Living Gems Plots Caloundra Fringe Tourist Park

A disused farm on Caloundra’s outskirts could be transformed into a tourism precinct with plans for an upmarket holiday park, two-storey hotel, convention centre and campgrounds being considered. 

Living Gems’ proposed development application is going through public consultation after the over-50s communities developer bought the Sunshine Coast site in 2020 for about $2.9 million.

The 34.4ha site is at 17 Westaway Road, Meridan Plains, opposite the Corbould Park race track. 

The plans are for a function facility that can accommodate 220 people, 93 short-stay studio apartments, a pool deck and amenities, 185 camp sites, 40 cabins, 24 safari tents and a central facilities building that would comprise a restaurant, bar, indoor playground, arcade, cinema, yoga room and gym. 

According to planning documents, the proposed tourist park would help to cement the Sunshine Coast Council’s Recreation Precinct in the surrounding area, with about $39 million allocated in the Local Government Infrastructure Plan over the next 15 years. 

The Meridan Plains tourist park could prove a drawcard for events at the co-located Honey Farm Road Sport and Recreation Precinct and the Sunshine Coast Turf Club.

“The proposed development in conjunction with the council’s masterplanning and the turf club located nearby will consolidate and reinforce the areas as a sport and recreation destination,” the report said. 

“The Sunshine Coast has higher occupancy rates for holiday parks (67-68 per cent) than the state average of 60 per cent, indicating a strong demand for holiday park and affordable tourist accommodation options. 

“In 2019 more than 839,000 overnight visitors stayed in a holiday park on the Sunshine Coast.

“The growth in demand for tourist park sites on the Sunshine Coast is anticipated to exceed 1100 sites by 2029, which would represent about five additional holiday parks. 

“This growth is exclusive of additional demand that may be generated by the ongoing trend to holiday at home.”

There has been renewed interest in the caravan park and campground asset class as a result of an increase in domestic tourism during the Covid-19 pandemic.

▲ Cabins, safari tents, a 93-room hotel and convention centre are being considered for a disused farm site at Meridan Plains on Caloundra's outskirts.

There are 2400 caravan parks in Australia—350 of those are owned by a publicly listed company, with the vast majority owned and operated by mum and dad investors.

It is a $34-billion industry that directly employs 53,000 people and creates 60 million visitor nights across the country.

Parks are being snapped up by developers to transform the extensive sites into resorts, retirement villages or shopping precincts.

Caravan parks are prime development land because they are well connected, and in prime locations near shopping centres or natural attractions.

The Sunshine Coast Council, preparing to welcome 520,000 new residents by 2041, is identifying sites for development and a new rail line.

The council is creating a “community of communities” while reducing the number of Local Planning Areas from 27 to 18 in the proposed Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme 2041.

Along the coast there will be “focus areas of increased density-height along key corridors and in nodes” close to centres along with transit stations.

The areas of the region to experience the biggest change in development activity would be around Australia Zoo, the Sunshine Coast Airport, Caloundra and the emerging university communities in Palm View and Sippy Downs.

Living Gems and GemLife were due to merge at the end of this year to build a significant portfolio of 43 land lease communities and a pipeline in excess of 11,000 homesites.
 
GemLife, which was launched in 2016, is owned by members of the Puljich family and financial partner, Thakral Capital. Living Gems—established in 1982—is the Puljich’s family business.