The proponents of a tourist park with cabins and camping sites have lodged a court appeal after the plan was refused by council.
Beerwah Pines Pty Ltd lodged the appeal in the Planning and Environment Court this month after Sunshine Coast Council rejected the plans for the 17.63-hectare former sand mine site on Steve Irwin Way at Beerwah.
The proposal, which was originally submitted in November 2023, sought to establish a tourist park with 11 one-bedroom and 18 two-bedroom cabins, camping sites and amenities including a pool, barbecues and playground areas.
Public consultation was conducted between May and June 2024 but last month the council rejected the application, saying the site was designated for future industrial uses as part of the Beerwah Further Investigation Area.
“The tourist park would consume land earmarked for future industrial development, reducing the available supply, which is in high demand,” it said.
The council’s decision notice also said the proposal involved major works in a floodplain, failed to show an overriding community need, could not demonstrate adequate on-site effluent treatment capacity, and would result in the loss of productive agricultural land.
But the appeal argues the proposed development would not compromise the purpose of the further investigation area.
“(It) does not result in the commencement of inappropriate land use activities on the land, or give rise to fragmentation of land within the investigation area,” it stated.
The appeal says a tourist park is a potentially consistent use in the Rural Zone and that the proposal is “of an appropriate nature, scale and intensity”.
“The proposed development advances the land use intentions for the land and is an appropriate use because it is a non-rural activity that is compatible with a rural setting, supports tourism and does not compromise the use of the land for rural activities,” it said.
It also argues the application complies with the flood and stormwater code requirements.
“(The proposal) locates development outside land subject to flooding or otherwise effectively ameliorates the impact of flooding such that there is no foreseeable risk to life or property,” it said.
The document also provides some more background to the site’s history as “relevant matters” favouring approval.
“The land was used for an extractive industry (sand mine) from 1994 until July 2020,” it said.
“The historic use of the land, the approved importation of fill onto the land and the present state of the land erodes and diminishes the capacity of the land to be put to a rural use.
“The works undertaken pursuant to approvals granted by the respondent have improved the attributes of the land which favour its use for an urban tourist park land use.
“The proposed development will give rise to community benefits resulting from the delivery of a tourism activity and will provide a complementary tourism use on the Sunshine Coast.”
It also notes that the site has previous approval for eight short-term accommodation cabins, a three-bedroom manager’s residence and a 300sqm arts and craft centre.
It is understood Beerwah Pines Pty Ltd is linked to the Alex Beach Cabins and Tourist Park at Alexandra Headland and that the required cabins would be relocated to the Beerwah site from the coastal park if approved.
A planning report with the original application outlined that the development would be delivered in four stages, with scope for future development through a 9861sqm expansion.
“A total expansion of a maximum of 31 sites (11 cabins and 20 campsites) are proposed for the future expansion area,” it said.
The appeal asks that the application be approved subject to relevant development conditions. The council has not yet filed a response and no further court dates have been set.
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