Paula Braby

PAULA BRABY Question 1. The general understanding of the community is that Noosa Shire Council is a member of the Council of Mayors SEQ (CoMSEQ) and that these meetings are an opportunity to meet and discuss ways to secure funding for our shire in relation to cost of living, housing, disaster management, homelessness and perhaps many other funding priorities. The most recent meeting of CoMSEQ was in Canberra in July 2024. Was Noosa Shire represented at this meeting by either Mayor Wilkie or Deputy Mayor Stockwell? If not, why not? Response provided by Mayor Frank Wilkie Thanks for your enquiry, Ms Braby. The most recent CoMSEQ meeting was a board meeting in Brisbane on Friday, September 13, which I attended. I have attended all CoMSEQ board meeting where the group’s strategies and funding opportunities are discussed. In answer to your question, I chose not to attend the CoMSEQ trip to Canberra because I instead chose to attend commitments made to regional groups well ahead of time. The fact the delegation was already well- attended by many other mayors and was not fully funded by CoMSEQ, with implications for Noosa Ratepayers, were also considerations. At the recent board meeting we heard that the Canberra delegation was an opportunity to present a show of strength, rather than bid for funding. I can confirm Noosa was well represented at the more pivotal and significant CoMSEQ delegation to Queensland Parliament where I had the opportunity ahead of the October election to present Noosa's specific housing, growth, planning, infrastructure and funding challenges to both the Queensland Cabinet and Shadow Cabinet. Noosa Council is still in the process of planning for venue upgrades ahead of the Olympics that have yet to be costed. When this is done, we will be in a better position to make specific asks of the Federal or State Governments. Given that the core work is done at CoMSEQ board meetings as a top priority, the existing strength of the Canberra group to advocate for the SEQ Region's growth challenges, the cost to Noosa ratepayers and the phase we are at in terms of pre-Olympics planning, I chose to attend local community events I had already committed to some time ago, including one which has significance to the most vulnerable in our combined coastal communities and one marking the thirty year milestone for three Noosa community groups. Given the constant clash of obligations in this role, I will continue to carefully weigh up the value of all invitations in terms of their return to Noosa Shire and the Region and how best to expend time and ratepayers’ resources.