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

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.