The Gold Coast Bulletin

‘SPINEY’ BOB TO 12,000 RESIDENTS

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THE $1 billion master planned community at Worongary once belonged to reclusive and eccentric millionair­e, Robert ‘Spiney Bob’ Anthes (pictured below).

The former World War II veteran lived on and protected it with an axe and gun. The 342ha parcel of land off Hinkler Dve at Worongary was bought by the Perth-based Perron Group in 2004.

‘Spiney Bob’ had inherited the land from his father, John, in 1972 but remained single, crushed by the war and discovery his childhood sweetheart had married someone else. Relatives who stood to share in a $250 million fortune of the hermit were involved in a bitter legal stoush late last year. The new suburb is tipped to provide a $3.2 billion boost to the economy and about 2700 jobs during the constructi­on phase. Planners say between 10,000 to 12,000 residents will live in the suburb after a 10-year build.

The council has begun work improving water and sewer lines from Merrimac to help cater for the population increase. The State Government has promised to build a train station across the M1 at Merrimac. Education Department officials will assess the need for a new school. The developer must pay a road levy for every householde­r and submit plans about upgrades to

Hinkler Dve and show how improved intersecti­ons can cope with traffic.

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