SEPTEMBER
VACCINE IS KEY
Vaccination of all is the best weapon in the
fight against Covid but not the sole defence,
says Noosa specialist emergency physician Dr
Ian Norton, whose social enterprise Respond
Global has been at the forefront of Australia’s
battle against the virus since it began.
“Vaccination is a big area. It is one tool,” he
said.
“In the UK and US they have reached 80 per
cent but still have infection rates.
“We will need to have other forms of defence
such as screening and tests. We need to
remember all public health measures are going
to be here for a lot longer. Freedom Day
won’t be happening.”
A SHOW OF SUCCESS
With perfect spring weather and a thirst for entertainment
fuelled by lockdowns and cancellations,
crowds poured into the Noosa Country
Show last weekend, doubling the numbers
seen when it last ran in 2019.
Show society president Charlie Pattison
said the show pulled in more than 10,000 people
over its two days, compared to 5000 last
time round.
SACKING TURMOIL
Noosa Council’s executive team and staff are in
turmoil following the sacking of long-serving
director of corporate services Michael Shave
last Friday.
NOD, BUT NO FUNDS FOR OYSTER REPORT
A council majority of 4-3 approved the Noosa
River Oyster Ecosystem Restoration Project’s
second annual report.
However, Council chief executive Brett
De Chastel confirmed its approval would not
meet the criteria for a council funding payment
which would require the project’s state
government approval.
OCTOBER
HOLIDAY CHAOS
Police say the school holiday period at Teewah
Beach was “chaotic“ with campgrounds
hitting full capacity and close to 100 speeding
fines being handed out.
The busy area requires a joint operation between
Noosa Police, Sunshine Coast Road Policing
Unit, Tin Can Bay Police, Rainbow Beach
Police, Gympie Road Policing Unit, Maryborough
Tactical Crime Squad, and Queensland
Parks and Wildlife rangers.
LIFE SAVING TEENS
Surf lifesavers Darcy Lewis and Joe Tolano,
both 13 years of age, were in the first hour
of their first surf patrol, on an all terrain vehicle
(ATV) 400m north of Sunshine Beach
Surf Club on Sunday 3 October when a boogie
boarder alerted them to a woman in trouble
in big surf.
The woman they rescued, aged in her 40s, had been
caught in a rip and sucked out to the back of
the breakers, half way to the shark nets, in
rough conditions.
NOVEMBER
NOOSA TRI-UMPH
Records were broken, money was
raised for charities and people of
all fitness and ability pushed themselves
to their limits as about 9000
people competed in a range of events
as part of the Noosa Triathlon.
Triathlete and Olympian Ashleigh
Gentle set a record when she won
her eighth Noosa Tri in a tough race
to the finish. The men’s race crowned
a first-time champion in Commonwealth
Games athlete Luke Willian.
The health benefits
of the Noosa Tri were abundantly
evident in the joy and determination
depicted on the faces of Tingirana
special tri participants.
TOURISM CHANGES
Proposed sweeping changes to the constitution
of Tourism Noosa and the composition of
its board have divided Noosa’s biggest industry,
just as it starts to haul itself out of the near
abyss of Covid-19.
SCHOOL’S OUT
Students celebrate end of year with a traditional dip in the ocean.
DECEMBER
TACKLING VIOLENCE
More than 500 domestic violence incidents
were investigated by police in Noosa in the
past year, an increase of 20 per cent from the
previous year, Noosa police chief Ben Carroll
said on Sunday.
Speaking at the Noosa Zonta Walk to End Violence,
Acting Inspector Carroll said Noosa had
a relatively low crime rate which visitors expected
in such a beautiful place but, sadly, the same
couldn’t be said about domestic violence (DV).
SANTA’S CLASSY HELPERS TO THE RESCUE
Four hundred Noosa families including
1000 children have been identified by
care organisations to be in need of help
this Christmas and, thanks to the outstanding
efforts of Santa’s Classy Helpers,
they won’t go without.
Santa’s Classy Helpers founder Lorraine
Kenway said the number of people
needing help had shocked her.
“It’s over 100 families more than last
year. It’s really, really bad. We’re not only
looking after disadvantaged families but
the working poor,“ she said.
HOUSING OPTIONS
Noosa Council will investigate whether two
of its land parcels could be used for affordable
housing in response to its Noosa Housing
Needs Assessment, released at Council’s general
meeting.
There’s a nationwide housing crisis and Noosa’s property prices and rents have increased
significantly, making them unaffordable
for medium to low income workers, the
meeting heard.
TEWANTIN TURNS 150
With a decidedly carnival atmosphere prevailing in
Tewantin’s village centre former
Noosa Mayor Bob Abbot delivered a warmly received
keynote address at the Royal Mail
Heritage Luncheon celebrating the town’s
150th birthday.
Bob reminded the packed house of Tewantin
pioneers and “first fleeters” that their river
town had joined the communities together,
even when the shire’s economy and much of
its population was centred on the rural hinterland.
SANTA RACE RETURNS
The much-loved Santa race returns to Cooroy as they celebrate Christmas in Cooroy.
LAKE’S LONG HAUL
With the proposed Lake Doonella Foreshore
Plan on hold pending a funding allocation in
Council’s 2022-23 budget, lakeside residents
are gearing up for a long battle over access issues.
It is now almost five months since Noosa
Council closed the foreshore track between
Shields Street and Doonella Street in response
to a feud between two neighbourhood factions
that threatened to erupt into violence and intimidation.
While both sides have calmed
down considerably to allow Council to broker
solutions, the animosity remains not far from
the surface, and both sides have been feverishly
preparing their cases and lobbying the
powerbrokers.
