MAJOR development has just been approved by The Sunshine Coast Council to drastically change the main street of Maleny (Maple Street).

You can view the development plan here:
https://haveyoursay.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/maleny-placemaking-and-streetscape-project

This is a call for urgent community action to oppose this development and preserve the charm, character and culture of our town.

This will turn Maleny into something that looks like Mooloolaba or South Bank in Brisbane. We cannot let this happen.

It is very clear that the true purpose of this development is to change Maleny into something which is more appealing to the ultra rich (now moving in) and tourists using our home as a holiday destination.

It aims to generate more tourism (which is already unsustainable) and further economic growth at the cost of everything that makes this area special.

The Sunshine Coast Council do NOT care about our community and they do NOT have our best interests at heart. Their sole interest lies is commercialisation and profit.

The scope of development includes:

• Raising all of the main street crossings (speed bumps)
• Completely changing the front of the Maleny IGA
• Completely changing the front of the Maleny Community Center / Peace of Green
• A huge overhaul to the top of Fig Street (near cooke park)
• Big changes to the front of the Marketplace (at the top of town)
• Removing a lot of street parking and replacing it with artificial looking garden beds, seating and bright white concrete

The result of this will turn Maleny into another shiny new commercial suburb of the Sunshine Coast. Imagine blinding white concrete, artificial looking garden beds with identical plants, etc - something completely soulless. This development will absolutely destroy the essense and charm of this town, changing it into something extremely commercial, artificial and generic.

Development is set to begin "mid 2025" which means we have very little time to stop this from happening. Please share and sign this petition and help to save our home from rampant gentrification.

Furthermore, most of the community are unaware that this is about to happen...

The Sunshine Coast Council have made very little effort to engage with the wider community in regards to this project. It has been deliberately kept quiet with less than 1% of the population having any input.

Phase one engagement had 198 surveys. Phase two had 182.

This level of community engagement is completely inadequate. This is not by any stretch gauging / collecting real community feedback. Not even a single letter, email or text message was sent to local residents asking for their input or informing them of this upcoming development.

We need to let The Sunshine Coast Council know that many of us do NOT want our town turned into something that looks like South Bank / Mooloolaba. We do NOT want further gentrification and we do NOT want our home turned into a commerical tourist trap.

This central space is important to our community. We have stories and memories of this place. Our local culture and history is worth protecting.

We do not have to proceed with this development. Nor do we have to push "forward" with ecenomic development (i.e. tourism and gentrification) at the cost of our home.

How many bed and breakfasts do we now have vs affordable housing? How many local families have been forced into homelessness in recent years / are living at the Maleny Showgrounds? How much has tourism pushed up the cost of basic essentials?

This is doing nothing to address the actual issues this community has such as; almost no affordable housing, homelessness, locals being forced out as countless rentals are sold for millions of dollars, very few activites for youth, the skate park has needed upgrading for years, we need more local art initiatives, live music needs to be allowed again at Maleny Lane, traffic congestion, multiple unwanted major private housing developments approved / under construction and so much more.

These are just a few of the real issues we are currently facing. All of which are being completely ignored.

This will also undoubtably have a detrimental impact on the environment. It is very clear that The Sunshine Coast Council do not care about the environment in the slightest.

For example, they approved the construction of an entire golf course in North Maleny not so long ago. How many acres of native forest were cleared for that ridiculous luxury? Something now used by the rich and privileged for sport...

Countless trees have already been cleared for new housing estates by developers who are profiting from destroying our home. Once again, this has all been approved by The Sunshine Coast Council.

Just recently over 6000m2 of native trees were cleared on Teutoberg Ave in Witta without any development permit. This area also contained an officially mapped waterway shown on zoning overlays. Clearly this operation was blatantly illegal. And what did The Sunshine Coast Council do? They approved / allowed it to happen. They just waived it and then stopped responding to all communications about this issue. Favoring rich developers (operating illegally) despite multiple complaints from neighbours and residents.

This proposed main street development will only create more senseless waste and pollution. It is a massive job that will take a long time to complete. Trucks, machinery, concrete, pollution, etc. All right in the center of our home.

This will not end until we stand together and let our voices be heard.

This development is absolutely disgusting. It's time to let the Sunshine Coast Council know that we have had enough. We do not share their "vision" for our home.

Please share and sign this petition. Together we can save Maleny from rampant gentrification.

If you would like to reach the Sunshine Coast Council directly, you can do so using the below contact information -

Email:
placemaking@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au
mayor@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au

Phone:
(07) 5475 7272