The Independent Member for Noosa, Sandy Bolton MP shared both the good and ‘not so good’ news in her budget reply speech in Queensland Parliament last week. On the specifics for Noosa, Ms. Bolton was thankful that after delays to the Lake Macdonald refurbishment, $72 million has been allocated to get this work underway. While the official opening of Six Mile Creek Bridge #7 was celebrated, the need to create greater safety on Kin Kin Road remains, and a total of $37 million is in the budget for this.
“That these sums have been required due to inappropriate levels of heavy haulage through our villages is another example of our systems and processes failing. That we also require around $1 million for a pedestrian crossing on Factory Street, Pomona so that residents can safely traverse this road, is another example. This is missing from the budget, and we have requested the Minister to urgently reconsider this vital inclusion,” said Ms. Bolton.
$25 million has been allocated to widen Eumundi-Noosa Road from Emu Mountain Road to Beckman’s Road, however, this is where the second disappointment lay. After the completion of the Tewantin Bypass stage one (1), stage two (2) needed construction funding by the next budget to address the congestion, however the detailed design funding required to make that happen is nowhere to be seen.
“Regardless of the reasons for the delays that have led to this, whether on State’s or Noosa Council’s end, we have reiterated that the Minister must fast-track and fund the requirements to get it back on track,” said Ms. Bolton.
Sandy shared that our businesses are receiving some assistance, with $650 off their electricity bills and increased access to initiatives in the Queensland Small Business Strategy including supports, natural disaster recovery and extra cash grants, however as she raised, they need a reduction in ‘red tape’ and contributors to the higher rents and costs associated.
On the education front, this week we celebrated the opening of the new $11.2 million hall at the Noosa District State High School, Pomona Campus with funding secured last budget. In the new budget, there is progress on the advanced manufacturing unit for Sunshine Beach State High School, with smaller amounts of funding spread across eight (8) Noosa Electorate schools for other purposes such as maintenance and essential upgrades.
There was welcomed news regarding health, with additional funding for the Queensland Ambulance Service which will result in twelve (12) extra paramedics for the Sunshine Coast, which Noosa will benefit from. In addition, for mental health, there was the extra requested youth co-responder team and a second mental health CORE team for our region. Sandy looks forward to finding in amongst the buckets of funds either grants or allocations for our Noosa Salvos to provide after-hours and weekend supports for both mental health and emergency accommodation.
“We also need co-location of services provided through the Better Care Together mental health program. There was no mention of fairer funding models for our palliative care hospices which we have been fighting for, and even though the review is nearly complete, and increases have been provided to our Katie Rose Cottage Hospice, it is not enough,” said Ms. Bolton.
For our environment, there is $1.1 million for coastal walk upgrades in Noosa National Park, with the only extra funding being very targeted such as to improve firefighting capabilities. The budget also provided for ninety-eight (98) additional police officers for the Sunshine Coast, and welcomed news was the $1.12 billion allocated to community safety, with many of these measures aligning with the recommendations from Sandy’s former Youth Justice Reform Select Committee. They include the all-important much earlier interventions to support children from their earliest years through to preventions via educational engagement and health services from birth, as well family support coordinators and behavioural specialists in primary schools and early childhood coordinators. Especially appreciated has been the extra funding to Victim Assist to reduce the delays and to expand supports to victims of non-violent crimes and an expansion of the intensive case management program including on the Sunshine Coast.
“Overall, from the 60 recommendations from our Youth Justice Reform Select Committee report, between the Community Safety Bill that has been introduced, and this budget, it looks like over half have been addressed so far,” said Ms. Bolton.
For more Noosa specifics and Sandy’s full budget reply speech, please visit www.SandyBolton.com/Budget-2024-25- Summary
