A 25.18-hectare site on Steve Irwin Way at Glenview, carrying a preliminary approval for a water park, wave pool and resort, has been sold by receivers and managers through Colliers. The price and the buyer have not been disclosed.
The site sits minutes from Australia Zoo and Aussie World in the Sunshine Coast hinterland. Its sale closes one chapter of a long-running tourism proposal and opens the question of what the new owner will do with it.
The deal at a glance
- Site: Steve Irwin Way, Glenview QLD
- Land: 25.18 hectares, with about 500 metres of highway frontage
- Existing improvements: a two-bedroom display villa, plunge pool and storage shed
- Approval: preliminary approval for a tourist attraction and resort complex, current until October 2028
- Approved concept: a water park and wave pool, a resort with 160 dwellings and 74 villas, plus retail and dining
- Sellers: receivers and managers of owner Nurrowin Pty Ltd
- Agent: Colliers
- Price and buyer: not disclosed
A big tourism plan that stalled
The resort proposal has been around for more than a decade. A preliminary approval was first granted in 2015 and later amended. The project was associated with Sanad Capital and Nurrowin director Bradley Sutherland.
Nurrowin went into voluntary administration in November 2023, receivers and managers were appointed, and the site came to market in 2024. In 2025 the Sunshine Coast Council extended the approval to October 2028, after town planners argued the project would boost tourism and local jobs and that environmental constraints could be managed.
Why the approval matters
For any buyer, the existing approval is a major part of the value. It sets out what can be built, removes some planning risk and saves time compared with starting from scratch. With the approval current until 2028, the new owner has a window to refine, redesign or start the project, or to apply for something different.
The location helps. The site is in the hinterland tourism belt between the Bruce Highway and the Glass House Mountains, close to two of the region's best-known attractions and about 40 minutes from Noosa.
Distressed sales are opening doors
Receiver sales of development sites have become more common as higher construction costs and tighter lending put pressure on stretched projects. For well-funded buyers, these sales can be a chance to pick up approved land with years of planning work already done, often at a lower cost than an approved site would normally sell for.
Elsewhere on the Sunshine Coast, the market is mixed. Ray White recently reported more than $40 million in sales from a single coastal auction event, and well-located commercial sites in Maroochydore continue to attract developers and land bankers.
Sunshine Coast tourism on the rise
The Sunshine Coast's tourism profile keeps growing, helped by airport expansion, population growth and the lead-up to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, with events planned for the region. Large attraction and resort sites with approvals are rare, so this one will be watched closely by the tourism industry and local residents alike.
What it means for owners and developers
- Approvals carry value. A current approval can make a site far more attractive to buyers, even after a project fails.
- Timing is everything. Extending the approval kept the site's value intact while receivers ran the sale.
- Tourism land is scarce. Big sites near major attractions offer long-term options.
- Big ideas need clear visuals. Large tourism projects depend on renders, masterplans and flythroughs to win over councils, investors and the community.
What to watch next
Watch for the buyer to be named and for any new development application, design changes or partnerships on the site. Watch whether the new owner can get a scaled-up tourism attraction moving before the approval lapses in 2028.