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Stockland has filed plans for a $150-million business park in Queensland’s Caloundra South, marking the latest stage of its $5-billion Aura masterplan.
The new precinct is the second of two proposed business parks in the masterplan.
Construction on Stockland’s $222-million business park at West Caloundra began in 2017 with businesses such as Mitre 10, McDonalds and World Gym already tenanted.
The new commercial precinct would deliver 14 lots across 6.758ha on Aura Boulevard and Graf Drive at Baringa, about 90km north of Brisbane’s CBD.
The development would offer lots from 1561sq m to 7731sq m, with a total gross floor area of up to 30,000sq m dedicated to commercial uses.
The precinct would incorporate office buildings, research and technology facilities, and boutique manufacturing spaces.
The business park’s central Village Heart would feature childcare facilities, food premises, retail shops up to 250sq m per lot, and healthcare services.
The scheme includes provisions for a hospital and indoor sport facilities.
The development forms part of Aura’s broader masterplan, launched in 2015, which will ultimately deliver more than 20,000 homes across 2400ha of residential community.
The approval of 1100 new housing lots granted by the Queensland government in April, 2023 took Stockland almost halfway to its target.
According to online planning portal BCI, the tender contract for Stockland’s Halcyon Blu over-50s lifestyle community at Bell’s Creek is expected to be awarded this month.
That community is planned to deliver 500 land-lease lots in what would be the second manufactured-home park within the Aura estate.
The community currently comprises four suburbs inspired by traditional Kabi Kabi language: Baringa, Nirimba, Banya and Galgalba.
Infrastructure development continues across the masterplan, with several major projects under construction or planned for completion between 2024 and 2026.
These include the $8-million Baringa Sports Complex featuring AFL fields and tennis courts, the Nirimba Rugby League Grounds, and a $65-million retail precinct by Capital Property Group.
Transport infrastructure enhancements are in the works, with the duplication of Aura Boulevard and Graf Drive to four lanes, and new connections to Corbould Park industrial area.
The Queensland government’s Direct Sunshine Coast Rail Line (CAMCOS) will connect the community to Brisbane by 2032, in time for the Olympic Games.
Educational facilities are expanding in the region with Notre Dame College opening in 2025. The school will cater for 1836 students.
The masterplan’s entertainment precinct will include the Aura Hotel, developed by the Comiskey Group and scheduled for completion by early 2026.
The hotel will include a 2500-capacity live music venue.
Construction of the business park will progress from north to south based on market demand, with planning approval processes throughout 2024, construction scheduled between 2025 and 2026, and occupancy expected from late 2026.
The development mandates building heights up to 15m, with allowances for 25m structures where they remain obscured from key roads and residential areas.
Buildings would be a minimum of two storeys for most lots, rising to three storeys in selected areas.
Sustainability initiatives include mandatory rainwater tanks capturing 50 per cent of roof area, stormwater management systems, and requirements for external shading devices and low solar absorbance roof colours.
New infrastructure includes five road types ranging from 17.5m to 28m wide, with indented parking on both sides.
The development will incorporate a comprehensive pedestrian network, including a 2m-wide path along Aura Boulevard and 3m shared pedestrian-cycle paths along the southern and western boundaries.
RPS Australia East prepared the Plan of Development, with help from SMEC for engineering and Aecom for landscaping.
The development application is under assessment by Economic Development Queensland.
The development forms part of Australia’s first six-star, green-star city, with one-third of the site dedicated to conservation.
When the Aura masterplan was launched, Stockland chief executive Mark Steinert said it would be Australia’s largest masterplanned community under single ownership.
