MFLA - Maroochy River Farmers and Landowners Association

30/03/2026

🚨 $28 MILLION WAKE-UP CALL FOR GOVERNMENT 🚨

A landmark court ruling in Victoria has just confirmed something every landholder already knows — you can’t strip the value out of private land for public benefit and expect to pay nothing.

👉 Read the case here:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-29/victorian-government-compensation-landowner-27-million-dollars/106504430

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💥 WHAT HAPPENED

A landowner in Victoria had their property effectively locked up under a planning overlay for future public use.

When they tried to develop it — it was refused.

The government’s position?
$0 compensation.

The Court’s response?
💰 $27.9 MILLION PAYOUT

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⚖️ WHAT THE COURT SAID

The loss suffered by the landowner was:

✔ Real
✔ Direct
✔ Caused by government planning controls

In simple terms:
If government planning removes your land’s economic use — they have to pay for it.

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🌏 WHY THIS MATTERS FOR THE BLUE HEART

This is where it gets very real for our region.

The Blue Heart project has:

• Quarantined thousands of hectares of private land
• Imposed planning overlays restricting use
• Positioned land for flood storage, environmental offsets, and open space
• Created a clear reduction in land value across the region

Let’s call it what it is:

👉 Private land being used for public benefit

Without proper acquisition
Without proper compensation

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⚠️ SAME PRINCIPLE — DIFFERENT LABEL

In Victoria, it was called a “Public Acquisition Overlay.”

Here, it’s called “Blue Heart.”

But the effect is the same:

❗ Land sterilised
❗ Development blocked
❗ Value reduced

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📣 THE QUESTION THAT NOW NEEDS ANSWERING

If a Victorian landholder is entitled to $27.9 million…

👉 What are Sunshine Coast landholders entitled to?

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💬 THIS IS NOT OVER

This case sets a clear precedent:

Governments cannot:
• Lock up land
• Reduce its value
• Use it for public outcomes

… and walk away without paying for it.

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📢 MFLA POSITION

We will continue to push for:

✔ Transparency
✔ Accountability
✔ Proper compensation for affected landholders

Because fairness is not optional — it’s the law.

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🔁 SHARE THIS

Every landholder in the Maroochy River should understand what this case means.

The conversation has just changed

, , ,

Victorian government ordered to compensate landowner $27 million over rezoned property - ABC News https://share.google/zlYABDbk7WqQm3x40

A court orders the Victorian government to pay more than $27 million in compensation to a landowner whose property was partially rezoned for public acquisition, after initially making the man a formal offer of $0.

14/12/2025

URGENT NOTICE,
Due to a double booking at the Maroochy River Golf Club the community meeting has be changed to Thursday 18th December 2025 still at Maroochy River Golf Club 6.30pm.

03/12/2025

A reminder that the Blueheart survey is due on the 5th of December. That is this Friday! For those that did not receive a hard copy here is the link to the online survey.
https://survey.zohopublic.com.au/zs/AjEAl9

Your response would be greatly appreciated.

30/11/2025

A reminder that the deadline for the blueheart review survey is Friday the 5th of December.

30/10/2025

Landowners in the Blueheart should have received a letter from council in regards to the 5 year review of the Blueheart project. Landholders are invited to complete a short survey. If you haven't received a letter, scan the QR code and it will take you to the online survey. Landholders that received a letter in the mail will also have the option to fill in the paper survey, which needs to be returned in the prepaid envelope provided by the 5th of December. I urge everyone in the Bluehear to participate in the survey.

06/09/2025

Undefined Blueheart in the draft planning scheme - why this matters!

The Draft Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme 2025 mentions the 'Blue Heart' many times. It is used as a reason for
restricting what farmers and landholders can do with their land. But here is the problem: the Blue Heart has no
definition in the official planning terms, and we are often told by Council that it is 'not a planning instrument.' This is
confusing and contradictory.
Key Issues for Landholders
• The Blue Heart is not defined in the Administrative Definitions, unlike every other planning term.
• Landholders are told it is not a planning instrument, yet it is used throughout the scheme to justify restrictions.
• Without a definition, the Blue Heart can be applied inconsistently, leaving landholders uncertain about their rights.
• Farmers face serious impacts: restrictions on housing for family and workers, limits on farm improvements like
filling land or drainage, and reduced ability to plan for the future.
Why This Matters
If the Blue Heart is not a planning instrument, then it should not be used in the Planning Scheme to restrict land use. If
it is a planning instrument, then it must be clearly defined and mapped, so everyone knows where it applies and what it
means. Right now, this contradiction undermines trust and creates uncertainty for farming families.
What We Are Asking For
• Remove the Blue Heart from the Planning Scheme if it is not a planning instrument; OR
• Properly define it in the Administrative Definitions, with clear mapped boundaries, so that landholders know exactly
how it affects them.
Farmers and landholders deserve fairness, clarity, and consistency in planning rules. Without change, the current
scheme risks pushing families off the land and damaging trust in Council’s planning process.

Make your submissions, the more the better.