A Glass House Mountains couple plan to build a small tourist accommodation business on land close to their hearts, to show off what the area has to offer.
Ryan and Amy Pitcher hope to build eight cabins on a 23ha property at Meyricks Road, Glass House Mountains, that has stunning views of Mount Beerwah.
The Pitchers married on the property two weeks after Covid restrictions lifted in 2021, having put off booking anywhere during the uncertainty of the pandemic.
“We have a lot of special memories there, and a lot of people have said they’d love to stay there, and we thought it would be nice to build some eco-friendly kind of cabins,” Mrs Pitcher said.
The Pitchers, who own the land with family members, already have experience in the tourism game.
“Ryan and I have both worked in a variety of places, both in hospitality and tourism, in the last probably 10 years,” Mrs Pitcher said.
“We both grew up around here but moved overseas and did a lot of travel.
“It’s always been a goal of ours to be able to open our own business.”
An application lodged with the Sunshine Coast Council on their behalf by Adams and Sparkes Town Planning seeks approval for eight small-scale, self-contained cabins on stilts so as not to affect the topography of the site.
The application describes the cabins as “tent-style” cabins, with straight lines and edges and pitched roofs, but built of traditional building materials, including cladding and a corrugated roof, “to maintain the established visual character”.
Mrs Pitcher said she had long had a fondness for A-frame buildings and had memories of snow-topped cabins she saw while working in Canada.
She hoped the cabin style, “something different”, would add to the appeal of staying there.
“I just like the way that they work. If we can do something that’s environmentally friendly and help tourists, and minimise the impact on what’s around us, I’ll be happy with that and I hope it appeals to other people as well,” she said.
The town planning report submitted with the application says each cabin would consist of one bedroom, an open living area and kitchenette, with a carparking space to the side, and there would be room for visitor parking near the entrance.
Drinking water would be from tanks and there would be an on-site effluent system.
The cabins would open on to a clearing that would provide recreational space with views to the Glass House Mountains.
The report acknowledges that the cabins would be closer than 20m to the road, a distance considered acceptable in the planning scheme, but says the site would be screened from adjoining lots and the road reserve by vegetation.
“The proposed development takes advantage of the site’s natural assets and seeks to utilise a naturally segregated and unused part of the rural property,” the report says.
“The proposal for a small-scale tourism use that is screened by retained vegetation and landscaping is compatible with the site’s rural location.
“Overall, the proposed development ensures a consistent development outcome that will result in a positive use of the site and won’t detract from the rural character of the locality.”
Ms Pitcher said she and her husband were keen to start on the venture as soon as possible but that would depend on the approval process and outcome.
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