You would think that they would go on with stages 1 and 2 before they proceed with stage 3. But nope! Going straight to that seamed busway solution. There was overwhelmingly negative feedback for stage 3 being slugged to a bus, but they are proceeding to go ahead with the busway. How deep into their delusions are the LNP? Are they seriously trying jump the gun all the way to Stage 3, effectively half-arsing DSCRL before heavy rail ever gets to Caloundra?
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The metaphor your looking for is the âBenjamin Buttonâ effect where the last stage is the first stage, and the first stage is the last stage.
Other than that⌠they are only in this situation because of their own hubris.
At least two senior cabinet members have electorates are in the SC, you would think that they would of made it a priority to build the DSCL to Maroochydore because they live there? Unless they had no intentions of building the DSCL all along? Then why promise to build it?
The entire project can be summed up by trying to fit a hexagon-shaped block into a star-shaped hole. No matter how hard you bash the block it wonât fit. Trying to force two different transport modes to be as one wonât work.
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https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/projects/the-wave-stages-1-and-2-rail
The only stage I am confident about at this time is stage 1.
Funding
The Australian and Queensland governments have committed $2.75 billion each in funding to deliver Stage 1 (Beerwah to Caloundra). Investment ID 3024759
The Queensland Government has committed an additional $40 million to accelerate planning and market readiness for The Wave (Stage 2 and 3). Investment ID 3557421
Stage 1 is expected to cost between $5.5 billion and $7 billion. The funding envelope takes into consideration learnings from local and international mega-projects and recognises that cost estimates for a project of this size and scale cannot be confirmed until further detailed investigations and industry engagement activities are undertaken.
Stage 2 between Caloundra and Birtinya is subject to funding approval.
Stage 2 (7km) includes a 1.2km tunnel. So although shorter than stage 1 (19 km) will still be costly.
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Best case scenario is that Stage 3 is delayed until the next election
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Likewise, and only because Stage 1 includes Beerwah station upgrade and two new stations in a marginal electorate. 3 easy wins for a relatively simple track build through state forest and undeveloped fields.
I can realistically see Stage 2 being put into the too hard basket and replaced with BRT linking Caloundra to Maroochydore using existing streets as an interim solution.
Thatâs basically just the government digging out the old CoastConnect busway with Bus Priority lanes on the Nicklin Way and the Streets of Mooloolaba. Basically just beefing up the reliability of the existing Route 600 and the other routes that use part or most of the Nicklin Way Corridor (602, 607, 611)
Letâs hope this is not the case and stage 1,2 & 3 get built before 2032.
The biggest test of this theory will be in this years federal and state budgets.
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Nah, the best outcome in general is stage 3 not being built because if the libs get their dumb bus there, it will be decades before we get trains in the corridor.
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Stage 1, 2 and 3 are being added to the 2032 olympics âLegislated Work Scheduleâ
In a key delivery milestone, amendments will be introduced today under the laws passed last year, to formally add key venues and infrastructure, ensuring they benefit from streamlined approvals, faster delivery, and clear planning certainty.
Looking past the political spin Iâm sure it means⌠something? But Iâm not entirely sure what.
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This is great news for the Sunny Coast rail project along with the next stage of the Coomera Connector.
The big news though is adding the Gabba Arena to this list. I would be betting on a major announcement any week now. This is a great outcome for the city.
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It means to have any chance of delivering any of The Wave by 2032 the government need the same âoverrideâ provisions given to Victoria Park Stadium to try to avoid legal, environmental and community consultation delays.
While delivering transport infrastructure is a positive it shouldnât be at any cost (financial or otherwise). And we all know how a âweâre the government (of the day) and we know bestâ attitude works out in the end.
The fact legislation less than 12 months old needed amending already and these amendments were introduced at the last minute and so werenât covered by committee review is a bad sign too.
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In other words, we pick and choose what part(s) of the 15 laws we want to follow, and weâve made it illegal for you to challenge or sue us at any State level courts including arbitrations, mediations, or even negotiations, on anything related to venues 
The update to the Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games Arrangements Act 2021 announced today has includes the same override provisions as the same ones in the Planning (Social Impact and Community Benefit) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025, or the âPOLA Billâ, last year.
There is no mention of the Transport Infrastructure Act 1994 in either bills as been exempted.
Based on this The State donât appear to be applying the same reckless and authoritarian bullshit to public transport projects but quite the opposite of streamlining and fast delivery is occurring.
Could be expecting another whopper broken promise?
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This is the list of four transport projects which have been inserted in the BOPGA Act which as others have said overrides a long list of state legislation, including environmental and cultural heritage laws. The amendments passed 12 Feb 2026.
It would be fantastic if somebody more familiar with The Wave could have a close look at the Mooloolah interchange plans has currently announced, particularly whether they eliminate the possibility of heavy rail along the previously preserved corridor as we were discussing back in October.
If the freeway interchange upgrade locks heavy rail out of the corridor, as seems to have happened on the Gold Coast, then I think it would be worth a strong intervention from BTQ in response to this legislative amendment.
Side note- Obviously, this is a pretty obscene example of cars first ideology - ie the only transport projects currently listed for special treatment under the Olympics legislation include three freeway upgrades and one public transport project.
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Are you talking about the section at Tugun? During Mark Baileyâs term as transport Minister I remember him explicitly responding to this criticism that there is very much still a corridor available
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Iâm referring to this- but I donât know the details.
I basically share Gonzoâs suspicion that building BRT is going to either definitively or practically prevent heavy rail in the preserved corridor.
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The exchange itself has provision for a PT corridor - what that will become is unclear. If Wave III uses the CAMCOS corridor then yes it will lock out the extension of the heavy rail. If it runs on a different corridor, then maybe, just maybe, will a heavy rail extension be possible. The exchange and CAMCOS were designed to be built together. Iâm not sure whether heavy rail can be threaded through the spaghetti mess after it is built.
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That is why they shouldnât build the MRI until after 2032.
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Except for the fact that the clogged MRI is destroying on time running for the Sunshine Coastâs bus network, adding up to 20 minute delays to services like the 615 which rely on it. It is an absolute nightmare and makes my commute very difficult.
On a more positive note, the state govt in the last few weeks appear to be on a big recruiting push for designers and comms professionals with multiple roles advertised for a department in Maroochydore developing a major infrastructure project until at least 2029. They are looking for content creators, animators and other visual art style skills to translate technical info into public facing comms.
Can only imagine that it is in some way related to development of comms for The Wave.
The blue line is the integration of CAMCOS. I would imagine if the interchange was built without it, it would be next to impossible to thread it through after the fact.
Irizar ie tram, Brisbane Metro and lighTram being assessed for public transport
Land vehicle Vehicle Bus Mode of transport Transport
An Irizar ie tram in Spain. Picture: Shutterstock.
The state government has revealed three types of vehicles it is assessing for a new public transport system on the Sunshine Coast. The Department of Transport and Main Roads stated that it is considering the design of âmetro vehiclesâ that could be used between Birtinya and Sunshine Coast Airport. TMR is looking at examples around the world. âWeâre exploring a range of vehicles and emerging technologies,â the group stated via its project page. The Irizar ie tram, Brisbane Metro, and lighTram are among the vehicles the department is studying. The Irizar ie tram is an electric, tram-style bus built by a Spanish manufacturer that runs on rubber tyres but is designed to look and feel like light rail, with high capacity and zero tailpipe emissions. The Brisbane Metro is a high-capacity, electric bus system operating in Brisbane, using long bi-articulated vehicles that run mostly on dedicated busways. It is designed to deliver rail-like capacity and frequency. The lighTram is a Swiss-designed, multi-section articulated bus that can operate as a standard diesel, hybrid or electric vehicle. It is often used in bus rapid transit systems and offers light-rail-style capacity on roads rather than rails