By JOLENE OGLE
MONDAY 9 March marked two years since the Noosa community voted ‘Yes’ to reclaim their Noosa Council.
To mark the anniversary, Noosa Council has installed a photo timeline of the events leading to de-amalgamation to highlight the fight from the community and local political leaders to reclaim Noosa.
On 9 March 2013, 81.38 per cent of eligible Noosa shire residents voted ‘Yes’ to ‘Free Noosa’ and re-establish the Noosa Shire Council, with celebrations held out the front of the Noosa Council Chambers on the night.
The photo wall, named ‘Noosa – A victory for community’, will be on permanent display at Noosa Council Chambers and anyone is welcome to view the display from Monday to Friday when council is open (except when a council meeting is in progress).
Noosa Mayor Noel Playford said the two-year anniversary of the ‘Yes’ vote should serve as a reminder of how powerful a community can be when it takes up a fight to protect its environment, way of life and the right to a say on its future.
“As we celebrate a great victory for democracy we remind our children and newcomers to our shire that the Noosa we know and love is the product of a history of passion and perseverance, strongly demonstrated recently through the campaign against amalgamation and the successful campaign for de-amalgamation that followed,” he said.
“Noosa knew the fight to remain a stand-alone shire would not be an easy one, but those who took part were motivated by the understanding that Noosa’s environmental balance, its lifestyle and point of different are best entrusted to a smaller, local council that is prepared to protect them.”
