By Margaret Maccoll
Go Noosa transport initiative is reducing the number of peak holiday cars in Hastings Street, more people are using scooters, but local patronage of free buses dropped off in the past year.
These were among findings of the 2020-21 Peak Period Traffic Management Evaluation, released by Noosa Council this month, which found more than 250,000 passengers used the free service over the Christmas and Easter holiday periods.
Council staff suggested it may have been COVID that influenced people’s willingness to catch a crowded bus but according to the report 43 per cent of users were Noosa residents compared to 60 per cent in previous years.
A survey on Go Noosa, conducted each year on 3 January, found that in 2020-21 there was a 4% decrease in private vehicle use and 12% decrease in the number of pedestrians entering Hastings Street.
It also found a 42% increase in motorbikes/scooters and 4% increase in bicycles coming into the tourist spot.
Data from Tourism Research Australia found Noosa accommodation occupancy in January (70%) and April (68%) 2021 was on par with pre-COVID 2019 occupancy. The impact of COVID was obvious in April 2020 with accommodation occupancy dropping to 24%.
The number of people visiting (overnight and day trip visitors) in December 2020 was down about 20% in comparison to 2019 with January 2020 data not available.
And if you thought it was busy in Noosa this Easter this year you were right with visitation in April 2021 up 200% up on 2020 figures.
Good news for the service was that 98% of survey respondents said they were satisfied with the service and 56% said they would have come by car if the buses had not been free.
In addition with traffic controllers favouring buses and pedestrians the travel time for buses from Noosa Junction to Hastings Street dropped from 7-14 minutes a year ago to 6-8 minutes in 2020-21.
Not proving so popular was the park and ride with only 27% of survey respondents saying they used a dedicated Park and Ride. And drivers preferred to find their own drop and go locations than dedicated drop and go car parking spaces.
In Council meetings Deputy Mayor Frank Wilkie described the number of bus users as “enormous” but questioned the ongoing use of the Noosa Heads Lions Park for car parking instead of recreational green space.
Over the 2020-21 Christmas holiday period the park was used for car parking for 22 days with an average of 212 cars per day bringing in revenue of $93,400.
“Go Noosa holiday buses are proving to be a great success, giving locals and visitors a convenient and free alternative to driving into the Hastings Street Precinct during our busy holiday periods and searching for that elusive car parking spot,” Mayor Clare Stewart said.
“We know that awareness of the service has increased with ‘catching a bus last year’ being the number one means by which people were aware of Go Noosa.
Noosa Ferry joined Go Noosa in Christmas 2020-21 but passenger data was not made available “due to commercial in confidence“.Go Noosa holiday buses are part of a broader program of transport initiatives which includes encouraging sustainable travel to local primary and high schools, community transport services for the elderly and people with a disability as well as advocating for improvements to public transport and walking and cycling infrastructure, Cr Stewart said.
It is supported by Transport Strategy Steering Group made up of key stakeholders including Zero Emissions Noosa, the Hastings Street Association, Noosa Junction Traders Association, Tourism Noosa, and other stakeholders.
