SKF Development gearing up to launch 100 lots to the market to aid the Northern NSW housing supply

WORDS: Ocean Road Magazine Editorial Staff PHOTOGRAPHY Supplied

SKF Development has locally launched the highly anticipated Sceniq Bilambil Heights development on the Tweed Coast, at a time when demand for residential land on both sides of the Queensland border is at a record high.

The $59 million subdivision planned for a 15.8ha site bounded by Walmsleys Road and Stott Street, will deliver 100 generous residential homesites with an average size of 1,200sqm into a severely undersupplied market, with a masterplan that also incorporates a community park.

SKF Development has released the first stage of the project, comprising 30 homesites, many with ocean views, exclusively by invitation to locals who had previously registered their interest, with a full launch to the wider property market planned in the new year.

“We are over the moon with the response so far to Scenic Bilambil Heights, which has been extremely well received by locals,” said Eric Zhao, Director of SKF Development.

The project sales team has been swamped with enquiries for the premium residential homesites ahead of the official launch, saying it received 350 preliminary expressions of interest within a week of announcing its plans, with 250 of those received on the first day alone.

“Our plans for this unique, elevated site have struck a chord with buyers who have been pleasantly surprised by the comparative affordability of the residential homesites we are presenting to the market,” said Mr Zhao.

Several homesites in the first release have already been secured by eager buyers, where land is priced from $485,000, with an average price of $545,000.

The release of residential homesites at Sceniq Bilambil Heights comes amid a massive shortfall in new residential housing developments in the Tweed Shire and neighbouring Gold Coast City.

According to the latest RPM research, of the 7,555 new residents who moved to the Tweed Shire in the most recent 12-month period, 1,691 people (22 per cent) were relocating from the Gold Coast.

The analysis also found the population of the greater Bilambil and Bilambil Heights area is expected to grow 80 per cent to more than 7,000 by 2041. To accommodate this growth, a further 1,299 new dwellings are required to be built, or 72 new homes a year.

Managing Director of RPM Queensland, Clinton Trezise, says migration trends mean Gold Coasters are increasingly spilling over the border into northern New South Wales after being priced out of the Gold Coast property market or due to a lack of options.

“Gold Coast has long been a beacon of coastal living but demand due to population growth has certainly outpaced the supply,” said Trezise.

“It’s been a one-way street for so long, with southerners heading north to the sunny Gold Coast. Yet, as the demand and supply imbalance is becoming unsustainable, Gold Coasters are now looking to options close to the border in their search for new homes.”

The new $724 million 430-bed Tweed Valley Hospital development nearing completion at Cudgen is set to open in early 2024 with the facility primed to become a significant new employment base for the region, while adding much needed infrastructure to cater for a growing population.

“The fundamentals of the Tweed are among the strongest in the greater Gold Coast-Tweed region and our decision to undertake Sceniq Bilambil Heights was based on the prime location and the emerging employment nodes that will continue driving growth into the future,” said Mr Zhao.

Scenic Bilambil Heights is primed to create a collection of large, elevated homesites with panoramic ocean and hinterland views.

The residential community has been designed to enhance the outdoor lifestyle through a network of accessible walking paths which intersect at Sceniq Park, so all residents can enjoy an active and connected lifestyle.

Scenic Bilambil Heights is located within easy reach of the Terranora Broadwater and Terranora Creek, including the extensive Scenic to Peninsular Drive Cycleway that offers more than 3km of waterside pathways.

The new community will be just 10 minutes’ drive to Coolangatta Beach, and the heart of the southern Gold Coast’s retail and restaurant scene, with the Gold Coast Airport also close to hand just 10 minutes away and the M1 Motorway just six minutes’ drive, providing easy and direct access to a range of employment and lifestyle options.