Not only has Noosa a strong record of successful community action to protect its natural environment, but it is also a demonstrably successful example of cooperation with state governments to achieve desired outcomes.

There is plenty of precedent to demonstrate successful outcomes from a genuine partnership.

The success, for example, in creating over many years, a continuous “national park” from Coolum to Tin Can Bay is both a testament to the work of local community volunteers led by Noosa Parks Association and the partnership involving the Queensland Government and Noosa Council.

The NSW government has worked with Lord Howe Island and the Byron Bay community and has capped visitor numbers. Closer to home, a recent report by the K’gari (Fraser Island) world heritage advisory committee (KWHAC) has warned the Queensland Government that the island’s ecology risks being destroyed by overtourism. The committee has warned that overtourism will not only destroy the environment but the very experience being sought by visitors, and has recommended a visitor cap.

If we are to avoid the negative impacts of over tourism, we need to accept that more is not better. The discussion paper fails to even acknowledge the threat of overtourism, undoubtedly the single biggest issue to confront the tourism sector world-wide.

There are any number of areas where a compact between the state and local council could benefit the local tourism industry while recognising and protecting residential amenity. A compact or MOU between the state, council and community organisations could result in a “resident-visitor-environment social contract” and include strategies to manage visitor numbers via a permit system, develop a fit-for-purpose transport plan that meets the needs of residents and visitors; prioritise an essential worker accommodation plan; and develop a Noosa specific Olympics plan to build a Games legacy that meets Noosa’s needs. Council papers indicate that an Olympics plan has been developed but this is yet to be shared with residents.

The decision by council to give priority to the revised Noosaville Foreshore Infrastructure Master Plan over the long overdue Destination Management Plan (DMP) has had the unfortunate consequence of denying community input to the State Government’s Destination 2045 tourism strategy without the benefit of the recommendations from the DMP.

The failure of council to set the right priorities may well have unintended consequences.

And, as a footnote – anyone who had the misfortune to be caught in the massive traffic gridlock last Wednesday (between 3.30 and 4.00 pm) at the Coolum-Yandina roundabout would no doubt wonder if this is to be our Legacy 2032. Traffic from the direction of Yandina was at a standstill as far as the eye could see; the roundabout was gridlocked; and there was a tailback into Coolum West and at both ends of what is humourously called the “motorway’ .   No accident here, just costly congestion that’s becoming normalised around Noosa, and not just at peak holiday times.

If we are to avoid the tsunami of visitors that will accompany the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic games, we need to ensure that the state government has the right strategies in place over the next 20 years.  For us, that starts with accepting that over-tourism is a major problem that needs to be managed, not left to choke us slowly to death.