A luxury resort has been approved following a four-year battle that involved extensive community consultation and significant amendments to the plans.
Noosa Council has given the green light for the five-star boutique resort at Noosa Springs.
It is the second five-star hotel approved for Noosa in eight months and will join the Calile Noosa as one of the first new resorts built in the region since 1989.
The decision comes after the developer and owner of Noosa Springs Golf and Spa Resort, GH Properties, submitted a raft of changes to its original application in a bid to have the resort approved.
This included reducing the number of guest rooms from 106 to 96, shrinking the size of the resort pool and removing a building to reduce encroachment on environmentally sensitive areas.
First lodged in 2021, councillors had been apprehensive to approve the $50 million project, with its proximity to a nearby sewage plant and inconsistencies with the Noosa Plan among the main areas of concern.
Following an extensive process including public notification period, stakeholder engagement and advice from external consultants, council planning staff recommended the resort for approval.
At an Ordinary Meeting on May 15, a motion to approve the resort with conditions was carried four votes to three.
During the meeting, an additional condition was introduced that required a real-time odour sensor to alert resort management to relocate guests indoors if trigger levels are reached or exceeded.
Mayor Frank Wilkie said the hotel was another example of what could be achieved when applicants took the time to work with the council to deliver quality development.
“This project, coupled with the Calile Hotel approved in October last year, has been long planned and intended to boost capacity for high-spending visitors seeking a quality experience,” he said.
“Providing purpose-built, high-end resorts also eases pressure on our residential areas to deliver quality short-term accommodation.”
Do you have an opinion to share? Submit a Letter to the Editor at Sunshine Coast News via news@sunshinecoastnews.com.au. You must include your name and suburb.
The mayor thanked the applicant for being willing to engage with council’s expert planning staff and for listening to councillors’ concerns with the original 109-room hotel proposal.
“This application presented rare complexities involved with assessing a proposal on a split-zoned lot with non-mapped open space recreation and tourism accommodation uses, plus potential impacts from the nearby wastewater treatment plant, which had to be worked through,” he said.
“There also were concerns to be resolved about fire safety and the resort’s initial scale, which extended into the biodiversity waterways and wetlands overlay area.
“By taking concerns on board, the applicant has been able to deliver a hotel that has minimised impacts and returned ecological benefits, including the planting of 120 koala habitat trees, glossy black-cockatoo feed trees, plus landscaping and site rehabilitation with suitable native trees.”
GH Properties managing director Ellen Guan welcomed the approval.
“We’re excited to introduce this new component of Noosa Springs with a hotel that offers luxurious, high-quality accommodation with a strong focus on wellness and rejuvenation,” Ms Guan said.
“We genuinely believe this thoughtfully scaled-back design achieves a harmonious outcome – one that respects the surrounding environment, honours community sentiment and reflects the site’s unique character.
“We’re humbled by this outcome and will move forward with the same care and responsibility.”
The hotel will be managed by an international hotel operator and is expected to employ 100 staff once open and contribute about $8.86 million in post-construction gross regional product annually.
It will also help to provide accommodation for visitors ahead of the 2032 Olympic Games.
