‘Pulse check’ examines our top priorities for liveability

What makes the Sunshine Coast a great place to live, and what’s most important in the eyes of our residents?

To find the answer, the Living on the Sunshine Coast Survey is back for its fourth year, with Sunshine Coast Council engaging demographers .id for a robust survey and data analysis process.

The results help inform Council strategies and policies and allow Council to measure progress on quality of life for Sunshine Coast residents.

The annual survey includes 16 themes such as access to the natural environment, affordable decent housing, road congestion and sense of community.

For each theme, the community is asked how important each theme is to their liveability, and their experience with that theme.

Using this information, demographers can determine how liveable residents perceive their neighbourhood to be – in other words, how well their neighbourhood supports their quality of life.

This year, the survey includes questions on climate change, exploring residents’ perception of how they believe climate change is impacting their liveability currently, and how it may impact them in the future.

The survey targets residents across all areas and all demographics of the Sunshine Coast area, reflecting our diverse population to ensure the data is a true cross-section of our communities’ views.

Mayor Rosanna Natoli said the survey was a pulse-check that complemented the consultation activities Council carried out for various projects. 

“This survey enables us to ensure we understand the values, experiences and needs of a wide range of residents, including residents who are less likely to participate in other engagement opportunities,” Mayor Natoli said.

“It is a key part of how we connect and engage with our communities, to build a better sustainable future and liveable Sunshine Coast with enhanced quality of life for everyone.”

Environment central to our liveability

Mayor Natoli said it was fascinating to see varying priorities across different areas in previous Living on the Sunshine Coast survey results.

“However, being well connected to our natural environment is a priority across the board, reflecting our unique Sunshine Coast identity.”

Findings on the Sunshine Coast are benchmarked against South East Queensland, Queensland and Australia.

Compared to the average Australian or Queenslander, Sunshine Coast residents placed significantly higher importance on being able to access the environment in 2023 results.

Sunshine Coast residents also rated their experience of accessing the natural environment higher than the Australian and Queensland average.

“It demonstrates how closely we tie the natural environment to what makes our region a great place to live,” Mayor Natoli said.

“This idea of connection between our community and nature is the cornerstone for our Sunshine Coast Biosphere.

“By protecting and maintaining our environment, we also protect the liveability of our region and contribute to a stronger Sunshine Coast Biosphere.”

In 2023, 1734 residents contributed their views to the survey.

Survey answers from respondents showed the top five elements of importance to liveability in 2023 were:

• access to the natural environment
• feeling safe
• high quality health services
• a lack of road congestion
• affordable decent housing.

Along with respondents surveyed across Australia, residents also placed higher emphasis on affordable housing than in previous years.

You can explore the full previous Living on the Sunshine Coast survey findings online, along with many more local data insights.

About the Living on the Sunshine Coast Survey

The survey is targeted to Sunshine Coast residents only and responses from outside the local government boundary are removed. Survey responses continue to be collected until it is certain the results are representative of the entire Sunshine Coast community of communities.

Independent Australian demographic and economic consultancy .id (informed decisions) runs the survey and works with more than 300 local governments across the nation.

Once survey responses are collected, de-identified data is provided to Council and published online with respondents remaining anonymous.

Those who complete the survey and leave their contact details (name, email and phone number) will go into the draw for a $100 EFTPOS gift card.