Land LeasePhil BartschTue 13 Oct 26
Coolum Beach Paddocks in Line for 832-Home Seniors Living Play
In a major seniors living development play on the Sunshine Coast, plans have been filed to unlock a large infill holding for a land lease community at Coolum Beach.
The proposal by Halpin Property Group would swap underutilised paddocks for a masterplanned over-50s community comprising 832 homes.
It is slated for a 43ha holding at 150-164 South Coolum Road, filling a pocket ripe for development between existing residential housing and the Sunshine Motorway.
“The proposal responds to increasing demand for housing supply and retirement accommodation within the Sunshine Coast region and seeks to provide a low-intensity residential outcome within an infill location in proximity to existing urban development, infrastructure and services,” a planning report prepared by Urbis said.
The lodgement comes as the Sunshine Coast grapples with a critical housing shortfall: the region requires 84,800 new homes by 2046 to meet state growth mandates.
Yet delivery to date has not kept pace with the levels required to meet these targets.
“There is a clear and significant planning need for additional housing supply within the Sunshine Coast’s Urban Footprint area, and within the region as a whole,” the documents said.
“Detached lot registrations have averaged approximately 409 lots per annum since 2020 against a required delivery of 1750-1800 lots per annum, while attached lots have averaged 254 lots per annum against 1600-1700 lots per annum.
“With absent new supply, the Sunshine Coast LGA is projected to face a shortfall of approximately 2,700 seniors living [homes] by 2041.”
The report said the proposal would help fulfill a clear planning need for additional housing supply within South-East Queensland’s urban footprint “whilst not adversely impacting local settlement pattern”.
“The development seeks to complete the existing developed area by establishing residential development that is positioned as the logical extension to the existing developed area and make full use of the existing infrastructure that has already been delivered to facilitate urban development,” it said.
“With the exception of one residential subdivision currently being undertaken on the central oceanfront (formerly known to be the Sekisui site) there is little opportunity for future residential development to be undertaken in the Coolum Beach area.”
Under the plans, the proposed development would be rolled out in two stages—the first stage delivering 415 single-storey homes followed by the remaining 417 in a mix of two and three-bedroom floorplans ranging up to 280 square metres.
“Creation of detached dwellings provides individual identity for every resident and minimises the scale of buildings and maximises green margins between every house and communal facility, replicating the surrounding housing form,” the documents said.
To foster an active, resort-style environment, three centralised community hubs are integrated throughout the masterplanned community—a north community hub spanning 653sq m featuring a cafe, meeting rooms and two pickleball courts, as well as the main community hub equipped with a library, cinema/theatre, bar, lounge, gymnasium, yoga studio, pool room, and swimming pool, alongside a 233sq m south community hub tea house.
The landscape plan incorporates a central natural wetland corridor, sediment basins, green links, nature trails, a tennis court, bowling green, spa, cabana, and northern and western lookout points.
Parking would be provided in 832 resident garage spaces, 104 dedicated visitor bays and a dedicated space with 54 slots for caravans and RVs.
