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

Conservation deliverables
The Project principally delivers the following conservation initiatives:

    1.   Restoration of Noosa’s oyster ecosystems at practical and agreed locations;

    2.   Engagement of the Noosa community and local businesses in meaningful volunteering and marine education
         opportunities;

    3.   Exploration of the potential to restore seagrass habitats in Lake Cooroibah (and potentially elsewhere) to
         reduce sediment resuspension and increase invertebrate and fish biomass in the estuary (to be delivered as
         part of Objective two and five), and

    4.   Provision of technical advice to NSC in identifying opportunities for sustainable commercial and recreational
         fisheries in the Noosa River.


Work sequence
The Project is split into three work packages, or phases, to reduce ecological and financial risks through the application
of an adaptive management framework whereby learnings from previous phases are included in future phases to
consider prior learning and minimize risk:

         1. Optimal design and siting (2020) which includes pre-planning to determine the optimal design, locations
         and most cost-effective method of reef restoration;

         2. First site implementation (2020-2021) which will construct full sized oyster beds at two sites in the estuary
         to test initial restoration methods and designs, and

         3. Full restoration (2021-2022) which restore oyster beds at all suitable (and approved) sites within the
         estuary.


Progress summary
TNC has achieved the following:

    •    Permit applications submitted to government. Permits expected by 31 October 2021.

    •    Community Engagement Workshop with 10 stakeholder groups facilitated from which partnership projects
         were selected;

    •    Nine public information and consultation forums facilitated with 28 local stakeholders;

    •    Three local restaurants joined the Noosa Shuck Don’t Chuck shell recycling project - Noosa Yacht and Rowing
         Club, Noosa Habour Fish Market and Grenny’s Noosa by the River;

    •    Over 90 face-to-face meetings held with Noosa stakeholders to date, either to brief them about the project
         or to harness their expertise or views;




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