The Sunshine Coast’s new urban heart
Ever wondered what city living will be like 20 years from now? Well, for those lucky enough to live on Queensland’s glorious Sunshine Coast, the future is about to meet the present.
Council-owned business Sun Central is transforming the former Horton Park Golf Course in Maroochydore into the Sunshine Coast’s new urban heart, creating the most technologically integrated CBD ever built in Australia. Working with a greenfield site means that the infrastructure for a large range of smart technology can be included in the development.
The concept of “30-minute cities”, where access to employment, education, health services and recreational facilities is within a half hour commute from home, was one of the driving forces behind planning for the new CBD and will be a reality for those who live and work in Maroochydore. The 53-hectare development will include commercial, retail, residential, civic and lifestyle precincts, with 40% of the site dedicated to open space and waterways. It will also include a transit plaza for public transport, including the much-anticipated light rail network.
Smart Technology for the future
So, what does “smart technology” actually look like and what difference will it make to our daily lives?
The foundation of this new technology is the high-speed, high-quality fibre optic network which will be built into the new city’s underground infrastructure.
SunCentral technology adviser Zach Johnson wants internet speeds of 10Gb-a-second to be the baseline for businesses and residents in the new CBD, while having the potential broadband undersea communications cable landing point within the region would connect the new city directly to the world.
“This will bring hundreds of millions of dollars of investment into the city centre because we know accessibility and connectivity mean time and money to business,” said Sun Central chief executive officer John Knaggs.
The conduit currently being laid throughout the CBD to accommodate a fibre optic network will house National Broadband Network and Telstra lines as well as having room for other providers to lay their own cable.
Although the Coast is not yet ready for its fibre cabling to be laid, it will have the advantage of a purpose-built network of pipes when it is.
“What we are hoping is that the project can provide a test bed for the sorts of innovative technology we are now seeing emerge,” said Mr Knaggs.
53 hectares in the heart of Maroochydore is being transformed into a Central Business District for the 21st Century.
The first of the new-age underground additions to the traditional infrastructure are sensors.
These sensors will tell the sprinklers when gardens need watering, tell the surface operators how everything is working, if the design life of a piece of infrastructure is nearing its end and provide messaging if public transport, taxis and ride sharing services are late or ahead of time. They can also monitor the low-energy LED public lighting or tell when bins in public spaces, residential and commercial properties are full. Sensors will activate the technology to empty the bins using a 6.5-kilometre underground pneumatic waste collection system.
“They will also collect atmospheric data, traffic data, pedestrian-counting, cycle-counting data, parking data – a range of things council can look at, evaluate and use to make decisions about the provision of services so people’s lives are continuously improving,” said Sun Central technology adviser Zach Johnson.
Imagine street lights that brighten as cars and pedestrian pass, or brighten and strobe if someone screams, or smart phone apps that tell you where the nearest parking space is.
The sensors and waste disposal pipes are already in the ground in the first third of the Maroochydore project.
Transport has not been overlooked, with the use of fast rail and autonomous vehicles incorporated into the planning. “Not just driverless cars,” said Mr Johnson, “a range of things – delivery vehicles, individual transport and mass transport vehicles as well as drones. A lot of that stuff is just dependent on those vehicles being aware of their environment and we’ve got… a very clearly defined, mapped out network of roads.”
He said sensors could be embedded into future buildings to allow for better communication between the environment and vehicles.
Apart from the enormous economic value to the region and a huge range of entertainment, cultural and residential options, what are the long-term benefits of the creation of this unique new CBD for the Sunshine Coast?
Maroochydore’s Bright City is set to transform the heart of the Sunshine Coast
Change is coming
From demographer, data scientist and social commentator, Mark McCrindle: “Change is afoot [on the Sunshine Coast] due to the attractive lifestyle offered here and to the increasing ability for technology to allow people to work in any location – more gen X families and gen Y young adults are moving here in search of a better work/life balance.
“People want to connect more locally. The walkable community is the one that will meet the needs of this next generation. Mind you, these diverse communities are also attracting downsizing baby-boomers. These new, thriving and activated communities can meet the needs of everyone.
“With a boost in gig-industries and entrepreneurial start-ups, more people can choose lifestyle over location.”
The Sunshine Coast is becoming increasingly known as a trailblazer in sustainable and cutting-edge ideas. Ben Simpson, regional manager at Sunshine Coast Stockland said, “There are real opportunities for the Coast to become a hub for major technology companies and innovation – a pioneer in autonomous vehicle technology, high speed trains, going off-grid as a region and potentially inventing and manufacturing new technologies. “
“The Coast’s enviable lifestyle and educated workforce make it an ideal location for emerging digital and smart industries to flourish,” said Bruce Harper, Queensland general manager of AVID Property Group.
“If the Coast can expand is ‘Smart City’ program and become a hub for emerging industries we will see the region’s job market grow exponentially, benefiting current and future residents.”
Although the project will take 20 years to complete, stage one of civil works is well underway, eight new city streets have already taken shape and we should see footpaths, cycleways, lighting, parks and landscaping come to life in the coming months, as well as the first commercial buildings.
The development will meld genuine, friendly, coastal culture with city sophistication – a place where the culture is friendly, warm and inclusive. This great lifestyle will be complemented by amenities that are pragmatic, progressive and functional, delivering the benefits of living in a city without having to live in the ‘city’.
If you’d like more information on Maroochydore infrastructure and what’s in store for this amazing region, download our free Maroochydore Region Report here.