Development activity continued to soar in the Bundaberg Region in 2022 with a third consecutive year of record-breaking application numbers.
Bundaberg Regional Council Development Group Manager Michael Ellery said following a big jump in interest in 2020 and 2021, this year’s statistics had remained on par.
“There has been strong growth and interest in development in the region throughout the year,” Mr Ellery said.
“In particular we have certainly seen an increase in interest for commercial development and retirement villages.
“Most statistics are comparable to 2021 although we did see a 35 per cent increase in pre-lodgement meetings.”
Mr Ellery said land availability in the region remained strong with 317 residential lots approved by Council and ready for development and 588 new dwellings receiving building approval in 2022.
Key 2022 development stats:
- Pre-lodgement meetings held – 136
- Customer requests actioned – 3650
- Development applications decided (all types) – 726
- Plans of survey endorsed for registration – 90
Among the major 2022 Development Applications approved were:
- New Surf Life Saving Club, Moore Park Beach Day hospital, Bundaberg West
- Tourist park, 84 van site and 42 cabins, Childers
- Extension to Sydney Tools, Johanna Blvd Kensington
- Stage 2 of the Brookfield estate, Ashfield
- Coral Cove Retirement Village (514 units), Coral Cove
- Kensington Gardens Lifestyle village, 244 units, Bundaberg North
- Rum City Vintage Machinery Club Museum – Mullett Creek
- Gymfinity indoor sport and recreation use –Bundaberg East
- Buxton Bush Camp nature-based tourism, Buxton
- 40 dwelling relocatable home park, Millbank
- Turf Burners mower racing facility, Bullyard
- Reece Plumbing Centre, Kensington
- Stage 2 of the Kinkuna Waters estate, Woodgate
- Redevelopment of the Turtle Sands Tourist Park, Mon Repos
- 33 unit motel, Millbank
- Steel house frame manufacturing plant, McHugh Steel, Kensington
- Winery and distillery, Moore Park Beach
- Millbank Residences, 26 multiple dwellings and café, redevelopment of former Wests club house, Avoca
- Community Access Care training facility, Bundaberg East
- Lighthouse Hotel outdoor event venue, Burnett Heads
- Bridges community centre, redevelopment of former fire station, Bundaberg Central
- Stages 4-9 of the Abbington Heights Estate, North Isis
- Transport depot and warehouse (Lindsay Australia), Kensington
- Macadamia nut processing plant, Calavos
- Health care centre – Bundaberg West
- Shopping centres at:
- Kensington,
- Kalkie
- Bargara
- New fast-food stores:
- Red Rooster, Bundaberg East
- Oporto, Bundaberg West
- New service stations at :
- Bundaberg East
- Bundaberg West
- Woodgate
- New childcare centres at:
- Walkervale
- Ashfield
- Bundaberg South
This is a disaster we are already well above the average amount of retirees & older people who will find it difficult to live in the region this will increase already obvious problems with inadequate aged care, GP services, transport & disability support. We are not setup for the elderly we need to fix this… Then on top of that you are letting them develop the retirement villages away from the hospitals & GPs this is endangering lives. You want to build a retirement village the best spot is near the new Hospital there is space in Kensington. We can then rework public transport to accommodate it.
What this town is perfectly setup for is young families with a huge average amount of schools, day care & kinda-gardens. We are then also not setup for when the kids get to high school age with massively over capacity high schools. New high schools would also be of use.