Sunshine Coast Council has voted unanimously to grant a 10-year lease to the Kabi Kabi Peoples Aboriginal Corporation over a block of land close to the Sunshine Coast Airport.
The land at 334 Finland Road, Marcoola, will allow the Kabi Kabi to expand to incorporate a women’s ranger program.
The Kabi Kabi have a current sub-lease over the adjacent land at 331-335 Finland Road, which is already used for ranger training and other community purposes.
The lease required council approval as it involved the disposal of an interest in land other than by tender or auction to a registered charity.
A council officer’s report prepared ahead of the January 29 ordinary meeting said the 2392sqm block, which has a former residential home on it and is close to the Sunshine Motorway, was acquired by the council in securing land surrounding the Sunshine Coast Airport.
The Kabi Kabi’s application for use of the land said it would support “activities relating to caring for country, associated business conducted by a duly established legal entity representing the Kabi Kabi First Nation People including cultural heritage, native title and other business meeting or business development”, as well as “short-term residential use associated with the delivery of the ranger program, provided that it meets occupancy restrictions”.
The report said the lease ensured the utilisation of a formerly vacant building while reducing council’s management and operational costs for the next 10 years.
“The rent payable by the lessee upon commencement of the new lease will be in line with rent charged to comparable community or charitable organisations,” the report said.
“Sharing of costs associated with the drafting, negotiation and registration of the new lease will be negotiated between council and the lessee.”
The estimated costs of these works are about $30,000, the report says.
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The council will also undertake internal cleaning of the former residence, minor maintenance of the toilet and amenities, and repair or replace electricity and water services to ensure they are in full working order before the lease commences.
“The lessee will be responsible for all other upgrades and fit-out works required to make the property fit for purpose,” it said.
The lease requires that no development of buildings or clearing of vegetation is permitted at the rear of the property, which will be allowed to naturally revegetate as a wildlife corridor.
Council received three applications for the property, two of which were compliant. Following discussions with those applicants, the lease was offered to the Kabi Kabi.
The Kabi Kabi Peoples Aboriginal Corporation Limited was approached for comment but no response was received.
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.
