Win for hinterland tourism

FORMER Noosa Mayor Noel Playford today cut the ribbon on council’s $5.6 million Dr Pages Road upgrade.
Mr Playford said Dr Pages Road was already carrying an extra 100 vehicles a day since being sealed, in a win for hinterland tourism.
Mr Playford, who retired in March following more than 20 years in local government, announced the multi-million dollar project in his last Noosa Council budget.
The Federal Government’s ‘Roads to Recovery’ funding program contributed $1,826,696 toward the project.
Planning and Infrastructure director Martin Drydale said: “By designing the road upgrade in-house, council had been able to keep costs down, avoid the need for property acquisitions and minimise environmental impacts.”
Mayor Tony Wellington said: “More trees have been protected than is usual for a road construction project, and where the road crosses waterways, we’ve minimised environmental impacts through clever design. The road also now has Q10 flood immunity.
“This project is successfully making our wonderful hinterland more accessible,” Cr Wellington said.
“As a result of this project, residents and tourists can now enjoy a round trip from Tewantin out through the hinterland towns of Boreen Point, Kin Kin, Cooran, Pomona and Cooroy without travelling on a single gravel road,” he said.
“Following de-amalgamation, I promised the community we would prioritise the sealing of Dr Pages Road and part of Kinmond Creek Road to provide a fully sealed hinterland loop – a project that has been on the table for more than 20 years. So I am pleased to join Mayor Wellington, councillors and staff today to celebrate its completion.”
Dr Pages Road makes up the northern point of the Noosa Country Drive’s north loop which was launched by Tourism Noosa last year.
Toursim Noosa CEO Damien Massingham said the sealed road would now allow locals and tourists to access farms, galleries and retreats on a safer road.
“All the northern route of the loop is now bitumen, so people know they can travel these roads and that they’re going to get there safely,” he said.