Friday, 5 January, 2024
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Battery fire damages home
Youths embrace the new year
Fantastic year of surfing
48-page liftout Property Guide
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PAGES 6-7
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INSIDE
PR OP ER TY
Weather ‘rains’ in new year Noosa beach goers Carmen, Amy and Rachel made the most of the sunny conditions on New Years Day before an approaching storm front hit Main Beach. The festive season was dominated by extreme weather that fluctuated between hot and humid conditions and intense storms and heavy rain, but it didn’t stop revellers enjoying the occasion.
Carmen, Amy and Rachel on Noosa Main Beach New Year’s Day. Picture: ROB MACCOLL
Park stirs public
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There has been a mixed public response to the Noosa Main Beach People’s Park but Council CEO Larry Sengstock said it has improved traffic movements and helped minimise congestion around the Noosa Heads roundabout. “This trial is among a number of options to help alleviate traffic issues and look to create a better flow of traffic while minimising the queuing of vehicles waiting for carparks,” he said. “The flow has improved greatly on Hastings St, Noosa Woods and Little Cove and we really haven’t seen the level of gridlock we normally see at this time of the year.“ Acting Infrastructure Services Director Shaun Walsh said a local resident told council staff that they have never seen the roundabout functioning so well. “We’ve heard from families who appreciate
the drop off area and workers who are being dropped off and picked up,“ he said. “Lifeguards are impressed with how relaxed and pedestrian friendly the car park is and we have really seen a significant improvement in access to the beach for SLSC and Emergency Services and their vehicles. “Repurposing car parking spaces for people was always going to be contentious and divisive, but this trial was about alleviating the constant risk of mixing cars and pedestrians outside toilet and shower areas and creating a family-friendly environment near Main Beach.“ This week Noosa Today spoke to people at Main Beach about the People’s Park and this is what they said. “I like it. it could be improved, but for the
first time, it’s not bad,“ visitor Danny said. “It’s probably a good idea. The traffic is bad. You need to pull the carparks away so people can come in on bikes. It gets busier and busier. It’s a problem all around the world,“ Sunshine Coast resident Martin Brown said “You’ve saved 40 parks and opened parking on a park on the hill. The cars have to go somewhere,“ visitor Gary said. “It’s such a densely populated area. We’ve arrived here on holiday. We really like it. We don’t have a car. We’ve been using the free buses on the circuit,“ said Margaret. In letters to Noosa Today resident Phillepeau O’Callaghan said it showed “no regard for residents who come to the beach 365 days a year for exercise and leisure. The focus is all on tourists - as if we need more,“ he said.
“Noosa does not need a “people’s park” when we have a beach and a spacious boardwalk.“ Scott Bull described it as “a visual and usage embarrassment“. “A few cheap marquees, a couple of ordinary pot plants and several huge concrete blocks… who’d want to sit there - when you have one of the world’s great beaches and streets to enjoy?,“ he said. “Banning cars won’t help anyone. How do you get kids to the Main beach and Groyne beach with all their surfboards and boogie boards? (You’re not allowed to take some surf gear on buses). How do you get old people down to the river mouth? How do you get your dog down to the dog beach? Continued page 14