Noosa Council has endorsed a new 10-year Destination Management Plan aimed at managing population growth and tourism impacts across the region in the lead-up to the 2032 Games.
Titled For the Love of Noosa, the plan states that residents, businesses and visitors have roles in preserving what makes Noosa unique.
“Noosa has fared well but we need to lift again, business as usual will only see us go backwards,” Mayor Frank Wilkie said.
“Moving towards a regenerative approach in tourism marketing, industry development and community programs is intended to help us all play a role in leaving Noosa in a better state than how we found it.
“This is about responsible preparation. Planning ahead because we must preserve what we love about Noosa for residents and visitors. It would be negligent if we didn’t.
“It’s a plan shaped by the voices of more than 2900 residents, businesses and visitors who shared what Noosa means to them and what they want for its future.”
Among the DMP’s key actions are new approaches to managing day visitors, programs that bring the community and visitors together as joint custodians of the region, initiatives to regenerate hinterland landscapes through sustainable agriculture, and a new stewardship model to guide the visitor economy and explore future funding options.
“The DMP will be refined as it moves along but at least we’re on the path now and the journey can commence,” Cr Wilkie said.
“This is about planning for change, managing pressure and embracing opportunities – especially as we head toward the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games – while keeping community values at the centre of everything we do.”
The DMP is backed by a three-year rolling implementation roadmap, along with a monitoring and evaluation framework to ensure transparency, adaptability and accountability. Annual reviews will help keep the plan responsive to new challenges and opportunities.
“The DMP is a bold strategy that calls for everyone who loves Noosa to help care for it and long term commitment,” Mayor Wilkie said.
“Through advocacy, partnerships and ongoing monitoring and with the Stewardship Council helping guide the journey, we can ensure the Noosa we love thrives for generations to come.”
Actions that were proposed in the draft plan included: protect our neighbourhoods, improve infrastructure and transport solutions, optimise parking and traffic management, balanced events portfolio, sustainable visitation, management of Noosa River, review of funding of tourism, champion DMP delivery, joint custodian program, build industry capability and experiences, use smart modes of transport, share Noosa’s story, enable visitor contributions, regenerative tourism industry, aligning Noosa’s tourism organisation with the DMP, and lead in destination accreditation.
Locals expressed, via the community consultation phase, that the environment (75 per cent), traffic (69 per cent) and visitor experiences (60 per cent) were the top three priority themes.
