A new start for Sunshine Coast governance
5 April 2008
It’s a beautiful start to the day in the early morning of Thursday 3rd April. It is also the day that marks the start of a new governance structure for the Sunshine Coast. On these University grounds later this morning, the new Mayor and Councillors will be sworn in, and conduct their first official Sunshine Coast Regional Council meeting.
It is a truly historic day for the region, and we all hope that it signals a focussed and holistic strategic approach that addresses current needs, as well as securing the future.
After a period of deep destabilisation following the amalgamation announcement, and then the often bitter electoral campaigns, there is a need now for stability, unity, and the pursuit of a vision for the Sunshine Coast. Winning public confidence may well hinge, not on the passions of councillors alone, but also on the careful political analysis of advice from professional staff.
In my role at the University, dealing with three Councils and SunRoc with often different explicit or latent agendas was difficult, but now we all have, first and foremost, a regional mandate and I hope we can work closely to achieve regionally significant outcomes.
As we at the University have tried to develop in a way that contributes to the advancement of the region, there are probably three prominent areas that have underpinned our commitment to engagement and sustainability in the region. It may be that they have some relevance for the new Council.
The first is the identity of the Sunshine Coast as a region, distinctive within the South East of Queensland, and strenuously avoiding the threat of becoming a commuter suburb of Brisbane. This alone will need serious analysis of some projects that to date have not been subjected to scrutiny with that perspective, but have been driven by various commercial or political interests.
The second major issue is the balance we strike about our deep concern with environmental protection on the one hand, and good planning and key infrastructure provision on the other. Roads, public transport, the urban fabric, wildlife sanctuaries and corridors, to mention a few, all provide heady challenges, but need resolution if the region is to function as a sustainable region in its own right.
The third major issue, and one that was not addressed strongly enough in the electoral campaigns, is the economic platform we have to construct to build new economy jobs. In all advanced parts of the world there is a recognition that sustainable quality of life is dependent on so-called ‘knowledge economy’ jobs. The University and its growing research capacity, will be a significant player in this respect.
On behalf of everyone at the University, I wish the Mayor, Councillors, and professional staff well, and assure them that the University continues its commitment to partnership and support for regional advancement.
Professor Paul Thomas AM is Vice-Chancellor at the University of the Sunshine Coast.