Comments from Sunshine Coast Business Council Chair, Sandy Zubrinich

In mid-2015 the Sunshine Coast Business Council (SCBC) announced it was going to hold a number of think tank sessions to address the ongoing struggle the region faces in balancing development and growth with the protection of our environmental assets.

While the decision to host these sessions was met initially with some scepticism, SCBC was able to bring together some of the Coast’s most influential stakeholders to contribute to the discussion, including academics, special interest groups, representatives from the development industry and Noosa and Sunshine Coast councils . The brief was clear: no topic was off limit and our focus was on looking to the future and determining how we could collectively improve the quality of development, build a thriving and forward-thinking economy and protect our treasured environment.

After much insightful discussion, I’m pleased to advise we came away with four sound outcomes and a commitment from all parties to meet the challenges set.

Firstly, there was agreement between the special interest groups and the development industry representatives in attendance to continue regular dialogue to better understand each other’s point of view.

Secondly, it was agreed to continue the current research and reporting practices surrounding the set of 20 sustainability indicators chosen to provide a broad-based view of the region’s health across a number of areas such as biodiversity, renewable energy, health, transport, food, waste and economic diversity. The sustainability indicator report was originally commissioned by the Sunshine Coast Council in response to the 2012 Community Plan and was undertaken by the Sustainability Research Centre (SRC) of the University of the Sunshine Coast. We are grateful that both Sunshine Coast and Noosa councils have indicated their willingness to continue to sponsor the report, with the next update planned for release by the end of March 2016.

We understand there was strong community support for this research in 2012 and we are confident the community will continue to recognise its value moving forward.

Thirdly, I am delighted that the Property Council of Australia (Queensland Division) has agreed to take a leadership role in promoting the broader use of rating tools in the development industry, particularly for community developments. These rating tools have been in use around Australia for over 10 years and have been instrumental in encouraging developers to improve building sustainability and engage with local communities. There has been a recent example of where these rating tools have been used by Stockland, receiving a 6-Star rating for their Caloundra South development. Lend Lease also received the same star rating for one of its developments in Western Australia. Both are community developments and both companies are big investors on the Sunshine Coast.

The Property Council of Australia will now engage with key regional and national stakeholders such as government and councils, rating agencies, PCA members, industry and interest groups to plan a way forward. This will include understanding the benefits and impediments of using rating tools for both the community and the developer and may require changes to council development application processes. This was a big achievement by the think tank group and while we expect there will be challenges along the way, it is encouraging to see such a willingness by these groups to drive this initiative.

Finally, the think tank acknowledged the importance of the Sunshine Coast Regional Transport Plan in terms of regional growth and safety for the community. It recommended that the Sunshine Coast and Noosa councils seek bipartisan support for funding and delivery timeframes at both a state and federal level. At this stage it is still a plan without real commitment and we need to change that.

To ensure these outcomes progress, timeframes for next steps have been identified and responsibilities have been agreed. I am confident that with support from all parties, we will continue to make significant progress over the coming 12 months.

Regardless of what side of the debate we sit on, we are now in the same room thinking, talking, discussing and cooperating, which can only be good news for the region as a whole.