2026 LGAQ CONFERENCE MOTIONS & COUNCILLOR ATTENDANCE · Attachment 2 – UNESCO Biosphere Reserves - State and National Recognition and Funding

  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