The Sunshine Coast is experiencing a surge in residential developments like this one, called Peregian Springs, south of Noosa

The Sunshine Coast is experiencing a surge in residential developments like this one, called Peregian Springs, south of Noosa


There's much to like about the Sunshine Coast. The sunshine, obviously. Throw in the beaches and lush forests and it's easy to see why this part of Queensland is now a powerful magnet for new residents.

The Sunshine Coast Regional Council is planning for a 70 per cent population increase - about 180,000 people - by 2031. And that means more residential developments, like this one, above, south of Noosa. On the Sunshine Coast, where development is a red-hot issue, the debate now has the added dimension of climate change.

The predictions for this part of a warming world are similar to many other parts of the Queensland coast: overall perhaps a little drier, but more intense floods and storm surges. Professor Tim Smith, at the University of the Sunshine Coast, is arguing that new developments should be established away from floodplains and easily-eroded land.

Professor Tim Smith, Director of the University of the Sunshine Coast's Sustainability Research Centre

Professor Tim Smith, Director of the University of the Sunshine Coast's Sustainability Research Centre

''What we do know is there's a lot of development going on here," said Dr Smith, a sustainability expert with a background in private industry, state and local government.  "The coast is obviously a very desirable place to live. But a lot of development on this coast is on unconsolidated sediment. What that means is it is highly erodible in storm surge conditions and high wave conditions, and so on. There is a lot of development going on in flood plain areas."

Much of Dr Smith's work is on how the community should adapt to climate change.  In the Sunshine Coast community he has found that much of the population is located in dense settlements in vulnerable locations. He sees rising temperatures as not just an environment issue, but one mostly about community safety.

"We are not really factoring in all of these cumulative impacts: so we are just planning for something like sea level rise, in isolation from storm surge, and in isolation from a growing population," says Dr Smith, who is the director of the University's Sustainability Research Centre. What is needed, he says, is a more mainstream understanding of climate change and a commitment to adaptation from all tiers of government.