Well, as the year continues to fly by and we find ourselves in November it was pleasing to see Councils across Queensland come together at the recent Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) Conference which I and Deputy Mayor Frank Wilkie attended. More importantly it was fantastic that the majority of Queensland Councils backed Noosa Council’s motion calling for a review of the way costs are awarded when councils are forced to defend their planning scheme in court. For years, councils across Queensland have had to foot much of the bill to defend their decisions to refuse planning applications even though the proposed development may have been in significant conflict with the town plan. With a vote of 201 to 15 in support of our motion it means that we’ve won the first major battle in reducing the huge cost to ratepayers when it comes to defending our planning decisions. The LGAQ can now lobby the Queensland Government to review how appeal costs are awarded where a development proposal is found to significantly conflict with Council’s planning scheme.
As we edge closer to Christmas it is wonderful to see our ever popular free buses, including the loop bus back on the road this Christmas. Subject to Translink approval, travel will be free on a number of Translink services from 12 December 2020- 26 January 2021. The loop bus will service stops along Noosa Drive, Weyba Road and Noosa Parade to make getting around town far easier and cost effective. Our other Go Noosa initiatives such as park-and-ride facilities and extra parking at Noosa Heads (in the form of paid parking) in the Lions Park will return. With more people able to get out and about at Christmas it will hopefully go some way toward helping our local businesses bounce back after a tough year due to Covid-19.
Talking about tough years, ‘Connect Noosa’ November program is out now. 2020 has been a year like no other and ‘Connecting Noosa’ is a Council initiative to help residents reconnect with friends and make new ones by coming together to take part in free community activities which include yoga, tai chi, tech talks, sewing, dance and art classes. For more information please visit noosa.qld.gov.au for details.
Finally, to finish on a high note, the Orealla Bridge underpass has re-opened. Contractors were last week putting the finishing touches on the project. It’s been quite a feat designing and building the new bridge in just over 10 months which is a quick turnaround for a project of this size. Again, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all residents in close proximity of the bridge for their patience and understanding during the construction period. Hopefully it is for them, like the rest of us well worth all the efforts put in. Until next month, stay safe.
