Almost 75 hectares of state forest have been earmarked for removal, to make way for a transport corridor on the Sunshine Coast.
The state government has confirmed the land, located within Beerwah State Forest, would be used to accommodate part of The Wave, which will feature a new heavy passenger rail line connecting Beerwah to Caloundra and then Birtinya.
Most of the land has been identified for the rail corridor, with a smaller area earmarked for road infrastructure.
The proposal was brought before Queensland Parliament by Minister for the Environment and Member for Glass House Andrew Powell on October 15.
The Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) sought public submissions on the proposed removal of forest land, between September 23 and October 20
However, the parliament agreed to the proposal five days before the closing date.
Sunshine Coast News asked for clarification from the minister’s office and DETSI about the timing of the parliamentary decision, the number of submissions received and whether the land had formally lost its state forest designation.
Neither provided a response.
Speaking in parliament, Mr Powell addressed the potential environmental impact.
“The revocation area is almost entirely made up of non-native pine plantation and is therefore expected to have negligible impact on unique state forest values,” he said.
However, it remained unclear how much of the 73.64ha contained native vegetation or what flora and fauna could be affected.
Beerwah State Forest forms part of Queensland’s commercial forestry estate, where private operator HQPlantations manages timber plantations on the state-owned land.
The Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) spent two years working with the company, reaching an agreement in June to allow the project to proceed alongside ongoing plantation operations.
“TMR and its contractors will continue to work closely with HQP in this regard,” Mr Powell told parliament.
“Consultation also occurred with other parties relevant to the revocation.”
Mr Powell said compensation had also been agreed upon, although the amount and terms have not been disclosed.
Although almost 75ha has been earmarked for removal from the state forest estate, TMR did not confirm how much of that land would need to be physically cleared of vegetation.
“Further design refinements are expected as detailed design progresses, which is not expected to materially change the land required for the project,” a TMR spokesperson said.
During the parliamentary debate, Labor MP Bisma Asif, speaking on behalf of the shadow environment minister, acknowledged the rail alignment had been shifted to avoid Beerwah Forest Reserve and reduce impacts on habitat.
“Our national parks, conservation parks and state forests need to be protected. Revocation should be an exception,” she said.
Ms Asif urged the government to minimise clearing, protect waterways and keep communities informed of decisions, although the Opposition did not object to the proposal.
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Full environmental offsets, vegetation rehabilitation requirements and fauna protection measures for the overall rail project are yet to be finalised.
TMR is preparing a draft Public Environment Report (PER) for the National Environmental Protection Agency, which would assess the potential impacts of the rail corridor under federal environmental laws.
The report was originally expected to be released for public consultation in early to mid-2026, but TMR’s published timeline continues to list its release as incomplete.
The forest land forms part of the project’s $5.5 billion first stage, which will deliver about 19km of dual-track rail between Beerwah and Caloundra, with an upgraded station at Beerwah and new stations at Bells Creek and Caloundra.
A second stage would extend the heavy passenger rail line through Aroona to Birtinya, subject to funding approval, where it would connect with a proposed high-frequency, metro-style service through Maroochydore to Sunshine Coast Airport.
Major construction is expected to start in early 2027, subject to federal environmental approvals.
