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The red dirt and winding tracks as you enter the Gracemere Industry Park site may not look too flash.
But the vision for this massive project west of Rockhampton is stunning.
Mayor Margaret Strelow opened the park yesterday with an official sod turning ceremony as Matthew Gibb, director of Gibb Group which owns and is developing the park, beamed with pride as he talked of the culmination of two years of hard work, serious investment and a bright future.
“despite some of the reported uncertainty over the last 12 months, we remain extremely excited and buoyant regarding the number of projects under way, or planned, over the next decade in Central Queensland,” he said.
“This has only helped to underpin our views on our initial and ongoing investment into the region.”
Mr Gibb announced that Charter Hall had purchased the Toll NQX section of the property for $12.5 million. Three other lots had been pre-sold: two to Schwarz Excavations and another to Ian Robinson of CQ Quarries.
Mr Robinson said CQ Quarries saw the industrial park as a great opportunity to expand its business, now based in Moura. “We’re just very excited about this whole thing,” he said. “It’s a great step forward for our little company.
“We are putting development approvals into council as we speak and we’re hoping to run a concrete batching plant. even without that we are looking at it as a base for our organisation.”
Among the guests, investors and business holders were former owners of the property, Ed and Lorraine Roser, who had lived there for 25 years.
Another 28 allotments remain to be sold.
Mr Gibb said there was serious buying interest, especially in the lot fronting Somerset Rd.
“It demonstrates to us that there is significant lent demand for good quality industrial land in Rockhampton,” he said.
“It underpins our initial research and due diligence into the market.” Mr Gibb said the initial infrastructure would service the first 10 allotments – about two-thirds of the estate.
Morning Bulletin – 26 October 2013
