Services & Organisation Committee

Key Decisions & Discussions
• Karen Finzel: Committee unanimously adopted a new Public Art Policy to strategically grow and manage Noosa’s public art collection (Item 7.1) (02:56–06:40; 17:37–19:09).
• Paul Brinkman: Policy includes a 1% public art provision for eligible civic projects over $2M, excluding utilities repairs and disaster-funded works; integration can be modest (e.g., fixtures) (06:54–08:23) (Item 7.1).
• Kerri Contini: Policy formalises selection, maintenance and decommissioning, addressing past ad hoc acquisitions and community sensitivities (03:20–04:57; 08:57–11:12) (Item 7.1).
• Shaun Walsh: Endorsed policy flexibility to fund utilitarian and ephemeral art (e.g., stages), noting whole-of-life management needs (16:40–17:35) (Item 7.1).
• Frank Wilkie: Noted 40 existing artworks; policy codifies criteria already informally applied, improving transparency and durability/safety assessments (08:57–16:40) (Item 7.1).
• Karen Finzel: Council adopted the 2024 Annual Disaster Management Report and thanked LDMG members and advisors (Item 7.2) (19:31–35:53).
• Sue Lowry: 2024 outcomes: LDCC opened at Noosaville Depot; disaster dashboard/Guardian upgrades; Pomona community sub-plan; recruitment; statewide coordination (20:49–22:27) (Item 7.2).
• Shaun Walsh: Recent cyclone readiness validated “back-to-basics” approach; Guardian enabled rapid intel-sharing and comms (e.g., wind thresholds from Sunrise Beach/Tewantin feeds) (24:51–27:10) (Item 7.2).
• Jessica Phillips: Highlighted Get Ready Schools, aged-care workshops, dashboard utility, and SES’s ~90 volunteers; praised inter-agency collaboration (32:03–34:50) (Item 7.2).
• Larry Sengstock: Ordinary Meeting on 15 May 2025 moved from 10am Tewantin to 5pm Cooroy Memorial Hall; will be advertised, community engagement beforehand, livestream and recording planned (Item 7.3) (37:06–38:30).
• Councillors: Change of time/venue carried unanimously; aim is broader community access (Item 7.3) (38:33–38:54).
• Committee: All items carried unanimously; no presentations, deputations, or confidential session; meeting closed 2:10pm.
Contentious / Transparency Matters
• Public Art Funding: The 1% set-aside applies only to specified eligible projects; clear exclusions reduce ratepayer risk of cost-creep yet require diligent scoping to avoid misapplication (06:54–08:23) (Item 7.1).
• Deaccessioning: Policy codifies artist-first refusal and documentation to mitigate disputes when removing beloved works; sensitive but transparency-enhancing (10:57–12:27) (Item 7.1).
• Panel Governance: Internal panel with option for external experts, Director decision-making for routine works, Council for major works; balances efficiency with oversight (18:35–19:09) (Item 7.1).
• Meeting Accessibility: Time/venue shift to Cooroy with advertising and livestream improves public participation; ensure disability access and audio quality meet standards (Item 7.3) (37:06–38:30).
• Sandbag Misuse: Staff flagged significant, possibly non-intended uptake; clearer eligibility guidance and tracking could curb diversion without chilling preparedness (26:23–27:15) (Item 7.2).
• Data Transparency: Disaster dashboard upgrades and fast intel dissemination cited as high-value; continue publishing methods/thresholds to sustain public trust (24:51–27:10) (Item 7.2).
Legal / Risk
• Statutory Compliance: Disaster report aligns with Disaster Management Act 2003 obligations across prevention, preparedness, response, recovery; LDMG structure and annual reporting noted (20:49–22:27) (Item 7.2).
• Meeting Law: Change to meeting time/venue resolved under s 257(3)(b) Local Government Regulation 2012; CEO tasked with suitable advertising; livestream/recording planned (Item 7.3).
• Art Governance: Policy addresses IP/artist rights, maintenance, safety, and deaccessioning procedures; mitigates liability from unsafe/durable materials in public realm (11:52–16:40) (Item 7.1).
• Procurement/Allocation Risk: The 1% mechanism must be integrated with procurement and project governance to ensure spend is within scope and delivers public value (06:54–08:23) (Item 7.1).
• Operational Communications: Identified vulnerability when power outages cripple mobile networks; Council exploring VHF, satphones, and LEO satellite options; GPS/duress in vehicles raises privacy and data-handling considerations under QLD IP Act (28:55–31:02) (Item 7.2).
• Third-Party Installations: Clarified boundary between Council-commissioned public art and private murals in public view; maintenance liability rests with property owners, reducing Council risk (12:36–14:32) (Item 7.1).
Disaster Management & Community Resilience
• Shaun Walsh: Rapid Guardian-tasking example: within six minutes intelligence on unsafe wind speeds sourced from Sunrise Beach hang-glider station and Tewantin BoM site, informing comms (24:51–27:10) (Item 7.2).
• Sue Lowry: Technical improvements included recognition of permitted burns and a recovery module; LDCC operationalisation improved deployment (20:49–22:27) (Item 7.2).
• Inter-Agency Scale: Core agencies span QAS, QFES, QPS, SES, National Parks, Energex; advisors include Health, TMR, Seqwater, Unitywater, Red Cross, education, surf lifesaving, tourism bodies (23:22–24:34) (Item 7.2).
• Community Uptake: 890 new Noosa Alert subscribers during event week; record traffic at Resource Recovery pre-cyclone indicates messages landing (28:13–28:25) (Item 7.2).
• Lessons Process: Live “lessons learned” board and post-event feedback loop to Councillors/LDMG embeds continuous improvement (28:25–28:55) (Item 7.2).
• Councillors: Bipartisan commendations for staff/volunteers and community compliance; emphasis on preparedness culture (31:15–35:53) (Item 7.2).
Public Art Policy Implementation Highlights
• Paul Brinkman: City Deal program drew 65 applications; policy will channel proposals strategically and document assets to prevent orphaned works (05:00–06:40; 11:12–12:27) (Item 7.1).
• Kerri Contini: Prior 1% practice yielded integrated art across Shire (e.g., Cooroy seats); policy guards against unsafe, maintenance-heavy installations (08:23–16:40) (Item 7.1).
• Examples: Bunya/Bunyanup sculpture refurbishment and Indigenous “bubble gum” bubbler repaint exemplify lifecycle costs and artist permissions (12:36–14:32) (Item 7.1).
• Governance Flow: Expert panel recommends; Director Community Services decides for routine; Council decides major works – clear escalation path (18:35–19:09) (Item 7.1).