A long-running problem at a Sunshine Coast intersection could be addressed under a $760,000 federal funding bid.
Sunshine Coast Council has applied to the Australian government’s Black Spot Program to upgrade the junction of Centenary Heights Road, Yarrock Street and Jenyor Street at Yaroomba.
Division 8 councillor Taylor Bunnag announced the application on his Facebook page, describing the location as “a dangerous one” for people living in Coolum and Yaroomba.
Cr Bunnag told Sunshine Coast News the bid followed numerous requests from the community, particularly about vehicle speeds and restricted sight distances.
In response, Council undertook a Safe System Assessment and identified a figure-eight roundabout as its preferred treatment.
Cr Bunnag said the layout had been selected to suit the constrained footprint and challenging topography.
If the application is successful, the new configuration is expected to reduce vehicle conflict points, lower speeds on all approaches and address existing sight-distance limitations.
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Residents commenting on Cr Bunnag’s Facebook post described longstanding concerns about using the junction.
“I use this daily, every time it is a dice roll. Folks come speeding down the hill, others do not understand the right of way rules, and if you are heading west on Jenyor you can hardly see around the corner looking south on Centenary road,” one resident said.
“I’ve been playing chicken here for 26 years and have just dealt with it.”
Another resident said there had been “lots of near misses over many years”, particularly involving vehicles travelling downhill on Centenary Heights Road.
“More cars parked near corner isn’t helping either,” the resident said.
A third resident called for a roundabout and flashing lights.
“My view is a roundabout and flashing lights, but we need to be doing it now, when we inevitably have a death, is this enough when we all know the problem,” the resident said.
Council lodged its Black Spot Program application in July 2026 and is seeking the full project cost from the federal program, with no additional council contribution proposed.
The program can fund treatments at locations with a history of crashes or where an engineering assessment identifies a serious risk.
Cr Bunnag said funding announcement timeframes varied each year depending on the assessment process and ministerial approvals.
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Federal Member for Fairfax Ted O’Brien said he had sought more information from Council about the bid.
“I am always fighting for more federal funding for infrastructure for the Sunshine Coast, and I have asked council for a briefing on their application for this problematic intersection,” Mr O’Brien said.
The Australian Government considers Black Spot nominations annually through state and territory consultative panels, which recommend projects to the responsible federal minister for approval.
The aerial imagery in this story is from Australian location intelligence company Nearmap. The company provides government organisations, architectural, construction and engineering firms, and other companies, with easy, instant access to high-resolution aerial imagery, city-scale 3D content, artificial intelligence data sets, and geospatial tools to assist with urban planning, monitoring and development projects in Australia, New Zealand and North America.
