Landscaping and parklands

Will landscaping be part of the project?

Yes.  The landscape design will focus on:

1. Relocating or offsetting any vegetation that must be removed to accommodate the important upgrades. Additional land parcels adjacent to the corridor have been purchased by Council for this purpose.
2. Improving amenity for the community to enjoy walking, cycling and other forms of active transport along the corridor through environmentally sensitive design.

Further information about Council’s commitment to our environment can be found in the Sunshine Coast Council Environment and Liveability Strategy. The strategy outlines how Council is striking a balance between the natural and built environments and maintaining the liveability of our region.  

What about Ben Bennett Bushland Park and Bicentennial Park?

Community feedback on the concept design about the impacts of the new transport link on Ben Bennett Bushland Park and Bicentennial Park is a key design consideration and will be balanced with the importance of safety, connectivity and community integration for Caloundra.

In Section 1, following community feedback a review of the link through Bicentennial Park has been undertaken. The overall four-lane corridor width has been reduced during the design process to ensure the park and much-loved fig tree is retained.  

In Section 2, a Multi Criteria Assessment (MCA) was undertaken  for the first phase of the design.  The SIG were able to provide valuable input into the criterion used in the MCA to determine the final intersection option for Nicklin Way. A reduction to the project’s impact on Ben Bennett Bushland Park was achieved from the planning concept. . This has been achieved with the inclusion of retaining walls on part of the new road between Nicklin Way and Third Avenue.

The transport link will utilise the already cleared Energex powerline corridor as much as possible.

Once detailed design is completed, being mindful of the park’s location and environmental sensitivities, construction will be performed under the relevant environmental conditions and an Environmental Management Plan which will consider local flora, fauna, cultural heritage and potential construction impacts.

What about the Caloundra RSL and Memorial Gardens?

Council has worked with the Caloundra RSL sub-Branch over a number of years to minimise the project’s impacts. The concept plans have been revised to reduce the required land and ensure the RAAF Helicopter and the two Bofors guns are not disturbed, along with significant reductions to the Memorial Garden.

The project team will continue to work closely with the Caloundra RSL to ensure construction is handled sensitively and respectfully.

Will land be required for this project?

Council has been liaising with directly impacted property and business owners over many years during the planning and development phase and will continue to do so throughout the project.

Council resolved to commence purchasing land for the transport corridor at the Ordinary Meeting held on 31 January 2019. Council began contacting property owners affected by the project in February 2019.

Since then, Council has acquired the majority of properties and continues to negotiate with the few remaining landowners who have been advised the resumption process has begun.

How will the impact of vegetation clearing be offset?

Council is committed to sustaining and enhancing our region’s street tree canopy cover over time. As part of Council’s commitment to sustainability, our Natural Areas Management team will seek to salvage debris like hollow logs and use it to provide fauna habitat, as well as providing offset planting.

An environmental offset compensates for unavoidable impacts on significant environmental matters (for example, valuable species and ecosystems) on one site, by securing land at another site, and managing that land over a period of time to replace those significant environmental matters which were lost.

The project will first seek to avoid impacts on significantly valued environment and then mitigate impacts through  appropriate design features, where possible. Where impacts cannot be mitigated, an offset will be provided. As per standard tree offsetting process, the habitat will be offset at a minimum 3:1 ratio.

An experienced fauna spotter-catcher will be in attendance to manage and supervise all terrestrial fauna management activities prior to and during tree removal works. 

Has a Cultural Heritage Assessment been done?

The Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) and Sunshine Coast Council (SCC) recognise the significance of cultural heritage and the importance of protecting Indigenous, historical, shared and natural heritage from impacts by road infrastructure projects.

A Cultural Heritage Assessment of the broader project area was undertaken in July 2021.A more current assessment will also be undertaken as part of the detailed design process. Vegetation of significance and high-risk areas identified with potential to be impacted in both sections of the project. Further consultation with the Kabi Kabi First Nations People will be conducted during design and construction to identify appropriate mitigations for the project.