Council decides topic for second community jury

Noosa Council has signed off on the topic for Noosa’s second community jury when it begins sitting in August.

A new 24-member jury will be asked: “How can we manage the Noosa River better? What role should Council play and what resources should Council apply?”

“Council and the state government have been looking for ways in which we can work together to tackle a range of issues affecting the river,” Noosa Mayor Noel Playford said.

“The community’s keen interest in securing positive outcomes for our much-loved waterway makes this a fitting topic for a community jury to deliberate.”

Leader in community jury methodology, research and charitable foundation newDemocracy, will again oversee the jury process.

“There has been great frustration that a river plan developed many years ago to manage the river better has only been partially enacted,” the Mayor said. “Issues such as pollution from increasing numbers of permanent live-aboards and a lack of control over the number and state of vessels being added to the river have remained a problem that we need to address.

“We have a small river subject to increasing pressure, and we need action now before it becomes a bigger dumping place for unwanted vessels and cheap accommodation.” 

Noosa’s inaugural community jury will present its recommendations, next month, on how best to minimise organic waste send to landfill.

Cr Playford said Councillors were impressed with the breadth of advice the first jury had sought in its deliberations and looked forward to receiving its recommendations.

“Their hard work and commitment to reaching consensus over the past five months has the potential to save ratepayers millions of dollars in long term waste management costs,” he said.

“I’m confident the second jury’s members will be equally excited to be part of this process, which is a first for a Queensland council.”

Council opted to trial the community jury model as one way of giving residents a greater say on their shire’s future.

“With the return of our local council – the result of Noosa residents’ strong say in support of deamalgamation – we felt it appropriate to offer residents new opportunities to contribute to big-issue decision-making.”

Council will assess the trial following completion of the second jury.

newDemocracy will again select a jury that reflects Noosa’s demographic profile, drawn from the list of residents who responded to Council’s earlier random-selection invitation mail-out.”

3 July 2015