This was published 7 years ago
Pave paradise into parking lot? Council hasn't even asked site owner - the government
By Tony Moore
A council wanting to turn a beloved beachside caravan park into a temporary car park has not asked the Queensland government – which owns the land – if that is possible.
And it must receive approval before its lease over the state government land expires on June 30, 2017.
Long-time campers fear plans to turn the Mooloolaba Beach Holiday Park into a car park will not be temporary, as the council insists.Credit: Wendy Hughes
The Sunshine Coast Council plans to turn the Mooloolaba Beach Caravan Park into a car park for at least two-and-a-half years while it builds a multi-storey car park nearby at the Mooloolaba retail centre.
However, it needs to first get the support of the Department of Natural Resources and Mines before it completely seals the land as a car park for 130 cars, even temporarily.
The issue arose on Friday morning when Jon Erbacher questioned the Queensland government's commitment to protecting beachside caravan parks under its 2007 Caravan Parks Policy.
Mr Erbacher has for two years fought against the council's decision to stop running the small caravan park and instead turn the region into a landscaped garden with walkway and oceanside pool.
A Department of Natural Resources and Mines spokesman confirmed the Sunshine Coast Council needed to get approval before it could change the caravan park to a car park.
"Council has not lodged any proposal to the department for consideration," the spokesman said.
"The department has not yet made a decision on the future of the state-owned caravan park site beyond Sunshine Coast Council's lease expiring on June 30, 2017.
"The land has high value to the community for recreational purposes, which will be an important consideration in determining its future allocation and use."
The council on Friday afternoon said turning the caravan park into a car park was one of "several options" it was considering, despite local councillor John Connolly clearly explaining the plan to Fairfax Media on Thursday.
"This parcel of land is being considered as part of a number of possible solutions to address temporary car parking in Mooloolaba, if and when the Brisbane Road car park development goes ahead," a council spokeswoman said.
"The outcome of this tender has not yet been determined."
The council had already announced a preferred tender for the project to build the car park in Brisbane Road and was discussing plans for the construction with local businesses.
The spokeswoman said the plan was that the car park would be temporary.
"Any use of this land as temporary car parking would be during the construction of the Brisbane Road car park site and foreshore redevelopment," she said.
"These temporary car parks would be intended for customers of the businesses and patrons of the esplanade, open space and beach.
"Should this become a temporary car parking area, council will also look to install seating, tables and pathways to create opportunities for the community to use the site while the temporary car park is in place."
The council said the state government's Caravan Park Policy did not apply, "as it was focused on state government-controlled recreation reserves, whereas the Mooloolaba site is on road reservation land".
The Queensland government did not confirm this.