Citing traffic and flooding concerns, among other things, some local residents have expressed concerns over the proposal to build a large retirement living facility at the McLeod Country Golf Club in Mount Ommaney.
Designed by Marchese Partners in collaboration with Life 3A, the development would consist of five multi-storey buildings with 126 units in total.
The mix of two-bedroom, three-bedroom apartments, and penthouse units would surround a central communal open space featuring amenities like barbecue areas, a community garden, and landscaped seating zones. There will be 207 total parking spaces – 167 resident spaces and 40 visitor and staff spaces.
Photo credit: Marchese Partners/Life 3A
The project is slated to be constructed in two stages by developer Aura Holdings, pending approval.
Although many locals have welcomed the potential revenue source for club improvements, concerns have also been raised. Others have also criticised the length and height of the proposed structures.
Photo credit: McLeod Country Golf Club
Some worry the large buildings at the site could exacerbate existing traffic and flooding issues. The golf course was even forced to temporarily close after severe flooding in February 2022.
In response to concerns about flooding, planners emphasised the buildings would be constructed on an elevated section of the course at least 3 metres above flood levels.
Photo credit: Marchese Partners/Life 3A
Club president Diane Lally defended the plans, saying the leasing arrangement with Aura Holdings would provide vital capital for clubhouse and course upgrades, as well as a reliable income stream to ensure the club’s future viability.
The high-end retirement community would be operated by Aura Holdings, which is also behind the Somerset development in Indooroopilly and The Atrium in Lutwyche.
“The proposed Retirement Facility will provide significant benefits to the club, club members and local residents through its continued operation by providing a variety of indoor and outdoor recreation spaces in conjunction with the existing 18-hole golf course. The redevelopment of the site will provide additional funding for the club to undertake essential infrastructure upgrades on site, securing the long term feasibility of the MCGC,” planners wrote.
Planners highlighted that the proposal will cater to Brisbane’s ageing population, particularly those seeking independent living but not requiring full-time care and who want to remain independent.
They said the development will also help address the current housing shortage by allowing older residents to move out of their existing homes but stay in their neighbourhood. This would open up those homes to be occupied by other community members.
McLeod Country Golf Club is bringing Music Over The Green to Middle Park, with live music from Matthew Barnes and a delicious assortment of goodies from food trucks and the resident bar and bistro at the clubhouse.
Happening on Sunday, 9 October 2022, the golf club’s Music Over The Green will take place from 2:00- p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Photo credit: McLeod Country Golf Club/Facebook
Music Over The Green is one of the monthly events of the country club, aside from their food trucks fest. This event is open to all ages. Besides their superb greens and fairways, the golf course is supported by an outstanding clubhouse with a fully licensed bar and bistro.
To register your interest and learn more about Music Over the Green, visit the club’s Events Page.
About McLeod Country Golf Club
Photo credit: McLeod Country Golf Club/Facebook
Located at the base of Mt Ommaney only 15 km southwest from the centre of Brisbane (a 20-minute short drive from the city centre), the country club is an 18-hole golf course established in 1968.
The club’s facilities include a Par 71 (men), Par 74 (women), 18 hole Championship golf course, together with a range of practice facilities including, driving range, chip and bunker facilities and putting green.
The club remained an all-women’s club until late 2019, when the constitution was changed to allow men to become full members for the first time.
Centenary, as it is known today, consists of several suburbs namely, Jindalee, Mount Ommaney, Jamboree Heights, Middle Park, Westlake, Riverhills, Sumner, Sinnamon Park, and Seventeen Mile Rocks.
Do you know how and why Centenary was formed? Let’s take a look back at the historic past of Centenary and the origins of the names of its suburbs.
Photo credit: cshsoc.org.au
In 1959, Queensland’s Centenary Year, a land developer named Hooker Rex planned the Centenary project. The project was a suburban development proposal that included a number of neighbourhoods with their own services and facilities that are capable of providing for all the needs of its residents.
The development started with the purchase of farmland in 1960. The contract for 1,416 hectare-development was agreed upon by the Council in 1961.
Photo credit: Kgbo/Wikimedia Commons
The Centenary Bridge and Highway were among the most important parts of the development as it provided access to and from the city and the northern suburbs. Officially opened on 14 October 1964, the Centenary Bridge was financed by the developers while the Centenary Highway was built by the Brisbane City Council still at the developers’ expense.
The suburbs and industrial estates that were planned to be a part of the Centenary project were Jindalee, Jamboree Heights, Mount Ommaney, Riverhills, Westlake, Middle Park, and Sumner. Meanwhile, Seventeen Mile Rocks and Sinnamon Park were developed separately.
Photo credit: Facebook/Brisbane Retro
The development was under the management of a public company called the Centenary Estates Limited for six years. In October 1967, the private shareholders were bought out by the Hooker Corporation Limited and the entire project was once again owned by the corporation.
The Establishment of the Centenary Suburbs
Jindalee
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Jindalee is an Aboriginal word which means “bare hills”. The establishment of the suburb in September 1962 brought the first public transport in the area, a bus going to and from Oxley Station.
Among the earliest establishments in the district were the Jindalee Golf Course, Swimming Pool, Bowls Club and the Looranah St. shopping centre. With its well-established golf course, swimming pool, and sporting facilities, it wasn’t long before Jindalee became a centre for sporting activities.
Jamboree Heights
Jamboree Heights was initially a part of Jindalee. When the Boy Scout held it’s Eighth Australian Pan-Pacific Scout Jamboree in Brisbane, Hooker Centenary provided the site. Later on, the place came to be called Jamboree Heights.
The 50th Anniversary of that historic Jamboree was celebrated in Jamboree Heights in January 2018. During that time, the participants learned more about the first Queensland Jamboree in 1967-1968.
Mount Ommaney is considerably larger than Jindalee and Jamboree Heights. Despite the sloping nature of the terrain in the area, Hooker Centenary was able to develop a number of “Private Courts” in Mount Ommaney in January 1970, a feat considered a first in Australia.
Photo credit: www.mcleodgolf.com.au
Each private court contains approximately seven homes, each with their own private entrance and shared private ownership of internal roads and nature strips.
Mount Ommaney became a prestige homesite that offers excellent views of the mountains and the city.
The suburb is also home to the first women’s golf club in Australia, the McLeod Country Golf Club, which was completed in 1969. The original golf club was comprised of 9 holes and a clubhouse. It was later extended to a full complement of 18 holes in 1971.
Riverhills
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Riverhills is named for its ideal location offering sweeping panoramic views of the Brisbane River. In January 1973, it was mainly marketed by the developer as a suburb for young people with young families, designed with a cul-de-sac concept that focuses on having a quiet environment with lots of privacy. Many of its streets were named after rivers, lakes, and other waterways of the world.
Westlake
Photo credit: raywhitecentenary.com
Westlake was named by the developers in June 1973 for its nine-hectare freshwater lake. The developers maximised the landscape to give most of its homesites a view of the vast lake.
Sumner
Sumner was named after the Sumner family who had been farmers and landholders in the area. Though the name was originally given to a road, the suburb later adapted the name in 1969.
Seventeen Mile Rocks
Photo credit: Google Street View
The Seventeen Mile Rocks suburb used to include Sinnamon Park in 1975 as it extended farther west. With the development of Sinnamon Park, the boundaries of the suburb changed and currently, part of the Edenbrooke Estate is in Seventeen Mile Rocks and part in Sinnamon Park.
Seventeen Mile Rocks have gone through several developments under different estate developers namely ECOSSE Investments Pty Ltd, BMD Constructions, Baldwin-Riverlands, and Verandah.
Middle Park
Middle Park was strategically named by the developers in July 1976 to reflect its location in the middle of the Centenary Suburbs. The area offers northerly views of the McLeod Country Golf Club.
Sinnamon Park
In 1989, Sinnamon Park was developed originating from the suburb Seventeen Mile Rocks. The new suburb was named after the family of James Sinnamon and Margaret, who were the pioneer European settlers in the area.
Photo credit: monumentaustralia.org.au
Today, Sinnamon Park houses a memorial dedicated to Thomas Macleod to celebrate his historic flights on 22 December 1910.
These are the historical origins of the names of the Centenary Suburbs. To have a deeper grasp on the history of Centenary, visit Centenary Suburbs Historical Society Inc.
