General News
30 September, 2025
More residential growth for Mareeba
GROWTH on the eastern side of Mareeba will continue, with a total of 58 new low-density residential lots across three stages as an extension of Amaroo Estate approved by Mareeba Shire Council.
The estate has around 330 residential lots developed to date, with many more in the pipeline.
“Opening up land for housing on that side is a good thing, it’s positive growth for Mareeba,” Mayor Angela Toppin said.
But the subdivision will not get an exciting feature proposed by the developers, BTM & S Stankovich Pty Ltd, after council rejected a plan to create an adventure-style “Ninja Warrior” agility park to provide an exciting fitness course and activities for residents.
The developers proposed that in lieu of paying council $148,262 for the parks and open space component of the infrastructure charges, they would construct a playground in Karobean Park.
In a report to council, the developers advised they had paid council more than $5 million in infrastructure charges from Amaroo Estate and associated developments since 2007, and of this, more than $1.2 million had been collected as the Parks and Open Spaces contribution.
“It should be said, BTM & S Stankovich have always accepted the need to pay these contributions as we are in the mindset that contributions are vital in ensuring the long-term sustainability and development of infrastructure servicing the ratepayers of the Amaroo community,” the developers stated.
“However, we note that to date, very little of these contributions have been invested back into the Amaroo community which is located within the fast-growing eastern corridor of Mareeba.
“We acknowledge and appreciate, following over 10 years of advocating, Mareeba Shire Council has recently committed to design and construct Stage 1 of the new ‘Mareeba East Destination Park’ located fronting the Amaroo Estate on the corner of Karobean Drive and Hastie Road.
“However, we are of the understanding that existing Parks and Opens Spaces contributions will not be used for Stage 1 as external funding was secured for this project.”
Council officers rejected the playground proposal on the grounds that it would be inconsistent with the way it collects and uses infrastructure charges from other developers throughout the shire; the park was not listed as “trunk infrastructure” so it would be unlawful to develop the park in lieu of providing the infrastructure funds to council; and maintaining the park “would place additional, unplanned maintenance costs on council’s expenditure budget”.
The council approved the two applications from BTM & S Stankovich – one for 33 residential lots, including a public park, to be created over two stages.
Stage 14B will feature 14 lots along the continuation of Allambee Close in the north-east corner of the estate, while Stage 15 will create 19 residential lots, one new road (Alkira Court) and one park allotment, and would link the existing disconnected eastern and western ends of Karobean Drive.
A second application was for Stage 16 which will develop 16.21 hectares (Lot 500) into 25 lots. It will include a continuation of Pontos Place and introduce two new cul-de-sac streets, Itiah Court and Dolie Court.
One submission was sent to council by property owners from a neighbouring site that borders onto three of the residential lots.
It said stormwater issues that would impact their property, as well as the “large diversity of wildlife” that existed in Cobra Creek – “one of the few remaining wildlife corridors in the area to the Barron River”.
“Living in and around our property we have Northern spotted quolls, frill-necked lizards, tawny frogmouth owls, pythons, many species of birds, and other aquatic creatures, all because of this creek,” the submission said.
The submission said stormwater and discharges were channelled into the creek from the Cobra Estate, the Rise Estate, and Amaroo, which increased the risk of flooding and worsening already eroded gullies.
In a report to the meeting, council officers advised that conditions associated with the approval would mean that all stormwater for Stage 16 be directed to the east and north-east.
“This will see the stormwater from Stage 16 directed to a larger existing seasonal watercourse currently responsible for draining most of Amaroo Estate into Cobra Creek and not through the submitters’ land,” the report said.
“The applicant/developer must take all necessary steps to ensure a non-worsening effect on surrounding land as a consequence of the development.”
