YourTown snaps up Palm Beach unit, G8 alumnus Chris Scott to lead second ASX childcare biz and more Gold Coast business gossip

Why the buyer of a $3m apartment in Palm Beach doesn’t plan on holding it for long, a former G8 Education boss’s new listed childcare job, local awards and more Gold Coast business snippets you might have missed.

The penthouse at 1491 Gold Coast Highway QLD is still for sale.

PALM Beach is definitely the flavour of the month when it comes to dream properties.

The latest buyer to worship at the altar of real estate in the southern hotspot is charity Yourtown.

It has bought a luxury unit in the Temple development at 1491-1493 Gold Coast Highway for $3.2 million. The 366sq m four-bedroom unit is likely to become one of the prizehomes offered by Yourtown to raise money to help young people with issues such as unemployment, domestic violence and mental health. It was sold by Pimpama Investments Pty Ltd, linked to Coolangatta resident Glenn Ryan.

The penthouse is still on the market.

The seven-storey Temple tower at Palm Beach was constructed in 2017 by developer Level 11.

The tower includes five apartments and a two-level penthouse with 360-degree views from its private rooftop that includes a pool. The penthouse is on the market for $7.95 million.

The remaining our-bedroom apartments have 180-degree views from Burleigh Headland to Coolangatta, while the rear balconies look out over the waterways of Tallebudgera and to the Hinterland.

Yourtown isn’t the only art union showing love to Palm Beach.

The suburb is the site of RSL Art Union’s richest ever prize — a $5 million apartment block including penthouse and luxury cars.

One very lucky local will become an instant property baron by winning the apartment block, with six fully-furnished luxury apartments to sell or rent.

The block has been named Rudland’s Reach, in honour of former army commando and Invictus champion, Pete Rudland who lives at Terranora.

Mr Rudland was one of the Aussies seriously injured in a Black Hawk helicopter crash that claimed three lives in Afghanistan in 2010.

Temple apartments in Palm Beach.

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THE man who built listed Gold Coast juggernaut G8 Education into the nation’s largest childcare company has taken the reins of another one.

Former G8 CEO Chris Scott was yesterday appointed managing director of dual ASX and NZX-listed Evolve Education, of which he is also the largest shareholder.

Mr Scott, who through his investment company J47 has an 18.96 per cent shareholding, replaces chief executive Rosanne Graham, who has resigned.

He‘ll have a friend in the executive in fellow former G8 CFO Chris Sacre, who has been appointed manager of Evolve’s Australian operations.

Evolve is searching for a New Zealand manager as well as a new chairperson and another independent director to replace Gráinne Troute, who has joined the exodus and is set to retire from the board.

Shares in Evolve dipped 4.545 per cent during the day, shaving nearly $5 million of the company’s market capital.

Former G8 Education managing director Chris Scott is now MD of Evolve Education. Pic by Richard Gosling

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A DOZEN or so members of the Herron Todd White valuation team in Surfers Paradise are engaged in a toothy, and meaty, evaluation.

They are running a spreadsheet on burgers served by businesses in the CBD.

To date they’ve visited 17 restaurants and cafes during their lunch-hours — not all on the same day.

They’ve ranged far and wide, going north to the Sandbar restaurant at the base of the Chateau tower and south as far as Longboards under the Q1 super-tower.

The burgers are being rated on the quality of the meat patties and buns, the price, and what the HTW crew terms the scenery — other lunch-goers and passing pedestrians.

Topping the spreadsheet ratings are Brooklyn Depot in Beach Rd and White Rhino at Circle on Cavill, the property at which HTW is based.

Apparently the HTW burger evaluation isn’t over but finding new burger-masters is becoming a tad harder.

The HTW crew have become burger connoisseurs.

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LEGAL eagle John Ramsden has achieved a first for the city’s law community.

Mr Ramsden was recently named Managing Partner of the Year at the 2019 Lawyers Weekly Australian Law Awards.

This is the first time a lawyer from the Gold Coast has won the award and is particularly sweet given the superiority complex lawyers in the River City have over their Glitter Strip cousins.

“I am very proud to receive this award on both a professional and personal level as it highlights the hard work undertaken by the entire team to establish a practice that is now competing on the national stage,” Mr Ramsden said.

“Since opening our doors 17 years ago we’ve grown into the largest and most diverse legal practice on the Gold Coast, with a growing national footprint.”

Ramsden has 35 lawyers and 60 staff with offices on the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Sydney.

The firm’s primary focus is on corporate and business law, litigation and dispute resolution, property, real estate and family law.

Ramsden Lawyers managing partner John Ramsden.

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BDA Architecture managing director Peter Devenport has stepped down from the top job at the leading design firm to enter ‘semi retirement’.

Mr Devenport resigned at the end of June and will consult to BDA on a part-time basis.

Directors Adam Beck and Darren Greenaway said in a statement that Mr Devenport’s contribution had been “invaluable”.

“It has enabled BDA to be firmly positioned as one of the well recognised architectural practices on the Gold Coast,” they said.

Mr Devenport took on the role of managing director in 2007 when the firm moved to Broadbeach.

BDA was founded by Paul Burns. Its projects include H20 in Broadbeach and Phil Usher’s nearby tower under construction on Marine Pde.

The firm also worked on the Coomera Sports and Leisure Centre and Bond University Sports Science Building.

Paul Burns and Peter Devenport of BDA Architecture

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BUSINESS advocacy group YP Gold Coast has elected a new committee.

The group, formerly Young Professionals Gold Coast, will be headed by MinterEllison lawyer Mary Grant as president, following the departure of long-serving committee member Flynn McFarlane.

James Gough, from Queensland Airports Limited, and strategic advisor Martin Garred from Urbis will jointly fill the role of vice president.

Matthew Dodds is treasurer and Ania Salehirad of IP Partnership is secretary.

Giulia Badalotti (Puzzle PR) and Carla Tooma (Hot Tomato and myGC) have been reappointed to the committee and are joined by Jacqueline Bojanowski (Ruby Communications) who replaces Georgia Linton.

Morgan Summers-Smith (Study Queensland) and James Fulton-Kennedy (Morgans) round out the group of 10.

Ms Grant said the changes would revitalise the group.

“Everyone on the committee is here because they have an interest in the future success of the city,” she said.

“We are fortunate to have a strong and engaged membership base of local professionals and

business owners who attend our regularly sold-out events.

“We will continue to deliver high-quality events as a forum to connect driven professionals.”