Aura Holdings Secures Approval for Multi-Storey Retirement Village at Ashgrove Golf Club
BRISBANE — Brisbane City Council has granted development approval to Aura Holdings for a boutique vertical retirement village at Ashgrove Golf Club in The Gap, marking the latest milestone in the operator’s expanding pipeline of golf course partnerships.
Located roughly eight kilometres north-west of Brisbane’s CBD, the project will occupy a 7,145-square-metre parcel of the club’s broader 40.6-hectare grounds. The green light paves the way for two 10-storey buildings housing 76 independent living apartments, structured under a 99-year lease arrangement intended to secure recurring revenue for the 87-year-old golf club while preserving its 18-hole championship course.
Aura lodged the development application in late April, detailing plans designed by Cox Architecture that include 35 two-bedroom and 41 three-bedroom residences. Planned amenities encompass a swimming pool, wellness centre, bar, billiards room, dedicated wine room, rooftop garden, and 105 parking bays.
Speaking on the strategy behind the site, Aura Chief Executive Sean Graham highlighted the demographic need within the local catchment.
“Ashgrove is a great site in an area severely lacking age-appropriate accommodation,” Graham said, noting the project forms part of an aggressive development pipeline across Queensland.
The Ashgrove approval deepens Aura’s portfolio of course-side retirement villages, complementing existing projects and partnerships at Indooroopilly Golf Club, McLeod Country Golf Club in Mount Ommaney, and Toowoomba Golf Club. The developer is also advancing plans for a retirement community at Southport Golf Club on the Gold Coast, which features two proposed 15-storey residential towers.
The momentum follows global infrastructure investor Stonepeak acquiring a 50 per cent stake in Aura earlier this year. Backed by the equity partnership and committed bank debt facilities, Aura holds access to up to $1 billion in capital as it targets the delivery of more than 2,000 independent living units over the next five years.
The approval lands amid a competitive race among major seniors’ living operators to secure strategic infill sites across Brisbane. Nearby, RetireAustralia is preparing to deliver its approved Verney Estate project in Graceville—comprising 93 independent apartments and a 10-suite Care Hub—while LDK Seniors’ Living is currently navigating the planning system for its 148-residence Baybrook community at Brighton.
