Do you have an opinion to share? Submit a Letter to the Editor at Sunshine Coast News via news@sunshinecoastnews.com.au. You must include your name and suburb for accountability, credibility and transparency. Preference will be give to letters of 100 words or less.
- Read the story: Bigger, better but have new ferries produced the desired result?
A bridge would solve this. A grant of North Shore land to a developer on condition they build a bridge might facilitate this.
Tom, Noosaville
I must disagree. We have lived on Moorindil Street, north of Cobham Street, for 19 years and have noticed a definite improvement in traffic flows since the new ferries started operating.
Since July, cars have queued past our place only two or three times, and even then the queue back up Moorindil Street was not as long as it used to be.
This traffic has never really been an inconvenience to us. Only once in 19 years have we had to park the car and walk a short distance home. Emergency vehicles can still travel along the southbound lane of Moorindil Street.
If the afternoon wait to return at peak time is 90 minutes, then this too is an improvement, because it used to take up to two hours.
I do not think Noosa ratepayers should be paying for upgrades to make the trip across the river any more convenient for four-wheel-drives that mostly come from outside of Noosa. These travellers should be well aware of the issues they face and make their choices accordingly.
Janet, Tewantin
- Read the story: Mayor frustrated by 11th-hour move on multi-storey projects
The state government is not creating affordable homes. It is pure greed by the developers to destroy Noosa. One- and two-bedroom units are not homes. They will be turned into B&Bs in the middle of the Noosa hub.
No to high-rise, we don’t want it. No Gold Coast here.
It will open the door for more high-rise development by greedy developers. Have a thought for the people that live here. The Civic centre is where the development should be, it doesn’t have the impact on Noosa like Noosa Junction will.
Raymond Giddins, Noosa Heads
- Read the story: New parking meters take business operators by surprise
Why are people parking in these areas? Because they either work, eat, or shop nearby.
Meters and fines just make people angry and not want to go into inner-city areas. Get rid of meters altogether and provide plenty of free or low-cost all-day parking.
Jeff, Delaneys Creek
Why is Caloundra the only place that has the privilege of parking meters?
I live at Aroona and have always wondered why the council has chosen Bulcock Street and not the rest of the Sunshine Coast, and spread the pain to all those people who love to visit.
I lived in Dalby for 55 years and now the Western Downs Council has removed all the meters from the street after 50 years because it was hindering trade. My brother at Hervey Bay told me the golf club was going downhill so to fix the problem they put the fees up and stuffed it up completely. So good luck.
Jim Leahy, Aroona
I avoid going into town because of the paid parking. It’s not the cost as much as the inconvenience. When I can go to Stockland for free, why bother going to the main street?
I really feel for the shop owners: they have to be losing business due to this.
Andy Taylor, Moffat Beach
- Read the story: Contractor appointed to billion-dollar rail project
It is great to read that work is expected to start next year on rail upgrades.
I read that road crossing are part of these upgrades, but no mention of which crossings. Landsborough is the obvious prime site to get an overpass/underpass. The current situation with a level crossing should have been rectified years ago – this crossing is a frustrating joke to locals.
Steve S, Landsborough
- Read the story: Van life wears thin with locals tired of campground views
How come all these van and campervan owners choose to park/live in their vehicles on prime position car parks?
I’d like to live there as well, in prime areas with spectacular views, and all the facilities for free. I just have to stay where I am and pay my rates, looking at my next-door neighbour’s wall.
Council doesn’t allow me to live here where I am for free. Why don’t these people choose to live out in the country? I’m sure there are heaps of parking spaces/areas available where they could go and not worry anyone.
Rudy Formigoni, Marcoola
- Read the story: Wheels in motion for key road to master-planned community
How about fixing the already-congested roads?
The Sunshine Motorway from Sippy Downs to Mooloolaba is just a parking lot 90 per cent of the time and the Coolum roundabout on the motorway is the same.
Both of these had their funding withdrawn. These should both be priority projects.
Scott Burnip, Sippy Downs
This is a nonsense road. Caloundra Road is already ridiculously congested and this would exacerbate the congestion.
Surely it would be better to build a road, say, from Palmview primary school linking to Kawana Way and on to Nicklin Way?
Mark Knight
Surely, they can’t be serious. Another road feeding traffic onto Caloundra Road.
These developers should be held to task over their lack of planning before the developments go ahead. More forethought into infrastructure should be a priority before dropping thousands more people and vehicles into an area with low accessibility and exits. The council should be demanding better infrastructure planning before approving these large communities.
Bob Mullin, Caloundra West
- Read the story: Behind-the-scenes access to Coast’s best buildings
The weekly “From the Mayor” column in the My Weekly Preview magazine usually brings us readers/residents somewhat up to speed as to what the mayor and council has been up to, so forgive me when I was surprised by what I read in the mayor’s column in Issue 826 on September 21. The mayor raised nothing about any of her or the council’s actions for the betterment of our communities. Instead Mayor Rosanna found it more important to push the Sunshine Coast Open House, which I believe has both a non-commercial and a commercial element to it.
I am sure that this event is an interesting one for the Sunshine Coast region, and that the event has local followers. However, this said, the mayor hawking such an event that includes commercial interests (e.g. paid ticket entrance) surely lands in the domain of our media reporters and advertisers, and is not for the mayor to push. If the Sunshine Coast Open House events had all been free admission then it would not have been an issue for me but, as mentioned, commercial enterprise was also involved. Let commercial enterprises push their own marketing and not involve our elected representatives as their voice piece.
The mayor’s column should remain a weekly avenue of accountability from the mayor, on behalf of the council, highlighting recent council activities and decisions which are, or will be, of great benefit to all residents and communities on the Sunshine Coast.
Phillip Adamson, Maroochydore
- Read the story: Emergency department jolted by e-scooter related injuries
Last Wednesday I got off the bus at Kowonga Street, Pacific Paradise, and was knocked over by a young lad speeding through on his bike or scooter. The impact was horrific and after a few seconds I was surrounded by passengers from the bus who were going to call an ambulance. It was my decision not to get the ambulance as I realise the state of the hospital emergency. Two doctors from CareFlight happened to be passing and stopped. They checked me out and took me home.
I was awfully shaken with cuts, abrasions and bruises, and every bone of my body was sore, not to mention the shock, which is having a lasting impact. The young lad was extremely apologetic.
This is a shout-out to our young people to please be more careful on footpaths.
Barb Holden
- Read the story: Monopoly Sunshine Coast edition set to launch
How could the most prized asset for a proposed Monopoly game for our region be the Big Pineapple?
Come on, I can think of so many better landmarks that are up and running – Sea Life, Mooloolaba Wharf, the Ginger Factory, Sunshine Plaza, Eumundi Markets, Matso’s Brewery and iconic Hastings Street, Noosa Marina and Noosa River at Gympie Terrace, Kings Beach – wow, it would be great for our tourism.
Richard Locke, Eumundi
- Read the story: Green light for $270m precinct and 900 homes
The land for the latest housing proposal south of Aura was freehold land and was until recently a pine plantation, so it has little wildlife preservation potential because no native forest has been cleared to make way for this housing.
For someone to complain about habitat destruction, may I remind them that the house they live in was once under native forest. Are they saying that no one should in future have the same privilege?
Alan Ward, Buderim
I have a few queries. Will the eyesore from the Bruce Highway, with the roofs and lack of greenery, be covered from view? What impact will this have on the Passage with 6000 new homes, all with stormwater and sewerage? Then there’s the boats and fishing.
What impact will this have on the traffic (which is already chaotic and has never been built or planned to sustain future development)? What impact will this have on jobs? Where are these people going to work? What impact will this have on healthcare? Will there be another hospital or is SCUH just going to handle the influx of local residents? What impact will this have on the council, which is already pathetic with the residents it has, but it’s OK to add another 6000 houses? What impact will this have on the rubbish: where’s the waste ending up?
What impact will this have on parking and road width (packing houses and residents like sardines)? Forgetting that it’s not just traditional families with two cars, some houses can have up to five cars then have visitors as well. Ample parking should be a necessity as relying on governments to build trams or trains is ridiculous. It’s a massive impingement on lifestyle with daily issues such as this.
Chartruse, Beerwah
- Senior leaders commended
The recipients of the 2024 Sunshine Coast Senior Leadership Awards are inspirational.
They may have retired from their work career but not from working for their community. Their leadership is devoted to young and old facing shared challenges. The awards recognise their contributions to our community wellbeing.
Among the recipients, Roy and Nola Thompson have bolstered education and mental and physical healthcare with their generous philanthropic contributions. Senior activist Colin Maddocks has enhanced community attitudes toward ageing. Regina Ryan and artist Uncle Allan Parsons are respected Indigenous elders who have been inspirational in helping their people and the wider community address heritage, mental health and disability challenges while promoting Indigenous rights. Margaret Thompson is a stalwart in supporting carers and people experiencing loneliness and grief. Judith Richards has transformed the lives of thousands of people across generations by helping them recover from trauma and regain their well-being.
Our senior leaders exemplify the humility and insights that arise from age and the wisdom gained from hard-won experience. Mayor Rosanna Natoli commended the leaders and seniors on the Sunshine Coast for laying the groundwork for what the region has become and the foundation for our future.
I believe she is sincere in committing to helping seniors thrive on the Sunshine Coast for their own benefit and the community to which they continue to contribute, especially through volunteering.
Garry Reynolds, Peregian Springs
- Dog off-leash area needed
The Sunshine Coast Council has recently introduced a $806 fine for having a dog off its lead in the Shelly Beach, Moffat Beach and Dicky Beach area and beyond.
The council will say this is for safety but none of the dogs I have seen in this district are other than placid retirees’ pets.
If this fine is to be enforced the area needs a dog off-lead park as compensation so the animals, and owners, can socialise. There is ample room at the end of William Street or at the southern end of Shelly Beach Park for such a facility.
David Howell, Shelly Beach
Do you have an opinion to share? Submit a Letter to the Editor at Sunshine Coast News via news@sunshinecoastnews.com.au. You must include your name and suburb for accountability, credibility and transparency. Preference will be give to letters of 100 words or less.
