2019-07-15 General Committee Agenda

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING REPORT                                                      15 JULY 2019

8     ALLIANCE AND FUNDING AGREEMENT BETWEEN NOOSA COUNCIL AND THE
      NATURE CONSERVANCY

Author            Kim Rawlings
                  Director, Environment & Sustainable Development Department

Index             ECM/ Subject/ Noosa River & Project/ Oyster Reef Restoration Project

Attachments       1.    Alliance & Funding Agreement between Noosa Shire Council and
                        The Nature Conservancy (25 page attachment provided separately to this
                        agenda)


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In January 2019 Council accepted a proposal and agreed in principle to partner with The Nature
Conservancy (TNC) in the next phases of oyster reef restoration. This report provides for Council’s
consideration, the formal Alliance and Funding Agreement to guide that partnership arrangement
with TNC over the next 3 years.

RECOMMENDATION
That Council note the report by the Director, Environment & Sustainable Development Department
to the General Committee Meeting dated 15 July 2019 and:
A.    Approve the Alliance and Funding Agreement with The Nature Conservancy provided as
      Attachment 1 to the report; and
B.    Authorise the CEO to sign and execute the Alliance and Funding Agreement with The Nature
      Conservancy.


REPORT
Background
Noosa Council, in partnership with The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the Thomas Foundation, the
Noosa Parks Association, the Noosa Biosphere Reserve Foundation (NBRF), and the University
of the Sunshine Coast (USC) have undertaken extensive background studies to better understand
the historical ecology of the Noosa River.
This work was undertaken with the intent of developing future projects with the aim of improving
marine biodiversity and ensuring ongoing sustainability of fish stocks. Some of these projects
include ‘Keeping it in Kin Kin’, to prevent mobilisation of sediment in the upper Noosa River
catchments, and also a study on benthic invertebrates of the river.
A third key project has been feasibility research into the restoration of the traditional oyster reefs
in the Noosa River, once a key part of the river habitat. This has included a scoping study led by
The Nature Conservancy in 2015 and field trials with experimental units with the University of the
Sunshine Coast from 2017-2019. The positive results from these trials included:
 All experimental units remained in their locations with only very minor movement observed.
 A significant degree of oyster spat still in the Noosa River through settlement on the tiles in the
    scoping study and then on the experimental coir log units.
 Good rates of growth of oysters observed.
 No signs of impacts on marine plants or shoreline erosion were observed.
 Higher concentrations of fish around the trial units.
These positive results led Council to make a decision at the January 2019 Ordinary Meeting to
partner with The Nature Conservancy to undertake larger-scale oyster reef restoration in the Noosa

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