Sunshine Coast population set to hit 550,000 by 2031 as growth shows no signs of slowing

The Sunshine Coast's population is set to reach 550,000 by 2031, up from approximately 370,000 today, making it one of the fastest-growing regions in Australia and creating significant planning, infrastructure, and housing supply challenges for all levels of government.

Queensland government projections published this week show net annual population growth of between 18,000 and 22,000 people for the Sunshine Coast over the next decade — a rate that would comfortably make the region the fastest-growing non-capital statistical area in the country. The growth is driven by a combination of interstate migration, overseas migration, and natural increase.

Sunshine Coast Council mayor Rosanna Natoli said the growth created both extraordinary opportunities and real challenges. "We are building a city in real time. The opportunity is to do it well — to avoid the planning mistakes of past rapid-growth regions," she said. The council's growth management strategy identifies transit corridors, employment lands, and public space as the three pillars that must be protected in the growth process.

Infrastructure pressure is most acute in the north of the region, particularly in the Caloundra South and Aura development corridors, where school enrolments are exceeding temporary accommodation capacity and road networks are being progressively upgraded to keep pace with residential completions. The state government has committed to three new primary schools and one high school in those corridors in the next three years.

The housing market is reflecting the growth pressure, with the median house price having increased 42 per cent over four years and rental vacancy remaining below one per cent despite significant new supply additions.

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