2019-01-14 General Committee Meeting Agenda

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                               14 JANUARY 2019


     evaluation and reporting requirements, and that this agreement be reported back to Council
     for endorsement; and
C.   Note that any partnership agreement would commence from 1 July 2019 and refer
     consideration of the funding to the 2019/20 budget process

REPORT
Background
Noosa Council, in partnership with The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the Thomas Foundation, the
Noosa Parks Association, the Noosa Biosphere Reserve Foundation (NBRF), and the University
of the Sunshine Coast (USC) have undertaken extensive background studies to determine the
history of the Noosa River fishery over a number of years. This work was undertaken with the intent
of developing future projects with the aim of improving marine biodiversity and ensuring ongoing
sustainability of fish stocks.
Alongside this specific body of work about the Noosa River Fishery, Council has been and
continues to research and seek contemporary and evidence based information on the Noosa River
system, its biodiversity and aquatic environment and a range of broader river system and
catchment issues. This includes, but is not limited to the development of a whole of Noosa River
Catchment Plan, investigation into fisheries and fisheries reform, a Noosa river benthic study to
compare and understand change over 20 years, a hydrological study of the river mouth as well as
a wide range of monitoring and research activities by various organisations including University of
Sunshine Coast on species distribution and movement.

The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy has been established for more than 6 decades and is considered one of
the most trusted non-government conservation organisations. TNC work across over 74 Countries,
has more than 600 scientists and has delivered hundreds of successful projects with immense
environmental and global impact.
The TNC vision is a world in which people and nature thrive, with their core mission being to
conserve the lands and waters of which all life depends. TNC have identified 8 key global
challenges which are:
    invasive species
    climate change
    agricultural expansion
    unsustainable wood products
    over fishing
    urban sprawl
    energy production and sprawl
    source water quality and waste water.
They have further identified 5 core areas of focus to which it states can be the most immediate,
measurable and most powerful contribution to addressing the global challenges. These 5 areas
are:
   protect land and water
   tackle climate changes
   provide food and water sustainability
   build healthy cities
   connect people and nature.
TNC have offered Council an opportunity to establish a collaborative, mutually beneficial strategic
partnership which seeks to explore, investigate and address a number of these global challenges
at a local level with a specific and tangible focus on improving marine, aquatic and estuary
biodiversity and environments through the implementation of the next phases of the oyster reef
project.

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