How Noosa Council plans to save $100,000

NOOSA Council is using some creative measures to help fund an internal organisational restructure.

NOOSA Council is using some creative measures to help fund an internal organisational restructure.

Since its de-amalgamation from the Sunshine Coast Council in 2014, Noosa has always tried to maximise its "bang for its ratepayers' buck" with cost savings outside the box.

And once again it is looking within its own operations to free up to $100,000 to cover appointing a new position of dedicated vehicle fleet manager.

Council corporate services director Michael Shave said changing a number of work practises would free those funds up.

Cr Brian Stockwell said he would be looking closely at the budget next year to see there was $50,000 to $100,000 freed up in capital works.

"It's always interesting to see how the director of finance finds his innovative ways to find budgets for staff," he said.

The council's operating costs of its fleet of vehicles runs to $2.7 million a year with $1-2 million in annual capital spend which has been handled to date by the joint fleet and procurement department manager Phil Parkman.

Mr Parkman is retiring in December and CEO Brett de Chastel said the council over the past six years through Mr Parkman had been "getting two jobs for the price of one".

Councillors have now voted to split his department into two, with a fleet manager to operate out of the Noosaville depot and more able to concentrate on council initiatives like the use of electric vehicles.

Cr Stockwell said decisions on whether to go with electric or hydrogen vehicles "will be right on top of us for the next decade".

Cr Ingrid Jackson supported the creation of two distinct departments to ensure that council operated in "an ethical way while getting best value for money for council".

Meanwhile, Mayor Tony Wellington welcomed the Queensland Audit Office advice that it would issue the council an unmodified audit opinion.

He said the report identified the council had a strong capital structure and was in a good position to obtain funding for future capital projects.

"There are always a number of council detractors that falsely suggest we are in financial trouble," the mayor said.

"However, we have not delivered a financial deficit since de-amalgamation, our cash and cash equivalents remain higher than our total debt and we have even managed to pay down $10 million from our inherited high interest rate loans." Cr Wellington said.

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