The Noosa River Foundation (NRF) works in partnership with the community, business & government to deliver projects that will assure the Noosa River system’s future as a high quality sustainable natural environment; one which is able to support the species, ecosystems and recreational & commercial values upon which Noosa’s tourism-oriented economy relies. Summary
The Noosa River Foundation will b
e a registered, not-for-profit charitable foundation that raises tax-deductible funds from donors, sponsors & other partners for environmental restoration & enhancement projects within the Noosa River system. Its emphasis will be fundraising from private sector individuals, businesses & other organisations that can then be brought to bear on these projects. Priority project proposals would be identified through consultation with relevant State & Local Government agencies, the local community, and scientific & indigenous knowledge sources. Preferred projects will be determined by the Foundation’s Board, and service providers identified & contracted to implement project delivery. Project implementation, monitoring & evaluation will be overseen by the Foundation. Background
The Noosa River is an iconic Queensland river system at the northern end of the Sunshine Coast in Southeast Queensland. It is one of the main drawcards of the Noosa Heads tourist ‘destination’, and for a river of its size and resident population is very heavily used by a range of recreational & commercial pursuits. It is also impacted by residential & commercial development particularly along the lower estuary, agriculture within the catchment, and other land uses. This use & adjacent development causes impacts that pose various challenges to the ongoing environmental integrity & sustainability of the system. The work of the Foundation seeks to address these issues by investing in projects to restore the system, mitigate impacts, and build future resilience & sustainability. The Foundation will complement existing work done in this space by government agencies & community organisations in this by providing a focused vehicle through which donations/investments can be sought from the private sector (individuals, businesses & philanthropic organisations) and brought to bear on projects that till now have relied mostly on government funding and/or the work of volunteers. Possible Projects – Possible Priorities
Project priorities will be established by the Board on the basis of Board member expertise & experience, advice from the Foundation’s own Scientific & Cultural Advisory Committee (SCAC), consultation with relevant government agencies, other community members etc; possible projects include:
- river bank erosion mitigation projects – the erosive impacts of boat wash is particularly an issue in the mid to lower river
- mangrove replanting/restoration projects
- other priority riparian revegetation projects
- possible seagrass replanting/restoration projects
- other possible fish habitat & structure reestablishment projects
- rubbish/plastic/litter cleanup & removal work
- stormwater/runoff quality management/improvement projects
- possible restocking project/s of targeted estuarine fish species
- weed/pest removal projects
- information & education projects concerning sustainable use of the river – for example with regards;
- low environmental impact boating practices
- shorebird conservation in the lower river
- sustainable fishing practices
- information, printed material, signage projects
