The Noosa Park Bench Ukulele group is looking for a new place to rehearse after being kicked off their usual meet-up spot.

The group was banned from privately-owned Noosa Marina where they had been playing for six years.

Noosa Shire Council denies any involvement in the group’s removal.

Deputy Mayor Frank Wilkie said Council had reached out to the group’s organisers to help find them a new public space.

“Council did not receive any complaints and has not been involved except to help find a new home for them.”

The Noosa group joins a long line of music club closures.

Not the first group asked to leave

Sunshine Coast Council banned the “Hot Curri Jammers” from their usual meeting place at Currimundi Lake after receiving one noise complaint in August.

And while the group’s park-access was reinstated after the story attracted national press coverage, more clubs continued to see the same fate.

Council shut down the Crystal Waters Music Club after another noise complaint in August.

And in previous years, Peregian Originals and Maleny Lane music communities were forced onto the streets to protest for the survival of their clubs.

Music to heal

Jane Tipper (pictured with daughter Sarah) says her uke helps her to heal.

She took the instrument to Buderim Private Hospital last week following a knee operation.

Mrs Tipper says “there are many benefits” to playing music.

“Music can heal the wounds that medicine cannot touch. I’ve been filling the corridors with uke music while I recover.”

She loved taking her father to uke lessons at the Noosa pier when he was fighting vascular dementia.

“Dad was a wonderful musician, who during his life had played 12-string guitar. He played us many a John Denver song during family get together.

“Sadly as time went on and the disease progressed, Dad lost his ability to play the guitar, however he didn’t forget the music inside him.”

Fighting off dementia

Mrs Tipper said her dad loved his lessons at Noosa Marina, where he learned three chords and would “happily strum along”.

“Where I knew most of the chords, he knew all of the words, and between the pair of us we sounded a pretty good duo.

“We always had a great laugh, and left feeling uplifted and happy.

“Music lit him up in such a way that the dementia seemed to disappear for a while.”

Mrs Tipper hopes the group finds a new place to practice.

“I am sad the group is leaving (Noosa Marina), and many others are too.

“It makes no sense that there is a community that comes along to enjoy the music, that buy coffees and lunches from the surrounding businesses, who all benefit, (and) it’s going to be a likely ghost town without the group there.

“I sincerely hope this group is able to continue in the future at a suitable venue somewhere.”

More weigh in

Local music enthusiast Janine Williams says the closure of another group is “very sad”.

“Community music is pure soul therapy and needed, such a delightful way to connect and be included without listening to people’s drama issues.”

Another uke lover Ali Quon agrees: “One person shouldn’t be allowed to destroy the magic of music.”

Noosa Marina was contacted for comment. It is still unclear why the group was removed.

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