Stockland completes first stage of Bells Creek Arterial Road - the gateway to Aura

Stockland and the residents of Aura, Bells Creek, Bellvista and the surrounding community celebrated a major milestone today with the practical completion of the first stage of the $115 million Bells Creek Arterial Road, the new gateway to Aura.

Kingsley Andrew, Queensland General Manager at Stockland was joined by The Hon. Mark Bailey, Minister for Main Roads, Road Safety and Ports and Mayor of Sunshine Coast Council, Cr Mark Jamieson to unveil the new 2.8 kilometre section of the road, extending south from the Caloundra Road and Kawana Way Roundabout.

Today’s event celebrated the completion of the road’s construction. A final road safety and compliance assessment by the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads will now take place, before being officially opened to traffic.

Kingsley Andrew said: “We are very proud to officially unveil the first stage of Bells Creek Arterial Road on schedule, as promised. This is the most significant piece of infrastructure to be delivered by Stockland at Aura to date and a huge milestone for this rapidly growing community, perfectly timed to coincide with the first residents starting to move in.”

“This new road will help to alleviate traffic congestion on Bellvista Boulevard as well as improve the everyday convenience and quality of life for current and future residents and visitors to the Aura, Bells Reach and Bellvista communities,” added Mr Andrew.

Aura is Australia’s largest ever masterplanned community under single ownership and has been identified as a Priority Development Area of the Sunshine Coast in the South East Queensland Regional Plan (SEQRP).The arterial road forms part of a $1.3 billion Infrastructure Agreement between the Sunshine Coast Council, the Queensland Government and Stockland to support the growth of the future city.

Stockland has invested $30 million in the first stage of the new road which opens up a vital second access for the existing communities of Bells Reach and Bellvista as well as creating the main access into Aura’s first suburb of Baringa.

The new arterial road will also reduce travel time and improve the local community’s access to the world class health, commercial and education hub of Oceanside, which will see the new $1.8 billion Sunshine Coast University Hospital open in March 2017.

Alongside the arterial road, Stockland has created a separated, dual-purpose bike and walking path, which will ultimately connect to a growing network of paths within Aura, linking homes with local schools and the first village centre at Baringa and supporting active living across the wider community.

As part of this commitment to creating a more liveable city, Stockland will build more than 30km of major roads, a 200km bike network, 10 separate sporting grounds, parks and playgrounds, and provide land for 20 schools and education centres and 25 community facilities.

Local Sunshine Coast firm, Shadforths Civil Contractors is managing the delivery of the first stage, with more than 200 employed in the construction of the works. During the construction of the road, existing vegetation between adjacent properties and the road corridor has been retained, and an acoustic barrier along a section of the road was also constructed to attenuate road noise.

As the entry statement to Aura, the ‘City of Colour’, Stockland has invested in bringing colour and greenery to the new arterial road with 50,000 new plants at the forefront of the road entryway as well as a sculptural entry statement, backlit with LED lighting.

The following two major stages of the Bells Creek Arterial Road will be developed over the next ten years as the Aura community grows. Upon completion, it will become the major arterial road running through Aura, the City of Colour, and ultimately connecting to the recently completed Bells Creek Interchange on the Bruce Highway.

Kingsley Andrew continues, “Upon completion, Aura will be home to more than 50,000 people and contribute more than 20,000 jobs to the Sunshine Coast region. We’re committed to ensuring that Aura has the road, walking and cycling infrastructure to help residents access jobs, homes and services within the town and connections more broadly with the Sunshine Coast region.”

Over the next 30 years, Stockland will create more than 20,000 new homes at Aura as well as a thriving city centre and retail hub, South Bank style urban parkland, elite sporting and performance precinct, numerous schools and education centres, and two business and enterprise parks.

Note: A public opening date for the Bells Creek Arterial Road will be announced separately following final Road and Safety inspections.