Winners of the 2025 Noosa Biosphere Awards were announced on Thursday 13 November at The J Theatre at an Awards Ceremony that included a special presentation titled Our Noosa Biosphere.
Telling the story of Noosa’s Biosphere Reserve, Our Noosa Biosphere, featured guest presenters Kabi Kabi Tribal Link and speakers Tony Wellington (President, Noosa Parks Association), Emeritus Professor Ian Lowe, Phillip Moran (Environmental Steward), Peppie Simpson (WhaleSongs Noosa Charters), Noosa Mayor Frank Wilkie and youth conservationist Jarrah Small.
Professor Ian Lowe emceed the event, guiding guests through a program that celebrated local champions contributing to a more sustainable and resilient Noosa community.
Professor Lowe acknowledged that the complexity and beauty of the Noosa Biosphere being a product of an immensely long period of custodianship of the Kabi Kabi people. “Over tens of thousands of years they learnt how to live sustainably, to live within the limits of the natural systems of this beautiful but harsh and unforgiving land and they embodied that knowledge not just in custom and practice, not just in ceremony and dance but in their system of Lores and it’s that legal framework that enabled them to be here for tens of thousand of years and enabled them to protect the complexity and beauty that we recognise in the Noosa Biosphere,“ he said.
Among the other speakers Tony Wellington delivered a summing up of Noosa’s environmental activism, Mayor Frank Wilkie spoke of current work on the Biosphere Reserve and Jarrah Small spoke from the perspective of youth.
Former mayor Tony Wellington said the Noosa’s environmental activism began in 1962 when a group led by GP and botanist Dr Arthur Harrold formed Noosa Parks Association with two projects in mind.
The first was to prevent the development of Noosa Headland, squashing the plans of the then council to build roadway around the foreshore from Hastings Street to Sunshine Beach to facilitate ocean front development. Further lobbying resulted in the area being transformed into the existing national park, extending down to the shoreline.
“Today it is the jewel in Noosa’s tourism crown,“ he said.
The other project was rescue of Cooloola from mining, logging and development in a decade-long battle that resulted in Cooloola becoming part of Great Sandy National Park, he said.
Other imaginings realised through schemes and battles have been a ring of national parks which has been achieved bit by bit with the most recent addition of Yurol and Ringtail.
Mayor Frank Wilkie said for next 12 months there would be an undertaking of the second 10 year review of key indications tracking Noosa’s progress of its Biosphere Reserve.
He said significant work had been undertaken in PhD study of biosphere indicators by Rodrigo Oliveira to refine our understanding of how we are living in the biosphere and planning to deliver regenerative programs. We need to demonstrate different by nature is not just brand it’s our responsibitity.
With 43 per cent of Noosa land protected, the target for Noosa is 50 per cent protection by 2030, he said.
“Noosa’s natural beauty is our greatest asset and most fragile resource,“ he said.
Jarrah Small told a packed audience at The J every time a young person stands up for wildlife that’s leadership, ownership, our generation showing we don’t just hope for change we create it – that’s the future happening right now.
“As a 16 year old volunteering in my local community and through my environmental education work in schools and at events I’m fortunate to see the next generation active and passionate grassroots action as they learn to care for country,“ she said.
“Small actions, changes in behaviours and caring about wildlife is the foundation for the next caretakers of the Noosa Biosphere Reserve, that’s what gives me hope.“
Presented by Noosa Biosphere Reserve Foundation and sponsored by Noosa Council, the 5th annual Noosa Biosphere Awards recognised individuals, businesses and organisations making an outstanding contribution to the Noosa Shire, a UNESCO designated Noosa Biosphere Reserve, through environmental stewardship, conservation, social impact, innovation and business sustainability.
The 2025 Noosa Biosphere winners were:
– Environmental Steward Award, sponsored by UniSC: Chaka Wood (Under 30) and Paul Ryan (Over 30).
– Over 30 environmental steward Paul Ryan has been working with Noosa and District Landcare for the past 25 years and helping to run its waterworks monitoring program. A forrester by profession Paul hopes we could bring more forrests in among the people including the urban areas. “This is a way we really should be living,“ he said.
– Under 30 environmental steward Chaka Wood uses art to inspire awareness of native species. Her Go Frog game and polymer clay frog models of Sunshine Coast species spark fun, curiosity and connection. Chaka hopes to publish a book on the frog life cycle soon.
– Social Impact Award, supported by Kabi Kabi Peoples Aboriginal Corporation: Zero Emissions Noosa and its Noosa Low-Income Solar Project which has provided 10 eligible low-income households in Noosa Shire with free solar power systems, helping to reduce energy stress and ongoing electricity costs.
– Thriving Nature Award, sponsored by Noosa4Sale: Tourism Noosa’s Plastic Free Noosa, which aims to help local businesses, residents and visitors to Noosa easily eliminate single-use plastics from their everyday life.
– Smart Biosphere Award, sponsored by Noosa Council: UniSC Indicators of Conservation Success by Rodrigo Oliveira, a PhD candidate, whose research is paving the way for more effective, real-world conservation strategies.
– Sustainable Business of the Year, sponsored by Tourism Noosa: Eastwell Farms whose passions have been centred around environmental stewardship since discovering the importance of Regenerative Agriculture as well as mushroom cultivation.
Noosa Biosphere Reserve Foundation General Manager, Anna Macklin, congratulated all winners and finalists.
“Our 2025 Award winners exemplify what it means to live in balance with nature. Their passion and commitment to the community, environment and innovation in the Noosa Shire continues to inspire us all,” she said.
Noosa MP Sandy Bolton praised the winners and delivered the final address of the evening.
“People often say what’s a biosphere. Tonight says it all. It’s about how we look after and connect with out environment, with each other,“ she said.
“We work so hard every day so we can reduce impacts alongside our furry, feathered and fin friends. It’s not easy but we can see through the diversity of the businesses and the efforts that we will get there.“
The Noosa Biosphere Awards are an initiative of the Noosa Biosphere Reserve Foundation. They recognise the people and businesses making a positive contribution to advancing the objectives of the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Program within the Noosa Shire.
For a full list of finalists and more information, visit noosabiosphere.org.au/awards
