A popular beach town’s future tourism and growth strategy has been revealed, with the local council releasing a plan aimed at protecting the region’s lifestyle while managing visitor demand.
Noosa Council presented its 10‑year For the Love of Noosa Destination Management Plan (DMP), now available online.
Mayor Frank Wilkie said the community-driven DMP promotes and recognises a shared ownership of Noosa’s future.
“More than 2900 residents, business and visitors helped shape this plan over the past three years about the type of community and visitor economy we want and it’s accessible for everyone.
“This document will guide how we address the challenges and opportunities ahead, including population growth across South-East Queensland and the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, while preserving the things our community values.”
The DMP marks a shift in tourism towards a more regenerative approach, which means encouraging practices that respect and improve the qualities of the destination.
“Recognising residents, businesses and visitors as joint custodians of Noosa’s natural and cultural assets is key to this,” he said.
With the DMP now endorsed and published, the council is moving into the implementation phase.
Key next steps include: rolling out the Joint Custodian Program, to help locals, businesses and visitors understand Noosa’s values and how they can protect them; commencing the Regenerative Agriculture Program to support hinterland producers, restore landscapes, produce locally and create new nature‑based experiences; establishing the new Destination Stewardship Council, which will guide the visitor economy, strengthen partnerships and explore future funding options; and starting annual monitoring and reporting, ensuring the plan remains adaptive, transparent and responsive to emerging challenges.
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Cr Wilkie said the next phase was about working together.
“Some of these actions have been underway for some time. This is a long-term effort that will evolve as we learn, trial new approaches and work closely with the community,” he said.
“With shared stewardship and ongoing monitoring through the Stewardship Council, we can ensure the Noosa we love is nurtured for generations to come.”
The DMP is supported by a three‑year rolling implementation roadmap and a monitoring and evaluation framework to track progress and maintain accountability.
The full plan is available on the council’s website.
