Not so much a flight of fancy but rather a vision of what could be, my Noosa 2040 turned out less shiny on the surface yet far more sustainable due to forward thinking and a changing of the old guard.
The lack of diversity that for too long stifled debate in Council chambers had been replaced with a vibrant and energetic Council keen to drive progress.
The Republic of Australia
Noosa 2040 sits within a different national landscape. The States had been abolished in favour of a Republic, where Australians could finally swear allegiance to their own country rather than a distant Queen. The billions of dollars saved on duplication of different environmental and other laws, as well as administration costs, saw a unified country tackle huge challenges in a more streamlined and productive way.
Instead of having States where boundaries were drawn as straight lines across a map, Local Governments now formed regional alliances across natural boundaries like water catchments to ensure a fair distribution of natural resources. Improving relationships with our neighbouring shires allowed us to better coordinate overlapping responsibilities, giving economies of scale needed to provide cost effective services.
Biosphere Rights
The Noosa Biosphere Reserve Foundation had undergone another revamp with the passing of the old guard, allowing it to move with the times. The Noosa Biosphere was awarded one of Australia’s first rights for nature laws, giving it the same rights as a person or a corporation. The decision was based on the New Zealand ruling to give the Whanganui River the rights of personhood. That meant the Biosphere could act as a person in a court of law; it now had legal standing.
The Noosa Environment Plan was strengthened accordingly with a clear vision to enhance and protect our land and water, and all grant funding was directed to the local organisations working towards these same goals. There were no more calls for “big ideas” – just sensible funding of the crucial work that needed to be done as we prepared for a changing climate.
The new vision was based on the concept that, regardless of whether one believed in climate change or not, directing actions towards clean and healthy air and waterways, minimising our waste and maximising food production, meant the local community would be able to survive any national or international disasters, and the world would generally be a better place.
An Indigenous Voice
Realising that the political system had been so biased towards the patriarchy and needed a bit of help towards diversity, Noosa Council assigned a dedicated Councillor seat for an Indigenous voice, and enforced at least two positions to be female to ensure better representation and prevent groupthink from drowning out valid points of view.
Land and River Rangers
A team of rangers had been trained and employed to enhance and protect our parks and public areas. They also have the ability to issue fines for illegal littering.
Previously the onus weighed heavily on non profit organisations to provide necessary services, and it was a struggle to keep up with demand. While there will always be a place for volunteering, proper management of our assets required a dedicated team.
Rangers receive the necessary VET training and are housed in low cost, sustainable housing on the TAFE land. Construction of the facilities formed part of a Skilling Australia project.
The TAFE building was turned into an Indigenous art and heritage building with lots of information about the local history, stories and more. Money raised from the art shop helps to maintain the land and the building.
Turbocharged Waste Stations
In response to developing nations turning back Australia’s waste, Noosa Council decided to turbocharge the waste stations, directing some funding to help facilitate small scale recycling facilities and commercial composting so we could manage all our waste instead of trucking, stockpiling and shipping it off to all corners of the earth.
Programs like Plastic Free Noosa and Boomerang Bags had a profound impact on our community with many businesses, events, schools and households doing their part. Realising that we needed to turn off the tap instead of trying to stop the flow from the leaky bucket, all businesses in the shire were required to adhere to strict regulations around waste and water management.
Ongoing behaviour change programs have led to residents consuming less, not renewing the “look and feel” all the time, not always going for the “high yield” but actually being content with the fit for purpose, more basic options around. Rather, they opted for the priceless things that a close knit, resilient community can bring.
Tackling Traffic Woes
After many years of talking about traffic issues but little action, the new and more diverse Noosa Council invested heavily to create world-class cycling and pedestrian infrastructure, making active transport the number one choice of transport across the Shire. Cycling infrastructure upgrades were prioritised around schools first, to alleviate traffic congestion during school pick up and drop off times. By 2040 the coast and hinterland were all connected making cycling an enjoyable option to get around, no matter where in the Shire one needed to go.
Adding another level of parking behind the cinema and at The J carpark helped revitalise the Junction area. Regular e-shuttles take people to the Main Beach area, which has been blocked off for all traffic except buses, bikes, shuttles and taxis and other service vehicles.
This opened the Woods area for special events, markets and shady picnic spots.
Better Human Integration
The perimeter of the land acquired around Yurol and Ringtail Forests have been divided into smaller one or two acre lots and made available for low cost housing, provided that tenants sign agreements to care for the land and wildlife on it. This has provided some safety for koalas and other wildlife that now call these forests home, adding a barrier between the forests and main roads. Low cost housing was built on these properties using Skilling Australia trainees and tenants received training and education in conservation and land management, learning to grow their own food and building materials through mosaic planting of food trees, bamboo and hardwood species for buildings, and feed trees for vulnerable species.
Earth Tech Challenge
The winner of the Earth Tech Challenge revolutionised the way we tackled the climate emergency, taking action out of the hands of governments and placing it firmly in the remit of a growing number of activist groups like GetUp, the Australian Youth Climate Coalition, Extinction Rebellion and more.
The Personal Emissions Calculator provided each human being, no matter how rich or poor, with a certain amount of carbon credits. All actions would either add to or subtract from the allocated carbon budget. All of a sudden that weekend flight to Bali became a lot more expensive, because your annual carbon budget had been blown. That new phone, or the excess packaging around the food or other products you buy will all affect your budget, making you think twice about where you spend your money. This led to the demise of many environmentally destructive industries.
The trees you planted or money invested in other carbon sinks may give you a bit more leeway, or perhaps another person who decided not to fly anymore wanted to sell their credits. Why not purchase credits from people in third world countries who need funds to grow more food or establish sustainable businesses.
The people’s carbon credits started out as a voluntary scheme quickly taken up by the billions of people who realised that governments couldn’t be trusted with their welfare. The poor would benefit from the scheme, so signing up was a no-brainer. The wealthy who didn’t want to participate in the scheme became targets of Extinction Rebellion activists. Soon living in their mansion jails would become unbearable and they too decided to join.
The “high-yield” super wealthy were last seen on a rocket heading for Mars 🙂
About Noosa 2040
Noosa 2040 is a rolling project inviting the community to contribute future scenarios for Noosa from any viewpoint – wishful, realistic or a poetic flight of fancy. Send your vision to editor@opennoosa.org. As always contributions do not necessarily reflect the view of the editorial team.
