lifestyle
Maroochydore Riverfront Transforms Amid Rising Eco-Tourism and Community Initiatives
The stretch along the Maroochy River is shifting from scattered industrial use toward connected green corridors and resident programs that alter how locals spend weekends.
How we reported this
Work crews finished laying new boardwalks and native plantings along the Maroochy River in Maroochydore last month, opening a 1.8-kilometre loop that links Cotton Tree Park to the old wharf site near Duporth Avenue.
The change matters now because the Sunshine Coast Regional Council approved its 2025-2030 Riverfront Activation Plan in March, which sets targets for increasing public green space by 40 hectares across the catchment before the next local government election.
At the southern end, the revived Maroochydore Surf Life Saving Club has added a community garden and weekly yoga sessions on its deck overlooking the river. Further upstream, the Eumundi Road Community Hub runs a monthly clean-up that draws 60 volunteers who remove litter and plant mangroves along the banks near the old sawmill site.
Council records show riverfront visitor counts rose from 184,000 in 2023 to 267,000 in the year ending June 2026, with the largest growth in weekday use by local families rather than tourists.
Practical shifts for residents
Parking at the Cotton Tree end fills by 8am on Saturdays, so people arriving for the new loop now use the overflow lot behind the Maroochydore Library on Sixth Avenue and walk the short path to the river. The council’s website lists free guided walks every second Sunday starting at 7am from the surf club.
Next year the same plan calls for a floating pontoon at the Duporth Avenue end and an extension of the path toward the Sunshine Coast University Hospital precinct, giving cyclists a continuous route from the river to the hospital grounds without crossing major roads.