Sandy Zubrinich Chair, Sunshine Coast Business Council
Local infrastructure is the backbone of all regions and their communities, including our own. Inadequate investment constrains both social and economic activity.
The Sunshine Coast needs modern transport, health, education and tourism infrastructure to suit a diversifying and growing economy. We cannot allow our region to continue to be left behind in terms of government and private sector investment.
We need to make well informed, well considered and well intentioned decisions on behalf of our communities and particularly, our youth.
Last night the Sunshine Coast Council hosted a public meeting regarding the expansion of the Sunshine Coast Airport. The speakers provided a comprehensive overview of the project and the positive impact it would have on the region, including a projected injection of $4.1 billion into the local economy.
This supports why the new runway was identified in the Sunshine Coast Regional Economic Development Strategy 2013 – 2033 as an essential piece of infrastructure to underpin the future prosperity of this region.
We acknowledge that the Sunshine Coast Business Council’s role is to serve as a business and economic advocate which requires us to be mindful of the interlinking social and environment factors.
To this end we recently conducted a series of think-tank sessions which included interest groups such as the Sunshine Coast Environment Council (SCEC) and Development Watch (OSCAR were invited), industry groups such as the Property Council, UDIA and SCDL and Noosa and Sunshine Coast councilors, council officers, academics and others.
These think-tanks explored how we could work together to create a strong foundation for our growing and diversifying economy through balancing good development and good environmental management.
While local residents opposed to the new runway jeered and heckled the speakers at last night’s public meeting it was encouraging to hear that the Sunshine Coast Environment Council (SCEC) would not oppose the new runway on environmental grounds.
This is a great example of how informed discussion and cooperation can go a long way to getting agreement on contentious subjects — or at the very least, a better understanding of the combined issues so that effort can be directed to resolving the differences rather than battling it out in a public forum.
I understand that for the residents living in the new flight path, there is no quick-fix. This runway has been on the cards for decades and unfortunately for them, the projected growth on the Sunshine Coast and increasing appetite for domestic and international flights has finally brought the plan to fruition.
I too have lived on a flight path in the Adelaide CBD. I bought my home knowing that it was directly under a flight path and that the airport would only get busier over time, much as these residents would have known. I made a choice about where I wanted to live and never regretted that choice.
I hope that the issues concerning our community on the airport redevelopment can be resolved through sensible and informed discussion, however anticipate that ultimately a decision will need to be made for the benefit of the regional community as a whole and what the project will deliver for the generations that follow.