Wave officials speak to property owners as new hinterland rail maps revealed
By Mitch Gaynor and Sonia Isaacs
PROPERTY owners set to be affected by the $5.5 billion Wave rail project were contacted by Transport and Main Roads last week ahead of the release of new detailed maps showing the impact of the Stage 1 line connecting Beerwah to Caloundra.
Those notified include the Beerwah Co-Op, a mainstay in the town’s centre since opening in 1936.
The Co-Op board issued a statement to GC&M News after meeting project representatives.
“The Co-Op Board can confirm that representatives of the Board met with The Wave Rail project representatives on Monday, 15 September 2025,” the board stated.
“At this meeting, the potential impacts that The Wave Rail project may have on the site from which the Co-Op currently operates were communicated.”
“This was the initial conversation to begin the process of exploring what those impacts may be and what they could ultimately result in.”
“At this stage, the Board does not have confirmed answers to the broader questions raised, but we will continue to engage with project representatives and provide further information to staff, members, suppliers, and the community as it becomes available.”
The new maps — the most detailed to date — reveal Beerwah Station’s expanded footprint stretching further north along Simpson Street than previously shown.
The station upgrade will include a third track and island platform to cater for the new line, as well as parking and ‘kiss ’n ride’ facilities ahead of its forecast opening by the 2032 Brisbane Games.
Other possible upgrades include the intersection at Mawhinney Street and Steve Irwin Way and works on Beerwah Parade and Old Landsborough Road.
The new maps show land reserved for structures, bridges, active-travel links and a stabling facility south of Kilcoy–Beerwah Road that borders the showgrounds and high school.
The ‘Corridor Alignment’ maps show the track veering east near Newells Road before an overpass across Steve Irwin Way sees the line cut through HQPlantations forestry towards new stations at Bells Creek (Aura) and Caloundra.
HQPlantations, whose plantation blocks lie within or adjacent to the protected corridor, said it is engaging with the project team.
“HQP is working closely with Transport & Main Roads regarding the Wave Project to ensure any impacts on our plantation estate are kept to a minimum,” a spokesperson said.
A TMR spokesperson acknowledged the concerns of affected residents.
“We understand this can be unsettling for residents and business owners whose properties are affected by these projects,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said the Sunshine Coast’s narrow coastal plain presented “significant challenges in balancing infrastructure development with the needs of the community”, and the project is “designed to maximise efficiency while minimising impacts wherever possible.”
Stage 1 of The Wave is funded 50–50 by the state and federal governments and is budgeted at $5.5–$7 billion.
TMR says the line will be the fastest and most reliable link between the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane, saving passengers more than 45 minutes at peak.
Speeds along the new rail line will reach 165km/h.
Reference design work, technical surveys and heritage and environmental investigations are under way ahead of detailed designs to be released in 2026.
Construction is expected to commence in late 2026 with the project to be completed by the Olympics starting in July 2032.
Drop-in sessions were underway last week, including at Beerwah Marketplace (Woolworths), which was to be held on Tuesday 23 September, from 2pm–5pm.