By Margaret Maccoll
Noosa Council has reallocated more than $1million in grant money destined to resealing Donnelly and Black Mountain roads in Noosa’s hinterland to enhancements on Weyba Road, Noosaville, because of staff shortages.
At council’s Ordinary Meeting on Thursday 16 November, councillor Ingrid Jackson queried the reallocation of almost $800,000 from the resealing of Donnelly’s and Black Mountain Roads projects and more than $300,000 from Black Mountain Road resealing to Weyba Road corridor improvements.
Cr Jackson said she had no knowledge of the reallocation before seeing it in the meeting’s agenda and residents in the hinterland had been asking when their dirt roads would be sealed.
Council’s acting CEO Michael Shave said staff did not have the capacity to design and deliver the proposed Black Mountain and Donnelly roads projects within the required time.
“If we don’t reallocate these funds to other projects, we will lose the funding,” he said.
“We are a bit short on resources, and we’re trying to address that.”
Council will increase staffing in both asset inventory within the Asset Management Branch and design services for the Capital Works program.
New officers were recommended after council revealed resources were not providing the capacity to undertake the asset inventory function which could lead to poor decisions nor allow council to keep pace and deliver designs for the Capital Works program.
