Council CEO raised serious concerns around Coochin Fields site suitability
SUNSHINE Coast Council CEO, John Baker, raised serious planning, safety and environmental concerns about the proposed Coochin Fields festival development before the State Government intervened in the assessment process.
In a letter to Deputy Premier and Planning Minister Jarrod Bleijie, sent prior to his decision to ‘call in’ the application, Council CEO John Baker questioned the fundamental suitability of the 150-hectare Roys Road site, earmarked by the Comiskey Group to host events of up to 35,000 patrons.
“The matters of most concern to Council are those that go to the heart of whether or not the subject site at Coochin Creek is suitable,” Mr Baker wrote.
Chief among Council’s concerns were traffic capacity and safety issues along Roys Road, the Bruce Highway interchange and surrounding networks. The correspondence from the CEO also noted that the site was vulnerable to tidal inundation, with no flood-free emergency access — a key issue in the event of evacuation.
Council also cited bushfire risk, with a single access road flanked by hazardous vegetation and a contentious ‘shelter in place’ strategy for patrons. The evacuation of 35,000 people, Council warned, could hinder regional emergency response efforts.
Environmental impacts were another red flag. The site borders the ecologically sensitive Pumicestone Passage, part of the Moreton Bay Ramsar wetlands, home to endangered species including the Cooloola sedgefrog, Australian humpback dolphin, as well as 28 migratory shorebird species. Council said nearby national parks and agricultural lands would also be affected by noise, lighting, dust and service demands.
Planning conflicts were also noted as significant, with Council highlighting the site’s rural zoning and its location within the Regional Inter-Urban Break – a strategic buffer designed to protect the natural landscape separating the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane. While respecting the State’s authority, Council maintained that Queensland’s planning framework — including input from the State Assessment and Referral Agency (SARA) — already enabled thorough assessment.
“Approval of the development by ministerial intervention would not, in Council’s opinion, represent good planning,” Mr Baker wrote.
Last month the Deputy Premier exercised his ministerial powers to call in the application.
“I am of the view that the proposal represents a major tourism and economic opportunity, however there are significant social and environmental matters related to the proposal that require a balanced assessment,” he stated.
As reported by GC&M News last week, Mr Bleijie has now written to the developers asking for significantly more information, particularly in regards to environmental and economic matters.