2019-01-14 General Committee Meeting Agenda

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                                   14 JANUARY 2019


    The reef units had remained stable with a mean recorded change in distance of 0.16m and
      no single unit having moved more than 1m, or outside of their allocated area.
    There had been substantial spat settlement at all sites, with the size increasing between May
      and November 2018. Not included in the report, but later clarified by USC scientists, was that
      spat settlement was mostly of Sydney Rock Oysters (Saccostrea glomerata), the typical reef-
      forming oyster historically in the Noosa River, and the target species for the success of the
      project.
    There has been some human damage, probably from boat propellers, exacerbated by the
      removal of many of the marker buoys. In the May 2018 monitoring round, only one reef
      required repair, but by November 2018, most reefs required some repair. There was no
      evidence of deliberate interference with the reefs, and Council has received no complaints
      about the reefs.
    There had been no negative impacts on adjacent seagrass or mangrove habitat, or on
      shorelines, as a result of the reef placements.
Of the four monitoring targets, Target 1 and 4 have been fully met (reef unit stability, no impact on
plants or shorelines). Target 2 is tracking favourably with oyster and other invertebrate growth as
expected after one year. One part of this target is establishment of a stable biogenic matrix (how
well the oyster recruitment is holding together the reef structure), which has not yet occurred, with
100% of shells able to be moved when tested. While it is expected that this would not be achieved
in the first 12 months, it is a key component of the long-term success of the project.
The design of future reef structures to increase the stability would be a key consideration in the
next phase of this initiative.
Proposal for the phase 2 and 3 of the Oyster Reef project
In August 2018, representatives of The Nature Conservancy provided a presentation to
Councillors, Council officers and key community representatives on a proposal to move from pilot
to the next phases of the oyster reef project in the Noosa River. The proposal is for a second and
third phase to the project, and seeks to restore an oyster reef system comprised of several
individual but connected reef patches (collective known as a reef ecosystem) throughout the
lower sections of the Noosa River estuary. The project builds on the ecological studies and
trials led by University of Sunshine Coast (2016-2018) identified as the feasibility component
of this project to significantly expand on the outcomes being sought for the river.
A subsequent more detailed project proposal outlining the proposed process, funding,
management and implementation and how stakeholders would be engaged has since been
received from the Nature Conservancy. Refer Attachment 1
Key elements of the project proposal are:
    The ecological purpose, or ecosystem goal, is to re-establish a reef ecosystem developed
      by the Sydney Rock Oyster (Saccostrea glomerata) in the lower estuary.
    The project is proposed to be funded through a partnership with Council contributing $1.2
      million, The Nature Conservancy contributing $1.2 million, and the aim of sourcing another
      $1.2 million during the first 18 months of the project.
    The first 12 months of the project will deliver activities required to effect successful ecosystem
      restoration and community engagement. These include:
      o     development of a project implementation plan
      o     habitat suitably modelling and reef design
      o     project risk assessment and communications framework
      o     construction briefs and permits
      o     project governance and monitoring and evaluation reporting framework.
    Between 12 and 24 months, the focus will shift to project implementation, and include;


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