The Noosa Council ordinary meeting of Thursday 20 December, 2018
Mayor Tony Wellington was in the chair and Cr Jess Glasgow had apologised for his absence as the meeting commenced at 6pm with a rare mayoral minute recommending that the council purchase for $1.7 million the old TAFE college site, which had been closed by the state government in 2014 after just eight years operation. The site consists of four now decrepit buildings on 11.4 hectares of scrubby land. Its closure met with community opposition at the time and there has since been a strong desire to reinstate the facility.
Cr Wellington said the site, the purchase of which had been aided by state MP Sandy Bolton, had many potential uses. He also said the site contained “endangered vegetation” that should be under council control, adding that the council would determine the best use for this “valuable asset” and $1.7 million was “great buying”. Of course, the purchase price will be just one small part of what the council will need to spend refurbishing, maintaining and operating this facility. The estimates show that if leased even with full occupancy, it would not return a surplus.
The mayor referred to a special council meeting in August when the costs and outcomes for the site had been discussed. He did not mention that the purchase was not envisioned in the council’s corporate plan, operational plan, social strategy or local economic plan. He also did not mention that a staff report analysing uses for the site had found its use by the council was not feasible.
Well, the council staff may have problems with the purchase but, like many people in the shire, I consider it a good deal and that it should find its new use as soon as possible. What worries me, though, is that a local smarty might commandeer the site for a purpose more related to their narrow interests, like a home for the Noosa Biosphere Reserve Foundation. It’s well known that Noosa Parks Association (NPA) has canvassed for a suitable site to develop an eco-tourism interpretive centre and I’m concerned the mayor will be pushed into acceding to such demands.
It also interested me to learn that a number of correspondents to social media also saw there might be some ulterior motive in the purchase. Something we’re not being told about.
Anyway, back to the meeting itself. After Cr Wellington’s introduction, Cr Ingrid Jackson asked the finance director to indicate the costs to council for the site after the $1.7 million purchase. The tables produced showed costs escalating from $1.1 million in the first year with revenue (assuming full occupancy) rising from $350,000 to $450,000 over 10 years. There’s a big gap of $750,000 in the first year alone.
Cr Jackson then asked, in light of council staff reporting that many potential uses were inconsistent with Noosa Plan zoning, how an inconsistent use would be handled. The mayor agreed there were some caveats and the planning director agreed use would be subject to planning assessment. But Cr Stockwell said there would be “no pressure” on ratepayers and the site would be a good asset. This turned out to be the general view of councillors. Presumably any zoning conflict can be fixed.
Cr Joe Jurisevic said the site will be “a valuable asset”, and noted there are high community expectations. Cr Frank Pardon called it an “excellent purchase” and a “no brainer [with] lots of opportunities”. Deputy mayor Cr Frank Wilkie said the site is “a highly strategic asset [purchased] at a fraction of the real price; a once in a generation opportunity we can’t delay.” He foreshadowed “great community discord if we didn’t purchase now”.
Cr Jackson said she couldn’t vote for approval in the absence of a review of potential uses. She said the council should have a definite plan and there was no business plan. And she was concerned about the impact on other major infrastructure projects. Cr Jackson concluded by saying she would like to see a cost benefit analysis from the CEO.
The matter went to the vote and was passed 5-1, with Cr Jackson opposing.
Community reaction did not take long to emerge
Although I think the TAFE site purchase is a good deal, I can also understand why Cr Jackson has reservations. The proposal was not in the 2018-19 budget and there will be significant additional costs which will impact on already overstretched council resources. The budget review committee will be working overtime as more projects scheduled for 2019 and beyond are deferred to the never-never.
I’m not an avid Facebook follower but I know people who are and they tell me that public reaction to the decision fired up very quickly.
Annie Guthrie wrote she had “similar questions and thoughts” as Cr Jackson, observing that just “buying the land seemed the main reason given for the purchase as an extension of a huge push by council to do the same in other areas of Noosa this year.”
Ian Pratt, CEO of Lexis English, said he had “investigated this facility, its upkeep costs and the funds that would be required to return it to a state fit for purpose” before deciding not to proceed with his interest in the site. “If there is a costed and potentially beneficial public use lined up then fantastic, if not why on earth are we as a community taking these costs on?” he said.
Judy Barrass wrote that “anyone reading council’s own report will know there are substantial costs over and above the purchase price and few possibilities that can return the $1.7 million”. She commented that “by using environment levy funds this council has either limited the future possibilities for the site or made a mockery of the environment levy.”
I too do not understand why the environmental levy should be used to part fund the purchase. This site is not pristine or native bush. In truth, it has very little environmental significance. My research shows that an original proposal from council to use this land occurred when then councillor Lew Brennan had development responsibilities.
Cr Brennan’s concept was criticised at the time by NPA and its related councillors because of supposed ‘environmental significance’ but this rationale was debunked when evidence emerged that the land was originally the Tewantin rubbish dump. By that measure of significance, these environmental claims for the TAFE site are just plain wrong.
Community advocate Rod Ritchie saw the decision as “a speculative purchase using ratepayer funds”. He also noted the council would need “to pay an extra $357,000 in the next 12 months to repair the buildings. Meanwhile, we are being told that the shire’s 197 km of dirt roads will stay that way in the foreseeable future.”
Mr Ritchie continued: “And by using environment levy funds in the purchase we will further starve the western hinterland of funds for bushland repair and regeneration, and riparian protection for waters that feed the Mary River system and the town water supply of Lake Macdonald.”
Can we get up to 100 different uses for the TAFE site?
But despite these concerned views about the suitability of the purchase, social media commentators were full of ideas for what the council should do with the site.
Among the suggestions: “a Noosa Biosphere Institute” (JW Wood); “you can never have too many digital hubs” (Patrick Lloyd, tongue firmly in cheek); “the way the council is sending this town, may as well turn it into an aged care facility” (Garry Herbert); a solution for “homelessness in partnership with the department of housing” (Dallace Menchin); “a centre of excellence in hospitality” (Adrian Just, who had already sent council a detailed proposal).
And there were more including a return to a training facility, which Steven Campbell wrote would “create long term and short term employment opportunities” as “a world class hub for hospitality”; and a “government funded Sunshine Coast Museum of Contemporary Art (Meaghan Shelton).
Lots of good ideas, and I’m sure there will be many more, but all will require substantial development, establishment, operational and maintenance costs. This conflict between desire and resources is not unusual for Noosa Council, which I hope can get on top of the funding issues and quickly announce an acceptable use.
And with that, it just remains for me to wish all my readers the compliments of the season.
