CATHERINE Hill Bay would no longer be an ‘‘elitist enclave’’, with the sale of blocks in a 556-lot development in the seaside suburb, the developer says. Rose Group will call for expressions of interest today in the project’s first stage, which includes the release of 105 lots. Rose managing director Bryan Rose described the land sale as the ‘‘democratisation of Catherine Hill Bay real estate’’. It comes after a decade of planning and controversy, amid a battle with the Catherine Hill Bay Progress Association. ‘‘There’s been a small group of people who have tried to lock the gates at Catherine Hill Bay and keep it for themselves as an exclusive, elitist enclave,’’ Mr Rose said. He said the suburb’s property market had been known for high-priced sales of ‘‘tiny weatherboard cottages’’ – some going for more than $1million. Land sales in the Rose estate would start from $220,000, with the average sale price expected to be about $320,000 – with blocks ranging from 450square metres to more than 1000square metres. ‘‘That makes it possible for the average family to live at Catho, not just the privileged few,’’ Mr Rose said.
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