Burgess Creek Integrated Catchment Management Plan

Amelia Lorentson104:05

Sorry. I, Councillor Amelia Lorentson, inform the meeting that I have a conflict of interest from item 7.2.2 Burgess Creek integrated catchment management plan on this agenda. My brother lives approximately 550 from the mouth of the Burgess Creek and I've recently purchased a property in Sunrise Beach approximately 550 metres from the mouth of Burgess Creek. This distance has been checked and confirmed by the governance team. Any previous statements I made on this were estimates. In an abundance of caution and consistent with advice from the office of independent assessor, I believe it's prudent to declare this interest. Consistent also with legal advice previously considered by this Council on the question of proximity. Alone gives rise to a conflict of interest only, not a material personal interest. My position falls within that same characterisation. The integrated catchment management. Plan for Burgess Creek is a Shire-wide body of work, it forms part of a broader Noosa catchment strategy for waterways and the decisions before this meeting affect the entire community. It is in community interest that I wish to contribute. I've consistently declared this interest and believed I am able to consider this matter impartially and in the public interest. I choose to remain in the meeting room and vote on the issue.

Amelia Lorentson120:48

I have another amendment. You. Thank you. G, request the CEO provide a report on funding options to support implementation of the Burgess Creek Integrated Catchment Management Plan including investigation of a dedicated catchment reserve. Investigation, yeah, catchment reserve fund. Should we have fund at the end, Kim? You could say fund.

Thank you, good morning Councillors. Will recall that Burgess Creek has been the subject of significant community interest in Council discussion over several years. The integrated catchment management plan is the culmination of strong advocacy from both local Council members and elected representatives who have consistently called for a coordinated, evidence-based approach to managing the catchment. I'll also acknowledge the support of the Queensland government, whose funding has enabled this project to proceed and the ongoing involvement of Unitywater as a key catchment partner throughout the development of the plan. While Birch's creek covers only 545 hectares, it is a highly connected and complex coastal system where stormwater, groundwater, ecological processes, wastewater, influencing coastal dynamics interact. Activities in the upper can directly influence water quality, wetland function, erosion processes and the health of downstream receiving environments, excuse me, such as sunrise and Castaways Beach. The purpose of the ICMP is therefore to move beyond the issue-by management and establish a whole-of-system framework that considers how these interconnected processes influence one another across the entire catchment. Importantly, Burgess Creek is one of the Noosa's most developed coastal catchments and faces many of the challenges experienced by all the ways across Queensland, including urban stormwater impacts, development pressures, ageing infrastructure, and the need to protect environmental values and changing climate. This plan provides Councillors address those challenges in an integrated way. As Councillors are aware, Council previously endorsed the draft plan for community consultation. Phase two of this engagement was undertaken between 20th of July 16th of August and included the use of Your Say Noosa platform, a community information propping session, direct stakeholder engagement, and written submissions from community members and organisations. The engagement built on the earlier stakeholder workshops involving community groups, government agencies and key partners. The consultation confirmed broad support for the overall direction of the plan, particularly its focus on water quality, storm management, ecological protection, creek mouth management, governance and transparency. Importantly, the community feedback not only helped refine the plan, but also demonstrated support for progressing the next phase of implementation work, including further investigation, infrastructure planning, enhanced monitoring, improved governance arrangements and the development of delivery and funding pathways in partnership with organisations such as uni new water and other agencies. Before I conclude, I'd like to acknowledge the exceptional work of Rodrigo oliveira, Council's principal environment officer, and Sophie blunt, our catchments and coasts officer, who have led the development of this plan. This project represents something of a new chapter for Council. Under this leadership, the project can explore the use of artificial intelligence to assist in the development of the plan. Importantly, this was not a process of simply uploading documents and accepting a generated outcome. It involved of the careful specialised AI agents, extensive technical review and the integration of a large body of scientific literature, technical investigations and community feedback throughout the graphing process. The technology enhanced our ability to synthesise complex information and test ideas efficiently, but the final plan remains grounded. Professional judgment, technical expertise and community. This project demonstrates how Council can embrace innovation while maintaining a real transparency and evidence based decision making that our community expects. Would like to formally recognise this process and my previous contribution in achieving that outcome. In summary, the plan before Council today provides a strategic and community informed framework for future decision making. It enables a shared direction for Council our catchment partners and the community, and provides a clear pathway progressing future investigations, infrastructure planning, funding opportunity, and on-ground actions that will improve the health and resilience of Burgess Creek catchment over time. In closing, and perhaps most importantly, the plan is not a destination, it does, however, provide a map. To improve sustainable community-led management of the catchment. You.

Amelia Lorentson114:10

Thank you. I'll keep this brief. The amendment in front of us, I've included this amendment because the integrated catchment management plan, and first I really to acknowledge the excellent work and I'm talking from consultation to where we are sitting today. It really just credit to Rodriguez, Ben, Kim and the team. What we've got in front of us is really excellent. So back to the amendment. The ICMP identifies a range of actions and projects, but it doesn't provide Council with a clear path for implementation, so we commit to future investment, I think it's important that we actually understand what the priority projects are, which ones should be progressed first, what are their likely costs, who should be involved and what funding opportunities may be available. As you said Ben, Burgess Creek is one of Noosa's most significant urban waterways and many of the issues affecting the catchment involve multiple agencies and stakeholders. A delivery plan would provide Council with a practical road map for implementation and help ensure that resources are directed towards the actions that will deliver the greatest benefits for water quality, erosion management and environmental outcomes. The amendment in front of us doesn't commit Council to additional expenditure. It simply seeks information required to make informed decisions about future priorities and investments. And I spoke about this just previously. A plan is wonderful, but it's that strategy to execution. And I think this is a first step. So I'm hoping everyone will support the amendment in front of us.

Brian Stockwell105:27

Item 2 is to inform the meeting that I have a conflict of interest for item 7.2.2 but just a quick integrated catchment management plan on this agenda as due to my role as president of the Noosa Lions Football Club which has fields in the catchment. I do not believe a reasonable person could have a perception of bias because the club does not profit from or suffer loss of result plan and while larger in area than most of the lot of them, has not significantly greater interest than the many people who live in the catchment. As special expertise and significant experience in the subject matter, I choose to remain in the room and vote on the matter.

Through the Chair, we did work Councillor Lorentson and it was about providing a report back to Council on the timing and the cost of developing the implementation plan, because the detailed cost of implementation group plan was not our program. As Council will know, the integrated catchment management plan was funded through an election commitment and the scope of that plan was worked through with the government, which only took it to a certain phase, although so many of the actions do form part of existing Council programs and some business as usual, so there will be progress and the report outlines where it aligns with existing service delivery, particularly around asset replacement, environmental restoration and Bushcare work and things like that, all fits within our current work programs, but the development of a detailed cost of implementation delivery plan with consultation with all partners, there's a fair bit of work in that. So as I understand, this is asking for a report back on what that might look like and what that might cost. Work in that, but from that perspective, that's definitely favourable.

Amelia Lorentson113:03

Terrific um I'm happy I've got a couple of amendments through the Chair that I'm happy to test thank you um first one is if I can have that f um that item f be added to read F request the CEO provide a report to and I'm happy to work with Council and staff on a date that works with them. So request CEO provide a report to a future Council meeting on the timing and cost of developing of a Burgess Creek implementation delivery plan in consultation with Unitywater and relevant state agency to identify priority infrastructure projects and funding opportunities to address stormwater erosion and water quality issues within the catchment.

Frank Wilkie130:58

I appreciate the intent of it but I'm of the view that the previous amendment that we moved which will identify the costs and funding sources for the implementation of the Burgess Creek management plan actions um is sufficient as a starting point leading up into the budget which can include discussions of dedicated reserve I think it's duplication um staff are already doing an extensive piece of work in the report that we've already moved as part of the first amendment I think that's a really solid starting point I don't want to overburden them with something that appears to be I.