Deputations and public questions to council, each opening on what council's minutes record of it.
2025-07-17
Public question
Ordinary Meeting
Brian O'Connor
Heard at the meeting. Council's recording has these questions from 19:17; our transcript is below.
▶ Hear it — council's recording, from 19:17
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
Can the council explain the process and benefits of the workshop procedures involving relevant council staff and councillors when considering proposed new projects, initiatives and policy under development?
Response from Larry Sengstock, Chief Executive Officer
Councillor Workshops and Briefings are an effective way of assisting Councillors to understand and explore often complex issues and projects. Whilst they are not a decision-making forum, workshops and briefings are useful for a range of reasons including:
- enabling Councillors to be briefed on complex matters;
- providing training for Councillors on roles and responsibilities, new legislation etc;
- allowing Councillors to share information about matters they are currently dealing with;
- providing a forum to explore ideas and discuss concepts in the lead up to developing new strategies and policies;
- being briefed by staff on current operational matters. Staff may seek feedback from Councillors and/or provide information to Councillors. Officers provide Councillors with advice as well as any relevant background material and follow up information e.g. presentations or other information discussed at a workshop. Council has an approved Briefing Session and Workshop Policy which is available on Council’s website
- Councillor Briefing Sessions and Workshops (Non Statutory Meetings) Policy(PDF, 164KB)
Question 2
Can Noosa Council outline the works that were to have proceeded in the 2024-25 financial year described by Mayor Frank Wilkie in respect of the Pomona Place Plan in a statement published first on the council website on 24 March 2025 thus: “We’ve included funds in the current budget to fill missing pedestrian links between the high school campus and the village.’’ And did those scheduled works include shared pedestrian/bicycle path links between Pavillion Street and Summit Road via Meridan Court in 2024-25 and along Summit Road to the Pomona Campus of the Noosa District State High School in 2025-26?
Response from Shaun Walsh Director Infrastructure Services
Thank you for the question. The works that we included in the 24/25 budget for is a 2.5metre wide shared pathway along Summit Road from the main entry of the Pomona Secondary College through to Page Court and these works are scheduled for construction in 2025/26 financial year. This route provides a safer defined route from the secondary college to the Pomona town centre along the new footpath, through the low-speed environment of Page Court and Meridan Court and along the existing footpaths on Pavillion Street, Cooroora Creek Park and the centre of town. This initial work is a first step towards improved footpaths in town desired by the community from the Pomona Place Making Project. In this regard Council has recently been successful in obtaining a grant from the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads for a Walking Network Plan to better define future desired footpath works by the community and assist in gaining grant funds for future works. Council looks forward to future community engagement about the Pomona Walking Network Plan.
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.
19:17 Mayor Wilkie: from Mr Brian O'Connor Brian would you like to come to the lectern please and your questions will be answered by CEO Larry Sengstock and Shaun Walsh director of infrastructure services thank you Mr O'Connor
19:31 Speaker 5: the first question is can the council explain the process and benefits of the workshop procedures involving relevant care for council staff and councillors when considering proposed new projects initiatives and policy under development
19:55 Speaker 3: sure thanks Brian council workshops and briefings are an effective way of assisting councillors to understand and explore often complex issues and projects while they are not a decision making forum workshops and briefings are useful for a range of reasons including enabling councillors to be briefed on complex matters providing training for councillors on roles and responsibilities new legislation etc. allowing councillors to share information about matters they are currently dealing with providing a forum to explore ideas and discuss concepts in the lead up to developing new strategies and policies and briefing being briefed by staff on current operational matters staff may seek feedback from councillors and or provide information to councillors offices provide councillors with advice as well as any relevant background material and follow up information for example presentations or other information discussed in a workshop council has an approved briefing session and workshop policy which is available on council's website and the council of briefing sessions and workshops non statutory meetings policy
21:13 Speaker 5: Can Noosa Council outline the works that were to have proceeded in the 2024-25 financial year described by Mayor Frank Wilkie in respect of the Pomona Place Plan in a statement published first on the Council website on the 24th of March 2025 thus, We've included funds in the current budget to fill missing pedestrian links between the high school campus and the village, and did those scheduled works include shared pedestrian and bicycle path links between Pavilion Street and Summit Road via Merrigan Court in 2024-25 and along Summit Road to the Pomona campus of the Noosa District State High School in 2025-26.
22:04 Director Walsh: The works that were included in the 2024-25 budget is for a 2.5 metre wide shared pathway along Summit Road from the main entry of Pomona Secretary College through to Page Court, and these works are scheduled for construction in the 2025-26 financial year. This route provides a safer defined route from the Secretary College to the Pomona Town Centre on the new footpath, through the low speed environment of Page Court and Merrigan Court, and along the existing footpath, on Pavilion Street, Cora Creek Park, and the centre of town. This initial work is a first step towards improved footpaths in town desired by the community for the Pomona placemaking project. In this regard, Council has recently been successful in obtaining a grant from the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads for a walking network plan to better define future desired footpath works by the community and assist in gaining grant funds for future works. Council looks forward to future engagement with the community about the Pomona walking network plan.
23:05 Mayor Wilkie: Thank you. Thank you, Mr O'Connor. Thank you.
Also by Brian O'Connor
Others who spoke that day