Council waives $1M infrastructure bill to allow land lease community expansion
Mackay ramps up as retirement living hotspot
- Council support: 50% infrastructure charge waiver for Solana expansion
- Growth pipeline: 97 new homes in next stages, 244 total planned
- Lifestyle focus: Resort-style clubhouse anchors the community
- Market momentum: Multiple major land lease projects in Mackay
Council backing is paving the way for further retirement living developments in Mackay, one of Queensland’s key hotspots.
On 22 April, Mackay Regional Council agreed to waive 50% of the infrastructure charges for Stockwell Development's Solana Northern Beaches, located in the Mackay suburb of Rural View, and its proposed Stage 2 and Stage 3 development.
Councillor Belinda Hassan said the concession was made possible under the Council’s Facilitating Development Policy, which aimed to support projects that addressed identified community needs.
She said the project also reflected growing pressure on aged care and retirement living, with hospital beds increasingly being used by patients waiting for appropriate long-term care placements.
Stages 2 and 3 will deliver 97 two- and three-bedroom homes, bringing the total to 244 when complete, with further stages still to be approved by Council.
The development is centred around a “Livewell Centre” clubhouse, planned to include indoor and outdoor pools, a gym, cinema, bowling green and tennis court, along with dining areas, a library and shared community spaces.
Stage one included the construction of 42 homes, communal recreation facilities, main entry, 39 visitor parking spaces and an RV and caravan parking.
In addition, Lincoln Place’s $200 million land lease development in Walkerston, 10km west of the Mackay CBD, has been approved, while GemLife has sought permission for 232 homes in Pointglen’s Shoal Point Waters master planned community on Mackay’s Northern Beaches.
