According to a report in the Sunshine Coast news, a thrilling new world class, wave park is heading towards approval on the Sunshine Coast, with the park to be located just off the Bruce Highway in the Glass House Mountains.
The report says that the wave park would attract thousands of tourists, create hundreds of jobs and host high-profile events is surging towards reality, with the proponents. Surf Parks Australia confident of developing what would be the biggest tourist attraction the Sunshine Coast has seen in decades .
Acting on its behalf, Alexandra Headland-based development consultants, Project Urban, lodged an application in December 2020 and on April 1 submitted the final documents required to advance the project, with these applications said to relate to assessments of the local environment and bushfire and flood hazards, with the application seeking Development Permits for a Material Change of Use for Tourist Attraction (Surf Park) and Reconfiguring a Lot.
Sunshine Coast Council has 20 business days to ask for any additional information and then the application is expected to enter the Public Notification phase, where submissions can be made relating to the proposal.
Council will then make its assessment and sunshinecoastnews.com.au understands that if approval was granted by mid-year, construction could start as soon as the end of this year and continue for about 12 months, with the wave park and associated buildings expected to cost around $25 million to construct, with the first artificial wave to be ridden by early 2023 if everything goes to plan.
Surf Parks Australia will use technology developed by American Wave Machines, which has delivered similar economically-viable facilities around the world, with its most famous creation the BSR Surf Ranch in Waco, Texas.
American Wave Machines technology was recently endorsed by the International Olympic Committee and incorporated into a wave pool built in Japan for use as a training and warm-up facility for surf athletes contesting the 2021 Olympics, with Surf Parks Australia believing the Sunshine Coast project could potentially add value to the 2032 SEQ Olympic bid and be utilised in a similar fashion.
The application states that the site is perfectly suited to the proposal, which represents “a regionally significant tourism development that will enhance the Sunshine Coast’s tourism brand and 
reputation’’, adding that it promises to deliver a holistic surfing experience, including a wave pool and associated amenities, wellness centre featuring yoga and meditation, paddock to plate food and beverage, ocean and marine protection education, learn to surf classes and surf coaching.
The pool and adjoining viewing beach would be approximately 315m long and 92m wide and “performance oriented” sets of head-high waves that break left and right would be generated using an air-powered system that mimics ocean waves.
The site adjoins rural properties to the west and north and comprises an area of 13.433 hectares with a road frontage to the Bruce Highway of approximately 520m and a road frontage to Johnston Road of approximately 265m, with the application saying, “Currently the site is partly used for agriculture and partly vacant land and is free of any significant vegetation.
An artist’s impression of the wave park.
An edited report from Sunshine Coast News by John Alwyn-Jones
.jpg){kind=tracking}
