Proposed site changes by Kabi Kabi revealed for Cooloola eco-cabins project

Potential changes to sites for an eco-tourism “glamping” project proposed for national parkland between Noosa North Shore and Rainbow Beach will be flagged at a private meeting.

Proposed site changes for the Cooloola Great Walk ecotourism project.

Kabi Kabi Traditional Owners will present proposed changes to The Cooloola Great Walk eco-tourism project regarding the location of the cabin accommodation sites.

The project would establish five “glamping” experiences along a 102km stretch between Noosa North Shore and Rainbow Beach.

According to Queensland Ecotourism Trails it would involve “small-scale, low-impact” eco-tourism cabins and experiences in a bid to make the Great Walk more accessible to a “wider range of visitors”.

A private Traditional Owner community meeting has been called to consider the proposed cabin locations.

Two cabins are to be relocated following public feedback, ecological advice and project stakeholder consultation, a Queensland Ecotourism Trails press release said.

The first relocated site “Banksia” will be outside of the Noosa River flooding zone, approximately 400m east of the river.

Proposed Site B changes for the Cooloola Great Walk eco-tourism project

The press release said the new site “avoids significant wetland values, in particular the Cooloola Patterned Fens, avoids potential fauna habitat, mature koala habitat and hollow bearing trees”.

The second relocated site “Ridgeline” will be outside of the Poona Lake catchment, approximately 400m west of Poona Lake.

It will be surrounded by “ex-forestry” disturbed blackbutt woodland and away from high value rainforest and “undisturbed old-growth blackbutt”.

Proposed Site R changes for the Cooloola Great Walk eco-tourism project

Both sites will not require a new access track to be constructed.

The meeting will be held on November 5, 2022.

“If (the changes are) accepted, the authorisation of an Indigenous Land Use Agreement and Cultural Heritage Management Plan will follow,” the press release said.

The eco cabin has previously sparked some negative feedback from the community, including from the Keep Cooloola Cool lobby group.

Keep Cooloola Cool advocate Matthew Noffke told The Gympie Times in April the project would represent a significant change of use for the park and believed it would open the gate to private development in Queensland National Parks becoming legally acceptable.

Originally published as Proposed site changes by Kabi Kabi revealed for Cooloola eco-cabins project