Sunshine Coast Ecological Park will take years to begin development
By Kirra Livingstone
MALENY residents will have to wait at least another five years for any work to begin on the Sunshine Coast Ecological Park, as council continues its early site investigations.
Following the adoption of the award-winning masterplan in 2023, the expected $177 million project entered its initial planning phase this year, with completion scheduled for 2029 The Sunshine Coast Ecological Park, developed by the council, will protect and showcase a 65-hectare site adjoining the Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve.
The park is designed to deliver nature-based recreation, education, and research opportunities while safeguarding the site’s environmental, natural, and cultural heritage.
Features of the park will include walking trails, wetlands, a forest lookout tower, treetop boardwalks, an events space, and a community hub.
The planning phase will involve research, preliminary revegetation, design development, and exploring partnerships and funding options.
A Sunshine Coast Council spokesperson said that future stages of the project would depend on funding availability.
“Activities in the 2024-25 financial year include land surveys, soil, flora, fungi and fauna studies (e.g. frogs, mammals, fish), waterway and groundwater baseline assessments, and traffic studies,” they said.
“These important first steps are vital for improving our understanding of the site and realising this new ecological park.”
The spokesperson also noted that, as outlined in the masterplan, the land will mature and develop over several decades. “Council intends to complete the park in stages,” they said.
“Throughout the park’s ongoing transformation, our community will have many opportunities to play an integral role in the park’s restorative process and connect more strongly with the land and each other.”
The ecological park is set to deliver benefits for both the community and the environment.
“It will enhance the conservation and recreation credentials of the region and deliver lasting environmental, social, cultural, and economic benefits to the Sunshine Coast for current and future generations,” the spokesperson said.
“The project provides an opportunity to expand our region’s accessible green spaces, strengthen our biodiversity, and relieve some pressure on other parks in our region.
“More than 70 per cent of the park land will be revegetated.” kirra@gcnews.com.au