The Nature Conservancy (THC) has delivered its final report to Noosa Council marking the end of its alliance and funding agreement for the $3.6 million Oyster Restoration project, but council halted the sign off on Monday in order to tally up late-received 2021 consultancy invoices.
“The project has been delivered. All milestones in the agreement have been met,“ council officers reported at Monday’s general committee meeting.
Officers said the “very comprehensive final report“ provided an excellent level of detail and overview of all the project-related activities undertaken throughout the life of the project for the Noosa River.
“It demonstrates substantial community and volunteer involvement throughout all phases of the project culminating in the celebration of the project construction phase in September,“ officers said.
At the September end-of-project celebration, Kabi Kabi elder Uncle Fred Palin expressed the significance of the project when he said the restoration of the shellfish reefs represented a “significant reconciliation step to renew the cultural links of the Kabi Kabi to their sea country“.
TNC described the primary goal of the project as the restoration of functionally extinct oyster-dominated ecosystems (beds and reefs), in the Noosa River estuary.
The alliance and funding agreement between TNC and Noosa Council was entered into in July 2019 with each contributing $1.2million. In May 2021, TNC obtained an additional $1.2 million for the project from the $20 million TNC Australia-Australian Government Reef Builder Project.
Since March 2022 TNC has secured state and local government permits to restore fish habitat, construct the reefs and collect, spawn and translocate live oysters.
They have entered into and completed contracts with M&J Marine Services (reef construction), Ecological Service Professionals (reef baseline monitoring), International Coastal Management (reef construction oversight) and Bribie Island Research Centre (DAF) (oyster reef seeding) to deliver the oyster reefs.
The project has constructed 30 reefs across four restoration sites (Tewantin, Goat Island, Noosa Sound East, Noosa Sound West), establishing oyster reef patches along 497m of Noosa River shoreline and a footprint area of 2268sqm with navigation markers installed at each site.
TNC has engaged with various sectors of the community in partnership and educational roles.
They have enlisted the help of several local restaurants in the Shuck Don’t Chuck oyster shell recycling project. They have engaged in senior school projects in partnership with Noosa Environmental Education Hub (EEhub) and in junior school projects in partnership with Noosa Biosphere Community Association (NBCA).
With Noosa Integrated Catchment Association (NICA) they have completed phase one of the community-led oyster gardening project and implemented a grant with the Noosa Parks Association (NPA) to undertake baseline scientific assessments of sediment accumulation patterns in the Noosa River.
The project has also secured an official name for Noosa’s oyster reefs from the Kabi Kabi elders – the ‘Huon Mundy Reefs’ and developed an oyster reef interpretive sign in partnership with Kabi Kabi members and Noosa Council.
TNC has ongoing commitments towards the management of the oyster reefs including the monitoring of ecological performance and erosion for the next five year and monitoring reef condition until 2030. They are committed to future reef seeding events, facilitating oyster gardening and supporting a Noosa River sediment accumulation study.
Cr Brian Stockwell described the Oyster Restoration as a “significant ground-breaking project – an Australian-first at scale estuarine oyster reef restoration project.
“There are many benefits that will flow to the community, to the river and to recreational fishers,“ he said. “One significant outcome has been the building of partnerships with First Nation people.“
Mayor Clare Stewart called for the matter to be referred to Thursday’s ordinary meeting to enable officers to tally invoices received just minutes before Monday’s council meeting began.
Cr Amelia Lorentson supported the move, saying it would enable complete reconciliation of payment.
Council’s adoption of the report will meet the final requirement of the agreement between TNC and council.
