2022-04-12-P&E Agenda - Item 6 - Attachment 1 - TNC Noosa_Oyster Project _6_Monthly_Report

Conservation deliverables
The Project principally delivers the following conservation initiatives:

    1.   Restoration of Noosa’s oyster ecosystems at practical and agreed locations.

    2.   Engagement of the Noosa community and local businesses in meaningful volunteering and marine education
         opportunities.

    3.   Exploration of the potential to restore seagrass habitats in Lake Cooroibah (and potentially elsewhere) to reduce
         sediment resuspension and increase invertebrate and fish biomass in the estuary (to be delivered as part of Objective
         two and five), and

    4.   Provision of technical advice to NSC in identifying opportunities for sustainable commercial and recreational fisheries
         in the Noosa River.


Work sequence
The Project is split into three work packages, or phases, to reduce ecological and financial risks through the application of an
adaptive management framework whereby learnings from previous phases are included in future phases to consider prior
learning and minimize risk:

         1. Optimal design and siting (2020) which includes pre-planning to determine the optimal design, locations and most
         cost-effective method of reef restoration.

         2. First site implementation (2020-2021) which will construct full sized oyster beds at two sites in the estuary to test
         initial restoration methods and designs; and,

         3. Full restoration (2021-2022) which restore oyster beds at all suitable (and approved) sites within the estuary.

These timings have been adjusted are as follows:

         1. Optimal design, siting, detailed bathymetric, ecological and engineering assessments and public consultations and
         engagement (2020 - 2021).

         2. Quarry selection, selection and appointment of construction and monitoring companies, permit negotiations and
         approvals (late 2021 to present)

         3. Construction of oyster reef patches at all sites (subject to costs) and baseline ecological monitoring (mid 2022)

         4. Post reef construction monitoring and ongoing monitoring (end 2022, then annual throughout the permit period)

Progress summary (September 2021 to February 2022)
TNC has achieved the following:

    •    Submission of all permit applications to government including development of an detailed project restoration plan.
         Permits requested include:

         o    Owners Consent – to allow certain developments to occur on public land (permit secured from the Department
              of Resources)
                                                                                                                                6