A Sunshine Coast community designed by PLACE has taken out the coveted national award for Best Residential Development at the Urban Development Institute of Australia's 2008 National Awards for Excellence.

The award for developer QM Properties' Pacific Harbour project at Bribie Island recognised its sensitive treatment of the local environment which is a sand-based island surrounded by national parks and wetlands.

PLACE Design Group is the Master Planning Consultant at Pacific Harbour and has involvement in many aspects of the project including Planning, Urban Design, Environmental Assessment and Landscape Architecture.

The UDIA judging panel said the project had grown from modest beginnings to become a highly desirable resort-based community which has gone above and beyond the standard in addressing an environmentally-sensitive site.

The Pacific Harbour project is bounded on two sides by National Park and has been developed in partnership with Caboolture Shire Council and the National Park Service on environmentally-sustainable design principals.

The Masterplan includes an 18-hole championship golf course recently voted Australia's 6th-Best Public Access Course complete with a multi-function Clubhouse and Country Club facility and a world-class marina village and boardwalk.