Upgraded Cooroora Trail opens!

Visitors and locals alike will now be able to better enjoy the magnificent natural and cultural environment of the Tuchekoi National Park thanks to a $1.68 million upgrade of the Cooroora Trail. 

Major General Jake Ellwood and Mayor Clare Stewart cut the ribbon.

The 10km track, formally known as Trail 5, which links Pomona to Cooran, was officially opened on Wednesday by Noosa Mayor, Clare Stewart, and Chief Executive Officer of the Queensland Reconstruction Authority (QRA), Major General (Retd) Jake Ellwood.

This shady trail winds through eucalypt forest and grazing land past the peaks of Mt Cooran and Mt Cooroora. Visitors can stop and have a break on the banks of Wirruna Drive Bushland Reserve Lake, or one of several bench seats along the path. The trail works well as a two-way journey with lunch options at both Cooran and Pomona.

Upgrade works included trail realignments, selective widening, resurfacing, drainage and new wayfinding and interpretive signage. Recycled asphalt was also applied to a small section of the trail susceptible to flooding to improve durability and reduce maintenance requirements.  

Noosa Mayor, Clare Stewart, said the upgrade is the first project to come out of the Noosa Trails Masterplan and is designed to improve town connectivity, increase the use of the trails for educational and recreational use, drive tourism and enhance their effectiveness as fire breaks throughout the bushland. 

“Whether you’re a walker, cyclist or equestrian enthusiast, the Noosa Biosphere Trail network offers a great way to keep fit, engage with nature, and enjoy the beautiful landscapes and cultural heritage of the region.

“The completion of the Cooroora Trail upgrade, which includes investment works at Pioneer Park, Cooran, Cooroora Mountain Park and Stan Topper Park, Pomona, in addition to renewal of the Cooran horse yards, represents Noosa Council’s ongoing commitment to supporting our hinterland communities and local businesses,” the Mayor said.

The project received $1.61 million in funding from the Australian and Queensland Governments’ Local Economic Recovery (LER) Program through Category D of the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, which supports projects that improve the community’s resilience and economic recovery.

Major General (Retd) Ellwood, said the LER Program aims to support projects that contribute to local and regional economic and social recovery in areas most severely impacted by the 2019 Queensland Bushfires.

“It’s great to see projects like this that serve the community and enhance the resilience of the natural environment come to fruition,” Major General Ellwood said.

“The 2019 bushfires had a devastating effect on the bush tracks throughout the Noosa region, and to see the rebuilt Cooroora Trail reopen in all its glory is exactly what the LER Program was designed to achieve.”

Following the success of the Cooroora Trail, priority upgrades of Trail 7 (Yurol Trail) will follow later this year.