Services & Organisation Committee Agenda - 7 October 2025
Date: Tuesday, 7 October 2025 at 1:30PM
Location: Noosa Shire Council Chambers , 9 Pelican Street , Tewantin , QLD 4565 , Australia
Organiser: Noosa Shire Council
Duration: 00:47:04
Synopsis: Tree Panel: integrated traffic management, surge capacity, Fees: reclassified no cost change, Supplier Lists updated, Heritage Grant, Meetings: 2026 schedule, Nov 2025 Boreen Point.
Meeting Attendees
Committee Members
Karen Finzel Jessica Phillips Nicola Wilson Frank Wilkie Non-Committee Members
Executive Officers
Chief Executive Officer Larry Sengstock Director Community Services Kerri Contini Director Corporate Services Margaret Gatt Director Infrastructure Services Shaun Walsh AI-Generated Meeting Insight
Key Decisions & Discussions Karen Finzel led adoption of an administrative correction to reclassify certain property-related charges (footpath dining, commercial use permits) as commercial fees in the Fees and Charges Register; no dollar changes, just correcting an erroneous “cost-recovery” label (Item 7.1; 00:00–05:40). The committee adopted updates to the Sole and Specialised Supplier Lists for 12 months, removing some suppliers now procurable via other means and adding others to meet current procurement needs (Item 7.2; 09:55–11:34). Register of Pre-Qualified Suppliers (RP25083) for Tree Management and Maintenance approved for a 2-year term from 1 Nov 2025 with two optional 24-month extensions to 31 Oct 2031; 11 suppliers recommended, 10 based in Noosa/Sunshine Coast LGAs (Item 7.3; 12:21–22:24). Scope of RP25083 includes tree works, specialised arborist services (including bat-related works, vacuum excavation, consultancy), tree planting/establishment, and traffic management; panel structure allows surge capacity for disasters (Item 7.3; 12:21–17:08). Integration of traffic management under tree contractors expected to deliver coordination efficiencies and some cost benefits via contractor-negotiated rates or in-house accreditation; panel membership does not guarantee work (Item 7.3; 17:08–19:08). Operational detail: mulch from Council jobs remains Council property and must be delivered to specified sites or left on-site; minimal impact on waste facilities anticipated (Item 7.3; 19:08–20:38). Service demand: approx. 80 arboriculture-related customer requests per week, rising 10–20% annually; higher in storm seasons and influenced by population proximity to natural areas (Item 7.3; 20:39–22:20). Out-of-round three-year Community Alliance Agreement approved for Tewantin Heritage and Historical Society (Parkyn’s Hut/Visitor Information Centre) for $6,727.18 p.a., aligning with comparable heritage organisations (Item 7.4; 23:21–33:46). Rationale: sudden withdrawal of Tourism Noosa funding post regular grant round; rigorous assessment/moderation applied; organisation has high visitation (14,500+ last FY), strong governance, and broad community benefit (Item 7.4; 24:33–31:57). 2026 Council Meeting Schedule approved for transparency and planning; can be altered by resolution; one vote against recorded (Item 7.5; 34:46–37:31). Time/venue change resolved for the 20 Nov 2025 Ordinary Meeting to 5pm at Lake Cootharaba Sailing Club, Boreen Point, with livestream/recording (Item 7.6; 38:55–46:36). Contentious / Transparency Matters Jessica Phillips queried whether fee reclassification would impact business costs; staff confirmed no change to amounts—purely correcting the legislative “type” column (Item 7.1; 02:33–04:29). Jessica Phillips pressed on operational efficiencies and savings from bundling traffic management with tree works; staff cited reduced scheduling friction and some rate savings (Item 7.3; 17:08–19:08). Jessica Phillips supported the out-of-round grant while flagging discomfort with process exceptions; staff justified via post-round confirmation of external funding cuts and full assessment process (Item 7.4; 31:47–33:05). Debate on taking Ordinary Meetings into the community balanced outreach benefits against staff IT/logistics burden; commitment to review format and ensure value-for-effort and resident benefit (Item 7.6; 39:44–45:49). One dissent on the 2026 meeting schedule signalled appetite for broader format review to improve accessibility for working residents (Item 7.5; 35:39–37:31; Minutes 7.5). Legal / Risk Correcting fee “type” aligns the Register with Local Government Act/Regulation distinctions between cost-recovery (fee-for-service capped by cost) and commercial fees (market-based), mitigating legal exposure from misclassification (Item 7.1; 01:00–04:29). Supplier list decisions rely on exceptions under the Local Government Regulation for sole/specialised suppliers; minutes and briefing highlighted compliance with Chapter 5B/LGR procurement thresholds (Item 7.2; 09:55–10:55; Minutes 7.2). RP25083 established via public tender per LGR; robust evaluation and CEO delegation to administer, extend, and refresh panel reduce probity risk while preserving flexibility in disaster response (Item 7.3; 12:21–14:47; Minutes 7.3). Conflict-of-interest handling complied with Local Government Act Chapter 5B—declarations made on the record, affected councillor left the room and did not vote (Item 7.2; 07:03–07:36; Minutes 7.2). Change of Ordinary Meeting time/venue executed under Local Government Regulation 2012 s 257(3)(b), with commitments to adequate advertising and livestreaming to maintain public access (Item 7.6; 38:55–46:36; Minutes 7.6). Conflicts of Interest Jessica Phillips declared a prescribed conflict for Item 7.2 due to a relative on the Hastings Street Association committee (a listed sole supplier), left the room, and did not vote (07:03–07:36; Minutes 7.2). Amelia Lorentson (observing online) identified prior links to “Pages Furnishers” listed in attachments; although advising the business is no longer operating, she voluntarily disconnected for transparency during discussion (08:01–09:27). Procurement, Local Economy & Service Delivery Frank Wilkie sought assurance on local supplier participation; staff confirmed 10 of 11 panelists are based in Noosa/Sunshine Coast, with one broader provider able to meet multi-category needs rapidly (15:04–16:36). Staff emphasised that panel status enables rapid multi-supplier mobilisation after storm events, improving resilience and response times (16:32–17:08). Annual arboriculture workload growth (10–20%) underscores the need for a broad, multi-category panel and integrated traffic management to minimise downtime (20:39–22:20; Minutes 7.3). Supplier list maintenance (adds/removals) anchored in legislative pathways and operational need, aiming to reduce reliance on exceptions by procuring through standard methods where feasible (09:55–10:55; Minutes 7.2). Community Grants & Heritage Outcomes Out-of-round funding to Tewantin Heritage and Historical Society fills a gap after Tourism Noosa ceased support, preventing likely closure given non-discretionary costs (insurance, accreditation, training) (27:49–30:25; Minutes 7.4). Assessment aligned grant quantum with peer heritage institutions (Cooroy Noosa Genealogical & Historical Research Group; Noosa Museum) via standard scoring/formula despite timing exception (24:33–26:39). Frank Wilkie and colleagues recorded the centre’s awards and community reach (incl. significant local patronage and volunteers), supporting equitable allocation within the heritage cohort (25:51–33:46). Staff will connect the society with Business Mentors Noosa for strategic planning and potential income diversification, complementing Council funding (29:40–30:20). Meeting Accessibility & Community Engagement Larry Sengstock confirmed the 2026 schedule is administrative and amendable by resolution; a workshop will review meeting formats for accessibility and efficiency (35:39–37:31; Minutes 7.5). Jessica Phillips supported regional meetings but questioned IT/logistics burdens for Ordinary Meetings versus alternative outreach (meet-and-greets), prompting a commitment to review (39:44–42:09; Minutes 7.6). Frank Wilkie highlighted that evening regional meetings enable deputations and observation of debate by residents otherwise impeded by daytime sessions, complementing coffee chats (44:00–45:48). Resolution to shift the 20 Nov 2025 Ordinary Meeting to Boreen Point at 5pm includes advertising and livestreaming to preserve transparency and participation (38:55–46:36; Minutes 7.6).
Official Meeting Minutes
MINUTES Services & Organisation Committee Meeting Tuesday, 7 October 2025 1:30 PM Council Chambers, 9 Pelican Street, Tewantin Committee: Crs Karen Finzel (Chair), Cr Jessica Phillips, Cr Frank Wilkie, Cr Nicola Wilson “Noosa Shire – different by nature” SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES 7 OCTOBER 2025 1 DECLARATION OF OPENING The meeting was declared open at 1.32pm. 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 COMMITTEE MEMBERS Cr Karen Finzel (Chair) Cr Jessica Phillips Cr Nicola Wilson Cr Frank Wilkie NON-COMMITTEE MEMBERS Cr Amelia Lorentson EXECUTIVE Chief Executive Officer Larry Sengstock Director Community Services Kerri Contini Acting Director Corporate Services Margaret Gatt Director Infrastructure Services Shaun Walsh APOLOGIES Nil. 4 CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES 4.1 SERVICE & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES DATED 9 SEPTEMBER 2025 Committee Resolution Moved: Cr Frank Wilkie Seconded: Cr Jessica Phillips The Minutes of the Service and Organisation Committee Meeting held on 9 September 2025 be received and confirmed. Carried. For: Cr Karen Finzel, Cr Jessica Phillips, Cr Nicola Wilson, Cr Frank Wilkie Against: None 5. PRESENTATIONS Nil. 6. DEPUTATIONS Nil. SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES 7 OCTOBER 2025 7 REPORTS FOR CONSIDERATION OF THE COMMITTEE 7.1 MINOR AMENDMENTS TO FEES AND CHARGES REGISTER FOR COMMERCIAL FEES Committee Recommendation Moved: Cr Karen Finzel Seconded: Cr Frank Wilkie That Council A. Note the report by the Property Advisor to the Services & Organisation Committee dated 7 October 2025 regarding minor amendments to Council's Fees and Charges Register; B. Adopt the legislative reference changes to Council's Fees and Charges Register for the commercial fees, as detailed in the report; and C. Authorise the CEO to amend Council's 2025/26 Fees and Charges Register accordingly. Carried. For: Cr Karen Finzel, Cr Jessica Phillips, Cr Nicola Wilson, Cr Frank Wilkie Against: None 7.2 NOOSA SHIRE COUNCIL SOLE AND SPECIALISED SUPPLIER LISTS In accordance with Chapter 5B of the Local Government Act 2009, Cr Jessica Phillips provided the following declaration to the meeting of a prescribed conflict of interest in this matter: I Cr Phillips inform the meeting that I have a prescribed conflict of interest in relation to Item 7.2 - Noosa Shire Council Sole and Specialised Supplier Lists on this agenda in relation to the Hastings St Association being on the Sole Supplier List as my sister-in-law Joanne Phillips is on the committee of the Hastings St Association. As a result of my conflict of interest, I will now leave the meeting room while the matter is considered and voted on. Cr Jessica Phillips left the meeting. Cr Amelia Lorentson left the meeting. Committee Recommendation Moved: Cr Nicola Wilson Seconded: Cr Karen Finzel That Council A. Note the report by the Procurement & Contracts Advisor to the Services & Organisation Committee dated 7 October 2025 regarding the Sole and Specialised Lists; B. Adopt the Sole Supplier List provided at Attachment 1 of the report for the next twelve (12) months; and C. Adopt the Specialised Supplier List provided at Attachment 2 of the report for the next twelve (12) months. Carried. For: Cr Karen Finzel, Cr Nicola Wilson, Cr Frank Wilkie Against: None Cr Phillips, having declared a conflict of interest, was not eligible to vote. SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES 7 OCTOBER 2025 Cr Jessica Phillips returned to the meeting. Cr Amelia Lorentson returned to the meeting. 7.3 REGISTER OF PRE-QUALIFIED SUPPLIERS FOR PROVISION OF TREE MANAGEMENT AND MAINTENANCE SERVICES - RP25083 Committee Recommendation Moved: Cr Karen Finzel Seconded: Cr Frank Wilkie That Council note the report by the Parks and Streetscapes Coordinator to the Services & Organisation Committee Meeting dated 7 October 2025 and A. Approve the award of Contract No. RP25083 for the Register of Pre-qualified Suppliers (ROPS) for the Provision of Tree Management and Maintenance Services for a period of two (2) years commencing 1 November 2025 to the suppliers listed in Attachment 1 of the report. B. Delegate to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) the power to negotiate, finalise, execute and do all things necessary to administer the Contract on behalf of Council. C. Subject to satisfactory performance of the suppliers, authorise the CEO to approve the option to extend the contract, at the expiry of initial term, for a further two (2) terms of up to twenty-four (24) months each ending on 31 October 2031. D. Authorise the CEO to approve the addition of new suppliers to Contract No. RP25083 – ROPS for Provision of Tree Management and Maintenance Services as a result of an advertised refresh at the discretion of Council. Carried. For: Cr Karen Finzel, Cr Jessica Phillips, Cr Nicola Wilson, Cr Frank Wilkie Against: None 7.4 2025-2026 OUT OF ROUND COMMUNITY GRANT APPLICATION FOR A THREE- YEAR COMMUNITY ALLIANCE AGREEMENT Committee Recommendation Moved: Cr Nicola Wilson Seconded: Cr Jessica Phillips That Council A. Note the report by the Community Development Coordinator to the General Committee Meeting dated 7 October 2025; and B. Approve the out-of-round Community Grant application from the Tewantin Heritage and Historical Society for a Three-Year Community Alliance Agreement to the value of $6,727.18, commencing 2025-26. Carried. For: Cr Karen Finzel, Cr Jessica Phillips, Cr Nicola Wilson, Cr Frank Wilkie Against: None SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES 7 OCTOBER 2025 7.5 COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULE – 2026 Committee Recommendation Moved: Cr Karen Finzel Seconded: Cr Frank Wilkie That Council A. Note the report by the Chief Executive Officer to the Services & Organisation Committee Meeting dated 7 October 2025; B. Approve the Council Meeting schedule for January-December 2026 as set out in Attachment 1 to the Report; and C. Note Council's commitment to community engagement, in particular holding Ordinary Meetings in the community, and therefore times and venue of Ordinary Meetings adopted in Attachment 1 may be changed by via Council Resolution in order to facilitate this. Carried. For: Cr Karen Finzel, Cr Jessica Phillips, Cr Frank Wilkie Against: Cr Nicola Wilson 7.6 CHANGE OF TIME & VENUE FOR ORDINARY MEETING DATED 20 NOVEMBER 2025 Committee Recommendation Moved: Cr Nicola Wilson Seconded: Cr Karen Finzel That Council A. Note the report by the Chief Executive Officer to the Services and Organisation Committee Meeting dated 7 October 2025 regarding the Ordinary Meeting dated 20 November 2025; and B. Pursuant to Section 257(3)(b) of the Local Government Regulation 2012, resolve to: 1. Change the commencement time of the Ordinary Meeting dated 20 Nov 2025 to 5pm; 2. Change the venue for the meeting to Lake Cootharaba Sailing Club, 24 Boreen Parade, Boreen Point; C. Request that the Chief Executive Officer ensure suitable advertising is undertaken to promote this community based Council Meeting; and D. Note that Council plan to livestream the meeting and place a copy of the recording on Council's website. Carried. For: Cr Karen Finzel, Cr Jessica Phillips, Cr Nicola Wilson, Cr Frank Wilkie Against: None 8 REPORTS FOR NOTING BY THE COMMITTEE Nil. 9 CONFIDENTIAL SESSION Nil. 10 MEETING CLOSURE The meeting closed at 2.19pm.
Meeting Transcript
Karen Finzel 00:00.000
Meeting Tuesday the 7th of October 2025. I declare the meeting open at 1:32pm. I note that all councillors are attendants and there is no apologies. I would like to acknowledge Noosa Council proudly respects the Australia's First Nations people and their deep abiding connection to this country. There's no presentations, no deputations. We're up to reports for consideration of the committee, commencing with 7.1, minor amendments to fees and charges registered for commercial fees. And welcome to the table, staff members Dennis Wallace and Richard Lippin. Thank you and welcome to Thank you, Chair. Would you like to give us an overview of the report? Sure. Thank you. Dennis Wallace 01:00.592
Councillors, this report relates to a fairly minor administrative matter that has come to light. Councillors would be broadly aware that our fees and charges We're broadly aware that our fees and charges are split into two types of fees: cost recovery fees and commercial type fees. The property section was reviewing its fees recently and noted that there is an incorrect reference to the type of fees against a number of property fees. So we have what are commercial fees incorrectly listed. commercial fees incorrectly listed currently as cost recovery fees and this report seeks to correct that administrative reference to the fee type in our fees and charges register and to do that now rather than to wait for next year's budget process and as simple as that the type of fees involved footpath dining fees and commercial use permit fees so they're currently listed as cost recovery but in fact set as commercial fees and it appears that at some stage has been effectively a cut and paste error in our register at some point in previous years and we've only just picked this out so that's the purpose of the report to make that amendment to that legislative reference for the fee type and amend our register. Happy to take questions. Thank you. Karen Finzel 02:30.548
Do you have any questions for the staff? I do, thanks. Just in relation to that then, so cost recovery, now it's going to be, this is commercial in the register. Does that change the amount the councillor... Dennis Wallace 02:45.588
No, and the fees are currently applied as commercial fees but it's just there's a column that notes what type of fee it is and currently it incorrectly This is cost recovery so there's no effect on the fees just to correct the reference to the the fee type. Jessica Phillips 03:03.924
And so when it comes to the budget review next year it's we're going to be looking at the commercial aspect of it. How will that change like in reality? It doesn't actually change the fees themselves. Dennis Wallace 03:17.584
It's just correcting the... It's just correcting the legislative reference in a column in the fees and charges register. So the fees remain the same and will do until the next budget round. But even at that time it won't have any marked... through this on the fees that we're applying. So it's purely just an administrative typo if you like. Jessica Phillips 03:41.276
There's no cost change to businesses that are having Right. space down. Just a reference to what type of provision are they. Cost recovery provision, which is basically a fee-for-service. So you can only charge what it costs you to do the assessment versus a commercial versus a commercial fee, which is actually a commercial rate that you can set to cover the cost of, say, for example, someone occupying public land for a commercial activity, competing with other businesses in that location. location. So we can set a commercial fee for that. So we can set a... As Dennis said, there's no actual change in any idolatry amounts. It's purely the references of those two different legislative pairs of power. Cost recovery versus a commercial fee. Who's ever once cost recovery... Is that how it happened? No, these have always been commercial fees and we think that at some point in previous years it's sort of been like a cut and paste era and just that reference has come across. So they've always been levied as commercial fees. So they've always been levied as commercial type fees and said in that way. Okay. Karen Finzel 04:46.356
Any further questions? So just to clarify, the calculation connected on change has always been a commercial fee? It just wasn't incorrectly marked on the check? Dennis Wallace 04:56.356
Correct. Karen Finzel 04:58.396
In relation... I think I came up with a few in the recording but it's no change so I should figure it out. Jessica Phillips 05:06.276
In relation to my request to move it if I'm okay with now I've heard the report as well so... I have a little set of slides. Karen Finzel 05:13.956
I'll have a set of slides. Yeah. Yep. OK. So we just think that in terms of that in summary is that it was an error and it's been reviewed. It's come up to our wife and we can make those changes which will provide opportunities yep. Yep. And our website will update the fees and charges register. Yeah. Post this meeting round. Well, thank you. Well done on the diligence of the staff. Yeah. And it was in place and we then can take the steps to work with that. Thank you. We'll take it to the vote. I'm happy to move. Frank Wilkie 05:51.612
I'll second the management. Karen Finzel 05:52.892
Thank you. That's moved by Councillor Finzel, seconded by Councillor Wilkie. All in favour? We'll take it to the vote. Thank you, staff. We will move to item number 7.2, Noosa Shire Council meeting. Noosa Shire Council sole and specialised supplier list. And we're welcoming Lee and Mark Tabor. Welcome. Good afternoon, ladies. Good afternoon. Good afternoon, councillors. and try to have it to lead to take us through the report. Fantastic. Thank you. Lee Tabor 06:29.232
Thank you. So, councillors, the procurement of council goods and services. Sorry. Sorry. Frank Wilkie 06:42.036
Before I put it. Karen Finzel 06:44.136
Sorry, I'll put a declaration in. Yeah. Does it always have to be described? It... Because it's... That's all you do is describe it. That's all. That's all I remember. Jessica Phillips 07:03.540
Okay. In accordance with Chapter 5B of the Local Government Act 2009, I, Councillor, inform the meeting that I have a prescribed conflict of interest in relation to item 7.2, Noosa Shire Council's sole and specialised supplier list on... specialised supplier list on this agenda in relation to the Hastings Street Association being on the sole supplier list as my sister-in-law Joanne Phillips is on the committee of the Hastings Street Association and as a result of my conflict of interest I will now leave the meeting room while the matter is considered and voted on. Karen Finzel 07:35.776
Thank you, Councillor. Okay, we're ready to proceed. Thank you, staff, for your overview. Lee Tabor 07:57.460
No, thank you, no worries. Karen Finzel 08:01.000
Noting that also Councillor Lorentson is online, thank you and welcome as an observer. Thank you. We just had a technical issue, so I'm able at this place to just get that sorted. Thank you for those who are online. Councillor Lorentson, just a question from the committee. In the attachment of this item today, we note that there is a listing with pages as furnishes. As a supplier, we do note that in the past you have declared a declaration around this matter. I just wanted to play your position. No, pages is no longer in operation. I did actually ask the question beforehand and understood that they would be removed from the supplier list, given that it's still on the list. I'm happy I'm happy to... to still continue with my declaration, just as a measure of transparency and declare a complete and a switch off. Thank you. Okay, thank you, Councillor Lorentson. We understand the operating today, but as a precautionary measure, Councillor Lorentson has made a choice to switch off and and we'll have that clearly addressed when we go to your meeting. Are you happy with that, Mr. Speaker? Okay, Thank you. All right. All right. Thank you. Lee Tabor 09:55.219
Appreciate that. Councillors, the procurement of all goods and services must be carried out in accordance with the Local Government Act and the Local Government Regulation. and the regulations provides for the procurement of medium-sized and large-sized contracts and also allows for exceptions to these requirements under certain circumstances such as the approval of a supplier being deemed a sole or specialised supplier. So this report seeks to amend the specialised supplier list by the removal and addition of nominated suppliers and also seeks to maintain the current sole supplier list. The amendment of the supplier, sorry, specialised supplier list includes the removal of nominated suppliers as they are able to be procured via other means as permitted by the legislation and proposes the addition of the new suppliers to respond to Council's current and future procurement requirements. Karen Finzel 10:55.023
Thank you. Questions? All right. Well, thank you. It was a well-read report, a good read, a long read, but anyway, I've got every year to say thank you so much for your contribution. Thank you. And a good team to the report. Appreciate that. Thank you. We'll take it to the vote. Oh, sorry, we need to move it. Have you a second? Did you get that? Have you been taken to the vote? All in favour? That's unanimous. Thank you. to the staff. Thank you. And we welcome Council talks back into the... Thank you. We'll move now into agenda item 7.3, register of pre-qualified suppliers for provision of tree management and maintenance services, RP25083. We welcome to the table Jody Laskells and... No, it's more than a half pound. Oh, okay. I see. Welcome to you both. Who's going to do the CIP? I will do the CIP. Jody Laskells 12:22.122
Thank you, Councillor. So this is in regards to contract RP25083, which is seeking approval to establish a register for pre-qualified suppliers for the provision of tree management and maintenance services. In accordance with the local government regulation, a public request for tender was issued to establish the ROPS. The ROPS is to be established with the recommended suppliers for an initial term of two years, plus two extension options of up to two years for each. Each option for extension. The tender evaluation panel has completed the evaluation process and recommended 11 suppliers be placed on the ROPS, be included in the ROPS, with 10 of those based in the Noosa or the Sunshine Coast Local Government area. The services that are to be provided are broken into four service categories. That's tree works, with tree maintenance, elevated work platforms and chipper works, specialised tree services, including root barrier works, vacuum excavation and consultancy for arborist services, tree planting and establishment, and also traffic management. After the evaluation, we determined that eight applicants were suitable. Eight applicants were suitable for the tree works category, with six of those also providing traffic management services, eight would be on the specialised tree service register, and five were on the tree planting and establishment. establishment. So, Council's recommendation is that we award the contract RP2500 And subject the satisfactory performance of the suppliers, also for the CEO to approve the option to extend the contract, and if that is extended, to approve the addition of new suppliers to the contract, as a result of any refresh of the discretion of Council. Karen Finzel 14:47.708
Thank you. very much. Thank you very much. Do we have any questions from the Council? Frank Wilkie 14:55.302
Sorry, if you've already mentioned, how many of these suppliers are local? Jody Laskells 15:03.842
We have a little... The final, the final search. So 10 are based in Noosa or the Sunshine Coast local government area. So some, some have, some are actually based solely within here and some have offices and staff within Noosa and Sunshine Coast. I don't have the exact numbers of how many are just solely based within Noosa. Frank Wilkie 15:28.321
So, I'm curious to know the one that is not based here, what services, what sort of services should I provide? The one that isn't based here. Jody Laskells 15:43.920
Consultancy services, arborist services. So, that's where we would need a report on a specific tree to turn the help of the tree, give us a report on the tree itself. And they're not based within Noosa Council. Sorry, there is another company that's just been pointed out, which is on the panel for all of the categories. So, tree works, specialised tree services, tree planting establishment, and they also have traffic management. So, there was one supplier that was based outside of the region that had, that were selected for all the categories. Frank Wilkie 16:28.688
That's the one that is not listed? That's correct Jody Laskells 16:31.748
Yes. And they can respond quickly and immediately? Yes, they have a large company that can provide all our services, yes. And being on the panel doesn't necessarily guarantee work, so being on the panel means that if there is an event like a disaster event around a large storm, we can call on companies, multiple companies to do works, which is why we have fairly large panel rate providers, whereas normally just with the day-to-day operations we may only use three or four or five. If we do have a large event, we can call on others to come in. Frank Wilkie 17:08.370
And will there be a net saving for rate partners, given that services historically was up to 1.15 million per year? But there's a new arrangement about the 1.4 million due to inclusion of traffic management as a service. Was it more expensive to have two separate portions, with three services and traffic management? Is it more cost efficient to do it this way? Jody Laskells 17:34.148
It can be more cost efficient, but it's actually more efficient. It's actually more efficient to organise the work. So there's some efficiencies in organising the work that council staff and separate contractors are called in for one job. The actual Trulox company can call in their own traffic management company. So they can actually negotiate directly with the traffic management company to organise the job. Whereas previously councillors essentially the middle person trying to organise traffic control for a job that was being run by a traffic management company. So if there was changes to either the traffic management company not being available or the Trulox company rescheduling, council was having to organise, go backwards and forwards and negotiate. Or if traffic management had a person that was unavailable that morning, you'd have a Trulox company standing around. waiting for traffic control that wouldn't come, wouldn't be available on council staff and scramblers. So wherever we could, we are under this arrangement trying to get a tree management company to actually organise the traffic control themselves. There was a slight cost saving as well. Some of the Trulox companies were able to negotiate with traffic management at a slightly reduced rate than council's preferred supplier. Or they train their own staff up and get their own staff trained in traffic management and they can provide that service themselves. But it wasn't necessarily about the cost saving, it was about the efficiency of the work. So saving times is the same. Of course, yes, that's right. Jessica Phillips 19:07.799
One quick question is, the mulch that they produce from, because our Shire needs to go through like a chipper lap. A chipper lap, yes. Where do they take all of their... Any works that they do for council, we have ownership of the mulch, so they are required to deliver it to any of the sites that we stipulate. So there are a number of sites within council that we stipulate within the timber that they have to take that mulch to. And is that tied up in the contract bundle around their waste disposal fees as well? Is that how that works, or do they pay the pay? Jody Laskells 19:43.981
Well they won't be disposing of that waste in the waste facility. It would be a different site. So there won't be charges for that. Where they have to pay a charge, for this sort of work that's fairly rare, but where they have to pay a charge, they'll put that on their remorse. Jessica Phillips 20:04.040
That doesn't change anything, should it, with the waste? Like, if it's two years without going into a whole other conversation, the planning with waste... down the track, that won't impact? Well, it should be very minimal impact because most of the works that we do don't actually go through the chipper and we get the final product, so it doesn't have to go through. They might lead you to the waste facility or... Correct. And a lot of circumstances, it's just left on site for stuff to spread into the garden beds and it's on site as well. Karen Finzel 20:37.935
Okay, thanks. Do we have any questions on that? Can you clarify how... Can you clarify how many of the customer requests you receive a month or a year with the galleries? I'm sorry. Can you clarify how many of the customer requests you receive a month or a year with the galleries? Jody Laskells 20:47.324
Usually by the highest... Yes, it's around 80 per week requests. Obviously higher in storm season and slightly higher, but 80 requests including true maintenance, true removal, permit applications as well. Has that number increased over the years or has it increased? Yes, it has increased. It's increased about 20%. It's increasing about 10 to 20% a year. Karen Finzel 21:21.172
Is that attributed to, like, normal events, you think? Or, like, how far as to what people... Jody Laskells 21:31.012
It can be, but not necessarily. It can just be... It can be about the resident population having expectations. It can be about the... It can be about the... It can be about the amount of trees that we've got in our reserves and damaged infrastructure. But it really varies according to whereabouts in the Shire it is. It's also about growth. Obviously, when you have residential population close to natural areas or growing trees in urban areas, you get higher prices for those trees. as well as with that tree size. Yeah, exactly. Thank you. Any further questions for the staff? Okay, well, I'm happy to move the recommendation. I'll have a second. Second. Frank? I will take it to the right. All in favour? Thank you, that's unanimous. Thank you, the staff. Okay, moving right along, that takes us to item 7.4, 2025/26 out of the grant application for a community reliance agreement. Thank you and we welcome the staff to the table. David? David. Very good, yes. Kerri. And Kelly. Kelly, welcome. Thank you. Who's going to be the owner of the report? Thank you, David. David 23:21.715
Thank you. Councillors, this is an out of round grant application for the Tewantin Heritage and Historical Society, who also, basically Parkyn's Hut, they run the Visitor Information Centre, Parkyn's Hut. They've put in an out of round application for a three year community alliance agreement. They've put in an out of round Parkyn's Hut. This is due largely to the Heritage and Historical Society being advised by Tourism Noosa that they will no longer be able to provide additional support from 2025 onwards. As this funding change was confirmed after our grant round closed, it becomes an out of round grant application. So just wanted to also advise that it still goes through the same rigorous process of a grant application so it's put through an assessment and moderation panel and then is put before you as an out of round report. Comparatively too, we've also made We've also made a recommendation for the amount for the Tewantin Heritage and Historical Society which is in alignment with two other similar organisations, notably the Cooroy Historical Society Noosa Museum and the Cooroy Noosa Genealogical and Historical Research. group. Karen Finzel 24:33.700
Thank you. It was a good report reading all the lists and the allocation of funding. Thank you. councillor. Do we have any questions? Frank Wilkie 24:49.080
We've provided a table of other amounts given to similar organisations so you can just talk through the rationale. Kerri Contini 25:01.297
So thank you through the chair. We have a set amount in the budget for our community alliance agreement and then we have a formula approach which looks at the each application is assessed against the criteria and scored and then we apply a formula to make a recommendation to councillors which takes into account the reach of the organisation and the value that it's providing. In this situation it's a historical organisation at its heart also providing the added value of the tourism information centre which you can see from the data is very successful. Thank you for watching this video. Frank Wilkie 25:55.086
I will see you in the next video. Kerri Contini 25:58.766
I will see you in the next video. Thank you for watching this video. I will see you in the next video. I will see you Thank you for your information. Thank you for your information. Thank you for your information. Thank you for your information. Thank you for your information. Thank you for your information. Thank you for your information. Thank you for your information. Thank you for your information. Thank you for your information. Thank you for your information. Thank you for your information. Thank you for your information. Thank you for your information. Thank you for your information. Thank you for your information. Thank you for your information. Thank you for your information. Thank you for your information. Thank you for your information. Thank you for your information. Thank you for your information. Thank you for your information. Thank you for your information. Thank you for your information. Thank you for your information. Thank you for your information. Thank you for your information. Thank you for your information. Thank you for your information. Thank you for your information. Thank you for your information. Thank you for your information. Thank you for your information. Thank you for your information. Thank you for your information. Thank you for your information. Thank you for your information. Thank you for your information. So it scored highly on all fronts. age and telling that story. Jessica Phillips 27:28.149
Quick question. Apologies if it's in the report. To be honest, it's a no-brainer for me because of the years that I've seen these guys do such great things for our community. But quick question around where the funding, does heritage, does our heritage levy ever contribute to... the community grants fund, is that? Kerri Contini 27:49.778
No, so the heritage levy has a levy policy around it and that policy covers putting into more projects, so it's actually delivery of projects, not the actual grants have always come out of our grant fund. We, because we don't know in any given round whether there'll be heritage applications or sporting applications, so it's from all community organisations are eligible to apply for that. Karen Finzel 28:22.011
Just a question, I know it was mentioned in the report, just for those listening. What is the risk to our broader community if this funding wasn't made available through this process? Kerri Contini 28:32.964
Thank you Councillor Finzel. Thank you Councillor Finzel. Look, we have had a very good look at their financial statements and we can see that the funding that was coming from Tourism Noosa was the majority funding for this organisation and so without this funding they would not be able to continue operating. writing. Like all community organisations they face a lot of non-discretionary items. They're a public facility so they have public liability insurance, they've got volunteers training because they're a visitor information centre, they must have accreditation which they've earned, they've got training, they've got their uniforms so there's quite a range of uniforms so there's quite a range of costs. We went through, Dave went right through with them to see where they could make some changes so but there was very little in that that we saw as being discretionary funding. You know probably the one item that we saw is the annual Pioneers luncheon where they bring together older people from our community and yet that real really is a critical part of what they do and it's a much-loved celebration so you would really be having to to I guess cut out of the heart of what the organisation is doing. There were minor changes that you found weren't there Dave to help them? Yes, we've also lined them up with business mentors Noosa so we'll strategic do a plan with them as well which can focus a little bit on where some income streams may be available and where they might be able to save a little bit on expenditure. Their budget is pretty well drawn at the moment, it's very lean, yes. So yes, without this funding we don't see that they would be able to continue One last question. Karen Finzel 30:33.991
Yes, of course. Councillor. Jessica Phillips 30:35.495
Thanks. My last question. Obviously they provide such a support for tourism. Can you speak on why Tourism Noosa would stop funding? Thank you Councillor. I can't speak to Tourism Noosa. I can speak to the I can speak to the reasons that were given to us and the reasons given were that Tourism Noosa were making changes to make savings in their budget and they decided that this was a change that they would make. They noted that it was a separate community organisation and therefore in their view they were not responsible. Karen Finzel 31:22.380
Thank you. Councillor Wilson? Oh, I was happy to move the motion. I'm happy to second. Nicola Wilson 31:29.760
Yeah, it's disappointing that tourism Noosa has discontinued that funding but I'm happy to support this out and round, right? As the report says the centre welcomed over 14,500 visitors. in the last financial year. And we know it's a really important focal point in the Tewantin community. We as councillors walk past it all the time and say hello and it's fantastic volunteers, they do a great job so we really want them to continue with the work they're doing. And it's interesting to note that over a third of the local, third of the visitors are actually local residents who come in and learn about the history and also lead me to some fantastic events from that centre so it's really important that continues. We're also getting interstate travellers, Queensland visitors, international tourists, I really don't want to miss out on that especially as the world continues to grow and thrive and we need those people to learn about our community and our history. So I'm happy to-- Jessica Phillips 32:32.462
Only that the Pioneer Luncheon is pretty much one of my favourite events every year because it's such a great celebration of seeing like local locals come together, talk about history, pretty much what Councillor Wilson said. So yeah, happy to even though that it's out of rounds and yeah. the other things that I don't sit comfortably with me, what does sit comfortably that we've gone and supported them regardless and found a way. Um, yeah. So yeah, thanks. Frank Wilkie 33:05.854
Thank you, Madam Chair. It is an organisation of great heart, professionalism is recognised by the three awards that they've won and I think the funding that's been allocated has been similar in amount to. It's been similar in amount to other heritage groups in the Shire. It's an equitable distribution of local science and they do pay a very good amount of, you know, full support of our grand, our grand, grand foundation. Karen Finzel 33:44.883
I think it's all been said just to reiterate that, you know, this organisation has been a volunteer. They're really embedded in our hearts and in our community. They provide significant benefits beyond their membership base, which, you know, our community thrives on. So, I'm just pleased to recommend that... So, I'm just pleased that the recommendation to support this out-and-out funding, and we want to see them move forward and really just continue the great work that they're doing in our community. So, it's really good that the council can support this with the out-and-out funding. We have funding, and it's provided an opportunity for them to continue and do what they do best. So, thank you very much for your report. I'll take it to the vote. That's unanimous. Thank you, Ms. Brown. Enjoy your afternoon. That takes us to item 7.5, council meeting scheduled for 2026. And I'll hand over to our CEO, Mr. Larry Sengstock, to do this over to you. Thank you, Chair. Larry Sengstock 34:48.560
This is something that we do every year at this time. We produce a timetable of the next 12 months of meetings, including our subcommittee meetings and council meetings. So this is essentially for the period of January through to December 2026. It's an administrative exercise for transparency so people see what they've got ahead if they want to be involved in any of the council meetings or have any say in those meetings. that's what it's for. It doesn't mean it can't be changed during that period but it is just something as a structure to build upon and it follows the same process, same structure that we're calling in. So I put it to council for recommendation. Karen Finzel 35:38.918
Thank you. Any questions? Yeah, if we were to change the schedule for next year, how many months notice would we need to do that? Larry Sengstock 35:53.920
That's a good question. I think we can do it immediately. I'll have to check it. As long as it's practical. So if we know that this is not something we're going to be doing immediately, so it's going to take a little while. If we were to change it, we would have some workshops and if it was heading that way, then we would plan accordingly and change our process. But I think, you know, we're still going to have ordinary meetings where decisions are taken whether they're monthly or fortnightly until we're able to get into that. Karen Finzel 36:32.719
So, in essence, it's just administrative to help the staff keep moving forward and if there's opportunity for change or councillors to say they would like to revisit the meeting agenda, more of those will go through council. Any other questions from the members? My only worry is we've obviously, many of us have now said we'd like to review it. Where are we at with that then? So we can. So we've got a meeting being hooked in. I signed it off this morning. I'm not too sure exactly the date but the first workshop of that to begin in the next So we can start that conversation and if we do decide we want to change, then we can apply the process and change. Thank you. Any further questions? I'm happy to move the recommendation to make the report. I'll second. Thank you. We'll take it to the vote. All in favour? Larry Sengstock 37:48.784
No, that's okay. Karen Finzel 37:50.924
Is she all good? No, I didn't get a chance to speak to her. Oh, apologies. I've already raised a few concerns about the department working as a current owner. So, you're all voting against the recommendation. So, my apologies. So, 3-4-1? Yeah. Do you want us to take that to the vote again for Kerri? No, I've just got to cancel this one. It hasn't got me against. Okay, thank you. So, same as Kabi? It's Kabi. Yep. Thank you, Councillor Wilson. My apologies. That brings us to item number eight. There's no reports were made by the committee. No, no, 7.6. Sorry, no reports were made. 7.6. Sorry, my apologies. 7.6 to the Senate. To the CEO, change of time of venue for ordinary meeting dated 20th November 2025. Larry Sengstock 38:55.255
So as we know, we're in the process or we've been taking some of our ordinary meetings out to the regional areas. This is another one of those. So we're proposing to take the ordinary meetings scheduled for the 20th of November out to be held at 5pm at the Lake Cootharaba Sailing Club on Boreen Parade in Boreen Point. It's not the 20th of November but 5pm as opposed to 10am is when we normally start if we have meetings here in our chambers. So 5pm 20th of November at Boreen Point is the recommendation and I'll put... Karen Finzel 39:33.185
Great recommendation. So good to be out to our community. I think the community love it so thank you for bringing that to the table. Do we have any questions from the councillors? Jessica Phillips 39:44.045
I do. I am such a supporter of being out in community without a doubt. I just see also the extra workload on staff with IT so my question... is I think what community really like is the meet and greet part beforehand and being able to really speak to councillors seeing that the ordinary meeting is a little bit of a the last one it would be the last one that I would want to come to as a resident because it's just watching us really ratify decisions so my question is where would be appropriate to start looking at not taking away at all that we that I'm a massive fan of being out in community but to eliminate or maybe take the pressure off staff with IT and all the other things to live stream can we can I have a discussion around that so this so this is this this was decided as a separate exercise so when we did the scheduling of the time table we've just discussed in the previous point we did that scheduling event then the decision was taken around council as a separate decision as to take some of those meetings out to the region so we can follow the same the same process we can review the meeting schedule and process and then have a further discussion around whether it's still best to take the actual meeting to the community or actually do it as a meeting group on various times various occasions out to the community and that's it. Larry Sengstock 41:25.006
And that's the purpose of this thing. So it's meet and greet and discuss the localised issues that we know we get when we take these meetings out to the community. So that's something that you as a council can discuss. Because again, these aren't set in stone, they're something that I think on an annual basis we should say review it and say did that work? Is there a better way to do it? But at the moment that's the process is, this will be the final one for this year and then we'll have time to review it. Does that help? Karen Finzel 42:00.014
Yeah, it does. It does give to it. Yeah, I think it's great that we're continuing this commitment that we set at the beginning of our term and to be able to fit three into this calendar year has been the right effort. I know it takes a lot of organising, getting things set up and to live stream as well. But I think it's been really appreciated by the community and I'd love to hear from members of the community about where else we could take our meetings to and what they're actually doing or getting back there from as a result so that we can assess whether we continue to have the other meetings on site or whether it's more about having a meeting brief. But it's important that we get that feedback from the community as well to make sure that we're meeting that expectation and putting costs and effort into something that's actually worthwhile as well. But, yeah, happy to support this and look forward to seeing everybody at the voting point. Thank you. Councillor Wilson? Jessica Phillips 43:04.681
Happy to support it as well because, yeah, again, have to be our own community as much as we can. Probably just more for me moving forward is just to review it and make sure that we're doing, we're not... putting extra burden on the staff for the purpose of an ordinary meeting which I think is set up perfectly in this room so it's not, to be very clear, it's not about that I don't want to do out in community events, they're quite the opposite, but I do see the work that goes in and even just like the money on food and things like that and just I would like to see that we're doing, we're just making sure that community are really, what do they actually want from us doing it? And then maybe we can look at a review because I think it's important to make sure we're hitting the right mark with it, so that's all the line. Yeah. Karen Finzel 43:58.790
Thank you, Councillor Phillips. Frank Wilkie 44:00.630
The issue of reviewing everything we do is valid and very important. What I love seeing is when we take these meetings out to the communities, the opportunity that it presents to residents of Noosa Shire to have their deputations direct to all councillors as a captive audience, which happens in here regularly, but there are the distance and the time that we have. The ordinary meetings normally, during working hours, is an impediment to a lot of residents to actually attend and to make their deputation direct to the four financial councillors and also present questions. The only way of taking out the community does that. The meeting groups are really well attended and really enjoyed. The ordinary meetings, there's often debate at the ordinary meetings. There are various motions. So we do get to see some action as well. They're not always a gratification of everything. There's opportunity for debate to occur. But of course, reviewing is a very healthy process. And I'm really glad that councillors remain committed to taking the council meetings out on the road. And it's all part of being accessible to our community. And in and out of the council's coffee chats. I think they may not always be super well attended. Coffee chats I'm talking about. But they know the opportunity is there. And sometimes they really are for no particular reason. And other times they're not. But where is the opportunity? I think it's all been said. Karen Finzel 45:50.854
But I think, yeah, as long as we continue to listen to our community, be available, create opportunities for people to be able to approach us, you know, in our local community is even better. So I think, thank you for the recommendation. I'm sure the Sailing Club out at Cootharaba is keenly awaiting our arrival and their community there. So thank you for that and we look forward to seeing the meeting out there. And of course, always continuous improvement and to review. And to review, you know, how effective these things are and is this what the community wants, what can we do about it. So, thank you everyone. Other questions? No. Sorry. All in favour? Thank you. That's unanimous. Thank you, Mr. CEO. Thank you. Go ahead, Vicky. Item number eight, reports from any work committee. There is none. There is no confidential session. And I note the meeting closed at 2:19pm. Thank you all for your attendance. Thank you, Councillor Lorentson to online. Thank you, Mr. CEO and staff. Related Noosa Council Meetings
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