Sunshine Coast economy hits $22 billion as one of Australia's fastest-growing regional cities

The Sunshine Coast economy has reached $22 billion in annual output — making it one of Australia's larger regional economies — as a combination of exceptional population growth, sustained property market activity, tourism at record levels, and a growing knowledge and technology economy combine to generate economic momentum that makes the Sunshine Coast one of the most dynamic regional economies in the country.

The population trajectory is the most fundamental driver of economic growth. The Sunshine Coast is adding approximately 15,000 new residents annually and is projected to reach 500,000 residents by the early 2030s — a population comparable to Canberra — which will require and generate a commensurate expansion of the economic base to provide the employment, services, and infrastructure that the growing population needs.

The Maroochydore City Centre development — the first purpose-built CBD developed from greenfield in Australia in more than a generation — is the physical manifestation of the Sunshine Coast's transition from a beach holiday and retirement destination to a functioning metropolitan economy with its own commercial centre, civic infrastructure, and business district. The CBD's first commercial towers and retail precincts are now occupied, with the development pipeline showing continued investment in office, hotel, and mixed-use product.

Sunshine Coast Council's economic development CEO Sandy Zubrinich said the GDP milestone reflected a decade of deliberate investment in economic diversification away from the construction-and-tourism dependency that had made the regional economy vulnerable to cycles. "The Sunshine Coast has depth now. Construction and tourism are still important, but they are not everything," she said.

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