$15m development altered for growing Kirkwood population

PLANS for a $15-million shopping centre have been expanded to meet the needs of the growing Kirkwood population.

Plans have been lodged with Gladstone Regional Council to add a service station and increase the shopping centre size at the proposed The Summit. Picture: Tegan Annett

PLANS for a $15-million shopping centre have been expanded to meet the needs of the growing Kirkwood population.

Developer Capita Group has submitted a development application to include a service station and increase the size of a neighbourhood centre it hopes to build as part of a new estate, The Summit.

The development is expected to be finished in 7-10 years and its master plan includes 425 residential lots, a health precinct, car wash, childcare precinct and aged-care facility.

The shopping centre, which features a retail precinct, outdoor dining areas, indoor sport, food outlets and potentially a service station, will be built in four stages.

Last week the company applied for development approval from the Gladstone Regional Council for the additions to the shopping centre, which would be located opposite Vantage Estate.

Capita Group director Brian Boyd said the service station was added to the project after the developer was approached by a national fuel group interested in the new estate.

If approved it would be the fifth service station within 10 minutes drive.

Mr Boyd said the fuel company was interested because it saw the potential with Kirkwood's population consistently growing.

In the development application, the group said Kirkwood's population was forecast to grow from 5745 in 2016 to 7229 in 2021 and 8838 in 2026.

Traffic on Kirkwood Rd is estimated to increase by more than 35 per cent from 2016-2026.

"As part of (the company's) forward planning they have recommended to put a service station in," Mr Boyd said.

"They said based on their numbers it would provide greater conveniences and additional choice for service stations within that area."

The commercial precinct would be built in the first stage of development and the residential precinct would be built 6-10 blocks at a time.

"Council has been very supportive of this, allowing us to sub-stage the project," Mr Boyd said.

"If the market dictates there's increase housing demand, we can bring on more blocks.

"In the last boom the council was caught out because there weren't enough approved subdivisions and that pushed the inflation up of existing properties.

"Now we have a master plan that allows us to roll out residential blocks so there won't be a saturation of the market."

Capita Group's original plans for the commercial precinct were approved by council in July.

It also gained approval for a road from Kirkwood Rd, which would link up to the commercial centre.

Mr Boyd hopes to begin building the road and sewerage infrastructure mid-2019.

The development is expected to take up to 10 years to complete.