Developer assures panicked buyers: land will be ready

Developer has committed to getting this project's first stage completed by month's end to ensure they can start building.

AVID Property Group's Harmony development manager Anthony Demiris and general manager Qld Bruce Harper on site at Palmview earlier this year. Mr Harper has vowed the opening stage will be complete by month's end. Picture: Gary Mills

DEVELOPER Avid has reassured nervous buyers in its Harmony project at Palmview the release one stage would be fully constructed and ready to vacant title by the end of this month.

Bruce Harper, Avid general manager Queensland, was responding to concerns from buyers who contacted the Sunshine Coast Daily fearing they may have to settle on their full contracts before the stage was fully completed and they had free, unrestricted access.

Mr Harper said all major civil works would be completed by June 20, including roads and sewerage pipes with Peter Crosby Way ahead of schedule.

He said unless there was a cyclone or other major weather event there should be just some landscaping to complete by month's end.

Mr Harper said anyone ready to build immediately would have vacant possession and unrestricted access to do so.

He said confusion may have been caused around the 43-lot display village where slabs had been poured and frames were under construction with project builders gaining temporary dirt road access while Peter Crosby Way was being built.

Mr Harper praised the work being done by Sunshine Coast contractor Shadforth which holds a number of separate contracts within the development.

He said the contractor was meeting all targets for completion by the end of the financial year with Peter Cross Way ahead of schedule.

"We work to the financial year," Mr Harper said. "I understand the concerns. There is a lot of money involved and a lot of customer expectation.

"Avid sent advice to all of our purchasers updating them that under the terms of their contract they would need to settle their lot within 14 days after notice of titles being registered.

"We advised that we expected this to occur this month (June). I can confirm that titles have now registered and we will shortly be formally advising our customers of settlement arrangements. Most customers will be settling this stage release in the last week of June.

"Civil works will be completed by June 20 and minor landscaping works to achieve final contract practical completion which will occur before the end of the month. Customers will be available to construct their homes from the time of settlement of their property."

A Sunshine Coast Council spokesperson said staff made a professional assessment around the certainty of the infrastructure delivery against the value of the bonds provided and determined that given the scale of Harmony there was little risk that the infrastructure bonded would not be delivered.

"It is not an uncommon practice in developments of this nature," the spokesperson said.

"Council holds uncompleted works bonds totalling $3.4 million with a significant amount of the works having been completed since the bonds were received by council.

"Council agreed to the bonding of uncompleted works on the basis of final asphalt surfacing of all streets within Release 1B (excluding Road 7 which is permitted by conditions of approval to be carried out at a later time) being completed by June 13, 2017. This date was confirmed by Avid as being achievable."

The spokesperson said the council was aware that issuing the title for unfinished development lots would trigger the settlement of those contracts, however, based on advice from Avid, it is understood all civil works would be completed by the time contracts were settled.

"Internal streets within the display village area have been completed for some time and Avid has advised that no builders had access to the sites prior to the internal roadworks within the display village being completed," she said.

Mr Harper said at this stage Avid was avoiding the marketeer investor sector and concentrating on the release of land to Sunshine Coast mum and dad buyers through a team of project builders it had brought together.

"Most of our sales are being achieved that way," he said.

All lots in the 100 plus first stage release have been sold with another 70 under way.

The developer is currently seeking Sunshine Coast Council approval for a further 200 lots.

Originally published as Developer assures panicked buyers: land will be ready