Five coastal regional shopping centres for sale right now
From the tropical fruit bowls of Western Australia’s Carnarvon to the sun-drenched shores of Blacks Beach in Queensland, regional retail hubs along the coast offer lifestyle benefits and proximity to important industrial areas.
From bustling CBDs in Queensland’s Gladstone and Aitkenvale to heritage-style and high-exposure sites in Western Australia’s Busselton, these shopping centres have strong tenants that cater to locals and tourists alike.
Regional retail has emerged as an increasingly attractive asset class over recent years as it provides secure income, growth potential and community connectedness – qualities that inner-city retail often struggles to match.
Here are five regional shopping centres worthy of your attention.
1. Carnarvon Central Shopping Centre, 35-55 Robinson Street, Carnarvon, WA
Almost 9,000 kilometres north of Perth, between the world heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef and Shark Bay, lies the remote agricultural and coastal town of Carnarvon.
Perched at the mouth of the Gascoyne River on the Coral Coast, it feels lush and tropical. Fruit grows in spades, earning it the moniker “the fruitbowl of Western Australia”, and it is also home to thriving fishing and aquaculture industries.
In the charming town centre, perched on a busy corner site on the main drag, this entire shopping centre could be yours. The busy retail hub Carnarvon Central boasts anchor tenants Woolworths – the only full-line supermarket within 450 kilometres – and liquor store BWS, surrounded by a mix of national and local retailers. The single-level centre spans 6143 square metres, with 16 specialty shops plus 263 carparks. Think Monopoly-style dominance, low competition, tourist and local spending, and high income security.
2. 36-38 Duchess Street, Busselton, WA
Busselton sits at the top end of the famous wine region of Margaret River, on Geographe Bay, and boasts ivory sands, calm turquoise waters and its famous tourism drawcard – a 1.8-kilometre wooden jetty, the longest in Australia.
Once a place you’d drive past without stopping, Busselton is bustling with big cultural events made easier thanks to its new international airport, a win not just for tourism, but for its fly-in and fly-out mining workforce in the state’s rapidly-growing south-west region.
Set in the heart of Busselton’s retail and commercial precinct on a high-profile corner, this 1906-built two-storey Federation-style shopping centre is home to nine tenancies across 10,139 square metres, with 192 on-site car parks. The shops include a fully fitted-out former supermarket, a tavern, three specialty shops, four offices, and a two-bedroom residence in an area poised for long-term growth.
3. Palms Shopping Fair, 172 Goondoon St, Gladstone Central, QLD
Offering a mix of coastal and semi-rural living in central Queensland, Gladstone is a major industrial and port city with a growing population, home to alumina refining, chemical production and shipping, while also serving as a gateway to the Great Barrier Reef.
Here, a two-storey retail centre known as Palms Shopping Fair is part of a retail cluster opposite Woolworths-anchored Gladstone Square. The building covers 2444 square metres on a 3827-square-metre site, with 13 tenancies including ANZ Bank, Silly Solly’s, and Robins Kitchen – a community eatery for 20-plus years – along with 42 car parks. This investment promises high-yield returns and a stable income amid a population agents forecast to grow by more than 21 per cent within 20 years.
4. Turtle Shores, 15 Blacks Beach Road, Blacks Beach, QLD
Family-friendly Black Beaches is a growing coastal suburb located in the “northern beaches” region, about 25 kilometres north of Mackay’s CBD, and is earmarked for residential and infrastructure development. Home to a long, sandy beach that blends with lush vegetation, Blacks Beach attracts mostly long-term residents. It marries older homes with new housing estates, while being well-connected to important services and amenities.
Now, Turtle Shores, a smaller mixed-use retail centre with a solid customer base, is calling for investors. The offer includes an independent supermarket with its own fish and chips side hustle, a Chinese restaurant, and a hairdresser. You’ll also have the chance to set the scene by filling several vacant tenancies, repositioning, or redeveloping the 677-square-metre site.
5. 258-260 Ross River Road, Aitkenvale, QLD
With plenty of sunshine year-round and a lively urban feel where locals mingle, the bustling commercial hub of Aitkenvale sits about six kilometres south-west of the business centre of Townsville, the largest city in North Queensland. Within walking distance of parks, rivers, and beaches, it offers the best of many worlds, blending well-established homes with new developments and one of the biggest shopping centres in the region, Stockland Townsville.
Next to the large Stockland centre, now on the market is a smaller, fully leased retail strip on a six-lane highway that sees 20,000 cars breeze by daily. The retail centre offers buyers a 3.9-year WALE by income from 790 square metres of lettable space on a site stretching over 2000 square metres, with 20 car parks that make zipping in and out a breeze. Savvy investors will benefit from secure income, high visibility and growth corridor positioning.
