Council to sell land on Waterson Way

A PRIME piece of land owned by Council in the heart of Airlie Beach has gone out to tender this week.

This is part of Whitsunday Regional Council’s ‘Building a Better Whitsunday’ campaign.

When Council’s budget was handed down last week, it was announced that this 2.13 hectare block next to the new Woolworths store on Waterson Way would be sold.

This is part of Council’s strategy to reduce its $73million debt.

This week, mayor Jennifer Whitney confirmed the land was now officially up for sale and would be marketed by international commercial property marketers Knight Frank and managed by McCulloch Robertson Lawyers.

She said a development lease was being offered for the property meaning the successful tenderer could start construction immediately.

“This also means the Whitsunday community will benefit from the jobs and economic growth associated with this development straight away,” she said.

Council’s chief executive officer Scott Waters said Council was very focused towards working with a successful tenderer “to have this site transformed in a way that benefits our community as soon as possible”.

“Council officers have worked extensively over the past six months in preparing the site for sale and I seek to give all tenderers confidence that this Council will continue to act constructively toward achieving a great development outcome for the site,” he said.

Managing Director of Knight Frank (North Queensland), Craig Stack, said the tender evaluation process would be weighted towards favouring applicants who could demonstrate their development proposal would increase employment, enhance economic diversity in the town centre and take into account connections with adjoining sites.

Cr Whitney said Council would not be involved in tender evaluations although the final decision would be made around the Council boardroom table and would have to be palatable to councillors and the community.

She gave no indication of the dollar value the site was expected to attract.

In addition to the land on Waterson Way, Council has identified 19 separate parcels of land including residential, commercial, industrial and multi-unit zoned lots throughout the Whitsunday local government area, which are also up for sale.