MEDIA RELEASE: Community Concerns Escalating Over Coochin Creek Developments
More than two dozen Coochin Creek residents gathered on Roys Road recently to meet with representatives from the region’s leading community and environmental organisations to raise serious concerns about the escalating impacts of two major development proposals at Coochin Creek — a super-sized Big4-style Tourist Park and a 35,000-person mega Music Festival & Exhibition Event Site.
26 Npvember 2025
More than two dozen Coochin Creek residents gathered on Roys Road recently to meet with
representatives from the region’s leading community and environmental organisations to raise
serious concerns about the escalating impacts of two major development proposals at Coochin
Creek — a super-sized Big4-style Tourist Park and a 35,000-person mega Music Festival &
Exhibition Event Site.
Residents spoke openly about impacts on their daily lives, businesses, safety, and the rural
character of Coochin Creek should Planning Minister Jarrod Bleijie decide to approve these
controversial applications using his call-in powers. Concerns raised included emergency access
during floods and bushfires, traffic congestion on the single-lane rural road, noise impacts, risks to
local wildlife, and the cumulative pressure on the Ramsar-listed Pumicestone Passage.
Long-term residents provided first-hand stories of past flooding, historic waterflow patterns, and the
limitations of the area’s single, narrow evacuation corridor—issues that already place the community
at risk during severe weather and emergencies. Others expressed distress that such intensive
developments would funnel large volumes of traffic through the area, including heavy vehicles
needed to service and supply major events. They questioned how a proposal bringing in up to
35,000 people per day could even be considered in a location recognised for its high conservation
values, environmental sensitivity, and decades-long tradition of community care and stewardship.
Shannan Roy, Local Resident (Coochin Creek):
“It was an excellent turnout and shows just how deeply people care about this place. I want to be
clear — I work in earthmoving, and I’m not anti-development. Progress is important, and we need to
cater to a wide range of interests. But development must be responsible, and it must be in the right
places. Coochin Creek is simply not the right place for these two proposals.
My family has lived here for seven generations, and we all have seen firsthand how human activity
can cause long-term damage — just look at what’s happened at the northern tip of Bribie Island. I’m
no ‘greenie’, but some places need to be protected for future generations and this is one of them.”
Representatives from the Community Coalition — including Take Action for Pumicestone
Passage, Pumicestone Passage Catchment Management Body, the Northern Inter-Urban Break
Integrity Association, Bribie Island Environmental Protection Association, Caloundra Residents
Association, and the Sunshine Coast Environment Council — attended to hear residents’ concerns and offer guidance on how to lodge formal submissions during the current consultation period to Deputy Premier and Minister for Planning Jarrod Bleijie MP before the closing date of 8 December 2025.
The gathering highlighted strong community unity and resolve in objecting to these inappropriate and
ill-sited developments.
Residents listened intently as speakers explained the planning process, the potential consequences
of the proposals, and the importance of the Northern Inter-Urban Break as a protective
environmental buffer.
There was a clear and shared message: Coochin Creek is a rural, environmentally sensitive
haven — not a suitable location for massive festivals and expos and an urban, Big 4 style
Tourist Park This is backed by over 5,200 signatories to date to a public petition, “Protect
Pumicestone Passage and the Greenbelt”.
Residents were concerned their voices would not be heard amongst the promotional spin that there
wouldn’t be any detrimental impacts on their peaceful and valued environment from this mega
development.
Melva Hobson, President, OSCAR Inc.
OSCAR recently received a response to a question on a Ministerial decision on a major
development which was based on ‘’considering feedback from local residents’’ and “the expectations
of the local residents.’’ (Deputy Premier 7 October to OSCAR). OSCAR calls on the Deputy Premier
and Minister for Planning to apply the same principles to his decision relating to both the Tourist and
Festival sites, based on feedback and expectations of the local residents and communities as
represented by not only the immediate residents, but those located surrounding the site and across
the Sunshine Coast region as represented by members of the coalition of community organisations
represented in this media release and advice from his own State Assessment Referral Agency
(SARA).
Narelle McCarthy, Advocacy and Engagement Manager, Sunshine Coast Environment Council
(SCEC)
“We are at a critical crossroads. The Northern Inter-Urban Break and the Pumicestone Passage
deliver enormous environmental, cultural, recreational, economic, social and tourism benefits. These
must not be put at risk by developments that simply do not align with — and indeed threaten — the
very values these areas exist to protect and preserve for everyone into the future. SCEC again calls
on the Deputy-Premier to refuse this application in the best interests of the region and good,
sustainable planning."
Elisa Weiser, President, Caloundra Residents Association
“CRA reaffirms our longstanding support for the NIUB, a vital green belt and protector of the
Pumicestone Passage. Developments of this scale and their impact in this sensitive location are
totally inappropriate on environmental but also social and economic grounds. They risk local
residents’ livelihoods, visitor safety and emergency access due to adjacent bushfire zones and a
single-lane road, and would cause significant traffic impacts, including heavy vehicle traffic on the
Bruce Highway and other connecting roads like Bells Creek Road and Kawana Way. Our view aligns
with Sunshine Coast Council’s original concerns, state planning advice, and widespread community
sentiment. We are not anti-development, but it must be in the right location.”
Claire Brown, Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland, Sunshine Coast and Hinterland
Branch
“The scale of these two developments is totally inappropriate for this area. There is only a narrow
road in and the area is surrounded by National Park and the internationally listed Ramsar
Pumicestone Passage, part of the Moreton Bay Marine Park. The State’s own planning department
agrees that there are no compelling reasons why these developments must be located in the
Northern Inter-Urban Break. There are other locations in the appropriate designated areas in the
planning schemes for these large scale developments.”
Dylan Daley, President, Northern Inter Urban Break Integrity Assoc. Inc.
“The residents of Coochin Creek are justified in their fear of being ignored by the Planning Minister.
The developer’s Traffic Impact Assessment dated 15th May 2024, submitted to Sunshine Coast
Council, states under Development Code Responses, “Although Roys Road is a public road, it is
only used by the development site and a small number of other sites”. This arrogantly treats the local
residents and existing agricultural businesses along Roys Road as collateral damage. Alarmingly,
Development Code Responses have been omitted from the Traffic Impact Assessment dated 25
October, 2025 produced after the Ministerial Call In indicating this developer, unlike every other
developer, may no longer feel compelled to comply with local development codes. The NIUBIAI
stands with the worried local residents and businesses in objecting to the two high-impact
developments at Coochin Creek.
Richard Ogden, President Bribie Island Environmental Protection Association (BIEPA):
“The environmental values of Pumicestone Passage are unparalleled. Development of this type and
scale imposed on a sensitive natural area, internationally acknowledged for its importance to
migratory birds is utterly foolish. What will be the response of Australian and international visitors
when we have to admit we have ruined our treasured natural assets and squandered our unique
wildlife for short-term financial gain?”
Renay Wells, President, Take Action for Pumicestone Passage (TAPP Inc.)
“Coochin Creek is not just rural land — it is an essential part of a living, breathing ecosystem of
national and international significance.
The Pumicestone Passage is a sanctuary for wildlife, a lifeline for migratory species, and a place
where our community connects with nature in its purest form.
Residents made it clear today: high-impact developments have no place on the doorstep of such a
fragile, irreplaceable environment. Some places are simply too sensitive, too important, and too
precious to sacrifice — and protecting the Pumicestone Passage is non-negotiable.”
To find out more, including information on making a submission by 8th December and to keep up to
date, residents are encouraged to visit the Sunshine Coast Environment Council (SCEC) website
www.scec.org.au
-ENDS-
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