Call for more communication

NOOSA Council should improve its communications with residents, according to one mayoral candidate.
Current councillor Tony Wellington said the area of communication had not received enough attention from the council and should be improved.
“One area which I believe has not had the attention it deserves is the communications field,” Cr Wellington said.
“There have certainly been times when council could have explained itself better. Council needs to take residents on the journey towards final decision-making, listening as we go.”
Cr Wellington said the current council had largely focused on developing a corporate structure since de-amalgamation, to which he praised CEO Brett de Chastel and Mayor Noel Playford for their work in “building a new council from the ground up”, but said some communication by the council had been “clumsy”.
“The issue of dogs on Sunshine Beach was a classic example of poorly managed communication,” Cr Wellington said.
“More recently, the matter of riverside coffee shops utilising community land has been communicated in a clumsy way.”
Cr Wellington said if elected as mayor he would focus more attention on communication with residents and increase community consultation.
“I believe that honesty and transparency are the hallmarks of good governance. But those ideals can’t be achieved without an effective communications system,” he said.
“I would like to see greater opportunities for round table discussions, community forums and input from stakeholder groups.”
“As mayor I will hold regular meetings with representatives from the various business associations, the Community Biosphere Association, the Residents and Ratepayers Association and other representative groups.”
But it’s not only increased communication on Cr Wellington’s agenda – clear messages and less “jargon” are also top priorities.
“Council needs to put out clear messages using plain English, not the sort of bureaucratic jargon that council staff are used to speaking,” he said.
“But it’s not just about the words, it’s also about timing. Residents don’t like to feel that they’re being consulted after a decision is made.”
Cr Wellignton said good communication would come into play as council embarked on the new Noosa town plan.
“I want Noosa residents to feel a sense of ownership and pride in their planning scheme. After all, this document will set the ‘look and feel’ for Noosa over the next decade and more.“