We welcome a new year, and all look forward to 2021 with hope and optimism and a very full agenda. Last week Council held our first Business Round Table for the year with a new Business Charter to guide us forward. This charter will cement the group, its role and Council’s continued commitment to work collaboratively with our business community. Last week much discussion was had around the table about the issue of ‘affordable housing’.
On the topic of optimism and hope it was wonderful to welcome almost 50 new Australians to our first Australian citizenship ceremony for the year. I welcome all our new citizens who have chosen to make Australia and indeed Noosa their home. Never am I more aware of how privileged I am to have been born into this great country than I am at these ceremonies.
Well, our booming infrastructure programme continues across the Shire. We look forward to starting work on the upgrade of Noosa Parade between the Munna Point Bridge and the Garth Prowd Bridge early next year now that the project has been given the green light. We are very grateful to the State Government for chipping in $2.23 million towards the program from the Cycle Network Local Government Grants programme. New shared pathways and on-road bike lanes will improve safety and access for both pedestrians and bike riders. Eight new pedestrian refuges and a new LED low-energy lighting system are among the other key features of this upgrade. Early works to relocate services ahead of this upgrade will begin in May this year.
Council continues to remain as committed to being as open and transparent as possible. Earlier this month we launched the Open Council webpage to provide residents with easy access to a raft of council information. While much of it has always been available on council’s website, collating it and placing all the relevant links and information in one place makes it much easier for our community to access it and better to scrutinise how council is spending ratepayers’ money. Transparency, accountability and trust are at the heart of good governance. The Hub can be found at noosa.qld.gov.au/open-council
So, as we enter 2021, we look forward with optimism, with hope, with community collaboration and with the understanding that community benefit lies at the heart of all of our decision making.
Until next month, stay safe, Clare.
