Caloundra South Project Underway & Expected to Create 20,000 Jobs

After 11 years of setbacks and obstacles, one of the country’s most visionary and massive master-planned communities located on the Sunshine Coast has finally commenced construction towards the end of September.  

The Stockland Caloundra South master-planned community is expected to create over 20,000 jobs over the project’s 30 year time-frame. During this period 20,000 homes are projected to be built. Around 50,000 people will eventually call Caloundra South home.

Southeast Queensland’s Population Growth Requires The Community Be Built

Deputy Premier Jackie Trad believes the Caloundra South master community is an imperative building initiative necessary to house southeast Queensland’s growing population.

“We know that the southeast Queensland region faces a considerable challenge in terms of meeting the needs of a growing population and we know that without projects like Caloundra South we won’t be able to meet those growth challenges,” stated Ms Trad.

Caloundra South Project Details

• The community will sprawl across 2360 hectares of coastal land.
• Over 20,000 homes will be built over the coming 30 years.
• 20 schools, 10 sporting grounds, 20 community centres and 700+ hectares of green, open space will be constructed.
• In the first year the development should provide in excess of 1700 jobs.
• Within the first decade of the project, 18,500 more jobs should be created.
• The Green Building Council of Australia has awarded the mega suburb project its highest 6 star rating.

Any Environmental Concerns?

Environmental groups will be keeping a close eye monitoring for any impact the community’s construction may have on the Pumicestone Passage. The Passage is not faring well, receiving a C+ rating in the most recent Healthy Waterways Partnership and there are concerns amongst these groups as to the long term viability of Stockland’s water-sensitive recycling plans. Some query whether they will really turn out to be as effective as expected.

“There are some unanswered questions on their capacity to actually deliver on the water quality issues. The issue is that water sensitive urban design has never been applied at the scale that is proposed to be applied here at Caloundra South,” explained Wiebe ter Bals, executive officer of the Sunshine Coast Environment Council.

Mr Bals believes the best course of action would be for the LGAQ, a chief partner in the Healthy Waterways Partnership to request independent testing on the environmental impact the development will have on the Pumicestone Passage be carried out.

Do Any Endangered Species Inhabit the Area?

Yes, the wallum sedge frog resides in this coastal region. Wallum sedge frog ponds and gardens are being constructed for the endangered species.

The federal government green lighted environmental approval for the development in June 2013. 

Optimistic Times Ahead for Maintenance Spending

As construction activity in some sectors slows down, opportunities for contractors lie ahead within maintenance work, as spending is set for growth in the next few years.

Construction: What’s in Demand?

Good news for those in building and construction: thanks to the apartment building boom, professionals and tradespeople are highly in demand.

Australia’s Home Renovations Market: the Winter 2016 Renovations Roundup Report – Insights and Analysis

As the market regains its strength, we take a look at what is forecast for the industry’s future.