2020-07-07 P&E Agenda - Item 3 - Attachment 1 - TNC Project Management Plan

1. Executive Summary
This Project Management Plan (Plan) details the work-flow associated with The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) and Noosa
Shire Council’s (NSC) Bring Back the Fish conservation project for the Noosa River Estuary. The period of the plan is
the 25th of July 2019 to the 30th of September 2022, as per the related TNC-NSC Alliance and Funding Agreement for
this project.

The project proposes to establish an innovative and regionally significant Noosa River Partnership, amongst Noosa
Shire Council, The Nature Conservancy and the Noosa Community, to improve the health and resilience of the Noosa
River estuary and the industries and local communities that rely on its long-term health.

The focus of the Partnership is to:

    •     Improve the health and resilience of Noosa’s marine and estuarine environment through innovative
          restoration and coastal resilience projects;
    •     Capitalize on the expertise of The Nature Conservancy’s global networks and experience (through knowledge
          brokering, mentoring, study tours and access to subject matter experts) to improve Noosa River
          management and strengthen the long-term social, environmental and economic health and resilience of the
          Noosa River and surrounding marine environment;
    •     Demonstrate a leading example of a replicable, environmentally-focused, collaborative alliance that achieves
          superior outcomes for the environment and local communities compared to existing river and marine
          management models; and,
    •     Increase government (State and Federal), private, industry and community support for restoration and
          conservation-focused activities that improve the long-term social, economic and environmental health and
          resilience of the Noosa River and surrounding marine environment.

The Partnership, delivered through this Project, will initially prioritize the restoration of shellfish ecosystems in the
lower estuary (as described below) in addition to:

    •     Providing general strategic support/advice for planning, management and evaluation associated with the
          new Noosa River Plan and Noosa Environment Strategy and other initiatives and projects associated with the
          river system;

    •     Engaging the Noosa community and businesses in meaningful volunteering, citizen science and marine
          education opportunities;

    •     Coordination of research and associated projects that will inform and contribute to implementation of the
          Noosa River Plan and Noosa Environment Strategy, with a particular focus on seagrass mapping and
          restoration and living shorelines; and,

    •     Critical evaluation and potential reform of current and future management activities with a particular focus
          on opportunities for sustainable commercial and recreational fishing and associated activities.

Shellfish ecosystem restoration methodology will follow standards aligned with best practice shellfish restoration and
the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) global guidelines.

A number of previous projects, including a three-year study led by the University of Sunshine Coast, established the
feasibility of shellfish ecosystem restoration by demonstrating sufficient shellfish recruitment and survival, and
invertebrate colonization, at a number of locations throughout the lower estuary. Following on from this initial work,


                                                                                                                      5
        BRING BACK THE FISH: PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN