After contracts had already been tendered for the repair of Park Road and replacement of the existing boardwalk, council belatedly arranged a ‘Reference Group’ meeting which included representation from most community groups and some residents in the affected area. Russell Green chaired the meeting which contained a presentation of what needed to be done and how it was proposed to do it.  On the positive side it appears a solution to the closing of Park Road for 22 weeks has been found as it may be possible to keep one lane open for the duration of the construction period which may be reduced to 18 weeks with the added bonus of saving up to $400,000 on the original estimate.

However, keeping the boardwalk at its present width seems to pose some difficulties as funding from the State Government for the replacement of the boardwalk is apparently contingent upon it becoming a dual purpose facility shared by walkers and cyclists which means doubling its width.

When the Regional Council was elected councillors described the Sunshine Coast as a “community of communities” yet two years on, their obsession with ‘harmonisation’ is gradually creating a same-ness across the Coast.  What makes this region so attractive are the vast differences between Caloundra, Maroochydore the Hinterland and Noosa.  Visitors and residents can experience an array of dissimilar sights, sounds and tastes all within an hour’s drive from wherever they are staying on the Coast. In a micro sense Noosa itself is a ‘community of communities’.   Sunshine Beach is very different from Hastings St. The Junction has its own distinct flavour as does Noosaville.  Cooroy is different from Kin Kin and so it goes.  The objective must be to retain these differences not merge them all into one blurred community.

In New York on the 16th of April I awoke to news of the Bligh government breaking another promise to residents of the Sunshine Coast with her announcement that the State Government will not be reimbursing our council for the cost of amalgamation. 

No surprise here as we have been predicting for some time she would worm her way out of meeting this commitment.  Remember, this was an amalgamation forced upon us after 96% of Noosa voters opposed it in the plebiscite provided by John Howard.  It’s also worth remembering and reminding Queensland voters right up until the next election, that this Labor government steamrolled through State Parliament one of the most undemocratic pieces of legislation ever put before an Australian Parliament.  It first of all dissolved a legally elected local government, then legalised forced amalgamation of local shires against the ‘will of the people’,  then added to this piece of legislation authority for the State to sack any local government and fine councillors who had the temerity to offer  constituents a vote on this life changing  issue.  I mean even a totalitarian government would have to pause before ramming a bill giving it such draconian power through a compliant Parliament.

Having now had time to fully absorb the wonderful news from John-Paul Langbroek on the LNP’s commitment to immediately put in motion the re-drawing of boundaries so as to create a ‘Greater Noosa Shire’ when elected to government, we realise there has to be a good deal of thought put into what our new council should look like.

Fortunately, there are other community groups thinking along similar lines with some amongst them coming from a background of local government with strong ideas on how a new council could be structured so as to give the community more ‘bang for their buck’ while at the same time improving services by using 21st Century methods.

No doubt many of you would have heard the news about the LNP’s commitment to facilitate return of Local Government to Noosa.  On Monday, visiting LNP leader John-Paul Langbroek, told several Noosa audiences, the LNP will put in place procedures necessary for Noosa to establish a Greater Noosa Shire within months of the LNP winning government.

Friends of Noosa have been fighting for this outcome from day one of the forced amalgamation but we are not home yet as the LNP still have to be elected. All the same it’s another ‘small step for mankind’. We are further encouraged in the knowledge  the LNP currently enjoy an 18% lead over the government in the latest Galaxy Poll.

One of the great dangers facing Noosa today is ‘development by stealth’ now that we no longer have our own council and the terrors flowing from Sustainable Planning Act are becoming apparent.   One such example is the new Transit Centre set to be developed at the eastern end of the Junction.  Only through the action of a small group of residents who will be affected by the noise factor from this development, did it come to our attention.

Virtually considered a fait accompli with Energex already engaged in laying underground cable, this transit facility has never been  the subject of a ‘Development Application’ by council.  No Noise Impact assessment or traffic impact study has been conducted by council or for that matter   a proper understanding of its visual impact. To the contrary, 150 metres of mature trees will be cut down to enable Greyhound buses and other less formidable coaches to slide off Sunshine Beach Road to a platform running parallel to the road, currently lined by trees.