By JONATHON HOWARD
PLANS to reconfigure Noosa Junction parking along Sunshine Beach Road have been quashed due to planning restrictions, while ideas to boost customers have been flowing in.
According to previous Sunshine Coast Council documents, the idea of angle parking was raised during the Junction’s redevelopment and revitalisation plan, more than 12 months ago.
The documents revealed that business owners and residents rejected the idea of angle parking, citing a “bottleneck risk” for Junction traffic.
The angle parking matter was therefore buried, but was raised recently in a bid to rejuvenate ailing customer numbers.
Noosa Junction Association acting chair, Sue Pollard, said ideas to boost customers needed to come from elsewhere.
“We need to move on from the parking reconfiguration idea and work towards making the Junction a thriving and exciting place to visit,” she said.
Ms Pollard said the ideas were already beginning to flow.
“We’ve got some amazing ideas such as the Junction Food and Wine Festival in October, and better use of the bus terminal office to become a Junction information space,” she said.
“We’re also introducing busking into the Junction with a focus on weekend activities, and we’re eager to get new markets, specialising in local art, started.”
Ms Pollard has also put a call out for all Junction businesses to register with Noosa Junction Association – in a bid to move forward together.
She said one of the only discouraging things about the Junction was the lack of engagement from many of the businesses.
“The association is essentially starting from scratch, and we need everyone, new members and those past ones to re-register with us,” she said.
“The Junction has seen tougher times, but we as business owners and operators need to band together to make these ideas come to life and help the Junction bounce back,” she said.
Ms Pollard said the Noosa Council CEO and several councillors had already made contact with her to offer their support and assistance where possible.
The Bigger Vision Group in Eumundi, a business aimed at improving marketing outcomes for businesses, has also offered the Junction association two free tickets to one of their eight-week courses.
“After looking at noosajunction.org, and Facebook page, we feel that the Junction traders urgently need to update their marketing to meet the modern day market,” Bigger Vision Group employee Catherine MacAdam said.
“In all honesty, the website is difficult to navigate and the Facebook page could be used much more efficiently to promote the local businesses.
“We would like to offer two complimentary tickets to our next eight-week “Business Booster workshop (starting on Thursday 26 June, 9am to 11am), to two members of the Noosa Junction Business Association,” Ms MacAdam said.
The Junction Association has also launched the “Come Back Again” return business initiative.
By listening to Noosa Community Radio Station 101.3FM, customers can hear the secret word between 9am-11am.
To find out more about “Come Back Again”, or to register with Noosa Junction Association, phone Sue on 0431 007 887.
