10 February 2026: Following a detailed period of planning, consultation and market testing, it has been determined that the Turbine food and beverage pilot project proposed for the Sunshine Coast Industrial Park will not proceed in its originally scoped form.
The project was unable to secure the level of commercial support required to meet key project milestones and associated funding conditions within the required timeframe. In particular, the project did not achieve the critical milestone of securing tenancy commitment, and as a result, construction did not start in September 2025 as required by the funding agreement.
Tenant commitments were central to the long-term viability of the project, and the inability to secure sufficient commercial commitment ultimately impacted Turbine’s capacity to progress the project at the scale originally proposed. After considering all available options, including alternative funding models and scaled delivery approaches, the Turbine Board made the decision to close the project in its current form.
Turbine has commenced formal closure processes and is working with the Federal Government to finalise all outstanding obligations, including reporting and acquittal requirements, in accordance with relevant governance and funding frameworks. Turbine will return funding to the Federal Government in accordance with the requirements of the grant agreement as part of the acquittal process.
Turbine Chief Executive Officer Mr Andrew Eves-Brown said, “This is clearly a disappointing outcome for Turbine and for the many stakeholders who contributed to the development of the concept. We sincerely thank our partners and the broader Sunshine Coast business community for their engagement and support.”
“A range of factors contributed to the project not progressing, including the challenging commercial environment and the inability to secure sufficient market commitment to support the pilot’s originally scoped delivery.
“As with any project of this nature, Turbine has followed appropriate governance processes throughout the project lifecycle. Turbine’s focus now is ensuring the closure process is managed responsibly and professionally, and that all requirements are met.”
Turbine confirms that all local businesses and suppliers engaged during the project have been paid for services provided and have not been negatively impacted as part of the closure process.
The land identified for the proposed project was held under a call option deed and will now be returned to the market.
Turbine Sunshine Coast Ltd is a not-for-profit organisation established specifically to deliver the earlier vision of the food and beverage precinct and to facilitate the associated grant funding.
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