First glimpse at new Southside housing estate with health clinic, gym

Gympie’s growth corridor is on the verge of living up to its name with new plans unveiled for a new mega-estate boasting more than 300 lots and a commercial hub.

A new housing estate state proposed at the Southside, called Bellagrove, would become home to more than 800 residents should it secure Gympie council approval.

The long mooted Southside growth corridor is about to live up to its name with plans unveiled for a new residential estate complete with its own commercial centre.

Developer DRP Southside has lodged plans with Gympie Regional Council to begin opening up its 308-lot Bellagrove Estate, planned to be built on 42ha between Groundwater and Lawson Road.

The company bought the land for $4m in August 2021.

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Its application to open the first stage of the estate will transform 12ha of the land at Groundwater Rd into a miniature precinct including 15 new residential homes and four commercial buildings.

The business precinct is proposed to include a medical centre and pharmacy, veterinarian, offices, a gym, a childcare centre and shops including a cafe or restaurant.

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The first stage of the Bellagrove Estate includes 15 houses and four commercial buildings, which are intended to include a health clinic, gym and cafe or restaurant.

The commercial developments would create up to 85 new full-and-part-time jobs, the application says.

Twelve of the 15 new housing lots are less than 500m sq which the development application reports notes is smaller than the minimum lot size in the region’s scheme.

The commercial development is one part of the wider development on 42ha between Groundwater Rd and Lawsons Rd, which will open up more than 300 new blocks of land if approved.

DRP’s application says once finished, Bellagrove would add 370 new homes to the Southside and become home to 850 residents.

Applications have been lodged for two more stages of the estate; if approved these would open up another 61 blocks of land.

The estate is to be built directly south of the new Aspect Estate now under construction.

The commercial centre will create up to 85 new full-and-part-time jobs, the development application says.

The two developments combined would add another 500 homes to the Southside, boosting the Southside’s population by almost 1500.

It is the second application for a new commercial centre on the outskirts of Gympie city, following on the heels of plans to open a shopping strip opposite Victory College.

This development, the Araluen Village Market, A supermarket, bottle shop, two specialty shops, a service station, a gym and a medical centre.