By JONATHON HOWARD
SIX months have passed since the formation of Noosa Council and this week Councillor Frank Wilkie provides Noosa Today readers with his unique insight.
The following five questions were supplied to Cr Wilkie and his responses are provided below.
Note: Cr Wilkie’s views are his own and may not reflect the views of other councilllors.
1. Could you please update our readers on your role in council since taking office almost six months ago?
First up, there were strong demands for more customer parking at the local business precinct which we’re tackling through behaviour change. The business owners pro-actively decided to park further away and leave the 125 all-day car parks outside their shops free for customers. We’re still working at it, but customers can usually always find a park in the village now and it’s better than bitumening more parkland. This system could be trialed in other precincts, if alternative parking capacity exists and business owners are willing.
Formal roles include chairman of the town planning committee and the Regional Arts Development Fund panel, Noosa Council’s representative on the Tourism Noosa board, member of the CEO selection panel, and member of the legal case working group. It’s been incredibly satisfying and interesting. Otherwise I’ve been working with residents, business and community groups to assist in achieving their aims and with matters they’ve been saving up for the new council.
2. In your opinion, how has council been functioning since de-amalgamation?
Very well, considering the task has been rebuilding a council from the ground up, restoring services to pre-amalgamation levels and laying the groundwork for some fundamental changes to transport and waste. The discipline of creating a budget within the limits of a zero rates rise has been rigorous and helped reveal excesses and necessary levels of expenditure. There’s always challenges but, there’s also high levels of leadership, experience and energy in the team and a willingness to respectfully work together to deliver.
3. What areas have you been working or feel passionately about?
Improving gaps in the Noosa Planning Scheme. The plan has protected resident lifestyle by conserving large areas of the shire as National Park or State Forest and limiting building heights but, at street level, residents report problems. New homes are increasingly being built to the absolute maximum height and setback limits and shading out neighbours’ breezes, light and privacy.
It’s hoped amendments for boundary setbacks that take into account building height and lot size, will result in more proportionate buildings.
Equity for rural landowners is important. Other amendments propose that rural property owners on lots less than two hectares not be required to go through expensive, impact assessable applications for cropping or keeping livestock. The changes for these smaller lots propose that animal husbandry and cultivation not be considered inconsistent uses in rural areas.
Over the last few months, I’ve also enjoyed working with supportive staff, business and community groups to deliver a free, community concert to the hinterland with the Cooroy Originals, now happening monthly. So far, this has been seen as a positive boost to the social, cultural and economic life of the shire.
We’re also about to go out to consult with business groups with the new streamlined busking policy, intended to make it easier for young performers to enliven the business precincts.
4. Do you have any concerns that you would like to raise from both a council and/or community perspective?
I hope residents are sensing the benefit of a new “no divisions” shire. It requires higher levels of co-operation and broader perspectives and, in my view, better enables us to bridge perceived rifts within the community. My work in recent years has made me more aware of the younger generations coming through. They inhabit a faster, more technologically-driven world. There’s opportunities there for new career paths which are a good fit for Noosa. They also want to get out and see the world beyond our small shire but the least we can do is make sure the place is still as beautiful, or even more so, when they return.
5. Please include some short information about your background, interests and personality – this is a chance to engage with residents on a more personal level?
Born and raised in Brisbane. Purchased home here in 1994. Worked for seven years on Whitsunday island resorts doing everything from bar work to management. Former Noosa newspaper journalist, editor, high school teacher, Noosa councillor. Involved in several Noosa sporting, cultural and community groups. Otherwise I spend time with my wife and daughter, play music, write plays, perform in theatre productions and compete in cross-country running. I’ve always been very conscious of the fact that Noosa Shire’s image of a privileged enclave is in many ways a mirage, with most residents living very simply and many battling to make ends meet from week to week.
My grandparents worked hard in manual jobs all their lives so my parents and my siblings could have opportunities they never did. My father always says “never forget where we come from”.
