Buyer of old Rockhampton Bunnings site revealed as supermarket giant Coles

A Sydney-based company bought the site in 2018 for $9.9 million. Now, three years down the track, The Morning Bulletin can exclusively reveal what the potential plans for the site are.

Rockhampton's former Bunnings site sold in 2018 for almost $10 million.

It has laid vacant for more than three years and has become Rockhampton’s most debated piece of property in regards to what should fill it.

From an ice skating rink to Costco and more recently, Ikea, everyone has a preference for what should fill the huge space.

The former Bunnings building on Yaamba Road has been empty since March 2018 when the hardware giant moved up the road to the former Masters complex.

The building was sold to a Sydney-based company in 2018 for $9.9 million.

The Morning Bulletin can finally reveal this week, this company is in fact owned by supermarket giant, Coles.

Coles advised it was not able to announce anything at this stage as it was still very early on in the planning process.

But The Morning Bulletin understands Coles intends to open a supermarket there.

It is also possible the existing building could be demolished to make way for an entirely new shopping complex.

A report included in the Rockhampton Regional Council meeting agenda in July cited “a proposal has been forward for the use of the former Bunnings site in the Yaamba Road specialised centre”.

From a planning perspective, a new full line supermarket is needed to meet the future needs of the northern catchment as it continues to grow.

Photos from the real estate listing of inside the building.

It would be the third Coles for the city, with one in the Rockhampton CBD at City Centre Plaza and another at Stockland Rockhampton.

Coles has investigated opening another store in the city for quite some time, as it is outnumbered by Woolworths across the region.

Woolworths has five stores with Parkhurst, Stockland, Northside Plaza, Allenstown and Gracemere.

There were plans proposed in 2014 for a Coles supermarket, bakery, restaurant and newsagency on the former WIN Television site on Dean Street in North Rockhampton.

This development however never got off the ground following extensive neighbourhood concerns and complaints.

The large block of land went up for sale officially earlier this year.

There was also a rumour this week Swedish furniture company Ikea would open at the former Bunnings site, but that was swiftly debunked.

The words “Ikea Rockhampton (coming soon)” were written on a listing for the site on Google Maps.

Ikea Australia advised this was not the case and the listing has since been taken down.

A 24/7 drive-thru fast-food outlet was approved earlier this year to be built on the southwestern corner of the Bunnings site -

The tenant has not been revealed at this stage.