SUNSHINE COAST DEVELOPMENT CALLED IN BY ACTING PLANNING MINISTER

Acting Planning Minister John Mickel has exercised ministerial “call in” powers to assess a Sunshine Coast development proposed outside the urban footprint.

The Sunshine Coast Regional Council has rejected the proposal, which is for an independent living and retirement village at 22 Murdering Creek, Weyba Downs.

Minister Mickel said he decided to call in the application after the developer had appealed the council’s decision to the Planning and Environment Court.

“Following the developer’s decision to appeal the council’s refusal, Mayor Bob Abbott wrote to indicate he would support a call in of this particular development proposal,” Mr Mickel said.

“My decision to call in this proposal will allow the development application to be reassessed and the decision on this proposal will be final,” Mr Mickel said.

“All parties have been notified of a state interest with this potential development and that it is conflict with the South East Queensland Regional Plan,” he said.

The proposed development would include 220 independent living units, 80 serviced apartments, 120 nursing home beds, a community and recreation centre plus a nine-hole pitch and putt golf course.

“The state has a clear and well-publicised interest in conserving rural lands which underpin the economic and environmental health and the lifestyle of the South East.

“This is the second development at Weyba Downs that has been refused by the council, subsequently appealed and called in by the state in a matter of months.

“Last month the Planning Minister upheld the council’s refusal of a 1200-lot residential community at Monak Rd on the grounds it was an inappropriate development on important regional landscape and rural production lands.

“However, this is a different application and will be treated as such.”

Call in powers are available to the Minister for Planning under the Integrated Planning Act 1997 and allow the Minister to decide an application on state interest grounds in place of the relevant local government.

The Minister must now reassess the application using the Integrated Development Application System (IDAS) before making a decision on the development. That decision cannot be appealed.

Media contact: Chelsea Toomey (07) 3227 8423