The Green Space Time-Wasting Olympics

A fascinating new event has arrived at Noosa Council: the Green Space Time-Wasting Olympics.

First, spend hours challenging the established process and applicable Act as advised by State Government - for how green spaces should be used. (Section 52AA isn’t designed to be used by Councils).

Second, argue that your preferred approach deserves more consideration, more debate and another process. Even though decisions made previously - were to stop paid parking in Lions Park.

Third, when someone actually defends the green space and the Council’s adopted strategies and plans… Accuse them of wasting Council’s time.

It’s a bit like starting a fire, calling the fire brigade a nuisance for turning up, then complaining about the water bill. Or moving the goalposts and then blaming the other team for taking too long to score.

Follow the plan - or erode it - One councillor has now publicly argued that Noosa’s adopted strategies - including its Transport Strategy, Destination Management Plan, Walking & Cycling Strategy, Climate Change Response Plan and Go Noosa - are the product of extensive planning, councillor input and public consultation.

The argument is simple: If Council doesn’t follow its own plans, it erodes them.

Quite so.

But there is an amusing contradiction when the same debate then involves spending hours arguing for a process designed to enable a use - that has already been identified as inconsistent with those adopted strategies. That’s rather like buying a GPS, entering the destination, ignoring every instruction and then blaming the GPS for not getting you there.

And apparently, if residents and councillors point out the contradiction, they are the ones wasting time.

The real question: This isn’t about who can argue the longest.

It is about whether an adopted Council strategy actually means something. If plans developed through extensive consultation can simply be worked around whenever they become inconvenient, then perhaps the next Council plan should simply say:

“Follow this plan unless someone really doesn’t like it.”

That would certainly save a lot of consultation.

It seems the people arguing to preserve the green space and follow the adopted plans - become the time wasting problem.

Meanwhile, the trees shading recreational users have never once demanded a Land Management Plan to prove they belong in a park. But now they are once again threatened with cars under them - instead of people.

Noosa’s great achievement was understanding that green space isn’t empty space. It is part of the reason people live here, visit here and care about this place. Once it is compromised, paved over or surrendered to another use, it is remarkably difficult to get it back.

So perhaps the greatest waste of time isn’t people standing up for a park.

Perhaps it is spending hours finding possible procedural ways around plans - that were created precisely to protect the future Noosa residents said they wanted. All for the sake of money.

To answer the Question posed by those supporting paid use of a park:

Have We Lost Our Perspective?

NO: You don’t protect the Future of Noosa by treating it’s own adopted strategies as optional

DEFENDING WHAT THE PEOPLE OF NOOSA ASKED COUNCIL TO PROTECT - IS NOT WASTING TIME