Protecting Our Environment
When I came to Noosa in 1998, I was amazed by the beautiful environment. I soon learned that it was the product of visionaries and hard fought battles. Noosa council has been staunchly proactive with the environment. I invite everyone to read the Environment Strategy Monitoring Report 2023 to fully understand the scope of the council programs.
I am proud to be a councillor and being influential in protecting and preserving Noosa’s spectacular environment. I support the environment team and do my best to read the reports and give meaningful input to staff. I enjoy visiting the various Bushcare Groups and help pull weeds and plant trees whenever I get the opportunity.
I am honoured to be the councillor representative on the Environmental Levy Working Group. This group looks for environmentally important land to purchase with the the Environment Levy funds. The group made three purchases in this term; 98 hectares of remnent and some old growth forest off Lake Flat Rd, Cootharaba and two adjoining property purchases in West Cooroy with a total of 117 hectares. Much of this land is old growth forest.
Dave Burrows (conservationist super hero) took me out to inspect the land of the Environment Levy Purchases.
The land to the to the top of the opposite ridge, and the valley between which holds old growth forest was purchased by Noosa Council in 2023. This is very important for preserving biosdiversity and for maintaining rain fall. The Hawaiians say, “The rain follows the trees.”
Noosa Biosphere Reserve Foundation
I am the appointed councillor to the board of the Noosa Biosphere Reserve Foundation (NBRF). The NBRF was set up in order to maintain Noosa’s status as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The key goal of a Biosphere Reserve is to pass the land on to the next generation in equal or better condition than this generation received. The NBRF facilitates not only conserving the environment, but also society working in harmony with the environment. Please see the NBRF website to learn more:
My key contribution was heading up the Agri-Hub project. I feel that Noosa’s key environmental concern is silt running off degenerated land and smothering the life in our creeks and rivers. I believe regenerative farming practices will slow the water movement and reduce silt loss.
I also am aware that Noosa food security is at risk from numerous factors from drought to problematic supply chains. Changing our farming practices on our agricultural land can go a long way to feeding our residents and food security. Noosa has lots of rain, a population that supports healthy food suppliers and land which can be regenerated into great farms. We are only lacking support for farmers.
Farming communities are resilient communities. I spoke with Elaine Bradly of the Mary Valley Growers and she told me a heart warming story of their community. During Covid many elderly people did not want to leave their homes and the group organised food deliveries. They also set up a phone tree where everyone called a list of people every day to make sure nobody was being left behind. It was the farming community that really kept these residents from feeling terribly isolated.
Through the Agri-Hub project, the NBRF supported numerous public meetings, a symposium and the Grow For Noosa Gala, featuring chef Matt Golinski. This Agri-Hub project had a big part in shaping aspects of the Corporate Plan 2023 and the Planning Scheme Amendments which will come out for public consultation in 2024.
Above, the NBRF board in action.
Left, Strategies are mapped out at the Agri-Hub Symposium at the Pomona Memorial Hall with Kate from Young Farmers Connect and regenerative farmer Nik Holliday.
Below, an invite to the Agri-Hub, and below that is an article from Your Local Lifestyle.
