Bombers Star Wins Contract for SA Masterplan

Essendon footballer turned property developer Andrew Welsh has won a contract to develop a $400-million masterplan along the Murray River in South Australia.

Renmark Paringa Council has named Welsh’s Welco Group to deliver their Jane Eliza masterplan—a river-based housing and marina development at Renmark, about 250km north-east of Adelaide on the Victorian border.

The Jane Eliza Waterfront Estate will include about 780 homes, townhouses and apartments on about 95ha of council-owned land, as well as an expanded marina with 100 moorings, restaurants, shops, cafes and commercial tenancies.

In announcing the selection, Renmark mayor Neil Martinson described the Jane Eliza development as a “a nationally significant mixed-use marina precinct.”

The council undertook a nine-month national search before appointing a developer for the site, which is a major houseboat destination about 650km upstream in the Murray River’s floodplain. 

“The council has been impressed with Welco’s approach during the selection process,” Martinson said.

“They share the council’s vision for the site and have a genuine passion for building communities.”

▲ Jane Eliza Landing is a major houseboat destination about 650km upstream in the Murray River’s floodplain.

Welco, formed by Welsh in 2005, has been behind a number of big regional developments including Springwood at Gawler in South Australia, Harlowe at Bendigo and Yallarah at Echuca—both in Victoria.

“As a national developer, with a focus on regional areas, Welco is very excited to be partnering with council on this landmark project that will deliver massive benefits to the local community and economy,” Welsh said.

The council said those benefits include a projected annual economic contribution of about $109 million once completed. The development will create up to 3200 jobs in the construction phase and around 1000 direct and indirect jobs when finished.

▲ The waterfront estate will include about 780 homes, townhouses and apartments on about 95ha of council-owned land.

Welsh said it would be 12 to 18 months before they expected to start construction, but that would depend upon how the master plan progressed.

“There’s still a lot of master planning and design work to go before any construction happens,” he said.

“Then it will be a matter of getting it through the planning and engineering process.  At that point we’ll have a better idea of when sales will start, off the back of construction.”

Welsh and Welco broke into the South Australian market last year when he took over the Springwood Estate development at Gawler—a $500-million, 2000-lot residential community on 220ha 50km north of Adelaide.

He retired from the AFL in 2011 after 162 games as a defender with the Bombers. About the same time Welsh formed Sitetech Solutions, which provided hire and rental equipment to the construction industry.

The Jane Eliza project is the biggest single development parcel in the Riverland region.

It dates back to the late 1960s when Ian and Fee Showell acquired 500ha on three titles for a houseboat base, motel and tourist accommodation.  

Their son Hague Showell said it was called Jane Eliza Landing after a boiler—reputedly from the paddle steamer Jane Eliza—was found near the mouth of a creek on the property.