Did, Sunshine Coast Council get it wrong, is the revitalisation of Bulcock Street a White Elephant?

Did the Sunshine Coast Regional Council get it wrong? Was/is the revitalisation of Bulcock Street and the Caloundra Central Business District a white elephant?

In 2017, Council adopted the Caloundra Centre Master Plan to encourage new investment in the central business district of Caloundra - the Sunshine Coast's City of Beaches.

On 15 November 2019 Council released through its Corporate Website, https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/…/Caloundra-CBD-Project, an update on the Caloundra Centre Activation Project.

The update in part has a council spokesperson advising that "the Council" has made significant progress in implementing a number of key actions aimed at expanding Caloundra's potential and delivering the vision of the Master Plan. Key actions progressed include (in part): -

1. Amendments to the Planning Scheme to increase opportunities for commercial and residential development within and near to the centre; 2. Completion of another major stage of streetscape works in Bulcock Street with future stages aimed at enhancing connections between Bulcock Street, the Bulcock Beach Esplanade and the cultural and civic activities focused on Omrah Avenue and at The Events Centre.....the list goes on!

If you have the fortitude, click on the website and read the blog yourselves and you decide if our jewel in the crown (Bulcock Street and surrounds) is flourishing.

Who ever wrote the blog about the "significant progress" of the Caloundra Master Plan has seriously not taken the time to walk the Caloundra CBD precinct, or talk to traders and residents to determine what is really happening in our main street. If they had taken the time to walk the streets and talk to people, then they like me, should/would have been appalled at what I saw.

From my suspicions and observations over the last 2 years, I decided, last Friday, 10 January 2020 to take a walk around the Caloundra CBD to gauge the success of the Master Plan.

The photographs attached give you an indication of just how much the Caloundra Master Plan has revitialised the City Center. On my journey (which took 20 minutes or less) I counted close to 20 vacant shops in Bulcock Street, Knox Avenue, Minchinton Street and Otronto Avenue.

My count did not include vacant professional offices suites that are attached or sit behind the respective shop fronts and/or business houses. If this is a sign of success and money well spent, then I am glad that the Directors (i.e. the Councillors of the Sunshine Coast Regional Council) are not running my business. I would be broke! How easy it is to spend and waste other peoples hard earned money.

My question to the Mayor and Councillors is simple, lets be perfectly honest, was the hundreds of thousands of dollars (if not millions) spent on the revitalisation of Caloundra (and that doesn't include the disruption and loss of earnings experienced by small business in the precinct) money well spent? What has the Council in revitalising the Caloundra CBD created and what has it achieved (e.g. has it brought more business as promised to our small business owners and the accommodation houses adjacent to the CBD)? I think not. I would love to hear the views of others. A for local business owners out there I do intend as part of my election campaign to come and talk to each and everyone of you.