2020-10-06 Services & Organisation Committee Agenda

SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING REPORT                                   6 OCTOBER 2020


REPORT
The purpose of this report is to highlight the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the Go Noosa
peak period traffic management plans usually implemented over the Christmas and Easter holidays
and to identify existing and new transport options to facilitate the movement of people visiting the
Hastings Street precinct during peak periods whilst maintaining the Noosa Transport Strategy
Principles. Note that a future report to Council will be made on recommendations for the 2021
Easter holiday period.

1.    Go Noosa Peak Period Traffic Management – Existing initiatives

The following initiatives formed part of the Go Noosa Peak Period Traffic Management Plan during
the 2018/2019 and the 2019/2020 Christmas peak holidays and pre-Covid were considered
‘business as usual’ and are proposed again for the 2020/2021 Christmas holidays with the
exception of a proposed change to the Free Holiday Bus program as described further below:
     Free Buses
     Park & Ride
     Variable Message Signs
     Go Noosa App
     Traffic Control
     Paid Parking – Noosa Heads Lions Park
     Wayfinding
     Replacement of parallel parking in Hastings Street.

2.    Coronavirus Pandemic and Impact on ‘Go Noosa’ – Free Buses

Over the 2019/20 six week Christmas holidays there were a total of 245,096 passenger trips on
the Council funded free holiday buses which included five existing TransLink services, 064
Peregian Shuttle bus and the 065 Go Noosa Loop Bus. This equates to a daily average of 5,835
passengers and was estimated at approximately 30% of visitors to the Hastings Street area. It was
also a 20% increase in public transport patronage from 2018/2019 which was itself a 40% increase
in public transport patronage from 2017/2018.

Free Noosa Buses were seen as the key success of all initiatives however, due to increasing public
anxiety regarding public transport with reports of cases being spread on public buses and
confusion regarding the use of face masks, it is anticipated that there may be a significant change
in willingness to utilise the Free Buses. In addition to public concerns, the application of safe social
distancing requirements on buses suggests bus capacity may reduce by 75-80%.

The combination of public anxiety regarding public transport, social distancing reducing bus
capacity, general uncertainty, and the reduced value for money has resulted in staff not
recommending Council conduct the typical full Free Bus program for the 2020 Christmas holidays.

Given the above, it is considered that Council only fund the Free 065 Loop Bus as a free service
rather than the full suite of five TransLink services and the 064 Peregian service. The advantage
in only having the 065 Loop Bus as a free service includes:
     065 is a Noosa Style Bus in line with the Transport Strategy
     Addresses peak demand specifically to service those wishing to access key destination
      locations such as Noosa Junction and Hastings Street precinct and the northern end of
      Gympie Terrace.
     Operates on a 10-15 minute frequency able to evenly distribute higher demand with the
      constraints of social distancing.
     The reduced travel time is considered a lower Covid risk.

                                                                                        Page 17 of 73