- Draft Public Environment Report has been released for Stages 1 and 2 of The Wave.
- Community feedback has delivered better access to the new stations and designs which better fits the Sunshine Coast's character, including a narrower rail corridor.
- The Crisafulli Governments is getting Queenslanders home safer and sooner with generational transport infrastructure on the Sunshine Coast.
The Crisafulli Government is getting on with delivering generational infrastructure for the Sunshine Coast as The Wave reaches another major milestone, with the Draft Public Environment Report (PER) for Stages 1 and 2 now released.
The release of the Draft Public Environment Report follows years of detailed environmental investigations and community feedback.
A key outcome from community consultation and the procurement process is that some of the rail corridor is now significantly narrower than originally planned, while the construction methods have been chosen to further minimise the impact on the community throughout the build phase.
Community feedback has also helped inform station access and connectivity, walking and cycling links, landscaping and vegetation, parking and local amenity, with Caloundra Station to now feature a more coastal-inspired design.
The project has progressively refined its design and construction footprint to minimise clearing, with proposed wildlife crossings and other measures helping maintain connections between important habitat areas.
Design features to reduce the environmental impact include bridges and elevated rail structures to decrease ground-level disturbance, tunnels through Little Mountain, and bridges, culverts and drainage structures designed to maintain water flows and mitigate flood risks.
Importantly, elevated rail structures near Tweddell Drive will now be lower than earlier design concepts with the tallest vegetation higher than the top of the viaduct. Further design improvements have also shifted rail infrastructure a further 10m west, increasing the distance between the rail corridor and the closest properties to around 70m, with more than half that distance covered in vegetation.
Minister for Transport and Main Roads Brent Mickelberg said the release demonstrated the work underway to deliver a project that responds to the Sunshine Coast's environment and its communities.
"The Wave will transform the way people move around the Sunshine Coast, but it's important we get the design right both during construction and for when locals use it," Minister Mickelberg said.
"We've listened to what the community told us about the things that matter to them, from station precincts and the rail alignment to vegetation, flooding, noise and vibration and local impacts.
"That's why we have worked so hard to deliver a design which puts more space between residents and the rail corridor, and keeps the tracks as low as possible, while mitigating against concerns like flooding.
"The release of the Draft Public Environment Report for The Wave is another step in doing what we said we would do – delivering the generational infrastructure the Sunshine Coast has been missing out on for decades."
Member for Caloundra Kendall Hatcher said the revised design was a win for the local community.
"A lower viaduct further away from residents' houses is a good outcome for the local community," said Mrs Hatcher.
"I've fought hard to ensure the design of The Wave suits the Sunshine Coast, and the announcement today is evidence the Government is listening and delivering."
The Draft PER will be publicly available for a 30-business-day notification period from Wednesday 11 November to Wednesday 23 December 2026 as part of the Australian Government environmental approval process.
