Sunshine Coast · Units guide
Unit development in Sunshine Coast: rules, approval and what the data shows
Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme 2014, Version 27 sets the rules for a unit or apartment development in Sunshine Coast. The figures on this page come from 4,224 decided multiple-dwelling and multi-unit applications recorded against Sunshine Coast council, current to 9 Sept 2026.
According to Casa Intelligence analysis of 4,224 decided multiple-dwelling and multi-unit applications in Sunshine Coast, 98% were approved, with a median decision time of 61 days.
98%
Approval rate
4,153 of 4,224 decided Sunshine Coast applications
61 days
Median decision time
Lodgement to decision across 4,187 dated Sunshine Coast cases
4,224
Decided applications
Sunshine Coast multiple-dwelling and multi-unit applications
$180,000
Median infra. charge
Across 22 charged Sunshine Coast decision notices
Do you need council approval for a unit or apartment development in Sunshine Coast?
Whether a unit or apartment development in Sunshine Coast needs a development application is decided by Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme 2014, Version 27, which places each proposal in one of the three Planning Act 2016 categories: accepted development, code assessable or impact assessable. For a Sunshine Coast lot the answer turns on the zone, any precinct mapped over it and the overlays that apply, so Sunshine Coast council does not publish one blanket answer for unit development proposals.
A unit or apartment development in Sunshine Coast always needs a development application. Casa's rules register for Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme 2014 records multi-unit residential use as contemplated in 2 of the 13 Sunshine Coast zones it tracks, code assessable in Medium Density Residential and impact assessable in High Density Residential. In the 11 remaining Sunshine Coast zones it is not an anticipated use, and inside the supportive zones the density provisions, height limits and precinct mapping set how many dwellings a Sunshine Coast site can actually carry.
The Sunshine Coast record gives a feel for what assessment involves: a quarter of the 4,187 dated unit development decisions were made within 27 days of lodgement, and a quarter took longer than 118 days.
The zone, precinct and overlay position of one Sunshine Coast address is what settles the pathway for a unit or apartment development, and a free Casa block check reads all three for any Sunshine Coast lot in seconds.
What Sunshine Coast’s scheme says about unit development development
The passage below is quoted word for word from Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme 2014, Version 27, the instrument Sunshine Coast council assesses unit development proposals against, from the Medium density residential zone code, as Casa held the Sunshine Coast scheme text on 9 Sept 2026.
“The purpose of the Medium density residential zone code is to provide for low and medium density residential activities generally in a low rise format, predominantly comprising multi-unit residential uses predominately for permanent residents supported by community activities and small-scale services and facilities that cater for local residents.”
Source for these Sunshine Coast unit development passages: Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme 2014 (Sunshine Coast council)
Units position by zone in Sunshine Coast
Casa's register holds 13 Sunshine Coast zone rows relevant to a unit or apartment development, each citing Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme 2014, and precinct mapping and overlays tighten these unit development positions for individual Sunshine Coast lots.
| Zone | Multi-unit | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| High Density Residential | Yes | Impact assessable |
| Medium Density Residential | Yes | Code assessable |
| Community Facilities | No | not held |
| Emerging Community | No | not held |
| High Impact Industry | No | not held |
| Limited Development (Constrained Land) | No | not held |
| Low Density Residential | No | not held |
| Low Impact Industry | No | not held |
| Medium Impact Industry | No | not held |
| Open Space | No | not held |
| Rural Residential | No | not held |
| Rural | No | not held |
| Sport and Recreation | No | not held |
"not held" means Sunshine Coast's register has no value for that unit development cell, not that the scheme is silent. Height, setback and site-cover figures for Sunshine Coast zones are held in the register but have not been checked against the scheme text, so they are not printed on this unit development page.
How unit development applications have fared in Sunshine Coast
Sunshine Coast council has decided 4,224 multiple-dwelling and multi-unit applications in our dataset, approving 4,153 (98%) and refusing 71. That is 1 point below the pooled South East Queensland figure of 99% across 16,029 decided unit development applications in the 7 councils Casa tracks, ranking Sunshine Coast 6th of 7 for approval rate.
Units work is 13% of everything Sunshine Coast council has decided in our records (32,051 applications of all kinds), which makes Sunshine Coast the 2nd largest unit development cohort of the 7 councils.
The median Sunshine Coast decision took 61 days from lodgement, measured across the 4,187 unit development applications with both dates recorded, 19 days faster than the 80-day middle council for this cohort. Sunshine Coast decisions made since the start of 2024 ran at a median of 71 days (657 cases), 10 days longer than the long-run Sunshine Coast figure.
The busiest year for unit development decisions in Sunshine Coast was 2023, with 383 decided. In 2025 Sunshine Coast council decided 257 and approved 99.6%, against 335 decided in 2024.
Where the Sunshine Coast application description states a dwelling count, the median unit development proposal was 12 dwellings across 1,101 described applications, and 3% of those were two-dwelling schemes.
By suburb, Sunshine Coast's unit development decisions cluster in Maroochydore (617 decided, 98% approved), Buderim (375 decided, 98% approved) and Coolum Beach (228 decided, 99% approved).
Across the 22 Sunshine Coast decision notices in this cohort that levied infrastructure charges, the median total charge was $180,000. Sunshine Coast's charges scale with the lots or dwellings created, and credits for existing use reduce what a unit or apartment development actually pays.
Sunshine Coast unit development decisions by year
| Year | Decided | Approved | Refused | Approval rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 290 | 287 | 3 | 99% |
| 2022 | 348 | 346 | 2 | 99% |
| 2023 | 383 | 382 | 1 | 100% |
| 2024 | 335 | 331 | 4 | 99% |
| 2025 | 257 | 256 | 1 | 100% |
| 2026 | 65 | 65 | 0 | 100% |
Recent unit development decisions in Sunshine Coast
The 5 most recently decided multiple-dwelling and multi-unit applications recorded against Sunshine Coast council, each cited by Sunshine Coast's own application number so it can be looked up on the council's register.
| Application | Decision | Decided | Days to decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| MCU25/0277 | Approved | 30 Apr 2026 | 217 days |
| MCU25/0352 | Approved | 28 Apr 2026 | 145 days |
| OPW25/0568 | Approved | 28 Apr 2026 | 145 days |
| OPW25/0495 | Approved | 19 Apr 2026 | 166 days |
| MCU25/0318 | Approved | 19 Apr 2026 | 166 days |
Units in Sunshine Coast: common questions
Do I need council approval for a unit or apartment development in Sunshine Coast?
Only your lot's zone, precinct and overlays under Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme 2014 can answer that for a unit or apartment development at a Sunshine Coast address. A unit or apartment development in Sunshine Coast always needs a development application. Sunshine Coast council has decided 4,224 multiple-dwelling and multi-unit applications in our records, so the pathway question comes up constantly in Sunshine Coast.
Which zones allow unit development development in Sunshine Coast?
Casa's register for Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme 2014 records unit development development as contemplated in High Density Residential and Medium Density Residential, 2 of the 13 Sunshine Coast zones tracked. Precinct mapping and overlays can still restrict a Sunshine Coast lot inside one of those zones.
What is the approval rate for unit or apartment development applications in Sunshine Coast?
98% of the 4,224 decided multiple-dwelling and multi-unit applications recorded against Sunshine Coast council were approved and 71 were refused. Sunshine Coast sits against a pooled unit development figure of 99% across the 7 South East Queensland councils Casa tracks. These are past Sunshine Coast decisions and they do not guarantee any future unit development outcome.
How long does unit or apartment development approval take in Sunshine Coast?
The median time from lodgement to decision across the 4,187 dated unit development applications in Sunshine Coast was 61 days. A quarter of Sunshine Coast decisions came within 27 days and a quarter took longer than 118 days. Since the start of 2024 the Sunshine Coast median has been 71 days across 657 decisions.
How much are infrastructure charges for unit or apartment development projects in Sunshine Coast?
Across the 22 Sunshine Coast decision notices in this cohort that levied charges, the median total infrastructure charge was $180,000. Sunshine Coast's charges scale with the lots or dwellings a unit or apartment development creates and existing-use credits reduce them.
What does Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme 2014 say about unit development development in Sunshine Coast?
The Medium density residential zone code (section 6.2.2.2) states: "The purpose of the Medium density residential zone code is to provide for low and medium density residential activities generally in a low rise format, predominantly comprising multi-unit residential uses predominately for permanent residents supported by community activities and small-scale services and facilities that cater for local residents."
About this guide
The zone rows on this page come from Casa's rules register for Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme 2014, Version 27, and the statistics from 4,224 decided multiple-dwelling and multi-unit applications recorded against Sunshine Coast council between 25 Sept 2002 and 30 Apr 2026, computed on 9 Sept 2026.
Sunshine Coast amends its scheme over time, and precincts, local plans and overlays can vary these unit development rules for a single Sunshine Coast lot. Past Sunshine Coast decisions describe how comparable unit development proposals fared and do not predict any future application.
This page is general information, not planning or legal advice.
Would a Sunshine Coast block support a unit or apartment development? Check the address free.
Sunshine Coast-wide unit development rules give the frame, and a free block check reads the zone, precinct and overlays for one Sunshine Coast address and returns a Casa Score for a unit or apartment development in seconds.
What the Sunshine Coast units rules mean for your site
This guide covers Sunshine Coast at council level across 4,224 decided multiple-dwelling and multi-unit applications. A Preliminary Planning Report covers one address: the likely pathway for a unit or apartment development, the constraints on that Sunshine Coast lot, and the comparable Sunshine Coast approvals, prepared by our planning team and delivered within three business days.