Barns Lane, Coolum Beach, granted Sunshine Coast Council approval

Work will start soon on a food and entertainment hub championing local produce after a major tourism project received the green light at the Sunshine Coast. See the plans.

Local produce will be the key drawcard for a major agri-tourism development with a food and entertainment hub at Coolum Beach given the green light.

Sunshine Coast Council has approved Barns Lane which could become one of the region’s largest tourism destinations.

The development would feature a 2000sq m produce hall open daily as well as an outdoor stage, restaurant, nursery, a distillery and brewery.

Brisbane developers Jason and Helen Grant and Jonathan Leishman were excited to start construction on the first stage, with an estimated opening date of late 2023.

The development would transform a 6.8ha block at the entrance to Coolum Beach with music and arts spaces, paddock-to-plate experiences and more than three hectares of garden beds and orchards.

Future stages include a 26-room boutique hotel and a 150-seat function venue.

Barns Lane has been compared to the popular The Farm produce hall at Byron Bay.

Mr Grant said there were similarities but their concept included some key differences.

“Barns Lane is much more than a farm,” he said.

“We have the advantage of starting with a blank canvas so we could produce a master plan with diverse offerings.

“We’ve been able to include things like the brewery, distillery and entertainment lawn and artist studios.”

The produce hall would feature more than 50 stalls as well as a permanent butcher and deli.

Under its approval more than 75 per cent of what is sold on site must be sourced or manufactured locally.

No retail chain stores or franchises would be allowed.

Mr Grant said Barns Lane aimed to showcase the “best of everything” the region had to offer with the aim to connect locals and tourists with the hinterland.

An artist’s impression of Barns Lane, an approved agri-tourism project at Coolum Beach.

“There’s been a disconnect on the Sunshine Coast between the coastal suburbs and the hinterland,” Mr Grant said.

“We see Barns Lane as being part of the solution to that.

“There’s small to medium sized producers that many wouldn’t have heard of before that produce fantastic products.

“This is an opportunity for them to connect with the local and the tourist market.”

Barns Lane will feature a variety of dining spaces.

Visit Sunshine Coast CEO Matt Stoeckel said there was huge demand for agri-tourism experiences.

“The new product will go a long way in cementing our profile as a leading agri-tourism destination,” Mr Stoeckel said.

The development was proposed for 39 Barns Lane, near Coolum State School.

“Having this on our doorstep is really exciting,” principal Anthony Ryan said.

“We’ve already implemented Barns Lane Farm themes into our curriculum, and we look forward to furthering partnership opportunities.”

The project was expected to create up to 60 construction jobs and more than 170 full-time equivalent jobs once operational.

It would also have a 363 space carpark.

The site had a controversial history with it formerly earmarked as a Bunnings Warehouse.

Former Maroochy and Sunshine Coast councils refused Bunnings’ three development applications to build a warehouse, service station and restaurant in 2006, 2012 and 2016 on grounds the development did not comply with the planning scheme.

The refusals were upheld in the Planning and Environment Court and finally the Supreme Court of Queensland, which dismissed Bunnings’ appeal in November, 2019.

The project would be built over three stages with the produce hall first and the boutique hotel and 150-seat function centre to be in stage 3.