2020-02-11 Planning & Environment Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                          11 FEBRUARY 2020


NICA is the Auspice partner and responsible for Project Administration of non on-ground activities. Noosa
and District Landcare will assist with Project Management of on-ground activities, while Coolum Coastcare
will contribute their expertise in turtles. It is envisaged that the broader community local marine science and
geography students from local schools will also be involved in on-ground activities.

Promotional and informative material will be disseminated over 3 years through multi-media, the channels
of various community groups, community events and workshops as well as hand delivery of relevant material
to residents of properties adjoining or adjacent to the proposed areas. This project will align with NICA’s
Urban Wildlife Gardens program. It will also align with The Pandanus revegetation project.

An environmental triage approach will be used to focus efforts around the higher value wetlands and
waterways running to the eastern beaches with dune management and monitoring focused on high risk areas
either side of the mouths of the creeks in the first instance. The long-term goal is to link the activities for the
full stretch of the eastern beaches from the shire boundary in the south to Lion Head at Sunshine Beach in
the North. Expenditure of grant funds will focus on:

     Employment/contracting experienced bushland management and rehabilitation personnel to augment
       volunteer labour and assist in the administration of the project and skills development of participants.
     Purchase of plants, chemicals and equipment required for on-ground activities.
     Marketing, venue hire and catering for skills development workshops, field days and working bees.
     Events aiming to diversify and increase membership and volunteer participation.
     Colour coded Identification Poles for each Beach Access, for visitor and tourist’s safety.


7.     Noosa Integrated Catchment Association
Project title –   Islands in the Stream

Brief project overview

Collaborative staged rehabilitation of four Lower Noosa River Islands to restore ecological function to
estuarine wetland linkages-refugia of national significance, build climate change resilience, enhance
biodiversity and viability, and create community partnerships.       Detailed cultural and biodiversity
investigations will inform works.

Full project description

Project goals:

Enhance condition of estuarine wetland, tree swamp and forest linkages and refugia, restore ecological
function, enhance viability of threatened species; improve resilience to climate change; improve
understanding (baseline) of ecosystem structure and biodiversity; record and preserve cultural values; create
effective community partnership targeting estuarine wetland areas; foster community awareness and
custodianship of Noosa River.

Project activities:

1.     Cultural investigation – detailed literature and field surveys will be conducted to identify and record
       cultural and heritage values within the Project area by volunteers with input from Kabi Kabi traditional
       owners (subject to final agreement); and

2.     Biodiversity assessment – extensive high-definition photogrammetry mapping, modelling and field
       surveys (“ground truthing”) will be conducted before and after rehabilitation works to establish
       baselines of terrain, elevation and ecosystem structure, regional ecosystem extents, species presence
       and abundance (endemic and invasive);




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