Noosa Council’s $60k rebrand cost angers ratepayers

The new Noosa Council rebrand has not gone down well with several ratepayers in the region, with many venting on social media about the outlay.

Noosa Council has been accused of ignoring ratepayers in its new rebrand.

A $60,000 rebrand for the Noosa Council has landed the organisation in hot water with ratepayers, with several slamming the use of funds.

Noosa councillors endorsed the rebranding, which has been included in the newly-released corporate plan, at their meeting on Thursday, March 16, 2023.

Mayor Clare Stewart said the initiative had been done as a part of the chief executive’s ‘Roadmap’, with Peregian Beach creative agency Saturate coming up with the final design based on the original 1990 design of the Boronia wildflower.

“Saturate have done an exceptional job in representing our landscape, shire and natural environment,” she said.

Facebook posts announcing the rebrand on the Noosa Council Facebook page attracted 175 comments, with the majority of them critical of the use of ratepayer funds.

“There’s a cost of living crisis in our country, housing shortage and you think it’s okay to spend money on this?” said one commenter.

Several people asked why the council hadn’t asked for feedback from its constituents about the logo.

“When was the consultation and who decided we needed a new one?” one user asked.

A Noosa Council spokesman said there was no community consultation as the council did not consider it a requirement as there was no impact on services and the brand was “for the organisation and staff to help communicate to our community”.

“There was no consultation on the original design back in 1990,” he said.

He said the original design was developed by a local graphic designer who had won a competition.

Outgoing council chief executive Scott Waters said it was timely to introduce a more modern brand to coincide with the new corporate plan.

“The previous logo and branding has certainly served the organisation well, but as we move to an agile, contemporary organisation, it’s important to respect the past and acknowledge the modern, professional approach of this council,” he said.

Mr Waters – who announced his resignation on March 15, 2023, after accepting a new role at Moreton Bay Regional Council – said the council would implement the brand on a gradual basis as it replaced supplies, equipment and signage.

“We are taking a conservative, cost-conscious approach to the rollout, however elements such as the website and social media accounts will be changed immediately,” he said.

The council spokesman acknowledged that it would be “easy to suggest that such funds should be allocated elsewhere”.

“As this was budgeted for within the Corporate Plan process, no funding was taken away from any roads, infrastructure or environmental projects,” he said.

“The cost for such work is well below what similar brand refresh initiatives typically cost.”

Originally published as Noosa Council’s $60k rebrand cost angers ratepayers