IT HAS been talked about for quite some time, and now the literal call to nature has been answered with an amenities block to be built at the base of Mt Coolum.
Construction of the toilets is scheduled to start in August and will be finished by November of this year.
At present, the nearest public toilets are located almost 2km away in Birrahl Park – the new amenities will be a welcome improvement for both residents and visitors.
A happy Councillor Taylor Bunnag took to his socials to inform the community about the news, stating that the community had, “held on long enough.”
“I am proud to have led the charge on behalf of our community to secure funding for this project,” Cr Bunnag said.
“Last August, I attended Community Cabinet and met with representatives from the previous State Government. One of those representatives was the Environment Minister, Leanne Linard.
“I spoke to Minister Linard about the long-term need for these amenities that had not been provided and made a commitment that I would find a way for council to make a financial and planning contribution if the state would provide the bulk of the funding.”
The good news is that the funding has been approved from both the state and council.
“Before the state election, Minister Linard signed off on providing $400,000 in funding towards these amenities, and I have also committed to providing funding from my Minor Capital Works Budget in 2025/2026.”
Cr Bunnag was thankful that the project had the funding green light.
“Thank you to both the previous State Government and current State Government for honouring the funding of this project, and I know that Fiona Simpson MP is also excited to see this project happen and has supported it.”
Sunshine Coast Council will work with the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service to deliver the much-needed amenities.
Minister for the Environment and Tourism Andrew Powell said he was committed to improving the amenities of our popular national parks, such as Mount Coolum National Park, which is visited by more than 200,000 people each year.
“We’re glad to be partnering with Sunshine Coast Council to deliver a new accessible and modern public amenities block to service Mount Coolum National Park,” Minister Powell said.
Sunshine Coast Council is investing $50,000 and partnering with the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, which is providing $425,000 to design and construct the new amenities block.
What’s to come
Council will be engaging a consultant for the design, which will start in late May 2025.
The prefabricated amenities block will be designed to improve security and safety for visitors to the park.
“The amenities block will be open and accessible, and we’re designing it to help people feel safe while using the facilities, and it will also be powered sustainably by its own solar system,” Cr Bunnag said.
The Mount Coolum summit walk (1.6km return) is a Grade 4 walking track suitable for fit walkers only—the summit is 208m above sea level.