Privately-owned developer Orchard Property Group has taken the wraps off its latest project with the launch of the 502-lot, $105 million Aurora project in the heart of Ipswich’s booming southern corridor.
With construction well underway, the 63 homesites in the first release of Aurora Ripley will be completed and registered in September, providing buyers with access to the Federal Government’s $25,000 HomeBuilder grant.
The first release at Aurora includes homesites ranging in size from 362sqm to 600sqm (median size of 420sqm) and prices starting from $186,000. House and land packages are available from $399,844.
Orchard Property Group Managing Director Brent Hailey said the Aurora project was expected to benefit from the growing demand for large, affordable homesites close to a number of major employment hubs.
“Over the last decade, Ripley has emerged as one of the hidden gems in the Ripley Valley growth area with schools, shopping and recreation facilities all just a short drive away,” he said.
“The new Ripley State School has quickly gained a strong reputation since it was opened in 2016 and is just a few minute’s drive from Aurora.
“The suburb has been in the shadow of the larger Ripley area for many years, but its proximity to the Ipswich CBD, Amberley RAAF base and other employment hubs has established it as property hotspot in its own right.”
Ipswich is the fastest-growing region in Queensland, with annual population growth of more than 4 per cent with 70 per cent of that growth occurring in the region between Ipswich CBD and Springfield.
The rate of growth has prompted new Ipswich City Council Mayor Teresa Harding to make a submission to Infrastructure Australia in support of a 25km public transport corridor between Ipswich CBD and Springfield Central, including a new station at Deebing South.
Ripley has been one of the fastest growing suburbs in Ipswich over the last decade, growing from a population of 344 at the 2011 census to 2,023 by 2016. This is expected to continue to grow exponentially over coming years.
Mr Hailey said Orchard was expecting strong demand for the project with the HomeBuilder grant and the State Government’s first homebuyer grant providing plenty of incentive for buyers.
“The HomeBuilder grant has been a strong driver of demand for new land since it was announced in June and we would expect that to continue right up to the deadline at the end of December.”
The HomeBuilder grant provides eligible owner-occupiers, including first home buyers, with $25,000 towards the construction of a new home where the contract is signed before 31 December, 2020. Construction must commence within three months of the contract date.
Combined with the State Government’s $15,000 grant, first home buyers now have access to $40,000 in grants.
Aurora was made possible by a $7.2 million Catalyst Infrastructure Program grant from Economic Development Queensland (EDQ) to undertake a major upgrade of Binnies Road, Ripley, to provide access to the site.
The Binnies Road upgrade also provides access to the proposed $1.5 billion Ripley Town Centre, giving Aurora residents the options of two major shopping precincts with the Yamanto Central development to the west due to open in mid-2021.
“The upgrade of Binnies Road means we are able to open up a previously untouched part of the suburb which will allow us to create a private enclave of serene streets perfectly located close to everything,” Mr Hailey said.
Orchard acquired the 34-hectare site at 160 Daleys Road, Ripley, late last year from a group of investors for $11 million. The acquisition takes Orchard’s total pipeline of lots owned and under control to more than 2,000 across five different projects around South East Queensland. The site included an existing Development Approval for a new masterplanned community.
Mr Hailey said the company had long-held ambitions to acquire a site in the Ripley PDA.
The Ripley Valley PDA, located about five kilometres south-west of the Ipswich CBD and around 50 kilometres from Brisbane CBD, was declared a PDA in 2010 and covers 4,680 hectares.
“The Ripley Valley is one of the largest urban growth areas in Australia and will eventually be home to a new city nearly as large as Toowoomba with a population of 120,000 people and 50,000 new homes,” he said.
“The PDA has been an incredibly successful since it was declared in 2010 and our expectations are that it will continue to grow for the foreseeable future.”
The new project will be Orchard’s second largest, following the launch earlier this year of the
650-lot, $120 million Pebble Creek project at South Maclean. The company recently completed sales at PineVue @ Maudsland (110 lots) and has active projects at Ormeau, Narangba and Caboolture.
VIDEO SOURCE: The Urban Developer