A petition has been launched urging the state government to reconsider its plans to transition the site of a former airstrip into national park.
The remote runway, which is only accessible by four-wheel-drive, has existed for 79 years but was closed to helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft in 2014.
Hobby activities including hang-gliding, paragliding, microlighting and model aircraft flying were allowed to continue at the Noosa North Shore Landing Ground under authorities that have since expired.
Noosa Council managed the site until 2022, with it now under the Department of Environment and Science’s trusteeship through Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service.
DES sought community feedback in 2023 for the management of the Second World War-era landing ground located between Teewah Beach and Lake Cootharaba.
At the time, 722 online responses were received from across Australia that highlighted the “diverse community views regarding conservation and recreational importance” of the site.
In a statement to Sunshine Coast News, the department confirmed that the area would be included as part of the Great Sandy National Park.
“The former Noosa North Shore Landing Ground Reserve was gazetted as an addition to the Great Sandy National Park by the government in September 2024,” the statement said.
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“The former landing ground is a high-value conservation area surrounded by the Cooloola section of the Great Sandy National Park and is home to the threatened Cooloola acid frogs and eastern ground parrot.
“The land is also the largest remnant of coastal vegetation on southern Queensland’s mainland, a refuge for plants and animals whose habitats have dwindled with coastal development.”
Tinbeerwah resident Peter Upton has lodged a petition to Queensland Parliament calling for the airfield to remain in its current configuration.
The petition has received more than 2500 electronic signatures since June 13 and claims the landing ground is a vital location during bushfire, cyclone and flood emergencies.
It outlined the airfield provided a substantial fire break, an evacuation centre with facilities for overnight accommodation and a temporary base and landing area for emergency services and rescue flights during disasters and evacuations.
“It is the intention of the Department of the Environment to replace the airfield and its protected areas with highly flammable bush and scrub and to remove all emergency support facilities,” the petition stated.
“Your petitioners, therefore, request the House to call upon the Minister for the Environment and Tourism, the Hon Andrew Powell MP to exercise his powers to allow the Teewah Airfield to remain in its current configuration and allow for emergency services and their contractors including helicopters to undertake training, and for recreational sports aviation clubs to remain.”
In response to the petition, DES said the airfield was not considered a “key” emergency access site.
“To support this decision, the department conducted consultation with stakeholders and the broader community including QFD who confirmed as an isolated inholding the former landing ground area is not recognised as a key emergency management site for the purposes of fire management.”
Two resident aviation clubs caught up in decision have been vocal about the future of the site after tenures for both clubs expired in November 2021 and the state government has since informed the clubs they are required to relocate.
“Previous users including the Sunshine Coast Sports Aviators and Noosa Model Flyers have been provided two years to transition to another area.”
A statement on behalf of the the Noosa Model Flyers on the MAAQ Model Aeronautical Association of Queensland Facebook page stated the club could be forced to “dissolve”.
“You could say we’re like a men’s shed with members 18 to 80-years-old who banter, laugh, help each other, along with great friendships all through a passion for model flying,” the statement read.
“The state wants to remove us and the Sunshine Coast Aviators club without providing any viable alternative to re-establish our clubs, which means our club will dissolve.
“It’s the perfect place for our club as the remoteness has no effect on the public nor its environment.”
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