CEO calls for community patience

Published on 10 April 2025

CEO Larry Sengstock has asked the community to be patient as ongoing protected industrial action impacts the delivery of some council services.

The protected action is being taken by union members of council after negotiations stalled on a new Certified Agreement for all staff.

Council is doing what it can to minimise the impact, however delays in responding to some customer requests are likely as further industrial action occurs.

“We apologise for these disruptions and inconvenience,

“The non-union staff are working diligently to respond as quickly as they can and I hope the community can understand the current situation,” he said.

Council’s Customer Service and all community facilities continue to operate as normal, including the Leisure Centre, Libraries, Noosa Seniors, the J, Noosa Regional Gallery, and Peregian Digital Hub.

Planning and regulatory services such as development assessment, environmental health and event permits remain unaffected.

The most impacted areas include parks, roads, plumbing and local laws.

The rolling, unpredictable nature of the protected industrial action by union members is likely to result in more impacts in coming weeks.

“The community may get little or no notice of what and how services will be affected,” he said.

“We simply ask for patience and understanding,” Mr Sengstock said.

Mr Sengstock said conciliatory meetings before the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission have commenced. Further talks are scheduled for 7 May.

“We are willing to negotiate in good faith and are mindful of the importance of striking a balance between maintaining services, being financially responsible to our ratepayers and rewarding our employees,” he said.

Council’s current Certified Agreement package comprises a 13.5% pay increase over three years, five days wellbeing leave, doubling the family, and domestic violence leave and increasing the funeral leave for staff plus much more.