Days of coasting are over
We need to master our hectic lifestyle
THE Gold and Sunshine coasts may be separated by almost 200km but it seems they share a similar problem.
It’s a case of same whinge, different city.
Visiting our northern cousin this week, it dawned on me that the smaller, sleepier coast could prove the perfect solution for our own residents seeking a refuge from the growing hustle and bustle of the Goldie.
As I walked the silent streets of Maroochydore on Sunday morning, I thought the non-existent ambience might be just the atmosphere our dissatisfied denizens seek.
No people, no noise, no life … it’s the epitome of bliss for some.
And it looks like there could be plenty of real estate available, because Sunshine Coast citizens are none too happy either.
It’s not that they want more energy injected into their city – in their opinion, it’s not sleepy enough.
Take this outraged letter to the editor, for example:
“Having been associated with the (Sunshine) Coast since the 1960s, I have seen the once-beautiful, lush, green, tropical paradise being obliterated by houses, highrises and humans,” wrote Petrina from Buderim.
“In addition, the traffic congestion, crowded shopping centres and noise have reduced the tranquillity that was our paradise.
“What will it look like in 2030 with a population of 440,000 removing any sign of green, open spaces and uncrowded beaches?
“So much for great Sunshine Coast ‘lifestyle’.”
Oh Petrina, how perfectly you would fit in on the Gold Coast. I mean, sure, you would loathe the actual environment – but you’d certainly quickly meet some like-minded people.
But what really blows my mind is that this whinge of too many buildings, too many people, too much noise has spread to the Sunshine Coast.
It’s not just that I literally cannot see how it applies to this sleepy town but how has it actually happened when they don’t have the same mayor as us?
See, according to the GC grumblers, everything that is wrong with our town is the fault of the City of Gold Coast and its representatives.
Yet here I am on the Sunshine Coast, reading the same complaints that I hear at home, yet apparently this town has its very own local government system – they even named it the Sunshine Coast Council.
So how has the same problem occurred, if on a smaller scale, in a city that is 150 minutes drive away?
Could this mean that perhaps our surging growth and subsequent development is not the result of an evil mastermind plotting dastardly plans for our city but a simple consequence of popularity?
Both the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast councils have struggled with this issue of booming growth and that’s not because they are incompetent but because it’s all happening so fast. In fact, the state government’s latest projected
“high growth” population figures show the Gold Coast will have 660,890 residents by the end of this year and reach 1,076,192 people by 2041.
But even before COVID, some forecasters predicted the one million mark could be reached as early as 2036 — and many now believe that will occur even sooner given strengthening interstate migration since the pandemic.
And, as Petrina pointed out, the Sunshine Coast is tipped to come close to the half-million mark by the turn of the next
decade. While this growth brings huge opportunities, it also presents enormous challenges … because change is hard.
It’s hard for our infrastructure and planning departments to handle it physically and it’s hard for our residents to deal with emotionally.
Petrina from Buderim, and so many thousands of others like her on both coasts, want to keep things the way things were, and that’s completely understandable.
But it’s also totally impossible. There is no door to lock to newcomers, the best we can do is to look at the factual figures of where we are headed and try to accommodate that growth the best we can without spoiling the very reasons we love our coastline.
There is no conspiracy to build out our beloved strip, nor to concrete over every last blade of grass.
But there is a real need to work together so that we can create the best solution for all residents – old and new.
And as for Petrina and her ilk, well, judging by what I’ve seen of the Sunshine Coast, there is still a whole lot to love – and I’m very much enjoying the lush, green paradise and uncrowded beaches.
Which just goes to show that while it’s OK to miss what used to be, if we focus too much on the past, we may not see the wonders of the present … nor the brilliance of the future.