2019-03-12 P&E Agenda - Item 7 - Attachment 1 - NBRF FY17-18 Annual Report

                                                   NOOSA BIOSPHERE RESERVE FOUNDATION - 2017/18




6. FUNDING AGREEMENT & THE NEW INITIATIVE


Towards the end of the fiscal year, there were heavy discussions on the role and funding arrangements for NBRF.
Many parties were involved in this.

Significantly, as a result of the UNESCO Periodic Review and a look at the NBRF constitution, it was agreed that
Noosa Shire Council is the overall manager of the Noosa Biosphere Reserve.

It was then agreed that NBRF will concentrate on making big ideas work in NBR in line with the MaB program i.e.
linking environmental protection and initiatives with socio-economic progress.

Up until now the NBRF has operated through a series of community grant rounds to identify and action projects.

The NBRF has been asked to be much more like a “think tank” in coming up with “big ideas” through its own
research. It will then undertake to find ways to action, fund, and implement these projects. This process will
undoubtedly involve the community in many aspects but will be more directed.

The new three year agreement sets out a process whereby the operational budget will be reviewed each year and
that some project money will be earmarked for NBRF to apply for.

The NBRF is happy to take on the challenge of finding money to action projects and reducing the funds provided
from the environment levy.

We would point out that, in fact, other contributors are already providing cash and in kind to our projects which
should be viewed as fund raising.

Funding the operation of NBRF by the Council is much appreciated and is a key factor for success. Other funders
do not generally cover operations and administration so this money is hard to find. In the initial setup, the budget
was set for a small office and one full time employee. Although we manage the operations differently, this is still
the logic behind the operations funding. This gives good resources to leverage the expertise and time of the
volunteer Directors.

As well as the cost of running a small office at around $20,000 p.a. we utilise the balance of the $140,000 grant to
cover secretariat/administration, communications advice, project assurance, and project research.

      To meet the new challenge, we have developed a four stage approach to big ideas.

      1. Develop a hypothesis on what a big idea would be.
      2. Challenge that with group and scientific discussions to refine the hypothesis.
      3. Action a pilot to prove the hypothesis.
      4. Develop and implement a full program.

The development of our oyster reef project followed exactly this process.

The initial hypothesis was to increase fish stocks by increasing sea grass and mangroves. A major conference of
scientists debated this and the conclusion was not sea grass and mangroves but the lack of river bed structure
and sediment from erosion. A pilot of oyster reefs is underway to provide structure and a full implementation plan
is under discussion.

Getting these plans together is the major challenge for 2018/19.