Yandina residents fear service station could get past appeal

Yandina residents are ready for a fight as speculation mounts that a rejected service station development near a historic hall and childcare centre will be allowed on appeal.

Yandina residents opposed to the construction of a service station across the road from the heritage listed arts hall.

Yandina residents are ready for a fight after rumours surfaced that a rejected service station development next door to a historic hall and childcare centre could be allowed on appeal.

The development application, initially lodged in 2021, was rejected by the Sunshine Coast Council in June that year on the grounds that it was not in line with the character and heritage values of the area, among other reasons.

Developer Pearl Investment (Aust) Pty Ltd appealed the council’s decision in the Planning and Environment Court, with a decision still pending.

But Yandina and District Community Association president Marie Reeve, who has been keeping a close eye on the appeal process, said she had heard that the project would be allowed to go ahead and that the community would vehemently oppose it.

“I have been in regular contact with a council representative just to know what the time frames are and how it’s going,” she said.

“The last time I made contact I was told that negotiations are continuing, the plans have been modified and it’s likely that an approval will be issued.

“That is very, very concerning.”

The site at Yandina where a development application for a service station is currently under appeal.

Ms Reeve said when the proposal first popped up in 2021 alarm bells rang.

“There’s no way a delivery fuel tanker can go through the residential streets of Yandina,” she said.

“We know this is a heritage and cultural precinct and a heavily used pedestrian area.

“You’ve got the childcare centre just one block away, you’ve got parents with prams and kids on bikes and scooters all going down there.

“You put a whole lot of extra cars and a tanker in the mix there and you’ve got problems.”

The site is across the road from the heritage-listed hall for the Yandina School of Arts.

President Daniel Weepers said he could not believe the project was ever considered for the site.

President of the Yandina Schools of Arts Daniel Weepers.

“It doesn’t suit the characteristic of the town nor does it fit the historic precinct that they’re trying to place it in,” he said.

“Council have rejected it based on code and if council stand true to the codes that they have in place then it must be rejected.

“The only way for this to be approved is to break code and allow something that just does not belong.

“It’s a ridiculous concept.”

Business Yandina president Bill Gissane said although his organisation and the community association didn’t always see eye to eye, in this case they were in agreement.

“We don’t like to see businesses getting knocked back but in this case it is the wrong business, wrong location,” he said.

Mr Gissane said there were numerous safety concerns about placing a service station in the historic precinct.

“It was once proposed that there was a roundabout in this location because it is such a poor intersection and very hazardous,” he said.

“There have been numerous incidents and accidents occurring at that location.

“The size of the intersection was too small for a properly functioning roundabout which tells you something about how crazy this idea really is with trying to have articulated vehicles running through it.”

A Sunshine Coast Council spokeswoman said they could not provide any comment as the matter was before the court.

“Once all parties have agreed on an outcome for this appeal, the appeal will be finalised by a Judge of the Planning and Environment Court and then issued under the Court direction,” she said.

The Sunshine Coast Daily has endeavoured to contact Developer Pearl Investment (Aust) Pty Ltd through its solicitor.