A large parcel of former cane land will be restored to natural wetlands, after Sunshine Coast Council purchased the site from a developer that had planned to turn it into a wave pool and resort.
The council has secured the 120 hectares at Yandina Coolum Road, Coolum, for its Blue Heart initiative, and plans to introduce tidal waters to aid the natural transition to wetland habitat.
The site adjoins the Coolum Creek Environment Reserve, which provides fish breeding areas and habitat for threatened species such as the water mouse.
In a statement, Consolidated Properties Group said it had sold the land to council for $6 million.
The company unveiled plans in 2020 to build a $1.1 billion tourism development featuring a Kelly Slater Wave Pool alongside accommodation, dining and visitor facilities.
“We are obviously disappointed not to be able to deliver the Kelly Slater Wave Pool and associated resort, but we do understand Sunshine Coast Council’s strong desire to protect floodplain capacity and maintain these lands in public hands in perpetuity,” Consolidated Properties Group chairman and CEO Don O’Rorke said.
“Consolidated Properties Group for over 40 years has been developing projects respecting community wishes and has always worked to have a constructive relationship with councils, so as a believer in climate change we support SCRC’s initiative.”
Division 9 and Environment Portfolio Councillor Maria Suarez said the purchase secured one of the largest and most significant single land holdings in the Blue Heart project, bringing publicly owned land within the area to almost 1700ha.
“This former cane land will be transitioned back to a natural wetland state,” she said.
“This is already beginning to happen on other adjacent lands due to cane farming ceasing many years ago and tidal gates no longer functioning as designed.
“This is another example of what’s exciting about the Blue Heart: benefits for biodiversity; creating nature-based recreation opportunities; and increasing opportunities for council’s ongoing blue carbon investigations and trials.”
Related story: How major floodplain could be a climate change solution
The land purchase was secured through the SEQ City Deal, a long-term partnership between the Australian Government, Queensland Government and Council of Mayors (SEQ), which allocated $35.3 million to the Blue Heart initiative.
Blue Heart Sunshine Coast is a project committed to sustainable and adaptive floodplain management in the Maroochy River catchment, with the project area covering more than 5000ha across publicly and privately held land.
Partners include the council, the Queensland Government’s Department of Environment and Science, and Unitywater.
Cr Suarez said the majority of the Blue Heart was privately owned and the project sought to help landholders understand and adapt to changes in the landscape expected with sea level rises.
“To help our landholders in the Blue Heart manage the impacts of climate change, we’re proactively trialling new opportunities such as blue carbon farming, which could provide alternative incomes for landholders as some traditional agricultural industries become less viable,” she said.
Blue carbon farming involves measuring and earning credits for carbon stored in healthy marine and coastal ecosystems.
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