The WSL's Coolum Wavepool Gets Rejected

Stu Nettle picture
Stu Nettle (stunet)
Swellnet Dispatch

First announced in 2019, the WSL's Sunshine Coast Surf Ranch had been awaiting State Government planning permission since early 2021. 

With no news forthcoming, Dan Purdie, Member for Ninderry, an electorate on the Sunshine Coast, recently made a formal enquiry to Steven Miles, Queensland's Minister for State Development.

In response, the Minister made a short statement about the project:

The Queensland Government understands this project is no longer being pursued.

The news - which on first impression would imply the project has been scuttled - was met with celebration from its opponents. The general consensus - and a view shared by Dan Purdie's office - was that it was the right project in the wrong place.

The 510Ha site - which would include a wavepool, 20,000 seat grandstand, eco-resort, village, retail area, and education centre - was largely located in a riparian wetland and hence served an unsung purpose in slowing floodwaters and sparing areas downstream.

Appreciating that there may be other, less obvious interpretations, Swellnet contacted both the WSL's Andrew Stark and Don O'Rorke from Consolidated Properties but are yet to hear back.

Comments

wallpaper's picture
wallpaper's picture
wallpaper Monday, 20 Feb 2023 at 2:26pm

Good. Fuck those moneygrubbing destructive arseholes.

Fooman's picture
Fooman's picture
Fooman Tuesday, 21 Feb 2023 at 5:37pm

Agree totally! Trying to buy off concerned locals with a few slices of cheap pizza...no thanks!
While we are at it lets shit can the Brisvegas Olympic games. Divert those billions of taxpayer dollars the government suddenly came up with away from building monolithic wank stadiums & spend it on affordable and dare I say it FREE housing for those most disadvantaged. Dont believe the hype!
monolithic wank venues

seeds's picture
seeds's picture
seeds Monday, 20 Feb 2023 at 2:29pm

It was announced on local ABC radio a week ago but no further announcements. It’s great it’s official

spookypt's picture
spookypt's picture
spookypt Monday, 20 Feb 2023 at 2:59pm

Ole Don must be in a state of Kaniption.... Hope it bends him in knots. A good decision.
The next battle just west of this site is the newly proposed Caravan park - The Developer says a Gateway to National Parks. Yawn. https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/sunshine-coast-tourist-park-p...

DAW's picture
DAW's picture
DAW Monday, 20 Feb 2023 at 3:01pm

Yep no wave pool,just another 1500 homes on 500m2 blocks....yay!

wallpaper's picture
wallpaper's picture
wallpaper Monday, 20 Feb 2023 at 3:50pm

on a wetland?

benjis babe's picture
benjis babe's picture
benjis babe Monday, 20 Feb 2023 at 7:53pm

260sqm

Bnkref's picture
Bnkref's picture
Bnkref Monday, 20 Feb 2023 at 3:35pm

20,000 seat grandstand. Typo or are they taking the piss?

truebluebasher's picture
truebluebasher's picture
truebluebasher Tuesday, 21 Feb 2023 at 12:58pm

tbb agrees 20,000 sounds suss, but it's the least dodgy claim slipping outta Starkie's brown paper bag!

Many Wave Pools host crowds upwards of 20,000.
Several Asian countries / US / Canada all host massive Beach Parties in large Wave Lagoons.
Yes! Indoor Wave Pools included.

2006/08 ASP pro pilots towed by jet skis dodged 40,000 extreme party goers.

1930's Wave Pools filled stands of 6,000-12,500 with spectacular pool light shows.
UK & world's longest running & successful Arena is built around a wave pool...few would notice!

Europe's indoor wind surfing stadiums also host 15,000 strong Mexican waves.

tbb only recently checked Wave Pool numbers, also due to absence of 2032 Olympic Surfing News.
Reason being that Nite Surfing Event may buy Surfing a ticket into a very competitive full lineup.
This upgrades surfing into day/nite class to compete evenly with big gun's war chest.

Nite Surfing adaptability (Pool or not) may hold the key for surfing to cling onto Olympic ideal!

Beaches can & do pull even larger crowds at night but also seldom for surfing.
Beaches are best for Day Surfing comps & Wave Pools are best for nite Surfing comps!
US set a Precedent for blown out day beach heats transferring into nite wave pool finals & ceremony!
Surfing could exploit & market this to IOC!

Plenty tried to make nite surfing beach comps viable...go for it...doubt Olympics would buy into that!

Wave Pool tech can be blacked out & Natural Surfing / Wave / Wind / Star power comes to life.

Surfing has limited options on Olympic Stage...So! Does Surfing light up or hide in the shadows!
Recall all the fuss about ODI Nite Cricket...Less about the pool > all about prime time telly!
With networks backing a one off prime time extravaganza > 20,000 is predicted, expected & likely.
The trick is to repeat that number seasonally...Wot Gold/Sunshine Coast Sport can do that?
Magic wears off & Ghost town goes back to sleep as stadium collapses into a pile of rubble.

hillsintas's picture
hillsintas's picture
hillsintas Wednesday, 22 Feb 2023 at 3:48pm

Rumor. WWP for mine workers n WA. Save on FI FO.

truebluebasher's picture
truebluebasher's picture
truebluebasher Tuesday, 21 Feb 2023 at 6:35pm

Bnkref questions if the Grandstand is a Typo or are they taking the piss...
Stadium > Grandstand > Ampitheatre > Spectator Berm > Green Ant Mound > 2 Dented Michelob Cans
https://media.apnarm.net.au/media/images/2020/08/25/v3imagesbindd3ddc6a2...

simsurf's picture
simsurf's picture
simsurf Monday, 20 Feb 2023 at 3:53pm

I don't remember the layout from the top of my head, but council and government would typically be expecting at half to 2/3 dedicated as environmental open space for something of that scale.

Nick Bone's picture
Nick Bone's picture
Nick Bone Monday, 20 Feb 2023 at 8:41pm

I want to hear the WSL positive corpo wozzle spin language on this one.

monkeyboy's picture
monkeyboy's picture
monkeyboy Monday, 20 Feb 2023 at 8:55pm

Unfortunately that whole area and the land to the south of it will soon become housing and motorway. Sigh.

Philthy4567's picture
Philthy4567's picture
Philthy4567 Monday, 20 Feb 2023 at 9:44pm

The area proposed for the development (if I am correct about it's location) is within an initiative of the Sunshine Coast Council known as The Blue Heart. It is a flood plain management project for the Maroochy River Catchment. Housing estates and the like are not going to be approved through this area.

https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/blueheart

Surfalot67's picture
Surfalot67's picture
Surfalot67 Tuesday, 21 Feb 2023 at 8:08am

Stark will be sooking hard

Smorto's picture
Smorto's picture
Smorto Tuesday, 21 Feb 2023 at 9:44am

I wonder if those opposing the development know the land is also a Key Resource Area (KRA)? I know I'd prefer the wave pool instead of a sand mine.

KRAs are a State designation that basically override everything, so good luck complaining to Council once they nuke the site and start digging up sand!

durutti's picture
durutti's picture
durutti Tuesday, 21 Feb 2023 at 10:40am

Acid sulphate subsoils and strategic cropping land act overlay would surely make this one of the least likely KRAs to be opened up I’d have thought. Dumber things have happened though.

Smorto's picture
Smorto's picture
Smorto Tuesday, 21 Feb 2023 at 11:13am

Yes true, but you can easily get around acid sufate soils designations with a management plan and the cropping land legislation is weak, particularly for cane land.

I don't really have a strong opinion on the wave pool, I just reckon it is a better outcome for the land compared to a sand mine.

wax-on-danielson's picture
wax-on-danielson's picture
wax-on-danielson Tuesday, 21 Feb 2023 at 9:51am

Would something like this make more sense at Mt Isa or somewhere not near natural beaches.

Smorto's picture
Smorto's picture
Smorto Tuesday, 21 Feb 2023 at 1:18pm

Not sure the local Mt Isa surfer population would make something like this viable. Even if a few cowboys and mine workers decide to take up surfing in the pool.

They need to be near natural beaches and/or a major population centre because that's where the bulk of the customer base lives.

wax-on-danielson's picture
wax-on-danielson's picture
wax-on-danielson Tuesday, 21 Feb 2023 at 1:40pm

Yea Mt Isa a bad example but say Toowoomba. Or do go out to whoop whoop where there is heaps of cheap empty land and set up the full blown surf pool surf resort in the middle of the desert with 30 different waves and heaps of other stuff that people go to for a surf trip.

spookypt's picture
spookypt's picture
spookypt Tuesday, 21 Feb 2023 at 10:10am

Note from this morning. I drove north from Coolum Roundabout (the proposed position) to PB Roundabout on SC motorway at 7.50am this morning. No accidents or issue but watching the southbound traffic the road was gridlocked and stopped the entire distance. A common and now regular occurence. Unheard of before Covid. The place cant support another caravan never mind a housing estate. Place is rooted.

gingeryeti's picture
gingeryeti's picture
gingeryeti Wednesday, 22 Feb 2023 at 12:01pm

Single lane, no overtaking in both directions from Doonan to Maroochydore. As soon as one twat wants to do 60 everyone has to. Does that speed camera that's always under the MtCoolum bridge even get anyone.

freeride76's picture
freeride76's picture
freeride76 Tuesday, 21 Feb 2023 at 10:15am

That roundabout traffic is frigging nuts.

spookypt's picture
spookypt's picture
spookypt Tuesday, 21 Feb 2023 at 11:14am

And they think this will improve it? Traffic lights near the school.... Doh
https://www.yoursay-projects.tmr.qld.gov.au/sunshine-motorway-duplicatio...

mowgli's picture
mowgli's picture
mowgli Tuesday, 21 Feb 2023 at 10:21am

Good news but also not a surprise.

The whole area is at ever increasing flood and coastal inundation risk due to intensifying rainfall patterns and sea level rise thanks to a warming planet. Ain't nothing gonna be there except mangroves/wetlands 30 years from now.

Any development that's approved in there that's not a road sitting 3m high atop a levee is going to expose the approval authority to compensation claims.

freeride76's picture
freeride76's picture
freeride76 Tuesday, 21 Feb 2023 at 10:29am

So thats 0-3 for Kelly Slater WavePool Company.

Rejected from Florida, Palm Valley and Coolum.

Has the WSL ever backed a bigger dud?

suchas's picture
suchas's picture
suchas Tuesday, 21 Feb 2023 at 11:31am

Elo?
Sophie?
Trestles?
At least there is certainty for the investor(s).

spookypt's picture
spookypt's picture
spookypt Tuesday, 21 Feb 2023 at 11:15am

Starky's bonus just went pfffft

booman's picture
booman's picture
booman Tuesday, 21 Feb 2023 at 2:41pm

What an awesome missed opportunity for for the younger generation.

Reminds me of lobbying for skateparks when younger, an absolute lost cause at the time due to negative thinking humans being in charge. NIMBY.

freeride76's picture
freeride76's picture
freeride76 Tuesday, 21 Feb 2023 at 5:00pm

what?

Skateparks are free for kids, they are community assets.

This was a high priced country club style "resort" where you have to pay big money per wave to ride it.

No kid was getting near this thing without wealthy parents.

Absolute opposite concept to a skatepark.

iamlegend's picture
iamlegend's picture
iamlegend Tuesday, 21 Feb 2023 at 5:25pm

Pity for the locals, they could have had a wavepool in their back yard. Instead, in a few years, it'll be thousands of cookie cutter houses on tiny blocks.

truebluebasher's picture
truebluebasher's picture
truebluebasher Tuesday, 21 Feb 2023 at 6:21pm

Qldurrz salute #1 Surf Journo for checking on the detail.

24 Aug 2020 Last Sunny Ranch Post on (f)
8 Sept 2020 Last Sunny Ranch News on Site

29 April 2021 Crew also thank Sprout who earlier ventured down this same road...
https://www.swellnet.com/news/swellnet-dispatch/2020/05/28/sunshine-coas...
This was the previous Deputy Premier Steven Miles response to MP Dan Purdie
In short it reads...
* Govt supports Jobs & attracting people to Sunny.
* Project was in Due Diligence process
* Needs to be in right location & sensitive to surrounding environment
* I understand the Council has urged State Govt to find a more suitable location etc...

Local member Dan Purdie then raised concerns by Community Groups about Flooding & Environment.
Says Wave Park ticks all the boxes but is concerned about over development & congestion.

(End of 2022) Urban Developer:
*Sunny Council : "Project is Awaiting Support!"
*Qld Govt : "Project has been left in Limbo!"
*Don O'Rorke :
"We remain in discussions with State Govt & Sunny Council!"
"In regard to what we can do with our Coolum Land"
https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/wave-pools-australia-developm...

6 Dec 2022 Danseur Pty Ltd Tourism Proposal on neighbouring flood site (re: spookypt Above)
22 Dec 2022 BE Building Group Tourism Proposal on neighbouring flood site

8 Feb 2023 (Newscorp)
Read Stu's feature...
Don O'Rorke : "I won't stand in the way of Community Opposition!"
https://www.couriermail.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=CMWEB_WRE170...

Cr Maria : "Maintains that Surf Ranch development is not suitable for that Site!"

Stu's deep state investigation unearths another bombshell.
8 Feb MP Purdie (f) site tipped off Newscorp to run the Surf Ranch withdrawal..
9 Feb MP Purdie receives his reply Letter from Deputy Dawg...confirming yesterday's News leak?
Stu exhibits the Date on that Letter he dug from a lucky dip shoe box in Prez Joe's garage...
Anyone else trip over the fact that #1 Surf Journo Stu just exposed a High level Qld Govt media leak!
Goldie crew hand out a Gold Walkley to swellnet for finally outing the elusive Qld Govt snitch!

14 Feb Qldurrz ask Swellnet / crew for assist in pulling out the plug.
https://www.swellnet.com/news/swellnet-dispatch/2020/05/28/sunshine-coas...

20 Feb ~ #1 Stu & crew come thru with the goods...Salute!
Qldurrz understand it's a gutsy call to make...just hope it flushes out some big fish!

The community at large are not yet across any official withdrawal other than here.
Given that council are currently accessing 2 more neighbouring flood plain lots...who will believe them!

No reply from Surfrider Foundation / Community-Eco Groups / Newsletters. (Usually updated monthly)
No statement from Consolidated Properties / WSL / KSWC

Qldurzz are stoked with frontline response...thanx to all that hose down our Sunny Wave Pool War.

Vince Neil's picture
Vince Neil's picture
Vince Neil Wednesday, 22 Feb 2023 at 11:28am

what Fooman said, unlimited money for stadiums

Doc_Red's picture
Doc_Red's picture
Doc_Red Wednesday, 22 Feb 2023 at 2:17pm

The cynic in me says that the wavepool project failed to indicate how it would benefit the pocket of decision makers, whereas a future urban development of the area treads a well worn path to decision maker pocket lining.

icandig's picture
icandig's picture
icandig Thursday, 4 May 2023 at 11:36am

This is worth a read just to see how each CEO describes their competitions' pools. Reoow.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-04/legal-battle-sunshine-coast-surf-...

seeds's picture
seeds's picture
seeds Tuesday, 12 Dec 2023 at 7:18pm

This is good. They’ve sold the land to council.
https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/kelly-slater-surf-park-plans-...

freeride76's picture
freeride76's picture
freeride76 Tuesday, 12 Dec 2023 at 7:22pm

I noticed the "sold" sign on it when I passed it a couple of weeks ago.

Off topic, but I bet the "author" above is not a human but AI.

Sprout's picture
Sprout's picture
Sprout Wednesday, 13 Dec 2023 at 8:09am

Site of proposed wave pool and resort sold to council for Blue Heart initiative.
https://www.sunshinecoastnews.com.au/2023/12/13/land-formerly-earmarked-...
“This former cane land will be transitioned back to a natural wetland state,”