2021-08-10 Planning & Environment Committee Meeting Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                          10 AUGUST 2021


•       Information in newsletters and publications;
•       Public displays at key events during Climate Week;
•       Emails and newsletters to community groups, business associations, utility providers and
        social service networks;
•       Internal briefings with Council staff;
•       Information and links to the plan on Council’s Your Say Noosa Page; and
•       Face to face and telephone discussions and email enquiries with the community relating to the
        plan.

A total of 16 submissions were received from individuals, Unitywater, business associations and
community groups, with many providing detailed comments in support of the plan, as well as useful
suggestions for improvement. There were no submissions indicating any objections to the plan or its
contents.

At the pop up displays and events during Climate Week (21-28 March 2021), Council staff spoke to
numerous people about the range of climate related initiatives Council and the local community are
involved in and received positive feedback and support for the intent and actions set out in the
Climate Change Response Plan (CCRP).

Key messages from the submissions and the proposed Council response are summarised below:

    Community comment                                   Proposed response
    Ongoing community involvement
    Community groups are interested in ongoing          A community reference group is to be established
    involvement and being active contributors in the    with community group representatives to assist with
    implementation of the plan.                         implementing the plan.
    Need to prioritise Indigenous knowledge systems     Wording added to the plan to highlight the
    (land management and ecosystem resilience) and      importance of this Indigenous engagement.
    involve and consider the needs of Kabi Kabi first
    nations people.
    Need to engage with youth and prioritise the        Agree. The University of Sunshine Coast conducted
    intergenerational issues related to climate risk.   a youth survey with Noosa youth in early 2021 to
                                                        gauge what local youth think and know about climate
                                                        change and to help understand how to support,
                                                        empower and build a sense of agency for responding
                                                        to climate change. The survey targeted youth
                                                        between 14-18 years old with 425 survey responses.
                                                        The survey was conducted ahead of the Noosa
                                                        Youth Summit to be held August this year.
    Monitoring and evaluation
    Evaluation of the plan should be done at least      The plan includes a comprehensive monitoring and
    annually, not every two years as proposed.          evaluation framework with ‘lead’ and ‘lag’ indicators
                                                        for measuring progress. The two-year monitoring
                                                        period is in line with the review of the Environment
                                                        Strategy. An interim-year review of the plan to set
                                                        direction for the subsequent year and support budget
                                                        submissions is now proposed.




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