Friday, 1 January, 2021
There’s only one
NOOSA and only one ...
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The Year That Was...
PAGES 12-18 and SPORT
A look back at what made news in 2020
Bring in the New Year 2020 has been a year we will long remember. Covid-19 halted most of Noosa’s famous festivals, kept our national and international visitors away and challenged many businesses and individuals. There was no Noosa Alive, Noosa Eat and Drink Festival, Tall Trees Art Festival, Noosa Tri and the many other events usually held throughout the year. But we were lucky. Tourists have returned, life is becoming more normal and as a community we are surviving together. As we welcome 2021 most of us will be glad to say goodbye to 2020. Noosa Today wishes everyone a happy and safe New Year.
Visitors Lindsay and Steve celebrate the holidays at Bistro C on Noosa Main Beach. Picture: ROB MACCOLL
Joint response By Margaret Maccoll Noosa Police have enlisted the help of Red Frogs for the first time as part of a multiagency response including ambulance, Noosa Council and The Hastings Street Association to New Year’s Eve celebrations in Hastings Street. Police senior sergeant Ben Carroll said after working so well together at the recent Schoolies celebration they called Red Frogs to assist them on New Year’s Eve and they were happy to come. He said they’d also requested mounted police but, being a popular policing unit on New Year’s Eve, they had yet to hear if they were available.
Snr Sgt Carroll said the group would be working closely together to provide logistical and other support to an expected crowd of 5000 to 6000 local revellers in the street and on Main Beach. “An emergency services staging area will be established behind the Hastings Street Police Beat, housing a temporary medical facility and other support,“ he said. “The precinct sees a large amount of people gathering to welcome in the New Year. With that comes some risky behaviours particularly within a large cohort of youths expected to congregate on the beach front.
“During the recent Schoolies event police were seizing alcohol from children as young as 13 years as they tried to enter the precinct. Similar behaviours are expected on New Years and police are imploring parents to ensure they know the whereabouts of their children and to also ensure they or a responsible adult is available to collect and care for their child in the event police or ambulance have to contact them. “This has proved problematic in the past with many instances where parents are uncontactable or unable to collect their children, resulting in Police, QAS or hospitals having to
watch over children whilst they sober up.“ Red Frogs founder Andy Gourley said the Noosa Church would be there with their street reach van and they were stoked to be part of that. He said they were so impressed with the way everyone worked together in Noosa during the recent Schoolies celebrations and were happy to return. Red Frogs have only assisted previously at New Year celebrations at Mooloolaba. Andy said the Red Frog team would be mostly made up of Noosa locals with the addition of a few Sunshine Coast volunteers.
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