The operator of a creekside campground has set up a crowdfunding campaign to help cover the cost of approvals after a complaint was received by the local council.
Jenna Lambert has run the 20-acre Horseshoe Hideaway campground at Rosemount through the popular Hipcamp website since August, calling the experience “small, affordable and accessible”.
The property has three separate camping areas: Creekside, which has four tent-only sites sleeping up to five people each; Mane Meadow, with four sites allowing for caravans, RVs and tents sleeping up to eight people each; and the Grazing Grounds, with 10 sites for caravans, RVs and tents sleeping up to six people each.
Ms Lambert said she received an email from Sunshine Coast Council at the end of January saying a complaint had been lodged alleging she was operating the campground without proper approval.
“That was the first time I became aware that additional formal approval may be required,” she told Sunshine Coast News.
“Since then, I have been looking into what is involved to move forward properly and council have been great in assisting me with this information.”
Ms Lambert started the GoFundMe campaign, titled ‘Help save a beloved Sunshine Coast camping spot’, earlier this month to help cover the costs involved, which she said would total about $20,000.
“While I understand the need for this, the costs involved are significant and need to be covered upfront,” the fundraiser says.
“I’m raising funds to help cover council application and assessment fees, professional planning support, required reports and the changes needed on the property as part of this process.”
A council spokesperson said it became aware in late 2025 that camping was occurring at the property.
“Any proposal to operate a campground requires a development approval from council,” they said.
“Any application seeking a development approval would need to be assessed against the relevant assessment benchmarks under the Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme 2014 and the applicant would need to pay the applicable assessment fee.
“The application would also be expected to include a range of technical reports dependent on the potential impacts on key issues such as traffic, flooding, bushfire, stormwater management and biodiversity.
“Council offers a range of development advice services to support residents and business operators. We encourage community members to seek advice early when planning new tourism ventures to ensure they understand all planning and legislative requirements and secure the necessary approvals before commencing the use.”
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Ms Lambert – who has owned the property for almost 16 years – said the campsites offered peaceful waterfront spaces surrounded by nature and free-roaming animals including dogs, horses, goats and ducks, which are all closely monitored.
“I’ve always dreamed of living and working with animals, particularly horses,” she said. “Growing up in Sydney then moving to the Sunshine Coast suburbia, acreage felt magical. Now I wake up each morning and look out over the paddock to see my horses grazing, and at night my daughter and I say goodnight to the goats outside her window. It’s a simple, grounded life and one I feel very grateful for.
“A couple of years ago, a friend suggested I host a few campers down near the creek. After clearing the 10-acre back paddock and removing invasive Singapore daisy along the creek bank to restore native vegetation and help prevent erosion, I realised just how special the land was. I signed up to Hipcamp, uploaded a few photos and the response was immediate. What started as a small idea quickly became something much more meaningful.
“Over time, I’ve realised this space offers more than camping. Guests often speak about how calming it is to wake up to horses grazing nearby. I’ve had former horse owners reconnect with animals, families introduce their children to farm life, and people simply slow down and reset. I truly believe animals have a way of healing and grounding people.”
She said she was unaware she required council approval to operate the campground.
“I genuinely wasn’t aware that I required a specific development approval to share my land and animals with a small number of campers,” she said.
“I never viewed what I was doing as operating a tourist attraction or caravan park – it felt like hosting people on private rural land in a low-key way.”
Ms Lambert said she was taken back by having to undertake a “full planning process”.
“The approval process requires engaging a qualified town planner to prepare and lodge a development application for a material change of use,” she said.
“The consultant fee is approximately $6300 and the council assessment fee is $13,220, bringing upfront costs to just under $20,000 before any additional reports or further requests.
“It’s not a simple registration – it’s a full planning process. For a small, family-run rural property that only began hosting in August last year, that level of cost was not something I had anticipated when simply sharing my land with a limited number of campers.
“I didn’t expect it to be so popular, so much that I had to cap the numbers. I understand the need for council to do this, especially with the number of bookings I receive, so I am committed to working through the requirements responsibly and getting to where council needs me to be.”
She emphasised that the camping experience was low-impact and respectful of the environment.
“Environmental care is important to me because this is my home. We use portable toilets similar to those used on worksites, which are professionally serviced and pumped out regularly, removing all human waste from the property and supporting a local business,” she said.
“Campers are required to follow a ‘leave no trace’ approach and take all rubbish with them. That expectation is made clear at the time of booking.
“Access to the campsites is via an existing sugarcane train line that runs through the property, meaning no new access roads or clearing were required.”
Ms Lambert said she was eager to secure the necessary approvals to continue sharing her property with others.
“I am committed to working collaboratively with council to find a compliant pathway forward. At its heart Horseshoe Hideaway is about community, connection and sharing a peaceful space where people and animals coexist respectfully. That is all I hope to continue doing,” she said.
Ms Lambert said she would be giving away a free night stay for campers who donate $50 to the GoFundMe campaign.
