Sunshine Coast Hinterland Farms Feed Australia's Premier Local Food System

The Sunshine Coast hinterland, the agricultural and natural landscape that rises behind the coastal strip to the Blackall Range and the forested country of the Mary Valley, provides the farm produce, the artisan food makers, and the distinctive landscape that makes the Sunshine Coast more than a beach destination. The hinterland's farms, producing the tropical fruits, avocados, macadamias, ginger, and the subtropical vegetables that the region's climate enables, supply the farmers' markets, the restaurants, and the food tourism economy that the growing food-aware consumer market of the coast and the visitors who come specifically for the food culture sustains.

The Eumundi Markets, operating on Wednesday and Saturday mornings in the hinterland village of Eumundi, are among the most visited outdoor markets in Queensland, their combination of the large number of stalls, the quality of the produce, craft, and food available, and the heritage village atmosphere of the town creating the market experience that attracts tens of thousands of visitors weekly. The market's reputation, sustained over four decades of operation, makes it a drawcard for visitors from across the Sunshine Coast and from Brisbane who make the 100-kilometre trip specifically for the market experience.

The Montville and Maleny villages on the Blackall Range provide the heritage hinterland town experiences that the lifestyle and arts tourism of the Sunshine Coast hinterland has built around. Montville's chocolate shops, galleries, and the collection of cafes and restaurants in heritage buildings overlooking the coastal plain provide the cultural tourism experience that the hinterland's natural and architectural character sustains. Maleny's cooperative economy, the town's social enterprise culture and the genuine community activism that has characterised its economic life for decades, provides a different and more authentic version of hinterland community character.

The Noosa Farmers' Market and the various community markets that operate across the Sunshine Coast on different days of the week provide the weekly touchpoints in the local food system that connect the region's producers with the consumers who prioritise fresh, local, and seasonal food. The market system's density, with quality markets operating most days of the week in different parts of the region, creates a food access geography that the supermarket system supplements rather than replacing.