2016-17 A Year in Review

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            Stage 2 of the Munna Point foreshore revitalisation
    remain part of the Healthy Waterways Program.              project has been implemented with the aim of
   Council reviewed its management approach to the            reducing environmental damage to Munna Point
    Noosa River and has committed to refresh and               from erosion. While it is too early to tell whether the
    rewrite the Noosa River Plan with an expanded              geo-textile bags approach has been successful,
    focus on river catchment areas. The revised Noosa          early indications are positive.
    River Plan is currently being drafted.                    In December 2016, Council adopted the Noosa
   Council adopted the Noosa Shire Koala                      Biodiversity Assessment Report. This report is an
    Conservation Plan in July 2016. A further report to        important input into our Council’s new Planning
    Council on actions to implement the Plan will be           Scheme and also acts as a benchmark for future
    provided in due course as requested during the             assessment of biodiversity across the Shire. The
    recent budget meetings.                                    report will also be useful as part of the 10 year
                                                               renewal application for the Noosa Biosphere
   Council undertook an audit of waste water facilities       Reserve.
    in Cooran. Cooran is not serviced by a sewerage
    system and accordingly, residential properties use        In one of the largest contracts our Council has
    on site waste water facilities and an audit was            entered into, Council awarded a new waste
    undertaken to determine the level of compliance            management contract to Cleanaway for the period
    from an environmental protection and health                2017 - 2024 at an approximate cost of $46 million.
    perspective.                                               This contract covers the collection, disposal and
                                                               recycling operations for the Eumundi Road Waste
   Council adopted the Noosa Parklands Park                   Recovery Centre and includes the introduction of a
    Management Plan following significant consultation         green waste recycling bin which will reduce green
    with local residents. Staff are currently working to       waste being buried in the landfill, thus significantly
    develop a suite of other management plans for              reducing methane gas.
    other bushland reserve areas within the Shire.
    Those plans are substantially complete.                   Council was successful in receiving a grant
                                                               (managed by the Local Government Association of
   Council made a submission to the State                     Queensland) for the development of a Coastal
    government on the green paper on Fisheries                 Hazard Adaption Plan. A Project Officer has been
    Management Reform. Council has also made a                 appointed and work is currently underway to
    number of direct representations to the Minister on        develop both a Coastal Hazard Adaption Plan (year
    this topic.                                                one) and a Climate Change Adaption Plan (year
   Council has adopted its Zero Emissions Strategy            two).
    focused on eliminating our organisation’s emissions       Council entered into a Memorandum of
    by 2026. This was a major initiative of Mayor              Understanding with Healthy Waterways and
    Wellington and work has been undertaken in                 Catchments for the ongoing “Land for Wildlife”
    2016/17 to establish the baseline level of emissions       program. This program helps support property
    (which have been recently re-calculated). A major          owners who care for their land to encourage
    report has just been finalised by ERM in relation to       environmental protections.
    the energy use of 9 of Council’s largest energy
    producing sites to identify which energy efficiency       Council undertook an environmental clean-up of
    projects should be undertaken in the first instance        asbestos which was dumped illegally on Walter Hay
    to both reduce costs and emissions.                        Drive.
   Council adopted a new street sweeping contract            A systematic inspection of our industrial areas has
    (using the firm Environmental Waste Water                  been undertaken to identify any issues with run-off
    Catchment Services) which has resulted in an               etc to local waterways. The detailed report has
    increased length of roads being serviced by the            identified some key areas for improvement and the
    street sweeper. This reduces the amount of rubbish         Council will be considering the option of introducing
    going into drains and waterways.                           a licencing regime under our local laws.