New multi million dollar beachfront development hits Port Douglas
BUSINESS AND TOURISM
What was once a small, dirt road down Mitre Street and before the completion of the Palmer Sea Reef golf course, will soon become a beachfront enclave offering unique features in a pristine and secluded environment.
In fact, says developer David Lucas, it is near nigh impossible to develop absolute beachfront land on the east coast, as it is anywhere in the world.
Situated adjacent to the Sea Temple resort, the seven-acre site known to locals as Mango Beach – Lucas has owned the land since 2000 – is currently being transformed into a seven-lot beachfront enclave.
With its new name – The Beach Residences – Mr Lucas is offering distinctive beachfront living in the 21st century.
“You can enjoy the beach and sea without any of the anxieties or risks from climate change or storm surge.
“We have built up the site with more than 10,000 tonnes of fill which also provides a captivating elevated aspect towards the esplanade and Four Mile Beach,” he said.
He adds that this multi-million dollar development hasn’t been done before in Port where you have an exclusive enclave of solely beachfront lots with their own private road.
“It is unique, private and a great quiet environment in which to live.”
Mr Lucas is also bullish about 2020 and believes this is an exciting time for a development of this nature. “This is also possibly the last opportunity to purchase vacant and absolute beachfront land in Port Douglas.”
Mr Lucas has made every attempt to ensure local companies and tradespeople have been engaged in the project.
“We have a professional team working with us including Jacobs Engineering and FGF Developments, the main contractor, who has handled the complex site admirably.
“There is a lot of infrastructure to be built on site including storm water, NBN and a large sewer pump station.
“We have tried to use locals where possible including Papillon Landscapes, Kate Hewitt Landscape Design, MPDT Tree Services, Oakdare Quarries and Shade Structures NQ.”
No stranger to port, he and his wife Jane visited the town on their honeymoon in 1996 and were drawn by the old Sheraton Mirage ads showing the hotel and pools.
“We ended up spending our honeymoon week in local realtor Alan Crossman’s car looking at property and we bought Villa Hemingway on the Friday before we left.”
Lucas, a former mining director, has enough reasons to believe his venture will be well received.
“We like Port because it is always warm, relaxed with no traffic and crowds; we have great friends here; and it's full of eclectic and interesting locals who don't care who anyone is. The ‘Don't you know who I am’ attitude doesn't work in Port Douglas.
“It is a proper village and not man-made as a lot of tourist places are and has had time to develop slowly and retain its character along the way.
“It is still a great place to live or have a holiday house and always will be. There are very few safe and democratic places in the tropical latitudes to live in,” he said.
Mr Lucas said he had planning approvals since 2005, but changed them in 2014 to the current configuration of the beachfront enclave.
It has taken five years to obtain operational works approval because of the beachfront location and the necessity to gain approvals from the state government.
“We gained operational works approval in February 2018 and started work on 5 September this year.
“Douglas Shire Council officers have been extremely supportive along the way with planning and infrastructure, and any delays have been due to the exhaustive process of expert reports required for the location, which if you live here is a good thing,” said Mr Lucas.
“We do projects well and spend a lot of attention to the finer details and the same applies to this enclave.
“We want it to be the best it can possibly be. We have been in port for 23 years so we know what works best for living here and we are locals looking at the long term benefits of our development.”
Mr Lucas revealed that they have built in bio retention basins for all storm water so that any run off to the beach and sea is filtered and cleaned on its way in keeping with modern day environmental concerns.
The lots start at $1.75 million and prospective buyers will be able to inspect the land from the end of November onwards.
The lot sizes are: Lot 1 is 1074m²; Lots 2-6 are 860m²; and Lot 7 is 1184m².
Other features include:
• Private beachside vista and setting
• Treed outlook in all directions
• Use of full width road down Sagiba Avenue
• First class resort on your doorstep
• Palmer Sea Reef golf course across the road
• Elevated sites protected from storm surge
• Eco-friendly storm water technology
For further information contact John Laplanche: 0419 789 789.
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