Council charges couples 'Noosa tax' to marry by the beach

It seemed only natural for Jodie O'Dea and Daryl Pilmore to tie the knot at their favourite beach in Queensland's holiday hotspot — which they also call home."Getting married in Noosa was special to us," Ms O'Dea said."Even though the fees were quite high for the land, we were willing to book it given the sentimental significance and also being locals."Daryl Pilmore and Jodie O'Dea lost their non-refundable permit fee after the council land became waterlogged. (Supplied: Jodie O'Dea)Noosa Council charges a non-refundable $799 fee for a three-hour permit for the Noosa Main Beach foreshore area.In the days leading up to the wedding in April, heavy rain caused the couple's ceremony site to become waterlogged."The day before we tried to get hold of the council to see if we could cancel that booking — we just couldn't reach anybody," Ms O'Dea said.Maison La Plage is one of the wedding groves along Noosa's Main Beach foreshore. (Supplied: Lindy Yewen Photography)They ended up having their ceremony at the reception venue, which cost an additional $3,000. The council also did not refund their permit fee."I appreciate there are terms and conditions," Ms O'Dea said."Seventy of our 80 guests flew into Noosa for the wedding. They ate, shopped ... I did a kind of ballpark [figure] and I reckon we probably injected $50,000 to $80,000 into the local economy."A local resident can't even be afforded a goodwill gesture of a small refund for a piece of land that wasn't usable?"A wedding ceremony being held on the Noosa Main Beach foreshore. (Supplied: Lindy Yewen Photography)Love lostThe permit fee to marry along Noosa Main Beach has steadily risen over the years, from $159 in 2014 to $567.50 in 2020 — and now $799.It costs $399 to hold a wedding at all other locations the council manages, which has also jumped from $375 in 2025.Lindy Yewen has worked as a wedding photographer in the region for more than 30 years.She said couples were being driven away by the permit costs."They're paying high fees for accommodation. Dining is expensive here. So then you go and throw another $800 at them and it's off putting," Ms Yewen said."Our couples call it the Noosa tax."The Noosa Wedding Organisation says there has been a noticeable drop in weddings in recent years. (Supplied: Jacqueline Gray)The Noosa Wedding Organisation, a not-for-profit group of local suppliers, found the number of ceremonies held in the region had dropped from 781 in 2014 to 563 in 2025."I think the permits is the main part of it, but I think another part is it's actually starting to feel unwelcoming," Ms Yewen said.The organisation found the decline represented an estimated $30 million annual loss in visitor spending, with the average guest typically spending at least $2,600 during a three-day stay.Celebrant Jacqueline Gray has been among industry members lobbying council to reduce its fees. (Supplied: Jacqueline Gray)"Regardless of whether you've got anything to do with weddings, the accommodation, your cafes, restaurants, retail stores — all those people are going to miss out," Ms Yewen said.Noosa wedding celebrant Jacqueline Gray said it was significantly cheaper to hold a wedding in the Sunshine Coast Council area, where there was a $83 flat fee."I do a number of weddings now in Point Arkwright and it's equally beautiful," she said.She said she understood the council needed to recover its costs for administration fees and maintaining the public spaces, but claimed they were not always up to scratch."From what I've heard from couples, there are a lot of complaints made to council about the fee and about the state of the grassed area when they turn up," Ms Gray said. "I've had families there with rakes and snippers, cleaning and blowing the area because it hasn't been done — just appalled at the state of the area they've paid so much money for."Local government areaBeach permitOther areasNoosa Shire Council$799 (Main Beach)$399Sunshine Coast Council$83$83Gold Coast CouncilFree$134-$345Brisbane City Council n/a$218Moreton Bay$165$165Port Douglas$150 (Little Cove)$76Cairns $95$95A 'premium' priceUnder the Local Government Act, councils are entitled to charge a "cost-recovery" fee to recoup any losses from facilitating ceremonies. The fee can also include a tax if the council decides it will benefit the local government area.In a statement, Noosa Council property manager Hayley Jamieson said the council welcomed weddings and recognised the "important contribution" they made to the local economy."The fee reflects the end-to-end costs associated with administering wedding permits ... compliance activities ... and a contribution towards the management and presentation of council-managed beaches, parks and foreshores," Ms Jamieson said."The higher fee applying to ceremonies within the Noosa Main Beach foreshore area reflects the premium nature of these locations, together with the higher level of management and presentation required."The council said the fee was non-refundable, but in the event of severe weather officers would work with permit holders to accommodate requests to change ceremony times or locations on a "case-by-case" basis.The Noosa Wedding Organisation is calling on the council to review its fees. (Supplied: Lindy Yewen Photography)The fees are reviewed annually. Ms Gray said she hoped the industry's pleas would be heard ahead of the next council budget."It's really impacting our Noosa brand. It's embarrassing," she said. "Hopefully council will come to see reason and reduce the fees, to help our local businesses to flourish."