Services & Organisation Committee Meeting

Key Decisions & Discussions
• Di Stewart: Council repealed the 2018 Administrative Action Complaints Policy and adopted a modernised Policy and Procedure aligned to Australian Standard complaint principles and statutory obligations, with CEO authorised for minor edits (Item 7.1; 02:11–07:26).
• Frank Wilkie: Clarified the update modernises clarity and guidance without changing public process, improving staff training baselines (Item 7.1; 08:24–09:40).
• Committee: Unanimously approved increased sitting fees for Audit & Risk Committee independents: Chair to $2,000 and member to $1,300 per meeting, effective from 20 Feb 2026 (Item 7.2; 11:26–14:39).
• Frank Wilkie: Justified fee uplift via benchmarking, noting past underpayment and governance criticality (Item 7.2; 13:06–14:06).
• Committee: Referred mid-term review of Councillor representation on external groups to General Committee for further info on appointments/workloads (Item 7.3; 14:58–15:29).
• Robyn Mercer: Noted Noosa Holiday Parks delivered ~$473k surplus in H1 FY25/26 with revenue 56.7% and opex 55.7% of annual budgets; 31k guests and strong forward bookings of 41k, ~$4.4m (Item 8.1; 16:49–18:30).
• Nicola Wilson: Queried divergent waste outcomes across parks; officers cited differing bin systems, visitor mix, and planned signage/education improvements (Item 8.1; 18:34–21:16).
• Robyn Mercer: Explained variable-costed management model pegs major costs to revenue to stabilise bottom line through demand cycles (Item 8.1; 25:04–26:19).
• Committee: Resolved to close the meeting under s254J(3)(g) LGR 2012 to discuss landfill operating model (Confidential; 27:55–28:28; Item 9).
• Committee: Post-closed session, endorsed retitling the landfill report to “Proposed process...” and to proceed with the implementation plan to explore future options (Item 9.1; 01:08:18–01:09:09).
Contentious / Transparency Matters
• Committee: Use of s254J(3)(g) for landfill operating model is permissible for commercial-in-confidence; retitling to emphasise exploration improved transparency of intent (Item 9.1; 01:08:18–01:09:09; Minutes 9).
• Jessica Phillips: Participated via audio link; unanimous votes suggest cohesion, but no public debate on landfill commercial options occurred in open session (Attendance; 10:11–10:57; Minutes 3, 9.1).
• Audit & Risk fees: Benchmarking cited in debate; transcript mis-spoke market figure for external member, but minutes specify member fee $1,300 – clarity preserved by formal resolution (Item 7.2; 11:26–14:39).
• Committee: Mid-term review of Councillor appointments deferred for more detail on workloads before decision – good governance step to avoid rubber-stamping (Item 7.3; 14:58–15:29).
• Di Stewart: Complaints framework modernisation emphasises public readability, anonymous/third-party lodgement and rights, boosting procedural fairness and accessibility (Item 7.1; 02:11–07:26, 08:39–09:40).
Legal / Risk
• Governance: Policy overhaul aligns with s268 Local Government Act 2009 and s306 Local Government Regulation 2012 on complaints processes, record-keeping, accessibility, trend monitoring (Item 7.1; 02:11–07:26).
• Committee: Delegation to CEO for minor amendments pre-publication is routine; ensure changes remain non-substantive to avoid fettering Council policy intent (Item 7.1; Minutes 7.1).
• Committee: Retrospective application of increased A&R fees to meeting held 20 Feb 2026 is lawful if budgeted; disclose in financial reporting to avoid perceived backdating concerns (Item 7.2; Minutes 7.2).
• Waste Facility: Closure under s254J(3)(g) protects Council’s commercial interests; proceeding with an “implementation plan” to explore options may trigger procurement, IR, and probity steps – ensure compliance with Local Government Act procurement and CFO signing limits (Item 9.1; 01:08:18–01:09:09; Minutes 9).
• Holiday Parks: Variable-cost contracts and revenue share models mitigate financial risk; ensure contract management and value-for-money tests remain documented (Item 8.1; 25:04–26:19).
Waste Facility Operating Model
• Frank Wilkie: Moved to note report, retitle to reflect exploration, and proceed with implementation plan on landfill and associated functions (Item 9.1; 01:08:32–01:09:09).
• Committee: Decision frames a structured options analysis rather than a predetermined insourcing; next steps should include option appraisal, cost–benefit, risk, and stakeholder engagement (Item 9.1; Minutes 9.1).
Noosa Holiday Parks Business Unit
• Robyn Mercer: H1 performance strong; strategy work underway to align with Destination Management Plan for long-term sustainability (Item 8.1; 16:49–18:30).
• Frank Wilkie: Noted pricing balance maintains affordability for families while meeting targets (Item 8.1; 26:19–26:58).
• Officers: Industry occupancy trending down on Sunshine Coast; Council’s variable-cost model cushions volatility (Item 8.1; 23:12–26:19).
Audit & Risk Committee Remuneration
• Larry Sengstock: 2025 benchmarking supported uplift to attract/retain expertise; minutes set Chair $2,000, member $1,300 per meeting (Item 7.2; 11:26–13:00; Minutes 7.2).
• Committee: Alignment with peers deemed overdue; ensure independence and performance expectations documented alongside remuneration (Item 7.2; 13:06–14:39).
Complaints Management Modernisation
• Di Stewart: Policy becomes high-level principles; operational detail moved to procedure with stepwise process, roles, legislative links, and Human Rights statement (Item 7.1; 02:11–07:26).
• Committee: Expected outcomes: clearer pathways, fewer enquiries, better data/trend evaluation; no change to core handling for public (Item 7.1; 08:24–10:24).
Environmental & Waste Education (Holiday Parks)
• Officers: Noted contamination variances across parks due to bin infrastructure and visitor profiles; actions include improved multilingual signage, bin placement, and pre-arrival messaging (Item 8.1; 18:34–21:16).
• Kim Rawlings: Strategy to embed behaviour change and align with destination sustainability goals; plan to re-audit in ~18 months to measure improvement (Item 8.1; 21:03–21:16).