MORE than one job per day has been created at Varsity Lakes since the start of the new millennium, making it one of the fastest-growing business hubs in south-east Queensland.

With more than $60 million under construction within Varsity Lakes' business and innovation precinct, Varsity Central is fast becoming the home of some of the nation's largest companies such as Minter Ellison, GoTalk, Goldman Sachs JB Were, iQ Capital Management, AAPT and IBM.

Varsity Lakes senior project director Carl Bruhn says Varsity Central has become the Gold Coast's centre of business leaders and is now home to more than 470 businesses.

"In the past 12 months alone, we've welcomed leading businesses Minter Ellison, IBM and Goldman Sachs JBWere from the law, finance and ICT sectors.

"We are looking at welcoming our 3000th employee by the end of 2006, cementing the project as the Gold Coast's leading jobs creator," says Mr Bruhn.

"Businesses are recognising that relocating to Varsity Central is a smart business decision.

"With the high-quality broadband, strategic location and a purpose-built town centre, businesses are finding they have all the conveniences of a traditional CBD office without the congestion.

"We've been able to create a cosmopolitan business precinct, serviced by a range of recreation facilities, restaurants and cafes in the town centre to cater to the influx of executives each day," he says.

"We've also employed a full-time economic development manager and established the Varsity Central Business Forum to assist companies' growth in this collaborative business and innovation precinct.

"The Varsity Lakes/Robina commercial precinct is now out-supplying Surfers Paradise as a commercial hot spot, delivering more than 74,000sqm of commercial space.

"The demand for commercial space in Varsity Lakes is increasing. We recently had more than 80 per cent of our latest commercial and retail development, Central 240, committed prior to completion."

Upon completion, Varsity Lakes' business and innovation precinct, Varsity Central, will be comprised of more than 4500 business executives and up to 150,000sqm of commercial space. Varsity Lakes is
being developed by Delfin Lend Lease, Australia's largest developer of mastewr-planned communities, with 16 trading projects nationally.