Maroochydore City Centre: Building the Sunshine Coast’s Future

The Maroochydore City Centre is being transformed.

We already know that The Wave is going to change the way we get around on the Sunny Coast, but it’s just as important for our coastal cities to change in line with growth as well.

Maroochydore Chamber of Commerce president Brendan Bathersby has said,

“There has never been a more exciting time to be on the Coast, with major legacy infrastructure shaping our future, boosting the local economy and anchoring Maroochydore city centre as a connected, world-class city for generations to come.”

The Masterplan

With an aim to be Australia’s first truly smart city, Maroochydore City Centre has been designed with the Sunshine Coast lifestyle in mind, with almost 18 hectares of parklands and waterways, combined with a mix of commercial, retail, residential and dining precincts.

In preparation for the Brisbane2032 Olympics, the City Centre will have an integrated Athlete Village, arena venue and cultural precinct.

Connectivity is at its core, with public spaces, waterfront boardwalks, parks, playgrounds and bike tracks being prioritized for the space.

There have been multiple developments already completed, including Maroochy Private Hospital, 50 First Avenue, The Corso residential tower and Sunshine Coast Council City Hall.

Project currently under construction include NEXTDC SC2 Data Centre and the Sol by Walker mixed-use development.

The area is being delivered by Walker Corporation and Sunshine Coast Council and is valued at $2.5 billion.

A Smart City

The new City Centre is embedded with smart technology to create a cleaner, greener, dynamic city.

It will include Australia’s first CBD-scale underground automated waste collection system, access to free WiFi 6 in streets, parks and plazas, smart signage with live travel information for pedestrians and smartphone apps to guide drivers to free parking spaces.

The City Centre is directly connected to the Tabua subsea cable, which is Australia’s first direct digital link to the United States, and connects Australia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Hawaii, Japan and the US West Coast.

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Community Feedback

Community feedback has been generally positive, as the region recognises the need for creating a modern, connected city centre. However, it’s the proposal of a 30-storey high-rise that has caused concern for residents, who fear the region could become another Gold Coast.

The building would contain 200 apartments and penthouses and would be the single ‘landmark’ building over 100-metres tall, as allowed in the new city centre.

The fear from residents is that this would lead to maximum heights increasing in coming years.

Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli has clarified that the building is being proposed for a designated CBD area, not on the coastline or hinterland, thereby still protecting the Sunshine Coast lifestyle.

Approval for the project sits with the state government and is still under consideration.

The Future

The precinct is going to transform Maroochydore into an even more impressive destination, and combined with the connectivity being offered by The Wave, will attract plenty of locals and tourists alike.