2026-2027 Community Project Grants Program – Projects

Frank Wilkie108:38

Councillor Stockwell, for chairing. We're now at item 11.2.2, which is the 26-27 community grant program, community project and signature community event grant summary, 11.2.3.2026-27 community project grants program projects, 11.2.4 26-27 community project grants program facility development, and we have a few.Councillor Wilson? I'm already up. Oh, sorry. I've got a conflict of interest, please declare.

Brian Stockwell109:18

And it's in accordance with the relevant section of the act. I wish to declare a prescribed conflict of interest. Sorry, I didn't mean to cross this. Yeah, I'm got up that. For item 11.24, for the community grants program, community project to be developed on this agenda, as I am the current president of Noosa Lions Football Club, who I recommend it for funding. As a result of my conflict, I will now leave the meeting. The while the matter is considered and voted on.

Nicola Wilson109:51

In accordance with Chapter 5B of the Local Government Act 2009, I, Councillor Nicola Wilson, inform the meeting that I have a prescribed conflict of interest in relation to item 11.2.4, 2026. Grants program, community project grants, facility development, as Noosa Arts Theatre has been recommended as a recipient of a facility development grant. I am the senior vice president of Noosa Arts Theatre as a result of my conflict of interest, I'll now leave the meeting room while the matter is considered to end.

Frank Wilkie110:23

Thank you, Councillor Wilson. I also have a conflict of interest to declare. In accordance with Chapter 5B of Local Government Act, I, Councillor castlefield Frank Wilkie, inform the meeting that I have a declarable conflict of interest in the matter, community grants program, community project grants facility development, on this agenda in relation to the application for Noosa Arts Theatre. While I am no longer in a decision-making position on the Noosa Arts Theatre committee, I continue to volunteer my time in productions at the theatre. Although I am making a declarable conflict of interest, I do not believe a reasonable person could have a perception of bias, because Noosa Arts Theatre is a not-for-profit group and I am participating in. An unpaid capacity and am not involved in any decision-making capacity. Therefore, I will choose to remain in the meeting room, but I will respect the decision of the meeting on whether I can remain and participate in the decision.

Frank Wilkie114:09

Councillor Finzel, seconded by Councillor Wegener. All in favour? That is carried unanimously. And can we have Councillors Wilson and Stockwell back in the meeting room, please? Thank you. 11.2.5, 20, 26, 27, Community project grants program equipment. 11.2.6, community progress grant program events. 11.2.7, community grants program three year signature community event grants. 11.2.8, legacy plot reservation management policy. 11.2.9, support for all access and inclusion program. 11.2.10, was referred to the Ordinary Meeting for a further report and we will deal with at item 12.3 on the agenda, which was Fees and Charges. 11.2.11, Noosa Botanic Gardens master plan. 11.2.12, further report, Tourism Noosa funding and performance deed. 11.2 master plan.13, Noosa biosecurity plan. 11.2.14 was referred to today's Ordinary Meeting for two further reports, which we will deal with at item 12.1 and 12.2 on this agenda, which is environment and climate change response and environment project grants, round 21, climate change response grants, round 6, 11.2.15, planning applications decided by delegated authority, April 2026, and 11.2.16, planning applications decided by land rationalisation, Lanyana Way lot 2 on authority, thank you, Ben. Could you give us a summary of the report, please?

Jessica Phillips179:17

Okay, firstly, I appreciate the diversity at this table. I think that it shows democracy. At its best and I also think that it's important so we land in the middle somewhere every time the dial is too far either way. I don't think we get great outcomes so I appreciate the conversation firstly. I think it was perfect timing although I didn't, we plan it. Hayley's question time at the commencement of this. I firstly want to acknowledge that you know as a long-term resident I never came and did a question time and I've probably sat back and had issues but never spoke up so coming and spending the today to actually sit in chamber I think it's really commendable. It's easy to probably sit online and make a comment but you've come out and put it on notice so thank you for that. I also want to make points to make a point of why I was grateful that we were able to separate the two grants from Monday because it gave us the opportunity to look at this one with a little bit of a different lens and I want to be really clear from the offset that supporting and protecting noosa's unique environment is one of our greatest assets and I will always support Council in investing in projects that genuinely improve environmental outcomes build resilience and leave lasting legacy for our future generations interestingly I had a company come around to look at solar panels and battery on my house I have a four-bedroom house two children a mortgage and you know my income because you will have the same income you don't need to know my husband's but let me tell you where we represent many people in this Shire that are feeling the cost of living hurting so the quote for my solar and battery on my home was onwards $30,000 and I don't have the financial I don't have that money sitting in the bank to invest in that so over the past two years I am probably becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the way the climate change response grants are being funded from general rates without meaningful consultation we are spending our ratepayers' money and I think that every time we should be questioning is this probably not so much about is this project worthwhile I think you could probably argue through the criteria that it is but is it the best way to invest limited public money it's time that we start thinking about the way we're spending as Councillors we have a responsibility to every ratepayer to ensure every dollar collected delivers the greatest possible to our community that responsibility is even greater following the significant rate increases in mortgages and cost of living I'm increasingly concerned that we've probably reached a point now we need to ask ourselves whether each investment delivers measurable outcomes does it represent value for money and does it provide the greatest benefit for our environment and our community also like see Councillors be provided with more meaningful information during the assessment process greater transparency about how projects are prioritised a comparison of value for money and long-term measures just then we worked out that whilst we sit and look at 50,000 on paper in six rounds it's 300,000 so that adds up really quickly and I don't want the future Councillors to who are warming the Chair for four years to look at it at two million dollars especially since we had a fair bit of robust conversation around spending two million dollars on Tourism Noosa so how quickly will that escalate to future councils sitting here going why did we spend two million dollars without questioning public funds so it's not about reducing our commitment to the environment today for me it's about ensuring that every environmental dollar we collect from our community is invested wisely transparently and that the projects are going to deliver the greatest possible benefit for Noosa both today and into the future and if we talk about good governance that requires us to continually review our policies and our guidelines and our funding frameworks so I'm going to believe today that grants have now reached a point where it is warranted that there is a review.

Amelia Lorentson113:21

I'm happy to move that Council note for declarable conflict of interest by Councillor Wilkie and determine that in accordance with section 150 here, so the Local Government Act 2009, and having considered the council's. Conflict of interest as described, it is decided that Councillor Wilkie may participate and vote on this matter relating to the 2026/2027 community projects grant program facility development.

Tom Wegener70:23

Regardless of what was happening today, I was going to give this speech. I'm very. I was in Paris a few years ago, and there's a very nice streetscape there, shared street pathways, bikes, zooming path, people, and the whole city moves so much nicer. Than London did, where I was a few weeks before, and other places, so I really, understood the streetscape, and I thought this is wonderful, I'd love Noosa to do this, so and then since then that we've had consultation after consultation with the community, and our number one goal is traffic congestion and management, and that has been asked of us over and again as our number one priority. We've had lots of consultations, and of course we have our adopted Walking and Cycling Strategy 2021. And the goal of the strategy is to make right riding and biking and walking so convenient and safe that it is preferred mode of transportation for the shire's residents and visitors. And that's what I saw in france and other places in my travels. The Peregian active streets stage one two and three are steps towards this goal towards answering the request of the larger community to please do something about congestion and traffic and here stage one has been funded by the southern southeast liveability Queensland fund to the amount of eight hundred and eighty thousand dollars and on the website of the South East Queensland liveability fund it states the project comprises of 800 metres of wayfinding signage and 800 metres of cycle street enhance the accessibility and connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists the project will provide a seamless extension of the Sunshine Coast Coastal Pathway and I would love to see a seamless pathway along the entire Sunshine Coast that would just be fantastic the Federal active transport fund is also supported and that is supporting with one million five hundred and seventy thousand dollars and on the website it says the program has been created as a part of the Australian government's commitment under the national road safety strategy to improve road safety outcomes for people walking wheeling and riding the program is to encourage and increase active transport through the upgrade of existing and construction of new bicycle and walking pathways across Australia so we have an alliance between our local government the State government and the Federal government and I feel that to reject the active street is out of step with the vision of Australia we have an identity in being leaders and saying you know we're not afraid to try something that's going to be really good with long-term vision musa's specialty is long-term vision now of course I have listened to you the residents concerns definitely putting boats in and out of driveways the parking issues speed and I've listened very carefully and I don't believe they outweigh the benefits the rest of that Noosa will enjoy as a response as a result of one two or three of the stages because I live in Cooroy and I would love to ride my bike up there I would love to see all kids of Noosa all the young people saying yeah let's hop on our bike and safely go down Lorikeet Drive and into Peregian down to Coolum and have that safety aspect they don't have that now keep drive is in my opinion and I'm down there a lot is not safe. I think a safe streetscape is something that should be a given especially in our Noosa community where we are working so hard for an active street. This last week, I was actually at a party and a man was he was talking to me and he was so angry at the Gold Coast government local government and he said you know Tom I grew up in a beach house. I'm so sorry it's supposed to be on silent. It was okay, so I was talking to the guy at a party and he was like oh yeah you know local government blah blah blah and what happened he said well we had this house on the beach it was just right on the beach and we'd go out in the morning and we just felt all by ourselves and then the Council put a path in front of the beach in between his house and the beach and I said was that a public property yeah and I said dude said that's public property your private property ends here and the public property starts there