A major development plan at Coochin Creek, just north of Brisbane, would see a 150-site tourist park featuring 75 cabins and 75 campsites pushed through with decision-making taken out of local hands and placed directly with the state minister.
What’s on the table
The proposal from Comiskey Group – MBN25/95 – targets Lot 10 SP132272 and Lot 6 SP184133 at 1807 Roys Road in Coochin Creek, within the region protected as the Northern Inter-Urban Break (NIUB) and adjacent to the Ramsar-listed Pumicestone Passage.
The plan allowed initially for a 100-site nature-based tourism proposal (pre-approved), but the current application doubles the number of people permitted on-site to 600, and adds recreation facilities including a 1,000 sqm building, waterslide and fire pits.
In parallel, a separate 150-hectare events site dubbed Coochin Fields has been proposed by the same group to host up to 35,000 visitors per event.
A planning precendent
The outcome could influence planning precedent for green-belt protection, tourism expansion and rural-fringe development across South-East Queensland. If this development is approved in the NIUB, it may open the door to further large-scale tourism or event-based developments in areas previously considered low-impact or rural. The decision-making process, bypassing local council and placing power with the minister, also signals changes in how such developments could be handled elsewhere.
Reactions and feedback
The state planning agency, State Assessment and Referral Agency (SARA), reviewed the tourist-park proposal and concluded there is “no overriding need or compelling public interest” to justify placing it within the NIUB, citing non-compliance with key parts of the Queensland Planning Regulation 2017 and the regional plan ShapingSEQ 2023.
The Sunshine Coast Environment Council and nine other community organisations supported SARA’s position, stating that the developments “do not comply with the relevant planning legislation” and that the Pumicestone Passage and NIUB must be safeguarded.
On the other side, the Comiskey Group asserts the region has a tourism accommodation shortfall and that the project will boost overnight stays and visitor expenditure — and that the event site could become a tourism draw.
Next steps and how you can contribute
By invoking his ministerial call-in power, Deputy Premier and Planning Minister Jarrod Bleijie has taken full control of the decision, bypassing the Sunshine Coast Council, meaning the usual third-party appeal rights will not apply.
The public consultation period for the tourist-park proposal opened 24 October and closes 17 November. Residents in nearby and connected communities are encouraged to make submissions via the ministerial call-in page on the Department’s website.
Local residents and community groups stress that this is “the one and only chance” to influence the outcome before the minister’s decision is made.
Published 11-Nov-2025