Council approves Brisbane Road renewal project

Fri 2 March 18 | Source: Sunshine Coast Council 

A major renewal project at the Brisbane Road car park site at Mooloolaba has been given

the green light after the Sunshine Coast Council today approved the development

application for the project.

The development that is the subject of the approval will deliver a five-storey car park

with 704 public parking bays, plus a retail component, a hotel, residential and retirement facilities.

Planning Portfolio Cr Christian Dickson said the development approval would facilitate

the start of the roll-out of the next major stages of the Mooloolaba Master Plan.

“Our Place Making Mooloolaba Master Plan, produced with the help of the local community, will help ensure Mooloolaba is a world-class beachfront destination at Mooloolaba,” Cr Dickson said.

“Improving the car parking in Mooloolaba was one of the strongest and most consistent messages received during the community consultation phases with the Master Plan and this project is a significant step towards responding to that need.

“This is a vital piece of infrastructure.

“With retirement living – it’s a great mixture - it’s important to consider our future population’s needs and ensure we provide developments that can help meet the demand for quality aged care services in our community.

“This project was never intended to solve all the problems of Mooloolaba in one hit but it will be a key chess piece of the future.”

Council will own the 704 public car parking spaces and will continue to have a residual interest in the land.

The development plan for the site includes residential and retirement facilities and a hotel offering accommodation, restaurant and bar, function facility and resort complex.

Cr Dickson said given council is the owner of the site, in the interests of transparency an independent assessment team considered the development application.

“The overall development will support the local building and construction industry as well as providing future employment for locals”, he said.

“Once operational, it is predicted that more than 600 jobs are likely to be provided both directly and indirectly as a result of the proposed development.”

Cr John Connolly, whose division includes Mooloolaba, said the site is presently underutilised and this development will provide substantial benefits to the community and the local economy.

"This is a real win-win for our community as additional parking will encourage people to visit Mooloolaba and patronise the local businesses”, Cr Connolly said.

“We have developed a vision for Mooloolaba and now we are acting to make that a reality.”

Council officers have been negotiating with the preferred tenderer Abacus Group, refining the proposed plans for the site, with a view to the roll out of the development causing the least possible disruption to the precinct and surrounding businesses.

It is anticipated that construction will start in April, however there are still a number of milestones to achieve before a confirmed date is established.

Council is committed to providing alternative public parking during the construction of the Brisbane Road car park.

The alternative parking options for staff, visitors, residents and construction workers, will exceed the number of bays (179) currently provided at the Brisbane Road car park site.

The application details will be publicly available on council’s PD Online.

Image caption: Artist impression of the Brisbane Road car park project landscaped podium.