Former Rugby Bronco Darren Lockyer proposes Rockhampton motel plan

The former Broncos’ player and rugby league great is expanding his property portfolio with plans to demolish a motel and pool on a busy strip. Find out what it will be replaced with.

Rugby league legend Darren Lockyer is doing a property development in Rockhampton.

Rugby league great Darren Lockyer is expanding his property development portfolio with his latest project to be built in Rockhampton, Central Queensland.

The former Brisbane Broncos’ player is a property partner in SpinksCo Commercial, a privately owned Brisbane-based development and investment company founded in 2009.

The Ambassador Motel would be demolished to make way for the retail showroom development.

The company has submitted plans to Rockhampton Regional Council to demolish a motel – along with the accompanying office, manager’s residence and swimming pool – located on one of the city’s busiest strips to build a retail showroom for hardware and trade supplies.

The development is registered under Yaamba Road Project and Mr Lockyer and Martin Spinks are registered as directors.

If approved, it won’t be the first development in Central Queensland for SpinksCo Commercial.

The family-owned property company developed an office and retail project in Herbert St, Gladstone, in 2014, which is listed to have a holding value of $7.85 million.

Andrew Ettingshausen, Pat Laws, Martin Spinks and prizewinner Rod Eddy at the new sculpture at Benaraby Caltex in 2017.

The company also built the Caltex truck stop in Benaraby in 2017 and sold it in 2021 for $8.6 million.

It won’t be their first hardware venture either; the company built a Bunnings in Plainland in southeast Queensland in 2021.

Other clients in SpinksCo’s portfolio include the Queensland Government, Coles, Vita Group, Bupa Dental and Snap Fitness.

Lockyer, who grew up in Roma, isn’t completely new to the building industry.

He did an 18-month stint as an apprentice carpenter before he turned to professional rugby league, making his first-grade debut in 1995 with the Brisbane Broncos at the age of 18.

He went on to have a 16-year professional playing career with the Broncos, played 36 State of Origins for Queensland, and made 59 appearances for Australia, before retiring in 2011.

Ground floor plan for the proposed development. Renders: Red Dog Architects.

Site location of Ambassador Motel on Rockhampton's Yaamba Road.

The proposed Rockhampton development is on the site of the Ambassador Motel at 353 Yaamba Road, Park Avenue, a stone’s throw from the city’s major shopping centre, Stockland.

The 34-unit motel is currently owned by Michael and Jan-Maree Tyrell who bought it in 2007 for $1,008,000.

Ambassador Motel on Yaamba Road next to Emmaus College.

Rockhampton firm Gideon Town Planning submitted a planning report which shows the retail showroom building will be 8.5m high and have a 1800sq m gross floor area that would be constructed along the southeastern and southwestern boundary of the site.

Elevations by Red Dog Architects of what the proposed retail showroom would look like.

The property neighbours the Emmaus College senior campus and has frontage to Yaamba Rd and Main St.

Vehicle access driveways are proposed on both streets and a 45-space carpark is included.

The development application will now be assessed by planning officers.

Originally published as Former Rugby Bronco Darren Lockyer proposes Rockhampton motel plan