​

Excessive Densification

1. The level of population increase for the Coastal Corridor is excessive.  It will more than double the amount of people who live there now.  The current infrastructure cannot cope.

2. The level of densification proposed is excessive.  This plan is modelled on 50years of population supply and way beyond what is required for the next 10 year timeframe.

3. The lifestyle and amenity of those living in the coastal corridor will be negatively impacted by the large number of new arrivals. 

4. New arrivals are being given priority over current resident’s lifestyle and amenity

5. The Coastal stretch does not have the capacity to absorb such a high number of people without significantly changing its character and liveability.

6. No one was ever told that the rest of Maroochydore would have to change because it was going to be out of character with the CBD.

7. The northern section of the coastal corridor is being asked to do the heavy lifting for the region by taking more than its share of new arrivals.  It represents 12% of the urban footprint but is getting 26% of the population growth.

8. There is space in other areas to more evenly spread the load of new arrivals

9. The rural lifestyle is being protected in this planning scheme but the coastal lifestyle is being destroyed.

10. Low rise residential houses will be surrounded by unit blocks resulting in lack of privacy, overshadowing, traffic and parking issues.

11. People have chosen to live in the Coastal Corridor because it is not full of apartments and high-rise. 

12. The level of population increase will make housing densities along the Coastal Corridor similar to the Gold Coast.  People choose to live on the Sunshine Coast because it is not the Gold Coast.

13. There will be a significant short term economic impact to businesses as people in the rezoned streets put off upgrading/renovating their homes until they know the exact rezoning.

14. The rezoned residential streets will be continual constructions zones severely impacting residents lifestlyes and accessibility as streets get blocked to allow contruction activities.

15. This plan will result in land banking by developers resulting in the deterioration of residential streets as developers rent out current properities with minimal maintenance as they wait for more blocks to become available.

16. The inablilty to build a new house or duplex in rezoned streets under the code assessable rules means it is only developers who will be interested in property purchases in the rezoned areas.

17. The inability to build a new house or duplex in the rezoned streets means significant change in the character and demographics of the rezoned streets.  Where do families live?

Infrastructure before Development

1. The proposed plan does not address the cost to retrofit the current urban areas to accommodate all the extra people.  Eg water pipe and sewer upgrades, internet capacity upgrades, electricity upgrades.  Who pays for all this?

2. The Community should know the infrastructure plan and cost to support this level of densification as part of this consultation process.  Not afterwards.

​​

Flawed Assumptions

1. There is not going to be a Rapid Transit Public Transport system going along the Coastal Corridor within the timeframe of this planning scheme.

   • No State Government Funding

   • No Federal Funding

   • No completed Business Case for stage 1 Maroochydore to Birtinya

   • No Business Case commenced for stage 2 Birtinya to Caloundra

2. The developments within the coastal corridor will not deliver affordable housing. The coastal corridor is some of the most expensive land in the region.  The cost of entry is high.  It is being targeted for multi unit development that developers will then try and sell for excessive prices due to the beach location.

3. The rezoning will not provide housing diversity. Majority of rezoning is for medium to high density apartments.  Where do families go who want a backyard?

4. The current plan is based on the assumption "put the people in and we will eventually get the infrastucture to support it'.  It is planning for a crisis and hoping another level of government will fix it.

5. The ‘Wave” is the State Government's Public Transport priority.

• Why does this plan not seek to better utilize this confirmed transport infrastructure

Traffic and Parking Congestion

1. The level of densification and height increases for the coastal corridor will change its character and liveability especially traffic congestion.  The roads cannot cope with this concentrated level of population and there is no confirmed plan for the rapid transit system Council are referring to.

2. Access to Nicklin Way and Main drive is being restricted for new developments. All cars entering and exiting will have to do so from the residential streets behind.  These streets will become traffic nightmares.  Over congested, lack of parking, dangerous to children playing.  They will also experience the “rat run”

3. Traffic will be a nightmare everywhere

4. Parking will be a huge problem on all streets

Lack of protection for Current Resident’s Amenity

1. The people living in the Coastal Corridor told Council in their HAVE YOUR Say back in 2022, that they were concerned about building heights.  This feedback has been ignored.

2. The proposed plan fails to show how Council plans to stop inappropriate development like what is occurring now?

   • Set backs ignored

   • Site coverage ignored

   • Biodiversity protection ignored

3. The developments that occur in the rezoned areas will be code assessable meaning residents get no notification, no say about how the development will impact them and no right of appeal. 

4. The plan assumes the majority of new arrivals want to live in units along the coastal corridor?  What if they don't? What if they don't want to live in an apartment?

5. More consideration needs to be given to the people who live here now over those who may or may not come here in the future.

6. Innocent people are being pushed out of their homes.  Where do they go?

7. Access to the beach will be restricted due to parking and traffic issues

8. How will the plan protect individual houses from being isolated between tall buildings?

9. There is no isolation protection for single dwellings meaning a 3, 4, 6,8, 10 storey building can be built on either side and a single house get stuck in the middle.  This block may be too small to develop and not wanted as a single house due to it being "boxed in".  This property's will be significantly devalued as who is going to want to buy this house?

Environmental Issues

1. Light pollution from increased building heights and buildings along the coastal strip, especially Buddina, will affect turtle nesting habitats, something Council claims to protect.

2. The Wurtulla environmental park provides a rare and fragile ecosystem, yet the draft plan fails to explain how this will be safeguarded amid new development.

3. How has resilience to climate change been factored in?

​

Fragile Beach Environment (Courtesy of the The Beach Matters Group)

1. This proposal doesn’t include the Beach as a ‘natural space’ that needs to be protected and preserved, The Beach needs to be included in reference to protected natural spaces. 

2. The high-rise development along the Beach  will alter wind flow along the foreshore, which in turn will impact and alter sand movement at the beach and negatively impact the beach environment and blue economy. There have been no robust environmental studies to determine just how destructive this will be. 

3. Lighting from the increased density proposed will significantly increase lighting in our beachside suburbs and add to the skyglow, which is already a problem and has an adverse effect on nesting and hatching endangered loggerhead turtles, disorienting them, as well as community well-being from street, balcony and dwelling lighting. 

4. The stormwater system  is inadequate now, there is no way it will cope with increased multi-level dwellings in the beachside corridor.

5. There is no attempt to retain existing beachside green space, or ovals in beachside communities, which is vital. With higher dwellings without backyards, it will decrease liveability and wellness. People, kids, and dogs need room to play, exercise and enjoy their neighbourhood. 

​

Other

1. The CBD area could accommodate more people.  Why is this not occurring?

2. Why are the railway towns not getting more support for their local businesses?

3. Where are the dog parks to support the extra population living in the apartments in the coastal strip?

4. There is a shortage of industrial land now. 

• Where do the businesses in the Kawana Industrial area go when it is rezoned to multi storey apartments?

• How does Council plan to handle the conflicts between noisy industrial businesses and residential units, side by side?

1. This overdevelopment push is incompatible with the identity, environment, and values of the coastal region.

2. Economic and Tourism Backlash.  Will tourists want to visit overpopulated beach areas?

3. Where is the green space to compensate the overdevelopment in the coastal strip?

4. The plan is not taking a balance approach to planning.

5. Council say the plan is aimed at protecting the unique character and lifestyle of the local areas?  This plan does nothing to protect the character and lifestyle of the coast strip.  Instead it will destroy it.

6. How does Council plan to enforce compliance with this proposed planning scheme?  Does it have the resources to do so?