2018-08-07 P&E Agenda - Attachment 1 to Item 3 - Noosa Biosphere Reserve 10 Year Periodic Review

                                                                          Noosa Biosphere Reserve - Periodic Review 2018




 PART ONE: SUMMARY

a)       Name of the Biosphere Review                 Noosa Biosphere Reserve (NBR)

b)       Country                                      Australia

c)       Year of designation                          2007

d)       Year of Periodic Review                      2018

e-g)     Previous recommendations by the              Not applicable
         ICC and follow-up actions

 h)       Periodic Review process

 The PR process was conducted over the period March 2017 to April 2018. A Periodic Review Advisory
 Group (PRAG) was established in March 2017 by the NBRF – the current management group - to
 oversee the review process. Membership of the PRAG was drawn from elected members of the NSC,
 Council staff and representatives of local environmental groups.

 A Consultant was employed on a part-time contract basis to coordinate the PR process, facilitate the
 PRAG and to research and write the PR report. A Strategic Advisor was also employed to conduct
 extensive interviews with key stakeholders in the NBR, and to advise the NBRF Board on future
 strategy for the NBRF.

 Formal meetings were held between the NBRF and the NSC to discuss progress with the PR as part of
 normal strategic and budgetary planning, monitoring and reporting sessions. The NBRF receives
 funding from the NSC under a triennial funding agreement, based on the achievement of key
 performance indicators (KPIs).

 The methodologies used in the PR process included the following:

 •        Desktop research
 •        Strategic planning discussions
 •        Stakeholder identification sessions
 •        Face-to-face interviews
 •        Group meetings
 •        Presentations
 •        Field visits to revegetation sites
 •        Inspections including botanical walks/ boat trips.

 i)        Area and spatial configuration

 Table 1: Area and spatial configuration, NBR
      AREA DESCRIPTION                         NOMINATION       PERIODIC            CHANGE
                                               FORM 2007        REVIEW 2017
      Area of terrestrial Core Area(s)            24,870 ha            42,282ha     Now includes Bushland
                                                                                    Reserves and water bodies
      Area of terrestrial Buffer Zone(s)           28,050 ha            17,717 ha   Improved mapping
      Area of terrestrial Transition Area(s)       28,820 ha            26,979 ha   Improved mapping
      Area of marine Core Area(s)                          -                    -   No defined marine core area
      Area of marine Buffer Zone(s)                 5,853 ha                    -   Re-classified to transition Area
      Area of marine Transition Area(s)                    -            23,750 ha   Increase due to inclusion of
                                                                                    marine area 5.5 km offshore.
      TOTAL                                        87,593 ha           110,728 ha   Noosa Shire is 86,978 ha
                                                       (est.)                       (plus marine transition area)




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