2016-12-06 - S&O Agenda - Attachment 1 to Item 8 - Draft Corporate Plan 2016

                    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.




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                                                        During the 1990s and 2000s, Noosa Shire also
                                                        focused on building community capacity. This
Where we have come from                                 included the development of major community




                                                                  F
                                                        infrastructure such as libraries, an aquatic centre
Noosa Shire covers an area of 870 km2. The land is      and sporting facilities.
Gubbi Gubbi land and was looked after for thousands
of years by the Gubbi Gubbi people.




                                               A
                                                        However, the focus was on more than just community
                                                        infrastructure. There was significant focus on
The early settlement period saw a focus on timber       community engagement with the Noosa community
and fishing as well as being a gateway to the Gympie    becoming intimately involved in decision making




                                             R
goldfields. It was during the 1980s and 1990s that      with the Council for the long term future of the Shire.
the current Noosa Shire story began to emerge.          Also during the 2000s, the focus began to include
                                                        the diversification of the Noosa economy. This was




                                 D
Like many coastal communities, Noosa was facing         a natural evolution towards a focus on the triple
choices about how it would develop. The 1980s           bottom line. The Shire developed its first economic
and 1990s saw significant environmental battles         plan and sought to encourage smart industries that
where the Noosa community fought to retain Noosa        would reduce our reliance on tourism.
Shire as a unique place – unfettered by rampant
development.                                            There was a real sense of alignment between the
                                                        Council and the community in the 2000s. This was
These environmental battles defined that period         highlighted when the State government decided to
and culminated in the 1997 Strategic Plan which         amalgamate Noosa Shire with shires to the south.
provided a town planning framework to ensure that       The Noosa community fought to stop that decision
Noosa would differentiate itself from other places.     in 2008 and rallied to protect their Shire. Despite
                                                        not winning the initial campaign in 2008, the Noosa
The concept of the population cap was introduced
                                                        community did not give up and continued the fight
together with height limits on buildings and Noosa
                                                        for what they believed in. This culminated in the
Shire focused on the “Noosa look and feel” design
                                                        Noosa Shire being re-established on 1 July 2014.
of public spaces.
                                                        The first term of the new Council was focused on
Noosa Shire was an innovator at this time introducing
                                                        re-establishment – getting the new Council up and
outdoor dining to Queensland. The focus was both
                                                        running. There was a strong emphasis on building
on protecting the natural environment and also
                                                        a strong financial platform to ensure Council’s long
creating a special built environment for Noosa Shire.
                                                        term sustainability.




                                                                            Noosa Council | Corporate Plan 2016-2036
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