Exclusive: Council to approve new suburb for Gold Coast in biggest housing development in a decade

A new suburb bigger than Varsity Lakes is to be approved by council accommodating up to 10,000 residents. Here’s where it will be.

THE Gold Coast City Council is expected to approve a new suburb bigger than Varsity Lakes west of the Pacific Motorway.

Officers have recommended the Pacific View Estate (PVE) at Hinkler Drive, Worongary, be approved at Tuesday’s full council meeting. The project will accommodate up to 10,000 residents.

Aerial of the planned Pacific View Estate on the Gold Coast.

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A report to council reveals the $3.2 billion development, between Nerang and Mudgeeraba, covers 334 hectares and will occur across six stages in a “10 to 20-year time frame”.

A council source told the Bulletin: “It’s the single largest housing development for the city in the last 10 years in one hit. This development will make housing available at the moment when there is peak demand.

Plans for the Pacific View Estate on the Gold Coast.

“With the interstate arrivals, we will need to get homes on the ground in six months.”

The project has been delayed in the planning processes after a Western Australian-based consortium first bought the large parcel of land from reclusive millionaire Bob Anthes who died in 2004.

The applicant asked for the project to be “called in” and the Palaszczuk Government in March 2015 gave approval subject to more than 50 conditions.

Artist impression of Pacific View Estate at Worongary.

Plans in the council report reveal the development code for the estate seeks a maximum of 3500 dwellings, ranging from houses to apartment buildings up to eight storeys high.

A village centre with a mix of residential, commercial and retail space would have a floor area of 15,000sq m.

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“A continuous east-west corridor that provides an open space spine is centrally located through the site and an industrial precinct is located on the eastern side of the M1,” the report says.

A green corridor that splits the estate is to have a minimum width of 100m.

“Infrastructure works are required in the ecological corridor, however works have been designed to minimise disturbances,” the report says.

Frontage of the planned Pacific View Estate on the Gold Coast.

A lengthy retaining wall is planned to reduce impacts on the Highland Park residential properties backing on to the PVE site.

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Councillors are expected to approve the first of three stages, with minor changes to be made to roads from what is approved by the State Government.

Stage 1 is a village precinct anchored by a retail and education area, including a private school.

A view of part of the planned Pacific View Estate showing home sites near Highland Park properties.

The first stage will have 35 detached housing lots, ranging from 185sq m to 537sq m. Stage 2 has 77 lots and Stage 3 contains 46 properties averaging about 453sq m.

The Bulletin understands a display office will be built on the site by mid-next year, if the project is approved.

Area councillor Glenn Tozer told the Bulletin: “After more than a decade, Pacific View Estate looks ready to release land for sale — 331 home sites over 6 stages, plus an educational and commercial precinct, available to meet the demand of so many who want to live in our beautiful hinterland.

“I’m informed the application generally aligns with the state’s preliminary approval in 2014 and, frankly, the development cannot come soon enough for our local tradespeople, builders and food and beverage outlets seeking to build on recovery from this past COVID season. “This master-planned site is welcome and timely as our city continues to improve, economically and socially.”

Originally published as Exclusive: Council to approve new suburb for Gold Coast in biggest housing development in a decade