Pittsworth boom: Small businesses grow as demand for real estate explodes in town experiencing surge in growth

A small town in the Toowoomba region’s business community is currently thriving while more people come to live. It comes as the council has revealed a $50m pipeline of projects.

Brendan Cavanagh, Cooks Soft Drinks in Pittsworth. Picture: Nev Madsen.

Lifelong Pittsworthian Donna Ariell sees dozens of residents walk into her highly-successful florist every week, many of whom she’s never met before.

“There are new people here all the time,” she said, remarking on the town’s incredible recent growth.

The owner of Yandilla Rose is one of dozens of homegrown small businesses that help effectively market Pittsworth to prospective new locals when they walk through the doors.

Ms Ariell said she wasn’t surprised to see people choosing Pittsworth as their new home, considering the qualities she said it already possessed.

“It’s a beautiful country town, just look at the main street and how busy it is — everybody knows everybody,” she said.

Donna Ariell, Yandilla Rose owner in Pittsworth. Wednesday, October 20, 2021. Picture: Nev Madsen.

Having restructured and refocused her business towards online shopping following the outbreak of Covid-19 last year, Ms Ariell said she had more customers than she could handle, causing her to put on more residents as staff.

“We have a huge online orders platform, and many don’t even hit the shop floor – they’re made out the back and go on a truck,” she said.

“Our business went through the roof because we diversified — we advertised our delivery radius, we showcased everything we offer, including ladies’ gift packs, food hampers and more.

“You have to be a bit savvy about how you dealt with business, otherwise it would be about closing the doors.”

Brendan Cavanagh, Cooks Soft Drinks in Pittsworth. Wednesday, October 20, 2021. Picture: Nev Madsen.

Brendan Cavanagh recently relocated his beloved Cooks Soft Drinks to a new location closer to the centre of town and can barely keep up with the demand for his sodas, which are transported across southwest Queensland.

Processing 700 bottles an hour, Mr Cavanagh’s business is so strong he’s producing more than 11,000 units every week.

It’s a far cry from the same time in 2019, when the town was struggling with drought.

“You could walk out and fire a shot down the main street any day and you wouldn’t hit anyone, and no one would’ve come out of a shop,” Mr Cavanagh said.

“The turnaround has been amazing.”

Mr Cavanagh said the recent economic turbulence created by Covid-19 had generated a strong “buy-local” culture within Pittsworth.

“Now we’re beside Woolworths, people will get their groceries and come get a carton of soft drink from us,” he said.

Michelle Porter, Pittsworth Confectionery. Wednesday, October 20, 2021. Picture: Nev Madsen.

Another stalwart of the town’s business community is the Pittsworth Confectionery, which is the nationally supplier of peppermints to Coles supermarkets.

Longtime owner Michelle Porter said even during the pandemic the company had been supported by residents.

“This virus has made people think about shopping at home and buying Australian-made products, which is much better for us,” she said.

“Everyone who works here actually lives in Pittsworth — we make our money here and it’s spent here.”

More land needed for homes

Mark Droney knows his beloved hometown of Pittsworth is on the cusp of becoming the next boom town — but it’s missing one ingredient that he and his business partner Doug Cattell are hoping to fix.

“People are wanting to move out here, (but) we’ve run out of land to build on,” the veteran real estate agent said.

“That’s what’s wrong with the real estate market, we can’t get enough stock to turn around.”

Mark Droney, agent and developer in Pittsworth. Wednesday, October 20, 2021. Picture: Nev Madsen.

The pair’s proposed 35-lot subdivision on Margetts Street, which is 30 seconds from the centre of town, will hope to capture the wave of new people from Toowoomba and interstate hoping to call Pittsworth home.

The new housing estate is Pittsworth’s first of this size for more than a decade and will add potentially more than 100 new locals and inject millions into a town already bustling with strong homegrown businesses.

Mr Droney (pictured) acknowledges it’s a smart business move, but he said the project with an average block size of 910 sqm was fuelled by a desire to see his birthplace go to the next level.

“My biggest thing is I want to see Pittsworth get up and go forward,” he said.

“I started out as a stock agent, buying and selling cattle and sheep, so I’ve seen towns across Queensland come up and others going backwards.

“We’re passionate locals who want to get in and help — new people moving here all the time, and that’s why we took it on.”

Kathy Hohns, Ray White Rural Pittsworth agent. Wednesday, October 20, 2021. Picture: Nev Madsen.

Pittsworth is enjoying its strongest property surge in several years, as interstate migrants from Sydney and Melbourne along with Toowoomba residents look for the country lifestyle while still being close to essential services.

This year has already produced 88 property sales within the township, with a median sale price of $340,000. This is up from last year’s already impressive total of 83 and double the sales recorded in 2018 (47 at a median of just $285,000).

Ray White Rural’s Kathy Hohns said the agency had turned over $13m in sales in the past six months alone. She said the massive interest in Pittsworth property was something she hadn’t seen in decades.

“There is definitely a message put across from many of the buyers, their desire to reside in a smaller community for a healthier and more affordable lifestyle and some to be closer to family members,” Ms Hohns said.

“Inquiry has come from Victoria, New South Wales, North Queensland, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Warwick and Toowoomba.

“Buyers can secure a very comfortable three bedroom home on over 1000 sqm which includes additional shedding from $300,000 upwards, or a modern quality built 4 bedroom brick residence in the newer estate from $400,000.”

Ms Hohns said the new subdivision by Mr Droney and Mr Cattell would not only service potential homeowners but also the struggling rental market.

Planning and development chair Councillor Megan O’Hara Sullivan said the council had notice a recent spike in development applications in Pittsworth.

“Year to date inquiries about Pittsworth have made up approximately 2.7 per cent of planning and development’s total inquiries in 2021, an increase from 1.8 per cent and 1.9 per cent in respective previous years,” she said.

Unlocking economic potential through capital works

Pittsworth’s economic potential could be unlocked by nearly $50m in capital works projects coming down the pipeline over the next decade.

That’s according to the Toowoomba Regional Council, which plans to invest more than $3.4m into the local economy between July 1. 2019 and June 30, 2022.

Deputy Mayor Geoff McDonald’s comments comes just weeks after the council recently signed off on a new master plan for the Pittsworth Historical Village, which could inject millions in tourism dollars once fully realised.

TRC deputy mayor Geoff McDonald has forecast growth in Pittsworth for at least the next decade.

The village will be developed over a number of years as relevant community groups obtain grants for key aspects of it.

Other major projects include the $10m Pittsworth Industrial Precinct Enabling project, which was endorsed in 2017, to attract more businesses with improved infrastructure.

But Mr McDonald said upcoming capital projects were not guaranteed and dependent on external funding as much as council cash.

“The approximate amount of forecasted funding for capital projects for Pittsworth over the next 10 years is $49.685 million for 31 projects,” he said.

“Funding allocations and planned projects are reviewed as priorities for the region change.”