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 comments below are from readers on SCN’s Facebook page.
- Read the story: Early works start on 1800 homes and athletes’ village
Aly Webster: The Gold Coast (Commonwealth Games) athletes’ village created around 1500–1800 construction jobs with estimates of around 10,000 workers playing roles across the build when including subcontractors and trades over the total construction period and involved many more across the build phase. After the Games, it transitioned into long-term housing with over 1250 dwellings now part of a residential community used by locals. Beyond just housing, the site has become part of a larger urban precinct that includes residential, retail, and commercial space, along with parklands that were handed over to the city for public use. The same will happen here.
Gal Nareesa: Firstly, is this going to be cheaply made housing that will not be fit for living conditions after the Olympics and then just let to rot? This has happened to so many of these so-called Olympic villages that were cheaply made and practically falling apart. Secondly, once the Olympics is over would this housing be repurposed or let to ruin? Thirdly, how much is this costing us?
Denise Kapernick: Imagine how much worse the traffic will be. Our roads can’t keep up already.
Elaine McGill: Spending money for a six-week event when homelessness is at an all time high. What a nightmare the Olympics will be for residents of the Coast. Our roads can’t cope with daily traffic never mind the chaos that the Olympics will bring.
Matt Headland: Firstly, stuff the Olympics, build homes for Australians that can rent and have a roof over their heads and not have to live in their cars and in tents.
Elijah Healion: It doesn’t matter how many jobs it creates when the people who are working on it can’t find housing. Obviously, all construction workers are all priced out of athletes’ villages that are turned into gentrified concrete prisons. This is a net gain for no one but real estate agents, property investors and developers.
- Read the story: Beach flags, warnings confuse international visitors
Graham Lockey, Coolum Beach: Why do we not have a nationwide signage system, instead of a flag/chalkboard setup? A red circle showing a person in the sea with a diagonal red line for don’t go in the water with a one word ‘NO’ under the sign might be better understood than any flag or written sign. A green circle with two flags with people standing and swimming instead of ‘swim between the flags’ might be a simpler message. The reality is that written signage is only any good if you go up to the sign and read it.
Regrettably it’s not just people for whom English is their second language that are at risk. Whilst it is true that about a third of Australia’s 357 drowning deaths in 2024/25 were people born overseas that also means two thirds who drowned supposedly understood English, but still didn’t get the message.
- Read the story: Height increase sought for approved unit complex
Ray Edwards, Maroochydore: I read with interest that the development on Memorial Avenue seeks permission to build above the regulation height that all the surrounding blocks have adhered to. I feel that this is driven by profit with no regard to the surrounding blocks in the area. We are in Maud Street and will lose part if our sea view if the building goes ahead and we will lose value in the process So, we object to the building height relaxation.
- Read the story: Milestone for congestion-busting plan
Dean Horner: Well I’m glad to see they are going with the bridge straight up, instead of the original plan for lights then the bridge a few years later. Seems common sense has prevailed.
‘Robbo Surfs’: I get an uneasy feeling we are going to see the volume of traffic flowing north-south increase substantially. Unless they think Caloundra is just a sleepy coastal town and most people don’t actually want to come into town.
- Read the story: Rangers frustrated by vandalism in national park
George Daffy: So developers causing habitat destruction is ok but heaven forbid we allow people to enjoy our national parks. Rangers are only employed these days to revenue raise and clean toilets.
John Whiting: Try being a property owner and finding every gate and lock cut ,some 35 high end padlocks and $200 gates. Battery angle grinders should be banned, not guns.
David Tyler: This where generations of locals grew up riding their dirtbikes in ringtail then it was basically clear felled by state forest for all the massive black butt timber, and now its us causing the environmental damage? Stop locking up all our parks they belong to the people.
Steve Dunn: Sooner we get rid of all 4wd access there the better. People can no longer be trusted.
- Read the story: Aussies’ latest car choices are driving down pollution
Russell Parker: Net zero and EVs have no place in Australia. Our piddling emissions simply don’t count.
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.
