JANUARY
NO STOP TO TRAFFIC WOES
Traffic queues to Hastings Street and Noosa North Shore over the New Year long weekend were the worst ever seen, according to social media posts, with residents suggesting a myriad of solutions from shutting Hastings Street to all cars apart from Noosa Shire residents to increased river commutes and the construction of more bridges.
BEHIND THE FRAUD
Less than a week before Christmas, Jodi Nuske should have been at home planning the festivities with husband Dan and their two children: instead the Noosaville mum was being led out of Maroochydore District Court to begin a seven-year jail sentence after being found guilty of defrauding her former employer, Noosa’s high-end beachfront restaurant Bistro C, of more than $600,000.
SCHOOL’S BACK
It was a big step for 50 preppies at Good Shepherd Lutheran College, Noosaville, who began their first year of school, and an equally emotional event for their parents. There were 44,000 new preppies starting school across Queensland as part of almost 875,000 students going through the gates for the school year, about 300,000 attending private schools. For state school teachers the first week marked their first increased pay, backdated to July, Education Minister Grace Grace said.
FEBRUARY
SPENCER’S ONGOING BATTLE
Spencer Hitchen, 11, has a special affinity with the Glossy Black Cockatoo that carried him on a continuing journey to advocate for the protection of the unique wallum habitat in which the endangered species reside. For the past couple of years he and his mother Maxine have been at the forefront of a community protest against an aged care development by Uniting Care at Lot 6 and Lot 9, Grasstree Court, Sunrise Beach, in a wallum area containing known Glossy Black Cockatoo feeding trees, black she-oaks, favoured by the fussy eaters.
TOURIST OVERLOAD
The residents of Teewah Village have had it up to the high tide mark with escalating visitor numbers on the North Shore and constant streams of often reckless drivers on their once-pristine beach. Following Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service data revealing a 40 per cent increase in visitation since 2019 and anecdotal evidence that summer 2022-23 has been the busiest and most dangerous yet, the Teewah Landowners Association demanded immediate action.
GREAT WALK BACK ON TRACK
Exactly a year ago Noosa Today asked the question, “Is the Great Walk off track?” This week we finally got an answer in the form of a joint statement of intent from South Australian-based CABN, the Queensland Government-selected proponent for the ecotourism project, and the Kabi Kabi Peoples Aboriginal Corporation, its proposed management partner. And while it left a lot to be desired in terms of a clear timeline and roadmap to completion, it did at least lift the cone of silence for the first time in a year to reveal that yes, the controversial “glamping” project is marching ahead, if at a somewhat slower pace than the average walker would complete the five-day walk.
MARCH
DOORS OPEN AT THE DOONAN
It was all hands on deck during Noosa Today’s visit to The Doonan as their team prepared for the upcoming opening date. Queensland family-owned company, the Comiskey Group partnered with long-time friends and hospitality veterans, Josh Jones and Neville Allen to bring this unique venue to the Noosa region.
FROTHING FUN AT FESTIVAL
The Noosa Festival of Surfing kicked off with a howling good time had by some of its first wave riders at the Vetshop Australia dog surfing competition. While a sunny day and light waves were a perfect combination for the event other events shifted to Noosa River mouth or eastern beaches to make the best of conditions.
COUNCIL CLAMP DOWN ON CAMPING
Noosa Council adopted “a zero-tolerance approach to illegal camping“ in response to growing community frustration. Council’s local laws manager Paul Kirkley said after efforts were made to make campers aware that camping on streets and in carparks, particularly at Noosa Spit, was illegal, it was now time for a hardline approach as travellers continued to ignore the rules, often leaving a mess in their wake.
APRIL
POLICE CALL OUT VIGILANTISM AFTER HOUSE FIRE
Police and Queensland Fire and Emergency Services officers investigated a fire in a house at Waratah Close, Tewantin, that had been the subject of threats prior to its suspected arson.
Neighbours said the house had been the target of attacks for the previous week since police announced they had charged three girls over an assault of a teenage girl. Sunshine Coast Police Superintendent Craig Hawkins said his message was to let justice take its course. “An investigation has been undertaken, the perpetrators of the torture events and offences have been arrested and are before the courts,” Superintendent Hawkins said.
RIVER GROUP ENDS
The Noosa River Stakeholder Advisory Committee was disbanded by Noosa Council and Maritime Safety Queensland on 30 March after a somewhat rocky two-year ride along our troubled waters. The creation of the 14-person committee in April 2021 came with high hopes that it would bring the river factions together, but these were only ever fleetingly realised, despite Mayor Clare Stewart, an observer at NRSAC’s first meeting, saying: “It was great to be able to… see their enthusiasm for the river and for developing solutions to the big issues. I’m looking forward to hearing the committee’s advice when they present their recommendations on their initial priorities to MSQ and council.”
NUDIST CRACKDOWN
There’ll be no nudity on Noosa beaches say police who launched an operation targeting Alexandria Bay, Noosa Heads National Park’s locally recognised nudist beach, to address the undressed. “It’s been an unofficial nudist beach. Now it’s officially not. We’re going to police it,“ Noosa Senior Sergeant Anthony Cowan said.
