RUN FOR THE HILLS

While there are a lot of numbers floating around the airwaves at the moment, Ken Henry, the Treasury Secretary says that by 2050 our Australian population will increase to 35,000,000. It's currently 22,000,000.

Demographer Bernard Salt, says Australia will reach peak population (that means different things to different people) by 2065. It's little wonder that hinternoosa.com.au, a boutique marketer of prestige homes on acreage land in the Noosa hinterland surrounding Mt Cooroy is experiencing peak demand from all demographics.

The product we sell allows people to enjoy more elbow room than they would in a typical urban environment. They can grow their own clean green food, they exist off the water grid and potentially off the power grid as well if they're so inclined. In short they can live the 'good life', de-stress, pursue those interests important to them and smell the lavender.

Today's buyers are different to the hippies that moved to Nimbin in the 70's. An aspiring lifestyle resident in 2009 seeks to have excellent education for their children, high speed broadband to allow them work from home, easy access to beaches and restaurants and relaxed shopping with a broad range of quality services available. Our buyers are also cognisant of the fact the Queensland Government has produced a draft Coastal Management Plan to deal with the anticipated effect of Global Warming on Queensland?s coastline, most of the property we sell is between 80 ? 100m above sea level.

Hinternoosa Principals, Murray & Lyndal Brown were both raised in urban environments like most Australians. They made the green change some 20 years ago and suggest as years go by, they enjoy the lifestyle more and more as the world elsewhere speeds up and becomes more complicated. They appreciate the value of a single tree and they have planted 1000's in a Native Plantation on Sunrise Road.

To assist others in making a change, Lyndal has developed a website called 'Planet Forward' which is designed to assist people who are looking to reduce their carbon footprint and reduce their use of chemicals.

Buyers looking to live the 'good life' have stimulated sales in the hinterland to a point where we see our average sale price increasing with the number of sales per annum doing the same.

The Global Economic Crisis did have a small impact on our market place, however it seems that buyers have moved on. We're unsure whether this is a result of hinternoosa.com.au growing our market share or a sustained increase in turnover across our region.