Minister calls in Coochin Fields development, environment groups condemn plan
By Sonia Isaacs
QUEENSLAND Planning Minister Jarrod Bleijie has officially “called in” a controversial proposal to develop a large-scale outdoor festival venue at Coochin Creek.
It marks Mr Bleijie’s second intervention involving a Comiskey Group-backed project in the region in just three months.
Known as Coochin Fields, the 150-hectare project aims to transform a rural property on Roys Road into a major outdoor events venue capable of hosting up to six music festivals per year, with daily crowds of up to 35,000 people.
The Sunshine Coast Council had previously raised significant concerns around environmental and traffic issues, but were yet to make a decision.
Mr Bleijie said the project presented a “major tourism and economic opportunity” for the Sunshine Coast but acknowledged that “significant social and environmental matters” required balanced and thorough consideration.
However, environmental groups and local residents have condemned the move, warning it could inflict irreversible damage on the sensitive ecosystem bordering the internationally recognised Ramsar-listed Pumicestone Passage.
Sunshine Coast Environment Council spokesperson Narelle McCarthy said the scale and intensity of the proposed venue made it entirely inappropriate for the location.
“The intensity and scale of the proposal will place an unacceptable impact on the Pumicestone Passage and fragment the inter-urban break,” Ms McCarthy said.
“This is an internationally listed wetland with threatened species and delicate ecosystems. It is ill-sited and incompatible with the environmental values of the area.”
Ms McCarthy called for the project to be referred under federal environmental legislation due to its likely impact on matters of national environmental significance, including migratory shorebirds and marine ecosystems.
“The proposed events represent an unacceptable environmental risk. The amplification of noise, light pollution, and sheer volume of people would be incredibly damaging to nocturnal wildlife and fragile habitats,” she said.
“When impact can’t be mitigated, it must be avoided – and this is one of those cases.”
Local resident Shannon Roy, whose family has lived in the area for seven generations, said the community was deeply alarmed by the scale of the proposed development across the road from his home. “I’ve seen a lot of change over the years, but bringing in 35,000 people per event – more than the populations of Beerwah, Glass House, Beerburrum and Mooloolah Valley combined – would overwhelm the area,” Mr Roy said.
“The traffic, the noise, the pressure on the Passage – it’s just not the right place.
“I’m not against development. It just needs to be done the right way. All the benefits this type of project could bring can still come to the Coast – just not at the expense of an irreplaceable environment.”
Take Action for Pumicestone Passage (TAPP) President Ken Mewburn OAM said the Minister’s call-in “sets a dangerous precedent” by limiting public appeal options and community oversight.
“The site is isolated, environmentally sensitive, and entirely unsuitable for this scale of use,” Mr Mewburn said.
“It raises significant risks, including bushfire concerns in the surrounding forests.”
Sue Diserens from the Northern Inter-Urban Break Integrity Association warned that the environmental cost would be extreme and lasting. “You can’t tell me that having 35,000 people on this land won’t change it forever,” Ms Diserens said.
“For a three-day festival, we’re talking over 200,000 kilograms of waste. We know from the lay of the land that some of it will inevitably enter Coochin Creek and the sensitive ecology connected to it.”
The Comiskey Group has been contacted for comment.
