Meeting papers

     A sense of collective identity within the early townships     to the community’s demand to protect their birdlife. The
     of Tewantin, Pomona, Cooran and Cooroy heralded               headland, earmarked as a reserve in the 19th century,
     independence from the Widgee Shire and the                    was made an official National Park in 1939 to stop
     predominance of Gympie. Noosa Shire was created               interest in its development. Local protest stopped a sand
     and celebrated in 1910. Shortly afterwards, the Shire         mine proposal in 1952 and the 1960s saw community
     took great pride in its contribution during the First World   organisations form and advocate for greater protection
     War, with 400 enlistments from its tiny population and        of the local wildlife and environment. In contrast, the
     record fundraising. Just one generation later, Noosa’s        commercial development of Noosa Sound was then
     efforts were remarkable once again in its effort to defend    pushed by the State Government in the 1970s.
     Australia during the Second World War.




                                                                                                                                               Noosa Council Annual Report 2022 - 2023
                                                                   Through the 1980s and 1990s, the Noosa community
     On a small scale, fishing was one of Noosa’s initial          continued to fight to remain a unique place, ensuring that
     commercial enterprises. This had increased markedly           both commercial and residential developments were
     by the 1940s and grew exponentially after the war when        constrained within a planned framework. This placed a
     prawning became a significant industry. Overfishing           focus on protecting the natural environment and creating
     was recognised by the 1960s, and limitations began to         a special built environment that continued the ‘Noosa
     be implemented on commercial fishing to ensure the            look and feel’, where built infrastructure is integrated
     ongoing enjoyment of recreational and subsistence             into the natural environment rather than dominating
     fishing. The annual Festival of the Waters began              the urban and rural character. Aspects such as building
     celebrating the Noosa River and surfing became a              height limits, lack of traffic lights and low volume signage
     phenomenon with Noosa Heads becoming a nationally             became iconic. The strategic land use plans of the
     recognised surfing destination. In 2020, this culture of      1990s and 2000s included limitations on development
     coastal management and preservation led to Noosa              to support a sustainable residential and visiting
     becoming the world’s 10th World Surfing Reserve.              population. Ultimately in 2007, Noosa Shire was awarded
                                                                   UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status, which recognised
     Early on, Noosa residents recognised the environmental        the community priority of managing the environment
     significance of the region. Pig Island and Sheep Island       sustainably in balance with community needs.
     were declared wildlife sanctuaries in 1934 in response




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