Registrations have opened for the upcoming first release of residential land at The Huntley project at Avondale.
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Official marketing for the 500-home estate, which will be built around an 18-hole championship golf course designed by golf entrepreneur Greg Norman, will start next week. But there have been plenty of early inquiries.
MMJ Wollongong residential sales director David Geary, who is selling the land component of the development, said he had been taking calls from prospective buyers from Canberra, Sydney and Newcastle.
‘‘There is already a buzz around this and we have been inundated with inquiries during the pre-release period,’’ Mr Geary said.
‘‘People are looking in that area for land and housing which will be high quality with a beautiful outlook.’’
The Huntley is being developed by the Visionary Investment Group, a Sydney-based company with strong connections to China.
The group, led by property magnate Michael Guo, has struck an agreement with Norman to develop the golf course, which is hoped will attract top tournaments on the Australian PGA tour.
The development, on a 455-hectare site, will include the golf course, 500 residential lots, 65 apartments and retail.
It will also be home to Australia’s first Greg Norman Golf Academy, a state-of-the-art training facility for golfers of all levels.
The development will further include a private clubhouse with dining areas, tennis courts, a driving range and golf pro shop.
Mr Geary said 23 residential lots would be released onto the market on September 26. But those interested in buying land could now obtain a registration number and confirm an expression of interest, which would secure them a spot in line on the day of the sale.
The initial release of 23 lots, ranging in size from 450 square metres to 500 square metres, start at $340,000.
Blocks in the sub-division will vary from 300 square metres to 2600 square metres, and will be gradually released in stages.
Mr Geary said the picturesque lots would have escarpment views and some would have direct golf-course outlooks.
‘‘Basically the backdrop from this estate is nature, because a lot of the surrounding land around the escarpment is environmentally protected,’’ he said.
Norman was also involved in The Vintage project in the Hunter Region. He designed the golf course there, which is also set in a residential community.
Since 1987, Norman has designed more than 70 golf courses on six continents.
‘‘The Huntley is the only golf course in the Illawarra area that Greg is involved in,’’ said Mr Geary. ‘‘Everything that he does is top quality and world class.’’
The former world number one golfer is also redeveloping Great Keppel Island, off the coast of Queensland, with property developer Terry Agnew.
The Huntley is being developed on land near the escarpment six kilometres west of Dapto, some of which was used in conjunction with the Huntley Colliery, which closed in 1989.
Mr Geary said cleanfill had been used to shape some parts of the golf course, and the residential component was on pristine land.
He said The Huntley estate was so large it would form its own precinct of high-quality housing, to be built within a design guideline framework.
The top-end development would attract domestic and international investors, he said.
‘‘Wollongong for a long time has been seen by some as a secondary city to Sydney, yet we are coming of age,’’ he said.
‘‘This is completely different to anything we have seen before in housing in Wollongong.
‘‘Its unique features are that it is being built around a spectacular golf course and surrounded by the beautiful landscape of the escarpment.’’
The land is being sold off-the-plan, and construction on roads and other infrastructure will start at a later date.