The battle to save the historic Mooloolaba Beach Caravan Park on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast from redevelopment has reached what could be its final stage.
In a last throw of the dice, the Save Mooloolaba Esplanade Caravan Park Action Group has lodged a Heritage Register Application with the State Department of Environment and Heritage Protection.
Having the site listed is perhaps the only way to stop the park, at the northern end of the Esplanade, from being shut by mid next year a part of a foreshore redevelopment. The Sunshine Coast Council has already voted through the Mooloolaba Masterplan by seven votes to four.
A spokesman for the Mooloolaba Esplanade Caravan Park Action Group, Jon Erbacher, has previously said that the park has ‘cultural significance’ and should be protected and preserved.
“This is not something to be thrown away lightly to attract tourists to artificial things they can have anywhere,” he said. “The park is under state government lease and the buck stops there. Council doesn’t have the final say.”
The Sunshine Coast Daily reports that, at 79%, the park has the highest occupancy rate of any in Queensland, draws $800,000 in revenue annually and generates more than $1m in business for Mooloolaba.
Last year, a campaign to save the park gathered 3500 signatures in two weeks.
The Sunshine Coast Daily reports that the masterplan will see more than two kilometres of improved waterfront pathways, play areas and will deliver more than 40% more public parkland, with the current beach front car park to be removed. The foreshore revamp would be part of a major facelift for Mooloolaba, including a wharf redevelopment.
Let these areas be developed providing that the usage stays exactly the same.
Over 100 ago it was campers who started Mooloolaba as a Tourist destination. While Mooloolaba Beach Holiday Park is not bricks & mortar the historical significance of this priceless piece of Aussie working class camping history needs to be preserved.
Perhaps the people that vote to remove a natural & available accommodation for the people that enjoy the beauty of life which is what this area offers not just for them but the people of Mooloolaba who enjoy this little area of peace & quiet, & serenity, & once removed will never be replaced, would it not be better for these voters to suggest a multi story car park in Brisbane road car park, & allow more people access to our already beautiful surroundings, not to mention the local people who are the rate payers & constantly battle for a park to be able to support the local businesses.
Iconic is the first word that comes to mind about this park I have lived on the coast for 27 years and the reason I came to live on the coast was that when I first visited mooloolaba I was intrigued by another iconic location opposite the caravan park in Thommos pub I visited the hotel on many occasions to have a cool drink in the birdwatchers bar or in the beer garden next door then we let private delopers build what is now called Mantra and put the hotel out the back I have visited that hotel maybe 3 times since its inception and can say I would not go back there by choice I know we need some change but how far do we go we need to look after people who live here not just tourists I recently visited the caravan park for 4 nights and stayed next to an 84 year gentleman who said he had travelled around Australia 8 times in his life and he told me there is no better caravan park in Australia I am sure if a private company wanted to develop something on the foreshore it would have no chance of getting approval through this council after staying at the park recently I feel there are ways for all the area to work with creative design there is a lot of area in front of mooloolaba to develop what the council is looking to do if the shire could have a referendum on this issue the park would not be closed it appears to me the local councillers do not own caravans or dogs as the are driving people who do away from mooloolaba
Ps why not get the parking and transport infrastructure in place before you build all these projects