By Sonia Isaacs
DEVELOPERS behind a proposed 150-site “Eco Park” at 1807 Roys Road, Coochin Creek, have lodged a detailed response to a State Minister’s Information Request, arguing the project will deliver regional tourism and employment benefits while protecting the environment.
Led by Coochin Creek Property Pty Ltd, operated by the high-profile Comiskey family, the project proposes 75 cabins and 75 camp sites on a former strawberry farm.
The response, prepared by Murray & Associates (QLD) Pty Ltd and addressed to Deputy Premier and Planning Minister Jarrod Bleijie, seeks to advance the proposal through the State’s assessment process.
The document addresses concerns over the site’s position within the Northern Inter-Urban Break (NIUB), a protected green corridor separating the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane.
The proponent argues the Eco Park aligns with NIUB objectives by maintaining a non-urban character, rehabilitating degraded land and removing contaminants. Economic modelling forecasts more than $34 million in annual visitor expenditure, around 20,000 visitors a year, and up to 164 ongoing jobs. Environmental safeguards include restricting development to disturbed land, maintaining 50-metre buffers from waterways, banning domestic animals and allowing only low-impact activities such as kayaking and paddleboarding.
However, environmental groups remain unconvinced. NIUB Integrity Association spokesperson Sue Diserens said the plan “still conflicts with the region’s critical greenbelt protective planning framework”.
Sunshine Coast Environment Council spokesperson Narelle McCarthy echoed those concerns, saying the organisation would conduct an in-depth review. “We continue to maintain concerns about the location and the use,” she said.
The public submission process will commence over coming weeks.
