2021-09-13 GC Agenda - Item 11 - Attachment 1 - Noosa Oyster Project Annual Report 2

Pilot reef construction plans
Locations

As part of the pilot phase of the project, TNC plans to construct oyster reef patches at the Tewantin and Goat Island
restoration sites. These sites are close to the planned load out site on Hilton Esplanade, Tewantin, making access
optimal.

Construction is expected to commence in in December 2021, subject to permits. If the construction company is unable
to complete the work by the start of the summer school holiday period, then work may be halted and re-commence
in late January 2022 to avoid this hectic period on and around the river.

Subject to the success of the pilot phase, full restoration of the Tewantin and Goat Island sites as well as construction
in Noosa Sound will be undertaken in spring and summer of 2022.

Quarries

In preparation for the construction phase, TNC visited three local quarries to assess their capacity to provide igneous
porphyry rock to construct the oyster reef patches. Those quarries were Boral (Moi Pocket), Sunshine Coast Quarries
(Nambour) and Kin Kin Quarry.

The quality of the rock is important, and this relates to the position in the rock face (or hill) that the rock is sourced
from. The size of the rock is also important, the project requires rock between 150mm-500mm diameter, as is the
quarry’s handling processes, which determine the cleanliness of the rock and its mode of transport and timing and
delivery. TNC will work with the project’s construction contractor to select the most appropriate quarry for the job.

Hatchery

The partnership with BIRC will deliver seeded oyster cultch as required to seed the new oyster reef patches.

Monitoring

Baseline water quality monitoring by NICA has commenced at the Tewantin restoration site and will be shortly
extended to the Goat Island restoration site.

Baseline ecological monitoring, led by TNC but supported by an independent contractor, will in summer 2021 and
continue throughout the restoration permit period, which is anticipated to be three or four years. Monitoring beyond
the permit phase will be subject to further discussions between project partners and agencies.

Reporting of monitoring results will after six months, in the first year, followed by annually. Monitoring will be reported
annually against the three key criteria:

    1.     Ecological performance (restoration extent, ecological recovery, ecological productivity);
    2.     Social performance (job creation, community engagement, community support and reef stewardship); and
    3.     Economic efficiency performance (timeliness, budget, leveraged financial support, project management).




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