Plans for a new place of worship have been approved on the Sunshine Coast.
A Buddhist temple will be established at 180 Landershute Road, Landers Shoot, on a four-hectare rural-zoned property about 1.6km southwest of Palmwoods-Montville Road.
Wat Pah Abhipunno Inc lodged the development application through planning consultant Murray & Associates (QLD) Pty Ltd in March, and it has subsequently been given the green light by Sunshine Coast Council on September 7 following a period of public feedback in June.
The planning report says the property was previously used for intensive horticulture and contains an existing dwelling, driveway and rural structures, with open grassed areas, scattered trees and dense vegetation.
The property was sold on June 4, 2025, for $1.951 million, according to its online sales listing.
At the time, the rural property was marketed with a three-bedroom brick home, four large sheds and two greenhouses.
The listing also detailed bore water, water rights from Paynters Creek and seven water tanks, along with infrastructure that had supported agricultural and other rural uses.
The proposal will use the existing rural structures, with no new external building works planned. Internal works will establish a temple or “sala”, office, community kitchen, serving area and bathroom facilities.
The planning report described the proposed use as low scale and compatible with the rural setting.
It said Thai Buddhism placed importance on temples being located in natural surroundings and open spaces, rather than urban environments.
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The proposed place of worship will operate from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Sunday.
The planning report anticipates no more than 10 people will be on site at any one time for regular merit-making activities, with visits generally lasting 10 to 20 minutes. Activities can include offering food to monks, donations, chanting, listening to sermons and meditation.
Monthly Uposatha Day gatherings will cater for up to 40 followers between 10am and 1pm. Activities at those gatherings can include offering food and supplies to monks, listening to Dhamma teachings, chanting, group meditation, observing the Eight Precepts and other merit-making activities.
The existing gravel car park, originally provided for the horticultural operation, will be retained and can accommodate about 18 vehicles.
The planning report said the previous horticultural use generated traffic associated with employees and the proposed use was expected to generate a comparable volume of traffic and parking demand.
A number of planning overlays apply to the site, including bushfire, biodiversity, waterways and wetlands, landslide hazard, building height and regional infrastructure.
A bushfire assessment identified very high and medium potential bushfire intensity hazards. It found the proposed setbacks and mitigation measures would reduce the bushfire risk to an acceptable level.
No clearing of identified native vegetation is proposed, while the existing and proposed built form complies with the site’s 8.5m building height limit.
An acoustic assessment found noise from the proposed development would not exceed the relevant criteria, with no additional noise mitigation measures recommended.
The planning report concluded the proposal would provide a place of worship while using the existing built form and landscaping and maintaining the character of the area.
Related story: Council gives green light for Buddhist centre
