NWRA Committee 6 month update

It’s hard to believe it’s been 6 months since election of the current NWRA Committee at the AGM on 13 November 2022 and, behind the scenes, we have been actively working on numerous items on your behalf. We’ve had 13 meetings with various Council representatives over the 6-month period and this is an opportune time to provide you with a summary of what we’ve been doing.

New website

The new NWRA website went live in June 2022 and has provided greatly improved communication with over 100 news items and dozens of Trading Post items listed.

Social events

A very successful Meet & Greet function was held on 17 March 2023 with around 100 attendees, including a significant number of new Noosa Waters residents.

Lock and Weir Project

I’m sure you are all aware of the successful completion of Stage 1 of the Lock and Weir project. Our current understanding from Council is that Stage 2 (renewal works) will commence after the September/October school holidays.

NW entry statement

The other project of note is the Noosa Waters entry statement which will replace the fountain structure. You will recall that the draft proposal from Council that we distributed was broadly supported. Since then, we have had 4 meetings to progress the final design. At our last meeting, Council advised the final design was being completed and the contract for the works would then be awarded.

While these are the high-profile agenda items, summarised below are the additional items which were initially included in our first meeting with Council on 23 November 2022.

Revetment walls

NWRA asked Council for an update on status of properties still requiring remediation. In our latest meeting on the 23 May, Council advised that there had been significant delays due to a lack of contractors with suitable equipment and a lack of clean rock fill. Both of those issues appear to be resolved and Council has undertaken an initial review of the state of the walls. The next step will be for NWRA and Council representatives to carry out a visual inspection to validate the scope of works.

State of roads within the estate

Council is proactive at patching potholes within the estate, but NWRA asked about the strategy for ongoing road quality and repair (for example, the degradation of Shorehaven Drive near Saltwater Avenue). We were advised that Council’s 3-year resealing program would be shared with us. At our recent meeting, we were advised that, due to the recent weather events, the program was currently being revised. We are expecting an update in the near future.

Gardens and maintenance

NWRA asked for an update on the Council program of plant replacement after removal of palms. Despite this item being raised at each meeting, no update has been provided to date; however, at our latest meeting, Council has agreed to review this situation.

A number of interested residents have previously assisted (and wish to continue) with maintenance of parks. Council has agreed to provide large green waste bags to designated locations at prearranged times for a predefined period (1 to 2 weeks) with interested residents using the bags to clear debris from the park. Please note that these bags are only for park green waste, not for home use. We will be putting out a separate news item to identify suitable locations to trial this initiative, based on the availability of volunteers.

Canal environment

NWRA expressed a desire to work with Council to understand and improve canal water quality and the environment. Several positive meetings and interactions have taken place with Council’s environmental officers, professionals and interested parties gaining an understanding of how we, as a community, can be involved in improving our environment.

Levy commercial transparency

For transparency, Council was asked by NWRA to reinstate the regular report containing detail of the NW levy. In our latest meeting, the Director of Corporate Services has committed to delivering this to us on a quarterly basis.

Partnering Charter (per meeting with Council on 15 December 2022)

The NWRA has had a Partnering Agreement with Noosa Council since 2000. This was reviewed by the Council’s legal team who suggested it should be modernised. This was discussed again at our last meeting with the CEO committing to progress this item.

Residential insurance premiums (per meeting with Council on 13 February 2023)

NWRA raised the issue of escalating insurance premiums with Council, given some insurers are unwilling to insure properties on the canal (or will only insure for an exorbitant premium) due to the climate change flood maps produced by Council. It appears that, after speaking with both Council and State representatives, the real power lies with the insurance underwriters who, while referring to the Council flood maps, have their own set of criteria for setting premiums. We note that some insurers are not offering flood insurance on canal properties, while others are. As is the case with any product, residents are encouraged to compare the options to ensure the chosen insurer meets their needs.

If you have had any success, you may like to add a comment to this post.

Council budget impact to Noosa Waters levy payers

At our most recent meeting, we were also able to discuss the current draft Council budget and its impact on NWRA levies. The Director of Corporate Services has committed to provide the NWRA Committee with details on the proposed levy fees.

Although this is only a brief summary, you can see your NWRA Committee has been active in trying to progress a significant number of issues. We will continue with these and any other items that arise along the way.

We value your support of the Committee as, without it, we are unable to act in the interests of our community. One of the best ways to support us is to become a member of NWRA.

Regards,

Neale Bertram

President

on behalf of the NWRA Committee