Last week’s major news was the federal government’s approval of Stockland’s Caloundra South, subject to numerous conditions and on the expectation that 12,000 homesites will be delivered.
State government and Sunshine Coast Council approval are still required. Some will welcome the decision, some will be indifferent and some will be outraged. The issue was prominent in the last council election. When you listened to Stockland, it sounded like a good idea. When you listened to those opposed, it was less convincing.
Here is my take. We have a habit of bashing developers with little regard for what they put back into the community. Stockland has taken out but also put a lot back into our community. It does things properly and, if the passage is protected by sensible conditions, the development will be good news for the Coast.
Of course, my opinion may be flawed if you consider what my real estate history was like before I met Old Mate, who brought some intelligence to the party.
As a young man working at the airport, I used to drive past blocks of land for sale at Pacific Paradise. Sale signs advertised one block for $3000 or two for $5000, but my thought process concerned sandflies and the fact I would rather buy a new car.
Then, there was a duplex deal with my mate the builder near Maroochydore High School that was going to cost me $10,000 to get into. Again, I bought a car – well, part of a car: the rest was owed to Ford Credit at some incredibly high interest rate. Genius.
My father was probably to blame as, back in the ’60s, he was offered a land deal with the late great Arthur Parkyn at Kawana for 500 pounds. But he knocked it back with comments such as “swamp and sandflies”.
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We also sold a 20ha pineapple farm as a going concern for $14,000, and a house at Picnic Point (fully furnished) for $5000 in the early ’70s. So, my pedigree is pretty good.
But to be fair to dad, his decision was out of necessity as, at about the same time, someone asked him why we didn’t buy a new tractor. His reply: “We ate it”. He was always a good provider – versus me, who just likes shiny objects, not bricks-and-mortar.
Caloundra South, controlled properly, will be great for the Coast. Just be prepared for the outrage.
Ashley Robinson is Mets Caloundra CEO, chairman of Thunder Netball and a lifetime Sunshine Coast resident.
