Noosa Mayor Clare Stewart
It’s been a big few weeks in Council.
Adoption of our Housing Strategy unanimously supported by all councillors occurred last week which is an important step forward in the quest to better meet shire’s social and affordable housing needs. During consultation over 84 per cent of respondents were supportive of social and affordable housing in Noosa Shire. There was also strong support for residential development or development in appropriate areas, to facilitate housing that is affordable, howeve,r this is not to be at the expense of the look and feel of Noosa Shire. We are certainly different by nature and all at Council are committed to protecting the character and cultural values of the community.
Concerns were raised about height limits but the potential addition of one storey will only be in certain city centres such as Noosa Junction or Noosa Business Centre with absolutely no plans in this strategy to have four storeys in Tewantin. Any planning amendments will, of course, go out for community consultation. Like everything else, it is the voice of the community that matters most.
Council’s Sunrise Shops welcomes a new anchor tenant with the recent opening of an IGA supermarket last week. After an extended vacancy period, I’m thrilled an IGA Supermarket is now open in the anchor tenancy space at the Noosa Council-owned, Sunrise Beach Shopping Centre.
As a mayoral candidate, I vowed that, if elected, the Sunrise Shops would be among one of my priorities. For years, the tenancy in the retail precinct has been vacant, following the closure of the last supermarket.
So, this week’s opening of an IGA Supermarket with a 10-year lease and further options available is a huge win for ratepayers, local residents and neighbouring businesses in the complex.
For ratepayers, having a quality, long-term tenant in place ensures a steady income from this asset in support of Council’s strong financial position.
For local residents, the IGA will offer Sunrise Beach residents another grocery shopping option, close to home.
For other businesses in the complex, the addition of a permanent anchor tenant will also boost foot traffic to the shopping centre, which helps provide exposure. The Sunrise Shops IGA is Proprietors Rachel and Todd O’Reilly’s third store in the region and we are excited by their presence at our local shops.
Council has awarded a 20-year contract to Divers Den Investments Pty Ltd (Entrada Travel Group) staring in July 2024 for the Noosa vehicle Ferry service.
Entrada is an experienced operator and was the preferred choice of our procurement panel. They operate the Daintree River vehicle for the Douglas Shire Council as well as having a strong presence on the Great Barrier Reef.
Under legislation Council is required to make decisions based on sound contracting principles and it was clear from advice given from our council staff and feedback received from our procurement panel that this company was the clear choice.
The company will build two new ferries, one with the capacity of 27 vehicles and another that can carry 12 vehicles, almost doubling the capacity of the current service. The new contract paves the way for changes such as cashless payment options and larger vessels to help reduce queuing.
Finally, as we head towards Christmas, it would not be a celebration for us here at Council without our Christmas Convoy which returns once again this year.
The vehicles are polished, and Santa is booked in and ready to spread Christmas cheer. This year the Christmas convoy will start from 5 December and run through to 8 December visiting streets around the Shire.
The convoy is an initiative of Noosa Council with the support of Noosa’s local emergency services.
More information will be released on Monday 21 November so please keep an eye out on our socials and website- noosa.qld.gov.au
