The inaugural chairman of the Noosa Biosphere management group has slammed the Noosa Biosphere Reserve Foundation calling for an independent review of the organisation, its processes and constitution.
Michael Donovan was the first chair of the Noosa Biosphere management committee before it was dissolved and the new Noosa Biosphere Reserve Foundation (NBRF) founded by Noosa Council in 2014.
Mr Donovan served from 2008 to 2011, which overlapped with his time as the chair of Tourism Noosa.
Last week (30 March), Noosa Today reported documentary evidence showed a former board member bullied an NBRF employee resulting in a “psychological injury” and a successful WorkCover claim.
Mr Donovan slammed council’s response that the NBRF was a “completely separate entity with a completely separate board” and former chair Scott Williams’ statement that if there was an incident of bullying it was “private”.
“Something is wrong here and needs to be fixed and now,” he said.
“It is not good enough to say ‘it’s private’. It’s not good enough to say it is a ‘completely separate entity with a completely separate board’ yet a council staff member is mandated as a director.
“It isn’t good enough, as reported, that it’s said to be ‘a then board member, a lack of support from the NBRF board and a lack of procedures’.
“It is about time for an independent review of NBRF operations, processes and to test the adequacy or not of its constitution.”
Mr Donovan said he questioned how “this had all come about”.
“What board allows management to operate for so many years without adequate procedures to address such disputes – fairly, thoroughly and expeditiously?” he said.
