Noosa Heads’ Lions Park will be used as a temporary overflow parking facility over the Easter long weekend, with the local council endorsing a monitored trial aimed at easing peak holiday traffic pressure in the precinct.
The decision, made at Noosa Council’s March 19 ordinary meeting, will see the park operate as a temporary paid parking area from Friday April 3 to Monday April 6, coinciding with one of the region’s busiest visitor periods.
Council has backed the short-term arrangement as part of a broader effort to manage increasing transport and parking demand in Noosa Heads during major tourism peaks. The trial will also be closely monitored to assess how the site performs under high usage conditions.
According to the council resolution, the Easter operation will function as an “overflow parking facility” designed to support existing infrastructure in the precinct. It will be subject to active monitoring across several key areas, including traffic impacts, transport network performance, visitor behaviour and community sentiment.
The temporary use of Lions Park will also be treated as an operational trial rather than a permanent change, with data gathered over the Easter period to help inform future decisions about the site’s role in managing visitor demand.
Council noted that the findings from the trial will be reported through the Go Noosa End-of-Year Report in May 2026. That report will be used to guide future consideration of whether Lions Park should continue to play a role in the broader parking and transport strategy for Noosa Heads.
The proposal was brought forward by the director of Infrastructure Services and endorsed by councillors, with the majority supporting the move as a practical short-term response to seasonal congestion pressures.
However, the decision was not unanimous. Councillor Brian Stockwell voted against the motion.
The trial forms part of ongoing discussions within council about how best to balance resident access, visitor demand and environmental and traffic impacts in high-use areas.
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Lions Park, which sits within proximity to key Noosa Heads destinations, has previously been identified as a strategically located site for managing overflow demand during major events and holiday peaks.
The funds generated from the paid parking initiative are shared equally between the Tewantin-Noosa Lions Club and Noosa Council under a long-standing arrangement for holiday overflow.
Half of the revenue is allocated to the Lions Club to support local charitable works and community projects, such as the SES, Katie Rose Cottage Hospice, and the installation of all-abilities beach mats at Noosa Main Beach.
The remaining 50 percent goes to Noosa Council to cover the operational costs of the temporary car park, including signage, ticket printing, traffic control and park remediation. These funds also support Go Noosa transport initiatives, with a portion typically held in reserve for future recreational improvements within Lions Park itself.
