$1 BILLION INDUSTRY AND BUSINESS PARK

BRISBANE City Council has granted approval for a $1 billion industry and business park on the former Sananada Army Barracks site at Wacol.

The development is expected to create hundreds of jobs in the construction phase and support up to 10,000 workers once complete.

The 93-hectare project, Metroplex at Westage, will be developed by a company linked to Pradella and is expected to accommodate 350,000 residents by 2026.

Construction of the first stage will start in 2012, with the first lots to be made available for lease and purchase in 2013. The entire project will be developed in stages over the next 10 years.

Pradella representative Peter Macgregor says the Westgate development, which comprises 250,000sqm of industry floor space and a 6000sq m retail and business precinct will be improved with green credentials and additional services and facilities.

“We identified the development potential of the Sananada Barracks site years before it was made available for sale in 2005 by the Federal Government – it is the largest single holding in the region and there’s a workforce catchment of about 900,000 within a 20 minute drive,” he says.

“The site is well positioned just 15 kilometres from the Brisbane CBD and 20 kilometres from Ipswich, with the Centenary Highway, Ipswich Motorway, Progress Road and two train stations at its doorstep.

“Prospective tenants will be able to choose from a total of 51 lots when the development is completed ranging in size from 500 square metres to five hectares, which can be purchased or leased for light industry work and office space, so there’s scope to accommodate a whole range of businesses at Metroplex at Westgate.”

Macgregor says another major drawcard for the development will be an onsite retail and leisure hub, which will promote work-life balance.

“At the centre of the development will be the Etro precinct, which will boast an array of shops, restaurants and facilities such as childcare, fitness clubs, a medical centre and pharmacy and a civic square for gatherings and performances,” he says.

“Having direct access to a range of services and amenities will not only make it easier to conduct business, but will also help employers to attract and retain quality employees.”

Pradella will also invest resources to improve infrastructure and the environment in the surrounding region with more than five kilometres of new road networks constructed to service Metroplex at Westgate, along with 22ha of parklands and open spaces.

“Part of our development program will be the construction of the ‘missing link’ between Progress Road and Kelliher Road, as well as internal routes, which will connect Metroplex to Boundary Road,
which will eventually be widened to four lanes,” says Macgregor.

“Additional links to public transport will be provided, including a bus service to Wacol and Richlands train stations and a cycle network, which will connect to the Centenary Highway and through to the CBD.

“We are dedicated to ensuring Metroplex at Westgate becomes a leader in sustainable commercial development, and to this end, there will be a series of parks and up to 15 hectares of environmental protection areas to preserve native species.”

Macgregor says the buildings will be designed to achieve a high energy efficiency rating and a large scale water reclamation system will be employed to reduce water consumption by up to 70 per cent.

“The heritage of the site will also be remembered through a dedicated serviceman’s memorial created in conjunction with the National Serviceman’s Association,” he says.