Annual Report 2016-17

Introduction                                                                                                                 A message
                                                                                                                             from our
                                                                                                                                                          Of some significance was the new waste contract
                                                                                                                                                          that allowed us to not only improve our regular
                                                                                                                                                          services, but also roll out a green bin service to
                                                                                                                                                          urban areas. We also undertook an organisational
                                                                                                                             Mayor                        restructure that, amongst other benefits, allows for
                                                                                                                                                          a greater corporate emphasis on environmental
                                                                                                                             The 2016-17 financial         issues. And thanks in part to State and LGAQ
                                                                                                                             year consolidated many       funding, significant work has occurred on Council’s
                                                                                                                             of the priorities of the     climate change adaptation plans.
                                                                                                                             current Council.
                                                                                                                                                          We have also beefed up our Economic
                                                                                                                              Of particular note was      Development resources; undertaken a range of
                                                                                                                              the beginning of our        community plans with input from residents and
                                                                                                   journey towards zero emissions, with close analysis    stakeholders; and provided over $810,000 in grants
                                                                                                   of the organisation’s carbon footprint, and the        to local community groups.
                                                                                                   inclusion of a dedicated carbon reduction officer.
                                                                                                   Already we have achieved a 6% reduction of our         Looking back, I am amazed at the workload this
                                                                                                   carbon emissions. The next couple of years will see    Council has managed to squeeze into a very hectic
Our Council                                                                                        even greater improvements as we hurtle towards
                                                                                                   our goal of being net zero emissions by 2026.
                                                                                                                                                          year. That we could achieve so much is entirely
                                                                                                                                                          thanks to our committed and passionate workforce.
                                                                                                                                                          It cannot be overstated just how dedicated our
                                                                                                   Transport was another complex matter that Council      staff are to making Noosa Council progressive and
                                                                                                   bravely grappled with. Following considerable          exemplary.
                                                                                                   consultation with the community, including more
                                                                                                   than 1250 submissions, plus numerous stakeholder       I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank my
                                                                                                   sessions and workshops, we came up with a              fellow Councillors for their unswerving dedication
                                                                                                   workable Transport Strategy. Many Council              to the Noosa Shire community. I am extremely
                                                                                                   decisions, including budget priorities and the         blessed to be able to work with a group of
                                                                                                   new planning scheme, are already being tested          Councillors who are committed to ensuring that our
                                                                                                   against the overarching intentions of this important   working environment is amicable and constructive.
                                                                                                   Strategy.                                              Not all mayors, nor local governments, are as
                                                                                                                                                          fortunate as I am.
                                                                                                   Speaking of the new planning scheme, drafting
                                                                                                   of the document continues apace, with a range          Thanks also must go to our highly-engaged
                                                                                                   of specific studies informing the process now           residents who give so much back to their
                                                                                                   completed. A final community consultation process       community. They ensure that Noosa Shire truly is
                                                                                                   is scheduled to be undertaken in late 2018, after      the best place on the planet in which to reside.
                                                                                                   the first State interest review.

                                                                                                   Meanwhile, our planners are having to deal with
                                                                                                   an escalating volume of development applications.
                                                                                                                                                                                        Tony Wellington
                                                                                                   Of the 477 planning applications decided on last
                                                                                                   year, Council approved all but 6. Of those that were
                                                                                                   refused, four were for removal of healthy trees, one
                                                                                                   was for a change of existing approval conditions,
                                                                                                   and only one was a town planning development
                                                                                                   application.

                                                                                                   Financial stability remains an important hallmark
                                                                                                   of Noosa Council, with revenues exceeding costs,
                                                                                                   debt levels reducing and Council again investing
                                                                                                   significantly in the replacement of key community
                                                                                                   infrastructure.



From left to right: Cr Frank Pardon, Cr Joe Jursevic, Cr Brian Stockwell, Mayor Tony Wellington,
Cr Ingrid Jackson, Cr Jess Glasgow, and Cr Frank Wilkie (Deputy Mayor).




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