A prominent state government marine base is set to be overhauled, and while some plans for the revamp have emerged, other key details are yet to be determined.
The Mooloolaba Marine Operations Base, which is located on a government-owned site near the end of the Mooloolaba Spit, accommodates Maritime Safety Queensland and Queensland Water Police, and is used for marine pilot operations.
The upgrade is expected to bolster their facilities.
The concept design was completed in early 2020 and was updated in mid-2023, but details have been scarce.
Sunshine Coast News sought more information on plans for the precinct, inquiring about the status of the project, timeline for construction, expected costs, site usage and building specifications.
In response, an MSQ spokesperson said other government organisations could be based there, there would be no room for private development and there was a guarantee on the height of buildings.
“The concept design accommodates the current MSQ and QPS functions and considers the potential for other marine-related government agencies to also be accommodated, if supported by the detailed design plans and operational requirements,” they said.
“The concept design makes full use of the entire government-owned site, with no space for additional development and a building height of 8.5m as per Sunshine Coast Council planning guidelines.
“The benefits of a reconstruction include: fit-for-purpose office facilities; buildings that are energy and water efficient (and) achieve current building and accessibility standards; storage areas and operational laydown areas; and to provide service delivery efficiency of relevant water-based agencies.”
But there were no details on the construction timeline and cost estimates, and TMR did not provide extra information about what the precinct could look like.
Member for Maroochydore Fiona Simpson asked the Minister for Transport and Main Roads Bart Mellish for more information regarding the project in parliament.
Mr Mellish responded by saying “the next phase of the project is detailed design and documentation followed by construction and delivery”.
“The concept design provided for the continued accommodation of MSQ and QPS, and potential future accommodation for the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, enabling compliance and safety priorities to be located at a shared site,” he said.
“Once the detailed design phase is complete, a timeline for the Mooloolaba MOB development can be proposed.
“Cost estimates for the project will be developed after the detailed design process is complete.
“The concept design makes full use of the entire government-owned site with no space for additional development.”
TMR is the long-term owner of the site, which currently has nine structures.
Ms Simpson said it was crucial that the precinct, near the mouth of the Mooloolah River, was looked after and well utilised.
“It’s important that this site is protected and improved to support our local community,” she said.
“I’m pleased they’ve confirmed no commercial redevelopment on the site as it’s important this area serves the maritime-related services.”
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.
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