A development application has been lodged for the first of two revamped service stations at the well-known Moby Vic’s fuel stops on the Bruce Highway.
If approved by Sunshine Coast Council, it would be the first stage of a multimillion-dollar transformation of the servos that have been refuelling drivers for more than 30 years.
A new 24/7 servo would be built first on the eastern side of the highway at northbound exit 171, Glass House Mountains, and open in 2024.
The new “state-of-the-art” stop will include a petrol station with eight double-sided fuel pumps and three truck fuel pumps.
The fuel stop, which is the only one between Caloundra and the BP at Caboolture, will also offer a choice of eats for hungry travellers, with three food tenancies.
The eateries will have double-lane drive throughs and one of them will include an outdoor dining area.
The stopover will have 103 car parking spaces, 16 car refuelling positions (with space for 16 more queuing vehicles), seven truck parking spaces, three truck refuelling positions, two caravan parking spaces and 38 drive through queue positions.
The development application states that some road infrastructure will have to undergo some changes.
The existing left-in entry only from the Bruce Highway off-ramp (northbound exit 171) will remain.
A new entry/exit is proposed on Johnston Road near the north-western corner of the lot.
Other existing entry/exits to the site will be closed.
A development application seeking a Material Change of Use was lodged with Sunshine Coast Council this week with proposal plans prepared by Verve Building Design.
As Sunshine Coast News reported in June, the Moby Vic’s servos were founded by local identity Vic Walker in late 1987.
The late Mr Walker — the “Vic” in Moby Vic’s — was a highly successful local businessman who opened Queensland’s first 24-hour service station in 1978 on the old Bruce Highway at Tanawha.
In 1987, he won the tender to build the highway fuel stop on the new four-lane Bruce Highway and relocated to the current site on Johnston Road.
The service stations were Moby Vic’s for decades before they were leased to Mobil in 2000, which later rebranded under Shell.
Both currently are Shell Coles Express service stations with Hungry Jacks northbound and McDonald’s southbound, but are still known to locals by their original Moby Vic’s name.
The sites were purchased from the Walker family in March for $25 million and will be transformed in a joint venture between Dexus Convenience Retail REIT (DXC) and developer De Luca Corporation.
In June the companies announced their “exciting” plans to almost triple the value of the two centres to $60 million with a multimillion-dollar upgrade.
