Statement: Southport declared a Priority Development Area

[ozbob]

Deputy Premier, Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning
The Honourable Jeff Seeney

Southport declared a Priority Development Area

The Newman Government has declared the Southport CBD a Priority Development Area (PDA) and will hand responsibility for development assessment within the PDA to Gold Coast City Council.

The PDA will cover 195 hectares of land including the CBD, the Broadwater Parklands and some residential areas and allows for a streamlined planning and development regime.

Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning Jeff Seeney said the Southport PDA was a prime area of the Gold Coast.

"This declaration puts the council in full control of what has always been the business heart of the coast and will enable council to promote new development and re-vitalise the area," he said.

"With some major development opportunities within the PDA, including the former Southport Hospital site, this decision provides more certainty for developers enabling construction to start sooner, creating new jobs."

Mr Seeney said Gold Coast City Council had sought declaration of the PDA and control of development assessment.

"As a government we believe in empowering local government and this is a clear example of just that," he said.

"Council has been working closely with Economic Development Queensland (EDQ) to identify this area, and I congratulate the council for its hard work to achieve the declaration.

"It is this sort of partnership with local government that the State Government values strongly because it means better economic development and community focused outcomes.

Member for Southport and Assistant Minister for Planning Reform Rob Molhoek said the declaration created the framework to leverage every opportunity that emerged as the Gold Coast looked to 2018 and the Commonwealth Games.

"It's important that Council and industry have the tools to progress worthwhile development projects in a timely manner, to take up the many opportunities that come from Southport's reinvigoration as the Gold Coast CBD and Centre for Business, Health and Knowledge," Mr Molhoek said.

"There is so much interest in Southport, much of it stemming from the Government's commitment to investments including the new Gold Coast University Hospitality, Gold Coast Aquatic Centre, Commonwealth Games Village, the Gold Coast Light Rail and the ever expanding Griffith University campus.

"This will be the "decade of Southport"; with all that's going on we have a wonderful opportunity to show the world just what we're made of and all that we have to offer.

"My commitment on being elected was to lead the charge for the reinvigoration of Southport as the CBD of the Gold Coast. We're well placed now to become Queensland's second business capital."

For more information visit – http://www.dsdip.qlde.gov.au/Southport-PDA

[ENDS] 4 October 2013

[ozbob]

Deputy Premier, Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning
The Honourable Jeff Seeney

Demolition plan for Southport Hospital

The Newman Government will demolish the Southport Hospital and sell the CBD land for development.

Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development Infrastructure and Planning Jeff Seeney today detailed the Government's plan for the key site and signalled the demolition process was expected to start next year.

Comprising approximately 3.5 hectares, the vacant hospital land will be a catalyst site for Southport and falls within the newly declared Southport Priority Development Area.

"That is why the Government has made the decision to sell a clean site to maximise the return to the state and most importantly to ensure that development can occur as rapidly as possible.

"It will give the private sector the opportunity to create an innovative development."

Mr Seeney said the Government was in the process of appointing a project manager to deal with the demolition and site preparation.

He said the appointment of a project manager was expected within weeks.

Member for Southport and Assistant Minister for Planning Reform Rob Molhoek said demolition details would be known once the project manager refined the scope for the work.

"Southport businesses and residents will be kept fully informed," Mr Molhoek said.

"While the bulk of the hospital operations have moved to the new hospital, the Blood Bank will remain at the Southport site until early November."

Mr Seeney said the government expected to have a marketing campaign underway next year.

"We will seek to provide maximum opportunities through the creation of a number of sites that can be individually purchased or combined in one single purchase. We will let the market decide," he said.

"The Government has sought market advice to ensure the disposal best suits market conditions.

"A clean site will offer the best opportunity for the marketplace and will get the best return for the state."

[ENDS] 4 October 2013                             

[SurfRail]

Good.

By all accounts the old hospital is full of asbestos and concrete cancer and simply blowing it up is the cheapest and easiest solution.

Nice big site ripe for a government department or a major office precinct.

[Set in train]

Nice big site ripe for a government department or a major office precinct.

Would have to be a govt dept as commercial leasing on the coast is at a high level, however it has eased back from the dizzying record highs.