Years of dealing with economic upheavals, government paperwork, and hard physical labour has started to pay off for a hinterland couple, who have created a virtual garden paradise operating as a cafe and events venue.
However, the battle is not quite over as the venue is located “one street inside” a rural corridor, meaning it can’t trade – even to sell cups of coffee – before 9am.
Stonebridge Gardens, in Palmwoods, finally opened its doors in July. It is set on 10 acres of landscaped land that incorporates the cafe kiosk, whose deck overlooks one of the ponds, onsite parking, and eight separate manicured botanical gardens – designed for formal gatherings and photos.
The directors originally planned to establish a nursery on the site, but the industry was no longer viable. They also admit the venue is not the convention centre for which they later gained approval from Sunshine Coast Council – but those plans would have needed an additional $6m in capital – but what they have created so far has proved popular.
“We don’t even have a sign up yet because we’re still waiting to get that through council, however, by word of mouth, everyone in Palmwoods is just grateful for what we’re doing because we’re doing it well,” director and manager Bec Trimble said.
The journey to where they are today has required three acoustic reports – one of them had to be re-done because croaking frogs in the ponds skewed the results – as well as an 18-month campaign for a liquor licence, which required careful measuring of each of the manicured event spaces.
In a reflection of the extra challenges of doing business in a small town, they are still “hot spotting” their internet connection through mobile phones after their NBN was connected to a neighbour by mistake.
“It’s a very difficult way to run a business, and the number times that it goes down in the middle of a transaction, and you need to stop and re-start again, but there’s nothing I can do about it,” Ms trimble explained.
Their local federal MP Andrew Wallace is helping to sort it out.
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While the business is operating well, it is somewhat hampered by restrictions to its trading hours due to its location – just one street inside a rural zone – even though it’s adjacent to the Old Orchard residential estate.
“We cannot open before 9am on any given day,” Ms Trimble explained, who said the business will apply to have that zoning changed.
“We have to have a re-alignment and they said that it will be up for discussion in 2024 in the council … I have to have my application in next year ready … to see if we can have it taken back one street.”
Sunshine Coast Council explained, “the Rural zone code is to provide for a wide range of rural activities and a limited range of non-rural activities which complement, value add or provide a service to rural areas.
“…to ensure that non-rural activities (such as cafes and restaurants) are located, designed, and operated to minimise conflicts with existing and future rural activities on surrounding rural lands and avoid significant effects on rural amenity including through adverse noise or traffic generation.”
Council added: “Council is preparing a new planning scheme that … will set the vision for the Sunshine Coast in 2041 and guide growth and development to help achieve that vision.
“It is expected that the new Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme project will be completed by 2024.”
Stonebridge Gardens has 25 staff on its books – who all reside in the local region, including Palmwoods, Eudlo, and Woombye – and plans to continue serving a delicious selection of well-priced locally sourced offerings, including GF, DF and vegan options, in the garden surroundings already embraced by diners.
“We don’t have a sign on the corner … it’s because of the public and the community that’s embraced us, we’re very very fortunate, and the staff here are phenomenal,” Ms Trimble said.
“We’re just very lucky that we’re in Palmwoods, because you wouldn’t get this in Brisbane.”
With the opening of the new venue, Palmwoods is fast becoming a food tourists’ delight, with the small township also home to the famous Rick’s Garage diner and Piggy Back restaurant.
For more details, visit: stonebridgegardens.com.au
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