News
18 May, 2025
Pumicestone call-out
ENVIRONMENTAL groups have slammed Queensland Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning, Jarrod Bleijie, over a proposed intervention in a contentious tourism development near the Ramsar-listed Pumicestone Passage.
Mr Bleijie issued a proposed call-in notice last week for a development by Coochin Creek Property Pty Ltd, a company linked to the prominent Comiskey family. The call-in process, now underway, temporarily halts Sunshine Coast Council’s assessment of the proposal while the state determines whether to assume full control of the decision-making process. If enacted, the minister would become the final decision-maker, with no further right of appeal through the Planning and Environment Court.
The application is seeking to expand an existing permit for its Coochin Creek site on Roys Road, increasing capacity to 150 tourist accommodation sites and includes new recreational facilities and operational works. The 43-hectare site borders the Ramsar-listed Pumicestone Passage and lies within protected zones under the ShapingSEQ 2023 regional plan, including the Moreton Bay–Sunshine Coast Northern Inter-Urban Break and the Regional Landscape and Rural Production Area.
Sunshine Coast Council has strongly opposed the proposal, citing concerns about scale and environmental impacts, including noise, lighting, waste and water quality, and warning of risks to the adjacent sensitive ecological zones. Critics say the government’s move bypasses local planning processes and threatens ecological values in one of southeast Queensland’s most sensitive environments.
Sunshine Coast Environment Council (SCEC) Advocacy and Engagement Manager, Narelle McCarthy, said the proposed call-in “is an extraordinary intervention in the planning process and clearly not in the public interest”.
“Multiple extensions have already been granted to the proponent to respond to a comprehensive information request from Sunshine Coast Council, and the Minister’s own agency, SARA, had agreed to extend the timeline to mid-June. There is no justification for this objectionable precedent.”
Ms McCarthy argued that the proposed intervention could erode public confidence in the planning system and “undermine the ability of local government to undertake proper assessment.”
Queensland Conservation Council Director, Dave Copeman, said the organisation is “very concerned” and supports SCEC’s opposition. “Ministerial call-ins should not be used to fast-track development in areas identified for protection under the SEQ regional plan, no matter how prominent or well-connected the proponent is,” he said. “The Pumicestone Passage is too precious an environment to be recklessly endangered.”
Call-in documents acknowledge the proposal “is of a scale and intensity that may have the potential to adversely impact on ecologically important areas adjacent to the site”.
Take Action for Pumicestone Passage (TAPP) President Ken Mewburn OAM said the site was “poorly located, disconnected from other tourist destinations, and accessed by a marginal road probably unsuitable for the increased traffic”.
“This development risks offering limited economic benefit to the broader region while increasing environmental pressure on the Passage,” Mr Mewburn said. “If a call-in proceeds, it could relieve the proponent of important council requirements and further erode safeguards for the Passage and its environs.”
A spokesperson for Minister Bleijie said the proposed call-in reflects the need for closer scrutiny of the development’s implications for state interests. “The proposed call-in notice has been issued to seek further detail on the potential development impacts relating to Queensland Government state interests,” the spokesperson said. “Through this process, the Queensland Government will review the additional information provided by the proponent and community stakeholders received from public consultation.”
Coochin Creek Property director, Rob Comiskey, argued the expansion will meet rising tourism demand and contribute to the regional economy, given the site’s proximity to key destinations, including Moreton Bay Marine Park and Bribie Island National Park. “We welcome the Minister’s consideration of the proposed call-in for Coochin Creek Holiday Resort and look forward to engaging in the process in the coming months.”
Public submissions on the proposed ministerial call-in are open until May 23 at www.planning.qld.gov.au/planning-framework/development-assessment/ministerial-call-ins.
