Maroochy is poised at a critical point on its path to the future. There has never been a more important time to shape the Shire for the communities of today and tomorrow. For a number of years, Maroochy has been the fifth fastest growing of 675 Local Governments throughout Australia. The prospect of a relaxed lifestyle set in a wonderful backdrop of sand, sun and lush greenery has been a strong factor in the wave of migration to Maroochy. Maroochy’s rapid growth, particularly in more recent times, has been influenced by the sea change phenomenon, a social revolution led by the baby boomer generation seeking a coastal lifestyle change. And with the prediction that this trend will endure for at least another decade, Maroochy is experiencing only the tip of this baby boomer ‘iceberg’. To meet the sea change phenomenon, and many other challenges that lie ahead, Council is currently in the process of facilitating Maroochy’s own community visioning project, Maroochy 2025. It is enthusiastic about, and supportive of the opportunity it provides for the community to design, build and achieve its vision for the Shire.
What is Maroochy 2025?
Maroochy 2025 is a community visioning initiative designed to inspire the community to determine, build and achieve its preferred future for the Shire. Essentially, the visioning process poses four vital questions for the community:
- Where are we now?
- Where are we going?
- Where do we want to be?
- How do we get there?
Led by a Community Task Force, the Maroochy 2025 project commenced in April 2003 and is due to be completed in later stages of 2004. Community participation has been actively encouraged at local community events and special visioning events throughout the Shire.
Why is Maroochy 2025 needed?
South East Queensland is emerging as one of the most rapidly growing regions in Australia. The Australian Bureau of Statistics predict that population will swell from 2.46 million currently to 3.4 million by 2021. The Sunshine Coast specifically is predicted to grow from 245,000 to 435,000 people with Maroochy Shire absorbing 60 per cent of this growth. Maroochy Shire Council’s plans are based on an ultimate population of 220,000 people, therefore Council is faced with a future dilemma between trend and resource capacity.
Maroochy 2025 presents an opportunity to:
- get ahead of change and shape the future to meet the needs and aspirations of the community
- create a sustainable community
- build community capacity and leadership.
Following a community visioning summit held in April 2004, Maroochy Shire is now one step closer to having a vision for the future. Members of the community, Local Government representatives and stakeholders gathered at the University of the Sunshine Coast on Saturday 3 April for the Maroochy 2025 community visioning Summit.
Through an exciting half day program of events, including a range of visioning activities, dramatic and artistic representations of the future as well as hearing and seeing the visions of the community’s school children and youth, the question ‘where do we want to be?’ was asked.
Data collected from the summit and community workshops is now being analysed with the next stage being the development of a draft vision and testing with the Maroochy community. The key questions being asked through Maroochy 2025 are important for the community and what the quality of life will be like in the Shire in 2025, and what can the community be doing now to create a future to celebrate, rather than regret.
The best way for this to happen is to develop a community vision.
