Brian became Deputy Mayor in this, his fourth term as a Noosa Councillor. A Noosa resident since 1981, Brian’s first term in 1988 was during a period of massive development pressure. That Council was pivotal in establishing some of the fundamental sustainability principles that have made Noosa what it is today.
Cr Stockwell owned the management rights for a small resort in Noosaville in the 1990s and was a long-standing Chair of the Noosa Lakes Resort during a time of major renewal, including the installation of Australia’s largest strata titled solar system.
Brian first advocated for sustainable destination accreditation for Noosa when he became the Regional Director of the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation in 2010. In this role he also devised and led the SEQ Food Futures project which undertook research and paddock-to-plate value chain development that was a catalyst for a range of innovation in food tourism on the Sunshine Coast.
Returning to Council in 2016, Brian observed the growing community concern. So, in 2020 he collaboratively developed a discussion paper that led to the commencement of the current destination management planning process and to Council pursing sustainable destination accreditation.
With tertiary qualifications covering geography, resource economics, urban and regional planning, natural resource management and ecology, Brian’s PhD research focussed on creating sustainable futures for peri-urban catchments such as those we have in Noosa and Mary Rivers. A casual lecturer at the University of Sunshine Coast, he currently delivers a Sustainability Problem Solving Course.
