Kathy Sundstrom | Sunshine Coast Daily
CHEERS erupted from the packed gallery at Caloundra Chambers after the Sunshine Coast Council voted to refuse a $400 million application on rural land at Weyba Downs.
If approved, the development would have transformed land zoned rural in the former Maroochy Plan, the Sunshine Coast draft town plan and the South East Queensland Regional Plan into about a 1000 dwellings and a 600sq m local centre.
Mayor Mark Jamieson argued in favour of the development because of the significant economic benefit.
He said he had been elected on a mandate to create jobs and this “$400 million proposal” would generate many construction jobs over eight years, including “200 permanent positions”.
“We want to see jobs on the ground on the Sunshine Coast and this is a $20 million annual injection to the economy,” he said.
But council officers were firm in their recommendation for refusal, arguing the applicant had not demonstrated “sufficient grounds” to justify overriding the planning scheme.
Further, the development was located in an area which did not have the necessary infrastructure.