Ordinary minutes, 21 August 2025

ORDINARY MEETING MINUTES                                                        21 AUGUST 2025


8.
   HAYLEY HASS
3
  Question 1
  Could Council please clarify whether the Draft Destination Management Plan still intends to
  investigate/implement the ‘Transformational Scenarios’ outlined in the Discussion Paper,
  including pedestrian-only zones in Hastings Street and Gympie Terrace during peak times,
  access to Noosa National Park by free bus only during peak times, restricted access and booking
  systems for Noosa’s iconic landscapes, ban single use coffee cups on Hasting St and Gympie
  Tce and mandates on iconic events and all tourism and service providers to be zero waste and
  zero-emissions?

  Response provided by Director Strategy & Environment, Kim Rawlings
  The transformational scenarios presented in the Phase 1 Destination Management Discussion
  Paper were intended as thought-starters to encourage community dialogue around potential
  solutions. A detailed analysis of the Phase 1 feedback revealed initial community interest in
  several of these ideas. As a result, some have been included in the Phase 2 Draft Destination
  Management Plan (DMP) for further consideration. The Phase 2 engagement process is
  designed to assess the level of community support for some of these ideas and others,
  recognising that Noosa’s population continues to evolve and that some proposals may have both
  positive and negative implications depending on your perspective. Council is therefore using
  this comprehensive second phase of engagement which runs for 6 weeks until 14 September to
  seek clear feedback and input around levels of support from our community before finalising the
  DMP and advancing these actions.




  Question 2
  Does Council recognise that the proposed vehicle, parking and access restrictions in Noosa, as
  floated in the Destination Management Plan, will severely impact car dependent Noosa
  Hinterland residents, but also local businesses who face a reduction in visitor traffic?

  Response provided by Director Strategy & Environment, Kim Rawlings
  As outlined above, the Phase 2 engagement process is intended to gauge the level of community
  support for the priority concepts identified by the community following Phase 1 Community
  Engagement on the Draft Destination Management Plan Discussion Paper. Council
  acknowledges that many of these ideas suggested by the community are interdependent. For
  example, the effectiveness of any potential changes to vehicle access or parking would rely on
  the availability of viable alternative transport optionsdash;such as smaller, more frequent bus
  services, including servicing the Hinterland. Such potential actions could enhance connectivity
  between Hinterland and coastal areas, benefiting not only residents who rely on private vehicles,
  but also those who are ageing, no longer wish to drive, or lack access to a vehicle and may
  currently experience isolation. Dynamic and regulated parking which is discussed in the Draft
  DMP can in fact improve carparking availability and turnover of vehicles. Council recognises that
  some ideas and concepts suggested by the community and reflected in the Draft DMP may be
  unacceptable to other community members, therefore Phase 2 community engagement is
  seeking input from everyone to assist Council to determine if there is clear support or otherwise
  from the community on all actions and tasks within the Draft DMP.