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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
At an International Women’s Day luncheon on Monday, Ingrid Jackson spoke along with seven other women on the topic of ‘Dare to Challenge’. She shared how she dared to challenge as a Noosa councillor. Here’s what she had to say.
Ingrid Jackson expected council debates would involve the presentation of rational arguments - supported by research, evidence and facts. In this article she explains how instead too often fallacies, misrepresentations and tricks are used to ‘win’ a point or argument.
In this post, Ingrid Jackson gives an overview of how 'housing affordability' differs from 'affordable housing', how these are addressed in the new Noosa Plan, what was left out, and the next steps proposed by Noosa's mayor.
With the Queensland state election a few days away, who do we vote for? For Desiré the answer is simple: Leave the big parties behind. They are no longer in it for the people. They are failing us on so many levels, and by keeping them in power we are contributing to the problem, supporting a system of growing inequality and a game that is stacked against us. Instead, be independent and vote for independent candidates so we can change the dodgy system.
With the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, there’s no denying it - we’re all grieving to a lesser or greater extent. Ingrid Jackson relates the stages of grief to the current pandemic, concluding that politicians who prefer to keep their constituents in shock, in denial, anger and depression are doing no one a favour. Even if they engender dependency and false gods to win re-election, the only way to deal with change is to empower people to take control of their lives and embrace the new.
Kabi Kabi family elder Uncle Tais K’Reala Randanpi aka Les MucKan runs First Nations tours on a beautiful property on the ridge of Buderim - check out this short introduction produced by Channel 7 last week.
Spending a morning walking...
Organiser of the Black Lives Matter march on the Sunshine Coast event was Sunrise Beach resident Tamika Sadler. Tamika is studying Environmental Science and works as a community organiser and campaigner. Here is what Tamika has to say.
As Black Lives Matter protests spread across the world, we sat down with a coffee and had a yarn with musician and former Mayor of Noosa and the Sunshine Coast Bob Abbot to hear his stories relating to Indigenous matters in our part of the world.
