Tributes have flowed after the passing of property developer Lang Walker, who played a significant role in the development of the new Maroochydore city centre as the chair of Walker Corporation.
Sunshine Coast Council Mayor Mark Jamieson offered the condolences of council and its development manager, SunCentral Maroochydore Pty Ltd, to the Walker family after Mr Walker passed away peacefully with his family beside him in Sydney on Saturday evening.
The council and SunCentral – the council-owned body overseeing the design and delivery of the Maroochydore city centre – entered an agreement with Walker Corporation in 2020 to market and develop most of the remaining land via a $2.5 billion investment.
“With the passing of Lang, our nation and our Sunshine Coast has lost a true visionary in city making, urban regeneration and philanthropy, and a person who always put people at the heart of what he did,” Cr Jamieson said.
“Lang’s stewardship of Walker Corporation and its contribution to the urban fabric of places like Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and our own Maroochydore city centre will be one of his greatest legacies.”
My Walker formed his company more than 50 years ago and shaped it into Australia’s largest privately owned property company.
Walker Corporation managing director and chief executive officer David Gallant said Mr Walker was recognised and regarded as a great visionary, an inspirational leader and the first to creatively tackle the challenge of urban transformation.
“Lang’s vision will remain an enduring force through the Walker DNA and the Walker way, which he actively passed on – it is embedded in our culture and our modus operandi,” Mr Gallant said.
“The vital importance of business continuity and the need to maintain key relationships to retain our pre-eminent position has been instilled in all of us.”
Cr Jamieson said he knew Mr Walker personally and had great respect for him.
“I have come to know Lang well since we first cemented the development partnership for the delivery of the Maroochydore city centre in November 2020, and I have to say that not only was he remarkable and inspiring in his ability to foresee opportunities and how they should be curated to benefit communities, he was always a down-to-earth and decent bloke,” he said.
“His care and concern for the people who worked for him, the people and organisations he partnered with – like our council – his deeply ingrained sense of social responsibility and his desire to give back is something that is a mark of the man who was Lang Walker and is something I will always remember.
“With Lang, you never left a meeting wondering what he was thinking. If he had something to say, he would do so and if he thought something wasn’t right or wouldn’t address the problem, he would work with you until the solution was found.
“He could talk to prime ministers and premiers whenever he needed to – but equally, he was just as happy talking to local community members, hearing what mattered to them and their ideas.
“On one of Lang’s visits to the Sunshine Coast, he was up early in the morning, walking around Maroochydore and other areas, assessing what was happening and seeing the potential – which he was willing to share with everyone he spoke with.
“Lang was also someone who knew how to think long term, plan for the future and commit to seeing ideas worked through and come to fruition.
“Walker Corporation’s developments at the Finger Wharf at Woolloomooloo, Rhodes Waterside, Parramatta Square and Collins Square – to name just a few – are testament to Lang’s long-term thinking, vision and tenacity and we have been seeing this same approach with where Walker Corporation is heading with the Maroochydore city centre.
“The current amendments to the development scheme for the Maroochydore city centre, which are presently being considered by the state government, are a big part of realising Walker Corporation’s vision for this site.
“They coincide with council’s objectives for the Maroochydore city centre and, once in place, will well and truly set our region’s central business district on the trajectory that Lang and the Walker Corporation management team, our council and SunCentral have envisaged for this project.
“Today, however, we mourn the loss of a great man and on behalf of our council and SunCentral, we extend our deepest sympathies to Lang’s wife Sue and their family on the loss of a much-loved husband, father, father-in-law and grandfather.”
SunCentral Maroochydore chair Morgan Parker paid tribute to Mr Walker’s strategic foresight in joining the Maroochydore city centre partnership during the uncertainties of the Covid pandemic.
“Walker Corporation joined the Maroochydore City Centre Development Agreement with Sunshine Coast Council and SunCentral Maroochydore at a critical moment, demonstrating Lang’s vision and dedication to seeing the city centre realise its full potential. His belief in the Sunshine Coast’s bright future has been inspiring,” Mr Parker said.
“Lang Walker’s contribution to Australia’s urban fabric extends to our major cities, including Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. His visionary approach to city making is among his greatest legacies.
“Our condolences extend to Lang’s family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time.”
Mr Walker’s family said in a statement that he loved creating incredible places, but he loved his family more than anything else and his generosity had no boundaries.
“Our hearts are broken by the loss of a great man who changed the lives of so many people through his visionary projects and philanthropy,” they said.
“His zest for life and his relentless pursuit of perfection lives on within everyone in the Walker family.”
Mr Walker was 78 years old and is survived by wife Sue, children Blake, Chad, Georgia and their spouses, and his 10 grandchildren.
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