Koala cuddles, TV bloopers, Paris trip anger: Rosanna Natoli marks first 100 days

Cuddling koalas, TV bloopers, a Mooloolaba seawall controversy, and a sod turning for an aerospace precinct. It’s been a busy first 100 days for selfie-loving Sunshine Coast mayor Rosanna Natoli. How do you rate her efforts? VOTE IN OUR POLL

Rosanna Natoli cuddles a koala at the re-opening of the Big Pineapple on the Sunshine Coast. "As a young girl, I would visit the Pineapple with my family on our summer holidays. I could never have dreamed I’d be here cutting the ribbon all these years later."

Cuddling koalas, TV bloopers, 58 community events, handing down a budget, meeting government ministers, and a sod turning.

Sunshine Coast mayor Rosanna Natoli is celebrating her first 100 days in office declaring it has been the busiest in her life.

The former television presenter has well-documented her own days on social media, often taking selfies at key moments.

One of her best days as mayor was opening the refurbished Big Pineapple where she posted: “As a young girl, I would visit the Pineapple with my family on our summer holidays. I could never have dreamed I’d be here cutting the ribbon all these years later.”

Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli with Big Pineapple owner Peter Kendall. Photo: Michele Sternberg/Visit Sunshine Coast

More recently, she posted a selfie after she attended her first meeting of the Sunshine Coast 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Legacy Community Reference Group, thanking them for all their hard work and promising the ‘best is yet to come’.

The new mayor got her first taste of controversy after it was revealed the council would pay $7500 for her accommodation at the Paris Olympics after a prior funding agreement fell through.

Sunshine Coast mayor Rosanna Natoli visits Riding for the Disabled.

At the time, Mrs Natoli said the cohort travelling with the Olympic Family Program was not able to choose their own accommodation and she was glad it was not a top tier arrangement.

In May, the mayor and her husband, division four councillor Joe Natoli, had to abstain from a key council vote after it was revealed they had a conflict of interest.

Sunshine Coast businesses and beach advocates were gutted by council’s decision to go ahead with a controversial seawall project at Mooloolaba.

Mrs Natoli declared she had been gifted an accommodation voucher for five nights from the manager of the Peninsular Beachfront Resort as an election campaign gift in February. Mrs Natoli said the donated accommodation voucher was used in a raffle.

During the campaign, Mrs Natoli had downplayed concerns about having a husband in council for creating problems.

During her first 100 days, Mrs Natoli has presided over five statutory meetings, joined nine ‘Meet the Mayor’ or town hall gatherings, attended 58 community events, and two iconic local shows.

Rosanna Natoli with new citizens: "We have 806 new Australian citizens this evening! Over two ceremonies at UniSC Arena, I presided over the pledges – it’s a really lovely ceremony which honours our newest citizens – who hail from 49 different countries."

“I’ve been on two marches against domestic violence, three walks supporting local charities, three ribbon cutting ceremonies, one flag raising and one sod turn, plus I’ve presided over four citizenship ceremonies welcoming 1330 new citizens from 71 countries!” she said in a statement.

“I’ve met the Premier and Cabinet Ministers, engaged with Ministers Grace Grace, Meaghan Scanlon and Michael Healy, presented to the Opposition Leader and Shadow Cabinet, and met with our local state members to discuss priorities for the Sunshine Coast.

Rosanna Natoli turns the sod at the aerospace precinct at the Sunshine Coast airport. "I joined Minister Grace Grace MP, Airport CEO Chris Mills and Councillor Taylor Bunnag at what was my first sod turning ceremony! The 2.5ha Aerospace Precinct extension will unlock two new sites at the airport – one for a new LifeFlight hangar and one for Oceanview Helicopters."

“The region has received significant funding announcements including the rail line to Caloundra and our three Olympic and Paralympic venues.

“I have advocated for our region calling for more infrastructure, I have handed down a budget balancing cost of living pressures with the need to deliver services our community needs and deserves; plus a focus on back to basics with funding for parks, maintenance and roads.

“Reducing the costs of council remains a focus, while helping to address homelessness and housing affordability are front of mind for me.”

“I promised to be accessible, accountable and community-focused and that underpins all my actions.

“I am travelling from north to south of our beautiful region to meet as many people as possible, while also representing our region at the highest levels.”

Rosanna Natoli fronts the media after meeting government ministers in Brisbane.

‘Standing alongside the other mayors of southeast Queensland at CoMSEQ in Parliament House was a pinch-me moment, she said.

“In a frightening move, I was impersonated online with artificial intelligence, but joined with police to raise awareness of cyber safety.”

"Today, we hosted Shadow Cabinet in our Council Chambers. The purpose, for me, was to deliver our ‘wish list’ for the Sunshine Coast. This kind of advocacy is really important. Here are some of the items on the list: rail to Maroochydore, the Mooloolah River Interchange, Caloundra Transport Corridor Upgrade, economic drivers like TURBINE, Manufacturing Hub, and an Innovation Hub, and the business case for an Arts, Convention and Exhibition Centre."

“It’s been fun too – I appointed the mini-mayor of Buderim, featured in bloopers in two national television programs and gave a mayoral blessing to couples renewing their vows at the Big Pineapple,” the Sunshine Coast mayor said.

“All of this happens because I am part of a terrific team and I am proud of the work we do. “It has been the busiest 100 days of my life,” she said.

Mrs Natoli beat popular community and sporting identity Ashley Robinson in the mayoral race after relentless campaigning.

Her 10 point plan promised action on everything from cost of living to housing affordability.

She promised to explore tiny homes on suitable properties, ensure there is infrastructure before development and fight for better public transport including passenger rail in Maroochydore, Kawana, Caloundra, Aura and Beerwah as well as a network of clean green buses connecting all communities.

Mrs Natoli, whose husband Joe is a division four councillor, has also promised more meaningful consultation with the community – and to her credit she faced her fiercest critics by attending a dog owners forum at Buddina.