A $90 million theme park for the Sunshine Coast has received initial approval from the local council, with construction expected to begin in the next 12 months.
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On Thursday morning the Sunshine Coast Council granted preliminary approval for Sunshine Park, a water theme park set to rival the Gold Coast's Wet'n'Wild and WhiteWater World.
Sunshine Park will be built on a 24-hectare site at Lot 22 Steve Irwin Way in Glenview and include one of the world's largest wave pools, lagoons and waterslides.
The proposal also includes a mix of hotel and cabin-style accommodation, which will be capped at 247 rooms.
The park will be built by Waterplay Pty Ltd, who has also been involved in water park projects in Asia.
However little is known about how the design will look, with the developers yet to release proper artists' impressions for the park.
Thursday's council decision permitted the theme park site, which was previously used by the state government to store pipes for the construction of the SEQ Water Grid, to be used as a tourist attraction and resort complex.
It will mean that individual elements of the theme park will still need to pass local planning laws.
"The developers will now commence detailed masterplanning for the project which will include finalising the configuration of all elements within the park, technical specifications and the proposed staged construction timetable," a Sunshine Park statement said.
Sunshine Park said 430 jobs would be created during construction, with 230 staff to be employed when the attraction is operating.
A report prepared by Sunshine Coast Council officers said the park site was not within an area within a designated tourism focus.
However the project was supported because of the expected economic benefits, suitable infrastructure and visible sections near the entrance would respect the "semi-rural character" of the area.
The officers said the project would deliver $11.7 million of direct and indirect economic benefits to the area in 2017.
"An outdoor, water-based attraction is consistent with the natural values and key lifestyle attributes of the Sunshine Coast," the officers wrote.
"The proposal to co-locate the waterpark with visitor accommodation is a point of difference to the majority of the existing tourist attractions on the Sunshine Coast."
