ZERO EMISSIONS NOOSA (ZEN) Inc. ALLIANCE AGREEMENT · Report

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GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING                                                        6 OCTOBER 2026


       businesses to save electricity costs, reduce emissions and build resilience to growing
       disruptions.

Council allocated budget ($148,000) towards Zen Inc in its 26-27 budget continuing the partnership
arrangement with the organisation. This report provides an update to the Alliance Agreement 2023-
2026.

All funding commitments under the new Alliance Agreement 2026-2029 (hereafter, the Agreement)
remain subject to Council’s annual budget process, as well as annual reporting and evaluation
requirements outlined in the Agreement. Notable additions to the new Agreement include:
   •   Improved contractual conditions;
   •   Improved clarity of language and structure;
   •   Payment terms better aligned to Council processes;
   •   Clearer links to ZEN Inc’s three-year Strategic Plan, Annual Operational Plans, budget
       submissions and annual reports that measure progress against targets and KPIs; and
   •   The recommendation for a Councillor to be appointed as an observer to the ZEN Inc board
       of directors.
The funding partnership with ZEN Inc allows Council to continue investing in emissions reduction,
resilience and cost savings for the Noosa Community through a volunteer-led not-for-profit. The
updated Agreement supports Council's climate objectives and helps deliver the Corporate Plan and
Climate Change Response Plan goals of achieving net zero emissions and a low-carbon
community.

Council’s funding enables ZEN Inc to focus on project delivery, advocacy, education and governan
ce, supporting households and businesses to reduce energy costs, increase resilience and lower g
reenhouse gas emissions.

This report provides a concise overview of the proposed updated three-year Alliance Agreement as
well as ZEN Inc's accomplishments in aiding the Noosa Shire community to reduce costs and build
resilience through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

RECOMMENDATION
That Council
   A. Note the report by the Sustainability and Climate Change Officer to the General Committee
      Meeting dated 6 October 2026 regarding Zero Emissions Noosa Inc;
   B. Authorise the CEO to execute the Alliance Agreement 2026-2029 provided as Attachment 1
      to the Report;
   C. Authorise the CEO to make minor amendments/corrections to the Alliance Agreement 2026-
      2029 if required prior to execution;
   D. Note that any future funding contribution will be determined at annual budget considerations;
   E. Appoint a Councillor to act as observer on the ZEN Inc board;
   F. Note the Annual report (2025) and Ev & Electrify Everything Expo Report (2026) delivered
      by ZEN Inc as at Attachment 7 and 10 to this report; and
   G. Note ZEN Inc’s strategic plan (Attachments 8 and 9) that sets the direction of the organisation
      for the next three years and the Annual Operational Plan (Attachments 2 and 3) that includes
      targets and KPIs for the 2026/27 financial year.

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GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING                                                            6 OCTOBER 2026



REPORT
Background

Established in 2016, Zero Emissions Noosa Inc (ZEN Inc) is an incorporated, not-for-profit,
community organisation with the key objective of assisting the Noosa community to achieve net zero
emissions in the Noosa local government area. It is the leading community organisation in this field,
recognised nationally, and the only Noosa community organisation solely dedicated to emissions
reduction across the Shire. ZEN Inc seeks to make Noosa Shire a leading local government region
in zero emissions by supporting the community in the transition to a clean and affordable Shire
through project leadership, advocacy, and the provision of information to all sections of the Noosa
community.

The projects and activities of ZEN Inc align strongly with objectives and actions in various Council
endorsed strategies and plans, particularly Council's Corporate Plan and Climate Change Response
Plan. ZEN Inc provides an important role in the community, supporting activities that drive emissions
reduction whilst improving resilience and the cost of living. Partnerships like the one with ZEN Inc
allow delivery of things that would not be possible for Council to achieve utilising staff time alone.

Noosa Council has an established partnership with ZEN Inc which includes annual funding in
accordance with its three-year Partnership Agreement which was established in December 2023.
The annual funding has been primarily used by ZEN Inc for program support staff that enable the
organisation to deliver projects, events and engagement programs for community. In its FY26/27
budget, Council allocated further funding ($148,000) to continue to support Zen Inc.

An updated Alliance Agreement 2023-2026 has been prepared to provide guidance and governance
to the funding support provided by Council. This report outlines the strategic objectives of ZEN Inc,
its operations and benefits to community, as well as the inclusions of the new proposed Alliance
Agreement 2026-2028 to guide Council’s strategic alliance with ZEN Inc.

ZEN Inc Operations
ZEN Inc produces annual reports which are publicly available on their website detailing their projects,
initiatives and financial status. ZEN Inc also develops an Annual Operational Plan, which includes
KPIs that are reported on annually. Each Annual Operational Plan is guided by an overarching
Strategic Plan which is developed and approved by their Board of Directors every three years which
sets the strategic direction, mission and vision for the organisation.

As outlined in their new           Strategic   Plan   2026-2029     (included   as    Attachment    8),
ZEN Inc has four overall goals:

   1. Empowering households to reduce their energy use and cost of living, to become more
      resilient, while moving towards net zero emissions
   2. Facilitating business to cut energy costs and emissions, to become more resilient, while
      moving towards net zero emissions.
   3. Reducing transport emissions through active transport and electrification, for community
      resilience
   4. Efficient operations for high impact delivery

To achieve Goals 1, 2 and 3, ZEN Inc has focused on the two largest sources of Noosa's community
emissions, namely stationary energy (electricity) and transport. ZEN Inc has three working groups
that support this goal:

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GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING                                                          6 OCTOBER 2026


   1. ZENe which focusses on electrification and stationary energy systems. ZENe delivers the
      Solar on Low Income Homes program, the Business Energy Advisor program, Solar for
      Strata, Community Batteries, and community education forums.
   2. ZENTAG which focusses on transportation and modal shift. ZENTAG delivers the Shift the
      Ride program, Noosa E-Bike Library, ZENDURO schools education and community
      education initiatives.
   3. EV and Electrify Everything Expo working group which coordinates and delivers Noosa’s
      annual EV and Electrify Everything Expo which has been running for seven consecutive
      years.

Across all its working groups, ZEN Inc delivers education and information to the Noosa community
via social media, a regular e-newsletter, a standing fortnightly column in Noosa Today, radio
interviews, regular forums at Noosa Libraries and community, and a comprehensive informative
website. ZEN Inc continues to advocate for Environmental Upgrade Agreements (EUAs), funding
for households and businesses, walking and cycling initiatives and electrification in various state and
federal forums, and has become a widely respected organisation for its representation and role in
supporting the transition to clean, affordable energy and transport.

To achieve Goal 4 to be a sustainable organisation, ZEN Inc has focused on financial sustainability,
governance and efficient operations, effective communications and advocacy and strong
collaboration with strategic stakeholders.

ZEN Inc actively seeks funding for projects from other sources, which is also a key objective in the
Alliance Agreement. ZEN Inc was successful in a grant from the Queensland Department of
Environment and Science to develop a Business Plan for a network of batteries across Noosa Shire.
ZEN Inc also received funding for the Seeds of Change Project from the State Member for Noosa
and was instrumental in Council’s successful application for funding for the Noosaville Community
Battery as part of the Australian Government’s Community Batteries for Household Solar grant. The
table below summarises the grants that ZEN Inc has sought and been successful for over the past
three financial years.

ZEN Inc continues to actively seek out ways to diversify its income, including through corporate
sponsorship, government grants, caused-based giving, community donations, referral income, and
crowdfunding. ZEN Inc has successfully achieved tax deductible status for donation and actively
seeks out donation opportunities. Contributions from corporate sponsors of the EV & Electrify Expo
have increased from $45,000 in 2024 to $62,500 in 2026.

ZEN Inc. Alliance Agreement

Council has recognised the important contribution that ZEN Inc makes to implementing Council's
Climate Change Response Plan. As such, in the 2026/27 Budget, Council allocated $148,000 to
continue support for its alliance with ZEN Inc. The updated Alliance Agreement is provided in
Attachment 1 which covers terms and conditions for the funding, and dictates the arrangement for
and obligations for the second term of the alliance between Noosa Council and ZEN Inc. The
Agreement covers the following:

   •   The term of the Agreement
   •   The funding arrangements and conditions
   •   Reporting Requirements
   •   Intellectual Property
   •   Obligations of each Party

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GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING                                                           6 OCTOBER 2026


   •   Indemnity
   •   Termination of the Agreement
   •   Dispute Resolution
   •   General Provisions
   •   Insurances

A notable change to the governance arrangement between ZEN Inc and Noosa Council is proposed
in this updated agreement. It is recommended to nominate a Councillor as an observer to the ZEN
Inc Board of Directors. The purpose of this appointment is to provide greater oversight and
transparency for Noosa Council and strengthen the link between Council and ZEN Inc. It is noted
that whilst Council staff are in regular contact with ZEN Inc members through its working groups and
on various other matters, a direct link between Councillors and the ZEN Inc board will support an
increased understanding of the opportunities for the two organisations to continue to work together
at a strategic level.

The observer will not have Director responsibilities (such as voting) and will serve to provide
guidance and support and be a conduit between Noosa Council and the ZEN Inc Board. The
appointed Councillor would attend and participate in scheduled Board meetings (unless prevented
by extenuating circumstances). This model is similar to the alliance arrangement with other
community organisations which provide a specialised and dedicated function to supporting Council
to achieve its vision and objectives.

It is important to note that funding for the three-year Agreement is subject to review and consideration
by Council through the annual budget review process. As noted in the Agreement, this consideration
will be informed by ZEN Inc’s budget proposal, Annual Operational Plan, and Annual Report to be
submitted to Council in February ahead of each subsequent financial year.

Annual Operational Plan FY26/27

The ZEN Inc Annual Operational Plan (Operational Plan) sets out key activities and projects for the
organisation to advance. This year’s operational plan is delivered in two parts, one for each of the
ZEN Inc working groups (ZENe and ZENTAG) Attachment 2 and 3. The plans for FY26/27 include
the following projects:
   •   Deliver community forums and education on the benefits of electrification and renewable
       energy
   •   Train the trainer program to upskill and inform a network of community education champions
   •   Support Sustainable House Day
   •   Deliver the solar for low-income homes project
   •   Support businesses to save money and reduce emissions through the Business Energy
       Advisor service
   •   Deliver Noosa’s EV & Electrify Everything Expo (9th annual)
   •   Deliver Noosa’s E-bike library
   •   Swap the drive program to support modal shift
   •   Advocacy on EV charging infrastructure, modal shift and sustainable transport
Details on KPIs associated with each project, as well as strategic alignment with Council objectives,
are included in the Annual Operational Plan included as Attachment 2 and 3.

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GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING                                                       6 OCTOBER 2026


Benefits to the Community

ZEN Inc continues to benefit the community through its core programming and projects. ZEN Inc
delivers projects that support the delivery and achievement of actions in Council's Climate Change
Response Plan, and it also seeks to align its program with several other key Council strategies and
plans, including the Corporate Plan, the Environment Strategy, Walking and Cycling Plan, From
Waste to Resource Plan among others.

The main driver for ZEN Inc is in its mission to support the transition of our community to clean,
affordable and resilient living through the reduction of emissions. Many of the solutions to reduce
community emissions also provide multiple co-benefits, including long-term cost savings, lower cost
of living, resilience to disruptions, healthier communities, and decreased local pollution. For
example, household batteries and electric vehicles shield households and businesses from energy
price spikes, reduce the cost of living and doing business, decrease localised air pollution and
provide back up energy for households during disaster events. These tangible benefits help to
address the rising cost of living and the cost of doing business in Noosa.
ZEN Inc achieves their objectives by delivering practical advice, information and education to the
Noosa community and through the delivery of projects. The below list prepared by ZEN Inc provides
a snapshot of the ways that ZEN Inc reports it is benefiting the community:

   1.   Lowering the cost of living and the cost of doing business
    a. Business Energy Advisor helped businesses save $69,177 in Year 1, and $691,770
       projected over 10 years.
    b. Partnering with EnergyFlex to help households save $500-$700/year through the use of the
       EnergyFlex app.
   2. Reduced Emissions
    a. Business Energy Advisor helped businesses avoid 55.8 tCO₂e in Year 1, with 558 tCO₂e
       projected over 10 years through business energy improvements.
    b. Data analytics have identified that Noosa residents are saving approx. $19 million/year with
       rooftop solar PV.
   3. Greater Household Resilience
    a. 70 households benefiting from the Noosaville Community Battery
    b. Through 14 stakeholder forums and 104 engagements, providing education and information
       for people to make informed decisions about electrifying their homes and businesses.
    c. Over 850 residents have been empowered to electrify, save money and reduce their carbon
       footprint.
   4. Informing Decisions and Supporting the Transition
    a. Delivering the 8th annual EV and Electrify Everything Expo which had 65+ exhibitors and
       visited by 6,000 people.
    b. Delivering tailored advice directly to businesses via the Business Energy Advisor.
    c. Delivering 10+ community forums each year.
    d. Producing high-quality education material and delivering it through website, print and social
       media.
   5. Stronger & More Inclusive Communities
    a. Through the grant funded solar on low-income homes project, 10 low-income households
       received free solar, with another 10 planned, which has significantly reduced power bills and
       resilience for the recipients.
   6. Improved Community Health, Wellbeing & Innovation
    a. 100 households trialled e-bikes, promoting active, healthy transport.

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GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING                                                       6 OCTOBER 2026


    b. 87% have purchased or plan to purchase an e-bike.
    c. Noosa’s e-bike library is the only one of its kind in Queensland.
A detailed summary of ZEN Inc projects, outcome and engagements is provided in Attachments 4,5
and 6.


Link to Corporate Plan
Sustainability Principles

Theme 4: Future
4.7 Fund and implement the Climate Change Response Plan to support Council, community and the
local economy to build resilience and preparedness for climate risks and to achieve net-zero
emissions by 2026
4.8 Deliver best practice approaches to combat and plan for natural disasters and climate change
including supporting safety, preparedness, resilience and recovery capacity

Theme 2: Liveability
2.2 Fund and deliver accessible and improved, parks, open spaces, walking and cycle paths and
trails, including greening our paths and cycleways to meet contemporary needs.

Theme 3: Prosperity
3.7 Deliver the waste program focused on accelerating actions and solutions including circular
economy opportunities to cut waste and pollution, keep products and materials in use and regenerate
natural systems.




Previous Council Consideration

ORDINARY MEETING, 19 JUNE 2026
11.1.3. ZERO EMISSIONS NOOSA INC. (ZEN INC.) ANNUAL REPORT
That Council
 A. Note the report by the Sustainability and Climate Change Officer to the Planning & Environment
Committee dated 10 June 2025 and note Zero Emissions Noosa Inc. Annual Report as provided in
Attachment 1;
 B. Note that Zen Inc has fulfilled its requirements under the Funding Agreement, by providing a
strategic plan and annual report including financial reporting and program updates.



ORDINARY MEETING, 26 OCTOBER 2023
5.1 ZERO EMISSIONS NOOSA (ZEN) INC. GRANT FUNDING AGREEMENT (REFERRED FROM
PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE DATED 10 OCTOBER 2023 - ITEM 5.1).

That Council note the report by the Carbon Reduction Project Officer to the Planning & Environment
Committee Meeting dated 10 October 2023 regarding Zero Emissions Noosa (ZEN)Inc and:
A. Authorise the Director Strategy and Environment to execute the Partnership Agreement 2023-
2026 provided at Attachment 1 to the Report;
B. Authorise the Director Strategy and Environment to make minor changes to the Partnership
Agreement 2023-2026 prior to execution;
C. Note the annual funding contribution will be determined at annual budget considerations.

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GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING                                                            6 OCTOBER 2026




Finance

In its 2025 Annual Report, ZEN Inc reported financial contributions of $263,512 (of which
$177,779.95 was provided by Council) as well as in-kind donations of 8,186 volunteer hours, which
they have valued at $982,320 (based on a value of $120/hour for professional services given the
calibre of their volunteer and Board member base). It should be noted that Council’s guidelines
around volunteer calculations use $46/hour, this rate is in line with Volunteering Queensland
guidelines for calculating the value of non-skilled volunteer time. The in-kind contribution for skilled
volunteer time varies based on the professional rate for skilled services provided by a given
volunteer. Future Annual Reports from ZEN Inc are intended to distinguish the in-kind contribution
provided by non-skilled vs. skilled volunteers for a more accurate calculation.

Council provides alliance funding to ZEN Inc through both direct funding and competitive, merit-
based grants. Direct funding is provided through Council’s operational budget and includes funding
for annual operational expenses, specific events (e.g. EV Expo and Rewiring Noosa), and project-
specific support (e.g. Business Energy Advisor). External grants that Council has received have
also been used to support collaborative projects, such as the Noosaville Community Battery
Project. Whilst the Agreement allows for both direct funding and application for competitive Council
grants, Council is working closely with ZEN Inc to consolidate funding sources where possible for
administrative efficiency and accounting transparency.

Funding for the ZEN Inc Alliance Agreement is provided for through Council's operational budget
and subject to review and consideration by Council through the annual budget review process. As
noted in the Agreement, this consideration will be informed by ZEN Inc’s budget proposal, Annual
Operational Plan, and Annual Report to be submitted to Council in February each year as required
by the agreement.

For the current fiscal year 2026/2027, Council has approved $148,000.00 in Alliance Funding for
ZEN Inc which is proposed to be used in accordance with the table below.

             ZEN Inc Proposed Budget Allocation - Alliance Funding FY2026/2027
 Program & Project Manager                                                                  $72,957.00
 Secretary/Admin Sept 2026 - June 2027                                                      $28,577.68
 Finance & Fundraising for Low Income Homes Funding Sept - Dec 2026                          $2,615.21
 Communications                                                                                $17,658
 Admin (IT, Bookkeeper, Auditor)                                                                $3,000
 Business Energy Advisor (BEA) Jul - Dec 2026                                                  $23,192
 TOTAL                                                                                        $148,000




Risk & Opportunities
RISKS
The risks to Council of updated three-year alliance agreement are assessed as low to medium as
per below. ZEN Inc has an established track record of completing projects on time and on budget
and the projects undertaken by ZEN Inc align with Council's Corporate Plan and the Climate Change
Response Plan, Environment Strategy and other supporting plans.

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GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING                                                         6 OCTOBER 2026


                               Risk
            Risk                                          Proposed Mitigation
                              Rating
Alliance funding increases
reliance on Council or               Annual reporting of Council funding as a proportion of total
                              Low
reduces incentive to                 income and activities undertaken to diversify income.
diversify income
Reliance on key volunteers
and individual office holders        Maintain project-management/administrative capacity;
may affect organisational Medium ensure strong oversight and early reporting on project
continuity and project               progress.
delivery
                                     Council representation on working groups, strong
Staffing or organisational
                                     relationships with key staff, Councillor observer on Board,
capacity issues result in
                              Medium Annual Operational Plan, annual progress reporting, ability
underspend or delays in
                                     to vary agreed activities where justified, and agreed
delivering agreed activities
                                     treatment of material underspends.


OPPORTUNITIES

Continuing its three-year alliance with ZEN Inc provides Council with considerable opportunities for
engagement with the Noosa Community to reduce emissions and enhance its resilience through
the continued valuable contribution of ZEN Inc's growing volunteer base.

Opportunity
Leverage Council
                              The partnership provides an opportunity for ZEN Inc to attract grant
investment to attract
                              funding, sponsorship, in-kind assistance and substantial volunteer
external funding and
                              contribution.
volunteer contributions
                             ZEN Inc. provides specialist community-based capacity that
                             complements rather than duplicates Council resources. The 2025
Increase Council's effective
                             Council assessment acknowledges that the partnership enables
delivery capacity
                             delivery that would otherwise not be possible using existing Council
                             staff capacity alone.
Strengthen delivery of       The agreement requires cooperation on activities aligned with the
Council's climate and        Climate Change Response Plan and progress towards reducing
sustainability priorities    community emissions.
Maintain access to an        ZEN Inc. has demonstrated significant reach through initiatives
established community        including the EV & Electrify Everything Expo, Rewiring Noosa, Solar
network and trusted delivery for Strata and community battery work. Maintaining the Alliance
partner                      avoids having to recreate this community network within Council.
Use the updated agreement
to strengthen governance Rather than simply continuing the existing arrangement, the updated
and organisational           agreement has strengthened governance.
resilience


Human Rights
Human Rights Compatibility Statement
In developing this Report, the subject matter has been considered in accordance with the
requirements of the Queensland Human Rights Act 2019. It is considered that the subject matter
does not conflict with any human rights and supports a human rights approach to decision making

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GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING                                                         6 OCTOBER 2026


by Council. Council representatives will endeavour to act and make decisions under this report in a
manner that is compatible with human rights. This report should be read in conjunction with
Council’s Human Rights Policy.


Consultation
External Consultation - Community & Stakeholder

Zero Emissions Noosa Inc provided feedback which has been incorporated in the draft Alliance
Agreement (Attachment 1)
Internal Consultation
Departments consulted:
     Office of the CEO, Mayor &         Community Services               Corporate Services
             Councillors
      Mayor & Councillors             Director                        Director
      Chief Executive Officer         Community Connection            Financial Services
      Executive Officers              Sport & Active Lifestyles       Revenue Services
      Community Engagement            Arts & Culture                  ICT
 X    Governance                      Customer Experience             Procurement

                                                                      People & Culture
      Strategy & Environment          Development & Regulation         Infrastructure Services
 x    Director                        Director                        Director
 x    Strategy & Sustainability       Development Assessment          Civil and Asset operations
      Economic Development        &                                   Infrastructure Planning, Design
                                      Local Laws
      Destination Management                                          and Delivery
 x    Environmental Services          Environmental Health            Waste
      Innovation & Digital Hub        Building & Plumbing             Building & Facilities
      Commercial Property             Property / Permits              Disaster Management

                                                                      Fleet