JUNE
Best free newspaper
Noosa Today has been named as the Best Free Newspaper at the 2025 Queensland Country Press Association (QCPA) Awards.
The team would like to thank the community for their ongoing support, readership, and contri- bution to the newspaper.
The judges said, “Noosa Today is a polished product with well-written articles that cover top- ics from council reporting to community profiles. The newspaper includes creative photography, design and advertising.“
A feast to remember
The 2025 Noosa Eat & Drink Festival team have successfully pulled off the most ambi- tious program in the festival’s history.
From crowd favourites like the Arcadia Street Long Lunch to the sun-soaked indul- gence of the Beachside Italian Long Lunch, this year’s festival delivered a vibrant celebra- tion of food, wine, and coastal culture.
Thank you vollies
The J came alive with laughter and joyful cheers as 130 locals gathered to celebrate 60 outstanding volunteers at the Noosa Electorate Queensland Day Awards on 6 June.
Elite coach JR gets an AM
Noosa’s swim coach to the elite John Rodgers was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours List for his significant service to swimming as a high-perfor- mance coach.
For 58 years, the quietly spoken, straight-talk- ing JR (as he’s always known) has trained swim- mers, fulfilling a dream many times over to be an Olympic coach.
Smile group changes lives
Whether it’s bringing hope to sick children, back- ing local sports clubs, or offering safety through the Salvos’ Safe Carpark, the team behind Noosa foun- dation Smile For A Child is changing lives.
At the heart of the foundation is Glenn Puck- eridge (Puck), who gathered his loyal volunteers including ’little’ Jo Power and Anton Mogg, along- side legendary patrons Evonne Goolagong Caw- ley, Roger Cawley, and Michael O’Connor, at the Noosa Heads Surf Club on Wednesday 4 June.
This is where they delivered their final cheque out of $50,000 for 10 local junior sporting clubs.
Revised plan a go
Carparks and pathway width dominated debate when the revised Noosaville Foreshore Infra- structure Masterplan won the vote when it came before Noosa Council’s general meeting on Mon- day.
The initial foreshore masterplan released a year ago was met with community protest and criticised for its proposed changes to the charac- ter of the much loved area including the removal of the tennis court and carparks.
In delivering the plan this week for recom- mendation staff acknowledged the first iteration of draft plan “didn’t get it right” with this second iteration being a softer more responsive design created after “significant community engage- ment” and a plan which they said has received significant community support.
Charity gala raises $279k
In a powerful demonstration of community, com- passion and purpose, Reed & Co. Estate Agents hosted their 2025 Charity Gala on Saturday 21 June at the Sofitel Noosa Pacific Resort.
Together with the 2025 6 Peaks in 1 Day Chal- lenge, the Noosa Community has raised an out- standing $279,271, funding 18 vital pieces of pae- diatric medical equipment in collaboration with the Loyal Foundation and Humpty Dumpty Foun- dation.
JULY
Style and polish
Noosa’s own Concours d’Elegance returns to Hastings Street on Saturday 19 July, bringing with it a spectacular line-up of over 50 rare and iconic classic cars, alongside modern automotive stand- outs and an extended program of lifestyle events for all ages.
Illegal camper crackdown
Thirty-one illegal campers received $322 fines in a weekend enforcement blitz targeting major hotspots.
Noosa Mayor Frank Wilkie said Council’s lo- cal laws officers and Queensland Police attended Noosa Spit, Noosa Junction and Noosa National Park as part of the joint agency operation.
“Residents were understandably frustrated with our streets, parks and gardens being used as campgrounds and toilets,” he said.
Noosa Alive blasts off
Noosa comes alive from today (Friday 18 to Sunday 27 July), as the region’s premier arts and cultural festival NOOSA alive! kicks off 10 spectacular days of live music, theatre, ballet, and thought-provoking experiences.
$40 landslide repairs done
Noosa Council has finished its biggest and most challenging construction contract ever, with the completion of the $40 million landslide repair works on Black Mountain Road at Black Mountain.
The landslide triggered during the February 2022 floods was believed to be the largest in Sunshine Coast history and tested the commu- nity’s patience.
It spanned 130 metres in length and had a depth the size of a five-storey building.
Crocodile rocked
A potential crocodile sighting at Noosa Spit has triggered an investigation by the Department of Environment and Science (DETSI).
Local resident Ross Buckley reported seeing a crocodile at Noosa Spit on Sunday, sharing de- tails of the encounter on social media.
New era for Noosa surf club
Noosa Heads Surf Club has a new president Donald McKill and vice-president Steve Mawby with a mandate aimed at ridding the club of its recently reported toxic environment and replac- ing it with one of goodwill.
Psychedelic clinical trial
A pioneering regional mental health clinic has been selected as Queensland’s only site for a landmark international clinical trial into psyche- delic-assisted therapy for depression.
Led locally by the Brain & Mind Hub in Ma- roochydore, the EMBRACE trial will assess whether a novel investigational psychedelic drug, similar to psilocin, can help reduce symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD).
Tributes flow for owner
Three Noosa businesses have closed their doors after the ‘heartbreaking and unexpected’ death of business owner Greg Josephson.
Police have charged a 15-year-old Brisbane boy with murder after Mr Josephson, 58, was found dead inside his home on 26 June.
Cafe Doonan has paid tribute to its own- er while confirming the closure of Cafe Noosa, Noosa General Store, and Eumundi Sourdough Co as of 14 July.
AUGUST
Preserving Noosa
The much anticipated draft Destination Manage- ment Plan (DMP) was unanimously endorsed by councillors and released by Noosa Council for six weeks of community engagement and feedback from 6 August to 14 September following a special meeting on Monday.
Strengthening STA controls, introducing park-
ing systems with residents prioritised, developing a new events strategy with limits on size and scale, managing access to popular sites, and exploring tourism contributions such as paid parking and congestion charges are included in actions listed in the draft DMP.
Lunch raises $200k
A sold-out charity lunch at Noosa Heads Surf Club has raised an astounding $200,000 to support local families doing it tough this Christmas through the charity Santa’s Classy Helpers (SCH).
STA – better compliance, fewer complaints
Three years after Noosa Council’s Short Stay Letting local law was established a Council review of its operation, with consultation by a stakehold- er group composed of residents, community inter- est groups and short-term accommodation (STA) industry representatives, found better compliance with the law, fewer complaints to its hotline and 31 initiatives were identified to improve it.
Festival of notes
Be captivated by the Noosa Jazz Festival diverse program of events of over 10 days in Noosa’s warm and welcoming natural beauty of its beach- es, national parks, river and hinterland.
Delivering hope message
Natalie Cook brought the energy and humour that took the beach volleyballer to five Olympics and won her a gold medal at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 when she spoke of the need for hope, as well as funds for those struggling in the region at the Noosa Coolum Salvation Army Fundraising breakfast at Sunshine Beach Lifesaving Club last week.
Explosive detonated
Police declared an emergency at Peregian Beach at 12.30pm on Friday after a member of the public found an explosive device, which ADF bomb disposal experts later determined unsafe to transport, at the entrance to Beach Access 53 on Peregian Esplanade.
Go Noosa refined
Exploring the use of pet-friendly shuttle buses to Noosa National Park and Noosa Waters, AI cam- eras to measure pedestrian stress in Hastings Street and the ongoing use of Noosa Heads Lions Park for car parking were initiatives discussed in Noosa Council meetings this month when staff presented a report on the 2024-25 Go Noosa Pro- gram.
Funded by a $30 sustainable transport levy the Go Noosa Program delivers a suite of transport ini-
tiatives that support the Noosa Transport Strategy 2017–2027, encouraging a shift away from private vehicle use toward more active and sustainable transport options. It aims to manage peak period congestion improve safety, and enhance the over- all transport experience for residents and visitors, while protecting Noosa’s unique character and environment.
