By Sonia Isaacs
QUEENSLAND Planning Minister Jarrod Bleijie has officially called in a proposed large-scale outdoor events venue at Coochin Creek, marking the second intervention in Comiskey Group-backed developments in the area in just three months.
The project, known as Coochin Fields, would transform a 150-hectare rural property at 1641 Roys Road into a site capable of hosting up to six major music festivals annually, drawing crowds of up to 35,000 people per day.
Mr Bleijie said the development represented a “major tourism and economic opportunity” for the Sunshine Coast, but acknowledged “significant social and environmental matters” needed to be considered.
“I am therefore calling in the application to assess and decide the application, as the call-in process will provide me an opportunity to undertake a comprehensive assessment… including but not limited to economic and environmental considerations,” he said in a statement.
The Minister issued a proposed call-in notice on May 19, receiving 29 public submissions before making his final decision dated July 9 and publicly released online today (July 10) .
Concerns about the scale and environmental impact of the development were previously raised by the State Assessment and Referral Agency (SARA), which advised the application failed to demonstrate compliance with key planning benchmarks and did not support it.
The site lies adjacent to the internationally protected Pumicestone Passage wetlands and within the Moreton Bay–Sunshine Coast Northern Inter-Urban Break (NIUB), a regionally significant green space under the ShapingSEQ 2023 regional plan.
While the applicant argues the project could deliver more than $95 million in annual visitor expenditure and support over 680 jobs, environmental advocates have condemned the call-in decision.
Ken Mewburn OAM, President of Take Action for Pumicestone Passage (TAPP), said the move “sets a dangerous precedent”.
“With limited ability for the community to challenge shortcomings of the proposed development, environmental impacts may be irreversible,” he said.
Sunshine Coast Environment Council spokesperson Narelle McCarthy said the Minister’s actions were “unprecedented” and undermined the integrity of Queensland’s planning system.
“Overriding his own agency’s assessment, which found significant non-compliance, is in stark contrast to using such powers only in exceptional circumstances,” Ms McCarthy said.
She added the development had also not been referred for assessment under federal environmental laws despite potential impacts on nationally significant ecosystems.
The proposed festival site is currently zoned for rural use and is used for strawberry and turf farming. While permanent structures would be limited, the venue would include temporary stages, camping grounds, and infrastructure for major events.
www.planning.qld.gov.au/planning-framework/development-assessment/ministerial-call-ins