May 13, 2021
Post-pandemic interest in regional real estate has revived the prospects of a sale for the South Burnett Regional Council’s former Pound Street depot.
The site – between Kingaroy and Pound streets – is the largest single block of land available for development next to any of the region’s CBDs.
It was originally used as a works depot and cattle dip by the former Kingaroy Shire Council, but was closed in 2007.
Soon afterwards the land was found to be heavily contaminated and it was listed on the State’s Contaminated Land Register.
South Burnett Regional Council carried out a multi-year, $1 million decontamination of the site that concluded in January 2015 when the block was finally given the “all clear”.
After this, Council hired Local Government Infrastructure Services (LGIS) to recommend options for the block’s future use.
In late 2015 LGIS advised the site would be suitable for a major retail development; a commercial government office; a private hospital or day surgery; community housing and/or aged care; a conference/entertainment centre; or mixed use.
Council has put the block on the market several times since then, but rejected all offers when none achieved its target price.
It has also put the block out for tender about every two years, but a flat real estate market has not led to any improved offers.
However, a recent upsurge of interest in Queensland’s regional property market may have changed things.
At Wednesday’s standing committee meeting, Mayor Brett Otto said he had recently received approaches from several different developers keen to buy the site.
The companies want to use the location to build anything from multi-storey residential units to retail outlets.
Mayor Otto said he was yet to return the calls he was received because he had asked Council staff to re-analyse the best uses for the site and deliver a report to him within a fortnight.
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Common courteousy to prospective investors would require a return phone call and thank them for their interest and that the land use uptions are under review.
You could even then call them back with the outcome so their interest is valued. Or you don’t call them for two weeks which offers them zero respect.
If you ran a business like this, you would have no business or credibility.