Interview with the Development Director at Elliot Springs Simon Walker

What does your role involve?

“I’m the Development Director, responsible for the delivery of the Elliot Springs project in Townsville. This involves working with a great bunch of people, including our growing community to facilitate the delivery of the Elliot Springs community. This involves planning and delivering allotments, streets, and parks. We focus on activating the physical assets we create, enabling social and economic connections to allow the community to prosper. “ 

“On completion Elliot Springs will be home to more than 26,000 people and will include a town centre, 4 neighbourhood centres, 6 school sites, including 4 primary school sites, a P-12 site and a high school site, a 60ha business park and over 500ha of open space including district, neighbourhood parks and a conservation ridgeline, which will be activated by hiking and bike trails.”

“Delivering the Elliot Springs project requires a lot of collaboration with all stakeholders, including all levels of government, expert consultants that are leaders in their respective fields and the community, so that we gather as much information as possible to create the best development possible that will evolve and thrive.”

What construction/development works are currently underway at Elliot Springs?

“We currently have 71 new residential lots under construction in our Aspect neighbourhood. 39 lots will reach completion prior to the Christmas break, with the balance including the Elliot Springs Boulevard extension to be completed early in the New Year. We also have a reservoir under construction, which on completion will provide water security for the growing community of Elliot Springs and the surrounding community.”

What can residents expect in terms of any interruptions, disturbances, or changes to the community (ie. walking trail or road closures, noise etc.)?

“Due to the current construction of the reservoir, unfortunately we’ve had to close our existing walking trails. However, we are taking advantage of this time with restoration works of the existing trails and new trails to be developed following the wet season. Based on our current program we are forecasting the reservoir and new trail networks to open in Spring 2023.” 

Is there anything the Lendlease team is doing to reduce these impacts on locals?

“We are continuing to ensure that dust mitigation is a priority, by instructing our contractors to have water trucks on-site and running at all times. We have also implemented several protocols including limiting speed on non-sealed areas, limiting access near residents and properties where possible, and hydro-mulching and binding areas that are completed and are not required to be disturbed to allow ground cover to form. As Elliot Springs is a development site, noise and dust control requires ongoing management and if our residents have any concerns, please feel free to reach out to the Development Team.”  

In terms of resident safety, what should residents do to stay safe during expansion? Is there anything they should be aware of?

“The key for residents and the community is to not to enter our construction zones as there’s a lot of hazards on our construction sites that may not be detected by an untrained eye. All our sites are fenced and signed posted, and we ask people to obey these restrictions. Moving forward, we are planning events during construction to allow the community to visit our construction sites as we recognise the excitement of seeing new stages and infrastructure as it’s delivered. It’s important for appropriate controls to be in place for these site inspections, as safety is our number one priority in the delivery of the Elliot Springs community,” says Simon.