Well, what a week it’s been for South East Qld with the announcement that we will be hosting the 2032 Olympic Games. I was fortunate enough to be in Brisbane last Thursday at an Olympic lunch headlined by ‘our’ Dawn Fraser. When the televisions moved to a live cross to the Premier, the Brisbane Lord Mayor and International Committee Member John Coates AC the excitement in the room was palpable. The 2032 Games not only represent a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for South East Qld, they will enable the delivery of a huge amount of infrastructure to our region. The vision of the Olympics in Qld was first flagged at the 2015 Council of Mayors when 11 regional mayors and the Brisbane Lord Mayor came together with a united vision. Noosa wasn’t and hasn’t been a part of the SE Qld Council of Mayors since that time but with the Olympics ahead of us and with much to advocate for on behalf of our shire it may be time to revisit our position. To be involved, to advocate and speak up for our shire, we must have a voice at the table. This is an opportunity that should and cannot be missed.
Our ’21/’22 budget had a big focus on supporting our community groups and I am proud to say that we have approved more than $160,000.00 for community groups, events and projects in the first Community Grants round of ’21/’22 with sporting clubs among the biggest recipients this round. We have committed over $1million to our community groups this coming financial year so there will be a number of opportunities for clubs and community groups going forward to obtain funding from council. These groups do so much of the ‘heavy lifting’ in our community and it is an absolute thrill to be able to support them in some capacity- however great or small.
Our walking and cycling strategy was adopted two weeks ago and with this strategy in place we endeavour to create an environment that makes riding and walking convenient, safe and the preferred method of travelling around our beautiful ahire. Council’s ’21/’22 capital works plan includes $12.8 million for a range of priority projects over the next two financial years. These include the installation of pathways as part of major projects such as the Noosa Parade Corridor Upgrade, Garth Prowd Bridge replacement and Beckmans Road Bypass Stage 1. The adoption of this strategy is a significant milestone in our commitment to address future congestion issues, reduce emissions and increase the uptake of active travel.
Speaking of infrastructure, Noosa Council is undertaking an inspection program to check the condition of our 250km stormwater pipe network. The contractor is using high-tech cameras to scan the network with the cameras looking for blockages and damage to the network. The cameras have ultra-high zoom lenses that can scan the length of the pipes and, in some cases, robotic tractor-mounted cameras are dropped into the pipes and they travel the length of the pipes to capture video. The full inspection will take about 18 months, but the data collected from the camera inspections helps us determine cleaning and maintenance/renewal priorities.
For any businesses out there, council is providing Noosa businesses with access to ASPIRE. ASPIRE is an online market-place where you can trade, exchange or sell unwanted waste items, such as paper and cardboard, construction and demolition waste, electronic waste and many other waste items. CSIRO and Data61 developed ASPIRE for businesses and their councils who were seeking a solution to the ever-growing waste disposal costs. With council now part of the program, Noosa businesses with less than 100 staff can register for free. To find out more please head to our website noosa.qld.gov.au/aspire
Finally, to end on a high note, council is delighted to receive $4 million from the 2021-24 South East Qld Community Stimulus Package toward brand-new infrastructure, maintenance and upgrades to existing community assets. Highlights include funding to freshen up our museum, some of our community centres, upgrading our skate park, the renewal of furniture along Gympie Terrace and funds to freshen up park shelters and replace a range of barbecues around the shire. More than half a million dollars of this money will be used to build a number of ‘missing links’ in our pathway network as identified in our Walking and Cycling Strategy. As I always say, grassroots spending at its best.
Until next week, stay safe,
Clare
