General News
7 July, 2026
New lots on the block
CLOSE to 200 lots for rural and low-density residential development have been approved by the Mareeba Shire Council, during its recent ordinary meeting, setting the stage for the town’s future housing growth.
It comes as council is currently assessing a whopping 309 lifestyle blocks along Ray Road, Gallo Drive and Wylandra Drive.
“We are getting more and more applications, and I think it’s our liveability up here,” Deputy Mayor Lenore Wyatt said after the meeting on 17 June.
“There is absolutely demand for larger lots for lifestyle – we’re listening to them (buyers) – they don’t want to be living in a sardine can like in Cairns,” she said.
“We are growing here in Mareeba, we’re one of the fastest-growing shires in the region.
The four approved developments were dealt with in quick succession at the start of the council meeting with the first two applications to extend ‘The Rise’ rural residential estate along Catherine Atherton Drive.
The first proposal approved the reconfiguring and subdividing of 46.59 hectares into 48 lots in 3 stages (Stages 4 to 6). The lots have frontages of approximately 32 metres to Catherine Atherton Drive and 22 metres to Lee Sye Road and include kerbing and town water.
The second development will cover stages 7 to 10 and open up another 48 lots for The Rise Estate.
Cr Wyatt said the council was across the changing needs of developers to reconfigure lots to make it more affordable, and the win for buyers is access to homes on larger blocks.
“And because of the previous work we’ve done in asset management, we’ve been able to get big grants to be able to get (infrastructure upgrades) and all this pre-work is getting us prepped to be able to take on these developments.”
Council approved a third application to change a development approval and to extend the approval period for another four years.
Basky Investment Trust asked to reconfigure its development along Antonio Drive from 27 lots down to 21 lots and change the internal layout of the development in relation to the new internal access road.
The site is irregular in shape, has a total area of 3.204 hectares and is zoned Low Density Residential. It has approximately 157 metres of frontage to the Mareeba Connection Road and 153 metres frontage to Antonio Drive.
The development approval was set to lapse on 20 July 2026. No objections were raised and council agreed to approve the reduced lot number and extend the approval for another four years.
The final development approval at the meeting was an application by the Girgenti Group to reconfigure a lot on Tilse Street and on McIver Road into 79 lots, ranging from 1000 to 2000 m2, which will progress development of the Prestige Gardens Estate on the western side of Tilse Street.
As for the latest proposal before council, the development application by Wylandra Properties Pty Ltd considered in April this year has been extended as council seeks additional information in the form of a Stormwater Management Plan, which must specifically address impacts on the Ray Road drainage catchment and a “non-worsening” effect on downstream catchments.
The development over 141.5 hectares, would create 309 lots ranging from 3000 m2 up to 8428 m2 (with an average 4000 m2), making up the balance of the Wylandra Estate.
