Special Meeting
Date: Wednesday, 21 May 2025 at 1:00PM
Location: Noosa Shire Council Chambers , 9 Pelican Street , Tewantin , QLD 4565 , Australia
Organiser: Noosa Shire Council
Duration: 00:09:14
Synopsis: CEO Delegated broad emergency contracting authority, DRFA 90-Day eligibility urgency, Outsourcing for workforce gaps, Scope limited to make-safe, Probity/community risks, QRA liaison ongoing.
Meeting Attendees
Councillors
Frank Wilkie Karen Finzel Amelia Lorentson Jessica Phillips Brian Stockwell Tom Wegener Nicola Wilson Executive Officers
Chief Executive Officer Larry Sengstock Director Infrastructure Services Shaun Walsh Director Corporate Services Margaret Gatt (Via Microsoft Teams) AI-Generated Meeting Insight
Key Decisions & Discussions Frank Wilkie: Opened a special meeting focused on disaster reconstruction funding and emergency works for Noosa’s road and infrastructure network (00:00) (Item 4.1). Julie Calvert: Confirmed significant damage to gravel and asphalt roads and some larger sites following post–Tropical Cyclone Alfred weather; activated Disaster Reconstruction Funding Arrangement with QRA for emergency repairs (00:54–02:53) (Item 4.1). Julie Calvert: Sought expedited approval to outsource works due to limited internal resources and to meet tight funding timelines (02:01–02:53) (Item 4.1). Julie Calvert: Explained DRFA emergency works eligibility within 90 days to make assets safe/trafficable; example: Middle Creek Road culvert scouring requiring immediate fix and later full repair submission (02:55–04:13) (Item 4.1). Brian Stockwell: Moved the motion, citing high community demand, significant event, workforce constraints, and contractor scarcity; supported CEO delegation to expedite contractor selection (04:28–05:09) (Item 4.1). Tom Wegener: Seconded the motion (04:13) (Item 4.1). Amelia Lorentson: Probed capacity/capability shortfalls regarding roads, stormwater, and waterway crossings (05:13–05:37) (Item 4.1). Shaun Walsh / Julie Calvert: Clarified deadline of 90 days from event (target 29 June) to retain DRFA eligibility; outsourcing to protect Council budget and keep internal crews on non-disaster tasks (05:37–06:00) (Item 4.1). Shaun Walsh / Julie Calvert: Some works require minor construction (concrete/drainage) beyond grading; aim to “fix right first time” under emergency works to avoid rework (06:00–07:15) (Item 4.1). Amelia Lorentson: Queried if 90 days is sufficient and contingencies for weather delays (07:15–07:29) (Item 4.1). Shaun Walsh: Acknowledged challenge; coordinating multiple contractors and available Council crews; in dialogue with QRA liaison; intend to meet deadline (07:29–08:42) (Item 4.1). Council: Resolved unanimously to delegate to the CEO power to negotiate/finalise/execute contracts for emergency and immediate reconstruction works and project/supervision resources; delegation not limited by general financial delegations (Item 4.1). Contentious / Transparency Matters Council: Broad CEO delegation includes authority to bind Council above normal financial limits, increasing discretion in contractor selection (Item 4.1). Brian Stockwell: Noted high contractor demand; urgency may compress competition timeframes, raising probity perception risks despite necessity (04:28–05:09) (Item 4.1). Attendance: Remote participation by two councillors and a director via Teams was noted; quorum and voting proceeded without objection (00:00) (Minutes Attendance). Community Interface: Multiple resident maintenance requests referenced; prioritisation relies on DRFA eligibility and safety, which may create perceived inequities for non-event-affected roads (04:28–06:00) (Item 4.1). Legal / Risk Statutory Basis: Delegation relies on Local Government Act 2009 s257(1); resolution expressly overrides CEO’s general financial delegation thresholds for this purpose (Item 4.1). Funding Eligibility Risk: Missing the 90‑day window (to ~29 June) would shift costs to Council budget and reduce DRFA recovery (05:37–06:00; 07:29–08:42) (Item 4.1). Operational Risk: Internal workforce shortages necessitate outsourcing; delivery risk managed via multiple contractors and sequencing with returning Council crews (02:01–02:53; 07:29–08:42) (Item 4.1). Scope Control: Emergency works limited to making assets safe/trafficable; larger permanent repairs require subsequent QRA submissions, avoiding scope creep under emergency heads (02:55–04:13) (Item 4.1). Financial Exposure: CEO may commit Council beyond usual limits; oversight will depend on internal controls/report-back given absence of a cap in the resolution (Item 4.1). Emergency Road & Infrastructure Works: Scope and Delivery Works Packages: Asphalt/gravel road emergency works; immediate reconstruction including stormwater crossings; project/supervision resourcing to package/manage delivery (Item 4.1). Example Site: Middle Creek Road, Federal—culvert wash-over and asphalt scouring; immediate safety fix now, full culvert repair later via QRA submission (02:55–04:13) (Item 4.1). Method: Grading and pothole repairs where sufficient; minor concrete/drainage construction where required for durable safety outcomes (06:00–07:15) (Item 4.1). Scheduling: Targeting kilometres-per-day outputs on gravel networks; active liaison with QRA Regional Officer to maintain eligibility and justify approach (07:29–08:42) (Item 4.1). Governance: CEO Larry Sengstock empowered to negotiate and execute contracts; Infrastructure Director Shaun Walsh and Disaster Reconstruction Coordinator Julie Calvert provide technical oversight (00:00–00:54; 01:53) (Item 4.1).
Official Meeting Minutes
MINUTES Special Meeting Wednesday, 21 May 2025 1:00 PM Council Chambers, 9 Pelican Street, Tewantin Crs Frank Wilkie (Chair), Karen Finzel, Amelia Lorentson, Jessica Phillips, Brian Stockwell, Tom Wegener, Nicola Wilson “Noosa Shire – different by nature” SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES 21 MAY 2025 1. DECLARATION OF OPENING The meeting was declared open at 1.00PM 2. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY Noosa Council respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the lands and waters of the Noosa area, the Kabi Kabi people, and pays respect to their Elders, past, present and emerging. 3. ATTENDANCE & APOLOGIES COUNCILLORS Cr Frank Wilkie (Chair) Cr Karen Finzel (via Microsoft Teams) Cr Amelia Lorentson Cr Jessica Phillips (via Microsoft Teams) Cr Brian Stockwell Cr Tom Wegener Cr Nicola Wilson EXECUTIVE Chief Executive Officer Larry Sengstock Director Infrastructure Services Shaun Walsh Director Corporate Services Margaret Gatt (via Microsoft Teams) APOLOGIES Nil. 4. SPECIAL MEETING REPORTS 4.1. 2025 DISASTER RECONSTRUCTION FUNDING ARRANGEMENTS - EMERGENCY RECONSTRUCTION WORKS FOR THE NOOSA COUNCIL ROAD AND INFRASTRUCTURE NETWORK Committee Resolution Moved: Cr Brian Stockwell Seconded: Cr Tom Wegener That Council note the report by the Disaster Reconstruction Coordinator to the Council Special Meeting dated 21 May,2025 and: 1. Pursuant to section 257 (1) of the local Government Act 2009, delegate to the Chief Executive Officer the power to negotiate, finalise and execute the following contracts on behalf of Council: a. Emergency works for asphalt and gravel roads b. Immediate Reconstruction works for damaged roads including stormwater crossings SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES 21 MAY 2025 c. Project and Supervision resources to develop work packages for emergency works 2. Resolve that the delegation in Item A is not limited by any general financial delegations that apply to exercising the Chief Executive Officer’s powers, and may be exercised to bind Council to a contract sum that exceeds the Chief Executive Officer's general financial delegation. Carried unanimously. 5. CONFIDENTIAL SESSION Nil. 6. MEETING CLOSURE The meeting closed at 1.09PM
Meeting Transcript
Frank Wilkie 00:00.000
Good afternoon and welcome everybody to the special meeting on Wednesday the 21st of May 2025. Declare the meeting open at 1pm. We're here today to discuss the disaster reconstruction funding arrangements, emergency reconstruction works for the Noosa Council Road and Infrastructure network. Begin by acknowledging that we're meeting on the traditional lands of the Kabi Kabi people. I'd also like to reiterate their invitation for us to join them as joint custodians in respecting and caring for this place that we all love and respecting and caring... place that we all love, respecting and caring for each other. I notice that all councillors are in attendance. We have Councillor Nicola Wilson, Tom Wegener, Brian Stockwell, Amelia Lorentson here, and we have councillors Jessica Phillips and Karen Finzel on the line. We have Director of Infrastructure Services, Shaun Walsh, and Disaster Reconstruction Coordinator, Julie Calvert, here for this report. Julie, would you care to Sorry. Julie Calvert 00:56.627
Good afternoon, everybody. As a result of some poor weather conditions, experienced post-tropical cyclone Alfred, but late March there has been some damage sustained within the asset network of the Shire, mostly around gravel roads and asphalt roads. And then there's a few larger sites. Today I just want to focus on the most immediate actions we need to undertake. The damage that was sustained is we've sustained is significant enough for us to engage Queensland Reconstruction Authority and activate with them and start progressing a grant program called the Disaster Reconstruction Funding Arrangement and that gives us recourse to be able to start emergency repairs of roads so that they can be safe and trafficable for the community. Today we wanted to propose to Council to allow us to expedite that process for a couple of different reasons. The roads are not a great state we do want to keep the community safe by improving that. We have a deadline from a funding arrangement for those grant programs which is there are sorry 90 days from the date of the event so we're targeting to achieve all of those. Typically this would be some work that we would undertake using some council resources but unfortunately at the moment we council resources, but unfortunately at the moment we don't have all those council resources available for us to do this, so the team has been progressing a project to outsource that work and find appropriate contractors who can undertake that work. So today I just wanted to walk you through that background, answer any questions that you may have about why we want to expedite it and how we plan to expedite them. Frank Wilkie 02:53.345
What is the funding source? Julie Calvert 02:55.605
So the funding source is of a disaster reconstruction funding arrangement where we have assets in the community that are classified as essential assets they're eligible for reconstruction of essential public assets under a particular program. That program is about emergency works so these are the works that need to happen in the period most frequently most frequent post the event that's occurred that 90 days and it's about us making things safe until we can do more work if more work is required so an example that I can I can provide here is that Middle Creek Road in Federal had a culvert, had wash over, severe asphalt scouring. We need to fix that scouring on that particular road, but that's just the first Further down, we'll look to work with QRA to get some funding submissions approved to do some further work to repair that whole culvert system as well. of the minor works, we'll just grade the road and tidy it up and then go back to general maintenance. Some of it will be grading it and determining if it needs further work that goes into a more broader submission with Queensland Reconstruction Authority. Frank Wilkie 04:13.743
It is a formal meeting, so we'll have questions during after the I have received quite a few requests for maintenance on a number of the roads that are listed in the event appendix and it was a significant that led to the opening up of of disaster and recovery funding. I think in the current situations both internally within our workforce and in terms of the need to get contractors where we can because there is a high demand for contractors I think it is judicious to approve this and delegate the authority to Thank the CEO to you, make the I just have a couple of questions. You mentioned that we don't have the resourcing and the report also indicates that we lack the capacity and capability to respond to essential assets such as roads, stormwater and waterway crossings. the damage. Can you explain further why we lack the capacity and capability? Julie Calvert 05:38.897
Yep, so capacity is down to that we effectively have until June 29 to make the repairs to this road for it to continue to be. eligible under that grant funding program. If we tip outside that date it comes back to using council budget so we're trying to minimise that risk to council as much as possible. As the list highlights there are other roads that weren't considered damaged under that event so we want to try and make sure budget goes to where it needs to go. In terms of In terms of capacity as well is when we do have council resources available, having them available to do those other works is really important to those people who haven't been affected by the disaster. So we want to make sure that we can balance those resources and return a really good service to the community In terms of capability there is a small portion of works that's around a little bit more than just road grading or filling some potholes there's some minor works construction such as some concreting and fixing some some drainage areas etc and it would be ideal if we go and fix them. fix them right the first time under this particular portion of the emergency works rather than doing a bit of a band-aid fix now and then coming back later with a larger grant program that some of that happens. So again it's about trying to make sure that we can return those assets to a good condition as quickly as possible and not let them sit there degrading. Amelia Lorentson 07:14.440
Is 90 days enough time to complete the work, understanding these weather implications, is 90 days long enough and what happens if it's not enough? Julie Calvert 07:29.365
So the 90 days started ticking from the moment that the event happened and we've been using this time to try and come up with a plan given we didn't have council resources and and that was an initial barrier so effectively we've got until now until June 29 so yes it is a really big challenge and this is why we're talking to several contractors about how we might be able to do this. to engage with council crew who is available to see if we can sequence some of their support when they do come back in about how we go about doing this but based on the I'm continuing damage assessments we have at the moment and the forecast of how many kilometres per day they can do of gravel roads because that's my more concerning area that we believe that we can make That we believe that we can make that work. It's something we're constantly in dialogue with QRA about. We have a regional liaison officer and he's kept up to date with what we're doing and they're used to us sort of pushing the boundaries as much as we possibly can with suitable justification but that's not my intent and it's not the team's intent for this. Thank you. Frank Wilkie 08:57.340
That's unanimous motions carried that brings the end of the agenda I declare the meeting closed at 1:09pm. I should have closed those three minutes. Related Noosa Council Meetings
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