A new Gardens for Wildlife project as well as the Noosa Integrated Catchment Association’s (NICA) ongoing projects and operations are assured of continuation with the commitment from Noosa Council of financial assistance.
NICA president Bruce Hallett said the Community Alliance agreement was particularly important in providing a degree of certainty and stability that enabled NICA to provide administrative, financial management and accounting support to a suite of new and continuing projects. This support will mean that NICA will be there to assist groups with auspicing, and office administrative help.
Mr Hallett highlighted the new ‘Gardens for Wildlife’ community engagement program that will provide a resource and service for urban landowners wishing to enhance urban ecology, through increasing understanding of biodiversity values on their property, and promoting enjoyment, awareness and citizen science.
The River Ranger volunteer program will also continue with Council support to provide regular river bank clean ups, water quality monitoring at numerous sites, weeding at sites only accessible by boat, and continuation of the shore bird monitoring in the Noosa River estuary. There was a separate grant that will allow in excess of 10 years worth of shore bird monitoring data to be analysed and published.
Council also provided funding to NICA for the Noosa Bush Beach and Creek Care group for the ongoing regeneration of Heathland Drive riparian embankment of the Cooloosa Wetland. This will include removal of multiple species of invasive weeds and staged revegetation to re-establish multi-strata healthy deep rooted vegetation to provide habitat and food sources for wildlife.
