Before the first item ¶
00:00:00 Mayor Wilkie: I'd like to acknowledge that we're meeting on the traditional lands of the Kabi Kabi people and I pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging. I note that all councillors are in attendance. Item 2 is the confirmation of the minutes. May I have a mover and a seconder for the minutes of the ordinary meeting held on the 18th of April. Happy to move, thank you. Moved by Councillor Lorentson and seconded by Councillor Stockwell. Thank you, all in favour? That's carried unanimously. I have a mayoral minute. I hereby give notice of my intention to move the following motion of the ordinary meeting on Thursday 16th of May. It's to do with the Housing Availability and Affordability Planning and Other Legislation Amendment Act and consequential amendments. The motion reads that council note the State Government has responded to the current housing challenge through the recently passed bill. However, the consequential amendments being proposed to the supporting regulations, ministerial guidelines and development assessment rules have potential to circumvent and undermine council's good planning through its planning scheme that could result in unacceptable development outcomes for the Noosa community.
1 ATTENDANCE & APOLOGIES ¶
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2 CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES ¶
00:01:00 The bill's supporting material is currently on public consultation and it is recommended that council make a formal submission raising particular concerns on new state facilitated development process. Specifically, that the state facilitated development process bypasses local government's role, to assess and decide development applications against planning schemes for these declared proposals. It provides only a minimal 15% affordable housing requirement, with the breadth of eligible development being very broadly defined. The process does not clearly outline how affordable housing approved under this process will be maintained in perpetuity. It provides limited opportunity to the public to make submissions on development proposals which have no approved appeal rights. It may result in a delay in the process. It may result in inconsistent development outcomes in inappropriate locations where amenity may be compromised,
00:02:00 building height and scale of development limits may be exceeded and may severely impact areas which have previously received protection under environmental outlays. I can just speak further on this. The proposed amendments will provide a new development assessment process where a development application will be assessed by the state government rather than the local government. To bypass Noosa Council, development proposal must include an affordable housing component equal to at least 15% of all drawings. Because the applications do not need to comply with the Noosa planning scheme, there is potentially no limit to the height or size of the developments that could occur on any lot deemed to have suitable infrastructure to support them. This could mean multi-storey units of unspecified height and low density residential neighbourhoods. There are also reduced time frames for approvals and limited feedback opportunity for residents who may be affected.
00:03:00 It is important that I acknowledge Noosa Council has a strong and proud history of upholding Noosa planning schemes which have been enshrined and reinforced through numerous upheld planning and environment court decisions. This persistent and dedicated approach to local government planning has made Noosa the community and destination it is today that our residents and visitors love. This Council is also very aware and supportive of achieving greater housing outcomes for our community as addressed in Council's comprehensive plan. This strategy has a range of actions already underway to achieve these outcomes in a manner that aligns with community expectations. As highlighted above, there are significant concerns that the state facilitated development process may threaten or undermine this approach, but Noosa Council will be strongly seeking the state government to reconsider their approach to this process to address concerns raised above, and importantly ensure that the development process is carried out in the best possible way. We will continue to work with the state government to address the issues that will be raised in the next few months and to ensure that the local planning instruments, such as the Noosa Plan 2020, will be adhered to.
00:04:00 Thank you. Does anyone else wish to speak to the motion? Councilor Stockwell. Deputy Mayor Stockwell: I'll speak to the motion. I would read out the name of the piece of legislation we're talking to, but it's far too complex. I suggest we rename it the Russ Hinz Memorial Act because not since the Joe Bielke Peterson era have we had a state government that has given the minister such sweeping powers over development. We know what happened in that era when the minister had those powers. It was a recipe for really poor outcomes and a lot of other things that the Fitzgerald Inquiry exposed. I'm not suggesting this is in that case. I do understand that the reason for the act is bona fide a desire by the government to get more affordable and more social housing into the system as quick as possible.
3 MAYORAL MINUTES ¶
00:05:00 It is unfortunately based on what local government thinks is an incorrect interpretation of the constraints on development. I think every local government in South East Queensland acknowledges there is ample land sitting in the ownership of developers with approved development that has not proceeded. So if we wanted to actually get more housing, perhaps the first thing is to start looking at legislation to make it use it or lose it rather than sitting on it. The other thing that I think has changed, and this is only a subordinate legislation, is they've got into the detail. And the detail, in my opinion, has set the bar for this streamlined process forward. It's far too low. If this, as when it originally was proposed, in my mind was really focused on public housing, on community housing co-ops, of getting that stock going as quick as possible.
00:06:00 And I know there may be opportunities in our Shire. And they've always had an ability to approve for emergency housing going straight through to the state. They're all things that there's a reasonable trust in the system that is reputational. But this simple benchmark of going into a state development that has yet to establish the development control unit to assess these applications for a private development with just 15% of loosely defined affordable housing with no apparent restriction on the length of time it has to stay affordable. So it could be you get this approval and you sell the block within a very short period. And there's no ministerial. Well, there's no clear. There's no clear path within these regulations to make sure that that 15% of affordable housing is maintained. To me, it can be easily remedied by having a far more respectful approach to local government, which does instead of saying may take consideration of the plan, will take consideration of the plan.
00:07:00 Things like, you know, respecting the intent of the zones. At the moment, which we believe is something that it may see proponents come up with things that are what we would consider inconsistent. So to me, everyone and all levels of government should be focused on how we increase the supply. I think this particular regulation has been developed far too quickly and has probably been too far influenced by a fairly fundamentalist view that increasing supply will make more affordable housing. And we know that's not the case in our Shire. We know there's a range of other concepts that we put forward into our housing strategy and is and contained in the draft amendments that later on in this agenda, we will approve to go out to public consultation. And I support the mayor in this endeavour.
Public question: ANDREW MCCARTHY - DRAFT NOOSA RIVER CATCHMENT ¶
00:08:00 Mayor Wilkie: Any other councillors wish to speak to the motion? I'll speak to the motion. Bear with me. Councillor Lorentson: I'll speak to the motion. Councillor Mason. So the Housing Availability and Affordability Bill proposes substantial changes. Mayor Wilkie, you've addressed those quite eloquently and simply in the narrow minute. The changes that I want to sort of talk to include the potential adjustments to building heights and reduction in the assessment criteria, both which can have significant impact on Noosa. From my perspective, some of the draft bill's changes are simply an overreach. They exceed what is reasonable. And certain changes appear to lack, as Councillor Stockwell alluded to, lack of sound planning.
00:09:00 And from my perspective, what it lacks is effective or any collaboration with local government. And most importantly, it lacks inclusive community participation. I'm still waiting from the state. Discussions on topics such as density, schools, road, infrastructure and the preservation of our lifestyle. Effective planning and robust collaboration are not just important for preserving our cultural heritage. They're also critical in preserving our identity and lifestyle. Noosa Council recognises the housing crisis. In fact, last year, in yet another mayoral minute, we urged the state government to acknowledge the substantial strategic work that Noosa Council's been doing for over five years now to improve housing choice and affordability, including comprehensive housing needs analysis, monitoring the impact of short-term accommodation on permanent housing,
00:10:00 adopting a housing strategy and preparing planning scheme amendments that specifically address the housing crisis. It appears that we, local governments, are shouldering the burden of the state's lack of action in providing social and affordable housing, and that our voices are not being acknowledged. I'm encouraging the community to submit their feedback on the draft recommendation to the state and make our concerns heard. Noosa is eager to contribute to the solution, but it must be a collaborative effort, not a combative one. State government must consider alternative solutions before overriding local government decisions, or again, more importantly, before limiting meaningful community participation. I'm happy to support the mayoral minute. Mayor Wilkie: Thank you, Councillor Lorentson.
00:11:00 Councillor Lee. Councillor Wegener: Yeah, thank you. Thank you, Mayor Wilkie, for bringing this up and making this mayoral minute. It just appears as though this new act deletes Noosa residents' right to self-determination when it comes to enacting their own planning scheme. It's really quite ridiculous, so thank you. Thank you, councillors, for speaking up. Mayor Wilkie: Thank you. Any other councillors wish to speak to the motion? Councillor Finzel: Yeah. Mayor Wilkie: Councillor Finzel. Yes. Councillor Finzel: Thank you, Mr. Mayor, for bringing that to our attention this evening. On behalf of all councillors and our community, I support this motion. I'd like to just say, firstly, that knowledge sharing is an absolute prerequisite for the success of any collaborative effort, and over many years, we have worked collectively with our community, with our staff, with our local planning strategic planners, and it is critical that our community's voice is heard, and together, that we strengthen communities.
00:12:00 Our identity and the values that we live by and stand on have been paramount in the identity of Noosa for many years, and I support this motion, mayoral minute tonight, by the mayor. Thank you. Mayor Wilkie: Thank you. Any other discussion on the mayoral minute? Thank you, councillors, for your support. I'd just like to stipulate that it does reflect the values of the community. It does reflect our collective position on this, and that's the reason why it was brought forward. Thank you. Councillor Wegener: I'll put it to the vote. Mayor Wilkie: Those in favour? That's unanimous. Are there any petitions, Mr. CEO? No. We have one notified motion. Councillor Morrison, would you like to move your motion? Yes. Okay. Councillor Lorentson: Okay. Council request this Chief Executive Officer to move this motion. I now give the opportunity for SACHA to prepare a report for the upcoming council
00:13:00 meeting, addressing the following issues. One, clear policy decision. The report should clearly outline council's policy position on the use of shark nets and drumlines, including any ongoing and future trials. Two, advocacy to state. Advocacy and support to the state. Council recognises the importance of advocating for and supporting matters that are significant to our community. The CEO is requested to identify and articulate these matters in the report. This may include, but it is not limited to the following. Continued advances in reporting. In its role as an advocate, Council supports the importance of transparent reporting from the State Government regarding the effectiveness of shark nets and drum lines, noting that the annual catch data is provided on the State Government website. It urges the consideration of further improvements to data reporting, including which side of the nets marine species are caught on to evaluate the shark control program's efficiency and therefore minimising impacts on non-target species, and GIS mapping with interactive maps to improve clarity and provide a more comprehensive understanding of the data.
4 PETITIONS ¶
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5 NOTIFIED MOTIONS ¶
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5.1 SHARK CONTROL ¶
00:14:00 2. Investigation of temporary net relocation. During specific periods, Council requests that the State Government to provide advice and explore the feasibility of temporarily relocating shark nets at Laguna Bay to a location that mitigates the risk of bycatch and or whale issues during the upcoming whale migration period. It's noted that DATS marine animal release teams have just completed their annual training and whale alarms will be going on the nets during the next changeover. 3. Continuous evaluation and technological advancements. Council advocates for the State Government should continually evaluate the latest technological advancements in shark protection devices.
00:15:00 The report should outline other possible recommendations on new technologies for consideration by the State Government such as the shark safe barriers model of electronic current deterioration. Thank you to all of you who have contributed to the development of the SHARP control program and to the effectiveness of the insurance developed in South Africa in terms of cost effectiveness and success rate. Noosa Council also extends an invitation to DAF to present their findings on the SHARP control program. The presentation could be a valuable addition to the Council report providing comprehensive insights into the effectiveness and impact of the program. DAF expertise and first-hand experience with the SHARP control program would also offer a unique perspective, potentially highlighting areas of success and identifying opportunities for improvement.
00:16:00 This collaboration could also help build stronger relationships between Noosa Council and DAF, paving the way for future partnerships on environmental and wildlife management initiatives. The Noosa Council is not responsible for managing SHARP nets and drumlines as it is a State Government's responsibility.
00:17:00 In September 2019, the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries published the Queensland SHARP Control Program, Review of Alternative Approaches and the HBDA. The Queensland Shark Control Program aims to reduce the risk of shark bites by using shark nets and drumlines across Queensland beaches. The program also conducts trials of new technology, records all the animals captured, and supports and conducts research to understand shark behaviour. Noosa Council has no policy regarding shark nets, drumlines and trials, and no previous report on this matter has ever been presented to the Council. It's essential that we establish a clear policy position on the issue, as public opinion varies regarding the use of shark nets and drumlines. Some people prioritise human safety, while others advocate for marine conservation.
00:18:00 A clear policy can help balance these perspectives and manage community expectations. Noosa Council can play a significant role in advocating and supporting the Queensland Shark Control Program by establishing a policy position. This way, Council can raise awareness about the importance of the program. Noosa Council can also advocate for its clear objectives to the State, and actively engage in State-led projects. The Queensland Shark Control Program is a program designed to support trials and initiatives to drive the assessment and adoption of evidence-based predatory species mitigation controls. And more importantly, advocate to ensure that the program meets the needs and expectations of our community. Also, the State Shark Control Program is expected to bring forward recommendations in June or July this year. These recommendations may include replacing the drumline,
00:19:00 We are also working with the NUSA Council to provide legal drumlines with smart drumlines and phasing out shark mission programs. Having a policy position would allow NUSA Council to respond effectively to these recommendations. Previous responses from the State Government have indicated that the support of key stakeholders such as NUSA Council is vital in determining where the trials and transitions can occur. Given these factors, it would be beneficial for NUSA Council to have a clear policy position on shark nets and drumlines. This would allow them to effectively engage with the community, respond to State recommendations and contribute to the ongoing discussion about shark control measures. It's important to note that any policy should be based on scientific evidence, community input and a commitment to both public safety and environmental sustainability. In my motion, and I won't read it out, but I also reference how the motion's aligned with our environment strategy
00:20:00 and the good work of the NUSA Biosphere Reserve Foundation in implementing several of these positive shark control measures. And I also summarise the shark control programs. And they're great programs. We're about to work in this space. So the program's been, began in 2020 and is anticipated to be concluded in 2025 with a review coming up in June. And that, the recommendations will inform future shark management decisions from Queensland, including a new plan that's proposed for 2025 and 2026. So I'll leave that reading to you. There's some great graphs, maps. And references. But I will add that in preparing this report, I've consulted with a lot of community groups, ocean users and non-ocean users, environmentalists to business groups.
00:21:00 And I think when we work together, we come out. We end up with really great outcomes. And the feedback that I've got from the shark, the Oceans For All group, Surf Rider, NUSA Surfing Community Alliance, NUSA Head Surf Life Saving Club, NUSA Biosphere Reserve, the NUSA World Surfing Reserve, NUSA Board Riders Club, the NUSA Malibu Club, Hastings Street Association, Tourism NUSA, beach permit holders and surf schools, that everyone is in agreeance that we need to have a clear point. We need to have a clear policy position. And also understand the roles and responsibilities of council and state and where we can drive assessment.
00:22:00 And that is in actively looking for alternative mitigation measures. Shark nets, six decades. Surely there's got to be something better and more effective for protection of beach goers. And also to minimise harm. For marine species. Thank you, Councillor Robinson. Mayor Wilkie: I'd like to move an amendment. Slide amendment. Under item one, be amended to read role and policy position in the report. It should clearly outline the council's role and recommend the policy position on the state government shark control program, the use of shark nets and run lines, including any ongoing future trials. And in the last paragraph, it would read, it be agreed that advocacy to the state on any aspect of the shark control program or resolution on a council position on shark nets
00:23:00 not occur until NUSA councillors have had a presentation from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries on the shark control program. May I have a seconder for that, please? Deputy Mayor Stockwell: Have you a second? Thank you. Mayor Wilkie: Look, I've run this by Councillor Lorentson. I understand she's quite comfortable with that. It represents the intent of what the notified motion intends to do. Staff may recommend a policy position. It's up to councillors to adopt the policy position. We may have some, I believe, room for some debate around that. And at the end, I think it was the end. And it just articulates and makes it plain that we won't be prescribing any position or undertaking any advocacy to the state until all new and returned councillors have had a presentation from DAF on the latest technologies,
00:24:00 which I think was entirely consistent with what Councillor Lorentson intended with this motion, and I commend her on the notified motion. Thank you. Any other councillors wish to speak to the proposed amendments? Amendments. I'll put it to the vote. Those in favour? That's unanimous. We can now go back to the original motion, which has been slightly amended. Councillor Lorentson has spoken. Any other councillors wish to speak to the motion? Councillor Jessica Phillips. Councillor Phillips: Thank you. I only have one little... I thought of lots of words for this, but I only have one. And to quote my six-year-old, after a presentation from DAF, Mum, can you please take down the sharp events? Because our young people, you know, she was so concerned about all the things that we know and the research that's out there. So I'm really... Thank you, Councillor Lorentson, for bringing this to council,
00:25:00 and I look forward to seeing what happens next. Mayor Wilkie: Thank you, Councillor. Thank you, Councillor. Councillor Wegener: So for Tom, councillor's time recommender, councillor Amelia, could you in a much shorter couple of sentences explain what you really want with this? Councillor Lorentson: So what I really want, Tom, is basically an acknowledgement that Noosa Council can play a significant role in helping state really sort out alternative mitigation measures. So I'll give you an example. So two years ago, Noosa Council did not have a policy position. The drone surveillance trial was offered to all councils and not Noosa Council. SLSQ had to, I think, approach our...
00:26:00 Our ex-CEO to ask permission. We almost missed out on a huge opportunity to partake in drone surveillance. And the drone surveillance, it's still happening at Noosa Main Beach. And it's a really critical part, you know, part of the solution. So what I would like is Noosa Council to be actively putting their hand up for trials so that we can run concurrent trials alongside our nets. So not removal of nets, but concurrent alongside our nets. But my position is there's just got to be something better. But until we find something better that is scientifically proven, that provides better protection than what we have, then the nets have to stay. And that's not our remit. So I think I've gone over the two sentences.
00:27:00 Speaker 3: It's understanding. Councillor Lorentson: This is a state decision, but council can play a huge role in the space of advocacy and work with the state. Councillor Wegener: In my experience, we have the CLEAR, CERF-SMART program that came out of the New South Wales Reserve Foundation, had the Sharp Net Symposium, the Sharp Symposium, had all sorts of people come. And out of that came several programs, including the CERF-SMART program, which is fantastic. I really, really appreciate that. It's the program where you teach people very actively to look at the ocean to see what's happening in there before you jump in. Are there birds diving? Is the water brown? What are the currents doing? It actually opens up beyond looking for sharks, but looking for the conditions that could put you at risk, including at risk of the shark. And with that, being on the board of the New South Wales Reserve Foundation, we were very
00:28:00 active in that, and the state was there. It was a state program. We went back and forth. So my question is, aren't we already in this space? Do we need to ask the CEO to bring a report back when we already are in this space? Is that— We'll take that as a script. Mayor Wilkie: We'll take that as a script. As a speech. Tom, that'll— Okay. Rather than another question. Councillor Wegener: Okay. Mayor Wilkie: Yeah. So any other councillors wish to speak to the motion? Councillor Finzel? Question? Yes, please. Councillor Finzel: Thank you, Councillor Lorentson, for bringing that to the table tonight. It is really important that as we look at advancements in technology and doing things better and collaborating for better outcomes for all people in the sector, including our community. I just have a question with regards to, in your research, putting this together, did you identify any other coastal tourism towns along the east coast of Australia or around the
00:29:00 whole of Australia that are implementing similar trials, and what success has that been, and what uptake in their communities are people wanting to get engaged with in those alternatives? Councillor Lorentson: I think that question is probably listed. We have a lot of information left for the Department of Fisheries, Agriculture and Fisheries, so the Shire Control Program, the five-year program that looked at trials across Australia, and it actually looked at eco-barriers to drone surveillance, to electronic barriers, to smart lines and drum lines. So part of the presentations with the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries will be a summation of what has been trialled, what is effective, and what's not effective. Mayor Wilkie: Thank you. A Councilor's wish to speak to the motion? I guess I'm still just confused.
00:30:00 Councillor Wegener: Do you have another question, Tom? Yes. We'll move to the... To the CEO. If this gets voted in, will it put extra work on you and staff to pull yourself off of the The very, very busy schedule we have in front of us, obviously, we're going to be voting on our schedule of community consultation, and it appears this is a community consultation issue. Mayor Wilkie: Long question. Mr. CEO, you're eventually going to answer. Speaker 1: Yes. The intention is not to do consultation. The intention is to come back with a report based on what's happening now and what are the facts, so that it can be considered by the, and we have done quite a bit of work already on this topic, but it's time to, if this notice of motion gets accepted, then it's time to bring some information back for you to consider,
00:31:00 and then we take the next steps in terms of if that's enough information or whether there's further things, but I think a report or a presentation from DAPT would be a big piece of that, just to understand exactly what is happening out there. Councillor Wegener: Yeah. Speaker 1: So that's really the, I think that's really the case, is to further understand. If we're being asked, what is our position, this would help to provide information and background so that we can at least individually, if not all together, understand the current situation. Councillor Wegener: Would we have to go up to public consultation with a policy? Speaker 1: That's not the intention at this point in time, no. Okay. The intention is just to bring a report back, basically. Understand what the current situation is. Councillor Wegener: Okay. So the question is to bring back a report. That's the notice, that's what this notice is, that's what we're asking for. That's right. Okay. But we're not asking for the final policy.
00:32:00 That's a ways down the track. Speaker 1: That's for you to consider. Deputy Mayor Stockwell: I'll have a bite at it, just so I can say that. I think, Councillor Wegener, what this does is seek to get started with a report. We have to pull together a briefing, which we understand is underway, get a current state of play from the State and then determine, based on that, whether this Council wants to have a position that it advises the State Government of. It's purely a preparatory phase of saying, giving the opportunity for Councillors to say, well, this is a matter of public interest and this Council believes this is the way ahead. Councillor Finzel: Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you. Thank you. Councillor Fischer. Yeah, a question to the CEO through the Chair. Just to clarify, when we get the presentation from DAF, would that also be to the staff, New South Council staff, as well as Councillors, or is it just to the Councillors?
00:33:00 Speaker 1: We already have quite a good relationship with DAF, so our staff are getting reports on a regular basis. So that immediately would provide most of the report anyway, a great deal of report. But I think having the opportunity for the Councillors, and there will be certain staff members involved in that as well, to have an opportunity to have that question and answer period, and get it to the Councillors now, so to speak, from DAF, then that would provide an opportunity to have some, you know, get the details which you'd like, given that, again, I must reiterate, this is a State issue, and it's a State matter. Councillor Finzel: Thank you. Mayor Wilkie: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I understand that, as said before, the staff have already prepared a report on this. This motion here will help better inform the final version of the report.
00:34:00 We've got a presentation from DAF. This, what we're asking for here is the start of the process for us to have an internal conversation about where we might want to land. Some Councillors may want to take the shark beds out immediately. Oh, my six-year-old does. Councillor Wegener: Oh, my six-year-old does. Mayor Wilkie: The community will want to take the shark beds out immediately. Other Councillors might have different views, so it's the start of the process, but it'll be, this motion ensures that it'll be well informed, and I can't predict where it'll end up, but I think it's timely that we have this discussion and arrive at a policy position if we can. Councillor Lorentson: Thank you, Councillor Robertson. I'll close, and I'll address a couple of things that Councillor Wegener said. Firstly, I have had quite a few conversations with board members from the Noosaville Reserve, who've actually commended me on bringing this report to Council. Sandy Bolton, our Member of Parliament for nearly two years, has been pressing Council for a clear policy position on this.
00:35:00 Her efforts in advocacy are ineffective unless she understands where this community sits on this issue. So, for those reasons, um, and also, I've been sitting in this space for two years. I was part of the shark symposium program. Um, in reference to workload, um, the environment staff have already started preparing a briefing note, and in my report, I actually referenced the Noosa environment strategy. We have an in-principle policy position already in play, um, in our environment strategy. There's nothing controversial about that. What we need is to be clear. We've been ducking the issue for two years, um, since I've been asking for it, two years, my gosh, it's a state issue, too controversial, um, let's just stay away from this. No, we need to lead the narrative, we need to be bold, um, and courageous, and we need to drive state.
00:36:00 We need to drive them and push them in finding, um, better solutions. Um, you know, our beachgoer population, our eye patrol at Noosa main beach, beachgoer population has grown exponentially. So, whether you care about marine life or not, safety of beachgoers, if there is something better than a net that doesn't reach the bottom of the ocean, that doesn't run, oh, sorry, that doesn't run across the entire beach, if there's something better there that's going to protect a swimmer, or mum, or dad, or our kids, or surfers, um, then I, for one, um, would, would love, love to put our hand up for a trial. So, in conclusion, I'll keep this brief. Um, the use of shark nets and drumlines is a topic that divides our community. Some people believe that the measures can protect us from shark attacks, and others argue that there are better alternatives. Research suggests nets may be effective, and some scientists believe that relying, relying solely on them is a misguided approach.
00:37:00 Therefore, it's crucial that we, or state, explore other options that are based on current and most recent research. Clare policy position will allow council to work with and drive the state government towards implementing innovative solutions that balance public safety with the protection of marine ecosystems. Furthermore, it will enable council to respond effectively to the recommendations of the shark control program that are expected to come to account, which are expected to be published in a few months. Thank you. Mayor Wilkie: Thank you, Councillor Watson. Put it to the vote. That's in favour. That is unanimous. That's carried. We have no presentations. We have one. Deputation from Deborah Walsh. Ms Walsh, would you like to come to the podium to present your deputation?
00:38:00 Deborah Walsh: Thank you, Frank. Congratulations first. On your successful election and re-election. On behalf of the community, I wish you all the best as you work to serve the Noosa community and make positive changes for the future. You all worked exceptionally hard to impress us enough to put that number one next to your name. There is a community assumption now that you will be responsible and respectful to those of us who have elected you. As you know, local councils are very relevant, so it is vital that councillors take their work very seriously in their roles with the community and towards each other. I know councils enter local councils with the best intent. Well, at least the majority do. There are
6 PRESENTATIONS ¶
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7 DEPUTATIONS ¶
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7.1 DEBRA WALZ Topic: Community Engagement ¶
00:39:00 77 councils in Queensland who are elected to offer their time, energy, dedication, passion, and belief in local council to their local communities. Being a publicly elected person brings a host of complexity to a councillor's life. Whilst there are many benefits, it is often a thankless job, and you cannot make everyone happy. As a councillor, there will always be someone who doesn't agree with you. Someone who will be willing to tell you that you're wrong, and sometimes people who will express their displeasure with you. This is not the case for all councillors. There will always be a part and parcel of public life, and if you're a councillor, you signed up for it. In the past, we have seen a rise in frustrated members of the public feeling unheard, stifled, ignored, or dismissed when they have engaged with council and councillors. Usually, it
00:40:00 is the bureaucracy of council that the public struggles with. Angst comes from being managed and not heard. We've seen much of the community consultations as a tick-box exercise that proved council never intended to listen in the first place. I'd like to speak on community engagement, primarily because it has been emphasised by all of you as being a necessary element of being a member of the council, and this council. Every one of the elected councillors identified community consultation and engagement as a necessary element of community engagement. It involves people working together to address issues and make positive changes in their shared environment. It involves building relationships, fostering dialogue, and collaborating to create
00:41:00 sustainable solutions that benefit the community as a whole. I'm probably preaching to the converted here. I'm just trying to make sure that the conversation is being heard. I'm sure we're all on the same page, or at least I hope so. The question in the community is, will our new council find the desire to implement what they promised in their campaign policies? We have on record your promises and policies. Now is the time to put desire into action and make change from what has been the status quo. Pushing through past comfort patterns toward increased open policy. I'm sure we'll all be looking forward to the key changes in the council's discussion and accountability in relation to community engagement. This is what residents will be watching for. Is it time to review council's current community engagement policy? While there are numerous ways to enter into community engagement, including volunteerism, advocacy, public participation
00:42:00 in decision-making and community organising, Noosa Council advertised the four main key We've had a few of these over the years and they've created some change in policy, albeit they do take a big commitment by many people in the community to organise and coordinate so it's not an easy process. Number two, deputations. I've presented a few of these and in relation to time frame, follow up and acknowledgement by council, I find fault. Once again, not an easy process considering the amount of research that goes into a deputation
00:43:00 and the often lack of follow through by council. Presentation is basically an acceptance of a gift or an award by council, this could not really be considered an engagement process. Number four, public question time. A way to raise genuine questions about a matter within the jurisdiction of council. Residents are limited to two questions which are responded to by council staff with no immediate opportunity for any type of dialogue. This format of engagement provides an opportunity to connect with council staff after council meetings, which has been my experience, although sometimes with unsatisfactory outcomes. None of these engagement processes allows community members to speak directly to elected council members with the opportunity for ongoing communication and issue discussion.
00:44:00 Standing orders for council meetings. 19th November 2020 version, which I have observed over the past years, it's not always been adhered to. And wondering if the time has come for a review of this document. While considering reviews, perhaps the 2018 Noosa Council's social justice charter could be included. This document was originally developed in collaboration with members of the community round table. It would be useful to know if this community round table is still in use. It would be useful to know if this community round table is still in use. Amongst other things, this charter's purpose is to guide council's direction in forming partnerships with community. Credit to the Community Connect enewser and yoursaynoosa for providing electronic online access to council for community members to comment and have a say. The Noosa's 2015 social strategy is another guiding document.
00:45:00 Although an ageing strategy of social strategy, it has no looking back at the impact of the I'm sure the new councillors have researched these documents, particularly prior to and leading into the elections, which may have contributed to community engagement being a recurring theme discussed by all candidates during this period. This takes me to the council's overriding community engagement document, Council Community Engagement Policy, August 2014, updated version 2023. I won't recite the whole or the entire document here, but I would like to focus on what council has identified as benefits of effective engagement.
00:46:00 Council and the community working together to address local issues and collectively achieving better outcomes. A higher level of community input into decisions made by council. An improved level of community understanding about council's processes and services. Increased awareness across council of community views and concerns. Opportunities for council to draw on. The potential for time and cost savings due to better alignment between community needs and council decisions. Increased social capital due to a greater trust and knowledge acquired while working collaboratively with the community. And lastly, stronger relationships between councillors, council officers and residents, including stakeholder groups. You can see council's commitment to community engagement.
00:47:00 Council has many documents that support community engagement, and there's more. However, this area got little mention in the 2022-23 annual report. In fact, it was very light on in relation to community engagement. In the report, there is a commitment by council to keep the community informed of its projects, plans, initiatives and activities across the Shire. That's not exactly engagement. Council also recognises community engagement as a vital part of effective democracy and good governance. The Community Engagement Policy Council adopted in March 2023 outlines the principles of engagement as being inclusive, transparent, appropriate, accountable, timely, well resourced, informative and understanding our changing community. The Your Centre is an important part of the Council's commitment to community engagement. The USA Portal seems to have had the greatest success in identifying 22,000 visitors
00:48:00 to that site, but resulting in only 1,800 people participating and providing input into 86 Council projects. The Local Government Act 2009, current as of 1 February 2024, outlines in Chapter 2 local government principles that underpin this Act. The local government principles are transparent and effective processes and decision making in the public interest and sustainable development and management of assets and infrastructure and delivery of effective services, democratic representation, social inclusion and meaningful community engagement, and good governance of and by local government and ethical and legal behaviour.
00:49:00 You'll recall I was involved in organising a couple of pre-election community meetings which some of you attended. These were well attended and feedback was that they were equally successful in terms of engagement and community issue identification. You'll agree I'm sure that community meetings to discuss local issues can be a valuable way to engage residents and ensure their concerns are heard and addressed. There is a substantial amount of work involved in facilitating such a meeting, including consideration of planning, preparation, ensuring accountability, measurable outcomes, cultural awareness and protocols. But it's well worth the effort, because to acknowledge, address and resolve community issues to create a more inclusive, responsive and sustainable community environment is a must. Where residents' concerns are heard and acted upon is something we would all agree is what
00:50:00 we want to achieve. Council's policies obviously support this goal. Along with many issues and concerns community members expressed leading up to the election and during the campaigning and polling days, it was identified our community has a clear goal to be acknowledged and have their sense of ownership, and well-being, and social security. It is therefore up to all of us to facilitate this to happen. Being an open and transparent council, I ask you, should we have community forums? It's obvious council meetings do not provide the opportunity to community to ask questions or comment generally, and residents in general are reluctant, for whatever reason, to pursue councillors with specific issues. Regular community forums may provide a conduit for ratepayers to raise concerns.
00:51:00 Let me reassure you, you have a willing, hopeful and engaging community out there with expectations that you can deliver what they need. How do you find out what it is they need? Thank you for taking the time to listen to me, and I have every faith in you and trust that the next four years will be productive and enjoyable. For you all. Thank you. Thank you Deborah. Mayor Wilkie: As we have a number of reports direct to the ordinary meeting tonight, including a confidential item for which we have to close the gallery, I would like to bring forward item 11, which is public question time. Otherwise we would have to close the meeting, and reopen the meeting to have the public questions. We have two submissions to public question time. Item 11. 11.1 is Andrew McCarthy. Mr McCarthy is not here tonight, so if I could ask our Director of Strategy and Environment, Kim Rawlings, to read his questions and provide a response please.
11 PUBLIC QUESTION TIME ¶
00:52:00 Director Rawlings: Sure. Good evening Mayor and Councillors. Question one is, with only two months to go, Mr Sengstock, what actions have been undertaken and or what plans have the Council put in place to conduct a full community and stakeholder consultation on the draft Noosa River Catchment Management Plan so that Council can report back in July 2024 with a final and fully costed plan in line with the October 2023 procedural motion. In terms of a response, the Council election and caretaker period occurs over a number of months. As previously advised, we have been in a process of providing information and induction for our new Council on many, many Council projects, services and initiatives. Sure. All Councilors can attest to that. The River Plan being just one of these. In this context, Council is currently receiving information and considering how best to move forward on the River Plan.
11.1 ANDREW MCCARTHY - DRAFT NOOSA RIVER CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN ¶
00:53:00 The second question is, the inclusion of to consider a conservation park in the draft catchment plan created a substantial public backlash. Has the Council contacted the relevant State authorities to see if they would approve a conservation park over the Noosa River before splitting the community by adding it in again? If not, why not? In terms of a response, yes, Council has been in contact with the Department of Environment and Science. Quite rightly, the Department of Environment and Science have not indicated support or not support, nor has Council asked them to indicate support or otherwise, as there is a process of investigation required to be undertaken before any indication on support or otherwise could occur. The Department of Environment and Science have been clear on the process required for establishment of a conservation park anywhere, which would include undertaking a detailed feasibility study, including an assessment of current natural and environmental impact.
00:54:00 Mayor Wilkie: We welcome back Deb Walsh. Ms Walsh, we come up to the lectern to read your questions, which will be responded to by Director of Development and Regulation, Richard MacGillivray. Ms Walsh and Richard. Deborah Walsh: Just for the benefit of the new councillors, this question relates to a public question to council on the 5th of December last year, which had not been fully responded to. So council committed to follow up on that.
11.2 DEBRA WALZ - FLUORIDE ¶
00:55:00 So the question is, can council provide an update regarding progress with SEQ water? In relation to removing fluoride from Noosa Shire's drinking water, including a cost analysis and estimate timeframe on the impact of council's budget over a period of time to transition to fluoride free water. Speaker 2: Thank you Deborah. It's important to highlight that Noosa Council does not manage the treatment and distribution of potable water in Noosa. The treatment is undertaken by SEQ water and distributed by Unity Water. As the operators of the fluoride dosing process, it is appropriate for SEQ water to provide advice on these matters. The questions received from council from Ms Walsh on the 5th of December 2023 was forwarded on to SEQ water for advice on the 7th of December 2023. I can advise that a response was finally received from Sec Water in April of this year.
00:56:00 In their response, Sec Water confirmed that the fluoridation of water supply is a public concern. It is a public health measure administered by the Queensland Government. Sec Water monitors the fluoride concentrations in drinking water continuously and reports on the results to Queensland Health Regulatory. The response also states that to date no council that SEQ water supplies in South East Queensland has requested to cease fluoridation of potable water. Therefore, an economic cost analysis and works management timeframe is not available. As such, analysis would need to consider a range of factors given the Noosa water supply zone is connected to the broader SEQ water grid. Noosa was connected to the grid in 2020-2012 to bolster water security for the region, particularly in times of drought. Notwithstanding that no specific economic cost analysis has been provided by SEQ water, given the Noosa water supply is connected and receives water from the broader SEQ water grid,
00:57:00 it is clear that the process would be complex and the cost to ratepayers to remove fluoride from the potable water supply would likely be significant. The matters raised in the petition received by council is currently being reviewed and a response will be provided to you in due course. Deborah Walsh: The second question is in relation to the Say No to Fluoride petition accepted and tabled at the Ordinary Meeting in December last year. The question is, what is the molecular form of the fluoride compound that is used in the Noosa Shire's water, including the origin of the compound, and is this compound chemically pure? Speaker 2: Great question. The chemical process and materials employed in the fluoridation of water across SEQ are significantly outside the scope of council's remit.
00:58:00 And therefore it's advised that this inquiry can be rescheduled. And therefore a request will be made that it can be best addressed directly with the water supply, SEQ water. What I would like to do, I'm happy to reach out directly to seek your contact from SEQ Water, to assist you with this inquiry, and any other similar inquiries you might have of a similar nature, just to assist with getting some responses to your very technical questions. So thank you for that. Deborah Walsh: Thank you, Richard. Cheers. Mayor Wilkie: Thank you Deborah. Thank you Richard. That brings us to item eight, consideration of committee reports. So that is items 5.1, these are committee recommendations, application for a minor change to a development approval for a food and drink outlet, shops and offices at 214 Dover Bay Way, Bridging Beach. 5.2, other change to an existing approval for material change of use, expansion of special purpose waste disposal and recycling facility, and ongoing clearing purposes at 561 Eumundi Noosa Road, Doonan.
8 CONSIDERATION OF COMMITTEE REPORTS ¶
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8.1 PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE REPORT - 7 MAY 2024 ¶
00:59:00 Application for a minor change to a development approval for a material change of use of premises, undefined use of motorcycles, scooter sales and repair of 16 Rennie Street, Noosaville. Item 5.4, which is another MCU, representations to development approval for material change of use, hardware and trade supplies at 178 Eumundi Noosa, Noosaville Road, Noosaville. And for those in the gallery, these were the recommendations. These are the reports that went to the Planning and Environment Committee, and their recommendations were accepted, so they've come to appear. Can I have a mover and a seconder for the recommendations to be adopted? That's a move, Councillor Wegener. Seconded, Councillor Lauritsen. Anyone wish to speak to the all in favour? Carried unanimously. Item 8.2 is the services and organisation committee report. There was one item referred from there, which is the capital program 2023-24 delivery standards. Can I have a mover and a seconder for the recommendations to be adopted, please?
01:00:00 That's a move, Councillor Finzel. Seconded, Councillor Jess Phillips. All in favour? That's carried unanimously. Can I be quick off the mark? General committee report, general committee recommendations. 6.1, operational plan, 2023-24 third quarter quarterly reporting. 6.2, financial performance report for the month of April. 6.3, planning applications decided to be adopted. By delegated authority, January, February, March and April 2024. Do we have any COIs for this, please? Councillor Finzel: Thank you. Mayor Wilkie: Councillor Finzel. Councillor Finzel: I, Councillor Finzel, inform the meeting that I have a declarable conflict of interest in the matter in relation to applications MCU21-0228.01 and OPW21-0364.014, combined with MCU21-0228.01 by Alton Property Group, which are items 7 and 22 in the delegated authority
8.2 SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE REPORT - 7 MAY 2024 ¶
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8.3 GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING REPORT - 13 MAY 2024 ¶
01:01:00 report. Lena Creedy, who is associated with the applicant, to the best of my knowledge, was involved in a volunteer capacity for my 2020 election campaign with Richard Noosa, which is no longer an entity. As a result of my conflict of interest, I will now leave the meeting room while the matter is considered and voted on. Thank you, Councillor Finzel. Councillor Lorentson: Councillor Lorentson. I, Councillor Lorentson, inform the meeting that I have a declared conflict of interest in relation to application OPW21-0353.02 by MC Bain, which is item 3 in the delegated authority report. Due to my personal relationship with the applicant, Mark Bain and the Bain family, who are family friends. We have attended social events together in our children, have attended school together. As a result of my personal relationship with the applicant, Mark Bain and the Bain family, I will now leave the meeting room while the matter is considered and voted on.
01:02:00 Thank you. Councillor Lorentson. Deputy Mayor Stockwell: I'm going to repeat the undeclaration that I did at the General Committee meeting, so it's on the ordinary meeting minutes. And that is that during the last term, I declared a conflict of interest relating to Lena Creedy and the Altamir Property Group relating to events in the lead up to the 2020 election. As this issue was prior to the resolution of the agreement, I will now leave the meeting And as I am advised, Lena Creedy no longer has an interest in the company. It is not my intent to continue to make this declaration. Mayor Wilkie: Thank you, Councillor Stockwell. Can we have a move or a second for the committee recommendation? Deputy Mayor Stockwell: I'm happy to move. Mayor Wilkie: Second. Seconded by Councillor Whittle. All in favour? That's carried. Can we have Councillors Finzel and Lorentson back in the meeting room, please? Seconded by Councillor Whittle.
01:03:00 Speaker 1: Sorry about that. Mayor Wilkie: I got the case for the time, I wasn't appealing. All in favour? Well, that'sOver. There was another confidential item, disposal of land for community housing. 7.3 was another confidential item, which was the provision of street sweeping services. Can I have a move and a second for the recommendations for the general meeting? So moved. Moved by Councillor Stockwell. Seconded by Councillor Nicola Wilson. All in favour? Carried unanimously. We have three reports direct to the ordinary meeting. 9.1's proposed meeting scheduled July to December 2024. CEO, can you give us a summary of this report, please? Certainly.
01:04:00 Thank you. Speaker 1: At our first meeting, we were advised to adopt a meeting schedule, which we did for the first three months, based on our current or existing schedule of meetings. So our S&O P&E general meeting and then our ordinary meeting. We did that with the intention of having further discussions around the idea of potentially looking at alternative ways to hold our meeting schedule and see if there was alternatives that may be more efficient for us and conducive to what we need to do. We've had a couple of meetings around that and we're still in a position where we've felt that we just need to continue with the current schedule for a little bit longer and during that period, assess and see whether it's still the right model to go with or whether there's a different model or an adapted model that might be more suitable.
9 ORDINARY MEETING REPORTS ¶
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9.1 PROPOSED MEETING SCHEDULE - JULY TO DECEMBER 2024 ¶
01:05:00 There is no decision on that. So what this paper does, we're following those discussions. What this paper does is bring a position back to Council, basically to say that we're going to continue in our existing form and format. The next six months, so through to the end of the current calendar year. So we have our current normal schedule. The only change that we are looking to do is to hold our regular meetings, our regular ordinary meetings that we have in here, instead of it being 5 o'clock, we're proposing to hold them at 10 o'clock during the day, which would be more supportive to our staff, because we have staff who like to stay late in the evenings. And because it's now recorded, we feel that if people want to be involved or watch the meeting, they can watch it online or it's recorded and they can watch it at another time. So we feel that 10 o'clock in the morning is more efficient for us as an organisation.
01:06:00 So I'm putting that to Council to adopt the next six months with the order in being at 10am. Thank you. Mayor Wilkie: We have a move on the motion. Councillor Timmy. Councillor Lorentson. Please. Councillor Nicola Wilson. Councillor Lorentson would you like to speak to the motion? No. I'm happy to support the motion. Okay. Any other councillors wish to speak? The motion goes in favour. That's carried unanimously. Thank you. 9.2. Overview of Community Engagement Program for 2024. CEO, can you give us summary of the report, please? Speaker 1: So I think we're going to carry on. Oh, carry on. Can you speak to this? So Caroline is our responsible officer for our community consultation and engagement.
9.2 OVERVIEW OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM FOR 2024 ¶
01:07:00 And we thought it was an opportunity to bring to you and to get an understanding. And we've had various meetings about this. But we thought it was an opportunity to bring to you and to get an understanding. So we're going to consolidate it and bring it to you to show the activities that we've undertaken over the last little while, but also the activities that we've got coming forward. And it's pretty obvious that we've got a lot on our plate. We've got a lot of decisions that need to be taken in the next while. So the consultation is a huge part of that. Caroline, if I can ask you to give us summary. Yes, sure. Thanks, Caroline. Speaker 3: Thank you. Thank you. Through the chair. So Noosa Council continues to design, plan and deliver an extensive range of community and stakeholder engagement across the Noosa Shire. This includes several major strategic projects that have benefited from community input and insights to inform decision making together with ongoing targeted engagement and communications projects. So over the last term, Council engaged the community on a range of key strategic projects,
01:08:00 including, but not limited to, the Waste Strategy 23 to 28, the Corporate Plan, the Housing Strategy, the Livability Survey, Eastern Beaches Foreshore Reserve Management Plan, Destination Management Plan Phase 1, Noosa Drive Pathways Concept Designs, Noosaville Foreshore Infrastructure Master Plan and Concept for Resilience Phase 1, and the Noosa Regional Gallery Future Needs and Options. This term of Council continues to finalise a significant schedule of engagement for 2024, including, but not limited to, the Destination Management Plan Phase 2, Amendment Number 2 to the Noosa Plan 2020, Noosaville Foreshore Infrastructure Master Plan and Concept Designs for Resilience Phase 2, and a Council decision on the next steps to take regarding Noosa River Catchment Management Plan. Due to the extensive program of ongoing community engagement and stakeholder communications across
01:09:00 the organisation, it's important that Council strategically conducts community engagement and communications, in line with Council's community engagement framework and policy. This will ensure that the communities engage on matters where community interest, impact and influence will meaningfully inform Council decisions. In matters where community interest, impact and influence are limited, Council will focus on communications approaches to keep stakeholders and the community informed. By clearly identifying the level of influence the community will have on a decision, and communicating this accordingly, Council may minimise engagement fatigue within the community. Council also continues to leverage valuable engagement data captured across key strategic projects to inform Council's ongoing operational priorities. For example, the quality and extent of information gathered from community engagement in Phase
01:10:00 1 of the Destination Management Plan continues to inform internal engagement and strategic direction, such as partner management, event management, and infrastructure planning considerations. On major strategic projects, such as the development of the Noosa River Catchment Management Plan, Council continues to support approaches to engagement that provide at least one or two opportunities for the community to engage. Where feasible, Council also supports co-development opportunities with the local community, for example the Pomona Placemaking Pilot Project. In line with our community engagement framework, Council will endeavour to close the loop with the community, sharing what was heard from the community and how this has informed the Council's decision making. Mayor Wilkie: I do.
01:11:00 Deputy Mayor Stockwell: So, Carolyn, thanks for the report. I think it's really important to put the breadth of both what we've done over the last term and what we plan to do in the coming months. Because we have actually got a very engaged community and it's, you know, very clear that when we open up to the community that we get very high quality feedback and the feedback is fairly consistent on every major theme. Now, it was, we just heard a suggestion that we don't, the majority of it's ticked the box. And we didn't intend to listen. It's something that I vehemently disagree with. We would never get the level of response we've had in the last term if that was the case. So, if you look at some of the, the Livability Survey, which was a really key input into
01:12:00 our budgeting process and our priorities, on that project alone there was 1655 survey responses which were statistically relevant in each local area that we broke it up onto. And we saw in the report that listed some other ones, like the Eastern Beaches Foreshore Reserve Management Plan. Over 800 people were engaged in that process. And it resulted in 204 surveys and 93 submissions. Our Heritage Review, where the heritage staff went out in six different locations and had councils in those locations, engaged 200 people face to face. Resulted in 1,200 nominations of heritage. We have the Indoor Sport and Recreation Facilities, which had 490 people respond in terms of survey. And the Waste Plan over two phases, which is quite common for the big strategies. You go out and you do the draft and you get that feedback and revise the draft.
01:13:00 828. For the Destination Management Plan we talked about, we had 300 people attend face to face gatherings. And that resulted in 780 surveys and 60 submissions. We had the Noosaville Infrastructure Master Plan, with 400 people attending the pop-ups and 333 surveys. And Noosa Drive, even specific ones, like the Noosa Drive Concept Plan, 331 submissions. On top of that we had things like the Noosa Climate Change Response Plan, the Noosa Regional Gallery Discussion Plan, the Tree Management on Public Land Policy, and Council Budget Priorities. And the Warratah Reserve. You know, for the Pomona placemaking we're in phase one, in that small village or town, 500 people responded in the first and got engaged in the first phase. So contrary to what we heard, in just the ones that I found in a half an hour on Have Your Say, over 6,000 submissions and people involved.
01:14:00 That's how engaged our community. And I'm not saying we can't improve our consultation. There's not a place for open community forums. We're planning to have the first one, which we traditionally do when we go out to the community. But there was a, obviously the pandemic did restrict that, but the coffee cup consultation that we've done, and that is important, but they tend to focus in on the operational issues and council's role is around that strategic. And the quality of the process of engaging over the last term, when we had Carolyn who came in as our specialist in the area. And the consultants we engaged that had quite innovative approaches in some cases, in terms of not just getting people who like filling out surveys, people who might want to express themselves more creatively. So to me, we are on a really good path with community consultation. The schedule in front of us is quite a demanding one on our staff. But perhaps the best thing in this report was the advice around setting up the ambassadors
01:15:00 or a community of practice and building the capacity with them. It's something that I've been advocating for since 2016, because I've previously had a lot of community engagement expertise and experience. And to me, that is going to be the key for this organisation. It's going to be more effective if we have staff in the organisation, not just working in the area, but perhaps providing facilitation support across the organisation so they have a broader understanding. And I really commend that initiative to build the capacity to engage in a meaningful way. Because it is an important element of what we do, and it does drive our priorities and our investment. Mayor Wilkie: Thank you, Councillor Stockwell. Councillor Lorentson: Any other speakers to the motion? I have a question. First of all, I do want to acknowledge the great work that Council does in this space. And Councillor Stockwell has just quoted some really great stats.
01:16:00 That aside, we've just heard from a resident who is a member of the Council, and she's just asked whether there are better ways that Council can collaborate with residents to address local issues and matters that are important to them. Question to you, Caroline. Have we ever actually gone out to community and residents and asked the question, do you feel heard? Yeah. Do you feel heard? Speaker 3: Through the Chair. Thank you, Councillor Amelia. Thank you. Thank you for your question. So I've been with Council for a little over I think a year and a half now. I'm pretty sure the liveability survey was one of those incidents where we might have gone out and asked people's broader view around how they feel around aspects of liveability. We tend to go out and ask when we're looking at operational strategic projects, quite project specific, to try and get people's views on matters where we can gather their feedback,
01:17:00 in a meaningful way, with a clear scope, so we can tell them what kind of level of influence they have on a decision, and then we can show them how their feedback can help to influence decision making. So we do. We look at quite specific project examples in the operational work that we do to get community input to help enhance Council's decision making capabilities, and we continue to find ways to improve that, and we'll continue to do so, to Councillor O'Brien's point. There are other ways I understand Council is looking to engage more broadly with the community. So we discussed and mentioned things like coffee chats in the community, and other initiatives that are looking to have Council meetings in the community to give greater access to the community, and for councillors to talk to members of the community as well, and understand how they feel about certain matters in their locality and their Shire.
01:18:00 Councillor Finzel: Thank you through the chair. Also our previous community satisfaction surveys do particularly ask questions around council's engagement with the community and communication with them. We haven't undertaken a community satisfaction survey for a couple of years but the next one that we do will also include that element. Mayor Wilkie: Thank you. Any other further questions or anyone speaking to a motion? Councillor Lorentson. Councillor Lorentson: I have a question. Unlike previous years there seems to be no community consultation scheduled in relation to the 2024-25 budget consultation. My question is will there be an opportunity for residents or business chambers to provide any feedback on our budget or draft budget? Thank you.
01:19:00 Speaker 1: The decision on going up and doing consultation is difficult this year. We're still working through what that will look like but the fact that we've had, because this is an election year, the development of the budget has to be squeezed into a much tighter timeframe. So we're still working on that and as you know we're in budget session number two on Monday with the council laws. We've done a whole lot of work so it's prepared. Now we need to work through it. It's a matter of how long that takes and then what opportunities we have. Obviously we need to have the budget completed and agreed by the end of June. So it's something that we still have to work through. It's not a compulsory thing in terms of legislation but it is something that we have done in the past and we'll look to do what we can in the time frame that we have. Thank you. Councillor Jens. Councillor Phillips: Thank you. I also want to acknowledge all of the consultation and Councillor Stockwell listed how many has been done.
01:20:00 So then I hear potentially too much or not enough consultation. So I guess my query is, is it not effective consultation? So we talk about meaningful consultation and then I guess to put it bluntly, are we, is the community getting consulted but there's not the action that they're expecting? We're not following through with it. I guess is my query. Thank you. Speaker 1: The difficulty is consultation is such a broad thing. To get to the whole community or to get to the community, and we do do, as we've said, we do general consultation across the community and try to gauge in various ways strategically but then there are specific consultations when it comes to projects or programs. So I think it's important to do that. So to do it all. But some of the feedback is you're consulting too much or there's too much going on.
01:21:00 Just get on and do some of these things that you've already asked us about. So it's a balance. It's a really difficult balance. Again, it's one of the most difficult things because as a local government we are so diverse in what we do. So many things are being consulted and so many things are being asked. It's difficult. And I'm sure as community members being able to hear all of that and be part of all that consultation is not possible anyway. So how far? So we do what we can. We have a whole lot of regulators. Caroline is an expert. She's a PhD expert in this area. And we follow the guidelines, the best practice guidelines. And that's the best we can do. To be honest. We follow that and do what we can. Thank you. Councillor Finzel: Thank you through the chair. Yes. Thank you everyone for your contribution tonight.
01:22:00 Just a question for the CEO through the chair. Given all the great expertise we have around the table, we've got facilitated training for community engagement and obviously robust processes. Through the chair to the CEO, what is the process or what do we have in place when there's conflict? And what are some of the things that we can do to address that conflict? So, I think the first thing is to make sure that our members are quite substantial through the community when they feel that the engagement hasn't provided them with the outcomes that they were seeking and how do they go about having their voice heard in a meaningful way. Speaker 1: Through the chair, that's a difficult question because again, not everyone's going to agree with the position and that's our job is to consult and then it comes to the table as elected members to make decisions. So, again, not always are you going to get the position. We have to be in absolute agreement with everything that we do but we try to do and do the best for the majority of the community that's at stake in a particular instance.
01:23:00 There are opportunities and there are avenues if community members, residents are happy with a particular direction or a particular decision being taken and they're legislated and they're quite open. You know, let's come to council and come to our front desk and we can give you the opportunity to do that. We're not going to give you the methodology to provide your feedback or complain or whatever they may be. But, you know, in general it's, as we've said, it's a very difficult thing. Not everyone's going to agree on everything and at times we need to take a stance and take a position based on the information and the best information we have. That's what consultation is all about, is getting that information, bringing it to the elected members and making decisions and moving forward and that's the best, that's the model that we work with. Thank you. Mayor Wilkie: Thank you Carolyn for the report.
01:24:00 I can attest to the efficacy of Noosa Council's community engagement process. The Noosa Planning Scheme is a prime example of that. Everything you see around Noosa's look and feel is based on the community's aspirations and captured in the Noosa Planning Scheme. It's their aspirations put into practice. Through the Corporate Planning Scheme, I've been able to do a number of things. There are pop-ups and forums across the Shire. I attended almost all of them. It was a very robust process where everyone was heard, all their feedback was noted. Also in the Livability Survey, you're told it's very clearly what things were important to them and that's reflected in the Corporate Plan. When it comes to consultation, it's usually on strategies and policies, which means make, strategies help guide us to make decisions in the best long-term interest of the Shire. So that's, certain things like short-term personal, private, short-term interests may not always be reflected in the outcomes.
01:25:00 There will always be people who want things that are contrary to the best long-term interest of the Shire. But their feedback is always noted and recorded and I can guarantee they're listened to and their feedback is recorded. But that doesn't necessarily mean that when it comes to assessing the feedback around this table, when you come to deciding what is going to be the best long-term interest of the Shire, that the policy reflects that direction. Apart from the formal community engagement, councillors in this Shire regularly receive large quantities of emails and phone calls from very interested residents. We're always meeting with, having coffee with, talking to, taking phone calls from very interested residents. So there's that opportunity for formal engagement as well. All councillors around this table are also committed to taking this meeting, the ordinary
01:26:00 meeting, out to hinterland villages. Next month's ordinary meeting won't be in these chambers here. It will be out in Pomona. And at 5pm. But prior to that, there will be consultation opportunities for claim scheme amendments, which have been ratified by the Shire. So you'll be able to see reflected back to you what you told us during that process. We want to make sure that we heard you correctly and we want to make sure that we proceed on the things that are valuable to you and that we are correct in our assessment. And councillors will be there to also be engaged on any topic of interest to you on a personal level as well. So thank you for the report on community engagement. It is a hallmark of New South Council. We pride ourselves on community engagement. We can always do it better. We're always open to areas that are, to improving where we can.
01:27:00 Thank you. Councillor Fusella. Councillor Finzel: Just, thank you. With regard to the table, the overview of community engagement program for 2024, and I'm going to direct this question to the Mayor if that's applicable to you. There's some items on there, the Noosa River catchment management plan and the destination management plan phase two with TBD council decision. For the benefit of those living, listening at home in their lounge rooms or wherever they are this evening, can you give us a quick overview as to why that's left to a council decision? Mayor Wilkie: Because we haven't, we haven't decided yet when it's going to happen. We need to have, the councillors, my understanding is the councillors need to have a workshop, a workshop on what's included in the destination management plan phase two before we can set a date. And there's a heavy consultation schedule already there, so we have to think very carefully about if we want to have meaningful consultation, where we're going to find the time to schedule
01:28:00 this. And did you ask about the Noosa River catchment plan as well? Look, there was a resolution made last year that required full and meaningful consultation on the Noosa River catchment management plan. Again, the councillors have yet to have, the new councillors have yet to be brought up to speed with that. It's, this consultation on it is, was basically unplanned, unscheduled, and it's unbudgeted for. So we could have some serious discussions about that. But it may need to be a budget item about putting money aside to able to conduct meaningful consultation on the Noosa River plan. But if that's the case, it's not likely to happen until after June 30. So there's a lot of variables about the, when the consultation for the Noosa River catchment management plan is going to occur. As we heard in the answer to the question earlier, councillors have got to be brought up to speed, especially the new councillors, about where we're at with the Noosa River plan, what it is, and why it's important.
01:29:00 I hope that answers your question. Councillor Lorentson: Thank you. Through the Chair, just clarification. The procedural motion in October 2023 requested a final and fully costed Noosa River catchment management plan following a review of the feedback by July 2024. You mentioned June 2024. Can I ask whether... July, sorry. Sorry, July, not June. Yeah. And can I just ask, my understanding is there will be a report of some sort coming to the next meeting, which will indicate... Yeah. ...what we're doing in that space. Is that correct? Through the CAO? Speaker 1: That's still up for discussion. So we've got a meeting tomorrow afternoon with all councillors to further discuss this and that will help us to provide direction and have a little bit of direction and come back to you with how we take this forward. Councillor Lorentson: So in terms of risk, which is, you know, we're risking public trust, what we're doing
01:30:00 in terms of mitigating potential risk if we don't deliver on a promise that we made in October 2023? Sorry. Speaker 1: Can't necessarily answer that right now, councillor, until we have our discussion. As we said in our answer to the question earlier, was that we still are in a process of informing the councillor, getting everybody up to speed so we can make decisions on how we address some of these big issues that we have in front of us, and the fact that we've already gone through some of those. We've got a number of other projects on the go in terms of consultation with the community engagement. So we need to work out where that fits and what it actually physically looks like. And that's part of our discussion. And then we'll certainly bring that to the table. Councillor Lorentson: Last question to the CAO. So when a decision is ratified by council, as it was in October 2023, is there a mandatory obligation for council to deliver upon that decision or not?
01:31:00 Speaker 1: There's a... That's an interesting question, councillor. There's an obligation for us to address that motion, which we fully intend to do. Thank you. Mayor Wilkie: Okay. We should close, councillor. Yeah, we'll close. Deputy Mayor Stockwell: I think councillor Phillips raised a really good point in what we should always ask. Are we consulting enough or are we consulting too much? Are we consulting in a way that... And are we responding in a way? And I think the best way to answer that is to look at today. And one of the consultations I didn't list or include the numbers in last term was the housing strategy. And when we started that process, I hazard a guess that most people thought that housing was a state government issue. Through the process, we engaged a very...
01:32:00 A very knowledgeable reference group from industry, from community, from welfare organisations, as well as staff. We engaged and developed a set of priorities to improve the delivery of affordable social community housing in this shire. A few minutes ago, we just agreed to sell a block of land at Croy to a community housing co-op to develop... A community housing co-op. Councillor Lorentson: No, no, no. Excuse me. Point of order. Deputy Mayor Stockwell: The previous motion in general committee. Councillor Lorentson: That's not... I thought that was confidential. Deputy Mayor Stockwell: No, but the report says what we're doing. The recommendation is not confidential. Okay? Mayor Wilkie: Keep going. Yeah. Deputy Mayor Stockwell: We also, just after that or before that, just agreed to go out to community on a suite of planning scheme amendments, which were foreshadowed in that housing strategy, because
01:33:00 the community had really clear desire and expectations to address what was a critical issue. And that issue was not just expressed when we went out specifically on the housing strategy. When we went out to, on the corporate plan, and we had a thousand submissions, the number one priority that they nominated was the environment, which is pretty typical. But when we did the qualitative analysis, the number two most commonly identified issue raised in those submissions was housing. And we've talked about the livability survey and whether we've responded to that. And if you look at the feedback we got from the community on the livability survey and on the, from memory, the corporate plan, when asked what is the thing we need to improve the most, the answer was the same. It's about our footpaths, our pathways, our trails.
01:34:00 And while we can't say what we did, we know today we had gone for a big grant from the federal government for just that infrastructure and received it. So there is no doubt in my mind that this council has been responsive to the input we've received from community consultation. There is no doubt that the priorities for investment and action do reflect our community. Mayor Wilkie: Thank you. That's carried unanimously. Now move to 9.3, adoption of amended consolidated version of Supportant of Local Law No. 1 Administration 2015 to rectify a formatting error. Speaker 1: Mr. CEO, can you tell us what this error is that needs to be rectified? I'll read this so that I make sure I get it all correct. On the 23rd of October 2021, Council adopted a consolidated version of the Supportant of Local Law No. 1 Administration 2015 SLL1.
9.3 ADOPTION OF AMENDED CONSOLIDATED VERSION OF SUBORDINATE LOCAL LAW NO. 1 (ADMINISTRATION) 2015 TO RECTIFY FORMATTING ERROR ¶
01:35:00 At the time, amendments were made to the Supportant of Local Law No. 1 relating to short stay accommodation. On this date, Council also adopted a consolidated version of the Supportant of Local Law No. 1, which incorporated these amendments and included the formatting error, which is a subsection of Schedule 10 Temporary Advertising Devices. It was missing. The law states a consolidated version of a local law must accurately combine a local government, a local government's local law as it was originally made with all the amendments made to the local law since the law was originally made. Importantly, when Council adopts a consolidated version, this version is taken to be the local law, in the absence of evidence to the contrary. Upon review, we have located the formatting error, where a section of the Temporary Advertising Devices was omitted. We need to rectify this issue by adopting a new consolidated version of the Supportant of Local Law as per Section 32 of the Local Government Act, which is in Attachment 1 in this report.
01:36:00 We've also investigated whether there were any enforcement consequences due to this formatting error, and have been advised by the Development and Regulation Department that during the period of February 2022 to now, Council has not issued any infringements nor dealt with any complaints relating to this section of the law, resulting in a low risk outcome for Council. And finally, we don't specifically know how this occurred. It's a human. However, to reduce future risks in this area, we will be updating the review process prior to any local law amendments going to the Council for adoption. Mayor Wilkie: Questions? Sorry, can someone move this? I have a question through the chair. We're informed of that now, so we need to move it. Make sure that before we have questions. Councillor Wegener: I'm going to do it. Mayor Wilkie: To move, Councillor Wegener, seconded by Councillor Lorentson. Sorry, Councillor Wheeler wishes to speak. You want the right to speak?
01:37:00 Okay. Councillor Lorentson. Councillor Lorentson: Just one question. Were there any infringements issued during this period of omission? Speaker 1: No. That's my understanding is that that did not happen. So that section wasn't utilised during that period. Mayor Wilkie: Thank you. Any further questions? Put to the vote those in favour. That's carried. Thank you. Next we have a confidential question. A confidential item. So we've got contract number CN00319B up at Pimbanan Creek Road landslides. Councillor Phillips. Councillor Phillips: I would just like to declare. I, Councillor Phillips, inform the meeting that I have a declarable conflict of interest in this matter, as I have become aware that the company my husband works for is associated with a company that tendered an application for confidential contract number CN00319B. However, he had no contact with the company that tendered an application for confidential
10 CONFIDENTIAL SESSION ¶
Nothing was transcribed under this heading — a stretch of the recording with no speech the model could make out.
10.1 CONFIDENTIAL - CONTRACT NUMBER CN00319B - UPPER PINBARREN CREEK ROAD LANDSLIDES ¶
01:38:00 contract number CN00319B. And although I have a declarable conflict of interest, I do not believe a reasonable person could have a perception of bias because I'm not closely related to the applicant and they are not recommended for the tender. Therefore, I choose to remain in the meeting room. However, I respect the decision of the meeting and whether I can remain and participate in this decision. Mayor Wilkie: Questions? Councillor Phillips: Questions? Councillor Lorentson: Jase, you're on. Your husband is an employee or does he have interest in the company? An employee. Thank you. Deputy Mayor Stockwell: And just to follow up, he's not in an executive management role in that company? Councillor Phillips: Project coordinator. Deputy Mayor Stockwell: Question. Mayor Wilkie: Would he benefit financially if the tender was to be awarded through discussions in confidential
01:39:00 contracts? Councillor Phillips: I don't think I can answer that. Well, he's on a salary, so no. It wouldn't matter. Deputy Mayor Stockwell: Okay. Okay. Councillor Stockwell? I'm happy that Councillor Phillips participates and votes on this matter because Councillor believes that a reasonable person would trust a final decision is made in the public interest. Mayor Wilkie: We have a seconder for that. We have a seconder for that. Councillor Wilson. Thank you. Would you speak to the motion, Councillor Stockwell? Deputy Mayor Stockwell: I do so. I think there's a range of considerations here, but the fact is that being an employee and not benefiting directly, either if the award of the contract was to or not to the company, I think is the major consideration, having no financial interest in the company
01:40:00 and is to me an ability, it gives us the ability to allow Councillor Phillips to stay in the room. And the fact that she's declared it makes it public information. Mayor Wilkie: I agree. The important fact is that the potential conflict is declared and it's on the record and it's important. Thank you. I'll be supporting the motion. Anyone else wish to speak? If the motion goes in favour, that's carried unanimously. No, you can't. Okay. I know. Now, as this is a confidential, commercial and confidence matter, I move that the meeting be closed to public, similar to section 254J3G of the Local Government Regulation 2012, in terms of discussing item 10.1, confidential contract number, CNW319B, up up in Barrett Creek Road, Landslides.
01:41:00 Can I have a seconder, please? Is that Councillor Kepler? Deputy Mayor Stockwell: Yes, you can. Mayor Wilkie: Councillor Jess Phillips. All in favour? That's unanimous. Thank you. Thank you, members of the public. Thank you for coming. We'll be closing by. Councillor Lorentson: I haven't closed it yet. Mayor Wilkie: We're back on. Welcome back, everyone. May I have a mover and a seconder for the recommendation in the report? Deputy Mayor Stockwell: I'm happy to move. Mayor Wilkie: Moved, Councillor Andrew Stockwell. May I have a seconder, please? Seconder, Councillor Tom Wegener. Put to the vote.
01:42:00 Deputy Mayor Stockwell: I'll just speak to say that this particular tender appears from the map we've been given to be the second last of the recovery projects amongst quite a large volume that were done post the floods in 2022. And it will provide... ...increased stability for those residents who live in the Upper Pin Barren Creek Road. Mayor Wilkie: Thank you, Councillor Stockwell. Any other councillors who wish to speak to motion? All in favour? That's carried unanimously. That brings us to the end of the agenda. The next ordinary meeting will be at 5pm on Thursday, 22 June. We propose to hold this in Pomona. I declare the meeting closed at 7.07pm. Thank you, everybody, for attending. Thank you, Chair.
12 NEXT MEETING ¶
Council's recording ends before this item. Where a meeting resolved to close its doors, that is what the end of the recording means — see what council discussed in private.
13 MEETING CLOSURE ¶
Council's recording ends before this item. Where a meeting resolved to close its doors, that is what the end of the recording means — see what council discussed in private.