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 give to letters of 100 words or less.
- Read the story: Controversial ‘eyesore’ set to be demolished
Fabienne Wouters: I think it’s pretty ridiculous that they’re saying they couldn’t find members, but how can you be a member of something that doesn’t exist anymore? Since 2019 there’s been a lot of housing being built for the over-55s who I think would welcome a bowls club once again. I think with the right people at the helm it would be a success. I’m 63 years old and have lived in this area for 20 years. I remember the nights at the bowls club with local talent on Friday nights and so on – it used to be lots of fun. I’m totally against the proposal of the units. Infrastructure should first be totally upgraded.
Rod Edwards, Yaroomba: I am writing to make you aware of an exciting opportunity for this facility – one that is already revitalising underutilised sporting spaces and generating strong returns for forward-thinking operators across Australia and internationally. That opportunity is pickleball, but I fear I am entering this conversation too late as it seems the owners have made up their mind that moving forward with a sport and recreation facility is not an option and probably never was. The owners keep hanging their hat on the fact that the bowls club failed and there has been no effort to find other parties to bring the bowls club back to life, but I cannot see any effort from the owners to attract other sports to the facility. I fear that it is too late to approach the owners as that is not what they want to hear. They ultimately are pushing the site towards residential/commercial development, sacrificing what is clearly zoned as sport and recreation.
Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the world, combining elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis in a way that is fun, inclusive and easy to learn. Participation in Australia is experiencing extraordinary growth, doubling annually, with demand for courts now far exceeding availability. Here on the Sunshine Coast, the pickleball community is enthusiastic and ever-expanding, yet without a permanent home. Entrepreneurs and facility owners across Australia have already recognised this potential. Former bowls clubs, indoor centres and sporting complexes have successfully been transformed into dedicated pickleball venues, attracting new members, boosting revenue and re-engaging communities. I believe this facility could benefit from this same transformation. By repurposing unused areas, diversifying the current offerings and creating new court space, you could unlock a sustainable and profitable income stream while positioning the venue as a leader in this emerging sport.
- Read the story: New Monopoly edition showcases Sunshine Coast icons
Elaine Ricketts, Maleny: I innocently purchased the new Sunshine Coast Monopoly game for my granddaughter. As one would expect, there are commercial places that most likely paid a fair whack for the privilege of being on the board. On the traditional Monopoly board, real estate goes from cheap to expensive. Obviously, the multinational company did not bother to do its homework as Noosa is the cheapest on the board accompanied by Gympie at a mere $60m. Kenilworth and Maleny are on par at $100m and Montville $120m. And so it goes on around the board in a mismatch of geography and privately and publicly owned places. Instead of Park Lane and Mayfair, the Glass House Mountains National Park and Mooloolaba Beach are the most expensive properties up for development at $350m and $400m.
I know it is only a game but it irks me that Mount Coolum, Mudjimba Island, a national park and Mooloolaba Beach are up for development. Why? Is this a good message to send to kids that everything is available for developing houses and hotels at a price? Our beaches and national parks are precious natural places that should never be sold out and our grandchildren will need to value and protect them in the future, and not see them as real estate.
Anonymous, Currimundi: Finally, Noosa is being given the recognition it deserves: the lowest priced property on the Monopoly game board. For too long those in Noosa have been lauding their status over the rest of us, even going to the extent of separating from the combined council and thumbing their noses at the rest of us. Well, now they have received their comeuppance. Noosa – the Old Kent Road of the Sunshine Coast game.
- Read the story: MP urged to reject tourist park after agency response
Elaine McKean, Chevallum: I wish to state my total disgust at the rate we are allowing development of dwindling environmental habitat. There is no need for a tourist park in this area and SARA has stated this clearly. The state government thinks it can just do whatever it wants bypassing all advice and community opposition. Stop this reckless damage.
Robyn Pugh, Golden Beach: As a member of Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland – Sunshine Coast and Hinterland Inc and the Caloundra Residents Association, I oppose any development in the Coochin Creek area. This area is adjacent to highly sensitive marine and terrestrial areas including the Northern Inter Urban Break. The Pumicestone Passage is already under great threat and more development would result in further degradation of habitat crucial for threatened species such as the migratory shorebirds.
Shorebirds are arriving to summer in the Pumicestone Passage after an epic flight of more than 11,000km from the tundra areas of Alaska and Siberia. They include far eastern curlews, bar-tailed godwits and whimbrels. The godwits fly non-stop in 11 days to reach the Pumicestone Passage and come every September-October for the summer months before returning to the Arctic to breed. With increasing development, their habitats are shrinking and they are becoming endangered.
We are so fortunate to be living in this wonderful environment where these birds and many others such as pelicans, terns and swans, as well as turtles and dugongs, live. Proposed developments at Coochin Creek would threaten the survival of the birds and other wildlife by increasing pollution and stormwater run-off into Pumicestone Passage and destroying their habitat to feed and rest in this secluded area. The infrastructure required to make this habitable for people to attend festivals and holiday in this wetland area would result in massive destruction of the ecosystem with little proof that this is required in this area. I encourage everyone who cares about the future of wildlife, including these endangered migratory birds, to oppose any development in Coochin Creek.
- Read the story: Aussie World plans $60m waterpark expansion
Samie-Jo Renes, Palmview: I strongly vote no to a proposed theme park. I bought in this estate for the nature/wildlife refuge and run a home massage studio, where this will greatly impact my business. My clients love the peaceful surroundings.
- Read the story: Planning changes aim to ease housing shortage
David Grant, Marburg: The Noosa Plan selfishly ignores the housing crisis. The Noosa Housing Strategy program makes only a minimal acknowledgment of the impact of short-term accommodation (STA) on housing availability.
- Read the story: Tougher penalties for parking pests and More than 900 survey responses shape tourism future
Steven Harris, Pelican Waters: I think Noosa Council needs to take a leaf from Mooloolaba. Close most of the busy part of Hastings Street off, to mall type and build a high-rise car park close by. That would remove dangerous traffic flow from heavy pedestrian areas, from shops to the beachfront.
- Read the story: Former Sizzler site snapped up for $12m
Karen Rex, Sippy Downs: Just like the Pacific Paradise Bowls Club site, the derelict site of the former Sizzler restaurant on Maroochydore is another blot on what is a tourist destination. Owners need to be taken to task to either demolish or renovate these properties. It is an embarrassment to the area.
- Read the story: Sami Muirhead: finding love is no pie in the sky
Petrania Evans, Maroochydore: Loved the pie bag story. Thank you, merci.
- Read the story: Fresh push for new laws to curb caravan parking
Greg Whybrow: Why a lot of caravan owners park in parks or streets is because staying in a council-owned park costs more than $150 a night (if they want a one-night stay). Some council parks won’t accept bookings for less than four weeks in peak season. That’s a rip-off. The council needs to open up one- or two-night stays, and not for a ridiculous price.
- Read the story: ‘Grey spots’ spark call for phone network upgrades
Pauline Clayton, Parrearra: My mobile phone and internet reception has dropped from five bars to two bars due to the transmission system in my area now at capacity. An Aussie Broadband technician advises nothing they can do. I’m also told it is because providers other than Telstra are agents and second in line to usage. I cannot watch any streaming services after about 4.30pm. Why am I paying for unavailable services?
- Political grand finals
Garry Reynolds, Peregian Springs: Football grand finals are not the only games in town. In our post-truth world, the big game in Canberra occurs where politicians play in a stadium to a crowd where many don’t believe in the objective truth. The ground is fertile because voters have been trained to believe that their personal truth is the one that matters. They don’t want to be confused by the facts, allowing politicians to play on their fears. This sets the ground for conspiracy theories to thrive. It is a sellout of science, expertise and hard evidence. They have been replaced by the ‘what works is true’ if it achieves a favourable political outcome.
Rare leaders telling the objective truth are becoming revolutionaries in an era of deceit. We live in a world where some international leaders don’t just lie, they don’t care, then double down. In my book, repetition can never transform a mistruth into a truth. Politicians telling lies is not new, but now they are judged not just by the falseness of what they say. The big political sin is getting caught by the media in a gotcha moment.
There are no winners in this game, as admitting the truth is demeaned as a backflip, followed by a resignation to predictably ‘spend more time with the family.’ When there is conflict within a party, the political fix rarely involves a diligent search for the objective truth. When a member divulges the truth, backroom enforcers stifle any perception of disloyalty to the leader, just like the conga line of denials before a losing footy coach is moved on.
As Winston Churchill said: “Politicians occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing happened.” It will be left to us citizens to support an accountable democratic system and honest media outlets, to continue the pursuit of the absolute truth for the following generations.
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 give to letters of 100 words or less.
