Before the first item ¶
00:00:00 Councillor Lorentson: Today, the 9th of December, 22nd of our last committee meeting of the year. I declare the meeting open at 9.31am. I declare the meeting open at 9.31am. I would like to start with an acknowledgement to the country. We pay respect to elders, we pay respect to elders and to their enduring commitment to pursuing a stronger future. Our intentions are to welcome the council, our intentions are to welcome the council, our intentions are to welcome the council, and also online counselling. And also online counselling.
2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY ¶
00:01:00 Welcome. There are no applicable dates. Before we begin can I please request that everyone have their phones on silent or a confirmation of minutes. Can I please have a motion to move the minutes? Can I please have a seconder? Thank you. No discussion will go to favour. No discussion will go to favour. Presentations and deputations there are none. So we'll move straight into reports for consideration. I'll move straight into reports for consideration. I'll move straight into 7.1, Single Use Copy Cups Program. Speaker 4: This report was triggered by a notified motion that passed through Council in June of this year. The motion called for Council to work with and support the Tourism News Service Plastic Free News Service Program
3 ATTENDANCE & APOLOGIES ¶
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4 CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES ¶
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4.1 PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES DATED 11 NOVEMBER 2025 ¶
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7 REPORTS FOR CONSIDERATION OF THE COMMITTEE ¶
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7.1 Single Use Coffee Cups Program ¶
00:02:00 to develop a scalable action plan and show leadership by shifting away from Single Use Copy Cups in Council. Some may say that Single Use Copy Cups are not the most important issue for us to tackle as an organisation. However, it is hard not to notice how prevalent they are in the lives of many businesses and many customers here in Noosa and around the country. The Takeaway Cup has become something that we accept as normal. Some people even prefer them. Some cafes no longer offer ceramic mugs to customers. It's become part of our culture, a culture that accepts and encourages... While the industry has done well to move away from petroleum-based plastic findings, and we've encouraged that shift, the compostable cup still ends up in landfills and generates emissions. It's estimated that Australians throw away 1.5 billion... So today we present a report that furthers our commitment to work on supporting industry and community to take action on reducing the number of Single Use Copy Cups.
00:03:00 Plastic Free Noosa, with the support of Noosa Council staff, have already engaged several local businesses, and service providers to address the Single Use issue. It's clear that some people in our community are ready for change. This report outlines a strategy to support an industry-led approach to phasing out Single Use Copy Cups. We will work with industry partners that are ready to go on this journey, and encourage them to take a slow and calculated approach that achieves zero waste goals, and supports their customers to come along the journey with them. We will support council facilities and council-led events to investigate the term of Single Use Cups. While we're not in a position to mandate behaviour change,
00:04:00 we will continue to educate, advocate, and inspire progress towards zero-waste culture. The next stage of action is simple, which is outlined in the report, which is to call a round table of businesses that want to explore the single use cup phase-out, to have industry-leading solution providers share their solutions and learnings, and support a cohort of people who are ready to take the lead in this space. We will continue to support the leadership of Plastic Free Noosa programs with staff time, and if Tourism Noosa is unable to provide a small budget to further the program, Sustainability Operational Budget from Council will possibly contribute to program costs. And those are outlined in the report. Councillor Lorentson: Questions around the table? Mayor Wilkie: Thank you for the report, Sion. Thank you for the report, Council. It is important that Council leads the way. And you have mentioned our experience in its infancy.
00:05:00 Our experience in its infancy. There's some basic investigation going on at Reservation Centre. Can you tell us what place, like in the NAC, where the Reservation Centre... Speaker 4: Café de NAC, voluntarily... Mayor Wilkie: Café de NAC, voluntarily decided to pursue a reusable cup scheme. Speaker 4: They offered a side-by-side option where customers could continue to take a single-use cup, or they could choose to pay a $3 deposit and get a reusable cup. They've been so successful that the owner there has decided to go completely single-use-free, and they've based their own experience as well as customers' feedback. We haven't engaged with the leisure centre cafe yet, but that's high on the list of priorities for plastic-free resale. Councillor Lorentson: In fact, we've been completely undiagnosed.
00:06:00 In fact, we've been totally undiagnosed. So, he was a little bit concerned in the early stages. He was concerned in the early stages. That's right. And he's just such a silent and resistant. He's just such a silent and resistant. And he's a terrific piece. The NAC users have actually just commended him. The users have actually taken to just Jumbo Boards, and he's reached out to them and gone out there. And he's reached out to them and gone out there. It's actually a beautiful business. That's right. It's actually a beautiful business. That's right. Speaker 4: Yeah. Councillor Lorentson: In terms of cost, so there's an allocation of $6,000. An allocation of $500. Can you elaborate on what that real question is? Is it an approaching question? The in-kind contribution will be of staff time. Speaker 4: The in-kind contribution will be of staff time.
00:07:00 The $5,600 is a trillion. Followed by the small village. I believe it is enough. It is not enough to tackle the whole issue of phasing out civilians, but I think that given that this is such an economic issue, if we phase out coffee cups, we can see success in this program and we can build on budget allocation from there. That's my perspective. Councillor Lorentson: How many of you have already jumped on board? And how many of you have jumped on board since the Dias of Motion? Because there's been a jump on board since that time. If you could read that data, just rest with plastic. Yeah, I would have to check with plastic. Speaker 4: Yeah, I would have to check with plastic. One of the first steps in this program, we don't have a data station.
00:08:00 Speaker 5: One of the first steps in this program, we don't have a data station, is to do an industrial scan and collect more data. Hopefully those cypresses will be gathered as well. Speaker 4: I think calling a round table and seeing who's willing to step up and engage with this challenge gives us a good understanding of how many cafes are ready to do this, and gives us an opportunity to do a broader scan as well. Tom. Councillor Wegener: More of a historic question. More of a historic question. You said you really reached out. Has this worked with industry? We reached out and worked with industry leaders. In a similar fashion as we're doing with the plastic free program? Maybe that's to Kim. Maybe that's to Kim. Councillor Lorentson: Maybe repeat the question. The Kim fight. Kim is the question we're doing. Speaker 7: Yeah, Kim. Can you repeat that? Councillor Wegener: Yeah, historically, has council reached out to industry leaders like it is with the plastic free?
00:09:00 Historically, has council reached out to industry leaders like it is with the plastic free? Or has there been a lot of other programs, like jurors and music council, to really help change industry the way industry works? Or industry response in this sort of way? In this sort of way? Speaker 8: So, there's basically initial reaching out to the industry and to the businesses. Director Rawlings: So, there's basically initial reaching out to the industry and to the businesses also. Speaker 8: And we've also been approached by a number of cultural groups that are here, so. But it's a bit of both. So essentially it was really a proposed approach to say we could invest more in this, we could invest more in this, and that would be really if Council endorsed us, if Council endorsed us through industry leaders, we would be then reaching out to industry leaders in a more kind of proactive way. Councillor Wegener: Is this in any way analogous to the digital hub, saying where New South Council sees an issue, an opportunity, and then supports going down a track towards, in this case, the digital hub, connecting with the digital world, in this case, getting rid of coffee cups, but it's Council interaction.
00:10:00 Yeah, there are problems with our house. Director Rawlings: When we say a problem, our house. Speaker 8: How we engage industry to help us solve that problem, and how we engage industry to help us solve that problem, the reality with this one is the solutions are there. The reality with this one is the solutions are there to solve this problem, it's about taking up the support and facilitating our businesses to take on board those solutions. Councillor Lorentson: Karen, Councillor Finzel, you're online. Karen, Councillor Finzel, you're online. Councillor Finzel: Hi, good morning. Thank you, Madam Chair. This is a great initiative.
00:11:00 Thank you, Madam Chair. I like the idea of this initiative. This is a great initiative. My questions today are about the process and regulation for maintaining and our community public health. Maintaining and our community public health is an optimum. I just have a question about how we looked at the health around community health. Communicable disease. Communicable disease. And how we have ensured disease. And how we have ensured that. Processes can undertake it. To make sure that. Processes can undertake it. To make sure we've got to everything in our country. Disease in our community. With regard to disease in our community. Speaker 5: Thanks, Councillor Finzel. The alternative options that we would be working with Costing Free News on to offer to. There are already solutions available in the industry today, and they have to comply with all Australian regulations around food safety standards, so we wouldn't be looking to compromise in any way, shape, or form with the health, environmental health, and community health that comes along with an alternative option moving away from single-use coffee cups.
00:12:00 In fact, the reduction of a single-use item that can often end up as litter in our waterways may actually improve environmental health and community health, so we think we need to stay steadfast to that, and that will be a key criterion in our selection of recommended service providers. Speaker 4: The idea of an industry roundtable is really to get those service providers in front of business owners, and business owners can ask exactly the same questions. Ultimately, the business owner runs a cafe as responsible for health and safety standards in their workplace, and they would want to know how they can support a healthy workplace and ensure the health and safety of their customers.
00:13:00 Councillor Lorentson: Some places like social, some places like grocery, coffee, we use some grocery cups, coffee, so they also keep cups, so they're very, very important. I'm sure we'll market an opportunity for business owners. You have any further questions, Councillor Finzel? Councillor Finzel: Yes, so following on from that, can you just please explain the process that you mentioned that has to be followed? Given we've also been doing, you know, progress through nursing home, you know, progress through nursing home. Can you just give us a quick overview of the process followed to ensure community health plays? Speaker 4: We don't administer or implement this program. That's, you know, it's run by the cafes themselves.
00:14:00 You know, it's run by the cafes themselves, so a reuse program accepts a cup back and runs the cup through their commercial dishwashing machine on the way that they would any other utensils on the way that they would any other pasta machine. There's no distinction between a reusable coffee cup and a mug that someone sits down to drink their coffee out of, or a glass that they're drinking. Councillor Finzel: Thank you. And how is that regulated? What's the process for that? Thank you. And how is that regulated? What's the process for that? Councillor Lorentson: Can I ask, we've got Director, um, can I ask, we've got Director, um, a question asked was how is... Could I ask, we've got Director, um, a question asked was how is... ...regulated? ...regulated? ...regulated? ...regulated? ...regulated? Speaker 1: Yes. So, thank you, Councillor. ...regulated?
00:15:00 Yes. So, thank you, Councillor. So, um, yes. ...regulated? All cafes... Thank you, Councillor. ...are licensed. So that's obviously, each year comes to start with our inspection and those promises start to show with that preparation of those of food, preparation mix of food, so that's actual preparation food requirements, so that's actual preparation of those food health requirements, so obviously that's those food health requirements, so obviously that's the steps of providing food and drink that's hygienic and safe for the consumer. Councillor Finzel: Thank you. Thank you. Councillor Lorentson: Excuse me, Councillor Stockwell. Deputy Mayor Stockwell: I'll just talk to it. I think you mentioned we had started this a while back and the notes and motions brought focus to it.
00:16:00 The issue around reuse cups. The issue around reuse cups. Reuse cups going through the system of a cafe is obviously something interesting. The one that I think a number of cafes in the early days had doubts about is accepting people rocking up with their key cups who might have not washed it really well and kept it in the door of their car. But yeah, it may be something that we want to just get some clarification on when we do reach out to businesses, whether that's something where they should just make sure. I believe, for example, dishwashing, the standard is a certain degree of temperature. It might be something in the education of what you do when someone brings their key cup to make sure your responsibility is met. Councillor Lorentson: I don't know whether this needs to be in an entry. I don't know whether this needs to be in an entry. Maybe it's just an idea that I'm not sure.
00:17:00 I respect that. I respect that. I think that one of the real champions of the space, we've been talking about Sunshine Social just less than a week ago. We've been presenting our train ramps, torches, and he was talking about his goal to see one day at the airports ambassadors of the new summer handing out reuse cups to people that are missing out. Reuse cups. As a sort of symbol of who we are and what we represent, make me start thinking maybe we have an immediate opportunity in terms of presenting heatcoats to our new citizens. So four times a year, we welcome so many incredible people in our community, and most actually have been in our community for some time.
00:18:00 And we present them with a story. That's a bit of my secret, which is I'm very representative of who we are. It is that we care for our environment. But a key cup with a message logo is another way to really push that message. This is what we value. This is who we are in our environment. It matters. And it's not just complaints. It's behaviours. Take that one. It really is. Take that offline if it needs to be an amendment of speech with you, Shire Anne, but I would really love consideration as part of our citizenship. There are many news items that I've managed. But can I enter my speech? But anyone want to speak? I'm going to start. I just have another question. Mayor Wilkie: I just have another question. This is one of the actions from a waste source from late on.
00:19:00 And it's also education and co-exploitation on the wrong strategies and biosecurity packaging practices. How are we going generally with the other actions from the waste? Speaker 5: That's something we'd probably defer to Kyron and the waste team to respond to. That's something we'd probably defer to Kyron and the waste team to respond to. We understand that they are incredibly hard. We understand that. And we recently concluded a break. And we recently concluded a break. And we recently concluded a break. Raising awareness about waste, including textile waste, which we get two times every week at our land. Raising awareness about waste, including textile waste, which we get two times every week at our land. And we recently concluded a break. Raising awareness about waste, including textile waste, which we get two times every week at our land. Mayor Wilkie: Raising awareness about waste, including textile waste, which we get two times every week at our land. Raising awareness about waste, including textile waste, which we get two times every week at our land.
00:20:00 Our recovery centre will be able to help sell the earth and the amount of coffee cups that we do hurt from the congestion of the subject matter. Councillor Lorentson: One last question, so the LGAQ motion that I put forward which was supported unanimously by Council and almost had unanimous support across 77 councils in terms of accelerating the national plastic and the national oxygen. I do not know at this time but we can take that on notice. Speaker 5: I do not know at this time but we can take that on notice. We'll take that on notice though and we'll send an email. Councillor Lorentson: We'll take that on notice though and we'll send an email. I'll speak to it.
00:21:00 I'll speak to it. I'm happy to move. Can I have a second? Thank you for your time. And I'll just say that I'm happy about this report. To say that I'm happy about this report is an understatement. We think the $5,600 that's being asked to support this is in my view the most effective and impactful marketing investment this council can make. When we moved the notified motion in June 2025, it made front page news across the state, Noosa Council, Plastic Free Noosa, Ben Clark from Sunshine Social, along with six colleagues in the Courier Mail, Sunshine Coast Daily and in local cafe papers across Queensland. Why? Because it was good news. Because it matters. And because it opens a conversation. And because everyone can do it.
00:22:00 And because we can't actually do it alone. We need courage, courage to start the conversation, to challenge the norm and to say that it's not acceptable to buy coffee, drink it and three minutes later throw the cup into a landfill. I want to note there was a ripple effect from that. I want to note there was a ripple effect from that. After media coverage, Professor Ian Lowe from the Biosphere contacted me and said that the Brisbane cafe had seen a huge uptake in businesses committing to re-usables. The Biosphere board itself soon afterwards voted to support the initiative, reinforcing that this is not just a local project, it's part of a broader movement. And I want to take this moment to acknowledge that this is not just a local project, it's a central part of our organisation. The plastic free emitter program, led with vision and determination, by no better person
00:23:00 than Jen Sharp, she's seriously an incredible driver of this program. The program actually already shifted community behaviours. It's already reduced waste and it's already built strong partnerships between our council, businesses and residents. Again, by backing this program we're not just funding the motor vehicle it's also And I also want to note that the Plastic Free Noosa program was recently recognised for winning the prestigious Biosphere Thriving Nature Award last month. I want to thank the industry leaders and businesses and I also want to do a shout out to the Kin Kin Market, the first market that recently put their hand up to transition away from single use coffee cups. And we're working at the moment with Kin Kin to make it the first village to jump on board.
00:24:00 Having said that, when I spoke to the guys down at the Corrington markets, they wanted to take on the challenge and become the first village. So again, the conversation, it has rippled effects. I think our goal and we're about to embark on the destination management plan is that we've got to dream big, we've got to think big. And our goal should be that every cafe in Noosa to voluntarily, and I stress voluntarily, throw out single use coffee cups. And this is how I think we should be marketing Noosa. Not with philosophy, summer campaigns, but with a campaign that tells the world this is who we are, this is what we value, and this is what we expect from our visitors. So again, this has always been different by nature.
00:25:00 This initiative really proves it. So thank you Cheyenne and Duran, I know you guys have been rooting on this for Plastic Free Noosa for years. And just love, you know, love your energy and you guys are really tight. And when we speak to Jean, she talks about the driving passion that comes from those light corridors downstairs in our environment department. So thank you because all these initiatives have to be driven by someone. So I think we have the right people here in council and the right people. In our community. And of course we've got our amazing general client from Plastic Free Noosa. So super excited. Thank you. Mayor Wilkie: I think it's important to note the important work Waster Research has gone into the 2023 Waster Resource Plan.
00:26:00 2023, 2028, there's about 30 actions in there. This action about the great work going on at the public health council. There's a lot of great work going on. The council has got another motion coming to council about upgrades to the Waster Resource Recovery Centre. And reducing the waste to the landfill as well. A great impact on reducing the waste to the landfill as well. And I just would like to acknowledge that there is good work going on at the council as well. That will also have a great impact on reducing the waste to the note. And just another community consultation to note. One of the key actions was about the health cuts as well as the whole question about the great ideas, which we are working on as well. Speaker 1: No, no, I just think it's fantastic. It's all worked out. Councillor Wegener: No, no, I just think it's fantastic. It's all worked out really well.
00:27:00 Councillor Lorentson: Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. So we're now up to item 7.2, Organisational Emissions Reduction Progress Report. Speaker 5: Chair, councillors, I'll begin with the words of Chief Justice Alsop of the Federal Court of Australia in the Minister of Environment versus Sharma case.
00:28:00 The threat of climate change and global warming was and is not indisputable. The seriousness of the threat is demonstrated by the attention given to it by many countries around the world and the attempts made by them to reach agreement and to cooperate to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in order to reduce the rate of increase of earth's surface temperature. There are challenges to some of the primary judge's findings, but by and large, the nature of the risks and the danger from global warming, including the possible catastrophe, that may engulf the world and humanity. This sobering clarity frames the progress report before you today. The risk we face from longer, more intense, and more frequent floods, bushfires, heat, extreme heat, cyclones, and intense fine storms are now well documented and increasingly witnessed in our community. The report before you today is an act of transparency and honesty. It confirms that Council will not meet its original net zero by 2026 target for our organizational relations.
7.2 Organisational Emissions Reduction Progress Report ¶
00:29:00 One of the biggest challenges Council faces is in landfill emissions. Even when gas flaring and diversion programs waste decomposition, it continues to generate methane, a greenhouse gas that is far more potent than carbon dioxide. This is why landfill is often the hardest sector to tackle, and why, to the best of our knowledge and staff, no other Council in Australia has achieved net zero when they've had landfills announced. However, despite not meeting our target, this report also confirms that a missed state is not a missed mission. We have been on this journey for over 20 years, as a recognized leader of both in Queensland and nationally. Since 2016, we have achieved a genuine 19% reduction in operational emissions from practical and impactful projects such as large-scale solar installations, battery storage at critical sites like evacuation centres, LED lighting upgrades, green waste diversion and increased gas storage at the landfill.
00:30:00 These actions have delivered not only emissions reductions, but also electricity cost savings and resilience benefits for both council and community. By the metrics of the widely accepted social cost of carbon, these actions have also already avoided millions of dollars in damage to society. The recommendation before you today is also one of integrity. We could buy third-party offsets to claim neutrality on paper. We are recommending against this as we are choosing not to outsource our responsibility. The offset market also currently faces integrity and availability challenges and limited local benefits. Industry best practice is very clear. We must prioritise reducing emissions at the source before reliant on offsets. That is why we recommend prioritising direct investment here in New South. Tackling waste resource challenges, restoring local east, cleaning local air pollution, and supporting the community with a circular and sustainable economy.
00:31:00 Notably, this report only addresses council's organisational emissions, whilst we still have the net zero target for community emissions, also by 2026. In partnership with Zero Emissions News Incorporated and other community organisations, we will aim to work closely together to bring clarity to the emissions reduction effort for community, including an updated calculation of its emissions profile, and potentially new resilience funding opportunities next financial year. We are currently developing a new science-based climate-positive investment roadmap to return to you early in the new year. This will be a long-term plan with ambitious, yet achievable targets, and where net zero will only be one step in the turn. The plan will aim to accelerate direct emissions reduction, particularly at the landfill, and in keeping with our endorsed waste resource plan. We will fast-track clean energy and fleet electrification, support supply chain decarbonisation, and invest in local carbon removal projects that restore biodiversity, and deliver co-benefits for our community.
00:32:00 Importantly, it will be paired with a clear investment strategy that prioritises actions based on cost effectiveness and cost benefit. It outlines the resources required to deliver it, and identifies innovative and alternative finance opportunities to responsibly scale the investment required. Councilors, this is the moment to reaffirm our direction. Climate action is no longer just an environmental responsibility. It is a governance responsibility, a financial responsibility, a disastrous responsibility, and an intergenerational responsibility. We have a moral imperative to the most vulnerable in Noosa and to the youth of the Shire to move forward with the strength of our resolve, knowing that the cost of inaction is a price we cannot afford to pay, and knowing that leadership from local governments like ours is essential, and collective effort required to address the scale of the challenge we face. Councillor Lorentson: Questions around the tidal place? Questions around the tidal place?
00:33:00 I might speak to it, just because this question is too long. Councillor Wegener: I might speak to it, just because this question is too long. When at the tourism news at AGM, they had somebody speaking about tourism. Tourism news at AGM, they had somebody speaking about tourism and threats to tourism, and one of the threats came up as insurance. We've had the insurance, heads of insurance agencies and peak bodies come and speak to us, and they say that climate change is very real. And so that climate change is very real. And so that climate change is very real. And so to them, the climate change is very real. And so to them, the climate change is very real. You don't take climate risk into account. So if you may deny climate change, but it's very hard to deny that rates are going up in response to climate change. But the key thing is, I bring this up because,
00:34:00 I asked them, well, how about the future of Shire, and we take climate change, climate risks, very seriously. And they said yes. You will have a lesser insurance premium, because you are already on top of that. And so for me, coming from them, was undeniably evidence that we are on the absolutely right track by saving, imagine if we saved a couple of dollars off everybody's insurance policy here in New South Wales, this whole program would pay for itself. I'm so happy that this, but I don't think people really realize that their daily out-of-pocket expenses of insurance are tied to our climate change response program here in New South Wales. Councillor Lorentson: It would be great to initiate that. It would be great to initiate that. Can we initiate that? Can we initiate that our mitigation measures have been initiated?
00:35:00 Speaker 5: We certainly can with adaptation and resilience initiatives. We certainly can with adaptation and resilience initiatives. Mitigation would be harder to do. Councillor Lorentson: Mitigation would be harder to do. But it's something we can take on the back of T1. But it's something we can take on the back of T1. But it's something we can take on the back of T1. Speaker 5: Because every ton of green house gases that we emit that has an impact on society, but it's a global impact. And so trying to downsize that to the New South Wales, to understand how that has affected, can have affected insurance premiums, would be challenging. Can have affected. Councillor Lorentson: I'm going to start with why only half of the money allocated for remissions has been left the last 10 years. I think the report makes that half the 4.06 million emissions
00:36:00 by given that is such a high number. Director Rawlings: There's a combination of factors. So there's been an annual budget allocated for emissions reduction for a number of years, essentially since we've had the strategy in place, and a combination of issues in terms of why some of the foot budgets haven't been spent in each full year, including needing to do asset assessments where we've gone to put solar on roof and then during the investigations realised that roofs need replacing or power boards and switchboards need replacing. So it's created other projects. Other projects that need to be done before solar projects are able to be done, which has delayed programs and pushed programs across multiple years. As part of our budget, normal budget considerations, unspent funds and carried forward funds are considered at each budget
00:37:00 year on merits and decisions whether or not they're rolled forward or carried forward or not are made on an annual basis. And we've had through a number of years where under a number of years where unspent funds in the zero emissions budget haven't been carried forward because of priorities or issues that are considered as part of that budget each year. And that varied depending on what the priorities of that particular budget were. So that's been some considerations of it. We've also had some staffing and resourcing changes in the program over the years. So a combination of issues and not through lack of best efforts and prioritisation of this program. Speaker 5: And I might just add to that that the issue of emissions is systemic. Everything has an
00:38:00 impact and has an associated impact and has an associated footprint. So it requires more than just one branch. It requires more than just one branch. It requires more than just one branch. We believe that we have learned from the challenges and successes in the past 10 years and there is an amazing understanding and level of awareness within council staff now and UC Council on how to reduce emissions and we think we can leverage that in our next major push to reduce emissions. Councillor Lorentson: We are so mentioned, so mentioned, resource again, again as I ask the people to, there's one staff allocated to again, something of such high importance. Why are we again sliding already, given again the high...
00:39:00 Director Rawlings: Over the years we've put forward for additional staff and resources. Over the years we've put forward for additional staff and resources. This last year we've been able to put some temporary resources to try and boost the program, but like all programs in a relatively medium to small sized council, it's been about competing priorities at each budget. So yes, this has been an important program. There are a number of important programs in the council, so it's been managing different priorities through budgets. But it's been...
00:40:00 Councillor Lorentson: And the baseline, the baselines increased fivefold. Should we have updated between 2016 and the zero target, and maybe my question is, when do you have to say that we increased the impact fivefold? Speaker 5: So it increased fivefold since when we set our net zero strategy in 2016 and first did a baseline carbon footprint. We knew that it would increase within six to twelve months, but there was decisions made at the time, which I'm not going to do, that we'd stick to the 2026 target. And to try and scale our effort in responding to it, I believe.
00:41:00 Whether or not we should have or shouldn't have, it's definitely a lesson learned that we reflected on in the report. Should we understand that our baseline emissions increases due to new accounting methodologies or better data collection, then we will do our best to scale our effort and reflect the target. I'm happy to move. Deputy Mayor Stockwell: Firstly, this is a report about not meeting the target, and does that surprise you? This target was set on the base of political positions. The mayor and the candidate in 2016 were so close. The mayor and the candidate in 2016 were so close. Both were, to that election, saying we want to be net zero by in ten years' time.
00:42:00 It was based on a need to accelerate council's focus on this issue, not on the level of analysis we now put into it. So I'm surprised that the stretch target didn't meet. Am I happy with what we have done? Yes, I think we are taking good steps. Councillor Wegener: Do I think we've done as much as we should have done? Deputy Mayor Stockwell: Do I think we've done as much as we should have done? There has been a massive vacuum of leadership, both at our political level and executive level. As the director said, we've made decisions about urgency over the strategic cost of not taking action to climate change. In the report in the finance section you see that our current emissions are valued at costing the global community 10 times more. It's a typical spiral. We had a thing called the 2019-20 bushfire season. Climate induced
00:43:00 catastrophes on our doorstep where we had to evacuate most of Tewantin and then we had to recover from that. And then we had the 2022 floods where I had 1500mm of rain on my roof in three days. Another climate induced emergency. And across the globe it is a pattern and as organisations such as ours try and struggle to adapt and become more resilient to those, it is difficult to keep on saying what we all know, which is the cheapest time to take action is now. The cost of the impacts by waiting for longer far outweigh the benefits. And that's something that I hope this council
00:44:00 makes a really solid commitment early next year when we look at the plan going forward. Because other councils have, you know, when we did this in 2016 we were a leader, when we declared a climate emergency it wasn't just a press release, it was an understanding that this is an emergency in 2019. And since then a lot of councils have taken more action. For example Newcastle, they did what we hoped to do or proposed to investigate, we're currently investigating our landfill. They built a 5MW solar farm on a landfill gas and wind turbine to create a renewable hub on an old coal landfill. It delivered 420,000 revenue in the first six months and during, and exported energy during the 2020 bushfires, strengthening grid resilience. And it supports a growing economy. It supports a growing EV network of 34 charging ports powered by renewables. A really good example of all the things we're currently looking at that we should, you know, I would hope to see steps in that direction in our next budget.
00:45:00 If you look at power purchasing agreements, and we've had multiple opportunities to make the decision of buying green power. But since we started looking at that, almost all Victorian councils have adopted renewable power purchasing agreements. And that's what we've done. We've adopted renewable power purchasing agreements and 75% of New South Wales councils. Cairns in North Queensland had a policy of 100% renewable and they've got a long-term power purchasing agreement and it was the most cost effective path for them. So we have got opportunities to accelerate. And what it's really important to understand, I understand that the Queensland government today is considering whether to drop their own target. We've got a lot of targets. We're not dropping a target. We're saying we're not meeting it. We're saying that perhaps, no, we were too ambitious in 2016, but there is still an urgent need to
00:46:00 take action. Early next year, I am confident, confident we won't be using modelling from the consultants of the coal industry to try and make the absurd claim that coal is a cheap point of energy. We'll be looking at how we accelerate our low-income energy. We'll be looking at how we do local action in a way that's economically rational when considering the long-term impacts on this community. So I support the staff's report. I thank them for being really open and honest about what we have done and what we haven't done and what the issues are. And I look forward to us once again in 2026 setting a direction that will once again put Noosa towards the head of the pack. Mayor Wilkie: I'd like to thank the staff for the report. It's very comprehensive, very detailed. Back in 2016, we set a target which we knew was ambitious at the time. And setting the target,
00:47:00 setting a direction, is the easiest part of the effort. Then the work begins. It was an ambitious target, but we have benefited from learning a lot about emissions and energy. We've learned a lot about how to plan our and Council's operations as a result of that aspiration. We would not have learned anywhere near as much had the goal been far less ambitious. Just because the discovery of our emissions went jump from about 10,000 tonnes a year through better knowledge to about 50,000 tonnes a year through what we learned about the contribution that the landfill makes, about half of our emissions comes from the landfill. We've learned a lot. We're faced with an even greater challenge, but we're still facing that challenge and we're still determined to push on. We are playing our part in the global shift towards non-polluting technologies and our rate payers are reaping the benefit to cost-saving efficiencies
00:48:00 and the benefits that come through that. Yes, big city councils like Newcastle and Cairns have already put in place programs that we are aspiring to and that we will continue to put in place. But we've got a lot of work to do and we're still in the planning phase for Noosa Council. We are looking at solar. We're looking at composting, biochar, other diversion programs and our landfill facility that will help us reduce our emissions. We were the first council in Queensland to introduce green organics curbside collection, which also dropped our emissions from the landfill. Methane producing material is no longer going into the landfill. So we have been leading the way. There is more work to do. We're not going to meet the 2026 target, but I think it was the right thing to do to set that ambitious target and work towards it, even though we
00:49:00 knew there was a five-fold increase in emissions that we were aiming at. So thank you very much for all the work that you've done. It is very complicated. The detail in this report, I'll probably need a few more days to fully understand the calculations, but I appreciate that it's there as a record for anyone who's interested in this ambitious journey to delve into. I'm really looking forward to seeing what the future holds. What you're coming back with as to how we can address the road map, is that what it's called? In the time that it was in place. And I'm sure that it will involve a lot of projects out of our Waste and Resource Recovery Centre, and investing in that is something all councillors have said they would support,
00:50:00 and there are great benefits to come from that. So thank you very much. Councillor Lorentson: In terms of the climate investment road map, Shai-Nan, will it be developed within the next few months? Can you explain what that process is going to look like? Director Rawlings: We're not proposing to put that investment road map in its development out to the community. It's about investment and budget decisions of council's operations. So it's development, no. However, it's being informed by feedback we've received through a raft of strategy development on these issues, as we use that information to inform all of the development of plans and strategies. So we draw on that information, whether it's liveability survey, corporate
00:51:00 plan, destination management, all those forms of consultation. Those conversations about the plan and how it's going to be implemented. How it's then endorsed, adopted, or considered will need to occur with council. Councillor Lorentson. Councillor Lorentson: Thank you very much. In terms of a little bit of history, I actually asked an ex-councillor about, you know, about who pushed this organisational emissions and brought us into this really important space with climate change. And credit where credit's due. And it was the previous mayor of Noosa Shire Council, Councillor Tony Wellington. And I think what, I think I spoke just before in terms of reusable single-use coffee cups. You need drivers. And those drivers should start at the top.
00:52:00 So in 2016, we had Mayor Tony Wellington driving everything in the space of climate change. And I've got a list of just a whole bunch of things that he did. Again, credit where credit's due. And also, part of my little investigation is I also understand under our Local Government Act that the understanding of what's considered perpetual succession, that once council makes a decision, it stands in perpetuity. And I love that. So. So. So we need to absolutely step up. This is critical. And it's got to be driven from the top. Speaker 5: Yeah. As council staff, we are incredibly grateful for the previous council for setting such an ambitious target. We believe that you can shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land amongst the stars. And that's what's happened here.
00:53:00 So, you know, as Chief Justice Alsop made abundantly clear in his decision, you can see that the threat is not in dispute. Therefore, our resolve to continue this mission should not be in dispute. Mayor Wilkie: Question. You mentioned in the report that councils on track to meet its target for all council facilities to be 100 percent renewable by 2026, which is a far less ambitious target. But have you set that to achieve that? But what has to be done before we – it's a little bit bleeped together, but what has to be done before that's achieved? What's left to be done in that space? Speaker 7: It's just working through the final stages of – with procurement and finance to set the budget aside for that. So purchasing LGCs, essentially. So rather than going through retailer, there's options to buy LGCs from the market, which could be more cost effective for council and achieve the same result of being net zero
00:54:00 for our electricity usage. Speaker 5: As well as investing in – For a PPA, for a more long term, and then the solar and batteries at the Resource Recovery Centre to be able to offset our logistic emissions as well. Councillor Lorentson: I'll speak just very quickly on the report. The report calls the last decade a positive journey, but I think the reality as we just discussed is a little bit more complicated. Half the emissions budget wasn't spent, the baseline target later turned out to be five times higher, and the resourcing behind the program only enough for the scale of the task. But I'm going to repeat the incredible quote that Cheyenne just said.
00:55:00 Favour is not when you set yourself an ambitious target and aim for the moon. When you land on the stars, that's still one step forward. And we're opening the conversation, we're learning from the past, and I think that's the opportunity. Again, I'll just reiterate, we need strong leadership, because even good plans struggle to get done, and there's someone driving the programs. And again, it starts at the top. In terms of the new climate positive investment roadmap, I'm really excited about that, and an absolute positive step in the right direction, provided we learn from the past. And again, this is, you know, the report's not about blame, it's just about total transparency and openness with the community. And again, opportunity.
00:56:00 We've got the opportunity. We've got the expertise here in Council. Again, we just need to enable you to do your job. Thank you. Mayor Wilkie: And it's worth noting that when we set the target in 2016, it wasn't a unanimous Council decision. Councillor Lorentson: Any further discussion? Deputy Mayor Stockwell: I will close. Councillor Lorentson: Close? Yeah. Deputy Mayor Stockwell: I think there's some really good points. And while I was, and always will, be frustrated that House was so far away from the society, it's so slow to react as a general, I do acknowledge that there is a unanimous commitment amongst Councils and executive staff to do as good as we can. And it is a difficult exercise to balance competing urgent needs with those that are, you know, the bird in the hand versus the two in the bush sort of thing. One part that we have benefited from is by leading, you know, as Councillor Wilkie, a lot of
00:57:00 the Councils that have gone down this path quicker than us have got much larger budgets to bigger ones. And a number of those had previously claimed carbon neutrality or zero emissions as a result of buying offsets and have walked away from that. So one of the benefits of being more thoughtful is that we haven't gone down to the road where it's cost our ratepayers a whole lot of money for offsets which are now coming into question as to their, the veracity. And in the report we talk about the staff that made that decision that they won't be recommending that sort of offset buying just to get to that 2026 target. And I think it's really important that we say, yeah, we agree with that approach. I'd love to see a scheme that was both counselled in, but also grants and incentives. I'd love to see all of the landslip prone, really steep land in our hinterland with trees all over them funded as carbon offsets. It would be a wonderful outcome and probably the cheapest outcome in terms of having meaningful
00:58:00 local offsets. So while I won't protect anything I said, I do think from our level we could have driven harder. I do think it has been constrained by the fact that we're trying to, I don't know, address future emergencies in the middle of repeated emergencies. And I do think that the process we've led for the adoption of the new target, the new form of action has been excellent. You know, with the level of advice we've received in a series of speakers who are at the top of their field in the world. IPCC members, Deloitte's. We have a really. Advanced level of understanding now of both the urgency and what is required and why it makes sense to take that action. Councillor Lorentson: No further discussion.
00:59:00 All in favour? Speaker 5: That's unanimous. Thank you. Councillor Lorentson: Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Councillor Lorentson: So now we want to item report, sorry, 7.3 for consideration of the committee. Welcome Patrick to the desk and I'll ask if you can give us a summary of the item which is the Planning and Environment Court Appeal D114 of 2025 for minor change to development permit for material change of use for a duplex dwelling at 1-27 Duke Street, Sunshine Beach. Speaker 2: Thank you. So this report recommends that Council defend a recently lodged appeal against the refusal under delegation of the additions to an existing duplex development at 27 Duke Street,
01:00:00 one of the units, number 1 of 27 Duke Street. It is seeking further additions. When the original development was approved, it was under the 1990 Planning Scheme which permitted a plot ratio of 0.45 to 1 and was approved at the maximum plot ratio. Since that time the scheme has changed to 0.4. This proposal is seeking that the plot ratio would be at least 0.54 to 1. So significantly over what we have now. The report was originally approved, significantly over the current allowance of the Noosa Plan. Accordingly, it was refused and as I said, the report recommends that Council defend the appeal. Councillor Lorentson: Questions around the table? Councilor Stockwell? Deputy Mayor Stockwell: Just clarifying, we can't really talk about the substance of this particular case.
7.3 132004.4552.01 - PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENT COURT APPEAL D114 OF 2025 FOR MINOR CHANGE TO A DEVELOPMENT PERMIT FOR A MATERIAL CHANGE OF USE FOR A DUPLEX DWELLING AT 1/27 DUKE STREET, SUNSHINE BEACH ¶
01:01:00 That's correct. So I'll move to direct staff recommendation. Councillor Lorentson: Seconded by Councilor Wagner. Deputy Mayor Stockwell: I will talk in general terms. We've had a series of appeals which relate to individual dwellings or dwelling units seeking to push the Noosa Plan well beyond its accepted limits. It is very disappointing that we are now in an era not of fighting appeals on large developments that are over scale, but individuals who are attracted to Noosa. Thank you. Because we've enforced the plan over 30 years and think that that shouldn't apply to them. Councillor Lorentson: Any further discussion before we put this to a right? Councilor Wagner. Councillor Wegener: What is this, you know, sticking to the code?
01:02:00 And I love Captain Barbosa. You know, stick to the code from the Pirates of the Caribbean. So, you know, sticking to the code. So, you know, please, you know, please carry on with upholding our planning scheme. Councillor Lorentson: Can I add maybe a more, a quote when I first came to Council, it was one of our freight managers downstairs and he had this big poster, Death by a Thousand Cuts, and that's really stuck with me throughout my whole term and the more time I spent in Council. The more time I spent in Council. Mayor Wilkie: And look, it's been said many times that about 96%, an average of 96% of all development applications that come to council are approved because they understand the Noosaponic scheme. Applicants that work with campaign staff and councillors get the approvals they need. This one is oversize. It's very clearly oversize. It can't be supported. Of course we're going to defend the appeal.
01:03:00 Deputy Mayor Stockwell: I will close, because I love the death by a thousand quotes quote. And the other way of saying... Mayor Wilkie: I think it was death by a thousand cuts, not death by a thousand quotes. Deputy Mayor Stockwell: That's what I see. I'm going to talk about the quote. ...is tyranny of many small decisions. And we've seen coastal town after coastal town who wouldn't defend. Their scheme as much as we did. Being the result of tyranny of many small decisions that resulted in the loss of their character. That's why Noosa Council does defend each decision where we think the applicant has gone beyond what is acceptable.
01:04:00 Councillor Lorentson: Thank you. Great discussion. Great commentary around the table. All in favour? Great, that's unanimous. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Patrick. I think you're still here. Just open. So we're now up to item 7.4. Item change 2 and insisting approval of all material change of the use, expansion of special purpose, waste disposal and recycling facility and ongoing clearing purposes. 5, 6, 1, 1. So I... I'm doing them. I'm going to hand it over to you, maybe Director Richard MacGillivray. Speaker 1: We've got Matt here, assessment planner. He's going to run us through. Speaker 6: Yes, thank you, everyone. Thank you, Matt. Yes, so this application for an other change to the existing approval for material change of use, special purpose for waste disposal and recycling facility. It followed a code assessment process and had the same rigour of assessment as any other application that Council would have before them.
01:05:00 The application seeks... The application seeks... To streamline and modernise the existing facility through the staged demolition, relocation and construction of existing facilities, including two-way bridges, one for public use and one for commercial operators, the redevelopment of the waste transfer station, and the relocation of the reviver shop with outdoor display and storage area, and an enhanced configuration and minor expansion of the waste disposal and recycling facility. The plans of the development have been prepared by an architectural and urban design firm and the minor expansion of the cleaned-away depot includes the clearing of category X vegetation immediately to the east and west of the depot and the...
7.4 132005.638.04 - OTHER CHANGE TO AN EXISTING APPROVAL FOR MATERIAL CHANGE OF USE - EXPANSION OF SPECIAL PURPOSE (WASTE DISPOSAL AND RECYCLING FACILITY) & ONGOING CLEARING PURPOSES AT 561 EUMUNDI NOOSA ROAD DOONAN ¶
01:06:00 The proposal plan showed that a high-value tree is being retained, so this is yet to be laid out. The proposed clearing triggers state planning policy and environmental offset requirements. The proposed clearing retains a substantial vegetation buffer along Eumundi Noosa Noosa Road. The design includes a number of safety improvements that address workplace health and safety matters associated with the operation of the facility and that includes the waste transfer station, reviver shop and clean away depot having been designed and sited to improve traffic flow and safety to increase capacity within the site. The new access lead-in road will reduce queuing near the existing Eumundi Noosa Noosa Road
01:07:00 access with provision made for the two separate way bridges. One for the general public use and the second for the commercial use to separate heavy vehicles from the public vehicles within the site. The relocation of the reviver shop towards the north. It provides a space for the new waste transfer station which will provide increased waste bins for disposal of different waste streams in a managed environment, improving traffic flow and safety and increasing the amount of recycling that can occur in the facility. There will be separation from the patrons attending the reviver shop and patrons attending the new waste transfer station, they have a designated separate parking area.
01:08:00 The new design of the waste transfer station limits the amount of pedestrian connectivity for patrons within the site. And segregates customers using the facility from endangers such as forklifts and trucks servicing the facility. There's enhanced safety within the expanded clean away depot that includes internal configuration improvements with some more on-site manoeuvring provided and a designated and separated truck parking area for the cleaning for the clean away trucks on the eastern side of the drainage line with a dedicated pedestrian walkway provided beside the existing road crossing. There was a question during the briefing about the staging of the works, so I'll just talk to that. There is staging proposed for the construction of the development to minimise the disruption
01:09:00 on the site which is to remain operational during works in accordance with the construction management plan. And it goes generally as follows. Stage 1 will involve the construction of the new roads and waybridge paths with the relocated waybridges for the separated commercial and general public use being provided. The existing waybridge is to remain in place to allow the continued operation of the facility in the interim. Stage 2 is the expansion of the clean away depot and relocation to the existing waybridge. The construction of the contractor office, wash bay and other facilities to allow clean away to function as required with dedicated truck parking within the resource recovery area to the east. Stage 3 is the construction of the new reviver shop and outdoor sales yard towards the north. And finally Stage 4 is the relocation of the existing waybridge, removal of the existing
01:10:00 reviver shop and construction of the new waste transfer site. And finally Stage 5 is the relocation of the existing waste transfer site to the north of the existing waste transfer area. So the compliance and assessment of the application, it generally complies with all the applicable statutory instruments and the key matters of the assessment include the proposed gross floor area of individual buildings, the proposed length of the building walls and the provision of car parking. So that generally sums up the proposal and we recommend it for approval. Councillor Lorentson: Thank you Matthew. Given Council's both the applicant and assessor, can you just sort of explain to us how we've ensured that the assessment in front of us is objective? Speaker 6: Yeah. So we have a third party consultant acting on Council's behalf. There's a separation between the two parts of Council.
01:11:00 Speaker 2: Yeah. So the third party consultant acting on Council's behalf. And the planning consultant is representing our waste team. So all communication has been through the planning consultant who's lodged the application on behalf of Council and coordinated the documentation. And officers have undertaken an independent assessment consistent with how any other application would be assessed. Yeah. Councillor Lorentson: Questions around the table? Councillor Wegener: Tom. The time frame's up. Yeah. How soon can we get this, get this really going? The reason of course is. On the border. Okay. Deputy Mayor Stockwell: Council's talking as the applicant, not as the assessor. Councillor Lorentson: Sorry. I need a little bit of clarity. Deputy Mayor Stockwell: So he's asking about a project that the applicant, we're here as the assessor. I think it confuses the matter if we start talking around this table when we're assessing a development application about our role as the applicant. Speaker 8: You're talking about us as the construction man.
01:12:00 Deputy Mayor Stockwell: I get confused every time. Yeah. As opposed to assessing the construction. Speaker 1: I can ask the director. You have that. Yes. Yeah. Through the chair. Yeah. So our role in particular in regards to this application, we're the assessment authority. So our role is, with this hat on today, is the assessing authority. So we're here to make the assessment decision. We have other hats as well that we wear. But in terms of the decision we're making today, our role is the assessment authority. And therefore, I guess the focus of the discussion today should be on the role as the assessment manager, as opposed to the project delivery team. Councillor Lorentson: So maybe I can help you rephrase the question, Councillor Leedner. If the development application is ratified at our ordinary meeting, in terms of the currency period for the development application, how long is that and when can we expect that
01:13:00 How long is the currency period? Have you got that? Yeah. Yeah. Six years. Speaker 2: So it's a continuation of the use? Because the use is established. There's no... You can't lapse that approval. I note the comments that have been made. It might be that these are questions that could be asked to the relevant director at a future point in time. A briefing provided to Council around the timeframe. We might just pause that. Councillor Lorentson: Again, just any further questions around the table. Mayor Wilkie: You mentioned 500 non-juvenile koala habitat trees to be planted in the offset at a ratio of six to one. Where will the offset take place occur? Speaker 3: So, Native Foresters is working for the applicant regarding the ecological works in collaboration with Moota Council's offset delivery teams.
01:14:00 I'll just say that we're working with Moota Council. They've identified a suitable offset site within the Noosa Council area at a particular location, 304 Lane Flat Road, Katharabah. Councillor Lorentson: Okay. Thank you. Are the offsets fully funded? Speaker 3: I think that's probably not for the assessment team to provide that information. Not for the assessment team. That's a decision for... Councillor Lorentson: Right. Yeah. We've got a different hat on. Okay. In terms of the koala habitat trees, there are 240 million koalas. How does clearing in a koala priority area meet state performance outcomes? Speaker 3: So, for impacts on regulated vegetation, the majority of the vegetation that's being cleared is category X. So, for threatened species and koala habitat, this stage of the project will result in the
01:15:00 loss of about 240 non-juvenile koala habitats. So, clearing of non-juvenile habitat trees in a priority koala area, so clearing of non-juvenile habitat trees, is considered a significant residual impact to a matter of the state environmental significance. As the site is identified as koala priority, but not core, it's triggered for assessment against the State Code 25. As part of the application, council officers have assessed against those triggers as for code 25, and in summary, the code sort of talks about three areas to be considered. So, has the clearing been reasonably avoided, or can it be avoided? Has the clearing been reasonably minimised, where it cannot be reasonably avoided? And has the clearing been mitigated through offsets? Thank you. Councillor Lorentson: And that assessment has been done through state and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait
01:16:00 Coast Guard. Speaker 3: The State, because it's Category X, the State has no assessment of that. That's devolved to Council, and Council's undertaken that assessment. Deputy Mayor Stockwell: So, it might be worthwhile, Category X is at what level, like we have endangered of concern, and then? Speaker 3: Category X is, it's a definition, Category X vegetation primarily under the Queensland Vegetation Management Act. The first two areas where clearing is generally considered exempt, or accepted development. So, for the purposes of mapping, it would come up as white, it wouldn't be identified as vegetation. Deputy Mayor Stockwell: And I think you do talk about it in your QALA, I'm sure you talk about it in your report. The majority of the QALA habitat trees are, because Malaluca quincunervia is listed as a QALA habitat feed tree.
01:17:00 It's one that is really when they're very, very hungry, is my understanding. I think the first time that that was ever recorded was back after the initial clearing for Noosa Springs. We found it, I think it was first noticed in Noosa of anywhere. The higher quality trees in that regional ecosystem, and what would have been there prior to it being clear felled in the 40s or 50s, whenever it was, is the Eucalyptus racemosa, the scribbler gum. I know you mentioned that one of those significant ones has been retained, how many of those actually high quality QALA trees are we losing, have we got a number on that? Speaker 3: We want it to come back to that, I believe it's, I think it's, I believe it's about six of those major trees with that one being kept within the car park and having a protection zone around it for its own there. Councillor Lorentson: So, you spoke about one of the criteria was, and I'm not sure what the criteria was, but
01:18:00 it can't be avoided, what other alternatives were considered as part of the system? Speaker 3: So essentially the K25 has a range of performance outcomes that need to be looked at and addressed. I guess given the site and the constraints of the site, it's very difficult to avoid any vegetation clearing. It's very difficult to avoid any vegetation clearing with an expansion like this, so looking at the next two steps, which would be to be reasonably minimised the effects of clearing, and I think this, the reporting sort of looks at how the extent of clearing has been reduced to increase that 30 metre buffer in that north-south direction, which is, has ticked that box for minimising clearing on the site. And then it's very difficult to avoid any vegetation clearing. And then further to that, mitigating the impacts by providing those offsets.
01:19:00 Speaker 2: And to add, I mean, the development is primarily using the existing footprint disturbed area, so some minor expansion with the vegetation in close proximity to those existing areas has resulted in some residual clearing. Councillor Lorentson: Thank you. Any further questions around the table, Mr Stockwell? Deputy Mayor Stockwell: No, I might, I might move it, so I'll just talk to it. Just a second. Councillor Lorentson: Thank you. Deputy Mayor Stockwell: We're dealing with an application here that's for a purpose that is consistent with the zoning. There is a small area around the north-west of the site that will have some additional clearing. And that is not in the endangered remnant section. We know that the applicant is not in the endangered remnant section. And there's also council, and we would, if we weren't, the applicant take into consideration
01:20:00 that this applicant has declared a whole lot of this particular lot to Nature Refuge to ensure nature conservation outcomes. And the commitment to further offset that loss, I think, is a good outcome because the need to bring our waste recovery facilities up to standard. Which this is part of a much broader precinct plan. The environmental benefits of achieving that outcome probably far outweigh the loss, the temporary loss of the vegetation along the edge of this area, which probably if we built to the edge of the car park, we would do as exempt for fire purposes anyway. Councillor Lorentson: Okay. Any further discussion? No. Around the table? No? Okay.
01:21:00 So we'll put that to a vote. All in favour? Thank you. That's unanimous. Thank you very much. Appreciate it. Speaker 6: Cool. Thank you. Councillor Lorentson: And we now move to reports for noting by the committee. And item 8.1, planning applications, decided by delegated authority. And I'll hand it over to you. Thank you. Speaker 2: So this is the decisions that were made by delegated authority for the month of October in 2025. Heard it from you before. A good spread of applications. Another consistent month from the team with all the decisions under delegation being approved this month for October. Thank you. Councillor Lorentson: Any further questions around the table? Questions around the table? Mayor Wilkie: No short term accommodations in there. No?
01:22:00 No. A rhetorical question. Councillor Lorentson: Any further questions around the table? Deputy Mayor Stockwell: I haven't met. Oh. Councillor Lorentson: Councillor Stockwell? Deputy Mayor Stockwell: There was just an interesting one there about removal of an environmental covenant, which got my radar going. And I think it's a good point. On questioning, I found out that it was a perverse use of an environmental covenant to achieve a bushfire protection area buffer, which we wouldn't do these days. So it's not about losing environmental values by that action. So I support the decision by staff. Councillor Lorentson: No further discussion. Can I have a mover and a seconder, please? Thank you. Councillor Wegener. And a seconder. Deputy Mayor Stockwell: Do you want to do it? Councillor Lorentson: You get it. You get it. Thank you. I'm happy to second. No further discussion. All in favour? Thank you. So we're now moving to the last matter, which is confidential session item 9.1.
8 REPORTS FOR NOTING BY THE COMMITTEE ¶
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8.1 PLANNING APPLICATIONS DECIDED BY DELEGATED AUTHORITY – OCTOBER 2025 ¶
01:23:00 Not for public release. Environment levy proposed land purchase. So I'm going to move that this item is not for public release. And we might close the meeting with a confidential century. Can I have a seconder, please? Thank you. Councillor Wegener. All in favour, please? Thank you.
9 CONFIDENTIAL SESSION ¶
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9.1 CONFIDENTIAL: NOT FOR PUBLIC RELEASE – ENVIRONMENT LEVY PROPOSED LAND PURCHASE ¶
01:45:00 Thank you. We're now looking at item 9.1, confidential not for public release, environment levy proposed land purchase. Councillor Stockwell? Deputy Mayor Stockwell: I move that the matter be referred to the General Committee for further consideration. Councillor Lorentson: No.
01:46:00 Councillor Wegener. All in favour? That's unanimous. And that brings us... That's all right. Just having some technical issues. Thank you very much. It's a confidential session. We've got a new...
10 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.