, and son Nash, one.
“It was the most difficult project I have ever taken on in my entire life,” Durie said.
“I’m sorry for the stress this has put on our family.”
“It’s been a lifelong dream of mine to build an off-grid home,” she told Woman’s Day. ‘Ten years ago I drew the house. We submitted the plans five years ago and for the last two years we have been under construction.’
The landscaping guru won approval in April last year from Northern Beaches Council on his development application (DA) for the seafront property, despite receiving more than 50 objections from angry locals.
The landscaping guru won approval in April 2022 from Northern Beaches Council on his development application (DA) for the seafront property, despite receiving more than 50 objections from angry locals.
Durie added that despite neighbors’ reservations about the construction, opinions are changing now that the eco-house is completed.
“Everyone assumed it was going to be this mega-mansion, but now you can see all the rooftop gardens and all the solar panels, the sentiment is changing and we’re getting a lot of beautiful lyrics,” he added.
Construction is the subject of Durie’s new show on 7Plus, Growing Home With Jamie Durie, which premiered in October.
talking to television week In October, Durie said the program had also been a labor of love that had taken three years to come together.
Construction is the subject of Durie’s new show on 7Plus, Growing Home With Jamie Durie, which premiered in October.
“We’ve been filming this show for three years, and while we were growing the house, we were also growing the family,” he said.
‘Not only will you meet the family through the build, but you will also see the birth of our baby!’
It’s been a busy year for Durie. In October, he spent $3.6 million on an inland retreat in Byron Bay, near the popular tourist haven Nashua.
Called ‘Akubra’, the streamside farm has a sprawling 30-hectare tract of land that can house up to 40 head of cattle, more than 300 sheep, chickens, llamas and goats.
The TV presenter will also enjoy a five-hole golf course, fire pit and a lagoon-style swimming pool, Realestate.com.au reported.
With three bedrooms in the main family house, the property also features a detached cottage, a large farm shed and six paddocks.
Surrounded by tropical plants, fruit trees, a large vegetable garden and macadamia trees, Jamie will be in his element as a celebrity gardener.