2017-07-17 General Committee Agenda

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                                     17 JULY 2017


The new Corporate Plan sets out five key themes, namely:
1.   The Noosa Environment
2.   The Noosa Community
3.   The Noosa Economy
4.   Long-Term Planning for Noosa Shire
5.   Excellence as a Council

This review of the last 12 months will be made against these five themes.


2016/17 – A Year in Review
Corporate Plan Theme 1: The Noosa Environment
“Our environment is protected, enhanced and valued by the community”

Key achievements as we work towards our long term goal include:
 Council committed to a three-year agreement to remain part of the Healthy Waterways
   Program.
 Council reviewed its management approach to the Noosa River and has committed to refresh
   and rewrite the Noosa River Plan with an expanded focus on river catchment areas. The
   revised Noosa River Plan is currently being drafted.
 Council adopted the Noosa Shire Koala Conservation Plan in July 2016. A further report to
   Council on actions to implement the Plan will be provided in due course as requested during
   the recent budget meetings.
 Council undertook an audit of waste water facilities in Cooran. Cooran is not serviced by a
   sewerage system and accordingly, residential properties use on site waste water facilities
   and an audit was undertaken to determine the level of compliance from an environmental
   protection and health perspective.
 Council adopted the Noosa Parklands Park Management Plan following significant
   consultation with local residents. Staff are currently working to develop a suite of other
   management plans for other bushland reserve areas within the Shire. Those plans are
   substantially complete.
 Council made a submission to the State government on the green paper on Fisheries
   Management Reform. Council has also made a number of direct representations to the
   Minister on this topic.
 Council has adopted its Zero Emissions Strategy focused on eliminating our organisation’s
   emissions by 2026. This was a major initiative of Mayor Wellington and work has been
   undertaken in 2016/17 to establish the baseline level of emissions (which have been recently
   re-calculated). A major report has just been finalised by ERM in relation to the energy use of
   9 of Council’s largest energy producing sites to identify which energy efficiency projects
   should be undertaken in the first instance to both reduce costs and emissions.
 Council adopted a new street sweeping contract (using the firm Environmental Waste Water
   Catchment Services) which has resulted in an increased length of roads being serviced by
   the street sweeper. This reduces the amount of rubbish going into drains and waterways.
 Stage 2 of the Munna Point foreshore revitalisation project has been implemented with the
   aim of reducing environmental damage to Munna Point from erosion. While it is too early to
   tell whether the geo-textile bags approach has been successful, early indications are positive.
 In December 2016, Council adopted the Noosa Biodiversity Assessment Report. This report
   is an important input into our Council’s new Planning Scheme and also acts as a benchmark
   for future assessment of biodiversity across the Shire. The report will also be useful as part of
   the 10 year renewal application for the Noosa Biosphere Reserve.

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