Brisbane 2032 Olympics: What it means for Sunshine Coast property owners

The Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games are now less than six years away, and the Sunshine Coast is a co-host city. That means upgraded and new sporting venues, an athlete village in Maroochydore and a major new public transport line, The Wave.

If you own property on the Sunshine Coast, or you're thinking about buying, these projects are worth following. Better transport, new facilities and more local jobs could strengthen the region's appeal well beyond 2032.

How much this helps any one property depends on which projects are delivered, how close they are, and wider supply and demand. The Games are one factor to weigh up, not a guarantee of growth.

What you need to know

The Olympic Games run from 23 July to 8 August 2032. The Paralympic Games follow from 24 August to 5 September 2032.

The Queensland Government released its 2032 Delivery Plan in March 2025, setting out venue and transport priorities. Since then, three milestones matter most for the Sunshine Coast:

• June 2026: the Queensland 2026–27 Budget included $417 million for Games venues, including Sunshine Coast Stadium and the Sunshine Coast Mountain Bike Centre. It also set aside $348 million to plan athlete villages, including one on the Sunshine Coast.
• July 2026: Sunshine Coast Council launched its Legacy Action Plan 2026–2031, with 40 actions covering transport, venues, local business and tourism.
• September 2026: the Australian and Queensland governments signed a funding agreement for the first six approved venue projects, including Sunshine Coast Stadium and the Sunshine Coast Mountain Bike Centre.
  
  

Where the Games will happen on the Sunshine Coast

• Sunshine Coast Stadium, Kawana and Bokarina: upgrading to more than 10,000 permanent seats and hosting football preliminaries. The upgrade will also serve community sport and future events.
• Alexandra Headland: a temporary venue for road cycling, the marathon, race walks and kiteboarding.
• Sunshine Coast Mountain Bike Centre: a new international-standard competition trail on Council land beside Parklands Conservation Park, near Maroochy River.
• Athlete village: planned for the new Maroochydore City Centre, with detailed design still under way.

Being close to a venue doesn't, on its own, mean stronger growth or rents. But these locations are a useful starting point for your research.

The Wave: the transport project to watch

The Wave is the Queensland Government's new public transport line from Beerwah to Sunshine Coast Airport. It has two parts:

• Stages 1 and 2 (rail): heavy passenger rail from Beerwah to Birtinya, with stations at Beerwah, Bells Creek (Aura), Caloundra, Aroona and Birtinya.
• Stage 3 (metro): a high-frequency, metro-style service from Birtinya to Sunshine Coast Airport, via Mountain Creek and the Maroochydore CBD.
  Stage 1, from Beerwah to Caloundra, is funded and in design and preconstruction. Later stages are at earlier points in planning. Check confirmed funding, station locations and timelines before you factor them into a purchase.
  
  

Official sources:

• Queensland Government – 2026–27 Budget: venues and athlete villages
• Australian Government – Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games
• Sunshine Coast Council – Games events and venues on the Sunshine Coast
• Department of Transport and Main Roads – The Wave
• Sunshine Coast Council – Games Legacy Action Plan

What could this mean for property owners?

The Games could influence the Sunshine Coast property market in several ways. The useful question is how each project changes a specific property's appeal over many years, not just in 2032.

More attention on key locations

International exposure may lift interest in the Sunshine Coast as a place to live, work and visit. Kawana, Bokarina and Birtinya sit close to the stadium precinct and the northern end of the new rail line. Maroochydore brings together the city centre, the athlete village and a Wave metro station.
Results will still vary between suburbs and individual homes. Existing demand, affordability, local amenity and competing rentals continue to drive performance.

Jobs and economic activity

Building venues and transport creates work in construction, hospitality, tourism and event operations. Local businesses may also benefit from contracts and visitor spending. Tenants often look for homes close to work, so employment growth matters to landlords.
Some of these jobs will be temporary. A diverse local economy is a better guide to long-term rental demand than Games activity alone.

Better everyday connections

If The Wave is delivered as planned, communities such as Aura, Caloundra, Aroona, Birtinya, Mountain Creek and Maroochydore could gain faster links to work, study, health care and shopping.

When you assess a property, look at the real distance and route to a proposed station. Being "near future infrastructure" isn't the same as having practical, everyday access. Factor in construction disruption too.

Short-term accommodation during the Games

Visitor demand will rise around venues during the Games, and some owners will consider short-term letting. But the Games run for about six weeks, while an investment property earns over many years.

Before you change strategy, check local regulations, insurance, management costs, vacancy between bookings and the work involved in hosting guests.

A legacy beyond 2032

The most lasting benefit may be what stays once the Games finish: transport, community facilities and a stronger local economy. Council's Legacy Action Plan sets out how it intends to deliver these. For long-term investors, these outcomes matter more than any short spike in visitor demand.

What should landlords and investors consider?

Check the fundamentals before you buy

The Games can be part of your research, but they shouldn't replace it. Before you buy, consider:

1. Rental demand: who is likely to rent the property, and what will attract them to it?
2. Comparable rentals: what similar homes rent for, how long they take to lease and how much competing stock is available.
3. Project certainty: which projects are funded, which are still in planning, and their published milestones.
4. Cash flow: whether the numbers still work if interest rates, insurance, maintenance or vacancy rise.
5. Life after 2032: whether the property will still appeal to tenants once the Games are over.

Base your numbers on current rents, not hoped-for increases. A property that works in an ordinary market is a stronger investment than one that relies on a single event.

Review your rental strategy

If you already own a rental, the lead-up to 2032 is a good time to check how it compares with similar homes nearby. Practical improvements tenants value, such as reliable appliances, good layouts and comfortable living areas, usually pay off better than upgrades made on Olympic hopes.

Your property manager can walk you through recent leasing activity, enquiry levels and comparable rents in your suburb. If you're weighing up short-term letting for the Games, start that conversation early.