Do you have an opinion to share? Submit a Letter to the Editor at Sunshine Coast News via news@sunshinecoastnews.com.au. You must include your name and suburb for accountability, credibility and transparency. Preference will be given to letters of 100 words or less. Some of the opinions below are comments from SCN’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
- Read the story: Coast’s newest AI centre to escape government rules
K. White, Cotton Tree: Regarding your article on the data centre being built in the new CBD at Maroochydore, what about environmental considerations? Noise is apparently a potential issue. How will that affect those living and working near the new data centre? Nearby is a high-rise residential complex and council headquarters among others. Did council consider all the issues? What effect will the data centre have on it?
Jeff Tuttle, Caloundra: Why? What possible good will this do our community? Who approved it? This is just the initial reaction I have to this news! I am so tired of governments, federal and local, making these decisions without consultation or consent. The strain on our resources will be immensely taxing on our ability to make life better for ourselves. Speaking of taxes, are we paying for this, and if so, again, why?
- Read the story: Suspension of key air service sparks disappointment
Jenni Hesse, Pelican Waters: As a regular flyer between Australia and New Zealand, leaving here in early November and returning in early May, I have sadly never been able to fly with Air New Zealand, my preferred choice, as their seasonal flight dates don’t align with mine. Jetstar was then an alternative but it has now suspended these flights.
It seems plain stupid that Kiwis now have to drive to Brisbane leaving at about 6.30am or 7am to book in for the 11.15am flight to Auckland. I say 6.30am due to the fact that the Bruce Highway is a nightmare and getting to the airport on time is a cross fingers and hope there isn’t an accident to bring traffic to a halt. There is no alternative route. I know Air New Zealand was using this route to give Kiwis a winter break, but what about us Kiwis here who would enjoy a winter break to experience the longer ski season in New Zealand? Our local airport is going to be the loser after making huge investments to bring it up to date as a full international airport. I hope Air New Zealand could be persuaded to pick up the pieces and operate a fuller schedule.
Anthony Robinson, Alexandra Parade: Maybe Jetstar’s consideration to cancel this service is a result of its very early morning departure from Auckland and is its own doing. It’s unreasonable for passengers to be expected to arrive at Auckland airport at 4.30am, particularly with children. Route time planning is a commercial decision that needs to be modified to meet the demands of the majority of travelling public to remain economic and Jetstar would be very aware of this. It’s disappointing and a loss for us all living on the Sunshine Coast with family and friends in New Zealand. I’m a Jetstar club member.
Lance Cowan: I used this service in March/April and I didn’t see any spare seats?
Joanne Walker: We were very disappointed when our flight was cancelled to New Zealand as they are no longer flying there. It was very convenient for us living here and not driving down to Brisbane. Then chasing our refund was not easy either. Took four weeks! Boo Jetstar.
Dean Rule: Another nail in the Sunshine Coast Airport’s coffin. Add it to the list of places you can’t go anymore from there.
Terry Caravias: All flights from the Sunshine Coast are s**t. And getting worse considering how big the population is here. Flying out or in is bulls**t. Driving has become a far better alternative.
- Read the story: Bank goes against grain with $2m upgrade of branch
Sarah Bennett: Open the branches you closed. So many elderly citizens in Buderim and other regional areas need their branch back.
Kerry Flynn: I got told to go home and process what I needed online, then online it said I had to print the document and take it to the nearest branch … customer service is gone!
Mark Schampers: It’s BS the service now provided by banks. They couldn’t give a rats about customers, hence withdrawing services and branch closures.
Gail Podberscek: Wow! I’ve not seen real understanding of customer needs for many years in the CBA in Caloundra … tellers are often inadequate, customers seem more of a nuisance, lots of chatting and not much professional performance. When a staff member is approached with a complaint, they suggest going online …
- Read the story: Opposition grows to disaster funding proposal
Andrew Moran, Caloundra: Local mayors are raising concerns about proposed changes to Australia’s disaster funding arrangements, warning that a flat 50/50 Commonwealth–State split may not reflect the Sunshine Coast’s real‑world risk.
They say the region’s disaster landscape is changing. Cyclones, extreme rainfall, storm surge and bushfires are becoming more frequent, more severe and more costly. The current recovery funding model was designed for a different climate era – and may no longer match the scale of events communities now face.
Mayors argue that any modern funding system must start with two basic realities: some states and locations face higher climate exposure, and planning and mitigation decisions can increase or reduce vulnerability. Disasters are not evenly distributed across Australia, and risk is not created equally.
They say fair funding must reflect those differences, even if it adds complexity to the spreadsheets. One option is a model that begins with a 50/50 split and adjusts it for climate exposure, hazard risk and the strength of planning and mitigation performance.
As one mayor put it: “Equal funding isn’t fair funding. Fair funding is risk‑weighted”.
- Read the story: Hospital parking spillover sparks council review
Wendy Henry, Caloundra: I was at SCUH (on Wednesday) at 10.30am for an Adam Crosby (clinic) appointment. No parking there or in front of hospital. Eventually secured a park within SCUH car park! If you force staff into this parking patients won’t stand a chance. Take a look at Buderim hospital offsite parking for staff: it seems to work well.
Heather Povey, Parrearra: Regarding the congestion at the carpark at SCUH. The charge for parking needs to be looked into as well as staff parking. The fee for visitors recently increased from $18.70 to $19.70 making it more unaffordable to visit family in hospital. My mother has been in hospital for a month now and, being on a Centrelink payment, after paying rent I am left with $270 per fortnight which means I can’t visit her as often as I would like to. My two brothers and myself take it in turns to try to be there for her meal times to assist her but for each of us it would be $137.90 per week each.
Sherry Hill, Birtinya: It is not only the problem of staff and visitors to SCUH having to park in the surrounding streets of residential Birtinya. I haven’t seen anything about car parking being built for when the rail and station gets built in this same area of Birtinya. So where will these cars park?
Brian Smith, Maroochydore: If you think parking is bad around SCU Hospital have a look around the Sunshine Coast Council Chambers: 1300 employees and only about 50 car parks provided inside the massive building.
Try driving along Alambie and Bungamba streets, as well as all the cross streets: bumper to bumper painted carparking spaces along every spare centimetre of the kerbs leaving only one narrow passageway for vehicles. The cross streets do not even have footpaths in many of them forcing pedestrians and people wheeling prams to share the one narrow lane with vehicles.
I do not know how the residents affected can safely manage getting in and out of their properties with such narrow entrances combined with vehicles parking so close to the edge of driveways.
More amazing planning by the council in the continuing congestion of a wonderful location.
D Francis, Meridan Plains: The reason surrounding streets are jammed with cars is the cost of parking at the hospital. Remove the prohibitive parking charges and the problems will disappear. I think you know that but don’t want to do it. That’s why we prefer Buderim Private where parking is free.
Greg Brzeski, Caboolture: The issue of overflow parking at Birtinya from the hospital is not the only area. Residents in Caboolture who are within a 10-minute walk of the Caboolture Hospital have had to deal with this problem for a long time.
There is a huge carpark behind the hospital that is on the high school land. Rarely do you see more than 10 vehicles in it. Council’s only solution to the parking, after consultation with residents, was painting yellow lines. This reduced parking in the local area and made it impossible for residents to have any visitors as the spots are full of hospital staff vehicles. The only solutions are 2-hour parking only or park by permit only. Park by permit works perfectly in Brisbane.
Councils are useless unless it affects them.
- Read the story: Dog access criticised over impact on disabled residents
Susan Sheard, Buddina: Seems our council only has one member who understands and listens to the people. See councillor Christian Dickson – Division 6 page for some common sense reality. Thank you councillor Dickson.
Our family are born and bred on this Coast, dating back to 1903. My disabled son’s great grandfather was born in Woombye and one of the pioneering farming families to the Woombye/Nambour region and founding members who formed Alexandra Headland Surf Life Saving Club.
We’ve seen all the changes to the Coast: first traffic light, first high rise, first curb and channeling, first bitumen roads connecting Noosa to Caloundra etc and have lived through many changes made by the council for over 120 years. But this one takes the cake as one of the worst decisions and changes of law ever made.
It’s not just about the dogs. It’s about the people and the positive and crucial affects this daily activity impacts their lives. Denying so many vulnerable, ill health, elderly and disabled residents accessibility and the right to engage in meaningful community activities. Not to mention the essential mental health benefits this daily activity has for so many rate paying citizens. It’s absolutely ludicrous!
This group of local ‘early risers’ and ‘sunset lovers’, many who own dogs and many who don’t, just wanted to keep the 200m strip of beach at the northern end of Point Cartwright accessible for dogs from 4pm to sunset and then sunrise to 8am. It’s level beach straight off the path with calm ocean access for dogs and their families. Limited hours but with unexplainable benefit to so many.
Now, no dogs are allowed on that little portion of beach at all, not even on leads!
Get ready now for the weekend bike riders and park runners who will be the next to complain to council about all the dogs on leads and their owners blocking the paths. But they’ll have no right of say because the dog walkers aren’t allowed off the paths. They’ll gather and chat and conduct their meaningful community engagement on the accessible paths because they can’t access the beach as council have banned them from it!
My ancestors would be shaking their heads at what is happening to the Sunshine Coast right now.
Now that we aren’t allowed at all on the end beach at Carties, on or off lead, to watch our dogs run and play and to catch up and chat with those in the local doggy community, I witnessed the frustration of walkers and bike riders now, trying to get around everyone. Guess they’ll just have to get used to the congestion on the paths now as the dogs aren’t allowed off them. Or maybe they could take the beach route instead at Carties, seeing we can’t.
My son Keoni, with multiple disabilities, in his ‘box bike’, enjoyed seeing some of his favourite doggies at Cartwright beach. Even if they didn’t make him laugh as they used to when they ran and played freely on the beach. He kept pointing to the beach wanting them to go there, just 10 steps off the path where they all gather now.
- Read the story: Group pushes for more shark drone patrols
Trevor Lobegeier, Alexandra Headland: Yes, I can see the benefits of drone surveillance. My concern is I definitely don’t want them to replace shark nets. I am one of many who do an ocean swim at Mooloolaba several times a week at first light. I also fish the close reefs off Coolum when I can so I am very much aware of shark numbers at times.
I swim with my grandkids in flagged areas and I want every protection possible to keep them safe. As a tourist destination, I feel it would be negligent if we removed one of our safety controls.
- Read the story: Major unit project gets green light
Paul Seymour, Sippy Downs: I think the council needs to rethink the approval for the new proposed development at 5 Sippy Downs Drive unless they are going to completely re-do the whole road intersection coming into Sippy Downs. The intersection and the access into Chancellor Park is a joke now, so adding the amount of traffic for 154 car parks in the development is going to be a catastrophe again. The council is thinking about dollars not the residents.
- Read the story: Lions Club disappointed after council parking move
Ian Glew: You may remember some time back, Noosa Council attempted to stop car parking at Noosa Heads Lions Park. Council was successful in doing this for some of the school holidays but allowed it for Christmas and Easter school holidays (limited number of days). It has now come to a head and again with Noosa Council trying again to stop the parking for Christmas 2026 without any real alternative.
Over the past 14 years, I have been heavily involved in organising car parking at Noosa Heads Lions Park. I’m a member of Tewantin Noosa Lions Club and directly responsible for car parking for more than 6 years. I am currently a member of a Lions Club and am writing this as a concerned resident with firsthand knowledge of the park being used for parking.
Car parking in Noosa Heads Lions Park should be allowed during carefully managed peak periods because it offers a practical response to real congestion and access pressures in one of Queensland’s busiest visitor precincts. Hastings Street, Main Beach and nearby businesses rely on steady visitor access, yet parking demand often exceeds supply during school holidays, Easter and Christmas.
Allowing temporary parking at Noosa Heads Lions Park can reduce frustration for families, older visitors, workers and locals who need convenient access but may not be able to walk long distances or wait for buses. This is demonstrated by families with young children parking and moving off to the beach with trolley loads of gear to be used on the beach.
This does not mean turning the park into a permanent carpark. A sensible compromise would allow parking only on limited high-demand days, with clear entry controls, ground protection, weather restrictions and active monitoring. Previous arrangements have also supported Tewantin-Noosa Lions Club and provided funds for community benefit, while helping manage overflow demand close to where people want to go.
While protecting green space is important, refusing all temporary parking may simply push traffic into surrounding streets, increase circling for spaces and add to congestion. A limited, well-regulated parking system would balance environmental care with the needs of residents, visitors, businesses and community groups. Used sparingly and responsibly, Noosa Heads Lions Park parking could be part of a broader transport solution rather than a problem.
Council has no firm alternative to opening the park, many of the solutions have been raised and talked about for the 14 years I have been involved in parking cars in Noosa Heads Lions Park and few if any have come to fruition. Keep the park open for parking over peak periods.
- Read the story: Ocean pool gets smooth new look
Carol Hannington: This is the only ocean pool in South East Queensland, they are in abundance in NSW, particularly near Sydney. Many people don’t want the rough waves or dangers of ocean swimming.
Robyn Lane: And the iconic changerooms still kept – lovely!
- Read the story: Major transport link proposed for town centre
Dean Van Beelen: Should make it a pedestrian bridge. Keep the cars contained on the main roads instead of creating more intersections. That’ll just make the lights at each end have to change more often.
- Read the story: Bridge traffic improves as more fixes explored
John Robinson, Doonan: I live at Doonan some distance from Tewantin and Doonella Bridge. We are now seriously delayed on the way in to Noosa for shopping, caused by the resulting traffic jams on Eumundi-Noosa Road. A neighbour, similarly affected, is ex-army and tells me: “the army could build a Bailey bridge next to the existing bridge in two days”. Maybe a commonsense idea for Noosa Council?
- Read the story: Board announced for new waterways authority
Trevor Sava: After two-plus years creating it, we’re now three-weeks in from a Sunshine Coast Waterways Authority with a ‘log jam’ on ‘what to do’ on overdue past deficiencies. Beware lefthand disconnect from the right hand and one foot on the brake and the other on the accelerator. The ‘farce’ may not happen if common sense prevails, but you may want to be warned/warmed up to it. (That is, if you are now interested in marine safety infrastructure because apparently the media hasn’t been in the past).
- A way with words
Garry Reynolds, Peregian Springs: Every year The Washington Post runs its neologism contest where readers invent alternative meanings for everyday words. Take ‘abdicate’: to give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach. That’s not a definition; that’s a biography – mine and lots I’ve seen at the RSL buffet.
Or ‘flabbergasted’: appalled over how much weight you’ve gained, usually under fluorescent change‑room lighting that could make Helen Mirren look embalmed.
For the ladies, there’s ‘negligent’ – answering the door in your nightie; for the men, ‘willy‑nilly’ – impotence. And if things really go wrong, you might need ‘flatulence’: an emergency vehicle that picks you up after being run over by a steamroller.
But the one that truly struck me was ‘bozone’ – the substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. I’ve been trapped in bozone fields at the supermarket, overhearing husbands on their mobiles trying to clarify which aisle contains the essential item their wife forgot to write on the shopping list.
Then there’s ‘caterpallor’ – the colour you turn after finding half a grub in the fruit you’re eating. It takes me straight back to childhood lunches, sitting in the schoolyard trying to look composed while silently screaming, “Why is there protein in my apple?”. We spend so much time trying to sound respectable, intelligent, employable – all those grown‑up words. But neologisms prove that even in a world full of deadlines and bills, we can still laugh at ourselves.
- The soil – it weeps
Phil Broad, Nambour:
The tears ran down the weathered face
And soon dried up to show no trace
The elder from the Warlpiri tribe
Sat under the desert bloodwood tree and cried
As the many trucks thundered by
Each carrying a load which had made him cry
Old steel carcasses with a concrete base
All headed for a burial place
To be laid to rest with leaking oil
To contaminate our mother’s soil
They needed a lonely place they said
A place to bury the industrial dead
Along side the mirrors that once shone bright
Now to be buried in an eternal night.
Do you have an opinion to share? Submit a Letter to the Editor at Sunshine Coast News via news@sunshinecoastnews.com.au. You must include your name and suburb for accountability, credibility and transparency. Preference will be given to letters of 100 words or less. Some of the opinions above are comments from SCN’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
