While most of the attention on the Destination Management Plan (DMP) focuses on coastal Noosa Shire, Hinterland towns must be afforded more than a nod in the Destination Management Plan.
In the past, hinterland residents haven’t been widely consulted by Noosa Council and Tourism Noosa about their plans, many of which have had implications for hinterland towns and villages of Cooroy, Pomona, Cooran and Kin Kin.
Cooroy Area Residents Association (CARA) is concerned about efforts in recent years by Tourism Noosa to market hinterland towns as “overflow destinations”, to reduce congestion in the coastal tourism precincts. This was propßœosed without sufficient dialogue with hinterland residents.
Decisions with such significant implications for the hinterland’s future must be shaped in partnership with the local community.
The Noosa Country Drive campaign, conceived and rolled out without prior community consultation, has had major impacts on residents living in the hinterland.
Over half of the Northern Route has up to 200 daily truck and dog combinations carrying 32-tonne loads traversing narrow roads, inappropriate for heavy haulage. These roads are not fit-for-purpose and, incredibly, remain without warning signs posting the dangers to motorists. Sending recreational drivers along these routes is both inconsiderate and dangerous.
Road engineer Stuart Holland told the planning court three years ago that these roads were inappropriate for the new traffic generated by the quarry.
Infrastructure concerns
Existing roads, parking facilities, and public transportation options are already under strain in hinterland towns. An influx of overflow visitors from the coast already exacerbates congestion and wear and tear on our infrastructure, with no guarantee of state and council investment in upgrades. In fact, infrastructure and facilities haven’t kept pace with resident growth here in recent years. Cooroy’s two problem intersections need immediate attention by the state before extra visitation is encouraged for this busy town.
Housing concerns
Hinterland residents are concerned that the expansion of tourism inland will greatly increase demand for conversion of properties to short-term rental accommodation, displacing long-term tenants and pushing up housing costs.
To export what has occurred in the coastal precincts, where the amenity of low-density residential zones has been negatively impacted by widespread, whole-house short-term accommodation, would see our sense of community stability largely disappear.
While we welcome visitors, the hinterland community values its liveability, as well as the various industies such as education, healthcare, business services and retail that thrive here.
This is a place where our residents are able to bring up families in a stable community and safe environment and, in the future, retire near to their families.
Noosa Council must plan against the housing disruption and dysfunction now occurring in the shire’s coastal areas and remain committed to protecting these hinterland qualities for future generations. They must act in our best interests, not just let the contagion spread.
Any new tourism strategies must reflect and respect the differing hinterland priorities.
Overtourism
While we understand the challenges posed by overtourism on the coast, we strongly oppose the redirection of tourists to our communities. This approach risks undermining the very qualities that make our towns vibrant, liveable, and economically resilient places.
The recent negative impacts of overtourism are the result of planning and management shortcomings.
Exporting these issues to the hinterland towns does not address the root causes of these impacts, therefore our community should not bear the burden of problems created elsewhere.
The State Government and Noosa Council must invest in infrastructure and continue to place restrictions where impacts already exist, rather than create new hotspots in the hinterland.
The Destination Management Plan
We urge Noosa Council to reconsider the strategy of marketing hinterland towns as overflow destinations.
We call for appropriate tourism planning that strengthens rather than undermines the distinct identities and economies of all towns and villages in the shire, one that doesn’t undermine community stability and make it harder for workers and families to live and work in our towns.
Our local economy is built on servicing residents and existing visitor numbers.
Rapid tourism growth in the hinterland risks replacing diverse, community-focused businesses with short-term, tourist-driven enterprises, diminishing both resilience and local identity.
The town’s street life and sense of belonging rely on local interaction. A surge of short-stay visitors risks altering this balance, reducing the authenticity that residents and visitors alike value. Any shift that prioritises mass tourism over community needs threatens to erode the hinterland’s unique character and reduce the quality of life for its residents.
CARA supports responsible, well-managed tourism that benefits visitors and residents alike. The solution to overtourism lies in managing visitor numbers at the coast through caps, booking systems, and dispersal across existing coastal attractions. Not by channelling the overflow into the hinterland.
