Mackay Waterfront hits exciting milestone

An ordinary meeting of council today accepted a tender response including detailed proposals for the Mackay Waterfront sites from the ReNew Mackay consortium.

Authority has now been delegated to council’s CEO Michael Thompson to finalise, execute and take all steps necessary under any agreement with Renew Mackay (Projects) Pty Ltd.

A confidential report was considered in committee (excluding the public) today due to commercial in confidence information it contained.

But after the meeting was re-opened and the resolution carried, Mayor Greg Williamson said it was an exciting milestone for the Mackay Waterfront Priority Development Area (PDA).

Mayor Williamson said council was currently out to tender for public realm works it planned to undertake between Bluewater Quay and Mackay Fish Market.

But he said this tender accepted by council today marked the start of private investment to help rejuvenate the Riverside and City Centre precincts in the PDA.

“This request for detailed proposals outlines a way forward for private investment in catalytic developments on key council-owned sites.

“Importantly, the agreement is a commercial arrangement for council and will set out timeframes by which the developments have to be undertaken to help ensure this transformation happens in the short to medium-term.

“There are also provisions addressing public car parking through any developments.”

Council first called for Expressions of Interest (EOIs) for the development of six council-owned sites in 2020, including:

• Corner of Gregory and River streets (currently used as a car park)
• 12-18 Wood Street (currently the vacant former Retravision building)
• 1-5 Wood Street (currently vacant land only around former Pioneer Shire Building)
• Corner of Brisbane and River streets (currently used as a car park)
• 8 River Street (currently a building with lessees)
• 6 River Street (now vacant land only).

During the EOI, seven submissions were received and, from that, two companies – local consortium ReNew Mackay and Sentinel Group Holding, were shortlisted.

Sentinel subsequently opted to not respond to the request for detailed proposals tender but ReNew Mackay did.

Mayor Williamson said requirements of a staged approval application needed to be approved by council before the developer could start any works.

But he said today’s acceptance of ReNew Mackay’s detailed tender proposal provided the developer with some certainty to undertake such planning and design, including master planning.