Marulan is not a sleepy hamlet anymore.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The town has been steadily growing over the past five years with the influx of people moving there from western Sydney and elsewhere.
It is the fastest-growing town in Goulburn Mulwaree, with the lowest unemployment rate due to various factors, including the presence of three nearby quarries.
Now it is set to gain from a $4 million development that will see the construction of a new commercial hub, opening in early 2019.
Spokesperson for the Marulan Village Centre development John Jeffcoat said he was excited about the new development, which could transform the town.
“A projected 15 per cent population growth in the burgeoning town over the next five years paved the way for the new village centre. The main anchor tenant will be an IGA supermarket,” Mr Jeffcoat said.
“It will also have a bakery and liquor departments and seven retail spaces now available for lease to cafes, medical practices, take-away food outlets, chemists or other businesses keen to capitalise on the rapid growth of Marulan.”
Six of the available shopfronts measure 80 sq m while the seventh was a larger 512 sq m space that could be leased in its entirety or divided as required.
The development also includes car parking and landscaping.
“We are confident the new Marulan Village Centre will become a vibrant and successful hub for savvy businesses and locals,” Mr Jeffcoat said.
“We expect heightened interest from prospective rental tenants to be part of this pivotal development in Marulan’s history.”
Meanwhile, vice-president of the Marulan Chamber of Commerce David Humphreys said residents welcomed the new commercial development.
“Residents think this is a good alternative to having to drive into Goulburn once a week to do their shopping,” he said.
Mr Humphreys said Marulan was developing at a blistering rate.
“As I drive around today there are about 20 more houses being built,” he said.
“We have the lowest unemployment rate in the LGA.”
But Mr Humphreys said the rapid development was coming at a cost.
“There are some problems that need to be fixed,” he said.
“One of these is that Marulan is the only town on the Hume Highway that does not have a southern exit.
“We are trying to remedy that by talking to both the state and federal governments.
“One option may be to obtain grants to connect the town to the southern overpass.
Mr Humphreys said the lack of a southern exit was causing trucks to drive up the main street before turning around and exiting again.
“It does not add to the amenity of the town to have trucks going up and down the main street all day as a result," he said.
He said the development application (DA) for the project had a history going back a decade.
“The DA is actually about 10 year’s old,” Mr Humphreys said.
“The original developer could not do it because the council wanted too much money to put in the sewer and water.
“The person who is doing this now is a Marulan local, who also has major developments in Sydney.
“It is already half built and is expected to be completed by Christmas.
Multiple subdivisions and residential developments are unfolding across Marulan, with lifestyle change seekers, families, investors and value property buyers flocking to the town to snap up house and land packages.
The major retail development will be the historic village’s largest commercial venture and the largest in the region since the construction of the service centres on the nearby Hume Highway.
Several hard-rock quarries are also expanding their operations in the region.
- Mr Jeffcoat works for First National Real Estate, Moss Vale.