Gold Coast development: Health and Knowledge precinct branded a disappointment by critics
This Gold Coast development was meant to inject $1.4 billion into the economy and create 12,000 jobs. Now critics say it has failed to live up to the hype. It comes as a new $80m building is unveiled. SEE THE FULL REPORT.
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A GOLD Coast MP has blasted the State Government’s handling of the health and knowledge precinct, saying it has failed to live up to the rosy picture painted before the Commonwealth Games.
Bonney MP Sam O’Connor said little of the $1 billion in promised economic impact from the Southport precinct had eventuated in the three years since the Games closed, leaving it as a white elephant.
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Deputy Premier Steven Miles has defended the government’s handling of the precinct, insisting there are more deals in the pipeline.
But Mr O’Connor in a speech to parliament on Thursday evening, said the precinct had proved to be a disappointment.
“This week we’ve heard a lot about the Olympic Games and the benefit they will bring to Queensland and coincidentally it’s three years since the Commonwealth Games were held on the Gold Coast and my community is still waiting for the Government’s largest legacy project to be realised,” he said in a speech to parliament on Thursday night.
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“We still have not had construction start on a single project on any of the sites within the 9.5ha of state-owned land here. “We were promised 12,000 jobs would be created here. The economic boost to our state was meant to be $1.4 billion. We are nowhere close to that.
“Yes, we were told this would take “ten years” to develop but we are a third of the way into that. You would have expected some progress or at least a plan by now.”
The Palaszczuk government talked up the health and knowledge precinct in the lead-up to the 2018 Games as “the largest urban renewal project ever undertaken” on the Gold Coast.
Then-deputy premier Jackie Trad said in 2017 that international companies were lining up to secure space in the precinct and tipped it to inject more than $1 billion into the economy.
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Mr Miles said the government had secured significant investment for the precinct.
“Economic Development Queensland has finalised land sales to Griffith University for its Advanced Design and Prototyping Technologies (ADAPT) Institute, Evans Long for Proxima a children’s health and education centre of excellence, and one that remains commercial in confidence,” he said.
“These projects alone will create more than 500 construction jobs, over $200 million in private sector investment and bring more than 2000 additional people into the precinct.
There are 16 developable sites in the precinct, with seven already “earmarked for a range of health and knowledge uses.” The state government says Lumina, the state-controlled 9.5ha section of the precinct “will take 10 to 15 years to deliver and contribute an extra 12,000 jobs and an additional $1.4 billion to the state’s economy”.
Gold Coast City Council on Wednesday endorsed a new four-year funding deal for the precinct worth more than $1.15 million to support attracting new companies.
Mayor Tom Tate said supporting the precinct was critical to the city’s future.
“Health and knowledge is now the third tier of our economy, behind construction and tourism,” he said.
“I’m looking forward to working closer with the State Government to further strengthen this sector as we broaden our economy.”
FIRST LOOK AT NEW $80M HI-TECH TOWER
AN $80 million building planned for the heart of the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct has been revamped ahead of construction beginning.
Developer Evans Long has unveiled a new look for the Proxima building, which will be part of the state government’s Lumina development, 9.5-hectare zone within the Southport precinct “dedicated to growing the life sciences, health and technology-related businesses”.
Evans Long director Matt Evans said the design was altered after feedback from potential tenants.
“We have worked with (new design architect) Cottee Parker in the past and we have been impressed with their work on our town centre projects so the timing was right to appoint a new architectural firm and give the building a more practical design before a sod is turned later this year,” he said.
“Approximately 60 per cent of the building is pre-committed and we are currently finalising negotiations with several tenants.
“One confirmed tenant is Sanctuary Early Learning Adventure who will pioneer a new model for integrated care, drawing on the expertise of paediatric specialists at Proxima and at the nearby Gold Coast University and Gold Coast Private Hospitals, as well as students and researchers from Griffith University.”
Construction of the eight-storey building will begin between July and September and it is expected to be completed in late-2022.
It will have more than 11,500 sqm of leasable space.
Deputy Premier Steven Miles welcomed the new design and said the development would create around 900 highly skilled jobs when fully occupied.
“This is a great example of the Queensland government working with private enterprises to create jobs of the future in the health and knowledge sector,” Mr Miles said.
“The Health and Knowledge Precinct will transform the Gold Coast into a global business location for hi-tech development and research collaboration.”
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