By JOLENE OGLE
THE Noosa Shire Council community profile report has been released, and it’s a mixed result for the Noosa region, with an ageing population and low incomes pegged as areas of concern.
The report described Noosa as a vibrant and healthy community, but said the ageing population and a reliance on tourism for the economy were among the concerns raised for the region.
According to the report, young adults are under-represented in the community with many leaving to pursue university study or employment opportunities outside the shire and slow population growth is a cause for concern.
An abundance of low household and personal incomes were also tagged as a concern for the Noosa shire, with the report finding Noosa’s unique demographic and economic make-up leading to numerous older residents on fixed incomes as well as many residents working in lower wage industries such as hospitality and retail.
When it comes to housing, the cost of rent is higher in Noosa at $1443 per month compared to the south-east Queensland median monthly rent of $1283, but mortgage repayments in Noosa are slightly lower than the state average.
The report states houses in Noosa are more expensive than in other parts of the state, with the median house price in 2014 at $481,410, compared to $405,000 for the state.
But it’s not all bad news for Noosa, the report found the low income statistics are to be expected given the number of wealthy absentee home owners in the region, and in more good news, local individual incomes have been growing above the rate of inflation.
In the education sector, Noosa boasts higher levels of primary (42.3 per cent) and secondary (30.4 per cent) school participation than the south east Queensland average and the tourism sector has also improved with overnight and international visitor numbers growing.
