• Biggest project: Stockland's Birtinya Central, 28 hectares and up to 2,600 homes, with civil works by BMD starting on 23 October
• CBD approval: Rivianne, 132–136 Aerodrome Road, Maroochydore, 18 levels with 180 apartments and five commercial tenancies
• Data centres: NextDC SC2 at 10 South Sea Islander Way, Maroochydore, under construction and due in the first half of 2027
• Land: a 25.18-hectare tourism site on Steve Irwin Way, Glenview, sold by receivers
• Interest rates: cash rate 4.60 per cent, September CPI 4.3 per cent, a rise to 4.85 per cent widely expected on 3 November

Stockland marked the start of civil works on Birtinya Central with a sod turn on Friday 23 October. BMD is delivering the earthworks, drainage, roads and services for the 28-hectare town centre beside Lake Kawana and the Sunshine Coast University Hospital. The refreshed masterplan allows for up to 2,600 homes for about 5,200 residents plus retail, commercial, entertainment and community space.

It is part of the wider 140-hectare Birtinya and Lake Kawana precinct and one of the largest town centre projects in regional Queensland. For businesses, it means a new centre of demand in Kawana over the next decade.

Sunshine Coast Council approved Habitat Development Group's Rivianne at 132–136 Aerodrome Road, on the corner of First Avenue. The 3,468 sqm site was bought for $13.5 million in June. The 63-metre building will have 180 apartments and five ground-floor commercial tenancies, standing well above the area's 40-metre height limit.

The decision is another sign that Maroochydore's CBD is growing upward as the new city centre fills in. More height means more residents and workers, which supports retail and office demand nearby.

NextDC's SC2 facility at 10 South Sea Islander Way in the Maroochydore City Centre is under construction beside the existing SC1 and due to come online in the first half of 2027. The five-level building on about 3,711 sqm was approved by Economic Development Queensland in 2025. Its location ties into the international submarine cable that lands at Maroochydore, a rare asset for a regional city.

Receivers and managers sold a 25.18-hectare site on Steve Irwin Way at Glenview through Colliers. The land has about 500 metres of highway frontage near Australia Zoo and Aussie World, plus a preliminary approval to October 2028 for a water park, wave pool and resort with 160 dwellings and 74 villas. The price and buyer were not disclosed.

Approved tourism sites are hard to create from scratch, so the sale gives the new owner a head start on a major hinterland attraction if they can fund it.

Industrial land in Kunda Park, Caloundra West, Bells Creek and Coolum remains tightly held, with owner-occupiers competing for units and small warehouses. Office demand in Maroochydore's new CBD continues to grow as businesses move from older buildings. Retail is benefiting from strong population growth across Kawana, Palmview and Caloundra South.

September's CPI of 4.3 per cent has economists expecting the cash rate to rise to 4.85 per cent on 3 November. Developers holding land and building apartments will feel higher finance costs the most. Owner-occupiers buying their own premises remain active, supported by the coast's business growth.

• Maroochydore city centre: taller buildings, a second data centre and growing office demand.
• Kawana and Birtinya: Birtinya Central brings a new town centre beside the hospital.
• Caloundra South and Bells Creek: a growing residential population and new industrial land.
• Hinterland (Glenview, Beerwah): tourism and lifestyle land with long-term potential.

• Show the growth. Buyers and tenants need to understand where the coast is heading. Masterplans and clear maps of new centres help them commit.
• Approvals are worth presenting. Sites with permits, like Glenview and Rivianne, carry real value. Make the approved outcome easy to see.
• Market units to businesses directly. Owner-occupiers are the main buyers of industrial units here. Floor plans, access and parking details matter.

Watch the RBA decision on 3 November, early works progress at Birtinya Central and any plans from the new owner of the Glenview site.