GO NOOSA REPORT

Minute Drop-Off parking area Trial

The trial would include:

• Temporary signage changes • Minor operational adjustments • Periodic monitoring by the Go Noosa Supervisor during the holiday period

The purpose of the trial is to assess whether additional distributed drop-off locations can help reduce vehicle circulation and improve traffic movement within the Noosa Heads precinct.

Minute Drop Off Area

Based on observations from the 2025–26 holiday period, it is recommended that Council continue refining and expanding temporary drop-off locations during future peak periods.

While the Main Beach Drop-Off Zone continues to provide operational benefits, the site remains located within the busiest part of the network. As a result, there may be value in investigating additional temporary drop-off opportunities outside the core congestion area to reduce vehicle circulation closer to Hastings Street.

Future investigations could include the temporary conversion of selected parking bays into shortterm passenger drop-off zones, expansion of disability parking within the precinct, and improved support for bicycles, scooters, and other alternative transport modes.

Council should also continue collecting operational data and customer feedback to help inform and improve future holiday operations.

Park & Ride Services

Park & Ride services are an important part of the Go Noosa Program. The service encourages visitors to park outside busy areas and complete the journey using connecting Free Holiday Bus.

The current Park & Ride operation is located at the AFL Ground car park, which is connected to the Hastings Street and Noosa Heads precinct by the Go Noosa Loop shuttle service.

Operational Observations and Utilisation Parking occupancy data collected during the 2025 holiday period showed that use of the AFL Park & Ride site remains relatively low.

Survey data collected on Friday 3 January 2025 showed the AFL site operating well below capacity throughout the day, with occupancy generally remaining below 10% of available parking spaces.

Comparison with 2024 data showed a modest increase in use during the 2025 holiday period. While overall utilisation remains low, the increase suggests growing awareness and gradual uptake of the service.

The findings indicate that substantial parking capacity already exists outside the core Noosa Heads precinct and that the AFL site provides a strong operational base for Park & Ride activities during peak periods.

Key Insights and Considerations The AFL Park & Ride site provides several operational benefits, including:

• Large parking capacity (400 parking spaces)

• Direct connection to the Go Noosa Loop service • Reduced congestion compared with Noosa Heads • Ability to intercept vehicles before they enter the most congested areas

While the site remains strategically well located, several practical and behavioural factors continue to limit broader use of the facility:

• Many visitors carry bulky beach equipment, making Park & Ride less convenient.

• Travel time and convenience remain barriers, particularly when buses are affected by the same congestion as private vehicles.

The Easter survey also highlighted that while awareness of the Go Noosa Program and Park & Ride services is relatively strong among residents, awareness among visitors remains low. This indicates an urgent need to improve visitor communication, pre-arrival information, signage, and promotion of alternative transport options.

These findings highlight that successful Park & Ride operations rely not only on available parking capacity, but also on providing a convenient, visible, and attractive visitor experience.

Recommendations for Summer 2026–27 The Go Noosa Easter Transport Survey identified opportunities to improve awareness, visibility, and use of Park & Ride services and alternative transport options within the Noosa Heads precinct.

Survey findings showed that while only 2.1% of respondents used the Park & Ride service during the survey period, 30.2% identified Park & Ride as their preferred future transport option.

The survey also highlighted that awareness of the Go Noosa Program and Park & Ride services is relatively strong among residents but remains low among visitors. This indicates a need to urgently improve visitor communication, pre-arrival information, signage, and promotion of alternative transport options.

For the 2026–27 summer period, it is recommended that Council focus on improving awareness, wayfinding, and customer experience through a staged approach.

These improvements aim to increase awareness, improve visitor confidence, and encourage greater use of alternative transport options during peak periods.

Future Opportunities 2026–27 It is recommended that Council continue supporting and refining the AFL Park & Ride operation as part of the broader Go Noosa Program.

Future opportunities for investigation may include:

• Install Park & Ride locations outside the Noosa Heads precinct • Opportunities for larger vehicle and boat trailer parking • Improved integration with public transport and shuttle services • Ongoing customer experience and wayfinding improvements

School Behaviour Change Program

Funding and Resource Considerations Programs have continued to operate within existing staffing and budget resources and have helped improve awareness and participation in active transport over the past three years. While the current delivery model has achieved positive outcomes, available resources limit Council's ability to expand participation, undertake detailed monitoring and evaluation, and provide broader support to schools across the Shire.

Core Program Delivery Core program delivery would focus on maintaining Council's existing school engagement and active transport initiatives, including:

• School liaison and stakeholder engagement.

• Active transport education and awareness activities.

• Program monitoring and evaluation.

• Development of funding applications and partnership opportunities.

School-related traffic congestion continues to be a major issue across Noosa, with many students travelling to and from school by private vehicle.

The School Behaviour Change Program aims to encourage more students and families to walk, ride, scoot, carpool, and use other sustainable transport options.

2025–26 Delivery Between July 2024 and December 2025, Council delivered a range of active travel initiatives, including:

• Cycle Skills programs • Ride to School initiatives • Walk to School programs, including walking school buses • Participation rewards and promotional campaigns

These initiatives focused on improving student confidence, road safety awareness, and participation in active transport.

Programs were delivered by community organisations and businesses, to the following schools:

• Sunshine Beach State School • Noosa Christian College • Noosaville State School • Tewantin Noosa Lions Club (Walk to School program)

Program Expansion Opportunities Additional funding would enable Council to expand program delivery to more schools and communities across the Shire. Potential expansion activities may include:

• Additional School Active Travel Planning investigations.

• Expanded behaviour change programs.

• Increased community engagement activities.

• Additional road safety education initiatives.

• Enhanced monitoring and data collection.

• Delivery of pilot programs and innovative transport initiatives.

Where external grant funding becomes available, Council should investigate opportunities to accelerate program delivery and expand participation across additional schools.

Developing scalable delivery models will enable Council to respond to future funding opportunities while ensuring available resources are directed toward initiatives that deliver measurable improvements in active school travel, road safety and congestion management outcomes.

Active Transport Access Improvement (current investigation)

This is a staged, data-driven initiative designed to better understand the barriers preventing students from walking, riding, and scooting to school. The program will also help guide future infrastructure planning and funding priorities across the Noosa Shire.

Package 1 is currently underway and focuses on five schools across the Shire.

The first stage of the program includes:

• School engagement • Parent and student surveys • Community consultation • Travel behaviour analysis

Early engagement has identified several common barriers to active school travel, including:

• Road safety concerns • Traffic congestion near schools • Vehicle speeds • Limited crossing opportunities • Missing pathway connections • Intersection and roundabout safety concerns • Reduced parent confidence in independent student travel

The information collected through the program will provide Council with an evidence base to support:

• Future active transport planning • Infrastructure prioritisation • Funding applications • Safer school travel initiatives

Potential future infrastructure improvements may include:

• New pathway connections • Crossing facilities • Intersection upgrades • Traffic calming measures • Other active transport improvements

Subject to future funding and prioritisation, these projects may be delivered through future Capital Works Programs, external grants, or State Government partnerships.

The program also provides an opportunity for Council to strengthen engagement and visibility within local school communities while developing a better understanding of local transport and safety concerns affecting students and families.

Results and key findings from Package 1 are expected to be presented to Council during the second half of the year.

Recommendations for 2026–27 Council is investigating additional behaviour-change initiatives to further support safe and sustainable school travel across Noosa.

ScootScool – Safe Beyond the Gate Safe Beyond the Gate is an award-winning school-based road safety education program designed to help children safely walk, ride, and scoot to school.

The program has been delivered in Queensland since 2023 with support from an Australian Government Road Safety Grant.

The program combines short theory sessions with interactive activities designed to improve decisionmaking, hazard awareness, and safe travel behaviour.

Program topics include:

• Road rules and safe riding behaviour • Hazard awareness and situational awareness • Helmet safety and head injury awareness • Safe behaviour around pedestrians and other path users • Identifying risky behaviours and safer alternatives • Virtual reality (VR) simulations to improve hazard response and safe decision-making

The program is proposed to be delivered by a third-party provider in partnership who are partnering with Sunshine Coast University grant program.

The Wednesday Challenge The Wednesday Challenge focuses on long-term behaviour change by encouraging students and families to use active and sustainable transport options more regularly.

The program includes:

• School participation tracking • Rewards and competitions • Travel behaviour monitoring • Sustainable travel targets • School and classroom participation dashboards

The program is centrally managed, reducing administration requirements for Council and participating schools.

Schools complete a simple travel survey, with results entered an online system that tracks participation and travel trends. The program can also be adapted to suit individual school communities and priorities.

Travel categories monitored through the program include:

• Walking • Riding • Park & Stride • Bus use • Carpooling • Health and sustainability measures

Previous program results identified:

• Reduced private vehicle use • Increased participation in walking and riding • Greater awareness of sustainable transport options

These initiatives would complement existing road safety and active transport programs while supporting Council's broader objectives relating to congestion reduction, safety, sustainability, and healthier school travel behaviours.

Active Transport Access Improvement program – Stage 2 Council is also proposing to expand the Active Transport Access Improvement program to an additional five schools as part of a future Stage 2 program.

The Stage 2 expansion would build on lessons learned through Package 1 and continue developing a stronger evidence base to support safer, healthier, and more sustainable school travel across the Noosa Shire.

Behaviour Change and Collaboration Opportunities Council should continue developing a Traffic and Parking Education Hub to provide consistent digital information and education relating to traffic, parking, active transport, and travel behaviour. The hub would support community awareness, improve access to transport information, and assist with longterm behaviour change initiatives.

Council should also continue strengthening partnerships with schools, community organisations, and local stakeholders to expand program reach and improve delivery outcomes through collaborative approaches.

Potential initiatives may include:

• Supporting the ZEN pilot program at Tewantin State School • Supporting the expansion of the Lions Club Walking to School program • Increasing collaboration with schools and community organisations to support safer and more sustainable school travel initiatives

Community Transport Services

Council delivers community transport services through the Council Cabs and Flexilink programs to support accessible and sustainable travel across the Noosa region.

These services help reduce transport barriers such as cost, limited mobility, and gaps in the public transport network, particularly within hinterland communities. They also support broader congestion management objectives by providing alternative transport options for residents who may otherwise rely on private vehicles.

The program supports Council's Sustainable Transport Strategy by:

• Improving access to transport services • Providing flexible and innovative transport options • Supporting community connectivity • Contributing to more sustainable travel outcomes

Council Cabs Council Cabs provide low coast door to door essential transport support for vulnerable members of the community who may be unable to travel safely or independently using regular public transport services. This includes:

• Older residents • People with disabilities and their carers • People with limited access to private transport

The service helps users access essential destinations such as shopping centres, medical appointments, and community facilities and is particularly important for higher-dependency users.

Flexilink Service Flexilink is a pre-booked, fixed-route transport service connecting Boreen Point and Tewantin.

The service supports both regular and occasional users and provides an important transport connection for communities with limited access to public transport.

Council Cab

Flexilink

Program Performance (8 months)

Next Steps / Budget and Delivery Considerations It is recommended that Community Transport Services continue to be delivered, recognising their important role in supporting vulnerable community members and providing access to essential services across the Noosa region.

There is also an opportunity to review the services to improve utilisation, better understand community needs, and identify opportunities to strengthen service delivery and accessibility outcomes.

Recommendations 2026–27 Council should maintain current delivery levels for the Council Cabs and Flexilink services.

Council should also continue working to align Community Transport Services with broader regional and State transport planning initiatives, including the Northern Sunshine Coast Public Transport Strategy and other State Government transport programs.

There may also be opportunities to strengthen partnerships with external organisations and investigate future collaboration or transition opportunities with the State Government.

Opportunities 2027–28 Council should investigate opportunities to expand the Flexilink service to Kin Kin, including consideration of a limited summer trial shuttle or maxi taxi service operating twice daily.

Future work should include:

• A feasibility assessment • Community consultation • Operational planning • Review of potential demand and service delivery options

These investigations will help determine whether expanded community transport services could improve accessibility and connectivity for hinterland communities.

Go Noosa Program – Key Performance Indicators

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are important for measuring the effectiveness of the Go Noosa Program and assessing whether the program is achieving its intended outcomes. As the program continues to expand, a KPI framework will help Council better understand program performance, identify successful initiatives and inform future transport planning across Noosa.

KPIs will assist Council to:

• Measure program performance over time • Identify areas for improvement • Support evidence-based decision-making • Demonstrate value to the community • Guide future investment and funding priorities

As the Go Noosa Program evolves, Council will develop a performance monitoring framework focused on key areas including sustainable transport, congestion management, pedestrian safety, community experience, accessibility and operational performance. Monitoring these areas will provide a consistent approach to evaluating outcomes, identifying emerging issues and supporting future planning and investment decisions.

Detailed KPIs, performance targets, data collection methodologies and associated monitoring costs will be developed as part of future program planning and budget considerations. This work will establish a robust framework for measuring program success, demonstrating value for money and guiding the ongoing delivery and improvement of the Go Noosa Program.

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Paid parking at Lions Park (Noosa Heads)

The Lions Park overflow car park helps accommodate increased parking demand during busy holiday periods, particularly for day visitors travelling by private vehicle. The operation also provides a community benefit through revenue contributions to local charities and community groups.

However, the operation creates several transport, safety, operational, and public open space challenges that require careful consideration.

While the facility provides additional parking capacity, most vehicles remain parked for long periods, which limits turnover and reduces overall parking efficiency. The temporary conversion of a popular public open space into a car park also changes how the area can be used by the community.

The findings highlight the need to consider whether providing additional parking provides the best balance between transport demand, public open space, visitor experience, and long-term strategic objectives.

Council previously deferred a decision on the future of temporary paid overflow parking at Lions Park pending further consideration through the Destination Management Plan.

Legislative and Policy Context Lions Park is public land held in trust for parks and recreation purposes under the Land Act 1994.

While temporary use for overflow parking may be considered acceptable during peak periods, ongoing use would require an approved Management Plan demonstrating that the use does not negatively affect the purpose of the land or broader public interest.

Council's strategic documents, including the Destination Management Plan and the Transport Strategy, support protecting public open space, reducing reliance on private vehicles and improving sustainable transport options such as walking, cycling, public transport, and Park & Ride services.

Infrastructure and Cost Impacts Operation of the Lions Park overflow parking facility results in ongoing financial, operational, and infrastructure impacts for Council.

Previous peak period operations have resulted in:

• Surface wear and degradation • Damage to irrigation infrastructure • Increased maintenance requirements • Additional signage and traffic management costs • After-hours operational call-outs

These impacts are cumulative due to repeated seasonal use. While maintenance works address immediate operational issues, there is limited opportunity for full rehabilitation of the site between holiday periods. Over time, this may lead to more significant renewal and restoration costs.

The operation also requires additional staff resources, temporary infrastructure, cleaning, traffic management, and coordination across multiple Council teams.

The estimated operational cost is approximately $25,000 per peak-period operation, with additional maintenance and risk mitigation costs of around $15,000.

Public Safety and Recreational Access Lions Park is located beside high-use recreational areas including picnic spaces, pedestrian areas, and public amenities.

During peak periods, conversion of the park into overflow parking significantly reduces the availability of open space for recreation at a time when community demand is highest.

The large number of vehicles within the park also creates a more vehicle-dominated environment, increasing potential conflict between pedestrians and vehicles, particularly for families and children.

Overall, the findings highlight the need to balance transport demand management with protection of public open space, safety, and community amenity.

Accessibility and Pedestrian Safety The overflow parking area is located approximately 350 metres or more from Hastings Street and Main Beach, which may create challenges for people with mobility impairments and other vulnerable users.

The pedestrian route between the car park and key destinations also presents safety and accessibility issues. In some areas, pedestrians are required to move through sections without dedicated footpaths and alongside queued or manoeuvring vehicles.

These conditions reduce accessibility and create a less safe environment, particularly during busy peak periods. While the site provides additional parking capacity, the findings indicate it does not function effectively as an accessible parking option.

Parking Demand and Dwell Behaviour The data shows that the Lions Park overflow car park primarily operates as a long-stay parking facility during peak periods.

Most vehicles remained parked for between two and five hours, with many staying longer than four hours. This pattern is consistent with beach and visitor-related trips rather than short-stay access.

Parking demand increased rapidly during the morning period, with the site reaching high occupancy levels by mid-morning and remaining close to capacity for much of the day. This indicates limited turnover and reduced parking availability for new arrivals throughout peak periods.

The findings suggest the facility mainly supports day visitors accessing the Noosa Heads precinct rather than short-stay or local trips.

Survey data also showed that approximately 67% of users were day-trip visitors, with relatively low use by residents.

Traffic Volume Trends Traffic data collected indicates that overall vehicle volumes entering the precinct have remained relatively stable between 2022 and 2025 despite increasing visitation pressures.

This suggests that demand management initiatives and alternative transport options delivered through the Go Noosa Program may be helping moderate additional vehicle growth during peak holiday periods.

Survey findings identified congestion as the most negatively perceived transport issue during the Easter period. Negative perceptions were highest during afternoon peak periods and on Easter Monday, reflecting increased departure traffic and network pressure.

Residents reported higher levels of dissatisfaction regarding congestion and the balance between vehicles and pedestrians compared with visitors.

Parking search times also influenced congestion perceptions. While many drivers found parking within five minutes, some experienced significantly longer search times, contributing to frustration and negative views of traffic conditions.

Overall, the findings confirm that congestion within Noosa Heads is primarily driven by concentrated holiday demand, constrained road capacity, parking circulation, and high pedestrian activity during peak periods.

Pedestrian Management and Preferred Crossing Route Pedestrian monitoring identified consistently high pedestrian activity within the Hastings Street and Noosa Parade precinct during peak holiday periods.

Across all survey years, pedestrian volumes regularly exceeded 33,000 movements per day within the precinct.

The Hastings Street crossing location was identified as the preferred pedestrian route because it provides the most direct and efficient connection between Main Beach, Hastings Street, nearby parking areas, and key destinations.

Encouraging pedestrians to use this crossing also helps reduce pedestrian activity across multiple roundabout approaches, improving traffic flow and reducing operational conflicts within the constrained road network.

To support this outcome, Council introduced temporary wayfinding signage, pavement decals, pedestrian ambassadors, and other passive management measures during peak periods.

The increase in pedestrian activity recorded at the preferred crossing location between 2024 and

2025 suggests these measures may have helped improve pedestrian movement and wayfinding

within the precinct.

The findings also reinforce the complexity of balancing pedestrian activity, vehicle movements, public transport operations, tourism activity, and micromobility within a constrained coastal environment.

Cycling and Micromobility Trends Cyclist and micromobility activity within the Hastings Street precinct increased significantly between

2022 and 2025, particularly for e-bikes.

While overall cyclist numbers fluctuated between survey years, 2025 recorded the highest level of activity across the monitoring period. The proportion of e-bike movements also increased steadily over time.

The results indicate that micromobility is becoming a more visible part of the transport network within Noosa Heads.

However, the current street environment presents several challenges for riders, including:

• Narrow road corridors • On-street parking on both sides of the roadway • Limited separation between cyclists and vehicles • High traffic volumes during peak periods

These conditions may reduce rider comfort and perceived safety, particularly for families, less confident riders, and visitors unfamiliar with the area.

The findings suggest there may be value in continuing to investigate opportunities to improve cycling and micromobility connections, rider comfort, and wayfinding within the precinct while balancing parking, traffic, and place-based requirements.

Impact of Lions Park Overflow Car Park on the Transport Network

During peak holiday periods, Lions Park is used as an overflow car park to help manage parking demand in Noosa Heads. Traffic modelling was undertaken to understand how the operation of the overflow car park impacts the surrounding road network, including Noosa Parade, Noosa Drive and Hastings Street.

The modelling indicates that the network is already under significant pressure during peak holiday periods, with congestion influenced by a combination of vehicle volumes, parking circulation, pedestrian activity and the operation of the overflow car park. By approximately 9:30am during the Easter weekend, the network had become slow-moving and noticeably congested.

The Lions Park overflow car park contributes to congestion, particularly around the Noosa Parade / Car Park Access roundabout and the Noosa Parade / Noosa Drive / Halse Lane roundabout.

Vehicles accessing the car park can affect westbound traffic on Noosa Parade, while queuing and congestion around the roundabouts can limit opportunities for vehicles to enter and move through the network.

However, the modelling also indicates that the overflow car park is not the sole cause of congestion.

When overflow car park demand was removed from the model, significant queues were still evident across the network. This suggests that congestion is also driven by broader network constraints, including high volumes of vehicles travelling towards Hastings Street, vehicles circulating in search of parking, and high pedestrian activity across key crossing points.

Noosa Drive, particularly on approach to Hastings Street, operates as a key pinch point. This is likely due to the high number of vehicles seeking access to Hastings Street, beachfront accommodation and nearby parking. High pedestrian volumes, including pedestrians using zebra crossings on Noosa Parade and informal crossing movements near Hastings Street, further contribute to vehicle delay as drivers frequently slow or give way.

The redistribution scenario also showed that removing the overflow car park without managing parking demand may shift traffic pressure elsewhere in the network. When overflow parking demand was redistributed to other areas, network-wide queues remained, with increased delays on some approaches. This indicates that the location and management of overflow parking is important, and that simply removing Lions Park as an overflow car park may not resolve congestion unless supported by broader traffic, parking and pedestrian management measures.

Overall, the modelling shows that Lions Park overflow car park has an impact on network performance, particularly at the car park access and nearby roundabouts. However, congestion in Noosa Heads during peak holiday periods is the result of multiple interacting factors. Improved management of the overflow car park, pedestrian crossings and vehicle circulation will be important to reduce delays and support safer and more efficient movement during future peak periods.

Future Considerations for Lions Park

Community Benefit and Legacy Contribution

The temporary Lions Park parking operation has provided a longstanding community benefit through the generation of funds for charitable and community initiatives. Over the past five Christmas–New Year periods, the operation has generated an average gross revenue of approximately $117,488 per year.

Funds generated through the Lions Park temporary parking operation provide a significant community benefit through support for a wide range of charitable and not-for-profit organisations.

During 2022–23, Lions Club donations totalled $85,262.50 and supported local community organisations, youth programs, emergency relief initiatives, health and medical research, disaster recovery, disability support, aged care services, and assistance for vulnerable individuals and families. Funding was distributed across three key areas: Local Community ($28,464.70), Youth ($25,147.80) and Lions Foundations ($31,650.00).

These contributions have supported a broad range of local, national and international charitable outcomes and represent an important legacy benefit of the arrangement.

Existing Parking Provision

Lions Park already contains 130 parking spaces that support the day-to-day recreational use of the reserve and provide parking opportunities for adjacent users and visitors to the precinct. The temporary overflow parking operation represents an additional peak-period use beyond the normal function of the reserve and should therefore be assessed against the primary recreational purpose of the land and the broader strategic objectives for the Noosa Heads Arrival Precinct.

Future Considerations for Lions Park

Lions Park should be considered as part of the broader draft Main Beach Noosa Heads Arrival Precinct, the Destination Management Plan and draft Parking Management Plan rather than as a standalone parking matter.

The site performs multiple functions including recreation, public open space, visitor amenity and community events. Future planning should consider how the site can best contribute to visitor experience, community use, transport outcomes and the character of Noosa Heads.

The draft Parking Management Plan identifies a strategic direction focused on reducing vehicle dependence in Noosa Heads through demand management, public transport, active transport and park-and-ride initiatives. Any future role for Lions Park should be assessed against these broader transport objectives as well as recreation, environmental and place-making outcomes.

Any future use involving commercial activity or revenue generation should also be assessed against governance, procurement and land management requirements, including Council's obligations as trustee under the Land Act 1994 www.qld.gov.au Trust Land Planning

Further consideration of the site's future role should occur through broader strategic planning and community consultation processes to ensure alignment with community expectations, transport objectives and the long-term vision for the Noosa Heads Arrival Precinct.

Recommendation for Overflow Parking

Based on the findings of the Easter monitoring program, operational review and strategic planning considerations, it is recommended that Council does not support the ongoing use of Lions Park for temporary overflow paid parking.

While the arrangement has historically delivered valuable charitable outcomes, the assessment indicates that the operation:

• Contributes additional traffic demand and congestion within an already constrained road network.

• Does not demonstrably improve overall transport network performance and may reduce the effectiveness of broader transport demand management initiatives.

• Is inconsistent with the strategic direction of the Go Noosa Program, Destination Management Plan and draft Parking Management Plan, which seek to reduce vehicle dependence and encourage alternative transport options.

• Is inconsistent with broader community feedback supporting the protection and enhancement of public open space and green areas.

• Is inconsistent with the parks and recreation purpose of the Trust Land reserve.

• Is not currently supported by a Land Management Plan prepared under the Land Act 1994 that transparently articulates Council's long-term management intentions for the land.

The assessment also identified ongoing governance, procurement, operational, maintenance and compliance considerations associated with the current operating model.

The current operating model also requires a significant commitment of Council staff resources to manage planning, procurement, approvals, stakeholder engagement, operational coordination and ongoing monitoring activities. As Council continues to implement the Go Noosa Program and investigate longer-term transport solutions, there is an opportunity to redirect these limited staff resources towards initiatives that more directly support Council's strategic transport objectives.

This includes progressing investigations into satellite parking facilities located outside the most congested areas of Noosa Heads, expanding park-and-ride opportunities, improving shuttle bus connections and delivering other transport demand management initiatives that reduce vehicle volumes entering the precinct. Redirecting staff effort towards these initiatives is considered likely to deliver greater long-term transport outcomes than continuing to manage temporary overflow parking within Lions Park.

Charitable Opportunities

The charitable contribution from the use of the overflow carpark is fully acknowledged. In the event that Council does not proceed with continued use of the overflow parking it is recommended that staff investigate opportunities for community and charitable organisations to participate in the delivery of future Go Noosa initiatives through open and transparent procurement or Expression of Interest (EOI) processes. Potential opportunities may include:

• operational support services associated with peak period transport programs, such as management of the Main Beach Drop-Off Zone, • management of future satellite parking facilities, • visitor information services, • community-based food and beverage offerings at transport hubs and visitor arrival locations.

Such opportunities may provide alternative fundraising and community benefit outcomes while ensuring compliance with Council's governance, procurement and land management requirements.

Local Business Support in Hastings Street Precinct

A local business sentiment expressed during the peak period is that the overflow parking provides essential parking support to assist business viability. The use of the Lions Park for overflow parking solely for business support is inconsistent with the purpose of the trust land for park purposes. It is also noted that capacity of the Lions Park has an ultimate limited capacity of 250 spaces. A more strategic approach would be to use park and ride facilities and satellite parking to provide substantially more capacity for the precinct, which is the ultimate long-term objective - accessibility and minimise congestion.

The approach recommended in the report seeks redirection of limited resources within Council to instead focus on the park and ride and satellite parking to support business viability unrestrained by the limited number of spaces in the Lions Park. This could be supported by targeted communication program in collaboration with Hastings Street businesses about the precinct accessibility and use of alternative parking locations.

Conclusion

The Go Noosa Program continues to play an important role in helping manage congestion, improve safety, and support more sustainable transport across the Noosa Shire.

The program demonstrates the value of coordinated transport initiatives during peak holiday periods, while also identifying opportunities to improve consistency, efficiency, communication, and long-term planning.

A key priority moving forward will be the development and implementation of formal Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). This will help Council better measure program performance, improve reporting, support future investment decisions, and identify which initiatives provide the greatest benefit to the community.

In 2026–27, there will also be a stronger focus on improving the visibility and consistency of the Go Noosa Program across the Shire.

This includes:

• Improved signage and wayfinding • More consistent branding and service delivery • Better digital and visitor communication • Stronger partnerships with schools, businesses, tourism organisations, and community groups

The program will also continue to improve operationally through:

• Clearer roles and responsibilities • Improved procurement and contract management • Better use of data and monitoring • Ongoing review of lessons learned from peak-period operations

As Noosa continues to experience population growth and increasing visitor demand, the Go Noosa Program will remain an important part of delivering a safer, more accessible, and more sustainable transport network for both residents and visitors.