This article is from the Australian Property Journal archive
SENIOR living developer GemLife is launching its second Toowoomba community with the $250 million GemLife Highfields Heights, following more than $172 million in sales at its first entrant in the city.
GemLife Highfields Heights will comprise 366 over-50s living residences on a 23-hectare site with 3.5-hectares of bushland conservation area, a barnhouse-inspired $12.5 million Country Club with a pool, ten-pin bowling, gym, cinema, cafe, arts studio, lawn bowls and virtual golf.
“Highfields offers a beautiful and tranquil semi-rural environment, with all the city conveniences and services of the Toowoomba town centre just 10 minutes away, giving residents the best of both worlds,” said Adrian Puljich, CEO and director at GemLife.
“The proximity to Brisbane – just 90 minutes away – along with Ipswich, and the Gold and Sunshine Coasts make it a popular choice for downsizers looking for the treechange lifestyle, whether already living in Toowoomba or coming from further afield.”
GemLife Highfields Heights will also include a Summer House, with additional recreation facilities for residents including an outdoor pool, a deck with sunlounges, barbecue facilities and alfresco dining, a lounge and recreation room and a pickleball court.
“Our central resident facility, a 3,684sqm Country Club, will carry on this aesthetic, with a beautiful barnhouse design and central garden, complemented by an alfresco area for get- togethers and barbecues, or a game of tennis or pickleball nearby,” said Puljich.
“We understand how important it is for our over 50s to stay active and connected, and we’ve worked hard to ensure there’s something here for everyone.”
The Woolmer Road site will be delivered across 13 stages, with civil works already underway and the first house frames to be erected in early 2025 and first residents to move in from mid-2025.
Just launched to the market, the first stage will be priced from $705,000 and include 23 7-star energy rated Australian farmhouse inspired dwellings, each with two bedrooms and a multipurpose.
The first launch will deliver five single level home designs, with 185sqm to 208sqm of open plan living space, kitchens with walk-in pantries and alfresco areas.
The developers have already fielded 75 expressions of interest, reflecting the high demand from downsizers across Toowoomba and its surrounds.
The previous Toowoomba community, GemLife Highfields, has pulled in more than $172 million in sales across 316 homes since its release in late 2027.
“With all current stages of GemLife Highfields sold out, we’re bringing forward GemLife Highfields Heights to meet the significant demand from over-50s seeking a quality home in a community where they can stay active, healthy and social,” said Puljich.
2024 has seen a significant increase in interest in lend lease communities, with the Lowy family-backed Assembly Funds Management announced recently announcing it would move into the sector, starting with two sites in Victoria.
While Stockland is reweighting its portfolio in part towards land lease communities, and rival Mirvac has made a play into the sector, while in June, Gaw Capital Partners and GreenFort Capital formed a joint venture to acquire and develop an $800 million pipeline of land lease projects.
