Crows Nest rising: Nolan’s Block, new residents behind booming property prices, small business growth and new projects
A Toowoomba region small town’s property market has exploded in recent months, with homes that previously went for about $300,000 now going for as high as half a million.
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Whether you’re talking to the local pub manager, the popular butcher or the veteran real estate agent, Crows Nest residents agree that the town is one of the Toowoomba region’s best-kept secrets.
But now that secret has been discovered by the world.
The small but proud community of about 2000 people north of Toowoomba has experienced something of a boom over the past year.
New and existing projects are ramping up, new businesses are drawing hundreds of visitors each week and out-of-towners are snapping up every available house or lot for sale, to the point where developers can’t keep up.
In this special two-part series, The Chronicle took time to speak to a range of key stakeholders and business owners to find out where Crows Nest is sitting and where it could end up.
NOLAN’S BLOCK DELIVERS
Award-winning restaurateur and chef Amanda Hinds admits she’s a risk-taker, but the decision to turn a heritage-listed property in Crows Nest into a spectacular multi-shop emporium took her ambition to another level.
“It’s a risk — it’s not something you do lightly,” the former Emeraude owner said.
The Nolan’s Block, featuring a restaurant, patisserie and an array of speciality shops, has been credited with attracting hundreds of people from southeast Queensland to Crows Nest every week since it opened in April.
The joint-venture project by Ms Hinds, her husband Larry as well as couples Andrew and Sandra Jenner and Daryl and Sally Boardman took a year to complete.
But Ms Hinds, who has brought the creative flair and loyalty to local produce of her previous eatery to new outlets Myrtille and My Little Blueberry, said the results spoke for themselves.
“When I spent a bit more time out among our clientele (during previous ventures), I realised we have heaps of people from this area (Crows Nest) who support us,” she said.
“It was all based on the idea it was possible and then finding someone who felt the same and a group of people who believed in the area.
“These are three couples who believe this could be a massive drawcard for the Darling Downs.”
The Potager at Nolans co-owner Jodie Ryan, whose business with Ms Boardman sells a variety of outdoor and garden products, said it wasn’t just out-of-towners visiting the new attraction.
“They’re from all over the place; Toowoomba, Brisbane, the coast — locals are coming through now and starting to support us,” she said.
New Nolan’s Block tenants Charlie and Yvonne Regonesi, who own Blackbird Antiques and Collectables, said their current customers were more likely to be locals rather than tourists.
“We’ve actually gotten a lot of locals, all of our furniture was delivered to local homes, whether it be Highfields or Crows Nest,” Ms Regonesi said.
“That’s been really good, quite encouraging. We’re managing to have both those markets (locals and tourists).”
SMALL BUSINESS BOOM
Longtime Crows Nest small businesses are also getting a piece of the action, as tourists leave the Nolan’s Block to explore what else is available in the town.
Longstanding businesses like the Grand Old Crow Hotel have noticed increases in trade directly attributable to the Nolan’s Block.
“With the new cafe, patisserie and restaurant (and shops), that’s bringing a lot of people in and we get a lot of the overflow from that as well, so that’s bringing us a lot of business,” hotel duty manager Heather Middleton said.
Meats and More butchery owner Pete Kerr said tourists would walk into his shop after trying his products in Ms Hinds’ recipes.
“I’ve personally met a number of Brisbane and Toowoomba people who came to the restaurant and brought their eskys with them,” he said.
“The fact you can go to a restaurant where local (products) is a feature of the menu is a wonderful thing for the business and the community.
“Crows Nest was a well-kept secret, I think the secret’s out now — I think we can largely thank Amanda for that, and all the good work the High Country Hamlets has done at promoting the place to tourists.”
Ray White Rural Crows Nest principal Geoff Trost, who has seen the ups and downs of the town over 15 years in the role, was glowing in his praise of what the Nolan’s Block had done for the township in a matter of months.
“What’s happened up here at Nolan’s Block is the single best thing that’s ever happened in Crows Nest,” he said.
“It’s changed the fabric of this town – Saturdays and Sundays, I spoke to another business owner and he estimates 100-150 people basically walk the streets in Crows Nest now, as a spin-off from that.”
HOUSING PRICES REACHING $500K
Veteran real estate agent Geoff Trost never thought he’d be selling homes in Crows Nest for up to $500,000 — but that’s the reality he’s facing right now.
“In all the years I’ve been doing it I never imagined we’d see $500k for a brick home and who knows where it will end up — it’s definitely sprung to life,” the principal for Ray White Rural said.
Mr Trost said the small township north of Toowoomba was witnessing a property “boom” like never before, with existing dwellings being snapped up for huge prices.
Sales figures from RP Data have revealed a $50,000 increase in the median price of residential properties over the past two years, up from $305,000 in June 2020-21 (100 sales) to $355,000 in June 2021-22 (92 sales).
He said while the new residents were escaping Australia’s urban centres, they weren’t primarily from southern states as some media has suggested.
“It’s been mixed buyers, but mainly metropolitan areas like the coast and Brisbane,” Mr Trost said.
“We hear in the media that southerners were coming to buy our houses – we weren’t getting our door knocked down by them, a few came in, but they were coming into those Queensland metropolitan areas and those people have been pushing out here.
“You can sell (your house) for $700,000 or $800,000 and buy here for $400,000 and have a bit of money left over.
“I don’t know what happened outside of this area that’s caused this real estate boom, but it not only affected the residential and rural market, it created interest in these small towns.”
It’s prompted two developers to ramp up plans for subdivisions in growth areas of Crows Nest, which would introduce another 150 lots to the market.
Brisbane-based CEO of Rural Land Group Wayne Seymour said his company had recently purchased the balance of a previous subdivision on the western side of the town and were looking to move ahead soon.
“We’ve picked up the balance of an original subdivision, dropped some lots and added a few bigger blocks,” Mr Seymour said about the newly-renamed Highlands Crows Nest estate,” he said.
“We’re just going for the operational works now, there will be 39 lots in the first stage and 40 in the second stage.
“(Demand) is all coming on so we’ve got a bit of confidence in the area and that they will sell quickly.
“We have a big list of people who will buy some of those lots — a lot of them will be the first homeowners, wanting to get out of Brisbane or Toowoomba.”
“With the influx of people, it should support all the local people a lot better (and) keep the town growing.”
David Haskings, who is working in a partnership of local developers to create Parklands Estate on the eastern side of town over decades, said he was expecting the next stage to be snapped up quickly.
“We’ve developed about 150 blocks, we’re up to stage eight, which has been approved for 17 lots,” he said.
Mr Haskings insisted the group would move ahead with future stages in a methodical way.
Mr Trost said the new parcels would be a welcomed, as new lots were in short supply.
“They want to keep the prices stable – 12 months ago we were flat out getting $100k for a vacant block, and now we’re getting $150,000-$160,000,” he said.
“Unless there’s a private sale block, I don’t think there’s a residential block for sale right now.”
$160M IN PROJECT PIPELINE
The Toowoomba Regional Council and private investors are ready to cash in on Crows Nest’s property and business boom, with more than $160m in public and private projects currently in the pipeline for the growing community.
The small but proud hamlet north of Toowoomba is enjoying record housing sales and a resurgence in local commerce activity, fuelled by major precincts like the Nolan’s Block and investments into businesses.
It comes as a number of major projects prepare to ramp up, most notably a new service station on the New England Highway.
The controversial servo was finally approved by the council following a lengthy court battle, however it is unclear if developer Broc Winten will move ahead with it immediately.
A 181-lot retirement village in the style of GemLife or Palm Lakes has been in development for a number of years.
Mr Haskings, who is working in a partnership of local developers on the project along with Parklands Estate, said its viability had been boosted by the recent activity.
“That’s been approved for a little while and we’re looking to develop that but it’s been a little slow — it’s still on the books,” he said.
“(The surge in activity) certainly does help, and 80 per cent of the sales we’ve had (at Parklands Estate) have been for retired or retiring couples.”
“It’s that market that we tend to get here (so) I can definitely see there will be a flow-on of interest to get it off the ground.
“I’ve been looking at the number of cars (at Nolan’s Block), and it is quite phenomenal.”
Rural Land Group is also getting land prepared for sale at its $6.2m Highlands Crows Nest estate.
An application for seven unit dwellings on Oxford Street has also been planned, which would open the town up to higher-density living than it had seen recently.
Council data has revealed $14m in new building works in Crows Nest since 2019.
Deputy mayor Geoff McDonald revealed the council has $74m in capital works projects lined up for the town over the next decade.
“Substantial projects that are listed for consideration include Old Goombungee Road, Nukku Road, Haden Road and sewerage priority works,” he said.
“Any forecast capital projects are subject to future budget deliberations by council.
“Council also continues to advocate for external funding to construct a new wastewater treatment plant at Crows Nest. The estimated cost of the project is $9.8 million.”
Mr McDonald said he was encouraged by recent private investment into Crows Nest.
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