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Sunshine Coast Population Data Reveals Housing and Hospital Strain
Council figures and health service records track a 4.1 per cent population increase that is reshaping short-term rental rules and Maroochydore development timelines.
How we reported this
Sunshine Coast Council recorded 408,700 residents in its June 2026 quarterly update, up from 392,600 twelve months earlier.
The growth rate exceeds the state average by 1.8 percentage points and coincides with new international flights at Sunshine Coast Airport and expanded capacity at Sunshine Coast University Hospital. Local planners now use these numbers to adjust infrastructure budgets that were last set in 2023.
Maroochydore and Kawana sites show clearest impact
Construction crews have added 1,150 short-term rental listings along Sixth Avenue in Maroochydore and along Kawana Way since January 2025. Council compliance officers issued 87 infringement notices for unregistered properties in the same period, mostly in the Cotton Tree and Mooloolaba foreshore zones. Vegetation protection overlays on Buderim Mountain have slowed approvals for three proposed apartment blocks, pushing developers to revise site plans that originally sought 320 units.
These changes matter now because the next council budget, due for release in September, must allocate funds for road widening on Maroochydore Road and for an additional 120 beds at Sunshine Coast University Hospital. The hospital expansion contract was signed in March 2026 with a completion target of late 2028.
Numbers behind rental regulation and service demand
Average weekly rent for two-bedroom units reached $685 in June 2026, 14 per cent higher than the June 2025 median. Short-term rental platforms listed 4,920 properties across the region last month, representing 9.8 per cent of total dwellings. Emergency department presentations at Sunshine Coast University Hospital rose 11 per cent year-on-year, with 42,300 attendances logged between July 2025 and June 2026.
Residents can check updated rental registration lists on the council website or call the planning hotline before signing new leases. The next round of vegetation mapping workshops is scheduled for August at the Maroochydore Community Centre.