Noosa Botanic Gardens Master Plan · Report

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SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING                                         9 SEPTEMBER 2025


REPORT
Council budgeted for the preparation of a Noosa Botanic Gardens Masterplan in the 2023/24
Financial Year, building on the 2017 Noosa Botanic Gardens Masterplan Stage 1: Vision document.
The key purpose of the Masterplan is to engage with the community to develop a shared long-term
plan for upgrades and improvements over the next 25 years, ensuring the gardens’ botanical legacy
and ongoing value to the local and broader community.

In late 2023, Consultants, O2LA, were appointed to initiate this process, assist with the consultation
and drafting of the plan in collaboration with community and Council stakeholders. The planning was
designed to take place over two phases: Phase 1 Visioning and Ideas Gathering, and Phase 2 Draft
Masterplan.

The draft vision determined for the gardens in collaboration with stakeholders is “to cultivate a vibrant
botanical garden that reflects the community’s values - working with nature, now and for the future”.

Existing Conditions
The Noosa Botanic Gardens on the shores of Lake MacDonald is a valuable amenity space for
residents and visitors that has an increasing valuable botanical collection in a stunning waterside
setting. It is increasing recognised for its value for both Cooroy and Noosa residents. Its evolution
to date has been largely incidental originally evolving from a community led initiative. There is
significant opportunity to improve the setting and recognition of the botanical collection, as well as
improve visitor facilities to make the space more accessible and comfortable for all. In addition, aging
infrastructure and substandard pathways require investment to rectify established defects.

ENGAGEMENT FOR THE DRAFT NOOSA BOTANIC MASTERPLAN

The preparation of the Masterplan has been informed by an External Stakeholder Reference Group,
an internal working group of Council staff, as well as Phase 1 community engagement program. In
addition targeted engagement has occurred with First Nations representatives from the Kabi Kabi
Peoples Aboriginal Corporation.

External Stakeholder Refence Group
To guide the delivery of the Master Plan process, Council appointed a voluntary community
stakeholder reference group in a voluntary capacity including Friends of the Gardens representatives
and various local and regional community groups and associations The purpose of the group is to
provide advice and strategic direction for the development of the Master Plan as it evolved.

Members of the group has included representatives from:
   •   Councillors - Cr Finzel (Chair), Cr Phillips, Cr Lorentson
   •   Friends of Noosa Botanic Gardens
   •   SEQ Water
   •   Noosa Hinterland Residents Association
   •   Cooroy Area Residents Association
   •   Cooroy Future Group (Cooroy Butter Factory)
   •   Outdoor Queensland
   •   Tourism Noosa

The Cooroy Chamber of Commerce was also invited to participated but declined from attending due
to other priorities but expressed an interest in being kept up to date as the plan evolved.

Formed in March 2024, initial one on one meetings with members were held to assist consultants

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understanding of stakeholder’s interests. Four formal meetings have been held in June, July,
November in 2024 and April 2025. An additional meeting has held with representatives from the
Friends of the Gardens in June 2025 to discuss and resolve specific considerations.

A further meeting with the group will be scheduled following forthcoming community engagement to
broadly consider feedback and next steps prior to further consideration by Council.

Internal Stakeholders
An internal stakeholder reference group was formed of Council staff with meetings scheduled in
March 2024, November 2024 and May 2025.

Cultural Engagement
Onsite meeting and visit was conducted with representatives of the Kabi Kabi Peoples Aboriginal
Corporation in September which has also lead enhancements to the Draft Master Plan.

Community engagement
Public engagement for Phase 1 predominantly took place in September 2024, with the aim of
understanding the collective vision, values, aspirations, and ideas of the local community to inform
the draft Master Plan.
Additional, early stakeholder engagement was also conducted, with key stakeholder including
members of the Stakeholder Reference Group. This included both 1:1 conversations and
workshops.

How we engaged
   •   Key community stakeholders 1 on 1 interviews -15
   •   Noosa Heads Tourist Info Centre walk through.
   •   Your Say Noosa survey.
   •   Email submissions to [email protected].
   •   Two community pop-ups in the Gardens on the 1 and 7 September 2024, leveraging off the
       Guided and Shade Garden walks, Music in the Gardens and Plant Sale.
How we communicated
   •   “Stakeholder Engagement Pack” consisting of postcards and poster distributed to SRG
       members for promotion to networks.
   •   Displays at Noosaville and Cooroy Library.
   •   Posters at Aquatic and Recreation Centre.
   •   Promotion of pop-ups, Friends events and opportunity to engage via Council’s social media
       channels, E-News, Your Say subscriber database and print media (Cooroy Rag, Noosa
       Today),
   •   Media Release and the Council website
How we went
   •   A total of 101 people completed the online survey of which 88 identified themselves as Noosa
       Shire Council ratepayers.
   •   The main demographic of survey were Noosa Shire residents aged 55+, with community
       group members, business owners, workers and visitors also participating.
   •   Hundreds of submissions were recorded at the pop ups and 1 on 1 interviews.

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What we heard
The following graphic summarises key community feedback from this process:




OUTCOMES

The Masterplan serves as a guiding document, addressing key design consideration informed by
community engagement to set a framework for both operational decisions, as well as priority for
future capital investment in the event that funds are gained through Council budget allocations or
grant funding. The timeframe for implementation of plan is 25 years, and this long term time frame
has been consistently articulated to stakeholders.

Any subsequent detailed design planning for works will also be subject to ongoing community and
stakeholder engagement, strategically informed by the Masterplan. Adaptive, flexible and responsive
design over that period in the implementation of the masterplan, will help the gardens and its
community to respond to its changing needs.

In terms of immediate operational decisions, the Decision Making matrix contained within the plan
will support current and future site managers and caretakers in setting operational priorities and
establishing timelines for the design and implementation of projects. The matrix also provides
transparency to key stakeholders such as the Friends of the Noosa Botanic Gardens about their
opportunity for involvement in operational decisions.

KEY DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

The draft Masterplan is included as an attachment to the Report. Key inclusions in the plan are listed
below;

Activity Zones and Functional Arrangement
The following zones are connected by the accessible Garden and Rainforest promenades.
   •   Arrivals Zone
   •   Friends of Noosa Botanic Gardens Zone
   •   The Green
   •   Botanic Playground
   •   Lower Lakeside
   •   Rainforest Zone
   •   Paths - intuitive, accessible
   •   Garden Promenade - between 3m to 4m wide (some routes require occasional service
       vehicle access)
   •   Rainforest Promenade - 2-3m wide
   •   Secondary paths minimum 1 .5m wide

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Visitor Support Facilities
Key to the value proposition for the gardens is improved visitor support facilities to better enjoy and
appreciate the Botanic Gardens:
   •   Creation of arrivals zone with an improved visitor entry experience including an appropriately
       scaled community facility/kiosk/shelter and amenities, supplemented by the adjacent Friends
       of the Noosa Botanic Gardens Zone
   •   Provision of a wide accessible ‘Garden promenade’ throughout the northern portion of the
       gardens
   •   Provision of a wide accessible ‘Rainforest promenades’ throughout the southern portion of
       the gardens
   •   Relocation of the Council depot and Friends Nursery from valuable elevated space better
       served for park visitors
   •   Refurbishment of the existing Amphitheatre
   •   Integration of the Northern Parklands (Lake MacDonald Park) with the existing Botanical
       Gardens to ensure a seamless parkland experiences
   •   Development of a Children’s Botanic Playground and leaning zone to diversify visitor
       demography and instil intergenerational interest in the gardens
   •   Creation of a more sunny, open spaces to diversity plant collections and provide areas for
       picnicking and informal recreational activities
   •   Development and consolidation of a climate relief zone along the waters edge to provide
       valuable shade in waterside setting during heatwaves
   •   Upgraded security and lighting systems
   •   Modest Expansion of carparking facilities, incorporating both formal and nature based
       options.
Legibility and Accessibility
A comprehensive approach for the upgrade of pathways is proposed to foster a cohesive, user-
friendly environment that prioritises ease of navigation, safety and accessibility for all visitors:

   •   Major universally accessible pathways - wide pathways, creating intuitive and comfortable
       pedestrian journeys through the site.
   •   Legibility - enhancing how users perceive and navigate the site to ensure a comfortable and
       intuitive user experience
   •   Accessibility - expanding accessible pathways to future-proof the gardens, making them
       usable for a broader range of visitors
   •   appropriately spaced and placed benches, walkways, ramps and handrails will be an
       important component of any upgraded or newly designed zones.

Botanical Collection
The original impetus of the preservation of this open space was the community led creation of a
botanic gardens and this is a fundamental premise of the draft Masterplan

   •   Preservation of Significant species and collections through protecting, maintaining and
       organising important plant species and collections
   •   Revitalisation and consolidation of the Botanical collection by enhancing the health and
       diversity of the collection through careful consolidation and management

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SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING                                         9 SEPTEMBER 2025


   •   Enhancing existing themed garden walks and creating new, engaging and educational
       garden walks that highlight specific themes and plant groupings.

Cultural and Heritage Considerations
This land holds deep cultural and spiritual significance for Traditional Custodians the Kabi Kabi
people and they have graciously shared thoughts and ideas that have been embraced in the draft
Masterplan.

The site has also served as the Noosa Botanic Gardens for almost 40 years and is highly valued by
the broader Noosa community, particularly those in and around Cooroy. The masterplan aims to
create landscapes, gardens, spaces and facilities that can support cultural events, ceremonies, and
gatherings and encourage storytelling, cultural exchange, and education.

Activation Plan
Critical to the success of the gardens is its attraction appeal to visitors – both residents and tourists.
The draft Masterplan includes an activation program of site appropriate live entertainment, guide
walks and workshops to encourage visitation and longer stays.

PHASE 2 ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM
Following the successful Phase 1 Engagement Program, a subsequent engagement program has
been devised for the draft Masterplan. This program builds of the dynamics of the local community
and appropriate to the scale and nature of the gardens.

   •   2 Pop ups in the gardens – leveraging organised events
   •   Online survey
   •   Post cards, posters
   •   Youth, Senior and family engagement
   •   Social Media Posts
   •   Local Newspaper
   •   Email promotion Radio advertising
   •   Face to face engagement including presentations to key stakeholder groups such as the
       broader Friends, Cooroy Chamber of Commerce, Cooroy Future Group, etc
   •   Final Stakeholder Reference Group Meeting



Link to Corporate Plan

Theme No. 2 - Liveability

Liveability encompasses housing, facilities and services, transport, health and wellbeing to enable
an inclusive, connected and vibrant community.

2.2 Fund and deliver accessible and improved, parks, open spaces, walking and cycle paths and
trails, including greening our paths and cycleways to meet contemporary needs.
2.3 Nurture arts and culture to enrich the identity and vibrancy of communities, highlight local talent,
celebrate First Nations culture and encourage creative participation and expression.
2.5 Ensure community facilities and services are inclusive, accessible and meet the evolving needs.
2.6 Facilitate strong, vibrant, inclusive communities where people have a sense of belonging and

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are active participants in a rich community life.
2.7 Fund and deliver sustainable assets and facilities and associated services responding to the
changing needs of the community and the challenges and opportunities of the future.
2.8 Provide opportunities to enhance the health, wellbeing and safety of our communities


Previous Council Consideration
Ordinary Meeting, 18 April 2024
Item 9.2 Noosa Botanic Gardens Master Plan Stakeholder Reference Group
Council Resolution
That Council note the report by the Acting Director Infrastructure Services to the Ordinary Meeting
dated 18 April 2024 regarding the establishment of the Noosa Botanic Gardens Master Plan
Stakeholder Reference Group and
A. Note the Terms of Reference provided at Attachment 1; and
B. Appoint Cr Phillips as Chair, and Crs Lorentson and Finzel to the Noosa Botanic Gardens Master
Plan Stakeholder Reference Group.

Finance
The draft Masterplan project has been funded as an operational initiative. The Phase 2 engagement
program will be delivered using in house resources

Implementation of the Masterplan will be dependent upon future funding allocations, but will be used
as a key platform to attract grant funding.

Risk & Opportunities
The draft Masterplan addresses a key risk / opportunity in regard to having a clear direction for the
ongoing maintenance and new infrastructure in the Botanic Garden that aligns to both organisational
and community needs and desires.

The draft Masterplan provides a key opportunity for external and grant funding to support site
improvements to reduce financial risk.

The proposed community engagement program ensures community appreciation and alignment in
the future direction of the gardens implemented by Council.

the draft Masterplan also provides increased opportunity for community visitation and enjoyment of
the Noosa Botanic Gardens, and low-key opportunities for business and entertainment appropriate
to setting.




Human Rights
Human Rights Compatibility Statement
In developing this Report, the subject matter has been considered in accordance with the
requirements of the Queensland Human Rights Act 2019. It is considered that the subject matter
does not conflict with any human rights and supports a human rights approach to decision making
by Council. Council representatives will endeavour to act and make decisions under this report in a
manner that is compatible with human rights. This report should be read in conjunction with
Council’s Human Rights Policy.

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SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING                                               9 SEPTEMBER 2025



Consultation
External Consultation - Community & Stakeholder
As outlined in previous sections of the report.


Internal Consultation
Departments consulted:
        Office of the CEO, Mayor &             Community Services               Corporate Services
                Councillors
    x    Mayor & Councillors                 Director                        Director
    x    Chief Executive Officer             Community Development       x   Financial Services
         Executive Officers              x   Sport & Active Lifestyles       Fleet
    x    Community Engagement            x   Arts & Culture                  Revenue Services
         People & Culture                    Community Connection            ICT
         Governance                          Customer Experience             Procurement

                                                                             Commercial Property

         Strategy & Environment              Development & Regulation        Infrastructure Services
         Director                            Director                    x   Director
    x    Strategy & Sustainability           Development Assessment      x   Infrastructure Planning, Design
                                                                             and Delivery
    x    Economic Development        &       Local Laws                  x   Civil and Asset operations
         Destination Management
         Environmental Services              Environmental Health            Waste
         Innovation & Digital Hub            Building & Plumbing         x   Building & Facilities
                                         x   Property / Permits              Disaster Management
x