2020-07-07 Services & Organisation Committee Agenda

SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE AGENDA                                               7 JULY 2020


3     NOOSA CULTURAL PLAN 2019 – 2023 – IMPLEMENTATION UPDATE
Author            Acting Libraries and Galleries Manager, Tracey King
                  Community Services Department

Index             ECM/ Subject/41.22 – Social Policy

Attachments       1.    Noosa Cultural      Plan 2019-2023 (44 page attachment provided
                        separately to this agenda)
                  2.    Noosa Cultural Plan – 2019 Action Plan
                  3.    Noosa Cultural Plan – 2020/21 Action Plan


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Noosa Cultural Plan 2019-2023 (the Cultural Plan) is a five-year strategic planning document,
adopted by Council in 2018. The development of this arts, culture and heritage plan was a key
action of the Noosa Social Strategy (2016). Extensive research and consultation was undertaken
in developing the draft and final Cultural Plan.
The Cultural Plan includes a range of goals and objectives to guide the arts, culture and heritage
services and activities in Noosa to ensure a healthy cultural future. An annual Action Plan is
developed each year which outlines Council’s activities across the organisation that will progress
the goals and objectives of the Cultural Plan.
Staff have conducted a review of the 2019 Action Plan which concludes that the first year of
implementation is on-track, with eighty-five percent of the actions either completed or progressing
well. This report provides an overview of the first year implementation highlights and identifies
areas that require further progress over the coming year.
The second annual Action Plan (2020/21) will build upon and enhance the actions undertaken in
the 2019 Action Plan. Additionally, it will focus on providing a range of creative professional and
skills development opportunities to support local artists following the COVID-19 pandemic. The
new Action Plan will align with the financial calendar year to enable easier reporting and financial
planning.

RECOMMENDATION
That Council note the report by the Acting Libraries and Galleries Manager to the Services &
Organisation Committee Meeting dated 7 July 2020 and endorse the Noosa Cultural Plan 2019-
2023 - 2020/21 Action Plan included at Attachment 3, subject to budgetary capacity.

REPORT
The purpose of this report is to provide an update on the first year of the Noosa Cultural Plan 2019-
2023 including progress on actions from the 2019 Action Plan, and to request Council’s
endorsement of the new 2020/21 Action Plan.

Background
The Noosa Cultural Plan 2019-2023 was developed in response to Council’s Noosa Social
Strategy (2016) that included the theme “A creative and informed community”, and outlined the
action to develop an arts, culture and heritage plan. Prior to the Cultural Plan, Noosa had been
operating for more than ten years without an overarching strategic plan to guide the cultural sector.
The development of the Cultural Plan was largely undertaken in-house through the Community
Services Department with extensive community consultation and input from external experts. A
Cultural Plan Reference Group and the Noosa Heritage Reference Group provided advice on the
development of the plan. Both reference groups were chaired by Councillors and contained a mix
of external stakeholders and key internal officers.

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