2019-09-10 Planning & Environment Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                              10 SEPTEMBER 2019


Multi-year Collaborative Environment Grants
Multi-year Environment Collaborative (MEC) Projects will support longer-term, larger-scale
strategic initiatives that align with the Environment Strategy and have a significant positive impact
on the Noosa environment. These projects will have multiple community stakeholders and clear,
measurable outcomes.
This is a new program with a significant level of funding attached. The Environment Grants Policy
states that ‘a guideline for the delivery of the Multi-year Environment Collaborative Grants will be
developed and annually reviewed by the Environment Levy Working Group’. This will remain the
case, however given the importance of the program in delivering on the Noosa Environment
Strategy, the draft guideline is presented here for noting by Councillors, prior to the grants being
advertised for the first time.
It is anticipated that the Multi-year Collaborative Environment Grants will be advertised in
October, soon after the closing of the current round of project grants. This should allow on-
ground projects to begin in early 2020.
Previous Council Consideration
Ordinary Meeting Minutes, 21 February 2019, Item 7, Page 19
That Council note the report by the Environmental Services Manager to the Planning &
Environment Committee meeting dated 12 February 2019 and the further report to the General
Committee meeting dated 18 February 2019 and:
A.    Adopt the Environment Grants Policy as set out in Attachment 1 to the report to the
      General Committee meeting dated 18 February 2019 with the addition of the following
      words:
      “CONDITIONS OF FUNDING
      All successful applicants will be required to enter into a funding deed of agreement with
      Council and acquit funds within the allocated timeframes. The timeframes and acquittal
      requirements are outlined in the supporting Grant Guidelines for the specific funding
      program. Successful applicants will be required to actively and publicly acknowledge
      Council’s support.”
B.    Approve Interim Evaluation Criteria for the next round (February 2019) of Environment
      Grants only, based on relevant Strategic Outcomes of the Biodiversity and Waterways,
      Wetlands and Coasts themes in the Draft Environment Strategy, listed below;
          Ecological linkages and connecting habitat areas are improved and rehabilitated to
            increase landscape connectivity and species resilience.
          Community conservation partnerships on public and private land are developed to
            deliver successful biodiversity conservation outcomes.
          Terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, as well as fauna and flora species, are protected
            from significant human impacts.
          Invasive pest species are managed strategically to reduce impacts on native species
            and habitats, fisheries, recreation and tourism values.
          Water quality, riparian areas and catchment health is protected and improved by
            partnering with landholders and stakeholders to actively manage and rehabilitate
            priority stream reaches.
          Aquatic biodiversity is improved through the preservation and enhancement of
            diverse instream, riparian and wetland habitats.
          Point source and diffuse pollution is identified and effectively managed to reduce
            impacts on waterways, wetlands and coasts.
          Waterways, wetlands and coastal environments are protected, managed and
            maintained in their natural state and are enhanced to support healthy and diverse
            ecosystems.

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