Deputations and public questions to council, each opening on what council's minutes record of it.
2026-07-16
Public question
Ordinary Meeting
Susan Dewar
Heard at the meeting. Council's recording has these questions from 31:37; our transcript is below.
▶ Hear it — council's recording, from 31:37
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
Three years ago I first raised concerns about the lack of lighting on the pathway connecting Yellowood Close and the Tewantin Sports Complex. Given this pathway is regularly used by families, children and sporting groups, will Council investigate and apply for available Queensland Government Grant funding to install lighting at this location?
Response from Shaun Walsh Director Infrastructure Services
Thank you for the question. Council does directly own and manage public lighting in commonly used public areas such as Noosaville Foreshore. Other street and pathway lighting is owned by Energex, though Council does pay the electricity bills. Unfortunately, there is no budget allocation in the 26/27 budget to expand Council's public lighting program. In addition, there is currently no grant program offered by Energex to expand public lighting. Council will continue to monitor grant programs for available funding.
Question 2
Council has advised that an alternative route exists via McKinnon Drive. However many residents continue to use the access pathway from Yellowood Close, because it provides direct access to the sporting precinct. What assessment has Council undertaken of the pathway's usage and safety risks, and what criteria would need to be met before lighting is considered?
Response from Shaun Walsh Director Infrastructure Services
Council has not undertaken any further assessment of the pathway usage to inform future lighting. The appropriate standard for assessment would be "AS/NZS 1158.3.1:2020 Lighting for Roads and Public Spaces". Other criteria would include pedestrian usage data and requests from the local residents seeking improvement to inform budget allocation.
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.
31:37 Mayor Wilkie: The application of two questions is from Mrs Susan Dewar. Ms Dewar advised she can't be here today. But she's asked for Councillor Lawrenson to read the questions on her behalf. These will be answered by Shaun Walsh, the Director of Infrastructure Services. Councillor Lawrenson, could you read the questions please.
31:54 Councillor Lorentson: Yes. On behalf of Susan Dewar, question one. Three years ago, I, Susan Dewar, first raised concerns about the lack of lighting on the pathway connecting the Yellowwood Close and the Tewantin Sports Complex. Given this pathway is regularly used by families, children and sporting groups, will Council investigate and apply for available Queensland Government grant funding to install lighting at this location?
32:21 Mayor Wilkie: Director Walsh.
32:23 Director Walsh: In Council, the Vice-Chancellor. Thank you.
32:25 Mayor Wilkie: I think probably the microphones are over here. Director Walsh. Yeah.
32:37 Director Walsh: Thank you for the question. Council does directly own and manage public lighting in commonly used public areas such as Noosaville foreshore. Other street and pathway lighting is owned by Energex, though Council does pay the electricity bills. Unfortunately, there is no budget allocation in the twenty-six, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, twenty-seven budget to extend Council's public lighting program. In addition, there is currently no grant program offered by Energex to extend public lighting. Council will continue to monitor grant programs for available funding.
33:07 Mayor Wilkie: Thank you, Shaun. And the second question, Councillor Lawrenson. Question two.
33:14 Councillor Lorentson: Council has advised that an alternative route exists by MacKinnon Drive. However, many residents continue to use the access pathway from Yellowwood Close because of the lack of public lighting. Council provides direct access to the sporting precinct. What assessment has Council undertaken of the pathway's usage and safety risk, and what criteria would need to be met before lighting is considered?
33:38 Director Walsh: Council has not undertaken any further assessment of the pathway usage to inform future lighting. The appropriate standard for assessment would be Australian standard, New Zealand standard, 1158.3.1, colon, 2020, lighting for road use. Other criteria will include pedestrian usage data and requests from the local residents seeking improvements to inform budget allocation.
34:04 Mayor Wilkie: Thank you, Director Walsh.
Others who spoke that day