Aquila Estate & Flying Club, a groundbreaking new $65 million residential community situated in Queensland’s Fraser Coast and providing its aviation-loving residents access to their very own private airstrip, started construction this week.
Officially launched by Fraser Coast Regional Council Mayor Cr George Seymour, the Aquila Estate & Flying Club development, with the formal title of an ‘airpark,’ is located 15 minutes from the town of Maryborough, giving homeowners their very own 850-metre asphalt runway, access to ‘open’ airspace, shared hangars, and targeted towards the 16,000 private owners across Australia of light aircraft and helicopters.
For the consortium behind the project, VRF Developments, this gated master-planned community with architecturally designed properties represents a long-held dream to bring the highly popular American concept of an airpark to the Australian market.
According to VFR Developments spokesperson Justin Miller, the Aquila Estate & Flying Club will showcase to the Australian market what the airpark concept can look like when brought to life, with a key focus on build-quality and bespoke amenities for residents—pilots and non-pilots alike.
“Our focus with the Aquila Estate & Flying Club is to bring to the Australian market a benchmark project when it comes to the concept of an airpark that is comparable to what are considered the market-leading sites in the United States, with the goal being to show what can be achieved from a design and lifestyle perspective,” Mr. Miller said.
“We project that only 40 percent of residents will be pilots with access to their own personal planes or helicopters; however, the lifestyle, location, and amenities on offer will be attractive to all buyers, whether they intend to live there permanently or have it as a holiday home. What makes it even more thrilling for us is the fact that our project is situated so close to Hervey Bay, providing residents access to the incredible natural amenities close by, including K’Gari/Fraser Island.”
Aquila Estate & Flying Club, situated at 45 Watson Road, Yengarie, Queensland, features 62 blocks with land sizes ranging from 2,400 m2 through 4,000 m2, spread over 50 hectares, with architecturally designed homes, a fully equipped clubhouse, and shared use hangars.
60 percent of the project sites have already sold, with prices for land starting at $315,000, with the estate having building governance around what you can or cannot build to protect the value of the homes and the overall estate by ensuring high-quality design and building standards are maintained.
To accommodate residents, only daytime flying is permitted at its location, which was selected due to the fact that it is one of the few locations on the East Coast uninterrupted by controlled airspace, meaning pilots are able to fly without going into controlled airspace, meaning no clearance is required prior to embarking on a flight.
For Justin Miller, today’s official launch means that the long-held vision of the development consortium is one step closer to coming to life, with the key partners being aviation enthusiasts outside of their roles in property.
“Today moves us one step closer to bringing our vision to life to show how, with the right level of planning, we put the runway as the centrepiece of the estate, while also showcasing that there is a market in Australia for this type of development,” said Mr. Miller.