$300m over-50s housing plan at Port Hughes approved by Copper Coast Council
An ambitious land development at Port Hughes – centred on a Greg Norman-designed golf course – stalled in 2012. Now there’s a new $300m plan to take its place.
Plans for a $300m over-50s resort at Port Hughes have been given the green light by the local council, featuring hundreds of new homes just south of the town’s Greg Norman-designed golf course.
The 170ha site had previously been earmarked for the back nine holes of the Copperclub at the Dunes nine-hole golf course, but Queensland developer Metacap has opted against completing the course.
Instead its masterplan features 460 new homes, an aged care facility, parklands, shops, medical facility, restaurants, a boutique hotel and tourist accommodation.
Metacap expects to start preliminary construction work on the 15-year project early next year.
The company’s chief executive Nick Jimenez said the development would cater to the huge demand for retirement accommodation in Australia.
“We see the retirement sector, and more specifically the lifestyle sector, as a massive growth opportunity in Australia which aligns with our ageing population and desire by retirees to live in like-minded retirement communities,” he said.
“We’ve had very strong interest for our developments in Queensland which has resulted in us commencing construction on our Riverbend projects at Hervey Bay and Agnes Water.
“Securing development approval at Port Hughes takes us another step closer to potentially creating a $1bn-plus portfolio in this sector.”
Metacap’s Riverbend Resorts and Villages recently commenced construction on two other over-50s lifestyle resorts, in Queensland’s Hervey Bay and Agnes Water.
The developer has previously completed more than 1000 townhouses, high-rise apartments, residential subdivisions and commercial developments over the past 30 years.
Copper Coast Council’s approval of the Port Hughes project offers new hope for the once-troubled golf course and resort project known as The Dunes.
The project, which promised to deliver 2000 homes when it was launched in 2007, stalled in 2012 when it fell into the hands of receivers with debts of $13m.
Metacap picked up the largest slice of undeveloped land when it was put on the market in 2020.
Its plans for a boutique hotel on the site include up to 40 luxury villas with a restaurant and spa, while a “luxury coastal retreat” would offer an additional 30 one and two-bedroom villas with a clubhouse, lagoon-style pool facilities, private dining areas, bar, library and lounges.
Mr Jimenez said new homes within the development were expected to sell from $550,000 to $620,000.
“Affordable luxury is a key consideration for buyers in this market, and demand for our resorts has been driven by a combination of appealing price points and a high level of
amenities for residents amid some of Australia’s most popular lifestyle hubs,” he said.
As part of a separate project at Port Hughes, developer Peter Kallin is seeking approval for a new tourism project overlooking the first hole of the Copperclub golf course, featuring accommodation, a tavern, retail spaces, cafe, pool and spa facilities.
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