Noosa Shire is diverse, and certainly more than its famed coastal attractions. Just 30 minutes drive west of lively Hastings Street, the hinterland’s main town, Cooroy, is undergoing a metamorphosis. With its origins in timber harvesting and dairying, its rural nature is still evident in the very fabric of this rapidly evolving town, which these days is bursting at the seams. However, it retains small town feel and is has a friendly vibe.
When I moved here in 1999, Cooroy’s main streets were relatively quiet, and it was a rural service centre, with basic retail and service industries, and the education hub of the hinterland. The Bruce Highway had been recently diverted from the centre of town, the timber industry was about to be restructured by the SE Queensland Forests Agreement, which led to many of the state forests becoming national parks, and the local Boral Timber Mill closed down. The dairy industry had long ceased operations, the bean crops which grew in north-facing slopes had all but disappeared, and the brick factory was heading for its final years. Brilliantly, Noosa Council initiated a streetscaping and placemaking project that included resident’s monogrammed, locally fired pavers in the footpath upgrades. Fortunately, many of the old buildings survived the years of slow progress and gems like The Memorial Hall, the Post Office, The Butter Factory and the Cooroy Railway Station (1911) signalled Cooroy’s proud history as a working rural town.
Fast forward 10 years to 2009 and urban growth was well underway. Not far from the coast, but less traffic and a quieter lifestyle, Cooroy saw a jump in its population. New housing subdivisions, light industrial zones out of town, a new supermarket, a new school, renovated shops and offices, and building renovations that signalled change. The new settlers, who appreciated this little town and its big heart, saw Cooroy as the perfect place to live, brought new skills and vitality to the town. They bought up the old houses in town and rural blocks with enough room for hobby farming.
The railway line offered access to Brisbane, while highway upgrades saw distant destinations become closer in travel time. The Old Mill Site was transformed into a woodworking centre, The Memorial Hall received a large council grant for renovation, while the hospital, established in 1910, was repurposed as a major rehabilitation centre. Out of town, the brickworks became a drinks factory, while a stunning, award-winning library opened its doors in 2010. In recent years, Cooroy has often been regarded as an overflow destination for visitors to the coast, a sort of West Noosa, if you like. The siting of a major tourist attraction, the $7.2m Hinterland Adventure Playground, is an example of a facility designed to turbo-charge the hinterland’s visitor numbers.
Not all new retail outlets popping up were huge, rather they were often quirky. A year ago, on the road to Black Mountain, a classic old Melbourne bus appeared at the gate to the owner’s property. It was fully kitted out as the Bus Stop Espresso. It was an instant success, especially as a pop-up meeting place for the many Black Mountain residents affected by the recent drastic post-flood landslip. Of course, council was quick to ask for a development application, and there was a chance the business would have to close. A huge social media outcry from Cooroy folk saw both councillors and planning staff looking for ways to support such rural enterprises which both sell local produce and become social hubs for rural communities.
More recently, in the centre of town next to the post office, a railway carriage appeared one day. Turns out a local entrepreneur had acquired the former meat waggon from down south and set it up on rails. Before long a thriving wood-fired pizza business was operating. Again, there was a scramble to get council approvals. The rail carriage is now home to a grand piano which is played on Friday and Sunday evenings. Plans are afoot to screen classic movies from the rear of the block.
CARA is on the case
The Cooroy Area Residents Association Inc (CARA) was formed 10 years ago to advocate for residents in the town and its surrounds. CARA runs Cooroy Community Noticeboard, a Facebook page with 12,600 subscribers. Our members, including a committee of six, monitor new developments, lobby councillors, and generally look to seek all the protections the New Noosa Plan can provide the town with. Our aims are:
• To provide for the betterment of Cooroy and its surrounds, with particular focus on the area’s residential community.
• To facilitate two-way communication with individuals and organisations, including local and other levels of government.
• To provide a forum for resident discussion on planning and other matters which affect Cooroy and surrounds.
Over the decade we have hosted a meeting of professionals, business owners, community representatives, and others interested in how Cooroy may develop in the years to come. We’ve held town meetings on the congested intersections; for new councillor candidates; on Development Applications; the New Noosa Plan; and Short-Term Accommodation. And we’ve sat on council reference groups for sustainable tourism, new flight paths, local cycleways, and the Hinterland Playground.
So, head west, take your time to sit at a footpath table of one of the many streetside coffee shops, and watch the locals go about their daily business. This certainly is not the coast, but it’s all the more interesting for its authenticity.
