Walker Corporation

Developments since 2020

In 2011 Walker Corporation began development of Collins Square, then the largest commercial mixed-use development in Australia, with construction completed in 2019.[8][9]

In 2014 Walker Corporation was selected by the Government of Queensland and Redland City Council as the preferred partner to redevelop Toondah Harbour,[10] a 67 ha site[11] which the government had declared a Priority Development Area located in Redland City, Queensland. The project was a source of controversy,[12] with parts of the proposed development area covering a Ramsar site.[13] In August 2016 Walker Corporation used a meeting with Federal Minister for the Environment and Energy Josh Frydenberg to lobby for boundary changes to reduce the size of the Ramsar site, described by the company as a matter of “urgent national interest.”[14] The company released revised plans in 2018, reducing the proposed land reclamation area by 12 ha and reducing the impact on neighbouring Cassim Island.[15] In 2022 the company released the project’s Environmental Impact Statement, which was examined by the Government following public consultation.[16]

In 2015 Walker Corporation released plans for its largest international development Senibong Cove,[17] a 16 ha development located in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. In 2016 the company's plans for a redevelopment of Adelaide's Festival Plaza were approved by the SA Development Assessment Commission,[18] with revised plans including expansions to the retail component approved in late 2020.[19]

As of October 2021, the company was developing over A$30 billion worth of projects across Australia and Malaysia.[20]

Notable projects

• Collins Square: Australia’s largest commercial mixed-use development that was completed in 2018, occupying a full Melbourne CBD block.[21]
• Parramatta Square: A $3.2 billion[22] project on a 3 ha site in Parramatta, New South Wales, consisting of four commercial towers, a retail district, and public spaces.[23]
• Riverlea Park: The largest residential development in South Australia’s history, comprising approximately 12,000 homes[24] and expected to take over two decades to complete.[25]
• Maroochydore City Centre: Australia’s largest greenfield CBD located in Maroochydore, Queensland, estimated to take 15-20 years to complete.[26]
• Festival Tower: A $1 billion[27] commercial and retail development and public square in the Adelaide CBD, expected to be completed in late 2023.[28]
• Senibong Cove: A jointly-developed Malaysian masterplanned precinct[29] in close proximity to the Johor-Singapore Causeway, containing over 8,000 homes, a 100-berth marina, and a retail precinct[30] built on over 400 ha of reclaimed land.[31] Senibong Cove received the South East Asia Property Awards’ ‘Best Villa/Housing Development’ award for multiple consecutive years.[32]
• Kokomo Private Island: A six-star[33] private resort occupying an entire 57 ha Fijian island,[34] comprising 21 villas and five residences.[35]
• Citiswich Business Park: A $1 billion[36] Ipswich industrial estate covering 350 ha, the largest in Queensland.[37]
• Main Drive Kew: A $400 million residential development on the former Kew Cottages site in the leafy Melbourne suburb of Kew. The project is a joint venture between Walker Corporation and the Victorian Government and has been the subject of several accolades, controversies, allegations, and legal disputes. Construction of stage 1 was completed in 2008 and was followed by several disputes between purchasers, consultants, and developers. The final stage was completed in 2014.[38]

Co-founder's death

Co-founder Lang Walker died on 27 January 2024, aged 78 years. He was survived by his wife, Suzanne, three children and ten grandchildren.[39]