Sunshine Coast property market: Maroochydore development pipeline growing

A flood of development is looming for a fast-growing Sunshine Coast suburb with more than $200m worth of development and 500-plus units awaiting the green light this year.

An avalanche of development activity is waiting to be triggered in Maroochydore with hundreds of millions of dollars worth of unit projects launched in the first half of 2022.

The pipeline of projects is growing with Sunshine Coast Council approval being sought for more than 500 units in projects lodged with the council since January, as the ongoing market squeeze continues.

Cotton Tree Real Estate property specialist Ned Byrne said more people were considering buying a unit when downsizing their home.

“A lot of people are warming to the unit idea,” Mr Byrne said.

“The last couple of properties I’ve sold (buyers) have bought industrial sheds to store their belongings.

“It’s becoming that the old 800sq m house is not the norm anymore.”

Cotton Tree Real Estate Agent Ned Byrne Picture: Jason Dougherty

Mr Byrne said the Maroochydore and coastal CBD region was attracting people from across the country but the buyers market continued to change.

“It’s been busy for us, the last six months have been a little different because of the interest rates change,” he said.

“It’s a different market, that previous 12 months was southerners moving up here but now it’s that local entity who are buying because they are downsizing.

“But there’s so many people moving to the Coast so the supply that we need to accommodate the amount of people moving here is changing.

“Maroochydore and those coastal areas are becoming more acceptable (for units) because that’s the land they’re developing.”

Check out the list of unit projects in the Maroochydore pipeline:

12 AERODROME RD, MAROOCHYDORE: 24 units

Initially touted as a $17m, 40-unit apartment building back in 2019, the Saintsun Aerodrome Pty Ltd project in the gateway to Maroochydore is currently undergoing assessment after seeking tweaks to the approval.

Council documents reveal the developers are seeking to reduce the number of units in the building to 24 while a formerly approved basement level has been scrapped and retail tenancies shifted to level one.

2 KURAN ST, MAROOCHYDORE: 3 units

Plans were lodged in March, 2022 to transform an existing home site in prime location metres from the Maroochy River into a boutique three-unit development spanning four floors.

The proposal was designed to deliver expansive views of the river planned and elevated first floor parking.

Consultants for the applicant – Entertain Pty Ltd directed by Sunshine Coast local Barrie Woods – requested a 30-day pause on the process which was currently in the council decision phase.

29 RIDGE RD, MAROOCHYDORE: 3 units

The proponents – DDMR Investment Trust – will have until early-October to respond to a Sunshine Coast Council request for more information about their application, after an extension was granted by the council.

If approved the existing home site will make way for a trio of three-bedroom units delivered in two buildings spanning two storeys.

SUNRISE DR, MAROOCHYDORE: 128 units

Plans for the development at Sunrise Dr, Maroochydore.

Living Choice Australia is seeking to develop a four-storey, 128-unit complex on a vacant site within the Sunshine Cove precinct.

The major residential and aged care provision company’s application is currently undergoing assessment by Sunshine Coast Council planners and is subject to community feedback as an impact-assessable application.

21 BRADMAN AVE, MAROOCHYDORE: 8 units

Council planners have entered their decision-making phase for a proposal to turn an existing riverfront holiday home into a boutique eight-unit apartment building.

The proposed development is comprised of four storeys with two three-bedroom units on each level with a communal pool and barbecue area also included.

132 and 134-136 AERODROME RD, MAROOCHYDORE: 104 units

Plans have been lodged for a major new tower on the fringe of the Maroochydore CBD.

The proposal put forward by Capital 22 Pty Ltd – directed by Cameron Hall and James Gallagher – would replace two existing longstanding op shops.

The 13-storey building would have three floors of office spaces and five food and drink outlets on the ground floor.

Also proposed was a communal area with a pool on the fifth storey and a rooftop gym and outdoor area.

123-127 DUPORTH AVE, MAROOCHYDORE: 23 units

Existing homes and a four-unit complex are set to make way for a proposed 23-unit development in the heart of Maroochydore.

Plans submitted to the council in May, 2022, on behalf of Freeplay Investments Pty Ltd revealed the intent to spread the 23 units across three separate four-storey buildings with each unit to be three bedrooms.

2 MILLWELL RD, MAROOCHYDORE: 201 units

Plans were lodged in June, 2022 on behalf of Cleighton Clark’s Habitat Development Group for a 201 units – a mix of two, three and four-bedroom apartments across two eight-storey towers close to Cornmeal Creek and the Sunshine Plaza.

Retail space has also been included in the plans with 361sq m of office space proposed for two ground floor commercial or retail tenants as part of the $161m project.

21 WRIGHT ST, MAROOCHYDORE: 10 units

A proposal to replace an existing Maroochydore home with 10 two-storey units was lodged with the council in July, 2022.

The five-storey building proposed was able to be narrower given the two-storey unit plan, with one single-bedroom unit and nine two-bedroom units proposed.

The proposal was code assessable under the current planning scheme.

17 THE ESPLANADE AND 62 AND 64 MEMORIAL AVE, MAROOCHYDORE: 41 units

In late-July, 2022, Mosaic Property Group submitted its plans for a 41-unit development in a prime site in Maroochydore.

The 1821sq m site covers three existing homes which would make way for the project.

Two eight-storey buildings have been proposed with a mix of two and three-bedroom units proposed.

The ground floors included communal spaces, two pools and a gym, as part of the code-assessable application.