A plan to develop the Port of Bundaberg will finally go ahead under the LNP, four years after it was first announced in 2009.
Premier Campbell Newman and I recently announced that the Port’s owner, Gladstone Ports Corporation, had approved the Master Plan, which sets the development in motion.
This project has been on the cards for some time and we’re excited to see the process finally get underway.
The Plan will see improved riverfront and marina access, new public and green space, new shopping and business and new residential opportunities, providing significant economic and lifestyle benefits for the region.
By releasing this plan we have a blueprint to create investment opportunities, attract tourists and generate new employment in the Bundaberg region.
“On top of that, the Master Plan will see fantastic buildings with river and ocean views as well as world class facilities, in a location that would be the envy of everyone.
The Master Plan has been supported by the local community through an extensive public consultation process.
We expect that by the end of this year the sale of the land will be approved, followed by an Expressions of Interest process, before the initial construction begins in 2015.
We expect around 500 jobs to be created as construction gets underway, which is fantastic for Bundaberg.
The former Government sat on this project for too long, but we look forward to seeing its completion.
Gladstone Ports Corporation Chairman, Mark Brodie, has said that the conceptual Master Plan had been created using modern urban design principles, supported by independent market demand analysis.
It is a concept of what may be achieved with the land, in accordance with community expectations and the State Government Land Use Plan.
The protection and enhancement of the ecological values of the area has been paramount in the development of the Master Plan, as has the need to deliver much-needed employment and economic opportunity to the region.