Council archive · source document
2026 LGAQ CONFERENCE MOTIONS & COUNCILLOR ATTENDANCE · Attachment 2 – UNESCO Biosphere Reserves - State and National Recognition and Funding
ATTACHMENT 2 2026 LGAQ Annual Conference –
Proposed Motion
Who is the key contact for Cr Amelia Lorentson
this motion?
(required)
Submitting council Noosa Council
(required)
Supporting ROC
(if applicable)
Council resolution # NA
(required)
Date of council resolution TBA
(required)
Does this motion have state-wide relevance?
Was this motion suggested by a third party? no
Title of motion (required) UNESCO Biosphere Reserves – State and National Recognition and
Funding
Motion
That the LGAQ call on the Queensland and Australian Governments
(required)
to:
A. Formally recognise UNESCO Biosphere Reserves as assets of
state and national significance - environmental, cultural, scientific
and economic - and acknowledge the role local governments play
in their ongoing stewardship; and
B. Establish dedicated and sustainable funding to support local
governments in managing UNESCO Biosphere Reserve
obligations, reflecting the state and national benefit these
reserves deliver.
What is the desired
Queensland is home to three UNESCO Biosphere Reserves -
outcome sought?
Noosa, Sunshine Coast and Great Sandy - a concentration
(required) 200-word limit
unmatched by any other Australian state. Yet neither the
Queensland nor Australian Government formally recognises them as
the state and national assets they are, and local governments
managing them receive no dedicated funding to do so. This motion
seeks that recognition and the funding to match, setting a precedent
that benefits councils managing significant assets right across
Queensland.
See the original
The page text is free to read. Viewing or downloading an original file needs an account.
Log in to see the originalFull text of the other 1 page
Page 2
2
Background
This is about fairness, and every Queensland council will recognise it
(required) 350-word limit
Local governments across Queensland regularly manage assets of
state and national significance - RAMSAR wetlands, heritage areas,
coastal reserves, national park buffers - largely from general
revenue, without dedicated support from the levels of government
that benefit most. UNESCO Biosphere Reserves are one of the
clearest examples of this inequity. Local ratepayers should not be
subsidising national assets.
Queensland has something extraordinary and is not making the most
of it
UNESCO Biosphere status is one of the most powerful
environmental and cultural designations in the world. It drives
tourism, attracts research investment, and signals to visitors and
investors that a place meets a globally recognised standard of
natural and cultural significance. With three reserves, Queensland
has a concentration of this status unmatched in Australia and is
currently leaving that competitive advantage largely unleveraged.
Recognition must come with resources.
Each Biosphere Reserve requires a formal Local Stewardship
Council, an ongoing Reserve Stewardship Plan, and sustained
coordination across conservation, coastal management, cultural
heritage, science and community engagement. This work falls
primarily on local government - funded by local ratepayers - on
behalf of the whole state and nation. Formal state and federal
recognition would create the platform to leverage dedicated funding
for stewardship, conservation, research and community programs.
The timing could not be better. With Brisbane 2032 on the horizon,
Queensland's UNESCO Biosphere Reserves represent an
extraordinary opportunity to showcase this state to a global
audience. That opportunity deserves coordinated investment and a
united voice from Queensland's local governments. LGAQ should
provide it.
Case study/ Example
(optional) 350-word limit
June 26
Wilson Crawley
Used in these records
2026 LGAQ CONFERENCE MOTIONS & COUNCILLOR ATTENDANCE · Attachment 2 – UNESCO Biosphere Reserves - State and National Recognition and FundingAttachmentsMeeting 953 · read item & discussion ↗
2026 LGAQ CONFERENCE MOTIONS & COUNCILLOR ATTENDANCE (Referred from the General Committee Meeting dated 7 July 2026 - Item 7.7) · Attachment 2 – UNESCO Biosphere Reserves - State and National Recognition and FundingAttachmentsMeeting 964 · read item & discussion ↗
About this file
- File size
- 190 KB (small file)
- File type
No other editions are linked here.