Boundary Road Archives - North Lakes Today

From $16M to $114M: North Lakes Industrial Site’s Dramatic Value Leap

A North Lakes industrial site has sold for $114 million, marking a dramatic value increase from its $16 million purchase price in 2021. The sale highlights the remarkable growth in the city’s outer northern suburbs’ industrial land values, which have more than doubled over the past three years.

Read: McDonald’s Begins Construction on New Rothwell Restaurant, Hiring Soon

The 25-hectare site at 109-135 Boundary Road was purchased by logistics giant ESR from Garda Property Group, which had secured development approval in 2022 for a 100,000-square-metre industrial estate.

Render of Garda’s plans for North Lakes industrial site (Photo credit: gardaproperty.com.au)

As part of the sale agreement, Garda will invest an additional $11.2 million to complete remaining civil works, intersection improvements, and road construction. The property group had already initiated earthworks and begun civil development before the sale.

For this project, Garda expected construction to commence early 2023 and completed by 2024. However, rising construction costs have prompted the real estate group to focus more on buying existing assets, despite maintaining its strategy of developing and holding industrial properties.

ESR Australia and New Zealand CEO Phil Pearce said the acquisition would allow the company to expand its presence in Brisbane’s supply-constrained market, which is benefiting from strong population growth in South East Queensland.

“North Lakes is perfectly positioned to provide seamless connectivity to major business centres and national road, air and rail networks. Situated alongside the Bruce Highway / M1 and near the Gateway Motorway, the subject site sits 32km north of Brisbane’s CBD, 40 minutes drive from the Sunshine Coast and only 22 minutes from both Brisbane domestic and international airports,” Garda stated in its website.

The logistics company has announced plans to transform the North Lakes site into a premium industrial estate, continuing the original vision for a master-planned development that would accommodate businesses of varying sizes.

Read: North Lakes Joins Queensland’s Pioneering Solar Panel Recycling Program

This transaction highlights the robust demand for industrial land in Brisbane’s northern corridor and demonstrates the significant value appreciation in the region’s industrial property sector.

Published 7-November-2024

Narangba Koala Stops Traffic, Man’s Patient Gestures Save the Day

A koala brought traffic to a standstill one afternoon during the school pick-up rush in Narangba recently. The marsupial had wandered onto Boundary Road and plopped itself down on the asphalt, refusing to budge despite cars lining up in both directions.

Read: Narangba Nursery Hits the Market as Owners Embark on New Chapter

With dozens of drivers stuck and growing frustrated, one young man decided to take matters into his own hands. Barefoot and springing into action from his nearby ute, he approached the koala cautiously and tried gesturing for it to leave the road. Initially his efforts were unsuccessful as the apparently terrified animal stayed put.

But the Good Samaritan didn’t give up. He continued encouraging the koala from a safe distance until finally, after many attempts, the marsupial made its way off the busy street to safety on the roadside. His perseverance paid off and prevented what could have been a tragic situation.

Narangba — Photo credit: Valeriia Miller/Pexels

One of the backed-up drivers told reporters the koala was “very lucky” not to have been struck by a vehicle given the heavy traffic at the time.

Koalas finding themselves in precarious situations on roads and in populated areas is not unheard of in the region. Just last month, another of the tree-dwelling marsupials was spotted sitting in Logan, requiring a brave passerby to physically remove it from harm’s way.

They are known for living in trees, but koalas actually spend a good amount of time traveling on the ground. Though these tree-dwelling animals sleep for over 20 hours a day in the branches, they have to come down to the ground and walk when moving between trees since they can’t swing through the treetops like monkeys.

Whilst their adventures sometimes make for amusing viral videos, experts warn that hectic development has put koala populations at risk as their habitats shrink. Simple acts of compassion like this young man’s can go a long way in preserving the iconic species for future generations.

Read: Rothwell Armed Robber Apprehended by Diligent Police Dog

Published 29-March-2024

New Fire Station to Be Built on Steel Street

For years, the North Lakes and Mango Hill community have been lobbying for a new fire station as the nearest services still come from bordering suburbs, taking some time to reach emergency situations. Now, plans to build the facility are finally taking shape as a suitable site has been determined by the Queensland Fire and Emergency Service (QFES).

The new fire station is a 5,000-sqm property on Steel Street near Boundary Road. QFES said that the location’s access to major roads was vital to the decision.

Following a lot of mapping and deliberation, with inputs from advocates for the fire station’s establishment, such as the Mango Hill Progress Association (MHPA), the QFES said that this site will give “best responses to particular calls for service.” On the other hand, the State Government also supported the need for fire service for North Lakes and Mango Hill and purchased the land. Funding was approved in October 2020.

Highlights

A 5,000-sqm property on Steel Street will be the site of the new fire station
It was chosen for its access to major roads in North Lakes and Mango Hill.
Planning and design of the new facility will take at least 12 months.

“The land has been purchased for a new Fire & Rescue Station to service North Lakes/Mango Hill and the surrounding areas,” Minister for Fire and Emergency Services and State Member for Morayfield Mark Ryan said.

“To be called ‘Moreton Bay Central Fire & Rescue Station,’ the new station located at Steel Street (near Boundary Road) will greatly enhance emergency responses and support community safety.

“Many thanks to local groups like the Mango Hill Progress Association and local MPs Chris Whiting, Steven Miles and Shane King for their strong advocacy for this project.”

Mr Ryan also said that the next phase of the plan, which will roll out in the next 12 months, is to go through the design process and planning. Once approved, the construction timeline will be revealed to the public.

In an earlier meeting with MHPA, State Member Chris Whiting projected that the new fire station will likely be built by 2024.