DA-Approved Highway Service Centre Site Hits the Market to Fill Major Pacific Motorway Service Gap

Maclean Development Opportunity Targets Freight, Tourism and EV Growth

A rare development opportunity has emerged on one of Australia’s busiest transport corridors, with a development-approved highway service centre site at Maclean officially offered to the market.

The 3.01-hectare property at 2 Schwonberg Street, Townsend, has been listed through Colliers and is expected to attract interest from developers, owner-occupiers and infrastructure investors seeking a strategic position along the M1 Pacific Motorway between Sydney and Brisbane.

Located at the purpose-built Southern Maclean Interchange, constructed as part of the $5 billion Woolgoolga to Ballina Pacific Highway upgrade, the site has been specifically planned to accommodate a modern highway service centre and address what industry experts describe as one of the largest remaining service gaps on the Pacific Motorway.

Once the Coffs Harbour Bypass opens in the second half of 2026, motorists travelling between Ballina and Nambucca Heads will have no comparable full-service highway stop, creating a significant opportunity for a major refuelling and convenience destination.

The approved plans include a comprehensive roadside service facility featuring fuel for passenger vehicles and heavy transport, three quick-service restaurants, including two with drive-through facilities, electric vehicle charging stations, extensive parking for trucks, buses, caravans and passenger vehicles, along with dedicated heavy vehicle amenities designed for long-haul freight operators.

Colliers NSW Retail Middle Markets Manager Ben Wilkinson said the Pacific Motorway remains one of Australia’s most heavily used freight and tourism routes, yet substantial sections continue to lack modern highway services.

“The Pacific Motorway is one of Australia’s busiest freight and tourism corridors, yet significant sections remain undersupplied by modern highway service infrastructure,” Mr Wilkinson said.

He said the Maclean site was uniquely positioned because the interchange itself had been specifically designed during construction of the Woolgoolga to Ballina highway upgrade to support future highway service infrastructure.

Mr Wilkinson said the nearest comparable highway service centres are located approximately 87 kilometres north at Ballina and 158 kilometres south at Nambucca Heads.

“The proposed Maclean Highway Service Centre will address a significant gap in the network and establish itself as a strategically positioned refuelling and convenience destination for both freight operators and travelling motorists,” he said.

The development is already supported by both development approval and a Local Environmental Plan amendment permitting a highway service centre as an additional use, significantly reducing planning uncertainty for prospective purchasers.

The location currently captures more than 17,500 vehicles each day travelling along the Pacific Motorway, including a substantial proportion of heavy vehicles servicing Australia’s east coast freight network.

Colliers Head of Premium Investments, Investment Services, Jordan McConnell, said the project had been designed around the evolving needs of modern transport operators.

“This project has been designed specifically for modern freight movements and future-focused roadside retail, creating an opportunity that is difficult to replicate from both a planning and infrastructure perspective,” Mr McConnell said.

The proposal includes dedicated facilities capable of accommodating B-Double and A-Double heavy vehicles, reflecting increasing freight volumes moving along Australia’s eastern seaboard, while also catering for growing tourism traffic visiting the Clarence Valley, Yamba and the wider Northern Rivers.

The surrounding tourism economy generates more than $482 million in annual visitor expenditure, providing additional customer demand beyond freight transport alone.

Industry analysts believe opportunities to secure large, development-approved highway service centre sites on the Pacific Motorway have become increasingly scarce, with only a limited number of interchanges capable of supporting this type of large-scale roadside infrastructure.

The property is being offered for sale via Expressions of Interest, closing on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, at 2pm.