Community feedback is driving Go Noosa transport arrangements for Christmas and the new year period.
Council’s Go Noosa program includes a range of peak-period traffic management and transport options designed to help residents and visitors to get around Noosa more easily.
As well as free buses and satellite car parking stations, from December 23 to January 5, the Main Beach car park near the surf club will become a dedicated scooter, motorcycle, and disability parking area, with a drop-off zone where motorists can quickly drop off their passengers for easy access to the beach.
The car park will be fully closed for two days to become a base for support services to monitor and manage patrons’ behaviour on New Year’s Eve.
The Noosa Heads Lions Park will again be available for parking over the Christmas and 2025 Easter period, ahead of future public consultation as promised.
Mayor Frank Wilkie said council had acted on feedback about last year’s People’s Park trial, which saw the Main Beach car park used as a drop-off zone and public gathering space.
“Regardless of how congested the roads are, or how full the 1000-plus car parks are in the precinct, these changes will allow vehicles to drop off and collect passengers and their gear directly at Main Beach,” Cr Wilkie said.
“This will also again free up the Hastings Street roundabout, which traditionally becomes blocked with cars seeking parks, backing up and down the entrance ramp and onto the road.
“Like last year, there will be a dedicated area for our surf lifesavers’ vehicles, so they can get to the beach quickly, plus additional disability parking.”
Acting Infrastructure Services Director Shaun Walsh said the aim is to make best possible use of the space.
“The feedback from last year’s trial is that many users appreciated the functional aspects of the drop-off zone so close to the beach during an incredibly busy period,” he said.
“And we are really wanting to make it safer for everyone and keep traffic moving through the Hastings Street/Noosa Drive roundabout,” Mr Walsh said.
“The impact of everyone trying to park as close as possible to the beach, results in so many vehicles queuing, circling and waiting, which has a huge congestive impact on the traffic functionality of Hastings Street,” he said.
Mr Walsh said queues of vehicles looking for parking spaces and large numbers of pedestrians needing to access the beach, and toilets were not a good mix at a critical entry point.
Cr Wilkie said the decision to continue to use Noosa Heads Lions Park, which provides parking for an additional 300 vehicles, was strongly supported by council.
“We have an obligation to honour what we said back in March 2023 as part of a council resolution,” Cr Wilkie said.
“We had wanted to specifically ask the community about whether they support using public open spaces for car parking, particularly Lions Park and we’ve yet to do that,” he said.
“So this decision gives us a timeframe to complete that engagement and again shows we’re listening to the community.”
Cr Wilkie said council’s intention is to carefully plan and design the entry to Main Beach through an integrated approach, to make the best use of the space and improve its connection with the surrounding areas.
“We need to try innovative ideas, as we simply can’t handle that volume of cars without risking the very essence of what makes Noosa special.”
Tewantin-Noosa Lions Club will again be asked to operate the car park at Lions Park.
