Are you in the market for a slice of Far North Queensland paradise from which you can launch your spaceships? You’re in luck.
Utingu, an 88ha parcel of freehold oceanfront land on the western side of Cape York peninsular, is being marketed as a prime location for a spaceport.
Queensland Sotheby’s International Realty is selling the property “that meets multi-use spaceport requirements in terms of location, infrastructure, a diverse scope of capabilities, and strategic considerations”.
Marketing agent Lynne Malone said since the 1900s, the land, which is not affected by native title, had only five owners and had not been on the market for almost 25 years.
To entice would-be space explorers, the marketing collateral sets out the advantages of the site, such as proximity to the Equator, sparse population, clear airspace and dark skies and stable weather patterns, outside of the cyclone season.
Ms Malone said Australia had a significant presence in the global aerospace sector, however, securing land, especially freehold land, suitable for a commercial multi-user space facility was challenging.
“To my knowledge, Utingu is the only significant freehold land in northern Cape York. It is also the Australian mainland’s closest land to the Equator,” she said.
Ms Malone said approvals were in place for 67 multi-use buildings ranging from accommodation and recreation to maintenance hangars and a heliport.
She said phase one building works were complete and operational for the 440 sqm Utingu Lodge, a 420 sqm maintenance hangar, helipad, gazetted road approval, along with supporting infrastructure and utilities.
“Initially, it was thought that Utingu was likely to be purchased by an eco-resort developer. Now, with prospective buyers in the space industry, the DA approvals currently held can be repurposed to suit the next owner’s requirements, subject to Council approval,” Ms Malone said.
She said Utingu had a long history of pioneering achievements, including Australia’s first coconut plantation in the late 1800s.
“Now, it has the opportunity to transform into one of the world’s only two commercial equatorial multi-user spaceports,” she said.
“Its equatorial position provides a distinct advantage in attracting the space, defence, and surveillance sectors, respectively. The vast size of the land parcel allows for a diverse portfolio of capabilities and tenancies as a multi-user space facility.”
If you’re interested you can lodge an expression of interest before July 1 and private inspections are available from May 27.
