Aquila Estate & Flying Club on the Fraser Coast was officially opened for business today, intending to emulate the US tradition of private airparks.
The estate is located 6 nm west of Maryborough in QLD, and is built around an 850-metre sealed runway with a planned 62 residential lots and a flying club attached to the $65 million development.
Justin Miller, spokesperson for the consortium behind the estate, VRF Developments, said Aquila Estate will show the Australian aviation community what the airpark concept can look like when developed with a key focus on build-quality and bespoke amenities for residents.
“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,” he said.
“We project that only 40% of residents will be pilots with access to their own personal plane 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.”
Located at 45 Watson Road, Yengarie, QLD, Aquila Estate contains 62 blocks with land sizes ranging from 2400 m2 through to 4000 m2, spread over 50 hectares, with architecturally-designed homes, a fully equipped clubhouse along with shared use hangars.
Thirteen sites have already sold, with prices for land starting from $315,000. The estate retains governance around what owners can and cannot build to protect the value of the homes and the overall estate by ensuring high-quality design and building standards are maintained.
Airparks, well entrenched in the US GA culture, have not been able to gain a substantial foothold in the Australian market, with most attached to existing airports and developed by local councils. Some, such as Rylstone in NSW, and White Gum in WA, have been privately developed with varying levels of success.
More information on Aquila Estate & Flying Club is on the estate website.