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Noosa Biosphere Association Inc. |
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Greater Noosa Collective ALLIANCE FORMED BETWEEN NOOSA BIOSPHERE ASSOCIATION, NOOSA PARKS ASSOCIATION AND EDV RESIDENTS GROUP Committee members from Noosa Parks Association, EDV Residents Group and Noosa Biosphere Association met recently to form a loose coalition dubbed the Greater Noosa Collective. This partnership will work together for the benefit of the Greater Noosa Area to promote the values of the Biosphere Reserve. Between them the three community organizations enjoy a membership of well over 4000. The first project has been to make a joint submission to Noosa Biosphere Ltd (NBL) regarding its Draft Management Plan. NBL, as you are no doubt aware, is the company established by the Sunshine Coast Regional Council to “govern” the Noosa Biosphere Reserve. Public submissions on its first Draft Management Plan closed on June 26th 2009. Two public meetings held by the NBL to discuss the Plan were extremely poorly attended, plainly indicating that they have thus far failed in the primary task of engaging effectively with the wider Biosphere Reserve community. Members of the Greater Noosa Collective, representing NBA, NPA and EDV Residents Group, have been holding discussions with every member of the NBL Governance Board of Directors. The basis of our joint submission, and the focus of these meetings, is to suggest a new action plan for NBL. This includes practical community-based projects as well as a more philosophical agenda. Amongst other things, we are arguing for a possible extension of the Noosa Biosphere Reserve to include the Eumundi-Doonan-Verrierdale region; identifying ways for members of the NBL Governance Board to be democratically elected by the Greater Noosa community; and an acknowledgement that the debate over de-amalgamation is an essential component of the future of the Noosa Biosphere Reserve. On a more practical level, our organization is offering to engage with local youth and children to help them understand what a Biosphere Reserve is and how we can all care for it. You can read the initial joint submission by clicking here.
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