General Committee, 18 November 2024
Date: Monday, 18 November 2024 at 12:30PM
Location: Noosa Shire Council Chambers , 9 Pelican Street , Tewantin , QLD 4565 , Australia
Organiser: Noosa Shire Council
Duration: 01:29:10
Synopsis: PBSLSC funding with conditions endorsed, Finances strong and Annual Report adopted, Outcomes-based reporting and workload reset pursued, Dog enforcement and signage gaps flagged, Conflicts handled transparently.
Meeting Attendees
Committee Members
Brian Stockwell Karen Finzel Amelia Lorentson Jessica Phillips Tom Wegener Frank Wilkie Nicola Wilson Executive Officers
Chief Executive Officer Larry Sengstock Acting Director Infrastructure Services Shaun Walsh Director Development & Regulation Richard MacGillivray Director Strategy & Environment Kim Rawlings Director Corporate Services Trent Grauf Deputations
Meeting Insight
Key Decisions & Discussions Peregian Beach Surf Lifesaving Club (PBSLSC) support: Council to consider $46k p.a. + CPI for two years (Sat patrols) in 2025–27 with conditions incl. annual progress, updated 3-year plan, and a Building Works Schedule with officer assistance; funding to be via grants, and maintenance at Council discretion (Item 5.1; 17:54–28:04). Patrol coverage: PBSLSC may assume more days over time; any shift to full patrolling and Nippers expansion requires SLSQ approval (Item 5.1; 17:54–23:30). Operational issues: CEO authorised to examine bin storage, stormwater and drainage impacts near the club with any funding needs referred to future budgets (Item 5.1; 17:54–23:30). Finance performance: Oct YTD operating revenues +$1.9m above budget; expenditure -$470k vs budget; $114m cash reserves invested with higher term rates; development assessment fees down but expected to unwind; key sustainability indicators added (Item 6.1; 30:37–37:29). Annual Report 2023–24 adopted: Incorporates audited financial statements; expanded transparency on people & culture, engagement, and quick facts; CEO authorised to make minor edits (Item 6.2; 37:45–46:54). Performance culture: Councillors pressed for outcomes-based reporting linked to Corporate Plan targets and a digital corporate reporting system; next community satisfaction survey slated for 2025 (Item 6.2; 46:54–52:24, 51:03–51:53). Operational Plan Q1: 4% complete, 70% on track, 22% minor disruption, 4% major; delays attributed to staffing vacancies, sequencing engagement, and capacity; commitment to “finish what we’ve started” (Item 6.3; 01:00:03–01:22:49). LGAQ Conference motions: All seven Noosa motions carried, indicating statewide relevance and advocacy traction (Item 6.4; 01:23:03–01:28:59). Public safety deputation: Resident reported chronic dog breaches in prohibited beach zones, inadequate signage, and insufficient enforcement; called for more rangers, funding, and better signs (Item 4.1; 01:12–10:58). Contentious / Transparency Matters Conflict handling on PBSLSC item: Two declarable interests disclosed and determined in open session with named relationships and voting exclusions on the determination motions (Item 5.1; 12:55–17:26). Title clarification: Chair checked PBSLSC President attribution against President’s Report to correct the record at the Ordinary Meeting, reinforcing accuracy (Item 5.1; 23:30–23:58). Outcome vs output debate: Push for monitoring/evaluation of project impacts in future Annual Reports to assess Corporate Plan delivery, not just activity volume (Item 6.2; 46:54–51:03). Resourcing candour: Q1 report “doesn’t sugarcoat” disruptions; staffing shortages and engagement spacing openly cited; commitment to recalibrate workload (Item 6.3; 01:06:22–01:09:19, 01:19:53–01:22:41). Enforcement gaps: Deputation alleged lax dog control in prohibited areas and minimal signage; multiple reports to Council claimed unanswered by deterrence (Item 4.1; 01:12–10:58). Legal / Risk Conflicts regime: Declarable interests addressed under Chapter 5B Local Government Act 2009; Council resolved both councillors could participate on merits, with non-voting on the determination motions aligning with probity (Item 5.1; 12:55–17:26). PBSLSC governance risk: Officers cautioned against rapid transition to full patrols due to risk of club failure; staged capacity build endorsed with SLSQ oversight (Item 5.1; 21:31–23:09). Asset and funding controls: Maintenance requests subject to Council assessment and prioritisation; direct ratepayer subsidy disclaimed in favour of grants, mitigating ongoing fiscal exposure (Item 5.1; 23:58–25:57). Statutory reporting: Annual Report prepared per s182 LGA; QAO unqualified opinion reinforces compliance and financial stewardship (Item 6.2; 37:45–41:47, 41:47–46:14). Revenue recognition: Unearned DA fee adjustments to align to assessment progress flagged, consistent with accounting prudence (Item 6.1; 36:16–36:57). Workforce wellbeing: Staff wellbeing survey underway; psychosocial risk queries noted, with findings to be briefed internally before Council session (Item 6.3; 01:18:09–01:19:53). Conflicts of Interest Karen Finzel : Declared link to PBSLSC President/Events Committee member who volunteered in her 2020 campaign; Council resolved she could participate and vote (Item 5.1; 12:55–15:12, 15:12–15:35). Amelia Lorentson : Declared children’s casual employment with SLSQ; Council resolved she could participate and vote (Item 5.1; 15:35–17:26). Environmental Concerns Coastal/foreshore planning delays: Eastern Beaches Foreshore Master Plan experienced disruptions due to staff turnover and reprioritisation; recruitment now progressing (Item 6.3; 01:03:55–01:05:52). Disaster recovery delivery: Annual Report noted substantial QRA funding enabling reconstruction of landslides and stormwater assets, reinforcing resilience outcomes (Item 6.2; 41:47–46:14). Noosa Woods jetty/pontoon: Major disruption noted; consultant commissioned, with integration of Boating Facilities Study recommendations sought (Item 6.3; 01:12:27–01:13:31). Sunshine Beach / Public Safety (Dogs in Prohibited Areas) Geoff Mallinson : Reported daily dog incursions in prohibited zones at Sunrise–Sunshine Beach, fearful interactions for elderly and families, and bag littering; urged increased ranger presence, funding, and clear signage incl. on-beach markers and National Park entry points (Item 4.1; 01:12–10:58). Council context: While no decision taken, the deputation raises compliance gaps and amenity/safety risks warranting targeted enforcement and signage review consistent with local laws (Item 4.1; 01:12–10:58). Community Engagement, Performance & Advocacy Annual Report transparency uplift: Added workforce diversity, engagement showcases, and legislative compliance checklist; councillors seek impact metrics tied to Corporate Plan (Item 6.2; 37:45–52:24). Operational recalibration: Agreement to reassess scope mid-year, avoid over-commitment, and sequence engagements to maintain quality and trust (Item 6.3; 01:06:22–01:09:19). LGAQ advocacy power: Seven motions passed among 109; councillors cited past outcomes (e.g., housing summit) as evidence of effectiveness (Item 6.4; 01:23:03–01:28:59).
Official Meeting Minutes
MINUTES General Committee Meeting Monday, 18 November 2024 12:30 PM Council Chambers, 9 Pelican Street, Tewantin Committee: Crs Brian Stockwell (Chair), Karen Finzel, Amelia Lorentson, Jessica Phillips, Tom Wegener, Frank Wilkie, Nicola Wilson “Noosa Shire – different by nature” GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES 18 NOVEMBER 2024 1. ATTENDANCE & APOLOGIES COMMITTEE MEMBERS Cr Brian Stockwell (Chair) Cr Karen Finzel Cr Amelia Lorentson Cr Jessica Phillips Cr Tom Wegener Cr Frank Wilkie Cr Nicola Wilson EXECUTIVE Chief Executive Officer Larry Sengstock Acting Director Infrastructure Services Shaun Walsh (via Microsoft Teams) Director Development & Regulation Richard MacGillivray Director Strategy & Environment Kim Rawlings Director Corporate Services Trent Grauf APOLOGIES Nil. 2. CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES Committee Resolution Moved: Cr Amelia Lorentson Seconded: Cr Karen Finzel The Minutes of the General Committee Meeting held on 14 October 2024 be received and confirmed. Carried unanimously. 3. PRESENTATIONS Nil. 4. DEPUTATIONS 4.1. DEPUTATION - DOGS ON PUBLIC BEACH IN THE "DOG PROHIBITED" AREA APPLICANT: GEOFF MALLINSON SPEAKERS: GEOFF MALLINSON 5. ITEMS REFERRED FROM COMMITTEES GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES 18 NOVEMBER 2024 5.1. PEREGIAN BEACH SURF LIFESAVING CLUB - FUNDING REQUEST AND UPDATE ON OPERATIONS (REFERRED FROM SERVICES & ORGANISATION DATED 12 NOVEMBER 2024) In accordance with Chapter 5B of the Local Government Act 2009, Cr Finzel provided the following declaration to the meeting of a declarable conflict of interest in this matter: I, Cr Finzel, inform the meeting that I have a declarable conflict of interest in relation to the Peregian Beach Surf Life Saving Club, as Leigh McCready, who worked as a volunteer in my 2020 “Future Noosa” election campaign is the President and a member of the Events Committee of the Peregian Beach Surf Lifesaving Club. As Mrs McCready is not a close associate or related party and has never given me a gift or a loan, I believe a reasonable person would agree that I able to make an impartial decision on the matter. Therefore, I will choose to remain in the meeting room. However, I will respect the decision of the meeting on whether I can remain and participate in the decision. Committee Resolution Moved: Cr Frank Wilkie Seconded: Cr Nicola Wilson That Council note the declarable conflict of interest by Cr Finzel and determine that Cr Finzel participates and votes on this matter because Council believes that a reasonable person would trust that the final decision is made in the public interest. Carried unanimously. Crs Finzel and Lorentson did not vote on the above motion. In accordance with Chapter 5B of the Local Government Act 2009, Cr Lorentson provided the following declaration to the meeting of a declarable conflict of interest in this matter: I, Cr Lorentson, inform the meeting that I have a declarable conflict of interest in this matter as my daughter Giorgia Lorentson and son Ben Lorentson are employed by Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ) as casual lifeguards. It could be viewed that I have a have a conflict of interest, however I do not believe a reasonable person could have a perception of bias as my daughter and son’s employment is of a casual nature and not exclusively bound to SLSQ. Therefore, there is no benefit or loss specific to my daughter and son, from the outcome of this application. Therefore, I will choose to remain in the meeting room. However, I will respect the decision of the meeting on whether I can remain and participate in the decision. Committee Resolution Moved: Cr Frank Wilkie Seconded: Cr Jessica Phillips That Council note the declarable conflict of interest by Cr Lorentson and determine that Cr Lorentson participates and votes on this matter because Council believes that Cr Lorentson would be able to make an impartial decision in the community interest. Carried unanimously. Crs Lorentson and Finzel did not vote on the above motion. Committee Recommendation Moved: Cr Amelia Lorentson Seconded: Cr Frank Wilkie GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES 18 NOVEMBER 2024 That Council note the report by the Property Manager, Development and Regulation to the Services and Organisation Committee dated 12 November 2024 and: A. Agree to consider as part of the 2025-2026 budget deliberations the allocation of $46,000 per annum plus CPI for a total of two years commencing 20252026 to fund SLSQ contract lifeguard services on Saturdays only in the September to May surf lifesaving patrol season for the purposes of providing lifesaving service continuity at Peregian Beach subject to the Lessee: 1. Providing annual reporting of progress toward establishment of the new Peregian Beach SLSC for a further two years of operations; 2. Submitting an updated 3 year Strategic Plan endorsed by Surf Lifesaving Queensland prior to 30 June 2025; 3. Submitting a Building Works Plan Schedule prior to 30 June 2025 detailing proposed club building works including major maintenance, renovation and extension works for the remainder of the current lease period, noting that Council officers will assist with the development of the club’s Building Works Schedule as appropriate; 4. Agreeing that opportunities for ratepayer financial support will be by application through Council’s community grants program and no commitment is provided by Council for direct ratepayer financial support 5. Agreeing that building maintenance will be at Council’s discretion subject to Council’s independent assessment and asset maintenance planning. B. Note that any future PBSLSC proposal to assume responsibility for all patrolling days in the September to May lifesaving season will be subject to approval by Surf Lifesaving Queensland; C. Note Peregian Beach Surf Lifesaving Club’s request to increase Junior Activities (Nippers) enrolments subject to Surf Lifesaving Queensland approval; D. Authorise the CEO to: 1. Monitor operation of the bin storage area located adjacent to Peregian Beach SLSC and investigate short and long term options to manage the impacts of the area to improve club amenity; 2. Examine stormwater and drainage issues currently impacting club operations; and E. Agree that requests for funding resulting from the bin storage and drainage and stormwater investigations will be referred to future budget deliberations as appropriate. Carried unanimously. 6. REPORTS DIRECT TO GENERAL COMMITTEE 6.1. FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE REPORT – OCT 2024 Committee Recommendation Moved: Cr Tom Wegener Seconded: Cr Brian Stockwell That Council note the report by the Financial Services Manager to the General Committee Meeting dated 18 November 2024 outlining the October 2024 year to date financial performance against budget, including changes to the financial performance report with the inclusion of key financial sustainability indicators. Carried unanimously. GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES 18 NOVEMBER 2024 6.2. NOOSA SHIRE COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2023 - 2024 The following material was presented to the meeting in relation to this item: Cr Stockwell – refer to Attachment 1 to the General Committee Minutes Committee Recommendation Moved: Cr Frank Wilkie Seconded: Cr Amelia Lorentson That Council note the report by the Governance Manager to the General Committee meeting dated 18 November 2024 regarding corporate reporting and: A. Adopt the Noosa Shire Council 2023-2024 Annual Report incorporating the audited Financial Statements for 2023-2024 financial year as provided at Attachment 1. B. Authorise the Chief Executive Officer to make any required minor amendments to the document prior to publication. Carried unanimously. 6.3. OPERATIONAL PLAN 2024-25 Q1 QUARTERLY REPORTING Committee Recommendation Moved: Cr Brian Stockwell Seconded: Cr Karen Finzel That Council note the report by the Chief Executive Officer to the General Committee dated 18 November 2024 regarding the 2024-25 Operational Plan and: A. Note the progress report for Q1 2024-25 Operational Plan to 30 September 2024 provided as Attachment 1; B. Note the comments on the progress of all initiatives identified provided as Attachment 2; and C. Note the status of Council's Key Performance Indicators as provided as Attachment 3. Carried unanimously. 6.4. 2024 LGAQ CONFERENCE - NOOSA COUNCIL MOTIONS CARRIED Committee Recommendation Moved: Cr Frank Wilkie Seconded: Cr Karen Finzel That Council note the report by the Chief Executive Officer to the General Committee Meeting dated 18 November 2024 detailing the final seven (7) motions by Noosa Council which were carried at the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) Annual Conference 2024. Carried unanimously. 7. CONFIDENTIAL SESSION Nil. 8. MEETING CLOSURE The meeting closed at 2.00pm.
Meeting Transcript
Brian Stockwell 00:00.120
To you and to those in the gallery, we start the meeting with our Acknowledgement of Country and we pay our respects to the elders past, present and those hard-working emerging leaders of the Kabi Kabi people who are the Traditional Custodians of the country. Who have by our recent signing of the commitment made a very formal request and agreement that we work together to look after this place and many of our decisions do have long-standing effect and that's a good thing to do. Remember that we're just a short-term, four years in what has been tens of thousands of years of occupation of the place. So we move on to confirmation of the Minutes. We've got anyone who wishes. Councillor Lorentson has moved and seconded. Councillor Finzel. I think we don't need to vote. All those in favour? And that's unanimous. We don't have any do a deputation and that's with Mr Geoff Mallinson and he's here to talk to us about dogs on public beaches in the dog prohibited area. Mr Mallinson, if you'd like to make your way to the lectern. Geoff Mallinson 01:06.486
Thank you. Right here. I'll have to read this so I cover all the most important points. My name is Geoff Mallinson, I live adjacent to Tingira adjacent to the at sunrise to Sunshine Beach. I particularly came to that area and purchased a house there because I like to run and swim and walk, same with my wife, on the so-called prohibited dog area beach because we considered that would be a safe spot considering there's a large amount of Noosa Council area which has unleashed dogs, a large amount, we're very lucky because in Sydney there are no dogs allowed on beaches, only selected areas which are very carefully monitored. And policed. You know when we came here three years ago to live permanently we thought that would be a safe place to be able to run unfortunately this is not the case that dog prohibited area is used a lot by minority by the way of dog owners majority of dog owners don't actually want to take their dog to the beach anyway so we're catering for a minority in the first place and of that minority there is another minority of very vocal people who think that they can just come anywhere and do what they like and we find that constantly there are dogs on the beach in that area 24/7 I can go down there and always a dog somewhere on the beach, despite many letters and complaints to Council the problem is getting worse and I believe that it's mostly due to the lack of funds and manpower that's allocated to policing it older people like myself who have thin skin we can't risk a dog jumping up on us even playfully because rips the skin off and then we've got to go to hospital get stitched up and recoup from it so it's quite frightening to be running along the beach the dog racing towards you or chasing you and you think hell if it gets near me it's going to injure me and so on many occasions since we've been here we've had to run into the water to get away from dogs now okay maybe only a few of those dogs are going to attack us but it's risky for us also young children that are on the beach babies and mothers and people are at risk of dogs who are running around off leash and this prohibited area so they shouldn't be there in the first place so I'm coming to you tonight to plead with you to do something because it's spoiling our life you know we bought a house adjacent to a beach which is supposed to have no dogs on it but it's not the case and we feel that the Council this is very generous they've allocated a lot of area to people to take and exercise their dogs and mostly off-leash which also find hard to out how we can allocate a beach area and say that for dogs to exercise on but we're really excluding the people who are afraid of or for some reason don't want dogs running around near them when they're on the beach I've been attacked by a dog in the past a couple of times but only once actually injured and of course I'm afraid of them under those circumstances when you go to the beach where we go we've noticed that the signage is inadequate it's very small signs about the dog on a big sign that nobody reads and we've noticed this regularly because we go to the beach and we often say to people if their dog is near us and annoying us or whatever he won't take a new dog if the beach is a prohibited area so it's the going replies are we know we don't care or the other reply is also oh we didn't see any signs oh you know they're innocently in their area and I agree that it's quite easy for them not to see the signs so the signs are a big issue other councils I've been to have good, large visible signs that are a deterrent in themselves because if people come to the beach with their dog and they see a really obvious sign that says dogs prohibited they're not going to go any further but if it's a little insignificant sign half the time they won't be able to see it and when you get on the beach the other problem is that there are no signs that are visible when you're on the beach so if you're in a dog exercise area where you're supposed to be and you start walking your dog along towards Sunshine Beach from say Peregian or you're even about to take an onward castaways you're not going to know that you've just come out of a exercise area and you're in a prohibited area so there's a real signage issue that needs to be addressed. Up the other end at the national park which I find also very hard to believe that in the past the council's has made a decision to have an exercise area in a little corner adjacent to the national park which is caboo with the people who are interested in protecting wildlife. And when you come from the national park, which lots and of people do, walking and running, down onto Sunshine Beach, no signs to say that they're entering an unwashed hog area. Also, that little corner is very inaccessible to the general public. The parking is very limited. There is no real parking. Area that accesses that corner. There's a small amount of parking. So, of course, what the people who do use it do, they park at a surf club, take their dog on the beach in the non-dog area, and walk it down to the dog area. So, it should never been allowed to have a dog exercise area in that little corner. Catering for a very few amount of people, they're creating a very big problem for Council. So, my main reason for coming to Council is to make everybody aware of the situation. Because I have written countless letters and made many, complaints, my wife and I. And we feel that we need to be heard, because we're the silent majority, really. The minority of dog owners, and I'm saying minority of the minority, very vocal and get a lot of attention, and a lot of reaction from Council. They don't want to upset the dog owners. Well, they're not upsetting the dog owners, they're upsetting a minority of the minority, who actually want to use the beach with their dog. Lots of people I dogs like me in the past avoided going to the beach with their dog because they had problems. And other little irritating things is that we go along and we people find that are just getting a doggy poo the doggy bag and they're just leaving it at the bottom of the walkway. They're not looking for a rubbish bin to put it in but they're just leaving it behind. And we're constantly putting that in the bin for them because they're not doing the right thing. So policing a big issue. Is we've had a lot of verbal conversations and correspondence with Council and the head rangers are doing the best job they possibly can with the limited amount of staff and funding that's been allocated. Do the job so this is a big issue and I think it's the main point is the Council needs to take the bull by the horns and say look you know let's get this sorted because it's not right let's allocate the funds staff, let's improve the signage and we should get some good results love living in Noosa, we think it's the best place in the world and we find that the general acceptance of people in the area is that you know everyone's really friendly and happy and we would love to be that way. We're just concerned about our safety and the safety of other people, particularly kids. My son for example came up from Sydney, came down the beach with his little still biting and kind of having and complained, 'Hey dad, there's a dog running all over the beach down there in a prohibited area. I have to protect Orion.' I said, 'Well, you know, we're constantly complaining. Maybe I'll go and seek Council and try and do something about it.' And so that's why I'm here today. So thank you very much for listening to me and hopefully we can get something done. Brian Stockwell 10:59.313
So we move now on to item five, which is items referred from committees. And there is one item there, and that is the Peregian Beach Surf Lifesaving Club funding request and update on operations. And we have Mr. Clint Irwin is the manager of the property in his substantive role. Clint Irwin 11:32.070
So this report's about Virginia Peregian Beach Surf Lifesaving Club the funding request and updated operations. So just backtracking a little bit here. At the April 2022 organ meeting resolved to enter into a 10-year lease with Peregian surf club which was really about them starting to commence the operations of the club and their beach patrolling capacity. At the time the club, the original Peregian surf club ceased operations in 2014 so there was a period there where Mr surf club operated the and their club. And then it turned into Sunshine Coast surf lifesaving also operated the club for a period. The 10 year lease though was seen as the best way forward at the time. One of the problems the surf club did have is they didn't have the capacity to take on the full patrolling commitment for the patrols for that time. Brian Stockwell 12:43.106
If you could can just have a pause I didn't realise. I probably was told. There are two Councillors who wish to declare an interest in the matter. We'll start with the first person is Councillor Finzel. Karen Finzel 12:56.290
Thank you, Mr Chair. I, Councillor Finzel, inform that I have a declarable conflict of interest in relation to the Peregian Beach Surf Lifesaving Club, as Leigh McCready, who worked as a volunteer in my 2020 Future Noosa election campaign, is a member of the events committee of the Peregian Beach Surf Lifesaving Club. As Mrs McCready is not a close associate or related party and has never given me a gift or a loan I believe a reasonable person would agree that I am able to make an impartial decision on the matter, therefore I will choose to remain in the meeting room. However, I will respect the decision of the meeting on whether I can remain and participate in the decision. Frank Wilkie 13:39.916
Just a question, Mrs McCready, the president of the club now? That might need to be reflected in the declaration. Karen Finzel 13:48.299
Declaration just a comment on that. It doesn't list Mrs. McCready as the president of the committee and the report that was with the attachment, so I can't clarify whether she is. Brian Stockwell 14:00.851
So she hasn't recently, there's been an annual General Committee and she isn't there. She'll if you're happy, we'll add that to that. Karen Finzel 14:06.511
Certainly. Sorry, I changed it to the events committee because that's where I saw she was listed on their annual reporting. Report. Okay. Happy for you to include that, president. Thank you. Is there any other questions? Just for accuracy. Amelia Lorentson 14:21.939
Can I ask Councillor Finzel, was she a volunteer or was she the campaign manager? Karen Finzel 14:26.515
As I've consistently declared, she was only a volunteer, was never in a capacity as a campaign manager. Frank Wilkie 14:38.414
Okay, I'll move that Council note the declarable conflict of interest by Councillor Finzel and determine that Councillor Finzel participates and votes in the matter, because Council believes that a reasonable person would trust that a final decision is made in the public interest. I'll be second. Yeah. I think it's only important that the link is declared, and I'm confident that a reasonable person will understand that Councillor Finzel can make an impartial decision. In the community interest. Unidentified Speaker 15:10.341
Thank you. Mr Chair. Brian Stockwell 15:12.861
Does anyone else wish to speak? You have waived your right to close, I presume. All those in favour? That's Councillor Wilson, Councillor Wegener, Councillor Wilkie, Councillor Phillips, Councillor Stockwell, and it'll be noted that Councillor Finzel and Councillor Lorentson didn't vote. Motion is passed so so we then move on to the declaration by Councillor Lorentson. Amelia Lorentson 15:36.486
I, Councillor Lorentson, inform the meeting that I have a declarable conflict of interest in the matter, as my daughter Giorgia Lorentson and my son Ben Lorentson are employed by Surf Lifesaving Queensland as casual lifeguards. It could be viewed that I have a conflict of interest. However, I do not believe a reasonable person could have a perception of bias, as my daughter and son's employment is of a casual nature and not exclusively bound to SLSQ. Therefore, there is no benefit or loss specific to my daughter and son from the outcome of this application. Therefore, I will choose to remain in the meeting room. However, I will respect the decision of the meeting on whether I can remain and participate in the matter. Does anyone have any questions? Frank Wilkie 16:31.928
Look, I'm happy to move. A motion that Councillor Lorentson participates and votes on this matter because Council believes that, it's wording similar to the previous one, that the community would not perceive that Councillor Lorentson would be capable of making an impartial decision in the community interest. Change that. Council believes that Councillor Lorentson could make, would be able to make an impartial decision in the community Brian Stockwell 17:27.081
We have a seconder? Have a second. Councillor Phillips, do you wish to speak to the motion? I don't think it's self explanatory. Anyone else? I'll put the motion. Those in favour? That's Councillor Finzel. Oh sorry, yeah I can't vote. Councillor Wilson, Councillor Wegener, Councillor Phillips Wilkie and myself. The motion is passed. So we go back after intermission to the overview of the report. Clint Irwin 17:54.365
Thank you, back Through the Chair. So at that time as I was saying the surf club has not had the capacity to undertake the full complement of weekend and public holiday beach patrols which occurred in the September and May patrolling season. Given that was the case, Council resolved to fund SLSQ contract lifeguards to patrol the saturdays and public holidays which allowed surf club to patrol the sundays while it focused on ramping up its operations. That resolution was for a three year period and that expires in May 2025 which is the end of this current life saving season. The surf club has requested a further 2 year funding committment from Council with the so club provide proposes to provide services on sundays. The difference though is they're wanting to add in the additional public holidays and that amounts to about an extra 11 days over the season. This report recommends Council support consideration of the two year funding proposal as part of next year's budget deliberations and the merit of that is that it will allow the club to continue to build its capacity. Some other components of the report are that the surf club submits. Me say building works schedule which will allow a coordinated approach to maintenance and development between the new club committee and Council and also an updated strategic plan given the current plan expires in 2025. The club has raised some concerns with the impact of the village square in storage area and drainage and stormwater issues which are also impacting club operations. The report also recommends Council investigate issues and work towards an appropriate outcome in consultation with the surf club I think the report does talk to some stats in there as I say we've received the annual report from the club and probably stats that are of note there are that they do have 75 active patrolling members and that is slightly down from the previous season. They have got support from the Brisbane lifesaving service to form a 6th patrol they have 514 total members which is a 13% increase from last season. The Nipper program is powering along, that's a 19% increase from the previous season and the financial performance is going quite well for a club that's really in its infancy. Some of the other recommendations of note in there as well which I didn't cover in the executive summary are that if the surf club does to full controlling commitments over the coming seasons, that be subject to approval by Surf Lifesaving Queensland, given the surf clubs sit within the Surf Lifesaving Queensland kind of mothership. Any proposals and that any proposals to increase their program are also subject to Surf Lifesaving Queensland approval. So Mr Chair, we're really open to questions now. Do we have any questions? Frank Wilkie 21:32.341
Yes, thanks for the report Clint. The intention of the club to take on public holidays as well is a really positive sign. Is this an indication that their capacity is actually increasing or their ambitions are increasing or their capacity to deliver active patrols are increasing? Yes. Clint Irwin 21:54.149
Probably a rider around that is the fact that in order to get to the full complement they probably need around 120 members so they are short. That's to do Saturday and Sunday. Yes. But it is a step in the right direction and that work that they've they're proposing to do on the extra days, this is also about seeking less money from rent payers for the next two years given that the surf club will be taking on the extra patrolling commitment. So at the moment council's contribution is about $80,000 dollars a year and you can see with that reduces down to $46,000. So I think it is heading in the right direction, but I think it is an incremental progression. It is important if the club too steps quickly into control and commitment, and as I stated in the report, it does risk club failure. Surf clubs are quite difficult to run. They take a lot of governance, a lot of committees required in order to run properly, so I think the incremental progression. Is the safest way for them to go. Frank Wilkie 23:02.216
And so the purpose of this support is to provide a budgeting framework to make sure that they. To help ensure their success in the long term. Clint Irwin 23:10.197
Yeah, I mean, ideally, I mean, it would be great if their active patrolling membership can increase in their patrolling the whole season. In the interim, though, that's not the case. So if the Council can support them while they establish their operations, it is a great opportunity for them. Karen Finzel 23:32.743
That's offensive. Just coming back to the matter of the conflict of interest, I have gone back and had a look at their president's report. I'll follow it up post the meeting, but it is signed off by John Roderick as president as the Peregian Beach Surf Lifesaving Club. So just for transparency I will address that when we come back to the Ordinary Meeting. Thank you. Jessica Phillips 23:58.760
I just have one question please. I fully understand about the. Surf lifesaving and having surf lifesavers on the beach. The one question that I could you just expand on in the report point nine just around the infrastructure renewal and operational expenses. It suggests council's discretion around maintenance and planning. Could you just maybe for my own interest and anyone watching, how would. Expand on that for me. Like would we see. Councils see a report around operational requests or will that be subject to delegation or. Clint Irwin 24:40.874
So Through the Chair, Councillor, exactly, it's dealt with by delegation if there's an operational request. But what that's really saying there is that, you know, if we've got. It's not just a given that when the surf club puts in a request that it's going to be done. So we need to assess the nature of the request. Is it a major request that's going to require a lot of funding? Do we have the funds? How will it be and does that need to compete with other requests that we get right across Council? So we're working in pretty close partnership with the group, but when we receive a request, we do reserve. Our right to undertake an assessment of the nature of that request too. So for example, if the club required a new roof and that came from the club, we will have our building facility officers go down and verify that is indeed the case. And then we will schedule those works. Can we do that operationally? Or is it a capital request that needs to be submitted and compete against other priorities? I'm happy, Amelia Lorentson 25:59.904
Thank you, I'm happy to the motion. I have made some changes to the original motion which I've worked through with Clint. So I'll read the motion. Can I have that enlarged Cathy? I think my eyes are getting worse. Perhaps since it's quite a large motion, I think we'd be right just with reading out that section that's changed. You're happy with that? Yep. So my changes are in reference to A3. Submitting a building works schedule price to prior to 30th of June 2025. Detailing proposed club building work. Including major maintenance, renovation and extension works for the remainder of the current lease period. Noting that Council officers will assist with the development of the club's building works schedule, as appropriate. Do we have a seconder? I seconded by Councillor Wilkie. Councillor and I've just made the changes to clarify the motion's intent and what we've heard around the table just now, which is that Council supports the surf club and is committed to working with the surf club where appropriate in developing the building works schedule. Some of the members misunderstood the current wording, which stated originally that a building works plan must be submitted by 30 June 2025. They interpreted, I think, incorrectly and assumed that it was a strict obligation and potentially onerous for its volunteers. The new wording makes it clear that council officers will support developing the building work schedule, again, where appropriate. So, again, I worked so, with Clint on this, and really appreciative of his input, and I think we've captured the intent. Brian Stockwell 28:05.345
Okay. Does anyone else wish to. Speak to the motion? Okay. So, I'll put the motion. Amelia Lorentson 28:14.059
Oh, yeah. I'm going to close, if that's okay. I want to take this opportunity to also congratulate the Peregian Beach Surf Lifesaving Club. Brian Stockwell 28:24.722
From up there can't address new close, you can only address what's been in the debate. But you can only, in a close, you can't introduce new material. Amelia Lorentson 28:40.194
For its effort and remarkable achievements, and I've gone be a couple of the AGMs and I know a lot of the surf club members. And there is quite a bit of depth and talent and definitely experience in its senior position and amongst its dedicated volunteers who do lots and of hours. And that needs to be acknowledged and applauded. As a volunteer lifesaver myself and a former Nipper parent of two kids who are now professional lifeguards, and this is why I really want to speak, I can to attest the significant role that a surf club plays in not only a child's life but also in the broader community. When we support a surf club, we're supporting children, we're supporting families and the community as a whole. With more beachgoers than ever before, ensuring safe communities must extend to our waters and I want to thank the surf club for its commitment to ensuring the safety of our residents and visitors. Also to our lifeguards, the best in the business, and also to Council today for its commitment. Working with the Peregian beach surf club to ensure that it has the best chance for long-term success. Brian Stockwell 30:01.808
Thank you. I'll put the motion. Those in favour? That's unanimous. We now move on. Thank you. The next item is reports directed to the General Committee and the first of those is the Financial Performance Report where we welcome Pauline and Trent to the table welcome table, our manager and Director. If you could give us an overview please Pauline. Pauline 30:37.718
Afternoon Councillors. So financial performance for the month of October continues to be positive with operating revenues outperforming our forecast and operating expenditure. Again under budget at this stage of the financial year. Operating revenues are $1.9 million of our budget and this comprises $790,000 relating to interest revenue. $470,000 of sales of goods and services revenue predominantly relating to holiday parks. A further $426,000 from grant programs and $90,000 from rates and levies. This has been offset by than forecast Fees and Charges of $34,000, with development assessment fees down $163,000, noting that there are several larger DA applications currently being assessed, so this may correct later in the year. And these have been offset by building and plumbing fees that have been over of budget $162,000 year-to-date. Operating expenditure is $470,000 unspent, with employee cost reporting as almost break-even, and that's due to the offset against the vacancy dividend that we adopted as part of the budget and services are $365,000 unspent. Overall council's year-to-date operating position at October is $2.4 million above budget, which will be utilised to fund the merchant expenditure and offset the forecast deficit. Adopted at budget review 1 in August. Capital revenue is again above budget due to the timing of the receipt of QRA disaster funding and the LRCI infrastructure program. Capital expenditure is running behind, $26.4 million year $16.7 million relating to the disaster program and $9.8 million relating to council's general capital program. Council is currently holding $114 million in cash reserves with $30 million invested in higher yearly term deposits. At this stage of the financial year, council's financial performance remains on track and is subject to any emergency issues that may arise between now and the end of the year. Brian Stockwell 32:56.059
Okay, thank you. Have we got any questions? Councillor Wilkie? Frank Wilkie 32:59.847
Can I have some advice on this amazing fund that you've invested, Council, cash in that's returned $2.1 million in four months with 78% of the annual expected return on interest? Why is the return so high, so early? Pauline 33:19.713
The return is higher than we forecast and that's predominantly due to delay in spending in the capital program and some advance payments and grants. So we're holding a higher cash balance at this point in the year than what we would normally expect. Included in that is obviously about nearly $15-20 million. Worth capital works program that hasn't been spent. We had originally forecast for interest rates to come down a lot quicker than they have and so they have remained high. And we've also taken the opportunity to do the cash balances to invest them and lock them in at about 5% which is actually returning us probably return. But as we progress through and we deliver those programs and the curate program also and some other grant programs end, those cash balances will come down. And as interest rates also decline, which is what we expect with inflation declining, that will also reduce our return on our investments. Thank you. Frank Wilkie 34:09.955
And one question Mr. Larry, CEO. Larry, there's a bit of an underspend in staff training. Can you detail the schedule for staff training that's ahead in the coming year. Larry Sengstock 34:25.961
Sorry, Mr. Mayor, I don't have that in front of me, but certainly we've made a concerted effort this year and last year to increase our training efforts, if you like, for our staff. So we think that, if anything, it's really just a timing exercise there because we are very conscious of the fact that we need to make sure that our staff are fully trained and are able to partake in the training that they require for their roles and/or their progression. Frank Wilkie 34:55.350
Yes, thank you. Amelia Lorentson 34:57.245
Other questions? In terms of Unitywater distributions, they're fixed every year. What are the pros and cons of maintaining a fixed dividend structure? Is this common practice for other councils and are our dividend payments aligned with Unitywater profits? Sorry, a lot of questions to unpack there, but something I wanted to ask for some time. Pauline 35:27.101
In terms of, if you were looking at a commercial enterprise, dividends would fluctuate. This is a places. Yeah. It gives us what we will receive from Unitywater. And in terms of how is that compared to their actual profits, it is lower than what their actual profits are. And as a shareholder of that entity, we are obviously at some point potentially entitled to those dividends that we haven't received. But the agreement with Unitywater I think comes out in about the 20th or 33rd of roughly. So there will be another discussion around that as well at that time. Amelia Lorentson 36:10.929
Thank you. Other questions? Brian Stockwell 36:16.744
You mentioned that there might be an adjustment in terms of DA fees. Is this the calculation that we need to do in terms of putting some of the earned revenue into unearned revenue until such time as the assessment is occurring? Is that what we're talking about? Pauline 36:33.522
We do an annual adjustment for unearned revenue based on the assessment of development applications. There has been some larger, there was certainly a large development application pending right at the end of the financial year and we are looking to do more regular updates to unwind some of that and work with the branch to do that. So we are expecting that given we know that there's some big ones coming through that there will be some very new ones throughout the year. Brian Stockwell 36:55.413
Thank you. Would someone like to move to motion? I'll move it. Councillor Wegener? I'll second it. Would you like to talk to motion, Councillor Wegener? No, Tom Wegener 37:06.935
Thank you again for your nice, clear, concise, easy to read reports. Obviously, there's not many questions because it's just right here in front of us in this attachment. So thank you very much. Brian Stockwell 37:18.728
Would anyone else like to talk to motion? If you'd like to close, I'd put the motion. Those in favour? Thank you. We now move on to the Noosa Shire Council annual report for the financial year 2023/24, and we welcome Diana, manager of governance. Would you like to give us an overview, please, Deanna Stewart 37:44.414
Absolutely. So each year, in accordance with section 182 of the Local Government Act, Council prepares an annual report for adoption and publication after the receipt of the auditor general's report about financial statements for the financial year. So the purpose of the annual report is, as we know, to inform our community of council's activities and financial performance throughout the last financial year. So this report is essentially designed to tell the story of Council and the community to celebrate successes, identify performance progress and provide a summary of the year that was for the region. And some of the key highlights you'll see in the report include things like discussing the construction of the new dedicated disaster management centre, to trialling a new customer service satellite help desk at Cooroy Library and endorsing a new waste plant following extensive work from the community. And there is more, but I just wanted to touch on a few elements there. As you also know, there's a minimum standard of statutory reporting that must be included within the report, primarily relating to accountability, governance and financial matters. These are enshrined in law, essentially. So we have addressed that standard by complying with the State department's annual report compliance checklist. Which they update every year for councils to consider. And this has also captured our compliance in the report, back end of the appendices, where there's a section now that you can look at called legislative compliance that touches off on all that. However, to further increase transparency and improve our reporting, we always go above the regulatory reporting standard by including additional information in our annual report that we think the community will be interested in knowing. So this year we focused on three key areas. We expanded the quick facts section of the report at the start to further highlight our economic, population, social, housing and health so we've got quite a large spread in the annual report on that section. We've also substantially increased our reporting on our people and culture. So we've added additional information about our workforce, diversity stats and achievements that promote our SPARC culture values we've been doing in that space for the year. Finally we've also focused on increasing our reporting on the various community engagement activities for the year and to showcase that community engagement occurs on many levels at our Council. Each year we will continue to build on our story so that we achieve greater transparency and alignment to the australasian reporting standards. So last year on that note the governance branch submitted the 22-23 annual report that's on our website to the australasian reporting awards as an opportunity to benchmark council's content against best practice and our local government peers and industry standard just to basically see what can we do better and what can we add more material in. As a result Council achieved for its efforts a silver which is significant achievement from previous years obtaining bronze awards. In particular Council was commended on improving its organisational content and providing a strong reportable disclosure section. Promotes a pro-disclosure culture and greater transparency for our community. We're proud of that achievement. So finally we would like to thank all staff, key stakeholders and teams that worked with us to deliver the content. Deliver the content as it was certainly a huge team effort across Council and we really appreciate the support we've received from the process. Brian Stockwell 41:31.334
Thank you. Do we have any questions? Are there any more questions? I'm moving. The Mayor is moving the recommendation and it is seconded by Councillor Lorentson. You have the floor Mr Mayor. Frank Wilkie 41:47.734
Thank you Mr Chair. As mentioned the annual report details council's activities from July 1st 2023 to June 30 2024. Serving our community is at the heart of everything that Council does. I'd like to commend all staff particularly all staff and Councillors for what this small but hard-working organisation has achieved despite the local impacts of many nationwide challenges including labour and housing shortages, material supply constraints and high construction costs. Our infrastructure services team delivered more than $39 million in capital works, including more than $6 million of bridge upgrades, $5.3 million of rehabilitation and reseal works to local roads and building the new $1.95 million Olive Donaldson Pavilion at the Noosa sports district complex. Answering 45,000 phone calls, diverting nearly 45 000 tonnes of waste from landfill and lending out more than 1 million items from our libraries are among the efforts of our hard working staff and community. The Noosa Spit Dog Beach sand nourishment project finished in June, two months ahead of schedule to protect this popular recreational area and Noosa Sound from storm swells. There was $1.5 million distributed in community, environment and economic grants to support local organisations and activities. Council also assessed 650 lodged development applications with 599 approved applications aligning with the Noosa Plan. Council secured $14.7 million in grant funding and a record $127 million in Queensland Reconstruction Authority disaster recovery funding, which has enabled repairs and reconstruction of an astonishing 31 land landslides and 15 stormwater culverts and drains impacted by the 2022 floods. The operating surplus ratio of 5.31 shows we're operating efficiently and generating small surpluses, which are reserved for future investments or to cover emergent costs. Council also achieved another unqualified qualified audit opinion from the Queensland Audit Office following its review of its draft financial statements, internal control framework and financial sustainability ratios. This is the strongest possible assurance is providing reliable financial statements which comply with relevant laws and accounting standards and is operating in a financially responsible manner. Council maintains $1.4 assets billion in public and achieved another positive financial result this year. The operating surplus of $7.4 million includes council's share of investment in Unitywater's annual profit. The Pomona placemaking pilot, the first of its kind for Noosa, was one of 10 major projects involving community engagement with more local residents providing feedback. Council established a dedicated Local Disaster Coordination Centre at Noosaville to strengthen our disaster management response during emergency events and the Noosa waste plan 2023-28 was endorsed, providing a blueprint for council's waste diversion target of 61% by 2025. The majority of projects are on track, are completed or on track with a few deferred due to spacing out community engagement schedules, a large capital works program and staffing constraints. All are being monitored and followed up and finished. In a credit to the infrastructure team, achieved two industry sector awards this year and the Council as a whole achieved recognition with a silver award for its pro-disclosure culture. The State funded Council designed Beckmans Road intersection upgrade was awarded the best project for the road safety and infrastructure category the Queensland institute of public works engineering australasia excellence awards and councils Noosa Biosphere Trail 5 upgrade project also took out the award for this project between 1 million and 2 million at the same excellence awards. This is a great opportunity to reflect on another full year, productive year. Despite challenges, the organisation has performed well. I'd like to commend all the Councillors for making sure that the staff have the budget they need to do this. Works and the support and the Mr. Mayor could you pass on our thanks to the staff who actually deliver this. Larry Sengstock 46:09.549
Absolutely. Thank you. Brian Stockwell 46:14.097
Anyone else that wishes to talk tonight? Nicola Wilson 46:17.991
That's all. Any reports from my experience is mostly about the audited financial statements as well as all the information that's required for compliance, governance, legislation and I'm pleased to have been involved in that part of the journey with the Audit and Risk Committee. But this only report is a great story about our Shire and all the work that Council does for our residents so I congratulate you on another excellent report. It's a really interesting and informative report and I really encourage our community to read it from cover to Thank you. Brian Stockwell 46:54.143
I'll take a bit of a different tact. It showcases a great number a great volume of really good work that's been done. What we don't get is a feeling of what was the impact of that on our community. And whether it's in the annual report or another specific report, we as an organisation should be using each, my view is, this annual report each year should be, how are we tracking about achieving the goals of the Corporate Plan? What is the impact of all these activities we're doing? Now if the activity is a service delivering the service is all that's needed, but if it's a project that's designed to have an outcome, it'd be good to know it did. So we've heard about trail 5. Building trail 5, an award winning trail would mean absolutely nothing, unless it actually achieved the aim of getting more people out riding, walking, going on their bikes. And we've got parents, so we actually know through other processes that the impact of that project is a lot more people are using it. It's really important when we look at evaluating the work of this Council as Councillors that we not only invest in doing the projects but we ensure that the organisation has as part of its global operations a monitoring evaluation culture to say what was the impact we made. So to me by time next year I'd really like a whole section on how do we go about achieving the key targets that are in our strategy and in our Corporate Plan. And I thought just to highlight some of the things if you could put up that graphic. This is what the community told us that they thought we should focus on when over a thousand of them answered a survey-related the existing Corporate Plan. You can see the focus area at the top there, traffic management and transport. And we see in this report that several of the actions relating to that high priority are the ones that are in major disruption. So Noosa parking plan, Noosa Woods jetty investigation, investigating revenue system for visitors to contribute to our transport system, scope to review, scope of the review of the transport policy. Now there is a real reason and Councillor Wilkie identified it. He said there's labour shortages. In that particular case we had great difficulty in filling in a vacant position and in a small Council sometimes just one spare position can have great ripple effects and so we need to understand are we heading to where the community want us to go? If not, why not? And is there something we need to do about it? I look bottom I'll look one there, in terms of the natural environment, and if we look at in the future section, we find that things like in major disruption is the Noosa River and catchment management plan. It's about updating the Noosa Plan 2020 to incorporate the strategy. And if we look at the next one up, see that focus on environmental sustainability, which is all what the, you know, big part of why we're doing Destination Management Plan. And that's another strategy that's in major disruption. So as Councillors, we're really responsible for the strategic direction of the Shire and then checking that it's on the right way. Now, this term of Council, only we had three months in this financial year but I suppose why I'm raising it is that should be looking at this year trying to address those areas. And there is another outstanding major disruption item in there and it's about developing a performance management framework. And that's where we need to invest in to make sure by this time next year we have an organisation that is more looking at its impact rather than just doing the job and moving on. We have to get to that monitoring evaluation culture so that then we can then work out what needs to change, where we need to innovate to achieve those impacts that graph tells us is important to our question, Amelia Lorentson 51:03.990
Sorry, question maybe to the CEO. Just follow up on what Councillor Stockwell has said. In terms of gauging community sentiment and evaluating service delivery, I note our last Community Satisfaction Survey was conducted in 2021. Do we have plans to employ or undertake another Community Satisfaction Survey? The operational plan I think identifies a review of how we engage with community. Can I just hear from the CEO date? Larry Sengstock 51:43.927
When are we going out to community? I don't have an exact date for you but we do have a plan to do it in the year Amelia Lorentson 51:49.835
2025. In Thank you very much. Karen Finzel 51:54.056
Thank just you. A question to the CEO somewhere in the report. I don't know where. I thought I did read that there was another new initiatives coming up and one of them was key performance measuring through development of the corporate performance reporting system through the adaptability plan. So just in response to that, I think we're heading towards that around KPIs. Can you just clarify that? Larry Sengstock 52:24.909
Absolutely. So this is the next item on the as well, in terms of operational planning and the reporting. So we've got corporate reporting we can do in our projects, our programs, but we also do it, we're actually delivering it more in our staffing as well. So there's reporting needs or performance measures being implemented within our staff, which is a journey that we're on, and it's also a, currently we do our reporting manually to a large degree, so the idea is to bring it far more into the. Digital world in terms of being able to report on a much more regular basis and a simpler basis because it's, you know, it's more automated. So at the moment it's quite, manual and inhibiting. Thank you. Tom Wegener 53:17.216
I'll take it. I'm absolutely intrigued by your speech, Councillor Stockwell, and I'm enthusiastic and I'm very thankful that you went through the time to bring that up. But I think sometimes, as a Councillor, you wonder what your job actually is, and I think you actually nailed what our job is, and that is to make sure that we are on track. So it's a reflection of us as well, and that I think as time goes on, I would like us to consider what you mentioned as a part of the annual report and how we are tracking on the most important things looking moving forward. Yeah. So terrific, thank you for that. And thank you for the fantastic annual report. Again, it's so clear and so easy to read. And it actually makes debates like this, you know, very easy. Thank you. Amelia Lorentson 54:14.768
I'll speak just briefly to the report. Thank you, Diana. When I reflected on this year's report, and I think I've said this now five years in a row, that I am blown away at how small a Council we are, but how mighty and an organisation we are in that we consistently punch above our weight. Real punches. That's just a pun from the weekend's fight. Anyway, that aside, despite our size, we do take on big challenges. And we do deliver outcomes for our community and I think this report is a testament to that. As a Council we strive for continuous improvement and we must continue to do so as Councillors and as a Council. We must get better at communicating cating with our residents. We've got to get better at spending money and providing value for money. We need to be better, pushed to be better at delivering services, at keeping our promises and we must stay open. To feedback. We need to learn from our experience and we need to also adapt to our community's evolving needs. The report did mention the performance management framework and the new corporate performance reporting system. They're exciting steps forward and I think addresses Councillor stockwell's concern. That's caught in the, that's captured in the annual plan. These tools won't only help us to monitor our performance against criteria that Councillor Stockwell raised, they'll also enable us to identify areas for improvement. However, their success will depend on how well we use them to drive real change and improve decision-making across the organisation. We also want to highlight the capability plan and that's exciting tool that's outlined in the Corporate Plan 2023 and 2028. That's equally as important as the new corporate performance reporting system and the performance management framework. This is the plan that's going to help us evaluate our capacity across systems, finances, workforce and address any talent gaps and that's the piece that I'm most excited about. An organisation is only as strong as its people so investing in their skills, their well-being and satisfaction. Is an investment in the future of Noosa. And finally I'm going to thank not only our staff and to the people around this desk, I'm going to thank the people that came before us. Last week some of us attended the landcare AGM and I'm going to just steal Phil moran's quote. That we stand, we truly stand on the shoulders of giants and that we must always remember we were to understand where we're going and that Noosa didn't just happen, it because of 50 years of environmental and community activism. So as a Council we should never lose sight of again the people in this room in this organisation but the people that came before us that made Noosa happen. So thank you Diana and the staff you know our work is never done and we just continue to push to be better. Brian Stockwell 57:58.865
Anyone else wish to speak? Yes, okay, we do have a class. Frank Wilkie 58:02.921
Thank you everyone for your comments excellent the annual report is a very useful document because it does it is a warts and all look at what Council is facing and achieved over the course of the year the projects that have been disrupted or deferred are clearly highlighted it would be a concern if they weren't the points of Council Stockwell raised are very valid and if the shortcomings weren't in the plan then that would be a concern but it's quite transparent that wood programs have been deferred and the reasons why they've been deferred staffing has been a big as Councillor Stockwell said the acquisition of one staff member or the delays in acquiring one pivotal staff member can delay a lot of projects as they have in the field of transport I'm also very proud of this organisation that demonstrates how it's able to adapt very readily and willingly to community feedback as we have done during the next phase of the draft Noosaville Foreshore Infrastructure Masterplan. That's principle in action right there. Thank you everyone and thanks again guy for your work and putting this annual report together. Unidentified Speaker 59:20.949
Thank you. Brian Stockwell 59:26.563
So we then move on to the next item. Oh you want to vote on it too? See I talked about innovation. I'll put two in the back. All those in favour? That's unanimous. Apologies. Thank you. Now we'll move on so the next item is the operational plan 2024-25 and the first quarter report and we welcome Larry Sengstock 59:56.421
Debra isie to the- You're very table. Welcome. Thanks. Brian Stockwell 59:59.278
You're welcome back after your long sojourn. Debra 01:00:04.202
Yeah, it was a really enjoyable holiday, so thank you for that. So coming back, this is our first quarter report on the operational plan. So there are 107 initiatives in the operational plan. Of those, cent 4 or 4 are complete, 75 or 70 per percent on track those experiencing a minor disruption there were 24 or 22 percent and major four percent so in this first quarter report you would normally not see probably the number of initiatives that are experiencing minor and major disruptions but there are a number of initiatives that weren't completed last year which we have carried over and it was already mentioned in the previous discussion so we've really reflected on the current status of these and the NT has reviewed them ensure that they provide you with a clear position about their status but also the work like workloads and the organisation's capacity to be able to deliver. So and you will see that while the report focuses mainly on exception which is the minor and major disruptions as initiatives experiencing minor and major disruptions there's also a complete list of all initiatives in attachment to with commentary about their statuses which you can view. You can do. So I'll also just make a quick reference to the KPI data given it was raised just before so we have started using and testing the new corporate reporting system and so you'll see some of the graphs that have come bit out different actually coming out of the system but there's still more work to do there these are the measures that we've continued we've reported on over the last few years and we are continuing to report on them but there's still work in progress we still need to refine our operational measures and just going back to the conversation on the previous item we have service profiles and they outlined all of the activities and services that are delivered for the various service across Council and managers have reviewed those performance measures for those services very much focused around operational efficiency and effectiveness the stage one of review has been done we will be doing a further review of those in line for the next budget so we can really fine-tune those so we've done some work on service at the service level we at the end of June report on the progress of achieving our Corporate Plan and a quarter for operational plan we did provide data on the Corporate Plan KPIs and where they're at again there's still more work in refining those so there is some gaps there and we're continuing to progress to develop those like some of the other been initiatives affected by having available resources and competing priorities but it is work in progress it's quite a it's a very big exercise just getting the system to design that we want to report is a big exercise as well so it is in progress and in those initiatives that talk about the system and talk about the development of our KPIs have actually identified that we have got delays disruptions in that and resourcing has been it has been an issue but we'll continue to address that as we go forward so just wanted to give you a bit of to highlight where we're currently at with that. I'm happy to take any questions that you have and also when you look at the KPI data if you have any questions I have some information available but again we can refer the matter to our relevant Director if needed. Brian Stockwell 01:03:50.309
Thank you. Do we have questions? Frank Wilkie 01:03:56.065
Deb, the eastern beaches foreshore plan the it's been there's minor disruption said resources are being diverted can you refresh my memory on what they've been diverted to? Oh I would have to refer to the. There might be a question on notice. Yeah. Larry Sengstock 01:04:15.586
Yeah. Kim Rawlings 01:04:18.747
Good afternoon Councillors. I'm happy to answer that. We had. A bit of changeover in staff in that area. So we've had to juggle priorities. We've recently just recruited back to the role that is responsible for that program. So it's been a bit of juggling of resources and priorities because we had staff members that we lost and recruitment and resourcing issues. Frank Wilkie 01:04:53.176
And is this project dependent on a coastal forestry management officer in being appointed? Kim, if I remember rightly through the budget process that was something a that resource we needed to acquire. Kim Rawlings 01:05:11.748
That is one aspect. Yeah. There's various initiatives that the coastal management plan covers. It you know, coastal management and actual areas. Encroachments, so there's a raft of actions. One aspect, yes, a coastal management engineer would have some role in, but there are other actions in the plan that other areas of the organisation are responsible for. And, you know, are prioritised amongst a raft of other initiatives that we're doing. Brian Stockwell 01:05:50.313
Okay. Thank you. Councillor Lorentson. Amelia Lorentson 01:05:55.109
Question to maybe the CEO, Larry. Other priorities set out in the operational plan realistically achievable within the current budget, workforce capacity and market conditions, and should Council consider a mid-term review to reassess and possibly scale back some of these projects to ensure quality and deliverability Larry Sengstock 01:06:24.846
The answer to that, I guess, is that what we're doing here with this report, this is quarter one, remember, so we're not expecting everything to be completed or absolutely on track because we do have issues, but, hey, that said, the intention of this report is to inform you of where we're at and not sugarcoat, not, you know, because things, it is difficult out there, we have staff issues, you know, people moving on and replacing takes time, we have a whole range of things. So what we're doing here is, making you aware at quarter one, so that we do have that opportunity to, look at it as a group, as a ET, but also as, a Council to look at that and, make some assessments against it. I absolutely think that's, something that, this report is, a reflection of that, or is a, you know, a first step in that, road. Amelia Lorentson 01:07:19.650
What's the expression and motto that I like using? Under-promise, over-deliver. Absolutely. Larry Sengstock 01:07:26.244
And, a big part of what we, we've said in this budget as well is that, coming into it, is that, you know, we want to, use the things that we've, started and we've got on our books and not continue to take on more because it just, becomes a, wave that we, can't get past. So, that's a big piece of this and this, will be, this is why we're reporting it this way. There was some in there you could, again in quarter one, you could say they're on track because we've still got three quarters of a year to do, but what we've tried to do here is say, I don't know, that they have had some disruption and we need to make that, everybody aware of that so that we can deal with it. It's important, rather than, head in the sand, let's, make sure that it's there and we understand it and we, deal with it. It's not to say we can't and we won't, but it's, you know, and there's not, no panic buttons yet, but what it is, being, um, realistic. Frank Wilkie 01:08:17.790
Because, uh, just as an example, follow up to that, didn't we plan to have the river plan, the DMP, foreshore management plan. Uh, promoted, all, wrapped up this finan. This, year. Calendar year. Yeah. And a lot of them have been pushed we're hearing back from the community there's, they didn't want the overlap, so we've spaced it out accordingly. That's right. To take the time to do it right. Doesn't mean it's not going to happen, they've just been delayed for very good reasons. Larry Sengstock 01:08:43.036
That's right, so that's it, exactly, the point. We just need to be realistic in what we can achieve and what the community can actually cater with as well, in terms of what we're putting out there. Organisation because as you saw in the last report with our annual report we do bat deliver but there are some stormy times going through this and we just need to be. Karen Finzel 01:09:20.413
Yes, thank you. Just off the back of that, thank you for that, Mrs. Plan and that was great visionary and leadership around the table at that time that fully appreciate the commitment of the organisation and the capability to deliver that. In terms of one of the major disruptions was to the preparing the phase for the proposed new community strategy under item 2.61. So I guess that cuts through, I guess that's the question about the CEO then. How are we going to prioritise that is a major disruption? Know I'm passionate about getting that funding for the budget to get this up on the table given the strong social things that we're dealing with at the moment, not just in Noosa Shire but you know across the State and globally given what's happening. Can you just forecast a little bit how. Larry Sengstock 01:10:32.306
We're going to be prioritising yeah sure, so I think if we look at the situation that evolved over the last budget deliberations was that it was one that we had on our list to achieve this year but when things got tighter it's one that we as the UT and the staff suggested that we can we have a whole lot of pieces of that puzzle that we deliver anyway we do because people have it in their own work plans the idea was to continue with that and then where we could would we start to fashion it into a strategy and then we would come back either at BR2 or the next financial year and readdress it because we know it's a strategy that needs to be done but you know it's just one of those ones we can't do everything and from the financial point of view it is one that just had to wait its turn I guess is and we uh we felt we comfortable or confident that we were still able to deliver because we have people in our organisation who is not allowed to be written they're delivering against it anyway they've got it so it's something that's definitely needs to come back to you to be able to or the budget makes change. Thank you. Unidentified Speaker 01:11:48.476
Could I just add something to there is an initiative including the operational plan which is a check-in on the Corporate Plan for Councillors so that provides an opportunity to revisit where you're at and where we're at in delivering so that is an initiative in the operation. Larry Sengstock 01:12:04.492
Yes, it's just a matter of when we do it. Debra 01:12:07.195
Yes, timing is the question on that but it is embedded. That's a capability plan? No, no, that's a check-in. Larry Sengstock 01:12:15.465
It's just a check-in on the Corporate Plan so we review that Corporate Plan mid-term. Government. Brian Stockwell 01:12:26.006
I'll speak. Sorry, you want to move on? Amelia Lorentson 01:12:28.369
I just had another question. Just follow up Noosa, Woods, pontoon, major disruption. The report states that a consultant been commissioned to progress investigations. My understanding, we've already engaged a consultant to investigate the Noosa, Woods, pontoon, so just some clarity around that. The Noosa, Woods, jebby? Larry Sengstock 01:12:53.611
Yeah so it's, I believe we've commissioned they haven't started the work yet is my understanding, but I'd have to check that with the Director. Amelia Lorentson 01:13:03.619
Great, and I have a notified notion that Council has fully supported with a report coming back the six recommendations from the Noosa Boating Recreational Facility Study. Oh, sorry, that's a separate. That is a separate, but it did identify the jetty, so will that information be fed into that report? Yeah, that's what I'm thinking. We can cover them up. Excellent. Thank you very much. Brian Stockwell 01:13:31.224
OK, I'm happy to move it. Okay, OK, I'll speak to this. I'll just engage people. Oh, it's been critical last time. I'm not. I actually think that these quarterly reports, it's really valuable to do the output reporting. It's really valuable to work out where you're tracking progress against. And as others have mentioned, you can go through this pretty quickly and say, well is this a staffing, you know, vacancy issue, is it a budgeting issue, is it purely that we've got too much on, or is it that we've reprioritised? I think it would be unreasonable to look at getting outcomes or indicators into this report because it really, they occur over a long period. So I just think every annual report we should be making a bit of a song and dance. For example, it mentioned that we're now up 42% of area under nature conservation in the form of 10 year old protection. We haven't highlighted that one of the last acts of the last state government was actually to not gazette but to pass in parliament the fact that the Ringtail Yurol and the North Shore airfield are now national parks. Now they're very very long-term projects, and that is a major achievement for significant biodiversity in those areas they're the things I think we should put on record and this year we've made that big step and that's an outcome of protection of you know I think there's 453 different species over in the airfield so I just like to clarify that I think one job is to focus on how did we make an impact the other is on a more regular basis are we on track and I think this report does a good job of saying we're on track and we were not anyone else like to Karen Finzel 01:15:21.043
Speak yeah yes yeah I just like to add I think it's a really good um know, you like taking temperature a and assess is exciting we are. You know and the report that you've where we are I think what is exciting brought to us really gives us opportunity to pause and celebrate what we've done and we have discussed a lot over this period that we are you know working towards telling our story and putting forward the hero you know narrative that we're so sometimes reluctant or we miss it because we're really busy with heads down and getting the job done that we don't pause long enough to celebrate the achievement so I think this report it's been really good even as I read it. Take that moment and actually look at what we've done and it's quite an achievement and you know the awards that have been mentioned today and a big thank you the staff and it really is a collaborative approach around our which is what wanted to capture in our Corporate Plan so I think what we're seeing I know it's been ambitious and it's a massive task but I think you know collectively and bring the community along with us on the journey you know I am excited that it's we're putting those guideposts in and we're slowly moving towards the direction of our dreams for this Shire and deliver in our term you know a sustainable future with a focus on our environment, our people and our economy to carry us forward to a vision that you know we can all be proud of. So thank you to everybody involved. Good, Amelia Lorentson 01:16:54.680
Thank you, thank you. Others to speak? Councillor Lorentson? Just to reiterate what I mentioned in terms of the risk of over-commitment, you know the ambition of the Corporate Plan and the ambition of the operational plan is truly commendable you know we're excited and we're leaders and we want to do what's best for the community all the time and we are a group of doers but I need to acknowledge and sometimes stop and pause and understand the challenges of actually setting such high expectations in particular on our workforce we need to make sure our staffs physical and mental well-being go is forward. As we navigate these pressures because what's at risk is their well-being and also trust in community so I hope we do recalibrate and some sometime soon and focus on what's the most important objectives or priorities in these plans and get them done well thank you Larry Sengstock 01:18:13.607
So just to answer that to Councillor is that we've recently as an executive used this plan to go through it and actually look at with the question of you know what physically can we what is nice to do what you know going to be very difficult so we've started that process. Amelia Lorentson 01:18:31.731
Excellent. So we'll bring that back to the table. Excellent and the staff need to know that too because they're the ones that are carrying the burden of our expectations. It keeps growing. It does. Debra 01:18:42.364
Thank you if I may, further to that you've got the well-being survey that's just been conducted of our staff and Larry did a presentation this morning on the findings of that which is really focusing on where people are at and what we can do to help improve situations, so. Larry Sengstock 01:19:01.443
On the workload. That's true. Karen Finzel 01:19:03.503
Yeah, so. Oh, sorry just enough to question going on from that just to balance out what I had to say to make sure everyone is fine we haven't had the feedback on the survey yet so is there any psychosocial concerns raised about hazards in the workplace based on workload, capabilities and ambition? Larry Sengstock 01:19:25.922
It's a survey that we're now presenting back to the staff so I'd rather withhold that for now to present that, and I'll bring to that to you as a Council as well in another session, if that's okay, but yes, I think in general, we've got things we want to work on, but we've also got some really good things to champion, so I think we're in a Karen Finzel 01:19:48.156
Reasonably good spot, so yeah. So we're heading forward in a balanced approach? Yes, absolutely. Thank you. Frank Wilkie 01:19:52.894
For the operational report, Deb. I like the way you've gone straight to the areas where projects are experiencing either minor disruption, which is there's a minor change to scope of project, cost overrun of less than 10%, and minor delays of less than 30 days. There are over a hundred and projects you've got 80 about close to 80 projects that are either complete or on track and over a hundred if you include those that are experiencing on track but experiencing delays of less than 30 days so you're still tracking well so I commend the organisation. For that and I'd like to commend Councillors because when we started this term which was in the last three months of the last financial year we were presented with the framework a budget framework where we were told that already there are lot of jobs on a lot of projects have yet to be finished and the philosophy was finish what we've started so again we're going with the budget process is going to be starting towards the end of this year for the next financial year our commitment to not overloading this organisation and finishing what we started is going to be tested again now I'm also aware that the organisation has to be agile and we're adding to the workload through notified motions which is about emergent issues so we have to balance that as well it's perfectly legitimate but we have to balance our current workload with that Avenue of dealing with emergent works as well emergent issues as well so it is incumbent on us to be mindful of the projects we include in the budget and how we handle notified motions so I think there's been a record number this term and that's legitimate. There are issues that are coming at us quite quickly that we haven't experienced before so it will be incumbent on Councillors to be mindful to live up to our commitment to not overload the organisation. Finish what we started and will be tested in the upcoming budget process about that but thank you for the report Deb I like the way that doesn't sugarcoat it goes straight to the areas where there are delays and there are you've done a good job and providing detail about the reasons for the delays Brian Stockwell 01:22:41.922
I moved it but I don't need to close I'll put the motion all those in favour that's unanimous. We move on then to the next item which is LGAQ conference 2024 Noosa Council's motions carried. Larry Sengstock 01:23:02.507
It take I think it that's for me so this is just a report but a report for noting so just to bring everybody up to speed on and for our community to understand that the work that we do with the LGAQ we at the Ordinary Meeting on the 18th of July we approve seven motions to be put to the LGAQ which are motions that then go to the, for those watching, that go to the 77 councils of Queensland to get voted on essentially and to get approved then for LGAQ to take as a path forward to take them to the relevant authorities to progress. We put seven motions together, the Council has put seven motions in the end six of those one dropped off because it was combined with others and so we put took six final motions and then at the last minute last hour Councillor Lorentson put forward a seventh motion which under my delegated authority I approved and then it went through to the LGAQ conference and I'm pleased to say that all seven of our motions got approved so I think that's we should be very proud of and championing and it just shows that what we're putting forward is relevant to councils across Queensland and got accepted and promoted that way so they will now go forward under LGOQ's power so I just think those motions I won't go through them they're in the report but I just think it's something that we needed to bring back to say that yeah it's a job well done I think and we should be proud of happy to move it Mr Chair. Karen Finzel 01:24:52.960
To second it. Seeing that Councillor Finzel, do you wish to talk to us? Frank Wilkie 01:24:56.340
Look this just plays into other discussions we've had around the table today about this being a very ambitious and hardworking Council with Councillors that want to get stuff done and make a significant change for the better for their communities and in this case for the broader Queensland community there were seven motions I think that's a record for this Council and if I don't recall any other Council in Queensland having so many motions any LGAQ conference that I can recall so it does it has set a new benchmark and I commend all Councillors for those that put in the motions I commend all Councillors for supporting every motion and which we happily took to the conference and they were all passed which was very gratifying. Amelia Lorentson 01:25:50.927
As large only thing I want to add is that when we go to the conference and I encourage all the Councillors to attend it's an excellent learning experiences sharing ideas lessons learned but it's not just advocacy for matters that are important to Noosa Council we help also to advocate issues that are significant to these small regional places and they need our voting power to help them get their matters represented to the relevant state and Federal and budget considerations questions always get thrown at me with LGAQ conferences like you know is it impactful does it matter do your motions ever get you know raised and followed up and the answer is yes I think I've contributed almost all my five years and most of my motions that I've put forward are in relationship wastewater recycling wastewater diversion targets addressing emerging contaminants like PFAS etc yes the answer is absolutely yes on a state and Federal level. I work and communicate with Josephine Rafferty who looks at the water alliance and represents state the water a lot. On the water alliance yes that's how they get budgets and that's how we get budgets for initiatives that are important to us. Also in 2021 and I was at the LGAQ conference at the time it was LGAQ that raised the alarm about the housing crisis and it was the LGAQ advocacy on that actually sparked the housing summit that was led at the time by the then premier Anastasia so yes our advocacy does work and the best platform or the best way to leverage what we want is through the LGAQ you've got 77 councils all speaking with one voice through LGAQ and I totally recommend it and it's one of our roles to advocate on behalf of our community on matters that sit outside council's remit. Thank you. Anyone else? Frank Wilkie 01:28:18.928
Yeah further to that the success of the motions can be attributed also to their relevance all councils across Queensland not just those in the metropolitan areas but those in the regional areas. This year there were 109 motions passed of which seven were ours and then the LGAQ will then go through those and advocate to the relevant ministers in the new government to with a view to them advocating for policy change at the State level or Federal level, whatever it may be. And hopefully we'll see something, these positive changes come out of it. Brian Stockwell 01:28:58.658
Very good. I'll put the motion. Those in favour? That is unanimous. There is nothing we need to do within confidential session so the meeting is closed at 1:15. Related Noosa Council Meetings
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