220711 Noosa Oyster Project - CEMP

      1. Introduction
         1.1. General
         This document describes the intended marine plant and water quality monitoring plan for
         the Noosa Oyster Ecosystem Restoration project as further described in the Contract
         between The Nature conservancy and M&J Marine Services PTY LTD

        1.2. Project Background
         The estuarine environment of the Noosa River was once dominated with extensive rock
         oyster ecosystems. Oyster ecosystems were largely lost however, in the late 1800s to early
         1900s. At the peak of the wild oyster harvest industry (1906-1907), it is estimated that 2-3
         million oysters were harvested in the lower estuary each year. The commercial oyster
         industry in the Noosa River ceased to be economically viable by the 1940s.

         This project responds to the loss of natural hard substrates in the Noosa River by re-
         introducing locally sourced rock in configurations that rock oysters and associated species
         (e.g. pearl oysters, leaf oysters, hairy mussels, tunicates and macroalgae) readily colonise.
         The design and placement of the rock substrate considers historic location of oyster beds
         plus physical features, such as aspect, height, dimensions and rugosity in a way that can
         help mitigate physical and biological threats to the recovering ecosystem such as
         smothering, heat, erosion, predation and human disturbance.

         2. Objective
         The objective of this Marine plant and water quality plan is to ensure minimal impact to
         the river system and its existing marine life during the construction by monitoring our
         impacts and controlling them with the use of floating silt booms if required.
         We will do this by;

                • Identifying whether the impacts on water quality on the active build site and
                  general water based works are local and temporary
                • Identifying when a plume has the potential to cause adverse social and/or
                  environmental impacts and to provide the opportunity to limit these impacts with
                  particular attention to the adjacent sea grass and mangrove areas.

            3. References
               This document should be read in conjunction with the Project’s Construction Environmental
               Management Plan (CEMP), which is the over-arching plan that details the procedures and
               policies to be following in executing these works.




ABN: 766 242 991 45                             Page 3                     [email protected]