OVER the coming weeks we will be showcasing a special feature exploring the future of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland.
This series aims to think big and ask questions that reflect on what our ‘backyard’ could look like in a decade and beyond, and what needs to happen to allow us to maintain our living standards in this increasingly popular part of Queensland.
We have invited commentary from a panel of local community representatives, state and federal representatives, academics and over the coming weeks we will publish their responses and insights to key questions.
We begin our series with a focus on the projects that will literally keep us moving – road and rail infrastructure – and GC&M News journalist SONIA ISAACS asked this week’s panel of respondents the following question:
Q: What needs to happen to maintain our enviable Sunshine Coast lifestyle, yet also ensure mobility and connectivity for residents of our region over the coming decades?
Jenny Broderick,
President Glasshouse Country Chamber of Commerce
A: We are blessed to be able to live in such an incredible place and we need to do what we can to protect our environment and lifestyle, whilst continuing to make it sustainable. Our beautiful, natural environment, particularly around our spectacular Glasshouse Mountains and surrounds, need to be preserved and maintained, ensuring our character and amenity are retained for all to enjoy. In order for our small hinterland communities to keep thriving, we need maintained connectivity, not only between the townships for walking and riding, but between the hinterland and our greater Sunshine Coast.
Whilst our townships provide facility for many of our requirements, we need efficient transport options to head to the greater Sunshine Coast for leisure, lifestyle and facilities that may not be available in the hinterland. Interconnectedness is essential for the continued sustainability of our smaller townships. Strategic rail and bus networks, which is efficient and effective connectivity, are essential for ongoing viability of our businesses and rural families. As mentioned in our submission to Council earlier this year regarding the upcoming renewal of the Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme, we absolutely have a need for a strategic transport network and for the CAMCOS project (formerly known as the Caboolture to Maroochydore Corridor Study now being called the Direct Sunshine Coast Line) to become a reality, to provide our hinterland with the connectivity it needs.
Ian Hope, Secretary Rotary Club of Glasshouse Country; Treasurer Landsborough Area Community Association; Treasurer Beerwah Sportsground Management Committee; Treasurer Glasshouse Country Toastmasters
A: We live in Glasshouse Country for numerous reasons; pleasant surroundings, convenient to both the coast and the hinterland, access to Brisbane by rail or vehicle, and good schools, amongst others. Any community requires a level of infrastructure to ensure the community can function. Government at all levels have been able to provide much of this infrastructure, however, the major shortcoming in the hinterland is public transport and this also impacts on the coast.
While both State and Federal Governments have the ideas and plans for what must be done, they have not been able to deliver the results because they have been dragging the chain regarding funding public transport on the Sunshine Coast. It is interesting to note in a recent Sunshine Coast Daily article that in a comparison between the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast, from 2011 to 2021, some $1.38 billion has been spent improving bus/rail services on the Gold Coast compared to just $151 million on the Sunshine Coast.
It has been some twenty years since the Beerburrum to Nambour project was proposed, and it is only now that we see the construction of Stage 1 of the project occurring. Stage 2 is now compromised with the need to provide the necessary infrastructure to cater for the Olympics in 2032. The focus is now on completing the Direct Sunshine Coast Line (formerly known as CAMCOS) in time for the Olympics.
Sunshine Coast Council Mayor Mark Jamieson:
A: Investing in and better managing the region’s road networks is part of an integrated multi-modal transport solution for the region, including the acquisition and protection of future transport corridors. Our Council continues to work with the Department of Transport and Main Roads to contribute to the planning for an extension of heavy rail from Beerwah to the Maroochydore City Centre and establishing a high-quality local mass transit system.
Council’s planning and delivery of the local road network continues to be responsive to community need and priorities – now and into the future.
They include capacity improvements on the Bruce Highway in several locations and the delivery of all stages of the Mooloolah River Interchange.
The Mooloolah River Interchange project is critical for unlocking the north-south and east-west traffic flow in the heart of the Sunshine Coast region and resolving one of the largest bottlenecks and congestion hotspots in the region.
We also cannot forget the need to improve our active transport networks, particularly the pathways to ensure accessibility for all in our community.
Sunshine Coast Council launched its Mobility Maps in June which focuses on helping improve the way residents and visitors access and ultimately enjoy popular areas of the Sunshine Coast.
Projects like this are important for the region to promote activity, provide mobility options and encourage visitation to our coastal areas.
Andrew Powell MP Member for Glass House
A: Quite simply, we need to plan sooner and smarter, we need to take the politics out of funding (across all three tiers of government), and we need to deliver the infrastructure we need before it is needed. To unpack that a bit, we need to identify where new housing options will go and we need to provide choice in those housing options (apartments, townhouses, detached dwellings and rural residential). Once we know that, we need to plan and deliver the roads, public transport, educational and health solutions needed to move people to and from work, school, medical appointments, and recreational activities. Some practical examples would be widening the Bruce Highway between Elimbah and Caloundra, delivering heavy rail from Beerwah to Maroochydore, delivering the Bruce Highway Western Alternative between Beerburrum and north Brisbane via the new Caboolture West development and a flexible, innovative, and nimble public transport system around the Hinterland.
Spencer Shaw,
President Maleny Chamber of Commerce
A: Key to the Sunshine Coast lifestyle, I would suggest is the open space, natural areas, and natural beauty of the country we call home. Protection, enhancement, and connectivity of remaining native ecosystems is essential, any new infrastructure expansion should take this into consideration during both planning and implementation. But perhaps before we look at building the new, we need to ensure adequate management of the existing transport network. Prolonged periods of road damage have been (and continue to be) endured by hinterland residents and visitors during and after storm events. Roads such as the Maleny – Kenilworth Road, have required upgrade for decades to be adequate for current use, but instead in places they are literally falling apart. In addition, simple low- cost solutions to reduce vehicular traffic and congestion in the hinterland, such as bicycle tracks and footpaths need to be planned and installed across the range to connect our communities with a healthier option both environmentally and physically. This will improve the quality of life for residents and enhance the visitor experience for the growing tourism industry. Both State and Local Government need to address these issues to maintain and enhance our enviable lifestyle.
Dr Nicholas Stevens, Program Coordinator, Urban Design and Town Planning
School of Law and Society University of the Sunshine Coast
A: Our lifestyle is largely a result of the beautiful place we live, here on the Sunshine Coast, so to maintain that we need to sustain environmental qualities which include keeping the greenery, maintaining and encourage habitats of all kinds, and minimising water, air, and noise pollution. With such an enviable lifestyle people also like to visit and spend time here. Whether that is day trippers, domestic or international tourists; they are an important part of our economy, and those numbers will continue to grow. We need to consider the mobility options we need as residents, and importantly, the mobility needs of our visitors.
At present no matter who you are, you require access to a car on the Sunshine Coast. 39% of all journeys under 1km made in South-East Queensland and 79% of all SEQ journeys under 5km are by private vehicle. We need to begin to prioritise mobility and connectivity at the local scale, help us all think about rolling, walking, cycling as the first form of mobility. But we need to ensure we have protection from the climate, and that they are safe journeys to make. When visitors come, we need fast and reliable public transport, not just in the coastal corridor, but also moving west to east. We need to move away from simply prioritising cars as the only means of transport on the Sunshine Coast, but the walking and cycling journey must be a high-quality experience for all.
Andrew Wallace MP Member for Fisher
A: Building better roads and rail has been one of my top priorities since becoming the Federal Member for Fisher in 2016.
The previous Coalition Government delivered more than $5.3 billion in Federal funding for the much-needed infrastructure our growing region demands.
The Bruce Highway “car park” has received more than $3 billion in Federal funding over the past six years for significant upgrades and future projects. This significant investment on an 80/20 Federal/State split continues to help get commuters home sooner and safer.
I was also able to secure more than $20 million to upgrade Steve Irwin Way and local roads.
But there are more ways to bust congestion on our roads including vital public transport options.
The North Coast Rail Duplication, which received $390 million federal funding on a 70/30 federal/state split, will increase the frequency and reliability of passenger services between Beerburrum to Nambour. This project will create more than 600 jobs, improve connectivity between hinterland towns, and reduce travel time to Brisbane.
With $1.6 billion in the 2022-23 Federal Budget, the project that will revolutionise the way we move people around is Sunshine Coast Rail.
This game-changing project – a rail line from Beerwah to Maroochydore via Caloundra and Kawana – will create 9550 jobs during construction, connect hinterland and coastal communities and unlock incredible opportunities for hinterland families and their businesses.
This is a great project – great for the region, great for the country, and great for the environment. It’s time for Federal and State Labor to get on board and commit to it.
To protect the character of our community and to ensure that all our towns are better connected, we also need a significantly expanded, reliable and integrated network of bus services throughout the region.
KEY INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS
Beerburrum to Nambour Rail Upgrade (B2N) – Stage 1
Cost: $550m
What is it:
Duplication of track between Beerburrum and Glass House Mountains on an improved alignment; Duplication of track between Glass House Mountains and Beerwah within existing corridor; station upgrades, new park ‘n’ ride facilities and rail passing loops.
Current status: Expansion of Landsborough and Nambour park ‘n’ rides; Realignment of 1km stretch of SIW (main image).
Expected completion: 2025
Steve Irwin Way Upgrade
Cost: $24m
What is it: Widening of existing road, installation of wide centre line to separate traffic, right turn lanes at three intersections and traffic lights at Australia Zoo.
The aim is improve safety between Beerwah and Landsborough.
Expected completion: Late 2022.
Bruce Highway – Bribie Island Road to Steve Irwin Way
Cost: $662m
What is it: Widening of 11km stretch north to Steve Irwin Way from four to six lanes.
110km/h speed limits north of D’Aguilar Highway
Three bridges to withstand 1 in 100-year flood.
Expected completion: Late 2023
Maleny-Kenilworth Road
Cost: $5m
What is it: The widening and sealing of sections of the road at Cambroon.
Design work underway
Beerwah to Maroochydore rail line
Cost: Not funded. $6m planning study underway (route pictured right).
What is it: A 37km heavy rail line connecting the hinterland with the coast.