Friday, 18 February, 2022
12535942-JW07-22
Thinking of selling? You know who to call
Habitat versus housing
Bonza claim on our coast
Surf rescue teamwork
40-pages liftout Property Guide
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PR OP ER TY
Circus sends in the clowns - for a time You may have been lucky enough to spot one of several brightly coloured clowns announcing the arrival of the Great Moscow Circus before Noosa Council pulled the pin on the inflatable advertising they say breached signage by-laws. Nevertheless, the word has spread that the world-famous circus has returned to Noosa, featuring Australia’s top trial riders, ‘The Flair Riders’, exciting juggling, the world’s best daredevil motorcycle Cage Riders, and breathtaking aerial performances. The Circus will be in Noosa from 23 February to 6 March, and local charity Events4GreaterGood is hosting the Opening Night, with all proceeds going to vulnerable women and families in Noosa. The Great Moscow Circus first visited Australia in 1965, and have continued to bring it back to Australia every three to five years since. “We are pleased to say that all locations that we have visited to date have been highly successful,” Circus spokesman Mark Edgley said. “Each time the circus returns to Australia it is with a completely new show, all new artists, and a completely different production. Continued page 2
The Moscow Circus inflatable clowns alert people to its arrival.
Surf museum AOK By Phil Jarratt
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Mayor Clare Stewart led from the front at last Monday’s general committee meeting, massaging planning staff recommendations to enable a self-funding business model to operate at the community-based Noosa Surf Museum. The revised recommendations, passed unanimously by Council, allow for two workable commercial concerns – shared working space short term rentals and a gymnasium – within the former convention centre to enable the surfing museum and reading room to operate without charging an entry fee, and to continue its provision of meeting spaces for surfing organisations such as the Noosa World Surfing Reserve stewardship council.
The mayor’s alternative motion overturned the staff recommendation to refuse the inclusion of offices as inappropriate within a tourism accommodation zone, and its limit of a maximum of 10 clients to use a 400 square metre gym at one time. The gym restriction, apparently a misinterpretation of the application, was changed to allow specific classes of up to 10 people, alongside other individual users. The shared office space was allowed on the basis of its “vibrant atmosphere”, its appeal to holidaying users and its encouragement of business tourism, offering opportunities as an “incubator” for start-up businesses. Cr Stewart added in her motion that the specific nature of the office space would not conflict with the operations of existing office
rentals in Tewantin or elsewhere. Speaking to the motion, she commended the applicant for providing attractive, reasonably priced temporary work space. “This is a great place for people who are new to the area to start up a business without having to enter a long term lease on a bigger space, and for visitors the spaces provide them with flexibility to work while holidaying.” Cr Joe Jurisevec said that the provision of casual work space provided exactly what he had needed when away from Noosa but required to work. “The way that business is conducted these days, work space like this is becoming more in demand,” he added. “To me this represents a new opportunity in tourism, for someone working on a project to say, I could do this in Noosa for three months.”
Deputy Mayor Frank Wilkie also praised the applicant, Okanui Museum Pty Ltd, for its “innovative use of space”. Speaking to Noosa Today immediately after the council vote, Okanui Museum chairman Keith Grisman thanked all councillors for taking the time to visit the site and actually see how the components of his business model could work together. “I’m extremely impressed by the way in which councillors approached this application with an open mind and a keen understanding that commercial imperatives and community benefit can ride the same wave. I think the Noosa Surf Museum will become a model for self-funded community centres around the country.” See: White elephant revived, pages 6-7