Noosa Council has this week begun engaging with the Shire’s creative sector to prepare the 2025-2030 Noosa Cultural Plan to guide Council’s activities in the arts and cultural space, with a new regional art gallery high on the agenda.
On Tuesday councillors noted a report on the concluded Noosa Cultural Plan 2019-2023, the achievements of the sector during a period marked by the Covid pandemic and bushfire and flood events and its role in “nurturing a healthy, resilient and connected community”.
“Major achievements during the period of the plan included the creation of a Heritage Noosa unit, development of the Heritage Noosa online platform with over 15,000 items (and growing), the expansion of Outreach Library Services including the implementation of two book-vending kiosks and a new mobile Library vehicle, presentation of the Floating Land outdoor art biennale exhibition in 2019, 2021 and 2023, ongoing commitment to the RADF grants program in partnership with Arts QLD and multiple Covid19 recovery related programs hosted across Council’s arts and cultural facilities,” the report states.
“The major infrastructure need identified in the Cultural Plan was to explore options for the ageing Noosa Regional Art Gallery. During the period of the Cultural Plan significant exploratory work was undertaken to research the feasibility and benefits of a new Noosa Regional Art Gallery. Two pre-feasibility studies were completed by consultants Outside The Square, leading to the engagement in late 2023 of Knight Frank Australia to complete a detailed business case for the proposed project.
“Community feedback has been overwhelmingly positive towards the prospect of a modern cultural space that celebrates the Noosa region and its creative capital.
“In the face of an existing gallery that is no longer fit-for-purpose, this major piece of infrastructure is essential to support our region’s creative practitioners and nurture a culturally literate, engaged and healthy community.”
The report describes the effect of Council’s arts and cultural initiatives during its period to have “directly increased community wellbeing, helped the community in times of crisis, reduced loneliness and isolation and created a sense of community identity”.
“During this time of shared stress and uncertainty within our community, the purpose of Noosa Council’s Cultural Plan was stark; to recognise the value of arts, culture and heritage in fostering a healthy, resilient and cohesive community,” the report states.
“At no other time has cultural activity played such an important role in helping people make sense of and process an ever-changing world.”
Council has engaged Cred consulting company to undertake a “bespoke community engagement” that began this week with meetings with representatives from creative industries and Kabi Kabi to gain input and feedback with others soon to be consulted to include heritage groups and libraries.
Staff said the previous cultural plan concluded with more than 92 per cent of plan actions either completed or underway and the remainder would be rolled into the new plan.
Mayor Frank Wilkie said it was gratifying to know the former cultural plan was successful and the beneficiaries of it were the broader community.
