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.
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.
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.
Glossy Update March 2021
by Desiré Gralton, Bob Carey, Maxine & Spencer Hitchen
Last week we invited Mayor Clare for a walk around the proposed development site and were impressed by her openness and willingness to hear our concerns. Glossy Team...
When a temporary art installation of Glossy Black-Cockatoo feathers popped up on the corner of Grasstree Court at the edge of the proposed development over Christmas, Spencer was there to capture it in his own thoughtful style.
The following letter was written by Spencer and his mum Maxine and sent to the Uniting Church President Deidre Palmer, who has referred their concerns to the Synod of Queensland. The quote "Killing the planet is against our religion” referred to in the letter was found on the Uniting Church Australia Facebook page and we totally agree that killing the planet is not okay.
Desiré Gralton reflects on the juxtaposition of the Blue Care / Lendlease project with Bob Carey front and centre in her mind. Here we have a man who has spent decades of his life fighting to protect the remaining habitat of the Glossy Black Cockatoos in our region, yet could be in the market for a facility just like this. So would this suit his needs? Here's what Bob had to say...
As a big fan of Shaun Micallef’s Mad As Hell and especially the traffic updates from Lois Price in the Mad As Helicopter, Desiré Gralton gives her very own Mad-Ass and slightly cranky perspective on the impact the Blue Care development is going to have on traffic in the Sunrise Beach area.
In this post Nick Hluszko argues that the exceedingly negative view of beam trawling is based upon a very limited or scant understanding of the scale and practice of prawning in the Noosa River, inviting Councillors and senior staff to spend time on one of the remaining 6 prawn trawler operators in the river to get a firsthand understanding of the activity and witness at close quarters some of the impacts. Failure to do so can only lead to personal opinion based upon emotion, subjectivity and vague, tailored data.
The Noosaville Library at Wallace Park Noosaville is hosting an exhibition showing how urban gardeners can help protect Noosa’s most valuable asset: its natural environment. Put together by NICA stalwarts Stephanie Haslam, Kay Southam and Suzanne Bloomfield, the display features photographs and artwork of inspirational native gardens.
The Sunshine Beach State High School P&C this week unveiled the Whale-trailer, a Containers for Change collection point that can be used at the school and at community events to raise funds for other environmental and student well-being initiatives at the school.
Are rules meant to be broken, ask Judy Barrass in response to Ingrid Jackson’s Article about the Noosa Plan. Judy believes families, societies and governments cannot operate without structure and agreed rules about what is acceptable and what is not, and a land use plan gives a structure to land use and confidence that there is and will be some order in how things happen. It's the big debate that needs to happen, and we welcome all views.
