2021-01-18 General Committee Meeting Agenda

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                               18 JANUARY 2021


It was initially anticipated that the River Plan might be brought forward for endorsement in early
2020, however given the nature of responses and concerns over the timing of the engagement,
officers recommended it would be best to wait and work further with stakeholders, and the new
Council when elected in April 2020. The history of the River Plan and the feedback from the second
round of consultation was workshopped with the new Council in July 2020.

Noosa River Stakeholder Advisory Committee
Both versions of the Noosa River Plan that have been out to public consultation included an action
for implementation to provide a clear mechanism for community engagement;
   Version 1 - Establish appropriate communication and consultation mechanisms to support
     ongoing community input into the management of the Noosa River.
   Version 2 - Establish appropriate communication and engagement mechanisms to facilitate
     ongoing community involvement in river management.

At the July 2020 Ordinary Meeting, upon the presentation of the Noosa River Oyster Ecosystem
Restoration Project – Project Management Plan, Council resolved to establish a Noosa River
Stakeholder Reference Group to provide strategic input, local knowledge and expertise into River
Management initiatives, initially providing input into this Shellfish Restoration project and more
broadly into finalisation and implementation of the Noosa River Plan.

This resolution involved a shift of emphasis from establishing a community consultation mechanism
to support the River Plan’s implementation following Council’s endorsement of the Plan, to the
creation of a stakeholder committee to provide advice and drive consensus on the priorities of the
a final River Plan, prior to Council endorsement.

It was originally anticipated that a Terms of Reference would be completed and bought back to
Council by October 2020 however ongoing communication with local Maritime Safety Queensland
representatives revealed that they were also looking to establish a local stakeholder group to
inform their management actions on the river.

This represented a unique opportunity for a partnership approach to stakeholder engagement, with
both a local government and a State agency working together to Chair the group, to provide more
effective resolutions to community river-related issues than either group could provide by itself.

Working across two agencies with different protocols took longer, however the outcome, if
successful, will be better, and MSQ see it as a potential model they may look to use in other
locations. The Terms of Reference (Attachment 1) outline how the group is anticipated to work.

Elements of the ToR for the Noosa River Stakeholder Advisory Group include;
   The purpose of the NRSAC is to engage key community stakeholders to provide objective
     advice and recommendations towards the sustainable use, conservation and management
     of the Noosa River and its catchment.
   The group will consist of up to 10 community representatives, with several sectors specifically
     identified for representation.
   It is proposed to have one Councillor as an observer for meetings of the Noosa River
     Stakeholder Advisory Committee.
   The NRSAC will consider issues throughout the whole catchment of the Noosa River.
   The group will be co-chaired by Noosa Shire Council, taking the lead on catchment-related
     issues, and Maritime Safety Queensland, taking the lead on river use and safety.
   The chairs will be senior officers of each organisations. The Noosa Council chair will be
     appointed by the Chief Executive Officer.

                                                                                   Page 28 of 155