Palmer on course to set region swinging

MINING giant Clive Palmer has revealed big plans for his latest golf course at Port Douglas, including employing more staff.

The former Sea Temple golf course is to be renamed Palmer Sea Reef and becomes the fourth course in his Palmer Golf portfolio.

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The billionaire bought the 6125m, par 71 course, clubhouse, bar, pro golf shop and 44 residential lots from the troubled Juniper Group for about $7 million in November last year.

Palmer Golf managing director Angie Ison said the acquisition would "prove to be a shot in the arm for the region".

She said they hoped to retain most staff and "create more jobs" for functions, lunches, weddings and other activities at the clubhouse.

Mrs Ison said a management agreement with the Accor hotel group ended next month.

She said the company would be using its clout with the three other courses on the Sunshine and Gold Coasts to market the region.

"We are already looking at ways of strengthening the course's position in the marketplace and investigating the possibility of hosting tournaments at Palmer Sea Reef, which will be very exciting for everyone," Mrs Ison said.

She said residents would be encouraged to play golf and join the club as part of the plans to be "an integral part of the local community as well as attracting tourists".

Membership would include the other three courses and it was hoped to keep course fees about the same, Mrs Ison said.

She said marketing and selling the 44 premium residential housing allotments lining the course would start soon.

Mrs Ison said Palmer Golf needed to highlight that the course designed by Thomson, Wolveridge and Perret was the only tropical links course in the world.

Port Douglas Chamber of Commerce president Phoebe Kitto said it was encouraging to see new and private investment in the town.

"Clive Palmer doesn't do anything lightly and I do believe he does see the potential of Port Douglas," she said.

"Clive Palmer doesn't do anything lightly and I do believe he does see the potential of Port Douglas"

She said Port Douglas was ideal for people from the south to play golf during the winter.

"But we still have a lot more to do to attract more and the right investments," Ms Kitto said.

She said Mr Palmer hoped to speak at a chamber lunch in March.

Article printed in The Cairns Post - 17th January 2013

Peter Musso licensed real estate agent at Ray White Smithfield selling property in Cairns' beautiful northern beach suburbs including Trinity Beach, Kewarra Beach, Clifton Beach, Palm Cove, Trinity Park, Smithfield, Yorkeys Knob, Holloways Beach, Machans Beach, Caravonica, Kamerunga and surrounds.

The most important research resource for a property investor is the local council: Terry Ryder

ALL the successful investors I know have a common factor: commitment to research.

The best of them research continuously and copiously. They tune out media comment and tune into information. They end up making good choices about product and location.

But I suspect one factor many overlook is the most important research topic of all: the local council.

I would never buy in an area unless the local authority impressed me. The personality of the council leadership can be the difference between a region growing or stagnating.

I don’t mean pro-development. The Gold Coast has had a series of pro-developer regimes over the years, and it hasn’t done the real estate market a whole lot of good.

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I mean pro-community, pro-jobs and pro-prosperity. It’s not the same as being pro-development, nor does it mean being anti-heritage or anti-environment.

A council that’s forward-thinking and proactive in fostering a healthy business environment and a strong community ethic can do wonders for the local property market.

Cairns in north Queensland provides a current example. Twenty or so years ago Cairns was all the rage, driven by Japanese tourism and investment. When that waned, so did Cairns.

Townsville, once regarded as the poor relation of Cairns, overtook its northern rival and left it behind because it proactively and successfully generated a well-rounded economy with more than tourism in its arsenal.

Now Cairns is fighting back. The time is fast approaching when Cairns will be worthy of investor attention again.

Cairns Regional Council has offered to forego millions in revenue from developers to encourage business and local employment. The council is waiving fees and infrastructure charges, so long as developers use 80% local workers and suppliers, and finish their projects before the end of 2014.

It’s about generating economic activity and employment. That will translate, in time, to a stronger property market.

The councils that run the twin border cities of Albury (New South Wales) and Wodonga (Victoria) strike me as go-ahead as well. One current project is a plan to re-energise a rundown part of central Wodonga to create a new commercial heart. Around $26 million is being on infrastructure and renovation of features such as the railway station buildings, to attract businesses to invest in the area, with new retail, entertainment and commercial developments.

The general theme of Albury-Wodonga is one of growth and expansion.

The Goldfields town of Maryborough in Victoria has successfully re-invented and re-invigorated itself. Not so long ago the town was colloquially known as Scaryborough and had more than its share of issues. Local people with energy and good intentions decided to change it status and its image.

Much has changed. Maryborough has managed to combine a prosperous and expanding business community, particularly in manufacturing, with a particular emphasis on spotlighting the town’s many fine heritage buildings, including a railway station that put the legendary American author Mark Twain into raptures when he visited in 1895.

The town and the Central Goldfields Shire is going places and its median house saw double-digit growth in the past 12 months, while Melbourne down the road has been going backwards.

This factor, the energy and attitude of the local council, is one investors should not overlook. When I’m researching a location, I often call the mayor (the mobile phone number is usually on the council website). Most are happy to chat about their town or region and it’s helps to provide a feel about whether the location is moving forward or not.

Article written by Terry Ryder for PropertyObserver.com.au 

Thursday, 22 November 2012

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Peter Musso licensed real estate agent at Ray White Smithfield selling property in Cairns' beautiful northern beach suburbs including Trinity Beach, Kewarra Beach, Clifton Beach, Palm Cove, Trinity Park, Smithfield, Yorkeys Knob, Holloways Beach, Machans Beach, Caravonica, Kamerunga and surrounds.

Cairns Post: New Housing Approvals Nearly Doubled

NEW housing approvals have nearly doubled in the Far North, surprising industry leaders. Has the tide finally turned? Is this the year Far North Queensland's economy finally gets back on track?

In the latest figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, new housing approvals for the region jumped from 57 in January to 102 in February, a 79 per cent increase.

Master Builders Cairns regional manager Ron Bannah said he was delighted and pleased by the rise.
"This news is quite pleasing and it’s been a long time coming," he said.

"I think there’s a bit of confidence starting to return to our industry."

Mr Bannah said the figures bode well for the future.

"You’ve got to remember these people were making their decisions to build a home three or four months ago, before the state election, the local government election and well before the end of the financial year," he said.

Mr Bannah had not been expecting an improvement until about August, after the elections and the close of the financial year.

"This puts us in good stead... it’s a sign of better things to come.’’

Master Builders housing policy director Paul Bidwell said that for the first time since the Global Financial Crisis all regional areas recorded positive growth for total new residential approvals.

"It is particularly pleasing to note substantial increases in activity for regions like the Sunshine Coast and Far North Queensland, although it is difficult to know if these results are a meaningful upward trend or just a seasonal response to the traditional Christmas/New Year shutdown period," he said.

"These results are in line with the Queensland figures released earlier this month, which reveal that Queensland is performing better than the national average, with total dwellings approved rising by 13 per cent compared with a fall of 7.8 per cent nationally.

After months of hardship, though, Cairns builders were tentative to claim this is the start of a boom, with the State Government’s Building Boost Grant only available until the end of this month.

"...One of the main factors is that land has become more affordable too, especially in places like Gordonvale, Edmonton and Smithfield..."

"We’ve noticed a change in the past three to four weeks, but I know the $10,000 subsidy ends very soon," Austart Homes owner Phil Matthews said.

"We’ve decided to just keep doing what we’re doing and re-assess in the next six weeks.

"We’re not getting over-excited about it. We’re still well down and we’re not sitting there saying ‘Hallelujah it’s over’."

"But we have turned a corner and by the end of the year, I fully expect the building industry to swing, not back to where it was, but a definite improvement."

Dixon Homes managing director Andrew Thomas said the increase was spread across the region, not just in fast-growth areas.

"One of the main factors is that land has become more affordable too, especially in places like Gordonvale, Edmonton and Smithfield," he said.

"Overall conditions are improving. We’ve been doing a lot of work to ensure we put ourselves in good position."

The Cairns Post - Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Writer: Nick Dalton and Grace Uhr
Peter Musso licensed real estate agent at Ray White Cairns Beaches selling property in Cairns' beautiful northern beach suburbs including Trinity Beach, Kewarra Beach, Clifton Beach, Palm Cove, Trinity Park, Smithfield, Yorkeys Knob, Holloways Beach, Machans Beach, Caravonica and surrounds.

Taylor Point in Trinity Beach to Remain Pristine

A 25-year battle concerning Cairns' last remaining substantial coastal land site, Taylor Point in Trinity Beach, has concluded this week with the Planning and Environment Court ruling against the landowner to subdivide and develop the 18.8ha prominent headland.

The ongoing application for the development of Taylor Point has stirred fierce political and legal debate with great community support in favour of conservation for the site. Michael Moore's Cairnsblog.net provides an extensive account for the history of the site which can be viewed HERE.

Taylor Point not to be developed, court rules
The Cairns Post - March 31st 2012

TAYLOR Point will remain untouched by development after the council and local conservationists won their battle to protect Cairns' last pristine headland.

The Planning and Environment Court yesterday ruled against the respected landowner and developer Robert Prettejohn, who proposed to subdivide the 18.8ha outcrop and build 30 houses on the land.

Conservationists say the court’s decision warns developers that Cairns’ unspoilt hillslopes are off limits, but Mr Prettejohn says the ruling sets a damaging precedent for landowners.

Mayor Val Schier insists Cairns Regional Council should seize on the court’s decision and buy the land for conservation, with help from the State and Federal governments.

"We’ve finished with that 1970s and 1980s development at any cost, not giving a damn about the visual amenity, and the population is saying they want different sorts of development," Cr Schier said outside the court.

"People have said that they wanted this hillslope back for the people of Cairns."

Her council ruled against Mr Prettejohn’s development application in July 2010, despite council officers recommending his plans be approved.

Mr Prettejohn insisted his project would have had a minimal environmental impact and would not spoil the visual amenity of the northern beaches.

"People look at this as conservationists versus developer, but I’m a conservationist myself… and I thought I was doing exactly the right thing around Taylor Point," said Mr Prettejohn, who also developed the celebrated Thala Beach Lodge and Kewarra Beach Resort.

But Judge Bill Harrison dismissed Mr Prettejohn’s appeal after hearing three weeks of evidence, saying the residential development was out of line with "the very clear" town planning guidelines in Cairns.

Those guidelines were changed last year and Taylor Point was zoned mostly as conservation land, meaning only one house could be built on the site.

Mr Prettejohn said he would now consider his options for Taylor Point, including another application to develop the land, or taking the matter to the Court of Appeal.

Peter Musso licensed real estate agent at Ray White Cairns Beaches selling property in Cairns' beautiful northern beach suburbs including Trinity Beach, Kewarra Beach, Clifton Beach, Palm Cove, Trinity Park, Smithfield, Yorkeys Knob, Holloways Beach, Machans Beach, Caravonica and surrounds.