The Sunshine Coast is in the middle of one of the biggest growth periods in its history. With Brisbane 2032 approaching, the region has been confirmed as a co-host for the Games, with billions of dollars being invested in new venues, transport links and precinct upgrades across areas such as Maroochydore, Kawana and Caloundra.
Property prices have surged, population growth has accelerated and construction cranes have become a permanent fixture on the skyline. However, it is not only new developments feeling the effects. Existing apartment towers, resorts and commercial high-rises are also under growing pressure as owners and body corporates work to keep their buildings looking presentable and structurally sound before the world’s attention turns to South East Queensland.
That surge in demand has kept high-rise maintenance contractors busy and is one of the reasons Next Level Painting has expanded further into Queensland over the past year. To find out what is happening on the ground, we sat down with Dominic, one of the company’s high-rise specialists, whose team has been carrying out more high-rise painting work across the Sunshine Coast:
Here’s what he had to say.
“Let’s start big picture — how much has the Olympic announcement actually changed things?”
“It’s changed things a lot more than people expect,” Dominic says. “Everyone talks about the stadiums and the rail lines, but there’s a flow-on effect that doesn’t get as much attention. When a region gets this kind of international spotlight, building owners start thinking differently about presentation. Body corporates that might’ve put off exterior maintenance for another year or two are suddenly bringing it forward. Nobody wants their building looking tired when there’s a global audience potentially watching the coastline on TV.”
“On top of that, you’ve just got more buildings, full stop. More apartments, more hotels, more mixed-use towers going up around Maroochydore and Kawana means more buildings that will eventually need maintenance painting down the track. The pipeline of work has basically been locked in for years.”
“So is that why Next Level expanded into Queensland?”
“Pretty much,” he says. “We were getting a steady stream of enquiries from the Sunshine Coast that our existing capacity couldn’t keep up with. Rather than turn work away or make people wait months for a quote, we made the call to properly establish ourselves up here — bring in local crews, get familiar with the specific coastal conditions, and build relationships with the strata managers and body corporates who are dealing with this demand firsthand. It’s been one of our busiest expansions in years.”
“What actually makes high-rise painting different from a standard house repaint?”
“Height and access, mainly,” Dominic explains. “You’re not just grabbing a ladder. Depending on the building, we’re looking at swing stage rigs, rope access technicians, or scaffolding — and that decision depends on the building’s design, council requirements, and what’s actually safe given the wind conditions on any given day. Coastal high-rises also cop a lot more punishment than an inland house. Salt air accelerates corrosion on metal fixtures and render, UV exposure is intense, and you get wind-driven rain hitting facades at angles a suburban home never sees. The coatings and prep work have to account for all of that, or the job won’t last.”
“There’s also a logistics side most people don’t think about. You’re coordinating around residents’ schedules, balconies, shared walkways, and sometimes strict body corporate rules about noise and working hours. It’s as much a project management job as it is a painting job.”
“With everything ramping up for 2032, are buildings just trying to get ahead of the rush?”
“Definitely,” he says. “We’re seeing a lot of proactive maintenance now rather than reactive. Owners can see the writing on the wall — more visitors, more scrutiny, tighter contractor availability closer to the Games. Booking maintenance painting in now, while there’s still reasonable lead time, is a lot smarter than waiting until 2030 when every contractor in South East Queensland is booked solid.”
“There’s also a practical side to it. Getting on top of facade maintenance now protects the building’s structure and reduces the risk of bigger, more expensive repairs later. A well-maintained exterior isn’t just about looks — it’s about catching cracking, water ingress, and corrosion early, before it becomes a much bigger job.”
“Any advice for body corporates or building managers thinking about scheduling maintenance?”
“Start the conversation earlier than you think you need to,” Dominic says. “Get a proper assessment done so you know the condition of the render, the metalwork, and the existing coatings — that tells you whether you’re looking at a straightforward repaint or something more involved. And factor in access requirements early too, because organising scaffolding or rope access sign-off can take longer than the painting itself, especially as demand keeps climbing across the region.”
“The Coast is only going to get busier between now and 2032. Buildings that get ahead of it now are going to have a much easier time than the ones that wait.”
The takeaway
The countdown to Brisbane 2032 is reshaping the Sunshine Coast well beyond new construction — it’s putting pressure on the maintenance side of the industry too, as building owners look to get ahead of rising demand and increased scrutiny. According to Dominic, that shift is exactly why contractors like Next Level Painting have expanded their footprint in Queensland, and why body corporates weighing up their next maintenance cycle are better off starting the conversation sooner rather than later.
