Minutes Ordinary Meeting 15 May 2025.pdf

ORDINARY MEETING MINUTES                                                        15 MAY 2025


            staff did attend the site in response to your requests and conducted works to clean
            the front of the pipes and remove debris. After this was complete, the staff signed
            off on the system work order as complete because they had cleared the debris and
            the water was now flowing freely. The system then automatically sent you text
            messages advising that the requests “had been resolved” as the staff had actioned
            the task and completed the work that they saw necessary at the time. You
            submitted further requests three weeks ago (RM2025/09299 and RM2025/00304)
            regarding the fallen tree. Staff have attended the site and agreed that the fallen
            tree is detouring water onto the road and should be considered for removal. Due
            to current work backlogs this has not progressed further. I acknowledge that you
            only received text communications in 2024 and that these messages would have
            been confusing and frustrating as they did not reference the tree across the
            waterway and indicated the matter had been resolved when it had not been from
            your perspective. We are reviewing our processes when responding to customer
            requests including improving communication with customers and ensuring system
            messages are meaningful. Your feedback has been helpful and I have provided it
            to the team doing this review.

            QUESTION 2
            How does Noosa Council's quality control system regarding road
            maintenance/road repair including external companies/contractors work?
            RESPONSE PROVIDED BY SHAUN WALSH, DIRECTOR INFRASTRUCTURE
            SERVICES
            Thankyou for your question. Upper Pinbarren Creek Road is an unsealed road of
            over 5kms length with multiple waterway crossings, noting Noosa Shire has
            approximately 200kms of unsealed road across the Shire. Over the last 3 years
            Noosa Shire has had significant rainfall across the shire that has caused road
            infrastructure failures in over 20 locations, and the weather has proven to be very
            problematic in term of ongoing drainage issues and road failures. The Upper
            Pinbarren Creek catchment is particularly volatile from flashing flooding and road
            damage due to steep hills and multiple waterway crossings. In terms of quality
            control for major repair works, such as the landslide repair work recently
            undertaken on the road, this work is overseen by external contracted engineers
            with expertise in landslides and road reconstruction. Review of the work adequacy
            is also assessed by Council's own engineers to ensure satisfactory outcomes. In
            terms of quality control for routine road surface maintenance and drainage clearing
            work, this work is undertaken by Council internal crews, overseen by Council's
            own engineers to ensure satisfactory outcomes. It is acknowledged that Council
            has a back log of maintenance requests on our unsealed roads and associated
            drains, arising from ongoing wet weather and damage, including Upper Pinbarren
            Creek Road. This has been compounded in recent weeks with protected industrial
            action by Council's outside workforce halting maintenance works. Council will
            attend to outstanding road maintenance and drainage tasks on Upper Pinbarren
            Creek Road as soon as possible, but within the constraints of available staff and
            maintenance budgets. Council appreciates all residents’ patience arising from
            ongoing poor weather and recent industrial action impacting maintenance delivery
            across the Shire.


   8.2.     PAT SPICER

            QUESTION 1
            The overall emphasis in this question is seeking transparency, understanding
            details and ensuring community’s needs and concerns are properly addressed in
            the council decision making process, so what are council’s plans for the community
            consultation for future uses of Lots 2 and 3 of the subdivision at 62 Lake


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ORDINARY MEETING MINUTES 15 MAY 2025

 

8.2.

staff did attend the site in response to your requests and conducted works to clean
the front of the pipes and remove debris. After this was complete, the staff signed
off on the system work order as complete because they had cleared the debris and
the water was now flowing freely. The system then automatically sent you text
messages advising that the requests “had been resolved” as the staff had actioned
the task and completed the work that they saw necessary at the time. You
submitted further requests three weeks ago (RM2025/09299 and RM2025/00304)
regarding the fallen tree. Staff have attended the site and agreed that the fallen
tree is detouring water onto the road and should be considered for removal. Due
to current work backlogs this has not progressed further. | acknowledge that you
only received text communications in 2024 and that these messages would have
been confusing and frustrating as they did not reference the tree across the
waterway and indicated the matter had been resolved when it had not been from
your perspective. We are reviewing our processes when responding to customer
requests including improving communication with customers and ensuring system
messages are meaningful. Your feedback has been helpful and | have provided it
to the team doing this review.

QUESTION 2

How does Noosa Council's quality control system regarding road
maintenance/road repair including external companies/contractors work?
RESPONSE PROVIDED BY SHAUN WALSH, DIRECTOR INFRASTRUCTURE
SERVICES

Thankyou for your question. Upper Pinbarren Creek Road is an unsealed road of
over 5kms length with multiple waterway crossings, noting Noosa Shire has
approximately 200kms of unsealed road across the Shire. Over the last 3 years
Noosa Shire has had significant rainfall across the shire that has caused road
infrastructure failures in over 20 locations, and the weather has proven to be very
problematic in term of ongoing drainage issues and road failures. The Upper
Pinbarren Creek catchment is particularly volatile from flashing flooding and road
damage due to steep hills and multiple waterway crossings. In terms of quality
control for major repair works, such as the landslide repair work recently
undertaken on the road, this work is overseen by external contracted engineers
with expertise in landslides and road reconstruction. Review of the work adequacy
is also assessed by Council's own engineers to ensure satisfactory outcomes. In
terms of quality control for routine road surface maintenance and drainage clearing
work, this work is undertaken by Council internal crews, overseen by Council's
own engineers to ensure satisfactory outcomes. It is acknowledged that Council
has a back log of maintenance requests on our unsealed roads and associated
drains, arising from ongoing wet weather and damage, including Upper Pinbarren
Creek Road. This has been compounded in recent weeks with protected industrial
action by Council's outside workforce halting maintenance works. Council will
attend to outstanding road maintenance and drainage tasks on Upper Pinbarren
Creek Road as soon as possible, but within the constraints of available staff and
maintenance budgets. Council appreciates all residents’ patience arising from
ongoing poor weather and recent industrial action impacting maintenance delivery
across the Shire.

PAT SPICER

QUESTION 1

The overall emphasis in this question is seeking transparency, understanding
details and ensuring community’s needs and concerns are properly addressed in
the council decision making process, so what are council's plans for the community
consultation for future uses of Lots 2 and 3 of the subdivision at 62 Lake