Capestone plans a 10-year trajectory

June Cummings reports
 
The 230ha former cattle grazing property, bordering the Moreton Bay Marine Park, is being developed by Urbex the property development arm of one of the nations largest civil contractors Queensland-based BMD Group, and staged over 10 years.
Innovative, futuristic and flexible, Capestone will offer three different levels of residential density in a mix of 1700 homes in a master planned community, which has as its centre piece a 13ha active man made salt water lake. The village shops and community centre interact with the lake and the school.
Planning for the future, the urban design emphasises pedestrian and cycling permeability throughout - walk and ride to shops and the lake. Additionally, a park at the end of every street creates a through street network to park areas.
As 30% of the site is a flood plain, a lake system in the development was a natural determinant. A tributary running through the site connects into Saltwater Creek and into Moreton Bay. The 13ha lake has a pumped water system where salt water from Saltwater Creek is pumped into the northern end of the lake providing circulation and maintaining water levels. The water flows via gravity down to the southern end of the lake where it is discharged over a spillway back into Saltwater creek.
Downstream, is an embankment system, similar to an earth dam wall, which helps contain the lake water and support the spillway. Environmental management of the lake water is of paramount importance as Saltwater Creek is a declared fish habitat and part of the Moreton Bay Marine Park.
The large lake has been masterplanned to play a huge role in the amenity of the development with public access to all areas. At the town centre it has a hard urban edge with a system of linking boardwalks, parks and open spaces have more natural soft edges.
As much of the site is acid sulphate soils, the depth of the water in the lake is set at 3m to 3.5m to avoid water stratification, or the layering of water quality, which is driven by the temperature of the water. The large acid sulphate surface is about 1.5m AHD and the bottom of the lake 1.5m to 2m AHD. The lake water is tested at the spillway before discharge.
As the lake is a large open water body, it acts as a filter for stormwater, with the stormwater passing through grass swales and other infiltration zones, before entry.
The masterplan for Capestone contains extensive open space with almost 30% of the site parks and bushland, including a 100m wide conservation zone along Saltwater Creek. Due to degradation some 20ha of wetlands will be rehabilitated, taking up and replanting saltwater couch and enhancing the mangrove population.
Urbex is working with the Moreton Bay Regional Council and environmental authorities as the wetlands form part of an extensive regional conservation zone.
The active lake allows for canoeing, boating and incorporates an activity node with amphitheatre, parks and active recreation areas. Activity nodes are linked back into open space areas and the broader residential areas by tree lined boulevards. No fishing, swimming or motorised transport is allowed on the lake.
As there is acid sulphate soil on the site, about 1million cu m of earthworks will be pushed around in the making of Capestone.
Capestone has three key residential zones of different densities and character. They range from 12 to 15 dwellings per hectare with 600sq m blocks for freestanding family homes and 25 dwellings per hectare with smaller 300sq m to 400sq m blocks for attached housing and group titles. Two to three storey apartment buildings with 40 dwellings per hectare will be clustered around the town centre and future railway station. A rail corridor already exists on the site.
A hierarchy of streets is planned with some carrying buses. But generally streets are wider than standard with additional landscaping, to encourage safe walking and cycling and to assist in water quality and permeable surface water treatment.
Urbex will work with architects to create homes designed exclusively for the site and subtropical climate which emphasise environmental considerations. Orientation, ventilation, water conservation and shading will influence design along with tanks for water harvesting, which are mandatory in new Queensland homes. Homes on elevated sites will capture breezes and views. All public buildings and structures such as gazebos in parks will have solar power and water harvesting.
Catholic Education has already established a school at Capestone with grades 1 to 3, but will expand over time to year 12 with a student population of 1500.
Capestone is Urbexs largest and flagship development in south east Queensland. It is developing similar projects in Townsville and Georges Fair Liverpool Sydney and smaller releases in bayside Brisbane.
Capestone is planned with a 10-year lifespan, but getting started was a five year journey with the first development application lodged in 2004 and start of construction late 2008. The first residential product is planned to go to market in August this year.
Once stage 1 civil works are up and running, BMD Constructions will have about 40 employees plus four project staff on site with machinery 6 x 30t excavators, 9 x 20t excavators, 6 backhoes, 3 graders, 3 rollers and tip trucks.
For bulk earthworks, the machinery used is 16 Moxy dump trucks, 3 x 30t excavators, 3 x 20t excavators, 2 D6 swampy dozers, 2 x 815 compactors, 3 tractor scoops, 2 tractors with disc ploughs and spreaders, 3 water trucks and a grader.
To build the lake, machinery used is 16 Moxy dump trucks, 6 x 30t excavators, 3 x 20t excavators, 4 D6 swampy dozers, 5 x 815 compactors, 3 tractor scoops, 5 tractors with disc ploughs and spreaders, 4 water trucks, 3 graders, 2 x 6 pumps.