Noosa Botanic Gardens Master Plan · Report

SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING                                       9 SEPTEMBER 2025



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