Friday, 1 October, 2021
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Making a difference
Major Sponsor for 28 years
Basking in Demons’ glory
Musicians jam for two causes
Pups enjoy Insta-fame
60-page liftout Property Guide
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INSIDE
PR OP ER TY
Connect with the craft By Abbey Cannan More than 100 remarkable artists will open their home studios for the Noosa Open Studios Art Trail. Noosa’s creative culture will be on show with five distinct trails taking in Noosa’s gorgeous beach and hinterland villages from 1-10 October. Read more on page 34
Noosa Open Studios artists Ben and Elke Lucas will join more than 100 local artists in opening their studio doors to the public during the 10-day Art Trail event.
Call for review By Phil Jarratt
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While no one from Noosa Council’s staff seems willing yet to go on the record about the state of Noosa Council’s organisational structure, Mayor Clare Stewart interrupted a holiday break to publish a statement of praise for the workforce, including the recently sacked director of corporate services, Michael Shave, while calling for an independent performance review. And soon-to-depart chief executive officer Brett de Chastel echoed the Mayor’s sentiments, speaking to Noosa Today. In the Mayor’s statement, published first on her Clare Stewart Noosa Mayor Facebook page, Cr Stewart expressed “disappointment”
at last week’s front page story, Sacking turmoil and continued: “I want to make it abundantly clear that our Council staff are affirmed in their efforts - something I have repeatedly stated over my time as Mayor. Our staff do a terrific job.” (The full statement is published on today’s Letters page.) Of Mr Shave, Cr Stewart wrote: “In regard to the recent departure of Michael Shave, Noosa Council’s former Director of Corporate Services, I want to reaffirm that the former director’s contribution to the organisation and the shire was significant. Much of the reason we are in such a good position financially is due to Michael’s outstanding ability and his fiscal responsibility. I feel a deep sense of regret about
his departure. At the same time, I would register that decisions of this nature demand our respect and confidentiality.” In a subsequent phone conversation with Noosa Today, the mayor reiterated hiring and firing staff was “the sole responsibility of the chief executive officer”. Asked why, if staff morale was as high as she claimed, she was pushing for an independent review, Cr Stewart said: “Because there’s always room for improvement.” Mr de Chastel declined to comment directly on individual staffing issues, but told Noosa Today: “Noosa Council is lucky to have great staff. We’ve always attracted good people and nothing has changed about that, but like every
council in Queensland we’ve been facing very heavy workloads due to government stimulus packages, a record capital works program and huge numbers of building applications to process. “But in relation to staff turnover, I report every three months and the most recent (August) showed 6.6 per cent compared with the average of 8-10 per cent. The next report will be higher, but when you consider that Mount Isa is at 52 per cent, there’s no comparison. Council is, however, facing the same challenges in staffing shortages as those faced by the building and hospitality industries, and we are working through them.” Continued page 6