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

                                                               Noosa Biosphere Reserve - Periodic Review 2018




decisions for this community’. To date, there has been no detailed assessment of the participation of
women or Indigenous people in the management of the NBR.

Members of the community can also join a host of community organisations in Noosa that focus on
particular areas of interest. There are over 300 community groups in the Noosa Shire. Given the
demographic profile of Noosa, many of these groups are run by volunteers and a large proportion of
volunteers are either retired or in their senior years.

Young people and families tend to be involved in the NBR via school-based activities or via sporting
groups – for example, beach clean-up days, surf lifesaving, surfing, arts and crafts. In terms of
employment experience, the NDL employs many young people through employment programs such as
the Commonwealth Government’s Green Army program and the Queensland Government-run Skilling
Queenslanders for Work program. Over the last decade, the NDL has hosted over 200 placements in
these programs.

In July 2017, the NBRF administrative team accepted an invitation from the Noosa & Districts High
School (NDHS) to provide work experience for a Year 9 student, as part of the school curriculum. The
student spent a week in the NBRF Offices:
•     Perusing background materials about the UNESCO MaB program and the NBR
•     Helping to collect media clippings, and
•     Going on field excursions and learning about the work of the NBRF.

The student is interested in Science, so learning about the ongoing scientific research projects funded
by the NBRF proved to be of particular value. This was an extremely useful exercise for both parties –
beginning a direct exchange between a young person living in the NBR and the NBRF.It is hoped that
this small example of direct engagement with young people will continue into the future.

Indigenous people have helped inform planning and management of the biosphere reserve through a
number of processes. Indigenous people have accepted invitations to biosphere meetings and NSC
workshops which includes PRAG members. Traditional owners are often invited to ‘Welcome to
Country’ introductions at community events. The grant application process also provides an opportunity
for NBRF to engage with traditional owners and helps inform biosphere plans and management
priorities.

Depending on the organisation, women are generally well represented on environment and community
groups that have interacted with the NBRF over the decade. Although not specifically targeted, greater
representation from women’s groups would be beneficial to help inform biosphere plans and
management.

7.5.2 What form does this representation take: companies, associations, environmental
      associations, trade unions (list the various groups)?

The most common form of representation is with environment associations such as the Noosa
Integrated Catchment Association (NICA), Noosa Parks Association (NPA) and Noosa & District
Landcare (NDL). However, other specialist groups consulted include indigenous corporations such as
Goombuckar and the Kabi Kabi First Nation Native Title land title claimants.

7.5.3 Indicate whether there are procedures for integrating the representative body of local
      communities (e.g., financial, election of representatives, traditional authorities).

Current representation is leveraged through ensuring there is a mix of skills amongst the NBRF
directors which have a diverse range of qualifications and experiences including:
•     Business and commerce
•     Law
•     Arts and journalism
•     Ecology
•     Politics and economy




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