Mapleton and District Community Association

30/05/2026

https://rangecommunitynews.au
What This Means for the Blackall Range:

For communities on the Blackall Range, the significance of what has occurred at Coochin Creek is both structural and practical. The rural zone designations, environmental management and conservation overlays, scenic amenity provisions, and green belt buffers that underpin planning protections on the Range draw from the same state framework that has been overridden twice at Coochin Creek, with conditions subsequently weakened at the developer's request and further changes emerging without comprehensive reassessment.
OSCAR president Melva Hobson PSM put the central question during the submission period:
"Why would any Minister consider putting people's lives in potential danger for a development where there is no 'overriding need in the public interest?" The deletion of bushfire consultation and firefighting training requirements from the tourist park approval gives that question renewed force.

Closer to Home: A Different Standard

The contrast with local council decision-making is instructive. At its ordinary meeting on 21 May 2026, Sunshine Coast Council voted unanimously to approve a scaled-back tourist park at 29 Roberts Street, Glass House Mountains, attaching what councillors described as some of the strictest conditions ever imposed on a rural development application in the region. The decision followed more than 114 public submissions opposing the original plan and a petition of approximately 550 signatures, and was reached through the standard council assessment process with no ministerial intervention.
The two situations illustrate the practical difference between decisions made within a transparent, locally accountable planning process and those made under ministerial call-in powers that carry no right of appeal and, as the Coochin Creek experience now confirms, no guarantee that conditions will hold once the developer returns to the minister's office.
Readers wishing to support the coalition's push for federal intervention can sign the petition here.

https://www.change.org/p/protect-pumicestone-passage-and-the-greenbelt-assessment-under-environment-laws-critical?source_location=search

Previous range Community News Article: State
Planning Override Threatens Regional
Integrity: Coochin Creek Development Sets
Dangerous Precedent - RCN 27/11/2025

30/05/2026

27/05/2026

Doing a cupboard clear-out this week? We have a challenge for you! 😉
Our shelves have been absolutely flying out the door, so we’re calling on our wonderful community for donations with a specific Shop Wish List!
💿 The Audio & Visual Display: CD’s and DVD’s (yes, they are back in high demand!).
👟 The Men’s Rack: Men’s shoes in good nick (always highly sought after!).
💍 The Bling Display: Preloved jewellery to add some sparkle to our cabinets.
👗 The Style Racks: Quality clothing of any kind—we love all styles and all seasons!
Where to drop: At the shop preferably during opening hours. If you need a hand give us a shout, we have a trolley. 📦🍂

Photo by Miguel Pinto via Unsplash

20/05/2026

https://rangecommunitynews.au/events/
The MADCA bread stall supports our community grants program.

20/05/2026

https://rangecommunitynews.au/events/
The MADCA bread stall supports our grants, giving back to our community.

19/05/2026

Mapleton Choir Announces Upcoming Concert Series

After four months of intensive rehearsals, the Mapleton Choir is ready to take centre stage. The ensemble has officially announced a diverse new program “Songs We Like To Sing” to be performed at the Kureelpa and Dulong Hall on the weekend of June 6th and 7th.

The upcoming concert promises to cater to all musical tastes, ranging from the rhythmic pulse of Toto’s Africa and the soaring harmonies of You Raise Me Up and Amigos Para Siempre, to the playful nostalgia of The Lion Sleeps Tonight and the upbeat energy of Do Wah Diddy Diddy.

More Than Just Music
For the members of the Mapleton Choir, this performance is about more than just notes on a page—it is about sharing the gift of song with family and the local community.

As a community-led ensemble, local support is vital to the group's longevity. Proceeds from every ticket sold are directly reinvested into the choir, ensuring that music remains a vibrant part of Mapleton’s future for years to come.

A Program of Local Talent
The afternoon features a varied program beyond traditional choral arrangements:
• Solo Spotlights: Several choir members will step on to the stage to perform original compositions.
• The Geri Hat Tricks: This keen group of "wannabes" is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face with their special uplifting medley.

Event Information
The concert concludes with a social afternoon tea, providing a chance for the audience to mingle with the performers.
• When: Saturday, June 6 & Sunday, June 7 at 2:30 PM
• Where: Kureelpa and Dulong Hall
• Cost: $25 (includes afternoon tea)
• Tickets: Book online at https://www.trybooking.com/DLPNT

19/05/2026

Read about the gourmetlicious Taste of the Hinterland event hosted by the Blackall Range Lions Club at The Barn on Flaxton on Friday May 15. https://rangecommunitynews.au/local-flavour-and-community-spirit-shine-at-taste-of-the-hinterland/

19/05/2026

Bench puts respect in plain sight at Maleny State High School

A bright red bench at Maleny State High School is carrying a serious message for students: respectful relationships start with the small choices they make every day.

The bench was launched on Monday, May 11, as part of Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month, in a collaboration between the school’s Rotary Interact Club, Speak Up Now – Stop Domestic & Family Violence, and the Red Rose Foundation.

Speak Up Now representative Val France addressed the whole school as part of the launch, telling students they had the power to help change attitudes before harmful behaviours became entrenched.

The bench is the 14th Red Bench Speak Up Now has helped install across the Sunshine Coast hinterland, joining others in Maleny, Kenilworth, Montville and Palmwoods.

The Red Bench Project uses permanent public benches as a visible reminder of the need to end domestic and family violence and keep conversations about safety, respect and prevention in everyday view.

Ms France said the habits formed in high school could shape the adults students would become. “Respect is a skill that anyone can learn,” Ms France said. She encouraged students to think about how they treated others during stressful moments, to respect personal space and boundaries, and to speak to a trusted adult when something did not feel right.

The message was that prevention was not only the work of adults, agencies or campaigners, but something young people could help lead through everyday behaviour at school, at home and in the wider community.

For more information contact Val France, Speak Up Now - Stop Domestic & Family Violence - Maleny & Blackall Range (Maleny & Blackall Range), on 0419 599 042.

Pictured: The bench is the 14th Red Bench Speak Up Now has helped install across the hinterland.

19/05/2026