Refined plans for a multibillion-dollar rail project have been revealed after years of environmental investigations and community feedback.
Changes to The Wave include a narrower rail corridor in some sections, lower elevated structures and greater separation from nearby homes.
Officials have also released the Draft Public Environment Report (PER) for public inspection and comment.
The Wave is expected to include a rail line between Beerwah and Caloundra (Stage 1) and Caloundra and Birtinya (Stage 2), along with a metro vehicle link between Birtinya and Sunshine Coast Airport and an upgrade to the Mooloolah River Interchange (Stage 3).
The state government announced that, after community consultation and the procurement process, some of the rail corridor is now significantly narrower than originally planned, while the construction methods have been chosen to further minimise the impact on the community during the build phase.
Community feedback has also helped inform station access and connectivity, walking and cycling links, landscaping and vegetation, parking and local amenity, with Caloundra Station to now feature a more coastal-inspired design.
The project has progressively refined its design and construction footprint to minimise clearing, with proposed wildlife crossings and other measures helping maintain connections between important habitat areas.
Design features to reduce the environmental impact include bridges and elevated rail structures to decrease ground-level disturbance, tunnels through Little Mountain, and bridges, culverts and drainage structures designed to maintain water flows and mitigate flood risks.
Elevated rail structures near Tweddell Drive will now be lower than earlier design concepts with the tallest vegetation higher than the top of the viaduct.
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Further design improvements have also shifted rail infrastructure a further 10m west, increasing the distance between the rail corridor and the closest properties to around 70m, with more than half that distance covered in vegetation.
Minister for Transport and Main Roads Brent Mickelberg said the release demonstrated the work underway to deliver a project that responds to the region’s environment and its communities.
“The Wave will transform the way people move around the Sunshine Coast, but it’s important we get the design right both during construction and for when locals use it,” he said.
“We’ve listened to what the community told us about the things that matter to them, from station precincts and the rail alignment to vegetation, flooding, noise and vibration and local impacts.
“That’s why we have worked so hard to deliver a design which puts more space between residents and the rail corridor, and keeps the tracks as low as possible, while mitigating against concerns like flooding.
“The release of the Draft Public Environment Report for The Wave is another step in doing what we said we would do: delivering the generational infrastructure the Sunshine Coast has been missing out on for decades.”
Member for Caloundra Kendall Hatcher said the revised design was a win for the community.
“A lower viaduct further away from residents’ houses is a good outcome for the local community,” she said.
“I’ve fought hard to ensure the design of The Wave suits the Sunshine Coast, and the announcement today is evidence the Government is listening and delivering.”
The Draft PER will be publicly available for a 30-business-day notification period until Wednesday, December 23, as part of the Australian Government environmental approval process.
