NOVA GREEN LIGHT

Mayor says $550m CBD development to begin in 2018

ASPIAL has called for builders to start construction on the first two towers of its $550 million Nova City residential and commercial development in Cairns.

The call for expressions of interest came just days after Cairns Regional Council Mayor Bob Manning returned from a trade delegation to Singapore where he met with Aspial’s chief executive officer Koh Wee Seng.

An advertisement published in Brisbanebased media has called for builders with a proven history of completing similar sized projects — the first concrete sign work is about to begin.

“I am as confident as I could possibly be that by January or February we are going to see some movement at the station,” Cr Manning said.

It was not the only important encounter to come from the short visit, with Cairns business leaders including Total Food Network director Lui Garozzo now eager to gain a foothold in the lucrative Singaporean export game.

“If I can’t succeed in that market, it’s my fault,” the fresh food exporter said.

Advance Cairns CEO Kevin Byrne said the Nova City announcement was a clear indication the developers planned to move ahead with the seven-tower CBD project.

Mayor Bob Manning said his meeting with Aspial boss Koh Wee Seng had reassured him the project was no pipedream.

“I personally have great respect for him. You talk straight to him and he talks straight to you,” Cr Manning said. “He doesn't muck around.” The first stage of development includes two residential towers of 16 and 17 levels, comprising 335 apartments, 1734sq m of retail space, 196 car parks and “extensive recreational facilities”.

Tenders are due to be issued late this year or in early 2018.

Cr Manning said the Singapore visit had proven fruitful for several Cairns businesspeople, including Total Foods Network director Lui Garozzo who “was all over it like a seagull on a chip”.

“Within an hour’s flying time of Singapore there are probably a billion people — it’s the sort of market you just dream of,” Cr Manning said.

The group visited the facilities of Singaporean air transport giant SATS, used to distribute produce throughout South-East Asia.

Mr Garozzo, who already exports to Papua New Guinea, returned home adamant he would succeed in Singapore.

“It is definitely going to be a market I follow,” he said.

Advance Cairns CEO Kevin Byrne said the visit was “short and focused, not a flamboyant show-and-tell trade mission”.

“We’re hopeful this will be a building block for future activity between Singapore and Cairns,” he said.

Representatives on the trade mission came from a range of sectors, from banking and agriculture to freight and consumer goods.