World Surf League site developer says flood mitigation is possible
A court judgment over a nearby development on flood plain has not deterred Consolidated Properties and its plans for a wave pool and more at Coolum Beach.
Sunshine Coast
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A developer controlling flood plain near Coolum Beach will continue to explore how it can “unlock” the benefits of the site despite a court judgment over a separate proposal nearby.
In September, Stockland suffered a major blow over its Twin Waters West development proposal in the Planning and Environment Court.
Judge William Everson said there was a “real prospect of detriment or destruction” of wetland should the development on 104ha of Pacific Paradise land go ahead.
A Stockland spokeswoman said at the time of the decision the developer was disappointed and Twin Waters West would help address housing supply issues.
According to court documents, the Stockland site was once a cane farm and is on flood plain on the northern side of the Maroochy River.
Further north, fellow developer Consolidated Properties Group has control of 510ha of former cane land and flood plain on the western side of the Sunshine Motorway at Coolum Beach.
The World Surf League wants to build a surf ranch including a wave pool on the site.
The wave pool is one part of the proposal that also includes an eco-visitor centre, a hotel plus a residential component of up to 1500 homes.
The decision over the Coolum West proposal currently lies with the state government because the site is outside the Sunshine Coast Council’s urban footprint.
Consolidated Properties Group chairman Don O’Rorke would not comment on the Stockland court case.
He said Consolidated Properties Group was not in any discussions about acquiring more land near its existing site west of Coolum Beach.
Instead, he said the developer had control of land ideally located on the corner of the motorway and Yandina-Coolum Rd.
“We have an open mind as to how we and the community can best benefit from unlocking the benefits of the land,” he said.
“We understand the constraint of the flood plain but are prepared to invest capital and into engineering solutions to mitigate it.
“Every site has constraints and we deal with those on a site by site basis.”
Mr O’Rorke said there was a big shortage of “employment land”, or land used for industrial purposes, and affordable housing on the Sunshine Coast.
“We would like to be part of a conversation that could see how we could assist with these problems,” he said.
Sunshine Coast Councillor Maria Suarez said she had made her position clear during her single meeting with Mr O’Rorke.
“Development on flood plains in this day and age with weather events and inundation due to climate change is foolhardy,” she said.
“We’ve only just had these recent events where the state government has had to buy back properties.
“It doesn’t make sense to put people in harm’s way.”
She said when a developer talked about engineering solutions it was problematic.
“They fail or they’re a great expense to ratepayers due to ongoing maintenance and repairs,” Ms Suarez said.
She said if Consolidated Properties wanted to assist the community, it should look to the council’s Blue Heart project for an idea of what to do on the site.
“The Blue Heart project is perfect for flooded cane land in terms of flood and carbon sequestration projects,” Ms Suarez said.
Blue Heart is a project of the Sunshine Coast Council and partners that is committed to flood plain management of the Maroochy River catchment.
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