2017-01-16 GC - Attachment 1 to Item 13 - Corporate Plan 2017-2037

                    The Noosa
  The Noosa Shire story
                    Shire story
To put in context our vision for the future of
Noosa Shire, it is important to understand
our history, our journey and our story.


Where we have come from                                 During the 1990s and 2000s, Noosa Shire also
                                                        focused on building community capacity. This
Noosa Shire covers an area of 870 km2. The land is      included the development of major community
Gubbi Gubbi land and was looked after for thousands     infrastructure such as libraries, an aquatic centre
of years by the Gubbi Gubbi people.                     and sporting facilities.

The early settlement period saw a focus on timber       However, the focus was on more than just community
and fishing as well as being a gateway to the Gympie    infrastructure. There was significant focus on
goldfields. It was during the 1980s and 1990s that      community engagement with the Noosa community
the current Noosa Shire story began to emerge.          becoming intimately involved in decision making
                                                        with the Council for the long term future of the Shire.
Like many coastal communities, Noosa was facing         Also during the 2000s, the focus began to include
choices about how it would develop. The 1980s           the diversification of the Noosa economy. This was
and 1990s saw significant environmental battles         a natural evolution towards a focus on the triple
where the Noosa community fought to retain Noosa        bottom line. The Shire developed its first economic
Shire as a unique place – unfettered by rampant         plan and sought to encourage smart industries that
development.                                            would reduce our reliance on tourism.

These environmental battles defined that period         There was a real sense of alignment between the
and culminated in the 1997 Strategic Plan which         Council and the community in the 2000s. This was
provided a town planning framework to ensure that       highlighted when the State government decided to
Noosa would differentiate itself from other places.     amalgamate Noosa Shire with shires to the south.
                                                        The Noosa community fought to stop that decision
The concept of the population cap was introduced        in 2008 and rallied to protect their Shire. Despite
together with height limits on buildings and Noosa      not winning the initial campaign in 2008, the Noosa
Shire focused on the “Noosa look and feel” design       community did not give up and continued the fight
of public spaces.                                       for what they believed in. This culminated in the
                                                        Noosa Shire being re-established on 1 July 2014.
Noosa Shire was an innovator at this time introducing
outdoor dining to Queensland. The focus was both        The first term of the new Council was focused on
on protecting the natural environment and also          re-establishment – getting the new Council up and
creating a special built environment for Noosa Shire.   running. There was a strong emphasis on building
                                                        a strong financial platform to ensure Council’s long
                                                        term sustainability.




                                                                            Noosa Council | Corporate Plan 2017-2037
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