A New Direction for LBCCG
During the 2006-2007 financial year, Lake Baroon Catchment Care Group experienced the most significant changes to our business operations since its inception in 1992. The Group worked with Natural Solutions Environmental Consultancy to develop a business case for a ‘Large Scale Rehabilitation Project’ in the catchment. Using this comprehensive document, we successfully lobbied the AquaGen Board to increase our annual project budget by 285% to $100,000. The group was also successful in lobbying the AquaGen Board to increase administration funding in order to employ the Lake Baroon Catchment Officer full-time. At their meeting in November 2007, the Board approved funding of a total of $1.8 million for LBCCG over the following ten years.
In 2015 the Ten Year Agreement was replaced by the ‘Contribution Agreement’. In many ways this agreement is a continuation of the previous arrangement however importantly it is an understanding between LBCCG and Seqwater and reflects the important role LBCCG has carved out in the Lake Baroon catchment.
Catchment House
In 2006, AquaGen purchased a 40 hectare property along North Maleny Road. The property has extensive areas of bush extending from a ridge along North Maleny Road down a steep gully to Bridge Creek. On the ridge sits a small house that AquaGen has renovated to create offices for the Lake Baroon Catchment Care Group, staff and other community groups. The converted detached house contains three separate offices, a foyer, reception, display room, kitchen and meeting room. The latter is set up for community meetings, seminars and workshops, with a data projector available for presentations (bought using a Commonwealth Volunteer Small Equipment Grant). The beautiful camphor laurel table in this room was created by Cooroora Woodworkers and funded by a Gambling Community Benefit Fund grant received in 2007.
The new office was officially opened on November 23, 2007 by the President of AquaGen and mayor of Caloundra City Don Aldous, with other Board members in attendance. The opening was followed later that day by a barbecue for all members and friends of LBCCG.
LBCCG remains at this location and although Seqwater no longer uses the building for staff, the facility remains popular for meetings and as a base for catchment activities. With LBCCG’s growth to three staff the building is fully utilised.
