Operational plan 2025–26
98 initiatives in 2025–26
Theme 1: Environment
Objective 1.1: Maintain and improve water quality and the health of waterways, wetlands and catchments
- Partner with Unitywater to develop an Integrated Water Catchment Management Plan for Burgess Creek that will provide a strategic framework for hydrological, environmental and recreational improvement for the catchment area.
- Progress the development of a public-facing dashboard for the Modern Water Quality Monitoring Program in the Noosa and Mary River sub-catchments, to share insights on the ecological health of the catchments and the monitoring program with the community.
Objective 1.2: Partner with landowners and community groups to manage, protect and regenerate natural environment assets, improve resilience, and incorporate Indigenous knowledge.
- Continue to deliver the Noosa Bushland Reserve Strategic Fire Management Plan 2021 and deliver planned burns and mechanical fuel reduction where conditions allow in priority reserves, based on a comprehensive bushfire risk assessment.
- Continue to deliver a Community Bushcare Program for active volunteers across bushland care groups and undertake a review of the Community Bushland Care Guideline.
- Complete a review of the Biosecurity Plan 2020 to manage invasive species which threaten Noosa's biodiversity values.
Objective 1.3: Fund and implement Coastal Foreshores and Coastal Hazard Management Plans to protect and enhance coastal and foreshore areas.
- Implement the Noosaville Foreshore Infrastructure Master Plan including, subject to funding, proposed capital works delivery, asset renewal program, monitoring of changing climate data as well as ongoing community engagement.
- Continue to implement the Eastern Beaches Foreshore Reserves Management Plan focusing on education and awareness of the social and environmental values of foreshores, and key management issues.
- Continue to implement the Encroachment Policy and Operational Procedure through delivery of prioritised area restoration and community education.
Objective 1.7: Deliver and partner with State and Federal Governments to protect threatened and vulnerable species identified in the Environment Strategy.
- Ongoing implementation of the Noosa Threatened Fauna Roadmap including the development of two action plans per year for priority threatened species identified in the Noosa Threatened Fauna Roadmap.
- Manage flying fox impacts on the community in accordance with the Noosa Council Statement of Management Intent (SoMI) and through community education.
Objective 1.8: Reinforce Noosa Design Principles to shape the look and feel of our distinctive built environment to ensure it responds to our climate, environment and unique character.
- Complete the review of the Noosa Design Principles including incorporating sustainable design to embed climate resilience, nature-positive and low-carbon considerations into the principles, and promote and increase awareness with key stakeholders.
- Continue to implement best practice Development Assessment services that deliver the strategic outcomes of the Noosa Plan 2020.
- Ensure all Council capital, civil and maintenance works are planned, delivered, and maintained in accordance with the Noosa Design Principles, legislative requirements, and best environmental practice. This includes minimising impacts on environmental values and incorporating fauna/flora sensitive designs into project planning and delivery, where practical.
Theme 2: Liveability
Objective 2.1: Facilitate greater housing choice which meets the changing needs of the community, improves liveability and affordability and includes partnering to increase provision of social and affordable housing.
- Continue to implement key actions of the Noosa Housing Strategy with a focus on development of a Housing Monitoring dashboard, Partnering with State, Community Housing providers and industry to deliver affordable housing and; - Advance Council owned site at Lake Macdonald Drive Cooroy for affordable housing outcomes.; Initiate investigations into the feasibility of affordable housing outcomes above Council owned carparks.
- Continue to implement and monitor the Short Stay Letting Local Law to manage the impacts of short-term letting.
Objective 2.2: Fund and deliver accessible and improved, parks, open spaces, walking and cycle paths and trails, including greening our paths and cycleways to meet contemporary needs.
- Complete the upgrade of the Woondum and Wahpunga trails in accordance with the Noosa Biosphere Trails Master Plan to improve the condition of trails, increase connectivity between Cooran, Kin Kin and Lake Macdonald, and recreational activity.
- Finalise the Noosa Botanic Gardens Master Plan to help guide future improvements and enhance the visitor experience.
Objective 2.4: Advocate and partner with all levels of government for increased funding for connected transport nodes, transit hubs, including walking, cycling and public transport and explore opportunities through smart city, smart biosphere and innovation to transform the way we move around and engage in our community.
- Progress design development of the Beckmans Road duplication in collaboration with the Department of Transport and Main Roads (DTMR).
- Complete the Movement and Connection Delivery Plan to improve transport links, walking and cycling connections and movements including articulation of the investment approach for the Sustainable Transport Levy.
- Support the delivery of Northern Sunshine Coast Public Transport Strategy with DTMR and undertake investigations into the Cooroy and Shire transit hubs to improve public transport connectivity in the shire for residents and visitors.
- Deliver the Cycling and Walking Implementation Plan to guide Council's planning, development and promotion of bike and walking networks in the future.
- Finalise the Noosa Parking Management Plan to guide our approach to the management of parking throughout the shire including consideration of revenue models such as paid parking.
- Deliver the Go Noosa program including the weekend and Holiday Bus program, as part of the Transport Strategy to reduce traffic congestion and reduce emissions.
- Complete investigations into the Noosa Woods Jetty as potential ferry stop location as a means of public transportation, and to provide increased access to Noosa Woods.
Objective 2.5: Ensure community facilities and services are inclusive, accessible and meet the evolving needs and interests of residents across the shire.
- Implement the Library of Things lending collection and evolve to meet community needs.
- Continue to undertake the staged implementation of master plans for the Cooroy and Noosa District Sports Complexes to improve sport and recreation facilities and increase participation in sports.
- Deliver an Accessible Changing Places Facility as part of the Noosaville Foreshore Infrastructure Master Plan.
- Finalise the review of community purpose land and the Infrastructure Tenure Policy to provide a consistent framework to ensure the equitable use of community purpose land and infrastructure within is utilised to its full potential.
- Provide inclusiveness coaching support to community groups to increase community participation for people with disabilities.
Objective 2.7: Fund and deliver sustainable assets and facilities and associated services responding to the changing needs of the community and the challenges and opportunities of the future.
- Complete Noosa Cemeteries Plan to guide the future management of Council's cemeteries and ensure cemetery services meet future demand.
- Explore and implement a range of new cemetery services to meet the contemporary needs of customers and ensure the ongoing sustainability of cemetery services.
- Continue planning for the future of Noosa Leisure Centre and Noosa Aquatic Centre to ensure community needs are met.
- Undertake preparations to transition to new Aged Care Framework including investigating a new client system that can manage the new requirements.
- Continue to progress asset management planning for Council's community services buildings and community infrastructure to ensure their ongoing suitability to meet the functional needs of current and future users.
Objective 2.8: Provide opportunities to enhance the health, wellbeing and safety of our communities.
- Deliver a grant funded program to enhance community connection for Seniors through a variety of engaging educational and wellbeing activities across the Noosa Shire.
- Implement an Individual Sports Development Grant program to support local athletes and coaches competing nationally or internationally.
- Continue to undertake a proactive auditing program of wastewater treatment systems to keep community safe and maintain water quality and the health of waterways.
- Undertake proactive education program(s) to enhance community safety and environmental awareness.
- Collaborate with Seqwater to effectively manage the impacts of the Lake Macdonald Dam reconstruction in a timely manner supported by an effective communication program by Seqwater to impacted residents, and seek support for community benefit opportunities.
Theme 3: Prosperity
Objective 3.1: Deliver and fund the Smart Biosphere - Economic Strategy, partnering with and supporting Noosa Shire’s business community and industry sectors to deliver key outcomes.
- Advance the Sustainable Procurement Policy through the ongoing implementation of policy, procedure and education, and develop a reporting framework for monitoring and measurement.
- Continue to Implement the Noosa Smart Biosphere Economic Development Strategy focussed on the following priority projects including, advancing implementation of Noosa Green Business Economy Plan and develop a long-term Strategic Plan for the Noosa Holiday Park Portfolio.
- Implement Noosa Industry and Employment Activation Plan, with a focus on audit and activation of Council- owned land parcels such as Jarrah St, Cooroy and progress planning of a Circular Economy Precinct as part of the Renewable Energy Hub at the Noosa Waste and Resource Recovery Centre.
Theme 4: Future
Objective 4.2: Complete and implement the Destination Management Plan in partnership with the community and Tourism Noosa to protect Noosa’s quality of life, environment and iconic places through planning for sustainable tourism and managing visitation and events.
- Develop and implement the Noosa Council Events Strategy, Processes and Procedures, including sponsorship assessment of tourism events.
- Complete the Destination Management Plan and commence implementation of key actions, programs and partnerships.
- Review and manage the Tourism Noosa Partnership Agreement to align with Destination Management Plan outcomes and develop a clear transition roadmap to support implementation.
Objective 4.3: Improve opportunities for increased inclusion of young people in community engagement and decision-making to provide relevant services, activities, and opportunities.
- Work with local service providers to increase local service delivery for Noosa's youth including completion of the Hive Youth Hub pilot and exploring options for subsequent services.
- Continue to investigate preferred methods to engage youth in community engagement projects and decision- making.
- Investigate the feasibility and implementation through a pilot for a community engagement panel to further enhance the community engagement process.
Objective 4.8: Deliver best practice approaches to combat and plan for natural disasters and climate change including supporting safety, preparedness, resilience and recovery capacity.
- Complete the Disaster Recovery Infrastructure program to reinstate infrastructure impacted by the March 2025 western front storm event.
- Continue to improve strategic and corporate climate risk management, as well as through investigation of annual carbon accounting and new standards for ESG and climate-related reporting.
- Continue implementation of the Regional Climate Action Roadmap in partnership with Sunshine Coast Council including through the trialling of community resilience building workshops and the Climate-wise Communities program.
- Prepare an ongoing management program for high-risk erosion prone areas of the Climate Change Adaption Plan (CHAP).
- Deliver Disaster Preparedness, Resilience and Recovery activities to support Council and the broader community.
- Progress the design for the replacement of the Main Beach Sea Wall to be more resilient to future climate events.
- Continue the implementation of the Coastal Hazards Adaptation Plan (CHAP), including planning for Living Foreshores Noosa, Coastal Wetland Restoration Project.
- Advance flood resilience projects including updating the Noosa River Flood Study, Six Mile Creek Flood Study and Noosa Flood Management Plan.
Theme 5: Excellence
Objective 5.2: Continue to deliver a financially sustainable Council that has the Provider resources now and into the future to achieve its strategic objectives. This will be supported through the introduction of enhanced sustainability reporting and performance indicators, as well as ESG (environment social and governance) accounting practices as guided by statutory requirements.
- Progress embedding sustainability and climate action within the organisation through an embedding roadmap and through the development and implementation of a Sustainability Framework.
- Continue to drive emissions reductions and cost savings for Council through implementation of the Emissions reduction program including solar, batteries, lighting upgrades, energy/water/waste/fleet monitoring, electrification and fleet transition, as well as advancing the large-scale solar feasibility study at the Noosa Waste and Resource Recovery Centre.
- Complete and deliver Queensland's first Community Battery project in partnership with ZEN Inc, Yara Energy Foundation and Acacia Energy.
- Continue to partner with other SEQ councils through the Southeast Queensland Climate Resilience Alliance, including implementation of the Scope 3 Emissions Project and the Regional Resilience Capacity Building Project.
- Finalise the development of the Financial Strategy, supported by the 10-year financial plan model, and incorporating the Funding Strategy, Revenue Diversification Strategy, and the Strategic Land Review.
- Complete the audit of all water and electricity meters and review contract and tariff arrangements to ensure efficient service connections and pricing.
- Progress Council's Performance Measurement Framework to support Council to actively manage and improve organisational performance.
Objective 5.3: Embrace technology and innovative practices to support the provision of contemporary, efficient and effective levels of service for Council operations.
- Develop a new ICT and Digital Strategy to provide the foundation for technology requirements and digital transformation over the next 5 years.
- Develop streamlined assessment service for low-risk development applications to accelerate decision making and deliver outcomes of the Noosa Plan 2020.
- Implement a business improvement program to identify opportunities for increased efficiency and effectiveness in Council's operations.
- Scope an appropriate capability framework/plan (finance, systems, and people) that supports Corporate Plan Objectives.
Objective 5.5: Provide robust and transparent governance systems to build and strengthen community trust, supported by the implementation of an enterprise risk and opportunity management framework.
- Progress the implementation of technology solutions to risk management and governance-related processes.
- Co-ordinate a review Council's Strategic Risk Register with the new Council to identify and mitigate against any emerging risks and determine Council's risk appetite.
- Continue to implement actions to increase the effectiveness of the Audit and Risk Committee and the internal audit function.
- Facilitate a mid-term 'check in' with councillors on the Corporate Plan 2023-2028.
- Finalise the Contract Management Framework and implementation plan.
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Environmental Protection 7Traffic & Parking 4council workforce 4Coastal & foreshore management 3Disaster Management 3Managing Tourism 3Transport Strategy 3climate change response 3risk management 3Community Dashboard 2Conservation 2Events management 2Financial Strategy 2Governance 2STA Impact 2Volunteers 2asset management 2cemeteries 2community engagement 2emissions reduction 2senior residents 2young people 2Accessible Changing Places 1Art Galleries 1Beckmans Road duplication 1Biosecurity Plan 1Biosphere Trails 1Boreen Point Campground 1Botanic Gardens 1Burgess Creek 1Bushcare 1Bushfire management 1Climate Change Adaptation Plan 1Coast & Waterways 1Coastal Hazards Adaptation Plan 1Community Battery 1Community Strategy 1Contract Management Framework 1Cooroy Sports Complex 1Cultural Plan 1Cultural Plan 2025–2030 1Cycling and Walking 1Destination Management Plan 1Eastern Beaches Foreshore 1Economic development 1Economic development strategy 1Encroachment Policy 1Food and Agribusiness Development Plan 1Hive Youth Hub 1Housing 1Individual Sports Development Grant 1Industry and Employment Activation Plan 1Infrastructure Tenure Policy 1Kabi Kabi Commitment 1Lake Macdonald Dam Improvement Project 1Lake Macdonald Dam reconstruction 1Landfill 1Libraries 1Locate – A Place for Creatives 1Modern Water Quality Monitoring Program 1Noosa Aquatic Centre 1Noosa District Sports Complex 1Noosa Housing Strategy 1Noosa Leisure Centre Needs Assessment 1Noosaville Foreshore Infrastructure Master Plan 1Parking management 1Revenue Diversification 1Shoreline Erosion Management Plan 1Short Term Accommodation 1Smart Biosphere 1Sport4All program 1Thrive program (employee wellbeing) 1Tourism 1Tourism Noosa 1Wastewater 1Wellbeing 1Woondum and Wahpunga trail upgrades 1Workforce Planning Framework 1affordable housing 1business improvement program 1community education 1community groups 1cultural programs 1development applications 1erosion 1ferries 1internal audit 1invasive species 1public information 1public transport 1seawall 1social inclusion 1sport 1sustainable procurement 1traditional owners 1water catchments 1youth services 1