Sunshine Coast camping, glamping proposal in Yandina falls over after developer withdraws appeal
The developer behind a controversial 229-site caravan park and glamping project has bowed out of a court battle with the Sunshine Coast Council.
Business
Don't miss out on the headlines from Business. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A property developer has given up his fight for a controversial Sunshine Coast tourist park because it was “too hard” to get the project approved.
SEQ Investment Group withdrew its court appeal against Sunshine Coast Council for its Koongalba Rural Retreat Tourist Park that it proposed for a 15ha site near Yandina.
The council rejected the application in September 2020 for several reasons including that it was inconsistent with planning codes and did not minimise flood hazards.
Original plans for the estimated $5m project showed 165 powered and unpowered camping sites, 41 cabins and 23 glamping tents.
It also included a cooking school, restaurant, pool, gym, playground, kids club, farm paddocks and animal nursery.
Brisbane-based SEQ Investment Group director William Hu said the appeal against council’s refusal was withdrawn as per advice from his consultants.
“The Sunshine Coast was too hard,” he said.
“The council owns most of the caravan parks on the Sunshine Coast so you cannot compete with that.
“We don’t have any plans for the land – we’ll keep it for the time being.”
The company purchased the agricultural property, zoned as sustainable cane lands, in May 2004 for $450,000.
The council argued that the development would result in “fragmentation” of good quality agricultural land.
It also found that it was not consistent with the rural setting and character and departed from the State Planning Policy.
“The applicant has not presented any relevant matter to demonstrate how, on balance, the social, economic and environmental benefits of the development would overcome the conflicts with the assessment benchmarks,” the council’s refusal notice said.
The Yandina and District Community Association also campaigned against the project because members believed the location was not suitable.
The group acted as a co-respondent to Sunshine Coast Council in the Planning and Environment Court dispute.
“The Council was representing a wider public interest than the Yandina community’s alone, but we were pleased to demonstrate our solidarity with its stand and for the opportunity to express our scepticism about the viability of the site for its ostensible purpose as a tourist park,” vice president Peter Baulch said.
Is Nine really up to the challenge to change its sorry ways?
There is little confidence the same board that fundamentally allowed an appalling corporate culture and poor leadership to thrive, can also fix it.
Battle lines drawn over TAFE, safety upgrades for roads pitched
With less than two weeks to go before election day, Labor has drawn line in the sand over the Nambour TAFE while the LNP goes on the attack about roads in Cooroy and Palmwoods.