2016-12-12 General Committee Agenda

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                                                       12 DECEMBER 2016


10                       OYSTER RESTORATION PROJECT - ACCEPTANCE OF DRAFT RESOURCE
                         ALLOCATION AUTHORITY CONDITIONS
DOCUMENT INFORM AT ION




Author                          Environmental Officer, Cherie O’Sullivan
                                Planning & Infrastructure Department

Index                           ECM/ Project & Contract/ Noosa River Management/ Oyster Reef
                                Restoration Project

Attachments                     1.     Plans
                                2.     Background Detail
                                3.     Draft Resource Allocation Authority pending Council approval
                                (All three Attachments provided separately to this agenda (63 pages); 2 x hard copies available in
                                Councillors’ Room)




EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Oyster reefs provide important diversity to fish habitats for their health. Noosa River previously
boasted extensive oyster reefs throughout its system, and these coincided with reports of very
successful fisheries.
Following awareness of the functional extinction of oyster reefs from Noosa River through over
harvesting and dredging, there has recently been support for a project to restore the oyster reefs
through the system.
The Nature Conservancy in conjunction with the Thomas Foundation, The Noosa Biosphere and
the University of the Sunshine Coast have undertaken extensive background studies to deliver
such a project to benefit the Noosa River. Reports on the project have previously been presented
to Council in Ordinary Meetings held on 22 October 2015 Item 7, Page 8 and 20 November 2014,
Item 1, Page 3.
As the works will be proposed on public land and in areas such as Declared Fish Habitat Areas,
and Tidal Areas, State government policies only provide for public entities, such as Noosa
Council, to be the applicant for approvals needed to allow for delivery of such restoration
activities.
Given the changes to the substrate in the bed of Noosa River required to allow oysters to recruit,
compared to the early 1900’s, it is necessary for human intervention to provide oyster reef
restoration units. These units will facilitate the restoration of oyster spat in a vertical profile
elevated above the river bed in a manner that can facilitate natural restoration processes.
Installation of oyster reef restoration units at the most appropriate sites requires a Resource
Allocation Authority (RAA) from the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF).
Given that oyster reef restoration is a novel concept in Queensland, the policies of the State
Government have not yet been established to easily allow for this to occur. DAFF is proposing a
number of conditions to facilitate their approval of the beneficial project. The conditions of note
include signage, monitoring and indemnification to the State for any damage to persons or
properties on the State land as a result of the works.
Given that Noosa Council’s only involvement is to facilitate development approval for the project,
there is a possibility for all costs associated with such indemnification to be passed on to the
other project partners. Noosa Council staff are currently seeking advice from its insurers
regarding the costs of such liabilities.




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