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NOOSA HOLIDAY PARKS - FEES AND CHARGES (Referred from Services & Organisation Committee Dated 9 December 2025)

Commercial Business Advisor, Robyn Mercer · Economic Development and Destination Management | Strategy and | Environment

Executive summary

The report proposes the adoption of General Cost Recovery Fes and Commercial Charges for the Noosa Holiday Parks for the forward booking period January 2027 to July 2027, ensuring the program maintains a consistent 12-month forward booking window. Council undertakes a twice- yearly review of fees and charges, incorporating benchmarking, industry trend analysis and operational cost considerations.

Recommendation

That Council

  1. Note the report by the Commercial Business Advisor to the Services & Organisation Committee dated 9 December 2025
  2. Set fees and charges for the Noosa Holiday Parks to align with the end of the January 2027 Queensland school holidays; and
  3. Adopt the proposed General Cost Recovery Fees and Commercial Charges schedule for the Noosa Holiday Parks for the period ending 11 July 2027 as detailed in the tables contained within the report.

Report

Background

Council maintains an advance fees and charges schedule for forward bookings at Noosa Holiday Parks, which is reviewed and updated twice yearly. This process includes: • Benchmarking against comparable camping and caravanning facilities • Analysis of industry trends such as occupancy and demand • Assessment of the suitability of existing fee categories • Consideration of operational costs within the Noosa Holiday Parks program

Purpose Current fees and charges for the Noosa Holiday Parks apply until 26 January 2027, and this report seeks Council's adoption of the proposed General Cost Recovery Fees and Commercial Charges for the six-month period from 27 January 2027 to 11 July 2027 as set out in Tables 1-4 to maintain a consistent 12-month forward booking window.

Industry Trends - Occupancy Data Queensland-wide occupancy data is a key input in developing fees and charges for forward booking periods at Noosa Holiday Parks. It provides valuable insights into consumer behaviour, market demand and the relative performance of the region within the broader southeast Queensland holiday park and campground market. Incorporating industry occupancy trends into pricing decisions is particularly important in the current environment, given rising operational costs, the need to achieve commercial return targets that support Council's general rate revenue, accessibility to residents and visitors and broader economic pressures. Proposed fee increases should carefully balance the objective of revenue growth with sensitivity to market conditions, particularly when occupancy is trending downward. Occupancy data used in this analysis is sourced from the Caravanning Industry Association of Australia, comparing year-on-year occupancy performance in Queensland regions against the same month in the previous year. Key observations include: • The Sunshine Coast region (which includes Noosa) has underperformed through most of 2025, recording downward year-on-year occupancy from February 2025 to September 2025. • July 2025 was the only month in 2025 where Sunshine Coast occupancy levels were comparable to the previous year. • In 2024, the Sunshine Coast occupancy also underperformed relative to 2023, with year-on-year declines recorded from August to December 2024. Internal nights-sold data for the Noosa Holiday Parks program aligns with these broader regional trends with year-on-year comparisons indicate a softening in demand throughout 2025. These trends highlight the importance of adopting a strategic, balanced approach to pricing for Noosa Holiday Parks.

Benchmarking Benchmarking has been undertaken against fees and charges at comparable government and privately-owned camping and caravan parks with the Noosa Council, Fraser Coast Council, Gympie Regional Council, Sunshine Coast Council, City of Gold Coast and Tweed Shire Council regions. This process ensures that the Noosa Holiday Park fees and charges remain consistent with regional and industry pricing while continuing to meet competitive neutrality requirements. Previous benchmarking indicated that Council was well positioned relative to comparable regions and sites, however subsequent and in some cases substantial increases by other parks and regions have widened the pricing gap, necessitating an increase to maintain competitive neutrality.

Summary While increases in fees and charges are required to maintain competitive neutrality and respond to increasing operational costs, Council should also remain sensitive to the broader industry context. The proposed schedule of fees seeks to strike an appropriate balance between: • maintaining competitive neutrality • addressing rising operational costs • sustaining and improving financial performance • remaining competitively priced within a softening market • ensuring the ongoing accessibility and attractiveness of the Noosa Holiday Parks portfolio • supporting the long-term viability of the program Overall, the proposed fees and charges represent a market-aligned, financially responsible approach that supports the ongoing sustainability of the Noosa Holiday Parks program while ensuring the portfolio remains competitive and accessible.

Report details

Index: 8.16 Camping and Caravan Facilities (General)