i love bamboo, giant bird of paradise etc but do NOT put next to your pool. In our last build we used Zanadu. Big leaves that do not drop and bullet proof. Perhaps find another way to cover the fence other than plants that almost always drop their leave and have invasive roots.

Hi, Just remember the Light Reflective Value (LRV) of a dark colour particularly in Queensland's Summer may cause warping of the lining boards, before painting them strip off the old paint - likely to have been lead based at some stage could be 3 layers deep (easily tested by a test kit from a paint shop) and seal all the holes and gaps with an oil based sealer, then apply the 'filler' - builder's bog etc and paint over, with a good quality acrylic paint - Solagard type exterior paint system. If you don't seal the boards before applying the filler; moisture - condensation will migrate from the back of the board to the face - no sarking to the back of an older weatherboard homes and cause the filler to go 'soft' and blister the face of the board ruining the paint, (4 years as a Trade Paint Rep). As far as asbestos cement sheeting - protocols are in place for its safe removal as any home built prior to 1983 is 'likely' to have asbestos lining materials in the wet areas, laundry, flue pipes, kitchen lino or underlay and probably the meterbox - all the usual suspects. These homes look fantastic when restored properly and I've seen quite a few done 'upside down' with the sleeping areas on the ground floor and entertaining / living rooms on the first floor, that way the rooms below can have all the modern fixtures, finishes and insulation without detracting from the liveability of the upstairs rooms not needing the same level of noise control, or hiding electrical or plumbing lines etc in wall spaces.

take this photo to second hand furniture/kitchen stores and contact P&O

Those seem to be trademark varieties from outside Australia. You could contact Daly’s fruit or Diggers Club to see what dwarf varieties there are available in your area.