2020-08-17 General Committee Agenda

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                                   17 AUGUST 2020


The program has built up a cohort of 14 cutting-edge technology companies along with a world-
class mentoring panel, network of fire industry experts and corporate partners. The cohort includes
3 local companies, Helitak (aerial suppression system), Fireball International (early detection) and
Bia5 (robotic firefighting). Partners include Cooroy-based McDermott Aviation, Australia’s largest
privately owned heli-aviation company.
An intensive 3-month mentoring process kicks off in August to assist these companies with their
commercial capabilities, culminating in a virtual conference/expo in November where their products
and services will be showcased to a network of emergency services agencies and other potential
customers from around Australia, the USA and Europe.
A key aim of this program is to help Noosa Council get access to the most advanced and innovative
technologies available.
Council’s Disaster Management team will be working closely with the Hub’s FireTech Connect
program to trial promising mitigation technologies and approaches.
Through this Council initiative, Noosa has an opportunity to:
     become the most bushfire-resilient regional community in Australia
     be the preferred headquarter location for a growing number of international FireTech
      companies
     attract leading scientists, researchers and technologists pursuing opportunities in the
      FireTech space
     be a centre of excellence for political and business leaders seeking expertise and learnings
      from best practices in FireTech.
Previous Council Consideration
Ordinary Meeting Minutes, 7 May 2015, Item 2, Page 2
That Council note the report by the Civil Operations Manager and Principal Environment Officer,
to the Infrastructure and Services Committee Meeting dated 28 April 2015 and:
A.    Approve the Noosa Bushland Reserve Fire Management Plan 2015 - 2017, shown at
      Attachment 1 to the report;
B.    Note that fire management works proposed for 2015/2016 as set out in the Noosa Bushland
      Reserve Fire Management Action Plan are subject to consideration as part of the 2015/16
      budget process and that fire management works proposed for 2016/2017 will be reviewed
      following the 2015/16 program and will also be subject to future budget consideration.
Finance
For the 2020/21 financial year, Council has almost doubled its budget on fire trail building and
maintenance, to $70,024 on and in Council bushland reserves. There has also been a 71%
increase in budget for controlled burns on Council land, to $83,094, however as explained
throughout this report, the challenges for this activity are less about budget, and more about the
narrow windows to undertake them safely.
Risks & Opportunities
Through climate change, the bushfire season is becoming longer and more intense. This puts
additional pressure on all agencies, including Council, to deliver on bushfire mitigation works within
smaller windows of opportunities. Often the perception of risk by some members of the community
does not match Council technical assessment or perception of risk, based on all the available
information. This can lead to conflict, and the diversion of resources to areas that are a lower risk.
Specialist bushfire contractors are in demand more than ever before, following fires in south-east
Queensland in 2019. This is a highly specialised role that requires significant training, so there are
a limited number of suppliers in the market. This, combined with a narrowing window of


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