Ordinary Meeting - 16 February 2023 Transcript

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00:00:00 Mayor Stewart: We have no notified motions and there are no presentations. We're now up to item 8 on page 4 of our agenda. And no deputations. And no deputations. Pardon, no deputations. Which is a consideration of committee reports. Firstly, we have the Planning and Environment Committee recommendations which start on page 4 of the agenda. Item 1, MCU 2022-0048 and OPW 22-0089, Representations for Development Approval for a Landing and Prescribed Title Work Situated at 222 Gympie Terrace, Noosaville. Item 2, MCU 19-0017.03 and RAL 19-0004.03, Minor Changes. To Development Approval for Commercial Business, Type 1 Office Commercial Business, Type 2 Medical and Ancillary Dwelling Unit and Reconfiguring a Lot. Access Easement at 36 Hofmann Drive, Noosaville.

00:01:00 Item 3 was referred to the General Committee. Item 4 was referred to the General Committee. Item 5, Development Assessment Fees and Charges, Variations for 1st July 2022 to 31st December 2022. Item 6, Planning Applications Decided by Delegated Authority Report for December 2022. I will move the adoption of the Planning and Environment recommendations. We are now up to Services and Organisation Committee Meeting Report, which starts on page 8 of the agenda. Item 1, Noosa Holiday Parks Update Report to the 31st of December 2022. Item 2, Capital Program of Delivery Status, 31st of December 2022. Item 3, Councillors' Renumerated Opinions. Can I have a move? I'll move my committee's recommendations. Thank you, Councillor Joe. Seconded by Councillor Lorentson. All in favour? Carried unanimously. Thank you, everyone. We are now up to general committee meeting recommendations,

00:02:00 which start on page 9 of the agenda. MCU 22 slash 0154. Application for a material change of use, food and drink outlet, shops and offices at 214 David Lowe Way, Perigee and Beach. Councillors, we have been advised there was correction needed in the dates of the approval plans and the recommendation, which is shown in red on the screen. Kim is online if there are any questions. Deputy Mayor Stockwell: I'm having a move with the amended dates as per the screen. I'll second it. Mayor Stewart: Thank you, Councillor Wilkie. Councillor Stockwell, would you like to talk to me? Councillor Jurisevic: I'll ask a question, if I may. Mayor Stewart: Yes, Councillor Drisbich. Councillor Jurisevic: Kim, why the change of dates? What's the significance of the change from the 19th to the 1st, the 8th and the 2nd? Speaker 2: Thanks, Councillor Drisbich. Through the Chair, councillors, at the committee meeting there was a request to seek advice from the applicant whether they would consider including green walls and potentially planters on the development given there was no open space

00:03:00 and landscape being provided. The officers made those requests and the applicant had agreed and submitted revised plans. The revised plans were, were tabled at the general committee meeting. Unfortunately, the reference to the revised plans, the date of the revised plans was incorrect at the general committee meeting. So this is just rectifying the reference to the correct plans with the correct date. Councillor Jurisevic: So just to clarify, that's the date the plans were submitted for approval, not the date of our meeting to approve the, the application. Speaker 2: That's, that's correct, Councillor Drisbich. Thank you. Mayor Stewart: Thank you. Anyone, any further questions? Speaker 3: Oh, all right, anyone else has to talk to this? No, you don't want to call us, no. Mayor Stewart: All in favour? Carried unanimously. Thank you. Item 2, MCU19-0089.02 and OPW19-0160.02.

00:04:00 Planning and Environment Court Appeal Number DB928-2022, Application for a Minor Change to Development Approval for Service Station and Shop and Operational Works, Signage at 54 Mary Street, Noosaville. Item 3, Noosa Place Program, Item 4, Financial Performance Report, January 2023. Item 5, Operational Plan Progress Report, Second Quarter, 2022-23. 6, Organisational Realignment, Noosa Council. This report was deferred from the general committee meeting. We have a staff recommendation up on the screen, and I ask our CEO, Scott Waters, to please provide us with more information as requested. Thank you, Mr CEO. Speaker 1: Thank you, Mayor. Councils, this morning I provided to you some additional information that you have requested in relation to the costs of the changes that we have proposed for you with the organisation structure.

00:05:00 It is a functional realignment. We are looking at putting functions that fit within the right areas of the Council. This is to achieve an overall streamlined approach to service delivery to our community. In that email, I spoke of the gross wages cost, so the cost without any other savings realised that we would be able to manage through this process. The new Director of Compliance and Regulation role would be in the vicinity of $247,000 per annum, which is standard market rate for a Director role. The Manager of Strategic Planning and Climate Change would be at a Manager level of $140,000, and a Coordinator of Office of Mayor, Council and CEO, $118,000, which is a level 7 under the Local Government Award. That's a subtotal of gross wages cost of $505,000.

00:06:00 For fullness, on costs, averaged at about $4,000 per staff member, so that gives us a total of $12,000. And that's things like $2,000 per staff member. Tools of the trade, our computers, software licences, phone, et cetera, that's $4,000 per person, a total of $12,000. A vehicle allowance, we as Council officers are trying to work through a bit of a process in that we do have a situation where Council officers are utilising their own vehicles to undertake Council business with no reimbursement. What we are looking at doing within our management and then also our Director structure is looking at a line item of approximately $1,000 a year per Director or Manager. To be able to draw down on a mileage basis. Not all Directors or Managers actually utilise their vehicle during the daytime. So this is a benefit that would only be drawn down upon use and would follow the standard ATO costs.

00:07:00 So for this purpose, we believe that the Director and the Manager may have some personal vehicle use, and we put that into these costs at $1,000 per person. So a total of $2,000. We don't believe the Coordinator of the Office of Mayor. Councilors and CEO would be utilising their own vehicle, or if they did, it would be very minimal. So subtotal on costs would be $14,000. We have had a consultancy that's been in place for 19 months, and that consultancy on a per annum basis is valued at $266,000. So that would be a saving that we would be able to realise as a Council. So a net cost budget impact is $253,000. So these are the exact figures. In your report, you'll note that there was a range that was provided. There were some reasons for providing that range, but through the Council meeting process, I think it's important that we provide those actual costs for you. We spoke about the potential for a secondment. So I'd be looking at an expression of interest process for the Coordinator of Office, Mayor, Councilors and CEO.

00:08:00 And if I average that on a Level 5 role, a Level 5 role under the Local Government Officers Award, is $103,150 per annum. So the net cost budget impact, if I have a secondment, would be $149,850. Noting, though, to realise that potential budget saving on a secondment would mean that we would not backfill that particular role. So I think for Council's decision-making purposes, the budget bottom line cost of $253,000. is something that you should focus upon, and that if we can realise some budget savings, we absolutely will work towards that. But that would be the true cost for the additional three roles, looking at on costs, for them to be able to conduct their roles, and potentially some private vehicle use that they would. And that would be using their personal vehicles to conduct Council business.

00:09:00 Councillors, within the report, I could say, not just myself, but the entire executive team who've worked over a number of months to put this together, for you, were absolutely ecstatic at the feedback that we received from you during the week. It was something that is a really special moment, and our exec team and myself worked hard to be able to get to where we are. One area that I didn't focus on, that I'd like to, if you indulge me for a moment, to talk a little bit further on, is our Peregian Digital Hub, and that within our environment and strategy department, the new department, should we have this resolved this evening, innovation and the Peregian Digital Hub will be held at a very high level within the organisation in that particular stream. We're really looking forward to having the Peregian Digital Hub and their director become part of our executive team, as part of this process, to be able to embed innovation within our Council as well too. So we've discussed, I've discussed it with the director, we think that this is a great idea.

00:10:00 Peregian Digital Hub, they are kicking goals in their own right, and I think it's something that we don't sing the praises enough of. The Mayor and I met with the Chamber of Commerce yesterday, and they weren't really across the great things that are being delivered at the Digital Hub. So we'll be doing a little bit more work around that to show the benefit that this Council is providing to the business community overall, through the Digital Hub, and how we're creating a new economy here in Noosa. Councillors, thank you for the opportunity to provide that extra information for you. I'm happy to take any questions that you may have. Thank you. Mayor Stewart: I'm happy to move the CEO's recommendation. Can I have one second? Okay, thank you, Councillor Finzel. I think we said it all on Monday. This is a, and I don't really need to reiterate, but I'll just highlight a few things. I think this is a great restructure. Thank you, Scott, for all your hard work on this. This is tremendous leadership, and also the executive team. I know this has been a really collaborative approach from all of you.

00:11:00 And as I said, I think one of the words was, let's get it done when we asked about them or can't wait. So that's terrific. This has been a huge, you know, change, well, realignment. As you said, Scott, there's no redundancies. It's just streamlined. It's taking pressure points away from staff. We're focusing on better customer service, better customer focus. We can triage events, which we know we have had some issues with. We can look at waste and the opportunities around that in a commercial sense. We can also look at the Peregian Digital Hub and the success of that, really bringing that closer to the organisation. That's been a wonderful initiative, and I take credit to the previous council who really drove that. The commercial aspects, the buses, the holiday parks, the leasing, all of those things, we can look at a better return on investment for our rate payer with the talent that's coming in in that space. And as I said, there's less doubling of resources. It's more streamlined. And I think we're really optimising talent, the talent that we have.

00:12:00 And we've got a very, very talented workforce. And I think that this realignment really makes the most of all our staff and their wonderful gifts and talents that they bring to the table. So we're really excited by it. And again, thank you, Scott, and thank you to all the executive team. Thank you, Madam. Councillor Wilkie: Thanks, Madam Mayor. I agree with your sentiments there. It's been a long time since the council de-amalgamated in 2014. And over that time, this council has faced constant challenge, which it has responded to at every turn. It's also delivering more and more and more for this community. This year's capital works program, $57 million is a record. Every year seems to be a record. On top of that, there's $80 million worth of disaster-funded projects that need to be managed as well. It's a timely evolution. Community expectations are getting higher and higher. And we need to match those expectations.

00:13:00 The organisation has evolved internally. This just formalises the structural changes that are going on and need to happen to allow this council to continue to deliver good services to the community to the best of its ability within the constraints of a relatively small budget. And I endorse it. Thank you. Mayor Stewart: Councillor Joe. Councillor Jurisevic: Yeah, I'll have my two cents worth in here. Thank you. I think we said it all the other day, very positive with regard to this restructure. The maturity of this organisation since being de-amalgamated in 2014 to where we are now shows great growth, great focus on the future of this council and delivering for our community going forward. And the restructure is defined around that. The one thing I am delighted that you reiterated tonight is the strength of the Bridging Regional Hub. The faith that we had in establishing that in the previous council and the ongoing investment that we have through this council for the Bridging Digital Hub is now delivering dividends for this council and for this community well into the future.

00:14:00 So it's a fantastic situation to find ourselves in that our investment is paying dividends. Thank you. Mayor Stewart: Thanks, Councillor Joe. Councillor Finzel: Councillor Finzel. Thank you. Look, I just want to thank Scott and the team and the councillors. This is fantastic. This is a great investment in a future Noosa. The realignment represents where we're heading and it's really exciting. And I think our community can, you know, come with us on the journey that they will, you know, benefit from the organisational realignment because it will be good service back to our community. It represents efficiency, continuous improvement, and being able to promise, hopefully, on everything that we do. What we say we're going to deliver. I think it's fantastic. It's a good example of really good governance around this table and that we can build confidence in our community that, you know, we're working to the best of our abilities to bring forward really good efficiencies and customer service.

15 minutes in ¶

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00:15:00 So thank you, everybody, who's been involved. Thank you, Councillor Finzel. Mayor Stewart: Councillor Lorentson. Councillor Lorentson: I won't talk too much. I spoke a lot at the general meeting. But I do want to reiterate something I did say at the general meeting, which I think is what realignment means to me and to the council. It's our commitment for continuous improvement. And I said that at the general meeting and I mean it. It's our commitment. We can do better. We must do better. We must be better. To simply stay ahead. And it's also our promise to the community. Thank you. Thanks, Councillor Winster. Councillor Stockwell. Deputy Mayor Stockwell: I'm going to say something new to Monday, because I was listening to a radio program about why managerialism doesn't work for government.

00:16:00 And it's about having content-free managers who, that's their role, that's what they, but they don't know the business. And what I really hope we get out of this reorganisation is that the managers and the directors of each of those functional units are wholly and solely really experienced and expert in the areas they're managing. I think it's really important that the promise of any restructure is only realised if the leadership within those new little boxes on the diagram is effective. And for us, I know on Monday, the CEO mentioned about having someone in the role in the compliance department that's a dyed-in-the-wool global government experience. He might have suggested a preference of planners, which I think we should take any of those plans into consideration. I think it's really important that those professions within that particular department, as long as it's someone who understands the business.

00:17:00 And that's what's really the opportunity is in, I'd say, a year's time. But we'll be on holidays in a year, looking at doing other activities. But in nine months' time, when we have the third quarter review, are we seeing the benefits? Are we seeing the right people and the right jobs? And we start to see, you know, right from that policy area down. The positive impact of the organisational change. Mayor Stewart: Applying for a job, Councillor Stockwell. I just heard about that. Councillor Jurisevic: Heading his bets. Mayor Stewart: Thank you. I like it. 50-50. Alright, I won't close. I think we've said it all. But again, well done to Scott and the team. And we're all excited. So you have our full support. Put it to vote. All in favour? Unanimous. Thank you. Can I have a mover and a seconder? Thank you, Councillor Walton. Councillor WARRENSTON. Thank you. All in favour? Carried unanimously. There are no direct reports. The ordinary. There are no questions or items.

00:18:00 We have one submission to public question time. Welcome, Mr O'Connor. Nice to see you. Would you like to come up to the lectern and ask your questions? And our Director of Community Services, Kerry Contini, will respond. Thank you, Kerry. Thanks, Brian. Speaker 4: Thank you. In 2018, Noosa Council released its Sports and Active Recreation Plan and committed to complete master plans for five locations, including the Pomona Showground. Four of the five master plans have been completed and are being implemented. The Pomona project is yet to start. In an email to me dated the 9th of July 2021, the Council's Community Development Manager, Ms Alison Hamblin, wrote, in terms of the Pomona Showgrounds, we are committed to the