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.
- Read the story: Developer seeks more height for luxury hotel tower
Richard Williams, Moffat Beach: Say NO to yet another developer seeking to flaunt building height regulations.
Ray Edwards, Cotton Tree: The constant applications to relax building height restrictions will eventually result in no restrictions at all. My unit in Maud Street will not be affected, but if one application is allowed, how does council say no to the next? The community must decide, do we want to land up looking like the Gold Coast or retain our coastal village like appearance or not? My vote is, don’t tamper with the height restrictions. They are really just about maximising profits after all with no thought for community.
John Thorogood, Maroochydore: As a near-by resident, I welcome Felix Capital’s investment in Ocean Street. I can only hope that council recognises the opportunity this presents and comes to regard Ocean Street as more than a destination for students, backpackers and night-clubbers looking for cheap drinks and loud music. Re-surfacing the road would be a start (I’ve yet to find a business owner or patron who thinks the colourful ‘graffiti’ looks good, let alone represents our money well spent).
Anthony Wade-Cooper: I hope they have planned adequate drop-off points for arriving guests as the photo shows a two-way street but Ocean Street is a narrow one-way street.
Wendy Fogarty, Eatons Hill: News that the developers of the new Crowne Plaza Maroochydore are applying to increase its height, exceeding the height limits for the area, is sadly, unsurprising. This move is in keeping with a disturbing pattern that has emerged in Brisbane in recent years and suggests that this is a pre-planned strategy to increase height limits from the “back door”.
During the Future Brisbane event last year, the online chat was dominated by comments from West End residents, angry that such moves were becoming increasingly characteristic of the construction of new developments across Brisbane – and that subsequent approvals were being granted without public consultation. That the Crowne’s developers are stating they also now need to increase the building’s height to provide adequate screening for its rooftop mechanical plant requirements should be seen as a red flag.
It is well established that the Crisafulli Government and organisers of the Olympics 2032 are under pressure to substantially increase the stock of accommodation, but no development which compromises the very conditions which explicitly exist to preserve local ‘surf town character’ and natural landscape should be granted exceptional permission. There is no greater advocate of the “build-baby-build-at-all-costs-and-disregard-and-disrespect” the local landscape in this state than the Member for Kawana.
Angela Cull: Please don’t allow greedy developers to turn our beautiful Sunshine Coast into another Gold Coast. That would be a travesty.
Maggie & Colin Adams, Maroochydore: We don’t want another Gold Coast here, we should be reducing the building heights NOT making them higher. It’s developer greed. It’s not about people, it’s about their profits.
Simon and Sharon: Keep it to the current 40m restrictions. Do not set a precedent for Maroochydore.
Barry: Why is this council trying to turn our Sunshine Coast into the Gold Coast with the place smothered with high rise buildings? The infrastructure for Ocean Street will be nothing more than a traffic jam, worse than it already is as this has already started. The council has already put the cart before the horse and these so-called town planners aren’t doing their job with a clear conscience for the ratepayers of this city.
- Read the story: Major redesign proposed for holiday park
Steve and Nicki Colam, Golden Beach: We reside at Golden Beach (Esplanade) and find it perplexing that there is consideration for an additional 220 unit complex to be constructed. The infrastructure ie, roads and parking, would absolutely not sustain such a development. The Golden Beach area is attractive to 99 per cent of residents because of its ‘village’ appeal. It is hard enough to get small projects, ie renovations and smaller new builds, through council with so many restrictions and requirements/regulations in place.
The idea of a 220-unit new residential accommodation in this area is totally ridiculous and clearly money would be the sole motivation to local authorities should this be proposed project be approved.
Alison Kitching: I have grave concerns about the 220-unit development proposal at Golden Beach. What infrastructure is being put in place to cater for this? Where on the Sunshine Coast is there a development of this size within an established suburb on such a small footprint? It will increase road safety risks and create more parking and traffic issues; overload shops and parking; strain current utilities; reduce green space and wildlife habitat areas, which goes against our Sunshine Coast green and healthy ethos. Just another money grab by developers and government at the cost of the lifestyle of this unique coastal community.
- Read the story: Council CEO addresses sweeping job cuts proposal
Mark McKenzie, Pinbarren: Why doesn’t council retain the staff and reduce the wages the leading executives get and start doing what they are paid to do?
Noela Coulter, Mooloolaba: I can’t believe this mayor of ours. Our rates have gone up again and apparently the loss of about 130 council jobs are on the chopping block. And amidst all of this, Mayor Natoli gives herself a significant pay increase. It beggars disbelief. As Pauline Hanson would say, “Please explain”.
Trisha Jacobsen: This needs to be done with sensitivity. As people leave, do not replace them with new people. Adapt to those who are there and if possible have them change, or expand their roles as you cut back. You may need to pay for extra training online if need be. Also those who are not performing and achieving their goals need reminders to up their game or they will be shown the door. Do not replace people with AI, please. Keep it real.
Noela Hall, Caloundra: An easy fix to the financial woes of Sunshine Coast Council would be to scrap the Caloundra Transport Corridor Upgrade (CTCU). Sunshine Coast News June 2 reported that $26.8m of the council’s 2026/2027 budget allocation to Division 2 was for just section 2 of this project. A 10 per cent increase in rates and loss of jobs for local council employees versus the ballooning cost of a project already hugely unpopular with local residents and based on questionable out-of-date modelling should be a no-brainer???
- Read the story: Council lifts rates and confronts ‘beyond its means’ spending
Neil McNeill, Buderim: Me, and I am sure many other needy pensioners here on the Sunshine Coast, are being attacked from both directions by Sunshine Coast Council. It feels like, “let’s hit the rate payers while they are down” with the way it works. I have never heard of this until now.
Council has become (sic) and it has deemed me and I am sure others, admittedly after checking at Centrelink, that I am now classified a part pensioner. What council doesn’t check is the difference of me being classified as a part pensioner, is a reduction of $1.96 per fortnight which is a total of $47 per year. This is good news for council and a loss for me. It will now take $163.30 per year away from me. How is that fair?
But there is more. I was hit with a 5 per cent increase in my council rates last year and told we are going to fix the inherited debt problem. Okay. I now read we are to pay another 9.5 per cent increase this year, on top of the new valuations, meaning a total of 14.5 per cent in two years. May I refer readers to the Reserve Bank of Australia stated rate of inflation figures and enquire what has the total rate of inflation been over those two years? Let’s say 4.2 per cent x 2 = 8.4 per cent it must be getting despite council.
I have had to work all my life saving what I could, and if I didn’t have the spare money to spend, then I could simply not spend it. Council doesn’t seem to operate like this. But then again, it is not council’s money.
- Read the story: Fuel station proposed for town centre hub
Bruce Graham: Did anyone from the paper ask why a new fuel development at a key junction of the Sunshine Coast on the way north to the Cooloola and Fraser coasts apparently does not have electric car facilities to fill up? Surely that is a pretty important question. And certainly one I hope you will pursue vigorously. It is almost inconceivable that a development that has had that much scrutiny, and in such a major and unique location, has not had this issue as a major focus of debate. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Mike S: Seems like it’s quite well thought out, however council should be mandating a minimum of four EV fast charging bays. It is not acceptable to simply ignore the present and future requirements of a rapidly growing motoring segment.
- Read the story: Council stands by dog fee hike amid backlash
Scott Burnip, Sippy Downs: Increase in dog registration is a disgrace. Cost of living is high enough and more animals will be dumped. Shame on you Sunshine Coast.
Penny, Coes Creek: Rather than punishing the good people who register their dogs and don’t have more than the allowed number of animals per property, the council could divert some of their people out to enforcing registration on unregistered animals and ensuring the right number of animals are living on a given property.
Chris Crooks, Landsborough: I see dog licences are now to double in price and while there are more dog parks scheduled to be built, I do question if council has any idea of what works for dogs? My dogs couldn’t be any happier on a long walk with variety. What they are presented with is basically a large cage. Time and again, I’ve tried but not one of my dogs through the years has shown a fraction of interest in walking through a large concrete pipe or climbing up a ridiculously steep slope only to end up on the other side.
I wish I had taken pictures of them walking through the gate, sitting down and looking at me as if to say: “What do you want me to do here?”, as if I have cheated them out of their exercise. On that note, these cages also have a habit of including covered seating since there is nowhere to walk. How about installing a chocolate and fizzy drink machine and a defibrillator?
- Read the story: Masterplanned community gets federal environment tick
Paul Dawkins: The federal environmental approval of Stockland’s 12,000-home Aura South (Halls Creek) development has triggered a worrying shift in local leadership. Mayor Rosanna Natoli’s recent comments that the project is now simply “in the hands of the state” fly directly in the face of council’s July 2024 State Election Priorities document – a policy platform she personally launched and championed, which explicitly demanded the state permanently protect Halls Creek. Previous leaders like former Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson, former Deputy Mayor Rick Baberowski and former Speaker of the Queensland Parliament Peter Wellington – fiercely fought for years to protect this inter-urban break.
Mayor Natoli must honour that legacy, stand behind the policy she campaigned on, and stay the course. We cannot look at Aura South in isolation. Local planning is increasingly vulnerable to state intervention. We have already seen the state government bypass local councils to clear koala habitat at Ormiston College and Planning Minister Jarrod Bleijie recently used his ministerial call-in powers to override both the local council and the state’s own assessment agency, SARA, to approve Coochin Fields. If our council capitulates now, the minister has shown he will eagerly sideline local planning schemes to rezone this vital conservation buffer.
Mayor Natoli must stand firm and hold Stockland to its baseline commitment that further council and state approvals remain strictly mandatory before a single shovel hits the ground. Anyone wanting to support this cause can sign Queensland Parliament E-Petition 4557-26 – Protect the Pumicestone Passage: Halt the Urbanisation of Aura South (Halls Creek) online.
- Read the story: Key coastal protection works completed
Helene Allender, Golden Beach: I’m very worried the seawall at Golden Beach is cited as ‘completed’. Perhaps because I’ve been trained in occupational health and safety, but something very obvious is glaring at me when I reach the top edge of the steep stairs. I foresee people, children, dogs or mobility devices tumbling down those steps as there are no guardrails or lighting for night time and nothing to protect them from falling. While this restoration has the making of being successful, I feel it’s not quite finished. Yes, it’s a great development but let’s keep pedestrians safe from falls as well as protecting from erosion.
- Read the story: New 12ML water reservoir supports thousands of homes
Craig Jon Lyon: Just thought, it is ironic that the Tanawha water tank supply is for Harmony yet Tanawha itself is still on tank water, lol.
- Read the story: Man dies after vehicle becomes submerged
Marilyn Holness: In relation to the submerged vehicle death. That happened several years ago. The woman survived because two men smashed the windows and dragged her out. Perhaps a steel rope, poles or fence should be installed on edge of that carpark.
- Read the story: Doctors question watered-down e-bike reforms
Richard Hewitt, Peregian Springs: I’m astonished at the watering down of the proposed e-mobility regulations. Those who are making this decision are totally out of touch with reality. To say teenagers must be supervised by an adult are living in la la land. Ask anyone who has been affected by the blatant abuse and behaviour of these teenagers and you will hear that this situation is completely out of control. The slow reaction of politicians, parents who know their children are riding illegal bikes, and the lack of police to control this issue means tough action is required. But, as usual, the little darlings need to get around, “my children are responsible”, “should be free to enjoy their teenage years” means we, as pedestrians and responsible road users, will have to continue with the idiots causing serious traffic offences with complete disregard to the safety of others. They have no respect for the existing laws and regulations, so what happens in the future when these individuals get behind the wheel of a car?
Transport and Main Roads Minister Brent Mickelberg defended the reforms staying: “Our reforms are based on extensive community and expert consultation and they strike the right balance between making our streets safer from those who do the wrong thing, while backing those people who do the right thing”.
He couldn’t be more wrong. The inquiry gave the opportunity to start putting this situation on the path to a solution but of course, the politicians are more concerned about not upsetting their voters. It’s irresponsible, selfish and downright dangerous.
- Read the story: Hinterland hotel wins Queensland crown
Norni Whittaker: Absolutely the best venue anywhere. Love the inclusion of beautiful plants etc… including the chickens at The Doonan. Just my style of rustic. Keep doing it, please.
- Taking liberties
Brian Evans: As an owner of property in Noosa and Noosaville, I continue to be disgusted with the number of itinerates in cars, vans and trucks who continue to think the spit and national park is a ‘free’ campsite where they can park, wash dishes from the tap, urinate anywhere they want and take over this public space and get ‘free’ accommodation.
I can’t understand why council is letting it to continue. The police should be moving these people on or charging them fines to make it a cleaner and more accessible location for all tourists and residents. It appears that council has no control or commitment to police this wonderful asset for all. Come on Noosa, clean up your act. People pay thousands to stay on Hastings Street.
- Domestic and family violence
Garry Reynolds, Peregian Springs: Queenslanders keep pouring effort, money and goodwill into preventing domestic and family violence, yet the crisis keeps deepening. Police now receive a DFV‑related call every three minutes – and that’s only the people who manage to call. It doesn’t count the silent coercion, the whispered threats, the bruises hidden under sleeves, or the kids learning the wrong lessons about love.
Behind each 000 call is fear and emotional damage no statistic can capture. We like to tell ourselves we’re a decent, fair‑minded community. Yet behind closed doors, the violence is getting worse. Not stabilising. Not slowing. Worse. And no one can pretend it’s because we’re not trying. Queensland has thrown more than $1.5b at DFV responses – more per capita than NSW or Victoria – and still the numbers climb.
In some districts, DFV now consumes half of all police work. Half. Imagine what that does to the rest of the community’s safety. So, let’s stop hiding behind the comforting fiction that this is a ‘government problem’ or a ‘policing problem’. It isn’t. It’s a people problem. A culture problem. A what‑we‑let‑slide‑in‑our‑homes‑and‑workplaces problem.
Violence doesn’t begin with a punch; it begins with entitlement, disrespect, silence and the belief that someone else’s fear matters less than our comfort. If we want real change, we have to change the soil this behaviour grows in – by calling out toxic behaviour early, refusing to normalise cruelty, and rebuilding the everyday habits of decency that make violence unthinkable. Community kindness can’t be a random act anymore, or the three‑minute clock will keep ticking in Queensland.
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.
