JOLENE OGLE
“Ideas are where revolutions start.” That was the message from Noosa Mayor Noel Playford when he addressed the local business community at the first general meeting of CCIQ Noosa Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday night, at the Australis.
In a public interview with CCIQ Noosa vice-president Di Henshall, Mayor Playford said the Noosa Council was open to ideas from the local business community on how to grow and improve the local economy.
“Who’s got good ideas?” he asked the packed room.
Labelling the Master’s application a “cash vacuum cleaner”, Mayor Playford said there was no room in Noosa for “big businesses” that suck cash out of the local economy.
He also defended the role of community centres in the Noosa Shire saying that while they required heavy subsidising, they played an important role in the community.
Mayor Playford said Council would consider applying better business principals to community centres such as Noosa Aquatic Centre and The J, but said one of Council’s main roles was to provide such services.
Other topics discussed included rates, where Mayor Playford said every effort would be made by council to keep rates as low as possible.
