Council planning staff and former CEO Michael Whittaker appeared at-odds over conditions for a rooftop bar in the Sekisui House Yaroomba Beach proposal just weeks before its approval. Internal emails released as part of a recent Sunshine Coast Council Right to Information disclosure of more than 3000 pages revealed differing opinions over the conditioning of usage for the rooftop aspect of the proposed hotel. On May 24, 2018, Mr Whittaker requested planning staff make some improvements to the presentation to be given at a workshop with councillors about a month before they voted to approve the controversial project 6-5 in a special council meeting.
It is to council s advantage to have initiated this work so that it is well placed to provide contemporary policy input to the next regional plan, council officers stated. Cr Natoli quizzed them on why the new planning scheme process would start before community consultation on the land use options for a mass transit plan had been carried out. Officers said there would be ample time to consider the Mass Transit Options Analysis and community engagement outcomes, and any council decision, within the new planning scheme process, given the time frames involved. Mass Transit Action Group members took their fight to the steps of council on Thursday to let councillors know their thoughts.