Brian O'Connor

58:38 Mayor Stewart: We have no financial items, but we have one submission to public question time from Mr Brian O'Connor. Where are you, Brian? How are you, Brian? Welcome. You know the drill, Mr O'Connor. So if you'd like to come up and ask your question, thank you. And we have our Director of Strategy and Environment, Peter Rawlings, here to answer, Mr O'Connor.

58:59 Speaker 5: Thank you, Madam Minister. I beg the indulgence of the meeting to change one word in my question, in the interests of accuracy. At its meeting on 16 February 2023, Noosick Council endorsed Pomona to be the location of a pilot placemaking plan, the strategy to be rolled out eventually across the Shire. Six months on. Can Noosick Council provide an update on progress being made around placemaking at Pomona? Thank you, Mr O'Connor.

59:39 Speaker 1: Through the Mayor. Good evening, Brian. Nice to see you. I'm very pleased to advise that the placemaking pilot has been progressing well since the endorsement of Pomona as the pilot location, with community engagement officially being launched yesterday, which is very exciting. The engagement and process has been successful. It is open through to the 24th of September. The engagement program includes a diverse range of activities for the entire community to participate, including a survey, online and hard copy, pop-ups outside the IGA and at Pomona markets, a family-friendly community event, walk shops, ideas competitions, as well as other creative activities such as sketching workshops and letter writing. There are also options for more tailored stakeholders to participate. Further information can be located on the Council's Your Say Noosa webpage. And while the community engagement is being undertaken, the project team will be developing options for future governance structures to help guide the preparation of the draft plan, which will be further informed by community engagement at another later date. The draft plan will be developed in conjunction with the community to help prioritise actions, implementation and resourcing throughout the remainder of this year.

1:01:00 And with further community consultation on the draft plan to occur in early 2024.

1:01:06 Speaker 5: Thank you. Our second question is this. Noosa Council recently nominated Pomona as a great place under the South East Queensland Regional Plan. The Noosa Plan 2020 acknowledges Pomona as Noosa Shire's living heritage town. And the Noosa Biosphere Trails Master Plan identity. It identifies Pomona as the hub town for the trail network. These designations seek various practical and tangible outcomes that ideally should complement each other. How will this occur beneath the umbrella of a Pomona placemaking plan?

1:01:50 Speaker 1: Thanks again, Brian. The placemaking process will consider the many and diverse roles and functions of Pomona as a village. In a way that delivers the outcomes that you identified in alignment with community values, priorities as well as enhancing the unique character and identity of Pomona. The placemaking process will likely identify recommendations and actions that may require these other strategies, broader strategies and plans to be reviewed and coordinated to ensure a more integrated approach and delivery of these outcomes on the ground.

1:02:24 Councillor Wilkie: Thank you.

1:02:25 Mayor Stewart: Pleasure. Thank you, Mr O'Connor. I appreciate it.

1:02:28 Councillor Wilkie: Thanks, Brian.

1:02:28 Mayor Stewart: Thank you, Kim. That brings us to the end of the agenda. The next ordinary meeting will be held at Council Chambers on the 21st of September at 5pm. So thank you, everyone, for attending this evening. It's lovely to have a gallery full of people. I declare the meeting closed at 6.03pm. Thank you.