NEW DEVELOPMENT: 10 major projects Warwick is watching

Commercial developments, school renovations, ag projects, and more! These are the plans shaking up the Rose City.

WELCOME: Here are the developments changing the face of Warwick in 2021. Picture: file

WARWICK is quickly emerging as one of the development hubs of the Southern Downs, with a huge number of new projects soon to get under way.

From commercial start-ups and to school and sporting club upgrades, Rose City residents can expect a development boom in 2021.

Here are the top 10 projects you need to keep an eye out for:

It’s likely two new service stations will join Warwick next year.

MOBIL SERVICE STATION

Southern Downs Regional Council gave the green light for a Mobil service station to be developed on the St Mary’s Hall tennis courts earlier this year.

The 3151 sqm site on the corner of main roads Guy St and Wood St will see the servo fitted out to accommodate more than a dozen cars and several trucks.

The approval will mean the two tennis courts, squash court, and four smaller buildings next to the heritage-listed site will be demolished.

Developers are yet to confirm when construction will begin.

ANOTHER SERVO COMING TO TOWN

Warwick is set to welcome more than one new service station to its ranks in the coming months, with another development approved in September.

The initial plans propose a petrol station, coffee shop, and workshop for the vacant 9 Alexandra Dr spot, with a 550 sqm showroom and additional workshop to be completed in a second phase.

The site between Jackie Howe Park and the Rose City Motel has been empty since the demolition of the previous service station.

WARWICK VELODROME UPGRADES

The popular sports facility is in line for upgrades worth more than $200,000, which would see the track resealed and lighting system overhauled.

Southern Downs councillors voted unanimously in favour of the project, with several advocating for the renovated space to be extended to Warwick’s rollerskating community.

The project must be approved by the Department of Infrastructure before funding is finalised and works could begin.

A timeline has not yet been given.

WARWICK SCHOOL UPGRADES

Warwick Christian College has been given approval to begin major works on its campus, turning its unused boarding dormitory into six new classrooms.

The development application stated the three-storey building will replace existing demountable buildings.

It is not known at this stage how much construction will cost or when it will begin.

NEW HALL FOR WARWICK HIGH

Warwick High will also undergo renovations next year, taking advantage of the Palascszuk government’s election promise to deliver $5.8 million in upgrades.

The projects will see a new multipurpose hall built, along with upgrades to existing amenities.

This project is slated to bring up to 19 new local jobs while in construction.

Plans for expansion of Haidley’s site.

HAIDLEY’S DEVELOPMENT

The Warwick transportation company’s application to expand their current depot to include more vehicles and a private museum was approved by SDRC earlier this year.

The final decision was the topic of much debate among both neighbouring residents and Southern Downs councillors, with many citing concerns over the noise and extra traffic generated by the expansion.

The approval was contingent upon several conditions, including mitigating any disturbance to neighbours, though no timeline has been given for the project at this stage.

ROSE CITY FM RELOCATION

Plans for the local broadcaster’s long-awaited relocation have been finalised, with the not-for-profit to find its new home at Victoria Park on Wallace St.

The move will free up their current site of 26 years in the old Rosenthal Shire Council building on Willi St.

An SDRC spokeswoman told the Daily News the project is worth an estimated $250,000, though awaiting extra funding and a deviation from original plans will see the timeline pushed back several months to June 2021.

NEW VINTAGE B&B

This Southern Downs bed and breakfast is hoping its 1930s timber worker’s cottage and picturesque views of the region will draw visitors to their new establishment.

“Dot Cottage” at 30 Haigs Rd, Allora will host up to four guests in its two-bedroom, two-bathroom self-contained space, with upcoming renovations to turn the cottage’s front sunroom into an open veranda.

The B&B will share the property with owners Roy Nott and Roslyn Hibberd’s Queenslander home, which they said served as inspiration to “share our views, our peaceful existence, and our beautiful garden with others.”

Picture: Lindsay Moller

KMART COMES TO WARWICK

Rose City residents can expect to welcome the major retailer to town within months, as Kmart reveals an estimated opening date in early February.

A Kmart spokeswoman told the Daily News works would begin to convert the current Target Country space on January 18, with the store to then open within the following few weeks.

Works on the Stanthorpe outlet will then begin in February, with a store opening at the end of the month.

It is unknown how many new jobs will be created within Warwick, with more positions to be advertised in the new year.

NEW UNIT BLOCK

A new two-storey unit complex was approved by the council last month, though its development will not go uncontested by neighbouring residents.

Developers CivTech will build the complex on a vacant 1930 sqm lot at 15 St George St, which will hold four three-bedroom units averaging 297 sqm in size.

Five residents submitted complaints to SDRC citing privacy and noise concerns, though the application was still voted through without opposition.

CivTech has not yet given a timeline for the development.

NEW INDUSTRIAL FACILITY

Farmland just outside of Warwick could be transformed into a new composting facility, enabling up to 50,000 tonnes of feedstock to be processed within its first year.

The new plans for the Leyburn site were lodged by Duggan and Hede Pty Ltd on behalf of waste management company WestRex.

The application stated the facility would increase production of cattle feed, along with soil quality and fertility, providing a boost to the drought-stricken area.

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