President’s Welcome – March 2026
Well it’s the end of March already and what a cracking start to the year we have had. We’ve had some incredible Coffee and Connect events including the Mix FM catch up where over 100 people attended and I’m still coming down from the high of our amazing breakfast with Janine Allis which was attended by more than 400 people. Janine was engaging and thought provoking and I am certain all those in attendance walked away inspired by her humble nature and motivational message.
Janine follows our speakers from previous years including former Wallabies captain John Eales and Finance guru Mark Bouris and on each and every occasion they have all delivered in spades to ensure this has become a ‘must attend’ for our members and the broader business community. The benchmark is high for next year’s speaker and I’m excited to see who we can bring to the region as this event is all about giving back to our members.
We also hosted an amazing joint event with the Coolum Chamber of Commerce with nearly 140 people in attendance where Sunshine Coast airport CEO Chris Mills delivered an outstanding presentation on the future of our airport. It’s fair to say that exciting plans are afoot which augurs well for our local business and tourism industry.
It would be remiss of me not to mention the recent closure of iconic entertainment venue SolBar. For over 14 years the venue was an important part of the region’s nightlife and Maroochydore was firmly placed on the map as a destination for great music and good times. As a business community, it’s important that we get out and support local entertainment venues as well as restaurants and cafes. We appreciate that we are living in a cost of living crisis, however, if you can support our local businesses then we encourage you to do so.
Major Maroochydore development update
Major streetscape works are commencing along First Avenue, Maroochydore with construction running from February this year through to May 2027. The project will transform the corridor between Aerodrome Road and The Esplanade into a greener, safer and more pedestrian-friendly space for our community.
During early works, northbound traffic between The Esplanade and Aerodrome Road will be closed, with southbound access remaining open. There will also be temporary lane closures, changes to pedestrian access, relocated bus stops and some on-street parking removed to allow works to safely progress.
Council has advised that access to local businesses and residences will be maintained wherever possible, with works staged to minimise disruption.
For project updates and detailed staging information, visit Sunshine Coast Council’s website or subscribe for updates here; https://our.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/LP=415…
On Ocean Street, we understand Felix Capital is set to turn a sod at their 180 room Crowne Plaza Hotel in late April.This much needed accommodation project will feature extensive event spaces including a ballroom, dining, and wellness facilities such as a pool and spa as well as apartments on the top levels. Construction is due for completion in 2028.
Chambercast with the President and Pep
Many thanks to our long term supporter Mix FM for enabling us to record our Chambercast with the President and Pep at their Storyteller’s Suite in the building at Kon Tiki Maroochydore. Late last year we interviewed Sunshine Coast 2025 person of the year Leon Stensholm which was incredibly popular. This year we have spoken to Sunshine Coast Council CEO John Baker and the new owner of Sunshine Coast Lightning Justin Pascoe. Both John and Justin gave us fantastic insights into their businesses and how they operate on a professional level. Both episodes will be released soon and to listen to all the latest Chambercast’s with the President and Pep, please click here: https://maroochy.org/chambercast
MWP Member profile
Our fortnightly Maroochy Chamber member profiles in My Weekly Preview are proving to be a real hit with members and readers. We undertook this partnership with our Chamber sponsor My Weekly Preview as a value add for our members to help raise their profiles via a prominent local media publication. To view all the profiles, please click this link: MWP Member Profiles
If you are a Chamber member and would like to participate in the profile series please email admin@maroochy.org
Thanks for your support
As always, we want to thank our sponsors and members for all they do to make our Chamber so successful. We’ve welcomed a number of new sponsors on board recently and our membership continues to stay well above 350 which is just incredible. I am always in awe of our Chamber’s leadership team, their commitment and determination to make our Chamber one of the best in the region does not go unnoticed. Special thanks as always to Min Swan and her Whitehouse team and our membership officer Sharon Dryden for their incredible work, we get so much value out of Whitehouse and Sharon and that’s what makes our Chamber so wonderful.
As always, if you have any ideas for news, events or activities we could promote or undertake please let us know. I look forward to seeing you at our next Chamber event.
Brendan Bathersby
President
