The opening of a new parkland on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast marks the first step in a multi-stage foreshore revitalisation project … one that has also seen the demise of an iconic caravan park.
The new parkland links Alexandra Headland to Mooloolaba. It includes a 430-metre boardwalk, two staircases linking it to Mooloolaba Esplanade, and a walkway that starts just north of where the much-loved old Mooloolaba caravan site once stood.
The new parkland – part of the Mooloolaba Foreshore Revitalisation Project – was fiercely opposed by the many people who had fallen in love with Mooloolaba Caravan Park.
The Brisbane Times reports that the old park, which was located in a crook of beach south of Alexandra Headland, had been enjoyed by generations of families.
Jon Erbacher from Nambour headed the protest group, which asked the Queensland Heritage Council to add the caravan park to the Queensland Heritage Register because holidaymakers had been coming to the site since 1915.
Mr Erbacher’s team gave an oral presentation to the Queensland Heritage Council in November 2016 but could not win a majority from the 11 heritage councillors at the final meeting of the year.
“We’re disappointed at the decision, but at the end of the day, that is the way the chips fell,” he told the Brisbane Times. “It was a difficult decision for the Queensland Heritage Council, and we understand that.”
Sunshine Coast mayor Mark Jamieson told the Brisbane Times he was happy the project had reached this point after six years.
“It is wonderful to open this section of the northern parkland to the public, and I look forward to a grand opening next year when the rest of the park is unveiled,” he said. “Both the viewing platform and the boardwalk feature plenty of seating options and sweeping coastal views, with space for easy accessibility.”
Nicki Boyd, Queensland’s assistant minister for local government, said the result was a “community asset everyone could enjoy”.
