2nd July 2009
By Alan Lander
The Sunshine Coast may be one Bligh government decision away from becoming part of a 250-kilometre-long “Noosangatta”, running from Noosa to the southern Gold Coast.
The state government is considering plans to extend the Caloundra South area to accommodate another 50,000 people, on top of the 50,000 already earmarked for the area.
Critics say the Labor government would be approving housing on land even the pro-development Bjelke-Petersen government vowed would never be touched.
The open space standing in the way of “Noosangatta” is the environmentally sensitive Hall’s Creek catchment area south of Bells Creek.
It not only forms part of the area separating Caboolture and Caloundra, but also is next to sensitive Pumicestone Passage and Glasshouse Mountains.
Stockland, which now owns the land, is lobbying the government to approve an investigative area for residential development beyond 2041.
It has previously said it plans to create 45,000 jobs through 900 hectares of industrial and commercial land, as well as a major town centre and nine other small commercial centres, two golf courses and a Southbank-style community precinct.
The 1400-hectare plan was rejected out of hand by the former Caloundra council amid fears it would damage Pumicestone Passage.
Mayor Bob Abbot said he feared the area will be included in the revised South East Queensland Regional Plan’s urban footprint, due to be released later this month.
Mr Abbot and Moreton Bay mayor Allan Sutherland are adamant they will fight any decision to develop.
“It’s the start of the rot for the inter-urban break,” Mr Abbot said.
“We have fought for years to get a section between Caboolture and the Coast set aside for that, to see where Brisbane finishes and the Sunshine Coast starts.
“The Gold Coast has joined up with Brisbane now, and we are determined it’s not going to happen here.”
Mr Abbot said even the Bjelke-Petersen government recognised the value and fragility of Pumicestone Passage.
He said it had made a commitment never to develop the region.
“I think it’s significant for this government which should be saying that waterway should need maximum protection – it’s not a river, it doesn’t get flushed like a river, it’s almost like a lake, and the capacity to flush the Bells Creek area is 24 to 36 hours.
“Halls Creek takes four-to-seven days and the further south the worse it is.”
He said blue-green algae would become a regular feature in the Passage.
Mr Sutherland said he had made it abundantly clear to infrastructure minster Stirling Hinchcliffe he did not support any move to expand the SEQRP footprint.
“Moreton council does not want this area to become the ‘Yatala of the North’ as touted by some in the development industry,” he said.
“Any urban encroachment on the fringes of the Caboolture – Sunshine Coast urban break would undermine its significance and set a precedent which may ultimately see the creation of an undesirable 250-kilometre city stretching from the border to Noosa,” he said.
Coast environment councillor Keryn Jones was also fearful of a decision to develop.
“If that were to go ahead most in the environmental movement know we could kiss the health of the Pumicestone Passage goodbye,” she said.
Stockland said it would not comment on the issue until a decision had been made by the government.
A spokesman for minister Hinchcliffe confirmed Halls Creek was being considered for the long-term, “and only if Caloundra South is unable to account for its share of the region’s growth”.
Caloundra South already has approval to carry upwards of 50,000.
The spokesman said the area’s rural and regional landscape status area had not changed despite being in the draft footprint plan.
“Identified investigation areas are not considered as a potential new urban area for inclusion into the footprint unless it satisfied strict environmental and infrastructure requirements as shown through detailed studies,” the spokesman said.