By Sonia Isaacs
With tens of thousands of extra people set to live on the Sunshine Coast and across the hinterland in the next 10 year, in this edition we would like to explore how newcomers will be accommodated, while maintaining the best of the lifestyle that has attracted so many people here in the first place. We’ve thrown the net wide and had some great responses from this edition’s panel of expert to the following question:
Q: Over the next decade, population growth for the Sunshine Coast and hinterland predicts the addition of tens of thousands of newcomers to our region. How do we best accommodate this rapid rise in population, and how do we balance affordability with liveability?
Andrew McLean Australian Greens
Australia has between eight and fourteen million spare bedrooms, and up to a million empty houses any given night. We also have the largest houses in the world. And yet we are still bulldozing koala habitat to build low-quality car-centric suburbs that cost the earth to heat and cool.
The Indigenous built a society where everyone has a job, a house, food, and community. And we – the richest country in the world, somehow accept the fact that it’s ok that people are living in tents and cars. This is not on.
While there is no one silver bullet, I’ve included the following ‘big idea’ suggestions as a possible way to tackle the housing and cost of living crisis.
Firstly, Government could tax the billionaires and build enough houses if they wanted to. Housing is a basic human need, not an optional extra. Governments could also build high-quality publicly owned housing so to relieve the often-difficult relationship between landlords and tenants.
Why not make it easier to build collaborative housing solutions such as co-housing for friend’s who choose to grow old together, eco villages on rural land or a tiny house village. We could also heavily tax property owners who leave houses empty and give the power back to the residents.
We could look to incentivise against short-term stay accommodation and encourage infill and high-density housing around effective public transport corridors. When councils rezone land from rural to residential, developers become very wealthy. Studies show that powerful developers, their lobbyists, and politicians often get their land rezoned first. Councils need transparency around such decisions. The flow of wealth to the top 1% is hurting the rest of us. Councils could defer development charges for property owners to build a secondary dwelling. It’s not uncommon for costs to reach $80,000 before building starts. Deferred payments could be made upon the sale of the property.
Finally why not consider a move to incentivise housing that works with nature like building smaller, north facing building around natural features and trees unlike the ‘scorched earth’ approach to development we see now.
Rick Paget, Centre Coordinator & Development Worker, Maleny Neighbourhood Centre (MNC)
Some of my observations and thoughts in response to this question are as follows; firstly, there is currently enormous stress is being placed on individuals and families with increased rental and property prices. Many landlords are either selling due to increased rate rises or are raising rent to prices which are becoming unaffordable for many tenants. The rental market is still extremely competitive, with many applicants still vying for the limited number of available rental properties.
We’ve seen that it is especially traumatic for an increasing number of women aged 55+, who are no longer able to afford to pay increased levels of rent and have no other option but to sleep in their car, lodge with friends/family, or other alternatives which typically are less than ideal.
A number of real estate agents have communicated some home owners are selling and returning to NSW or Victoria due to the high cost of living Sunshine Coast and speculation that the housing market could drop 15-20% within the next year suggests easier entry points for home buyers in the near future, however increasing interest rates may counteract the benefits of lower property prices.
The answers to this question has no straight forward answers. Solutions lie in a combined approach between Federal and State Government, local council, housing and community organisations, local churches, and individuals.
The Sunshine Coast has a number of active housing focused networks aiming for solution finding opportunities. Sunshine Coast Council has been integrally involved at the recent Hope for Homes Forum, representing working initiatives and future concepts made possible through local churches. Groups such as Coast-to-Bay Housing, and Churches of Christ are also developing affordable dwelling places and alternative models to help alleviate housing pressure. QShelter is coordinating groups across the Sunshine Coast to workshop various housing initiatives
Solutions tend to point towards changes in legislation which allows for tiny homes, or redevelopment of properties. Many members of the community are currently restricted in their attempts to provide affordable forms of accommodation on their property due to local, state and/or federal legislation
Spencer Shaw, Business owner and President Maleny Chamber of Commerce
We live in interesting times when it comes to housing in our community, and the very real challenges, to what should be a fundamental right of everyone, to have a place to call home. Ever since housing was turned into a valuable investment in the late nineties and early noughties, prices of housing have steadily climbed. Then in booming tourism destinations like Maleny, Airbnb arrived and the quick returns on holiday rentals became a more attractive option than residential rental. Then came Covid, and an associated exodus of cashed up urban refugees from the southern states that saw prices climb even further in the rental and housing market.
There’s no denying house prices across the hinterland have gone through the roof. The average wealth of existing hinterland residents has grown exponentially as real estate prices increase and a growing population of wealthy interstate and international migrants, ensures this is a premium place to live and invest.
Under the current planning scheme very little additional housing development is planned, for the hinterland areas, so the value of hinterland property will remain at a premium, which in itself will prevent the population growth predicted for the rest of the Sunshine Coast and could potentially maintain liveability by keeping the population down. However, all those people who are moving to the Sunshine Coast need somewhere to go to on the weekends and as the residents of Maleny well know, many may choose to avoid town on the weekends as tourism numbers soar.
As housing and real estate investment values increase and tourism demand for Airbnb continues to grow our residential population may even fall in the years to come. It has already happened in the younger demographics, and we’re also seeing a drop in youth employment on the range because of lack of affordability to both live and work locally.
The Blackall Range is an increasingly attractive place to ‘move to,’ for folk seeking their very own ‘Green Change,’ but unfortunately it is becoming an increasingly likely scenario for many residents that they have to ‘move from’ due increases in costs in housing and keeping a home.
Andrew Powell MP Member for Glass House
I think it’s a very Australian way of thinking to assume that housing growth will result in sprawling suburbs, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Talk of a population increase often fills locals with dread, but if done correctly, I believe the Sunshine Coast can accommodate the influx without a drastic change to the physical landscape.
I have previously mentioned that the solution must include choice; choice of housing at a range of price points. At one end, a fantastic solution to housing availability and affordability are tiny homes. Not only do they cost a fraction of a traditional house, but tiny homes also offer many the opportunity to downsize and in doing so, free up property elsewhere.
Another housing solution from previous centuries that is once more gaining popularity in suburbia and may take off to a smaller scale in the Hinterland is terraced housing. When planned and built well, these modern townhouses offer high quality, low maintenance solutions for buyers and renters alike.
Such homes are currently being developed in growth corridors where there are already established communities, meaning that there is plenty of shopping, recreation, and public transport already nearby. Whilst I don’t want to see too many large townhouse complexes around our picturesque Hinterland communities, what I do envision are small, tastefully created villages that have the ability to densely house a growing population while still maintaining the laid-back Hinterland atmosphere so many move here for.
As I’ve said before, picture European towns with agriculture and the environment on their doorstep. Ideally, such housing would be built close to train stations to take pressure off the roads and encourage public transport. With the Beerburrum to Nambour rail duplication underway and consideration being given to better bus services connecting the Hinterland to the Coast, public transport will be an easier and more attractive option than it is now. One last thing to consider is that not all these newcomers will be squeezed into existing communities as new growth areas will continue to emerge across the region, such as Aura and potentially Beerwah East.
Jason Hunt MP Member for Caloundra
The expectation for the Sunshine Coast is that by 2041 an extra 160 000 people will have moved to our part of the world. Some have tried to argue that this is avoidable but make no mistake these people are coming.
This has and will continue to present a challenge to every level of government. There will be, and certainly have been, issues that come with growth but these ‘growing pains’ are easily outpaced by the welcome changes in our community. The Sunshine Coast is a bright, safe, vibrant, and exciting place to live and raise a family and in my view, it’s only going to get better. Government and private investment are a key component, and both are on the rise.
Mindful then that our natural environment is a key part of why we love the Sunshine Coast, wherever possible we must ask if we are balancing the need for infrastructure against the best interests of our natural environment. It’s a very tricky balance to get right but we must always try. Thanks to record investment in recent years our area is now bursting with modern, well-equipped schools. The Bells Creek Arterial Road, Rail Duplication and the Mooloolah River Interchange all recognise that transport infrastructure is vital to our lifestyle, and continued investment is critical.
Equally vital is public transport and active transport pathways. Here we seem to be stuck in a completely unnecessary “either/or” argument. For example, there is no successful heavy rail network in the world that does not sit astride a functional mass transit system. Our region will need both, and consequently we need a mature approach to the topic.
It is clear we must redefine our understanding of housing. Our young people need an affordable place to buy or rent but we also want to arrest the ‘urban creep’ than is impacting on our environment. Let’s encourage all levels of government to look at how we currently live, a regular block that houses one family can easily house a half a dozen without any needless hysteria; so, for the sake of our kids lets have that talk too.
Winston Johnston Division 5 Councillor Sunshine Coast Council
To a large extent population growth targets for the Sunshine Coast Council area, are mandated by the Queensland State Government. Council then has the responsibility of developing its planning scheme review and ensuring all developable land is contained within Urban Corridors nominated in the Qld Governments South East Queensland Plan.
The main driving force is the desire of people to live, work and retire on the Sunshine Coast. New residential growth areas are and will be mainly confined to Aura and Palmview/Harmony, with some infill development at Kawana, Caloundra, and a small portion of growth along the rail corridor from Nambour to Beerwah. At some stage in the next few years the Qld Government will probably transition the area known as Beerwah East from forest plantation to an integrated fully serviced residential estate.
There is a significant need for affordable housing, which unfortunately is quite difficult to deliver when development companies of large new estates are in total control of both the pricing and staged delivery models. They generally need to maximise sales revenue and consequently only sell land in a manner which maximises sale prices. Therefore, developing affordable housing usually falls upon the State and Federal Governments, both of which are struggling to bring such plans to fruition.
Over the past two years property values and rental charges have increased significantly on the Sunshine Coast. Consequently, many families and individuals struggle to find affordable rental properties. This problem exists not only east of the Bruce Highway, but also in the more remote hinterland districts and towns. In addition, the lack of supply for building products and builders to meet current demands has resulted in owners of new builds needing to stay in rental properties for significantly longer periods than usual. For all of the above reasons affordable rental properties are in extremely short supply, which pushes up prices, however I am confident that for future developments, Councils Planners will ensure that liveability will be a prime consideration.
Rick Baberowski Deputy Mayor Division 1 Councillor, Sunshine Coast Council
Given the growth described, our responsibility becomes how well do we grow. Fundamentally, it’s all about balance, and this is achieved through our region’s deeply consulted and well-designed planning scheme; this is the communities most powerful tool to control land use boundaries, density, height, and the look and feel of proposed development. Council develops this critical document every 8 years, through very extensive consultation with all of the community, and that 1-2year process is underway right now.
I believe we are very proud that on the Sunshine Coast our communities are committed to planning a genuinely sustainable future that protects our major natural and rural areas, consolidates existing urban areas where sensible and in essence provides a balanced approach to growth and development. This will only work if it’s matched by big improvements to high quality public transport and mass transit corridors.
Beerwah East has been identified as a major future residential expansion area and will play an absolutely pivotal role in our local future by absorbing a substantial proportion of the region’s growth. This means our country towns can stay country towns, while still being supported by major new development close by.
The thing I know our community doesn’t want is to allow for a constant sprawl of development to occur at the edges of our country towns further depleting our rural farmlands.
In terms of how we balance affordability with liveability, again, the key is well planned urban consolidation areas matched to big improvements to high quality public transport. Consolidation means providing more housing choices from secondary dwellings to sensitively designed multiple dwellings both in our new development areas (potentially including Beerwah East) and cautiously in our existing town centres/urban areas, whilst also preserving the character of our country towns and villages.
The planning scheme’s preliminary consultation program mentioned above also proposes 18 local plan areas within the context of the overall planning scheme. These local area-based planning responses indicate the type, character and scale of growth anticipated for each community and these are already available to view on Council’s website.
Andrew Wallace MP Federal Member for Fisher
Housing, from addressing homelessness, increasing social housing, and ensuring affordable home rental and ownership opportunities, is an important nation-wide issue that will require all three tiers of government to have influence on this complex challenge.
As Chair of the Social Policy and Legal Affairs Standing Committee in 2020-2021, I led a significant inquiry into homelessness in Australia, and it remains an issue that I am passionate about. The Committee acknowledged that though State and Territory Governments have primary responsibility for housing and homelessness, the truth is that all tiers of Government are involved – from the national economic and welfare policies that affect housing affordability to local council planning decisions that affect housing available at a local level.
The Committee found that we need new approaches to dealing with the shortfall of social and affordable housing, making 35 bipartisan recommendations representing a real consensus view on the path forward. In the 2022-23 Budget, the Coalition Government allocated $2 billion to directly support state affordable housing services.
An additional $2 billion was made available through low-cost financing to Community Housing Providers, with $2.9 billion in loans approved and $1 billion worth of projects in the pipeline, since the establishment of the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation in 2018. The Sunshine Coast received significant funding, including $2.6 million provided to Coast2Bay and $1 million to IFYS under programs like the Safe Places Grant Program. This is in addition to the Commonwealth Rent Assistance Program which supports roughly 1.2 million recipients nationwide at a cost over $4.6 billion each year.
Beyond the rental sector, home ownership is also now within reach for thousands of single parent families, young people and first homeowners thanks to the previous Coalition Government’s initiatives like HomeBuilder, the First Home Super Saver Scheme, and the First Home Guarantee.
These are all important pieces to a complex puzzle, as is the importance of sustainable growth that protects the character of our community and which is supported by the necessary infrastructure, services, and a diverse economy. Nonetheless a shortfall remains in affordable housing and much more needs to be done to encourage new accommodation to be built.
500,000 SC population by 2041
217,230 dwellings needed across SC by 2041
30% rise in population between 2011 and 2021
70-74 age group the largest population increase age bracket.
2400 dwellings built on average each year from 2011 to 2021