2020-07-07 Planning & Environment Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                              7 JULY 2020


Links to those two reports are below1:
     Special Meeting - 13 October 2017 - https://www.noosa.qld.gov.au/downloads/file/413/2017-
      10-13-special-meeting-pdf
     Further     Report      –     Special     Meeting     –    13     October      2017     -
      https://www.noosa.qld.gov.au/downloads/file/411/2017-10-13-special-meeting-hinterland-
      environmental-conservation-project-further-report-pdf

Following the signing of the MOU, the parties began detailed negotiations about what contracts
would be required to bring the “in principle” agreement to fruition. This took quite a long time as
there were many complexities and separate agreements to negotiate.

On 27 June 2018, the CEO provided Council with a report outlining the details of the contracts
involving Council (there is a separate contract between HQP and the State to which Council is not
a party). The contracts to which Council is a party are:

1.    A contract between the State government, Noosa Council and Noosa Parks Association
      which provided for the following:
      a)   Payment of compensation to HQP in return for surrender, within 5 years of the date of
           signing of the Funding Agreement, of their existing long term Plantation Licence Area
           (PLA) harvest rights over areas in Ringtail and Yurol state forests. The compensation
           in the amount of $3.5M was to be equally funded by DES, Council and NPA.
      b)   To minimise the risk to Council and NPA, DES paid the full amount of $3.5M up front
           and the combined contributions of Council and NPA ($2,333,332) were paid into a
           Queensland Treasury Corporation interest bearing account. DES may not draw down
           this amount until the PLA area has been transferred to Conservation Reserve protected
           tenure with Noosa Council as trustee. This is expected to be achieved soon after the
           HQP 5-year harvest right period has expired. If this has not been achieved within seven
           (7) years of signing of the State Deed, then the funding contributions are to be returned
           to each party.
      c)   On signing of the State Deed, DES would commence action to transfer some areas of
           State Forest to National Park protected tenure. Those areas comprise available areas
           of State Forest (non-PLA) totalling about 357 ha as marked on Plan A attached to the
           deed.
      d)   HQP would immediately relinquish rights to harvest hardwood timbers located in the
           PLA though DAF will maintain access to harvest nominated hardwood areas for a
           period of up to 5 years.
      e)   HQP would finalise harvest of merchantable pine timbers within the PLA within a period
           of 5 years from the date of the State Deed. This excludes any wildlings or non-
           merchantable size plantings. If they finish this before the 5-year timeframe, the PLA
           would be surrendered at that earlier time.
      f)   Upon expiry of the HQP licence in 5 years from the date of signing of the State Deed,
           DES will:-
           i)    Transfer the remaining areas of available State Forest to National Park tenure
                 (about 991.22 ha); and
           ii)   Transfer the remaining area of former PLA to Conservation Park tenure with
                 Noosa Council as trustee (about 1,039.81 ha).


1
  Reports leading up to the signing of the MOU and also the subsequent signing of contracts were initially
classified as confidential. This was at the request of the State government as the negotiations were leading
to Ministerial announcements. In the case of both the MOU and the subsequent contracts, Council removed
confidentiality upon the signing of the MOU and contracts and the Ministerial announcements. The MOU and
contracts are on Council's website as part of the Council agendas.

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