HIGHFIELDS TARGETS GREY NOMADS
RV compound, relocatable homes proposed for 267-lot resort
A MODERN caravan and RV compound, relocatable homes and swanky recreational facilities are all part of a massive expansion to a de- veloping retirement resort in Highfields.
In what could be a major push to capture grey nomads across the region and the state, major over-50s accommodation provider GemLife has revealed new plans to upgrade its existing “relocatable home park” on Kratzke Rd. Addi- tions included a tennis court, bowling green and lap pool.
A MASSIVE retirement resort developer has set its sights on attracting grey nomads in the Toowoomba region with the latest expansion to its Highfields park.
GemLife submitted plans to the Toowoomba Regional Council last week to upgrade its resort on Kratzke Rd, increasing the number of dwellings to more than 260 structures and adding a designated RV compound as well.
GemLife has also included a tennis court, bowling green, croquet field, lap pool and recreational building, which would be “for the exclusive use of residents and their guests”.
“The development shall occur in accordance with the established theme of the existing development, with a consistent approach to frontage treatments and targeted landscape embellishments,” the planning report by RPS Australia said.
“It is intended to adopt the same dwelling designs over the expanded footprint to those already approved thereby maintaining consistency with the range of dwelling types available to prospective purchases.”
All dwellings at the resort will be single-storey relocatable homes, which RPS said was an endorsement for the project under the Toowoomba Regional Council’s planning scheme.
“The proposal has also provided appropriate justification for aspects that do not fully adhere to the acceptable outcomes,” the report said.
“In particular, (it) demonstrates the proposed density of development is suitable for the low-medium zone, having regard to the built form outcomes achieved by way of the delivery of low-rise detached dwellings under a relocatable home park arrangement.”
The planned expansion comes after new statistics revealed Toowoomba as one of the top areas in Australia for RV and caravan registrations.
According to the Caravan Industry Association of Australia, there were 380,000 domestic caravan and camping trips to the region, and grey nomads spent more than 1.5 million nights here.
The application also included traffic, ecological, water and engineering reports.
In its latest newsletter to Highfields residents, GemLife said the first stage of the resort had nearly been fully sold.
“Stage One is rapidly filling up, so it is imperative that you get in quick,,” it said. GemLife was contacted by
The Chronicle for comment.