2018-06-12 Planning & Environment Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                   12 JUNE 2018


Risks & Opportunities
The proposed new funding arrangement ensures that any funded projects are approved by
Council and thereby removes the risk of the NBRF undertaking any projects that may not be
aligned with Council’s overall strategic direction.

Consultation
External Consultation - Community & Stakeholder
Noosa Biosphere Reserve Foundation Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson. While the general
principles of the proposed funding deed have been discussed with NBRF, until the final format of
the proposed deed is adopted by Council, no negotiations have been undertaken with NBRF
regarding the detailed wording, hence recommendation B in the report.

Internal Consultation
A series of workshops have been held with Councillors regarding the proposed funding deed.
Feedback was also sought from key staff regarding the benefit of projects undertaken to date
with funding provided to NBRF by Council via the existing funding deed. Details of that feedback
are below.
Environmental Services advise that the NBRF grants program funded projects related to koalas,
Bring Back the Fish and Keep It in Kin Kin are providing useful scientific data towards Council’s
strategic objectives in these areas.

The data collected from the research by USC into the distribution and health of Noosa’s koalas,
through scat detection and DNA analysis, has been used to develop Koala Habitat Maps for the
new Noosa Plan and to help inform Council’s operational works programs. It is anticipated that
further research being funded from the current round of NBRF grants will target specific areas
such as Yurol-Ringtail State Forest. The gathering of data and information in this area will
provide a baseline on current koala populations and help to determine the effectiveness of this
significant koala habitat recovery project.

The partnerships formed and research undertaken which led to the NBRF grant funded Bring
Back the Fish project provided relevant science-based research about the Noosa River fisheries
and options for the restoration of lost oyster reef habitats to improve fisheries.

The NBRF grant funded Keep it in Kin Kin project enabled Noosa and District Landcare to
undertake a LIDAR study to identify the degree of soil loss in the Kin Kin sub-catchment. This
research, combined with a Council commissioned ‘condition assessment’ of all waterways in
Noosa, provided relevant, science-based research about landslips, erosion hotspots and where
to target investment to repair degraded waterways and wetlands.

Both Bring Back the Fish and Keep it in Kin Kin are highlighted as key partner projects in the
draft Noosa River Plan. The project outcomes will assist Council to continue to advocate as a
key stakeholder in the State’s sustainable fisheries management reforms for the Noosa region
and help reduce sediment inputs to Lake Cootharaba, improve water quality, habitat and health
throughout the river system.




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