As Noosa Council slowly and painfully advances its proposed Destination Management Plan (DMP), residents are voicing a clear and united message: sustainable tourism must go hand-in-hand with policies that protect local character, enhance liveability, and put the needs of the community first.

While regenerative tourism and a stewardship approach should be key pillars of the draft plan, community feedback is calling for a broader vision for Noosa’s future—one that balances environmental care with housing security, transport solutions, and genuine local involvement.

Noosa should aim to become a global model of a regenerative and community-driven destination where tourism enhances Noosa’s unique natural, cultural, and lifestyle values through collaborative stewardship.

The Council is currently agonising over how to incorporate the community feedback it received as part of the DMP consultation process and is yet to produce a draft DMP. 

Council staff appear reluctant to provide a detailed report on the community feedback and this lack of transparency is not helping the process. Council’s feedback could come in the draft, but it would help the process if the community was kept engaged.

While the community called for a “transformative” approach, and identified the scale of residents’ needs, Council may be reluctant to embrace genuinely transformative solutions because of the inherent difficulties in taking on entrenched and vested interests and showing real leadership.

This is assuming that Councillors can agree on the solutions in the first place. The lack of a draft, after all this time, is indicative of the problems which will face Councillors.

As an example, it is suspected that some members of the community might support the idea of a transformative approach but may be less enthusiastic when they are personally impacted. Also, some solutions will require State Government support, which may not be forthcoming without some high-level lobbying.  

Almost all solutions will require additional funding and resources which raises more problems.

The resulting DMP may not be as transformative as the community says it wants. 

Any change results in resistance from those personally impacted and can be difficult even when the community benefits are obvious. Council recently was reluctant to go further than a token reduction in Tourism Noosa (TN) funding – apparently because TN would lose some jobs as well as influence.  

Council also needs to avoid unintended consequences or, at least, be aware of them.

Because of the range of issues covered by the DMP, its release will be contentious – which is why proposals which are clearly based on the community input should be more readily accepted.

Let’s look at some key community priorities.

1. Addressing Housing Affordability and Short-Term Accommodation (STA)

There’s growing concern over the impact of short-term holiday rentals on local housing availability and affordability. Council has introduced regulations requiring STA owners to have 24-hour contact points for complaints and limiting new STAs in low-density residential areas. In the recent budget, Council also increased the rates on STAs. These measures are supported by the community, but many locals are demanding much stronger action to ensure housing remains accessible for local families, workers and long-term residents.

2. Improving Infrastructure and Transport

Traffic congestion and limited public transport are key concerns for locals. Community suggestions include developing better public and active transport links, exploring park-and-ride systems, and reducing vehicle pressure in tourism hotspots such as Hastings Street and Noosa National Park. Residents want solutions that serve both visitors and the everyday needs of locals. 

Paid parking for visitors which excludes residents is being investigated but it requires State Government cooperation as do any actions requiring vehicle registration recognition software. Small EV loop buses on non-Translink routes are also being investigated as they may be eligible for exemption from the Translink monopoly.

3. Protecting the Environment and Enhancing Waste Management

Noosa’s natural environment is central to its identity. Residents have called for stronger environmental protections, such as tighter controls on land clearing, support for native vegetation, protection of the dunes and improvements to waste and recycling systems. These efforts align with Noosa’s long-standing environmental values and are seen as critical to the long-term sustainability of tourism.

4. Ensuring Community Engagement and Transparency

Locals are asking for deeper community involvement in how the DMP is implemented. A Stewardship Committee should be established to supervise and guide, and where necessary, through the Mayor, direct the implementation of the Destination Management Plan and to report quarterly to Council and to the community on Key Performance Indicators.

There is strong support for a collaborative governance model that holds tourism operators, council, and community to shared responsibilities. 

5. Promoting Balanced Economic Development

While tourism plays a vital role in Noosa’s economy, residents are demanding a diversified and equitable economic model. This includes supporting local businesses, managing visitor numbers to reduce pressure on services, and ensuring tourism dollars contribute directly to local infrastructure and community benefit.

6. Preserving Local Character and Lifestyle

At the heart of community feedback is a desire to preserve Noosa’s relaxed, village-like character. Residents are calling for planning decisions that limit overdevelopment, protect neighbourhood amenity, and ensure tourism growth does not compromise the lifestyle and identity that make Noosa unique.

What will finally come of this drawn out process?

Noosa Council tells us it will endorse the DMP this November, despite still not having achieved a draft or provided any feedback on the community consultation which occurred in 2023.

As the saying goes “a camel is a horse designed by a committee”.  Our DMP may well be consigned to a similar fate.  Will the ‘transformative’ parts of the DMP disappear without trace, and will our Council go to water when those tough decisions are called for? We will be able to judge for ourselves in the next few months.