12670997-FC09-24
Friday, 23 February, 2024
INSPECT SATURDAY 11—11.30AM 5/20 Henderson St, Sunshine Beach
Champions crowned for Noosa Summer Swim
Luscious locks to go for charity
Big results for little athletics
28-page liftout Property Guide
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INSIDE
PR OP ER TY
Immortal Tom set to return By Phil Jarratt The diminutive, muscular, wild-eyed, thoughtful and creative two-times world champion was a popular hero through much of his career, but for more than four decades he has been revered as a “surfer’s surfer”, widely respected for his all-round waterman ability and his extraordinary affinity with the moods of the ocean. We speak, of course, of Tom Carroll, who will be a very special guest at next month’s Noosa Festival of Surfing, returning to the event he helped put on the map a quarter century ago. Born in Sydney in 1961, younger brother by two years to Nick, Carroll spent his early years in a creative family environment presided over by father Vic Carroll, a leading newspaper editor. Continued page 6
Surfing into his 60s: Tom with quiver in Sumba.
Picture: SUPPLIED
$148m repair cost By Margie Maccoll The repairs to Noosa roads and infrastructure from a two-week rain event from 22 March to 5 April 2022 have resulted in the biggest project in Noosa Shire history, with spending about 10 times the annual budget and as much as the combined capital works budgets from the 2014-2020 term. Council’s Disaster Reconstruction coordinator updated Council’s Ordinary meeting last week on the progress of reconstruction in response to the rain and flood event almost two years ago that greatly impacted Noosa. Total program costs have amounted to $148 million and included about $50 million to repair a landslide site at Black Mountain, the
largest landslide on the Sunshine Coast in 30 years with damage assessed to be as wide as a rugby league playing field and as deep as a five storey building. Council’s dedicated project team has worked on the program and alongside it their Civil Operations Grading Crew have undertaken the repair of about 60 roads in the region. After the devastating event the State Government activated support from the Queensland Reconstruction Authority (QRA), allowing funding to be offered under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangement which included reconstruction of essential public assets and Betterment Grants. Cr Brian Stockwell said it was the early decision of acting chief executive officer Larry
Sengstock to contract consultant engineers to gain quick and professional access into QRA funds that evnabled Noosa to have the recovery almost under control just two years after the major disaster. The meeting heard council opted to obtain funds from several available grants offered due to exceptional circumstance including grants for clean-ups, local recovery and resilience, recreation and community, flood risk monitoring and the Resilient Homes Fund Voluntary Home buy-back scheme. The report delivered to council last Thursday looked at the scope of the disaster and how council was stepping through its elements. Through most of 2022, the project team focused on ensuring all impacted infrastructure
was safe for continued use while necessary engineering, testing, surveying, design work and funding was secured. During 2023, the project team commenced tendering of works and construction, the report showed. “(Repairs) have to fit with the requirements of the grants and where we see an opportunity to improve on assets we will take advantage of that,“ the officer told the meeting. “Value for money methodology is something we always step through.“ The officer said Noosa hinterland had faced the majority of challenges including the Black Mountain landslide, a further nine projects and lots of minor projects, that “may be small but for the community they are big deals.“ Continued page 2
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