Sheraton helps Noosa Biosphere

Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability Glen Elmes with Sheraton Noosa general manager Stephen Ferrigno as they announce a $60,000 sponsorship of the Noosa Biosphere.

Geoff Potter

The Sheraton Noosa Resort and Spa pledged $60,000 on Tuesday to help sustain the Noosa Biosphere for the next 12 months.

In a lavish meeting, Sheraton staff, Noosa Biosphere representatives, Mayor Bob Abbot and Member for Noosa Glen Elmes were nourished with pastries and coffee as part of the green celebration.

Sheraton Noosa general manager Stephen Ferrigno said supporting the biosphere was a natural step for the exclusive resort and would complement its already green practice.

“The Biosphere is about the environment and man in that environment having the smallest impact in his pursuits,” Mr Ferrigno said.

“This is a trustworthy project to give funds to and our aim is to support the biosphere into the future. Noosa is a special place that is unique and pristine and we are part of the community so we want to maintain that.”

The resort already harvests water that is used in its pools and irrigation systems, has solar-heated spas and sends its “wet waste” to be composted.

Noosa Biosphere chair Michael Donovan said the $60,000 from the resort would be split apart to be spent on three projects within the business.

Mr Donovan said $30,000 would be spent on the Noosa Biosphere website, $10,000 would be spent to build up its once-a-week “Voice of the Biosphere” broadcasts on 101.3FM, and the remainder would be used to fund Biosphere Day on September 19.

Mr Elmes said the Noosa Biosphere Reserve was one of the great final achievements of the Noosa Shire Council following the granting of the rarely bestowed Man and the Biosphere Reserve status from UNESCO.

“The Noosa Biosphere Reserve is unique among Biosphere reserves throughout the world,” Mr Elmes.

“Most of the 564 Biosphere Reserves, located in 109 countries, lie within National Parks. By definition, that makes the Noosa Biosphere Reserve very special as it is not just a National Park but also home to a population of live, warm bodies of real people.

“In the case of Noosa, people are integral to the Biosphere and not just sometime visitors.”

Mr Elmes said it was a special place because people like former mayor Noel Playford provided the leadership to a community which had a vision that Noosa had to be preserved.

“Bob Abbot should also be given great credit for his part in keeping Noosa ‘Noosa’. He knows what it is like to lose sleep from being sued personally as he fought to preserve that for which we remain grateful today,” he said.