Tourism Noosa Funding And Performance Deed 2026–2029

The Council report, it follows the Council meeting and decision in December, 18th of December, where Council adopted the Tourism Noosa Roadmap and endorsed what was known as option two to evolve Tourism Noosa to align with the Destination Management Plan. Also in December Council adopted its Destination Management Plan. So this report, sorry that resolution required the CEO to bring a report back to Council with the final terms for the multi-year funding deed and to ensure that there was procurement guidance and support of the development of that process. This report responds to that resolution. And brings back to you for consideration the detailed Tourism Noosa funding and performance deed. The adopted DMP in December requires a shift towards destination stewardship, embedding community values, sustainability, behaviour change and measurable outcomes across the services that Tourism Noosa deliver including marketing, visitor services and industry capability. The funding deed as attached gives a effect to this shift. It preserves, seeks to preserve their service continuity but strengthens accountability, aligns programs and reporting to the DMP and clarifies roles and governance between Council and TN. The deed introduces ranked KPI framework supported by a points-based performance adjustment methodology enabling Council to assess performance against KPIs and importance of. The deed was developed through a joint Council and Tourism Noosa working group. It was guided by reviewed Council's internal legal counsel. It also has undergone an independent external legal review and as per Council resolution Council procurement has advised on compliance with the local government framework and the principles. Councillors have been briefed on a number of occasions and received drafts and provided valuable input into the development of the process. So the report recommends the funding deed as attached for Council consideration with Tourism Noosa for a term of three years commencing on the 1st of July 2026 and ending on 30th of June 2029. Is provision for the KPIs to be reviewed on an annual basis and it seeks authorisation for the CEO to finalise and execute the deed and administer the deed in accordance with the group's terms.

Frank Wilkie45:55

Anyone else? Mr Chamberlain. Councillors, what we have before us is following through on the commitment to deliver on the outcomes of the Destination Management Plan, which was a ratified decision of the Noosa Council. This local government has endorsed the Destination Management Plan. This tourism funding. Tourism Noosa funding and performance deed. Is a key part to delivering on some of the key actions and outcomes of the Destination Management Plan as promised to this community by the decision we made as a local government last year. It's easy enough to say, to express opinion on whether or not the KPIs are adequate enough or the process has been robust or the governance has been sufficient. That's one thing. It's another thing entirely. Read this report and be assured about the governance and the reviews and the partnership and the integrity that has gone into putting this funding deed together. Hear I a lot people of say that they support evidence-based decision-making. The evidence before us is that the process that has gone into getting us to where we are has been robust. We've had internal legal review. We've had external legal review, we've had procurement support the whole process and assess this deed in terms of its relevance to the Local Government Act, specifically in relation to transparency and good governance. Is more than enough opportunity to amend and review this funding deed as we progress through the three years. Do not gamble with the future of this community. This funding deed is integral. To ensuring the things we love about Noosa withstand the pressures that we're going to be facing through increased massive population growth in South East Queensland, influx of visitation in the lead up to the 2032 Olympics. To say and we need to rebuild from ground up, in my opinion, is obstructionist and irresponsible and doesn't give the community and the industry the certainty that they deserve. We're here to make decisions. We've got. Don't recall any instance where there's been so much governance, internal and external legal review, procurement involved around any funding deed that Council has entered into before. Councillors, you've had your input into this. You've attended workshops on this. Yes, just because we. Our input during those workshops, all of it isn't reflect. You see reflected in the documents that come before this Council, does not in any way diminish their value or the integrity of the process. We have excellent. Staff who are community members, who are just as invested in this working as we are, as the industry is, as the residents are. Councillors, don't gamble with the future of this community. Let's not delay anymore. Any let's not. Anyone cause to think that there's an obstructionist game being played here. Let's just get on with this, make the decision that the community expect us to make, endorse this because we've endorsed the Destination Management Plan and this is integral to the delivery of the Destination Management Plan. Thank you.

Frank Wilkie80:04

If, there was a motion that Council not approve the Tourism Noosa funding and performance deed as read, that would be considered a motion?

Jessica Phillips33:31

I'll speak to it. Councillor Phillips. Thank you. My concern with the deed is government governance. It's not the intent, not effort, but just governance. Because the deed does more than allocate funding. It embeds the DMP into how funding is being delivered, how performance is measured and how success is reported and it does that before the strategy itself has been properly tested and that's where the problem starts for me because once you link funding to a strategy in this way you're no longer just supporting it in. When we're being asked to commit two million dollars per year of rate payer money that comes with an obligation to be certain not hopeful that the strategy we are funding will deliver a benefit across the entire community and at this point for me that's doesn't exist there has been no demonstrated modelling that shows the economic impact across the Shire there is no clear evidence of how this will affect different sectors including the small and local businesses me there's been no meaningful assessment of unintended consequences in a community as diverse as ours that matters because what benefits one part of the economy does not automatically benefit all and that needs to be tested not assumed. The framework does is what it does is measure alignment to the DMP not outcome not impact alignment and that has created a structural problem in my opinion because once alignment becomes the measure of success the system begins to reinforce it the DMP sets the direction, the D requires alignment and the KPIs measure alignment and the reporting confirms the alignment but nowhere in that process is a clear independent mechanism that asks is the strategy actually working so for me it's a closed governance loop and closed loop carries risk it creates a situation where funding can continue regardless of outcomes where strategies continue can continue without being properly tested and where issues are identified too late not early enough to correct the course the consequence of this doesn't sit in this room it will actually sit in the community and there is also a second layer for me that relates to Tourism Noosa they are being funded to deliver Council aligned outcomes while also operating with constraints limit public criticism of Council and that matters because it affects independence if the organisation responsible for delivering a strategy is not in a position to openly challenge it then one of the key safeguards in good governance is weakened effective governance relies on independent challenge it relies on the ability to test assumptions to raise issues early and question direction when needed this structure will reduce that. I've also been told that the DMP can evolve over time but when funding KPIs and reporting are going to be built around alignment to a strategy that becomes difficult to prep in practice you're not just updating a document then trying to shift an entire performance and funding framework that's not flexible it's going to be constrained so when you step back and look at this as a whole the issue has become clear to me we're being asked to significant ongoing public funding to a strategy that has not been independently tested within a structure that reinforces alignment rather than outcomes and that limits the mechanisms that would normally challenge to improve it this is not whether tourism is important because it is and this is not to me whether Tourism Noosa is capable because I believe they are a professional, experienced, incredible organisation. This is where we are as Council, have met the standard required to allocate public funds in the best interest of this whole community and that standard for me is very clear. Decisions must be evidence based, they must be transparent and they must be accountable and right now that threshold has not been met because without clear evidence of whole of Shire benefit, without understanding sector impacts and without testing unintended consequences, this is not evidence based decision making, it's assumption. I do not support walking in ongoing funding based on assumption, so the position is straightforward for me. The deed funds the implementation of a strategy and the question is not whether Tourism Noosa can deliver it. The question is whether there is sufficient evidence that the strategy they are being asked to deliver will benefit the entire community and at this point that has not been demonstrated. Without that it is not appropriate to link ongoing great payer funding to its success.

Brian Stockwell54:43

So I think you've got a question would you like to talk to the motion no thank you okay so I'll close so Councillors there's been a range of matters raised which are only marginally related to the decision in front of us. The assertion that we need more information is highly contestable. Never in the history of Noosa and probably in Australia has as much research been done on the local tourism industry as what we've done since we started the Destination Management Plan process. The information that Councillor Phillips seeks is very well covered within the first draft of paper that went out to the community and had huge response, which gave Council a very clear idea of where to go. We have a concept that strategies shouldn't lead agreements with co-deliverers, which is the opposite of the real world. I can recommend a very good book called network government, and that's what we're doing here. We recognise that to do the Destination Management Plan, we to have a network of co-deliverers. With any complex sustainability problem, if you don't bring the key stakeholders and the key industry along with you, are doomed to failure. Now, it's not a surprise to me that three councils who didn't vote Destination Management Plan have talked about this notion. But that's not the decision in front of us. The decision in front of us is, are we agreeing to the deed that complies with what was requested by us in the road? Matt. And the answer is yes. We've had talks about KPIs and what KPIs should be and what Councillor Wilson pointed out as what in her world of financial management and business what it may what KPIs are, legitimate it in different worlds keep performance indicators mean different things and as a person who teaches you at university level and has paid as consultant to do these things they can be very widely interpretive yes we can look at the KPIs in this agreement say there's not a whole lot of outcomes specified but that is once again linked back to the point that we're looking at Tourism Noosa to collaborate with Council and their industry in our community to drive forward to achieve these outcomes that can't be done by one individual organisation on its own to suggest that we don't as Councillors have enough knowledge of what the community and stakeholders desire and don't desire in this means you haven't been doing your job there's been no other issue prosecuted as much as this one and we know their upsides but we what we're certain of is that this organisation historically funded by a specific levy which was transferred a rate and a dollop of businesses and tourism enterprises is still funded by businesses and tourism enterprises so dollop of businesses and tourism enterprises okay so Councillors to me this is a really straightforward suggestion we have had a subcommittee of tourism NERCA working with our staff and their expertise but we as Councillors have been involved in numerous workshops in every step of the way our access to these reports in and providing input is unmatched in Queensland unmatched the level of consultation that staff have with Councillors don't use that as an argument because it's a fallacious one Council is very simple prove the Roadmap and honour the agreements that we've made over time or if you don't support it brings Council's reputation into disrepute I put the motion those in favour that's Councillors Wilkie, Wegener and Stockwell those against is Councillor Wilson Phillips Lorentson and Finzel the motions lost we move on do we have a turnative motion that someone wishes to move- Sorry, turn the a motion to I'll move that the matter of the Tourism Noosa funding agreement to be referred to the Ordinary Meeting on Thursday of this week.

Frank Wilkie19:33

Chairman Mr. Chen tzu-wee. The Council is quite right. There is no bed tax in Queensland currently. There are other councils that are working in collaboration with each other and the State government to bring one in as an option for councils to consider. But my understanding is that was only introduced in this clause as an example of something that may happen. Don't think it substantially changes the intent of this clause and as Councillor Nicola Wilson said that we do need to give TN some certainty and removal of this clause in here in my opinion in no way affects the intent of this clause or the certainty that the funding deed will deliver to Tourism Noosa and the industry.

Amelia Lorentson21:01

I'd like to move an amendment please, through the Chair. That clause for the to include a new provision requiring that the funding deed and associated deliverables may be reviewed and adjusted where a material external shock occurs that significantly impacts the visitor economy including but not limited to sustained increases in fuel costs, significant changes to aviation capacity or routes, natural disasters or a sustained downturn in tourism demand. Any such must allow Council and the parties to jointly consider whether funding levels, priorities, KPIs or delivery expectations require adjustment to ensure the agreement remains realistic, fair and aligned with prevailing economic, aviation and market conditions and continues to deliver value for money and effective outcomes under changed circumstances. You have a second do we have a seconder for that? Cancel. Councillor Wilson, Councillor Lorentson. The amendment ensures that the funding deed remains flexible. Practical and responsive to changing economic and global conditions. That are outside the control of either party. The tourism industry is highly sensitive to external factors such as fuel prices, aviation capacity, route availability, natural disasters and. Broader. Global economic conditions as we're currently seeing. These factors directly influence visitor demand, market access and the effectiveness of destination marketing investment. In periods of significant change including sustained. Downturns in demand or reduced aviation capacity, it's important that our funding arrangements remain aligned with what is realistic and effective in prevailing conditions so that ratepayers funds continue to deliver genuine value for money and measurable outcomes. This amendment ensures that there's a clear and transparent mechanism for Council and the parties to jointly review whether there's adjustments needed in response to materially changed circumstances. What we're trying to do is basically threw it in there to strengthen the deed by ensuring that the agreement remains adaptable, accountable and capable of delivering effective results for the community over the term of the agreement, even in periods of significance. Significant external disruption.

Frank Wilkie59:56

I support the motion because I think it gives this local government an opportunity to have an internal workshop on the repercussions of not approving the Tourism Noosa funding deed and what that means for the industry and the future of.