"Economic and environmental strategy are not mutually exclusive": Noosa CEO
Posted on Friday, October 20, 2006 at 09:26AM
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stevem
in Environmental, Population cap
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stevem
in Environmental, Population cap
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By Kaili Parker-Price
Noosa CEO on population and growth Bruce Davidson … “We decided that preserving our environment would give us a competitive economic advantage”.NOOSA Council sits easily on the coast with a population balanced neatly with infrastructure. Residents have given it the thumbs up for lifestyle and environmental sustainability.
But as the shire population nears its maximum capacity, council staff and a collection of community boards are crunching scenarios to ensure a nil population growth does not overbalance the scales.
Ask Noosa Council CEO Bruce Davidson about Noosa’s unique formula and he will tell you it was born out of a likeminded environmental vision by both council and the community in the 1990s.
He said that by the late 1980s the “battle” between the developers and the environmentalists had been fought, and won, by the environmentalists.
A green balance of power in council, led to a sustainable futures plan for the Noosa Shire.
He is surprised other councils have not taken their lead, but said many are still driven by the mantra that population growth promotes economic development.
“We decided that preserving our environment would give us a competitive economic advantage,” he said.
“Economic and environmental strategy are not mutually exclusive.
“Cranes on the horizon do not necessarily generate a lot of local employment, and the growth mentality is unsustainable for a shire.
The price of land here is higher than our neighbours, but that’s because it is a bloody good product. – Bruce Davidson“ We established an economic unit working on a strategy of diversity so we are not totally reliant on tourism after being weaned off growth.”
In developing the 1997 strategic plan, council determined the maximum carrying capacity of each block of land and married that with a village scale of development outlawing such things as high rise, traffic lights and multi-storey carparks, while committing to the provision of infrastructure – water, sewage and road networks.
The magic population number was 62,000 residents – 20,000 less than the previous planning scheme – with an allowance for 20,000 visitors.
It was the council’s chance to preserve something very special.
The 1997 strategic plan was carried forward in the new planning scheme invoked in February this year and council staffers have carried their message across the country as far as Mansfield and Alpine in Victoria, and across the seas to Queenstown in New Zealand.
They boast of low population densities, no high rise development and the preservation of substantial “green space”, most recently the successful bid to save 60 hectares at Marcus Dunes from disappearing under housing.
“If you stand at the lookout at Mt Tinbeerwah and take in the 360-degree view, the footprint of Noosa Heads is minute compared to the natural vegetation surrounding it,” Mr Davidson suggests.
But has that success come at a cost – the very dollar value attached to each and every block in Noosa Shire?
Mr Davidson thinks not.
“The price of land here is higher than our neighbours, but that’s because it is a bloody good product,” he declares.
He points out that Noosa has not yet reached its maximum population and thus there is not a scarcity of land in the shire.
Yes, a block of land at Settlers Cove opposite Witta Circle will set you back $500,000 plus, but as you move away from the water and Hasting Street, the price tags also decrease.
And remember that eight percent of the shire’s population “packs up and moves out” each year. “So, given that they can afford to relocate here, there is room for new residents,” Mr Davidson said.
“Our strategy has been very successful - we have preserved the environment, we have the only river in South-East Queensland with an A rating, and we have established a national reputation as a great place to live and visit.”
Mr Davidson was recently elected national president of the Local Government Managers Australia, an organisation that provides support and professional development and training for CEOs, as well as acting as a lobby group on issues of a professional nature.
Noosa CEO on population and growth Bruce Davidson … “We decided that preserving our environment would give us a competitive economic advantage”.NOOSA Council sits easily on the coast with a population balanced neatly with infrastructure. Residents have given it the thumbs up for lifestyle and environmental sustainability.
But as the shire population nears its maximum capacity, council staff and a collection of community boards are crunching scenarios to ensure a nil population growth does not overbalance the scales.
Ask Noosa Council CEO Bruce Davidson about Noosa’s unique formula and he will tell you it was born out of a likeminded environmental vision by both council and the community in the 1990s.
He said that by the late 1980s the “battle” between the developers and the environmentalists had been fought, and won, by the environmentalists.
A green balance of power in council, led to a sustainable futures plan for the Noosa Shire.
He is surprised other councils have not taken their lead, but said many are still driven by the mantra that population growth promotes economic development.
“We decided that preserving our environment would give us a competitive economic advantage,” he said.
“Economic and environmental strategy are not mutually exclusive.
“Cranes on the horizon do not necessarily generate a lot of local employment, and the growth mentality is unsustainable for a shire.
The price of land here is higher than our neighbours, but that’s because it is a bloody good product. – Bruce Davidson“ We established an economic unit working on a strategy of diversity so we are not totally reliant on tourism after being weaned off growth.”
In developing the 1997 strategic plan, council determined the maximum carrying capacity of each block of land and married that with a village scale of development outlawing such things as high rise, traffic lights and multi-storey carparks, while committing to the provision of infrastructure – water, sewage and road networks.
The magic population number was 62,000 residents – 20,000 less than the previous planning scheme – with an allowance for 20,000 visitors.
It was the council’s chance to preserve something very special.
The 1997 strategic plan was carried forward in the new planning scheme invoked in February this year and council staffers have carried their message across the country as far as Mansfield and Alpine in Victoria, and across the seas to Queenstown in New Zealand.
They boast of low population densities, no high rise development and the preservation of substantial “green space”, most recently the successful bid to save 60 hectares at Marcus Dunes from disappearing under housing.
“If you stand at the lookout at Mt Tinbeerwah and take in the 360-degree view, the footprint of Noosa Heads is minute compared to the natural vegetation surrounding it,” Mr Davidson suggests.
But has that success come at a cost – the very dollar value attached to each and every block in Noosa Shire?
Mr Davidson thinks not.
“The price of land here is higher than our neighbours, but that’s because it is a bloody good product,” he declares.
He points out that Noosa has not yet reached its maximum population and thus there is not a scarcity of land in the shire.
Yes, a block of land at Settlers Cove opposite Witta Circle will set you back $500,000 plus, but as you move away from the water and Hasting Street, the price tags also decrease.
And remember that eight percent of the shire’s population “packs up and moves out” each year. “So, given that they can afford to relocate here, there is room for new residents,” Mr Davidson said.
“Our strategy has been very successful - we have preserved the environment, we have the only river in South-East Queensland with an A rating, and we have established a national reputation as a great place to live and visit.”
Mr Davidson was recently elected national president of the Local Government Managers Australia, an organisation that provides support and professional development and training for CEOs, as well as acting as a lobby group on issues of a professional nature.
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