The agency of UnitingCare Queensland was given approval in 2010 to build a total of 320 dwelling units, including 202 independent living units, 48 serviced apartments and 70 aged care beds on a site in Kawana, a suburb of Rockhampton, in central Queensland.
Now the Not For Profit, which posted a "total comprehensive loss" of about $54 million in 2023 and said last month it was laying off around 350 workers, has received a two-year extension to the long-existing approval.
BlueCare told Sunshine Coast News that they were yet to affirm their vision for the land, which is 6.36ha in size, despite the above plan being approved back in 2010.
Documents filed by the developer’s consultant, requesting an extension, shed more light on the lack of development, even though demand for retirement living nationally is strong.
“The development approval has not yet been acted upon, due to the lack of a driving force in the market for the approved land use,” they stated.
“This is further burdened by the increased build costs and construction timeframes evident in the industry, a circumstance which is worsened by rising interest rates and increasing inflation in recent years.
“It is also intended to await the outcome of the new Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme 2014, which will be released as a draft early next year, to ensure that the approved development aligns with council’s strategic intent for the area."
