Tradies’ highway leads to Pimpama estate, Tate says
AT least 1000 jobs will be created by a $1 billion Pimpama housing estate, putting a major dent in the daily ‘‘ute highway’’ exodus of tradesmen to Brisbane.
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said the Maddison Estate project was the first of many ‘‘big-dollar’’ projects planned for the city’s northern corridor.
The master-planned residential Maddison Estate project will eventually be home to 3500 residents.
It is being delivered by LM Investment Management Ltd, headed by Peter Drake, on behalf of fund investors.
Launching the project yesterday, Cr Tate said it was a positive sign that the construction industry was moving again.
‘‘This project is very important – it shows that the entrepreneur and the have-a-go spirit is back on the Gold Coast,’’ he said.
‘‘This will create 1000 jobs on the Gold Coast, saving our tradesmen driving to Brisbane and back.’’
The 118ha development will include houses, apartments, townhouses, units, restaurants and shops.
Celebrity landscaper and television host Jamie Durie has been appointed to landscape the extensive 37ha network of parks. Six are recreation parks and three are conservation parks.
Cr Tate said many big developments were about to get under way in the city.
‘‘The projects are now coming out of the woodwork, including the $4.9 million Wavebreak Island project,’’ he said.
‘‘We have other billion-dollar projects soon to get under way (but) the housing and construction industry is just as important.
‘‘We want affordable housing to be back on the Gold Coast so that young people, our kids, can live the Australian dream and buy a house here on the Gold Coast.
‘‘In 18 months I think we will see a lot of new projects come online.
‘‘I can guarantee you that because I am daily having four or five meetings on future projects, large and small.’’
The Maddison Estate project is the first on the Gold Coast to be part of a new pilot project aimed at speeding up development approvals on major residential projects.
Stage two of the development has been processed under the Development Assessment Process Reform – Operational Works and Large Subdivisions in which the approval process takes three months, rather than years, once a development application is lodged.
It is a joint initiative of the Council of Mayors and the Local Government Association of Queensland which is funded by the State Government.
LM project director Luke Barnett said the developers worked with council staff to iron out any planning issues before an application was lodged.
‘‘By working with council early in the planning process we’ll reduce the need for approvals and costly changes to proposed plans and reports during the assessment period,’’ he said.
Mr Barnett said LM would like the scheme to be extended beyond large residential subdivisions to other largescale industry, commercial and unit developments.