Friday, 9 October, 2020
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PROPERTY GUIDE
Third time’s a charm Threats from bushfires last year and Covid-19 last May twice postponed the Great Noosa Country Trail Walk but last weekend the walk went ahead in the most successful event of its 20 year history. Jim Ennis of event organisers Cooroy Future Group said they had their largest group ever with 165 walkers and feedback was overwhelmingly positive. See page 7 for full story
Gail Anderson, Kim Steiner and Sharon Daniels of Mudjimba with Lynette Scott of Moranbah.
Feds to shell out By Phil Jarratt The Noosa River oyster reef restoration program seems set to receive a major windfall as part of a $61.7 million Federal Government investment in the environment, through the $1 billion COVID-19 Relief and Recovery Fund. Announcing the investment last week, Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack said that a $20 million reef builder shellfish restoration program would be shared between at least 11 bushfire and COVID-19-affected coastal communities to rescue native marine ecosystems from the risk of local extinction, rejuvenating local fish stocks and creating spectacular tourism dive sites in the process.
The Noosa River program, managed by The Nature Conservancy, is the only Queensland project currently listed under the Reef Builder funding. Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley said the announcements showed the Morrison-McCormack Government was delivering practical and lasting environmental outcomes while creating jobs and growing local economies. “Working with The Nature Conservancy, we will restore native shellfish reefs lost decades ago through over-fishing and dredging, creating a paradise for recreational fishers and helping to protect local coastlines from erosion,” Minister Ley said. Although the controversial Noosa River
program has divided the council at times, Acting Mayor Frank Wilkie used the recent council newsletter to praise the work of The Nature Conservancy, saying: “The project is part of a range of initiatives aimed at improving the Noosa River’s health and the quality of water flowing out into Noosa’s much-loved World Surfing Reserve, Laguna Bay and the North Shore.” Dr Chris Gillies, Oceans Program Director of The Nature Conservancy, said: “Rebuilding these reefs will create local jobs, produce millions of new fish, improve water quality, protect coastlines from erosion, and establish new fishing and dive tourism hotspots. “During reef building, a variety of jobs are
created, ranging from barge operators, to truck drivers, to shellfish growers and divers. After construction, the reefs will provide public benefits such as cleaner water and more fish for everyone.” However, in an email to Noosa Today just prior to publication, Dr Gillies was at pains to distance The Nature Conservancy from speculation about the size of the Noosa grant. “No funding allocation towards the Noosa project has yet been assigned by the Federal Government or The Nature Conservancy, and there is no opportunity for local government or the community to influence the allocation of funding for reef restoration in Noosa,” he wrote. Continued page 4
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Fresh energy for Noosa Authorised by Lincoln Folo, Liberal National Party of Queensland, 281 Sandgate Road, Albion QLD 4010.
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James BLEVIN