Lend Lease Wins $527 Million Government Construction Job

Lend Lease Corporation Limited (“Lend Lease”) today announced that its subsidiary, Bovis Lend Lease Limited (“Bovis Lend Lease”), has been appointed Managing Contractor by the Department of Finance and Deregulation for the design and construction of a new central office building for the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation.

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Lend Lease to Defer Asset Sales

As previously advised Lend Lease Corporation (“Lend Lease”) is not a forced seller of assets and has no intention of selling assets at sub optimal values. Given current market conditions Lend Lease does not believe it is appropriate to sell certain assets, including some equity investments in Public to Private Partnership projects in the UK this financial year. Revised guidance after the removal of these items and other adjustments for the year ending 30 June 2009 is Net Operating Profit after Tax of circa A$300 million.

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Macquarie CountryWide Sells Assets in Australia and the USA

Macquarie CountryWide Trust (ASX:MCW) today announced it has signed unconditional contracts for two disposals in Australia totalling A$14.7 million. A further settlement has also occurred on the US portfolio sale to an affiliate of Inland Real Estate Acquisitions Inc (Inland), with the completion of the sale of eight assets for US$144.1 million (A$198.9 million), bringing the total value of this transaction to US$264.1 million (A$380.8 million).

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Australand Secures Refinancing Approvals

Australand has secured approvals from three domestic banks for a total of $350 million which, subject to documentation and together with existing undrawn facilities, will provide the Group with sufficient capacity to repay the $563 million CMBS facility maturing on 25 June 2009. Existing undrawn facilities and cash at bank as at 31 March 2009 was in excess of $560 million. Commitments have also been secured to renew $100 million of the existing $150 million of unsecured facilities expiring in 2009.

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Banks Not Passing Interest Rate Falls on, Because They Have Increased Market Dominance Recently

Federal Shadow Minister for Housing and Local Government, Scott Morrison, said today’s official housing finance figures for February show the banks have increased their market share of new housing loans to the highest level on record, creating a new low point for competition in our home mortgage market.

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Lend Lease Wins Major Property Contract with BP International

Lend Lease Corporation Limited (“Lend Lease”) has today announced the execution of a new contract with BP International Ltd (“BP”). The new contract continues Bovis Lend Lease’s 12 year alliance with BP to provide project management services for the construction and maintenance of BP’s retail network across 10 European countries.

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Macquarie CountryWide Trust Sells Five Assets For $92.6 Million

Macquarie CountryWide Trust (ASX:MCW) today announced it has entered into unconditional contracts with various parties for the sale of five assets (four in Australia and one in the US) for A$92.6 million [1], reflecting an average initial yield of 7.7%.  The sale proceeds will be used to reduce debt and position the Trust to meet its refinancing obligations in the second half of 2009.

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Lend Lease Announces Staff Changes

Lend Lease Corporation Limited (“Lend Lease”) today announced that Chief Operating Officer, Ross Taylor, will step down from his role and will be leaving the corporation later this year. He will resign from the Board as an Executive Director effective immediately. The Board has also decided that the role of Chief Operating Officer will not be filled pending resolution of the current CEO search process which was announced to the market on 21 August 2008.

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Housing Hurting

The Australian weighted average median prices for houses and other dwellings have experienced their largest quarterly fall compared with previous quarters for the past five years, according to the Mortgage Choice/REIA Real Estate Market Facts released today. The Australian weighted average median house price decreased from $471,300 in the December quarter 2007 to reach $458,488 in March quarter 2008, a decrease of 2.7% over the quarter. The Australian weighted average other dwelling price also decreased by 2.7% over the quarter to $355,297.

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Enough reports ­ let´s have action on property spruikers

The release of the Green Paper on Financial Services and Credit Reform by the Government is welcome, but it’s now time for action on property spruikers. The result of this consultation process must not be yet another report to be filed away on dusty parliamentary library shelves. Consumers need action to be taken on the regulation of property spruikers,’ says Noel Dyett, President of the Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA).

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Relief as interest rates stay unchanged

Last week, the Deposit Power/REIA Housing Affordability Report published data showing that home loan affordability was at an all-time low with 38% of median weekly family income required to meet loan repayments on new home loans. It will be with much relief that new borrowers greet the news that official interest rates will remain unchanged for the moment.

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Macquarie Countrywide Portfolio Performance Update

Macquarie CountryWide Trust (ASX:MCW) today announced it maintained a high portfolio occupancy rate of 96.9% during the three months to March 2008 and achieved an average rental rate growth of 11.6% on the global portfolio leased during the period.  These results reflect the Trust’s continued emphasis on securing long term income streams across its global portfolio.

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Macquarie Sells 505 Little Collins Street Melbourne For $83 Million

Macquarie Office Trust (ASX: MOF) today announced an unconditional contract had been entered into for the sale of 505 Little Collins Street, Melbourne for A$83 million at a significant premium to book value. The transaction represents a significant return for the Trust and reinforces Management’s commitment to realising assets and repaying debt with the view to enhancing unitholder value.

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Solid Leasing Results for Macquarie Office Highlight Quality Portfolio

The Trust’s proactive asset management approach has delivered strong leasing performance across its global portfolio over the three months to 31 March 2008.
These results have been achieved during challenging capital market conditions and highlight the sound underlying fundamentals of the Trust’s assets.

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Centro MCS Says Pelorus Cancellation of Meetings Disenfranchises Investors

Centro MCS today expressed disappointment and surprise that Pelorus have purported to cancel a series of meetings of Centro MCS investors with little warning and immediately prior to the first meeting scheduled for Monday. Centro MCS Manager is considering whether this purported cancellation is effective and urges investors to check for any updates in relation to the meeting on its website at centro.com.au.

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MFS Rebrands to OCTAVIAR, and Delivers Market Update (March 28, 2008)

Name change

�� MFS to transfer and assign to Massachusetts Financial Services of Boston,USA its Australian registered trademark “MFS”
– Resolves ongoing litigation between the parties
– MFS to receive a payment from Massachusetts of a confidential amount
�� World branding agency was used to develop the new name “Octaviar”
– New brand and corporate imagery to be launched following today’s shareholder approval
– ASX Code to change to “OCV”

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Pelorus Reschedules Centro Meetings, Nominates Trust Co as Responsible Entity

Dear Investor,

Rescheduling of Meetings for Centro MCS 16, 19NZ/I and 11

Attached are notices with respect to meetings (Meeting) of unit holders of Centro MCS 16, Centro MCS 19 NZ/I and Centro MCS 11 (Syndicates). The notices advise unit holders that the meetings in relation to the Syndicates have been rescheduled to 20 May 2008.

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Update on World Trade Centre Litigation, from Bovis Lend Lease

Bovis Lend Lease LMB, Inc. (“Bovis Lend Lease”), a US subsidiary of Lend Lease Corporation Limited, is a defendant to proceedings brought against the City of New York and a number of other parties who, like Bovis Lend Lease, responded to the World Trade Center emergency and assisted with the rescue, recovery, and
debris removal following the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001.

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MFS Group Announces Breach of Loan Facility to Customers

Dear Investor

I write to you on behalf of MFS Investment Management Limited (‘MFSIM’), as Responsible Entity of the MFS Premium Income Fund (‘the Fund’) to provide an update on the recent events and the MFSIM Board’s strategy and proposals for the management of the Fund subsequent to our last letter.MFSIM understands the significance of these decisions and the impact on investors. Given current market conditions and the position of the Fund, MFSIM, in the interests of all unit holders, has sought to preserve the capital value of the Fund.The MFSIM Board and its advisors are now focused on exploring initiatives to improve liquidity and allow the payment of income to unit holders and expect significant progress to be made before the end of the financial year 2008. Below we set out the key issues facing the Fund at this time. We will continue to update unit holders on developments with the Fund on a regular basis.

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