Forrests’ triple property reveal includes Margaret River retreat, New Norica farmland, Cottesloe revamp

A new design for Cottesloe’s Indiana Teahouse was revealed on Sunday and came after a public design competition stalled and the precinct the building is located in was heritage listed.

The beachfront building has a heritage-style design despite only being built in the 1980s.

The Forrests received a lease from the Cottesloe council over the building several years ago but a public competition to redevelop the site resulted in four designs where the existing structure would have been demolished.

Architecture studio Woods Bagot helped create the new design, which would see the reinforcement of the existing Indiana and the construction of a second building behind it with new restaurants, cafés and a kiosk spread over the site.

Plans for the redevelopment have been submitted to the Cottesloe council.

Mrs Forrest said she shared the community’s wish to preserve the western facade of the Indiana for the future.

“ As the committed custodians of this important site, we believe Indiana can, and should, play a more meaningful role in the lives of locals and visitors alike, and our ambitions are clear: we want to deliver the best beachside precinct in Australia; one for all Western Australians to enjoy,” she said.

The Forrests’ growing commercial food arm, Harvest Road, will benefit from the planned purchase of 7975 hectares of farmland around the New Norcia monastery in WA’s Wheatbelt.

It is the first time the farming land has changed hands since the monastic town was established some 175 years ago.

The property came up for sale in September as the order faced rising costs to compensate historical sexual abuse survivors.

So for the New Norcia monks have had to pay out more than $10 million to sexual abuse survivors and there could be more money to come as the national redress scheme is set to last until 2028.

Harvest Road chief executive Paul Slaughter said the farm was close to the company’s new feeding facility in Koojan Downs which would open next year.

“Together with New Norcia Farm, our network of integrated supply chain assets represents a game changer for WA and strategic step to mitigate against changing climatic conditions, stabilising the local beef supply chain and enhancing the local economy through investment and local job creation,” he said.