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I 19 May 2026
Noosa Food & Wine Festival returns
The festivities and flavours of Noosa return this June with the iconic Noosa Food & Wine Festival, bringing celebrity chefs, beachfront dining and exclusive culinary experiences across four delicious days. Page 18.
10 years of jamming with Jazzercise
Page 29
Dolphins shine silver at Nationals
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$4.18M upgrade of Cooroy Sports Complex begins in July BY SARAH JANE SCOTT WORK on a major upgrade to the Cooroy Sports Complex is set to begin in July, following Noosa Council’s appointment of Murphy Builders Qld Pty Ltd to deliver the long-awaited gymnastics club expansion. The project will see Murphy Builders finalise the design before constructing and fitting out an extension to the existing Cooroy Gymnastics Club, along with a new multi-purpose indoor training space to support a range of local sports. Part of the broader Cooroy Sports Complex Master Plan endorsed
in 2020, the development aims to cater for increasing participation across the hinterland and wider Noosa Shire. Mayor Frank Wilkie said the investment would address growing demand at the region’s only competitive gymnastics facility. “The Cooroy Gymnastics Club is the shire’s only competitive gymnastics facility and currently has more than 550 athletes accessing the venue each week, with waiting lists for many programs,” Mayor Frank said. “This investment will help the club meet growing demand while creating additional indoor training
opportunities for other sporting groups.” Council assessed five tenders, with an eight-person evaluation panel selecting Murphy Builders based on price, capability and experience. “Council is confident Murphy Builders has the expertise and experience needed to deliver this important project,” the mayor said. The upgrade has been designed to integrate with the existing facility while minimising disruption to regular users during construction. Once complete, the improved venue will support both recreational and competitive gymnastics
Living in the Hinterland Where Lifestyle Guides You Home
programs, along with inclusive activities delivered in partnership with local schools, homeschool groups and community organisations, including disability service providers. Importantly, the new indoor training area will also benefit other clubs based at the complex, including cricket, soccer and rugby league, which are often impacted by wet weather. “These sports often experience interruptions during wet weather or flood events, which can render fields unusable for extended periods,” he said. “Council will work closely with clubs and users of the
complex to minimise disruption during construction and keep the community informed of key milestones.” The $4.18 million project is being delivered through a partnership between all levels of government and sporting bodies. Funding contributions include the Queensland Government’s South East Queensland Liveability Fund and Community Stimulus Program, alongside support from the Australian Cricket Infrastructure Fund, the Cooroy Gymnastics Club through a federal government PlayWell Grant, and Noosa Council.
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In the Noosa Hinterland, lifestyle is never an afterthought – it is the starting point. That is why property decisions rarely begin with “How many bedrooms and bathrooms do we need?” Rather, they take shape with a simple but powerful question:
“How do we want to live?”
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Cooroy Rag, 19 May 2026 - Page 1