2020-08-31 Special Meeting Agenda

SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA                                                          31 AUGUST 2020


REPORTS
1    TEMPORARY EVENT PERMIT APPROVALS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Author           Property Manager, Clint Irwin
                 Corporate Services Department

Index            ECM/ 34.60 Licences/Permits/Registrations

Attachments      1.    Media Articles COVID-19 Outbreaks
                 2.    Noosa Triathlon Letter of Support - Business Associations
                 3.    Email from Noosa Junction Association



EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The events industry like many sectors of the community has been severely impacted by the
COVID-19 pandemic and is grappling with the challenges of running events in the pandemic
environment. While many events at international, national, state and local level have been
cancelled or postponed there are many event organisers who wish to continue with their events
and Council is continuing to receive a number of event permit requests.

The State Government recently released a framework for the events industry, designed to assist
event organisers to manage risk associated with the transmission of infectious diseases such as
COVID-19. The framework categorises events based on the number of people attending and each
event must receive State approval or comply with a COVID Safe Checklist depending on the scale
of the event.

The framework is a comprehensive management approach and will serve as a useful tool for event
organisers; however there are some important issues it does not consider. The framework is silent
on the issue of public liability insurance for COVID-19 (and the availability of such) and does not
consider the health, social, financial and reputational damage to an area and the ripple effect on
business, tourism and the community should a COVID-19 outbreak occur as a result of a Council
permitted mass gathering.

Given the risk factors identified in this report, it is recommended Council take a precautionary
approach to approving mass gathering events in the current COVID-19 environment and approve
markets and events of not more than 500 people (Category 3 events under the State framework)
after assessment against a number of risk based criteria. Furthermore, it is recommended a
COVID-19 Event Reference Group be established to assess event applications and monitor
developments in relation to the current COVID-19 environment to ensure an appropriate risk-
based approach continues to be applied to events, without compromising community health, long
term business and tourism viability and the Noosa Brand.

RECOMMENDATION
That Council note the report by the Property Manager to the Special Meeting dated 31 August
2020 and:
A.   Refuse Temporary Event permit applications for Category 1 events (greater than 10,000
     people) and Category 2 events (not fewer than 500 or more than 10,000 people);
B.   Agree to consider an update report regarding Category 1 and Category 2 events and the
     broader events environment at Council’s February 2021 round of meetings;



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