A hinterland town could soon have more than 500 retirement homes after a development giant lodged plans for a second over-50s community that would adjoin a facility that is already under construction.
Stockland has submitted an application to Sunshine Coast Council for a retirement village with up to 268 homes at the northern edge of Yandina.
It would be directly to the west of the developer’s $200 million, 250-home Halcyon project that was approved earlier this year and is expected to welcome its first residents by mid-2026.
A development assessment report by Project Urban on behalf of Stockland Land Lease Management Pty Ltd says that although the new application is being lodged as a standalone project, an internal link between the two communities would allow them to function and be managed as one.
The new proposal covers a 15.5-hectare site spanning 96 Cooloolabin Road, Brandons Road and 14 Browns Creek Road. The site is currently vacant and has previously been used for cropping and agriculture.
Plans outline a maximum of 268 manufactured homes, comprising 253 two-bedroom and 15 three-bedroom residences.
Most buildings would be detached housing, although some attached homes would also be included. Detached housing sites would be at least 175sqm, while attached housing sites would be a minimum of 120sqm.
Homes could reach two storeys and up to 8.5m in height, although most would remain single storey at about 5m.
“The subject site within the Yandina catchment is suitably located to meet the project demand for retirement living within the region, driven by limited future new supply and a growing ageing population, evidencing a level of need for lifestyle manufactured home estates in the short term,” the report states.
“The increased supply of lifestyle living product will encourage retiree downsizing, therefore vacating existing detached residential product, which will add to the residential supply within the market, assisting in relieving affordability pressures on the Sunshine Coast.”
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About 6117sqm of the site will be for leisure facilities which include a pool, outdoor courts, wellness centre and clubhouse.
The land is included in the Rural Zone but the report says the council’s proposed new planning scheme has the site in the Low Density Residential Zone, within which a retirement facility would be allowed.
Each dwelling would have at least two car spaces, with a minimum of one covered.
The report notes that while most dwellings are located within 250m of the site entry and key community facilities, some are further away due to the size and shape of the land, resulting in non-compliance with planning requirements.
The proposal also does not meet planning benchmarks that encourage retirement living development within 800m of an activity centre or 400m of public transport, with the site falling outside both criteria.
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The community would be accessed via Browns Creek Road and operated under Stockland’s land lease model, in which residents own their homes but pay an ongoing site fee that covers land leasing, access to facilities, maintenance and community management.
A Stockland spokesperson said the site had access to existing services and was designed to enhance ecological links and community connections.
“Stockland is working with Sunshine Coast Council on a development application for an additional stage at Halcyon Yandina,” they said.
“The proposal is for approximately 270 homes and represents a logical extension of the existing community.”
“We will provide further information as it becomes available.”
The application is subject to impact assessment.
