By NIKKI TODD
TWEED Shire councillors will tonight (Thursday) consider an application to rezone land at Border Park Raceway at Tweed Heads to make way for a new Bunnings retail complex.
Don Fox Planning (DFP), on behalf of the Bunnings Group, has lodged an application with council, seeking to rezone the site from its current 6B open space recreation zoning to a B7 business park zoning with a height limit of 15m.
The rezoning would allow the developers to pursue, via the usual development application process, a proposal to construct a new Bunnings warehouse at the site which sits on the Queensland-NSW border.
The 11.4 ha site, adjacent to the Gold Coast Highway across the road from the airport, is currently home to Tweed Heads Coursing Club, also known as Border Park, which holds weekly greyhound racing meets.
Under the proposed plans, the raceway would be relocated to the south-eastern corner of the site, allowing the club to retain its racing activities and putting an end to earlier proposals to relocate to Murwillumbah.
Club secretary manager Stephen McGrath said the current proposal was a win-win for the club, offering it financial certainty while allowing it to upgrade to a TAB course at its current location.
“We get to stay put, where we have been for 30-odd years, sell off the excess land for the place and it gives us security for the rest of the club’s future,’’ Mr McGrath said.
“It has always been our preference to stay where we are.’’
Mr McGrath said the new greyhound track would maintain its size, but excess land, which currently includes a disused trotting track, stables, parking and the old clubhouse, would be sold off.
He said if the development approvals were granted without a hitch, he hoped the rebuild would be underway within a year.
“At the end of the day, this is the lifeline that the club needs,’’ Mr McGrath said.
“It needs to be modernised and needs to go to a TAB track when it will go out on SKY racing all around Australia which would be not only a benefit to us but a benefit to the local area.’’
The proposal also includes construction of additional retail showrooms, takeaway food outlets and a tavern and/or liquor outlet all to be accessed via a new intersection on the Gold Coast Highway.
Bunnings chief operating officer Peter Davis said the development was still in the very early stages.
“The development is in the very early planning stages and Bunnings looks forward to working closely with council throughout this process,’’ Mr Davis said.
“No decision has been made on whether the new store would replace the existing Bunnings at Tweed Heads (South).’’
At 16,000 sqm, the new Bunnings is expected to be far larger in size than the current outlet at Greenway Drive, comparable to some of the mega stores in Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
Tweed Mayor Barry Longland said while the application would be subject to due process, the proposal had real merit.
“This Bunnings opportunity that is on the table is one that I think is worthy of consideration,’’ Cr Longland said.
“It could be a good thing; there are jobs and economic activity attached to it which would be beneficial particularly given its location right next to the highway.’’
The Bunnings Group expects between 413 and 612 jobs to be created once all stages are complete.
