Annual Report 2017-18

Corporate Plan Theme 1: The Noosa Environment
“Our environment is protected and enhanced and is valued by the community”


•   Council reviewed its management approach           •   Council successfully negotiated for the ongoing
    to the Noosa River and has committed to                processing and sale of our recyclable waste
    refresh and rewrite the Noosa River Plan               following the 2017 decision of the Chinese
    with an expanded focus on river catchment              government to discontinue taking Australian
    management. Community consultation on the              recyclable materials. At the same time, we have
    revised Noosa River Plan is to be undertaken in        responded to the announcement by the State
    mid 2018 with the updated Plan expected to be          government to introduce a $70 per tonne landfill
    adopted by Council in late 2018.                       levy from early 2019.

•   Council signed a Memorandum of                     •   Council is continuing to develop a Climate
    Understanding in October 2017 with the State           Hazard Adaption Plan. This project (being
    Government, HQPlantations and the Noosa                funded by the State government via the Local
    Parks Association for the development of a             Government Association of Queensland) is
    project to protect major parts of the Yurol and        aiming to develop both a Climate Hazard
    Ringtail forest areas. Council agreed to the           Adaption Plan (CHAP) and a Climate Change
    final format of the contracts in June 2018. This        Adaption Plan. Research and community
    is the most significant environmental project in        engagement has been undertaken in 2017/18
    recent years and will see almost 2,400 ha of           for the CHAP.
    land transition to protected conservation tenure
    over the next 10 years providing regional scale    •   Council awarded tenders in September 2017
    environmental connectivity, particularly for           for the ongoing environmental monitoring of
    koala corridors.                                       Council owned landfills including both current
                                                           and closed landfills. This ensures that Council
•   Council completed its audit of stormwater              meets its environmental obligations in relation
    pollution in the Noosaville Industrial Estate          to its landfills (both current and closed).
    and is working closely with local businesses to
    improve environmental management practices         •   Council issued a new 7-year licence to operate
    in that area.                                          the Recycling and Sales Facility at the Eumundi
                                                           Road Resource Recovery Facility to Resource
•   Council provided ongoing support to the                Recovery Australia. This decision saw the
    Boomerang Alliance in their campaign for a             closure of the Brightside Tip Shop and the
    Plastic Free Noosa.                                    launch of Noosa Reviva in July 2018.

•   Council is implementing its Zero Emissions         •   Council approved a further 3-year funding
    Strategy focused on eliminating our                    agreement with the Noosa Biosphere Reserve
    organisation’s emissions by 2026. Council              Foundation in June 2018. During 2017/18,
    considered a report by ERM Energy in relation          Council also provided $250,000 to the Noosa
    to the energy use of nine of Council’s largest         Biosphere Reserve Foundation for projects that
    energy producing sites. Contracts were let             advance the purpose of the Noosa Biosphere
    for the installation of solar panels at most           Reserve as well as $140,000 for operational
    of the major Council buildings at a cost of            expenses (in accordance with the funding
    approximately $250,000. This will reduce both          agreement that was in place until 30 June
    Council’s emissions and also our ongoing               2018).
    electricity costs.
                                                       •   Council has addressed a range of significant
•   Council’s new waste management contract                planning and environment applications during
    commenced in September 2017. This new                  the last 12 months. During that period, Council
    contract (awarded to Cleanaway for the                 approved 98.5% of planning applications.
    period 2017 - 2024 at an approximate cost
    of $46 million) is the largest contract Council    •   Council adopted a policy to oppose any further
    manages. The introduction of a mandated                applications for coal exploration, coal mining,
    green waste recycling bin in urban areas               coal seam gas exploration or coal seam gas
    of the Shire (which will reduce green waste            production within the Shire.
    being buried in the landfill and significantly
    reduce methane gas production) was a smooth
    process with significant communication with our
    community to ensure that service delivery was
    seamless.

                                                                              2017-2018 Annual Report | Page 9