But Noosa never gave up and, in 2010, four local organisations – Friends of Noosa, EDV Residents Group, Noosa Parks Association and the Noosa Biosphere Association came together as the Noosa Independence Alliance (NIA) with the common purpose of restoring Noosa's Shire Council.
This is the story of how the Alliance came into being and why the NIA is increasingly hopeful of achieving its aim.
In April of 2007, with no prior consultation, the State Government announced a local government "Reform Program" – a euphemism for its decision to enforce large-scale amalgamations of Councils in Queensland.
Funding for the Size, Shape and Sustainability initiative was abandoned, and a handpicked Local Government Reform Commission was created to deliver the State Government's desired outcomes.
About that time, local community groups began to realize the long-term implications of these outcomes. They took up the challenge and demonstrated implacable opposition to Premier Peter Beattie's amalgamation policy in a myriad of ways.
Despite the struggle, Noosa failed to stop the Beattie juggernaut, and Noosa was amalgamated with Maroochy and Caloundra Councils into a Sunshine Coast Regional Council.
After two years of rapidly rising rates and reduction in services, it was perfectly clear that Noosa's very identity was also at risk.
Many of the distinctive differences that the Noosa community had fought for and embraced were gradually being eroded under the weight of a huge local government bureaucracy.
This led to the formation of the Noosa Independence Alliance in 2010 to drive the Noosa de-amalgamation debate in the period leading to the next State election.
Former Noosa Mayor, Noel Playford, now the chairman of the NIA explains: "The Alliance came about in two steps: the first, in October 2009 was the formation of a Greater Noosa Alliance between the Eumundi-Doonan-Verrierdale Residents Group, Noosa Parks Association and Noosa Biosphere Association.
"As well as achieving the return of a Noosa Council, the Alliance wanted to ensure the Noosa community had a say in the type of Council it gets when de-amalgamation was achieved – rather than one designed by Brisbane bureaucrats.
"Then, in March 2010, discussions between the Greater Noosa Alliance and Friends of Noosa led to an agreement for a joint campaign.
The Noosa Independence Alliance was born, supported by the 5,000 membership of the four associations.
"Besides the restoration of the Shire Council, the new "supergroup" had a secondary objective: to achieve a new Noosa Council model with a structure capable of delivering efficient and effective local government in cooperation with the community," says Noel Playford.
The LNP pledge:
The NIA was given a great boost when it met with LNP Leader John-Paul Langbroek who visited Noosa in March 2010 and announced that an LNP Government would give Noosa back its Council.
Later, NIA Committee members met with local State member Glen Elmes and also Howard Hobbs, Shadow Local Government Minister, to discuss details of LNP support for de-amalgamation.
At the end of that year, NIA began a series of workshops throughout the Noosa area. These served to gather community input regarding the type of Council that might deliver residents' expectations. As a result, a new concept for a transparent, responsive and community-minded Council was created.
Simultaneously, the NIA commissioned an independent study into the financial viability of both de-amalgamation and the ongoing operations of a standalone Council. The results were highly positive.
Everything was ready for the next step.
And on March 17, 2011 the NIA publicly launched its next phase: the "Free Noosa" campaign including:
• Logo and campaign slogan
• Independent report on financial sustainability of a new Noosa Council
• Details of a possible new, innovative council structure
• Launch of the Free Noosa website
• Schedule of public forums to get further community feedback
Community feedback from 500 residents who attended forums in March and April was overwhelmingly in favour of a new local Noosa Council. Residents also strongly supported a community participation structure for local governance that came out of the earlier workshops.
During the schedule of forums, Campbell Newman emerged as leader of the parliamentary opposition, and resigned as Lord Mayor of Brisbane as part of a plan to win the State seat of Ashgrove and become Premier of Queensland after the State election.
Campbell Newman announced he would honour the LNP undertaking to reinstate Noosa Council if the LNP won government.
In March 2012 the LNP received an overwhelming majority and Campbell Newman became Premier. The formal process for considering possible council de-amalgamations was announced with the appointment of a Boundaries Commissioner in June, 2012.
The process required a proposal to be submitted to the Minister, consisting of a petition signed by at least 20% of electors from the former Noosa Shire, together with an evidence-based submission to demonstrate that:
- a new Noosa Council could maintain or improve services
- de-amalgamation would not adversely affect the regional economy or economic development
- a Noosa Council would be financially sustainable
On September 18th, the Minister announced he had referred five proposals - including the one from Noosa - to the Boundaries Commissioner, who will look at the submissions and decide whether they will proceed to a full referendum.
On December 6th, the Minister announced that four of the five councils had won the right to a vote on de-amalgamation in March.
He said Noosa's bid was far and away the best of the five, and that a new Noosa Council had good prospects of remaining financially viable.
On March 9th, 2013, more than 80% of Noosa residents voted to restore their local council.
It was an overwhelming YES vote and an historic step towards protecting the values and lifestyle that Noosa residents want.