Deputations and public questions to council, each opening on what council's minutes record of it.
2026-03-19
Public question
Ordinary Meeting
Brian O'Connor
Heard at the meeting. Council's recording has these questions from 0:54; our transcript is below.
▶ Hear it — council's recording, from 0:54
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
What is an Agricultural Hub, what is its purpose, how would it operate in practical terms, what are the outcomes such an initiative would achieve and what role does Noosa Council believe it has in constructing the core infrastructure and creating ongoing operational settings for such a facility?
Response from Kim Rawlings, Director Strategy & Environment.
An Agricultural Hub is an emerging concept that Council is currently exploring through a initial scoping and feasibility investigation to understand its potential role in supporting Noosa’s rural and hinterland communities.
The study is assessing a range of domestic and international models to determine what a fit-for-purpose hub could look like, and whether it could strengthen rural, rural production, regenerative farming, artisan, and creative industries while building long-term community and economic resilience.
The study is examining how such a hub might operate, including potential functions, services, and a range of potential benefits and considerations. Should a viable model be identified, detailed financial and operational modelling would occur in a subsequent phases, should Council choose to progress to ‘Business Case’.
The Phase One Feasibility Study is being progressed in 2026.
Question 2
What scoping studies have occurred to establish an Agricultural Hub in Noosa Shire, will they be made public? Has a business case been prepared and will the feasibility of such a venture rely upon funding from state and federal government sources - at the start-up stage and ongoing? What economic benefit would the hub generate? What is the timeframe that Noosa Council is working towards getting such a project up and running?
Response from Kim Rawlings, Director Strategy & Environment.
Council is currently undertaking the Phase One Feasibility Study, which is the first formal piece of work examining the potential around the concept of an Agricultural Hub in Noosa Shire. Outcomes of this phase will be reported to Council for consideration prior to any future work.
As this is just a scoping study, it has not yet been determined what any future approach or model could be and how it might be financed. The scoping phase will identify initial range of benefits and considerations.
9
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.
0:54 Mayor Wilkie: From Mr Brian O'Connor. Mr O'Connor couldn't be here today and has requested that Councillor Finzel read his questions, which will be answered by Kim Rawlings, the Director of Strategy and Environment.
1:05 Councillor Finzel: Councillor Finzel. Thank you Mr Chair. Question 1. What is an agricultural hub? What is its purpose? How would it operate in practical terms? What are the outcomes such an initiative would achieve? And what role does Noosa Council play? Noosa Council believes it has in constructing the core infrastructure and creating ongoing operational settings for such a facility. Thank you.
1:34 Mayor Wilkie: Thank you. Director Rawlings. Welcome.
1:37 Director Rawlings: Thank you.
Also by Brian O'Connor