Planning Minister Jarrod Bleijie has officially ‘called in’ an application to develop a 150-site tourist park, meaning he will assume sole responsibility to decide whether to approve the project.
A proposed call-in notice regarding the 43-hectare site at the end of Roys Road at Coochin Creek was issued on April 22, with written representations invited until May 23.
The call-in notice, dated June 11, says 21 representations were made during that period.
The application – which is for 75 cabins and 75 camp sites as well as facilities including a pool, water park, tennis court, mini golf and jumping pillow – was submitted by the family-owned Comiskey Group, which is known for the Eatons Hill, Sandstone Point and Dakabin hotels, as well as Sunshine Coast venues The Doonan and Imperial Hotel at Eumundi. It is also behind the planned Aura Hotel.
The minister’s decision cannot be appealed in the Planning and Environment Court.
A coalition of community groups had urged Mr Bleijie not to proceed with the call-in for the tourist park, as well as a second application from the Comiskey Group for a multi-event site at Coochin Creek that could host up to 35,000 people during event days and is still subject to a proposed call-in.
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.
Both proposals were under assessment by Sunshine Coast Council and the State Assessment and Referral Agency when the minister issued the proposed call-in notices for public comment.
The tourist park notice says the proposed development was called in because it involves, or is likely to involve, the economic and environmental interests of the state.
“I am satisfied that there are significant potential social, economic and environmental considerations relevant to the proposal that require a balanced assessment,” says the notice signed by Mr Bleijie, who is also the Deputy Premier.
“I am informed and accept that the proposed development for 150 sites, being 75 cabins and 75 camp sites, and ancillary recreational facilities is of a scale and intensity that may have the potential to adversely impact on ecologically important areas adjacent to the site, through noise, light, waste, and water quality impacts.
“I am therefore satisfied that the proposed development requires consideration of its potential impact on the core values and objectives of the NIUB (Northern Inter-Urban Break) and potential impact on the role of the RLRPA (Regional Landscape and Rural Production Area) to protect the area from inappropriate development.
“The proposed tourist activity also has the potential to support a tourist market in the Sunshine Coast area as it will add diversity and choice of facilities in an area located close to a range of tourist/recreation facilities associated near Moreton Bay Marine Park and Bribie Island National Park.
“I am therefore calling in the application to assess and decide the application, as the call-in process will provide me an opportunity to undertake a comprehensive assessment of the application and ensure all matters relevant to the proposed development are fully assessed including but not limited to economic and environmental considerations.”
The notice says Mr Bleijie was provided with a report and briefing note with attachments by department staff before making the decision to call in the application.
“The material lodged in support of the application indicates there is a community and economic need for the proposed camping ground to be developed at the subject site,” the notice says.
“Furthermore, this material indicates that significant accommodation investment is required across the Sunshine Coast region to improve the facilities, meet growth in overnight visitation and attract high-yielding markets.”
The site is currently zoned for rural use and was previously used for strawberry farming.
The Comiskey Group already has approval to build an eco-park of 100 campsites and ancillary facilities on the site. That application was approved by the Planning and Environment Court in late 2023 after the company appealed the council’s refusal of it in 2022.
The aerial imagery in this story is from Australian location intelligence company Nearmap. The company provides government organisations, architectural, construction and engineering firms, and other companies, with easy, instant access to high-resolution aerial imagery, city-scale 3D content, artificial intelligence data sets, and geospatial tools to assist with urban planning, monitoring and development projects in Australia, New Zealand and North America.
