Major residential estate by Melbourne’s Dennis family gets go ahead near Noosa

Melbourne’s Dennis family has revealed plans for a gated community at one of the largest residential sites on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.

The beachfront site at Yaroomba, purchased by Dennis family

Fresh from forking out $110m to buy one of the largest residential sites on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, Melbourne’s Dennis Family Corporation is preparing to start construction of a residential gated community at the sleepy coastal suburb of Yaroomba Beach, about 21km south of Noosa.

The family company, which earned its fortune from developing significant residential sub divisions around Melbourne, purchased the 18.5 ha site, one of the last remaining beachfront development sites on the eastern seaboard, from Japan’s Sekisui House.

The deal over the land near the Palmer Hyatt Coolum resort was flagged by The Weekend Australian earlier this year. The sale over the land fronting David Low Way land was negotiated in August and settled in September.

According to a rare statement from the Dennis Family Corporation on Friday the development will create a residential gated community including detached houses, terrace homes and apartments, in accordance with the existing 2007 Coolum Hyatt development approval, as a continuation of the Coolum Beachside Community Title Scheme.

Subject to council approval, around 291 dwellings could be built on the beachfront site, including 112 detached dwellings, 41 terrace homes, 138 apartments and 500sq m of retail.

But development of the site has attracted strong community opposition.

The Dennis Family Corporation has released its plans for a parcel of land at Yaroomba on the Sunshine Coast.

“Dennis Family Corporation is preparing to start early works on the 18.5 hectare beachfront site and will be fencing it in line with its workplace health and safety obligations.

“The community will retain beach access from the Yaroomba Meeting Place at the northern end of the site through to Beach Access #91, while all construction access will be via an existing entry off David Low Way, north of Yaroomba Drive,” according to the statement.

Dennis Family Corporation director Grant Dennis said the family-owned residential

developer was committed to delivering a strong outcome for the Yaroomba community.

“This site has been earmarked for development for a decade or more and we are eager to

begin work,” Mr Dennis said.

The 18.5ha site attracted a string of high profile developers, with several located in nearby Brisbane, with the sale negotiated by both Ray White and Colliers agents including Brendan Hogan.

Development of the site has attracted strong community opposition. At one stage Sekisui House was planning to build a highly controversial $900m eco resort on the Sunshine Coast site.

In 2018 the Sunshine Coast Council approved Sekisui House’s plan to build a seven storey hotel and four storey residential community on the site. This was opposed by the local community.