2014-03-03 General Committee Agenda

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                                   3 MARCH 2014


3    HEALTHY WATERWAYS NETWORK

Author           Coordinator Environmental Services, Ben McMullen
                 Community Infrastructure

Index            Subject/Waterways Management Noosa River;
                 Customer/ Healthy Waterways

Attachments      Nil



PURPOSE

To seek Council’s view on whether to join the Healthy Waterways Network (the Network), which
has been established to facilitate improvements in the ecosystem health of Moreton Bay and
other Coastal freshwater and estuarine waterways in support of the Healthy Waterways Vision:
“By 2026, our waterways and catchments will be healthy ecosystems supporting the livelihoods
and lifestyles of people in South East Queensland, and will be managed through collaboration
between community, government and industry.”

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Healthy Waterways Network is a not for profit, non-government, membership based
organisation that has been established to “facilitate collaborative action to understand and wisely
manage the waterways of South East Queensland”. The Network has been formed from the
previous Healthy Waterways Partnership which was hosted by the Brisbane City Council for
many years, and which Noosa Council maintained financial membership and active involvement
in, until amalgamation in 2008. With the exception of Toowoomba and Noosa, all of the SEQ
region’s local governments are members of the Network.
The Network is a function of the Healthy Waterways Limited corporation, which is also a not for
profit, charitable institution established to advance the vision for healthy waterways in South East
Queensland.
In October 2013, the Healthy Waterways Network Secretariat wrote to the Noosa Transition
Manager requesting Noosa Council make a funding contribution to the Network to 30 June 2014.
In December 2013, Mr Franks (Transition Manager New Noosa Council) provided a commitment
on the new Noosa Council’s behalf to make the financial contribution to the Network based on a
pro rata projection of the new Council’s contribution to 30 June 2014 of $14,080 (+GST). The
contribution has now been made from existing budget.
Healthy Waterways Secretariat have written to the CEO of the Noosa Council (7 February 2014),
inviting Council to formally join the Network. Council’s is requested to delegate authority to the
CEO to sign the Network Deed.

RECOMMENDATION
That Council note the report by the Coordinator Environmental Services to the General
Committee Meeting dated 3 March 2014 and:
A.   Agree to join the Healthy Waterways Network;
B.   Authorise the CEO to sign the Network Deed on Council’s behalf; and
C.   Make provision in the 2014-15 budget for a financial contribution towards the Network
     based on existing annual contributions plus CPI.



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