The Noosa Council majority voted last week to establish a Stakeholder Reference Group to “provide strategic input, local knowledge and expertise” into Noosa River management initiatives.
The CEO has been tasked with establishing the group, which will provide input into the shellfish restoration project and implementation of the Noosa River Plan.
After hours of debate at Noosa Council meetings last week the majority of councillors would not support the inclusion of an historic fishing family representative in The Nature Conservancy’s Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on the project put forward by Cr Amelia Lorentson.
The majority would not support the addition of a councillor as an observer on the TAG, a group of specialists in shellfish restoration, local and state government processes and project management proposed by Mayor Clare Stewart.
Nor would the majority support the inclusion in the project’s monitoring and evaluation plan of “the confirmation of historical numbers of prawn and fish stock and water quality” proposed by Cr Stewart.
The majority did support a call by Cr Stewart to have an independent scientist, enlisted by Council, to peer-review the monitoring and evaluation plan for the oyster restoration project, the methods used, and the data to be collected.
Deputy Mayor Frank Wilkie said the recommendations from the expert peer review would be built into the plan.
“This review process will add further expertise and rigour to the project,” he said.
Council partnered with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in July last year in what is to be a three-year project, to restore oyster reefs in sections of the river.
Philanthropic organisation The Thomas Foundation provided $1.2 million to the project, to match Council’s $1.2 million commitment.
Councillors Frank WIlkie, Brian Stockwell, Joe Jurisevic and Tom Wegener voted in favour of approving TNC’s project management plan and noting the terms of reference of the projects TAG, Councillors Clare Stewart, Amelia Lorentson and Karen Finzel against.
TNC project manager Craig Bohm said TNC would be doing its own studies of the river, completing a technical shellfish restoration suitability model for the Noosa estuary, including undertaking detailed site analyses to guide the configuration and placement of restoration substrate.
Mr Bohm said TNC plans to progress slowly with the project, taking the time to consult with stakeholders to gain their views, explain their plans and share knowledge as they go along.
