A local council has paid $520,000 for a block of land now occupied only by a chicken coop, after a savage storm destroyed the home that once stood there.
The 1,100 sqm parcel at 20 Forsythia Dr, Tamborine Mountain sold for about half the typical price of a house in the Hinterland area to Scenic Rim Regional Council.
It will be repurposed as a carpark servicing the nearby botanic gardens, said marketing agent Linda Hogan, of Professionals.
The chicken coop was about all that remained on the block
The 1,100 sqm parcel sold for about half the cost of a typical house in the area
The owners’ old A-frame home was extensively damaged by the tornado-like storm which ripped through southern Queensland last Christmas.
“The house was destroyed. The owners decided not to rebuild and they have relocated elsewhere,” Ms Hogan said.
Listings photos show the flat land, rich with red soil, had been mostly cleared, but for a rustic aviary and covered chicken coop still bearing a wooden sign reading, ‘Swing’n Chick’n”.
Records show the property last sold for $475,000 in 2016.
“Land is king on the mountain because there is only so much of it still available,” Ms Hogan said.
BEFORE 20 Forsythia Dr, Tamborine Mountain
The owners relocated after their old house was destroyed by the Christmas 2023 storm
The listing stated: “Here’s your chance to own a part of this amazing mountain. This empty block of land is all set for you to build your dream home.
“If you can imagine yourself living near a real rainforest, close to the Botanical Gardens and just a short drive from Gallery Walk, then you really need to check out this special piece of land.”
But while the property had been marketed as a blank canvas for a dream home, it was instead acquired for the Tamborine Mountain Regional Botanic Gardens, which recently reopened to the public following a huge rebuild campaign.
The site will be repurposed as a carpark for the nearby botanical gardens
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“The gardens were closed abruptly after the massive storm that severely damaged much of the mountain,” Botanic Gardens president Greg Ingold said in a statement.
“The gardens were not immune. No buildings were badly damaged but fallen trees and branches caused massive damage to most of the gardens on the site.”
A Scenic Rim Regional Council spokesperson said the carpark would be built, when funds became available, to “accommodate the growing number of visitors” to the gardens, and assist with traffic management in the area.
PropTrack data shows the median house price in Tamborine Mountain was up 9.4 per cent since last year to $1.05m.
Jeff McConnell, of Scenic Rim Regional Council, outlines storm clean-up efforts at Tamborine Mountain in January. Picture: Richard Walker
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