Sustainability has been a hot topic in the Noosa shire lately, with recent reports in the newspapers declaring that Noosa Council could soon be taking extreme measures to attempt to cap tourism numbers due to an unsustainable increase in people visiting our beautiful region.
Entering into this tourism industry, we have had plenty of cause to contemplate what sustainability means to us. There are all the crucial bits, like growing some produce, reducing food waste, being energy efficient and mindful of water usage, consume less, repair more. These are all things that have been factored into our plans for the retreat from the very beginning, when the idea was merely a concept. Things that are intuitive.
Living here in our town however, we have become increasingly aware of something even more critical to our sustainability vision.
Keeping it local.
Supporting the wonderful gems of small businesses that in turn support the community. In buying local, you are investing in the same area that your kids are schooled, that you socialise in, that you take pride in. The beauty of our community is that we can actually see the smiles on the real people who do benefit from local support. You can see the ripple effect. If you know where your money is going and can see that it is helping to sustain a stronger and more connected community, it’s a win all round.
There are already some amazing initiatives to support the Noosa Hinterland and its local businesses. We have had the good fortune of meeting with Martin, the champion behind Country Noosa, who is doing a brilliant job of connecting local businesses in the Hinterland to create a strong network of successful people and business.
For us, we want our business to help showcase all that this wonderful area has to offer, through making connections with talented locals who share similar values and exploring exciting ideas for partnerships and offers. In a tourist sensitive area like Noosa, it is important to be part of the solution and not part of the problem.
