Costings deal moves close for Caloundra South

STOCKLAND and Sunshine Coast Council are on course to settle more than two years of negotiation about the massive Caloundra South development.

STOCKLAND and Sunshine Coast Council are on course to settle more than two years of negotiation about infrastructure for the massive Caloundra South development.

In 2012 the council expressed fears it would be left with a bill as high as $530m for infrastructure not required of the developer under the Urban Land Development Authority approval it was granted through the State Government.

Stockland's Caloundra South project director Adrian Allen on Thursday said the company would like to finalise negotiations with council as soon as possible.

"This will provide much-needed certainty to the local community as well as providing clarity for the future of our development," he said.

The council's planning director Warren Bunker, responding to questions put by community group The Organisation of Sunshine Coast Associations of Residents, this week said he understood draft agreements would be finalised within the next six months.

Mr Allen said negotiations had taken so long partly because of the complexity of the infrastructure agreements required.

"There are also a number of separate state infrastructure agreements for new major roads, schools, emergency services and healthcare that need to be agreed in parallel," he said. "Finalising all agreements will ensure

appropriate infrastructure."

Mr Bunker told OSCAR the agreement wouldn't be reached by the end of the year, as hoped, because of circumstances outside the council's control.

"Council officers attended meetings as called by Economic Development Queensland and also attended to review matters tabled addressing open space, sport and recreation, social infrastructure, stormwater and transport networks," he said.

Finalisation of draft agreements within six months was achievable and desired by all parties, but finalisation was outside the council's control.

Mr Allen said Stockland would make significant, multi-million dollar investments in the provision of essential services such as local roads, stormwater and wastewater management infrastructure, nine separate sports parks, playgrounds, a People's Place and Central Park alongside the new Town Centre.

"Many of these essential local services, which will benefit local residents and the wider community, have traditionally been provided by local and state government," he said.

"The negotiations on the infrastructure agreement detail what Stockland will pay for and what credits will be applied to offset other government investment in surrounding road infrastructure, for example, to ensure appropriate traffic flow and access to the new community."

Mr Allen said Caloundra South was a 2,310 hectare master-planned community, which would create 20,000 new residential home sites to be developed in the next 20 years, creating a total project value of $5 billion.

"Stockland is working closely with the Sunshine Coast Council and the Queensland Government to ensure all of the appropriate infrastructure is considered and all stakeholders, including the local community, has clarity on how all infrastructure will be funded," he said.

"Full details will be released at the conclusion of our negotiations with council."

Originally published as Costings deal moves close for Caloundra South