This article is from the Australian Property Journal archive
LIVING Gems has lodged a development application for a new 292-home lifestyle community in Townsville’s west, which could become one of the city’s first land lease developments since the 1970s.
The proposed $210 million project is earmarked for a site at 99 Hogarth Drive, in Bohle Plains, within the Maidment Group’s Harris Crossing master-planned community.
Family-owned Living Gems, one of Queensland’s longest-established over-50s developers, acquired the 13.6-hectare site from Maidment Group this year, and plans to begin construction in 2025 pending Council approval.
The community would be delivered in multiple stages.
“It’s been about 50 years since Townsville downsizers had the option of a new land lease community, yet there’s significant and growing demand Australia-wide for this style of living as our population ages and people look for homes where they can age in place,” said Living Gems director and CEO Adrian Puljich.
“We’re confident the proposed community would be met by high demand. Meeting the existing shortfall of downsizer housing also has the flow on benefit of opening more family housing for younger buyers, alleviating housing pressures in an undersupplied market.”
The plans include two-bedroom and two-bedroom plus multi-purpose room homes in four designs. Resort-style Summer House and Club House together feature two pools, a bowling alley, gym, undercover lawn bowls, golf simulator, yoga space, workshop, alfresco dining and barbeques.
Other facilities will include a dog run, tennis court, pickleball court and RV parking.
“The elegant amenities are second-to-none and designed so there is something for everyone, providing opportunities for people to come together in the community to engage and socialise to maintain a healthy lifestyle, which is so important for our over 50s,” Puljich said.
Puljich said the proposed community provided a flexible alternative for downsizers
Purchasers own their home and rent the land underneath it, with weekly site fees covering security, amenities, gardens, communal areas and management.
The growing number of downsizing boomers and a housing crunch continue to drive investment into Australia’s burgeoning land lease community. ASX-listed developer Stockland and its Thai investment partner Supalai have recently spent $1.06 billion acquiring a portfolio of 12 land lease communities from Lendlease, while a land lease developer last month swooped on a 28-hectare Heritage Park site in south-east Queensland in a $30 million deal.
In October, Puljich launched the first over-50s community in his $500 million Aliria portfolio, which will be spread across a 2.5-hectare site in Rockhampton.
Puljich said the location of the Living Gems Townsille community, on flood-free land in the city’s growing western corridor, was prime for an over-50s community.
“This area has become popular with young families moving to new master-planned communities, and many grandparents want the opportunity to live close by. It will add to the diversity and vibrancy of this growing neighbourhood,” he said.
Living Gems has delivered more than 2,000 land lease homes across Queensland since being established in 1982 by Puljich’s father, Peter Puljich.
Public notification for the proposed development is now underway and will run until early January.
