Stockland Begins Birtinya Central Construction for 2,600 Apartments on Sunshine Coast
Construction has begun at Birtinya Central on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, where Stockland plans to build up to 2,600 apartments as part of a $3.72 billion development. The project will also include shops, commercial spaces, entertainment facilities and community areas across a 28-hectare site.
Stockland has brought in Australian contractor BMD to handle the first stage of work. This involves preparing the land, building roads and installing drainage and essential services. The work will lay the groundwork for the wider project, though a construction timetable for the apartment buildings has not been confirmed.
The development is planned as more than a residential precinct. Stockland wants to bring homes, workplaces and public spaces together in one location, close to the Sunshine Coast Health Precinct and Lake Kawana.
More apartments and public spaces planned
The latest masterplan for Birtinya Central includes a green corridor running through the precinct. It is designed to connect a future public transport hub with Lake Kawana, the cable-stay bridge and the wider Kawana Sports Precinct.
Open space is another part of the revised plan. Stockland’s masterplan provides for 60% more public open space than earlier proposals. Walking and cycling connections are also included, alongside landscaped areas for residents and visitors.
Buildings across the town centre are planned to range from eight to 15 storeys, depending on the development stage. The overall investment of $3.72 billion, including GST, relates to the wider project and not just the initial civil works.
Project expected to support thousands of jobs
An October 2026 economic assessment by Urbis, prepared for Stockland, estimates that construction could support between 722 and 964 full-time equivalent jobs each year. Once the precinct is up and running, it is forecast to support 4,205 ongoing full-time equivalent jobs.
The completed development is also expected to accommodate around 5,200 residents. These are projections for the planned precinct, rather than figures for people already living or working there.
Transport will play a role in the area’s future growth. Birtinya is expected to connect with proposed rail and metro-style services under The Wave transport project, although those services are not yet operational.
Stockland Development Director Matt Patullo said the project would help meet the Sunshine Coast’s housing, employment and infrastructure needs ahead of Brisbane 2032.
For now, the focus is on getting the site ready for development. Stockland has yet to confirm when the entire precinct will be completed or when the individual apartment buildings will be delivered.
