Inside the bold plan to turn failing Gold Coast cane fields into a new city
As smoke stops rising from their sugar mill's chimneys, Gold Coast cane farmers face a stark choice: watch their community die or build something new from the ashes.
Northern Gold Coast farmer Peter Kaddatz knows the cane industry will close but he wants to save his community from dying with it.
Gathered with fellow farmers in the community’s Lutheran Church community hall, he says: “There’s the mill’s chimneys. No smoke coming out. I’m looking at that every week.”
Farmers are frustrated but they concede the Rocky Point Sugar Mill is doing it tough as well, not getting enough “critical mass” of crop to make solid profits.
These canefarmers are as thick and close together as their cane crop, on properties on rural back roads east of the Pacific Motorway at Norwell.
Mr Kaddatz along with Canegrowers Association chair Greg Zipf have witnessed first hand what has happened with the sugar cane industry in much larger areas.
Mr Kaddatz visited Mossman canegrowers four years ago when their industry collapsed.
“All of those mills produce a lot more than we do. They are destitute really. They have no transition, no future,” he said.
Norwell Valley canegrowers formed as association two decades ago, and watched “pie in the sky” projects like an airport and “Disneyland” quickly disappear after media splashes.
They are convinced they have landed on will be a final solid transition from farming.
Mr Kaddatz said he was celebrating after the council backed area councillor Mark Hammel by supporting the fast tracking, with the state government, of a master plan to create a residential and commercial super suburb.
“We are third and fourth generation farmers. We have a vested interest in this area, not to see it go to rack and ruin, to become a dump site, or a (total) green zone,” he said.
Norwell Canegrowers Alliance representative and Rocky Point Canegrowers director Tony Huth said the choice was to be “proactive rather than reactive”.
“We’ve seen cane farmers have to walk off their lands in other parts of Queensland, and we
were determined to find a solution so we could have an orderly and sustainable transition
away from farming,” he said.
“By combining our lands, we now have the scale to create something special in the area
rather than see the land sold off piecemeal and lose what is a truly a once in a generation
opportunity.”
Mr Zipf, who has been a key player in dealing with all stakeholders, did not want his community to suffer like Nambour on the Sunshine Coast when the cane industry stopped overnight more than two decades ago.
“The growers (there) didn’t have a voice. To see it collapse, it became a wasteland,” he said.
He said northern Gold Coast farmers realised then the importance of building a group which could meet with councillors, MPs and developers.
“Our valley grows 4200 hectares of cane producing 340,000 tonnes annually, which is by far
the smallest production area in Queensland, and we haven’t even cut a full crop for over a
decade,” Mr Zipf said.
“With the season almost over we have milled just 171,000 tonnes and to break even we
need a yield of 300,000 tonnes.”
The farmers approached Colliers International in 2020 which led to a tender process.
Rocky Point Sugar Mill owner David Heck has told developers: “There’s been quite a lot of projects comes across the desk. And it’s only now that I think the timing is right. This area might only get one more chance at this”.
“If it’s planned, if it’s done correctly, it can come out the other side with a fantastic outcome with the project.”
Colliers Residential director Brendan Hogan said the Norwell Valley project would be transformational for the coast.
“There are only two greenfield projects in the Gold Coast LGA which could produce more
than 1000 detached dwellings – showing the desperate nature of the housing shortage
across the region,” he said.
“With the Gold Coast population to grow to more than a million people in the next 15 years
Norwell is the key to providing the sustainable housing supply that will take pressure off the
Gold Coast coastal corridor.
“Norwell will also ensure the housing we need is close to major transport hubs and next to
big job generators like the Yatala industrial area.”
HOW THE NORWELL VALLEY DEAL TOOK OFF
• July 2020, after farmers approach Colliers International issue expressions of interest.
• March 2021, preferred tender to Cane Growers Organisation with the Leamac Property Group selected as development partner.
• April 2021, technical studies start, costing “millions of dollars”.
• April 2023, the mill signs off on an agreement.
• April 2024, detailed technical studies commenced.
• October 2024, development management agreement given for project, stakeholder engagement meetings start with Gold Coast City Council.
• November 2025, council makes formal resolution to continue more work, and write to the state government to form working party to fast track future planning.
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