Sunshine Coast Council rejects Coles’ application for new supermarket at Beerwah

A businesswoman of 50 years welcomed a decision to reject a major supermarket bid which she said would have a catastrophic impact on a small Sunshine Coast town.

Glass House Mountains businesswoman Joan Tucker welcomed Sunshine Coast Council's decision to reject the application for a Coles supermarket at Roys Road in Beerwah. Picture: Tegan Annett

A Sunshine Coast businesswoman says her town’s retailers have been spared a “catastrophic” blow after a bid to build a major supermarket was thrown out.

Joan Tucker gave a nod and a smile to Sunshine Coast councillors on Thursday when they refused Coles Development Group’s proposal for Roys Road in Beerwah.

The Glass House Mountains businesswoman of five decades said it had been an anxious two year wait for businesses that warned they would be forced to close if the new supermarket project went ahead.

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.

Mrs Tucker said her initial response when she heard about the application was “absolute horror”.

Coles Development Group's application for a supermarket and homemaker centre at Roys Road in Beerwah has been refused.

“I could not believe it was happening, it would be catastrophic for Beerwah and surrounding areas,” she said.

“There’s already empty shops.”

Mrs Tucker and her husband Walter – affectionately known as Wally – were foundation members of the Glass House Mountains’ Progress Association in the 70s which continues today as the business association.

They owned the post office for 30 years, the general store and a fruit shop, but the latter closed when Woolworths opened at Beerwah about 25 years ago.

During the past two years Mrs Tucker has campaigned against the development and door knocked small retailers to ensure they were aware of it.

She said the council’s decision was “absolutely amazing”.

“So many small businesses have had a very anxious two years,” she said.

“They’ve wanted to know what their future was going to be.”

The council rejected the company’s three separate applications for the homemaker centre, a service station and food and drink outlet and a four-lot subdivision.

The application received strong objections, particularly from businesses that worried it would force some to close.

Of the 50 properly made submissions, 40 were against it.

Deputy Mayor Rick Baberowski said some residents initially showed support for the project because of the appeal of having strong brands including Coles and McDonald’s in the area.

“What wasn’t clear was the impacts of an out of centre development,” he said.

“What would’ve been a mistake was to bring in a major out of centre development which would create a fragmented area.”

He said once Bells Creek Arterial Road was built Beerwah residents would have access to major stores at Stockland’s Aura development within a 10 minute drive.

Councillor David Law said Nambour, which was in his division, was divided because of the arrival of major stores.

“The town is still struggling to come back from that with many empty leases,” he said.

“We can’t change the past for Nambour but we can continue to work extremely hard to make a difference here.”

Council officers gave 29 reasons for council to object the three applications, ranging from the proposals being outside planning schemes and codes and being detrimental to the suburb’s character.

They said the proposed development was “premature” and did not maintain or promote the town’s active and lively main street.