Council starting work with CSIRO on assessing local sea rise vulnerability.
People and property in Noosa and the Coast generally will be at risk due to climate change hazards like rising sea levels, unless flaws in a draft state government coastal management plan are rectified. That’s what the Sunshine Coast council has submitted to the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources. We talked about those issues with Steve Skull, Council’s environment policy manager, and began by asking him what faults council sees in the state’s plan:
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“There is a level of misogyny in some of the people who’ve been employed to deal with us”
Yandina land owner Laurelle Somerfield is angry at the state government for bullying her over the use of her land to build the northern stage two of the water grid pipeline. New research by the University of the Sunshine Coast and consultants Parsons and Brinckerhoff has found serious reasons for scrapping the $400 million stage (see Sunshine Coast Daily story) and for dumping desalination plants from the state’s water strategy. In tough talks with state officials Ms Somerfield has got some concessions on the use of her land to park pipes and equipment but she’s still pretty upset about a number of unresolved matters.
Temporary holding area, Lees Road Yandina (approx 1.5km away). The holding area for the Somerfield's land is to hold soil from the 24hr tunnelling, until removed, communal areas and amentities for workers and offices.
The threatened rose arbor
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“We will need the landlords on side because they will drive the building changes”
Property and business owners, council and community will work on ways to boost Noosa Junction’s attractiveness in a new strategy plan for the area. We had Noosa Junction Traders Association president, Lorraine Marshall, and a new town centre officer, John Waterhouse in to tell us about it. We began with John’s role and background.
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Art garden, more greenery, more open space, more convenient meeting places, eating areas, music, night life
We asked Lorraine Marshall and John Waterhouse for some nitty gritty on what buildings and greenery are going to be there and what traffic arrangements they’re thinking of.
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Council driving the project “to some great degree”
Continuing the conversation about sprucing up Noosa Junction:
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“We need to have a good level of engagement and involvement from people in the tourism industry”
How would you like to have your say on the way forward for Noosa tourism promotion or on ways to teach our people about sustainability? These fields will be addressed in two new so-called sector boards set up by Council-owned Noosa Biosphere Ltd. They’re also looking for people to nominate for all the other boards. Ben McMullen, Council’s project manager for Environmental Initiatives, came in to explain the process:
Ben McMullen and Henrietta at a Social Board meeting
Sector Board meeting notes on table
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“What we’re really looking for is people who have a genuine interest in the Noosa area and have a genuine interest in the Biosphere Reserve process”
We asked Ben what the organisation delivers and whether it’s more than just a talk shop.
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Diet commented that it sounds a bit authoritarian to him, “like: don’t argue with us, we know best. And another observation: more Council-wide discussion of Noosa tourism promotion ahead, when there are concerns, voiced on this programme and elsewhere recently, that the successful Noosa way of doing it may be watered down to a one-fits-all, Coast-wide approach. Not good. But it’s my view, not necessarily that of this station.”
Contact What’s Going On? by emailing Mark at markrzz@bigpond.com or phoning 5447 2233 in office hours.
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