Friday, 26 November, 2021
Major Sponsor for 28 years
Aged care nursing crisis looms
Rotarians unite PTSD carers
Katie Rose Hospice feature
60-page lift out Property Guide
PAGE 3
PAGE 12
PAGES 25-27
INSIDE
12524550-SN48-21
Making a difference
PR OP ER TY
Seniors splash out
St Andrew’s Anglican College students celebrate the end of school last Friday.
Picture: ROB MACCOLL
Noosa Year 12 students ended their school studies last week, marking the milestone with a range of celebrations that included a traditional walk of honour through their schools, dash to the ocean and graduation ceremonies. Amid the tears and laughter, students and parents spoke about the senior years that will forever be linked to the Covid impact, their plans for the future and for the Schoolies week, with many opting to travel to the Gold Coast. Numbers were greatly reduced this year from the thousands of school leavers who decided to travel to Noosa last year to celebrate the end of school. Noosa Police acting senior sergeant Troy Cavell said there were a couple of hundred Schoolies but Noosa was a resort town and most were staying at resorts, abiding by the rules set down by the businesses and many were congregating without incident on Main Beach in the evenings. He said one 17-year-old girl had been arrested on Monday night for public nuisance and police had responded to a couple of noise complaints, but they weren’t draining police resources. “There’s been no violence and no damage. We’re happy for them to stay here if they maintain that level throughout the week,” he said. “If they wanted to party all night they probably should have gone to the Gold Coast.”
Tourism shake up By Phil Jarratt
12497020-DL22-21
Tourism Noosa members voted conclusively for fundamental and far-reaching changes to the 20-year-old tourism body’s constitution at its annual general meeting last Friday. In what was described by some tourism veterans as “the biggest shakeup since amalgamation”, members effectively endorsed a new look, streamlined and almost entirely skillsbased board, and an even more streamlined strategic plan that hands back to Noosa Council every aspect of Noosa’s biggest industry and its interaction with the general community except marketing. The “objects” outlined in the new constitu-
tion basically reinforce those defined in last year’s Destination Noosa Strategy 2020-23 as “champion the Noosa brand, market and promote, value-add for members”. In other words, sell, sell, sell. Speaking before the vote on the constitutional amendments, acting chair Louise Formosa said: “The board earlier in the year agreed that the current constitution was inhibiting [its] effectiveness and its ability to move forward efficiently and successfully. “The governance committee, which I’ve chaired, was asked by the board to recommend changes to the constitution that could be presented to the members. The changes did
not come easily … there was vigorous debate at several board meetings before the final version was unanimously approved by the board. “Many hours of hard work have gone into this document and I can only hope that it is appreciated by members.” Tourism Noosa staffers had previously done their best in this regard by emailing to the body’s 700-plus members the 28 pages of the amended constitution, along with explanatory notes and a comparison with the old constitution. But on the day, while a quorum was reached and 81 per cent of the members present voted for the changes, prompting a vigorous round of applause, more than 80 per cent of the total
membership did not vote. Only two members spoke from the floor against the changes as presented, requesting an extraordinary general meeting to refine them. Both of them were highly-respected pioneers of Noosa tourism organisations. Rick Cooper, now long-time chair of Noosa Shire’s Bendigo Banks, who as chair of the Noosa Community Tourism Board was one of the architects of the original TN constitution, said: “All reference to community has disappeared from the objects, which is of some concern to me because out of that community connection came the food and wine festival, the Noosa Long Weekend and other events. Continued on page 5