By Clare Stewart Mayor I Noosa Council
Noosa is a very special place. We all know that.
‘Different by nature’ is our catch cry and our environmental record supports that.
We are a small council and a relatively small shire – with around 55,000 residents but we are a robust, resilient and very proud community.
Our council reflects that.
With tourism being one of the major industries in our shire, our businesses and our community were hit hard during covid.
Testament to the resilience of our business owners and operators, the majority of businesses, despite facing a huge reduction in revenue chose to stay on and trade.
Similarly, the impacts of our recent major weather events; two floods earlier this year greatly impacted our shire but, like with everything else, our community and our council support and rally.
FIRST FEMALE MAYOR
I was elected Mayor in the 2020 Local Government elections. The first female to ever hold the position here in Noosa Shire. Prior to the election, I had never been in local government but I chose to become involved because I wanted to make a difference – for the better.
At the end of the campaign, even if I had of lost, I felt I had won because I felt closer to my community, issues that mattered to the community and had met some wonderful people along the way. I feel incredibly privileged to be Mayor of Noosa Shire and I work hard every day to make a difference, however great or small, and I guess that is why I became involved in politics.
A FULL TIME JOB
Being Mayor is a full-time role for me. Prior to being involved in politics, I was a Barrister at law at the Private Bar in Brisbane and also here on the Sunshine Coast. Prior to being Mayor I was on the not-for-profit Boards Youngcare and Youngmac. I remain on those boards now. They give me an additional sense of purpose as my role with those organisations is to support, enhance and advocate for improving the lives of young people with high care needs.
I have just been appointed by my fellow South East Qld Council of Mayors to the Brisbane Organising Committee for the Olympic Games which I am incredibly thrilled and humbled by. I will advocate strongly alongside Lord Mayor Shrinner for South-East Qld and look forward to being a part of the discussions and deliberations going forward.
With three small children, aged 11, 9 and 6 I am, like every other mum, busy and between work and home life there isn’t much spare time. But I chose the role and I choose this life and I feel humbled and privileged to be in the role I am. I wouldn’t change it- maybe add an hour or so extra for sleep (who wouldn’t) but otherwise I consider myself very lucky.
HOUSING A BIG CHALLENGE
I think what is facing us is similar to many other councils. The challenges of affordable housing providing accommodation for our essential workers.
Rising housing costs and next to zero availability for accommodation is putting significant pressure on our community, our workers and our businesses who struggle getting staff.
Similarly, the impacts of the floods have been huge.
We have a landslip in our shire which is said to be the biggest ever on the Sunshine Coast – recovery costs have been estimated to be in the tens of millions of dollars and will take a few years to fix.
Many of our residents are greatly affected because of it, and we are working as hard as we can but with a small team we will need support from other levels of government- which so far have been great.
We have our second largest ever capital works program to deliver (last year was the biggest) and with rising costs of resources, inability to get staff and weather interruptions, delivery is challenging but we have will get there.
COUNCIL SUCCESSES AND HOPES
I came in on a platform of increased fire mitigation on the back of the 2019 Bushfires. Since my time as Mayor, Noosa Council has greatly increased its fire mitigation and resilience platforms.
From last year’s budget, we’re funding new equipment, and a new fire management officer role to enable us to carry out our own controlled burns without relying on private contractors.
A new Bushfire Resilience and Response Levy implemented last year will fund a doubling of hazard reduction burns and increase fire trail maintenance across the shire.
There was also more funding for back-burns and creating new fire access trails across the shire.
One of the initiatives is a $2 million commitment for the Peregian Beach Digital Hub Fire Tech Living Lab.
And now, council’s commitment to fire resilience and management in the Noosa Shire has taken another step forward with the start of the trial phase of our world-class Fire-tech Connect program.
Drones, fuel moisture sensors, robots and AI cameras are just some of the technology to be put to the test in these trials to predict, detect, track and fight bushfires.
This is a world first. The work of the Fire-tech Connect program is groundbreaking and the adoption of innovative solutions could change the way regional Australia prepares, predicts and detects future bushfires, putting Noosa at the forefront of bushfire preparedness.
Council’s Disaster Resilience team, along with the Peregian Digital Hub, have also spent the past two years formulating relationships with QFES and assembling a panel of global tech companies so the Fire-tech trial phase can begin.
I said during my campaign that protecting our natural environment and supporting business opportunity and growth are not mutually exclusive. I believe that and I work had every day on that. I would like to see Noosa maintain the natural environment that we all hold so dear – we need to support and protect that, but I would like to see our workers housed, our essential workers able to live in our Shire and our businesses thriving. Our draft housing strategy is the most aggressive and progressive step Noosa Council has ever taken in this field and I am proud of that, but there is much to be done.
I would like to see us (and we are already on track) be a word leader in fire management and resilience and I would like to see us drive, support and promote our innovation and tech hubs. Our Peregian Digital hub is doing just that and I would like this industry to continue.
I’d like to see the issues with our river (mainly pollution from liveaboards) in our river addressed and sorted- we have a Noosa River Stakeholder Advisory Group formed with MSQ but I would like to see our river cleaned up once and for all. I’d like to see tangible results from our transport strategy occur to help reduce congestion and parking issues during peak periods.
I’d like to see on the back of the 2032 Olympics our sports precincts upgraded our our major sports complex in design face- Tewantin Re-Gen complex completed. Our first Mingle with the Mayor Ball held last year raised $280,000 for DV in our shire to enable a second outreach centre. Council has supported transitional housing for our most at risk and vulnerable and I’d like to see this continue.
There is much to be done, and I recognise that. I feel as if I am only just beginning.
