Often only occurring within an individual city once per generation, genuine ‘game-changers’ are much more significant than a garden-variety infrastructure project.
In this report, Propertyology has identified 14 major projects from the past, each has been a significant game-changer to their respective city.
These projects do more than provide essential services.
When a bold vision to create something special is supported by funding and expertly executed, game-changing projects completely elevate a community to a new level in a variety of ways, including:
- create significant employment opportunities,
- create a world class major amenity,
- create a major ‘energy zone’ for local residents to enjoy, to grow the visitor economy and to promote the city’s profile,
- significantly improve accessibility to something which has very high demand,
- improving community connection, and
- generate large scale economic benefits on an ongoing basis.
The diversity of this collection of fourteen (14) major projects are great parcels of proof of how different initiatives can make a long-lasting major difference.
Among the 14 projects are:
- 2 x airports
- 2x stadium and integrated entertainment precincts
- 2 x major resorts (including an entire island)
- 1 x seaport
- 1 x safari-style zoo
- 1 x casino
- 1 x unique museum and cultural precinct
- 1 x major health precinct
- 1 x space agency and innovation hub
- 2 x major urban recreation and hospitality precincts
Propertyology has ranked the 14 projects in order of impact and long-term benefits to their respective city.
6 of the 14 projects are located in Queensland, 3 are in NSW, and Victoria is represented twice (including the top ranked project). South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia each have one project.
In the first of this 2-part research report, we highlight the game-changing impact of projects ranked 8th to 14th.
8 – TOWNSVILLE, QLD
For the first time in its 156-year existence, Australia’s 14th largest city finally had a world class stadium when the $300 million, 25,000-seat Queensland Country Bank Stadium was officially opened just as the pandemic started. During its first 4-years, the stadium had already boasted a year-round calendar of national and international sports such as rugby league, rugby union and soccer, along with several major concerts, including PINK. According to local economist, Colin Dwyer, “The stadium is putting bums on seats, heads into beds, buyers into local businesses, and promoting Townsville as a national and international event destination.” 230,000 people attended the stadium for 12 NRL games in 2024. Development of this game-changing infrastructure project has been directly responsible for unprecedented community connection, a regular stream of people visiting Townsville, significant investment into numerous new hospitality amenities and major job creation. Townsville’s pipeline of major projects to come is the most impressive list of projects in Australia.
9 – BENDIGO, VIC
Construction of the 700-bed Bendigo hospital was the largest ever infrastructure project in the history of regional Victoria. Completed in 2018 at a cost of $630 million, the world class hospital sits within a 13-hectare precinct that incorporates a variety of medical specialists, servicing the broader central Victorian region. Bendigo’s Health sector has evolved to become this major regional city’s biggest employer with 10,800 jobs in 2021, representing 19 percent of its workforce. The hospital project completion coincided with a major rail infrastructure upgrade 3-years earlier. With this enormous investment in game-changing infrastructure added to the outstanding lifestyle and affordable housing, this famous Gold Rush city is again one of Australia’s most popular cities. Over the 5-years ending June 2023, a whopping 4,300 people (net) migrated from other Australian cities to Bendigo (that’s a higher volume of internal migration than 6 out of 8 capital cities). Real estate in Bendigo saw 60 percent capital growth over the last 5-years.
10 – NOOSA, QLD
As recently as 1970, Noosa was little more than a tiny fishing village with a population of just 7,000. When the Sheraton Resort (now Sofitel Noosa Pacific Resort) opened in 1989, Noosa’s population had expanded 4-fold to 28,000 and its median house price was $100,000. Today, Noosa is one of Australia’s most popular tourism hotspots and with highly desirable real estate. The secret about the region’s natural attractions got out during the 1970’s and the local council (to their great credit) became very proactive with striking a balance between economic development, enhanced amenities and preserving the original appeal. During the 1980s and 1990s, council introduced population growth controls along with placing a ban on development of any building more than 4-storyes high. Development of the 5-star resort along the tourism strip of Hasting Street in 1989 was a massive game-changer for Noosa. In 2001, the foreshore of Noosaville underwent a beautiful redevelopment. By the time the resort was extensively renovated in 2013, the median house price had boomed 5-fold to $500,000. Today, Noosa is home to 59,000 people, housing is significantly more expensive than 7 out of 8 capital cities (median house price $1.3 million), more than 2 million people visit Noosa each year, contributing close to $2 billion to the local economy.
11 – ADELAIDE, SA
When Adelaide selected as the national Space headquarters several years ago, projections were announced for the industry to support 20,000 jobs and generate $12 billion per year by 2030. The brand-new Australian Space Agency is being progressively built on a 7-hectare CBD precinct, the site of the former Royal Adelaide Hospital. Stage One of the world class space innovation and technology hub opened in 2020 and is known as ‘Lot Fourteen’. The focus for the master planned precinct is on technology, innovation, entrepreneurship, Space and military research, education, culture, and tourism. Once fully completed, 70 percent of this exciting precinct will be publicly accessible and evolve into a major zone of human energy, innovation and economic development.
12 – TOOWOOMBA, QLD
When completed in 2014, Wellcamp Airport had become Australia’s first major airport development in 45-years. Identifying the enormous economic benefits through improved access to the Darling Downs region, the Wagner family privately funded the $100 million airport. International status was subsequently added to the airport. The initial objective was to capitalise on expansion opportunities in the region’s coal, gas and agribusiness. With Australia’s second largest inland city finally having a jet-capable airport, the Wagners subsequent investment in adjacent facilities included one of the biggest industrial parks in SE Queensland, a transport and logistics hub, a Boeing manufacturing facility and an aviation school.
13 – GOLD COAST, QLD
Originally branded Conrad International Hotel & Jupiter’s Casino, it became Queensland’s first casino when it opened at Broadbeach in 1985. A few major redevelopments later, ‘The Star’ now generates $2 billion revenue and attracts more than 12 million people annually to its resort, hotel, restaurants, bars and casino.
14 – BRISBANE, QLD
Located on the southern bank of the river, directly opposite Brisbane’s CBD, for decades this pocket was an industrial eyesore with derelict houses and a low socio demographic. During the 1970’s, gentrification progressively occurred with major developments such as the Queensland Cultural Centre, Queensland Art Gallery, the Queensland Museum, the Queensland Performing Arts Centre and the State Library. In 1988, this site hosted the highly successful World Expo ’88. Over the 4-years after World Expo, the state government executed a vision to develop Brisbane’s most important cultural precinct – South Bank Parklands. A man-made beach, piazza, Nepalese pagoda, a long boulevard, a major restaurant strip and vast areas of modern landscape transformed South Bank into a cultural precinct which now attracts 14 million visitors each year.
The Snowy Hydro Scheme is Australia’s best-ever project. Developed over a 23-year period (1949-1972), the major water and electricity infrastructure project is still regarded as one of the civil engineering wonders of the world.
Once completed, the Inland Rail Project will be the only other project in Australia’s 230+ year history to rival the Snowy Hydro Scheme.
While genuine game-changing projects are few and far between, there are several projects across Australia that are currently either under construction or in the planning stages and are of considerable interest to Propertyology’s buyer’s agents.
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To review Number 1 to 7 of Australia’s best game-changing projects click here.
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