Noosa will become the tenth World Surfing Reserve, following a vote last week by World Surfing Reserves, a division of the US-based Save The Waves Coalition.
Following a two-year campaign by local surfers since the dedication of the Noosa National Surfing Reserve in March, 2015, the WSR’s 19-member Vision Council voted overwhelmingly for the Noosa submission, which was accompanied by a book and video documenting Noosa’s 60-year battle to protect its coastline from pollution and over-development, and its evolution as a world-class surfing destination.
Announcing the result, Nik Strong-Cvetich, Executive Director of Save The Waves Coalition, said: “Noosa more than deserves this honour of becoming the tenth World Surfing Reserve. The combination of diverse point breaks within a protected natural area, and the importance of surfing in the cultural fabric of the town made it an outstanding candidate as a WSR.”
When the Noosa World Surfing Reserve is dedicated next March, it will become the third Australian WSR, following in the footsteps of Sydney’s Manly Beach (2012) and the southern Gold Coast (2015).
But unlike many of its predecessors, Noosa has been selected for the decades of best practice in coastal management and protection that have resulted in its international reputation as one of surfing’s natural wonders. On the same day of this announcement of the Noosa World Surfing Reserve, Punta de Lobos in Chile, an iconic surf break approved in 2013, was finally dedicated following a four-year campaign by World Surfing Reserves and its partners to buy back the coast from developers.
Noosa National Surfing Reserve chairperson Phil Jarratt said while the main idea behind a World Surfing Reserve was to identify and help preserve iconic surf breaks around the world, many of the places in this small, select club have been chosen to draw attention to the underlying environmental and development threats that surround them.
“Our submission put forward the argument of best practice in these regards over generations of responsible management. For that we have to thank people like Dr Arthur Harrold and friends who put the first protective layers in place almost 60 years ago. Now the Noosa World Surfing Reserve has the responsibility of helping to continue that protection into future generations,” he said
Noosa Mayor Tony Wellington, a founding member of the Noosa National Surfing Reserve committee, said the accreditation represents another feather in Noosa’s considerable cap.
“It is both a tribute to Noosa’s iconic status as a surfing mecca and also an acknowledgement of our modern history of pioneering environmental activism. Being a World Surfing Reserve will help maintain focus on protection of our coastline as well as care for marine biodiversity,“ Cr Wellington said.
Tourism Noosa CEO Damien Massingham said that it was a wonderful accolade for Noosa to be recognised as a World Surfing Reserve.
“We are thrilled that Noosa has become the newest World Surfing Reserve and credit must be given to the Noosa National Surfing Reserve committee for their commitment to achieving this status,” he said.
