Noosa Council rejects Gina Rinehart-linked beachfront mansion plan; case heads to court

Noosa Shire Council has refused two development applications to redevelop a double-block on a beachfront headland into a three-storey mansion at Sunshine Beach, a ruling plaintiffs say will be challenged in court. The decision, issued on August 27, rejected BV Investments’ plan, a company controlled by Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting, on the grounds that the proposal did not adequately account for the impacts of climate change on the coastline.

The targeted site sits at 4-6 Arakoon Crescent, a two-lot block described in marketing materials as offering “uninterrupted ocean views” just metres from Queensland’s Sunshine Beach and the Noosa National Park. BV Investments bought the 1174-square-metre property in 2022 for about $21.5 million, placing it among the higher-priced pockets of the Noosa area. The previous owners had paid about $285,000 for the property in 1984 and had lived there for four decades.

Noosa Council’s decision notice said the proposed development extended up to five metres seaward of the coastal building line, a regulatory setback intended to define how far a structure can encroach toward the shoreline. It argued the plans did not demonstrate how natural fluctuations of the coast and foreshores, including climate-change effects, would be accommodated. The council also noted that the development would be near the beach and could influence coastal processes over time.

BV Investments has appealed the decision to the Planning and Environment Court, arguing that a coastal hazard expert hired by the firm found the proposed home would be built outside the erosion-prone area and that the property is set back from the seaward boundary. In its appeal notice, the company contends that the development, with proper foundation design, would not adversely impact coastal processes or future coastal management options for the Sunshine Beach segment. The appeal requests the court set aside Noosa Council’s decision and replace it with an approval subject to reasonable and relevant conditions.

BV Investments also contends that neighbouring homes on the headland are built forward of the coastal building line and that the planned structure would not visually dominate the quiet area. The firm asserts the project would align with coastal-management objectives and would allow natural coastal fluctuations to occur, including those driven by climate change.

The decision comes as Noosa’s coastline remains a hotspot for high-profile buyers and a range of long-standing residents. Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, television host Karl Stefanovic, playwright David Williamson, and former Formula 1 driver Mark Webber have all purchased homes in the area. The Sunshine Beach property lies just a short distance from the sand and affords expansive views from the headland to the Noosa National Park and along the coastline toward Mooloolaba.

Hancock Prospecting declined to comment when contacted by the Daily Mail, and Noosa Council said it would be inappropriate to comment on the development ahead of the Planning and Environment Court hearing. A date for the hearing has not yet been set, and the council indicated it would not comment on the matter further until proceedings begin.

The case underscores the tension between high-value coastal development and climate-change adaptation rules in Noosa, where planning authorities have signaled a willingness to constrain projects that may not adequately account for shifting shorelines and increased coastal hazards. If BV Investments prevails, the decision could set a precedent for similar dual-lot coastal redevelopments in Australia’s busy resort belt; if not, Noosa’s climate-change safeguards could be reinforced as part of its coastal-management strategy.