ORDINARY MEETING MINUTES DATED 18 SEPTEMBER 2025 · 2025-09-18 Ordinary Meeting Minutes

ORDINARY MEETING MINUTES                                                       18 SEPTEMBER 2025


7.    DEPUTATIONS

7.1   APPLICANT: THOMAS DRAPER
      TOPIC: DMP
      SPEAKERS: THOMAS DRAPER & JASON BECKTON


8.    PUBLIC QUESTION TIME

8.1   ALAN DEERING

      QUESTION 1
      Noosa Council is guided by, and not dictated by the Austroads Standards and Guidelines,
      also the Department of Main Roads Planning and Design Manual, so the Noosa Plan that
      states when sealing dirt roads they must be no less than 9 metres is a Noosa Council initiative.
      Does Noosa Council agree that any future sealing of dirt roads in the Noosa Shire will be to
      a minimum width of 9 metres?
      RESPONSE by Shaun Walsh, Director Infrastructure Services
      Noosa Council is guided by, but not strictly bound to, professional standards like:
       Austroads Standards and Guidelines;
       Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) Planning and Design
          Manual;
       Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (IPWEA) “Lower Order Road Design
          Guidelines”.
      These documents provide best-practice frameworks, but local governments like Noosa
      Council have the autonomy to adopt higher or more tailored standards based on local
      priorities, environmental considerations, and community expectations. You are correct that
      the Noosa Plan (and associated infrastructure policies) specifies minimum carriageway and
      shoulder widths for various road classifications for Noosa Shire. We can vary from these
      specifications for a specific project requiring engineering justification to enable Council
      support. Notably, the IPWEA “Lower Order Road Design Guidelines” updated recently in
      2024, specifies a sealed carriage width of 5.5 metres when traffic volumes are low, and
      provides a very good reference to inform any future detailed design for lower order unsealed
      roads across Noosa Shire. Council can also consider this recently updated document in any
      future review of the Noosa Plan and associated infrastructure policies. I also note that
      following various representations from the community, Council has initiated a review of
      Council's approach to management of unsealed roads, with broader consideration of
      environmental, community benefit and traffic safety matters to more fully inform future
      prioritisation and budget submissions for road sealing, of course subject to Council budget
      approval.

      QUESTION 2
      Noosa Council employees such as Plant Operators are required to undergo a mandatory silica
      test every 12 months. Noosa Council recognises the workplace risks of airborne dust but
      totally ignores the health risks of airborne dust to ratepayers living on dirt roads. Why hasn't
      Noosa Council addressed the dust issue of residents living on dirt roads in Noosa Shire by at
      least adding dust suppressant in water trucks when annual resheeting of dirt roads?
      RESPONSE by Shaun Walsh, Director Infrastructure Services
      In terms of health risk, Council has undertaken a technical assessment of the potential health
      risks associated with silica dust generated from unsealed gravel roads within the Noosa
      Council region. It has evaluated the material composition, maintenance practices, and
      environmental exposure context, referencing applicable standards and research findings.
      Crystalline silica (SiO₂), primarily in the form of quartz, is a naturally occurring mineral found
      in many geological materials including sand, clay, and gravel. Respirable crystalline silica