2020-08-11 Services & Organisation Committee Agenda

SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                              11 AUGUST 2020


   The design team completed the preliminary phase to remodel the existing Peregian
    Community House as the next stage of the Digital Hub. The design options feature a
    presentation and events space, small training facility and an upgraded office environment.
    Detailed design will be complete in 20/21 and construction will occur in 21/22.

Other Initiatives to enable Council to achieve its goal for this theme
 Noosa Council worked with local businesses to provide targeted economic development
   support through the disaster events of the 2019 bushfires and the 2020 coronavirus COVID-
   19 pandemic, both in the response and recovery phases.
 The Economic Development team led the economic recovery for the bushfires in partnership
   with State agencies, supporting businesses impacted in Peregian Beach, Tewantin, North
   Shore and Cooroibah with issues such as clean-up, insurance and funding applications.
 Council has been a key driver in the local business response to the coronavirus COVID-19
   pandemic. Initiatives included:
   o Establishing a Business Roundtable with representatives
       from local business associations, State and Federal Govt
       agencies and other key stakeholders.             The group
       provided a forum for business support, advocacy and the
       distribution of COVID safe information for local
       businesses.
   o Providing a subsidised Business Support Panel which
       offered mentoring and free specialist business advice to
       affected businesses.
   o Developing a 9-point Business Recovery Framework to
       drive the post COVID economic recovery.
   o Providing fee relief to businesses and organisations and
       reducing payment terms to 7 days for local suppliers.
   o Responding to the need for protective health equipment,
       the Digital Hub team, created over 500 face shields using
       3D printing equipment for front line medical workers on
       the Sunshine Coast.
 In response to the 2019 bushfires, the Digital Hub developed the Firetech Connect Program
   which is helping to develop communities’ bushfire resilience by fast-tracking the commercial
   readiness of promising companies; and connecting, informing and supporting the sector's
   transformation.      The Hub was awarded a $100,000 Incubator Support Grant from the
   Federal Government to support Firetech 2020, a commercialisation program for early stage
   companies working on fire related technologies.
 The Economic Grants program provided $21,500
   for a range of projects that support the local
   economy. 20/21 recipients included Slow Food
   Noosa for the Snail of Approval Program, Noosa
   Open Studios for social media training for local
   artists, Noosa Hinterland Expo support, and
   Earthtech for the International Challenge.
 Council enhanced communications with the
   business community via a direct bi-monthly
   Economic Development e-newsletter. Council’s
   business webpages were updated to provide a
   one-stop portal for local businesses including a business events calendar, grants information,
   Federal and State government support programs and local economic data and statistics.



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