SOUTHEAST Queensland’s newest university precinct and surrounding communities will be fast-tracked for development, after the State Government declared it a priority development zone.
Deputy Premier Jackie Trad and Moreton Bay Regional Council Mayor Allan Sutherland today announced plans for the area to become “a world-class innovation and knowledge precinct supporting more than 6,000 jobs”.
“Over the next 20 years, this prime piece of land will be transformed into a vibrant urban community, with Petrie town centre and the new University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) campus at its core,” Ms Trad said.
The Priority Development Area (PDA) will be called “The Mill at Moreton Bay”, to pay homage to the site’s historic roots.
“By granting The Mill PDA status, we will partner with Council to accelerate the development of the whole site, ensuring the university campus will be open to students by semester one 2020.
“The Mill will be an engine room of economic activity, generating $950 million for the Queensland economy and supporting more than 6,000 jobs by 2036 in fields such as education, technology, health and research.
Moreton Bay Regional Council Mayor Allan Sutherland said the declaration of the PDA was good news for the area.
“Until now, this site was our platform for a university campus. Now, it’s so much more,” Cr Sutherland said.
“PDA status will unlock the full potential of the university’s surrounding land to create a vibrant community hub where people can live, work and play around education.
KEY FEATURES OF ‘THE MILL AT MORETON BAY’ PDA:
■ 460 hectares, including 94 hectares of conservation land and 16 hectares of lakes, spanning Petrie, Kallangur and Lawnton
■ New University of the Sunshine Coast Petrie campus at the core of a revitalised Petrie town centre, providing local tertiary opportunities for more than 400,000 residents in an area which currently has no university
■ The university will potentially generate $950 million for the Queensland economy
■ 100 direct jobs per year through university construction and more than 6,000 ongoing jobs by 2036 generated by the PDA
■ New retail and commercial spaces, residential development, sporting facilities, shared pedestrian and cycle pathways, entertainment and dining areas and parklands
■ Encompassing Petrie and Kallangur train stations, promoting transit oriented development and public transport use
■ A development scheme for the site will be drawn up within the next 12 months
■ An Interim Land Use Plan will be in place until the development scheme is finalised.
Original article published at www.couriermail.com.au by Pine Rivers Press 02/9/16