Deputations and public questions to council, each opening on what council's minutes record of it.
2024-11-21
Public question
Ordinary Meeting
Linda Martin
Heard at the meeting. Council's recording has these questions from 24:06; our transcript is below.
▶ Hear it — council's recording, from 24:06
The feed timestamps the whole public question block rather than each speaker, so this starts at the top of that block.
What the minutes record
Question 1
When will the Noosa Council's Noosa Traffic Study Update be completed and findings be released specifically in relation to a safe pedestrian crossing on Eumundi- Noosa Road in the vicinity between Beckmans and Rene Street Roundabout?
Response from Shaun Walsh, Acting Director Infrastructure Services
Thank you for the question. Firstly, Council acknowledges the challenges of crossing these busy sections of road. Council has approved the update to the Noosa Traffic Study as part of the 2024/25 budget. The study is currently in progress and is expected to be completed by June 2025. This study is a critical technical document that will guide infrastructure planning for the next 30 years. Council will analyse the data to determine the need for various traffic improvement projects, including safer pedestrian crossings. It is also noted that Council’s Walking and Cycling Strategy has also identified the need for safer, more convenient pedestrian crossings on Eumundi-Noosa Road. Any proposed traffic improvements projects will be subject to Council’s budget deliberations. Council can also use the Traffic Study to support grant applications. Council will certainly undertake public consultation program as part of any approved projects.
Question 2
How exactly is safe access to the new footpath being constructed as part of the Tewantin Bypass on Eumundi Noosa Road to be gained with the current non connecting paths and lack of a safe pedestrian crossing issue in the vicinity?
Response from Shaun Walsh, Acting Director Infrastructure Services
Thanks again for the question. The intersections of Beckmans Road, Eumundi-Noosa Road is part of Council managed road infrastructure, but the proposed upgrades, including the Beckmans Road duplication, also known as the Tewantin Bypass, are subject to Department of Transport and Main Roads funding under a long-standing commitment by the Queensland Government. The Department of Transport and Main Roads have currently committed $8.5million for planning future stages of the Tewantin Bypass. Only preliminary concepts have been prepared, and design is yet to commence. Council acknowledges the challenges of crossing this busy section of road and has identified the need for safer, more convenient pedestrian crossings in this locality and will be advocating for this outcome as part of negotiations with the Department of Transport and Main Roads.
This is council's own minuted record, in council's words. Nothing is reworded: the questions, headings and bullets are laid out as the printed minutes set them. Left out are the speaker's name (it heads this page), the minutes' page-header dates, and any “meeting adjourned” line the extract caught. Where an officer answered, the answer is minuted with the question and appears above.
Transcript of the recording
What this is. Transcript of council's recording, produced by automatic speech recognition and not checked line by line against the video. Names and figures are where this kind of transcript fails first. It is our transcript, not council's record. Recording © Noosa Shire Council. Council's own recording is linked above; where the two differ, the recording governs.
24:06 Mayor Wilkie: Next two questions are from Ms. Linda Martin. Ms. Martin, would you like to come up and ask your questions? And they'll also be answered by Shaun Walsh, Acting Director of Infrastructure.
24:17 Speaker 5: Thank you again. The first question. When will Noosa Council's traffic study update be completed and findings be released, specifically in relation to a safe pedestrian crossing on Yamanu Noosa Road in the vicinity between Beckmans and Ring Street roundabout? That's a good question.
24:37 Director Walsh: Thank you for the question. Again, we acknowledge the challenges of crossing this busy section of road. Council approved the update to the Noosa traffic study as part of the 24-25 year budget. The study is currently in progress, and is expected to be completed by June 2025. This critical technical document will guide our traffic planning for the next 30 years, and use the data to determine the need for various traffic improvements, including safer pedestrian crossings. It is noted that Council's walking and cycling instructions will be updated by June 2025. It is also noted that Council's public consultation strategy has also identified the need for safer, more convenient pedestrian crossings on Yamanu Noosa Road. Any proposed traffic improvements will be subject to Council budget deliberations, and will certainly undertake public consultation as part of any approved projects. Thank you.
25:21 Speaker 5: Thank you. I'd like to ask, how exactly is safe access to the new footpath being constructed as part of the Tewantin bypass on Yamanu Noosa Road to be gained, and how is that going to work with the current non-connecting paths and lack of a safe pedestrian crossing in the vicinity?
25:47 Director Walsh: Thank you again for the question. The intersections of Beckmans Road, Yamanu Noosa Road is part of Council managed road infrastructure, to be clear. But the proposed upgrades, including the Beckmans Road duplication, also known as the Tewantin bypass, are subject to Department of Transport and Main Roads funding, under a long-standing commitment by the Queensland Government. The Department of Transport and Main Roads have currently committed $8.5 million for planning future stages of the Tewantin bypass. Only preliminary concepts have been prepared, and detailed design is yet to be finalised. Council acknowledges the challenges of crossing this busy section of road, and has identified the need for safer, more convenient pedestrian crossings in this locality, and will be advocating for this outcome as part of negotiations with the Department of Transport and Main Roads over our Council owned road infrastructure.
26:36 Speaker 5: That's excellent. Thank you.
26:38 Mayor Wilkie: Thank you, Ms Martin.
Also by Linda Martin
Others who spoke that day