The State Government has approved the development of a new outdoor music festival and exhibition event site at Coochin Creek near Caloundra.
The Coochin Fields site by the Comiskey Group will host events year-round catering for up to 35,000 festival goers, with 61 hectares of the 155-hectare site remaining untouched.
The project is expected to support more than 680 jobs and generate more than $70 million in annual economic activity for the Sunshine Coast.
The announcement follows the Government’s approval of a 150-site tourist park nearby just before Christmas, also being developed by the Comiskey Group.
Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning, Jarrod Bleijie, said the Government is serious about rebuilding Queensland’s tourism sector and opening the door to new tourism investment.
“Coochin Fields is exactly the type of opportunity the Government is determined to support as we rebuild and grow the state’s tourism industry.
“A major play and stay venue like this that can host big acts in the region is something the cultural, musical and tourism industry had been crying out for during Labor’s decade of decline.
“The conditions we’ve imposed will ensure the project respects the unique environmental values of the area while delivering huge economic benefits for the Sunshine Coast region.
The site was bought by the Comiskey Group in 2021 and is a 35 minute drive from Maroochydore and under an hour-and-a-half from Brisbane, with direct access to the Bruce Highway.
Previously a turf and strawberry farm, the largely cleared site is ready for the development….a significant portion of the land will remain untouched,
with extensive revegetation plans that include planting tens of thousands of trees.
Comiskey Group Director David Comiskey said the project represents a generational investment in both the industry and the region.
“Coochin Fields is a game-changer for Queensland and as the largest dedicated festival site in the State, it gives promoters, artists and audiences the scale and certainty they’ve been calling for.
“Most importantly, it means the world’s biggest acts can now perform right here on the Sunshine Coast.
“We’ve already had strong interest from promoters when news of the site first emerged, and we’re excited to confirm we are now taking expressions of interest.
“This is about bringing world-class experiences closer to home while creating long-term opportunities for artists, industry and the local community,” Mr Comiskey said.
QMusic Chief Executive Officer Kris Stewart welcomed the announcement as a huge step forward for the Queensland music industry.
“We have been calling for more large-scale dedicated music venues for a long time and Coochin Fields will be a tremendous new asset to the music industry,” Mr Stewart said.
“Having this kind of investment in a festival and music venue will be a boon both for Queensland audiences and artists.”
The development includes extensive environmental safeguards, such as wildlife-friendly fencing, stormwater management measures, and operational plans to prevent impacts on the adjoining national park and state forest areas.
Meanwhile, a coalition of ten community groups has expressed its profound dismay at the decision.
The group’s spokesperson, Narelle McCarthy, said a development of this scale and intensity, proposed for an environmentally sensitive location, should never be approved.
“There is no credible justification for allowing it to proceed,” she said.
“Significant environmental, bushfire, flooding and public safety risks remain unresolved, and the conditions imposed are nowhere near sufficient to protect the ecological values of the site or its surrounds while traffic congestion and access constraints also remain major concerns,” Ms McCarthy said.
She is calling on the Commonwealth to assess the environmental credentials of the development.
