A long-running proposal for a First Nations tourism precinct near Aussie World has been approved almost eight years after the original development application was lodged.
Hanseath Pty Ltd’s plans for a 48-hectare site on the corner of Frizzo and Sippy Creek roads at Palmview were approved by Sunshine Coast Council on April 29.
Hanseath, a Maroochydore-based company, is working with The First Traders Limited to deliver the main tourism component of the project.
The First Traders is a First Nations-led not-for-profit company limited by guarantee that works to increase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation in business and the economy through shared cultural and business spaces.
The proposed Sunshine Coast First Nations Tourism Precinct is intended to provide space for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, art and enterprise, with a focus on tourism, food, health and wellbeing and cultural experiences.
The first development application for the site was lodged in June 2019 and sought approval for a masterplanned tourism precinct. A separate application proposed reconfiguring the property into six lots so the development could be delivered in stages.
The application underwent multiple rounds of information requests, reports and amendments during the assessment process.
As Sunshine Coast News reported in 2024, the proposal had been substantially revised, with the development footprint reduced and the buildings relocated west of their original central position on the site.
The original concept included eco-cabins, while the revised proposal included a 100-room hotel, an arts and health and wellbeing centre, a regional produce and activities hub and a function centre.
Hotel plans prepared by Zeen Design now show a four-level, 91-room hotel, with a lower-ground level providing 41 car parking spaces, including two accessible spaces. The hotel will also include a cafe, restaurant, 138sqm swimming pool, gym, two conference rooms and multiple ballrooms.
Once operational, the precinct is forecast to generate $50 million in annual economic output, attract 520,000 visitors a year and support 25,000 hotel room nights.
The precinct will have a Regional Produce, Artisans & Activities Hub, a two-storey building that includes a bushfood restaurant, outdoor dining, bushfood product demonstrations and micro-manufacturing, including cooking workshops using native ingredients and Indigenous-led food education.
It will also contain manufacturing and storage areas and a brewery/distillery.
The Art Studio and Health and Wellbeing Building plans include areas for digital storytelling and film, Indigenous cultural performances, an arts centre, Indigenous artefacts and artworks, bush medicine and cultural healing consultations, as well as traditional wellness activities including massage, meditation and immersive retreats.
