Fresh roadmap for our strong communities
These actions will help our region become more welcoming, caring and vibrant, with priorities set by our communities.
The Sunshine Coast has a renewed blueprint for creating a region where together we thrive as a welcoming, caring and vibrant community.
Our refreshed Sunshine Coast Community Strategy 2019-2041 and integrated Council Action Plan 2024-2029 is the culmination of extensive consultation and thousands of responses from community members, groups and stakeholders.
Community members identified significant priorities for the Sunshine Coast, such as housing affordability, cost of living, responding to homelessness, ongoing access to community facilities and public spaces, needed improvements to connectivity and transport, and the importance of community connection and inclusion.
Sunshine Coast Council endorsed the new strategy and action plan at its October 24 Ordinary Meeting.
About the Community Strategy
The strategy seeks to build strong communities that are healthy and active; vibrant; inclusive; connected and resilient; and creative and innovative.
It updates the existing 2019 strategy and presents a new action plan for the next five years.
It is one of Council’s three regional strategies, alongside the Regional Economic Development Strategy and the Environment and Liveability Strategy.
Partnerships and community input vital
Strong Community Portfolio Councillor David Law said Council involved both key groups and the wider community when developing and refining the refreshed strategy.
“We received more than 2000 responses across three stages of engagement with our communities, and I thank every one of you for your ideas and feedback,” Cr Law said.
“As we work towards delivering a strong community for our region, it must be our communities that define what that means to them and how we get there.
“Our region has seen significant change in the five years since the previous strategy was endorsed, so this strategy affirms our communities’ changing priorities while setting our new action plan for the coming five years.”
Fellow Strong Community Portfolio Councillor Taylor Bunnag said partnerships with community groups and other stakeholders continued to be invaluable and essential.
“We can’t achieve these outcomes alone,” Cr Bunnag said.
“Our community groups, sector groups, local businesses and more all help underpin communities.
“Even for individual residents, checking in on your neighbour, getting involved at a local event, or hosting a neighbourhood barbecue are all contributing to stronger communities in our Sunshine Coast Biosphere.”
The refreshed Sunshine Coast Community Strategy 2019-2041 is available on Council’s website, including an accessible text-only version and Easy English version.