Development company Consolidated Properties is seeking to build an intensive residential and mixed use development with a 'wave pool' on a 510ha parcel within the Maroochy River floodplain at Coolum West. This land, is zoned ‘Rural’ and outside the Urban Footprint in the relevant South East Queensland Regional Plan (SEQRP/Shaping SEQ) and outside the Urban Growth Management Boundary in the Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme. A portion of the site was designated State Key Resource Area (KRA 156) in 2013.
It is being marketed as Surf Ranch Sunshine Coast.
In terms of development, the draft development concept plan suggests around 12 hectares for the wave pool, 83 hectares of residential development, with another 17 hectares for hotel and apartments associated with the wave pool, retail, light industry, and school; and another 20 hectares for community sports.
The developer has made it very clear that both the residential development (1500 lots) and mixed-use activities, including the ‘wave pool’ are inextricably linked. This strongly suggests the project is not viable nor sustainable.