First homes under construction at new Aura community

Construction has begun on the first homes at Stockland’s $5 billion Aura community on the Sunshine Coast as new land releases are made available to keen home buyers.

The homes are being built in Aura’s first suburb of Baringa and are steadily taking shape, with foundations being laid and frames going up. Over the next six months construction activity is expected to increase significantly as more homeowners start to see their dreams become a reality.

Work has also started on the Aura Display Village which will include a wide variety of state-of-the-art homes featuring a range of stunning designs from some of Queensland’s best builders.

Ben Simpson, Regional Manager for the Sunshine Coast at Stockland, said the first residents were expected to begin moving in around February next year.

“It’s extremely exciting for us to finally see the first homes being built at Aura after spending a decade planning this community,” Mr Simpson said.

“It’s the people who will live here that will turn our future city into a true community and we can’t wait to welcome our first residents at Aura early next year.

“This is one of many milestones that we have achieved this year and there’s plenty more ahead.”

The largest masterplanned community ever undertaken in Australia under single ownership, Aura was launched in October 2015.

In February this year, the State Government committed to building Aura’s first primary school with construction expected to begin in 2017.  Aura’s first major piece of infrastructure, the Aura Boulevard Bridge, was opened early last month, allowing public access to the community for the first time.

Aura home buyer Kale Piddington, 31, and his partner Cassandra Duncan will be one of the first residents to move into their brand new home early next year after starting work on their four-bedroom residence in November.

Mr Piddington, a Sunshine Coast carpenter who has been working on homes in the adjacent Bells Reach community, said he decided to build his very first home at Aura because he could see the potential of the future city.

“Our block is in a great spot right near the (future) shops and close to a park, in a secluded pocket,” Mr Piddington said.

“This community has a lot of potential and I’m looking forward to living here.

“It’s my first house and I’m building it myself and plan to do a lot of work over Christmas so we can move in as soon as possible.”

Stockland has just released a number of new land releases at Baringa to suit a range of budgets and lifestyles, from first home buyers to families needing more space to those looking for a low-maintenance lifestyle.

Land sizes range from 250 square metres to 576 square metres and prices range from $199,500 to $280,300.

First home buyers also have access to the State Government’s Queensland First Home Owners’ Grant, which is now worth $20,000 until June 30, 2017.

Aura will become the first new city in the nation to be designed and constructed to the world’s highest environmental and sustainability standards and has been accredited with a 6 Star Green Star – Communities rating from the Green Building Council of Australia.

For more information on Aura, go to www.cityofcolour.com, visit the Aura Sales and Vision Centre on Bells Reach Drive, Bells Reach or phone 1300 762 058. You can also keep up with the community’s progress on Facebook at www.facebook.com/auraqld.