Open Noosa

The global theme of this year’s International Women’s Day is ‘Break the Bias’. Recent revelations about parliament house, corporates, and competitive sports are dismaying and shine a spotlight on what is still going on. This article looks at progress, including in Noosa.

Judy Barrass reflects on John Hare’s article in Noosa Matters which suggests that public transport can provide the answers to traffic congestion. Judy believes the broader Sunshine Coast solutions would not necessarily solve Noosa's traffic woes.

The story of how since 2000 Noosa Council has been paying for free holiday buses and then - after extensive work, expense, public consultation and approval of a comprehensive strategy to address traffic, parking and transport issues - the Council continues to mainly offer free buses.

At its special budget meeting in June, Noosa Council voted to absorb what used to be the Tourism and Economic Levy into its general rates and took on what was previously Tourism Noosa's responsibility for 'destination management'. In this article, Ingrid Jackson explores what role groups of unelected people played in this and asks whether Noosa Council may become dependent on such people regarding how to proceed.

Aware of the Noosa Council apparent takeover of Tourism Noosa, Ingrid Jackson has been reminded of how in 2000 she project managed the communications for the merger of CBA with Colonial, the biggest merger in Australian history. In 2006, she published this article ‘How to Host a Merger’ in Today's Manager, the journal of the Singapore Institute of Management, about her experience in the takeover war zone. This can be something to compare the struggle that lies ahead for Noosa Council and Tourism Noosa.

Rod Richie sat on the STSRG (Sustainable Tourism Stakeholder Reference Group) as a resident group representative. Rod explains why he believes tourism is core Noosa Council business. Rod provides a declaration presented to STSRG in July 2019.

When the lines were drawn across the Queensland border, it left many young people homeless and destitute while footy players and their families came and went. Desire Gralton believes these forgotten ones will remember, and they won’t look kindly on the mess this generation of leaders will be leaving behind.

You asked where I stand. This is where I stand on what some call 'medical apartheid' and priorities in this difficult time of division.

Tourism Noosa is imploding as Noosa Council, with plenty of problems of its own, takes over some key functions of the tourism body and the $3 million a year it generates from members. Keith Jackson looks at what’s happening, why and who is going to benefit.

It appeared that Noosa Council had done it again: first seeming to be amenable to a worthwhile proposal, then negotiating for many months, towards the end imposing burdensome conditions, and finally rejecting yet another project that would have benefited the community. Ingrid Jackson explores what happened to a Tewantin development application.

The common consensus is that COVID will be around for years to come, so Rod Ritchie believes it's time to take a reality check. Rod outlines how the new normal will impact residents, businesses and tourism in general as we start living with COVID.

Desire Gralton believes the Sunrise Beach Community will pay for a lack of vision for many decades to come as bad decisions are enforced on residents without due acknowledgement of valid concerns and without any community engagement. What do you think?

Short term accommodation managed via the Noosa Plan will not diversify the Noosa economy, nor will it fix housing affordability, remove traffic congestion or ensure neighbourhood amenity, according to Ingrid Jackson. Effectively managed, short term accommodation could be an important part of offering the Noosa economy more adaptability and flexibility.

The Noosa Biosphere Reserve Foundation (NBRF) has put out a call for volunteer directors. We were nudged to reach out to our networks in a much welcome attempt to gender-balance the currently all male board.

Rod Ritchie reflects on the long term impact of short-term lets and how those representing us at the local level have the power to form our hard-won Noosa values on town planning regulations into a commodity that can be bought and sold on a housing market.

At a recent Noosa Council meeting, a misunderstood statistic was propagated with potentially grievous implications for decision-making about housing and short term accommodation. Percentages of percentages can sound like a lot, but may really just indicate minuscule differences.

During the July Noosa Council meetings, staff recommended refusal of applications for short term accommodation, despite previous approvals of similar. We witnessed attempted policy change by stealth, an untransparent write-in campaign, torrid councillor deliberations and the rejection of a ratepayer’s application on the basis of opinion instead of policy. Former councillor Ingrid Jackson provides an analysis.

Fifteen months after the council elections, Ingrid Jackson reviews the progress of Mayor Clare Stewart, the first woman leader in Noosa since its creation as a shire in 1910. Ingrid’s analysis shows Clare Stewart is emerging as a capable inclusive community leader who aims to empower the whole community, not just those who govern it.

Last week Spencer and his mum Maxine tabled Spencer's 44,000 strong petition to Noosa Council to formally acknowledge the huge support received to save this critical Glossy Black habitat. It also included a letter to the CEO requesting him to halt any clearing until an independent ecological report is done as we believe the current report to be defective.

As the women of Noosa rise to fundraise and assist the victims of Domestic Violence, Bettina Walter, Ingrid Jackson and Desire Gralton explore the politics and policies that exacerbate the problems and propose that individual acts of kindness are not enough to counter the brutal attack on social services by some political parties.

This letter was sent to the Queensland Moderator and President of the Uniting Church and copied to Noosa Mayor Clare Stewart who is willing to meet and discuss alternatives to the Blue Care development at Sunrise Beach. We are still hoping the Church will acknowledge the wishes of the local community to save this important habitat and take up the offer to meet with Noosa Council.