What has happened to Noosa?
Included among the many prized suburbs in Noosa Heads is a small area called Little Cove.
It lies between one end of Hastings Street and the National Park, and is accessible to the public by only one road, Park Road.
In the month of December three houses of note were sold on Little Cove Road and Allambi Rise. One, a beautiful and long held modernist residence, with five bedrooms, was sold for $6.2 million.
Shortly after, a new Hamptons’ style three-bedroom home sold for $5.8 million, and most recently an old residence that, no doubt, will be bulldozed, has just sold for over $5 million.
This comes as no surprise to most of us. Property prices are soaring around the country and especially in areas like Noosa which has risen by over 47 per cent in some suburbs.
However, what may come as a surprise and the point to this article, is what is going on during holiday time.
Last Christmas a backpacker was caught crapping on someone’s front lawn. They had to walk down a drive and open a gate to a private garden to reach the lawn, which apparently offered soft comfort to the girl’s behind. When she was caught, her response was “what are you going to do about it?”. She finished her toilet and calmly left.
Last night I drove back from a late dinner in Little Cove. Outside the $6.8 million dollar house, a gang of over 20 youths accosted my car, running in front of it, surrounding it and yelling. They were high on life – or possibly high on something else?
As I reached Hastings Street and the traffic that was virtually at a standstill at 10pm, I was met by a horde of hundreds of crazed teenagers. They were spilling onto the street, dancing in front of the traffic, and generally acting recklessly. Needless to say, there were no masks in sight and social distancing seemed to be a test of how many people can we squeeze into 1.5 square meters.
One ambulance was present and three police vans, who through no fault of theirs, were completely unable to manage the situation and were only directing cars around the ambulance.
A few hundred metres further along, closer to the Reef Hotel, three male teenagers swamped my moving car, hitting it and yelling at me, damaging the car side mirror. When I reported this to the police, they asked if I wanted to press charges. Do you honestly believe that my solo, middle-aged, female self was going to get out of the car and ask for ID? Seriously!
In two days it will be New Year’s Eve. We have endured two years of Covid chaos, lockdowns, home schooling and remote work, unable to visit ill or elderly loved ones, and have lived with the fear of an international pandemic. Most people are ready to celebrate the end of 2021 with a drink or two. If last night was any indication, Hastings Street and Noosa in general will be completely out of control and you would do well to keep away.
Noosa was a beautiful seaside town where families could spend the day on the beach, have a nice dinner at the surf club and safely walk around in the evening.
This image is still portrayed in the media and is commonly expected by visitors. So much so that some people are willing to spend a fortune on property, which, for whatever reason, they believe will offer a safe family lifestyle.
Sadly, this is no longer the reality. Noosa has become an economic focal point of South East Queensland. Perhaps too much emphasis is being placed on property value and the tourist dollar and not enough on supporting the community.
Population growth and development is inevitable, however, it comes at a cost. Noosa has plenty of job opportunities at the moment, but not enough affordable houses to rent and so people can’t live in the area and the jobs remain vacant. The huge surge in Airbnb, supported by local council, is not helping, nor is the unchecked increase in private rental prices.
There are more young people in the area but there’s not enough for them to do.
There is more troubled behaviour and social irresponsibility, however, the police stations still close at 4pm and there is little police presence on the streets.
The number of visitors during peak times brings traffic to a standstill and spills pedestrians onto the road. The free bus is a small help, but no traffic management is in place and the lollipop people of previous years have been more hindrance than help.
These are all problems. I do not have any solutions and I do not blame anyone for this situation. I am simply expressing my sadness at the seeming end to a beautiful place and a peaceful way of life.
