Priority projects for the Sunshine Coast
Sunshine Coast Council is supporting and nurturing sustainable growth through its Regional Economic Development Strategy.
As the Sunshine Coast looks towards its role a Co-Host City for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Council has outlined a range of new initiatives that need action soon to ensure the region is ready, set, go!
Priorities include more efficient, accessible and reliable public transport, easing traffic congestion, social housing support and investment in innovation are some of the Council’s current core commitments.
For business, this includes a range of innovative strategies to increase the number of businesses operating within high-value industries.
Sunshine Coast Council plans to leverage and build on key milestones such as:
- $2.5 billion investment into Australia’s largest greenfield CBD project at Maroochydore
- Unveiling of the region's new City Hall in 2022
- The recent opening of the CBD’s newest residential building: The Corso
- Construction well underway in the CBD for the $100 million private hospital and Walker Corporation’s 15-storey premium grade commercial office building, 50 First Avenue
TURBINE
Delivering TURBINE – Queensland’s collaborative food and beverage manufacturing precinct
TURBINE is a $134 million project to build Australia’s first collaborative food and beverage manufacturing, education, and innovation centre.
When complete, TURBINE will be Australia’s first purpose built, end-to-end food and beverage manufacturing and education precinct. It will unlock growth, accelerate innovation, and create a national blueprint for collaborative manufacturing.
TURBINE will be a state-of-the-art facility that will:
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- Enhance local expertise and build economic resilience
- Assist businesses to scale – from product ideation through to export
- Provide valuable tools and resources to tenants and producers
- Encourage a collaborative business ecosystem
- Create 400 jobs during construction and 150 ongoing positions
- Increase business capabilities.
In 2021 a KPMG report found that TURBINE project partners are projected to generate $250 million in revenue benefiting local industries and boosting the economy by $2 billion over the next 10 years.
TURBINE is a much needed and key piece of infrastructure for the growth and sustainability of our food and beverage industry on the Sunshine Coast and within Queensland.
Unlocking growth
Lyndon Scrooby, from Turbine Sunshine Coast, explains how the TURBINE precinct will benefit the region.
Advanced Manufacturing
Commercialisation Demonstrator Hub
The Sunshine Coast region has growing capabilities in the advanced manufacturing sector that have the potential to redefine the region and create an enduring economic legacy, particularly in relation to the aviation sector and autonomous vehicles.
The region’s manufacturing sector is already home to more than 1400 businesses with total sales in excess of $3.5 billion (economy.id.com.au). With the appropriate support, the Sunshine Coast can further establish a strong, international presence in advanced manufacturing with high-end products being exported across the world. To capitalise on this opportunity, a commitment is sought from the Queensland Government to work in partnership with the Manufacturing Excellence Forum to establish a dedicated advanced manufacturing commercialisation demonstrator hub.
The hub will be dedicated to accelerating the commercialisation of manufactured products at high volumes and will build upon the highly successful electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle (eVTOL) student team being run by Manufacturing Excellence Forum Sunshine Coast in partnership with the University of the Sunshine Coast.
Currently, the Sunshine Coast does not have a State-funded manufacturing hub like those in six regions across Queensland (Cairns, Gladstone, Mackay, Rockhampton, Townsville and Gold Coast) and is therefore not able to fully capitalise on the region’s economic potential.
Pushing boundaries
Tim Kelly, from the Sunshine Coast Manufacturing Excellence Forum (MEF), explains how a dedicated advanced manufacturing commercialisation demonstrator hub will benefit the region.
NEO
Delivering NEO – the national centre for immersive reality
NEO will be an immersive reality digital creative precinct that will feature world leading technology and companies at the forefront of XR and Generative AI. As a cutting-edge facility, NEO integrates commercial entities, students and researchers in collaboration, to position Australia as a global leader in next-generation augmented entertainment experiences.
NEO will offer creative industry students unparalleled opportunities to learn and secure pathways into future-oriented jobs, working on some of the most exciting projects worldwide.
The Sunshine Coast Regional Economic Development Strategy has stabilised pathways for the digital economy to grow, highlighted by a high speed, high-capacity submarine internet cable directly connected to key business precincts including the University of the Sunshine Coast. NEO has the essential bandwidth to become a world-leading hub for innovation in the digital immersive entertainment space.
NEO exemplifies the leading policy objectives and ambition of the government, by redefining entertainment and leading the world in the next revolution in technology-enabled experiences.
Future of tech
Listen to Gavin Keeley, experienced technologist and business leader, explain more about this exciting project.
Sunshine Coast Innovation Network
Development of the regions innovation ecosystem
The Sunshine Coast region is one of Australia’s fastest growing regions. The $2.5 billion investment in the new Maroochydore City Centre will cement the Sunshine Coast as one of Australia’s most advanced economies, transforming the region into a highly connected, vibrant hub of commercial and cultural activity anchored by technology and innovation. The 50 First Avenue tower, spanning 15 levels of premium A-grade office space, is under construction and will be the first commercial tower to be delivered as part of the Maroochydore City Centre project.
The Sunshine Coast International Broadband Network and establishment of the SC1 Edge Data Centre by NEXTDC, provide unprecedented digital connectivity and a unique asset for future economic growth. The construction of the new Sunshine Coast Airport international runway has further connected our people and products to the rest of the world.
The Sunshine Coast has earned recognition as one of the world’s Top 7 Intelligent Communities for the fourth time in five years, a testament to our unwavering commitment to digital innovation, workforce development, sustainability and business investment.
In 2023, Sunshine Coast Council brought industry together to discuss the development of the region’s innovation ecosystem with the objective of identifying ecosystem gaps and growth opportunities.
Innovation places are recognised around the world as engines of a modern economy, instigating sustainable (and equitable) economic growth and job creation – where business, industry and researchers work together to bring new ideas to life and commercialise them. This leads to home-grown technologies with real-life application and commercialisation prospects.
The establishment of a centralised innovation hub at Maroochydore will release the potential of the existing Sunshine Coast innovation network to bring together the region’s knowledge, investment and talent with a strong focus on the green, digital and knowledge economies.
Innovation outcomes will be further complemented by an upgraded innovation centre at the University of the Sunshine Coast, enhancing industry-led digital and future skills development providing an exceptional regional platform for students, research, business leaders, entrepreneurs and investors.
Combined, the Sunshine Coast innovation hub, an upgraded University Innovation Centre, the Commercialisation Hub and TURBINE will create an exponential growth network befitting one of Australia’s fastest growing regions.
Growth network
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Global and Engagement) of the University of the Sunshine Coast, Alex Elibank Murray, explains the importance of the Sunshine Coast Innovation Network.
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