Beerwah Village Shopping Centre expansion receives approval, businesses celebrate

The council has given a major expansion at a Sunshine Coast hinterland shopping village the green light. SEE THE PLANS

A Sunshine Coast cafe owner is looking forward to serving up more customers after a shopping centre expansion was approved for a bustling hinterland town.

Village Fair Investments applied to Sunshine Coast Council in September 2020 to expand the centre on Peachester Road and Simpson Street.

The additional 3059sq m of retail space adjoining its existing offering has cafe owner Mark Blong celebrating.

Along with the retail space, there will be an additional 118 car parks.

Mr Blong has owned The Coffee Club at the busy complex for four years.

“The additional car parks are good, it will be just the management and flow of the traffic that I think will present a challenge for the centre,” he said.

“But any development is good development, as long as it brings the right businesses and the right turnover for vehicles.

“More car parks is great, the town is growing.”

The approval comes after the Sunshine Coast Council refused the Coles Development Group’s proposal for Roys Road in Beerwah.

Coles applied to the council in late 2019 to develop a supermarket, homemaker centre, service station and McDonald’s at the site outside Beerwah’s town centre.

Mr Blong believes the Coles development was never the right fit for the region.

“(It) was never a smart development for the town centre, it was splitting the town,” he said.

“I think any future development needs to combine everything so you do have a town centre rather than two satellite centres.

“It’s inevitable that town’s grow and if Coles wants to be a player in our business sector they need to find somewhere on this side of town where they can benefit all of us not just Coles.”

118 new carparking spaces will be delivered as part of the Beerwah expansion.

Village Fair Investments purchased the Beerwah Marketplace Shopping Centre during construction in 2002 and acquired adjoining properties in 2006 and 2019.

Village Fair Investments managing director Rick Abrahams said his company believed Beerwah was turning into a major activity centre.

“Village Fair Investments have worked … to deliver a planning outcome designed to focus on keeping Beerwah’s retail hub intact,” he said.

“574 carparking spaces will be delivered as well as 29 motorcycle spaces and 15 parking spaces for people with disabilities.”

Upgrades will also include CCTV, public art, landscaping and public seating.

All improvements will be guided by the Sunshine Coast Council policy documents for Beerwah Streetscape, Place Planning and Public Art.