Plan for eco centre set to be shelved

NOOSA Parks Association looks set to withdraw its interest in Noosa North Shore EcoCentre after this week’s council discussions.

The $3 million building, intended to be Noosa North Shore’s gateway to the soon-to-be-gazetted Cooloola World Heritage area, has sat empty for almost two years.

Councillors want to make the development a more attractive prospect for a new investor by relaxing planning conditions.

``Council’s decision badly damages Noosa’s prospects of becoming the most recognised and resourced entry point to an extended Cooloola-Fraser Island World Heritage Area,’’ said NPA project officer Michael Gloster (pictured).

``Plans by QPWS and NPA to operate a World Heritage EcoCentre built by Petrac are now unlikely to proceed.’‘

Part of a multi-staged North Shore holiday development, the centre was one month from being handed over to NPA and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service when developers Petrac went into receivership.

``It was to have been a world-class facility,’’ Dr Gloster said.

Petrac had agreed to provide a new jetty for tourists on Noosa Ferry services, a cycleway and pathway from the ferry to the beach, a beach amenities block and part-time lifesaving services on Noosa North Shore.

About half of the planned 90 holiday homes and the EcoCentre were all that was built.

But council’s senior planner Tracy Jones recommended that the formal 12-week limit to stays at the resort be deleted, along with the need to construct the trail from the ferry and the jetty. She also suggested dropping the funding for a lifeguard service.

``Without a ferry service bringing tourists from Noosa Heads, Noosaville and Tewantin, and without connecting walkways and cycle paths from the ferry to the EcoCentre, the proposed EcoCentre is no longer commercially or operationally viable,’’ Dr Gloster said.

``Reluctantly NPA will have to withdraw its offer to operate an EcoCentre with QPWS and indications are that QPWS will have to withdraw too.

``Sadly this is a missed opportunity for Noosa and its tourism industry.’’

Source: whereilive