Public consultation has commenced for a proposed function and accommodation venue in the Sunshine Coast hinterland.
The plan involves establishing a function facility, six campsites and four cabins on a 20-hectare property on Cedar Creek Road, Gheerulla.
The initial development application was submitted in December 2024 after Sunshine Coast Council issued a compliance notice in November that year, alleging the site was being used for events and camping via the website Hipcamp.
In May the council issued a request for more information, with the applicants submitting their response, via Adapt Planning, on January 20 this year.
Public notification of the proposal has now opened and runs until February 23.
A town planning report by Adapt says the applicants, Hayden Marshall and Kate Dyce, propose to formalise Cedar Banks, a venue for weddings and events with on-site guest accommodation.
“The proposal will support the highly regarded Sunshine Coast wedding venue market in a pristine natural setting, where farm and rainforest collide,” it says.
“The proposed development will make a positive contribution to the local economy, supporting caterers, party hire and event staff.”
The response to council’s information request says the venue, which is zoned rural, would be subject to a strict operational management plan.
Under the plan, a maximum of 100 patrons would be allowed on site at any one time, with music required to stop by 9.45pm and all guests to leave by 10pm. Sixteen on-site car parking spaces are proposed, with shuttle use and capped parking intended to limit traffic impacts.
The venue would host no more than one event per week with more than 50 guests, with other functions limited to “micro-weddings” and elopements. Events would not run on consecutive days, apart from elopements of up to 10 people, and would typically run for about four hours. No other business operations would be permitted during events.
On non-event days, short-stay accommodation would be capped at 64 guests, with 50 on the campsites and 14 in cabins. An on-site manager would be present at all times to oversee guest and vehicle access, with entry restricted to pre-approved guests and vendors under a signed venue hire agreement.
The function facility would have a total floor area of 161sqm with a partially open area plus an enclosed area for the bathrooms, storeroom and cool room.
The town planning report says the November 2024 compliance notice was issued following a trial for family, friends, marketing and photography purposes.
The Hipcamp website has 19 reviews for the property dating from October 2023 to January 2025.
The Cedar Banks Facebook page acknowledges the development application process is ongoing.
“We are currently seeking development approval from the Sunshine Coast Council to operate a venue and campgrounds. We are therefore presently unable to conduct tours or accept bookings. An update will be posted when council has made a decision on our DA,” it says.
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.
