Fast food, new service station for Walkerston at cost of three houses

A long awaited fast food franchise may soon be coming to a North Queensland suburb, but it will cost the community an iconic servo and three residential properties. SEE THE DESIGNS.

A Greater Whitsundays suburb could see millions of dollars of development moving ahead as a North Queensland steel magnate gets approval to knock down homes and an old service station.

Designs submitted to council for approval reveal Mark Clifford’s plans for a fast food outlet, new service station and storefront buildings on 22 - 32 Dutton St, adjacent to the Peak Downs Highway.

The Melco Engineering owner has been acquiring properties across the lots since 2010 when his business The Clifford Group Trust bought up homes, then the service station.

The new service station will be accessible via Dane St, and the new fast food restaurant will be built on the lot where Walkerston Fuel is currently located.

28 and 30 Dutton Street are currently being rented by tenants, but will eventually be demolished for the development to get underway.

The development will involve the demolition of three houses, two of which were recently rented according to Domain.

The new development includes a fast food franchise, a new service station and four shopfront locations for new businesses.

It was brought to council's attention in previous planning documents that there was a possibility that the new service station may be operational at the same time as Walkerston Fuels, indicating that development will prioritise the new service station.

The fast food franchise that will be built on the site of Walkerston Fuel has yet to be determined.

“(The Clifford Group Trust) is open to discussing the implementation of a condition that requires the cessation of the existing service station, prior to commencement of use of the proposed service station on proposed lot 51 should Council deem it necessary,” Mr Ward wrote.

Mr Clifford has owned some of the properties for 14 years. He bought 22, 24, 26 and 28 Dutton St for $835,000 on February 9 2010, going on to purchase 30 Dutton St for $382,500 on March 17, and 32 Dutton St for $400,000 on April 11, 2017.

32 Dutton St was the last domino to fall and was purchased by Clifford in 2017.

In 2018 the first steps were taken with council to begin the application process for development.

Under the terms of the application, 30 parking spaces must be provided by the developer.

Earlier designs included the possibility of units being built above the shops, however these have not been approved.

The publication has reached out to Mark Clifford and Melco Engineering for further details, however in a short conversation with current Walkerston Fuel operator Len Cunningham, he made it clear that although he’d been aware of the development for a while, he had no knowledge of the approval or of the current status of the project.

Originally published as Fast food, new service station for Walkerston at cost of three houses