A privately owned park near Maleny that was at the centre of a planning dispute has opened to the public, with its owner defending the project amid community debate.
On The View, at 960 Bald Knob Road, began welcoming visitors last month after several years of legal challenges, design work and construction.
The site operates from 6am to 6pm each day, with vehicle entry systems in place to help regulate parking demand and visitor flow to the lookout areas.
At the main viewing point, there are about 15 short-stay parking spaces limited to 15 minutes, along with additional parking areas secured behind boom gates for longer stays.
On arrival, visitors scan a QR code, provide basic details and are given the option to make a donation.
Owner Gilad Bakas said he recently submitted a letter to Sunshine Coast Council raising concerns about proposed changes to the planning scheme, and also shared it publicly online.
In the letter, he questioned draft amendments that would limit “park” use as accepted development to council-owned or council-run land, arguing it could discourage privately operated spaces that allow public access to private property.
He said privately owned public spaces were an established planning concept and suggested the changes could reduce opportunities for community access to scenic privately held land.
“I saw quite a few comments questioning my motives for creating the park, whether it is a ‘public park’ at all if it’s privately held, and if it is, does it benefit the community and deserves to be treated differently for planning purposes,” he said.
Mr Bakas said a key issue in the broader debate was the perception that developments must be either commercial ventures or free community services, but not both.
“I strongly oppose this view and believe that a business can both provide a free service and make a profit,” he said.
He said the idea for the park came after purchasing the property in 2020, with a desire to share its natural beauty with the public while keeping development to a minimum.
“From the moment we first saw it, my wife and I felt a strong connection and a conviction that such magnificent views are too beautiful to hide behind high fences and big mansions,” he said.
“We needed to find a way to share that beauty with the public.”
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The project encountered hurdles when Sunshine Coast Council refused an operational works application lodged in January 2021, saying the proposal was effectively for a wedding venue rather than a compliant use.
Mr Bakas described the refusal as “illegally and baselessly” made, prompting an appeal.
“So instead of trying to win the case, we decided to use it to get legal clarifications that would allow us to proceed with the earthworks without needing council’s approval at all,” he said.
The matter was later resolved and the appeal withdrawn.
A Sunshine Coast Council spokesperson told Sunshine Coast News the site was being developed for the purposes of a park and, in accordance with the planning scheme, did not require a development application.
Extensive preparation followed, including multiple town planning, engineering, environmental, traffic and acoustic reports, along with major earthworks completed in September 2024 after delays caused by wet weather.
The site has since been transformed with 11,000 square metres of hydro-seeded grass, more than 2600 native plants, new power and water connections, internal road and parking infrastructure, and a booking system to manage visitor numbers.
Mr Bakas said further works were planned, including picnic shelters, barbecues, seating and a short bushwalk through rainforest to a creek and rock pools.
Visitor numbers have been modest since opening but encouraging, he said.
“It’s very early days, but so far we’re getting about 20 vehicles on a weekday,” Mr Bakas said, noting a recent Sunday peak of 49 vehicles.
He said he had been “very positively surprised” by the level of donations from visitors, despite many only staying briefly.
“I put all this effort to make it possible to share the beauty of this property and our amazing coast with the world.”
Council is currently reviewing submissions on its proposed new planning scheme following public consultation, with a final version yet to be adopted.
