May 27, 2014
A multi-million dollar commercial development which will reshape the northern outskirts of Kingaroy – and create hundreds of jobs – is one step closer to reality following the successful purchase of the land by local developers.
The plan is for a tavern, major retail stores, a fast food outlet and a 24-hour truck stop or service station.
Kingaroy Investments directors David and Kevin Taylor have been working for four years to secure the project, which already has Council approval, but settlement on the purchase only occurred on Friday.
The area, the western half of the former Sunnyvale development, will be known as “Kingaroy North”.
A large commercial strip covering 30 acres extends along the Bunya Highway with room enough for several nationwide stores to stake a claim.
The consortium of local developers hopes to have the first retail development operational on site within 24 months.
The group says it will use local builders and tradespeople “as much as possible” and believes the project has the potential to give the region a major economic boost over the next two decades.
And despite a recent slump in the property market, they say now is the right time to act.
“Kingaroy is on the cusp of moving from being a small town to becoming a major regional centre,” David Taylor said.
The Kingaroy North site stretches from just north of Banksia Drive along the eastern side of the Bunya Highway to the Taylors Road intersection.
Kevin Taylor said the consortium has already begun discussions with a range of interested national companies about the possibilities of moving into the site.
The consortium is also looking at plans to build an over-50s complex on another 25 acre section abutting Taylors Road, possibly modelled on the Fraser Coast’s “RV Homebase” lifestyle village.
About 200 residential blocks could also be developed on the southern end of the site, however because of the large number of residential blocks already approved in Kingaroy, this was “a low priority” for the group at present.
Kevin Taylor said the core aim of Kingaroy North was to “grow” Kingaroy.
“In the long term, it’s definitely going to be a good thing for the town,” he said.
He said the consortium believed Kingaroy needed more shopping and employment options to expand its role as the South Burnett’s regional centre, and was confident the Kingaroy North project would create both.
He was also confident the project would succeed because it was backed “by local money” and the purchase had been funded without bank finance.
Last month the South Burnett Regional Council approved alterations to the master plan for parts of the site which allow for the realignment of a road inside the development, changes to lot sizes, and changes to a vegetation buffer zone.
Mr Taylor said this would give them greater flexibility in marketing the project to retailers.
South Burnett mayor Wayne Kratzmann welcomed the news saying “things were starting to tick over again” in the region.
“We have had good news from Stanwell, the new motel, Taabinga Downs and now Kingaroy North,” he said.
He said Council was thrilled to have a local consortium working on the Kingaroy North project.
“These are the sort of economic development contributions that we need,” he said.
Related articles:
- Focus Back On Sunnyvale
- Developer Snaps Up Sunnyvale Estate
- Council Axes $3.7m Road Project
- South Burnett Is Open For Business
- Council Gives Go-Ahead To $3.7m Sunnyvale Link Road
