NOOSA’S PERFECT BALANCING ACT
MICHAEL GLOSTER LOOKS out at a golden Noosa River sunset from the bow of his yacht, swirls a glass of shiraz and takes a long, satisfied sip. The crusading environmentalist strokes his unruly grey beard and says: “It won’t happen in my lifetime, but World Heritage listing would be the crowning achievement of a life’s work; not just mine, but for a group of us who have fought back against everything they’ve thrown at us.”
He’s speaking of a long-time dream – dual World Heritage listing for both Noosa Head’s natural and cultural assets. At first it sounds like a grand vision that might never be realised but, as president of the Noosa Parks Association (NPA), Michael has been in the planning room for many such dreams, helping turn them to reality. These span the groundbreaking politicisation of a local conservation group back in the 1980s through to the current completion of Noosa’s ‘ring of parks’, with the recent acquisition of 2400ha of pine plantation and state forest. This, as we sit and sip drinks on the river this July afternoon, is in the final stages of negotiation for conversion into national park.
Michael is by no means the only one who has fought pitched battles
