Oasis Park Development Halted

Story by Lara Leahy

Plans were submitted for an extreme sports facility to be built at Carool to go with an existing DA for health retreat style accommodation.  Last week, Tweed Shire Council voted to refuse the Development Application for the park.

The initial DA for 35 cabins, and 5 rooms, also include a 4-bedroom site management house and attached granny flat has not yet been issued with a construction certificate.  The latest DA is for indoor and outdoor facilities for sports including motocross, mountain biking, skateboarding as well as gym and trampolining facilities spread over 18,902m2. Between the proposals, there was confusion as per the use of the facilities and how much would service the patrons vs public use.

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There are 11 reasons council gave to turn the new development down.  Included in which is incomplete information on stormwater management, bushfire risk research as well as risk to potential existing indigenous heritage.  Inadequate infrastructure, such as sewerage, electricity, and car parking were also cited as concerns.

Issues regarding noise and light that would see up to 60 patrons visiting a day and up to 200 over 4 annual events were not addressed by the submission.  It was unclear how much of the clientele was to be from public use as opposed to visiting patrons.

A large concern was raised in regarding its visual amenity, with two large block sheds at the peak of the development, breaking up the sight lines of the surrounding hills.  The large amount of concrete, asphalt and exposed earthworks were also not considered to be in keeping with the “picturesque hills of Carool.”

One of the two sheds were over the height limit stipulated by council, causing interest for the airspace above the shed.  “The application was referred to the Gold Coast Airport Authority as the site has a ground level above the relevant Obstacle Limitation Surface Contour and therefore the development would breach this plane. The Gold Coast Airport Authority advised a full assessment would be required.”

Other incomplete information included traffic studies as well as flora and fauna impact contributing to the hesitancy to provide support for the development. Public concern was also considered when 18 of the 21 public responses received in regard to the development found to have objections to the proposal.

Two options were presented to council, to refuse the DA or to present them with an opportunity to provide further information.  Due to inconsistencies and inadequacies with the assessment of the works, council officers recommended the first option and refused the DA.  It was found that the “development proposal is not consistent with the Aims of Tweed Local Environmental Plan 2014 to promote the responsible sustainable management and conservation of Tweed’s natural and environmentally sensitive areas and waterways, visual amenity and scenic routes, built environment, and cultural heritage.”

The DA report and associated documentation is available on the Tweed Shire Council website.