Annual Report 2017-18

Corporate Plan Theme 3: The Noosa Economy
“Our economy is diverse and resilient”


•   The construction of the Peregian Beach Digital     •   Council and Tourism Noosa worked together to
    Hub was completed (Council was successful              establish a Sustainable Tourism Stakeholder
    in obtaining $1 million of funding from the            Reference Group. This brings together
    State Government). Following an EOI process,           approximately 15 different groups from the
    tenants and co-workers have been identified             business, community and environmental
    and the Hub now has its first tenants.                  sectors to consider challenges associated
                                                           with how Noosa can manage the success it
•   Council adopted an Economic Development                has achieved in becoming a premier tourism
    Grants Policy in November 2017 and provided            destination. The Group met three times during
    grants in support of programs that will achieve        2017/18.
    the outcomes of the Local Economic Plan.
                                                       •   Council awarded management rights for the
•   Council continued to work closely with Tourism         Cooroy RV Stopover to the Cooroy Chamber
    Noosa and entered into a new funding                   of Commerce for a 3-year term. The ongoing
    agreement which provides funding for 3 years           activation of the Cooroy RV Stopover will assist
    with a further 2-year option. Council worked           the local Cooroy economy.
    closely with Tourism Noosa on the development
    of its Noosa Tourism Strategy 2017 - 2022.         •   Council continued to successfully implement its
    This strategy includes a focus on “value over          Local Economic Plan. Unemployment rates in
    volume” in relation to tourism so that the focus       Noosa continue to be at historic lows – Noosa
    is on yield per visitor rather than simply more        4.5%, compared to the balance of the Sunshine
    visitor numbers. As a separate but related             Coast, 5.1% and Queensland, 6.0%.
    issue, Council adopted the Noosa Main Beach
    Events Policy which prescribed a limit on the      •   Council co-funded an Innovation Masterclass
    number of events to be held annually on Noosa          for 14 local businesses to develop local
    Main Beach.                                            business capacity.

•   Council continued to work closely with Regional
    Development Australia (Sunshine Coast) on
    a range of projects including a successful
    entrepreneurship program.




Page 12 | 2017-2018 Annual Report