2015-12-14 General Committee Agenda

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                                       14 DECEMBER 2015


2                     NOOSA BIOSPHERE         RESERVE FOUNDATION          -   FUNDING OF MULTI-YEAR
                      PROJECTS
UMENT INF ORM ATION




Author                          Acting Chief Executive Officer, Martin Drydale
                                Executive Office

Index                           ECM/Subject/39.23 Noosa Biosphere Reserve Foundation - Management

Attachments                     Nil


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Nil.

RECOMMENDATION
That Council note the report by the Acting Chief Executive Officer to the General Committee
Meeting dated 14 December 2015 and

A.                    Advise the Noosa Biosphere Reserve Foundation that Council agrees to provide $360,000
                      funding for multi-year projects as outlined in the report; and
B.                    The funding be provided by 31 December 2015 from the Environment Levy restricted cash
                      reserve.


REPORT
Clause 4.2 of the funding agreement between Council and the Noosa Biosphere Reserve
Foundation (NBRF) requires that the Foundation obtain the prior approval from Council before it
commits to any purchase, contract, undertaking or activity that has financial commitments that
will require Council funding beyond the period of any approved funding. NBRF approached
Council in October 2015, as it had received expressions of interest for grants that would involve
funding over multiple years. Council previously resolved that the NBRF be advised that it would
supports the consideration of projects that involve multi-year funding, and that the Foundation
should apply for Council funding approval in due course (once their assessment process had
been completed).
Following assessment of Expressions of Interest for projects, the Foundation invited five
proponents to develop full applications for further assessment and potential funding. These
projects were assessed as meeting the eligibility for funding from the Public Fund, as well as the
potential to score well on the criteria to determine the value of expected outcomes (subject to
finalisation of the detail of applications).
The largest project is titled Bringing Fish Life Back to the Noosa River, Lakes and Estuary:
Restoring Ecological Function in the Noosa Biosphere Reserve. It consists of three components:
Component A: An assessment of current baseline environmental conditions against which the
success of restoration efforts can be measured, including assessing the links between school
prawns and the prevailing environmental conditions, a current full stock assessment, and
recommendations for enhancing or restocking prawns in the Noosa, Lakes and Estuary (to be
undertaken by the University of Queensland).
Component B: Direct restoration of lost oyster reef habitat removed by overfishing; construction
of artificial reefs and monitoring of results; and improved understanding of how the restored
oyster reefs secure fish diversity, biomass and connectivity in the system (to be undertaken by
the University of the Sunshine Coast).


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