Come to where the HQ's with the IQ are....

1. 160 REASONS
Why the Sunshine Coast
is the smart place
for business.
QUEENSLAND
AUSTRALIA
EBOOK

2. You don’t need to be a genius to work out that the
Sunshine Coast is a smart place for business, but here’s
160 reasons anyway.
Read on to learn why the smart money is on the
Sunshine Coast and why it’s been dubbed
“The HQ with IQ”.
The Sunshine Coast Council welcomes and supports
the growth of local businesses and the establishment
of new ones on the Sunshine Coast.
• Talk to a specialist for site selection assistance
and relocation advice.
• Find out the options for financial assistance
to help offset establishment costs.
• Ask for connections with government and industry
bodies and access international market information.
• Access a wide array of information online,
including local success stories, programs available to
local business and the latest in local industry news
www.invest.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au
Email invest@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au or call the
Head of Investment Attraction on +61407 753 645
Copyright © 2016 Sunshine Coast Council
All Rights Reserved
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Includes special industry categories:
Knowledge & Professional Services
Health & Wellbeing
Education & Research
Tourism, Sport & Leisure
Aviation & Aerospace
Agribusiness
Clean Technologies

3. The Sunshine Coast is a smart, healthy and creative place and the proof is found in every corner
of the region. Read on to find out why the Sunshine Coast is the HQ with IQ!
With $5 billion plus private sector investment and $2.5 billion plus public sector investment, the
region has evolved into a world-class business and investment option.
“A smart place for business” is more than just a term coined to engage and entice: it’s underpinned
by the revolutionary Smart City Framework, developed by the Sunshine Coast Council in
partnership with Telstra and Cisco.
The Sunshine Coast is Australia’s first fully integrated smart city; recipient of a Google etown
Award and a Smart21 community award.
It’s also one of the largest regional economies in Australia and has a strong and innovative 20-year
economic plan for investment and business growth.
The Sunshine Coast offers an idyllic coastal lifestyle with pristine beaches, ancient landmarks,
unspoiled rainforests and diverse ecosystems.
The Sunshine Coast is home to Australia’s only greenfield CBD development. Maroochydore – The
Bright City – is a master-planned commercial, residential, retail and cultural precinct, 40% made
up of parks and waterways.
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An entrepreneurial and intelligent culture has seen more than $30 million in capital assistance and
110 businesses graduated through the nationally-awarded Sunshine Coast Innovation Centre.
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More than 18 cruise ships will stop at the Sunshine Coast between June 2016 and late 2017. Each
floating island visit is expected to inject more than $250,000 into the local economy.
The development of the largest health precinct in the Southern Hemisphere is attracting new
business and medical specialists from across Australia and around the world.
The Sunshine Coast has the highest level of business confidence in Queensland: 60% of
businesses expect a profit, 38% expect a capital investment increase and 33% expect to employ
more staff.
Stop, look, listen! Are you regularly stuck in traffic jams on your daily commute?
Most of the jams you’ll find on the Sunshine Coast are delicious and sweet, hand-made and not
found on the roads.
Nine million tourists, one million local customers and 25,000 business delegates annually
can’t be wrong?
The Sunshine Coast Council is the fifth largest Council in Australia and is winning regular national
awards for supporting local business development.
The region has some of the most affordable business operating costs and lowest payroll tax
in Australia.
The term ‘Seachange’ was coined on the Sunshine Coast in the early 2000s.
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It’s not just the sand and surf that lures savvy investors. The Sunshine Coast was independently
ranked as Queensland’s second highest performing regional economy for 2014 and 2015.
Billions of dollars in healthcare, professional services, education and construction projects are
underway. They will triple the economy and create more than 100,000 high value jobs.
Think good coffee is reserved for the big cities? The Sunshine Coast is a thriving region for bean
connoisseurs. Local Caloundra café Lamkin Lane is #5 on beanhunter.com’s best in Australia list.
The Sunshine Coast is launching innovative eco-projects like a revolutionary underground waste
facility for the Maroochydore Bright City CBD.
The Sunshine Coast Council is currently building Australia’s largest public utility solar farm, which
aims to offset all of the organisation’s electricity needs.
The Sunshine Coast has the largest percentage of entrepreneurs compared to any other city of its
size in Australia (including Brisbane and the Gold Coast).
A growing economy is creating more jobs and opportunities in the region. The Sunshine Coast’s
population of more than 298,000 is expected to grow to 470,000 by 2036.
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Maroochydore CBD:
24 The Maroochydore Bright City CBD project will deliver a
Gross Land Value of $375 million.
25 There will be 165,000m2 of new commercial space.
26 75,000m2 in new retail space.
27 2,000 new residential apartments.
Smart
Stats.

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The Sunshine Coast is home to agribusiness disruptor Gourmet Garden, which produces
Australia’s most visible retail product in the world. The chilled in a tube and lightly dried herbs are
made on the Sunshine Coast and sold globally through 14,000 retailers over five continents.
Sunshine Coasters are entrepreneurial people. Twenty-two per cent of Sunshine Coast residents
run their own business compared to fifteen per cent across Australia.
Life is full of choices. Don’t make the wrong one by overlooking the Sunshine Coast as an
expansion option. A thriving economy, highly skilled workforce and strategic economic growth
plan are just some of the ingredients making the region a must-see business destination.
The Sunshine Coast is a big enough market to matter (one million catchment area) but small
enough that you can get access to key decision makers quickly.
This year, Infrastructure Australia identified the Sunshine Coast as one of five regional areas that
should be focal points for national productivity growth and government support.
The diversity of natural beauty lures visitors and those looking to escape the rat-race. The
Sunshine Coast is an enticing offer – have a thriving business, quality of life, access to world-class
health and educational institutions.
Craft beer and micro-breweries are fast becoming a modern subculture, with the Sunshine Coast
and visitors from across the world frothing over the many new venues and crafty
beverages on offer.
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The Sunshine Coast economy has doubled in size in the last decade, with a current Gross
Regional Product of more than $16 billion.
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With stable government, strong intellectual property protection and a legal framework that
is conducive to doing business, the Sunshine Coast offers an ideal choice for establishing and
operating a business.
Positioned on the doorstep of Asia and the Pacific Rim, the region is well connected to national
and international markets through major transport networks like the Sunshine Coast Airport, the
Bruce Highway, the national rail network. It’s also close to Brisbane Airport and the
Port of Brisbane.
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The Caloundra Central Business District (CBD) has an authentic ‘high street’ character with a mix
of retail, commercial, performance and cultural facilities. The Council has a clear action plan for
continuing to reinvigorate the CBD, to build on its unique character and the tourism opportunities
available there.
“This is an important time in the history of the Sunshine Coast as the region becomes a major Australian urban
and economic centre.”
Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson
The region is one of few coastal communities that is engineering a decline in unemployment,
particularly youth unemployment.
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The Sunshine Coast is a top region for micro-business growth, moving from #40 to #1 in the last
18 months. One major bank places the Sunshine Coast in its top 10 list of small business regions.
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Residents of the Sunshine Coast have access to some great
natural assets and local event opportunities:
38 52.3 kilometres of open coastline.
39 13,000 kilometres of watercourses.
40 39,835 hectares of national parks, state forests and forest reserves.
41 1,800 local cultural and sporting events each year.
42 7,000 hectares of recreation parks, sport fields and botanic gardens.
Smart
Stats.

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Looking to expand or relocate? Take advantage of incentives offered by the Sunshine Coast
Council to offset relocation and establishment fees. Gain support from a dedicated Council
officer who has specialist knowledge of your specific industry.
If you’re in the market for commercial or industrial land, there are plenty of opportunities within
the Sunshine Coast Enterprise Corridor. Stretching from Caloundra South to north of the Sunshine
Coast Airport, this coastal strip is expected to accommodate more than 70% of the predicted
population and new business investment needs over the next 20 years.
The arts, culture and entertainment scene is flourishing on the Sunshine Coast. Music, wellbeing,
food and wine, arts, cultural and film festivals dot the calendar year-round. There’s also a vibrant
live music, theatre and arts scene.
‘Think global and act local’ is a way of life on the Sunshine Coast, with its unique array of vibrant
communities. From rural to urban and coastal regions, each ‘village’ has its own personality
and style.
A short drive from the coast takes you into the lush, rolling hills of the Sunshine Coast hinterland.
It’s like a new world, with a cooler climate, breathtaking views, secret waterfalls and fine artisan
food, wine and creative offerings.
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47 Consider the credentials of the broad range of
businesses based on the Sunshine Coast:
Smart
Stats.
• Food Matters
• Gourmet Garden
• Nano-Nouvelle
• Spark Bureau
• HeliMods
• Stellar Asia Pacific
• Ramsay Health Care
• Youi Insurance

9. Knowledge &
Professional
Services
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The Sunshine Coast is Queensland’s most tech-savvy region, ranking #1 in the state for online
business growth.
The region’s strong entrepreneurial ecosystem is supported by meet-ups, events and programs
on a variety of digital, tech and business topics.
NBN continues to roll out across the region and high speed broadband is available from
multiple carriers.
Plans are in place to secure an international broadband submarine cable to further improve
internet connectivity.
Start-ups and established businesses have access to seed capital through a network of local
angel investors.
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10. The vision for Maroochydore CBD is to create a nationally renowned centre for start-ups and a
genuine city of the future.
Maroochydore is the first city development in Australia to create an Entrepreneur-in-Residence
role, appointing tech innovator Zach Johnson to the role (for more on Zach see #67).
The region has more than 20 ‘Digital Champions’ who support business growth through advocacy,
mentoring, high level networking and business and start-up matching.
Future business and technology disruptors are supported and fostered through youth
entrepreneurship programs like The Generation Innovation, Mayor’s Telstra Technology Awards,
Startup Weekend Youth and multiple ‘hackathons’ and coder dojos.
Smart Business: Spark Bureau
Zach Johnson of Spark Bureau is a successful Sunshine Coast innovator and entrepreneur who
has lived, worked and studied all over the world.
“I love the Sunshine Coast’s smart city thinking. There’s a buzz of excitement here that I don’t think you could
find in many other places in the world.”
One of Zach’s start-ups, Xandra Labs, has just launched a world-first Facebook Messenger
chatbot for the Maroochydore CBD project.
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Knowledge & Professional Services:
58 Commercial leasing is up to 58% cheaper than in the Brisbane CBD.
Smart
Stats.
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59 An entrepreneurial network called ‘Silicon Coast’ boasts almost
1,000 tech innovator members.
60 Almost 40 industry bodies and chambers of commerce connect
businesses within the region.
61 It ranks among the world’s top 21 communities for embracing
broadband technology.
62 There is widespread recognition that the Maroochydore CBD
development is one of the most transformative and innovative
urban projects now underway in Queensland.

11. Health &
Wellbeing
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The health and wellbeing sector has been identified as a high value industry for the
Sunshine Coast.
The Sunshine Coast has comparatively high disposable income levels and a strong uptake of
private health insurance.
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A booming health sector:
70 Close to the Maroochydore CBD in Kawana, a major health precinct
has been created to serve the Sunshine Coast region. This precinct
represents Australia’s single largest investment in health infrastructure.
71 The Sunshine Coast Health Campus incorporates the Sunshine Coast
University Private Hospital (SCUPH), which opened in 2013.
72 The $1.8 billion, 738-bed Sunshine Coast University Hospital (SCUH)
will open in 2017.
73 Also opening in 2017 is the $60.8 million Sunshine Coast Health
Institute (skills, academic and research centre).
74 Adjacent to the campus is the Oceanside Health Hub, providing up to
32,000m2 of dedicated health and medical space in addition to
residential accommodation and mixed-use facilities.
Smart
Stats.

12. The Sunshine Coast has naturally attracted some of the world’s best holistic and integrated
health practitioners.
Kunara, near Buderim, is Australia’s largest organic marketplace. It is located in what has
become a thriving hub for organic produce and products, integrated natural and medical
therapies and even veterinary care facilities, with commercial and retail opportunities available
within the surrounding area.
The Sunshine Coast has 1,700 healthcare businesses including 285 private specialists and
115 primary care practices employing more than 500 general practitioners.
With over one quarter of the region’s population aged over 65 and the growing population base,
demand is growing for investment in quality aged care facilities.
Research into the use of medicinal cannabis to treat epilepsy, new emphysema medication and an
influenza prediction toolkit are some of the cutting edge clinical trials currently underway at the
new University of the Sunshine Coast Clinical Trials Centre.
A unique pilot program is being trialled on the Sunshine Coast allowing students to complete a
Certificate III in Healthcare alongside their formal schooling qualifications. The aim is to build a
rich and qualified pool of health and wellbeing professionals ready to earn and learn straight out
of high school.
“The Sunshine Coast Council has been proactive in partnering with Lendlease during the construction phase
of the new Sunshine Coast University Hospital. Their support has been a great example of local government
working with business to achieve successful outcomes.”
Lendlease, Sunshine Coast University Hospital
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Smart Business: Ramsay Health
“The Sunshine Coast has experienced a coming of age in the past decade. The combination of a quality
workforce and an awesome lifestyle is hard to beat.”
Oli Steele, CEO, Ramsay Health; Sunshine Coast University Private Hospital (SCUPH)
(opened 2013)
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13. Education &
Research
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The region’s labour force is not only skilled, it’s more qualified than the average. Almost 60% of
the local working population holds a tertiary qualification.
The Sunshine Coast has a full range of high quality education and training facilities including a
university, a multi-campus vocational education and training institute (TAFE), over 400 training
institutions and more than 70 private and public schools.
Students can access a full range of educational qualifications including trade, creative arts,
technology, engineering, tourism, hospitality, sport, recreation and health.
Approximately 98% of year 12 school leavers graduate with a Queensland Certificate of
Education, vocational education and training qualifications, or International Baccalaureate
Diploma - providing the skills and qualifications to follow a range of work, further education and
training pathways.
Graduates rate the university’s teaching quality with five stars. It’s the only Queensland university
to maintain this five-star rating for 10 years in a row.
The nationally awarded University of the Sunshine Coast has recently undergone an
$81 million expansion.
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14. The region has a range of educational opportunities for those living with a disability or with
special learning needs. The comprehensive network of social enterprises works hard to enrich the
lives of the local population.
www.studysunshinecoast.com.au is the newest and largest study portal in Australia. It
showcases the outstanding education, lifestyle, work and career opportunities available on the
Sunshine Coast.
The education sector is not only a top choice for students, it also currently employs more than
13,000 people on the Sunshine Coast and is predicted to become the region’s second largest
employer by 2033.
Dubbed the ‘brains district’, the university suburb of Sippy Downs is emerging as an investment
opportunity for residential, retail and commercial projects because of the thousands of students
living and studying there.
The Sippy Downs Town Centre includes a business and technology park and is close to the uni,
schools, the Kawana Health Precinct and the Bruce Highway.
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Education & Research:
Smart
Stats.
“The Sunshine Coast is an ideal location for organisations requiring well-educated and motivated employees.
The ease of travel, great lifestyle, affordable cost of living and excellent infrastructure, combined with proximity
to Brisbane tick all the boxes for Stellar.”
Melissa Hamilton, CEO Stellar Asia Pacific
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90 The Sunshine Coast’s education industry is one of the largest in
regional Queensland and is predicted to grow by 50% by 2033.
91 More than 60,000 students are currently studying at the region’s
schools, uni, TAFE and registered training organisations.
92 The Sunshine Coast is a desirable location for international students:
more than 2,000 students are studying at the University of the
Sunshine Coast, TAFE and other institutions.
93 The region has some of Queensland’s highest performing
private schools.

15. Tourism,
Sport &
Leisure
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The Sunshine Coast is ranked as one of Australia’s top tourism markets with more than nine
million visitors each year.
Cruise ships are attracted to the beauty of the Sunshine Coast when they stop and moor off
Mooloolaba Beach. Passengers stimulate $4.5 million in economic activity annually with their
visits.
It’s easy to be outdoors on the Sunshine Coast, with an average seven hours of sunshine a day,
300 days of the year.
Sport is a flourishing local culture and the Sunshine Coast is host to major international events
such as the Mooloolaba Triathlon, the 70.3 Ironman competition and four national outrigger titles.
The tourism, sport and leisure industry provides almost 14% of total direct employment
opportunities and the visitor economy currently injects almost $2.5 billion of direct expenditure
into the region.
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16. As the NBN rolls out, the barriers of doing business with clients in a distant city or even country
are beginning to erode. KPMG demographer Bernard Salt has identified the Sunshine Coast as a
preferred destination for ‘lifestyle-preneurs’, who see the opportunity to combine lifestyle
and business.
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“Steve Irwin, known around the world as the Crocodile Hunter, was most passionate about his home on
Queensland’s Sunshine Coast – Australia Zoo. Today, our award-winning zoological gardens are set on over 100
acres and feature more than 1,200 animals. We have a wonderful local workforce, a strong tourism industry,
and are pleased with the Sunshine Coast Council’s vision to be Australia’s most sustainable, vibrant, green and
diverse region, which complements our passion for wildlife and conservation.”
Terri Irwin, Australia Zoo
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“My fundamental position with the Australian people is that we pursue lifestyle relentlessly. Maybe the
absolute ultimate lifestyle is to be your own boss, to run your own business, to not have to report to anyone, to
do something you’ve always hankered to do.”
Bernard Salt, September 2016
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Tourism, Sport & Leisure:
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106 The region has a thriving business events and conference sector with
25,000 business event delegates visiting last year.
107 The Sunshine Coast hinterland is the top wedding destination
in Queensland.
108 260,000 international visitors flock to the Sunshine Coast each year.
Germany is the fastest growing visitor nation, followed by USA.

17. Aviation &
Aerospace
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The Sunshine Coast has two key aviation and aerospace infrastructure assets controlled by
Council. Masterplans are in place to drive continued expansion and development.
The Sunshine Coast Airport is Australia’s fastest growing airport. Situated in the heart of the
region, its expansion will see a second runway by 2020 and access to increasing numbers of
domestic and international destinations.
The airport welcomes almost one million passengers and 87,000 aircraft movements annually.
The second precinct, Caloundra Aerodrome, is a vital cog in the Southeast Queensland aviation
wheel. It accommodates 20,000 aircraft movements annually plus a diverse range of
highly-rated businesses.
Caloundra Aerodrome is home to domestically and internationally recognised companies and
brands such as: Becker Helicopters, Machjet International, McDermott Aviation, HeliMods
and Cirrus.
The Sunshine Coast has one of the largest concentrations of rotary wing aviation companies in
Australia and the largest concentration of helicopter companies in the Asia-Pacific region.
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18. The Sunshine Coast Airport has enviable environmental credentials since achieving Level 3
optimisation for carbon accreditation. This achievement places it alongside elite global leaders
like Hong Kong, Gatwick and San Francisco airports.
Located at Sunshine Coast Airport, the Sunshine Coast Aerospace Precinct (SCAP) provides
prime airside and landside development opportunities for innovative aviation-related businesses.
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Smart
Stats.
“Since moving Aeromil (now Hawker Pacific) from Sydney 20 years ago we have been able to grow all facets of
our business. We are currently undertaking further expansion of our Sunshine Coast capabilities.”
Steve Padgett, Deputy Chairman, Hawker Pacific Australia
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Aviation & Aerospace:
120 Flexibility to operate 24 hours a day with no curfew in place.
123 Security screening and availability of customs services.
Smart Business: HeliMods
“As HeliMods grew, I saw the opportunity to create a unique global business in an idyllic coastal location.
I considered several major city locations, but none had the combination of variables I was seeking.”
• An airport location close to everything with room to grow and invest.
• A superior lifestyle location targeted by knowledge and technology workers.
• A progressive local government that understands the importance of supporting and
developing high value industries.
• Easy access to an international airport.
Will Shrapnel, founder of hi-tech aerospace business HeliMods, founded in 2002 in Caloundra.
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119 35,000m2 of prime airside and landside sites currently available at the
Sunshine Coast Aerospace Precinct.
121 Full service ground transport options including rental cars, taxis, bus
transfers, resort shuttles, public buses, long and short term parking.
122 An efficient and engaging terminal providing passenger facilities
including a variety of dining and shopping experiences.

19. Agribusiness
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Rich soils and favourable climatic conditions, together with a clean water supply make the
Sunshine Coast a perfect food and agribusiness location.
The industry has seen strong productivity growth over the last five years, generating an industry
value of approximately $360 million and providing more than 5,000 jobs locally.
The agribusiness industry is becoming increasingly entrepreneurial and focused on value adding
with linkages to manufacturing, education, retail and tourism.
Mooloolaba is the biggest wild caught tuna and wild caught swordfish seafood port in Australia.
Primary agricultural commodities include strawberries, pineapples, nuts, meat and livestock
products, leading food processing operations and aquaculture.
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20. The Sunshine Coast has some of the best fresh food markets to be found in Australia. According
to metropolist.com.au: “A smorgasbord of produce people, talented creatives and impressive cooks who
gather most weekends to share their goods with basket-toting folk.”
Home to some of Australia’s leading food and agribusiness companies including Gourmet
Garden, Maleny Dairies, Maleny Cheese, Buderim Ginger, Country Chef, COYO, Food Matters,
Rockliff Seafoods, Walker Seafoods, RADAQUA and Advanced Aquarium Technologies.
A not-for-profit Food & Agribusiness Network (FAN) has been established for the greater Sunshine
Coast region. The group allows collaboration and cross-pollination of ideas and has 40 sponsors
and 130 business members since launching in November 2015.
Smart Business: Food Matters
“We considered London, LA and Sydney for our HQ. Only the Sunshine Coast had all the qualities we were
looking for.”
• Lower costs of operation.
• A destination that attracted quality, talented people.
• Easy access to global travel.
• A network of advisors.
• A superb natural environment.
“The Sunshine Coast has been fertile ground for us to grow as entrepreneurs.”
Food Matters co-founder James Colquhoun
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Smart
Stats.
Agribusiness:
130 Home to 900+ agricultural businesses.
131 A strong food and agribusiness culture and experienced workforce.
134 Strong diversity of primary and value-added products.
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132 Established transport infrastructure with easy access to ports, airports
and trucking.
133 High, reliable rainfall with predictable temperatures and an average of
over 300 days of sunshine a year.

21. Wholesaling and transport centres are available to support industry connectivity.
Agribusiness generated approximately $400 million to the Sunshine Coast economy in 2012-2013
and approximately $535 million in 2013-14.
“The Sunshine Coast has a natural advantage as a location for dairy processing. It has an ideal climate and the
diverse geography of the area supports a wide range of agribusiness. Maleny Cheese has connected with the
clean environment of the region and distributes to the local and domestic markets that are so easily accessed
from the area. The region offers an excellent combination of factors that make doing business in agriculture
and related enterprise a unique proposition in Australia.”
Markus and Sara Bucher, Directors, Maleny Cheese
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The Sunshine Coast offers more affordable industrial land prices - approximately 40% lower than
Australian capital cities.
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Smart Business: Gourmet Garden
Gourmet Garden was founded on the Sunshine Coast in the late 90s with the launch of its iconic
herbs in a tube. It is now a global leader in chilled prepared herbs.
“Working in a global role and living on the Sunshine Coast delivers the best of all worlds.”
• An authentic passion for creativity.
• City influences because of regular travel.
• No commuter rat race or city-style bombardment to the senses.
• Easy access to international travel.
• An authentic lifestyle, whether beach or bush.
• An enviable, yet affordable lifestyle.
“Living and working on the Sunshine Coast is like a creative immersion. Here I find inspiration and clarity in
equal measures.”
Jacqui Wilson-Smith, Head of Innovation, Gourmet Garden
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22. Clean
Technologies
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Sunshine Coast Council’s vision is to become the most sustainable region in Australia – vibrant,
green, diverse. The region is renowned for weather conditions that are conducive to solar power
generation and the Council supports continued innovation and investment in this area.
In fact, the Sunshine Coast Council will be Australia’s first local council to offset 100% of its
electricity consumption through solar with its 15MW Sunshine Coast Solar Farm.
The region is home to a network of 150 clean technology businesses, providing waste and water
management innovation, environmentally friendly building design and supplies and
renewable energy.
“The Sunshine Coast is becoming the environmental centre of the world. We enjoy a beautiful, diverse
environment, dedicated staff and a network of innovative companies all striving to leave the world in a better
state than how we found it.”
Bob Cameron, Managing Director, ROCKCOTE
The University of the Sunshine Coast’s Sustainable Research Centre undertakes research into a
range of sustainability issues such as coastal management, climate change and
water management.
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23. As part of the Sunshine Coast Council’s Smart Cities Framework, smart technologies are being
developed ranging from Smart Power and Water to Smart Signage, WiFi and health services.
The Sunshine Coast Council has created a Smart City Living Lab in Caloundra to test and trial
smart technology solutions such as lighting and parking, before gradually installing them across
the region.
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The Council’s Smart Centre Caloundra showcases real-time results from the Smart City
Living Lab.
One of the world’s largest aquarium designers and builder, Advance Aquarium Technologies,
is based on the Sunshine Coast.
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Smart
Stats.
Clean Technologies:
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The Sunshine Coast Council is overseeing an innovative and proactive Clean Tech investment
action plan, monitored by an industry taskforce and implemented through a collaborative
industry environment.
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153 The Sunshine Coast is recognised as one of the top three in
Australia’s Most Innovative Regions (2015).
154 It is one of Australia’s most exciting regions for smart investment with
$8 billion in approved infrastructure projects in the region.
155 Caloundra has the second highest concentration of rooftop solar
panels in Australia: nearly 30% of homes.
156 Sunshine Coast company Rockcote has won more than 40 awards over
30 years. Its toxin-free EcoStyle paints and textures are lauded by
industry and the company’s vision is to become the first fully
sustainable and regenerative company on the planet.

24. “The Sunshine Coast has given us a fantastic base to develop our clean-tech business, starting at the
Innovation Centre and later migrating to Coolum Beach Industrial zone. Support from local industry and
Council has been terrific, plus we’re able to keep the perfect balance of lifestyle with close proximity to Brisbane
and South East Queensland.”
Mark Leckenby, CEO, ENOPTE
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Smart Business: Nano-Nouvelle
When Stephanie Moroz was tempted into the CEO role at Nano-Nouvelle, her only concern was
the regional location. After just one day on the Sunshine Coast, she realised there was nowhere
better in the world to live and work.
Stephanie’s top reasons for loving life on the Sunshine Coast are varied.
• The destination has helped attract and retain a team of talented scientists
and researchers.
• The region is supportive of innovative businesses and start-ups.
• There is a strong sense that people want to help each other.
• Business operation costs can be lower.
• Access to global travel is easy and enjoyable.
• Goes without saying, it’s a superb natural environment!
• There’s always something new to be discovered on the Sunshine Coast.
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An active industry network – Cleantech Industries Sunshine Coast (CISC) - provides networking
opportunities, promotes sustainable products and services and renewables, facilitates alliances
and provides clean technology industry representation and events for its members.