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- Read the story: Notable tree removed from roundabout
The beautiful heritage tree removed from the Traders Way roundabout is shocking. That whole complex (hotel, chemist, IGA, childcare) is part of a parcel of land, extending back to the next roundabout, that is owned by one person.
Locals do not go there much when it rains because the whole area floods and the roads are almost impassable. Council claims it has no say over what goes on in there and apparently has no power to insist that the owner of the property repair and keep the roads in good repair.
There are always big pot holes on that road and they do not repair them. It is a disgrace and very typical of the Sunshine Coast Council not to exercise some pressure on these people to keep the roads in good order with proper drainage and maintenance. For them to then allow the owners to rip out this beautiful big heritage tree is a disgrace.
Bob, Maroochydore
The access road is prone to flooding, blocking safe entry to medical and commercial properties. Why has it continually been poorly patched?
During the latest rain event access to the shopping hub, medical facilities, bottle shop and the hotel was totally covered in flood water.
The lack of safe entry has been an issue for a long time.
Mark Roden
Even if this tree was on the same property as the hotel, do you not have to have council permission to remove any trees?
Carrol White
It is past the time for any further words or comments on this topic.
For the past 25 years, there has been talk and promises made to Sunshine Coast residents that a rail service to Brisbane is needed. The recent announcements from the federal government to remove federal funding for this project is yet another slap in the face to the residents of the Sunshine Coast.
Talk from the government in Canberra is ‘cheap’. What is the point of all the talk between the various members of parliament, including our federal member Andrew Wallace and our state member Jarrod Bleijie. They can express displeasure but the fact remains Canberra couldn’t care less about these projects on the Sunshine Coast.
Our members of local government do have some tools at their disposal. One tool could well be to simply announce that the Sunshine Coast Council no longer wishes to participate in the 2032 Olympic Games. The Sunshine Coast mayor Rosanna Natoli may well have expressed her displeasure at the decision made by Catherine King. This displeasure does nothing to fix the Sunshine Coast rail project. Talk is cheap.
Simply put, stop the talk, forget supporting the 2032 Olympic Games. This should not be a threat, just a simple action. Yes, it could well be viewed as a selfish move by others outside of the Sunshine Coast, but too bad.
Peter Dare, Pelican Waters
It’s absolutely disgraceful for the federal Labor Government to have simply abandoned our Sunshine Coast region by removing us from its Infrastructure Priority List.
Public transport (particularly rail services) is our number one priority: it’s a no brainer.
Obviously, Anthony Albanese doesn’t think too highly of the voters on the Sunshine Coast. It is now the responsibility of the federal Coalition Opposition to step up to the mark and promise to deliver on Labor’s failure to fund our transport needs.
Perhaps the Sunshine Coast’s sitting federal LNP MPs could share their vision for our area (with the appropriate follow-up action) if the Coalition was to win the upcoming election?
Jeff Taylor, Currimundi
An announcement of seven priority national infrastructure development projects has been made.
Limited national capacity and resources meant choices had to be made from the previous list of 29 competing projects. Real-world circumstances have intruded. There isn’t the national construction capacity to plan and deliver more, and funding for projects is limited.
Existing local projects (e.g. rail to Caloundra) aren’t impacted as funding arrangements are in place for them. However, some local projects promised by MPs in the recent election aren’t on that list.
Perhaps we’ll now discover the value of candidates’ assurances made during the campaign. Or whether a bet on the Titans to win the NRL is a better bet than the LNP funding the rail extension to Maroochydore.
Andrew Moran, Battery Hill
- Read the story: Council approves plan to remediate landfill sites for units
The Noosa Council fulfilling social housing obligations by building it on a landfill site is so Noosa.
Bob Pavel, Caloundra
- Read the story: Surf club begins $2.4m reno, with more works planned
The Kawana Surf Club’s lifesaving arm is vital for locals and tourists.
Our beaches are beautiful but the surf can be treacherous. The club members and volunteers deserve upgraded facilities, as do beachgoers.
P. Clayton, Parrearra
- Read the story: Group pushes for more motorway lanes
We moved to the Sunshine Coast in 1998 and have regularly travelled the Sunshine Motorway from Noosa to Maroochydore ever since.
Over the past 25-plus years, we’ve witnessed a significant increase in traffic congestion and even witnessed fatal accidents on the stretch north of Maroochydore to Peregian.
The road has become nearly unusable and extremely dangerous. It’s disgraceful that it’s still referred to as a motorway and it’s a shame that the council and governments have allowed this situation to persist.
Carmelo Vella, Sunrise Beach
- Read the story: Houseboat owner says let river rights flow
They need a jetty to take on fuel and water, a tip point like a caravan park to dump toilet waste, and an industrial bin to take away the other waste.
Make it easy to get rid of waste from boats to keep waterways clean.
Noosa Council only like people who stay for three days in a flat. Houseboats should have a limit, and there should be boat and jet ski-free zones.
Michael Stewart, Bli Bli
- Read the story: Fire ants extend reach on Sunshine Coast
Invasive fire ants and Indian myna birds (not the native grey noisy myna) are here and not the responsibility of our regional council.
That is because the Queensland state government has kept them on the wrong side of the Biosecurity Act budget ledger.
Council does assist residents to capture the Indian myna birds, which wipe out our native species, but it appears only the federal government has a dedicated and active fire ant education program here.
P. Clayton, Parrearra
- Read the story: Early planning for new motorway nears completion
Why are we hearing about this pie in the sky solution to the Nicklin Way and Kawana Way traffic mayhem now?
We believe in an attempt to convince long-suffering residents that all will be okay if an 11-court indoor stadium attracting an additional 500 participants in and out every hour, adding to the already-traffic constrained Sunshine Coast Sports Precinct in Bokarina’s lack of accessibility, will be resolved by the construction of 5 kilometers of motorway.
Advocates are promoting $3.6 million initial planning funding, which will be much less than it requires to undertake the necessary environmental studies, nevertheless start detailed plans as validation for the indoor facility to be given the green light by the state government. In addition, the Kawana Motorway connection to the now shelved Mooloolah interchange at one end and the Kawana Way Link Road as it’s southern terminus means, if built, there will be bottlenecks at each end.
With no additional funding to progress this project nothing is going to happen in time to be of any help if the stadium goes ahead in the next three years.
Let’s deal with what is actually happening. If council bulldozes ahead with the Bokarina indoor stadium in conjunction with the 6000-seat capacity increase to the outdoor stadium, we will, at best, have the now in-doubt heavy rail Birtinya Station over 2 kilometers from the facility by 2032, and upgrades to the road network on hold indefinitely.
Let’s hope the state government accepts there are better options like the proposed Maroochydore Town Centre Olympic Event Centre complemented by upgrades to the Caloundra, Maroochydore and Noosa indoor sports stadiums for community sport and training in the lead-up to 2032 Games.
Shane Truscott
- Read the story: Bar caught up in RSL feud set to reopen
People power, common sense and empathy has prevailed over bullying and greed.
I’m a weekly customer and member who always participates in the raffles and other worthy charity programs operated at the Diggers Bar. Many old vets and their supporters will now have a happy smile back on their faces because of the reopening of this facility.
Cheers to all.
Mike Hancock, Noosa North Shore
- Read the story: Businessman fires up over power loss in face of price hike
If we elect woke, anti-business, clueless politicians, we should not be surprised when we find out they cannot even run a chook raffle, much less a power grid.
If they let the market supply power, cheap coal and gas would provide affordable energy to make things like solar panels. My sympathies lie with the businesses. Send the pollies some spoiled seafood.
Derek Newton, Toowoomba
All media should be relentless in giving it to both sides of politics over their refusal to deal with the gas cartels. It’s a major factor of inflation and we know what that’s doing.
All public companies should have a duty of care to the society they operate in. Without society there are no companies. The rich are getting richer.
Calvin Baker
- Read the story: Council keeps fluoride flowing after analysing risks and costs
The only issue we’re against is the ‘force feeding’ of fluoride.
Personally, we have tank water that we have ingested for 50 years or more, without a filter or chemical additions of any kind. At 77, we have all our teeth, which are in excellent condition and no other health issues.
Mike Hancock, Noosa North Shore
- Path required between estate and town
I live at Landsborough after moving in in 2019. The estate at the time was called Mellumbrook and was the first of three developments, all adjacent to each other.
There was no access out of the estate and into Landsborough in terms of walking/cycling paths at the time, however we thought this would eventually occur over time given its proximity to Landsborough and the other two developments to come.
We have lived here now for five years and sadly nothing has eventuated in terms of walking and cycling access out of the estate and into Landsborough. In that time, lots of families have come and gone and the estate now has a lot of children, elderly retirees and dog walkers.
Some children have to walk up/down Maleny Street down to Peace Park, where there is a bus stop for various schools in the area. Anyone who has walked from our estate to the bus stop will tell you it is extremely dangerous with no footpath of any description on either side of Maleny Street. This is the main road to Maleny and traffic on this road has grown immensely since we moved in. There is a huge amount of traffic from tourists and trucks supplying goods to a growing population, not to mention the local residents themselves.
If residents are just walking, as we do, the other option is to cross Maleny Street, which is even more dangerous.
I have been in communication with council regarding this for some time now, beginning with the previous division member Rick Baberowski and now with Jenny Broderick.
I have received the usual platitudes from all of council, culminating in them advising that the cost of $500,000 was too much and that they may consider the request in a future budget.
I have also noted to council that no provision for walking/riding paths was allowed for in any of the three developments here, as there should have been. I don’t believe there is a single estate in our region that doesn’t have ample paths for the residents. This a major failing of council planning and should be rectified.
Anyone walking along or crossing Maleny Street from our estate is taking their life in their hands. This is an accident waiting to happen and council is only interested in the cost and not the safety of its residents.
This is not just a request but a serious safety issue that needs to be dealt with.
Ole Harboe, Landsborough
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.
