Focus on local jobs in builder's 61-lot rural living estate

A FIVE-year dream to boost rural lifestyle living options in Calliope has taken another step closer to reality for a long-time Gladstone builder.

A FIVE-year dream to boost rural lifestyle living options in Calliope has taken another step closer to reality for a long-time Gladstone builder.

Roy Atkinson's proposed Golf Club Estate - with 61 blocks more than an acre in size - has reached another approval milestone, the public comment period.

Mr Atkinson, also the owner of Suncrest Homes Gladstone, said the estate would offer rural residential living, which he said was lacking in Calliope.

The Atkinson Homes owner and developer said his aspiration to offer Gladstone builders, engineers, surveyors and earthmovers work during the development had not dwindled in the five years the it had been on the cards.

Already Gladstone surveyors and engineers have started work on the project and he said his son Geoff would also be involved in construction.

"Everything is local and we want to be able to generate jobs for the local builders and people too," Mr Atkinson said.

"We'll be doing everything we can to achieve that."

The excited Gladstone builder of 26 years said the 61-lot development, located near the Calliope Golf Club, would be completed over about six years in several stages.

He said each stage would include between eight and 12 homes, depending on demand.

Mr Atkinson said Calliope businesses, including the golf course, would benefit when the new estate was built.

"We don't want to overheat the (property) market," he said.

"This will be a duplication of Country Estate, which has turned out to be a very nice subdivision."

Mr Atkinson said Country Estate, which was completed about five years ago, also in Calliope, was similar in size to the proposed Golf Club Estate.

According to Mr Atkinson interest in the development had come from as far as Singapore, but he wanted to sell the majority of the blocks to Gladstone region residents, or people in Queensland.

Aspire Estate Agents' Cindy Lane listed the blocks on the market and said within two days she had interest from Calliope residents.

The development application with the Gladstone Regional Council is for a material change of use, which includes reconfiguring the 100 acre block from one lot into 61.

Residents have an opportunity to have their say on the development before January 16, 2018.

For more information visit gladstone.qld.gov.au.

Originally published as Focus on local jobs in builder's 61-lot rural living estate