A four-week hearing has wrapped up over a contentious housing development at Twin Waters West that council is fighting to prevent.
Stockland, which has been trying to get the housing estate approved for 13 years, went head-to-head with Sunshine Coast Council in the Planning and Environment Court in Brisbane.
The developer is pushing proceed with its proposed master-planned estate that council has already rejected twice.
The Twin Waters West development application sought 182 lots, new roads and a park next door to the existing Twin Waters community.
If approved, the application notes the developer would seek the Pacific Paradise site to include 584 residential lots and two unit sites with 180 unit dwellings between them.
The council’s position was supported in court by a number of groups as co-respondants including Twin Waters West and Surrounds, Sunshine Coast Environment Council (SCEC), Development Watch, Organisation of Sunshine Coast Association of Residents (OSCAR) and community groups.
It is now a waiting game as the court retires to consider its decision which could take months.
Earlier this year the Yaroomba community had waited nearly a year for a decision in the fight against Sekisui.
Twin Waters West and Surrounds Inc president Kathryn Hyman said the latest hearing was the longest in the P&E court this year.
“Court sat over four weeks and had a site visit with a dozen parties and some extras with 4WD vehicles if needed,” she said.
“Science and evidence was core to the proceedings.”
“All is still legally privileged so we cannot elaborate on proceedings but we feel the evidence-in-chief was the star, as it should be,” she said.
Previous court documents reveal council’s grounds for rejection include traffic concerns, the “scale and density of development”, flooding and location near a wetland.
Stockland’s grounds for appeal include its insistence that council has no solid planning grounds for rejection and the development is “consistent with and sympathetic to the character of the adjoining Twin Waters residential development”.
If the court decides to refuse the Twin Waters West development approval, Ms Hyman said it would be another win for the community.
“The developer can then appeal. Council (and community) will cross that bridge when and if we come to it,” she said.
Ms Hyman suggested the developer could consider conceding and donate the land to the community or use the property for something else such as a “cultural interpretive centre and art gallery with an Eastern Grey kangaroo viewing platform”.
“We are eternal optimists,” she said.
However, if the court approves the development, it would be a win for Stockland.
“The council, and/or we co-respondents can appeal. We will cross these bridges in due course,” she said.
“Meanwhile we are coming up for air and remain hopeful science will win the day.”
