Cost-of-living pledges dominate Sunshine Coast election race as candidates eye household budgets

Household budgets are front and centre in the Sunshine Coast state election campaign as candidates across major parties compete with pledges to ease cost-of-living pressure on local families. The region's three state seats-Caloundra, Kawana and Maroochydore-will see campaigns hinge on which party can credibly address grocery inflation, rental costs and utilities bills that have outpaced wage growth for the past two years.

The focus reflects economic reality. The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported in June that Queensland households in regional areas like the Sunshine Coast are spending an average of 28 per cent of income on housing alone, compared to the national average of 26 per cent. Grocery prices across the coast have risen 12 per cent since mid-2024, according to scanner data from the University of Technology Sydney's price monitoring project. For a family of four, that translates to an extra $40 to $50 per weekly shop.

State Labor and the Coalition are both signalling cost-of-living measures they say will benefit Sunshine Coast residents specifically. Labor's campaign material points to the Queensland Cost of Living Assistance scheme, which since July 2024 has delivered electricity bill rebates of $200 for eligible householders. The party is expected to expand the scheme if returned to office. Coalition candidates have signalled support for removing state-based levies on utility bills and indexing the first home buyer's stamp duty threshold, which they argue would ease pressure on renters and first-time buyers competing in Sunshine Coast's tight property market, where median house prices sit at $815,000 according to Domain Group data from May 2026.

What local candidates are telling residents

On the ground, candidates are fielding direct questions about rent control and grocery pricing. In Kawana, where median weekly rent for a two-bedroom apartment has climbed to $560 as of June 2026, according to real estate portal data, both major party candidates have been asked whether their parties would regulate short-term rental listings to ease long-term rental supply. Neither major party has committed to mandatory regulation at state level, though local council in Maroochy has begun consultation on the issue. The Greens candidate in Caloundra has released a housing policy calling for a statewide short-term rental register, though the party has no seats in the chamber and no power to legislate currently.

Local business groups have amplified the conversation. The Sunshine Coast Chamber of Commerce surveyed 240 member businesses in May and found 67 per cent reported that customer spending on non-essentials had fallen in the past six months, a signal that cost-of-living stress is affecting local spending patterns. The chamber has requested both major parties commit to a cost-of-living audit of state regulations and fees that affect small business competitiveness, which in turn affects job creation on the coast.

The election stakes

The campaign is unfolding as Queensland enters a state election cycle. No election date has been set, but Queensland Electoral Commission guidance indicates a poll is likely in the second half of 2026. Labor holds all three Sunshine Coast seats, with sitting members in Kawana, Caloundra and Maroochydore each facing challengers who are expected to emphasise cost-of-living failures in government messaging. The Coalition has allocated campaign resources to Kawana and Maroochydore as marginal-seat targets.

Voters have made clear that household costs will determine their ballot. A Newspoll commissioned by the Sunshine Coast Chamber of Commerce in April found 73 per cent of respondents listed cost of living as their most pressing concern, ahead of health services and roads. For the Sunshine Coast's aging population-24 per cent of residents are over 65-aged care costs and Medicare co-payments also featured strongly. Both Labor and Coalition candidates are being pressed on whether their parties will push the Commonwealth to ease out-of-pocket medical costs, though state-level levers on that issue are limited.