Point Piper mansion: Andy Wenlei Song, Yingping Cao lodge plans for Wingadal Place home

When you’ve spent a cool $60 million on the waterfront Point Piper trophy home Portofino - once rented by Bill and Melinda Gates - what’s another $7 million?

The trophy home at 3 Wingadal Place, Point Piper, will undergo renovations if plans are improved.

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When you’ve spent a cool $60 million on the waterfront Point Piper trophy home Portofino which was once rented by Bill and Melinda Gates, what’s another $7 million to renovate it to your liking?

The sprawling 1433sq m block at 3 Wingadal Place, which the Gates rented for a cool $25,000 a week in 2011, was previously owned by New Zealand-born Ateco group founder and sportsman Neville “Croaky” Crichton.

Mr Crichton, who made his fortune importing luxury cars and has competed in both the Bathurst 1000 and the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, sold the home to Chinese stockbroker Andy Wenlei Song three years ago.

An artist’s impression of what the property could look like.

The property boasts incredible water views.

Mr Song purchased it under the name of wealthy businesswoman Yingping Cao and swiftly lodged a $7.28 million development application to add a second self-contained guesthouse to the block, in addition to the existing caretaker’s cottage.

The original “residential flat building” DA was finally approved in July 2019.

This week, Ms Cao lodged a further DA under her own name which the application describes as having “minor internal and external design changes” which “will result in substantially the same development approved”.

Neville Crichton and Nadi Hasandedic during their wedding held at The University of Sydney Great Hall. Picture: Jonathan Ng

It’s not known if home loan baron neighbour Aussie John Symond should expect several unrelated new friends over the fence or if the intention is for the property to be used as a luxe multi-generational family compound.

All up, the three dwellings will boast 10 bedrooms, 10 bathrooms and five car spaces.

Work overseen by Rob Mills Architecture will involve partial demolition of the main house and caretaker’s residence and excavation to extend the garage.

Wingadal Place runs off “Australia’s richest street” Wolseley Rd which is home to Malcolm Turnbull.

The development will result in a “minor loss of views of the waters of Sydney Harbour” from the lawn of the heritage listed unit block at 66 Wolseley Rd.

However, documents lodged with Woollahra council argue, “The view affected is of the waters of Sydney Harbour. The proposal will not affect the view of the Sydney City skyline, which contains multiple iconic views.”