Top 20 of 2020: Development milestones defining new decade

Top 20 of 2020: Development milestones
defining new decade

Award-winning street food, night market and entertainment destination NightQuarter is coming to
the Sunshine Coast in early 2020.

AMBER HOOKER
30th Dec 2019 5:00 AM
sunshinecoastdaily.com.au

A NEW Eat Street-style night market, multimillion-dollar tourism
upgrades, landmark CBD developments and the Sunshine Coast
International Airport are all set to take flight in 2020.
As 2019 comes to an end, we take a look at 20 major development milestones set to define the
Sunshine Coast in 2020.
1. Big Pineapple expansion

The Big Pineapple in Woombye will undergo a $115 million expansion.
ONE of the Sunshine Coast's most recognisable landmarks, the Big Pineapple, will undergo a
$115 million transformation after the council approved a redevelopment this month.
The site will open up to new uses across five precincts, with a focus on food production, tourist
accommodation and other recreational uses.
The first precinct will be nature-based tourism and is set to be the heart of the attraction,
featuring a resort complex, the recently-opened TreeTops high ropes course plus an extension of
Wildlife HQ.
Stage one is set to be rolled out in 2020, with stage two scheduled to begin 2021 and include the
remainder of precinct one, precinct two and parts of three. The final stage is due to start by 2024.
In its heyday, the 169ha Big Pineapple site was the most visited tourist attraction in Australia.
Read more here.

2. Brisbane Road carpark and hotel:

An architectural drawing shows the design of a multi-level parking station and food outlet
proposed to be built on the Brisbane Road carpark site at Mooloolaba.
MOOLOOLABA is expected to boast another 700 carparks by October next year, with work to
resume on the Brisbane Road carpark in February.
Division 4 councillor John Connolly said foundation work began in the seven weeks leading up to
the school holidays. After a six-week break, construction is set to restart on February 1.
The other half of the block is destined to become a 180-240-room hotel up to 50m high.

Cr Connolly said he expected an announcement during the council's January meeting regarding
the successful tender.
Read more here.

3. Camp Croc Hunter:

Australia Zoo has partnered with the Queensland Government to expand their tourism offering on
the Sunshine Coast. Tourism Industry Development Minister Kate Jones, Tom and Grace Cronin
with Robert and Terri Irwin.
CONSTRUCTION started in November on the $8 million tourism infrastructure project, Camp
Crocodile Hunter.
Australia Zoo has partnered with the Queensland Government to deliver the project in 2020, to
commemorate the zoo's 50th anniversary.
The new initiative will provide a wide range of accommodation options, with 108 sites for tents
and caravans as well as permanent glamping-style tents and eco cabins.
The camping village will be supported by a café, reception, entertainment and pool area,
amenities blocks, covered cooking areas, school camp facilities, and a mountain bike course.
Once operational, it is expected to attract more than 39,000 annual visitors and contribute up to
$4.5 million in visitor spending to the region.
Read more here.

4. Cooloola Coast Ecotourism

An expansion on the Cooloola Great Walk is expected to lure thousands. Picture: Reuben Nutt
AN ECO-TOURISM proposal expanding on the Cooloola Great Walk is expected to attract
thousands of international and domestic travellers.
A Cooloola eco-trail will be built running from Noosa to Rainbow Beach, offering an "authentic
outdoor experience" away from Noosa's heavily-populated hot spots.
When Tourism Minister Kate Jones announced the project earlier this year, she said the idea was
to include eco-cabins and opportunity for people to sleep in national parks.
The project is set to create 80 new full-time jobs and 20 jobs during construction.
Once complete, the attraction will offer guided tourism walks and accommodation, with the
potential for Kabi Kabi representatives to host the walks and exchange historical stories with
visitors.
Read more here.

5. NightQuarter, Birtinya:

Award-winning street food, night market and entertainment destination NightQuarter is coming to
the Sunshine Coast in early 2020.
A DELICIOUS culture revolution is coming to Stockland Birtinya in the form of NightQuarter, an
"Eat Street-style" night markets.
The shipping-container urban playground was previously based on the Gold Coast, but will
become a place for the Sunshine Coast community to come together and share food, music and
experiences.
NightQuarter recently updated the community that after some initial construction delays they
were set to open "early 2020", and had been busy developing new precincts including a vintage
fairground wonderland, an "enchanted garden and new sustainability and inclusion initiatives".
The $6 million venture includes more than 200 vendors, six bars and a massive live-music venue
space with a capacity for 1500 people.
It is set to inject $20 million into the Coast economy each year.
Read more here.

6. Sunshine Coast international airport

Sunshine Coast Council provided an aerial update of the airport expansion project.
SUNSHINE Coast International Airport is expected to be fully operational May 2020, opening up
the region to a larger domestic and international market.
The major upgrade includes a 2450m long by 45m wide northwest/southeast runway capable of
servicing larger aircraft.
The airport expansion project is expected to benefit the region to the tune of 2230 new direct and
indirect full-time jobs by 2040, and contribute $4.1 billion to gross regional product (2020-
2014).
Of the 220 workers on site each day, about 200 are Sunshine Coast resident.
About $85 million has been injected into the Coast economy since the project started.
Read more here.

7. Maroochydore CBD:

An artist's impression of Foundation Place in the Maroochydore CBD.
PLENTY of above and below-ground growth is expected in the Maroochydore city centre
throughout 2020 with a number of significant builds set to begin.
Sunshine Coast firm Evans Long is on track to deliver the first commercial building, Foundation
Place, by September, offering space for up to 16 professional service tenants.
Works on the $59.8 million Sunshine Coast City Hall is scheduled to start mid-2020, with
council to occupy the landmark building by July 2022.
Underground, the Australian-first automated waste collection system is expected to be
operational to service the CBD's first buildings, and the international submarine cable is forecast
to land mid-2020.
Read more here.

8. Habitat's SOHO development
HABITAT Development Group is set to deliver the first residential development in the
Maroochydore City Centre.
The $83 million office and residential project will feature up to 152 units across two residential
towers standing 12 and 14-storeys high, and six small-home office (SOHO) townhouses.

The Habitat development will cover 4158sq m at the northern end of the 53ha site.
Read more here.

9. High-ropes course at the Sunshine Plaza

Next Level High Ropes Adventure Park shared a photo of the ropes course under construction
and due to open in 2020 at the Sunshine Plaza, Maroochydore.
SUNSHINE Plaza shoppers will reach new heights in coming months when the Next Level High
Ropes Adventure Park opens at the Maroochydore shopping hub.
The plaza's $440 million expansion brought the Plaza's retail count up to 345, including major
retailer David Jones.
The high-ropes course was expected to open before Christmas, but construction will continue
into the new year.
Next Level could not provide an exact opening date, but said they were working with the
manufacturer to complete the project.

The ropes course will feature seven levels and 148 aerial challenges, including 13 ziplines between
30 to 130m long.
See more here.

10. Aria resort in Mooloolaba:
THE Sunshine Coast's next five-star hotel will be in the heart of Mooloolaba after Aria Property
Group's $250 million project was given the green light.
Division councillor John Connolly said the final design is expected to be finished by early 2020,
with work on the block expected to begin in February 2021.
The hotel and integrated resort development at 1 The Esplanade, Mooloolaba, was ticked off in
September last year, paving the way for a 139-room hotel, 66 residential apartments, 1764sq m of
retail and restaurants, day spa, conference facilities and publicly accessible rooftop bar and
restaurant.
The project is forecast to create about 1000 direct and indirect jobs throughout construction, and
271 ongoing jobs once built.

11. Bruce Highway expansion:
THE Bruce Highway upgrade to six lanes between Caloundra Rd to the Sunshine Motorway is set
to be complete by late 2020, weather permitting.
It includes major upgrades to both interchanges and the delivery of a two-way service road for
local traffic on the western side of the highway, between Steve Irwin way and Tanawha Tourist
Dr.
The upgrade will deliver critical safety benefits to motorists, improve efficiency and reduce traffic
congestion, and ensure the highway can cater for future traffic growth.
The speed limit on the upgraded highway will be returned to 110km/h.
The $812.95 million project is funded on an 80:20 basis under the Infrastructure Investment
Program with the Australian Government contributing $650.36 million and the Queensland
Government contributing $162.59 million.

12. Nambour Heritage Tramway Project:

Nambour Heritage Tramway building under construction. Photo Patrick Woods / Sunshine Coast
Daily.
CONSTRUCTION on the Nambour Heritage Tramway terminus and information centre have
chugged along on Mill Street this year, and are on track to meet the May 2020 deadline.
The community-driven project faced an uncertain future earlier in the year after a multimillion-
dollar blowout.
But councillors ultimately voted to continue to support the project, which received a $1 million
donation from philanthropists, Roy and Nola Thompson.
Division councillor Greg Rogerson said he expects the first tram to run down Howard St to Aldi
by 2021.
Read more here.

13. $200 million Buderim retirement home:

An aerial view of the land that will become B by Halcyon.
DEVELOPER Halcyon has started to convert a "secret" parcel of Buderim land into a $200
million over-50s community.
Work on the 24ha Whites Rd site begun in December.
The lifestyle community will be a first for the Sunshine Coast suburb, featuring 225 low-density
homes with six hectares of lakes and private walking tracks.
Joint managing director Bevan Geissmann said weather permitting, the project's first homes are
expected to be completed in July 2020.
Read more here.

14. Kelly Slater's surf ranch:

Surfer Kelly Slater surfs a wave at the Surf Ranch during the Breitling Summit on September 25,
2019 in Lemoore, California. The surfing legend plans to build a surf ranch in Coolum. (Photo by
Jeff Gross/Getty Images for Breitling)
A COOLUM site 10 minutes from the Sunshine Coast Airport is the proposed site for Kelly
Slater's $1.1 billion surf ranch.
WSL Australia boss Andrew Stark said it would create 10,000 jobs and become a showpiece
venue for the 2032 Olympics if the state made a winning Games bid.
The big wave pool also comes with accommodation facilities, an eco-lodge and training facilities.
Read more here.

15. Village Park at Bokarina Beach:
THE Village Park at Bokarina Beach is set to be completed in February, and comprise of two
main areas designed to offer multifunctional space.
The Plaza is set to become a bustling community heartland for a host of local events, ranging
from family barbecues to potential for weekend farmers markets.
The Playspace will provide adventurous, inclusive play elements such as slides, swings and
climbing walls, as well as a lounge net hang out, all connected by a rope bridge.
Between the Plaza and Playground will be the Parkland, and expansive green and shaded space
suitable for picnics and social sports.
Read more here.

16. North Buderim Coles:

An artist's impression of the Coles anchored neighbourhood shopping centre at North Buderim.
THE North Buderim Shopping Centre with a flagship Coles store is taking shape and hard to miss
heading down the hill or driving along Maroochydore Road.
The controversial centre was approved in 2017 and work began in April 2018.
An opening date has not been released, but once operational the centre will house a full-line
supermarket, Liquorland and a further eight speciality tenancies plus 259 car parks.
The 4753sq m Coles is located on a 19,620sq m site at 141 Jones Rd, North Buderim.

17. Nambour General Hospital upgrades:
THE Nambour Hospital's staged, $86 million redevelopment will continue to deliver improved
services throughout 2020.
The upgraded hospital is expected to be fully operational by late 2022, with expanded capacity
and improved clinical areas.
The upgrades include an extra 44 mental health inpatient beds, low-acuity surgery services, high-
quality increased-capacity emergency care, and upgraded rehabilitation, medical treatment,
cancer care and day-unit therapies.
Same-day medical rehabilitation will be increased, medical and surgical wards will be upgraded,
new medical-imaging equipment introduced, and an acute and restorative care unit will be
created.

18 . Sekisui Resort:
A DECISION on Sekisui's future is expected in the new year following a three-week appeal which
attempts to overturn the project's approval.
The Yaroomba development proposes a five-star, seven-storey Westin hotel, more than 700
residential dwellings and a number of retail and restaurant offerings.
If approved, the Japanese developer intends to deliver the project in stages over nine years.

19. Sunshine Hospice:

Sue Mason-Baker and Frank Lewins of the Sunshine Coast Hospice Charity check out the plans
for the new premises in Buderim.
COUNCILLORS are expected to decide on Sunshine Hospice's proposal to build a six-bed
palliative care facility on Ilkuka St, Buderim.
The application received 653 public submissions, both for and against the project.
Sunshine Hospice's managing director Sue Mason-Baker said there was not enough hospice beds
on the Sunshine Coast to meet current demand.
Division councillor Christian Dickson expected councillors would vote on recommendations
regarding the project at council's January ordinary meeting, to be held on January 30.

20. Hungry Jacks in Nambour:

Construction of Hungry Jacks will soon start in Nambour. Joe Cashman is pictured on site with a
Hungry Jacks burger.
EXCITEMENT is building for the new Hungry Jack's store in Nambour which is expected to
bring 50 jobs to the community.
The store, scheduled to open in 2020, will provide locals with its famous flame-grilled menu and
feature the Sunshine Coast's first Jack's Café.
Earthworks have begun in recent weeks at the site on the corner of Mill Lane and Bury St,
opposite the Coles shopping centre carpark.