Tourism Noosa Strategy 2023-2027

Do you know those thoughts. Thank Chris and the team down there. I believe we may even get down there and get a bit of an update on how it's progressing. Absolutely. In about two weeks. Looking forward to it. Anything further Councillors? I'll put it to the vote. Those in favour? All in favour. The motion carries unanimously. Thank you Kim. The Tourism Noosa strategy term 2023/2027. I believe we have some declarations of conflicts. Councillor Stewart.

I'll move that the Council note the declarable conflict of interest by Councillor Stockwell and the determinants in the public interest and Councillor Stockwell participates in votes on this matter, because the Council believes that the reason the person could not have accepted advice could be I seeking a review with an advisory service, not a statutory service, and Councillor Stockwell cherishes that I'm put in the public and neither he nor Mr predix would personally gain or lose from that advice, and therefore a reasonable person would trust the final decision is made in the public interest. And for seconder, Councillor Wegener. I do say on the grounds of consistency with how we've dealt with this matter in the past. Any other councils have any questions or anything to add? I'll put it to the vote. Those in favour? Councillor Wilkie. Councillor Wilkie. You're muted. No vote. Okay, so Councillors Wegener, Wilkie, Jurisevic and Lorentson voted in favour. Councillor Stockwell did not vote on the matter. That's the end of the declarations. Thank you. Kim, would you like to give us a bit of an overview on the tourism and strategy going forward?

Sure. This report presents to you Tourism Noosa's four-year strategic plan for 2023 to 2027. Councillors, in April this year, Council endorsed a new funding and performance deed with Tourism Noosa for a two-year period through to June 2025. That deed is attached to the report for your information. Fundraising act, under fundraising funding and act performance deed, there are a number of requirements and KPIs for Tourism Noosa to achieve over this period of the funding deed agreement with Council. A key one of those is for Tourism Noosa to prepare a strategic plan to guide the organisation and reflect the priorities of the funding deed in this strategy. And for this document, Tourism Noosa strategy, to be reported to Council by 31 December 2023. So that's what this report does. It reports to you Tourism Noosa's strategic plan they that they have developed. And to delivered. Us in accordance with the funding deed to Council, with Importantly, there is, as I mentioned, there's a requirement and Tourism Noosa is aware and have acknowledged that once Council's Destination Management Plan is prepared, the Tourism Noosa strategy will most likely need to be reviewed to align with the Destination Management Plan, but as we have not yet completed the Destination Management Plan, Tourism Noosa are required to have a strategic plan to guide their organisation and that's what this document is. It's important to understand and clarify that this document is not the DMP. This document is Tourism Noosa's document, not Council's. It's prepared by Tourism Noosa to guide their operations and is done as a requirement of the funding deed. In developing this the Tourism Noosa strategy they sought feedback from Council officers and took feedback on board. They also presented a draft of the strategy to Councillors and sought Councillors feedback prior to submitting it to it's here for your consideration question.

Amelia Lorentson128:13

Fantastic and how fantastic that this is you know the more feedback we get the community document it becomes so that excites me. In terms of the strategy, Tourism Noosa strategy, how do you think they've gone? Are you encouraged, inspired by the document in front of you?

Amelia Lorentson132:54

I'm happy to move the recommendation. I think it's clear from the Tourism Noosa strategy in front of us that there's a genuine desire and commitment for the TN to align closely with Council's destination management thinking and approach. In fact, it can be argued that TN is in some aspects already leading the way. Has for years taken actions towards better tourism and building a more sustainable future. As the Chair of the Tourism Noosa board said in her opening statement of the strategy, quote, "Our responsibility goes well beyond economics. We enhance community well."-being and preserve our environment. The strategy highlights Noosa's long history of environmental protection and preservation, its status as a UNESCO biosphere reserve and designation as a World Surfing Reserve. The strategy has been intentionally developed to respond to the values of not only the tourism industry and tourism key partners, but also respond to the values of environmental groups, our residents and Noosa Council. TN values on page 314 to one four. Of the report, their one four pursuit of excellence and innovation, natural harmony and stewardship, cultural respect and preservation, enriching experiences, travel for good, authentic community engagement. And transparency. More importantly, the document also recognises that our community is at the heart of TN's success and that we have a shared responsibility maintaining Noosa's character and also environmental legacy and that TN is committed to genuine engagement with businesses, community organisation, residents and visitors. Tourism is big business bringing $1.7 billion in visitor spend to our region. We are fortunate to have TN managing our brand and protecting our backyard. I sit on the board and I've sat on the board now for four years and I say that with conviction. We need to deliver to our visitor a clear message about to who we are and what we value and that is to enjoy and respect Noosa, our environment and the people who live here. I want to take this opportunity to thank TN, its amazing staff, 65 volunteers and the TN board. They are all locals who are passionate and committed. To protecting this incredible, mind-blowing, beautiful place that we are all lucky to call home. Wilkie?

Yes that's mentioned in the strategy. From conversations, Tourism Noosa will also be developing an operational plan, a new operational plan that actually then operationalises some of these higher level strategic directions. So anything around key actions or tasks in that space would be captured in their operational plan as opposed to here.