GO NOOSA TRANSPORT INITIATIVES 2023/24 EVALUATION AND 2024/25 IMPLEMENTATION · Report

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING                                                           12 AUGUST 2024




1.4 Community feedback

A passenger survey conducted over two weekends in October 2023 at the Noosa Heads, Noosa
Junction and Noosa Civic bus stops revealed the following data obtained from 98 participants chosen
at random whilst they were waiting for the bus:
    • 57% were Noosa Shire residents, 23% interstate, 11% intrastate and 9% overseas.
   •   98% would recommend the free weekend buses to others.
   •   83% said that the free buses were important in their decision to catch a bus.
   •   86% of respondents were satisfied with the free bus service.
   •   37% would have driven by car, 17% by Taxi or Uber if the bus was not free.
The are no changes proposed in this report for the free weekend bus services. Council will monitor
the State Government’s 50c fare trial and review the program if required.


2. GO NOOSA BEHAVIOUR CHANGE INITIATIVES

The Go Noosa behaviour change is currently focused on the Go Noosa Schools program. Critical
traffic congestion is experienced in the mornings and afternoons around schools in Cooroy,
Tewantin, Noosaville and Sunshine Beach arising from private vehicles being used
to transport students at school. The Go Noosa Schools program in 2023/24FY included:
     • Promoting national awareness days such as National Walk Safely to School Day and
        National Ride 2 School Day.
   •   Year 4 bike skills offered to all primary schools.
   •   Providing support and incentives to the Tewantin Noosa Lions Club and Noosaville State
       School for their walking school bus initiative “Two Feet Tuesdays”.
   •   Offering in-class presentations to years five, seven and eight.
   •   In-class activities including workbooks, activity pages and let’s walk, ride or carpool to school
       postcards.

The behaviour change initiatives are limited by availability of resources and budget, and are
undertaken incidentally to other operational imperatives. Council staff are monitoring grant programs
to take advantage of any funding opportunities to expand the Behaviour Change program.


3. GO NOOSA HOLIDAYS

The preceding sections of the report focused on non-peak programs focused on everyday
movements for residents. Supplementing these programs is the Go Noosa Holidays program which
implements various initiatives to address peak holiday congestion.

Over 14,000 vehicles enter the Hastings Street precinct per day during the peak holiday
periods, between the Munna Point Bridge and Noosa Drive adjacent to Noosa Heads Lions Park.
The road network is at capacity even before the vehicles have reached any available parking.

On 3 January 2022, the Go Noosa traffic survey identified over 38,000 pedestrian movements on
the Hastings Street roundabout.