The owners of one of the Coast’s most lavish properties are preparing to further expand the sprawling mansion.
A development application has been submitted to Sunshine Coast Council for a 641sqm extension to the existing house at 24 Box Street, Buderim.
Plans by Reddog Architects show the proposed extension would include four guest suites each with their own kitchenette and bathroom, a 15m by 5.5m pool, ice bath, wet and dry saunas and lounge.
The proposed extension would be 10.4m high, triggering impact assessment because it exceeds the allowable 8.5m limit.
The application also includes plans for a new 82sqm secondary dwelling that would be used as a cleaner’s accommodation.
The home, known as Malumba Estate, is owned by Russian-born entrepreneurs and philanthropists Alex and Violetta Sekler, who paid a record $17 million for the home in August 2021.
In 2022 Sunshine Coast News reported the Seklers had also purchased two adjoining properties that took their Box Street holdings to almost 7.2 hectares.
Malumba Estate’s previous owners, Heidi Meyer and Kim Carroll, planned to establish a five-star eco-resort called Badderam on the site, and were successful in gaining council approval – subject to a range of conditions – for 111 hotel suites, restaurants, conference facilities, a wellness spa and a rail car to access cabins down the escarpment, but the approval was formally cancelled by October 2022.
A town planning report by Human Habitats on behalf of the Seklers says the proposed additional structures would complement the existing dwelling, gym and garage on the 2.8-hectare block by adding facilities that support wellness and relaxation.
“Given the substantial size of the lot and the scale of the existing built form, the proposed extensions are considered appropriate and proportionate to the site’s context,” it states.
“The proposed development provides high-quality residential amenity, including guest suites, lounge areas, change facilities and associated recreation spaces, all of which remain functionally connected to the existing dwelling.”
The proposed site plan also shows a space for a helipad, which is not subject to this development application.
The self-contained cleaner’s accommodation would “support the ongoing management and upkeep of the main residence” and include a laundry, dressing area, bedroom and ensuite.
“The secondary dwelling is connected to the main residence via a roofed walkway, maintaining a clear functional relationship with the primary dwelling house while remaining subordinate in size and scale,” the report states.
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The report argues the 10.4m guesthouse and pool building would not affect neighbouring properties.
“The increased height does not result in any adverse amenity impacts, as the structure does not obscure views or cause overshadowing,” it says.
The report says about 464sqm of vegetation clearing would be required for the extensions.
A 3m-high chain-wire fence is also proposed.
The application was submitted to the council on December 18.
The site also has current approval for a 15sqm guard house along the front boundary to Box Street, which a development report said would “facilitate residential surveillance entering and exiting the property”.
The home is perched 180m above sea level and offers ocean views to the shipping lanes and Moreton Island, as well as taking in the Glass House Mountains.
When it changed hands in 2021 the 1240sqm homestead had four luxurious suites with spa-style bathrooms, a four-person office, music room with baby grand piano, multiple living areas, American oak parquetry floors, sweeping timber decks and an exact replica of Martha Stewart’s own kitchen.
