Friday, 10 April, 2026
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Tourists abound in Noosa Noosa shone over the Easter break and while increased fuel prices and flow on cost increases emanating from Middle East conflict may be impacting the economy overall it didn’t prevent visitors and locals from enjoying a holiday. Intermittent showers and south-easterly winds may have reduced numbers on some beaches during the weekend but Noosa Main Beach and Hastings Street was busy with locals and visitors, particularly on Monday. Continued page 2
People flock to Noosa Main Beach on Easter Monday. (Rob Maccoll)
Noosa is growing By Margie Maccoll The Grow It Local national group including celebrity chef Paul West visited Noosa last week as part of its aim to engage all Australians in growing, sharing and eating locally grown food and in direct response to community support for Noosa to deliver locally grown food. Permaculture Noosa, in collaboration with Noosa Council welcomed Grow It Local team of Paul West (from River Cottage) and Darryl Nichols to Cooroy Community Gardens for a handson experience. Noosa councillor Tom Wegener said no statement was more publicly supported in council’s
recently conducted Destination Management Plan survey than one on regenerative agriculture with about 90 per cent of survey participants indicating either strong (72%) or somewhat (19%) support to the statement: “Support and showcase local food and beverage producers to develop regenerative experiences that deliver fresh, nutrient rich and locally grown food and beverage that helps sustain and promote the wellbeing of locals and visitors while in Noosa”. Noosa Council joined Grow It Local as a result of the community survey response and encouragement from council’s waste team member
Emma Menzies, Cr Wegener said. Darryl Nichols told visitors to the garden event how the Grow It Local group had begun with just three members - “Paul, myself and my brother” and grown to about 48,000 members. “We’ve got about 1.4million square metres under cultivations across of network of community gardens, back yards, school gardens and window sill farms and the community is diverting about 62,000kg of food waste from landfill each week through composting activity,” he said. “One of things we’ve been excited to unearth is when you grow food you develop a greater appreciation of food and one of the things you do is
waste less food, you develop an interest in composting because the soil is the heart of the garden. Composting is a great way to divert food scraps be destined for landfill. “If everyone was a gardener and grew food there’d be no food waste. One of the other benefits is people who grow food eat more healthy fresh seasonal produce. We’re involved in a study with the Australian Institute, called Grow your own growing food to eat better, feel better and help the planet. Results from the study show people who grow food eat five times more healthy fresh fruit and vegetables than everyone else.” Continued page 4