Consultation for car museum at Palmer Coolum Resort restarts

Public consultation is restarting on Clive Palmer’s controversial bid for a luxury car museum at his Sunshine Coast resort, after concerns residents were unaware it was happening.

A sign at the front gate of Palmer Coolum Resort advising of the initial public consultation period for the proposed car museum. The photo was taken on Friday, November 24, before the latest public notification period was announced. Picture: Letea Cavander

Residents wanting to have a say on a proposed automotive museum to house Clive Palmer’s enviable car collection have until Christmas, with consultation restarting due to a signage issue.

Mr Palmer has proposed a luxury car museum at Palmer Coolum Resort at Yaroomba on the Sunshine Coast, with space for 879 cars and 363 motorcycles.

Public consultation for the development application lodged with Sunshine Coast Council was scheduled for November 20, 2023 to December 11, 2023 but now will take place from November 28 until December 19.

It’s understood that the public notification period was forced to start over, due to the lack of signs advising of the proposed works around the resort.

If approved, the museum would showcase Mr Palmer’s rare luxury car collection, with the proposed tourist attraction estimated to draw as many as 189,000 visitors per year.

A recently installed sign advising of the new public notification period for the proposed car museum at Palmer Coolum Resort.

A Sunshine Coast Council spokeswoman confirmed that the public notification period would need to restart.

“The applicant advised council that they intend to recommence notification, starting November 28, 2023, and include additional sign locations to ensure the notification process allows for members of the community to make comments on the application,” the spokeswoman said.

“Council will ensure notifications occurs in accordance with the Development Assessment Rules and will elevate any noncompliance with the applicant.”

Development Watch president Lyn Saxton said many locals were unaware that there was a public notification period taking place.

The sign advising of the initial public notification period for the proposed car museum at Warrack St, Mount Coolum. Picture: Supplied

“We had people that drove along David Low Way and were not aware that it was up for public notification,” she said.

“So when we were telling people they said ‘I didn’t know that, I drive past the resort every day and I didn’t see a sign’.”

Mrs Saxton raised concerns that the public notification period will now extend further into the Christmas school holidays, when many people will be away.

Development Watch President Lyn Saxton. Photo: Supplied

“It means that we have more time to comment, but it’s not good that it’s been pushed right up to the Christmas period,” she added.

Clive Palmer’s media spokesman Andrew Crook declined to comment.