General News
8 May, 2025
Objections fail to stop new tourist park
A NEW tourist park along the Kennedy Highway has been given the green light by the Mareeba Shire Council, despite long-term neighbouring property owners objecting to the development.
Approved by the council at its April meeting, the small tourist park will feature three private cabins (two cabins catering for two people each and the third a family cabin), dedicated parking, an amenities block, cooking facilities, a swimming pool and recreation areas.
An onsite manager will live on the property and maintain the park facilities.
In a statement from the applicants included in a report by council officers and provided to the meeting, the park will provide a “high-quality short-term accommodation solution for visitors and tourists to the region”.
“The park will add to the variety of accommodation options in the local area, encouraging the growth of the local economy through tourism,” it stated.
“The local economy will benefit from the provision of an additional short-term accommodation option which will employ locals, encourage spending in local businesses and attract tourists who will share the natural beauty of the area.”
The park, at 3711 Kennedy Highway, will have a new access road from the highway, with the previous entry closed. This has been approved by Department of Transport and Main Roads.
However, neighbouring properties submitted that the location of the cabins was “way too close” to neighbouring properties, the owners of which had resided there for almost 40 years, and 45 years respectively.
The new access road to the cabins will run alongside one neighbour’s property boundary and residence.
Other issues were that the development was inconsistent with the rural and residential zoning, and that the park would increase the risk of litter, trespass, roaming pets and excess noise.
As one submission pointed out, the park promotes vista views, but the location of the cabins and the comings and goings of visitors, would mar the vista enjoyed by the family for 45 years.
It also said there was a likelihood of expansion as “you do not just put three cabins in and a pool, without this in mind”.
Submissions also complained of stormwater problems from the property since mango trees had been removed, with run-off affecting neighbouring paddocks for cattle. This would be exacerbated with the development.
Speaking after the meeting, a council spokesperson said the area had been rezoned from agriculture to rural and residential some years before, and the current zoning allowed for small tourism ventures such as farm stays, bed and breakfasts, camping, food-based tourism, nature tourism, and cycling tourism.
The council had also stipulated the development have noise curfews, a 9pm pool closure, no pets allowed, campfire restrictions, a potable water supply, and that the cabins are constructed onsite from new, contemporary building materials (no prefabricated or transportable structures permitted) which would also include landscaping to help soften their appearance.
The report by council officers advised the proposed cabins would have a negligible impact on the outlook and views of neighbouring residents and on the amount and quality of stormwater.
As for any plans to expand the park, this would require a new application for assessment.
The report was “satisfied this development is of a scale commensurate to the zone and location, and that the development can be reasonably conditioned to ensure the preservation of the existing amenity. The development complies”.
