By Margaret Maccoll
Noosa councillors have asked for more clarity from The Nature Conservancy (TNC) on a baseline measurement of fish stocks in Noosa River to be able to determine the success of its proposed oyster ecosystem restoration project.
At Council’s Planning and Environment Committee meeting on Tuesday councillors also requested an expansion of community engagement in the project beyond participation and for greater surety of Kabi Kabi involvement.
TNC oyster ecosystem restoration program project manager Craig Bohm attended the Council meeting to deliver on a milestone requirement, the Project Management Plan.
As part of the project’s alliance and funding agreement between Noosa Council and TNC a series of project milestones and outcomes are required to be met over the three-year project.
Under the project agreement Council required a Project Implementation Plan to be completed to include a detailed risk assessment, communications and media plan, monitoring, evaluation and reporting plan.
Also included were the terms of reference of the projects Technical Advisory Group (TAG). The TAG held its first meeting on 13 May. Its members include Council’s Environmental Services Manager, TNC’s project manager, operations manager and monitoring manager, an independent scientific expert from Ecological Service Professionals, a Department of Agriculture and Fisheries officer and biosecurity specialist, Maritime Safety Queensland’s Sunshine Coast area manager, a Department of Environment and Science representative and a Kabi Kabi representative.
Prior to the arrival of Mr Bohm TNC representatives visited the Noosa area to start the groundwork on some key project deliverables.
These activities included discussions around the development of the Project Implementation Plan, investigating sites for oyster restoration.
Restaurants were also consulted on using their recycled oyster shells in the creation of a suitable restoration substrate through TNC’s Shuck Don’t Chuck program and sites were investigated for curing used oyster shell that meet state biosecurity standards.
Under the project agreement TNC will provide its expertise to investigate other identified issues in the river.
These include a review and feasibility of opportunities for sustainable commercial and recreational fishing management options and assessment of the feasibility of seagrass restoration in Lake Cooroibah.
Councillors will discuss the approval of the Project Management Plan at its General Meeting on Monday.
