Residents hope a two-month delay for a final legal decision on the controversial Sekisui development in Yaroomba could bode well for their case.
Opponents of the $900 million resort and housing estate lodged an appeal in March this year in the Supreme Court after the development was approved by council and upheld in the Planning and Environment Court.
Save Yaroomba campaign spokesperson Kathryn Hyman said the Supreme Court decision had been expected in June and the extended time could indicate their case was being thoroughly scrutinised.
But if the judges ruled in favour of Sekisui, she said it would be the “end of the line” for the community after years of campaigning and a two-year legal fight.
Ms Hyman warned the impacts of Sekisui going ahead would be so great that some people may decide to leave the area.
The Sekisui development includes apartments and two and three-storey homes, community open spaces and a seven-storey, 5-star resort.
It was approved by Sunshine Coast Council in 2018 but the community appealed that decision in the Planning and Environment Court.
In May 2020, the Planning and Environment Court upheld council’s approval which the community then appealed in March this year.
It was expected the Supreme Court would take about three months to release its final word, but Ms Hyman said there was no set timeframe and this was the longest they’d had to wait.
“The judges can take as long as they need so they’re obviously giving it good scrutiny,” said Ms Hyman.
“We’re trying to be positive, we’re hopeful that they’re giving it due diligence in the matter and that could be the rationale for why it’s taking so long.
“No news is good news. It does at least tell us that scrutiny is being adopted. The courts are doing their job.”
Support local news and subscribe to our FREE daily news bulletin. See SUBSCRIBE at the top of this article
Ms Hyman said the community had put their heart and soul into the campaign and raised more than $500,000 to cover legal fees but if the ruling was against them she said they would have to accept it.
“This is the end line, this decision, it is the end of the line, there’s nowhere else to go. Legally we don’t have any more legal options,” she said.
“What is handed down we must accept there is nothing more we can do. Perhaps some people will leave the area if it’s a win for Sekisui.”
Ms Hyman said it was important to reiterate that residents were not opposed to the resort however they were strongly against the residential estate which she said would more than double the population of Yaroomba and create traffic chaos.
“The biggest objection is the high-density residential urban component, which will have all of those impacts whereas a resort wouldn’t have it,” she said.
“There’s no other way in or out, there’s no other way to mitigate that traffic.
“It’s going to be gridlock if anything happens on the motorway. The impact is going to be very, very real on the ground.”
- Related story: Sekisui prepares to develop Yaroomba site
Ms Hyman said the community was still hopeful and invested in the outcome and “will follow this through to the end”.
“People are conscious of it, people have put their heart and soul into this campaign over many, many, many years so there’s definitely a huge amount of public interest going on the grapevine.
“It’s still live in the community, it’s still live on the grapevine and basically everyone’s just going about their daily lives waiting for the decision to be handed down either way.”
Given the time it had taken, Ms Hyman said she expected the judges’ conclusions would be lengthy.
Sekisui was contacted but chose not to comment.
