Public submissions racked up against Clive Palmer’s Yaroomba car museum proposal

Clive Palmer’s plans for an enormous, luxury car museum has been labelled an “eyesore” amongst hundreds of submissions made to Sunshine Coast Council after three weeks of public notification.

Development Watch Inc president Lynette Saxton spoke about the impact of Clive Palmer’s proposed car museum.

A six-storey car museum proposed by Clive Palmer was fronted by almost 800 submissions made by the Sunshine Coast community, with an overwhelming majority not in support of the plans.

Mr Palmer lodged his application with Sunshine Coast Council for a 22m tall luxury car museum at Palmer Coolum Resort, which has also been subject to $100m refurbishment plans since 2021.

The proposal outlined for the museum to hold 879 cars and 363 motorcycles from Mr Palmer’s vintage and luxury collection on an 11,644 sq m site.

The public notification period for a proposed car museum in Yaroomba closed in mid-December.

If approved, it is expected to draw up to 189,000 visitors per year, the development application had stated.

The public notification period had restarted in late November, 2023 due to the lack of signage advertising the development and received 793 public not properly and properly made submissions before its closure on December 19, 2023.

Many submission comments called for the museum to be moved to a different location and several more labelled the building an “eyesore” and “out of character” with Yaroomba.

Sunshine Coast residents submitted additional concerns, with Kyle Giannone stating the museum would increase traffic in an area surrounded by wildlife.

Jodie Maher said in her submissions the museum should belong somewhere else.

“Please do not ruin the natural beauty of the golf course,” she said.

More than 800 submissions were made by the public in regard to Clive Palmer’s car museum.

William Martin said in a submission the museum did not provide any accommodation or utilities needed by the Yaroomba community.

“Residents purchased in this area because of the safeguards that exist to prevent this sort of development encroaching on their lifestyle.

“It is absolutely unfair and a breach of trust to allow those safeguards to be bypassed.”

Submissions in favour of the planned attraction welcomed the employment opportunities which would emerge within the locality and its increase in tourism.

Graeme David and Karen Jane Buchanan wrote in support of the development within their submission, naming the museum a “passive non-polluting attraction” which would create less noise and sit structurally lower than other tourism alternatives.

“With garden landscaping, it could be made to aesthetically blend into the surround area and enhance - not spoil - the area environmentally,” they said in their submission.

Alexander Dodd also supported the construction of the tourism facility, stating the existing Yaroomba developments are “well-screened.”

“With the proposed building, style, landscaping and road setback, no visual amenity should impact views from perimeter roads or properties,” he said in his submission.

Most submissions not in favour of the museum reiterated key issues detailed by Development Watch Inc, who provided forms for council submissions at the request of the community.

These included concerns of building height exceeding the limit outlined by the Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme and its size and scale forming a “stand-alone attraction” rather than an addition to the resort.

Lynette Saxton expected a huge response against Clive Palmer’s proposed car museum Photo: Patrick Woods.

Development Watch Inc president Lynette Saxton described the plans as “another nail in the coffin for the resort”.

She described the building to be a “big box” which does not fit in with the resort’s “beautiful, natural amenity”.

The amount of community submissions did not come as a surprise to Ms Saxton.

She said one of the main impacts on the Yaroomba community would be the museum becoming a “precedent” for other large-scale developments to be established in the future.

Work continues on the villas in the Palmer Coolum Resort, which is undergoing a $100m refurbishment.

“All the community wants is their resort back, their beautiful, five-star, almost eco resort,” she said.

“It is mainly going to attract day visitors and the main tourism focus is the resort which has a premium golf course, the area, the beautiful beach... not a massive, grandiose car museum.

“Please take this somewhere else, it is not wanted here and please give us back our beautiful resort.”

The next step for the community group would be to encourage residents to attend the council meeting in person when it is time to vote on the application.

Ms Saxton detailed one of the ideal outcomes would be for the planned site to be relocated elsewhere, such as near the Bruce Highway close other tourism attractions including the Big Pineapple or Aussie World.

Businessman and former federal MP Clive Palmer purchased the resort in 2011. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

She also suggested Sunshine Coast Airport to be ideal for the museum - in consideration of height limits - for travellers to spend their spare time between commutes.

Ms Saxton said she hoped council would listen to the community’s opinions against the proposal.

“The reason why you have community consultation… is to gauge community concern,” she said.

“It is clear the overwhelming majority of the community do not want this car museum.”

Clive Palmer’s media representative and Palmer Coolum Resort were contacted for comment.

Originally published as Public submissions racked up against Clive Palmer’s Yaroomba car museum proposal