Top gongs for Noosa Council

It’s been a big week of wins for Noosa Council, with the organisation scooping top infrastructure and risk management awards. 

Project Manager, Dennis Luinstra (pictured left), and Infrastructure Planning, Design and Delivery Manager, Craig Eldridge (right), with the IPWEAQ award.

Council today picked up top gong for the South East Queensland region in the LGMS Risk Excellence Awards for 2021/22.

In another win, Council’s was named among Queensland’s best public infrastructure projects in this year’s Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia Queensland (IPWEAQ) Excellence Awards.

Mayor Clare Stewart received the risk excellence award on behalf of Council today at the 2022 LGAQ Annual Conference.

“It’s a brilliant acknowledgement of Noosa Council’s exceptional governance and risk management strategies,” the Mayor said.

“This award recognises the collaborative efforts between councillors and our executive team to drive the highest standards.”

The award recognises Council’s efforts over the past two years to develop a new risk policy.

Council adopted the new Enterprise Risk and Opportunity Management Policy in September this year – the culmination of a lengthy project involving key staff and elected officials.

The Tablelands Road Bridge B replacement project took out the award for best project between $1 million and $2 million in the IPWEAQ Excellence Awards.

“Noosa Shire Council was a deserving winner in this category of project delivery,” judging panellist Patrick Murphy said.

“The project team developed a bespoke design solution to construct the replacement bridge on the same alignment as the existing and developed a detailed plan to ensure accessibility was a focus during construction,” he said.

The awards program – now in its 20th year – serves as a wider benchmark of innovation and achievement across the sector and recognises efforts and outcomes beyond the ordinary.

Council Project Manager, Dennis Luinstra, said the surrounding environment made the bridge rebuild particularly complicated.

“On either side are narrow, steep gravel roads and due to the surrounding environment, we had to build the replacement concrete bridge in the exact location of the old timber one, which was technically the most difficult option,” he said.

The bridge foundations were installed before the old bridge was removed and the project built in stages to minimise disruption for residents.

Infrastructure Services Director Larry Sengstock welcomed the recognition of a job well done.

“From our staff, through to the contractors and all involved in the project, it’s been a great team effort to deliver a great outcome for our hinterland residents,” Mr Sengstock said.

The Tablelands Road Bridge B project is a joint initiative of Noosa Council and the Australian Government through its Bridges Renewal Program.