Coles has withdrawn its application for a shopping development in Beerwah.
In documents just lodged in the Planning and Environment Court, the supermarket giant cited skyrocketing capital costs, increased costs associated with external roadworks and delays in ongoing litigation between the supermarket and Sunshine Coast Council and the owners of Beerwah Marketplace, Village Fair Investments.
In a discontinuance notice lodged in the P&E Court, lawyers for Coles wrote: “Coles has ultimately decided not to proceed with the project.”
“Coles made this decision with regret, as it considered the site was a good one, and that its prospects would otherwise have warranted proceeding.”
The site, on the corner of Steve Irwin Way and Roy’s Road, was to have a McDonald’s, petrol station and supermarket.
Council rejected the initial application, which was then appealed by Coles and has been in the P&E Court for nearly three years.
The original application was rejected in 2021 by the council, which cited reasons including:
• Significant conflict with the council’s strategic vision for economic development regarding activity centres and industry and enterprise areas.
• The proposal would create a new retail centre outside the existing Beerwah major regional activity centre and would fragment and undermine the CBD.
• Due to its size, scale and intended function, the proposed McDonalds would represent an unwarranted intrusion of a business activity into an area identified specifically for industrial developments.
• The size, scale and design of the proposed development would result in significant loss of industry zoned land (more than 11ha).