MCU14/0106 Submission NPM Object- Jason Green

The first question was; what are the most iconic and important buildings in Noosa? They responded with;

wow that is really hard, that's not an easy question, wow I'll have to really think about that. After a while

their responses started to come; the surf club, the bus station at the Junction, Bunnings, the Marina, the

Council Chambers and the Cooroy library (for the record, everyone present saw this building as being

missed placed and a waste in Cooroy). All fairly obvious answers but nobody could really say, which was

disappointing indeed. The point is we don't have one. It's all a bit fragmented and appears disjointed.




Anyway, I then posed the question, what does the Noosa community value? The answers came thick and

fast; the river, the lakes, the beaches, the national parks, the environment, the flora and fauna, the Koalas,

the peace and quiet and no traffic jams. As they thought deeper about the question, the less obvious

answers started to come because I presume they thought about the different groups they know, hear and

read about. They then mentioned our diverse culture; music, the creative and performing arts, education,

sport and the connections people have with others.

I then asked what are the concerns of the Noosa community? Needless to say they rattled off a list quite

quickly. They said that they are concerned that their children will have to leave to find a career

somewhere else other than Noosa. They said they are concerned that their family and friends have secure

employment. They are concerned that the families they know who have small businesses will slowly be

put out of business because oflarge national companies and franchises. They are concerned about shops

and buildings (TAFE) not being occupied. They are concerned that the Noosa council is too focused on

maintaining the status quo and is not being innovative and looking for creative solutions for the

community. They are concerned about large developments taking away the uniqueness and character of

Noosa. They are concerned that there doesn't appear to be a plan for the future. They are concerned that

Noosa is reactive rather than proactive. The list went on and on ...

The last question I asked was what should Noosa look like and feel like five years from now. They said

that Noosa should maintain its style but the dialogue should be that of a community that values a creative