A community group opposing plans for a five-level Buddhist centre has been formed, as the proposal enters the public notification period.
The long-running Chenrezig Institute is planning to add a new central meditation hall – or ‘gompa’ – plus 68 short-term accommodation rooms for students and guests to its 66-hectare site at 33 Johnsons Road near Eudlo.
A development application was submitted in July by Jeff Nicholls Town Planning on behalf of Chenrezig Inc detailing the plans for the building, which would have a total floor area of 12,414sqm.
Sunshine Coast Council issued an information request later in July seeking clarification on issues including building design, site layout and parking, with the institute submitting its response in December.
Among the changes was a slight relocation of the building to allow for new landscaping buffers, as well as a clarification of site access.
“The public will have access to the site from Johnsons Road, while the new access to the gompa will be formalised from the existing turnaround on Upper Rambert Road via a new sealed driveway,” it says.
Planning documents show the building would be 12.87m high but two of the five levels would be underground so only 7.76m would be above the ground – less than the allowable 8.5m.
Public notification opened on March 12 and closes on April 1, with a community group called the Eudlo Hinterland Action Group being formed to help residents oppose the proposal, which it claims would reach about 18.3m high.
“We are a local community group opposing the development application and working to protect the character, landscape and future of Eudlo and the surrounding hinterland,” the group’s Facebook page says.
“This is not a small-scale or low-impact development. Its size and intensity would have lasting impacts through increased traffic, waste, noise and light pollution. It also raises serious concerns about environmental impacts, bushfire risk and inadequate on-site parking.
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“Why this matters is that once a place loses what makes it unique, that loss cannot easily be undone.
“We are here to share information, raise community awareness about the development and support residents with clear guidance on how to make a properly made submission.
“Residents of Eudlo and the surrounding hinterland have a right to know what is being proposed and to have a say in decisions that affect their area.”
The initial application for the gompa says it would be sensitive to its rural surroundings.
“The new gompa has been specifically planned to provide for ‘low-scale’ built form that is less than 8.5m high and has been integrated with the natural contour of the land, so it is safe, secure and designed to withstand natural hazards such as cyclones and bushfire,” it says.
Founded in 1974, the Chenrezig Institute was one of the first Tibetan Buddhist centres in the Western world, and is still among the largest in Australia. It is a registered non-profit organisation.
Its current facilities include a vegetarian cafe, art studio, memorial gardens, extensive rainforest grounds and short-term visitor accommodation. It offers a range of programs including secular and Buddhist teachings, wellbeing courses and traditional retreats.
“The institute has now outgrown its existing gompa whereby the existing meditation hall has reached its full capacity and is unable to accommodate the wider community demand for Buddhist teachings and retreats simultaneously. The current facility is also unable to hold larger numbers of participants for special occasions or be able to facilitate major teaching events,” the planning documents state.
“It is intended that the new gompa proposal will carry on the Chenrezig Institute’s legacy for centuries to come.”
The Chenrezig Institute and Eudlo Hinterland Action Group were contacted for comment.
