Further to previous updates regarding the former Noosa North Shore Landing Ground Reserve (Teewah Airfield), Sandy recently asked a Question Without Notice (QWN) to the Minister for the Environment regarding the site, requesting that the department:

  1. make available the results of community consultation undertaken in April and May 2023
  2. provide an extension of time for recreational users, and
  3. convene a meeting involving relevant departments, recreational groups and Noosa Shire Council, as previously committed.

This QWN was due to a lack of response from the Minister to our correspondence commencing in June 2025 for the above to be provided, the imminent deadline for current recreational users to vacate the site, and lack of transparency on suitable alternate sites as promised under the previous government. In addition, no assurances that the site would be maintained for emergency services including LifeFlight under a National Park status.

The Minister’s response provided no confirmation on the three matters raised in the QWN, however indicated that consultation results had been provided to community groups under Right to Information (RTI) requests while omitting to answer whether or not they would provide a copy to our office.

The minister during the response misquoted Sandy’s response to correspondence regarding the former Noosa North Shore Landing Ground, stating:

We have a dilemma and it is a dilemma I have written to the member for Noosa about. In one of

my responses to her correspondence I stated—

“As the local Member, I would welcome your advice on whether you supported the original tenure change or whether you believe the site should be revoked to allow continued club use.”

I want to put into Hansard the member’s response. She stated, ‘Revoking land from National Park status is a serious matter,’ and that ‘we could not support such a radical undertaking’. On the one hand we have had a petition in this House about allowing ongoing use that had some 3,210 signatories. On the other side I have a message from the member for Noosa that I cannot revoke the land.

To clarify, the response to the Minister from our office in which he referred to is as follows:

“Revoking land from National Park status is a serious matter and given that as yet there has been no response to our requests as below, we could not support such a radical undertaking, even if to amend what we saw as a flawed consultation process.

    1. Referring to our letter dated 2 October 2025, also sent to Ministers Nicholls and Leahy that the department provide clarification regarding Lifeflight, and that the site would be maintained in a manner suitable for emergency and disaster situations including rescue landings. We were previously advised that this would be achievable under a National Park status, is this correct?

    2. Referring to our email of 5 September that was an addition to our letter of 4 July 2025, as well letter of 29 October 2025, that the period of use be extended for the clubs to ensure sufficient time to source a suitable alternate site for recreational users, incorporating the working group meetings committed to with the clubs and Noosa Council which have not occurred.

    3. Referring to our letter dated 29 October 2025 that I be allowed to attend such meeting as above, as the contrasting reports about what has been done so far and lack of updates/transparency, understandably leaves many questions.”

To clarify, there has been no position given from this office in relation to revocation, however there is an expectation that issues raised to this office from our emergency frontliners and recreational groups be answered, and we continue to await a response on these outstanding matters, which can then help inform a position.

In the meantime, with no response to requests for the data from the community consultation from either the Minister, or from the recreational groups to confirm their online comments that there was a 2:1 in favour during consultation of not transferring the site to National Park, we have lodged a Right to Information application. Facts are key to good decision making, and transparency about those facts should be readily available, and not difficult to obtain as we have been experiencing.

Further information

Previous Noosa 360 updates on the North Shore Airfield can be found at www.sandybolton.com/?s=teewah+airfield. A brief summary of the history is available on our update at www.sandybolton.com/teewah-airfield-update-june-2024.

For anyone wishing to contact the Minister for the Environment regarding this land and its future use, email enivronment@ministeral.qld.gov.au. Please copy our office in via noosa@parliament.qld.gov.au and forward us any response you receive.