The second-term mayor was elected by LGAQ delegates at the three-day LGAQ conference which finished on the Gold Coast on Thursday.

Cr Jamieson spoke about being "terribly excited" about the prospect of becoming LGAQ president immediately before the vote between himself and Western Downs' former mayor Ray Brown for local government's top job.

Mayor Jamieson studied at Harvard and served as chief executive of Australian Provincial News and Media before being elected as Sunshine Coast mayor in 2012.

The Sunshine Coast mayor's appointment was welcomed by Glasshouse MP Andrew Powell, the Opposition's shadow local government minister.

"I've witnessed first-hand Mark's advocacy for the Sunshine Coast Council and we've been able to work together to deliver real outcomes," Mr Powell said.

"I'm sure Mark will hit the ground running as President and I look forward to talking to him about how the LNP Opposition can support mayors and councillors around the state."

Mr Powell listed financial sustainability, disaster recovery funding – a matter also raised by Local Government Minister Jackie Trad on Thursday morning – as key issues for local governments in his speech to the LGAQ.

Cr Jamieson acknowledged the population growth predicted on the Sunshine Coast in the draft SEQ Regional Plan released by Ms Trad on Thursday morning.

The Sunshine Coast is predicted to add almost 100,000 new homes, with the population tipped to soar from 298,000 to 495,00 by 2041, according to the plan.

"As part of the SEQ Regional Plan review to accommodate that population growth, the State Government has estimated that the Sunshine Coast will need an additional 99,300 dwellings by 2041," Mayor Jamieson said.

"Our population modelling shows the region can ably accommodate more than the required number of dwellings by 2031 including the 27,600 dwellings planned in Palmview and Caloundra South," he said.

Most of the remaining new homes will be built in Maroochydore, Nambour and in the new areas around Beerwah, he said.

"Following strong and consistent advocacy by council, the draft SEQ Regional Plan identifies Beerwah East in the Urban Footprint as a preferred location for long term growth," Mayor Jamieson said.

"Beerwah East will provide public transport connections and routes and the additional 10,000 to 20,000 dwellings required to meet the predicted population growth to 2041 and beyond."

Smaller townships like Glasshouse Mountains, Landsborough, Palmwoods, Yandina and Bli Bli are tipped in the SEQ Regional Plan to grow as the population expands.

Mayor Jamieson welcomed the addition of the green space – called the inter-urban break - between Caboolture and Caloundra in the SEQ Plan.

"The inter-urban break helps define Sunshine Coast as distinct from, but connected to, the rest of  south-east Queensland," he said.

"It helps protect the Pumicestone Passage water quality, provides unique tourism and recreation opportunities for the whole of SEQ, and provides a significant contribution to our economy through valuable agricultural and forestry activities."

Mayor Jamieson that the need to protect this area was why the Sunshine Coast Council would not support the Halls Creek residential development application south of Caloundra.

"This is too important an asset to see it further reduced – which is why council will not support Halls Creek – to the south of Aura – for future urban development."