Biosphere community, economy & nature in harmony

The Issue

UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere program is intended to promote people creating resilient communities and thriving economies in harmony with nature.

However, the Council-funded Noosa Reserve Biosphere program mainly focuses on the environment, with minimal attention to sustainable built environment and business.

My Policy

Council to facilitate a Noosa Biosphere working group to reconfigure the existing Noosa Biosphere model so it takes on the more balanced approach envisioned by UNESCO of resilient community and thriving economy in harmony with the natural environment.

Background

UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere program is about communities and economies in harmony with natural environments.

When the Council established the Noosa Biosphere Reserve Foundation (NBRF) in 2015, it approved a constitution limiting its principal objective to protecting and enhancing only the natural environment. 

The modifications sabotaged UNESCO’s vision for biosphere reserves which is that they should enhance “the relationship between people and their environments” and “promote innovative approaches to economic development that are…environmentally sustainable”.

Resulting from community dissatisfaction, in 2018 Noosa Council took over environment grant funding from NBRF, and in 2021 the funding deed was changed to a partnership agreement, reflecting the role of Noosa Council in relation to the Biosphere Reserve.

The NBRF still only refers to the community and environment on its website, with no mention of the Noosa economy.  And the NBRF constitution still does allow community membership.

My Action

I will seek Council to facilitate a working group consisting of council, NBRF and peak Shire community and business associations to design initiatives so the Biosphere takes on the sustainable and balanced approach towards communities, economy and environment envisioned by UNESCO.