2017-12-12 Planning & Environment Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                              12 DECEMBER 2017


2.   Requirements of Delegates
   Reside in the Mary River catchment or have significant involvement and interest in the
     catchment, including knowledge of natural resource issues in the region.
   Have sufficient time to devote to committee activities and have:
          an understanding of the need for integrated catchment management and community
            involvement processes;
          a commitment to integrated catchment management and sustainable development;
            and
          knowledge, interest or experience in natural resource management.
   Demonstrate they can represent the interests of one or more interest sectors and have the
     ability to represent community views.
   Have effective contacts in the community and commitment to keeping people informed.
   Have personal qualities to support the committee such as progressive thinking and the
     ability to work well with people.
Delegates can be either officers or Councillors - neighbouring Councils vary with one having a
Senior officer and the other having Councillors as delegates.

3.   Background to the MRCCC
The MRCCC aims to promote within the community, through sector interests, a common view of
a sustainable and productive catchment. Key roles of the committee include:
   education and awareness;
   planning;
   assisting interest sectors to improve practices;
   supporting Landcare;
   consultation; and
   working with Government (policy formulation).
Since 1999, the MRCCC has facilitated the investment of over $10 million into the Mary
Catchment economy for the purpose of sustainable land and water management with
landholders also undertaking MRCCC project work which would invariably multiply this
investment substantially.
Improving community education and awareness has been a foundation action of the MRCCC as
identified in the Mary River Catchment Strategy. These activities are predominantly associated
with engaging rural landholders, restoring degraded habitats, delivering extension services and
promoting sustainable rural practices to keep soil on the land and out of the waterways.
MRCCC also have a strong focus on threatened species and their habitats. They managed the
Mary River Cod breeding program at the Gerry Cook Fish Hatchery located at Lake Macdonald;
and cod fingerling restocking throughout the catchment in accordance with the Mary River Cod
Recovery Plan.
In addition, MRCCC coordinated the annual Noosa Festival of Water, as well as threatened frog
species monitoring within the Mary catchment and the Noosa Shire.
4.   Mary River Relevance in Noosa Shire
The Mary River catchment covers 36% of Noosa’s local government area (refer Map below).
A number of the Mary’s freshwater tributaries are located in the hinterland regions of the Shire.
Six Mile Creek is the largest of these and Lake Macdonald is the impounded reservoir of the Six
Mile Creek Dam which forms part of South East Queensland’s drinking water supply.
These creeks flow into the main channel of the Mary River and north to Hervey Bay.




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