2017-10-10 S&O Agenda - Attachment 1 to Item 7 - Noosa Local Disaster Management Plan 2018

6.1.1   Geography
Noosa Shire is located in South East Queensland, approximately 120 kilometres north of Brisbane.
The region is bounded by Gympie Regional Council in the north and west, and Sunshine Coast
Regional Council to the south.

The Shire encompasses a total land area of 871.6 km2 with over 800 kilometres of roads and
nearly 450 kilometres of bikeways.

The Shire is the catchment for the Noosa River and its tributaries that flow to the east and the Mary
River and its tributaries including Six Mile Creek which flow to the north.

Much of the native vegetation of the region has been removed or greatly modified, and the main
forms of native vegetation that remain include tall open eucalypt forests along the western
boarders and remnants of melaleuca forest and open heaths along the coast.

Some 28,655 hectares of Noosa is considered to have outstanding environmental, biodiversity and
natural history values and is managed primarily for conservation. A further 30,653 hectares of land
is predominantly undeveloped and sustainably managed through voluntary agreements such as
Land for Wildlife.

Major nature features of the Shire include: Great Sandy National Park, Laguna Bay, Lake
Cooroibah, Lake Cootharaba, Lake Macdonald, Lake Weyba, Mt Cooroora, Mt Cooroy, Mt
Tinbeerwah, Noosa National Park, the Noosa River, Ringtail State Forest, Six Mile Creek,
Tewantin National Park, and Yurol State Forest.


6.1.2   Climate
The region has a mild sub-tropical coastal climate. Temperatures in summer average a minimum
of 17 degrees and a maximum of 28 degrees and in winter from 7 degrees through to a maximum
of 22 degrees. The highest summer temperature of 38.7 degrees was recorded in 2002 and 2008,
and the lowest winter temperature of minus 2.8 degrees was recorded at Tewantin in 1901.

The recorded rainfall average on the coast is approximately 1610 mm and the highest rainfall
occurs from December to May.


6.1.3   Demography
In 2016 the census recorded a population in the Shire of 52,149 persons. Of these 48.6% were
male and 51.4% were female. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people made up 1.5% of the
population. 71.8% of people were born in Australia. The most common other countries of birth
were England 7.7% and New Zealand 4.3%. 88.5% of households spoke only English at home.

The bulk of the population lives along the coast extending from Peregian Beach in the south to
Tewantin in the north. The largest hinterland towns are Cooroy, Pomona and Cooran which are
located along the railway corridor. Other centres of population are Boreen Point, Federal and Kin
Kin. Smaller clusters of rural residential settlement also occur throughout the hinterland.

The dominant housing form in the Shire is a detached house with over 79% of occupied private
dwellings being a separate house, 12% being semi-detached or town house and 7% a flat or
apartment. Reflective of the older population, Noosa has a relatively high level of home ownership
with 39% of occupied private dwellings being fully owned and almost a further 31% being
purchased.




Noosa Local Disaster Management Plan 2018                                                    Page 28