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Annex 5 - Community Engagement Workshop Report
Attached to the e-mail DA Application - Noosa Oyster Project (2 of 3).
Noosa Oyster Ecosystem Restoration Project
Community Engagement Workshop Report
On Monday the 7th of December 2020, TNC facilitated a community engagement workshop with key Noosa River
stakeholders. The objective of the workshop was to discuss opportunities for piloting community-based
education, volunteering and citizen science activities in 2021 that complement the Noosa Oyster Ecosystem
Restoration Project. These activities will be led by project partners and supported, where resources allow, by TNC.
A summary of the meeting outcomes is presented below. TNC wishes to thank Noosa Shire Council for hosting
this event.
Participants
John News - Noosa Community Biosphere Association
Dalia Mikhail - Noosa Environmental Education Hub
Richard Howard - Noosa Integrated Catchment Association
Bruce McConkey - Noosa Integrated Catchment Association
Nick Hluszko - President of the Noosa North Shore Association Inc.
Chris Massoud - Commercial fishing family
Ben Broadfoot - Ozfish - Noosa Chapter
Peter Hunnam - Tewantin Bushcare
Michael Gloster - Noosa Parks Association
Bryan Walsh - Noosa Parks Association
Bruce Davidson - Recreational fisher’s interest
Jady Smith - Noosa Biosphere Reserve Foundation
Craig Doolan - Noosa Shire Council
Callum Dittes - The Nature Conservancy
Helen Bowyer - The Nature Conservancy
Craig Bohm - The Nature Conservancy
Simon Branigan - The Nature Conservancy
Tom Wagner - Noosa Shire Council (workshop walk in)
Also invited:
Brian Warner - Kabi Kabi Nation
Juanita Bloomfield - Tourism Noosa
The workshop participants discussed these topics enthusiastically, identifying project areas that best fit their
interests and expertise, and which could be explored in further detail. Table 3 summarises the state of play with
these partnerships.
Table 3: Community Partnerships Update
Project area Objective Partnership Status
Shuck Don’t Engage local businesses 3 restaurants participating in Restaurants
Chuck in the project supplying local oyster shell to enthusiastically collecting,
the project as Shuck Don’t washing and storing shells.
Chuck partners:
- Noosa Yacht and Contractor engaged to
Rowing Club collect shell from
- Noosa Habour Fish restaurants on a fortnightly
Market basis.
- Grenny’s Noosa by
the River
Collect oyster shells to Partnerships with Resource 12 tonnes of oyster shell is
add to oyster beds and Recovery Australia, Cleanaway now curing at the Doonan
for use in oyster and Mooloolaba Fish Market Solid Waste Facility
gardening -
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following strict biosecurity
protocols
Water quality Improve resolution of Noosa Integrated Catchment Partnership established
monitoring water quality data sets Association (NICA) to provide Monitoring sites
at the oyster restoration water quality information at established
sites the oyster restoration sites Pre-restoration substrate
deployment monitoring
has commenced
Oyster gardening Engage local Noosa Integrated Catchment Partnership established
households, businesses Association (NICA) to
and/or groups in the implement oyster gardening, Grant agreement under
project beginning with a pilot phase, negotiation
then review and consideration
Improve public of upscaling, if practical
knowledge about
shellfish restoration
Indigenous Support the aspirations Noosa and District Landcare to Partnership established
inclusion of Kabi Kabi Nation involve indigenous youth in
hands-on or on-water actions Events to be planned on an
Benefit from traditional ongoing basis.
knowledge Endorsement from Kabi Kabi
elders and permission to
integrate traditional
knowledge in project-related
products
Schools Engage local schools in Noosa Environmental Hub to Partnership established
participation the project integrate Sunshine State High
School into the project Project refinements being
Improve public made
knowledge about Noosa Biosphere Community
shellfish restoration Association to carry out school Grant agreements under
activities and indigenous river negotiation
awareness actions with
Tewantin schools
Tewantin Provide a focus site for Tewantin Bushcare to lead the Partnership established
Demonstration community education development of a oyster
Site activities and access to restoration demonstration site Project planning still in
one of the oyster at Tewantin including progress
restoration sites revegetation actions,
interpretive material and
community activities
Fish habitat Bring Noosa’s Ozfish – Noosa Chapter MoU in place
monitoring underwater life and the Ozfish to use Remote
value of habitat diversity Underwater Video (RUV) Scope of work developed
to life in the public techniques to seek out and
realm, particularly to record marine species diversity Ozfish has equipment and
fishers Ozfish to also help test RUV is being supported
techniques at different river technically by TNC
locations and promote the
importance of marine habitats On-ground actions pending
and restoration to its members
and public
Page 3
Broader River Context
During the workshop, participants also discussed the wider river management context of the Noosa oyster
project.
The participants made many interesting points. Some of these are captured below:
- The Noosa River needs a common narrative, a narrative which all people can understand, are familiar with
and support.
- The contribution of the oyster restoration project, and associated projects, to the health and resilience of
the Noosa River, will only be realised once we have all agreed on a clear vision for the river and have
defined tangible management objectives and targets against which the contribution of projects can be
measured.
- The oyster project is but one of a number of projects which contribute to river health and resilience. Work
on sediment management in the catchment, riparian zone protection and restoration works along the
shorelines and water quality/stormwater management actions, for example, also contribute.
- Oyster ecosystems are important but so are seagrass and mangrove ecosystems. The health and
functioning of the estuarine ecosystem in its entirety should be considered. Oyster ecosystem restoration is
but one component that should be addressed.
- The river needs to be biodiverse, productive and our uses of it, sustainable.
- The project provides an opportunity to further reconciliation efforts with Traditional Owners, this is
particularly so at the Tewantin restoration site, which is of deep cultural significance to the Kabi Kabi
people.
Participant feedback:
“Some of these people haven’t spoken for 20 years…amazing!”
“How did you ever get this particular group of people to meet. Great effort?”
“Good to see things slowly coming for the project and seeing some shared views on river management staring
to come through.”
Figure 3: Workshop participants enjoy a paparazzi moment during the workshop
From left to right (facing): Chris Masoud (Commercial Fisher), Craig Bohm (Project Manager), Ben Broadfoot
(Ozfish), Bryan Walsh (Noosa Parks Association)