Residents on a quiet cul-de-sac in a central Sunshine Coast suburb are among those facing an uncertain future because of a proposed multibillion-dollar rail line.
Homeowners at Causeway Court at Mountain Creek recently received letters informing them that the Department of Transport and Main Roads was looking to acquire their properties.
It was a blow to the likes of Shaun Taylor and his family, who love where they live.
“When I first saw the letter, I thought it was a speeding ticket,” he said.
“When I looked at it more closely, my heart fell. I felt fear and shock.”
The proposed $12 billion 37.8km Direct Sunshine Coast Rail Line is expected to run from Beerwah to Maroochydore.
But it’s set to impact several homeowners.
A TMR spokesperson said property acquisitions were “necessary” and the department was doing what it could to minimise impacts and was “approaching each case with compassion”.
They also said the project would deliver enormous benefits to the region.
Mr Taylor said about 10 residents in his street recently received letters from TMR.
He said he was frustrated because there was no guarantee the line will even be built there.
“Construction hasn’t been approved, there is no funding, and there is no deadline or dates,” he said.
“So, how can they tell me they want my house?
“Come to me when it (the project) has been approved.”
A $5 billion 19km stretch of the line, from Beerwah to Caloundra, is fully funded by state and federal governments, and is set to be delivered by 2032.
But it’s unknown how the remainder of the line would be delivered and when it could be built.
Mr Taylor said he emerged from a meeting with TMR under the impression his home would be acquired and he had “no leg to stand on”.
“How can they kick people out of houses when there’s a housing crisis?” he said.
He said his property would be “put on a list at the end of the year”.
“Everyone can see that TMR is interested in it and are going to acquire it. But they don’t know when they will acquire it,” he said.
Mr Taylor said he and his family were in limbo.
“I don’t know what to do. Where do we go?”
“We planned this perfectly. We designed and built the house here, and the kids love it.
“They go to Brightwater school and they’ve got their friends, and now all of a sudden we don’t even know if we’re able to stay here.”
Mr Taylor, his wife, and daughters, aged 4 and 3, moved into Causeway Court seven years ago.
He is originally from South Africa.
“The country I came from, at least you knew they were coming,” he said.
“If someone wanted your land, they chased you off with guns and knives.
“But here, they’re sitting behind pen and paper.”
Mr Taylor said the timing was particularly bad for some neighbours.
“The guys on the corner just purchased their home for $1.725 million, and the guy across the road just bought his place and has painted it and put security cameras on it, and he has only been there a couple of weeks and gets banged with the letter.”
He said TMR had not presented them with an offer because the project was not yet approved.
But homeowners can apply for early acquisition.
“It’s almost as if they’re putting you under pressure to say, ‘just buy the house from me’,” he said.
Mr Taylor said the proposed line would also impact nearby residents, whose homes would not be acquired.
“They are going to have this thing right out their bedroom window,” he said.
“Their property values are going to tank. Nobody is going to want to buy properties around here.”
A spokesperson for TMR confirmed the department was talking to people who could be affected by the planned line.
“The project team has started engaging with property owners about potential impacts in order to protect the revised corridor between Beerwah and Maroochydore,” the spokesperson said.
“Property acquisitions are a sensitive but necessary part of building new infrastructure.
“TMR is approaching each case with compassion and to ensure property owners are well-informed of the project and TMR’s acquisition process.
“As the corridor has been generally protected since 2001, TMR has purchased property over the years, at the request of impacted property owners under TMR’s Early Acquisition Policy, which has minimised future property requirements.”
Scores of property owners have faced acquisitions for mass transit projects in the region, including direct rail and the essentially abandoned Mooloolah River Interchange Upgrade.
There are streets near Causeway Court that also appear to be within or close to the corridor. Sunshine Coast News asked TMR how many homes had been acquired for direct rail and how many were expected to be acquired. SCN also asked for specifics about Causeway Court.
TMR did not provide a direct response.
But it did provide information about the rail corridor, revised last year, and said total impacts to properties would not be known until a detailed design is done.
“The refinements will help to minimise environmental, cultural heritage and social impacts, as well as minimising operational noise, visual amenity impacts and flooding impacts and to meet rail technical standards to deliver a modern, higher speed rail corridor,” they said.
“The proposed corridor refinements were introduced in November and include changes to the alignment at Maroochydore, Buderim-Mooloolaba Interchange, Mooloolah River Crossing (Parrearra to Mountain Creek), Birtinya, Little Mountain, Pelican Waters, Beerwah East and Beerwah.
“No property acquisitions have occurred since the corridor has been refined.”
The changes essentially pave the way for a wider route.
“The existing corridor included provision of a single-track rail line, designated to rail standards in 2001,” they said. “Rail planning and policies have changed since 2001.
“The refined corridor is based on a dual-track configuration to provide reliable, faster and more frequent services that meet the increased population and demand.
“An additional track does require some widening of the rail corridor to ensure safe rail operations and maintenance.
“The design that has been developed for the business case aims to minimise property impacts wherever possible, with rail designed on structure along much of the alignment, to minimise overall corridor width and resulting community and environmental impacts.
“Total property impacts will not be known until the detailed design is completed and a thorough constructability review is undertaken by the contractor selected to construct the rail line.
“Procurement activities are anticipated to be undertaken in 2025 to select preferred contractors for Stage 1 works.”
The spokesperson said the line would not be built in its entirety for some time.
“Delivery of rail between Beerwah and Maroochydore is anticipated to take a decade or more, even when working across multiple work fronts at the same time,” they said.
“Due to the length of the corridor, and the time that it is likely to take to construct this line, the business case recommends progressive delivery of this project.”
But they said direct rail would be a game-changer for the greater region.
“Delivering more public transport solutions across South-East Queensland will facilitate greater access to employment, education, social services and recreational opportunities for everyone,” they said.
“It will also drive local economic growth, ensuring the Sunshine Coast remains an attractive place to live, work and visit.
“Construction of future stages of the Direct Sunshine Coast Rail Line will be dependent on funding and whole of region transport priorities.”
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.
