2017-08-08 Services & Organisation Committee Agenda

SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                 8 AUGUST 2017



3                        TOURISM NOOSA FUNDING AGREEMENT
DOCUMENT INFORM AT ION




Author                           Chief Executive Officer, Brett de Chastel
                                 CEO’s Office

Index                            ECM/ Subject/ Tourism Noosa

Attachments                      1.   Draft Funding Agreement


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Not applicable.

RECOMMENDATION
That Council note the report by the Chief Executive Officer to the Services and Organisation
Committee Meeting dated 8 August 2017 and authorise the Chief Executive Officer to enter into a
Funding Agreement with Tourism Noosa generally in accordance with the terms and conditions
set out in the draft Funding Agreement provided at Attachment 1 to the report.


REPORT
1.                       Background

As Councillors would be aware, Tourism Noosa is a membership based organisation with an
independent Board comprised of industry representatives together with Cr Wilkie as a Council
Board observer. It has successfully managed the promotion and development of the Noosa
tourism industry for the last 17 years. Since 2000, funding has been provided to Tourism Noosa
via income received by Council pursuant to the Tourism Levy (called during some periods, the
Tourism and Economic Levy). The Tourism Levy was originally introduced in 2000 following a
request from the tourism industry to enable it to fund tourism development in Noosa.

By way of background in relation to tourism funding agreements, at the time of de-amalgamation,
Noosa Council inherited a funding agreement developed by Sunshine Coast Regional Council
with Tourism Noosa. We replaced that agreement on 1 July 2015 when Council entered into a
new two year funding agreement with Tourism Noosa. That agreement expired on 30 June
2017.

Over the last few months, Council and Tourism Noosa have been discussing the format of a new
funding agreement.

Also as Councillors would be aware, during the last 12 months, Tourism Noosa has been
reviewing its tourism strategy and after extensive stakeholder consultation, including consultation
with Council, adopted the Noosa Tourism Strategy 2017 – 2022. That Tourism Strategy will be
the focus of Tourism Noosa for the next five years. A copy of the Strategy is on the Tourism
Noosa website – www.visitnoosa.com.au.

A new funding agreement has been negotiated based on Council and Tourism Noosa working in
partnership to continue past successes and ensure that Tourism Noosa is able to successfully
implement the Tourism Strategy 2017 – 2022 with an ongoing funding stream.



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