What’s happening?
Lincoln Place has lodged plans with Mackay Regional Council for a new over-50s lifestyle estate on a 16.54ha elevated site at Peak Downs Highway and Kellys Road in Walkerston. The multi million investment includes an 8,800sqm clubhouse precinct with a grandchildren’s playground, a dog park and a long list of indoor and outdoor amenities.
Why it matters?
More than one third of Mackay locals are now over 55. Downsizers want to stay close to family while still having access to spaces that suit their needs and the needs of visiting grandkids. Lincoln Place CEO Paul Yeo said demand continues to outpace supply.
“Mackay is a growing regional centre and with more than one third of the local population aged over 55 years, we are focused on working closely with Council and the community to deliver quality, well priced downsizer housing in a market where demand is still significantly outpacing supply,” he said.
Local Impact
Once approved, construction will create jobs and add much needed housing supply in a region with strong downsizer demand. The masterplan also supports the growing trend of multigenerational living by offering spaces for families to gather, play and stay active.
By the numbers
The project gives a clear view of scale and lifestyle.
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The clubhouse and wellness centre will cover 1,950sqm, with indoor pools, gym, yoga studio, cinema and games spaces.
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The outdoor precinct will span 8,800sqm, with pickleball and bocce courts, a bowling green, lagoon pool, bar, kitchen and BBQ areas.
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A 2,400sqm community garden is included, plus RV and boat storage that meets strong local demand.
Zoom In
The wellness centre is set to include a lap pool, gym, yoga space, art studio and private 26 seat cinema. Residents will also have access to a golf simulator, library, lounge and dining areas. Outdoors, the lagoon pool and bar sit alongside courts, greens and open spaces. Yeo said the scale is one of their largest mixes of indoor and outdoor spaces.
“The amenities in the proposed Walkerston estate represent one of the largest indoor outdoor clubhouse precincts and wellness centres we’ve created,” he said.
The playground is new for Lincoln Place. “The inclusion of a children’s playground is a first for Lincoln Place and reflects the family focused approach to community design we are instilling in our estates,” Yeo said.
He added the dog park will help residents connect. “With many residents likely to be pet owners, we know dog parks are fantastic places to socialise and form friendships.”
Zoom Out
The estate will sit beside an existing neighbourhood, 16 minutes from the Mackay CBD, and close to shops and the Western Suburbs Leagues Club. Two and three bedroom homes, some with RV parking, aim to build a varied streetscape across native landscaped grounds. Lincoln Place operates communities home to more than 3,000 Australians under the land lease model.
“Land leasing has become a popular housing option in Australia and internationally, providing opportunities for the over 50s downsizer market to free up equity from the sale of their existing home,” Yeo said.
He also noted financial benefits. “The financial benefits available to residents within a Lincoln Place land lease estate include no entry or exit fees, no stamp duty, no body corporate fee or deferred management fees, and council rates are covered by the single weekly site rental that also covers the maintenance of the extensive lifestyle amenities provided within the estate. When you own your home, you keep any increase in its value, and you can pass it on to your family if you decide to sell or transfer it.”
What to look for next?
If planning approval is granted, civil works are expected to begin within 12 months, with the first residents moving in by 2027.
