Noosa Council moved a step closer this week to postponing its Tourism Noosa funding agreement for 12 months while both council and TN resolve changes being undertaken by both bodies.
Tourism Noosa is in the process of reviewing and updating its constitution and Council is undertaking a destination management project to create an overarching framework of tourism destination management of which TN will be a stakeholder.
At its general meeting, councillors voted to extend the funding agreement with the inclusion of a number of conditions.
On Monday council made clear both its support of the independent body and that ongoing funding was to be aligned with TN’s continued marketing and promotion of Noosa, championing of its brand and its collaborative involvement in the development of a destination management framework.
Also included was an assurance the future funding agreement be in line with current processes which Mayor Clare Stewart said should include transparency, legal review, good governance and financial management, to ensure public funds were well managed.
The current funding agreement expires on 30 June 2022 but Council was looking to finalise arrangements for any new agreement by December 2021, prior to the changes being raised.
Cr Amelia Lorentson said TN was due for an overhaul as the entity had been established 20 years ago and the tourism landscape had “changed significantly”. “What’s happening needs to happen,” she said.
Cr Lorentson said she had confidence in NT’s chief executive officer Melanie Anderson and her “capable, outstanding staff in surviving this period of change, uncertainty and volatility, and thriving”.
But Cr Tom Wegener questioned whether change was what was wanted when Noosa had enjoyed so much success.
“We’re the top town in Queensland because of Noosa Tourism,” he said. “You don’t change what’s perfect. It can’t get any better.”
Cr Wegener said he held concerns the changes would threaten its valuable asset of TN’s 120 volunteers.
Cr Joe Jurisevic agreed it would be disappointing to see the loss of volunteer-involved programs such as Welcome Noosa, Plastic-free Noosa and Refresh Noosa that champion the Noosa brand.
However, Cr Karen Finzel welcomed change.
“I think change is good,” she said. “We are fundamentally changed by Covid. I think this is an opportunity to be agile and responsive.”
Mayor Clare Stewart said any change to TN’s constitution was a matter for them.
“Tourism is so incredibly important to our shire and they’ve done such a great job,” she said.
Cr Stewart said the community had experienced unprecedented economic pressure over the past 18 months and the tourism sector had borne the brunt of it. Change gives them the opportunity to realign moving forward, she said.
Under the current agreement, which looks set to continue until 30 June, 2023 Council will provide funding to TN of $2.52 million per annum with negotiations on a future funding agreement to be undertaken in the second half of 2022. Council will ratify its decision at its Ordinary Meeting Thursday evening.
