The Mudjimba Residents’ Association Inc. has enjoyed another busy year with numerous issues arising, developing and, in some case, concluding. The committee has worked well together, and I would like to acknowledge the wonderful work by the executive of;
- Vice President: Charles Toms,
- Secretary: Adriana Adamska-Bland
- Treasurer: Rebecca Statham
I also extend my appreciation and thanks to the other committee members;
- Minutes Secretary: Peter Sorensen
- Hall Manager: Jacki Williams
Peter’s background in the Association and his willingness to assist in all sorts of ways has been invaluable to the executive. Jacki continues to do an excellent job of managing the hall, which is our greatest asset and the main source of revenue.
The key issues for the Association in the last 12 months have been;
- Sunshine Coast Council and the numerous amendments to Sunshine Coast Plan 2014, proposed by Council,
- The Sunshine Coast Airport including the Expansion Project (SCAEP), and the day to day operation of flights to and from the Airport and the noise issues that impact on the residents of Mudjimba,
- The level of flood immunity available to our community and the impact both the SCAEP and Stocklands proposal to develop Twin Waters West,
- Maroochy River Estuary Consultation Group,
- The reformation of OSCAR as a peak association of all resident groups on the Sunshine Coast and we thank Charles Toms for taking up the role of Treasurer for OSCAR.
- The MRA’s Mission Statement, Business Plan and Community Hall lease.
Sunshine Coast Council: We laisse closely with our Division 8 Council or, Jason OPray, and invite him to brief our general meetings on current Council issues and events. We also attend Council public meetings and make submissions to Council on relevant issues. These issues are often generated by the frequent, developer generated, amendments to the Sunshine Coast Plan2014. We are finding OSCAR (see below) an excellent platform for MRA.
Sunshine Coast Airport:
We continue to monitor the Sunshine Coast Airport Expansion Project and maintain dialogue directly with the SCAEP Project Director, Ross Ullman, and through representation on the SCA Community Forum. The main contract to construct the new runway has now been let to John Holland Construction and we can expect the project to proceed in the coming months. Some changes will be occurring as the design of the runway matures.
Resdev continues to update Facebook and its web page thereby keeping those interested up to date. During the year a major fund raising was carried out, raising $10,895 to fund legal advice in relation to compensation and a possible curfew for the new runway. A briefing on the legal opinion was subsequently provided to the donors.
We expect the Association will be involved in pursuing a class action for compensation for the adverse impact of the new flight path over the northern section of Mudjimba.
Flood Immunity:
The communities of Mudjimba and Pacific Paradise have been developed on the coastal floodplain, downstream from the Airport. These urban developments should be protected from the 1 in 100 year storm event, but in the last 30, years it has been obvious that we suffer flooding of our roads and drainage lines. The expansion of the Airport has proposed an increased threat to our flood immunity but, the incorporation of a bund wall from north of the existing runway appears to have resolved this threat.
However, the development of Twin Waters West will remove a significant storage area from the downstream floodplain, increasing the flood level in the Twin Waters canal system and, consequently, prevent water to drain away from Mudjimba.
We need to identify what this impact will be and request Council to develop a flood management plan for the Maroochy River catchment to not only remove this threat to our homes but improve the level of flood immunity to the 1 in 100 year level we should enjoy.
Maroochy River Estuary Consultation Group (MREC):
Council had proposed to replace the sand bag groyne system protecting the Cotton Tree shoreline at the entrance to the Maroochy River with a hard rock groyne extending further into the river mouth (and was even considering redirecting the river mouth north of Pin Cushion Island).
Council ran a consultation program of local meetings and appointed an advisory committee of community representative. Significantly, Council also appointed an independent chair and accepted OSCAR’s (in consultation with MRA) nominee, Susie Chapman from Marcoola Community Group, to represent our associations on the advisory committee.
The MRA prepared a submission based on the concern that any significant changes to the morphography and structure of the Maroochy River will threaten and impair the level of flood immunity available to our properties.
MRA (along with some other local associations) requested that Council initiate a Maroochy River Floodplain Management Plan and retain the existing sand bag groyne system and not extend it, changed its character or redirect the river.
The Advisory Committee agreed with our submission. Council subsequently adopted the recommendation to retain the sand bag groyne system in its current location. This was the first time in many years that we have witnessed Council pursue a community consultation program that aspires to best practice, and even better, listen to it.
OSCAR:
In the last five years, local resident’s associations have been overwhelmed by the increasing need to understand and challenge the justification for the numerous amendments to the Sunshine Coast Plan 2014, as proposed by development interests, and promoted by our Council.
Individually these local associations have limited resources to undertake this task, and, as each amendment is usually local, their voice is isolated and ignored by Council (e.g. the MRA suffered from this predicament when we questioned the need for the SCAEP).
OSCAR provides the umbrella organization to argue the case, for or against, these amendments in the interests of local communities. Its membership includes 45 like associations across the Sunshine Coast meeting monthly. Each association is represented at the monthly meetings by its delegate (usually an executive of their association). Council should not ignore the voice of OSCAR.
The Mission Statement, Business Plan and Hall Lease:
On taking office twelve months ago the committee saw the need to give the MRA some direction and fiscal control, in accordance with good practice.
We have subsequently produced a Mission Statement and Business Plan, with accompanying annual Budget, to fulfil this requirement. These documents give the Association some guidance and are available to the membership through the Secretary.
In the past few months, we have also been required to re-negotiate a 5 year extension to the Council lease on the Community Hall. This exercise was facilitated by the Business Plan and Budget, and recently completed by our Treasurer. We now have a solid platform from which to offer the Hall to our community and for the MRA to move forward.
In conclusion, the Mudjimba Residents Association will only be as strong as the support and interest it receives from the community.
It is imperative that we have an active organization and we urge members to renew their membership, encourage others to become members and be actively involved in the Association.
Regards,
Martin Peelgrane
President, Mudjimba Residents’ Association
