CONSIDERING YOUR PART IN COUNCIL’S NEW PLANNING SCHEME

The Sunshine Coast is growing at a phenomenal rate, and with so many exciting projects coming to fruition or in the pipeline for the next few years our population is only going to continue to increase. A big question we need to ask ourselves now is how do we not only keep up with this growth but how do we create a community where everyone benefits?

This is a question we believe everyone should ask themselves when looking through Sunshine Coast Council’s new planning scheme project. Still in early stages, Council is accepting feedback until March 31 on its proposed vision for what the Sunshine Coast could look like in 2041.

Council anticipates in the next 20 years our population will increase from 350,000 residents to around 520,000, a number we believe is modest to say the least and is likely to climb much higher. In the new planning scheme, Council has highlighted a range of “hot planning topics” that have come about from community feedback and emerging issues and one of these is affordable living and housing affordability. They have recognised the need for a diverse range of housing options to suit all income levels and household types. The challenge surrounding this is, in Council’s words “While the planning scheme can encourage and support housing diversity, it is limited in its ability to deliver affordable housing options and housing affordability outcomes (which are more directly influenced by other factors such as demographics and migration trends, investment preferences, economic conditions and government policy).”

When thinking about future planning, it is important to think about the implications if we don’t get it right. This is why we are so passionate about education. People oppose development, but that could be what we need to deliver more affordable housing. Without affordable housing, we lose diversity in our population. What happens if we don’t have workers to stack our supermarket shelves or deliver food in restaurants?

Similarly, people oppose mass transit. What happens when they need an ambulance in 20 years time, but the road is congested and they can’t get there fast enough?

The reality is, we have major projects on the Sunshine Coast that aren’t even close to unlocking their full potential. Opportunities surrounding the subsea broadband cable, our international airport, the new Turbine food manufacturing precinct, the Maroochydore CBD…we can’t even begin to measure what impact these will have on the economy and population growth.

When considering what our region should look like in 20 years, we challenge you to look beyond your wants, or what your friend at that recent BBQ wants. Instead, try to think about the broader implications if we don’t all work together to deliver a solution that takes into consideration everyone. From business owners to first home buyers, and the newborn babies that will be 19 by 2041 – we want to create a region where everyone can prosper.

We are excited to announce next month we will release our 2022 Sunshine Coast Property Market Update. It will give you all the information you need to know, backed by data and credible information.

In the meantime, contact us today to get in touch with one of our expert coaches to discuss how you can get ahead and make an impact in this rising market.