A council owned subdivision has fetched almost $4.5 million in what agents have described as a sign of the times.
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The land at 49 to 61 Hovell Street, comprising 29 lots of 1000 square metres each, collected well above the reserve, Mayor Bob Kirk said.
LJ Hooker sold the 4.65 hectare parcel, perched on a south Goulburn hill, during an online auction on Friday. It fetched $4,480,000, well above its $2.1m valuation. The funds will go towards the aquatic centre's redevelopment, due for completion in February.
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Mayor Bob Kirk said he was "pleasantly surprised" by the result.
"The sale highlights just how strong the demand is for land in our region at the moment, and in our opinion vindicates the council's decision to take the land to auction rather than taking the risk as the lead developer," he said.
"The property was sold to Sydney developers which shows the confidence there is in the Goulburn market."
In May, councillors extensively debated whether the organisation should develop the subdivision itself. Some, including Cr Margaret O'Neill and Deputy Mayor Peter Walker argued the council should not carry the risk and feared it could be left with a financial burden if blocks didn't immediately sell.
Cr O'Neill said there were enough developers in Goulburn to take on the task, without the council getting involved too.
The 1000 square metre blocks and 20-metre wide internal roads were designed to set an aesthetic example for other subdivisions.
LJ Hooker sales manager Tricia Murphy said the offering attracted numerous bidders. Most were from Sydney, but some were local, from Canberra and elsewhere. The fact that it was an approved subdivision relatively close to the CBD were strong selling points.
"People love Goulburn at the moment and the way it is growing," she said.
"Everyone wants to come here but there's no land available...There's more demand than supply."
LJ Hooker is also selling smaller size blocks in the Teneriffe subdivision at Marys Mount. Ms Murphy said most had been snapped up, save for seven blocks that wouldn't be registered until next August. Buyers were a mix of Sydney people, locals, other out-of-towners and general investors.
Also on Friday, the agency auctioned the council's former depot at 2C Sloane Street.
The 11.2 hectare block, just south of the former Goulburn saleyard, was passed in for $525,000 but sold on Friday evening. Ms Murphy said there was the possibility of rezoning from 'rural' to part industrial, given surrounding land uses and a Department of Planning gateway determination for the area.
The council decided to sell the land earlier this year and to fully disclose onsite contamination. A report identified 26 contamination points, including former saleyard effluent and sludge overflow, asbestos from dumping of fibrous cement pipes, and pesticide use.
Mrs Murphy said the land's location on Goulburn's outskirts, close to the bypass and near industrial and commercial uses would attract strong interest.
A council spokesman said the block sold for $600,000 plus GST, which matched the valuation. A report will go to councillors in coming months on how to spend the surplus funds. Councillors earlier decided to allocate land sale funds to major projects.
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