Governance: Simply Never Decide Anything
Non Decision Making - GAMBLING WITH OUR ECONOMIC FUTURE
Some Noosa councillors have identified the greatest governance risk of all: making a decision using the strategy they already asked for.
Debating a modest 3 Year $6 million agreement with Tourism Noosa, these councillors warned of a dangerous chain of events where:
• A Destination Management Plan (DMP) could be developed further - after all previous consultations
• The plan that includes priorities, actions… and funding implications - already consulted upon - is taken seriously
• Council radically proposes to fund the very plan it commissioned
This is a “functional system,” widely avoided in modern government.
Consultation… But Not ‘That’ Consultation
This came as a surprise, given the community had already been consulted on the DMP—which:
• Identified tourism priorities
• Set strategic direction
• And, inconveniently, included the role of funding to deliver it
However, these councillors clarified the issue:
while the community was consulted on what should be done, they were not separately consulted on agreeing to pay for doing it.
A further consultation process may now be required - according to their positions - to confirm whether previous consultation counts as consultation.
KPIs: Both Too Weak and Too Powerful
These Councillors also bravely identified that KPIs are:
• Not outcome-based enough
• Too flexible
• Not enforceable
• Possibly enforceable
• And, in some cases, present
Placing them firmly in the advanced governance category of:
“Incorrect in all forms.”
The New Gold Standard: Absolute Certainty. Before approving funding, these councillors now require:
• Complete economic modelling across every business
• Zero unintended consequences
• Guaranteed benefits for residents, visitors, and wildlife. Until then, the preferred approach is clear:
do nothing, but with excellent governance language. Never stopping to consider the real consequences of Defunding, with no Economic Impact Assessment suggested as necessary.
GAMBLING WITH THE ECONOMIC FUTURE of Noosa - without an Impact Assessment on risks - has not even been considered as important or part of proper governance - by these same Councillors.
Locked In (Emotionally)
The agreement was criticised for “locking Council in” for three years, despite:
• Annual budget control
• Variation clauses
• Termination rights
These Councillors confirmed the real concern is not legal lock-in, but emotional lock-in -
widely regarded as the most binding clause of all. These Councillors concluded that while tourism is important, strategy is important, and outcomes are important - nothing is more important than:
pretending the funding conversation was separate from the strategy they already consulted on.
AS ONE SEASONED COMMENTATOR SAID:
“We hear a lot of lecturing about the need for economic impact studies to measure the affect of less significant decisions - but none for measuring the potentially crippling effect of defunding an award winning Tourism body recognised as an industry leader”
A decision will be reconsidered once this paradox is resolved, currently scheduled for sometime between
now and never.
What this all boils down to:
By Demanding Evidence, but Ignoring It Where It Counts, these Noosa Councillors have made one thing very clear: nothing should be funded without “rigour,” “evidence,” and “a full understanding of economic impact.”
Except Tourism Noosa. In that case, the approach is refreshingly simple: defund first, ask questions never.
We’re told we must avoid being “locked into legacy models.”
Apparently, the preferred alternative is no model—just a loose belief that the economy will continue functioning out of habit. Because tourism in Noosa, as implied, doesn’t require coordination, marketing, or strategy. It’s more of a natural resource. Like sand.
And if something needs publicity - eg events, that Noosa Council is now committed to doing - Council will take care of it, spending additional ratepayer money.
So to be clear:
the organisation responsible for marketing to international and interstate visitors is dispensable, putting us at risk of only becoming purely - a congested low value drive/day visitor destination.
Council it seems is meant to run Events on a non strategy - hoping the audience shows up after cancelling the advertising.
Meanwhile, local businesses that pay higher rates to fund Tourism Noosa are expected to absorb the fallout. Without prior warning. Hundreds of operators - already stretched - can just pick up destination marketing, partnerships, and promotion in their spare time. No budget. No structure. No coordination. Just expectation. And if it goes wrong? If visitation softens, if the off-season deepens, if businesses start disappearing?
At least these Councillors will have upheld their core principle: never proceed without evidence - unless it’s inconvenient.
Reckless is:
Overlooking real economic and legal impacts of blindsiding tourism businesses and employees - without giving them any opportunity to pivot.
These economic and personal impacts were not mentioned in debate - by those voting to defund Tourism Noosa - without studying impact/effects in any way. Totally against what they claim as their objectives/principles.
Who will sue first?
This is not bold leadership. It’s pure economic self-sabotage, dressed up as caution.