INTEGRITY                           VISION                             PASSION

A little background:  

I have lived, worked, studied and volunteered on the Sunshine Coast since the early 1980s.

I have represented you as your local Councillor and as Mayor from 1997 to 2004. My four children were raised in Nambour with seven of my grandchildren attending Matthew Flinders College, Siena College, Sunshine Coast Grammar and Buderim Primary Schools. 

My diverse portfolio of experience includes developing all levels of education, managing and promoting tourism and development, the arts and sport and holding public office. I have also been a successful primary producer, fashion designer, primary and secondary school teacher, and am a qualified natural therapist: All here on the Sunshine Coast.

Social justice and advocating for the public are my passion. Whether it is lobbying for a four term school year, establishing a public university and TAFE colleges on the Sunshine Coast, enabling direct international flights from New Zealand to Maroochy airport, developing sustainable animal refuges, fundraising for community organisations, or exposing the Coast through tourism promotion and upgrade of road signage. (See my Achievements page for more information).

I have been a perceptive observer of the imperatives that flow from rapid population growth, consistently addressing the deeper long-term implications, particularly in relation to education, youth employment, tourism, economic development, sport the Arts and animal welfare. 

Over nearly four decades I have identified community needs and initiated wide spread discussions and submissions of how to best fill it, then forcefully and patiently campaigned for the optimum outcome. My contribution to the community, education and training gained me Local and National recognition with the honour of the Order of Australia Medal in 1994 and the Australia Day Award in 1996.

However, I did not stop there. See my Projects and  Achievements pages for details of what I have done and continue to do for the Sunshine Coast community. I do admire positive people and enjoy helping community organisations improve their facilities and services.

Although my life has been exciting and fulfilling, at times it has been very very hard, especially being a woman in the public eye. The first week  of my election to public office as Mayor saw a  failed Mayoral candidate join forces with unsavoury individuals to destroy my reputation. TV news    Putrid Politics (2000)
It did not stop there. While I was Mayor of Maroochy Council I was the focus of an eight year stalker- that is history, however, what is significant is the apart from my resounding win a new tort was introduced by the Queensland Supreme Court (Judge Tony Skoien) in relation to the invasion of privacy, resulting in hefty financial penalties for damages in addition to imprisonment for up to 10 years for the crime of stalking. Reported on the
ABC Australian Story - 2003

The Sunshine Coast Daily's Coverage of this matter under its Editor in Chief Peter Owen was the subject of judicial scorn and ridicule.

                                                                                                                             

In the Sunshine Coast Daily’s final print version published 27 June 2020, former Editor Peter Owen boasting his journalistic prowess could not help but mock Alison yet again by referring dismissively to her successful District Court action against Robert Purvis and in which she was completely vindicated. Owen never  apologised for his injudicious coverage as he clearly knew he was at fault for his part in the damages incurred. 

The episode, including the coverage by the Daily was extraordinarily stressful for Alison, and it is extremely difficult to see how the Sunshine Coast Daily could be proud of the way it covered the matter in any respect.      

Senior Judge Skioen said that he regarded the Daily’s coverage of the proceedings as ‘a most regrettable breach of responsible journalism.”

Link- Judge Skoien live in court-:     https://soundcloud.com/bill-barry-374052491/skoien/s-AEVTxYuX3q7   

Barrister Peter Dunning also informed the Brisbane District court, “that the allegations have allowed peddlers of filth to propagate the most outrageous lies.”

In the end, Alison was completely redeemed by the Court’s finding that Purvis was liable for stalking and harassment causing damages.

"The Judge found Purvis had stalked, harassed and battered the plaintiff over a period of eight years. Senior Judge Skoien accepted that Alison was truthful and credible in her evidence and suffered eight years of harassment and stalking. He rejected the evidence of her work colleague Mr. Purvis who he found to be unreliable, manufacturing evidence." (Ten News, June 16, 2003 with Nick Etchells reporting on the Judgment.)  

Qld Supreme Court Judge, Hon Justice P. R. Dutney said “Judge Skoien was at pains to point out that the orgy of sexual allegations levelled at Ms Grosse were just that.  They were, so the judge found, no more than the fetid imaginings of Mr Purvis.” (Closing remarks to the 2003 CQLA Conference The Hon Justice P.R.Dutney)  

Stalking Psychologist Dr. Michelle Pathy reminded the courtroom-: “Regrettably, these feelings (abandonment) have been reinforced in this instance by ineffectual and at times unsympathetic responses from the justice system and helping agencies. Such responses have been fuelled by a media campaign waged against Mrs. Grosse and instigated by her stalker, which could be regarded as ‘Stalking by proxy.” MBBS (Hons) FRANZCP. (see Court transcript)

“Undoubtedly the media coverage of the Royal Commission would leave anybody with the impression that Mrs. Grosse had been found to have acted unlawfully in her position as Director at SCRGAL, and there is no finding in any court that she has acted unlawfully. The matter of Alison’s purchase of this property, the Judge was satisfied that Alison had acted honestly and there was nothing in her conduct in relation to the Cootamandra Drive transaction that reflected poorly on her credit.” “Peter Dunning QC. ABC interview transcript 2003.” Judge Cole also found Purvis to be a liar and witness of no credit. 

During verdict delivery- Senior Judge Skoien again made the point, “that these wild allegations which had been so sensationally reported, he found to be largely, indeed almost exclusively, untrue, he was surprised that having so widely been reported the allegations…the fact that they had been disbelieved, rarely rated a mention in the coverage of the judgement.

“Peter Dunning QC. ABC interview transcript 2003.”

The Famous GOLF COURSE INCIDENT- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGLLOYieR6A

Current affiliations

  • President of the Sunshine Coast Arts, Convention, Exhibition and Entertainment Association Incorporated, a project I have been driving since its inception (see Projects).
  • Chairperson Sunshine Coast 2032 Olympic Legacy Task Force.
  • a member of the Sunshine Coast Environment Council as I am deeply concerned about the quantity and quality of development going on in the region without the supporting infrastructure.
  • Life member Sunshine Coast Animal Refuge (SCARS).