As Noosa approaches its second Christmas under management of the Sunshine Coast Regional Council it’s worth pausing for a moment to see just how we have benefited from this amalgamation of councils.

So far, our rates have gone up almost 20% and we can be assured of more to come as someone has to pay the amalgamation costs and it certainly won’t be the State Government.   The fees for most services have increased and there will be more to come.  Response time for the delivery of services has decreased and it will only get worse.  We only have two councillors representing Noosa as opposed to nine plus the mayor on the former council. This miniscule representation reflects on the myriad of issues not receiving the attention they deserve. From the proposed boardwalk along Hilton Terrace to the delays in removing disbanded hulks from the Noosa River, to the controversy over the Peregian Originals and the deterioration of general community maintenance (it took 5 weeks, three phone calls and one email before the council finally repaired six street lights that were not working on the upper end of Hastings St.) and this is just the beginning.  So much for the benefits, or are they as usual on the ‘never never’ along with most government promises.

From our assessment there has not been one positive for Noosa, but many negatives.  Still we have so far avoided being raped and pillaged by this council, but that too may be coming as there are dangerous signs the ‘harmonisation’ program of the politburo in Maroochydore is gathering pace.  The temptation to bring everything down to the lowest common denominator appears too great for them to resist any longer.

The latest example, and it’s a terrifying one, is to ‘harmonise’ the tourism structure along the coast with, you guessed it, one central politburo to run tourism from an organisation yet to be established.   Can you believe it, proposing to disband one of the most efficient and effective Tourism bodies in Australia generating around $850 million tourism dollars a year and has twice won the “Best Destination Marketing Award” at the annual Australian Tourism Awards.
We know about government appointed panels from our experience with the ‘Local Government Review Commission’ set up by the Beattie/Bligh government in 2007 to consider council amalgamations.  Mostly they are a little more than a sham designed to take the heat off government’s unpopular policies while delivering precisely what it is the government wants.

Earlier this year the SCRC appointed a panel to review the tourism structure on the Sunshine Coast naming it the “Tourism Transition Advisory Board” (TTAB)   and it too appears to have pretty much recommended what the council wanted. 
Astonishingly, one of the consultants to this panel had earlier prepared a report for the Regional Council and made a succinct observation and I quote, “Brand Noosa has arguably the most powerful Local Tourism brand in Australia’.  Yet the TTAB has apparently responded to higher authority and ignored expert advice.  To subordinate the Noosa Brand under the Sunshine Coast Brand for the sake of ‘harmonisation’ is economic suicide.  Make no mistake it will put at risk millions of dollars worth of tourism income leading to significant job losses and a subsequent downturn of general economic activity in Noosa.

We must ensure Tourism Noosa remains an autonomous entity responsible for growing Noosa’s tourist income by insisting:

• Noosa will never allow a new entity to control its Marketing expenditure.
• The Noosa Tourism levy must be protected and totally used to promote Noosa.
• Tourism Noosa’s performance must be set and monitored by the Noosa Tourism Board and no one else.

Tourism Noosa works which is much more than can be said for most Australian Tourist Organisations.  
Now that Anna Bligh is thought to be one of the worst Premier’s in Queensland’s history with her approval rating plummeting even further, there is a very real chance the LNP will be elected to govern in 2011.  They remain committed to facilitate the formation of a Greater Noosa Shire provided the community wants it. Until then we have to ensure the ‘harmonisation’ process is resisted.  Friends of Noosa totally support the Noosa Tourism Board and will do what’s necessary to protect the tourism levy and see it’s used totally for the benefit of Noosa. This is going to be a very testing issue for the Mayor and the Regional Council.

Meanwhile Friends of Noosa wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Bob Ansett
Friends of Noosa