2019-01-14 General Committee Agenda - Attachment 1 to Item 2 - Noosa River Partnership Proposal

The Nature Conservancy


The restoration project will be delivered through a public-private partnership led by The
Nature Conservancy and Noosa Council, and include Kabi Kabi (Gubbi Gubbi), Noosa Parks
Association and Noosa Biosphere Reserve Foundation. Key stakeholders include:
Queensland Government, Healthy Land and Water, The Thomas Foundation, local
universities, fishing and aquaculture industries, restaurants and community groups.
including State Government and private businesses, individuals, trusts and foundations. The
Project will commence in July 2019 and operate until at least 2021 when the need for further
restoration will be assessed.
Oyster reef restoration methodology will follow standards aligned with best practice oyster
restoration and the Society for Ecological Restoration global guidelines. Deliverables
associated with the project include: 1. Planning and governance, 2. Reef restoration, 3.
Monitoring, evaluation and reporting and 4. Community engagement and volunteering. The
project will follow a staged approach to restoration: Phase I – feasibility which has been
completed by University of Sunshine Coast, Phase II- optimal design (2019-2020) which
seeks to determine the optimal design, locations and most cost effective method of reef
restoration and Phase III- full restoration (2020-2021) which seeks to construct reefs at all
feasible locations identified during Phase I and II. This phased, timebound approach will
reduce ecological and financial risks through the application of an adaptive management
framework.
Project outcomes include: The restoration of a threatened ecosystem (shellfish reefs) and
associated increases in local marine biodiversity and recreationally important fish species
and increased community engagement, volunteering and environmental stewardship within
the Noosa community.




   Noosa River Partnership                                                            Page | 4