By Mitch Gaynor
On your marks, get set…
It seems like only just the other day when, after a day at the beach, I would hose the sand off my feet, sit down for a beer and bask in the warmth of knowing that absolutely nothing could get on my nerves except for a two-day Test.
Oh hang on, it was.
Yet here we are, back in action and firing on all cylinders and, to borrow the words of the Deputy Premier last week after approving the controversial Coochin Creek campground, we’re “open for business”.
Hopefully you’re able to ease back into the thick of things, but the GC&M News team is already hard at it reporting the stories that matter across the hinterland, kicking off 2026 with a bumper 40-page print edition.
Sonia Isaacs reports on two major stories this week, both of which will have a long-term bearing on the Sunshine Coast.
As mentioned, Mr Bleijie used his call-in powers to approve the controversial Coochin Creek tourist park, declaring it a signal that “Queensland is open for business”.
If a 150-site tourist park ticks that box for the Deputy, then so be it.
With the same developer’s proposed festival site nearby still awaiting a decision, it’s fair to ask how one proceeds without the other.
It’s also telling to see how the Sunshine Coast Council has been sidelined on two major projects in its own backyard.
Last week’s photo opportunity of Mr Bleijie alongside the developer, Sunshine Coast Business Council and Visit Sunshine Coast speaks volumes on that point.
And while the state presses ahead with its flagship Wave Rail project, Sonia’s reporting this week shows how large infrastructure projects can land very differently on the ground.
There’s little argument about the positives of The Wave, including better public transport and improved infrastructure and rail connections for the hinterland.
But in Beerwah, the detail matters.
Transport and Main Roads says there is no choice but to ask the Coochin Creek Fruitgrowers Co-Op to move on when its lease ends next year, making way for a four-storey commuter car park.
Thousands of residents have now voiced concern about what the impending loss of a decades-old business would mean for the community.
As the state government works to tight timeframes and big-picture deadlines, hinterland locals are asking for clearer answers, proper consultation and a willingness to look again at where things are built.
A public meeting to be held on January 21 may help answer some of those questions (see story p4-5).
These big-picture decisions don’t just affect us for the next few years.
They will reshape the hinterland permanently.
And what happens in Beerwah will be felt long after construction crews have packed up.
On your marks, get set…