Summary Of Feedback - Noosa River Catchment Management Plan

I'm going to take going to it up for my husband. All alright. Thank you Councillor Wilkie. Financial reports, September 2023. Can I have a mover and a seconder for the adoption? Thank you Councillor Lorentson. I'll second. Thank you Councillor Wilkie. All in favour? Councillor Wegener? Yes. Karen tong? Yes. Carried you down the sleeve. Thank you. Item 9 is reports direct to the Ordinary Meeting. The main act. 9.1 summary of feedback, Noosa River Catchment Management Plan. Councillor Stockwell?

Oh, you've got more. Now, I would like to leave the staff recommendation with some additional amendments. Or some additional, not amendments in this case, because the motion has been before us, but with some additional clauses. They being, and I'm happy to read out the staff recommendation first and foremost, which is that Council note which the report by the principal Environmental officer river strategy and engagement to the General Committee Meeting dated the 18th September 2023 and the further report on summary of submissions to the ordinary Council meeting the 26th of October 2023 regarding the updated Noosa Catchment Management Plan and a adopt the Noosa River Catchment Management Plan for ongoing implementation. Noting some implementations will involve further stakeholder engagement and are subject to future budget considerations. And authorise the CEO to make minor changes and edits to the plan prior to finalising, designing and publishing the plan. Note the possible changes in response to feedback outlined in this report as per attachment 1, and consider if Council wishes to support these, and if supported authorise the CEO to make these changes prior to finalising and publishing the plan. I'd also like to add D. That apparently. A paragraph be added under desired outcomes entitled anchoring that includes items mentioned such as the proposal to introduce a 28-day anchoring limit in any financial year to reduce the congestion and improve the rivers amenity currently being considered by MSQ as outlined in the report. I don't think it's got all the words there. Considers a review of anchoring sites that do not impact on the natural assets of the reserve such as oyster reefs, seagrass beds and Main Roads and any other outcomes from the Noosa River Stakeholder Advisory Committee or in the proposed actions of the plan with regards to anchoring. Further to the explanation of a conservation park on page 37 of the plan the following be included that the concept of a conservation park requires further public consultation with all key stakeholders including the Department of Environment and Science and the general public before deciding whether to proceed. Further with this concept the process will clearly outline the proposed purpose of such a management structure undertake a detailed assessment of the current natural cultural and socio-economic values of the river any positive and negative impacts of a conservation park and prepare a report for consideration by Council and the State Department of Environment and Science including feedback from the community and other stakeholders. F, that the concept of a conservation park must align with the desired outcomes and uses supported by the Noosa River Catchment Management Plan and g authorise the CEO to undertake a process of community and stakeholder consultation on the a conservation park for the fish habitat areas of the Noosa River which clearly outlines the proposed purpose of such a management structure, outlines other management structure models that have been considered, undertakes a detailed assessment of current natural, cultural and socio-economic values on the river, evaluates any positive and negative impacts of a conservation park, and prepare a report for consideration by Council and the State Department of Environment and Science, including feedback from the community and other stakeholders. Thank you. I do so on the basis of feedback from the last month I agreed to delay the approval of this and I clearly outlined that I had no objection to the elements of the Noosa River Catchment Management Plan and I say that because I think all of those parameters and for the 10 years that I've been here on Council, and for many years before that, I've heard a desire to manage our river and our greatest asset this community has. And I think the work and the elements of that are outlined and the actions that are proposed work towards achieving that. I think they also deal with the concerns that have been raised by elements of the community including the boating and fishing alliance with regard to things like personal watercraft being allowed to proceed further up the river than they currently do. Those opportunities are there in the actions of this plan proposed and there will be an opportunity there to present all of those elements going forward. The reasons I've introduced E is to deal with the feedback that the community has given in the last 30 days. Sorry, since the last meeting. I won't say 30 days because that's not quite correct. Since that was it. And that it's one of the reasons I agreed extension of time. Was so that the concept of a conservation park wasn't something that the community hadn't heard. But what is put before us today is not to approve a conservation park. That's an element of misinformation. So I'm trying to, in these additional points, outline clearly that this is something for consideration only, which needs to go out for a due process with the general public and the stakeholders that all have an element of concern and interest. And the well-being of the river is at the forefront of their consideration. Now, we had some questions raised around the elements of this going forward. All of those questions are relevant to the process of consideration here. The conservation park, again, is not something that is outlined for adoption here tonight. The only thing that we're putting forward with regard to a conservation park is an idea to. Consider. Noosa River is not. Would not be the only river to have a management plan and would certainly not be the only river to have actions to undertake the management and the. To. I've lost my train of thought. To a and to consider the needs of the greater community for such a great asset. Certainly the Gold Coast waterways are one that come to mind that have a significant plan there in that regard. So I put it to you that the second part, F, that the concept of a conservation park must align with the desired outcomes and uses supported by the Noosa River catchment plan. What that is intended to say is that a conservation park. If it was introduced, could not override the Noosa River Catchment Management Plan. It would need to go out again to be completely rewritten. So that's why I've put in clearly articulating that the conservation park, the concept of the conservation park, would go out for further public consultation with all key stakeholders and the general public and that the concept of conservation park must align with the Noosa River Catchment Management Plan and not be a vehicle for overriding the actions within.

Brian Stockwell47:53

A few conflicts of interest, I'll wait for it to come up on screen. I wish to inform the meeting that I have a declarable conflict of interest in this matter as follows. Due to my long-standing connection with Noosa District Landcare as one of the inaugural members of the unincorporated group dating back to the 1980s and a current ordinary member. Noosa District Landcare is identified as being consulted in the report. Although I have a declarable conflict of interest, I do not believe a reasonable person could have a perception of bias considering the community nature of this relationship. Secondly, as I have a long-standing relationship with the Mayor of the captain of the coordinating committee, MRCCC, a as a previous government employee, and long a-term collaborator since 1994, I have in the past had a smaller consultant contract below the limit of the prescribed conflict and prior to the declarable timeframe. I was up until the last AGM, or maybe two ADMs now, but I live at the last AGM, representative the committee, representative Council on the committee, and in this role I played a role in facilitating the developing of the group's revised catchment strategy. Although I have a declarable conflicts of interest, I do not believe a reasonable person could have a perception of bias considering the community nature of this relationship. And finally, as Healthy Land and Water have been providing feedback on the drafting of Noosa River catchment plan, in the past I have had a business relationship with this not-for-profit organisation who I subcontracted to provide GIS mapping support for work I did for Seqwater in my sole trader consultancy. Watershed Australia. The business relationship ended in 2020 as I had completed the last contract with Seqwater. I will not likely re-engage Healthy Land and Water as subcontractor as the primary person I worked with has left the organisation. While I declared this past interest for the purpose of clarity, considering the limited nature of their involvement in the development of the plan, and further, as neither I nor Healthy Land and Water stand to gain any direct material benefit or loss from the adoption or otherwise of the plan, I believe reasonable person will consider that I consider the matter in a fair and impartial manner. And, oh, that might duplicate a bit. We might take that last. Have I done that with each one? We might take that last. Have yeah. I done that with each one? I believe I can make an impartial decision in the public interest in this matter, and I therefore choose to remain in the meeting room. However, I will respect the decision of the meeting on whether I can remain and participate in the decision.

Thank you, Councillor think all Councillors around this table join in their admiration and thanks for the incredible works that those people did, that is quite simply remarkable, and if there is any follow you want us to do in regard to a formal, a letter, or something like that, we're more than happy to provide that because that's what we appreciate, thank you. I'll move that Standing Orders be resumed. Can I have a second? I'll second. Thank you Councillor Jurisevic. All in favour? Carried unanimously. Can I please have a mover for the confirmation of the Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting held on the 21st of September. Thank you Councillor Jurisevic. I'll move that Standing Orders be resumed. That's Councillor Jurisevic. I'll second. Thank you Councillor Finzel. All in favour? Carried unanimously. Yes. Thank you Councillor. Yes. Thank you Tom. I have a mover for the confirmation of the Minutes of the Special Meeting held on the 3rd of October. Thank you Councillor Lorentson and a seconder. I'll second that. Vicki that was Councillor Lorentson and Stewart seconded. All in favour? Carried. Tom. Yes. Thank you. Carried carriage anonymously there are no Mayoral minutes. I have a petition to present. I think there is a couple tonight. This one is a petition with 207 signatories objecting to the Noosa River Catchment Management Plan. I move that this petition be received and referred to the Chief Executive Officer to determine appropriate action. Thank you Mr CEO. Second. Thank you Councillor. All in favour? Thank you. Councillor Lorentson. I also favour? Have a. Yeah. Thank you Tom. Councillor Lorentson. I also have a. Thank yeah.

Specific role and or involvement does the SEQ Council of Mayors Resilient Rivers Initiative have in the formulation and or execution of the Noosa River Catchment Management Plan? Me again?

Yeah? Council of Mayors South East Queensland, which is commonly known as COMSEQ, and I'll use that term. Has indicated that South East Queensland waterways and wetlands investment strategy, which Council provided input to, is likely to be endorsed by the Resilient Rivers taskforce in December. Council has formulated the Noosa River Catchment Management Plan, taking into account the framework, the catchment action plans, already endorsed by our councils. Catchment action plans can be developed the Resilient Rivers Initiative in partnership with Council and key stakeholders. If Council has an existing plan for its catchment, it will expedite funding decisions, but the absence of one will not preclude funding for projects. Simply delay it until a developed. COMSEQ's strategy includes a multi- criteria analysis for potential projects and sets a vision for funding for the future of the region's waterways and wetlands. COMSEQ has invited Council to put forward high priority-- projects. Funding for projects is not guaranteed. However, co-contributions for projects will utilise good science and engineering and will be well-received.

Yeah I'm going to vote in favour of Councillor Stockwell remaining in the room. It's consistent with the position that we've held on these declarations in the past. Its relationship with Healthy Land and Water is not direct not as directly relatable to the elements of the Noosa Plan as some of the others are and with relation to his knowledge and experience with regard to river catchment and management I believe it's in the public interest that we have someone with such worldly experience in this area in the room to debate. I think we're fortunate to have him on Council and that we all offer our advice and knowledge and experience to staff on the matters, on all matters when they come before where we particularly where you have the relevant experience.

Sorry, point of order, Madam Chair. I correct the language there? It's the Noosa River Catchment Management Plan, as I understand it.