ABOUT ROBINA GROUP
Robina Group (incorporating Robina Land Corporation) pioneered sustainable development on the Gold Coast for more than four decades and was a driving force in Robina’s success. A key stakeholder in this vibrant growth and cultural transition, the Group met the challenges of a long-term pioneering project to achieve recognition as one of Australia’s most successful and multi-awarded developers. These achievements were based on sustained quality, fine detail and big picture planning.
The results are now icons, including Robina Town Centre, The Rocket/Wharf precinct, Riverwalk precinct, Robina Automall and Easy T Centre, CityVillage, Botanique, the M1 Business Precinct including CityPods and M1X Energy Centre, Vue Terrace Homes and many more.
A SENSE OF PLACE WITH EVERY PRECINCT, DEVELOPMENT AND SPACE
Robina Group delivered exciting and practical assets for people, businesses and community, in an innovative way that created opportunity for residents and workers alike, while maximising physical space.
Robina Group worked sympathetically with the environment long before sustainable development changed the way we think about human impact on the natural world.
Robina’s picturesque connectivity and walkability is testament to this guiding principle.
ROBINA’S MILESTONES
The vision, progress and planning to create a truly liveable and thriving new urban destination.
For the first 15 years, Robina Group was principally involved with large-scale subdivision. Its planning arm (which also consulted to land owners around Australia and overseas) designed each of Robina’s districts, creating landmark greenspace, vibrant streetscapes, city connectivity and pioneering new forms of residential community, for which it won many awards.
The Queensland Government’s regional planning scheme envisaged a significant commercial centre in the Robina area since the 1970s. As South East Queensland’s population growth began to exceed all projections and Gold Coast City and Albert Shire were merged to form Australia’s sixth largest city, the intended role of Robina as a commercial centre took on even greater significance.
Robina’s planning scheme was encapsulated in an Act of Parliament and Robina was given Principal Activity Centre status within the regional economic planning scheme.
Robina Group’s large civil engineering team commenced construction of its major lake and road infrastructure, together with homesites ranging from 400 square metres in zero-lot green-street projects to large waterfront blocks accommodating luxury mansions.
Hundreds of homesites were sold to builders and end-users each year and these completed residential precincts are now highly sought-after, with a median house price well over that of Gold Coast City as a whole.
The Group kept delivery of Robina’s trademark greenspace in-house, growing all trees and plant stock at its giant commercial nurseries, maintaining a large landscaping and estates division.
Robina Group maintained a momentum of pioneering development through every major boom and economic upheaval to deliver both a city suburb brimming with 30,000 people and a thriving business district for a high growth region.
In 1991, Robina Group engaged Robert Lamb Hart from New York to create the masterplan for Robina’s central business district, and two years later commissioned top Californian retail and entertainment architect John Jerde to design Robina Town Centre, the super-regional mall that would launch CBDRobina.
The $360 million Robina Town Centre was developed by Robina Group in partnership with Commonwealth Funds Management. It was the largest retail and leisure development ever built in one stage in Australia and is now one of the largest centres in Queensland.
Robina Group invested a further $100 million in CBDRobina’s roads, waterways, green space and other infrastructure.
State Government also made massive infrastructure investments in Robina, building high volume highway interchanges, a large full-service hospital, and a heavy rail connection with Brisbane and Brisbane International Airport.
From the launch of CBDRobina to completion, Robina Group turned over in excess of $1.2 billion, delivering a range of innovative medium to high density residential, commercial and office developments.
CBDRobina is now a thriving and vibrant city centre with a catchment of more than half a million people living within a 20-minute drive.
Between 1980 and 2022, the Group delivered more than 10,000 homesites, 1,500 apartments and townhomes, several retail centres, over 50,000sqm of office space as well as significant city infrastructure.
Robina/Varsity Lakes is now the premiere Gold Coast City office precinct and as at the date of writing, is home to over 150,000sqm of office space (and growing). Vacancy is consistently low in this sought-after precinct, with sustained take-up underpinning ongoing development of new commercial accommodation.
Robina Group’s final residential development, sold out in 2022, was the highly successful Vue Terrace Homes.
DEVELOPING A VIBRANT COMMUNITY TO ENDURE
Robina is a vibrant destination, developed from a self-created masterplan, with an initial development phase life-span of more than forty years.
Robina Group developed buildings that strike a balance between form and function, representing a mix of architectural merit, human comfort and lifestyle or workstyle amenity (including pride of association), sustainability of materials usage and ongoing operation, minimised impact on natural systems, efficiency of construction, and profitability.
It is envisaged that the many lessons learned from the real world application of Robina’s planning philosophies will now continue through new stakeholders contributing to the ongoing growth and prosperity of this sought-after community.
When framing planning documents and development applications, Robina Group aimed to promote diversity within a clear structure to preserve community and monetary values.
As a result, Robina now enjoys the value premium reserved for masterplanned communities with interconnected, liveable spaces that have come to life with diversity and energy.
The vision of the Robina masterplan is now a dynamic reality. As such, Robina Group, master developer of Robina, will watch as this exciting new city continues to evolve through new stakeholders who will drive the future growth of this precinct.