Aura is the largest mixed-use development ever undertaken under single ownership in Australia. Over the next three decades, Aura will grow to a similar size and scale to Maroochydore, Hervey Bay or Gladstone and will be home to around 50,000 people.
Environmental excellence
Sustainable communities respect, protect and restore the environmental systems that support them. They are resource-efficient and tread lightly on the planet.
At Aura in Caloundra South, more than 700 hectares, nearly one-third of the site, will be rehabilitated from decades of use as a former pine plantation and designated as a conservation area.
New habitats for rare and endangered flora and fauna species will be created with fauna underpasses at every major creek crossing.
Aura will feature the most advanced water reticulation, filtration, storage and treatment system ever installed in any Australian community. This will recycle water, minimise run-off and ensure the protection of the nearby Pumicestone Passage.
Annual environmental reporting will assess the development of Aura against stringent water quality and biodiversity measures.
Enhancing prosperity
Sustainable communities are prosperous. They drive business diversity, innovation, and economic development, and ensure a strong and resilient local labour market.
The Green Star – Communities rating tool encourages affordable housing, investment in education and skills development, and community capacity building; it also promotes enhanced productivity through the digital economy.
Stockland was rewarded for a dedicated Caloundra South economic development strategy that will target the creation of 19,500 direct jobs, creating long-term local employment opportunities. Stockland intends to invest $300 million in the first five years of development.
Using the latest hybrid designs for home and business premises, Stockland will seek to establish a strong community of home-based business entrepreneurs. Additional business innovation and incubator hubs will further stimulate the emergence of small businesses and boutique enterprises.
As part of its $5 billion Aura development, Stockland will make significant investments in essential services for the benefit of all residents on the Sunshine Coast. Kingsley Andrew, General Manager Queensland at Stockland, says: “Aura is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to develop a new city to the world’s highest environmental and liveability standards. We’re immensely proud of achieving a 6 Star Green Star – Communities rating for our Aura master plan. We’ll repay the confidence that has been shown by the local community and community groups and our many stakeholders in Local, State and Federal Government by delivering a project that exemplifies the finest qualities of environmental stewardship and sustainability, and helps to ensures the future economic prosperity of the Sunshine Coast."
Stockland’s 6 Star Green Star rating for Aura demonstrates that it is possible to undertake a development of unprecedented scale and achieve world class environmental and social outcomes.
Romilly Madew, Chief Executive Officer, Green Building Council of Australia
Educating the next generation
Creating a sustainable community requires more than green design and construction – it requires a commitment to sustainable behaviour. Stockland will establish an environmental education facility at Aura, and will host sustainability awareness programs to promote life-long learning among residents and local school children.“Our vision for the future of Australian education is one in which all students and teachers have access to sustainable places for learning, and all students and teachers can reap the benefits of happier and healthier education facilities,” says the GBCA’s Chief Executive Officer, Romilly Madew.
Healthy and active living
Sustainable communities are healthy communities. Green Star – Communities rewards projects that encourage healthy and active lifestyles, from good bicycle and pedestrian networks to access to fresh food.Aura will feature nine separate sporting grounds, numerous parks and playgrounds and a ‘people’s place’ and central park alongside a new town centre. All streets will have footpaths on one side to encourage pedestrian activity. All homes will be close to parks and other recreational facilities, and will be a maximum of one kilometre away from community vegetable gardens. “Stockland understands that it is shaping the future of a community for generations. This isn’t about simply bricks and mortar – it’s about creating a community that protects and enhances the natural environment, that is built for resilience, and that has people at its heart. Aura embodies the future of Australian communities,” Romilly Madew concludes.