Noosa biosphere structure an international example

Noosa Councillor Tony Wellington says Noosa Biosphere Reserve's new management structure could become a model for other biospheres worldwide.

It follows a meeting of representatives of the World Network of Island and Coastal Biosphere Reserves, hosted by Noosa Council and Noosa Biosphere Limited earlier this month.

Representatives from biosphere reserves across Australia were among those to attend.

"What became very obvious from the conference was that Noosa Biosphere Reserve was better resourced, better understood and had greater community engagement than other biosphere reserves represented. We really should count our blessings,” Cr Wellington said.

"During the conference, Mayor Noel Playford gave an address in which he detailed the change of management structure for the Noosa Biosphere Reserve. This was very well received by attendees.

“Indeed UNESCO's representative, Dr Miguel Clüsener-Godt, was extremely effusive about the new model, asking Mayor Playford if he could use it as an example for other world biosphere reserves," Cr Wellington said.

Council this week adopted the Noosa Biosphere Reserve Trust and the Constitution of the Noosa Biosphere Reserve Foundation Ltd – an important step toward implementing the new model Council adopted earlier this year following extensive community consultation.

Cr Wellington said Noosa was fortunate that its biosphere reserve was wholly contained within one local government area.

“It was also evident at the conference that biosphere reserves, particularly in Australia, that had to deal with multiple local governments and authorities had much more difficulty with both resourcing and decision-making,” he said.

21 November 2014