Council awarded for collaboration in protecting local fauna

Council's collaborative efforts to protect an important wildlife corridor in Noosa have been recognised with an excellence award. 

At the recent 2019 Local Government Management Association (Qld) Awards for Excellence, Council received the “Excellence in Collaboration Award” for successfully bringing together a diversity of stakeholders on the Yurol-Ringtail State Forests Conservation Project.

Council collaborated with the State Government, local environment group Noosa Parks Association, and HQ Plantations to progress the reafforestation and transfer of 2,400 hectares of State Forest into National Park. The outcome will create an important wildlife corridor that will benefit not only koalas, but many threatened and endangered species.

Last November, Council, the State Government and Noosa Parks Association signed an agreement to jointly fund a $3.5M investment needed to buy-out license areas managed by HQ Plantations. Once plantation timber is removed, the areas can be restored to a natural habitat. 

Mayor Tony Wellington said the award acknowledges the tireless efforts of our Council team, particularly CEO Brett de Chastel.

“Brett put in an incredible amount of effort stitching this extremely complex deal together. He spent many a weekend working on it.”

Other staffers worth noting include Council’s Principal Environment Officer Peter Milne, former Executive Officer Narelle Reid, and former Governance Advisor Paul Bright.

“This project is a great example of what can be achieved when governments, community and business work together for a common goal,” the Mayor said.

The LGMA Queensland Excellence Awards celebrates the professionalism of local government and inspires people to even greater levels of excellence in leadership and management across Queensland councils.

The Collaboration Award recognises genuine and effective collaboration with partners, resulting in better outcomes for councils and their communities.

5 June 2019