Noosa at a glance
Low-rise by choice
Noosa has no high-rise buildings, thanks to community pressure and council planning. Development around Noosa Sound began in the early 1970s.
Houses, mostly
Across Noosa Shire in 2021, 79.5% of occupied homes were separate houses and 7.8% flats or apartments. The median age was 50, and 43.7% of homes were owned outright.
A lot of empty homes
18.0% of the shire's private dwellings were unoccupied on census night, rising to 37.6% in Noosa Heads.
The river floods
In February 1992 the Noosa River reached 1.81 metres at Noosaville and Tewantin. Twelve homes were severely flooded and water ran under many high-set homes along the river.
Fire to the south
In September 2019, bushfires threatened Peregian Springs, Peregian Beach and Weyba Downs, and more than 4,000 residents were evacuated.
Energex supplies Noosa
A 2008 Energex substation upgrade named Noosa, Noosaville and Tewantin among the areas it served. Blackouts are reported on 13 62 62.
Holiday homes and the 2027 deadline
Queensland's smoke alarm rule covers all existing homes, townhouses and units, including ones the owner uses. A beach house you only visit at Christmas still needs interconnected photoelectric alarms by 1 January 2027.
Each new alarm must be less than 10 years old when it goes in, and the owner has to replace any alarm within 10 years of the day it was made. If the current alarms are hardwired, the new ones must be hardwired too, by an electrician.
If you also rent the place out on a lease, the landlord duties apply on top. Electrical rules for landlords lists them.
Selling a Noosa home
When a Queensland home sells, the seller must tell the buyer in writing, on or before possession, whether an approved safety switch protects the power points and whether compliant smoke alarms are installed.
If there's no safety switch, the new owner must have one installed within 90 days of taking possession. Sorting it before you list means one less question from buyers.
Buying? A pre-purchase electrical inspection shows you the state of the board and wiring before you commit.
Our take for Noosa owners
If your Noosa place sits empty for stretches, we'd get the smoke alarms done now rather than in the late-2026 rush, and ask the electrician which circuits the safety switches cover. A fridge or pool pump circuit that trips while you're away is better found before you leave.
Want a specialist to sort it?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match the licence-checked local electrician who does this kind of work, and they call you. No ring-around, and your number goes to them alone.