By Margaret Maccoll
An independent Noosa-based, non-government fundraising organisation, the Noosa River Foundation, is being established to support projects to enhance the Noosa River and work cooperatively with all stakeholders.
Founded by Michael Whitehead the board is being constituted with a former Noosa Mayor taking on the position as chair and scientific expertise to be delivered by a University of Queensland professor with experience working on the river, and a website is in development.
Michael, a former Noosa Council Environment Officer who worked under Mayors Playford and Abbot, returned to the area six months ago after working in Canberra and Indonesia.
He has continued to keep tabs on the region while away and since being back has been reacquainting himself with the river and the many folk who have a long and deep interest in the river and its continued welfare.
“I negotiated the first few land purchases adjacent to the river with conservation levy funds, initiated the first lower estuary biodiversity assessment which was recently repeated by UQ researchers, introduced the voluntary Land for Wildlife Program to Noosa and helped establish the first Noosa Catchment Management Association,“ he said.
“Amongst my fondest memories from those days were the times when at her request, I would row Nancy Cato around Weyba Creek in her little dinghy whenever she wanted to point out some matter of concern to me; also when the commercial river fishermen would share with me the goings on up and down the river that concerned them.“
Michael said since his return he has seen a considerable increase in river usage but what has remained are the ongoing debates on the planning and management of the river.
“Debates about Council funding of particular river sustainability projects continue,“ he said. “Governments will never have enough resources to fund all the river restoration and sustainability projects the community would like to see action on.“
Michael envisages the Noosa River Foundation to be a fundraising vehicle with interest coming from the private sector to sustain the river as the high quality natural environment upon which the community and its tourism-oriented economy rely.
The organisation wouldn’t be relying heavily on government funding. It aims to leave policy-making decisions to government and to work cooperatively with all other stakeholders.
“I see an important opportunity to now establish a Noosa-originated and community-owned organisation, independent of partisan interests and government, that serves as the portal for community engagement and investment in river sustainability projects,“ Michael said.
“Given the historic roles that external organisations and various vested interests have taken regarding the river and the expenditure of scarce funds, and the understandable antagonism and distrust this has caused within parts of the Noosa community, I see it as crucially important that an initiative like I’m suggesting is locally-based and controlled, truly independent of vested interest and external groups, and independent of Council in the sense that it doesn’t rely on Council funding. It should be the organisation and platform that the community and private sector can trust and get involved with, be it in terms of suggesting or driving projects, or indeed making donations.
“It’s such an iconic river in terms of its natural state, in good condition and heavily used. It’s such a valuable thing. The river suffers from no lack of love.“
Michael said he had already gained wide support and is now putting the proposal to the community and river users.
To be involved contact Michael Whitehead on 0492 953 272.
