Looking to overcome challenges to help region thrive
By Kirra Livingstone
THE hinterland is set to undergo significant economic development, with diverse industries ready to drive robust employment growth, according to Division 1 Councillor, Jenny Broderick.
Cr Broderick said the ongoing expansion of the industrial area throughout Glasshouse Country presents an exciting opportunity for the region.
“These businesses will provide a range of trade and retail opportunities, including manufacturing, fabrication, plumbing, electrical, automotive, and transport,” she said.
She added that this growth opened the door to numerous apprenticeships and traineeships, securing long-term employment for local residents.
Tourism, hospitality, agritourism, and creative industries are also poised for significant expansion.
However, Cr Broderick said that this potential can only be fully realised with support mechanisms.
“Convenient and consistent public transport, appropriately zoned spaces, and improved infrastructure are essential if we are to create an environment where these businesses thrive,” she said.
She added that challenges including a lack of housing for staff and fierce online competition needed to be addressed.
“We often hear calls for a more diverse range of essential retail to encourage local shopping, but rising commercial lease rates and higher living costs create real challenges,” Cr Broderick said.
She argued that without sustained community and government support, these challenges would only widen the gap between potential and actual growth.
Cr Broderick identified agritourism as experiencing a renaissance in the region and a way for local farmers to add value to their produce.
“It’s fantastic to see our farmers supplying local hospitality businesses,” Cr Broderick said, adding that the integration of local produce into hospitality services underpinned a broader strategy for sustainable regional growth.
Cr Broderick said that the current pace of industry growth aligned with projected population increases, but warned that balancing employment opportunities with housing and transport infrastructure was critical.
She also said that larger businesses were increasingly attracted to the hinterland due to available space, affordability, lifestyle benefits, and easier access to both the coast and Brisbane without the traffic congestion common in urban centres.
Food manufacturer, Happy Snack Company, has been operating in the region since 1992.
Starting in Maleny before relocating to Landsborough 10 years ago, director Megan Agnew credited the company’s success to their “steady and consistent workforce”.
She added the business had experienced positive growth through staying in the hinterland.
“We find our position in Landsborough as having good access for transport to bring our raw materials and required goods to us and then take our finished goods on to other locations in Australia or to the port to export markets,” she said.
“We are an established business, with most of the demand for our products being outside this region.
“I think more businesses are moving here because of the available industrial land and easy road access.”
Maleny Chamber of Commerce president, Spencer Shaw, said there was a widening of industries but that “Food and agribusiness will continue to play an important role and reflect our unique rural and environmental region”.
“IT industry will continue to grow as green changers retreat from urban centres for the unique urban culture/rural lifestyle that Maleny can offer,” he said.
Mr Shaw added the arts and culture industry also had the potential to thrive if the Sunshine Coast Council and State Government provided financial or planning assistance.
Glasshouse Chamber of Commerce President, Tamara Hazelden, also weighed in on the economic landscape. She said the region’s momentum was fuelled by strong local business development and ongoing infrastructure improvements, which created a fertile ground for further investment.
“We are seeing a clear demand for workforce development, especially in emerging sectors like agritourism, manufacturing, and creative industries,” Ms Hazelden said.