Sydney’s Northern Beaches have been labeled the ‘insular peninsula’ for good reason. And for the well-heeled residents of Whale Beach, the new development down the road is every NIMBY’s worst nightmare.
A wealthy couple moves in and immediately starts work on a new house, causing endless noise and more traffic jams on what was once a quiet, idyllic street.
To make matters worse, their $30 million project is more of a Westfield-style complex than a cozy oceanfront home. Their ambitions are so grand that the robbers even bought the modest house next door just so they could bulldoze it.
This is exactly the situation facing the neighbors of supermodel Jennifer Hawkins and her husband, real estate developer Jake Wall.
Locals are outraged by renovation work on Rayner Road that has been going on for almost four years, but when Ny Breaking Australia visited on Wednesday morning there was at least one silver lining.
When it finally sells, it becomes one sample sale. It will probably break records. And – fingers crossed – it will also increase the prices of other houses on the street.
Jennifer Hawkins and her builder husband Jake Wall’s Whale Beach mega-mansion is getting even bigger. In the photo 2013
The original 1950s house on the property was demolished in 2021, a year after Hawkins and Wall purchased it. Construction noise has consistently disturbed what was once the sleepiest corner of the peaceful suburb.
The narrow cul-de-sac leading to Hawkins and Wall’s mega-home looks more like a sidewalk than a street, raising concerns about the “constant stream of trucks” parking and blocking the tight passageway for “hours.”
Only 29 homes are on the cliff strip, and neighbors tell Ny Breaking Australia they are ‘tired’ of the endless chaos and disruption.
One resident, Paul, claims it takes him 15 minutes to get out of the driveway when workers are on foot.
“If they want to build a mega-complex, that’s their prerogative – but damn it, we’re getting tired of it – the construction, the traffic, the noise,” he says.
‘It’s just a shaky situation. Most people who live here full time do it for the peace and quiet, but it hasn’t been quiet since they broke ground.
‘At any given time there are cranes, huge trucks, utes and tile deliveries all affecting the flow of the street and it is no longer easy for us to come and go as we please. It takes 15 minutes to get out of the street because of the buildings.
‘You have to add 15 minutes to your journey to get off the street because of the delay [construction] causes.’
New images from the construction site show the adjacent property completely bulldozed, with an excavator scooping up gravel on top of what was once a modest family home
A photo from May shows the now-demolished house next door that Hawkins and Wall bought for $7 million in 2023
“I met Jake [Wall] and he’s a nice guy and runs it as best he can. Their construction will put the rest of our ‘huts’ to shame,” he adds.
“We’re all hoping it will be ready by the middle of next year, but that’s probably not the case.”
Another annoyed neighbor is fed up with the seemingly endless disruption to their previously peaceful lives.
“It’s been a pain in the ass for four years every time we pull into the driveway,” says the irritated local resident.
“They do have a buzz that helps manage it – the constant trucks and cars – but sometimes they don’t, so there’s a strange argument with tradies about who has priority.
“It just goes on for years and years and years and we’re probably the ones affected the most. It’s the noise that bothers us as much as the taps and the street [being blocked].’
Two trucks are seen leaving the site on Rayner Road. Residents are outraged by the renovation work that has been going on for more than three years
Hawkins and Wall bought the house next door in 2023. What was once a lovely seaside home has now been reduced to rubble
But ultimately, they believe the development will be a boon to the neighborhood, given the price tag attached.
‘I think in general [the compound] will be good. If it sells for $40 million, we’ll be in an attractive pocket, but I just want the sale to go through.”
In their latest clever move, Hawkins and Wall have purchased and demolished an adjacent four-bedroom house to make way for ‘the construction of a residential dwelling including landscaping works’, according to the site’s approved plans.
The couple bought the house next door in 2023 for $7 million before submitting a development application in May 2024.
New images from the construction site show the adjacent property completely bulldozed, with an excavator scooping up gravel on top of what was once a modest family home.
Local residents are outraged by the renovation work that has been going on for more than three years, with the original 1950s house being demolished in 2021
The enormous development dwarfs the neighboring properties and appears four times the size of the surrounding properties
Aerial footage obtained by Ny Breaking Australia last month shows construction work taking place on the huge plot of land
Workers take refuge from the heat during Ny Breaking Australia’s visit to the site on Wednesday
The campsite offers breathtaking views of the ocean and is located atop a beautiful cliff at Whale Beach
It is being rebuilt to provide multi-level car accommodation with a parking stacker, as well as guesthouse accommodation and a paddle ball court.
The original double-block purchase by Hawkins and Wall was demolished to make way for a modern multi-storey mansion with a basketball court, infinity pool, home cinema, sauna and four-car garage.
The high-quality property will also have an internal lift connecting all three floors, as well as five bedrooms, multiple living areas and a large kitchen.
It already offers breathtaking ocean views and is situated on top of a beautiful cliff, close to local amenities.
Hawkins and Wall are known for their house flipping and high-end home construction.
The pair have no plans to live in the Whale Beach property and have reportedly already sold it to a high-profile businessman.
Aerial footage from Ny Breaking Australia last month showed construction work underway on the huge plot of land, which is four times the size of the neighboring mansions.
The couple started construction on their mega-mansion in December 2022 after receiving approval from the Northern Beaches Council for the $3.3 million build.
The original double block purchase by Hawkins and Wall was demolished to make way for a modern multi-storey townhouse
An upset resident said they were tired of the endless construction work and described it as ‘the biggest thing on the whole peninsula at the moment’
Locals rather said they were tired of the endless construction work and described it as ‘the biggest thing on the whole peninsula at the moment’.
“It’s so big,” they said. ‘It doesn’t fit Whale Beach, it’s too big and unnecessary. I have anxiety now.”
The resident added that they were concerned that Northern Beaches Council was not receiving the correct fees and taxes on the project, which they believed would now be well above the budgeted $3.3 million.
“I’d say the cost now would be at least $10 million. “I think the council is missing out on all this money because they are not controlling the project,” they said.
They added that there were also serious concerns among locals about how the proposed $30 million home would fit in with the other properties in the area, which had an average value of around $10 million.
Northern Beaches Council told Ny Breaking Australia in a statement that while the costs of the original grant were indeed exceeded, there was no legal precedent for charging additional costs.
“At the time of submitting the development application in 2020, the Council considered the cost estimate report of an approved builder and found no irregularities in the cost estimate,” they said.
“Construction costs have increased significantly since 2020. However, there is no legal basis for charging additional fees for development applications where construction costs have escalated.”