lifestyle
The people stories and faces that make this place special
Residents across neighbourhoods from Buderim to Mooloolaba continue to shape daily life on the Sunshine Coast through quiet contributions and shared routines.
How we reported this
More than 180 locals registered this month for community storytelling sessions at the Sunshine Coast Council library network, with the first round set to begin on 22 July at the Maroochydore branch.
The sessions come at a time when the region records its fastest population growth in a decade, with new arrivals seeking connections beyond the beach and shopping strips. Council data released in June showed 4,200 people moved to the area in the past twelve months, many settling along David Low Way and in the hinterland pockets around Montville.
Stories from everyday streets
At the weekly Eumundi Markets, stallholders such as the team from the Buderim Ginger factory share accounts of multi-generational family businesses that began in the 1980s. Further east, volunteers at the Mooloolaba Surf Life Saving Club on Parkyn Parade run weekly beach-safety talks that now include oral histories from long-serving members who first patrolled in the 1970s.
These accounts sit alongside formal records. A March 2026 council report documented a 19 percent rise in registered community volunteers compared with the same month in 2025, with the largest increases recorded in the Noosa and Caloundra districts.
Organisers expect the July sessions to draw participants from at least six different suburbs. Entry remains free, though places are limited to 25 people per evening. Those interested can register through the council website or by calling the Maroochydore library desk before 18 July.