A rezoning that would have paved the way for redevelopment of a key site in a Sunshine Coast growth suburb has been snuffed out by the state government.
The Director-General of the Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning has told Sunshine Coast Council to change the zoning of Bli Bli’s Riverside Caravan Park in its draft planning scheme from district centre to community facilities.
Under the council’s 2014 planning scheme, the caravan park, which sits just off the roundabout on David Low Way in the middle of Bli Bli, has been zoned for community facilities.
The contents of the proposed new planning scheme have not been made public but a letter from the Director-General, John Sosso, to the council gives away the planned zoning change.
Mr Sosso offers approval for the draft planning scheme to progress, subject to a number of conditions, including that the district centre zoning for the caravan park be amended to community facilities in the draft scheme.
The approval is also conditional upon an addition to the draft scheme to link any further development in the centre of Bli Bli to investigations of road upgrades.
David Low Way and Bli Bli Road between the Bli Bli bridge and Willis Road are often congested during peak periods.
“In order to fully realise its role and function as envisaged by the Sunshine Coast Activity Centres Network, Bli Bli District Activity Centre needs to expand,” the condition says.
“However, the road network in the location is subject to significant capacity constraints which prevents this outcome being realised at the current time.
“During the life of the planning scheme, council will undertake investigations regarding the future of Bli Bli District Activity Centre, including considering the feasibility of future road network improvements and the potential inclusion of additional land (immediately south of David Low Way) in the District Centre Zone, in consultation with the state government.”
Mr Sosso said the conditions were necessary “to protect the state-controlled road network from inappropriate development until such a time there is a broader road network solution to support the Bli Bli town centre”.
He said they were also needed to maintain the safety and efficiency of the state-controlled road network and “to ensure the proposed planning scheme responds to the characteristics of land, based upon sound evidence that underpins the land use planning vision and direction”.
